Couchonomics with Arjun

Celebrating the 100th episode of Couchonomics With Arjun with a special guest, Mr. FinTech himself, Sopnendu Mohanty, Chairman of the Board at Elevandi and Chief FinTech Officer at the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS). In our humble opinion, he's been the chief catalyst in turning Singapore into a FinTech powerhouse. In this part of our 100th-episode special, Sopnendu and Arjun explore s...

Today we’re joined by Sitoyo Lopokoiyit, CEO of M-PESA Africa, who has played a pivotal role in growing M-PESA across 8 African markets.  Sitoyo shares the fascinating story behind M-PESA’s evolution from a mobile money service into a full-fledged digital ecosystem, empowering consumers, businesses, and developers through an open API program.  We also covered: - The role of regulation in fintech -...

Joining us on the latest episode of Couchonomics with Arjun, all the way from Tbilisi, Georgia, is Salim Dhanani, founder and CEO of PaveBank—the world’s first programmable bank.  In our conversation, Salim explains how PaveBank is shaping the future of financial services by leveraging blockchain and smart contracts to revolutionize trust and eliminate counterparty risks. We also dive into why the...

India's Unified Payments Interface (UPI) has broken records yet again, processing over 15 billion transactions in September alone—setting the global standard for faster payments. In this episode of Couchonomics with Arjun, we dive into the incredible success of UPI with Ritesh Shukla, CEO of NPCI International. Ritesh shares insights on how he's taking India's groundbreaking digital...

In this episode of Couchonomics with Arjun, we're joined by Rahul Banerjee, Founder & CEO of Bondblox, to explore the future of bond trading. Rahul shares how Bondblox is transforming access to bonds, opening up opportunities for retail investors in a market traditionally controlled by institutions. Arjun and Rahul discuss the rapid growth of the bond market, particularly in Asia, and how...

Over the past 8 months, we have had the privilege of engaging in insightful conversations with some of the top minds from our industry, and I'm excited to share these valuable nuggets with you. So here is a roundup of the most effective insights shared by leading experts in the banking and fintech sectors. #Banking #Fintech #IndustryInsights #Strategy #ExpertAdvice #FinancialServices Our webs...

In this episode of #CouchonomicswithArjun, we're joined by Deepak Mehra, Chief Economist at Commercial Bank of Dubai. 🎙️ We explore the megatrends that are shaping our world—from the impact of AI and environmental changes to the challenges posed by aging populations across various countries. 🌍 Our conversation covers the complexities of wealth management, trading strategies, and the best app...

FULL EPISODE - AVAILABLE EXCLUSIVELY IN AUDIO ONLY In this episode, Arjun engages in a fascinating conversation with Mikhail Lomtadze, CEO and co-founder of Kaspi, the groundbreaking super app that is transforming daily life in Kazakhstan and beyond.  Mikhail shares Kaspi's journey from traditional banking and financial services to becoming a super app that offers everything from shopping and...

In this episode, Arjun sits down with Roger Rouhana, CEO of Alpheya, to explore the future of wealth management in the MENA region. Their conversation delves into global wealth and asset management trends, highlighting the growing demand for innovative digital solutions and the crucial role of robo-advisors in making wealth management more accessible. They also discuss Alpheya's mission and f...

Digital Leadership: Embracing the New Tech Age This week, we sit down with Pedro Sousa Cardoso, Chief Digital Officer at Emirates NBD, to explore the state of banking in the UAE. We have an in-depth conversation on the evolving role of CDOs, increasing collaboration between banks and fintechs, and venture building within banks, using Liv Bank as an example. Tune in to discover how Emirates NBD is...

Chit-fund with a digital twist! Ahmed Wadi, Founder and CEO of Money Fellows is our latest guest on the show. Money Fellows is a pioneering startup from Egypt that has digitized the ancient financial concept of ROSCAs, where a group of individuals act as an informal financial institution. In our chat, Ahmed shares insights on Money Fellows' operational strategy, the challenges and opportuniti...

The art of replacing disjointed systems with digitized processes. Join us on Couchonomics with Arjun as we sit down with Vikram Suri, Managing Director for the Middle East and Turkey region at FIS. In this episode, Vikram and Arjun explore FIS’s significant impact in the GCC region and their constant drive for innovation and reinvention.  We discuss the ever-evolving world of fintech and payments,...

