UNSGSA Queen Máxima Visits India to Advance Financial Health

From nurses using digital tools to manage their income to domestic workers and golf caddies seeking greater retirement security, Her Majesty Queen Máxima of the Netherlands spent three days in India exploring how financial services can better support people's financial health. During her visit to Mumbai and New Delhi from 23 to 25 June, in her capacity as the United Nations Secretary General's Special Advocate for Financial Health, Queen Máxima met government leaders, regulators, financial institutions, development partners, innovators and users of financial services to examine how policies, technology and partnerships can help people better manage their finances, build resilience and plan for the future.

The visit focused on financial health as the next step beyond financial inclusion. Discussions explored how financial services can move beyond providing access to enable people to manage day-to-day finances, withstand financial shocks, pursue opportunities and build long term financial security.

Meeting people who use financial services was central to the visit. In Mumbai, Queen Máxima met nurses using workplace financial services to manage income, build emergency savings and access financial products. She also spoke with young people using digital banking applications for budgeting, saving and investing, and met women and rural residents to discuss their financial experiences, challenges and aspirations.

Innovation featured prominently throughout the programme. At discussions hosted by Flourish Ventures, the International Finance Corporation, CGAP, Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth, the Gates Foundation, IIMA Ventures and the United Nations House, participants examined how artificial intelligence and responsible, consent based data sharing can support more personalised financial services. Queen Máxima also saw digital solutions designed to provide farmers with timely local information to support financial and business decisions.

As digital financial services continue to expand, the visit also highlighted the importance of consumer protection. Queen Máxima received a demonstration of measures to prevent digital financial fraud and later met Reserve Bank of India Governor Sanjay Malhotra to discuss financial health, consumer protection and the role of regulation.

Several engagements examined how financial systems can better serve groups that remain underserved. Discussions focused on measuring financial health to inform policy and product design, improving the financial well-being of women, and expanding retirement savings for workers in the informal economy. At the United Nations House, Queen Máxima met domestic workers and golf caddies, alongside representatives of pension organisations, to discuss approaches to strengthening long term financial security for informal workers.

Queen Máxima also met representatives of development organisations at the United Nations House to discuss their work on advancing financial health and attended a demonstration of innovations designed to improve household financial health.

The visit concluded with a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, where Queen Máxima shared observations from her engagements across the country.

Queen Máxima has served as the United Nations Secretary General's Special Advocate for Financial Health since 2024, having previously served as United Nations Secretary General's Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development from 2009-2024. She works with governments, regulators, international organisations and the private sector to advance financial systems that enable people to manage their daily finances, build resilience to financial shocks, pursue opportunities and feel secure about their financial future.

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