•  With the growing rural connectivity and tele-density, a host of non-farm activities are mushrooming in the rural sector. Currently, the rural market accounts for 53 per cent of the Fast Moving Consumption Goods (FMCG) and 59 per cent of the durable market in India. The rural consumers represent more than 50 per cent of the country's `consuming classes'.
BIS Review 21/2007  3  Part – III: The way forward – some thoughts Having discussed the rural urban divide in banking and the potential in rural banking, the question that remains to be addressed is – how can banks meet the challenges of banking in the hinterland?