Vodafone Mini
The company attributes its successful mini rural invasion to its Vodafone Mini Stores, which are operated by retail owners and micro entrepreneurs. Among its 7,800 exclusive retail stores about 5,500 are Vodafone Mini Stores.
SBI Mini
What made this possible are partnerships between banks and micro-enterprises, as part of financial inclusion programs. State Bank of India, for instance, is setting up SBI Mini, its customer service points, in villages and small towns. The SBI Mini is owned by retailers who offer all basic financial transactions.
According to Dr Deepali Pant Joshi, Executive Director, RBI, the number of business correspondents (who provide banking services from their customer service points, in villages) has increased from 34,532 in 2010 to up to 1.52 lakh as on December 2012.