Financial technology, or fintech, as it’s popularly known, has taken the finance world by storm by introducing path breaking innovations and a very novel way of banking, the world over. And recently, fintech has become the next big thing in India too. Buzzing e-commerce and product deliveries at the doorstep have risen the demand for ‘one touch’ banking that only fintech can provide. India is truly moving towards becoming a ‘knowledge-driven’, reasoning oriented and digitally empowered nation.
What facilitates fintech is a set of technologies and business models that are responsible for its growth and sustenance. Among the technologies that power fintech, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and blockchain have played a very significant role. This article discusses as to how AI and blockchain have played a central role in the fintech revolution in India, based on the joint report by the consulting giant KPMG and IT services giant NASSCOM.
In India, “Go Digital” initiative, together with the ever-growing e-commerce market, has been a significant catalyst for the fintech revolution. As India is inching towards a less-cash economy, digital payments are estimated to increase by at least ten times. Studies indicate that prepaid payment instruments registered gigantic volume growth of over 162% in the 2016-17 fiscal year. With the digitization of banking, interoperability and universal wallets are hassle-free and seamless.
The Government of India has proposed a two per cent discount in GST for users who make digital payments. This is a strategic move that will automate workflows, ensure best accounting practices, tax compliance and a new approach towards digital inclusion. In the insurance sector too, there is an increased usage of advanced data techniques and analytics to identify risks and avert potential dangers.
Public and private sector banks are implementing Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning methods. Take, for example, Kotak Mahindra Bank and HDFC banks have introduced AI-powered chatbots for enhanced customer experience and efficient business operations, raising the productivity by leaps and bounds, as clearly shown by the profit margins of the various quarters. Added to that, robo advisors, the first of their kind provide comprehensive and accurate information to make the best possible decisions.
A lot of iterative processes can be avoided, and customer satisfaction is much higher because they are given the exact specifications that they are looking for, without much hassle. With AI, a lot of grey areas and ambiguity can be eliminated. These are some of the many wonders that AI is capable of! Of course, AI can solve problems with efficiency and speed that are beyond the purview of the human mind. Automation is the one thing banks and fintech companies are looking to achieve, and this is mostly backed by artificial intelligence and machine learning.
When everything went digital, a large group of people expressed concern over how they prefer human interaction. Well, AI has been able to fit that requirement to a large extent. There are many bots that are now ’emotionally capable’. One of the most significant advantages of using AI to power fintech has been the accuracy of fraud detection and pre-emptive policies based on predictive analytics. For example, based on behavioural patterns, bots can suggest users about their financial habits and suggestions for better handling of finances, all at the touch of a mobile screen. Even the most minute and seemingly insignificant data are analyzed by machine learning algorithms to form meaningful insights.
Another behemoth running the fintech revolution is the blockchain technology. Essentially, blockchain is a public ledger like a system that records transactions publicly and sequentially, for cryptocurrencies. Blockchain has been a robust system, making it much preferred for fintech. It is a formidable combination of public sharing and tight security. Aligning with fintech‘s vision, the blockchain technology empowers the user and makes for a friendly experience. With peer to peer money transactions becoming operational, blockchain has found a stable ground for itself.
The Indian government has recognized the role of blockchain technology in good governance. Andhra Pradesh has set up a Blockchain centre of excellence that has invited startups and experts to collaborate towards creating the first blockchain state in the country. Other states like Karnataka and Maharashtra are catching up fast with this trend. ‘India Chain’ of the NITI-Aayog is planning on implementing a fully enabled blockchain infrastructure to deal with e-governance, Aadhar, court cases, property records etc. On the educational front in India, several universities are providing fintech courses, replete with artificial intelligence and blockchain technologies and business models supporting the same.
Category: COE
Is Blockchain Worth Investing In? If So, How Do You Go About It?
Cryptocurrencies drew a lot of discussion and attention with falling prices, bans and legalese. Currently riding high is the Blockchain technology supporting it worth investing in.
