The launch event was graced by distinguished leaders including Shri Amitabh Kant (India’s G20 Sherpa), Shri NS Viswanathan (former Deputy Governor, RBI and Non-Executive Chairman, Axis Bank), and Shri Sanjiv Singh (Joint Secretary, DPIIT). Shri Kant unveiled the India Fintech Foundation logo, officially inaugurating the Foundation. The chief guests emphasised the need for inclusive fintech growth anchored in effective industry-led self-regulation
New Delhi, April 4, 2025 – The India Fintech Foundation (IFF), also known as the SRO-Fintech Development Foundation (SROFT-DF), is proud to announce its formal launch as the proposed self-regulatory organization (SRO) for India’s vibrant fintech sector. The inauguration, held at The Startup Mahakumbh, marks a pivotal step in our mission to foster responsible innovation, set industry benchmarks, and build a unified, credible voice for the fintech ecosystem.
We are honoured to have Shri Viswanathan serve as Chairman of the India Fintech Foundation Board, guiding our long-term vision for effective, industry-led self-regulation.
“Innovation is the lifeblood of fintech, and as we innovate, we must do so responsibly. The pivotal mechanism to foster ethical and responsible growth in fintech is the establishment of self-regulatory organizations. They play a crucial role in setting industry standards, enforcing compliance, and acting as a bridge between regulators and fintech companies,” said Shri Amitabh Kant at the launch
“If innovation is not responsible, it could result in accidents. Therefore, it’s important that whatever innovation is taking place becomes responsible and SRO play a very important role in that,” said Shri NS Viswanathan, Chairman, India Fintech Foundation.
We are also pleased to welcome Sai Sudha Chandrasekaran as our CEO. As a former entrepreneur, she brings deep expertise in handling ministerial roundtables, inter-governmental committees, and policy advocacy engagements supporting India’s FDI ecosystem.
IFF’s leadership reflects the diversity and dynamism of Indian fintech. Our Board includes founders and senior leaders from across the ecosystem-Jitendra Gupta (Jupiter), Sujith Narayanan (Fi Money), Harshvardhan Lunia (LendingKart), Anurag Sinha (OneCard), Srikanth Rajagopalan (Perfios Account Aggregation Services),Chiranth Patil(Riskcovry)-alongside former senior officials from RBI, SIDBI, SBI, and CERSAI.
At India Fintech Foundation, we recognize that the future of Indian fintech depends on inclusive growth anchored in robust governance. Our Foundation is committed to bridging the regulatory gap by enabling innovation while ensuring responsible conduct and consumer protection. During the launch Ms. Sai Sudha commented that, India Fintech Foundation is focused on five key goals: to reduce the burden on the state and industry players by establishing
- Standardization
- Ecosystem Building
- Fostering Innovation
- Consumer Protection
- Industry Voice
Currently, India Fintech Foundation brings together nearly 100 members from all major fintech sub-sectors. Jitendra Gupta, a founding member of IFF, is also a representing member of the fintech sector on the Inter-Ministerial-Industry Committee on Fintech (IMICF) set up by the Government of India and led by the Secretary, Department of Financial Services. Other members include representatives from MeitY, DPIIT, NITI Aayog, and three other industry leaders.
The India Fintech Foundation will serve as the nodal body catering to the entire fintech ecosystem, spanning digital payments, lending, wealthtech, insurtech, regtech, account aggregation, embedded finance, and emerging areas such as DeFi, CBDC, and Web3. It will focus on providing regulatory clarity, promoting best practices, and fostering constructive dialogue between industry and policymakers.
The launch event featured a thought-provoking panel, ‘Atma Nirbhar Regulations – Creating a Self-Regulatory Architecture for Fintech in India’, moderated by Sai Sudha Chandrasekaran where the panel includes Siddharth Pai (Founding Partner, 3one4 Capital), Srikanth Rajagopalan (CEO, Perfios AA), and Mohit Mehra (VP – Primary Markets, Zerodha), discussed pathways to responsible innovation, global best practices, and collaborative regulation.
As we move forward, India Fintech Foundation is working towards formal recognition by the Reserve Bank of India as an SRO. Our goal is to provide regulatory clarity, promote best practices, and enable constructive, ongoing dialogue between industry and policymakers-ensuring that India’s fintech sector remains a global leader in both innovation and governance.
About India Fintech Foundation (IFF):
India Fintech Foundation /SROFT-DF is a proposed self-regulatory organization dedicated to supporting the responsible growth of India’s rapidly evolving fintech sector. With a growing membership across digital lending, payments, wealthtech, insurtech, regtech, account aggregation, and emerging technologies, it is committed to fostering innovation, compliance, standardization, and consumer protection. Backed by leading founders, investors, and policymakers, we serve as a unified platform to drive regulatory clarity, best practices, and industry-government dialogue for the fintech ecosystem.
Contributed by Adhwaith, India Fintech Foundation
