<img src="https://m2p-website-file.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/m2p-website-file/marketing-cms/m2p-blog/2022/06/Artboard-1-copy-8-12.webp" alt="M2P Fintech" title="" width="100%" height="253">Three years into the pandemic, amidst the Omicron wave, the Indian Union Budget 2022 promises resiliency, growth momentum, and long-term sustainability measures. At a 9.2% GDP, India projected the highest growth rate among world economies. Great stat to start the budget highlights with right?<h2 class="heading-node" id="b7ef" style="text-align: left">Digital Focus</h2>The key focus areas of the budget were&nbsp;digital and technology for the next 25 years.&nbsp;The Finance Minister’s budget speech promoted digital and technological innovation across industries. It offered a sharp increase in public investment and capital expenditure provision that is expected to aid future growth and help businesses recover from the pandemic-induced slump.Initiatives focused on ‘accelerated growth’ for technology-led development, energy transition, and climate action while balancing the needs of an inclusive welfare society.<h2 class="heading-node" id="857d" style="text-align: left"><a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/fintech-101-discover-the-3ws-of-fintech/">Fintech</a> Impetus</h2>For the financial services industry, this budget promises greater investments, is fintech-friendly and <a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/fintech-a-catalyst-for-financial-inclusion/">pro-financial inclusion.</a>Honoring India’s 75th year of independence, the Finance Minister announced the establishment of 75 Digital Banking Units (DBUs) across 75 districts in India. This move is expected to extend <a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/fintech-a-catalyst-for-financial-inclusion/">financial inclusion</a> and fintech services to remote areas.Initiatives are also underway to make the <a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/ready-to-sneak-peek-into-global-cashless-societies/">cashless payments ecosystem</a> safe and seamless for consumers and businesses by enlarging digital infrastructure, boosting internet access, expanding touchpoints, and enhancing cybersecurity. The Finance Minister also stated that financial support for the digital payment ecosystem announced in the 2021–22 budget would continue in 2022–23.<h2 class="heading-node" id="3689" style="text-align: left">Other Highlights</h2>Budgetary Allocation<ul class="list-node" id="dss3o91dh"><li>6.4% fiscal deficit is projected for India in FY23</li><li>Revised fiscal deficit estimated at 6.9% of GDP</li><li>Rs 1 lakh crore as 50-year interest-free loans allocated to states to help fund PM Gati Shakti-related investments</li><li>Rs 10.68 lakh crore effective capital expenditure is expected in 2022–23, which is about 4.1% of GDP</li><li>35.4% rise in outlay for capital expenditure is estimated — from Rs 4.54 lakh crore earlier to Rs 7.50 lakh crore in 2022–23</li></ul>Venture Capital Investment<ul class="list-node" id="8tce85bkj"><li>Regulatory framework for Venture Capital to be reviewed by an expert committee</li></ul><a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/central-bank-digital-currency-cbdc-101-a-primer/">Digital Currency on Blockchain</a><ul class="list-node" id="zmbivw63m"><li>Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to introduce the digital rupee using blockchain in 2022–23</li></ul>Digital Banking<ul class="list-node" id="gygmtbnsd"><li>Launch of online bill system to reduce delays in payment for all central ministries</li><li>Credit growth increased by Rs 5.4 lakh crore this year, the highest in several years</li></ul>Crypto Tax<ul class="list-node" id="602bt55yq"><li>Cryptocurrencies and NFT will be taxed at 30%</li></ul>So, what do you think of the budget? Let us know in the comments below.<a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/newsletter/">Subscribe</a>&nbsp;to our newsletter and get the latest fintech news, views, and insights, directly to your inbox.Follow us on&nbsp;<a class="link" href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/m2pfintech/mycompany/">LinkedIn</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a class="link" href="https://twitter.com/m2pfintech">Twitter</a>&nbsp;for insightful fintech tales curated for curious minds like you.

Key Highlights: What does Budget 2022 mean for Fintechs?

<img src="https://m2p-website-file.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/m2p-website-file/marketing-cms/m2p-blog/2022/05/Artboard-1-copy-8-11.webp" alt="M2P Fintech" title="" width="100%" height="529"><a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/fintech-a-catalyst-for-financial-inclusion/">Financial inclusion</a> is the key to sustainable development worldwide. In India alone, around 190 million people do not have access to banking services. This makes India the second-largest underbanked nation after China.Simple, hassle-free access to financial services helps people achieve financial freedom. Providing untethered access to salary and incentives is the road to financial independence and social security.<h2 class="heading-node" id="d1fa" style="text-align: justify">A bumpy road to financial freedom</h2>People in the blue collared sector are usually excluded from the mainstream financial ecosystem as they do not have a structured way to receive salaries, save, and track their spends. Fintechs like Zenpay facilitate this financial access by offering inclusive <a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/future-of-payments-processing-matched-with-industry-needs/">digital payment solutions</a> such as zero-balance salary accounts, payroll cards, and gift cards. They enable blue-collared workers to digitally access salaries and incentives without any paperwork and also save, spend, and track their finances efficiently. Though Zenpay literally revolutionized the banking sector by enabling simpler, more efficient, and transparent payments, they faced key challenges in security, <a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/pci-dss-the-payments-armour/">PCI-DSS compliance</a>, and infrastructure design. As more and more customers adopted digital payments, the transactions and data became highly vulnerable to malicious activities. So, Zenpay wanted a <a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/future-of-payments-processing-matched-with-industry-needs/">payments processing solution</a> and a token service provider to enable highly secure and seamless financial services to blue-collared workers.<h2 class="heading-node" id="0a13" style="text-align: justify">Powering card security, operations, and infrastructure</h2>M2P collaborated with Zenpay to help smoothen hurdles in card security and infrastructure. We deployed our comprehensive <a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/how-to-implement-the-best-prepaid-payment-instrument-ppi-for-your-business/">PPI </a>APIs to overcome the challenges Zenpay faced. Our solution created a strong base for Zenpay to partner with VISA and NPCI (National Payments Corporation of India) and enable salary cards and gift cards.<h2 class="heading-node" id="f9bc" style="text-align: justify">End-to-end tokenization</h2>Securing cardholder data through <a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/how-does-payment-tokenization-work/">tokenization</a> is critical for businesses to prevent cybercrimes. However, tokenization consumes a lot of time and effort when done in-house. So, we acted as a token service provider (TSP) to manage tokenization and enabled Zenpay to focus on its core competency and manage customer retention. M2P handled the generation and issuance of payment tokens and the operation and maintenance of a token vault. We also offered PCI-DSS widgets to lower the cost for PCI assessment and the time spent on PCI compliance procedures.<h2 class="heading-node" id="da2c" style="text-align: justify">Seamless card program management</h2>Customers today prefer banking apps that are bug-free, quick to load, easy to operate with hassle-free onboarding. Choosing a program manager is critical to enable seamless operations and user experience. M2P served as a robust program manager to Zenpay and was responsible for security, quality assurance, technology integration, migration, customer engagement, reward strategies, and banking relationships. We risk proofed Zenpay’s technology infrastructure for a flawless and high-quality banking experience.<h2 class="heading-node" id="f46d" style="text-align: justify">Scaling up for 250% rise in customer base</h2>Customers expect more hyper-personalized services when it comes to digital wallets. M2P helped Zenpay ensure new customer acquisition and retention by delivering an amazing user experience. Zenpay upgraded its user experience from receiving voice notifications to image recognition.Enabling the best user experience, Zenpay expanded its customer base by more than 250% in just 10 months, with a whopping increase from 35,000 to 125,000. M2P helped Zenpay scale up by offering robust, secure, and bug-free API infrastructure.Zenpay also increased the total number of customer transactions by 47%. As a result, the transaction volume increased from 180 crore transactions to a whopping 265 crore transactions in 10 months.<blockquote class="block-node" id="nfhkrm6a3">Approachable. Innovative. Solution-centric. The experience of working with M2P has been nothing short of wonderful! Superior support, fast TAT, a wide range of solutions, and most importantly, end-to-end ownership from sales to technical integration. M2P helped us grow our customer base by more than 250%.</blockquote>– Ankit Bhargava, Founder &amp; CEO,&nbsp;<a class="link au my" href="https://zenpaysolutions.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener ugc nofollow">Zenpay Solutions.</a><h2 class="heading-node" id="74a1" style="text-align: justify">The buck doesn’t stop here</h2>Using M2P’s tech-stack, Zenpay plans to deepen its services and products in the future. Both the companies will collaborate to enable greater financial inclusion and freedom through services that include QR code-based payments, bill payments, UPI integration, and microloans.Are you looking to enable inclusive financial services? Need help with card infrastructure and program management?Get in touch with us at <a class="link au mg" href="mailto:business@m2pfintech.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener ugc nofollow">business@m2pfintech.com</a><a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/newsletter/">Subscribe</a>&nbsp;to our newsletter and get the latest fintech news, views, and insights, directly to your inbox.Follow us on&nbsp;<a class="link" href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/m2pfintech/mycompany/">LinkedIn</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a class="link" href="https://twitter.com/m2pfintech">Twitter</a>&nbsp;for insightful fintech tales curated for curious minds like you.