Blockchain Technology
Simply put, the revolutionary Blockchain technology makes possible a precise digital system that accounts all transactions while storing every change in a “block.” A series of blocks form a “chain” and its name. Further, they are locally stored but updated instantaneously on all networked computers making the system recorded, secure and manipulation-free. A huge boon, especially when financial transactions are involved.
Very large names like Google, Apple, Microsoft, IBM, the banking, fintech, and financial sectors and startups like Sia Cloud are probing, using and relying on Blockchains and hence the share values of firms invested in it is bound to grow in leaps and bounds if it becomes the next successful unicorn in today’s digital and rapidly transforming markets.
Blockchain Shares and Where Is It worth Investing In
When cryptos are not for you then investing in the technology behind them, makes perfect sense and is the right way to go. Brokers and trading are synonymous, and the field is complex. There are also free brokers like ING-Diba and Comdirect who provide a good experience in trading.
Currently, the market in Blockchain shares has two groups from the investment perspective.
Low Capital Startups and Holding Companies
- TIO Networks provides cloud services to pay multiple channel invoices in the unbanked areas. Currently, they have three BU’s Telecom Solutions (service-provider area), Consumer Financial Solutions (B2C) and Biller and Agent Solutions (for process-payments).
- Bitcoin Group SE the holding company focuses on disruptive, innovative business models and technologies for the cryptos and Blockchain segments. They own Bitcoin Deutschland AG.
- The British Coinsilium Group is invested in fintech innovations and Blockchain-based technologies.
- Digitalx and Telefonica will collaboratively make the Blockchain-based money transfer app Airpocket for payment transfers.
Large Companies Using Blockchains in Cryptocurrency and Financial Technology
- Apple terms Zcash a legitimate crypto because it is anonymous, private and uses secure zero-knowledge Blockchain technology.
- IBM offers ‘Blockchain Clouds’ targeting high-speed transactions of 1000/second in businesses and trading markets.
- RWE and Innogy are also using sustainable Blockchains for their new venture.
There are many others like these which are worth researching and are using the technology for cybersecurity, the IoT, AI, cloud computing and such emerging areas. The most significant innovation would be when fintech courses are involved and include important areas like investing in internet values and potential of Blockchains conduct open discussions on cryptocurrencies investments and their future in our digital world of TODAY.
How the US Midterms Changed Fintech?
The ironic response of the US asking India to be more open and encourage international companies makes one wonder about the impact of the midterm elections in the US.
Let’s ruminate a bit on it.
The Midterms 2018
The US midterms-2018 has split the political struggles of the legislature between the Democrats and Republicans who insist on the deregulation for rules on processing payments and creating a focus on the protection of US consumers. It even brought in changes in the committee leadership creating a political-stalemate with a wafer-thin majority. While opposing sides claim to promote innovation and technological progress, their policies are in opposition to crucial issues affecting the fintech industry.
The Democratic stance is over-sighted and could harm market-based developmental pushes, while the Republican stance is isolated and not in the interests of international cooperation or an unregulated internet. It is a no-win situation with the Democratic control of the House giving congressional action proposals which face vetoes or stalling in the Senate.
Effects on Innovation
The financial technology based e-commerce and payments across borders developers using blockchains, clouds, and mobile apps will now think twice about the US first and excesses reining in policies. Though it was proposed by Steven Mnuchin the Treasury Secretary to offer fintech startups, identity-based technology, and sandboxes regulatory relief even temporarily as in the UK, the Democrats shut it down. The administration, however, ended the policy of internet neutrality vital to technology development and innovation.
The Trump administration’s stance on immigration curtails benefits to skilled tech workers which in turn will affect the global tech-markets and America’s competitiveness. Political pressures have also affected the data protection policy and impacted fintech companies as a result. In the political chasm is the open data rule.
Learning from the Midterms
Fintech courses would do well to study both Trumpism and Brexit and their core policy of isolationism favouring domestic-development. Western payments companies like Paypal, Stripe, Mastercard, Visa, Walmart, Amazon, and others are now in a state of flux and uncertainty. The vital markets of China and India now require local-presence to make or offer payments in them. India also requires local data storage which it terms a security measure while silently promoting Paytm a local mobile payments solution. The success of the UK’s sandbox concept is affected by the Brexit’s uncertainty. Meanwhile, Lithuania emerged as a fintech hub for the fleeing fintech companies.
