An executive summary on the fintech landscape

Over the past decade, fintech has seen rapid growth, transforming how businesses manage money with digital wallets, UPI, instant transfers, and online lending. This is reinforced by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), where they recognised India as the global leader in fast payments. Yet, despite this progress, most solutions remain siloed, addressing narrow use cases instead of a business’s end-to-end needs.

Payment acceptance, disbursements, lending, and financial management often operate in isolation, forcing businesses to act as system integrators. This fragmentation creates operational complexity and cost. At Zoho, we see this as an opportunity to deliver a holistic platform experience where financial operations are connected, intelligent, and embedded in daily workflows. This is not just a convenience, but the future of business finance.

Building future-proof solutions, the Zoho way

This is not the first time we’re witnessing fragmented systems. For decades, the SaaS market was fragmented, with companies building specialized tools for accounting, CRM, and payroll in isolated silos. We learned a crucial lesson: technology must simplify, not complicate. Our approach has always been to solve whole business problems end-to-end rather than creating isolated solutions. This is the philosophy that built our integrated suite of products across finance, sales, marketing, and HR. That same conviction now shapes our journey in fintech.

The digital pathway for accelerated growth

Last year at the Global Fintech Festival (GFF), we introduced Zoho Payments alongside Bharat Connect for Business, enabling businesses to not only accept payments but also seamlessly exchange B2B transactions.
This year, we are advancing on our convictions with powerful new capabilities and solutions. We are launching Point-of-Sale (POS) devices that bring our simplicity and deep integration to offline payments. For disbursements, we are rolling out solutions for seamless salary and vendor payments.

We are also introducing virtual account–based collections, recurring payments, marketplace settlements, faster settlements, and, in collaboration with NBBL, a broader ecosystem solution. Together, these launches mark our evolution from solving narrow use cases to building a comprehensive financial ecosystem that empowers businesses at every stage.

Beyond payments - Unifying Banking, Business Finance, and Fintech

Payments is only the beginning. They are the gateway to a larger financial ecosystem where businesses must also manage cash flow, access lending, and invest surplus funds. Separate solutions for each of these functions create silos. On the other hand, there’s business critical finance operations. Our ultimate vision is to bring banking, business finance software, and fintech together into a single, intelligent ecosystem. By embedding accounting, billing, expenses, payroll, and vendor management into one platform, we eliminate silos and provide a 360-degree view of finances.

The result is smarter decisions, faster growth, and workflows that enable rather than burden.

Tailwinds powering the future of fintech

Several macro trends are accelerating this journey. AI and automation are transforming financial operations—automating reconciliation, optimizing transaction flows, and proactively detecting fraud—reducing friction and enabling faster, smarter decision-making. Simultaneously, government initiatives such as interoperable payment networks, digital identity systems, and programs promoting digital transactions are building the infrastructure for holistic fintech solutions. Complementing these efforts is strong regulatory support, with clear guidelines that foster innovation while safeguarding trust. Together, these tailwinds create an environment where platforms like Zoho Payments can deliver transformative experiences.

Fintech as a force multiplier

Revenue generation is the core of any business, and payments are central to that process. Too often, payments are seen as a cost or burden. At Zoho, we see them differently: payments are an enabler—a foundation upon which businesses can build, scale, and innovate. What excites us the most is the ability to work on a revolutionary opportunity like this, by reimagining financial operations as an interconnected ecosystem, where enable enterprises and SMEs alike to focus on growth, confident that their financial infrastructure is smart, seamless, and future-ready.