Tag: ✍️ Opinions

This article has been contributed by Mr Sanjith Mukund, Co-Founder, JrnyOn

The tourism industry has perhaps never been as dynamic as it is today. Advances in technology, shifting population demographics, and changing values are redefining how people travel and what they seek in their travels. Likewise, the creator economy has matured into a multi-billion-dollar sector that can redefine how we consume content, how we discover products, and how trust is developed. Now, both forces are converging, resulting in a new model of tourism that is shaped by not only travel companies and governments, but by creators and communities based on their inspiration.

The Rise of the Creator Economy in Travel

The creator economy is characterized by individuals monetizing their expertise, interests, and content through engaging directly with audiences. It’s impact in the travel space is undeniable. Platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube are now the primary sources of travel inspiration for millennials and Gen Z, replacing guidebooks and brochures.

Now more than ever, authenticity is key in the age of AI-generative content. When algorithms can generate pristine imagery or create faux narratives for storytelling, the travel experience is seeking to find a source of authenticity. This is where creators’ reels, vlogs, and blogs provide a source to provide authentic moments and experiences, experiences full of little, unrefined, humane moments that artificial intelligence cannot replicate. Once those moments have been framed and shared, and the audience has found some sort of trust in that creator before the moment was created, the moment turns into a more powerful invitation to be present or leave the screen.

This shift has strength in its relatability. A 30-second video clip of a backpacking trek enhanced in a place like Kyrgyzstan, a blog story of a family-run homestay in Vietnam, creates curiosity bigger than any advertisement from the industry could.  The audience more often than not feels connected to the creator, sometimes by following or consuming their content for several years; they have created trust, and trust has become new currency in tourism marketing.

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Why Trust Matters More in Travel

Travel is an inherently high-consideration decision when compared to purchasing a new gadget or venturing to a new restaurant. Travel is a decision based on financial consideration, safety, and an unknown experience. It is in these instances where creator influence is valuable in a unique way. When a consumer sees a destination reflected through a creator, or someone they already trust, their sense of uncertainty is lowered. The creator is a proxy, someone who has been there before them.  

In an era of content splice from AI is the true variable- trust. The audience can certainly tell the difference between scripted promotional content and an authentic experience. This is why creators, through their authenticity, continue to be important in determining “how” and “where” travel is taken. 

From Inspiration to Action: Curated Experiences

The power of creators is going from inspiration to action. Travelers are seeing what their favorite creators see, and they want to go there with them, or through them. This has led to the development of creator-curated experiences: small group trips that are designed around the interest and expertise of a creator.

For example, a chef might curate a food experience in Tuscany, a photographer could curate a photography expedition to Borneo, or a wellness coach could curate a wellness retreat in the Himalayas. These are not itineraries for the mass market, but instead first-person experiences that reflect the personality and expertise of a creator. From a traveler’s perspective, the appeal has a dual benefit of access and connection. For many travelers, they gain access to unique and often niche experiences, and the value of sharing that experience with someone they feel connected to with the creator’s influence.

This also expands the accessibility of tourism design. Tourism design is no longer just for the large operators; up to this point, tourism design has been equitable to the notion of tourism selected only from large operators or companies. It expands new tourism experiences and destinations voices and offers experiences from micro-influencers with devoted niche audiences, to experts who are passionate to bring their knowledge to life in travel experiences.

Impact on Local Economies

One of the most notable advantages of creator-curated travel is its direct effect on nearby economies. Traditional mass tourism directs the spending power toward large operators and global hotel chains, with little remaining for the surrounding community. Alternatively, small group-curated trips can result in patronizing local guides, lodging at family-run accommodations and staying at smaller restaurants and artisans. 

By engaging travelers directly with local service providers, creators serve as micro-distributors of tourism demand. A single photography expedition to Mongolia may put thousands of dollars into the local community through transport providers, herder families, and local guesthouses. Over time, these niche experiences can help redistribute tourism from hot spots that are bursting at the seams, spreading the economic benefits while also dealing with overtourism. 

For destinations attempting to rebuild after the crisis of a pandemic, it is a growth engine. Creator-driven demand cultivates sustainable, community centered economic development.

The Role of Brands in Creator-Curated Travel

A further aspect of this trend is the function of brands. Not only are creators designing and hosting travel experiences, they are also attracting the attention of consumer brands looking for genuine ways to connect with an audience. The act of brands partnering with creators to sponsor or co-sponsor trips adds another level of value. Travelers are also able to gain from a sponsorship partnership. 