How M2P helps Zenpay enable financial inclusion?

<img src="https://m2p-website-file.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/m2p-website-file/marketing-cms/m2p-blog/2022/06/Artboard-1-copy-8-3.webp" alt="M2P Fintech" title="" width="100%" height="358">As technological advancements promote growth in our country, lack of financial literacy still prevails. In a recent incident, a farmer has reportedly lost his savings worth two lakhs to rats. He stored his money as cash in his house. The farmer wouldn’t have lost his savings if he was aware of a financial institution. The eradication of financial illiteracy and improving maximum financial inclusion help us overcome such situations.<h2 class="heading-node" id="45b6" style="text-align: justify">What is Financial Inclusion?</h2>Financial inclusion aims to offer primary financial products and services to all individuals and businesses and makes these services more accessible and affordable.Financial institutions aim to offer basic services that include payments, transactions, savings, credit, and insurance sustainably to drive more financial inclusion. New technological innovations in fintech have caused organizations to offer cost-effective services to their customers.<h2 class="heading-node" id="fb52" style="text-align: justify">Measures to improve Financial Inclusion</h2>The Reserve Bank of India started taking measures in 2005 to improve financial inclusion in our country. The government initiated the National Mission for Financial Inclusion (NMFI), including Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY), which provides services to unserved areas.Furthermore, the “Digital India” initiative, which provides accessible digital banking services with simplified formal verifications using unique identification (Aadhaar), is also a bold move towards improving financial inclusion in the country.<h2 class="heading-node" id="6804" style="text-align: justify">Fintechs boosting Financial Inclusion</h2>Indian fintechs are the biggest drivers of achieving financial inclusion, with an adoption rate of over 87%. In the recent decade, fintechs have widened operations to provide personalized services without opting for the traditional route. Also, the rise of the popularity of smartphones around the globe led to the establishment of new financial services. “As of February 2021, there is a record of 2.3 billion digital payment transactions made worth over 4 trillion rupees.” From Demonetization in India to the Covid-19 outbreak, people are now more interested in using financial services such as digital payments, lending solutions, etc. Digital financial services help many small and medium-income businesses to offer cashless payments option to their customers.<blockquote class="block-node" id="wp01kwej7">According to an annual report for FY 2020–2021 by RBI, the volume of digital payments is at 453 crores in India.</blockquote>With increasing ideas and innovations, fintechs ensure more inclusion. With the growth in the industry, a wide range of products and services are set to enter the market to offer customized services. Products such as<a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/the-rise-of-digital-payments/"> digital payments</a>, digital credit, <a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/neo-banking-101-all-you-need-to-know/">neo banking</a>, <a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/api-the-power-that-drives-new-age-banking-ecosystems/">API banking</a>, <a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/prepaid-cards-101-a-definitive-guide-for-growth-and-profitability/">prepaid cards,</a> etc., have established effective financial inclusion.<h2 class="heading-node" id="acff" style="text-align: justify">What challenges do we face?</h2><ul class="list-node" id="30k5oemaa"><li>The excluded sections, such as rural, poor areas, often don’t have access to a financial institution and often approach moneylenders.</li><li>A constant need to improve financial literacy as many rural people have less or no awareness of financial institutions.</li><li>Lack of formal identification documents is also a significant challenge when people reach out to a financial service. Poor sections lack access to financial services, as they lack various documents such as proof of identification, birth certificate, etc.,</li><li>Even though people&nbsp;have a financial account, most users still prefer cash. Lack of trust and reliability prevents a customer from accessing the available financial services.</li><li>Gender inequality to access financial services as women pay higher interest rates than men.</li><li>Low-income levels indulge in a myth that financial institutions only offer services to high and middle-income groups.</li><li>Some people are uncomfortable due to language barriers, formal documents, and the formalities that we go through before a financial transaction occurs.</li></ul><h2 class="heading-node" id="e955" style="text-align: justify">Overcoming the Challenges</h2>To alleviate the challenges faced by consumers, there arose a need to innovate new and simplified products. New technologies, fintech innovations, and the digital finance revolution have now become the constant drivers of financial inclusion. There is a constant growth in the sections of digital finance over traditional finance methods.<blockquote class="block-node" id="zr04eywdz">Digital Financial Inclusion ensures that the excluded and unserved population has digital access to financial services.</blockquote>Digital services focus on affordability, customer satisfaction, and sustainability. New digital platforms run by the institutions now accommodate small levels of cash flow. These services allow the low sections to make transactions, thus preventing the use of informal services. Understanding the potential and risks such as operational risks, financial crime risks, etc., while improving digital services can contribute to the growth of digital financial inclusion. Similarly, technological innovations have increased financial inclusion. These innovations aim to regain customers’ trust, rectify geographic and accessibility issues to bring in new consumers. Information technology, smartphone-enabled services have reduced the need for physical banks. With technological development, we can develop a rural information infrastructure that provides financial services to the underserved. Fintechs have also played a significant developmental role in achieving greater financial inclusion. Fintechs acts as a catalyst for financial inclusion as it creates more opportunities for the unbanked population. The shift of digital transactions from traditional transactions has improved self-employment, rural entrepreneurs, small borrowers, mediums, and enterprises. Lack of financial awareness, high cost of traditional services, and other policy gaps were significant challenges while achieving financial inclusion. Fintech startups play a critical role in overcoming these challenges in the economic landscape. The tremendous growth in fintech has shown a positive shift as a report shows that 99.5% of consumers are now aware that they can transfer money and make payments with fintech platforms.<h2 class="heading-node" id="b97f" style="text-align: justify">Fintech products driving inclusion</h2> New fintech products have helped consistently in driving the financial inclusion of the country. As discussed earlier, these products allow the work of financial services and offer a streamlined process. These fintech products applied to reality are the main drivers of financial inclusion.