Fintechs: dialogue moves towards institutional decision-making
Payments and merchant infrastructure emerged as a key topic, with discussions focusing on the transition from transaction-based models to platforms that enable intelligence, credit and value-added services for merchants.
UIDAI Chairman Neelkanth Mishra with his team and co-founders of ‘The Digital Fifth’, organizers of the Bharat Fintech Summit on Tuesday in Mumbai
FinTech Service BizNews
Mumbai, February 10, 2026: Bharat Fintech Summit 2026organized by The digital fifthkicked off the first day of its much-awaited fourth edition at the JW Marriott in Mumbai, Sahar, bringing together India’s top innovators, policymakers and industry leaders to discuss the future of fintech, digital payments, inclusive finance and credit infrastructure. Day 1 set the tone for the two-day summit, with a strong focus on digital public infrastructure, the evolution of payments, MSME lending, AI-based decision making, and the next phase of fintech institutional growth.
The summit was inaugurated with an inauguration and lamp lighting ceremony led by Chief Guest Shri Neelkanth Mishra, Chairman, Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), followed by keynote addresses examining the role of identity, data and digital platforms in strengthening India’s financial infrastructure. The first sessions explored the future of Aadhaar-enabled services, the evolution of digital identity and the critical rails supporting innovation in fintech.
Across three parallel tracks: Transformation, Payments and Investment, and Lending, Risk and Compliance – Day 1 featured keynotes, panel discussions, master classes and product demonstrations. The sessions covered a range of topics including monetization of digital payments, merchant acquisitions in a UPI-led marketplace, lending to MSMEs, AI-based credit decision making, modernizing collections, and using data and governance frameworks to manage risk at scale.
Featured sessions included “The Growth Playbook for Digital Payments” by Sohini Rajola, Executive Director, Growth, NPCI; “From Global Guides to India-First Thinking,” by Sameer Singh Jaini, Founder and CEO, The Digital Fifth; “Optionality as a Leadership Strategy” by Baskar Babu Ramachandran, MD & CEO, Suryoday Small Finance Bank Limited; and “AI impacting business: How large NBFCs are using AI at scale to reduce credit risk, improve collections and drive profitable growth” by Sudipta Roy, MD and CEO, L&T Finance, which examined how banks are balancing physical, digital and digital models. Panels such as “The MSME Lending Playbook 2030”, “Instant Credit Nation” and “The New Playbook for Merchant Acquiring in a UPI-Led Market” brought together leaders from banks, NBFCs and fintech companies to discuss how technology, data and partnerships are reshaping access to credit and financial services.
Payments and merchant infrastructure emerged as a key topic, with discussions focusing on the transition from transaction-based models to platforms that enable intelligence, credit and value-added services for merchants. Sessions also examined how account aggregators, artificial intelligence and integrated finance are being implemented to improve underwriting, collections and operational efficiency.
On the sidelines, the opening day hosted ‘Investment Day’, a platform dedicated to access to capital that brought together more than 50 high-potential startups with leading venture capital firms. Participating startups are creating next-generation solutions in payments, lending, regtech, wealth and investment platforms, artificial intelligence and advanced analytics, collectively shaping the next phase of growth of India’s fintech ecosystem. Prominent investment institutions including Bessemer Venture Partners, Nexus Venture Partners, BeeNext, IIFL Fintech Fund Cedar Hill Capital, Razorpay Ventures, Asha Ventures and Mela Ventures attended, underscoring the strategic importance and depth of engagement at the forum.
The first day of the summit also marked the launch of the Integrated Supply Chain Finance Report, a curated industry report that highlights 100 high-potential MSMEs and the structural realities shaping India’s small business ecosystem. The report examines how MSMEs across sectors are navigating access to credit, digital payments, operational formalization and growth capital amid a rapidly evolving financial landscape. Drawing on insights from MSME founders, lenders, fintech platforms and ecosystem enablers, the report highlights persistent gaps between credit supply and demand, uneven adoption of digital financial tools, and the growing role of integrated finance and data-driven decisions in enabling sustainable MSME growth. It also outlines the conditions necessary for MSMEs to move from transactional access to long-term financial integration within India’s digital public infrastructure.
Commenting on the opening day of the summit, Sameer Singh Jaini, Founder and CEO of The Digital Fifth, He said the discussions reflected a maturing fintech ecosystem. “Day 1 made it clear that the conversation has moved beyond digitalization to institutional decision-making. Whether it’s payments, MSME credit or digital identity, the focus was on how systems are being designed for durability, governance and scale. The launch of the Final 100 Report – MSME added important context by grounding these conversations in the realities businesses face on the ground,” he said.
Shashank Shekhar, co-founder of The Digital FifthHe said the breadth of discussions pointed to growing convergence across the ecosystem. “Across all sessions today, there was strong agreement on the need for integration: across credit, payments, data and risk frameworks. What stood out was the shift towards building financial infrastructure that supports long-term outcomes, particularly for MSMEs, rather than isolated products or short-term growth,” he said.
The summit will continue on February 11, 2026 with discussions on AI in financial services, regtech infrastructure, capital and investment trends, cross-border fintech expansion and the Fintech & Digital Excellence Awards 2026.
Bharat Fintech Summit 2026
The Bharat Fintech Summit is envisioned as a two-day content-focused industry conclave dedicated to fostering meaningful discussions and deliberations on the ever-evolving landscape of the BFSI sector, with a specific focus on digital transformation.
This summit serves as a platform to share collective knowledge with a diverse ecosystem including regulators, key BFSI stakeholders, banks, NBFCs, fintech innovators, investors, industry associations and technology solution providers.
