Money Majlis

Send us a textIn this episode of Money Majlis, Suvo Sarkar goes on a journey with Khalifa Alshamsi, CEO of e& life and e& international, who explains the rationale and opportunity of e& expanding into financial services, lifestyle, entertainment and cybersecurity. Can a company be an incumbent and challenger at the same time? How do you diversify into new industries and target markets? Does a bold new strategy require a fully new mindset of “going for more”? Is collaboration with partners the way forward for successful companies?Hear Khalifa Alshamsi explain why he believes e& money will win in an overcrowded market, how open finance and AI will shake up the industry, why the time for super-apps in the region has come and what skills the younger generation needs to hone in today's interconnected world.Once you have heard the episode, please visit give.moneymajlis.com to redeem your free gift card of $50 to contribute to a charity of your choice. Thank you for joining my giving movement. Research partner : Shekhar Krishnamurthy Giving partner : Goodworld Production : Poddster

Send us a textIn this riveting episode of Money Majlis, host Suvo Sarkar travels to Bangalore for a debate with the legendary T.V. Mohandas Pai, a trailblazer in finance, technology, education, and philanthropy. Known for his transformative contributions as the former CFO of Infosys and as a venture capitalist and chairman of Manipal Global Education, Pai shares his insights on navigating the intersections of business, technology, and social impact. Discover how Pai helped scale Infosys to a $6.5 billion global powerhouse and the first Indian company to be listed on NASDAQ. As one of India's most prolific angel investors, Pai discusses his investments in life sciences, education, and technology startups, along with his vision for fostering innovation in India. Also dive deep into Pai's passion for education and child welfare, including the story behind co-founding Akshaya Patra—the world's largest mid-day meal program. How many hours a week should one work? Is human capital more critical than financial capital? Should start-ups aim to solve social problems? Is a bad college better than no college? Will Bangalore's traffic problems ever be resolved? And should companies appoint younger members on their boards? Pai debates these and other thorny issues with Sarkar in an unmissable episode peppered with wisdom, wit and a lot of statistics. Once you have heard the episode, please visit give.moneymajlis.com to redeem your free gift card of $50 to contribute to a charity of your choice. Thank you for joining my giving movement. Research partner : Shekhar Krishnamurthy Giving partner : Goodworld Production : Poddster

Send us a textWelcome to a special episode on customer loyalty where Suvo Sarkar is in deep discussion with Ajay Row, a globally acknowledged expert on loyalty programs and the founder & chairman of Customer Capital. Why is data the most valuable commodity but is freely given away? What are the 6 key assets of a loyalty program? Are points better than discounts? Should we try to dazzle and delight every single customer? And how are digitisation and AI transforming the “card-points-rewards” principles of loyalty? Ajay analyses the economics of pan-bank loyalty programs and explains why they mostly fail to take off. And he lays out the future factors for success, and argues that marketers need to redefine their job roles. Join Suvo & Ajay for a thoughtful discussion on unboxing loyalty programs, enhancing email open rates and sailing in Mumbai harbour every weekend. If you are in the business of banking, marketing, sales or loyalty, or believe making money from customers by delivering affordable value is important, this is one episode you can't afford to miss.Visit give.moneymajlis.com to join my giving movement and contribute to a charity of your choice by redeeming your free gift card.Research by : Shekhar Krishnamurthy Production : Poddster Giving partner : Goodworld

Send us a textIn this episode of Money Majlis, I sit down with Chris Skinner, renowned futurist and author, to explore the future of banking and finance. Skinner, known for his influential insights on fintech and digital transformation, shares his views on how technology is reshaping the financial landscape.We discuss his latest book, “Intelligent Money” and how banking is poised for a “reversal of roles” where money thinks for us. Skinner delves into the rapid growth of fintechs and their potential to acquire traditional banks, as well as the emergence of a hybrid financial system (HyFi) that combines traditional and decentralized finance.Additionally, Skinner touches on the impact of Generative AI in finance, future jobs in banking, and the importance of purpose-driven strategies in the financial industry. He also shares his predictions for banking in 2050 and the evolving financial landscape in the Middle East.Join Skinner and me for a fascinating conversation on the future of money. Visit give.moneymajlis.com to join my giving movement and contribute to a charity of your choice by redeeming your free gift card.Research partner: Shekhar Krishnamurthy Production: Poddster“Giving” partner: Goodworld