<h3 class="heading-node" id="e38e" style="text-align: justify">Embedded Credit</h3><a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/beginners-guide-to-embedded-lending/">Embedded credit</a> focuses upon integrating ‘lending as a feature’ in digital platforms. Customers receive their credit with the involvement of a familiar interface and eradicate the need for a third-party site. Micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) face difficulty offering small credits, increasing demand here. The B2B e-commerce marketplaces provide the ultimate <a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/factors-and-psychology-behind-the-great-bnpl-allure/">BNPL (Buy Now, Pay Later)</a> option for the retailers while they checkout. BNPL offers these MSMEs to purchase on credit and pay later. BNPL is one of the fast-growing payment options which also helps MSMEs to expand their business. The BNPL would account for 3% of the global e-commerce spend by 2023. Thus, this system provides a convenient platform for consumers to experience new market products.<h3 class="heading-node" id="f250" style="text-align: justify">Digital Payments</h3><a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/the-rise-of-digital-payments/">Digital payments</a> (also called electronic payments) are the method we transfer one point value from one account to another using a digital device. Digital payments are end-to-end digital transactions, and also, they don’t require the usage of physical cards, thus reducing costs.For example, the latest introduction of <a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/e-rupi-indias-digital-upgrade-for-the-underbanked/">e-RUPI</a> which is a digital payment solution created by the Government of India to allow cashless payments. e-RUPI is powered by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), and the one-time payment mechanism is easy, highly secure, and entirely confidential. The distributions are also made easy, safe, and contactless.<h3 class="heading-node" id="7d7d" style="text-align: justify">Neobanking</h3>Neobanking is an innovative method of approach in which financial institutions offer services without physical presence. <a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/top-14-neo-banks-that-reinvent-banking-experience-in-india/">Neo banks in India</a> operate on a low-cost model with minimal to zero monthly fees on deposits and withdrawals, and rock-bottom balance requirements. These drivers bring consumers and businesses across income levels into the fintech fold, fostering financial inclusion. Neo banking is highly famous among the millennials and Gen Z as they no longer use outdated processes. Neo banks use Artificial intelligence and machine learning to create a customer-centric Banking experience, with the aim to reduce human dependence.&nbsp;Neo banks provide millennials and Gen Z their own customized product set, making the process fuss-free. Millennials and Gen Z prefer simplified and easy- manageable finances, thus proving neo banks are a blessing in disguise.<a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/7-steps-to-start-a-neo-bank-from-scratch/"> Curious to know how you can start a neo bank? Check out these 7 steps.&nbsp;</a><h3 class="heading-node" id="3aa0" style="text-align: justify">API Banking</h3><a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/api-the-power-that-drives-new-age-banking-ecosystems/">API Banking</a> provides better means to share data, helps in integrating systems, and makes services more personalized. In API banking, tailor-made products improve the overall customer experience.With the help of API banking, new fintech innovated products offer features and services aligned to provide flexible services. Innovations in API banking have reduced costs and now made it economical for the unbanked and underserved as they can now experience better products and services.<h3 class="heading-node" id="921d" style="text-align: justify">Open Banking</h3>To offer better services, open banking offers third-party financial service providers access to financial data with the help of APIs. <a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/open-banking-a-primer-2/">Open banking</a> is highly prevalent in Europe. Open banks help achieve more financial inclusion as it allows small, medium businesses access particular tools and services that target the needs of their consumers. Innovations in open banking and the experimentation of products can foster higher financial inclusion in the long run.<h3 class="heading-node" id="9d8d" style="text-align: justify">Prepaid Cards</h3><a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/prepaid-cards-101-a-definitive-guide-for-growth-and-profitability/">Prepaid cards</a> help us process payments quickly as we have better cash flow management, easy reimbursements, and more security than cash or cheques. They are a super alternative to carrying cash around. They are available as gift cards, meal cards, and also as travel cards. Prepaid cards are a great way to control business expenses, improve efficiencies and generate revenue streams.&nbsp; However, the time, cost and effort involved in card issuance in-house are huge.The best way to manage card issuance is by <a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/why-should-apis-be-your-holy-grail-for-prepaid-card-issuance/">deploying the right APIs.</a><h3 class="heading-node" id="ee0a" style="text-align: justify">Mobile Wallets</h3><a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/how-to-implement-the-best-prepaid-payment-instrument-ppi-for-your-business/">Mobile wallets</a> are famous and convenient due to their accessibility. Transactions are made easy as we can send, receive and store money easily with the help of our smartphones. In reality, right from a vegetable vendor to corporate and digital firms, every one of us can easily transact if we have a mobile wallet.Mobile wallets ensure that every person can participate in a financial transaction with its cashless and contactless technologies. The whole process boosts the economy while achieving more financial inclusion.The future ideas of the fintech industry will result in product innovations while improving existing ones, thereby offering more affordable and accessible services to both the unbanked and underbanked. Furthermore, the coupling of fintech and financial institutions will help eradicate financial illiteracy and promote financial inclusion. With the acceleration of fintech and its budding ideas, the future of financial inclusion is bright and holds many opportunities that come with new beginnings.Need more info on how fintech can help you? Write to us at <a class="link au mg" href="mailto:business@m2pfintech.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener ugc nofollow">business@m2pfintech.com</a>.<a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/newsletter/">Subscribe</a>&nbsp;to our newsletter and get the latest fintech news, views, and insights, directly to your inbox. Follow us on&nbsp;<a class="link" href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/m2pfintech/mycompany/">LinkedIn</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a class="link" href="https://twitter.com/m2pfintech">Twitter</a>&nbsp;for insightful fintech tales curated for curious minds like you.

