Vodafone M-Pesa to Facilitate Remittances of JSY in Madhya Pradesh, Under the National Rural Health Mission

• Vodafone M-Pesa ties-up with the Govt. of Madhya Pradesh to facilitate timely and transparent digital money transfer to mothers under the Janani Suraksha Yojana scheme

• Vodafone’s commitment to women empowerment in MP through viable financial solution                                                                                                                                                                                             

Vodafone India, one of India’s leading telecommunications service providers, today announced its partnership with the Government of Madhya Pradesh to facilitate mobile-based disbursement of financial assistance to mothers under the Janani Suraksha Yojana scheme of the National Rural Health Mission. The initiative, activated through Vodafone M-Pesa, Vodafone’s mobile money transfer and payment service is running in pilot stage in Vidisha since May 2015.

The payment of health care subsidies under Janani Suraksha Yojana Scheme aims at reducing the neo-natal and maternal deaths in India by promoting institutional delivery of children. This scheme is operated under National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) of Government of India and Vodafone India’s M-Pesa has been identified as the most suitable partner to facilitate digital transfer of financial disbursements for this scheme, offering a safe and secure mechanism to transfer funds.

The beneficiaries, with any active mobile number can directly receive payment of the subsidy. Once the payment is made, they will be intimated via SMS, mentioning the amount of subsidy, the withdrawal code and the withdrawal procedure. They can then withdraw the subsidy amount by simply authorizing the transaction with the withdrawal code at a nearby Vodafone MPESA retail outlet.

Sharing the dais with senior MP Govt. official at a Press Conference to announce the initiative today, Suresh Sethi, Business Head - M-Pesa, Vodafone India said, “With the presence of 3720 outlets in MP, especially in small towns and villages. Vodafone M-Pesa is well on its way to partnering the government in its financial inclusion projects ‎and disbursal of remittances for key government programmes. For Government transfers, 'Vodafone M Pesa' is a speedy and transparent mechanism with no leakages. We are delighted to partner with the Govt. of Madhya Pradesh for their NRHM programme, to help meet the scheme objective of reducing maternal and neonatal mortality and link in with the government’s commitment to empowering women. The M-Pesa Digital Wallet enables timely and transparent financial assistance to mothers, thereby enhancing their physical health and improving emotional security levels.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Faiz Ahmed Kidwai (I.A.S.) Mission Director, NRHM said, “We are delighted to partner with Vodafone India for the Janani Suraksha Yojna in Madhya Pradesh. There are several thousands of economically disadvantaged households who rely on Government support and NRHM is committed to facilitate the necessary basic resources to take care of the post pregnancy health of mothers in the state. A reliable digital cashless money transfer facility like Vodafone M-Pesa will go a long way in promoting healthier mothers and babies in Madhya Pradesh.”

Congratulating the new initiative, Manish Kumar, Business Head , Madhya Pradesh & Chhattisgarh, Vodafone India said ”Our endeavour has been to constantly deliver and bring world class service experiences to the citizens of Madhya Pradesh & Chhattisgarh. Vodafone M-Pesa- NRHM partnership is one such example which will fulfill the need for a transparent cashless money transfer system to beneficiaries, as a part of our commitment to partner the Government’s agenda to promote progress in the state.”

Vodafone M-Pesa is an innovative, safe and secure mobile wallet enables complete suite of services like money transfer, bill payments, and recharge on the move from the mobile. It caters to all segments of the society, from the unbanked to the under banked and to the net-savvy and evolved customers. Today, with a pan-India distribution of over 90,000 agents and more than 3 million customers, Vodafone M-Pesa is the largest banking correspondent in the country and is playing a vital role in enabling financial inclusion and m-commerce

About Vodafone India

Vodafone India is a fully owned subsidiary of Vodafone Group Plc., which is one of the world’s largest telecommunications companies. Making its entry into India in 2007, Vodafone today has built an ever growing, robust business in highly price sensitive and competitive market. Serving over 185 million customers, Vodafone provides innovative, customer friendly and differentiated products and services through a wide scale distribution and exclusive retail footprint - backed up with a modern, technologically advanced network for both voice and data.

Vodafone Business Services, the enterprise arm of Vodafone, provides total telecommunications solutions across both mobility and wireline platforms and enables Global Enterprises, National Corporates, SME’s and Government segments to communicate, collaborate and connect.  With the advantage of its global expertise and knowledge of local markets, Vodafone India is well poised to significantly expand the Government's capacity to deliver benefits and outcomes for citizens, governments and businesses. Vodafone endeavours to be a steadfast partner in the Government’s efforts towards Digital India.

Vodafone India provides customers with a new currency in the form of M-Pesa, the world renowned mobile wallet and money transfer service. Vodafone M-Pesa is an innovative, safe and secure mobile wallet that enables complete suite of services like money transfer, bill payments, and recharge on the move from the mobile. It caters to all segments of the society, from the unbanked to the under banked and to the net-savvy and evolved customers. Today, with a pan-India distribution of over 90,000 agents and more than 3 million customers, Vodafone M-Pesa is the largest banking correspondent in the country and is playing a vital role in enabling financial inclusion and m-commerce.

A value based organization; Vodafone is committed to achieving the highest standards of Health, Safety and Well-being for its employees and business partners. As a responsible corporate, Vodafone India has been working with several partners from the social sector to address some of India’s most pressing challenges over the years. Sustainability for us is an ongoing journey as we firmly believe that what is good for the society is good for business.  The Vodafone Foundation too is actively engaged in CSR by harnessing the potential of mobile services and technology to maximise impact within communities, especially in the domains of m-Women, m-Agriculture, m-Education and Disaster Relief.

Vodafone is one of the world’s largest telecommunications companies and provides a range of services including voice, messaging, data and fixed communications. Vodafone has mobile operations in 26 countries, partners with mobile networks in 55 more, and fixed broadband operations in 17 markets. As of 30 June 2015, Vodafone had 449 million mobile customers and 12 million fixed broadband customers. For more information, please visit: www.vodafone.com.

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