IBS Intelligence Podcasts

Deepak Dastrala, CEO, Purple Fabric, Intellect Design arenaAs the Middle East prepares for a massive intergenerational wealth transfer and rising demand for personalised financial advice, wealth management firms are rethinking how they engage clients, empower relationship managers, and scale operations. Puja Sharma speaks with Deepak Dastrala, CEO, Purple Fabric, IDA, about the growing role of AI-driven intelligence in wealth management, the shift from technology-led to insight-led advisory models, and how firms can balance growth, productivity, trust, and compliance in an increasingly competitive landscape.

This interview discusses how organizations can manage the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence by focusing on ethical governance and trust. The discussion explains that while AI can improve efficiency and customer experience, businesses must also address challenges such as data privacy, algorithmic bias, and integration with legacy systems. The interview proposes a three-pronged framework based on strong ethics, high-quality data, and robust cybersecurity to support responsible AI adoption. It also highlights the importance of upskilling employees and using modular architectures to ensure long-term adaptability and innovation. Overall, the interview presents responsible AI implementation as an essential strategy for maintaining competitiveness and sustainable growth in the financial and technology sectors.

Ross Sinclair, Founder & CEO, EIPGlobal InsurTech funding remained strong in 2025, but what will it take to make sure the hype does not outpace deliverables? Ross Sinclair, Founder and CEO of EIP believes the pressure is now on for many firms to deliver on their ‘pitch deck' promises, including AI use cases, and justify them to investors with strong revenue streams.

Nick Fernando, Co-founder & Director, Aqua Global SolutionsThe Swift ISO 20022 deadline of 22 November 2025 is now past history. Isn't it? Well, it appears not, with many banks continuing to rely on translation tools to bridge legacy systems. Yet stopgap measures come at a cost. Nick Fernando, Co-founder and Director at Aqua Global Solutions, warns that translation tools won't cut it in the long run. Banks that are ISO 20022 native stand to gain far more than compliance – from faster straight-through processing to fewer manual errors and richer data insights.

Chris Newman, Head of Corporates, Clear.BankUK businesses across a variety of sectors are increasingly looking to offer financial services to their customers, including payments, lending, and savings accounts. Embedded finance is widely perceived as a growth driver and a new opportunity for revenue growth. Chris Newman, Head of Corporates at ClearBank, which offers embedded banking solutions to corporate clients, speaks to Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence about the prospects for explosive growth over the coming years in ‘white label' banking.

Dan Scholey, Chief Product Officer, MoneyhubFinancial services platforms have been guilty of differentiating more on technical specifications, or look and feel, than their ability to impact the real lives of consumers. Dan Scholey, Chief Product Officer at UK FinTech Moneyhub believes many consumers suffer with high levels of financial anxiety, low confidence in managing money, and a lack of basic financial literacy. As Open Banking evolves into Open Finance, real-time client data is becoming readily accessible, and it is incumbent on banks and advisers to take advantage of these developments to help customers make more from their money and bring greater long-term value for the customers they serve.

Carrie Osman, Founder & CEO, CruxyLondon-based Cruxy has delivered growth strategy to 40+ capital markets FinTechs and advised 20+ private equity firms (ranging from $1bn up to $100 billion AUM) on value creation through product, packaging and pricing. More than 80% of Cruxy's clients are based in the USA. The firm's Founder and CEO, Carrie Osman talks FinTech value creation with Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence. 

Ben Turner, Founder & CEO, VerituityInstant settlement has a downside – the potential for fraud and compliance exposure. Continuous verification is likely essential for stablecoin-based disbursements to function safely. Banks must look to design stablecoin systems that combine speed with enterprise grade integrity. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to Ben Turner, Founder and CEO of Verituity. 

This interview with Ritesh Pai discusses the rapidly changing world of global digital payments. He explains how technologies such as artificial intelligence, biometric security, and blockchain are improving the personalization and security of financial services. The interview places strong emphasis on financial inclusion, highlighting the importance of mobile-first infrastructure and simplified identity verification to help unbanked populations access digital finance. PhonePe also sees major potential in expanding India's Unified Payments Interface (UPI) globally to improve international remittances and cross-border transactions. Additionally, Pai explains how companies can manage complex regulations by using flexible compliance systems and working closely with local regulators.