Send us a textIn this episode, Ashok Vaswani, international banking veteran and CEO & MD of Kotak Mahindra Bank, explains why he believes money is more emotional than rational, how Indian banking is racing ahead and how his bank is transforming for scale to claim a space among the top 3 private lenders in India. What is the new “finternet”? Why is the Indian technology stack being exported overseas? Where do Indian bankers get their new confidence from? Is it the end of the road for multinational retail banks? And what is the next new wow for Indian banking customers? Vaswani and Sarkar discuss the growth of financial inclusion, the decline of foreign bank market shares and the challenge of breaking silos in banking organizations. Vaswani also talks about his transition to the Indian work ethic, his leadership style, his passion for education and his mother's influence on his life. Please visit give.moneymajlis.com to get your free Money Majlis GiveCard that you can redeem to contribute to a charity of your choice. Join my giving movement today. Research partner : Shekhar Krishnamurthy Production : Poddster Giving partner : Goodworld

Send us a textIn this XTRA episode of Money Majlis, I talk with Christina Boutrup, journalist, author and China analyst, about how the world's biggest digital economy is transitioning from a low-cost manufacturing hub into a high-tech innovation centre. The recent launch of the Deep Seek AI platform makes you wonder whether the restriction of chip imports from the US has pushed China to be even more innovative and frugal. How is the speed of innovation so high in China? Why does Byte Dance launch over a thousand experiments a day? Was the Starbucks wallet inspired by Chinese consumers? Are the technology trends in China 3-5 years ahead of the rest of the world? And has the fierce competition in the Chinese domestic market delivered products of higher quality and cheaper price?   And what about energy? With over 60% of all wind turbines and solar panels deployed in China, and with growing production of green hydrogen, is the country the emerging green superpower? My guest Christina Boutrup discusses the coming robotic revolution in China that will unleash a new Gen R, the new AI guardrails that are stricter than Europe's, the forest of over 120 million trees that Ant Financial has planted and the red lines that she could never cross as a journalist. Join me and Christina for a fascinating discussion on the future of China, and the world. Here is a link to sign up for the China tour that Christina Boutrup leads: https://www.wavelengthleadership.com/global-tours/wavelength-china/Please visit give.moneymajlis.com to get your free Money Majlis GiveCard that you can redeem to contribute to a charity of your choice. Join our giving movement today. Research by : Shekhar Krishnamurthy Production : Poddster“Giving” partner: Goodworld

Send us a textIn this exciting episode, listen to the former president and CFO of SoftBank Group International, Alok Sama, talk about the man behind the legend of Masayoshi Son. Is the iconic founder of SoftBank an iconic visionary who can predict the future or a lucky gambler who bets the house? Sama, the chief dealmaker of the most influential technology investor in the world, SoftBank, tells us the fascinating tale of private jets, 5000-dollar wines, dinners with tech bros, elaborate honey traps, corporate smear campaigns and mega-deals worth billions. Author of the new book “The Money Trap”, a gripping memoir of his years at SoftBank and Morgan Stanley, Sama talks to Sarkar about the high points and low points of a roller coaster career in high finance. How do you value future technology? How much of investing is art, not science? Is growth at all costs worth it? How do you balance ambition and wellness? And what's a good time to break free from the money trap? Listen to Sama and Sarkar debate all these topics and more in this unmissable episode of Money Majlis. Please visit give.moneymajlis.com to get your free Money Majlis GiveCard that you can redeem to contribute to a charity of your choice. Join our giving movement today. Research by : Shekhar Krishnamurthy Production : Poddster“Giving” partner: Goodworld

Send us a textIn this first episode of Season 2 of Money Majlis, we bring you a priceless conversation with Mark Mobius, the “Indiana Jones of emerging markets investing”. Is the asset management industry in decline? How have ETFs revolutionised investing? Why is active investing better than passive? What matters more for an asset manager - size or speed? How does private equity feed into public markets? Mark delves into the history of emerging markets and the describes the uphill task he faced in the initial years to convince his company and his customers to invest in markets like China, India, South Africa and Latin America. Why will Trump have a “net positive” effect on emerging economies? Are the G7 countries “too big to fail” or “too big to bail”? Is the idea of a BRICS currency feasible? And should the average investor portfolio have an allocation to crypto assets? Mark answers all these questions and more. Listen to the guru talk about what the future of investing has in store for us.Research courtesy : Maurice GravierProduction : PoddsterTo get your Money Majlis GiveCard and join our movement of giving, please visit give.moneymajlis.com. The first 50 listeners to visit the website will get a USD 50 GiveCard that can be redeemed at any of the pre-selected causes. This initiative is powered by Goodworld. 

