Banking Reimagined: From APIs To ESG

<h2 style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Q1. Could you start by giving us a brief overview of your professional background, particularly focusing on your expertise in the industry?</span></h2><p style="text-align: justify;">With over 25 years of leadership experience across India and the Middle East, I have led strategic digital transformation, retail banking, and fintech innovation initiatives. I’ve served in CXO roles at institutions like IndusInd Bank, Sohar International, and Yes Bank, with a focus on launching award-winning digital channels, embedded finance platforms, and connected banking ecosystems. I am currently leading an upcoming fintech focused on creating digital solutions for wholesale banking, tax payments, vendor payments, and embedded treasury for financial institutions and fintech partners.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"> </p><p style="text-align: justify;"> </p><h2 style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Q2. Which new technologies or innovations are banks investing in to enhance their digital channels and platforms?</span></h2><p style="text-align: justify;">Banks are actively investing in AI/ML for hyper-personalization, API-based ecosystems for embedded finance, and cloud-native platforms for speed and scalability. Digital identity and biometric verification tools are enhancing onboarding, while low-code platforms are accelerating product deployment. Additionally, banks are exploring use cases around CBDCs, tokenization, and real-time analytics to improve customer experience and operational agility.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"> </p><p style="text-align: justify;"> </p><h2 style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Q3. What are the projected growth rates for digital banking and financial services in emerging markets, and how is the company positioned to capitalize on these trends?</span></h2><p style="text-align: justify;">Digital banking in emerging markets is projected to grow at a CAGR of 12–15% over the next 5 years, driven by increased smartphone penetration, regulatory support, and a young, digital-first population. The upcoming fintech I lead is strategically positioned to enable this growth through B2B solutions targeted at banks, NBFCs, and financial institutions—particularly in connected banking, collections, digital tax infrastructure, and vendor financing—delivered via APIs and embedded layers.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"> </p><p style="text-align: justify;"> </p><h2 style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Q4. Which financial institutions and fintech companies are leading the way in integrating Open Banking, and what unique offerings do they have?</span></h2><p style="text-align: justify;">Globally, institutions like BBVA, DBS, and ING have been pioneers, while in India, ICICI Bank, Axis Bank, and YES Bank are leading open banking innovation. On the fintech side, players like Tink, Belvo, and Setu are enabling API rails and consent-based data sharing. These firms are enabling new customer journeys such as seamless onboarding, credit underwriting using alternate data, and embedded finance through partner ecosystems.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"> </p><h2 style="text-align: justify;"><br><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Q5. What types of sustainable financial products (like green bonds or ESG funds) are gaining traction in the market? And how are the consumer preferences shifting towards them?</span></h2><p style="text-align: justify;">There is growing traction in green bonds, ESG-focused mutual funds, and sustainability-linked loans. Institutional and retail investors alike are showing increasing interest in aligning investments with sustainability goals. Consumers, especially Gen Z and millennials, are demanding transparency, impact reporting, and purpose-driven offerings—prompting banks and asset managers to embed ESG metrics into product design and reporting.</p><h2 style="text-align: justify;"> </h2><h2 style="text-align: justify;"><br><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Q6. What cybersecurity strategies are being implemented by financial institutions to enhance data protection and prevent breaches?</span></h2><p style="text-align: justify;">Key cybersecurity strategies include zero-trust architecture, real-time threat intelligence, AI-based anomaly detection, and behavioural biometrics. Institutions are also strengthening endpoint security and cloud governance frameworks. Regulatory compliance, such as RBI’s Digital Payment Security Controls or GDPR globally, is also driving a structured approach to risk mitigation, breach detection, and incident response.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"> </p><h2 style="text-align: justify;"><br><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Q7. If you were an investor looking at companies within the space, what critical question would you pose to their senior management?</span></h2><p style="text-align: justify;">“How resilient and scalable is your digital and data infrastructure in supporting innovation, compliance, and future growth?”<br>This question uncovers the leadership's preparedness to navigate rapid changes in technology, regulation, and customer expectations while ensuring operational integrity and long-term differentiation.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"> </p><p style="text-align: justify;"> </p><p style="text-align: justify;"> </p><p style="text-align: justify;"> </p><p> </p><p> </p>

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