In practical terms, this could look like discounted packages, extra experiences, or even complimentary products and services integrated into the trip, which could include traveling gear, or local events funded by brand sponsorships. For brands, appreciation comes in the form of association with authentic storytelling and deeper engagement. For portable travel experiences, the experience becomes richer at a greater value and for local communities, it adds additional layers of investment into and around the tourism ecosystem.

Sustainability and Community Building

Smaller, niche groups are inherently more aligned with sustainability and slow travel. Instead of racing through multiple cities in a week, travelers spend longer periods in fewer places, providing an opportunity for more engaging cultural exchanges and lessening their footprint.

The impact is environmental, economic, and also social. In an age that has been described as a ‘loneliness pandemic’ curated group travel becomes a way for people to form true friendships. Digital community becomes a physical community and trips become platforms for long-lasting relationships. For many the most memorable aspects of these journeys aren’t even just the experience at the destinations; it’s the people with whom they experience it.

Challenges and Guardrails

As expected, this new model will have some challenges. As creator-curated travel increases, we may see signs of oversaturation, commodification, or unsatisfactory quality control. There is also the possibility of overtourism for destinations if demand is not appropriately managed. And while creators are experts in telling stories, they might not be experts in operations, logistics, or safety.

This is where frameworks and partnerships come in important ways. Tech platforms, sector bodies, and local government will need to develop frameworks, provide operational assistance and attribution, all to maintain creator-curated travel which is authentic, safe, and beneficial to all stakeholders. 

The Future of Tourism: Co-Creation

The intersection of the creator economy and tourism marks the dawn of a new era for the industry. Once the space of travel companies and travel marketers, this is now being shaped by creators and their communities. The implications are monumental:

• For travelers, it means more authentic, passion-driven travel experiences. 
• For destinations, it means new channels for demand and economic development at the local level. 
• For brands, it terms engaging in real-life experiences and not just in a digital presence. 
• For the industry, it means thinking about the creators not only as remuneration but as co-creators of the experience. 

Tourism has always been about storytelling. In a time of AI-generated content, creators provide something that algorithms will never replace – authenticity.  The co-authors of the future of travel will involve creators, brands, and the community that they inspire.

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This article has been contributed by Mr Amol Date, CRPO of Loyalty Division at Vernost Tech Ventures

Scale no longer secures leadership alone. In a landscape shaped by rapid change and rising customer expectations, the organisations that lead are those that move decisively, learn fast, and evolve constantly. True competitiveness now relies on how swiftly an organisation can translate data into intelligent action—navigating complexity to inform smarter decisions at pace.

Cloud platforms and advanced analytics are the enablers of this transformation, allowing enterprises to rewire traditional operations into intelligent, data-driven frameworks. From real-time data pipelines that integrate streaming and batch processing to performance testing that ensures resilience under unpredictable demand, modern-day systems are designed for decisions that are not just faster but also smarter. In this aspect, agility is no longer optional. Rather, it has become the key driver of sustainable growth.

Building the Foundation: Data Pipelines, Scaling and Security

The basis of enterprise agility is the capability to convert raw information into insight at speed. Modern data pipelines, capable of processing millions of events per second, ensure information is both accurate and actionable. By merging batch and real-time processing within a single flow, they limit latency, cut costs, and enable decisions at the precise moment they matter. For retailers, this means the ability to adjust inventory dynamically in response to sales data. In manufacturing, it allows production lines to adapt instantly to supply chain disruptions.

Such kind of operational agility is further underpinned by the elasticity of cloud infrastructure. Intelligent scaling driven by artificial intelligence (AI) adjusts capacity in minutes. This, in turn, ensures resilience during sudden surges in demand while eliminating wasted resources amid quieter periods. Technology companies rely on this adaptability to roll out updates or new services seamlessly, avoiding downtime in a highly competitive market.

Security also reinforces this foundation. Enterprises can only act quickly when their data is protected, and cloud-native security frameworks embed protection directly into the data lifecycle. With predictive threat detection, advanced encryption, and identity management systems that verify millions of access requests daily, businesses maintain trust while pursuing speed. Security, once viewed as a limitation, has become integral to enabling agile decision-making.