Send us a textIn this last episode of Season 1, Suvo Sarkar is in discussion with Craig Moore, founder and CEO of Beehive, the leading P2P platform in MENA. Does P2P lending have the potential to disrupt banks? Will open banking force banks to collaborate with fintechs? And can the USD 250 billion funding gap for SMEs in the region be solved by the P2P model? Moore explains how Beehive hones its credit model with alternative data sources, why audited accounts are not important and what synergies the e& partnership brings to the table. In a masterclass on entrepreneurship, Moore says founders should start with a real life problem, hire the right team and learn from setbacks. Long term success is a relay race, not a solo sprint, is what he believes. Research by : Shekhar Krishnamurthy Production by : Poddster

Send us a textWelcome to another episode of Money Majlis focused on consumer marketing. Suvo Sarkar is in conversation with a doyen of the Indian business world, Bharat Puri, managing director of Pidilite Industries which owns the famous adhesive brand Fevicol, a case study on branding in many business schools. Why does a low-involvement brand like Fevicol dominate the Indian consumer psyche over decades with its tongue in cheek irreverence? How does a company and ad agency build a lifetime bond of trust and challenge? And will performance marketing take over from brand advertising in the near future? In an entertaining and inspiring discussion with Sarkar, the veteran Puri recounts how Asian Paints trained him to take calculated risks, how he managed the biggest PR crisis that Cadbury's ever faced and how he is creating a “proneurial” culture at Pidilite. He explains how he starts and ends everything with the customer, how brands will become more relevant in an era of digital and AI and why treating marketing like an expense is the beginning of the end. Puri says leadership entails building a team that complements you, treating people well and doing the right thing every day. His serious advice to leaders: Don't take life too seriously! Research by : Shekhar Krishnamurthy Production by : Poddster

Send us a textIn this insightful episode about the business of Corporate Venture Capital (CVC), Suvo Sarkar is in a deep discussion with Nicolas Sauvage, President of TDK Ventures, the much-awarded CVC arm of TDK. What are some of the factors that are driving legacy corporates to invest in start-ups? Why does innovation have to be external as opposed to internal? Do CVCs turbocharge innovation? What is the ideal oversight for a CVC? And what metrics should we use to measure the success of CVCs? In a free-wheeling discussion on the merits and challenges of CVCs, Sauvage and Sarkar debate a few big bets versus many small ones, exploitation versus exploration, financial returns versus innovation objectives and cultural osmosis versus a Chinese wall between the corporate and the venture. Listen to two Stanford alumni discuss the critically important topic of CVCs and share your comments.

Send us a textIn this fascinating episode, Suvo Sarkar talks at length with a leading investment expert from India, Bharat Shah, executive director of ASK group, about the future of the Indian equity market. Is India over-valued compared to other global markets? Will it continue delivering double digit returns in the next 10 years? Which sectors will outperform? Bharat and Suvo, friends for 40 years and MBA classmates, debate if investing is a science or an art; if the principle of diversification is overstated; and what an ideal wealth portfolio should hold between equity and fixed income, between active and passive funds and between public markets and private equity. In a holistic overview of investing, Bharat connects it to spirituality and liberation, and argues that doing it right is as important as getting it right. Whether you are an amateur or professional investor, this is one episode you can't miss. Research partner : Shekhar KrishnamurthyProduction partner : Poddster

Send us a textWelcome to this New Year 2025 special episode of Money Majlis XTRA, celebrating good food. Suvo Sarkar is in conversation in Mumbai with the talented young restauranteur Sameer Seth of Bombay Canteen fame. What inspired a young banker to move to the intensely competitive F&B industry? How are the trends of eating out changing with millennials? Is consistency more important than creativity in the restaurant world? And why is storytelling a core component of a successful food business? In a candid chat, the founder of Hunger Inc Hospitality, Sameer Seth, talks about the challenges and opportunities of scaling his restaurants, of partnering with Starbucks, of keeping the menu alive and of firing up his team every day. Research by : Shekhar KrishnamurthyProduction : Poddster 

