This study examines the level of Digital Financial Literacy and the Adoption of Digital Financial Services among Tribal Communities in Palghar District, to understand how effectively tribal populations engage with the rapidly expanding digital financial ecosystem. The study is based on primary data collected from 75 tribal respondents, representing diverse age groups, educational backgrounds, and income levels. Descriptive analysis was used to profile the demographic characteristics of the respondents, while inferential statistical tools were applied to test the formulated hypotheses. The findings reveal that the overall level of digital financial literacy among the respondents is moderate. In contrast, the adoption of digital financial services is moderate to low, indicating that access to digital financial infrastructure does not necessarily translate into effective usage. Further analysis using one-sample t-test and ANOVA demonstrates that there are statistically significant differences in both digital financial literacy and the adoption of digital financial services among tribal communities, particularly across different levels of educational qualification. Graduates exhibit substantially higher levels of literacy and adoption compared to respondents with secondary or primary education, highlighting education as a key determinant of digital financial capability. The study concludes that strengthening context-specific digital financial literacy initiatives, supported by training and awareness programs tailored to tribal populations, is essential for enhancing the adoption of digital financial services and achieving inclusive financial development in Palghar District.
Chiplunkar et al. (Fri,) studied this question.