Fintech- A Catalyst for Financial Inclusion

<img src="https://m2p-website-file.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/m2p-website-file/marketing-cms/m2p-blog/2022/04/banner1251-8.webp" alt="M2P Fintech" title="" id="rvrudoanq" width="100%" height="317">India has the highest Fintech adoption rate of 87%, significantly higher than the global average rate of 64%.India is rapidly evolving and is one of the fastest-growing Fintech markets globally and has also emerged as Asia’s biggest destination for Fintech deals, leaving behind China. Advanced technologies and a customer-centric approach are what bring this thriving industry its profound growth in this decade.Having witnessed this flourishing industry and its achievements, let’s look back on its evolution rather a revolution. So, gear up as this article throws light on how the fintech industry has steadily evolved over the years.<h2 class="heading-node" id="5995" style="text-align: left">The fintech landscape in India</h2>Ever since the start of modern society, finance and technology were entwined robustly. The beginning of the Fintech industry globally is traced back to the 19th century when technology started to mark its place in history, which made the fintech industry flourish.According to a research paper by Arneris, Barberis &amp; Ross, the significant stages of fintech are differentiated into the following eras, which will help us understand the steady fintech evolution better.<h2 class="heading-node" id="ab20" style="text-align: left">Fintech 1.0</h2>Outmoded technologies like the telegraph and Morse code were first used to transmit financial information across borders to strengthen the infrastructure rapidly. Then, later during the 1950s, the credit card was first introduced and was the first financial product in the industry, and to everyone’s surprise, it is still in the game.In India, many British Raj banks were nationalized post-independence, when the country’s economic growth started to shoot up, and banking services were availed by many citizens.<h2 class="heading-node" id="aff2" style="text-align: left">Fintech 2.0</h2>This era has marked the switch from analog to the digitalization of finances led by traditional financial institutions. People perceived finance management and financial institutions differently after the outbreak of the internet. The 1980s and 1990s were the high point in history when online banking pushed the fintech industry to the limelight with electronic installment framework, web-based business models, web-based shopping, portable banking, and digitization of banks.The banks started to experiment with online banking in the 1980s, got the hang of it by the 1990s, and made it even more popular. In India, ICICI Bank was the first to step into this internet banking space with limited banking services like access to account details and transfers within the bank. Other banks also started to follow the path and rapidly altered the way of banking. It is no wonder banks had faced challenges like technical mishaps, fraud, complex cross-border transactions, payment methods, etc.Fintech 2.0 gave the fintech industry’s modernistic look, and the below listed important events triggered the rise of fintech in India.<ul class="list-node" id="ef0j04wu4"><li>The first Indian ATM to withdraw cash was launched in 1987, Mumbai by HSBC.</li><li>In 1980, the Central Bank of India launched the first credit card in India.</li><li>Stanford Federal Credit Union was the first institution to let its customers access banking functions via the new World Wide Web in October 1994.</li><li>PayPal launched in 1998, which took the payment systems further after the internet boom.</li><li>The Global Financial Crisis in 2008.</li></ul><h2 class="heading-node" id="2020" style="text-align: left">Fintech 3.0 — The rise of Indian Fintechverse</h2>By the time the 21st century rolled around, India had emerged as one of the active players in this era with a plethora of smart advancements and entrants. Moreover, the Global Financial Crisis in 2008 paved the way for the fintech industry to gain traction and become ubiquitous. People started to shift from the traditional banking system slowly and developed trust over the new entrants.The release of Bitcoin v0.1 in 2009, Google Wallet in 2011, Apple pay in 2014 was the start that shaped the face of the fintech industry in India. Since India focused on customer-centric financial products and services, it has seen more rise in few years. The 2016 demonetization drive pulled in a lot of significance for the fintech. The Indian government’s move towards Digital India and to turn India into a cashless economy with financial inclusion also hands out immense support to fintech companies.Ever since the traditional banks were struggling to roll out their banking services integrated with the SWIFT system, fintech start-ups started to share the industry space through collaboration. SWIFT system’s initiative like SWIFT GPI provides end-to-end tracking with high security for the transactions. The Indian financial sector opened the door wide open for fintech to offer innovative and cost-efficient financial solutions.The rapid adoption of fintech had many Indian firms establish like Paytm, Phonepe, Mobikwik, Freecharge in few years. This made sure smartphone adoption is here to stay and will become the primary method for people to handle their money wisely.The span of around five years led to more than 2000 fintech companies in India at present and became the era of fintech start-ups. This made even the traditional banks rethink their strategies and welcome more fintech inclusion in their services to get hold of present-day tech-savvy customers. Open Banking, Banking as a Service (BaaS) were adopted by traditional banks that allow third-party service providers to access their financial data. BaaS further fuelled the entry of neo banks and digital banks in India.Fintech applications like mobile payments, automated investment apps (Robo-advisors), online lending businesses, and crowdfunding platforms have taken the financial industry by storm.The following technologies contribute oodles of success to the fintech ecosystem:<ul class="list-node" id="852pkzxgr"><li>Artificial Intelligence (AI)</li><li>Machine Learning (ML)</li><li>Big Data and Data Analytics</li><li>Robotic Process Automation (RPA)</li></ul><h2 class="heading-node" id="4ca4" style="text-align: left">Factors that led to India’s immense Fintech growth</h2>The quick adoption of new solutions and financial services made India, a country with the highest fintech usage. The factors which drive India’s fintech growth to the next level are listed below.<h3 class="heading-node" id="0376" style="text-align: left">Painless payments</h3>Easy digital payment is the key player in the fintech ecosystem, gaining trust and pulling many users in. Since its beginning, the merchants and shoppers have enjoyed this and made it even popular during the coronavirus outbreak. People were concerned about making a physical payment for safety reasons and quickly adapted to these digital payment modes in a jiffy. The demonetization drive in 2016 made every Indian switch to digital payments and online transactions, which was a green flag for fintech entrants at that time. People now make their digital cash flow without any second thoughts as they feel secure and safe more than handling physical cash.<h3 class="heading-node" id="b2cf" style="text-align: left">Payment wallets &amp; UPI apps</h3>This is one of the services which transformed the way people carry cash. Multiple digital payment apps like Google Pay, Apple Pay, Amazon Pay, PhonePe, etc., are definitely a booster for ‘Cashless India’. Features like easy transaction, secure, fast, multiple options benefit these payment wallets to make waves in the Indian fintech industry. Moreover, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Big Data help users personalize their payments and store multiple bank accounts in a single digital wallet.<h3 class="heading-node" id="2917" style="text-align: left">Digital lending &amp; insurance</h3>Fintech is the cherry on the cake when it comes to market-based lending. When already banks were doing their great job in lending and insurance, fintech collaborated to make it even more feasible by giving enormous options, online availability, customer-centric loans, and speedy approval for businesses and customers.<h3 class="heading-node" id="b7e3" style="text-align: left">Wise finance management</h3>After the fintech boom, people witnessed many changes in the way they handle their finances. As every Indian has started managing finances digitally, it is easy to keep track of their expenses and make a calculative move. Robo-guides or Robo- advisors also help in wise finance management by providing automated, algorithm-driven financial planning services.<h3 class="heading-node" id="d8c7" style="text-align: left">Remittances</h3>Fintech's eases the way banks were making international transfers for decades. The remittance was considered an arduous task in the past, involving high fees, tons of paperwork, no tracking of money, multiple players, and a great deal of time. But now, fintech defines it as a flexible real-time payment with transparent fees, end-to-end payment tracking, multi-currency payments, and so on.Definitely a worthy throwback on this Independence Day 2021?This nostalgic look back at India’s Fintech evolution promises what the busy future holds for the country. The finance industry will flourish, but it demands a little more wait to reveal further episodes. So, let us wait to witness India evolve more and better in the future.<a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/newsletter/">Subscribe</a>&nbsp;to our newsletter and get the latest fintech news, views, and insights, directly to your inbox.Follow us on&nbsp;<a class="link" href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/m2pfintech/mycompany/">LinkedIn</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a class="link" href="https://twitter.com/m2pfintech">Twitter</a>&nbsp;for insightful fintech tales curated for curious minds like you.