Send us a textWelcome to this episode of Money Majlis where Suvo Sarkar debates the impact of “The Great Wealth Transfer” with two leading professionals from the industry, one an incumbent and the other a challenger: Maurice Gravier, chief investment officer, Emirates NBD and Mark Chahwan, founder & CEO of Sarwa. Are millennials more interested in good advice for investing, or in best-in-class digital channels for self service? Do next-generation investors prefer choice or focus? Should wealth managers create specific products for younger customers? Is ESG investing a passing fad or an important trend? And will digital apps soon take over from human Relationship Managers? Sarkar, Gravier and Chahwan discuss these and other topics like long-term investing versus short-term trading, simplicity versus complexity, passive versus active funds and crypto versus gold. As USD 100 trillion changes hands in the next 25 years, what does the inter-generational mean for the wealth management industry? Listen in to make your own conclusions.

Send us a textContinuing on the XTRA series of non-banking topics, Suvo Sarkar interviews successful Indian author Amish Tripathi, of the Shiva trilogy fame, to talk about his professional transition from banking to writing. What prompted Amish to take up mythological fiction? What genre is he taking up next? Why do most authors not make money? And how should parents train their children to be creative? Amish takes us through his creative journey that now goes beyond books to podcasts, video games and a new TV series from Hollywood. He tells us how a song helped him overcome writer's block, why he wants to write fantasy fiction for his son and what he loves most about his life. Join us for an intimate conversation in the living room of a leading author who is re-inventing himself with every passing year.Research by : Shekhar Krishnamurthy Produced by : Poddster

Send us a textIn this episode of Money Majlis recorded in front of a live audience of CEOs and fintech leaders in Singapore, we look at the differences in the growth paths of fintechs in Asia versus the Middle East. In a debate with two senior leaders from Mastercard, J K Khalil, Division President of East Arabia and Yunsok Chang, EVP of Market Development, Asia Pacific, Suvo Sarkar compares the origins and future of fintechs from the two regions. How did Kakao Bank and Wio Bank achieve profitability so fast? What are the challenges Grab is facing? How have Alipay and Paytm transformed payments? What is the runway for fintechs like Careem Pay, STC Pay and Tabby? In a rich debate full of facts and anecdotes, JK and Yunsok debate wallets versus neobanks, scale versus profits, local versus global and B2B versus B2C. Tune in to join the debate with the experts.

Send us a textIn this episode, Piyush Gupta, the inspirational CEO of DBS Bank, tells us how a Singaporean bank raced ahead in innovation and digitisation to be crowned the world's best digital bank. Is Technology the new “front office” of a bank? Will pure-play digital banks ever succeed against digitized incumbent banks with scale? How should a traditional bank build a fail-safe culture of innovation? And why should youngsters learn to connect the dots to succeed?In an uplifting conversation with Suvo Sarkar, veteran banker Piyush Gupta talks about revenue generation from AI use cases, the merits of a gender-equal workplace and the joys of bird-watching.Research partner : Shekhar KrishnamurthyProduced by : Poddster

Send us a textIn this episode, H. E. Ahmed Al Naqbi, CEO of Emirates Development Bank, explains the key differences between a commercial bank and a development bank, and argues that social objectives make a banker's life more enriching. How does a development bank carry out financial underwriting to optimize approval decisions? How are employees measured? Does social impact trump profit objectives? In an intimate conversation between two ex-colleagues, Ahmed Al Naqbi and Suvo Sarkar discuss how new joiners can create a lasting impact, the ideal career path for aspiring CEOs and the secret to a perfect work-life balance. 

Send us a textIn this unmissable episode, Suvo Sarkar is in conversation with Arvind Krishna, Chairman & CEO - IBM. How does IBM re-invent itself every decade? Why are IBM employees so loyal? And is IBM on the path to becoming an USD 1 trillion company? In a free-flowing conversation with Suvo Sarkar, Arvind Krishna answers these and other consequential questions on the future of Gen AI, the practical uses of quantum computing and the value of corporate culture. Listen to the CEO of the world's oldest technology company talk about the future of leadership and the merits of growing roses in your garden. Research by : Shekhar Krishnamurthy Production : Poddster Studios

