Rajendra Thakur is the Executive Director of the Centre for Digital Financial Inclusion (CDFI), an innovation and research centre at the Institute for Financial Management and Research (IFMR). His work spans digital financial inclusion, technology, data-driven governance and rural development, with a focus on using digital solutions to strengthen public service delivery and livelihoods.
At CDFI, Rajendra has worked across areas including digital payments, health and maternal care, benefit delivery, real-time monitoring and sustainable livelihoods. His work has included supporting large-scale government initiatives and developing technology-enabled platforms to enable more transparent and data-driven governance.
He has also contributed to CDFI’s work on strengthening rural institutions such as Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS), with a focus on improving their ability to support rural livelihoods. His experience lies at the intersection of technology, financial inclusion and development, with an emphasis on translating digital innovations into practical solutions.
Rajendra is an alumnus of the Indian Institute of Management Calcutta, where he studied from 2007–2009.