This interview highlights how Perfios operates as a “TechFin” leader by providing AI-driven digital infrastructure for the banking and insurance sectors. The company offers tools that automate the customer lifecycle, including onboarding, identity verification, credit underwriting, and fraud detection. By using alternative data and machine learning, Perfios helps financial institutions improve financial inclusion while maintaining strong risk management and regulatory compliance. The interview also explains how the acquisition of Clari5 strengthened the company's ability to detect financial crimes such as money laundering and deepfake fraud in real time. Overall, it presents Perfios' strategy of global expansion and continuous innovation to build a secure and future-ready financial ecosystem.

This interview with leaders from X-Biz Techventures discusses the growing role of artificial intelligence in modern cybersecurity. The interview explains how AI is helping organizations move from reactive to proactive security by continuously monitoring attack surfaces and detecting hidden risks such as shadow IT and undocumented APIs. The leaders emphasize that traditional security audits are no longer enough to handle advanced AI-driven cyber threats, making automated risk assessments and behavioural analytics increasingly important. The discussion also highlights the challenges of supply chain security and the need for machine learning to manage third-party vendor risks. Overall, the interview presents SecureNexus as a solution that combines human expertise with advanced technology to strengthen long-term digital resilience.

This interview with Ashish Rai discusses Aurionpro Solutions Ltd and its strategy to become a global leader in transaction banking and enterprise AI. Rai explains that the company stands out through AI-native applications and its explainability lab, which provides advanced, domain-specific intelligence for financial institutions. The interview also highlights Aurionpro's international expansion, especially in the Middle East, through major partnerships and contract wins. In addition, the company is pursuing an aggressive acquisition strategy, including the integration of Arya.AI, to strengthen its technological capabilities. Overall, the source emphasizes Aurionpro's strong focus on research and development to replace outdated legacy systems with modern banking solutions.

This interview explains how artificial intelligence and digital infrastructure are transforming India's MSME lending sector. Financial institutions are moving away from traditional collateral-based lending and using alternative data, such as UPI transactions and digital activity, to assess creditworthiness more efficiently. PSL Association of India is helping drive this change by promoting ethical AI practices and supporting the adoption of the Open Credit Enablement Network (OCEN). The interview also highlights challenges like data fragmentation and limited digital literacy among small businesses. However, initiatives such as the India Stack are improving financial visibility and access to credit. Overall, it emphasizes collaboration between fintech companies, policymakers, and financial institutions to create a more inclusive and transparent lending ecosystem.

This interview with Sreepriya N.S. discusses the changing landscape of wealth management in India. She explains that Entrust Family Office focuses on balancing capital preservation with long-term wealth creation through India-centric investments, including unlisted opportunities and debt alternatives. The interview highlights the importance of tax efficiency, liquidity management, and disciplined investment strategies. It also explores how artificial intelligence is being used to improve data analysis, while emphasizing that human judgment remains essential in decision-making. Additionally, Sreepriya stresses the growing importance of governance and sustainability to meet the expectations of younger, globally-minded investors and ensure long-term financial stewardship and stability.

This interview with Sanjay Singh explains that the future of financial services and insurance depends on more than just artificial intelligence. He highlights the importance of composable architectures and embedded compliance, which help companies stay flexible, secure, and prepared for changing regulations. The interview also discusses the rise of “invisible banking,” where financial services are integrated into everyday digital platforms rather than existing as separate systems. Singh emphasizes the need for businesses to move away from outdated legacy systems and adopt agile, cloud-based technologies focused on user experience. He also warns that strategic complacency can slow innovation and encourages organizations to focus on smaller, high-impact projects that support continuous digital transformation.

