1. The question
Do cities with stronger formal banking penetration show faster UPI growth and fintech readiness?
Quantitative study / Tier-2 Indian cities
The Indore Index
A clear, student-friendly website about whether stronger formal banking access is linked with faster UPI growth and fintech adoption in non-metro India.
In simple words: the project asks whether cities with better banking infrastructure are better prepared for digital finance. Indore is the anchor because it gives the research a real local voice.
500+Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities in India
1Focused research question
IndorePersonal case-study anchor
PythonCorrelation, regression, visuals
Project overview
What is this website telling the reader?
The site explains the idea, the city choice, the dataset plan, and the statistical method in a way that a non-technical reader can understand.
2. The comparison
Indore is compared with other Tier-2 cities and a few metro reference cities.
3. The output
A small dataset, a scatter plot, correlation, regression, limitations, and a reader-friendly PDF.
Why this version is easier: everything is split into tabs, so visitors can choose what they want to understand instead of scrolling through one long page.
Why questions
The project now explains its purpose clearly
These answers are short on purpose. They give the reader context without becoming long essays.
Why Indore?
Indore makes the project personal and specific. It is Chhavi's own city, has a strong civic identity, and gives the study a voice that a generic metro project cannot copy.
Why this project?
Digital finance is changing everyday life, but most analysis focuses on metros. This study asks whether smaller cities are ready for the next wave of fintech growth.
Why Tier-2 cities?
Tier-2 cities are big enough to matter but under-studied. They are the right middle ground between metro markets and smaller towns.
Why reject other variables?
Some variables may sound useful but are hard to compare, unavailable at city level, or not reliable. The project chooses indicators that can be sourced and explained honestly.
What problems came up?
Finding city-level UPI and fintech data is difficult. Showing this limitation proves that the research involved real judgment, not just easy numbers.
Why correlation?
Correlation is simple and transparent. It shows whether two measures move together, while keeping the limitation clear: it does not prove causation.
Personal note: The Indore Index began as a question about my own city. Along the way, it became a way to learn how economists ask questions, work with imperfect data, and communicate uncertainty honestly.
Dataset plan
What data will be used?
The site is honest about what is real, what is a proxy, and what still needs to be calculated before final submission.
Financial inclusion side
- Bank branch density or banking access
- Deposit/account penetration
- SEBI investor registration density
- NITI Aayog financial inclusion indicators
Digital adoption side
- UPI transaction growth signal
- Merchant QR/payment acceptance proxy
- State-level UPI references where city data is missing
- Clearly marked limitations
| Column | Meaning | Status |
|---|---|---|
| city | Name of selected Tier-2 or metro city | Ready |
| banking_index | 0-100 score for formal banking penetration | To compute |
| upi_growth_proxy | 0-100 score for digital payment adoption signal | To compute |
| tier | Tier-2, Tier-3, or metro reference | Ready |
| notes | Source notes and limitations | Important |
Interactive chart
Banking penetration vs UPI growth
Indore anchorTier-2 cityMetro reference
How to read it: right means stronger formal banking penetration. Up means stronger UPI or digital payment growth. A rising line suggests association, not proof of cause.
Method
How the study can be completed
The method is intentionally simple because the goal is a clear quantitative school or college research project.
Research workflow
- Select comparable cities.
- Collect public source data.
- Normalize each indicator to a 0-100 score.
- Run correlation and simple regression in Python.
- Explain limitations before conclusions.
Python workflow
- Create a clean CSV file.
- Use pandas for cleaning.
- Use scipy or statsmodels for correlation/regression.
- Use matplotlib or seaborn for validation plots.
- Export final numbers into the website.
Important: the website should never invent final statistics. If data is missing, it should say that clearly.
Scenario tool
Adoption readiness calculator
This is a learning tool, not a forecast. It helps the reader understand how inclusion and digital growth signals might be discussed.
Try a scenario
Move the controls and watch the readiness explanation change.
Illustrative readiness
66 / 100
66 / 100
Mid-term acceleration likely if trust, merchant acceptance and access keep improving.
What the score means
High readiness: banking access and digital habits are both strong.
Medium readiness: the city is moving, but adoption may depend on trust, merchants and awareness.
Early readiness: the foundations are still developing, so adoption may take longer.
FAQ
Questions a visitor may ask
Short answers make the research easier to understand for classmates, teachers, or judges.
Is this project only about Indore?
No. Indore is the anchor, but the project compares multiple Tier-2 cities to understand a broader pattern.
Does this prove banking causes UPI growth?
No. Correlation can show a relationship, but it cannot prove cause and effect on its own.
Why use demo values?
Demo values make the website understandable during review. Final values should be added only after the dataset is computed.
What makes the project strong?
It has a focused question, a personal city anchor, public sources, transparent limitations, and a clear visual explanation.
PDF explainer
Read the project in document form
The PDF is useful for teachers, project submissions, or anyone who wants the idea explained without using the interactive website.
What the PDF includes
- Project idea and research question
- Why Indore and Tier-2 cities matter
- Data source plan
- Method and limitations
- Launch checklist
Open the file
The website links to the existing PDF explainer in the same output folder.