India Fintech Diaries is a bi-weekly (ish) podcast that peeks at the fast, “wild-west” world of Fintechs in India. The world’s most populous democracy is at the cusp of massive technological and demographic change that will forever change the way we relate to financial services and their…
When we talk about India’s Digital Public Infrastructure, three names usually come to mind: Aadhaar, UPI and Account Aggregator . But that is only the visible layer. Underneath sits a much broader collection of digital building blocks for identity, payments, data sharing and verifiable credentials—and increasingly, these ideas are being adapted for countries well beyond India. In this episode of India FinTech Diaries , we speak with Kamya Chandra, CEO and Co-founder of the Center for Digital Public Infrastructure (CDPI) , about the evolution of India’s DPI journey and what it takes to…
Most Indians buy insurance with a simple expectation: pay premiums today and receive support when a crisis strikes. But what happens when a claim gets delayed, partially settled, or rejected altogether? In this episode of India FinTech Diaries , we speak with Shilpa Arora , Co-founder & COO of Insurance Samadhan , one of India's largest insurance grievance redressal platforms. Shilpa shares a sobering reality: for many policyholders, the real challenge isn't buying insurance—it's successfully navigating the claims process. From mis-selling and hidden exclusions to complex grievance…
Despite instant UPI payments, real-time notifications, and API-first financial infrastructure becoming normal in India, cross-border payments remain surprisingly broken for many exporters and global-first businesses. In this episode of India FinTech Diaries , we sit down with Anand Balaji , CEO & Co-founder of Xflow , to unpack why international money movement is still plagued by opacity, delays, compliance friction, and fragmented infrastructure. Anand takes us deep into the architecture of modern cross-border payments—from SWIFT and correspondent banking to compliance engines, FX…
In this episode of India FinTech Diaries, we explore a quietly emerging shift in India’s investment landscape: the rise of fixed income as a retail asset class. While equities and mutual funds have become mainstream, fixed income—despite offering predictable returns and portfolio stability—has remained largely inaccessible to individual investors. To unpack this, we speak with Vineet Agarwal, Co-founder of Jiraaf, a platform focused on democratizing access to fixed income investments. The core idea is simple but powerful: enable retail investors to do what institutions and family offices…
In this episode of India FinTech Diaries , we dive into one of the most under-discussed—but critical—layers of the lending stack: debt collections . As digital lending in India scales rapidly, especially in unsecured credit, the stress is increasingly showing up not in underwriting—but in collections . Traditional systems, built for a low-volume, high-touch world, are now struggling to keep up with instant disbursals and millions of borrowers. To unpack this shift, we speak with Ananth Shroff , Co-founder & CEO of DPDzero, who is reimagining collections as a full-stack, AI-driven…
In this episode of India FinTech Diaries, we unpack one of the most urgent challenges facing digital finance today: fraud at scale. With cybercrime cases in India crossing 36 lakh in 2024 and losses exceeding ₹22,000 crore, fraud is no longer an edge case—it’s a systemic risk. To decode how fraud has evolved and what institutions must do next, we speak with Venkat Srinivasan, Chief Analytics and Risk Officer at Bureau. Venkat explains why modern fraud is no longer about fake documents or isolated bad actors. Instead, it’s coordinated, networked, and industrialized—powered by mule accounts,…
In this episode of India FinTech Diaries, we sit down with Amit Majumdar, Group Strategy Officer, Angel One, one of India’s fastest-growing WealthTech platforms. Trusted by over 3Cr clients, Angel One is blending cutting-edge tech with deep market insights to make wealth creation accessible to everyone. Key Highlights: 📊 Democratizing WealthTech : Angel One’s focus on taking investing beyond metros to Tier 2/3 cities. 🤖 Tech at the Core : From AI-driven personalization to advanced analytics, technology is powering customer journeys and financial literacy. 🌐 Beyond Brokerage : Moving from…
In this episode of India FinTech Diaries , we draw fascinating parallels between India’s Payment Banks experiment and the US’s GENIUS Act , designed to regulate stablecoin issuers. Both initiatives aim to create safe, inclusive financial systems—but as we explore, they also share similar scaling challenges that can make or break their success. Key Highlights: 🏦 Payment Banks 101 : Why they were launched, their business model, and why many never scaled beyond pilots. 💸 GENIUS Act Deep Dive : Full-reserve requirements, monthly attestations, consumer protection norms, and how it hopes to make…
