Tell us about the latest innovations that are creating a buzz in the banking sector worldwide.
The banking sector is witnessing significant innovations, backed by the latest technologies, and India is on the forefront of all these developments. Fintechs are disrupting the banking in India and across the world. Some of the key innovations which are trending, are as follows:
Metaverse: Just like mobile banking, metaverse is opening new world of possibilities such as virtual branch, assisted services, real world experience, etc.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML): Banks are utilising AI for customer service enhancement, personalised experiences and process automation, employing chatbots and predictive analytics. With generative AI coming in, we will find more use cases to emerge in CRM field.
Contactless payments: Adoption surged, driven by mobile wallets and NFC-enabled cards and now NFC-based UPI also called UPI Lite X, which was launched by NPCI in GFF 2023.
Cross-border instant payments: Cross-border payments through BBPS for bill payments and also remittances on a click of a button i.e. online.
Digitisation of transit and mobility: Financial transactions in transit and mobility are being digitised using RFID, GNSS, ANPR and other latest technologies. FASTag,, which is an RFID-based device, is just a beginning, we shall witness lot of traction in this space, especially in India.
Voice and biometric authentication: Secure access via voice and biometrics such as fingerprints and facial recognition has become prevalent. It will help in faster penetration of financial inclusion.
Neobanking and connected banking: Neobanks are gaining prominence, offering mobile-first, branchless services with competitive features.
Open banking: Global expansion enabled secure sharing of financial data with third parties, fostering competition and product diversity.Video conferencing-enabled services: VC enabled services such as Video KYC, Video Life Certificate, Virtual RM, etc. are being adopted by customers easily after COVID-19, more and more use cases are emerging of VC facility.
How do you see the transition in the Indian banks from their earlier traditional way of working to digital banking today?
When fintech companies entered the Indian financial landscape, riding the UPI wave, traditional banks initially felt the pressure of losing the next-generation customer base. However, banks later adapted by adopting a multi-faceted strategy that involved collaboration, competition and a combination of both. As the situation normalised, collaboration has now become a prevailing trend, with fintech firms being viewed as facilitators rather than adversaries.
Throughout this journey, some fintechs have evolved into neobanks, amassing a substantial customer base, particularly among tech-savvy individuals who prefer the convenience of online transactions. A recent statement from the CTO of a prominent Indian Bank highlights this shift. They revealed that a significant portion i.e. about 30 per cent of their auto loan applications are now submitted via their online platform between 12:00 AM and 5:00 AM. This underscores the importance of offering a 24/7 online platform tailored to the preferences of the younger generation. Such a loan approval process would have been unimaginable just five years ago.
What’s your opinion of Open Network Digital Commerce (ONDC). How crucial do you think it is?
ONDC, an initiative by the Government of India, is being heralded as the next UPI and is a crucial step towards establishing an open and inclusive digital commerce ecosystem. It represents a move towards democratising India’s e-commerce landscape, which has largely been under the control of handful of multinational corporations. ONDC seeks to tackle various e-commerce challenges, including the dominance of a select few, issues of data ownership, and the lack of a fair playing field for smaller enterprises.
Establishing the ONDC network represents a pivotal and forward-looking stride for the Indian economy. The ONDC platform holds substantial promise in levelling the playing field for small and medium-sized enterprises and potentially driving down consumer prices by fostering increased market competition. Additionally, ONDC promotes fair trade practices, granting smaller players greater autonomy to directly engage with potential customers, thereby eliminating intermediary layers. The absence of intermediaries translates into cost savings for buyers, enabling them to access products and services at more affordable prices. Furthermore, the ONDC platform empowers small and medium-scale entrepreneurs with essential digital tools, liberating them from reliance on larger e-commerce corporations for product and service distribution. Nonetheless, the platform’s capacity to rival the user experience and convenience offered by established e-commerce giants, to which consumers have grown accustomed, remains a point of observation.
Please shed light on the cloud banking scenario in India. What other trends are there in the market?
