Fintech Ki Baat
Fintech Ki Baat
by Shreyas Jani
Fintech ki Baat is an attempt to extract insights about the Fintech ecosystem of India and capture those insights in a bite sized format of audio and video podcast
From CXO to Founder: Building Rubix Data Sciences Ft. Mohan Ramaswamy, Co-Founder & CEO
Four senior executives at an American information company. An average of 25 to 30 years of experience each. And a problem they kept seeing go unsolved: complex, fragmented B2B data that leaders couldn't turn into decisions.So in 2018 they left their CXO roles and built Rubix Data Sciences, a technology-enabled information and analytics business that helps corporates, banks, and insurers make decisions on credit, risk, and supply chain. Their first paying customer came in month five.In this segment, Mohan Ramaswamy shares the founder story: why they left established careers, how they cracked BFSI's famously impenetrable sales process, and his advice for B2B founders trying to land their first customer.⏱️ Timestamps:0:00 – Introduction: what Rubix Data Sciences does2:22 – The Rubik's Cube philosophy: from complexity to clarity, and the ARMS platform4:44 – The founder story: why four CXOs left to start up9:26 – Early days: building trust as a bootstrapped B2B startup selling to BFSI13:04 – The first sale: signing two corporates in month five16:09 – First fundraise vs first paying customer: which felt better?18:40 – Advice for B2B founders selling into BFSI🎙️ Chasing Impact covers six sectors shaping the next decade of India: Fintech, AI, Climate, Mobility, HealthTech, and Defence.🔔 Subscribe for a new episode every week.
Jul 29
23 min
How Flourish Ventures Picks Fintech Winners Ft. Harsh Gupta Principal Flourish Ventures
In this episode of Chasing Impact, Shreyas sits down with Harsh Gupta, Principal at Flourish Ventures, one of India's most active early-stage fintech funds backed by eBay founder Pierre Omidyar.Harsh breaks down how Flourish evaluates fintech startups across credit, embedded finance, green finance, and AI, and shares an inside look at their investment in SalarySafe and the credit-on-UPI thesis.What we cover:-Flourish's evergreen fund model and why it changes how they partner with founders-Venture debt vs venture equity: the mindset shift explained-The embedded finance thesis: platforms, plumbing, and plugins-Why credit-on-UPI is a high-engagement product with real tailwinds-What gets a VC excited in the first 5 minutes of a pitch-AI in fintech: internal adoption vs new investment opportunities-Where Harsh would bet money for the next 3 to 5 years: AI and wealthtech-Whether you are a founder preparing your first pitch or a fintech operator trying to understand how investors think, this episode has something for you.-Connect with Harsh Gupta: linkedin.com/in/harshguptaLearn more about Flourish Ventures: flourishventures.comSubscribe to Chasing Impact for weekly fintech conversations with founders, investors, and ecosystem builders.
May 12
1 hr 2 min
Why AI-Powered is Meaningless (& your Wrapper is Doomed )FT. Inderjit Makkar Founder& CEO Factacy.Ai
In this episode of Fintech Ki Baat Dil Se — Dhande Ki Baat — we sit down with Indrajit Makkar, Founder & CEO of Factacy. AI, for a no-fluff deep-dive into the real state of AI in India.From Shark Tank anecdotes to building AI for lending, collections, KYC, and fraud detection — Indrajit brings 4+ years of on-the-ground perspective on what works, what's hype, and where the real opportunities lie.🔑 What we cover in this episode: What Factacy AI actually builds — and for whom Why wrapper AIs are a dangerous business model The truth about "Agentic AI" vs. basic automation How AI can transform collections for financial inclusion lenders SLMs — the quiet revolution coming to edge devices and small businesses Industries where AI will create the biggest impact: pharma, manufacturing, BFSI, mobility Startupinvestors.ai — ending the ghosting problem for founders AI's macroeconomic impact on India⏱️ Timestamps: 00:00 — Introduction 00:45 — What does Factacy .AI do? 06:10 — startupinvestors.ai — the backstory 09:00 — Wrapper AIs: hype or value? 13:40 — SLMs and their future 16:30 — Industries AI will transform 21:00 — AI in BFSI: lending, KYC, fraud & collections 30:30 — Agentic AI: myths vs. reality 40:15 — AI's macroeconomic impact on India 45:50 — Closing thoughts👍 If you found this valuable, like, share & subscribe — it helps us bring more conversations like this.🔔 Subscribe for weekly episodes on fintech, startups & the future of money in India.
