In a recent report, the global fintech industry has shown robust annual revenue growth of 14% from 2021 to 2023, despite significant shifts in funding and valuations. India, in particular, has benefited greatly from investments in digital public infrastructure (DPI), which have spurred dramatic growth in digital payments and innovation. According to findings by the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and QED Investors, governments in countries like Brazil and India are reaping these benefits.
In the fiscal year 2024 alone, India's unified payments interface (UPI) processed 13.115 billion transactions, amounting to nearly Rs 200 trillion, a significant increase from the 8.376 billion transactions worth Rs 139 trillion in FY23. Fintech leaders have lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision for making India a leader in digital payments, highlighting the nation's innovative fintech landscape.
India currently hosts over 10,000 fintech companies across various sectors, showcasing a vibrant and dynamic industry. The BCG report underscores a notable shift in the industry's focus from "growth at all costs" to a model emphasizing profitable growth, with average margins improving by 9 percentage points. According to Deepak Goyal, BCG managing director and co-author of the report, profitability and compliance are now essential pillars of fintech success, crucial for sustained investment and operational scaling.
The global financial services industry, with an annual profit pool of $3.2 trillion on a revenue base of $14 trillion, remains ripe for innovation. Despite fintech revenue currently representing less than 3% of this total, the sector's future growth prospects are promising. Nigel Morris, Managing Partner at QED Investors, highlighted exponential advancements in Generative AI and the expanding market for embedded finance, forecasting continued industry growth.
Looking ahead, the report identifies four key trends that will shape the future of fintech: the rise of embedded finance into a $320 billion market by 2030, the imminent growth of connected commerce, the moderate impact of open banking on traditional banking models but substantial implications for advertising, and the transformative potential of Generative AI in enhancing productivity across sectors.