Optimizing Data Consistency in Intermittent Network Environments: A Hybrid Synchronization Protocol for Rural Micro-Finance Applications

Rural Self-Help Groups (SHGs) in India form the backbone of grassroots financial inclusion; however, their record-keeping remains largely paper-based and error-prone. Digitizing these ledgers introduces a critical challenge: maintaining data consistency when network connectivity is unreliable or absent. This study presents a hybrid synchronization protocol implemented in the Bharat Bachat Android application, which is specifically designed to guarantee data consistency for SHG ledger operations under intermittent network conditions. The protocol combines a local-first SQLite edge database with a conflict-aware, timestamp-driven synchronization engine that asynchronously replicates records to a centralized Laravel/MySQL backend. This study examines the consistency guarantees of this design, the mechanisms that prevent data loss or corruption during prolonged offline periods, and the conflict resolution strategies employed when multiple offline sessions converge. The results demonstrate that the proposed protocol achieves strong eventual consistency with zero data loss across disconnection periods, making it a viable and cost-effective solution for rural microfinance digitization.