Apr 21
47 min
Entrepreneurship Uncut : Shark Tank S1, Failed Startups & The Real Playbook FT. Inderjit Makkar
What does Entrepreneurship actually look like behind the Cameras, the funding, announcements & the LinkedIn Posts? Indrejit Makkar has seen it all.A decade at S&P building Capital IQ. A recycled denim startup that flopped. An e-cigratte business wiped out overnight by a government ban. A shark Tank Season 1 Pitch that landed funding from Piyush Bansal & Ashneer Grover & then the part nobody talks about: Runiing 2 startups with a team so lean they were doing everything from sweeping to sales.In this Conversation, Inderjit holds nothing back. Why he paused Factacy.ai for 2 years to keep proxgy alive. How that accidentally saved the company when the AI wave hit. Why your Spouse is your biggest invesror even without putting in a rupee & why celebrating funding rounds is the first Sign you've lost the plot.TIMESTAMPS:-02:52- How did Inderjit Start his entrepreneurial journey?08:00- Experience of featuring on Shark Tank India11:42- Journey of Building Factacy.Ai & piece of advice for budding entrepreneurs19:15- When you talk about jumping into entrepreneurship, they say you should have a safety net. What was your safety net ?24:33- Things Budding Entrepreneurs Should Not Do While Starting a Startup
Mar 26
28 min
From 45 Days to 45 Seconds: Reimagining MSME Lending in India Ft. Chirag Shah Founder & CE0- Pulse
What if an MSME could get a loan approved in seconds instead of weeks ?Chirah Shah Founder & CEO-Pulse, has already made this happen for 7 Million UK Business backed by £3. 4 Billion in Securitised Lending. Now he's bringing that playbook to India. In part 2, we deep dive into how Pules's data engine works, why their daily refresh data beats even credit bureaus, how securitization structures actually function (broken down simply) & what it will take to unlock serious foreign capital for Indian MSME's. We also get into why business insurance in india has a product and an awareness gap, what embedded finance actually looks like when done right, and why Chirag believes fixing MSME Capital access is the real GDP growth engine India needs.TIMESTAMPS02:11 - What is Pulse all about & what is it building?04:18- Why the name Pulse?05:23- Product Securitisation 05:49- Where does Pulse fit in MSME? Is pulse ERP ? or ppe sitting behind ERP?10:20- Star Contrast between MSME Lending in U.K Vs India ?15:36- What are the other products Chirag see benefit from MSME Platforms?21:00- Securitisation of Products in U.K 26:54- How is Loan Processed 31:19- Creating Investment Assets for Retail Class& Foreign Investors32:45- Thoughts on Foreign Investment Platforms37:35- Closing Remarks
Mar 18
38 min
Quit London to Build India's SME Lending Infra Ft. Chirag Shah Founder & CEO- MyPulse
In this episode of Fintech Ki Baat Dil Se, we sit down with Chirag Shah, Founder & CEO of MyPulse, to explore his journey from investment banking in the US and London to building a fintech infrastructure company in India.Chirag shares how the 2008 financial crisis sparked his entrepreneurial journey, why he moved back to India to build MyPulse, and what it takes to build technology that helps SMEs and lenders make smarter financial decisions through data.We cover his journey from Mumbai → US → London (post-2008 credit crisis) → back to India to build MyPulse, plus hard truths on entrepreneurship: don’t over-plan, don’t obsess about being first, and hire a “team of lions.”A must-watch for founders, fintech enthusiasts, and anyone building in the SME and financial data ecosystem.TIME STAMPS02:16- Chirag Shah’s journey from Mumbai → US → London → India 03:50- Leaving Job & Stepping in the world of Entrepreneurship 05:19- The myth of “first-mover advantage” in startups 07:20- What made you caome back to India from London 08:20- The Journey of Building MyPulse From the Scratch 09:34- Most Humbling piece came across while building MyPulse11:00- Hiring your first team and building a “team of lions”13:18- Fund Raising in India Vs. Other Foreign Countries14:50- How do you see B2B model Vs. Unit Economic Model?18:10- A piece of advice for someone who is starting B2B Business Model & even be revenue positive21:00- 3 Don'ts for Budding Entrepreneurs. Stay tuned for the next segment Dhande Ki Baat, where we deep dive into how MyPulse is transforming financial intelligence for SMEs.
