Banco Azteca is a financial institution headquartered in Mexico and is part of Grupo Elektra, which is part of Grupo Salinas, a Mexican conglomerate with interests in banking, media, retail and telecommunications. Founded in October 2002 by businessman Ricardo Salinas Pliego, Banco Azteca's focus has been to promote financial inclusion by serving the segments of the population most neglected by traditional banking, providing financial services to middle and lower income groups.