Abstract

The case ‘bKash Mobile Money in Bangladesh – Promoting Financial Inclusion for the Masses’ is about bKash, a mobile financial services company in Bangladesh. The case deals with the initiatives taken by bKash to provide financial services to the underprivileged sections of society in Bangladesh. bKash provided millions of un-banked customers in the country access to mobile banking services such as operating savings accounts, paying for goods and services, and sending or receiving money in a reliable and efficient mode. The case dwells upon the growth of bKash through the entrepreneurial journey of Kamal Quadir, who founded the company in 2011 and was responsible for its growth and success. The business model of bKash is discussed in detail along with how it used digital technologies for financial inclusion. Various factors contributed to bKash’s success and its growth as the number one provider of mobile financial services in Bangladesh and these are discussed in detail. In the future, bKash is poised to utilize the latest technologies such as face recognition technology, blockchain technology, and IoT to enable more people to come under the ambit of financial inclusion and sustainable development.

Learning Objectives

The case is structured to achieve the following Learning Objectives:

• Evaluate financial inclusion as a tool to bring economically vulnerable people into the financial mainstream.
• Understand how mobile banking contributes to the financial inclusion of the masses.
• Analyze entrepreneurship with reference to the mobile banking industry.
• Understand the business model in a mobile banking organization.
• Evaluate the channel strategy in mobile banking.

Keywords

Financial inclusion; Mobile banking; Channel strategy; bKash; Entrepreneurship; Mobile financial services; Digital technology; Unbanked masses