Cedar Podcasts

Modern banking success depends not just on customer segmentation but on delivering differentiated, high-quality experiences. Traditional segmentation by wealth or income Mass Retail, Affluent, HNI and Ultra HNI remains relevant, but banks are increasingly complementing this with demographic, behavioral and micro-segmentation driven by advanced analytics. Understanding customer preferences, transac...

The rise of FinTech incubators has led to diverse accelerator and lab models designed to help start-ups scale. Accelerators typically offer time-bound, intensive programs (3–6 months) focused on mentoring, networking and early-stage funding, often in exchange for equity. Unlike traditional incubators, they emphasize business development over long-term physical infrastructure and aim to make start-...

Robust quality assurance (QA) is critical to the success of large core banking transformations, where banks often face tough trade-offs between speed and system reliability. A well-planned, integrated QA approach reduces cutover risk in these complex, high-stakes programs. QA must go beyond basic user acceptance testing to include factory testing, system integration, UAT, regression, performance a...

A Program Management Office (PMO) is critical to the success of strategic initiatives such as new product launches, market expansion, cost optimization, or large IT programs. A PMO need not always be permanent; it can be temporary or project-specific. However, it creates maximum value when it has enterprise-wide authority, reports to senior leadership, and aligns initiatives with organizational st...

The Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated ASEAN’s digital transformation, building on the region’s early adoption of digital banking and fintech innovation. ASEAN’s 10 nations show uneven banking penetration, with over 150 million unbanked adults and a young, mobile-first population, creating strong demand for digital financial services. Regulatory support has been pivotal, with countries like Singapo...

Banks must modernize legacy core banking systems to enable innovation, meet rising customer expectations, and respond quickly to change. Traditional cores are rigid, fragmented, and unable to support true end-to-end digital transformation, even when modern channels exist. A future-proof “Digital Core Banking” approach embeds digitisation across the bank, not just at the front end. The Digital Core...

In this episode, we turn to Saudi Arabia and examine how its banking sector is evolving alongside the Kingdom’s broader economic transformation. We discuss how Vision 2030, rising non-oil growth, and strong regulatory support are accelerating the shift toward a digital-first, cash-light economy. The conversation highlights the strength of Saudi banks, which combine solid capital positions and low...

In this episode, we focus on the UK and how it continues to shape the future of digital banking through regulation-led innovation and strong fintech adoption. We discuss why the UK remains a global financial services leader, even in a low-growth environment, driven by widespread digital banking usage, a vibrant fintech ecosystem, and early adoption of open finance. The conversation explores how ne...

In this episode, we look at Kuwait’s banking market and how it is steadily moving toward a digital-first, cash-lite future. We discuss how near-universal internet access, strong central bank support, and widespread use of mobile payments are accelerating the shift from cash and branches to digital channels. The conversation explores Kuwait’s evolving payments landscape, where instant payments and...

In this episode, we turn our focus to Bahrain and how it is positioning itself as one of the most progressive digital banking markets in the GCC. We unpack Bahrain’s economic shift away from oil toward financial services, and how this transition is reinforcing innovation across banking, regulation, and customer experience. The discussion highlights the strength of Bahrain’s banking system, where s...

In this episode, we focus on the UAE and how it has emerged as the most digitally advanced banking market in the region. We discuss how a diversified, non-oil economy and sustained population growth have created the right conditions for a fast-scaling financial sector, with banks expanding rapidly and outperforming many global peers on efficiency and returns. The conversation explores the forces r...

In this episode, we explore how Southeast Asia is fast becoming one of the most dynamic digital banking regions globally, with Singapore at the centre of innovation. We discuss how strong economic fundamentals, deep digital adoption, and sustained fintech investment have helped banks across the region modernise while remaining resilient and well-capitalised. The conversation highlights a rapidly e...

In this episode, we turn to Oman and explore how its banking sector is evolving as the economy steadily diversifies beyond oil. We discuss how Vision 2040, infrastructure investment, and regulatory reforms are creating new momentum for private financing, SMEs, and Islamic banking. The conversation highlights a resilient banking system, where strong capital buffers and disciplined cost structures a...

