May 16, 2025

The Indian fintech ecosystem is evolving fast — and these leaders are at the forefront of change, driving financial inclusion, innovation, and digital-first solutions. From cross-border payments to credit access and digital wealth, these trailblazers are pushing boundaries in their respective niches. Fintech startups have truly reshaped how business is done in underserved markets. By turning these promises into tangible solutions, they’ve opened up a world of opportunities for small and medium enterprises to grow and thrive. 1. Upasana Taku – Co-founder & COO, MobiKwik A true fintech veteran, Upasana Taku has built MobiKwik into one of India’s leading digital financial platforms, offering everything from payments to BNPL and credit. Her focus on financial inclusion continues to drive innovation for underserved users. She has been recognized as the first woman to lead a payments startup, featured in Forbes Asia’s Power Businesswomen list (2019), and ranked 12th in the Kotak Wealth Hurun 2020 list of India’s richest self-made women. 2. Prachi Dharani – Co-founder & CEO, PayGlocal Prachi Dharani is redefining how Indian businesses accept payments from global customers. As co-founder and CEO of PayGlocal, she’s tackling one of fintech’s toughest challenges: making cross-border payments seamless, secure, and locally adaptable. Under her leadership, PayGlocal is helping Indian merchants access international revenue while maintaining trust, reducing fraud, and navigating compliance with ease. The company’s advanced security systems have already prevented fraud attempts worth over INR 1 billion. 3. Nitya Sharma – Co-founder & CEO, Simpl Nitya Sharma has played a crucial role in making credit accessible at checkout for millions of consumers. Simpl’s “pay later” model allows users to transact with trust and ease, removing friction from digital commerce. His expertise in financial services informs their approach to building innovative checkout solutions and enhancing the post-purchase experience for users. 4. Anurag Sinha – Co-founder & CEO, OneCard (FPL Technologies) Anurag Sinha is transforming India’s credit card market with OneCard — a mobile-first, no-fee credit card designed for young, tech-savvy users. The focus on transparency and control is reshaping user expectations around credit. With a strong emphasis on digital onboarding and smart credit management, OneCard is appealing to India’s emerging middle class. Under Anurag’s leadership, the platform has rapidly expanded its footprint while staying focused on user-centric innovation. 5. Akshay Mehrotra – Co-founder & CEO, Fibe (formerly EarlySalary) Akshay Mehrotra is redefining short-term credit access in India through Fibe, a digital lending platform offering instant personal loans and salary advances to underserved, credit-thin consumers. By leveraging AI and alternative data, Fibe enables fast, responsible lending for young professionals and first-time borrowers, making it a key player in India’s financial inclusion journey.