Global Fintech Fest 2023 (GFF 2023) concluded on Thursday and will host the 5th edition on October 8-10, 2024. The three-day conference brought together on one platform policymakers, regulators, bankers, industry captains, academicians and professionals of the fintech landscape from all over the world.
Besides discussions around a range of topics, GFF 2023 hosted an exhibition, investment pitches, master classes and workshops. The event hosted 900 speakers from 30+ countries, regulatory dignitaries from 100+ countries, 300+ exhibitors, 300+ investors, 100+ product launches, release of 80+ whitepapers, launch of 22 thought leadership reports, 3 hackathons (SEBI, NABARD and SBI) and a footfall of 65,000 delegates from 100+ countries, the organisers informed.
GFF 2023 was supported by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MietY), the Department of Economic Affairs (DEA), Ministry of Finance, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), and the International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) and was organized by the Payments Council of India (PCI), Fintech Convergence Council (FCC), and National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI).
Among the leading international agencies which partnered with GFF 2023 are the World Bank, the Global Knowledge Partnership on Migration and Development (KNOMAD), the Consultative Group to Assist the Poor (CGAP), and Women’s World Banking. Australia, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Germany and Israel were the Country Partners of GFF 2023.
Kris Gopalakrishnan, Chairman, GFF 2023 Advisory Board, Chairman, Axilor Ventures and Co-founder, Infosys, in his welcome address, set the context of the conference saying, that the “mission of the GFF is clear: to provide a unifying platform for fintech visionaries to come together, collaborate and chart the course of the future of our industry”. GFF 2023 was inaugurated by the Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs, Government of India, Nirmala Sitharaman.
Among other luminaries who addressed the conference were Shaktikanta Das, Governor, Reserve Bank of India; Dr Bhagwat Kishanrao Karad, Minister of State for Finance, Government of India; Madhabi Puri Buch, Chairperson, Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI); Debasish Panda, Chairperson, Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI); K Rajaraman, Chairperson, International Financial Services Centre Authority (IFSCA), and Dinesh Kumar Khara, Chairman, State Bank of India.
GFF 2023 was also marked by a significant global presence. Among international speakers who spoke at the conference were Maha Prasad Adhikari, Governor, Nepal Rastra Bank; Soraya M Hakuziyaremye Vice-Chairperson and Deputy Governor, National Bank of Rwanda; Aleksi Grym, Head of Fintech, Bank of Finland; Eduardo Enrique Torres Llosa Villacorta, General Manager, Central Bank of Peru; H.E. Khaled Al Basias, Director Financial Sector Development, Saudi Central Bank; Doris Dietze, Head of Division, Federal Ministry of Finance, Germany; Masaki Bessho, Head of FinTech Centre, Payment & Settlement Systems Department, Bank of Japan; Andy White, Chief Executive Officer, Australian Payments Network (AusPayNet) and Thomas Kurian, Chief Executive Officer, Google Cloud.
Further, the Global Fintech Awards 2023 recognised and celebrated outstanding accomplishments of individuals and entities in the fintech ecosystem around the globe. The awards were given away at a gala ceremony on September 5 in three categories, divided into 15 subcategories.