Toward Inclusive FinTech: Insights from Indigenous Communities in the Chittagong Hill Tracts

The study aims to investigate the factors that can contribute indigenous people in Bangladesh in adopting FinTech. The study examined the impact of indigenous financial literacy (IFL), indigenous community influence (ICI), mobile network accessibility (MNA), and indigenous trust in FinTech (ITF) on indigenous FinTech adoption (IFA). Furthermore, it investigated the influence of indigenous attitudes toward fintech use (IATFU) among these four connections. Additionally, indigenous motivation to FinTech use (IMFU) was considered a moderator between IATFU and IFA. We integrated the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) and the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) to develop the conceptual framework. Data were collected using purposive sampling techniques incorporating responses from 374 participants. The result indicated that all the relationships we hypothesised were positive and significant, including the mediating effect of IATFU and the moderating effect of IMFU. The study contributes to the existing literature by integrating two theories and provides insights for the banks, policymakers, and regulators for implementation.