'Visit reflects shared commitment to advance financial inclusion...': India welcomes Dutch Queen Maxima
New Delhi, June 24
India on Wednesday welcomed Dutch Queen Maxima who is visiting India in her capacity as UN Secretary-General's Special Advocate for Financial Health, and highlighted how her visit reflects the shared commitment to advancing financial inclusion.
In a post on X, the Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal highlighted how her visit shows the joint commitment towards financial inclusion, drawing on India's transformative experience in leveraging Digital Public Infrastructure for inclusive growth and sustainable development.
As part of her three-day visit to India as the United Nations Secretary-General's Special Advocate for Financial Health, Queen Maxima of the Netherlands praised India's progress in financial inclusion and digital public infrastructure, saying the next challenge is ensuring these advances improve people's lives.
Speaking to the media on Tuesday, she said, "I am extremely happy to be back in India. I've been working a lot with India for a long time on financial inclusion. Now, it is about financial health, which is very important...You've done a wonderful job with digital public infrastructure. Now the issue is how to make and use this to improve the lives of the people."
In a post on X, the Netherlands Embassy in India, Nepal and Bhutan said, "We welcomed Her Majesty Queen Maxima of the Netherlands to India on her 3-day visit - Mumbai and New Delhi in her capacity as the UN Secretary General's Special Advocate for Financial Health."
According to the Royal House of the Netherlands' official press release, the visit, which is taking place from June 23 to June 25 at the invitation of the Government of India, focuses on advancing financial health and building on India's achievements in financial inclusion.
In Mumbai, Queen Maxima met nurses and young professionals using digital financial platforms such as 'SalarySe' and 'Jupiter Money' to manage finances, save and invest. She also participated in discussions on financial health challenges faced by women and rural communities, the role of artificial intelligence in providing personalised financial advice, and measures to prevent digital fraud and protect consumers.
According to the Official account of the Royal House of the Netherlands, in New Delhi on Thursday, Queen Maxima is scheduled to attend the 'Financial Health Demo Day' at the Gates Foundation, where Indian companies will showcase innovations aimed at improving financial health.
She will also participate in discussions on responsible data sharing, AI-powered services for farmers, and pension solutions for workers in the informal sector.
The visit is expected to conclude with a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during which Queen Maxima will share her observations and findings from the trip.
This is Queen Maxima's fourth visit to India in her UN advocacy role, following earlier visits in 2014, 2018 and 2022.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Queen Maxima's focus on women and rural communities is exactly what we need. As someone working in microfinance, I see daily how empowering women financially changes entire families. Glad to see AI being discussed for farmer services too - our farmers deserve better financial tools!
Interesting perspective from an outsider. India's digital finance revolution is impressive but we must be careful about data privacy and fraud. Queen Maxima's mention of 'financial health' rather than just inclusion is a significant shift. Hope it leads to better consumer protection.
Fourth visit since 2014 - that's commitment! The focus on informal sector pensions is spot on. Millions of workers in India have zero retirement savings. If we can combine UPI-like simplicity with pension products, that will be a game-changer. Let's hope the meeting with PM yields concrete action plans!
Honestly, while the digital infrastructure is great, we need to address the digital divide. Many elderly and low-income people still struggle with smartphones and internet. Queen Maxima's mention of AI for personal finance advice sounds futuristic but let's first ensure basic literacy and access for all. Baby steps first!
So proud to see India being appreciated by a UN dignitary! 🇮🇳 The 'SalarySe' and 'Jupiter Money' platforms mentioned are indeed popular among young professionals. But I hope the discussions also include affordable credit options for small businesses and street vendors - that's where real financial health starts at the grassroots.
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