Staff Directory

Leena Datwani

Financial Sector Specialist

Leena Datwani is a financial sector specialist. She works with stakeholders to develop an ecosystem that enables digital finance to better serve the financial needs of the poor in India. Before joining CGAP, she had a leadership role at the H.A.N.D. Foundation and worked on the World Bank’s World Development Report.

Leena holds an Master’s in International Economics and International Affairs from Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies and an undergraduate degree in Environmental Studies and Economics from William Smith College. She is based in New Delhi, India.

By Leena Datwani

Blog

Will Facebook Soon Dominate Digital Payments in India, Indonesia?

As Facebook enters the highly regulated space of digital payments in India and Indonesia, it is partnering with local players to connect its virtual ecosystem with the cash economy, gain access to logistics networks and overcome regulatory hurdles.
Research

India's New Approach to Personal Data-Sharing

As more and more people begin to conduct transactions online, questions have emerged about how to provide millions of customers adequate data protection and privacy. India's solution to this challenge is account aggregators (AA).
Blog

Will Universal Basic Income Replace Safety Net Payments in India?

India is currently considering a universal basic income (UBI) scheme in which the government would guarantee a minimum income for all citizens. What are the key points of the UBI debate? What could UBI mean for financial inclusion in India?
Research

India's Push for Financial Inclusion

This Brief takes a look at India's financial inclusion effort--the Prime Minister’s Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) program--two years since it launched in August 2014.
Blog

How India’s New Payments Banks Stack Up

India sparked optimism for greater financial inclusion last year when it created a new category of banking service provider—the payments bank. However, three players already chose to surrender their license approvals. What does the remaining line-up of payments banks look like?