The second day of the World Fintech Summit on 6th May 2025 in Bengaluru brought together a dynamic mix of thought leaders, innovators, and industry experts, all coming together to discuss the evolving role of fintech in the global financial landscape. The day was filled with engaging discussions, valuable insights, and a series of interactive sessions that showcased the power of technology in reshaping the future of finance.
Dr. Ravi Gupta, Founder & CEO of Elets Technomedia, welcomed attendees with an inspiring note that set the tone for the day ahead.
Keynote Sessions
Delivering a compelling keynote, Sanjeev Yadav, Director – Authentication & Verification, UIDAI Headquarters, highlighted Aadhaar’s pivotal role in transforming India’s identity landscape. “Before Aadhaar, India lacked a universal, verifiable identity, there was no single ID that could be trusted across systems. Aadhaar changed that completely. It provides the foundational identity layer to the India Stack, where every other ID is now essentially an alias of Aadhaar. Every time a new Aadhaar is generated, the biometrics are matched against the entire database, ensuring it’s issued only for unique, new attributes. Our approach is minimalistic and purpose-blind—we capture only what’s necessary,” he said.
He emphasized Aadhaar’s secure, minimalistic, and purpose-blind approach, the introduction of face authentication as a “Made in India, for India” innovation, and its rapid adoption across the BFSI sector.
In another session, Claude Smadja, President of Smadja & Smadja, discussed digital sovereignty, emphasizing its crucial role in shaping the future of technology. He explained that with digital sovereignty, nations and entities gain the power to define their own rules and regulations, influencing the direction and evolution of technology, data governance, and digital infrastructure. He also touched on the topic of data localization, highlighting its significance in securing national interests and fostering technological independence.
Inaugural session
The inaugural session of the World Fintech Summit brought together distinguished leaders who emphasized India’s pioneering role in shaping global digital ecosystems through Aadhaar-driven Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), fintech collaboration, and innovation with impact.
“India is leading the world with Aadhaar-driven Digital Public Infrastructure,” said Sumnesh Joshi, Executive Director, Ministry of Communications, Government of India.
“I can say with confidence that Aadhaar is the first true DPI of India… During my recent visit to Japan’s fintech festival, I witnessed firsthand how other countries are talking about India’s DPI and exploring how they can replicate it… Aadhaar is not just an ID; it’s the engine powering India’s digital transformation,” he said.
Joseph Selvaraj, Deputy General Manager, State Bank of India, shared SBI’s collaborative approach in nurturing fintech innovation while upholding regulatory integrity. “Our priority at State Bank of India is to safeguard the trust our customers place in us… We’ve established an innovation center with a sandbox environment and run an ‘Inno-Hub’ that guides fintechs from mentoring to collaboration on AI-powered fraud detection, biometric authentication, and more… We are enablers of innovation with trust at the core,” he highlighted.
Prof. Venkatesh Panchapagesan, Former Chairperson, NSRCEL, who moderated the session, discussed fintech’s real value. “The true power of fintech lies in its ability to drive inclusive growth… It’s not just about innovation for innovation’s sake—it’s about creating impact that matters,” he emphasized.
The session highlighted how India’s digital public infrastructure—anchored by Aadhaar—continues to set global benchmarks while enabling meaningful fintech innovations that transform lives and fuel inclusive economic growth.
Panel Discussions – Key Highlights
Talent & Skilling for BFSI
The session explored the growing demand for skilled talent in the BFSI sector. Thought leaders such as Anilesh Seth, GCC Consulting, Rajat Deshpande, Co-Founder & CEO, Finbox, Nupur Gupta, Co-Founder, NIRA, and Saurav Raaj, Co-Founder, NUVO addressed the challenges and strategies for building a skilled workforce to support the industry’s evolution.
Cybersecurity & Cyber Laundering – A Growing Threat for Fintech
Cybersecurity risks are an increasing concern in fintech, and this panel tackled how to address them. Experts including Shibu K Thomas, GM & Head of IT Assurance, South Indian Bank, Manu Dhir, General Manager, StoneX, and Aditya Kumar, Corporate Partnerships Lead, Plug and Play Tech Center discussed strategies to mitigate the growing threats of cybercrime. Shreya Khanna, Cyber Security Expert, KPMG, moderated the session.
Global Innovation Alliance (GIA)
A global perspective on fintech innovation took center stage as speakers like Balaji Venkataraman, Area Director, FDI, Netherlands Consulate, Stephen Mathias, Chairman, Indo American Chamber of Commerce, and Jacob Sebastian, British Deputy High Commission, UK discussed how international cooperation can foster disruption in fintech. Madanmohan Rao, Research Director at TIE Bangalore, moderated the panel.
India’s Wealthtech Evolution: Opportunities in the Age of Digital Finance
As digital finance gains traction, the Wealthtech space is rapidly evolving. This session featured Ameet Ayare, CEO, Actlogica, Ajath Anjanappa, Co-Founder & CEO, Fabits, and Mehekka Oberoi, Fund Manager, IIFL Open, who shared insights on the opportunities Wealthtech presents in transforming the financial ecosystem. Shalini Sankar, Senior VP at Laqshya, moderated the session.
Fireside Chats
Building Inclusive Financial Futures Through Technology
Prof. Sridhar Pabbisetty, Pracademic and Public Policy Specialist, and Dr. K.P. Krishnan, Honorary Research Professor at the Centre for Policy Research, engaged in a thought-provoking conversation on how technology is driving inclusive financial futures for underserved communities.
How Do Big Banks Invest in Fintech?
Hitesh Sachdev, Head of Startup Engagement & Investments at ICICI Bank, and Sandhya Vasudevan, Board Member & Fintech Chair at TiE Bangalore, discussed how large banks are approaching investments in fintech, shedding light on the future of partnerships between traditional banks and fintech startups.
AI-Powered Banking: Redefining the Future of Financial Services
Ajay Kanwal, MD & CEO of Jana Small Finance Bank, and Dr. Ravi Gupta, Founder & CEO of Elets Technomedia, delved into how AI is transforming financial services, enabling more efficient, personalized banking experiences for customers.
Industry Presentations & Expert Talks
Compliance to Confidence: How Modern Device Security Accelerates Fintech
Chiranjeev TK, Country Head at Jamf, gave an insightful presentation on the role of modern device security in accelerating fintech innovations, ensuring compliance, and protecting sensitive financial data across industries.
Transforming India’s Insurance Landscape with InsurTech for Universal Coverage
In this session, experts like Pranay Kumar, CTO at United India Insurance, and Sandhya Vasudevan, Board Member at TiE Bangalore, explored how InsurTech innovations are transforming India’s insurance sector to make coverage more accessible and affordable for all.
Startup Parade/Investor Connect
This session provided a unique platform for fintech startups to connect with potential investors, explore funding opportunities, and discuss strategic collaborations to fuel long-term growth.
World Fintech Awards Ceremony
The World Fintech Awards ceremony honoured the pioneers in the fintech & BFSI ecosystem, celebrating the individuals and organizations that have made significant contributions to the industry’s growth and innovation.
The discussions and collaborations at the World Fintech Summit set the stage for an exciting future where fintech continues to disrupt and redefine financial services on a global scale.
Organized by Elets Technomedia, in collaboration with the Department of Electronics, IT, Biotechnology, and Science & Technology, Government of Karnataka as Host State Partner, and the Karnataka Digital Economy Mission (KDEM) as Strategic Partner, the summit was further supported by TiE Bangalore.
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