Akshat Pathak is an Associate Partner and Global Lead for Inclusive Financial Ecosystems (IFE) at MSC (MicroSave Consulting), with close to 17 years of experience across banking and consulting, specializing in the design and scaling of inclusive, resilient, and interoperable financial ecosystems. He has expertise spanning digital public infrastructure (DPI), digital financial services (payments, open finance), and last-mile delivery models.

He currently leads a multi-country portfolio across Asia, Africa, and the Pacific, working with governments, regulators, development partners, and private sector players to design and implement financial inclusion strategies, digital ecosystem roadmaps, and large-scale programs. He has built and scaled global practices, driven business growth and strategic partnerships, and delivered advisory services across policy, infrastructure, and market development.

He brings extensive experience in donor program design, institutional strategy, digital payments ecosystem development, agent and merchant network design, product and channel innovation, and consumer protection and data governance. He has led end-to-end program design and implementation, including ecosystem diagnostics, feasibility assessments, and go-to-market strategies for digital financial services and fintech solutions across Asia, Africa, and the Pacific.

He has earlier experience, including leading country programs and product innovation initiatives in Vietnam, supporting fintechs and financial institutions to design and scale digital credit, savings, insurance, and platform-based solutions, alongside multi-country research and donor-funded programs. He has also worked with UNCDF in Zambia on the Mobile Money for the Poor (MM4P) program, driving ecosystem development across policy, providers, and distribution networks.

He has previously managed a ~USD 1 billion portfolio at Axis Bank (India), supporting MSMEs and corporates across agri and allied sectors through structured lending and credit solutions, while contributing to product innovation and process improvements.