Communication and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has inaugurated the postal financial service forum of World Saving and Retail Banking institute in New Delhi today. The theme of this year's meeting is the rising force of postal banking in the retail banking market. Addressing on the occasion Ravi Shankar Prasad underlined the importance of postal institutions in the financial services to promote sustainable development in the country. The two days annual meeting is aimed at the financial inclusion of socially and economically under-developed people and to encourage the importance of saving. Ravi Shankar Prasad said that the postal institutions has play vital role in financial inclusion for sustainable development. India has about 155 thousand post offices with the number of saving accounts of 31 crore which is more than of any commercial bank in the country. Indian post offices are now perceived as a potential key facilitator of financial inclusion and play important role in promoting the country's socio- economic development.