India had experimented with the Gramin Bank concept much before the advent of the most acclaimed Bangla Gramin Bank. Indias Gramin Banks, known as Regional Rural Banks (RRBs), have proliferated in no time, with more than 15,000 branches in the country. The success with which they delivered microfinance - small loans to the rural poor - was unparalleled anywhere in the world. This book makes a detailed analysis of the origin, growth and trends in the rural banking in India, in particular the RRBs. An in-depth analysis is made at village, subnational and national levels. The study focuses and...