5th WE_ARE_IN Macroeconomics and Finance Conference 2025 (Day 1)

Value of the Information & Strength of the Argument

The video provides substantial value by showcasing cutting-edge research on a timely topic: the impact of digital public infrastructure on financial inclusion. The presentation by Professor Puri is rigorous, using a large-scale dataset (the universe of credit bureau data in India) and a credible identification strategy (staggered bank adoption of UPI). The argumentation is clear and well-structured, moving from motivation to data, identification, results, and robustness. The opening remarks by Isabel Schnabel also provide valuable policy context, linking the research to broader central bank concerns. The main limitation is that the video only captures the first session in detail; the rest of the day’s sessions are not shown, limiting the overall information quantity.

Scientific Rigor, Source Quality, Title Accuracy

The scientific rigor is high. The research presented is based on a comprehensive dataset and employs careful econometric techniques. The sources cited are the paper itself and the data providers (TransUnion CIBIL, NPCI). The title accurately describes the content. The video is a recording of a live event, so the production quality is not polished, but the content is substantive. The description provides context about the conference and its organizers, but no direct links to the papers or slides are given. The comments section is not analyzed as no comments were provided.

The title accurately reflects the content: a full-day recording of the first day of the WE_ARE_IN Macroeconomics and Finance Conference 2025.

8/10

The video is a recording of a high-level academic conference co-hosted by the ECB, BIS, and CEPR. The opening remarks by ECB Executive Board member Isabel Schnabel provide a policy-oriented overview of research priorities. The main research presentation (on UPI and credit access) is rigorous, using large-scale data and identification strategies. However, the video is a recording of a live event with limited production quality, and the full papers are not provided in the description.

Markers derived by PSI from the transcript: the creator did not define chapters.

• 00:00Opening remarks by Katina Mandichino (ECB) and Isabel Schnabel (ECB Executive Board member).
• 11:00Isabel Schnabel's keynote speech outlining four strategic priorities for central banks.
• 25:00Session 1 begins: Financial Intermediation and Banking. Introduction of first speaker, Manju Puri (Duke University).
• 26:00Manju Puri presents her paper on UPI and credit access, starting with motivation and the problem of financial exclusion.
• 40:00Detailed explanation of UPI infrastructure and its potential to create digital financial histories.
• 55:00Presentation of data sources and identification strategy using staggered bank adoption of UPI.
• 1:10:00Results: UPI increases credit access for all borrowers, with fintechs expanding credit to new-to-credit borrowers.
• 1:20:00Robustness checks and complementarities with Jio (internet) and PMJDY (bank accounts).
• 1:30:00Q&A session and discussion of the paper.

• Conference description (ECB, BIS, CEPR) — The video description provides context about the conference and its organizers.

• ECB website — The ECB is a co-organizer of the conference and the video is hosted on its channel.