Eight Roads’ Post

Global Fintech Fest 2025 was a powerful reminder of how far India’s fintech ecosystem has come and where it’s headed next. At Eight Roads Ventures, we believe India’s fintech story is now entering a new chapter — one that blends innovation and ambition with accountability and trust. Building on that, here are insights that defined this year’s discussions at #GFF2025   💡 𝗔𝗜 + 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 = 𝗡𝗲𝘅𝘁-𝗚𝗲𝗻 𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗿𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 AI has moved from buzzword to backbone - powering credit, compliance, and customer engagement. The real opportunity now lies in embedding intelligence across the stack. Fintechs that treat AI as core infrastructure will build defensibility through data loops, faster iteration, and precision at scale.   🌍 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 – 𝗟𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁, 𝗚𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 The launch of Foreign Currency Settlement System (FCSS) at GIFT City and Multi-Party UPI Authorisation demonstrate India’s ability to design infrastructure that’s inclusive, connected, and ready for global scale.   ⚖️ 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵 𝗖𝘂𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆 Trust is built slowly and lost fast. “Safety by design” must be the default, as governance, resilience, and compliance become the real drivers of scale and innovation.   🏦 𝗘𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝘀 𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗦𝗶𝗹𝗼𝘀 Payments, lending, insurance, and wealth are rapidly converging -- signalling a shift towards integrated financial ecosystems. Co-lending, embedded finance, and BaaS are at the forefront of this collaboration.   🌱 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗣𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲 Green finance, MSME inclusion, and gig-worker empowerment took centre stage -- proving that innovation and inclusion can grow together.   Set against the backdrop of Mumbai's fintech momentum, we co-hosted our annual Fintech Mixer with 3one4 Capital. A vibrant evening that welcomed founders, investors, and industry leaders to engage in meaningful conversations. From chance introductions to emerging partnerships, the room captured the dynamism and ambition driving India’s fintech ecosystem forward.   As the conversations at #GFF close, a distinct message remains: India’s fintech story stands out as one of confidence and momentum. With innovation deepening across payments, lending, and digital infrastructure, the country is shaping a financial future that’s more connected, inclusive, and trusted than ever before.   We’re excited to keep backing visionary founders who are building the infrastructure, intelligence, and inclusion layers shaping the next decade of financial services and beyond. Shweta Bhatia, Maneesh Menon, Sagar Sheth, Diwakar Anand Nruthya Madappa, Richard Pinto   #GFF2025 #Fintech #AI #Investing #EightRoads #FintechInfra #DigitalInnovation #FinancialInclusion