Evolution of the Indian FinTechverse

<img src="https://m2p-website-file.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/m2p-website-file/marketing-cms/m2p-blog/2022/06/Artboard-1-copy-8-4.webp" alt="M2P Fintech" title="" width="100%" height="529">The past few days, we have been hearing, seeing or reading the word e-RUPI everywhere. And it has ignited a plethora of questions amongst both consumers, corporates and fintech alike. But, while the initial impression was that it was the precursor of Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC), it was not so. Launched on August 2nd, 2021, at 4.30 pm, e-RUPI was developed by the National Payments Corporation of India on its UPI platform. It is a contactless and <a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/ready-to-sneak-peek-into-global-cashless-societies/">cashless</a> instrument for digital payment. The Department of National Health Authority, Ministry of Health &amp; Family Welfare and the Department of Financial Services have also collaborated with NPCI in formulating and launching this solution.<blockquote class="block-node" id="bta04v1ef">E-RUPI signifies how 21st century India is moving ahead with the help of modern technology and connecting technology with people’s lives,” says prime minister Narendra Modi</blockquote>The primary application of e-RUPI is to disperse welfare payments to the right beneficiaries using a one-time payment mechanism. It eliminates the need for middlemen and connects the program sponsors and beneficiaries directly. It is similar to a digital gift card and requires no bank account, smartphone or <a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/the-rise-of-digital-payments/">digital payment</a> app. It is a person and purpose-specific payment initiative.<h2 class="heading-node" id="76de" style="text-align: justify">How e-RUPI works?</h2>e-RUPI is a one-time payment mechanism delivered as a QR code or an SMS string to the beneficiary’s mobile number. It works more like a prepaid gift card that can be redeemed only at specific service provider touchpoints.Also, the system ensures that the service provider is paid only after the beneficiary completes the transaction. Being <a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/how-to-implement-the-best-prepaid-payment-instrument-ppi-for-your-business/">a prepaid payment instrument (PPI), t</a>he service provider is also assured of the payment. There is no need to follow any intermediary for payment transfer.It doesn’t require any debit or <a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/credit-card-processing-a-definitive-guide/">credit card</a> for its function. In short, e-RUPI is all set to connect beneficiaries and sponsors digitally, minus the need for a physical interface.Built on NPCI’s UPI platform, e-RUPI has onboarded banks as issuing entities. As a result, any corporate or government agency can approach these issuing entities and deploy an e-RUPI program for their target beneficiaries.At present, 11 banks support this initiative, and they are split into two categories:Banks that can issue and accept e-RUPI vouchers:<ul class="list-node" id="bdxkjcpgv"><li>The State Bank of India</li><li>ICICI Bank</li><li>HDFC Bank</li><li>The Punjab National Bank</li><li>Axis Bank</li><li>Bank of Baroda</li></ul>Banks who can only issue e-RUPI:<ul class="list-node" id="15mucjjom"><li>Canara Bank</li><li>IndusInd Bank</li><li>Indian Bank</li><li>Kotak Bank</li><li>Union Bank of India</li></ul><h2 class="heading-node" id="451a" style="text-align: justify">Are e-RUPI and Central Bank Digital Currency one and the same?</h2>Incidentally, e-RUPI’s announcement came a few days after announcing the phased implementation strategy of Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC). So, it sparked speculation that e-RUPI might be a trail leading to CBDC.But there exists a rudimentary difference between the two. e-RUPI is an e-voucher based system that disburses money as it is still supported by the existing Indian rupee. Whereas CBDC deals with money creation. Click here to know more about <a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/central-bank-digital-currency-cbdc-101-a-primer/">CBDC</a>.<h2 class="heading-node" id="acab" style="text-align: justify">Why the e-RUPI system and its use cases?</h2>For a long time, there have been many instances of people not receiving the subsidies intended for them. Sometimes there also have been instances where the beneficiary in question doesn’t exist at all. And the Indian government had lost many millions in welfare payments alone.But, then, the introduction of Aadhar-linked subsidy let the government transfer directly to the beneficiary’s bank account. This was termed as Direct Benefit Transfer. But this also resulted in a roadblock as there are millions of underbanked and unbanked population in India.However, the percentage of mobile penetration has been impressive, so this voucher-based system will help the government reach the right beneficiary without any deviations in the system.e-RUPI will plug leakages in the welfare delivery system and can be adapted to other welfare schemes such as Mother and Child welfare schemes, drugs and diagnostics under schemes like Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, fertilizer subsidies and so on.Given e-RUPI’s mission to plug in the leakages of the welfare system, the use cases can be expanded to many situations. Also, with the people rapidly adopting digital payments, e-RUPI can help bring financial inclusion even to the unbanked. The future and developments of e-RUPI look bright with many miles to go.<a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/newsletter/">Subscribe</a>&nbsp;to our newsletter and get the latest fintech news, views, and insights, directly to your inbox. Follow us on&nbsp;<a class="link" href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/m2pfintech/mycompany/">LinkedIn</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a class="link" href="https://twitter.com/m2pfintech">Twitter</a>&nbsp;for insightful fintech tales curated for curious minds like you.

