Fintech Friday at NSRCEL’s FinTech Centre of Excellence

NSRCEL conducted ‘Fintech Friday’ with Unified Fintech Forum (formerly DLAI) and India Fintech Foundation (SRO-FT DF) as part of the FinTech Centre of Excellence, an initiative by the Government of Karnataka in partnership with NSRCEL. The event brought together an insightful panel featuring Ankit Ratan, Co-founder and CEO, Signzy; Himanshu Gupta, Co-founder and Chief AI Officer, WeRize, and Jatinder Handoo, CEO, Unified Fintech Forum (moderator).

The discussion unpacked how fintech systems are evolving beneath the surface, with few broad observations, including the fact that AI is shifting from experimentation to infrastructure, becoming a core layer within financial systems – enhancing speed, efficiency and the ability to manage complex, real-time interactions. Moreover, distribution remains one of fintech’s toughest challenges, especially when reaching Tier 2 and Tier 3 users who may not be English-first or digitally native. Another observation was that AI-led vernacular interactions are emerging as a powerful bridge, enabling institutions to guide users more effectively through complex financial journeys. The discussion also revealed that despite the growth of digital infrastructure, trust still carries a physical dimension, particularly when users are making high-stakes financial decisions. It was also pointed out that navigating regulatory change requires more than compliance – it calls for proactive engagement with regulators, such as the Reserve Bank of India. Another highlight of the talk was that winning the first B2B fintech customer takes persistence, from identifying the right decision-makers to building credibility through compliance and clear value creation.