In this inspiring episode of India FinTech Diaries , we sit down with Shweta Pandey , co-founder and CEO of ARTH , to explore how inclusive fintech is being built—one village, one woman entrepreneur at a time. ARTH isn’t just a lender; it’s a phygital platform blending digital convenience with on-ground trust, designed specifically to support women-led nano and micro businesses across India. Shweta shares deep insights into the unique design principles behind ARTH’s credit products, the structural bias in lending, and how credit must be paired with capacity building and empathy—especially in…
In this future-forward episode of India FinTech Diaries , we sit down with Aishwary Gupta, Global Head of Payments at Polygon Labs , to unpack what comes after UPI . With stablecoin legislation gaining traction globally and Web3 infrastructure maturing rapidly, this episode explores what India’s next-generation payment rails could look like in a programmable, tokenized future. Here’s what you’ll learn: 🪙 The role of stablecoins & CBDCs ⚙️ Why UPI needs a programmable upgrade 🤖 Agentic commerce & AI-powered banking 🌍 How Polygon is scaling payments globally Contact Polygon Labs Aishwary on…
In this episode of India FinTech Diaries , we sit down with Sanjay Tripathy, Co-Founder & CEO of BRISKPE , to explore how they’re solving one of the most complex challenges faced by Indian MSMEs—cross-border B2B payments. From opaque processes and costly fees to regulatory hurdles, cross-border trade remains a daunting space for exporters and service providers alike. Sanjay shares the BRISKPE origin story, their mobile-first approach, and how the team is building a future-ready, regulation-first cross-border platform trusted by MSMEs across India. Key Highlights: 🌍 Solving the Real Pain :…
In this episode of India FinTech Diaries, we dive into the transformation of insurance distribution with Anand Prabhudesai, co-founder of Turtlemint. Anand shares how Turtlemint is breaking down the complexities of insurance, making it accessible for millions across India through technology and a vast agent network. From revolutionizing how insurance is sold to training a new generation of financial advisors, Turtlemint has been at the forefront of India's insurtech revolution. Key Highlights: 💡 Simplifying Insurance : Turtlemint empowers agents with tools and training to make insurance…
In this episode of India FinTech Diaries, we explore the complexities of cross-border payments with Movin Jain, co-founder of Skydo. Skydo has been at the forefront of simplifying global transactions for Indian businesses, providing seamless B2B payment solutions to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) across various sectors. Movin shares insights on how Skydo is breaking down the barriers of traditional banking, making international payments faster, cheaper, and more transparent. Key Highlights: 💡 Challenges in Cross-Border Payments : Movin explains the complexity of global transactions,…
In the second episode in the DLAI Fintech Conclave 2025 podcast series, we are joined by Pallavi Shrivastava, co-founder of Progcap, to explore the critical role of MSMEs (Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises) in driving India's economic growth. As India sets its sights on achieving Viksit Bharat—a vision of a developed India—MSMEs are positioned as a key driver of this transformation. However, access to finance and digitization remain significant challenges for many small businesses. Pallavi shares her expert perspective on how fintech innovation is bridging these gaps, empowering MSMEs…
Carrying on with the tradition of episodes with DLAI, this year we tried something different and worked on recording episodes after their Annual Fintech Conclave. In the first episode in this series, we explore the dynamic shifts in consumer finance with Anuj Kacker, co-founder of Freo. Anuj shares his perspective on how the fintech industry has evolved in the last five years, from post-pandemic recovery to the increasing importance of financial inclusion and managing risks. We covered the following with Anuj: 💡 Post-Pandemic Growth 📈 Demand Shifts 🔍 Risk Management in lending 🚀 The…