In this episode, we’re joined by Christoph Koster, CEO of Ruya Bank, a digital-first Islamic community bank in the UAE. Ruya Bank is dedicated to bringing ethical Islamic banking practices to all communities in the UAE, supporting SMEs, startups, and low-income groups. Christoph and Arjun explore Islamic finance and banking, the potential for growth and collaboration in Islamic fintech, Ruya’s ado...

Can you rely on AI to invest in real estate globally? Joining us this week on the #couch is Ranime El Skaff, the co-founder of PropAI—a platform that uses AI to simplify Dubai’s real estate investments. In this episode, we uncover the evolution of PropTech in the region, real estate trends, and how her company is revolutionizing real estate investment with cutting-edge technology. Ranime and Arjun...

What is the state of CVC, and why is now the inflection point for CVCs to grow in the MENA region? Joining us on the #couch to explore these questions is Kushal Shah, Managing Director of e& capital, the CVC arm of the e& group. In this episode, Kushal shares his expert insights on e& capital's investment areas, focus, post-investment involvement, and future plans. We delve into t...

This week, we shift our focus to telecommunications. What once was a booming and developing sector is now seen as more traditional, showing how fast things are changing. 🌐 Joining us on the #couch is Dina Tsybulskaya, the CEO of ESIM Plus. Dina shared her insights on the future of telecommunications, the impact of 24/7 connectivity, and how blockchain is revolutionizing decentralized physical inf...

Season 3 of Couchonomics with Arjun, a podcast dedicated to dissecting the seismic shifts which are rearchitecting the global financial system.  Our journey transcends the MENA region's boundaries, focusing this season on Saudi Arabia, exploring the innovation that is shaping commerce and society as we know them today If you are in this industry or eager to get educated, tune in weekly for ex...

Digital Transformation of the banking value chain is a key challenge for every Banking CEO - doesn’t matter where in the world they are operating.  In our latest episode, joining Arjun on the #couch is Jouk Pleiter, CEO of Backbase—a platform that specializes in helping banks modernize their customer interactions by transforming their technology stack from front to back. Jouk shares his candid ins...

Welcome back to Couchonomics with Arjun! This week, we're diving into Pakistan's financial services with Kabeer Naqvi, Chairman of the Pakistan Microfinance Network. We explore the dynamic interplay between traditional banks, microfinance institutions, and fintechs, and discuss the digital transformation of Pakistan's financial ecosystem. Plus, we cover key topics like microfinance,...

Welcome to a new episode of Couchonomics with Arjun! This week, we're diving into Banking as a Service (BaaS) with Kelvin Tan, CEO of Audax. Kelvin shares insights on Audax’s “bank in a box” solution, helping banks scale and modernize rapidly. We discuss the potential and challenges of BaaS, open banking, and the future of embedded finance. Don't miss this insightful conversation on digi...

Innovation in banking is about more than just adopting new technology—it's about challenging traditional perceptions and rethinking everything from customer service to risk management to create more flexible, responsive, and personalized financial services. In this episode, I sit down with Karan Jain, founder and CEO of Naya One, to discuss how his company is revolutionizing the banking world...

Welcome to the latest episode of Couchonomics with Arjun! In this episode, we have the privilege of hosting Ashraf Sabry, the visionary Founder and CEO of Fawry. Ashraf has transformed Fawry into a trailblazing fintech and one of the most successful startups in Africa.  We covered a range of topics, including innovation in payments,the development of startups in Egypt, Fawry’s diversification stra...

We are talking about Digital Assets, DeFI and Crypto on Couchonomics with Arjun this week. Joining us on the couch is Nick Philpott, Co-Founder and Head of Partnerships at Zodia Markets by Standard Chartered & OSL. We had a very interesting conversation around #bitcoinhalving, #stablecoins, virtual-assets regulations, and tokenization of real-world assets, among other topics. Nick gave us insi...

In this episode of Couchonomics, we tackle the burning question: "Bitcoin in 2024: Boom or Bust?" Join us as we engage in a fascinating conversation with Stefan Kimmel, the CEO of M2, a crypto exchange, and investment platform regulated by the FSRA in Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM). We dive deep into the world of cryptocurrency, exploring the intricate dynamics of Bitcoin, DeFi, and digi...

Welcome to a new episode of Couchonomics with Arjun! Join Arjun as he explores Africa's dynamic startup scene and fintech landscape with Elias Yazbeck, Managing Director at Helios Investment Partners. Discover key insights into Africa's market dynamics, challenges, and future trends in fintech. Elias also shares Helios Investment Partners' strategies and potential seismic shifts in...