Send us a textIn this technology-special episode, Suvo Sarkar is in discussion with John Duigenan, the General Manager - Global Financial Services Industry at IBM. What do banks get wrong in transformation programs? Is hyper-personalization the future of customer service? What technologies will impact the banking industry most profoundly in the next decade? And why do most banks work in silos? In an interesting conversation with Suvo in New York, John explains why he still writes code, how he practices servant leadership and how scuba diving has taught him to be calm. Research by : Shekhar KrishnamurthyLocation : Gotham Studios, New York Production : Poddster Studios

Send us a textThis is the second edition of Money Majlis XTRA where we cover topics outside banking and finance. In today's exciting episode, we talk to Carla de la Vega, ex-CNN anchor, author and a strong advocate for women's empowerment, about the challenges and opportunities of achieving gender parity in the workplace and at home. What are the biases men have about women? Why are only 10% Fortune 500 companies headed by women? Will it take us another 300 years to achieve gender equality?  In an uplifting conversation, Carla de la Vega argues with Suvo Sarkar that motherhood makes women more effective managers and that career-minded women should stay single unless they can find supportive partners to marry.  Carla talks about her transformative experience in Turkey, why she named her second book "Shakti" and where she gets her positive energy from.  To learn more about Carla's work in women's empowerment, please visit : https://www.carladelavega.com/en Acknowledgements for this episode: Research partner : Rukmini Sarkar Production partner : Poddster Studios 

Send us a textIn this GITEX-special episode recorded on the sidelines of the Expand North Star expo, Suvo Sarkar talks to Vijay Shekhar Sharma, the founder of PayTM, the leading payments app in India that powers over 20 million merchants and businesses and is used by more than 300 million Indians.Will super-apps like PayTM take over the world? Why are fintechs the “best friend” for banks? What's the next big thing for the fintech industry in India? How should founders identify a business opportunity? And what should investors look for in start-ups?In a free-wheeling conversation with Suvo, Vijay talks about financial inclusion of half a billion Indians, the balancing act between innovators and regulators and his dream of forming a Sanskrit rock band one day.Research by : Shekhar KrishnamurthyLocation courtesy : P K GulatiProduction : Poddster Studios

Send us a textWill crypto-currencies replace fiat currencies in the next decade? Will blockchain technology make life easier? Will traditional finance and decentralised finance converge soon? Suvo Sarkar poses these and other consequential questions to Phil Sham, the founder CEO of Aquanow, one of the leading crypto-currency infrastructure companies of the world.With a telecom giant in UAE launching bitcoin payments for phone bills, can cafes and restaurants be far behind? Regulators are working hard to keep pace with the rapid progress in the crypto world and some governments are about to launch their own stablecoins. Should investors treat crypto as a new asset class? And should high street banks open up crypto trading on their mobile apps?In an interesting conversation about the future of money, Phil and Suvo discuss why the Middle East is ahead of the curve, how to salvage the reputation of cryptocurrencies and the connection between crypto and cello.

Send us a textIn this “Marketing special” episode of Money Majlis recorded in New York, Suvo Sarkar speaks to Raja Rajamannar, chief marketing & communications officer of Mastercard, to explore the latest challenges and opportunities in the practice of consumer marketing. Is marketing today an art, a science or a craft? Are the 4P's of marketing relevant any more? Is advertising dead? How do we differentiate in a sea of sameness? In a scintillating 90-minute conversation with one of the gurus of modern marketing, Suvo quizzes Raja on the role of AI in marketing, on sonic branding, on the continuing relevance of the Mastercard Priceless platform and on career choices young marketers should make. Do not miss this masterclass on marketing where one of the top 5 CMOs in the world speaks eloquently about the golden era of marketing, about emulating Leonardo Da Vinci and about his daily 26-minute meditation routine. To order the book “Quantum Marketing” by Raja, please click on the following link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1400223954/?bestFormat=true&k=quantum%20marketing&ref_=nb_sb_ss_w_scx-ent-pd-bk-mw-ext_de_k2_1_10&crid=1N6TLH7SYGQFQ&sprefix=quantum%20ma If you want to win a free copy of the book, autographed by the author, all you need to do is to repost this podcast with your comments on your Linked In feed or Instagram story (tag @moneymajlis). 10 lucky winners will receive a copy of the book couriered to them. Happy reading!

