The fifth episode of Crafting Bharat Season 3, presented by AWS Startups and produced by NewsReach in partnership with HT Smartcast, features Akshay Mehrotra, Managing Director and Group CEO of Fibe. The episode delves into how Fibe is reshaping India's credit ecosystem by leveraging artificial intelligence, machine learning, and deep consumer insights to make credit invisible, instantaneous, and purpose-driven.
India's credit landscape is undergoing a significant transformation, shifting towards a digital and consumer-driven ecosystem. Retail credit is growing rapidly, fueled by fintech innovation, AI-led underwriting, and rising consumption. Personal loans and buy-now-pay-later products are gaining momentum, while non-banking financial companies and private credit funds are bridging gaps left by traditional banks.
About the Series
Crafting Bharat Season 3 explores the resilience, agility, and passion of founders building super startups, aiming to inspire the next wave of entrepreneurs. The series is hosted by Gautam Srinivasan, a renowned television and digital program host who currently serves as consulting editor at CNBC India, CNN-News18, Forbes India, and The Economic Times.
Key Insights from Akshay Mehrotra
Leaving a High-Profile Job
When asked about leaving a high-profile job in his mid-30s, Mehrotra admitted he wasn't very nervous. He explained that confidence came naturally from nearly two decades of experience working with his co-founder Ashish across various roles and organizations. This experience gave them clarity and trust in their approach, enabling them to solve complex problems, think at scale, and build effective teams.
Confidence in the Business Model
Mehrotra highlighted that early traction gave them confidence. Within days of launching in February 2016, they saw hundreds of users, and within months, demand outpaced their ability to lend. Notably, users were borrowing repeatedly to solve ongoing cash flow needs, which pushed the team to deeply understand why consumers needed money and how they used it.
Evolution of Risk Management
Mehrotra explained how Fibe's approach to risk evolved from a functional role to a full-scale fintech lending platform. The company built its risk framework around three pillars: continuous risk management with monthly reassessments, purpose-driven lending that minimizes unnecessary costs, and viewing risk as a growth partnership that supports customers' life progressions, such as healthcare, education, or skill development.
Delegation and Team Building
On delegation, Mehrotra acknowledged it is one of the hardest transitions for founders. He emphasized that true scale comes from letting others do things even better. Fibe focused on hiring the right people and building strong leadership at every level, empowering managers to become leaders. Additionally, leveraging systems and data allowed the team to track performance without being involved in every detail.
Quote
Mehrotra stated, 'Credit should feel invisible and intuitive, showing up exactly when needed, without friction, delays, or complexity.'
Stay tuned to Crafting Bharat Season 3 for more inspiring entrepreneurs in insightful and candid discussions with Gautam Srinivasan.
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