This interview features MobiKwik CEO Bipin Preet Singh discussing how India's FinTech landscape is shifting from payments to sustainable, compliant credit ecosystems. He emphasises that innovation must align with the “spirit of regulation,” advocating proactive engagement with regulators and industry‑led SROs. With UPI now commoditised, Singh sees differentiation emerging through credit‑first products, embedded financial services, CBDC integration, and innovations like Pocket UPI and the F1rst RuPay credit card. MobiKwik's pivot from BNPL to longer‑tenure EMI and secured lending reflects a risk‑balanced, regulation‑aligned strategy supported by co‑lending partnerships under FLDG norms. As the company scales toward its post‑IPO vision, its full‑stack platform—spanning payments, credit, savings, and merchant services—aims to drive responsible, profitable growth

This interview explores how emerging FinTech infrastructure is reshaping financial inclusion in rural India, with Hitesh Kanariya of Kuberjee highlighting the rise of hyperlocal, women‑led delivery models. He explains that platforms like Aadhaar, UPI, eKYC, and Account Aggregators have made onboarding seamless, while alternative data and sachet‑sized financial products now serve farmers, SHGs, and daily‑wage earners. Structural barriers—poor connectivity, low digital literacy, limited smartphone access, and mistrust—still slow adoption, making hyperlocalisation essential. Women agents such as BC Sakhis build trust, deliver doorstep services, and bridge language and literacy gaps. Vernacular-first, mobile-native platforms further boost understanding through voice and intuitive interfaces. Kuberjee's “One Village, One Sakhi” model demonstrates a scalable, gender-inclusive blueprint for sustainable rural FinTech innovation.

PayU Finance CEO Deepak Mendiratta explains how the company is reimagining SMB credit through embedded, data‑driven lending models that overcome long‑standing barriers like irregular cash flows, limited documentation, and the high cost of small‑ticket loans. PayU uses alternative credit evaluation based on UPI transactions, GST records, and behavioural insights, enabling more accurate underwriting. Its EDI—equated daily instalment—model aligns repayments with daily cash flows, reducing interest burden and stress for small businesses. Through deep integrations with platforms like PhonePe, Swiggy, and Meesho, PayU delivers frictionless, real‑time credit access. Robust risk management combines machine learning, daily repayment visibility, and short‑tenure loans, while ethical lending, transparency, and data protection remain core principles driving sustainable, inclusive credit growth.

QualityKiosk CEO Maneesh Jhawar explains how AI is transforming digital assurance by shifting it from static, reactive checks to dynamic, intelligence‑driven validation. AI models analyse usage patterns and incidents to optimise what needs to be tested, while the biggest leap is in data assurance, where AI now shapes strategy and operating models for trusted data. In multi‑cloud environments, QualityKiosk uses AI‑led observability to eliminate blind spots, reduce MTTR, and enhance user experience. For digital banking—where “zero‑defect is the baseline”—the company embeds regulatory expertise into a RAG-powered knowledge store to ensure compliance. Partnerships with DevRev and Katalon enable autonomous agents, predictive failure analysis, and automated test creation, helping organisations deliver faster, more reliable digital experiences.

Rajesh Saxena, CEO, Consumer Banking, and Rami Roukoss, product expert, Intellect Design Arena LimitedAs Islamic banking gains global momentum amid rising demand for ethical, Shariah-compliant financial services, Puja Sharma speaks with Rajesh Saxena, CEO, Consumer Banking, and Rami Roukoss, Product Expert at Intellect Design Arena Limited, on the evolving role of digital transformation, AI-driven pool management, and how eMACH.ai is helping Islamic banks modernise products, operations, and customer experiences. 

This interview details the award-winning implementation of the Finastra Kondor treasury solution at LPBank, a prominent financial institution in Vietnam. Deputy CEO Nguyễn Ánh Vân explains how the bank successfully integrated this front-to-back office platform on an accelerated timeline alongside a major core banking transformation. By moving from manual tasks to automated end-to-end processing, the bank has significantly enhanced its operational efficiency and risk management capabilities. The discussion highlights the vital role of collaborative partnerships and expert resource allocation in overcoming technical and regulatory challenges. Furthermore, the text explores future prospects, including the potential for AI integration to further refine market analysis and business forecasting. Ultimately, the upgrade serves as a strategic benchmark for the bank's continued expansion into regional and global financial markets.

This interview with Yethi Consulting CEO Srirang Srikantha explores the critical role of quality assurance in the modern banking sector. Srikantha highlights how digital transformation has heightened customer expectations, making application speed and reliability more vital than traditional financial metrics for maintaining loyalty. He cautions financial institutions against over-relying on software vendors for system integrity, suggesting that independent testing is necessary to ensure flawless performance. The discussion further examines how full-stack observability and artificial intelligence can help manage the growing complexity of banking technology. Ultimately, the text presents a case for proactive performance validation to prevent costly technical failures and protect a bank's reputation.