From Insight to Innovation: The Role of Analytics and MLOps

Analytics today extends beyond dashboards; it is the engine that powers innovation. Machine Learning Operations (MLOps) operationalises AI by shortening model development cycles and improving accuracy through automation. What once took weeks or months now takes days, allowing predictive models to be deployed in real-world environments with efficiency and confidence.

For instance, in the financial services sector, this has reshaped fraud detection, enabling institutions to identify suspicious activity in real time. On the other hand, in retail, analytics drives personalisation at scale. This ensures that consumers receive recommendations that reflect their evolving preferences. Likewise, for technology leaders, analytics boosts product development by uncovering emerging patterns in user behaviour and anticipating market needs. By bringing intelligence into production environments, organisations shift from reacting to disruption to proactively shaping opportunities.

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Resilience in Motion: Cloud Performance Testing

Speed and intelligence must be matched with reliability. Cloud performance testing allows systems to remain stable as well as responsive under both predictable and extreme conditions. Moreover, load testing replicates everyday usage, stress testing identifies breaking points, along with endurance testing that validates stability over time. Scalability testing, in particular, verifies whether applications can expand smoothly during periods of rapid growth.

Such types of practices protect agility. They significantly ensure that applications not only move quickly but also withstand pressure without compromising user experience. For e-commerce businesses, this could signify seamless performance amid peak shopping events. Additionally, for technology providers, it secures uninterrupted service delivery through peak demand times. Modern testing tools, integrated into DevOps workflows, also provide consistent monitoring and actionable feedback. Following this, enterprises can resolve performance issues prior to their impact on operations.

Data-Driven Agility Across Sectors

The confluence of cloud and analytics brings enterprise-wide benefits, translating agility into measurable outcomes. Decision-making becomes sharper as real-time insights replace uncertainty with confidence. Operational efficiency gets enhanced through streamlined processes, optimised resources, and predictive maintenance that prevents costly disruptions. Innovation advances when enterprises identify new opportunities and deliver products faster to market.

The results are quite evident across industries. In the retail sector, analytics enables inventory decisions based on live sales data. This limits waste while meeting consumer demand more precisely. Furthermore, in technology, agility defines market leadership, as firms that pivot their business models effectively sustain relevance where others falter. Streaming services, for example, have used data-driven insights to shift consumption models and capture new markets.

Agility also strengthens customer and employee experiences. Personalised engagement enhances loyalty, while automation reduces repetitive tasks, freeing employees to focus on high-value contributions. This combination positions enterprises not only to weather disruption but also to transform it into an advantage.

On the whole, the enterprise of tomorrow will not be defined by its size or even by its data alone, but by how effectively it can transform information into decisions. Cloud platforms, analytics, MLOps, as well as performance testing are no longer isolated tools. Rather, they are interconnected elements of a single plus agile operating model.

Enterprises that master this data-to-decision journey will not simply react to change—they will anticipate it, shape it, and thrive within it. Every dataset will inform confidence, every system will support resilience, and every decision will develop future advantage. In an era where disruption is constant, agility has moved from being a strategic choice to becoming the very principle of survival and growth.

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This article has been contributed by Mr Rohit Pateria, CEO & Co-founder Lark Finserv

India’s credit ecosystem is undergoing a seismic shift ,technology, data intelligence, and open banking are dismantling traditional barriers to financing. As digital lending matures from convenience to infrastructure, Lark Finserv stands at the forefront, enabling wealthtech platforms and financial institutions to offer Loan Against Securities (LAS) seamlessly through API-first solutions. 

The New Era of Digital Lending 

India’s digital lending landscape is evolving rapidly, driven by regulatory clarity, AI-led underwriting, and financial data portability. The Reserve Bank of India’s 2025 Digital Lending Directions introduced stronger guardrails around multi-lender participation, Default Loss Guarantee (DLG), and third-party integrations encouraging responsible innovation and consumer trust. This transformation ensures that digital lending systems are no longer just fast but secure and transparent. 

AI and machine learning now underpin the majority of credit journeys from customer onboarding to risk scoring enabling smarter, faster, and fairer credit delivery. Add to that blockchain-built smart contracts, which promise tamper-proof, real-time verification of digital collateral, and the architecture for a secure credit economy starts taking shape. 

