<p>This study explores the factors influencing financial inclusion in an emerging South Asian economy. A time series data from 1991 to 2022 is constructed, and we have applied an autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) model to find key macroeconomic and bank-specific factors that influence financial inclusion. We have considered the number of borrowers per thousand persons as a proxy of financial inclusion. Some of the key elements that influence financial inclusion are the lending behavior of the banks, non-performing loans, spread earnings by banks, GDP growth rate, government expenditure on education, etc. Long-run convergence from the ARDL model suggests that both macroeconomic and bank-specific factors influencing financial inclusion have stable long-term relationships. This research finds a significant negative impact of loans on the number of borrowers, and the spread positively influences the number of borrowers. To check the robustness of the study, we have applied the number of branches as a replacement for the dependent variable number of borrowers. The study highlights the importance of macroeconomic stability and adequate financial sector management in promoting financial inclusion through increased borrowing.</p>