Mar 5
22 min
How do Indians actually buy US stocks? Ft. Nitish Sahani Founder & CEO- Paasa
In this episode, Nitish Sahni, Co-Founder of Paasa, breaks down the complete infrastructure behind global investing — from LRS remittances and bank integrations to Interactive Brokers custody, estate tax risks, and compliance layers.We also explore how global diversification is reshaping Indian portfolios, the macro impact of capital outflows, and what the future holds for cross-border investing.⏱ TIME STAMPS02:24 – The story behind the name Paasa03:15 – How a $1 investment actually travels overseas08:05 – Exchanges connected globally08:42 – Do you need an account with partner banks?09:51 – From bank debit to share custody confirmation11:54 – How global equities change the investor landscape17:59 – Estate tax rules for Indian investors19:35 – If 30% of Indians invest globally: macro impact22:10 – How this space evolves in the next few yearsThis is not theory. This is the real backend of cross-border investing explained in simple terms.If you're an investor, founder, fintech enthusiast, or someone curious about how platforms enable Indians to invest globally — this episode gives you clarity.If you’ve ever wondered how global investing actually works behind the scenes — this episode connects all the dots.
Feb 23
27 min
From SoFi to Y Combinator to Paasa: Nitish Sahni’s Journey of Building a Global Wealth Platform
n this episode of Founders Story, we sit down with Nitish Sahni, co-founder of Paasa—a YC-backed platform giving Indian investors seamless access to global assets and financial advisory.From SoFi’s data platforms in the US to Y Combinator in 2024, Nitish shares how his personal experiences with rupee depreciation and cross-border money movement led to the idea of Paasa.📌 Key themes covered:From Berkeley to SoFi: Lessons from BigTech and FintechWhy Indian HNIs lack access to global productsThe $1 trust problem in fintech onboardingGoing B2C in wealth: Breaking through regulatory and trust barriersEarly GTM learnings and customer acquisition playbooks🚀 If you’re building in fintech, working on compliance-heavy products, or just curious about what it's like to go from YC to launching in India—this story has it all.🎥 Watch now, and subscribe for more founder journeys from the frontlines of Indian fintech.#FoundersStory #Paasa #NitishSahni #YCFounder #FintechIndia #ShreyasJani #GlobalInvesting #WealthTech #YCombinator #SoFiAlumni #FintechPodcast
Feb 9
14 min
Demystifying Cross Border Investing:EQBAC's Platform, Partners & Process Ft. Satinder Aggarwal
In this deep-dive episode of Dhande Ki Baat, we sit down with Satinder Aggarwal, founder of EQBAC—a game-changing platform that's making it seamless for Indian investors to access global assets.From setting up international custodian accounts to enabling fractional investments in global equities, Satinder unpacks the infrastructure, regulations, and advisory model powering the next wave of cross-border investing.What’s Inside:👉 How global investing works for Indian retail investors👉 Regulatory hurdles and Gift City’s rising importance👉 The advisor-first model behind EQBAC👉 Infrastructure, KYC, and tech stack for seamless global access👉 Why fractionalization will shape the next phase of financial inclusion👉 A macro view: What happens if 30% of India starts investing overseas?Whether you're a retail investor, wealth advisor, or a fintech founder—this episode is loaded with insights you don’t want to miss.📌 Don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe for more such candid conversations.#fintechstartup #fintechindia #fintech
Jan 24
43 min
The Founder’s Playbook to Powering USD Investments into India FT. Satinder Aggarwal Founder EQBAC
What does it take to make cross-border investing effortless? In this Founder’s Story, Satinder Aggarwal, founder of EQBAC, reveals how he's building a frictionless USD-to-India investing highway—leveraging offshore funds, NRI flows, and Gift City’s potential.🚀 From quitting the corporate safety net to aggregating global mutual funds for NRIs and overseas investors, this candid conversation with Shreyas Jani dives deep into the “why” and “how” behind EQ Back’s mission.TIMESTAMPS:00:39 – Introduction of Satinder & EQBAC01:27 – Global Investments02:05 – Satinder's Journey04:33 – Previous Startup05:42 – From Yes Bank to Karvy to Founding EQBAC09:12 – Managing Life Without Cashflow as a Founder12:00 – Startup Ecosystem: Dubai vs India15:00 – Rise of Fintech in Dubai18:00 – The ‘Aha’ Moment: EQBAC is Working21:00 – Advice to Budding Entrepreneurs
Jan 6
24 min
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