FM asks PSBs to target youth through campus outreach, kiosks and mobile banking

Public sector banks will run a month-long ‘Banking for Youth’ campaign from October 2, targeting citizens aged 16 and above through campus engagement, dedicated youth kiosks and a mobile-friendly portal. The push follows strong digital-payment adoption: 18–29-year-olds account for 66% of UPI transactions.

— Source published Tue, 18 Aug, 2026, 21:22 IST · First seen Tue, 18 Aug, 2026, 21:46 IST · Source Financial Express · BrandWagon

What happened

Public Sector Banks (PSBs) · Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman urged PSBs to acquire young customers through a month-long Banking for Youth campaign, campus

Key facts

  • 66% of UPI transactions are made by people aged 18–29
  • Campaign targets citizens aged 16 and above
  • Month-long 'Banking for Youth' campaign beginning October 2

Why this matters

Banks, fintechs and campus-service platforms have a partnership opening to bundle onboarding, payments, financial literacy and youth-focused products across physical and digital touchpoints.

What to watch

  • Campaign conversion rate from campus lead to activated account and first UPI transaction.
  • Share of newly opened youth accounts that remain active after 90 and 180 days.
  • Average balances, direct-deposit attachment and product-per-customer among acquired users.
  • Education-loan applications, approvals and repayment performance sourced through the campaign.
  • PSB mobile-app ratings, onboarding completion rates and UPI transaction share among 16-29-year-olds.
  • Whether incentives, simplified KYC rules or dedicated youth-credit programmes accompany the outreach.
  • Private-bank and fintech counteroffers targeted at campuses, including zero-fee cards and embedded credit.
  • Deploy paperless, Aadhaar-enabled account opening at campuses with immediate UPI activation.
  • Create youth bundles combining zero-balance accounts, debit cards, transit/payment offers, micro-savings and financial-literacy tools.
  • Use campus kiosks to originate education loans, internships-linked salary accounts and first-credit products.
  • Build consent-based transaction analytics to identify customers approaching eligibility for cards, personal loans and investment products.
  • Partner with universities, student housing, edtech platforms and employers to retain customers after graduation.
  • Monitor service quality at kiosks and in mobile onboarding; friction will push digitally native users toward private banks and fintechs.