Akshat Pathak

Specialist

Akshat Pathak is a Senior Manager in the Digital Financial Services domain of MSC India, focused in Payments and Distribution. He has over nine years of experience in the financial services sector spanning across public financial management, small and medium enterprises banking, digital financial services and alternate delivery channels, fintechs, and microfinance domains.

Akshat has worked on projects with multi-lateral development organizations, government and quasi-government institutions, central banks, banks, mobile money operators, payment system providers, agent network managers, and microfinance institutions in India, Kenya, Malaysia, Nepal, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Uganda, USA, Vietnam, and Zambia. His work includes strategy and product development; institutional assessments and risk analysis; socio-behavioral research and design; channel design; process re-engineering; institutional branding, marketing, and communications; pilot testing and roll-out support; and enterprise focused training.

Posts by Akshat Pathak

The evolution of payments in India—looking ahead

The previous blog discussed the state of India’s digital payments ecosystem. This blog looks at where and how it may evolve further.

The evolution of payments in India—the state of play

In recent years, India has moved to a leading position in digital payments and developed an ecosystem that enables the uptake and usage of digital payments. Many countries now seek to replicate India’s payments systems, particularly the Unified Payments Interface (UPI). This blog highlights the evolution of India’s payments landscape and looks into issues and ideas that contributed to this evolution. It briefly discusses the controversial waiver of the merchant discount rate (MDR) to increase the number of use cases in the person-to-merchant (P2M) category.

How digital payments drive financial inclusion in India: Abridged report

India’s digital payments landscape has transformed dramatically over the past five years. This report, published in collaboration with the National Payments Corporation of India, provides a detailed outlook on India’s journey of digital payments, factors affecting the adoption of digital payments among the LMI segment, and products that have revolutionized the space.

How digital payments drive financial inclusion in India

Digital payments in India have grown phenomenally in the past decade. This report highlights how digital payments in the country grew and charts the path ahead. We look at the journey of digital payments in India, major events and entities that contributed to it, and products that revolutionized the digital payments space. We also identify barriers to the digital payments sector and analyze the future of digital financial inclusion through payments for the low- and moderate-income segments in India.

Jumpstarting the savings journey for low- and moderate-income people in Vietnam

Saving after managing expenses remains a priority for low- and moderate-income (LMI) people in Vietnam who aspire to lead a better life, absorb income shocks, and strengthen financial resilience. However, formal savings remain a challenge, particularly in rural areas. MSC proposes a three-pronged approach to foster small savings for LMI people in Vietnam using technology, smart product design, and innovative distribution platforms. Read our blog to find out more.

Different yet similar—the behavioral biases of low- and moderate-income segments in Bangladesh and Vietnam

“We see the potential volume, but do we design profitable products for low-and moderate-income (LMI) people?” MSC faces this question repeatedly in discussions with our clients across Asia and Africa—including our partners in Bangladesh and Vietnam under the MetLife Foundation-funded i3 program. In the first blog, we raise the question on the key behavioral biases to keep in mind to create compelling, engaging, and profitable products for the low- and moderate-income segment. The second blog speaks of the similarities and differences in the LMI segment in Bangladesh and Vietnam. The blog also takes you through the lives and struggles of two personas—Morium from Bangladesh and Hoang from Vietnam.

Different yet similar — behavioral biases of low- and moderate-income people in Bangladesh and Vietnam

“We see the potential volume, but do we design profitable products for low-and moderate-income (LMI) people?” MSC faces this question repeatedly in discussions with our clients across Asia and Africa—including our partners in Bangladesh and Vietnam under the MetLife Foundation-funded i3 program. Through this two-blog series, we question key behavioral biases to consider while creating compelling, engaging, and profitable products for the low- and moderate-income segment. The first blog speaks of the macro-economy and demography of the Bangladesh and Vietnam markets. We also take you through the digital financial services progress in both countries and the steps governments take to expand digitally. The next blog in this series will look at the similarities and differences of the LMI segment in Bangladesh and Vietnam.

Impact of COVID-19 on FinTechs: Vietnam

Vietnam remains a nascent FinTech market, where payment solutions account for 98% of the share of FinTech funding in 2019. This report assesses the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the FinTech ecosystem of Vietnam. It also provides recommendations for relevant stakeholders to help affected FinTechs recover from the crisis.