In our first episode of 2025, we dive into the world of open-loop transit payments with payments industry veteran, Manoj Sugathan. With over 30 years of experience, Manoj has played a pivotal role in driving contactless payment solutions across the Asia-Pacific region. We explore the future of public transportation payments and how open-loop systems are revolutionizing the way commuters travel globally. Key Highlights: 🔄 Closed-loop vs. Open-loop Systems : Manoj explains the difference between transit-exclusive payment cards and open-loop systems that allow you to use your everyday…
In this special end-of-the-year episode of, we sit down with Neha Singh, co-founder of Tracxn, to discuss the major funding trends that shaped the fintech landscape in 2024 and what lies ahead for 2025. Tracxn, one of the leading data intelligence platforms for private market research, tracks over 3.3 million entities across industries globally. With such a vast pool of data, Neha provides invaluable insights into the current state of fintech funding and the future of this rapidly evolving industry. In conversation we discussed: 📉 2024 Fintech Funding Trends 💰 Top Sectors for Funding 🚀…
In our next episode in the SamvAAd 2024 series, we dive deep into the evolving world of Open Finance with Kiran Gopinath, the founder of Open Finance Connect. Open Finance is reshaping financial services globally by enabling consumers to control and share their financial data for better products and services and India and the AA ecosystem is at the forefront of it. Here are the key highlights: 💡 What is Open Finance? 🌍 Global Leaders in Open Finance 🥇 India's Open Finance Success 🔮 Looking Ahead to 2030 Tune in to learn how Open Finance is transforming financial services and how AA can…
In the latest episode, we explore the journey of India's account aggregator (AA) framework—a consent-based data-sharing platform transforming the financial landscape. We caught up with B.G. Mahesh, CEO of Sahamati and Shallu Kaushik, Digital Head of Tata Capital to discuss the rapid growth of India's account aggregator framework, and to help unpack the progress made since launch. We discussed: 📈 Growth of the AA ecosystem in India 🪙 Lending and wealth management as key use cases 💰 Benefits of AA adoption 🔮 Challenges and future adoption Tune in to the full episode to learn more about its…
In the latest episode, we dive deep into the world of loyalty programs and their intersection with payments with special guest Rishi Batra, Co-Founder and COO of Twid. India’s loyalty market is rapidly growing, and Twid is at the forefront of redefining how consumers engage with rewards. In this episode we discuss: 📈 Loyalty trends in India 🪙 Pay with points innovation ⚔️ Challenges in building a reward network 💰 Economics of loyalty 🔮 Future of loyalty Tune in to the full episode to learn more about the exciting innovations shaping the future of loyalty in India. Contact Twid LinkedIn :…
In this latest episode , we delve into the fascinating world of co-branded credit cards and the future of credit in India. Our guest, Ramanathan RV, co-founder of Hyperface, shares his expert insights on the evolution of credit cards and fintech solutions. From his journey at BankBazaar and JustPay to launching Hyperface, Ram takes us through the intricacies of credit card ecosystems and the digital transformation of India’s financial sector. We discuss: 🔥 The Rise of Co-Brands in India 💸 Unique value of Co-Brands 💻 Technology’s role in Co-Brands 🏆 What it takes to win in Co-Brands 🔮…
In this episode of India FinTech Diaries, we venture beyond our usual focus on Indian FinTech to look at Indian Fintech with a Latin American lens. We are joined by special guests Julio Vasconcellos and Ana Martins from Atlantico, who share their impressions of Indian Fintech and how it contrasts with the Fintech ecosystem of Latin America. Here’s what we talked about: 🔥 The Indian Entrepreneurial Spirit and Global Ambition 💸 The Concept of the ‘Business of Free’ in India 🪙 Regulatory Evolution and Its Impact on FinTech 🌎 Fintech in Brazil and Latin America 🧭Cultural and Social…
As India’s e-commerce landscape continues to boom, ranking 9th in global cross-border growth, companies are increasingly looking for ways to streamline international payments.In this episode we dive into the dynamic world of cross-border e-commerce payments with Reeju Datta, co-founder of Cashfree. Reeju offers a behind-the-scenes look at how Cashfree has been a game-changer in this space, helping Indian businesses expand globally without the hassle of setting up shop abroad. From discussing the innovative beginnings of Cashfree—designed to reduce the reliance on cash-on-delivery—to…