Lending Against Securities: India’s Next Credit Frontier 

The Loan Against Securities (LAS) market in India is gaining unprecedented traction. Investors, particularly high-net-worth individuals and business owners, are increasingly leveraging their financial assets—like mutual funds, shares, and bonds—for instant liquidity without liquidation. Fintech-led lenders, wealth managers, and NBFCs have recognized this as a powerful alternative to personal loans, enabling wealth creation continuity. 

According to Financial Express (2025), digital players are facilitating LAS deals of up to INR 100 crore through advanced aggregator models and API-based partnerships. Borrowers prefer LAS for its low cost of capital, real-time processing, and asset-retention advantage ensuring investments continue compounding while unlocking working capital.

How Lark Finserv Reimagines LAS Infrastructure 

Lark Finserv has emerged as the credit infrastructure layer that powers LAS flows across India’s wealth management ecosystem. Using its API and SDK stack, Lark connects lenders, wealth platforms, and asset custodians through a unified digital workflow. 

Here’s how Lark enables embedded credit innovation: 

• Digital Collateral APIs: Real-time valuation, pledge management, and margin monitoring for mutual funds, equities, ETFs, and bonds. 
• Multi-Lender Marketplace Integration: Enables wealthtech platforms to match borrowers to multiple lenders dynamically, with transparent rate discovery.
• Consent-Driven Data Flows: Built on Account Aggregator and open banking protocols, ensuring user-controlled data sharing and RBI-compliant traceability.
• Plug-and-Play SDKs: Wealth management platforms can embed LAS offerings natively on web or mobile apps without infrastructure buildup or manual underwriting. 

Through these technologies, Lark transforms LAS into a no-code credit layer, empowering wealthtech apps, brokers, and digital distributors to extend instant loans to their users while maintaining full compliance. 

Regulatory Alignment and Trust Architecture 

The RBI’s 2025 Directions reflect India’s maturity in balancing innovation with governance. Lark Finserv’s architecture aligns with these principles ,maintaining direct lender-client relationships, transparent DLG structures, and independent audit trails on every transaction. 

Lark’s engine ensures: 

• Zero compromise on risk attribution clarity. 
• Full control for lenders over underwriting parameters. 
• Automated compliance-ready reporting for all counterparties. 

This infrastructure-first approach allows financial institutions to scale LAS onboarding within a weeks-long integration cycle while maintaining regulatory parity.

Why LAS Matters for India’s Next Credit Leap 

The LAS economy is not just about secured credit; it’s about capital efficiency. As equity and mutual fund participation deepen among retail and HNI investors especially after record SIP inflows India’s LAS market is poised to grow multi-fold. Unlocking liquidity without breaking investment momentum is at the heart of empowered wealth creation. 

With Lark Finserv, every wealth platform can become a credit facilitator — embedding liquidity access in the same ecosystem where wealth is created and managed. It’s the embodiment of India’s embedded finance vision, turning portfolios into living, breathing financial engines. 

From Fintech Growth to Credit Infrastructure 

As the Indian fintech sector transitions “from growth to resilience” , digital lending is evolving beyond app-based convenience to infrastructure capability. Platforms like Lark Finserv are catalyzing this shift — building the pipes, protocols, and trust frameworks that define the future of responsible credit. 

The future of digital lending in India will not just be about who lends faster, but about who builds safer, smarter, and more connected ecosystems. Lark Finserv is doing exactly that turning lending against securities into the backbone of India’s next trillion-dollar credit opportunity.

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This article has been contributed by Mr. Kaushik Chatterjee, Founder & CEO of lendingplate 

India’s financial ecosystem is defined by sharp contrasts. On one hand, we have Unified  Payments Interface (UPI) transactions, one of the world’s most progressive financial  ecosystems crossing 20 million per month and digital wallets spreading across urban India. On the other hand, millions of small businesses, rural entrepreneurs and gig  workers still lack access to formal credit. This divide highlights the key role of Non 

Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs) in traversing the financial inclusion gap. 

Traditionally, in India, access to credit was subject to formal documentation and  collateral. Traditional financial institutions, frequently restricted by cautious policies and  legacy systems often turned a blind eye towards borrowers without official credit  histories. The consequence? Marginalization of daily wage earners, micro entrepreneurs,  women-led enterprises and small traders. 