Send us a textComing tomorrow: Money Majlis with Raja Rajamannar, chief marketing & communications officer of Mastercard and the author of “Quantum Marketing”. Tune in tomorrow to https://podcasts.apple.com/ae/podcast/money-majlis/id1744454809 

Send us a textDon't miss the next episode of Money Majlis with Raja Rajamannar, chief marketing & communications officer of Mastercard and an acknowledged guru of marketing. Tune in on Friday 4 October to https://podcasts.apple.com/ae/podcast/money-majlis/id1744454809 

Send us a textAnnouncing the next episode of Money Majlis with Raja Rajamannar, chief marketing & communications officer of Mastercard and one of the most-awarded global CMOs. Tune in on Friday 4 October to https://podcasts.apple.com/ae/podcast/money-majlis/id1744454809 

Send us a textIn Episode 11 of Money Majlis, we meet the man behind India's most successful insurance marketplace, PolicyBazaar.com. In an open and honest conversation with Suvo Sarkar, ironman Yashish Dahiya takes us on the journey from the genesis of this start-up to its successful IPO and beyond.How did a risk-averse entrepreneur build an industry leader? How do you build a trusted online brand? Should breaking even be a priority or building out the proposition? Is “Fake it till you make it” the right mantra for start-ups? And what is more important : being kind or being right?Suvo and Yashish delve into these and many other consequential questions, including the merits of authentic leadership, finding an NPV on fitness and inculcating a “team-first” philosophy.

In Episode 10 of Money Majlis, the founder CEO of Marcus, the digital bank of Goldman Sachs, is in a scintillating conversation with Suvo Sarkar about the guiding principles for starting a new bank, the clash of cultures between old and new and forging successful partnerships.Will neo-banks upend the traditional banking industry? Why is service quality so poor at banks? Should banks call themselves “technology companies”? Will blockchain rule the banking world of the future?Suvo and Harit, ex-colleagues from their Citibank days, discuss banking, philanthropy, work-life balance, career planning and much more in this very interesting episode that will make you think, reflect and smile.

Introducing Money Majlis XTRA, a once-in-a-while episode that has nothing to do with banking, finance and money, but everything to do with my other passions : music, art, culture, books, films, travel, food and sports. Because life is much much more than just work! In this inaugural episode of Money Majlis XTRA, we meet Sanjoy Roy, the man behind Jaipur Literature Festival, the biggest literary gathering in the world and a worldwide movement now. We explore the origins and the journey of JLF, a Harvard case study, the monetary value of culture, the connection between art and business and how technology is a force for good. In this fascinating episode, listen to Sanjoy Roy explain how art and culture can solve many of the world's social and economic challenges and why food is such a big unifier.For more on JLF, please log into www.jaipurliteraturefestival.org

Episode 9 of Money Majlis explores the trends in the payment industry in the Middle East & Africa with Nandan Mer, Group CEO of Network International, the largest payment company in the region. With thousands of fintechs entering the industry, are incumbents under margin pressure? Is the merchant-acquirer relationship being redefined? How should the big players turn disruption into long-term advantage? What can we learn from African players? And what does the upcoming merger of Network and Magnati portend for the industry? Suvo Sarkar and Nandan Mer discuss these and other consequential issues for the MENA payment industry while chatting about Japanese business culture and golf handicaps.

Episode 9 of Money Majlis explores the trends in the payment industry in the Middle East & Africa with Nandan Mer, Group CEO of Network International, the largest payment company in the region.With thousands of fintechs entering the industry, are incumbents under margin pressure? Is the merchant-acquirer relationship being redefined? How should the big players turn disruption into long-term advantage? What can we learn from African players? And what does the upcoming merger of Network and Magnati portend for the industry?Suvo Sarkar and Nandan Mer discuss these and other consequential issues for the MENA payment industry while chatting about Japanese business culture and golf handicaps.

Start-up mentor P K Gulati lights up Episode 8 of Money Majlis with his wisdom and insights about start-ups and fintechs in the Middle East. In this unmissable episode, Suvo Sarkar and PK discuss topics that range from the state of innovation in the region to the future of fintechs. Is the idea more important or the founder? When should companies pivot? And have legacy banks done enough to leverage fintechs to drive innovation? Join Suvo and PK in an enlightening conversation about the evolution of start-up culture in the region, about how TiE Dubai is mentoring founders to achieve their potential and about what future skills that youngsters should focus on.