e-RUPI-India’s Digital Upgrade for the Underbanked

<img src="https://m2p-website-file.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/m2p-website-file/marketing-cms/m2p-blog/2022/04/banner1251-12.webp" alt="M2P Fintech" title="" width="100%" height="662"><a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/neo-banking-101-all-you-need-to-know/">Neo banks</a> deliver digital banking services on steroids. The digital empowerment and financial possibilities they offer the underbanked and unbanked population are phenomenal. Their ability to foster <a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/fintech-a-catalyst-for-financial-inclusion/">financial inclusion</a> with digitized convenience, lower cost, and personalized customer experiences are a few of the primary reasons for the success of <a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/top-14-neo-banks-that-reinvent-banking-experience-in-india/">neo banks in India</a>.Competing heavily on customer-centricity and deep tech, neo banks bridge the experiential gap between traditional banking services and evolving customer expectations. Free from legacy infrastructure hurdles, complex value chains, and stringent regulatory requirements, neo banks deliver super-fast, mobile-first services by leveraging advanced, agile, and lean business models.In the next five years, the global neo bank market is slated to grow at 47.1% and hit $333.4 billion market size. In India too, neo banks are a thriving industry with a huge market potential of over 190 million unbanked/underbanked people who still need access to basic financial services.So, if you are looking to set foot in the <a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/neo-banking-the-rise-of-new-age-banking/">neo banking</a> industry, this is the opportune time for you.We are here to help you with step-by-step guidance.Now, this is not unqualified guidance. We have immense experience and expertise in enabling neo banking services for leading players like Zenpay, Niyo, and Finin.Let’s get started!<ul class="list-node" id="4te59z1wy"><li>Step 1:&nbsp;Define target audience &amp; value proposition</li><li>Step 2:&nbsp;Identify and analyze audience pain points</li><li>Step 3:&nbsp;Work on innovative, customer-centric strategies</li><li>Step 4:&nbsp;Build a strong core and backend infrastructure</li><li>Step 5:&nbsp;Focus on experience design</li><li>Step 6:&nbsp;Manage compliance and security</li><li>Step 7:&nbsp;Ease onboarding, engagement, and marketing</li></ul>Fasten your seat belts!<h2 class="heading-node" id="958f" style="text-align: justify">Step 1: Define target audience &amp; value proposition</h2><a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/top-14-neo-banks-that-reinvent-banking-experience-in-india/">Neo banks</a> challenge the status quo of banking and payments for niche audiences. Hence defining that target audience is imperative to set up a neo bank.For example, neo banks like FamPay&nbsp;cater to teenagers, and&nbsp;Zenpay&nbsp;caters to blue-collared workers. FamPay’s proposition comprises cards and bank accounts that teenagers can use under parental supervision. Whereas Zenpay offers payroll cards that provide blue-collared workers instant access to salary and incentives.So, you need a crystal-clear understanding of your audience demographic and pain points to develop a value proposition accordingly. This will help you come up with a definitive reason why your customers should choose you.<h2 class="heading-node" id="9b55" style="text-align: justify">Step 2: Identify and analyze audience pain points</h2>Once your target audience is clearly defined, identify and analyze your target audience’s needs and pain points. This knowledge will help you include features that resolve audience issues, build trust and attract the right customer to your service. For example, Zenpay came at a time when the blue-collared workers were underbanked and were not able to access salaries and track their spending. The lack of access to salary accounts and other financial exclusion was the pain point for Zenpay’s audience. And their value proposition and services sought to resolve the challenge.Looking at your target audience’s pain points and working to close the gaps is a key step while setting up a neo bank. This knowledge will help you differentiate and stand apart from other players in the industry.<h2 class="heading-node" id="9050" style="text-align: justify">Step 3: Work on innovative, customer-centric strategies</h2>Neo banks stand apart because of their agile, innovative, customer-centric business strategy. Leverage technology to make your business model and strategy as convenient and user-centric as possible. Pack in unique features that will get your customers coming back to you.When it comes to features, some are must-have, and others are nice-to-have types. Must-have features are a necessity, without which the product or service will surely fail. Nice-to-have features are those that will add greater value and aid greater customer acquisition and retention.Here are some examples for more clarity.<h2 class="heading-node" id="7961" style="text-align: justify">Must-have features</h2><ul class="list-node" id="rcccmzkkk"><li>Low-cost structure</li><li>Easy money flow across borders</li><li>Quick account creation</li><li>User-friendly Interface</li><li>Real-time banking solution</li><li>High yield savings</li><li>Personalized card issuance (Physical/Virtual)</li></ul><h2 class="heading-node" id="b571" style="text-align: justify">Nice-to-have features</h2><ul class="list-node" id="zqdexn79o"><li>Zero joining fee</li><li>Zero annual Fee</li><li>Zero hidden Charges</li><li>Zero documentation</li><li>No-cost EMI</li><li>Personalized banking services</li><li>Educational loans/investments</li><li>Seamless budgeting</li><li>Tangible rewards</li></ul>With advanced technologies such as Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning ruling the neo banking industry, you can include new features, upgrades, and everything your target audience expects without any hassles.<h2 class="heading-node" id="b472" style="text-align: justify">Step 4: Build a strong core and back-end infrastructure</h2>A robust neo banking app demands the best suite of core and back-end applications. As it has to deftly manage multiple applications and transactions without lags, the core and back-end infrastructure must be powerful enough. To build a strong neo banking app, you need <a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/api-the-power-that-drives-new-age-banking-ecosystems/">APIs</a>, a card processing app, and back-office tools.<ul class="list-node" id="fg87tfapd"><li>API:&nbsp;To connect your neo bank app with other services like payment gateway or authentication segment.</li><li><a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/credit-card-processing-a-definitive-guide/">Card Processing App</a>:&nbsp;This&nbsp;app is responsible for all the transactions or anything related to cards.</li><li>Back-office Tools:&nbsp;Manages the neo bank in the whole perspective.</li></ul><img src="https://miro.medium.com/max/1400/1*hYBMUudyKsAoH36Za4l89Q.png" alt="Backend infrastructure framework to create Neobanks" title="" width="100%" height="529">The back-end infrastructure can be built in three different ways.<h3 class="heading-node" id="e1a9" style="text-align: justify">1. Developing from scratch</h3>You require a banking license and a huge investment of time, effort, and money, as you are developing infrastructure, design, implementation, tech stack, and also the future sketch by yourself.<h3 class="heading-node" id="822d" style="text-align: justify">2. Partnering with banks</h3>To minimize the time and effort, you can integrate with established banks and get your neo banking model started. It also does not require much work in terms of customer acquisition as you can leverage the bank’s trusted customers, to begin with.<h3 class="heading-node" id="94bc" style="text-align: justify">3. Partnering with <a class="link" href="https://blog.m2pfintech.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=2422&amp;action=edit">BaaS</a>/API Provider</h3>You can partner with fintech companies to provide <a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/api-the-power-that-drives-new-age-banking-ecosystems/">APIs</a> to develop the core and bank end infrastructure for your neo bank. This decision with catapult your go-to-market speed to the next level with lower investment in terms of time and effort.For example, fintech firms like&nbsp;<a class="link au mu" href="https://m2pfintech.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener ugc nofollow">M2P</a> power neo banking apps by delivering tech stacks and best-in-class infrastructure to build customized products with seamless integration. We serve as an account aggregator of multiple banks and help neo banks leverage our partnerships and compliance to its best potential.When it comes to card transactions, we take care of webhook notifications, reconciliation settlement, and even customer reports. For some of our neo banking customers, we also created co-branded debit cards with banks. We help them design their own debit card with features like multiple controls (PIN), lock/unlock cards, security measures, setting preferences, virtual cards, and more.In India, neo banks do not work independently. Hence partnering with the right banks and API providers is critical to increase go-to-market speed and achieve growth and profitability.<h2 class="heading-node" id="fbc3" style="text-align: justify">Step 5: Focus on experience design</h2>Humanizing transactions and enabling personalized experiences is key for the success of a neo banking app. To that end, you need to prioritize experience design for visually appealing app design and easy-to-understand interfaces and clear call-to-action.Experience design enables frictionless navigation and improves customer experience by focusing on speed, convenience, security, and seamlessness. Ensure your neo banking apps are aesthetically designed for a smooth customer journey and satisfaction.<h3 class="heading-node" id="a249" style="text-align: justify">Step 6: Manage compliance and security</h3>Better the security, better the trust!Regulatory compliance and security infrastructure design play a significant role in neo banks, as customer data and money are at stake here. Managing <a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/pci-dss-the-payments-armour/">PCI DSS compliance</a>, <a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/how-does-payment-tokenization-work/">tokenization</a>, the generation and issuance of payment tokens, and the operation and maintenance of a token vault is a laborious yet critical process.Hence, start with setting up the Security Office Center (SOC), which will function as a command center for your neo bank app. This helps you in analyzing every crumb of information in your infrastructure. You can even implement Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) software solution to secure and analyze every activity in your neo bank.You can even go the extra mile by building your own security tools and solution to protect customer data. It is highly advisable to maintain access logs or anything happening in your neo bank platform to have a record for your security team to look into any time in the future.Before stepping onto the deployment stage of your neo bank, run a series of checks and automated tests to identify and get rid of the issues. Think of every possibility your user may utilize your app for. Here’s a series of tests you can opt for:<ul class="list-node" id="yk7tuv0ut"><li>Unit-testing</li><li>Integration testing</li><li>Security testing</li><li>User acceptance testing</li><li>Regression testing</li></ul>Ensure your team runs the tests even after the app goes live because this lowers the chance of your app facing security issues later. Automating the tests by implementing a custom infrastructure helps in this case.Fuse security onto DevOps — <a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/devsecops-the-future-of-financial-software-development/">DevSecOps</a> to develop your neo bank application. At the time of upgrades and new releases, you can go to market quickly and seamlessly.<h2 class="heading-node" id="ecd2" style="text-align: justify">Step 7: Ease onboarding, engagement, and marketing</h2>Don’t just sit back after launching your neo bank. Your journey has only begun.Ensure onboarding is simple, smooth, and effortless for customers. Focus on marketing efforts to acquire and retain customers. Ensure you engage your customer throughout their journey with your neo bank.Remember, the profitability of your neo bank can be determined by the customer Life-Time Value (LTV)/ Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) ratio. The higher the LTV/CAC ratio, the greater will be the income generated per new customer. So, the key is to keep your customers happy.All set to start your own Neo bank? Got more questions in your mind?Ping us at&nbsp;business@m2pfintech.com.<a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/newsletter/">Subscribe</a>&nbsp;to our newsletter and get the latest fintech news, views, and insights, directly to your inbox. Follow us on&nbsp;<a class="link" href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/m2pfintech/mycompany/">LinkedIn</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a class="link" href="https://twitter.com/m2pfintech">Twitter</a>&nbsp;for insightful fintech tales curated for curious minds like you.

