AI, Cybersecurity and UPI Take Centre Stage at World Fintech Summit 2026

The second edition of the World Fintech Summit 2026 concluded in Bengaluru this week, bringing together policymakers, fintech founders, banking executives, regulators, and technology companies to discuss the future of India’s digital financial ecosystem.

The two-day event focused on areas including digital payments, artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, financial inclusion, digital identity, and emerging technologies in banking and financial services. The summit saw participation from over 100 fintech leaders, banking executives, startup founders, chief information officers (CIOs), chief technology officers (CTOs), and policymakers.

Speaking during the event, Kris Gopalakrishnan, Co-Founder, Infosys, highlighted Karnataka’s role in supporting fintech and technology-led innovation. “The Government of Karnataka has been a strong supporter of the fintech ecosystem through strategic and forward-thinking policies. Initiatives such as the Elevate program, Centres of Excellence, the Aerospace Cluster, and Airport City reflect a clear vision for growth beyond Bengaluru,” he said.

Referring to India’s digital public infrastructure, he added that Unified Payments Interface (UPI) is now processing over 17 billion transactions every month while Aadhaar has helped establish digital identity infrastructure at scale.

Cybersecurity and AI adoption within the banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI) sector also emerged as key discussion areas during the summit.

Sanjeev Kumar Gupta, EO, Karnataka Digital Economy Mission (KDEM), said India’s leadership in digital payments creates opportunities to expand capabilities in cybersecurity and AI. “Being at the centre of UPI payments, we must seize opportunities in cybersecurity and AI across BFSI and fintech, while building a quantum centre of excellence,” he said.

The summit also explored the growing role of AI-led systems in banking and customer engagement. Aneet Mohanty, , Senior Vice-President Growth and Innovation, Sinch India, said India is developing its own operating model for agentic AI tailored to the scale of the country’s BFSI ecosystem.

“India is developing its own operating model for agentic AI, shaped by the unique realities of the Indian BFSI sector. These realities are defined by the massive volumes the BFSI industry manages, whether through inbound or outbound operations,” he said.

Digital identity infrastructure and financial inclusion were also discussed during the event. Abhishek Kumar Singh said Aadhaar and digital identity systems have played a major role in expanding access to financial services in India.

“The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) is not only transforming India but is also helping create a blueprint for inclusive, secure, and scalable financial solutions,” he said.

The summit additionally featured an exhibition and networking platform showcasing technologies across AI, payments, cybersecurity, fraud prevention, digital lending, cloud infrastructure, and customer engagement solutions.

Industry participants at the event included fintech companies, banks, enterprise technology firms, and startup ecosystem organisations, reflecting the increasing convergence of financial services and digital technology in India’s rapidly expanding fintech sector.