This interview with George Toumbev of NatWest Boxed details the rise of Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS), highlighting partnerships with Saga and The AA. Toumbev predicts most retail banking revenue will shift away from traditional channels by 2030, necessitating "embedded banking" that utilizes a bank's license and balance sheet on brand platforms. Successful implementation requires strategic coherence between the brand and financial product, balancing technical excellence with strong banking credentials for safety. To ensure scalability, Boxed uses standardized "Lego block" modules rather than bespoke designs. Ultimately, this model allows brands to increase revenue and sales while outsourcing complex risk management and regulatory compliance to the bank

This interview features Udeet Bhagat from PureSoftware discussing the success of their flagship banking platform, Arttha. The source highlights how this cloud-native and modular technology enables financial institutions to automate digital onboarding and loan origination processes. A major focus is placed on the platform's ability to remain scalable while adapting to local regulatory requirements in diverse markets like Africa and Southeast Asia. The text also outlines future plans to integrate AI-driven credit scoring and alternative data, such as mobile money trails, to improve financial inclusion for underserved populations. Ultimately, the company emphasizes its commitment to innovation and agile design to keep pace with the rapidly evolving fintech landscape.

In this interview, Chris Walters of Finastra outlines a strategic pivot toward customer-led innovation following a year of extensive global engagement with clients. He explains that the company is doubling down on its core strengths—lending, payments, and core banking—while divesting its Treasury and Capital Markets business to reinvest capital into these high-impact leadership areas. To address the increasing pressure on financial institutions to modernize, Finastra is embedding AI to automate routine tasks and simplifying its own operating model to be easier to work with, prioritizing faster implementation and intuitive support. Walters also identifies significant growth opportunities in underserved mid-sized institutions and emerging segments like private credit. Ultimately, he envisions Finastra as a leaner, customer-obsessed strategic ally that delivers reliable, enterprise-grade technology designed to help institutions of all sizes succeed in a rapidly evolving market

Deepa Santhanam, Partner & SVP - Business Consulting, Intellect Design ArenaIn an era where growth is defined by ecosystem depth rather than customer count, Puja Sharma speaks with Deepa Santhanam, Partner & SVP - Business Consulting at Intellect Design Arena, on how banks can outperform by embedding themselves into industry value chains—leveraging APIs, AI, and platform models to drive stronger liquidity, resilience, and competitive advantage in wholesale banking.

In this interview, Tommaso Jacopo Ulissi of Nexi Group explores the ongoing convergence of digital payments with specialized business management software. He explains that modern merchants no longer seek isolated transaction tools, but rather integrated ecosystems that handle industry-specific tasks like table management or online booking. To remain relevant, payment service providers must shift from being simple utility companies to becoming embedded partners within the software platforms that merchants use to run their daily operations. This transformation requires a focus on seamless API integration and user experience to meet the rising demand for all-in-one digital solutions. Ultimately, the industry is moving toward a cooperative model where payment capabilities are hidden, yet essential, components of a broader merchant interface.

This interview features Siobhan Byron from Finastra explaining how their Essence core banking platform enables financial institutions to succeed in a digital-first economy. The text highlights successful partnerships with Tonik and Oro Bank, demonstrating how cloud-native architecture and modular design allow for rapid product launches and reduced operational costs. Byron emphasizes that modern banking is shifting toward open finance and embedded services, requiring systems that are both agile and highly interoperable. A significant portion of the discussion focuses on the integration of artificial intelligence, including generative AI assistants and predictive analytics, to enhance employee productivity and customer personalization. To manage the risks of modernization, the source introduces the "Symbiosis" approach, which allows banks to upgrade specific components incrementally rather than replacing entire legacy systems at once. Ultimately, the source illustrates how technological flexibility helps banks navigate regulatory complexities and meet evolving consumer expectations.

