India’s expanded Multidimensional Poverty Index includes access to a bank account as an indicator, recognising the role of financial inclusion in economic security and resilience. In theory, bank accounts enable families to save, receive benefits, and manage financial shocks.

In practice, the presence of an account often tells us very little. Many accounts are opened under government schemes but remain empty, unused, or inaccessible.Women, in particular, may have accounts opened in their names without control over withdrawals or decision-making. A household with a zero-balance account is still counted as non-deprived, even though it has no savings to draw on in times of illness, crop failure, or job loss. Once again, the indicator captures formal inclusion, not financial security.