UPI is expanding at a remarkable pace, processing around 14 billion transactions each month. However, the introduction of Credit Line on UPI holds the potential to supercharge this growth, unlocking a staggering $1 trillion payment value opportunity by 2030. As part of our ongoing series on Credit Line on UPI, we sat down with Sivaram Kowta, President of Banking at Zeta India, to delve deeper into this game-changing innovation and its impact on the future of digital payments. In this episode, we explore: 💸 Credit Line on UPI: What it is and how it could unlock a $1 trillion opportunity by…
It has been about a year since the Credit Line on UPI was announced. We caught up with Gaurav Mittal, CEO and co-founder of Vegapay, to understand what has happened in this space in the year gone by and what are some of the technology considerations for launching such a successful product. In the episode we discussed: 💸 Credit Lines and the role of third party apps ⚙️ Tech stack and regulations 💰 Opportunities for banks 🗺️ Vegapay’s role in the ecosystem Listen to this first episode in our series on Credit Line on UPI Contact Gaurav LinkedIn:…
In this special episode of India Fintech Diaries, we celebrate National Fintech Day with a deep dive into the role of fintechs in supporting MSMEs, the backbone of India's economy. Our guests, Kumar Shekhar, Deputy Country Manager of Tide India, and Sundeep Mohindru, CEO,Promoter and Director of M1xchange, share their insights on the challenges and opportunities faced by MSMEs in accessing banking and lending services. We explore the innovative solutions fintechs are providing to close the financing gap, the evolving role of government policy, and how these digital platforms are reshaping…
In our next episode on AI, we spoke with Ankit Ratan, Co-Founder Signzy. Ankit helped us understand and answer the important question of how GenAI is helping banks with compliance and regulators with monitoring compliance. In our conversation we discussed: 🤖 GenAI and Financial services use cases in India ⚙️ SupeTech and GenAI 🔑 Key considerations for navigating compliance & AI 💡 Signzy and AI Listen to this episode for insights on the intersection of GenAI and compliance Contact Ankit LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/ankitratan/ Email: ankit [at] signzy [dot] com Contact Signzy…
In our latest episode on AI, we spoke with Anant Gupta, FSI Head, Google Cloud India to better understand how AI use cases are implemented on the cloud and how financial services firms could leverage the cloud to bring AI use cases to life. During our conversation we discussed: 🤖 GenAI and Financial services use cases in India ⚙️ Implementing AI use cases on Google Cloud 🔑 Key considerations for implementing AI 💡 Parting thoughts on evolution of AI use cases in India Listen to this episode for perspectives on how GenAI is changing financial services in India Contact Anant LinkedIn :…
Generative AI is rapidly transforming many industries across the globe and financial services is one of them. To better understand the impact of GenAI and AI in general on the financial services space, our next few episodes will be focused on speaking to companies and leaders in this space. To begin unpacking this topic we spoke with Raoul Nanavati, Co-founder & CEO, Navana. Navana.ai empowers businesses to create user-friendly digital interfaces for the next billion and is actively working with financial services firms to help them interact with their customers in regional languages. During…
Did you know that 95% of women did not access any financial platform? To understand what are some of the barriers to financial product adoption among women and how fintechs can help solve this, we thought that it would be a timely topic to deep dive into on International Women’s day. To help us unpack this topic we spoke with Ridhi Doongursee, Co-founder LXME. During our conversation we discussed: 🗺️ Ridhi’s journey to starting LXME 🫰 Challenges for financial adoption 💡 How LXME is solving adoption challenges 🧰 Product overview, traction and technology 💰 Business model of LXME 🧭 2024…
About The India FinTech Diaries
India Fintech Diaries is a bi-weekly (ish) podcast that peeks at the fast, “wild-west” world of Fintechs in India. The world’s most populous democracy is at the cusp of massive technological and demographic change that will forever change the way we relate to financial services and their providers. In each episode, your hosts Hemant Kshirsagar and Elroy Serrao, demystify the world of Fintech for you by exploring ideas, innovations, startups and the personalities that are shaping India’s Fintech Landscape. Join them for a wild ride into the world of Indian Fintech!!!
The India FinTech Diaries is a English business podcast from Hemant Kshirsagar & Elroy Serrao. Melo plays each episode straight from the publisher's own feed — no ads added, no account needed — and remembers where you stopped, in this browser only.
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