NBFCs have taken on the role of filling this gap. They first did this via on-ground networks  and then through digital platforms. The time is evolving. It took weeks of verification and  physical paperwork to get one thing done but now the same is possible on a smartphone  in minutes. This change has redefined the profile of borrowers, helping people from  various backgrounds to access financial services that were once out of their reach. 

Speed, Simplicity, and Scale 

The crux of digital lending stands on simplicity, scale and speed. NBFCs make lending  decisions in real-time with the help of automated credit assessment tools, powered by  machine learning and AI. Processes that once took days and sometimes weeks are now  completed within seconds. Loans are now disbursed smoothly, thanks to the seamless  integrations into PAN, GST, Aadhaar and bank APIs. Electronic signatures, digital  disbursal mechanisms and paperless Know Your Customer (KYC) processes have made  it much easier for first-time borrowers. 

In today’s time, customers can complete the loan journey right from application to  repayment without physically going to a branch. Additionally, NBFCs grow beyond  metropolitan areas reaching Tier 2 and Tier 3 markets with the help of cloud-native  infrastructure. Primarily, NBFCs have become the first formal financial institutions to give  credit to these areas, bridging key gaps in financial inclusion. These capabilities are  supported by a strong landscape of fintech collaborations, new regulatory rules and data  analytics, all working in tandem to make credit more intelligent and inclusive. 

Data as the New Collateral 

Traditional credit scoring systems are mostly dependent on previous borrowing history.  But many potential borrowers don’t have such histories. NBFCs are resolving this  bottleneck by using alternative data sources including GST filings, transaction patterns and utility payments to evaluate creditworthiness. Machine learning models evaluate  these data points to make more detailed profiles of borrowers, helping NBFCs to give  credit to people who were once considered uncreditworthy. 

This method has been mainly groundbreaking for thin-file customers who may not have  traditional documentation but have robust digital footprints. At its core, data has become  the new technology, the new collateral and the new trust engine. 

Building Trust in the Digital Age 

The fundamentals of lending lie in trust. Yes, digital interfaces have indeed made credit  more accessible. However, there is a flip side to it too. They risk isolating borrowers who  are not familiar with online systems. NBFCs are bridging this trust divide via digital  empathy, combining human touchpoints with technology. 

Borrowers now feel supported, thanks to key features like vernacular communication,  chat-based customer support and video KYC assistance. Various NBFCs are investing in  campaigns around financial literacy to aid first-time borrowers in understanding EMI structures, credit discipline and repaying responsibly as the goal is to build lasting  financial confidence. 

Regulatory Evolution and Responsible Growth 

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has played a vital role in carving a responsible digital  lending ecosystem. Establishing rules for grievance redressal, data privacy and  transparency has ensured that innovation remains neutral with consumer protection. 

For NBFCs, compliance isn’t a hurdle; it’s an enabler. The developing regulatory  framework provides stability and credibility, promoting collaborations with larger  financial institutions and fintech players. Responsible lending practices, robust credit  evaluation, and fair collection mechanisms are now integral to the NBFC ethos. In  addition to growth, the focus is also on sustainable growth, one that empowers both  borrower and lender. 

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Potential Hurdles Ahead 

Digital lending faces challenges right from customer awareness gaps to cybersecurity  risks. Urban India has made digital money a part of its mundane life but many borrowers  in rural areas still struggle with digital literacy, making them vulnerable to fraud or  misinformation. 

Furthermore, with tight-knit competition, NBFCs need to protect against overusing and  ensure safe credit evaluation even at scale. To maintain stability and trust in the long run,  investing in digital literacy and building data security infrastructure is essential. 

Building a Future of Empowerment

The next chapter of India’s financial inclusion story will be written at the intersection of  innovation, intelligence, and intent. With the convergence of fintechs, NBFCs and  regulatory frameworks, we are moving toward a credit ecosystem that is digital as well as  deeply personal where every borrower’s situation, requirement and potential can be  understood vis empathy and data. 

Account Aggregators, India Stack 2.0 and Open Credit Enablement Networks (OCEN) will  further speed up this change helping NBFCs to give context-driven, affordable and timely  credit. Finally, when the gig worker buys his first vehicle, the small business owner  expands her shop, the farmer invests in better tools, and when we move beyond financial  inclusion toward true financial freedom. And this is possible when the capital starts  flowing smoothly to where it’s required the most. 