Episode 7 of Money Majlis explores the future of cashless banking in UAE with Jan Pilbauer, CEO of Al Etihad Payments. How will Aani, the new national P2P payment system, change the financial landscape of UAE? What will Jaywan, the new domestic card scheme, achieve for merchants and consumers? And can we expect Open Finance to disrupt the established order of the banking industry? Suvo Sarkar discusses all these important topics and more with the executive who is overseeing the transition of UAE into the future era of payments and banking.

In Episode 6 of Money Majlis, Suvo Sarkar is in intimate conversation with Surya Subramanian, the past Group CFO of Emirates NBD, Dubai's biggest and Middle East's most profitable bank, discussing the past and future of banking. Have the fundamentals of banking changed over the past few decades? What performance indicators are important for today's banks? Will digital banks upend the industry? What is the ideal role of a bank CFO? What are the skills required for a career in banking? Surya and Suvo discuss these and other interesting topics like football and toy trains over a cup of Darjeeling tea.

Episode 5 of Money Majlis features best-selling author and celebrated futurist Brett King in a very exciting conversation with Suvo Sarkar. Together, they explore the future of banking in the coming decades. Will neo-banks upend the banking market? Will wallets take over payments? Does blockchain have a future? Will embedded finance make data privacy irrelevant? Will quantum computing make big banks vulnerable? Brett and Suvo discuss these and other fundamental issues in an hour-long episode that might make you re-think what the future holds for money and banking.

In this episode of Money Majlis, Suvo Sarkar is in conversation with Saeeda Jaffar, Senior Vice President & Group Country Manager – GCC for Visa, talking about the supercharged growth of the payments industry in the region. They explore what competition, if any, that banks can expect from fintechs and big-techs, how the industry is evolving with crypto and AI and what Visa is doing to empower SMEs and women.  Is there too much choice in payments today? Are banks doing enough for customer education? Is credit card debt a good thing or a bad thing? Do rich reward points for card transactions come at the expense of needy revolvers? Two industry leaders, Suvo Sarkar and Saeeda Jaffar, discuss these and may other topics in an interesting dialogue rich with facts, figures, insights and personal anecdotes.

In this episode 3 of Money Majlis, Suvo Sarkar focuses on the topic of service excellence in banks, or the lack of it. In an impassioned talk, he analyses the reasons for poor service quality in the banking industry and suggests the best options to address it. In conversation with Suhail bin Tarraf, the group chief operating officer of First Abu Dhabi Bank, Suvo discusses how banks should transform the end-to-end service experience and what FAB is doing to lift its game to wow customers. Listen in to this interesting episode to understand the service strategy of the largest bank in the UAE.

Welcome back to a brand new episode of Money Majlis! Following the fantastic feedback from our debut episode on the future of money, we're excited to delve deeper into the world of banking. This time, Suvo Sarkar is joined by Jayesh Patel, CEO of Wio Bank, the standalone neo-bank from Abu Dhabi that is making waves in the region with its cool UX, innovative products, and rapid growth in customer base. In a wide ranging conversation, Jayesh talks about the secret of turning a profit within 2 years, about creating differentiation from incumbent banks, about managing the work culture of Generations Y and Z, and about his plans for an IPO. Tune in now to get insights from an episode full of wisdom and wit from the leader of one of the most promising fintechs in the Middle East. And send us your feedback or questions to suvo@moneymajlis.com For more information on Wio Bank, please visit : www.wio.ae

Introducing the inaugural episode of "Money Majlis," the first-of-its-kind podcast dedicated to exploring the dynamic intersection of money, banking, and technology in the Middle East and beyond.  In the first episode of Money Majlis, Suvo Sarkar interviews Ronit Ghose, senior banker, accomplished futurist and recent author of “Future Money”, about what will shape the future of money and banking. In a free-flowing conversation replete with interesting personal anecdotes, Suvo and Ronit explore what's next for neobanks, why super-apps don't work in most countries and what skills the younger generation need to make their careers future-proof. Expect engaging discussions, expert insights, and practical advice to keep you ahead in finance and tech. Don't miss out! Money Majlis will be published once every 2 weeks. Please send your feedback and comments on this podcast to : suvo@moneymajlis.com   Connect with Suvo Sarkar: linkedin.com/in/suvosarkar   To buy Ronit Ghose's book “Future Money”, and get a 20% discount as a listener of the Money Majlis podcast, please visit the publisher's website and use the discount code “MAJLIS”:  www.koganpage.com/future-money