7 steps to start a Neo bank from scratch

<img src="https://m2p-website-file.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/m2p-website-file/marketing-cms/m2p-blog/2022/06/Bring-to-me-Blog_31May21-2.webp" alt="M2P Fintech" title="" width="100%" height="358">Brian was a kid who loved bedtime stories, and every day his mother picked a new book for his bedtime story. One day, his mother read him the Japanese folktale “The Magic Mortar.” In this folktale, the magic mortar gave whatever its owner wished for until he says stop. Brian was mighty impressed and wanted one for him. The very next day, he saw his mother ordering groceries from an app, and he wanted to know how it works. When explained, Brian exclaimed that the app is the magic mortar he was looking for.Pretty interesting, isn’t it?Little did we realize that we all have a magical tool in our pockets to make our lives easier. We can enjoy the comfort of our home and make everything reach our front door.Yes, you are thinking it right. It is called — ‘Bring it to me’ or simply ‘to Me’ economy.<h2 class="heading-node" id="7a46" style="text-align: justify">So, what exactly is the ‘Bring it to me’ economy?</h2>The products and services are right at your doorstep instead of you getting in your car and going to the store every time. Starting right from fertilizers for your garden to vegetables for sumptuous cooking, you get every item online.Furthermore, ‘time’ has become a valuable currency and today’s customers are willing to bear the cost if it reduces their workload. Also, businesses have started realizing that they need to go a step beyond the digital realm to retain customers. So, front door delivery options have become the new normal.<h2 class="heading-node" id="836f" style="text-align: justify">The Role of Technology</h2>On the other hand, silently, our economy is moving ahead with a plethora of advancements and innovations. Technology is the leading player that drives the rapid economic growth of every country, including ours. With the cool trends springing up every day, shoppers expect more like same-day delivery and technology inclusion into their lifestyle.(i) Financial TechnologyFintech’s biggest contribution to this evolution is the digital money transfer services, as economic growth is highly connected with <a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/fintech-a-catalyst-for-financial-inclusion/">financial inclusion.</a> Digital wallets were a huge hit to pull many customers to ‘bring it to me’ economy lifestyle. They are widely accepted right from a street vendor to huge shopping centers, which make their transactions quicker. Mobile payment apps and gateways help in hassle-free and secure money flow during transactions. They also assist in tracking and analyzing the customer’s spending habits and preferences to bring matching products and advertisements.<a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/bnpl-the-rising-fintech-star/">BNPL (Buy Now Pay Later)</a> gives the customer the comfort of purchasing their desired products anytime with the ‘pay later’ option. Even Fintechs can now customize loans and insurance for the assistants helping in delivery service. Thus, fintechs helps businesses in building a friendly and personalized approach to the customers.(ii) Artificial Intelligence &amp; Machine Learning TechnologyMany grocers and FMCG companies have started incorporating AI &amp; ML technologies to capture their target segment. The virtual fitting room is the buzz during this pandemic. A customer can virtually try on clothes, accessories, shoes, or watches and check if it fits them in a 360-degree view. Even the shoppers can visualize a 3D furniture model to check if it fits their environment and space before making an order. So, there is a virtual solution to everything using artificial intelligence and augmented reality technologies in today’s digital world.Delivery models like Autonomous ground vehicles (AGVs) with lockers, droids, and drones are state-of-the-art in the regular delivery service with their super-fast and reliable features. AGVs with lockers boost the delivery system even on Sundays and late nights, where human effort is least expected. On the other hand, drones will help in reaching the product (up to 15kg) in the rural areas at a relatively high average speed. Droids are small autonomous vehicles that relatively travel slowly on the sidewalks for doorstep delivery. With these innovations, we are on the way to reduce human intervention in delivery systems.(iii) Blockchain TechnologyBlockchain technology guards the customers’ information involved in the process and avoids any digital breaches and other cyber-attacks due to its centralized nature. It builds the customers’ trust in their privacy and the security of digital assets. It also increases sales and streamlines payment processing with high efficiency.<h2 class="heading-node" id="22e8" style="text-align: justify">What awaits us in the future?</h2>The ‘Bring it to me’ economy has gained its popularity by bringing services home. Be it personal grooming or professional cleaning, or any other service; the customers are ready to avail them.Nowadays, people are redefining their satisfaction based on memorable experiences and interactions. Businesses need to put their heart and soul into providing their best customer experience to reinforce and market their brand digitally.Be it a simple emoji that brings a smile or the level of service offered, businesses are now in a race against themselves to turn their products and customers as their brand ambassadors because the end is not the supermarket shelves but the customer’s doorstep.<a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/newsletter/">Subscribe</a>&nbsp;to our newsletter and get the latest fintech news, views, and insights, directly to your inbox.Follow us on&nbsp;<a class="link" href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/m2pfintech/mycompany/">LinkedIn</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a class="link" href="https://twitter.com/m2pfintech">Twitter</a>&nbsp;for insightful fintech tales curated for curious minds like you.