Essentially, lending is more than just disbursing loans; it’s about making dreams come  true. As NBFCs, our mission is to ensure that every person regardless of gender,  background or geography has the chance to participate in India’s growth trajectory. That’s  the real dividend of digital lending and a promise of a more secure future.

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This article is contributed by authored By Satinder Aggarwal, Founder, EQBAC

Corporate cash reserves typically sit idle, waiting for emergencies or major investments. But there’s a growing recognition that these funds could serve a dual purpose: protecting the business whilst actively supporting employees through welfare programmes, performance bonuses, and meaningful benefits.

The conventional approach treats reserves as untouchable safety nets. Companies accumulate surplus cash, park it conservatively, and only draw from it during crises.

Employee benefits remain separate, funded through operational budgets with standard insurance policies and fixed compensation. This separation made sense decades ago, but workplace expectations have shifted dramatically.

Working individuals are increasingly valuing flexibility and genuine support during critical life moments. Rigid benefit structures often miss the mark, offering generic packages that don’t align with individual needs. Meanwhile, companies face rising retention costs and engagement challenges. The answer might already exist in their balance sheets.

It’s Time To Rethink Corporate Reserves

Internal savings funds come in various forms including operating surpluses, strategic buffers, or dedicated investment vehicles. Unlike working capital needed for daily operations, these represent accumulated profits or funds set aside for non-operational purposes. The shift happening now involves changing their intent from purely defensive holdings to active tools for workforce support.

Companies can structure these as employee welfare endowments, profit-sharing pools, or flexible benefit reserves. The financial security remains intact, but the funds actively support the workforce by improving wellbeing and engagement.

Let’s Look At Some Real-World Applications

Some organizations channel internal funds toward comprehensive family health insurance, subsidised loans for personal needs, cultural programmes, and performance-based bonuses. When employees feel genuinely supported beyond their paycheques, satisfaction and retention improve measurably. The connection between financial security and workplace loyalty becomes tangible.

Profit-sharing offers another model. Very recently, a major airline distributed 12.2% of profits directly to employees through structured programmes. This creates clear alignment between company performance and individual rewards. Employees see how their contributions affect their compensation, which naturally drives engagement and commitment.

Now while startups face tighter financial constraints, they also have the possibility to demonstrate more creativity.

For example, a startup could establish retirement plans, flexible stipend programmes, and group life cover as alternatives to salary increases. These cost less than equivalent cash raises whilst delivering meaningful value.

Another adaptable practice could be partnering with professional employer organizations to pool risk and reduce administrative burden, making sophisticated benefits accessible even with limited resources.

Are There Practical Funding Models?

Several structures can prove particularly effective.

Profit-sharing pools allocate a fixed percentage of annual profits each quarter for either cash distribution or welfare programmes like health support and education grants. This creates transparency around shared success.

Savings-linked welfare programmes combine contributions from both sides. Automatic payroll deductions go into family security funds, matched by the employer. Employees access these for emergencies, healthcare, or dependent education. The structure encourages personal saving whilst building meaningful safety nets.

Dynamic bonus reserves maintain rolling funds from operational surpluses, enabling spot bonuses for project milestones, innovation, or crisis support. Unlike rigid annual bonuses tied to year-end performance, dynamic reserves allow real-time recognition of contributions.

Tax-efficient benefit plans use structures like flexible spending accounts, health savings accounts, and wellness stipends. These maximise value by reducing tax burdens for both parties whilst delivering targeted support where it matters most.

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Is There A Need Of Personalization?

Definitely.

Generic benefits programmes waste significant resources. One employee needs childcare support, another values professional development, a third prioritizes healthcare for ageing parents. A uni-dimensional approach may force identical packages on everyone, leaving substantial value unclaimed and unused.

Savings funds are meant to enable genuine personalization. Employees should be able to direct benefit allocations toward their actual priorities. Depending upon the human resource dynamics, a company could offer wellness allowances, learning subsidies, or family support options. Another organization could fund team experiences, retreats, or collaborative projects that build culture and motivation organically.

This approach dramatically increases utilization rates. When employees choose benefits aligned with their needs, they actually use them.

Organizations could also use savings funds to address employee financial health through coaching, payroll advances, and even payroll-linked loans at below-market rates. These interventions tackle real financial stress without forcing employees toward external, often predatory, lending options.

