Section Article

AN EMPIRICAL STUDY ON THE PERSPECTIVES OF RURAL BANKS ON VIRUDHACHALAM TALUK
Author(s): Dheeraj Raj

Abstract
Rural banks play a fundamental role in promoting financial inclusion and socio-economic development in semi-urban and rural regions of India. In Virudhachalam Taluk these institutions act as critical intermediaries facilitating credit access promoting savings and supporting micro-enterprises. This study explores the perspectives of stakeholders involved with rural banks including managers employees and account holders on various dimensions of rural banking such as operational efficiency service delivery financial literacy technological adoption and institutional challenges. Post-2021 research emphasizes that rural banks are indispensable for enabling economic empowerment in underbanked communities yet they confront persistent barriers including limited infrastructure resource constraints regulatory pressures and uneven digital adoption. Drawing on recent empirical studies case analyses policy reports and secondary datasets this study synthesizes stakeholder perceptions and identifies the systemic infrastructural and socio-economic factors shaping rural banking outcomes. The findings reveal that while rural banks are largely perceived as instruments of community development operational inefficiencies and technological limitations hinder their full potential. Additionally regional disparities particularly in Tamil Nadu’s Virudhachalam Taluk underscore the need for tailored interventions. Targeted strategies such as enhanced financial literacy programs capacity-building initiatives for bank personnel infrastructure upgrades digital banking facilitation and responsive regulatory mechanisms are recommended to strengthen the efficiency and outreach of rural banks. By providing a detailed empirical overview of stakeholder perspectives this research contributes to a nuanced understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing rural banking systems in India offering actionable insights for policymakers financial institutions and community stakeholders striving to achieve inclusive economic growth.