The net result is that sanctions and an uncertain political environment become a hurdle to both technology and market development. The US stalemate is its own foe irrespective of any political party’s vision.
Financial Inclusion and Fintech Use in the Industry
In a bid to liberate the poor and marginalise, the Indian Government has rightly focused on creating jobs. The focus lights are on the fintech startups, the banking sector, digital payments and measures to encourage them in the hope of achieving financial stability and financial inclusion.
Importance of Fintech and Financial Technology
The winning combination of technology and finance working in harmony is now coined fintech and is crucial to all financial transactions by banks, e-commerce sites, NBFCs, payments providers, merchants, and service- providers. Every sector including banking, real estate, governmental measures and subsidies, telecom, insurance and everything in between depends on technology to crunch their numbers, maintain paperless records, KYC compliance, subscriber identification verification and a host of other supportive technological innovations.
Fintech holds immense developmental potential. It creates more jobs through its startups, sandboxes, incubators and newer companies that improve telephony, cloud services, data storage, big- data, and deep-learning capacities across the board. They, in reality, accelerate financial inclusion.
Fintech in Financial Inclusion
Fintech Start -ups have been able to revolutionise the technology backbone of the financial transactions impacting almost all sectors of our economy. Delivering better financial services to the disadvantaged and unbanked has over the last decade been able to take digitalization to the grass-root levels thereby improving financial inclusion.
The government has implemented on its part, many measures backed by fintech courses to improve the lot of the rural poor. Measures like promoting mobile telephony, e-KYC, the opening of basic zero balance savings accounts, encouraging rural banking, delivering of subsidies through Aadhar directly to beneficiaries, self-help-groups, and micro-financing, improving credit counseling centers, the Kisan Credit Card and many more. Using fintech, in little over a decade, the government has also successfully implemented its policies by bringing in internet banking, ATM machines, mobile banking, electronic instantaneous fund transfers, and many such innovative measures.
Notable among the measures for financial inclusion is:
- Aadhaar card
- The UPI and cashless transactions
- Smartphones and mobile telephony
- Zero-balance Jan-Dhan Yojana bank accounts
Suggested Policies By Fintech Courses
Cybersecurity, regulation of data protection and privacy, proper use of the Aadhar database are required and the need of the hour for financial transactions and digitization. Creditworthiness evaluation, e-KYC, online payments need to be strengthened to fulfill the urgent credit needs of all people rural or urban.
Initiating measures like sandboxes, incubators, and testers to encourage mastering the skills in Fintech is the right way to go, to a country that has no dearth of innovators or technical knowledge. India now needs to adapt and assimilate changes in technology by using strategically the full potential of the fintech advancements.
In conclusion, loopholes and gaps in policies need to be plugged for common good rather than personal vision.
The New Concern with Bitcoin
Bitcoin has seen massive growth over the past few years or so, mostly due to the ease with which it makes transactions possible. There is no middleman, and it helps eliminate the need for an extra payment for taxes while running a number of transactions.
The blockchain is the fundamental software that bitcoin works on and it is known to be stable and reliable. However, a lot of investors are starting to feel that the “perfection” surrounding bitcoin may not be as flowery. It’s always better to inform and equip yourself with the knowledge surrounding a new investment to be on the safer side.
Here are a few concerns that bitcoin can bring up:
Wallet Vulnerability:
Bitcoin wallets have a real vulnerability towards hack attacks as well as theft. A team of researchers from Edinburgh discovered weak spots in these online wallets that could be exploited. The encrypted wallets are still susceptible to external attacks, and it’s important to be wary of the same.
Scientists were able to intercept any communication between the wallet and PC, thus syphoning off information and even diverting money to different accounts.
Cyber-Attacks and Hacking:
Bitcoin is always at risk of being attacked by cybercriminals. There have been attacks prior, and the value has slumped. The fear of losing a heavy investment online and not knowing about it is also a major fear in the mind of many investors.