The reasoning is straightforward. Financially stressed employees show lower productivity, greater distraction, and higher turnover. Supporting financial wellness through company-backed programmes reduces these issues whilst building genuine loyalty and trust. Unused benefits represent wasted investment. Personalization solves this whilst simultaneously increasing perceived value and appreciation.

What’s Being Tested In The Corporate World?

Sophisticated organizations establish dedicated welfare endowments, growing them through conservative investments. These function as perpetual backups since they are instantly accessible for crisis payouts but also funding strategic annual benefits when not needed for emergencies.

This creates predictable long-term engagement whilst building psychological security. Employees know genuine support exists, reducing anxiety and increasing loyalty. For younger companies where rapid salary increases aren’t feasible, these programmes offer meaningful alternatives that deliver authentic value.

Some organizations are exploring benefit allocation systems where employees receive credits they can direct toward priorities they value most: wellness programmes, travel, professional development, or family support. This hyper-personalization minimizes unused funds whilst generating data that helps refine benefit schemes continuously. Others tie welfare allocations to aggregate employee wellbeing indicators like productivity, retention, and survey sentiment rather than purely profit-and-loss metrics. Allocating reserves to preventive health stipends, psychological support, and family care gets benchmarked against these indicators, turning benefit spending into measurable returns on investment.

The Practical Reality

Corporate savings funds hold the potential of becoming engines of employee wellbeing, retention, and engagement. The capital already exists on balance sheets. The question becomes whether organizations will activate it strategically.

This requires shifting mindset from purely defensive cash management to integrated workforce investment. The companies making this transition may observe measurable improvements in retention, engagement, and overall workplace satisfaction. The financial stability remains intact whilst simultaneously creating genuine value for the people driving the success of the business.

The corporate piggy bank, as the savings funds could be called, is a valuable investment opportunity for any organization looking to shift its approach from passive safety nets to active tools that support employees through life’s challenges, recognize contributions meaningfully, and build workplaces where people genuinely want to stay and contribute.

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This article has been contributed by Sai Krishna Musunuru, Director & CEO of Payinstacard

In less than 10 years, the monetary system of India has changed drastically. It went through an extremely fast and turning point change, where it moved from cash-based transactions to one of the most digitally connected economies in the world. The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) is the one that has led such a change. It is the core of India’s digital payments ecosystem and is considered one of the most successful public-private digital payment initiatives all over the world.

Basically, the NPCI through its various innovations like the Unified Payments Interface (UPI), RuPay and Bharat Bill Payment System (BBPS), has completely changed how Indians make payments, save and transact their money. The convenience brought about by the organization is only a part of the story, as it has also allowed the economy at all levels to be more open, trusted and transparent. 

The Genesis of a Payment Revolution

The purpose of setting up the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) in 2008 by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the Indian Banks’ Association (IBA) was single-minded: to build a sturdy, interoperable payment and settlement system that would be fit for an economy with a billion people.

In those days, the financial system in India was disjointed and digital penetration was quite low; besides, the transaction costs were high. The launch of the Immediate Payment Service (IMPS) and later the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) facilitated the interoperability and the instant payment ecosystem to be established.

Every month, NPCI is performing multi-billion transactions through its network which are non-stop fund transfers, payments to merchants, and various programs to bring unbanked people into the banking fold under a secure and regulated system.

UPI: The Game-Changer

The start of UPI in 2016 was the flag-off that India’s digital trip took a new direction. UPI, designed as an open, interoperable protocol, made it possible for the clients to have more than one account linked to them and carry out instant transactions of real-time value through a simple mobile phone interface.

One of the great strengths of UPI is its cleverness and general standard. It does not depend on a particular app, bank, or device thus, any user located in the farthest corner of the country can make immediate money transfers simply by a few taps.

This framework not merely made payments more accessible to common people but also attracted huge innovations. Financial institutions, banks, and startups could now leverage UPI’s infrastructure, thus, escalating the competition and creativity. Consequently, digital transactions became open to billions who have never gone through the process of formal banking.

UPI is projected to handle more than one billion transactions per day by 2025, which basically means that no other system can have such a scale and be so reliable as UPI.

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Driving Financial Inclusion Through Accessibility

The facilitation of transactions is not the only thing that NPCI does. However, low and very low-income people are also beneficiaries of the system, albeit to a lesser extent. It’s worth noting that the adoption of digital payments in India has been mainly driven by the affordability of mobile phones and Internet access, rather than by bank penetration or the level of financial literacy.

