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India’s cash conundrum: how ready is India to go cashless?
When the Indian government invalidated high-value banknotes on the night of 8 November, taking out 86% of the currency in circulation by value, it was supposed to be a war on unaccounted-for and untaxed wealth, counterfeit notes and terror financing.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- South Asia
- Tags
- fintech, mobile finance
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VISA, Atlas Mara in Major Payments Deal
Global payments firm Visa and Atlas Mara Limited that bought two of some of Rwanda’s biggest banks, have signed a commercial partnership to introduce new payment solutions and expand access to electronic payments within the Sub-Saharan Africa region.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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How small borrowers in six Indian villages went digital
In a first-of-its-kind initiative in micro-finance post-demonetisation, 60,000 small borrowers from six small villages in Odisha are leading the way towards cashless transactions. This was made possible thanks to a pilot done by Bharat Financial Inclusion (formerly SKS Microfinance) for cashless and paperless disbursals.
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- Technology
- Region
- South Asia
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The Fourth Industrial Revolution: How Big Data and Machine Learning Can Boost Inclusive Fintech
It's easier and cheaper to generate data than ever before, and the tools to turn data into insights are growing exponentially. So much so, according to Matt Grasser of BFA, that any organization dealing with data that does not apply machine learning will be left behind. He explores the experiences of Destacame.cl, a fintech startup, in using machine learning to help identify good and bad payers based on a score.
- Categories
- Finance, Technology
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MoneyGram Agrees to Merge with Ant Financial
MoneyGram (NASDAQ: MGI), a global provider of innovative money transfer services, and Ant Financial Services Group, one of the world’s leading digital financial services providers and parent company of Alipay, a global mobile payment platform, today announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement under which MoneyGram will merge with Ant Financial, with stockholders of MoneyGram being offered $13.25 per share in cash. The transaction will connect MoneyGram’s money transfer network of 2.4 billion bank and mobile accounts and 350,000 physical locations with Ant Financial’s users, who enjoy a broad suite of technology-based financial services, including payments, credit and insurance products. The combination will provide consumers in over 200 countries and territories with convenient and accessible financial services, which furthers Ant Financial’s mission to promote equal access to financial services globally.
- Categories
- Technology
- Tags
- digital payments, fintech
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Government departments lap up digital payment solutions in India
Online payment service providers and mobile wallet companies have recorded a huge surge in queries and sign-ups from various governmental departments across sectors such as education, health and power, in the last two months. The tie-ups come at a time when these departments have been instructed to carry a majority of their transactions through digital modes to eliminate corruption and reduce the dependence on cash.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- South Asia
- Tags
- fintech
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Paytm Is Accelerating Its Banking Push in India
Indian mobile wallet firm Paytm plans to launch its banking operations within two months, according to Bloomberg.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- South Asia
- Tags
- fintech
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Safaricom Extends Lead on Mobile Money Transfers
Safaricom has expanded the value of mobile money transfers under its M-pesa platform by 4.45, latest industry data shows, as the company continues to lead in the mobile money market.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- Tags
- digital payments, fintech
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