Hackers have been trying to get into Bitcoin exchange systems for years now, and in 2014, they ended up being successful after syphoning off close to 850,000 bitcoins. The value of the same today would be a gargantuan $7.2 billion.
Single Client Mining:
There are certain mining pools which have become strong enough that they can command their own mining ratios, which are significant. This stems from the continued use of the proof-of-work consensus mechanism.
A pool can also use computational power to mine blocks of bitcoins and then hide it from many honest miners. This is called block withholding, and it prevents a new block from being broadcasted throughout the network.
The pool also attempts to find more blocks and the others are left in the lurch. Greedy miners find a new block before other miners and then broadcasting the two blocks they have makes the forked chain extremely long. These miners will always be a step ahead of the others, taking the lion’s share of the rewards.
Spending Double:
While there have been reinforcements to help control double spending. There is still a fear that concerns the risk to bitcoin. It has become stronger against any co-ordinated double spends online.
There are still people who can constitute attacks to help them benefit from twice utilising the same coin in a transaction.
Take, for example, Tom sending Bob x bitcoins for a transaction. Tom also executes a similar transaction at the same time to a certain address that he controls with the same bitcoins, x. While Bob believes Tom has sent the money and doesn’t confirm the same, Tom’s address has been credited, and the transaction doesn’t go towards Bob’s name.
Conclusion:
Then the feature of irreversibility causes the transaction to become invalidated and pointless. Since bitcoin is also unregulated, there ends up being no recourse.
Thus, bitcoin has always been a major source of debate among many financial technology advisors. While the technology behind it is revolutionary, its own identity is still murky without a clear route on its future. If you’re looking to invest in bitcoin, it is highly suggested that you speak to an expert and get all your doubts cleared before moving forth and making any investment.
Get to know more about bitcoin through : https://imarticus.org/Professional-Certificate-Course-FinTech/
Andhra Pradesh Government’s Initiatives to Promote Fintech in Vizag
Known as the city of destiny, Vizag recently made its presence felt in the global fintech scene. We witnessed global financial technology start-ups like SOSA, DXC, and Cardlytics announcing their launch in the city. How was this possible? Let’s consider some of the enabling factors in this article.
Launch of Fintech Valley Vizag
In 2016, the government of Andhra Pradesh launched a project named Fintech Valley Vizag. Since then Vizag has developed a self-sustainable global fintech ecosystem in its premises. The Valley has outlined a series of initiatives in Vizag to gain global recognition. Few of them are detailed below:
- The Blockchain Business Conference 2017
Blockchain has proven to be the key to India’s digital future. The security woes of fintech organisations are expected to be resolved through blockchain technologies. In 2017, the Valley conducted an international business conference primarily addressing the topic of the blockchain. Vizag also hosted global leaders of the blockchain technology during this conference.
- The launch of BFSI case repository program
To operationalize the BFSI Use Case repository, the Valley launched a Hackathon and Innovation Challenge. This event was backed by many leading banks, insurance companies, NBFCs, and capital markets companies.
- Fintech Valley Accelerator Program
This program gave an opportunity to the selected startups of the valley to connect with the leading Fintech players around the world. This three months long program provides market access, technology resources, fundraising and legal guidance to the beginners.
Though these events boosted the image of Fintech ecosystem in Vizag, more key facilities were developed around the city prior to this.
Building the Fintech Ecosystem
The whole state of Andhra Pradesh was prepared to host the Fintech Valley of Vizag through the initiatives of the state government that include the following among others.
- All the Gram Panchayats of the state were provided with a high-speed internet connection and all the businesses were connected to a 1Gbit/s internet.
- Literacy in Digital Financing: A program named Marpu Nestam was launched in AP. Agents were deployed all over the state to educate people on digital financial literacy on an incentive scheme.
- Andhra Pradesh – Purse – The government launched a mobile app comprising 13 mobile banking and 10 other mobile wallets. It helped to promote E-transactions in the state.
- The dashboard of Chief Minister: The chief minister of the state was provided with a dashboard to effectively monitor the key performance indicators of government departments.
- E-Pragathi: Digitalisation of government projects were carried out to enable E-governance. These projects include education health and agriculture.