There has been a significant change in the digital payment ecosystem in the country post the advent of systems by NPCI. The shift has been from metros and affluent users to the entire country where digital finance has become accessible through UPI, RuPay, F, and BBPS, allowing participation in the formal economy by millions.

The integration of services such as Aadhaar-based authentication and offline UPI Lite transactions has enabled even feature phone users to join the digital bandwagon. Small businesses and micro-entrepreneurs made it easy to accept digital payments by using UPI QR codes and charging very low transaction fees.

This inclusionary model has made the switch to digital payments from a privilege into a public utility (the next and very important step towards the realisation of India’s vision of a nearly cash-light economy).

Catalyst for Trust and Transparency

NPCI is among one of those who have helped very much in the digital payment ecosystem to build trust. Their design allows for safe, well-regulated, and documented transactions, which reduces the cases of fraud and thus, increases the trust of the users.

NPCI by implementing interoperability and standardized protocols has made digital payments to be transparent and open for inspection, which has been a major factor in fighting leakages in government subsidies and welfare schemes. For example, Direct Benefit Transfers (DBTs) are currently done by crediting the money directly into the accounts of the recipients without any intermediaries thus, guaranteeing both the effectiveness and the monitoring of the process.

In addition, e-RUPI, a digital voucher system, is one of the programs which reflect NPCI’s innovative mindset towards targeted and purpose-specific disbursements, allowing the government and public welfare to benefit from fintech innovation.

Policy Push: The Backbone of India’s Digital Payment Growth

Policy ecosystems fundamentally aided NPCI to achieve one of its major successes; the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and The Government of India put in such an ecosystem. Though Digital India, Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY), and Aadhaar were significant moves that ensured digital inclusion, regulatory support was essential in preserving the security and standardization of various platforms.

In fact, a scenario where both traditional banks and fintechs have an equal opportunity to operate has been created due to the RBIs continuous focus on interoperability, security, and affordability. Addressing the policies in particular that are designed to promote the adoption of digital transactions as well as consumer rights there are those that support merchants with zero-MDR transactions, organize financial literacy campaigns, and run cybersecurity awareness programs. Other vital frameworks are the Payment and Settlement Systems Act (2007), the main act for regulation and supervision of payment systems and the Data Protection Guidelines for Payment Systems that secure user information.

Alongside this, the Bharat BillPay, e-RUPI, and UPI Regulatory Framework schemes are the pillars of the digital economy that allow for hassle-free digital transactions and welfare programs beneficiary-specific implementation, thus, helping users and merchants.

It was not one single event that caused India to make it on the global list as a leader in digital payments, but the combination of foresight in regulation, public infrastructure, and relentless innovation were the game-changers. This instance in India is a vivid demonstration of how policy, technology and trust working together, can redefine a whole financial ecosystem and, thereby, millions of lives can be benefitted.

Adapting to Emerging Technologies

Another reason why NPCI is successful is that it has always been able to adjust its strategy to meet changing circumstances. The evolution of consumer needs and global fintech trends has brought NPCI to support traditional bank-led systems only to complete the integration of the most advanced technologies such as tokenization, contactless payments, and biometric authentication.

Biometric UPI authentication, for instance, the latest development that allows users to authenticate transactions with their fingerprints or facial features, is yet another step towards digital comfort and safety. Such breakthroughs are essential given the growth of the Indian digital landscape and the variety of cyber threats that have appeared.

Furthermore, NPCI’s endeavors to connect UPI with foreign payment networks beginning with nations like Singapore and the UAE reflect the goal of India to set UPI as the global payment standard.

Conclusion: Building the Digital Backbone of New India

NPCI’s impact on the shift to digital payments in India is a revolutionary change to the least degree. In fact, along with providing the technical infrastructure, it has also been the trust infrastructure that forms the basis of a digital economy of the modern era.

NPCI, by bringing banks, fintechs, consumers, and merchants all under one interoperable framework and thus, eliminating the need for any direct linkage, has changed the way India transacts altogether. In this manner, payments have become not only quicker but also safer and accessible to all

Having become the world’s benchmark for large-scale, inclusive digital transformation, India is now gazed upon by many and in this context, NPCI acts as a shining example of how policy, innovation, and public trust all together can enable a country to empower one transaction at a time.

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