Prototyping Socio - Technical Systems for Banking Services for Rural India

The discussion on ICT for developing countries often focuses on interface design to include marginalized users. However, this is only part of the challenge the development of ICT in such contexts face. Based on two past projects and an ongoing one, this position paper categorizes the diverse challenges the provision of financial infrastructures for rural and underserved societies encounter. Many of these aspects do not become visible in ICT development in Europe or North America. Reflecting the experiences of the Indian projects might not only inform future such projects but also help to uncover and reconsider ‘working relations of technology production and use’ (Suchman) that are often taken for granted.