The Incentive Plans
Various incentive schemes were introduced for the companies to kick-off their launches with. For projects with land allotments, a discount rate of 80% and $700 per employee was offered while $1500 per employee was offered for the projects without land allotments. The electricity tariff also had an incentive of 20% discount.
In general, the state government of Andhra Pradesh is determined to make the Fintech Valley a global hub for Financial Technologies. With the current aggressive rate of promotion and success, we can expect that dream to come true in the near future.
Why Global Fintech Startups like DXC, Cardlytics and SOSA are Flocking to Vizag?
The financial capital of Andhra Pradesh, Vizag, has been in the spotlight of late. With news of global fintech (Financial Technology) start-ups flocking to the city, the city has been in the papers quite a bit. This is of course not an overnight phenomenon. Let’s consider the reasons why Vizag has now become the financial hub for fintech start-ups over the years. Here are some of the reasons why the city is a hotbed for finance companies to open a base there:
Where It All Began
In December 2016, the Andra Pradesh state government launched Fintech Valley Vizag, an initiative to promote the business structure of the state. The programme offered a global Fintech ecosystem to produce growth through industry-enablers, innovations, entrepreneurship and world-class infrastructure. From the very start of the operation, the programme had an ambitious plan to expand as a global Fintech hub.
Initiatives
The Fintech Valley Vizag rolled out numerous initiatives to develop a thriving Fintech ecosystem in the city. A few of them are listed below:
- The launch of BFSI case repository program: Collaborating with leading banks, insurance companies, capital marketing companies and NBFCs, the valley launched a Hackathon and Innovation Challenge to operationalize the use of case repository.
- Blockchain Business Conference 2017 – We know that blockchain is considered to be the solution for existing security woes of Fintech sector. Valley conducted a conference regarding this technology to pave a path for new business models by revolutionizing the current expensive systems.
- Fintech Valley Accelerator Program – This program was conducted to provide a chance to the start-ups of the valley to find success by connecting them with bigger players of the industry. It gave the selected startups an opportunity to access technology resources, mentoring on fundraising and legal guidance.
All these initiatives helped the valley to boost its image as a sustainable fintech ecosystem not just in India but on a global level.
Facilities
Under the Designated Technology Park Scheme, the Valley offers government-backed support facilities at subsidized rates. The Valley welcomes resident fintech courses, fintech start-ups, incubators, accelerators and innovation hubs to use the facility as a co-working space.
The infrastructure facilities of the valley include Millenium Towers with an area of 300,000 square feet, 40 acres for an IT park in Rushikonda and a 600-acre IT park that’s coming up at Kappulapada. The facilities of connectivity in the state are remarkable.
The Andhra Pradesh Fiber Grid Project is under construction which is aiming to bring optical fibre network to all part of the state. This project has been implemented at a cost of ₹333 Crore and it will make Andhra Pradesh the first Indian state to make all its citizens digitally active.
Recent Events
In October 2018, The Valley conducted a 5-day festival named Vizag Fintech Festival. The conference hosted various leading start-ups, corporates, investors and academia from around the world. The fest ended with such success that it was proof of the global recognition to the valley.
The first day of the fest witnessed the Andhra Pradesh government signing pacts with Whub of Hongkong, SOSA of Israel, Singex and Bizforce among others. The launch of Vizag operations of Cadlytics, DXC and First American Corporation was announced later during the fest.
It is clear that the government is making huge efforts to make Vizag a global hub for Financial Technologies. With the current rate of success, we can expect Vizag to turn out as a one in the upcoming years.
Challenges Fintech Companies Face While Expanding to Rural India
Fintech companies move ahead with creative innovations in both the field of finances and technology. In India, Fintech does have a successful turnover in the Indian market which concern financial transaction between masses through various media. Citing examples of Fintech in daily lives of Indians, one may note the usage of payment apps like Paytm, PhonePe or Google Tez app which have progressively changed the process of monetary transactions for various purposes.
Such apps are especially popular for peer-to-peer (PtoP) transactions i.e. digital money exchanges at the local level. In fact, these Fintech start-ups have been on the increase in the subcontinent giving multiple options to a larger section of the community without the documentary hassles which had often been associated with the banks. One can thus say that Fintech is a booming process in India be it the upper class or the much larger population of rural India.