In an interview with IBS Intelligence, William Moroney of Temenos discusses the urgent need for financial institutions to replace outdated legacy systems with flexible, modern technology. He explains that banks are increasingly adopting cloud-native platforms and artificial intelligence to enhance operational efficiency, combat financial crime, and provide tailored customer experiences. Temenos is supporting this transition by offering modular software solutions and AI-driven tools that allow for faster product launches and more secure data management. The discussion highlights a global shift toward strategic IT investment, where technology providers act as essential partners in navigating regulatory changes and digital transformation. Ultimately, the source emphasizes that successful modernization depends on ecosystem collaboration and the ability to scale innovation through a single, adaptable platform.

Raj Jathar, SVP Sales Engineering, Azentio In an era of geopolitical volatility, cyber risk, and regulatory pressure, Puja Sharma speaks with Raj Jathar, SVP Sales Engineering at Azentio, on redefining tech resilience through strategic partnerships, domain expertise, and modernisation that balances compliance, continuity, and customer trust.

Qualco, founded 25 years ago in collections technology, has evolved into a full-spectrum FinTech partner covering the entire credit value chain. Deputy CEO Spyros Retzekas credits this growth to client intimacy, local market understanding, and disciplined international expansion. The company differentiates itself by working closely alongside clients rather than operating as a distant vendor. AI has long been central to Qualco's platforms through machine learning and analytics, with generative AI now being embedded to further enhance workflows and decisioning. Looking ahead, Qualco plans to scale AI-native, cloud-based SaaS solutions globally. A recent milestone is their partnership with France Contentieux, consolidating fragmented systems into a unified, automated collections platform reinforcing Qualco's growing footprint across Europe.

Joaquin de Valenzuela, nCino's MD EMEA, reflects on his first year highlighting the platform's impact, bankers save 8–10 hours weekly through AI tools. nCino serves over 2,700 customers globally, with banks originating more than $3 trillion in loans on the platform. Cloud-native architecture enables continuous innovation and automatic compliance updates. Across EMEA, priorities differ: European banks focus on efficiency and compliance, Middle Eastern banks on growth, and African institutions on financial inclusion. nCino's competitive edge lies in its vast banking dataset, unified data model, and a three-phase AI roadmap from staff productivity tools to agentic AI and ultimately autonomous banking systems. The biggest industry challenge remains balancing rapid innovation with the security and stability that banking demands.

Karthik Sethuraman, Chief Delivery & Risk Officer, audax Financial TechnologyBanks now view failure to modernise core systems as an existential risk. In APAC, 93% of banking leaders admitting the right platform is critical to future success – presumably the remaining 7% are contemplating career change! Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence talks banking transformation with Karthik Sethuraman, Chief Delivery & Risk Officer of Singapore-based digital banking solutions provider audax. Banks must address their core infrastructure to compete effectively while meeting customers' increasing digital expectations.

Fernando Zandona, Chief Executive Officer, MambuSecuring the future of your bank means securing the next generation of customers. It is a fact that once people pick a bank, they very rarely switch. But how should incumbents square up to the challenges posed by the rush of neobanks coming to the market? How best to pivot without losing sight of core compliance, trust and scale? Fernando Zandona, CEO of cloud-native, software-as-a-service (SaaS) core banking platform Mambu speaks to Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence.

Edul Patel, CEO & Co-founder, MudrexAs central banks globally explore digital currencies, India's Digital Rupee pilot marks a significant step toward rethinking monetary infrastructure. Beyond faster payments, CBDCs have the potential to reshape settlement systems, enable programmability, and unlock new fintech innovation.In this episode, Vriti Gothi speaks with Edul Patel, CEO & Co-founder of Mudrex, to explore the role of CBDCs in addressing inefficiencies in the financial system, their impact on banks and payment ecosystems, and the emerging opportunities for fintechs. They also discuss the balance between privacy and control, the coexistence of CBDCs and cryptocurrencies, and what it will take for India's Digital Rupee to scale meaningfully in the years ahead.

