FinTech 2.0: RBIH CEO Calls for Empathetic Design Over EMIs
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Key Highlights
RBIH CEO Sahil Kini urges India’s FinTech 2.0 to embrace empathetic design, moving beyond EMIs to tailor credit for irregular incomes and boost financial inclusion.
RBIH Pushes FinTech Beyond EMIs
Sahil Kini, CEO of the Reserve Bank Innovation Hub (RBIH), is pushing India’s FinTech 2.0 to move past traditional EMI-led products. He advocates for empathetic financial design, crucial for the nation’s diverse income patterns.
Redesigning Credit for India’s Reality
Speaking at the ETBFSI Finnext Summit 2026, Kini highlighted several critical areas for this evolution:
- Cash-flow-led product design: Tailoring credit to actual income flows.
- Trusted data access: Utilizing reliable data for better underwriting.
- Regulated partnerships: Fostering collaborations within a clear regulatory framework.
- Responsible scaling: Ensuring growth is sustainable and ethical.
Many Indians face irregular income, rendering conventional EMI structures unsuitable. The industry must redesign credit products to align with borrowers’ economic realities.
RBIH’s Role & Future Vision
RBIH is actively facilitating this shift by:
- Collaborating with regulated entities for product experimentation.
- Making authenticated government datasets accessible to improve underwriting.
Kini also views fintech closures as a natural part of a maturing ecosystem, emphasizing capital discipline and resilience. He encourages fintechs to aspire to become regulated entities for enhanced credibility and systemic relevance.