Nonetheless, one can easily accept that as opportunities grow for these Fintech courses, new challenges also crop up. The online money transfer feature was a huge success for the initial start-ups in the field especially during the period of Demonetisation when larger currencies were banned. Eventually, a lot of start-ups have opened up providing the same feature increasing the competition in the market. Only those can stay put in the market that have a robust foundational framework and have been kept intact with a strong experienced team.
A firm foundation depends on apt funding which can be a problem in India due to the cap on foreign investment. It is a well regarded fact that most Fintech players can only stay intact in the long run if they work on collaborating with the bigger well-established banks in India and the top few players can hit the home run on that front.
One of the major obstacles faced by these Fintech organizations is the lack of proper regulations since the Reserve Bank of India and the Exchange Board of India are yet to work on a comprehensive, exclusive set of guidelines for them. Moreover, the organizations must have a firm outlook while developing strategies making them reliable to the banking firms. Key technologies like cryptocurrency have not been given due credit in India.
At this point that Fintech is all about fresh new innovations at the right time since the digital market is a volatile playground. India’s record on that part is yet to reach a world class level. The market is specifically dynamic sensitive to small changes in prices and the evanescent base of customer loyalty. Cryptocurrency is a primary keyword of Fintech incorporating concepts like blockchains and liquid money to enhance the digital market.
Cryptocurrency with AI technology like Robotics Automation Process (RPA) can have great potential. RPA has in fact been actualized by organizations like Wipro and Accenture. Insurance companies have maximum usage of RPA followed by banking and financial services. A cost-effective solution is still being tested to explore the possibilities of this rather new tool.
Talking about the audience, there is a significant gradient scope in the level of digital awareness of masses. While there is an increasing base of tech-savvy people, there is also a large section deprived of basic literacy. Thus, in spite of a huge population, these organizations fail to reach the masses and even those who desperately need it. The sellers therefore need themselves to be aware of the fact that there’s a large portion of the crowd that needs awareness. While developments are being made, it will still take a considerable amount of time to cover this gap of knowledge.
Finally, one comes to the discussion of the anxieties of data security which is a constant threat to any Fintech industry. Personal financial data of individuals are very sensitive which can never be under-valued. A strong force of security should be the topmost priority in a country of massive population.
Cyber security rules in India are still under development and several cases keep coming up of hackers and their threats. Sellers should be extremely cautious from the beginning since any vulnerability displayed may cause a massive rupture in reputation and future prospects.
The Government and finance controls play indispensable roles for these Fintech firms. Newly developing products go on to increase complexities before the resolution of the previous problem and as such, a stack of issues crop up which leads to the ultimate downfall. While Indian firms are working on these issues but the audience adaptations is a crucial area to explore.
Fintech in the Real Estate Ecosystem
The Need for Disruption in The Real Estate Sector
All industries face disruptive forces. With engineering and construction being an essential contributor to global GDP and forecasted to more than double by 2020, the time for change is now. The factors affecting the real estate sector are many and make the chances of disruptive challenges very high.
The delivery, planning, and management require vision and strategy. The real estate sector companies need that their leaders can anticipate the future in a better way and make efforts to consciously adapt to new ideas depending on the ability to drive and shape future demands proactively.
Benefits and Applications Of Fintech In Real Estate
The three forms of technologies below are particularly pertinent and pervasive.
Blockchain: Facilitating Real Estate Transactions
Buyers and sellers of real estate can now see their transactions with two advantages namely transparency and security. Every purchase has more visibility, and a permanent record between parties is created without the intervention of any central regulator. The process has no chances of failure, is more secure when it involves financial transactions, and extremely useful for real estate transactions.
Augmented Reality: Viewing And Customisation
Purchasing property or renting is a time-consuming process. These applications help to increase interaction and visualisation. Both landlords and tenants save time as they do not have to be present physically and can visualise the record at the click of a button.
Artificial Intelligence: Extracting Insights From Data
Large volumes of data relating to transactions and property features can be used to determine the current and future value of a property. Another potentially useful application is that of recommendatory systems.
