About Me
Welcome to FirstHand. I'm Akhil Handa—an explorer at the intersection of digital banking, fintech, and public infrastructure. Over the past two decades, I've had the unique opportunity to witness and shape the evolution of financial services from the inside—across India, the UAE, Southeast Asia, and Hong Kong.
My journey spans from a global banking perspective at JPMorgan, where I experienced world-class capital markets and institutional banking, to the deep Indian banking evolution as President & Chief Digital Officer of Bank of Baroda, India's second-largest public bank. I led one of the most ambitious digital transformations in Indian banking history—reimagining how over 200 million customers engage with their money.
This wasn't just about tech—it was about unlocking real utility through innovation. From launching mobile-first experiences and digital lending to implementing performance-driven marketing funnels and real-time analytics—I've seen firsthand what it takes to scale digital banking with trust, reliability, and intelligence.
- Powering over $1 trillion in annual digital payments settlements
- Rolling out scalable platforms across lending, payments, and onboarding
- Driving initiatives across 25+ international markets with a global lens
- Leading customer experience across digital lending, mobile banking, and embedded finance
What you'll find on FirstHand is my ongoing chronicle of real-world experiences: the wins, the mistakes, the experiments that worked, and the pivots that didn't. From working with startups to steering national platforms, I've had a front-row seat to financial transformation.
Professional Background
- Architected digital operations at scale—serving a customer base of over 200M users across platforms
- Built bob World, India's second most downloaded digital banking app
- Set up digital lending from scratch, enabling the bank to lend over USD 10 billion annually across personal, SME, and co-lending segments
- Established conversational banking from scratch, integrating natural language and AI-driven interfaces into daily banking
- Led funnel optimization across all digital loan journeys, boosting customer conversion and retention
- Designed and launched India's first Startup Banking vertical, banking nearly 10% of eligible startups at peak, supporting new-age businesses with tailored digital products
- Rolled out the Innovation Centre at IIT Bombay, enabling deeper fintech-bank collaborations
- Championed blockchain adoption in trade finance, co-leading the formation of IBBIC Ltd
- Set up a Digital Analytics Bench of Excellence, leveraging a cloud-based data lake for advanced analytics and machine learning
- Created a full-stack digital marketing capability for performance-based user acquisition and engagement
- Built and scaled partnerships with 50+ fintechs across credit, payments, KYC, AML, and onboarding
- Upgraded and ran an ATM/CR/Cashpoint network of over 10,000 touchpoints
- Setup state of the art Digital Payments Fraud Monitoring Unit for prevention and detection
- Setup novel Digital banking Units - new branch concept for delivering services phygitally
From crafting customer journeys to managing 24x7 backend operations, this journey has been one of continuous iteration—where speed, empathy, and clarity make all the difference.
Board Roles
I've contributed as a board member to several pioneering institutions, including:
- IBBIC Ltd – Indian Banks' Blockchain Infrastructure Company (15-bank consortium + IBM/Infosys)
- Online PSB Loans Ltd – India's public credit platform backed by SIDBI, NABARD, HSBC, and Experian
- Baroda Global Shared Services Ltd – Digital operations and enterprise platform delivery
- Baroda Sun Technologies Ltd – Captive tech arm of Bank of Baroda
- Mitra Microfinance – Entrepreneurial microfinance venture
Some Policy Contributions
India's digital public infrastructure story is deeply personal to me. I've been involved in shaping it through roles in:
- RBI's CBDC Core Committee – Designing the architecture of India's digital rupee
- Ministry of Finance's JanSamarth Taskforce – Building India's unified credit access platform
- Ministry of Finance's JanSuraksha Taskforce – Building India's unified benefits insurance access platform
- Account Aggregator HLWG – Creating the foundation for India's consent-based data economy
- IDRBT's AI in Banking Committee – Establishing responsible AI frameworks for financial institutions
- Indian Bank's Association (IBA's) Digital Payments Standing Committee – Driving interoperability and innovation
- NITI Aayog's Women Entrepreneurship Platform – Supporting inclusive fintech design
Industry Recognition
Along the way, I've been humbled to be recognized by peers and institutions:
- Visionary Leader of the Year – Financial Express (2022 & 2023)
- Best Chief Digital Officer – Indian Express BFSI Tech Awards, IDC
- Top AI Leader in India – Analytics India Magazine
- Best Fintech Innovator – Business Today | KPMG
- Best Digital Banking Product – Economic Times BFSI Innovation Awards
Why FirstHand?
Because the future of finance isn't unfolding in theory—it's happening in the trenches: in code, in customer conversations, in failed experiments, and in unexpected product-market fits. FirstHand is my attempt to document that future—not through press releases, but through observations, insights, and unfiltered learnings.
The name is a nod to my personal perspective (Handa) and the spirit of staying close to the action. Through FirstHand, I hope to share what I've learned—and learn from those walking similar paths.
As co-author of Transformational Leadership in Banking and host of the FinTalk podcast, I continue to engage with global fintech, AI, and regulatory thought leaders. An IIT Delhi alumnus, I'm currently building my next AI-native venture focused on intelligent capital allocation, embedded finance, and digital infrastructure for the next era of financial services.
My Focus Areas
AI in Banking
Exploring how artificial intelligence is reshaping financial decision-making and customer experiences.
Digital Transformation
Documenting how traditional banks are evolving in the digital age and the challenges they face.
Fintech Innovation
Analyzing emerging startups and technologies that are disrupting traditional financial services.
Digital Policy & Infrastructure
Examining the regulatory frameworks and digital infrastructure shaping the future of finance.
Connect With Me
I'm always interested in connecting with fellow enthusiasts, industry professionals, and innovators in the digital banking space. Feel free to reach out if you have insights to share or stories that deserve to be told.