‘Bring It To Me’ Economy: A Touch of Digital Magic

<img src="https://m2p-website-file.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/m2p-website-file/marketing-cms/m2p-blog/2022/05/banner-1.webp" alt="M2P Fintech" title="" width="100%" height="529">On April 7, the Reserve Bank of India made several key announcements concerning <a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/disruptive-business-enablers-prepaid-payment-instruments-ppis/">Prepaid Payment Instruments (PPIs)</a> at the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting. These measures could potentially impact the banking/FinTech sector and bring about changes in Digitalization and <a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/fintech-a-catalyst-for-financial-inclusion/">Financial Inclusion.</a><h2 class="heading-node" id="04b0" style="text-align: justify">Interoperability of digital wallets is now mandatory</h2>All full-KYC PPIs and Payment Acceptance Infrastructure must be compulsorily interoperable.<a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/why-payments-interoperability-is-a-must-for-todays-generation/"> Interoperability</a> through <a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/upi-the-driver-of-economic-growth-and-inclusion/">UPI</a> among digital wallets was already achieved by RBI back in 2018, but it wasn’t a very widely used method for payment transfer. Now to extend the reach of digital rails, interoperability through UPI or otherwise, has been made a mandatory feature.<h2 class="heading-node" id="b0ff" style="text-align: justify">Increase in permitted outstanding balance</h2>A payments bank can now raise the limit of the end-of-day balance to INR 2 lakhs (previously INR 1 lakh). This move is to incentivize PPIs to move to a <a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/know-your-customer-kyc-the-need-for-authentication/">full-KYC</a> structure and interoperability. The new move is expected to encourage financial inclusion of a wider customer base.<h2 class="heading-node" id="eda2" style="text-align: justify">Cash withdrawal from digital wallets</h2>Digital wallet holders can withdraw cash from their prepaid wallets at ATMs and/or swipe to pay at retail establishments. Previously, cash withdrawal was allowed only for full KYC PPIs issued by banks. The recent move brings uniformity among PPI players and bolsters the banking infrastructure, particularly in underserved areas. Bringing wallets at par with Bank Accounts in terms of service offering.<h2 class="heading-node" id="d9bb" style="text-align: justify">RTGS and NEFT enablement</h2>It is proposed that PPI issuers, card networks, White Label ATM operators, and Trade Receivables Discounting System (TReDS) can now take membership in CPS (Centralized Payment Systems) and access Real-time gross settlement (RTGS) and National Electronic Funds Transfer (NEFT). It was previously restricted to banks. This move is expected to improve the services of PPI issuers to their customers and minimize settlement risk.<img src="https://m2p-website-file.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/m2p-website-file/marketing-cms/m2p-blog/2022/06/image.webp" alt="M2P Fintech" title="" id="tbptd8z27" width="100%" height="529"><h2 class="heading-node" id="3a06" style="text-align: justify">What does it mean for the Banking sector and FinTech?</h2>Through these recent announcements, the RBI has opened up the extent of Banking services, to larger FinTech players. It is expected that this move will help relieve stress on traditional banks that cater to a wide base with limited legacy technology.FinTech players can take over the load, offer banking services (except credit offering) on par with traditional banks, and penetrate underserved areas of India. It will further increase the penetration of digital payments in the country especially the Tier-3 to Tier-6 centers. According to RBI, these new guidelines will promote the optimal utilization of Payment Instruments like wallets, cards, etc. as infrastructures such as PoS devices, ATMs, QR Codes and Bill-payment touchpoints are still scarce.Though banks will continue to handle the crucial aspect of lending, it will be interesting to see how PPIs, wallets, and other payment systems will now compete in the banking ecosystem. It will be an evolving process for Fintech companies who are partnering with the PPI license holders to issue co-branded prepaid cards for providing loans to their customers. The array of services that these FinTech’s offers will diversify and they will be able to ensure user satisfaction by providing <a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/neo-banking-101-all-you-need-to-know/">Neo-banking</a>-like facilities.These announcements acknowledge the capabilities of FinTech players and the gaps in the system that they can effectively fill. This is also an endorsement of the enormous potential of the industry. It remains to be seen how payment companies ride this wave, innovate, and offer end-customers seamless payment experiences.<a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/newsletter/">Subscribe</a>&nbsp;to our newsletter and get the latest fintech news, views, and insights, directly to your inbox. Follow us on&nbsp;<a class="link" href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/m2pfintech/mycompany/">LinkedIn</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a class="link" href="https://twitter.com/m2pfintech">Twitter</a>&nbsp;for insightful fintech tales curated for curious minds like you.

RBI’s new guidelines for PPIs. How will it impact the FinTech industry?

<img src="https://m2p-website-file.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/m2p-website-file/marketing-cms/m2p-blog/2022/05/Artboard-1-copy-7-11.webp" alt="M2P Fintech" title="" id="hwrpiz4dg" width="100%" height="317">Often, the country’s self-employed and underbanked section shies away from accessing formal credit lines as they do not satisfy the banking formula. Traditional financial institutions staunchly rely on asset-based lending where they have an asset to fall back on in case of default. But, it ignores those millions of potential borrowers who perhaps are viable choices than salaried defaulters.Also, the on-going pandemic has forced many industries to shut down their business. With the economy slowly getting back-up, these segments are still in search of funds. In the absence of credit scoring and strong financials, scores of MSME and SME’s have succumbed to high-interest loans or credit flow decline. But coupled with the right tools and innovation, cash-flow-based lending can help revive them.Nevertheless, the landscape is now slowly shifting, with many upcoming FinTech's and NBFCs focusing on cash-flow-based lending. Cash-flow lending takes into account the revenue generation capability of the individual/enterprise based on various factors such as seasonal or market demand. The interest rates and tenure of the loan are adjusted accordingly. This method of lending doesn’t come under the regular pattern of 12-month EMI repayments.<blockquote class="block-node" id="ivntz2hml">Inspired by the country’s FMCG sector’s ingenious move, this movement is termed “Sachetization,” where good things come in small doses.</blockquote>Sachetization was spurred off by India’s FMCG sector to capture all facets of the market. They realized that the significant market shareholders were not the ones who could not afford large-ticket items in a single purchase. Starting from shampoo packets to instant coffee, sachetization has a long-standing relationship with the Indian economy. Now, P2P lending has also adopted this model through the means of cash-flow-based lending.For example, with data insights and cash-flow lending, a farmer can take out loans to reap a better harvest. He need not pay the usual cycle of 12 months but rather avail a customized loan with a repayment tenure based on his crop production. The same formula can be tailored to a different set of customers like fishermen who has an off-season of 4 months due to the monsoon.Many financial service providers are now partnering with new-age FinTech's to offer sachet loans to their target customers. They are currently restructuring the formula by deploying technology to better understand the MSME/SME’s financial needs.In a nutshell, making cash-flow-based credit available to every segment will be a small solution that has the ability to spearhead complete <a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/blog/fintech-a-catalyst-for-financial-inclusion/">financial inclusion</a>.<a class="link" href="https://m2pfintech.com/newsletter/">Subscribe</a>&nbsp;to our newsletter and get the latest fintech news, views, and insights, directly to your inbox.Follow us on&nbsp;<a class="link" href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/m2pfintech/mycompany/">LinkedIn</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a class="link" href="https://twitter.com/m2pfintech">Twitter</a>&nbsp;for insightful fintech tales curated for curious minds like you.

Tag: "Financial Inclusion (18)"

M2P Fintech