All the above impact the way the real estate sector can benefit from technological upgradation and reform.
Recently Funded Fintech + Real Estate Organisations
Of the many emerging startups and those who have made it like Property Tiger, the ones who were recently funded are discussed below.
99acres- The website features property listings from more than 25 Indian cities bringing together and connecting interested customers.
Housing.com- reinvented the way people in India hunt for rentals and buys or sells properties. The startup used infused technology and innovation into the business with its verified listings, maps and location descriptions, search widgets, and more.
Common Floor- simplifies property decisions to a single-stop for all real-estate solutions. Extensive search options, reviews on locality and property, verified listings and innovative management tools make it a potentially influential player in the business.
The financial benefit available as a result of successful transformation makes a good case for closing the productivity and digital gap to thrive. The relentless wave of innovation in the past decade will sweep over the real-estate sector which is ripe for disruption. Whether this impact is positive or negative depends largely on how the real estate sector will use them. These technologies though may never replace human judgment, touch, and ability to react to dynamic changes, which are all critical to the decision-making process.
References:
https://www.ey.com/gl/en/industries/real-estate/ey-real-estate-disruption-opportunities-in-a-changing-world
https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/hub-projects/property-2018-march-issue/proptech-the-emerging-disruption-in-real-estate
//economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/59685431.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst
Seven Handy Tips for Fintech
Fintech is the next big thing in the financial technology industry. It is the so-called digital revolution that will redefine the way the financial sector works. Although the best fintech courses in India is in the developing phase, it is not an unknown concept. With the passage of time, it will be easier to adopt financial technology in India.
Fintech start-ups are emerging in India, but they must be aware of the challenges which are being faced by the existing players of the industry. So here are the seven handy tips which will be useful for the industry in the future. As the financial sector is supposedly considered a shark tank, it does not let weak start-ups to stay for long. Hopefully, these tips will equip start-ups to deal with challenges of this industry.
Know the regulatory environment
First and foremost it is essential to note the regulatory environment of any industry before setting up the business. Since financial technology is relatively new, it is possible that some aspects of it might not be addressed under regulations. Knowing the complete rules and regulations is also essential while deciding upon the types of product. It could be very much possible that certain products might end up being prohibited from a regulatory point of view and need to be revoked later. Also setting up the anti-money laundering policies and know your customer guidelines is also very imperative.
Analysis of market
A business idea is fundamental for any start-up. An idea which can look good on paper might end up in reality. The best way is to analyse the market beforehand and know the target audience. Apart from that, it is also important to note the competition as well as the products which are already doing well in the market.
Funding must be secure
The issue of funding exists with almost every start-up. Attracting the right type of partners which can help you deal with capital issues at the start of business is very important. Such investors must know about your idea and should be excited to see it in action.
The product being offered
This is also a critical aspect of the financial technology start-up. As fintech is a relatively new concept, one must be well aware of the kind of product it is offering to succeed in the market. Market research can help in this regard, before launching the business. Careful assessment of product must be done so that it covers a particular market niche.
Market yourself effectively
This is the fundamental aspect for any start-up. Establishing an active presence in the market will make your customers about the company and its products. This will help customers especially to know what is being offered to them and how it will be beneficial for them in long-term. It is equally important to add all the relevant information about your company on the website so that it will be easier for customers to know you.
Since fintech is a new concept, it should be adequately explained so that customers know exactly what services they should be expecting.
A good example would be of blockchain technology. Many people are still not aware of what it is all about. So adding the relevant sections on the website and through social media marketing, knowledge can be imparted to customers.
Apply for licenses and complete registrations
Before the business starts to get involved in customer dealing and other matters, it is advisable to complete this process of applying for registrations and obtaining licenses. So it is better to register for taxation purposes, company registration and listing. This is basic for almost every company but fintech companies are subjected to more regulations which have to be completed.
Have a good team ready
The team can be a detrimental factor for the success or failure. This is very relevant for technology based startups especially. Thus, you need to have competent and knowledgeable team members who understand your vision, and are willing to work hard to make it a success.