Masahisa Kawashima, IOWN Technology Director at NTT, discusses how IOWN (Innovative Optical and Wireless Network) technology will transform financial services. IOWN's photonic infrastructure enables high-speed, low-latency, and highly reliable data transfer, essential for financial institutions requiring seamless AI and data-driven operations. It allows for efficient, scalable, and sustainable data center operations by reducing power consumption through decentralized setups in suburban areas. IOWN's infrastructure will also enhance security, operational resilience, and disaster recovery. The technology aims to provide banks with high-bandwidth, low-latency connectivity for AI computing, improving business continuity and data management. While large-scale deployment may take a few years, IOWN is positioning itself as a key enabler for the next generation of digital financial services

Mac Thompson, Founder & President, White ClayConsolidation in the banking and finance sector is set to continue. Around 180 bank deals were announced in 2025 and there are going to be more to come in 2026. The pressing need to take advantage of developing technologies is one notable cost factor that may drive smaller institutions into the arms of their larger counterparts. White Clay Founder and President Mac Thompson speaks to Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence.

Rajiv Bhat, CEO, martini.aiDescribing itself as the world's broadest and fastest risk engine, martini.ai aims to redefine how financial professionals access and interpret credit risk data through a free, platform. CEO Rajiv Bhat is leading a movement toward open, transparent credit data as investors and lenders around the world seek real-time visibility into risk. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence discusses how transparency and better data are reshaping credit, lending, and portfolio management with Rajiv Bhat of martini.ai.

As artificial intelligence continues to make waves in the banking sector, this episode dives into how it's reshaping working capital management. We discuss how AI, APIs, and automation are unlocking new efficiencies in liquidity, supply chain resilience, and sustainable finance. The conversation covers AI's transformative role in improving credit scoring, fraud detection, and operational agility. With insights on AI-driven decision-making models, the episode also highlights the balance between speed and responsible risk management. As financial institutions scale globally, the need for innovation and regulatory adaptability becomes even more critical. Discover how AI is not just enhancing but revolutionizing banking and financial services for the future.

In this episode of The Big Interview, Raja Debnath, MD, and Chairperson of Veefin Group, discusses the evolving future of working capital management, where AI and automation are becoming central to financial stability. He highlights how Veefin is leading AI-driven risk control and multi-lender orchestration to transform liquidity management for MSMEs. He also shares key lessons from scaling Veefin across $30bn disbursements and 15+ diverse financial ecosystems, offering insights into legacy modernization, modular architecture, cloud adoption, and effective data strategies.  With an eye on global expansion, Veefin is focused on deepening product innovation and forming strategic partnerships in emerging markets like Africa and Asia. Tune in to discover how AI is reshaping the landscape of working capital finance and driving growth across global financial ecosystems.

Navigating Bank Partnerships - A West Asia FinTech Guide: The latest from IBSi Perspectives, offers a strategic view of how FinTechs must navigate geopolitical uncertainty while strengthening their relationships with Banks in the region. It provides practical insights on how FinTech firms can work with banks, focusing on partnerships, regulatory considerations, and evolving priorities shaping the next phase of banking across the Middle East.

Bhavana Mallesh, Chief Technology Officer and Co-Founder of Gieom Business Solutions Private Ltd. As regulatory expectations shift from periodic compliance to continuous supervision, financial institutions are rethinking how they manage operational resilience, risk governance and regulatory accountability. Against this backdrop, Puja Sharma speaks with Bhavana Mallesh, Chief Technology Officer and Co-Founder of Gieom Business Solutions, about embedding AI-driven intelligence into compliance and resilience frameworks, navigating complex global regulations and emerging RBI guidelines, and how financial institutions can move from reactive, deadline-driven compliance to building transparent, future-ready resilience operating models.

Vaibhav Tambe, Co-founder & CEO, TransBnkWhat happens when money becomes programmable? In this edition of The Big Interview, we spotlight how TransBnk is re-engineering transaction banking from the ground up.Speaking with Co-founder and CEO Vaibhav Tambe, we explore how programmable finance allows businesses to embed logic directly into payments - releasing funds on milestone verification, automating sweeps, and reconciling in real time. The company's recon-first architecture replaces end-of-day processes with continuous, rule-driven matching.We also examine how Escrow-as-a-Service is opening secure, conditional fund flows to MSMEs, startups, and real estate players - capabilities once limited to large corporates. With 220+ clients and 40+ bank integrations, TransBnk is positioning itself as a treasury operating layer, built compliance-first and API-driven.The larger ambition is clear: democratise sophisticated banking infrastructure and make intelligent money movement accessible at scale.

