The Inclusive Finance India Awards is an initiative of ACCESS institutionalized in 2009, in partnership with HSBC India. The inspiration behind Inclusive Finance India Awards was to institute a mechanism to recognize the larger contribution of thought leaders, practioners, policy makers, promoters and researchers to the sector. The Inclusive Finance India Awards initiative aims to celebrate & encourage deserving institutions to continue to enhance outreach to the poor by way of motivating management and staff through recognition to their painstaking efforts and enhancing credibility of the institution thereby making it more attractive for funding

Inclusive Finance India Awards constantly realigns itself to bring different models and institutions contributing to the goal of financial inclusion under one umbrella. The award categories are constantly aligned to the shift & changes, as the financial inclusion evolves, with new categories added and sometimes dropped. The prestige of the Inclusive Finance India Awards is also enhanced by the layers of scrutiny and screening which the nominations are subjected to.

The Awards are presented on the inaugural day of the Inclusive Finance India Summit.