Cloud banking has made significant inroads in India, propelled by its cost-effectiveness, scalability and versatility. This transformative technology enables banks to markedly reduce infrastructure expenses by shifting away from traditional on-premises data centres in favour of ‘pay-as-you-go’ cloud solutions. Scalability, a fundamental benefit, empowers banks to dynamically allocate resources as per demand, especially valuable for managing fluctuating workloads. Furthermore, cloud banking expedites innovation, streamlining the development and deployment of novel products and services. It also brings a suite of advantages, encompassing enhanced security, support for remote work arrangements, advanced data analytics, seamless AI integration, and robust disaster recovery capabilities, motivating its adoption within the Indian banking sector.
However, despite these benefits, not all banks have embraced the cloud model, primarily citing data security concerns. Additionally, the absence of comprehensive regulatory guidelines from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has deterred many banks, particularly public sector ones, from migrating data to cloud infrastructure. Nowadays, banks are amassing substantial data from diverse origins and employing this data for analytical purposes. Consequently, the requirement for computing capacity and storage is progressively mounting, resulting in a burgeoning pent-up demand.
Compared to international banks, how pro-active are Indian banks in terms of adopting digital solutions?
India is swiftly positioning itself as a global nucleus for pioneering digital solutions in the banking sector. The resounding success of UPI has unequivocally showcased India’s prowess to the international community. Notably, UPI, in tandem with other NPCI offerings such as BBPS, is now traversing international boundaries, finding resonance in numerous countries. The “India Stack,” an all-encompassing term for the digital public infrastructure meticulously constructed by the Government of India, is rapidly gaining global recognition.
This revolutionary infrastructure is catalysing the widespread adoption of digital channels and has already stirred immense interest worldwide. Fuelled by the India Stack, a multitude of fintech enterprises have ventured into the banking domain, attracting substantial foreign investments. This wave of confidence from institutional investors across the globe attests to the compelling “India Story.”
In stark contrast to international banking institutions, India’s digital solutions stand out as paragons of innovation, cost-effectiveness, expeditiousness, reliability and scalability. This distinctive blend of qualities positions Indian banks uniquely on the global stage, further enhancing India’s reputation as a trailblazer in the realm of digital banking innovations.
In your opinion, how have fintech companies been of significance to Indian banks?
Fintechs have revolutionised our perspective on banking. Just five years ago, the landscape of banking in India was vastly different, and it’s safe to say that the situation five years from now will be significantly distinct from what we are experiencing today. Fintechs have adeptly capitalised on the prevailing anomalies within the banking services, by developing innovative digital solutions that prioritise customer convenience to address the problem statement.
At present, many fintechs are not in direct competition with traditional banks; rather, they opt for collaboration, serving as facilitators for established financial institutions. However, a notable subset of fintechs has achieved substantial growth, amassing sizeable customer bases, and can now be categorised as neobanks, a term which is not defined in banking dictionary, rather, this has emerged after the popularity fintechs have gained among masses. These entities have carved out their own niche by targetting specific customer segments and positioning themselves as universal channels for banking services.
‘Metaverse’ seems to be the next big thing in the banking sector. Your comments?
‘The concept of the “Metaverse” is continuously evolving, and the banking sector, much like it has embraced other emerging technologies, is now embracing this technology as well. One of the Public Sector Banks (PSBs) has already established a bank branch in the metaverse, while several foreign banks are extensively leveraging this technology for various customer engagement services and other services such as virtual meetings on a global scale. According to Gartner, it is anticipated that by 2026, around 25 per cent of individuals will spend at least an hour daily in the metaverse. This is a compelling reason for businesses, including banks, to establish a presence in the metaverse to engage with their customers effectively.
Just as banks shifted their focus to mobile banking when customer preferences changed and people began spending more time on mobile devices, the transition to the metaverse is now becoming imperative. Furthermore, the integration of Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) technologies within the metaverse has the potential to completely redefine the customer experience. It promises to enhance customer service and retention, making it a transformative opportunity for the banks.
