FinTech Yatra arrives in Vizag

Visakhapatnam: The Fintech Yatra, a 7,000-km long epic road journey that aims to identify, understand and catalyse start-ups in the Fintech ecosystem of India, taken up by Abhishant, founder of Fintech Yatra, arrived here on Tuesday.

Abhishant, earlier worked with VISA in Vizag Digital Dhan Sankalp programme, and took up the Fintech Yatra to understand the stages at which Vizag Fintechs are providing solutions, the challenges that they have been facing and identification of potential opportunities for collaboration with yatra partners. 

The Fintech Yatra was started in Mumbai and covered start-up hubs like Pune, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Cochin, Chennai. Fintech Valley Vizag and GITAM University jointly hosting The Fintech Yatra. Fintech Valley Vizag and GITAM University. Abhishant  interacted with the students of AGITAM Fintech Academy, Gayatri Vidya Parishad and Noble Institute of Science and Technology and other institutions in the city.

Welcoming the Fintech Yatra, Special Chief Secretary and IT Adviser to the government JA Chowdary said that future depends on artificial intelligence and robots also would come in the financial transaction, including at banks.

“Transition from conventional banking to digital banking is vital in this era of digitisation. Expertise on Cyber security and Blockchain is core of banking technology today. This enables more opportunities for startups in Fintech space. Hence, Fintech Valley Vizag is organising a One-Million-dollar Challenge in various Fintech destinations across the world as part of the Vizag Fintech Festival which is to be held in October 2018 at Vizag,” JA Chowdary said.

While sharing his experiences in the journey, Abhishant said that age is not a barrier for innovative ideas and start-ups are not limited to geography in this digitally connected world. Abhishant encouraged students to come up with innovative ideas and participate in Fintech4student challenge. Selected ideas in Fintech4student challenge get prototype opportunity with NPCI and testing opportunity with Airtel.

Dharmendra Sunkara, CEO - Fintech, Andhra Pradesh, spoke about the second phase of Vizag Digital Dhan Sankalp programme. He discussed about blockchain start-ups in the Fintech Valley that are working in healthcare and education sectors.

Pro-Vice Chancellor of GITAM University Prof K Sivaramakrishna and Coordinator of Fintech GITAM Leben Joghnson also spoke. Later, an interactive session in which students enquired about opportunities in Blockchain, AI, Fintech and Cryptocurrency.