Hari Padmanabhan, Founder – Chairman, UnciaThe discussion moves beyond buzzwords like AI and cloud-native, arguing that most institutions are still in early transformation stages. True AI-driven lending, he suggests, will emerge only when every transaction continuously trains the system. Uncia's Zero Implementation and Self-Serve model challenges traditional, time-heavy deployments - shifting control to institutions through configurable, low-code tools like Uncia Studio.We also explore how the Pay-As-You-Grow model is reshaping cost economics for SME lenders and NBFCs, turning technology from upfront capex into scalable opex.The broader shift? Lending platforms are evolving from static systems into adaptive ecosystems - where cloud, AI, and embedded learning quietly redefine how credit is designed, deployed, and scaled.

Brajesh Khandelwal, EVP and Head – Lending Intellect Consumer Banking, Intellect Design Arena LimitedAs artificial intelligence reshapes the future of lending, financial institutions are rethinking how credit is assessed and delivered across underserved sectors. Against this backdrop, Puja Sharma speaks with Brajesh Khandelwal, EVP and Head – Lending at Intellect Design Arena, about embedding AI at the core of SME and agri lending, unlocking deeper financial inclusion, driving measurable impact through large-scale implementations, and how banks can build intelligent, future-ready lending ecosystems by 2030.

Sundararajan S., Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of i-exceed technology solutionsi-exceed explores the future of digital banking through three key pillars: AI-powered personal financial management, real-time risk mitigation, and unified customer profiles. By leveraging predictive AI and low-code platforms like Appzillon, banks can modernize quickly while maintaining transparency, enhancing customer trust, and improving financial wellness. As banks shift from reactive to anticipatory engagement, i-exceed is driving innovation with solutions that balance legacy integration challenges and accelerate digital transformation. With a roadmap focused on next-generation explainable AI and expanded Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS), i-exceed is poised to lead the future of intelligent, customer-first financial services.

Raj MKK, CEO of CreditNirvana.ai, discusses how agentic AI is reshaping the credit and collections cycle by replacing manual, fragmented workflows with autonomous, hyper-personalised recovery processes. Focusing on India and Southeast Asia, he highlights the role of multilingual voice intelligence in overcoming regional language barriers, improving compliance, and enhancing borrower experience. Raj also emphasizes the importance of bounded autonomy and human-in-the-loop governance to ensure trust and oversight in AI systems. As agentic AI evolves, it is transforming lending and collections, enabling real-time data-driven decision-making and integration of ESG factors into credit decisioning.

Ashish Lath, Founder & CEO, SaveSageLoyalty programmes and credit card rewards promise value, but for many consumers, the reality is complexity, fragmentation, and missed opportunities. As digital finance evolves, technology is beginning to change how users track rewards, optimise spending, and make more informed credit decisions.In this episode, Vriti Gothi speaks with Ashish Lath, Founder & CEO of Save Sage, about the biggest challenges consumers face in managing loyalty points and credit benefits, and how AI, automation, and Open Banking are enabling smarter rewards management and credit optimisation. They discuss the role of intelligent tools in improving financial wellbeing, the shift toward unified and interoperable rewards ecosystems, and how companies can balance engagement with ethical design and responsible borrowing. 

Debiprasad Sarangi, Founder and CEO, iServeUFrom soundboxes in small-town kirana stores to APIs running national banks, India's FinTech stack is quietly rewriting how participation scales. Puja Sharma speaks with Debiprasad Sarangi of iServeU, on the infrastructure powering this shift.

Piyush Bagaria, Co-founder, SalarySe Salary-linked finance is reshaping how Indian employers think about retention, responsibility, and financial wellbeing. Puja Sharma speaks with Piyush Bagaria, Co-founder, SalarySe, on how salary-linked finance is pushing financial wellness from the HR desk to the boardroom. 

Kevin Flood, Director of Payments Ecosystem Strategy, FISFor years, banks have been pouring money into app development, yet the next revolution in customer interaction may not happen in an app at all. A global shift is underway towards conversational finance – where relationships begin and end in a message thread. Consumers don't want to download another app, they want to chat, ask and act. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence has been in conversation with Kevin Flood, Director of Payments Ecosystem Strategy at FIS.