In this episode, we explore how banking is being reshaped globally and in India as technology, regulation, and customer expectations collide. We look at why global banks are financially resilient, yet under pressure to modernise faster, and how trends like generative AI, open banking, embedded finance, and cloud-native cores are redefining scale and speed. The conversation then shifts to India’s b...

Sanjiv Anand, Chairman, Cedar Management Consulting International As collaboration becomes essential in today’s business environment, joint ventures and strategic alliances often struggle to translate conceptual synergies into day-to-day execution. Common challenges include aligning shared goals, measuring joint performance and overcoming legacy mindsets. The Balanced Scorecard has proven effectiv...

The insurance industry, long viewed as highly traditional, is facing a period of transformation similar to banking, driven by digital disruption, changing customer expectations and the need to improve penetration efficiently. While core insurance processes will remain, their execution is being reshaped by technology and data. Four innovation trends are defining the future. First, digital and onlin...

The Covid-19 pandemic severely disrupted retail, forcing businesses to rethink fundamentals and reassess what they truly sell—products, experiences, lifestyles or a sense of belonging. Amid falling footfall, broken supply chains and declining sales, the crisis created an opportunity to reflect on future-ready retail models. Three key trends are shaping post-pandemic retail. First, smarter assortme...

Digital payments are transforming everyday commerce, with even small street vendors adopting QR-based transactions for low-value payments. While payments span P2P, C2B, B2C and B2B models, it is low-value, high-volume P2P and merchant payments that are driving mass adoption. India’s UPI exemplifies this shift, crossing USD 1 trillion in transaction value by March 2022 and enabling fee-free merchan...

Sanjiv Anand, Chairman, Cedar Management Consulting International This year is your critical breakout moment to embrace AI and full digital transformation. With global net income rising, you must transition to AI-driven customer acquisition, credit, and instant delivery to remain competitive. You should clearly define your target audience and tap into the "gold mine" of underserved SME b...

New-age technology and the rise of fintechs have fundamentally shifted power into the hands of your customers. The traditional model of exclusive, high-touch relationship management is being replaced by a demand-driven era defined by self-directed investing and transparent, transaction-based fees. To stay competitive, you must pivot from serving only ultra-high-net-worth individuals to capturing t...

Islamic FinTech is a branch of financial technology that operates in line with Sharia principles, emphasizing ethics, transparency and social responsibility. While rooted in Islamic finance, it is increasingly attracting non-Muslims due to its strong alignment with environmental, social and governance (ESG) values. Like ESG-compliant FinTech, Islamic FinTech promotes sustainability, financial incl...

The global payments industry is undergoing rapid transformation, driven by post-pandemic shifts toward contactless, cashless transactions and accelerated FinTech innovation. Electronic, wallet and mobile payments have surged as consumers prioritize convenience, safety and speed, while platforms such as Apple Pay, Samsung Pay and BNPL providers benefit from heightened liquidity needs. Payments rema...

Artificial intelligence is becoming a naturalized part of modern banking as institutions adopt AI to enhance customer experience, strengthen compliance and improve cost efficiency. While AI has existed for decades, high costs and limited data previously restricted its use to complex, high-value transactions. The rise of cloud computing and big data has removed these barriers, enabling AI to scale...

The arrival of 5G represents a major inflection point for the financial services industry, enabling a step change in speed, capacity and connectivity. Compared to 4G, 5G delivers far higher device density, ultra-low latency and significantly greater bandwidth, allowing real-time, data-intensive experiences at scale. With the global 5G services market projected to reach $250 billion by 2026, its im...

The online apparel market presents a compelling growth opportunity, with double-digit CAGR of around 17% and an increasing share of sales shifting to e-commerce. Market leaders already generate close to 10% of total revenues online, making this a clear benchmark for specialized apparel businesses. Success in this space is strongly correlated with technology-first, mobile-first strategies and super...