Volume 9 Issue 4 ( December 2022 )

Large and small microfinance institutions or MFIs represent the face of Bangladesh's inclusive finance sector. They continue to play a significant part in providing the poor with access to financing that supports their economic improvement. But the digital revolution in the overall financial sector through Fintech and mobile banking has posed a significant challenge to the survival of the smaller MFIs in the industry, though several major players like BRAC, Grameen Bank, and ASA have incorporated both mobile banking and Fintech into their financial operations. This research aims to determine whether the introduction of mobile banking has proven to be a disruptive innovation and whether they would benefit from incorporating mobile banking and Fintech into their financial operations. The study finds that most small participants in the microfinance market already find that mobile banking is disruptive innovation. Although they would benefit from implementing Fintech and mobile banking into their business operations, they are severely constrained by the costs and human resource requirements. This paper proposes the consolidation of the financial activities of smaller MFIs through mergers to mitigate the threat of mobile banking and Fintech.

Keywords: Bangladesh, Disruptive Innovation, Fintech, Inclusive Finance, Mobile Banking.