Four days of Indian fintech, in the words of the people who were there

Coming in

Tuesday morning, before the inauguration. Almost all of it is one act repeated by strangers: saying you are here, and asking who else is.

• Curated from X →

  Pranoy 1d

  anyone attending gff mumbai this week?

• Curated from X →

  Written for people who do not know what GFF is, which on a page like this is worth having near the top.

  DashX | Payments 1d

  This week Mumbai hosts Global Fintech Fest, the biggest yearly meetup for banks, regulators and fintech builders in India 🇮🇳

  our cofounder @vedantutage03 is there for it as DashX builds the stablecoin rails for Indian businesses to get paid from anywhere and settle straight into INR

  If that's your world too, reply or DM and let’s catch up

  

• Curated from X →

  Vedant @ DashX Payments 1d

  If you are a founder, operator or just a fintech geek around in Mumbai this week

  let’s chat , I’ll be attending GFF and will be around to grab a coffee

  simplifying global payments for India 🤞🇮🇳

• Curated from X →

  Vivek is building JoinUp 1d

  GFF(global fintech fest) the largest annual conference is happening in Mumbai.

  People will be flying in from different cities and what good is it if there is no meetup where people sit & talk

  If you want to connect with people for real, be in this room https://joinup.co.in/event/AVVy60o90f

• Curated from X →

  Aditya Bhamidipaty 1d

  I’m speaking at #GlobalFintechFest 2026!

  See you in Mumbai this week as we shape the future of finance with the world’s leading fintech voices. Excited and look forward to the discussions.

  #GFF #GFF2026 #IAmSpeaking #FintechLeadership @FirstHive @GffFintechfest @NPCI_NPCI

  

• Curated from X →

  Bikesh Kumar 1d

  Landed in Mumbai. ✈️
  Heading to @IIMAVentures today for a conversation on fintech partnerships.
  Curious what actually makes bank × fintech partnerships work in India.
  #GFF2026

• Curated from X →

  Abhishek S 1d

  Heading to GFF Mumbai tomorrow! 🚀

  If you’re into fintech, marketing, or AI, let’s meet and chat about how AI search is changing discovery and becoming a new acquisition layer for brands.

  DM me if you’re around! 👋

  

• Curated from X →

  Siva_Gudibandi 1d

  Off to Mumbai for #GFF2026. Looking forward to meeting great people and conversations. If you’re around, say Hi at @e2enetworks Booth A2!

• Curated from X →

  Vineet Agarwal 1d

  Excited for @GffFintechfest 2026!

  Looking forward to meeting the financial services & fintech ecosystem under one roof.

  If you are a Seed / Series A founder and want to meet, DM or catch me at the @Razorpay booth!

  

• Curated from X →

  The quietest post of the day and the only one that asks the reader something. A note about emptying a physical wallet, linking back to what he wrote about it in 2017, on the evening the country was told UPI is going global.

  Ashok Prabhu 1d

  When was the last time you emptied your physical wallet?
  Full thoughts on decluttering:
  https://ashokprabhu.com/2017/05/09/spring-cleaning-the-physical-wallets
  cc: @digilocker_ind @MeityOfficial @GoogleIndia
  #Minimalism #PersonalFinance #GFF26 #GlobalFintechFest

Back to contents

The inauguration

The Prime Minister opened the seventh edition and the RBI Governor welcomed it. Two people sitting in the hall wrote down what it was like.

• Curated from X →

  FirstHive 1d

  A great start to @GffFintechfest

  The inauguration sets the stage for 3 days of fintech conversations, innovation & connections.

  See you tomorrow at Booth 019, Jio Convention Centre!

  #globalfintechfest2026 #gff2026 #firsthive #FinTech #AI #bfsi

  @adityab28

  

• Curated from X →

  His own account of what he asked for, which is the version worth keeping: around forty accounts reported this speech on Day 1 and almost all of them were restating this post.

  Narendra Modi 1d

  Addressed the Global FinTech Fest 2026 in Mumbai.

  Spoke about India’s remarkable FinTech journey and the success of UPI.

  Called for:

  Expanding UPI’s global footprint.

  Taking FinTech beyond payments to credit, insurance, savings, investments and pensions.

  Harnessing Agentic AI, Tokenisation and Quantum.

  Top-notch cyber security and ethical data protection.

  Stronger FinTech consumer protection index and greater innovation.

  

• Curated from X →

  The three pillars, named on stage: agentic AI, tokenisation, quantum. Everything else on this page happens under them.

  CNBC-TV18 1d

  “Agentic AI, tokenisation, quantum — such technologies are opening doors to new possibilities in the financial sector,” PM Narendra Modi said at Global Fintech Fest 2026. He called for top-notch cybersecurity, ethical data protection standards, a stronger fintech regulator-industry innovation ecosystem and a consumer protection index for transparent company ratings.

  Watch: https://youtube.com/shorts/rz4bYYuV6rQ

  #PMNarendraModi #GlobalFintechFest #Fintech #FintechIndia #ArtificialIntelligence #AgenticAI #Tokenisation #QuantumComputing #Cybersecurity #DigitalIndia #CNBCTV18

• Curated from X →

  The Governor's welcome address, with the full text attached as a PDF rather than summarised. It is the primary source for what the RBI said on the day.

  ReserveBankOfIndia 1d

  दिनांक 8 सितंबर 2026 को ग्लोबल फिनटेक फेस्ट 2026 के उद्घाटन सत्र में आरबीआई गवर्नर द्वारा स्वागत संबोधन।
  Welcome Remarks by RBI Governor in the Inaugural Session of Global FinTech Fest 2026 on September 8, 2026.
  https://rbidocs.rbi.org.in/rdocs/Speeches/PDFs/GFF08092026ED1620550D9C47A3A71604B25C3601D9.PDF

• Curated from X →

  Anand Jain 1d

  Had the good fortune to attend the inaugural address of the world's largest Fintech Festival - #GFF2026 by our Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi

  Looking forward to conversations on the future of AI and Agentic, and discussing the future of financial inclusion & growth.

  Visit @CleverTap at Booth R24: https://clevertap.com/events/global-fintech-fest-2026/

  

Back to contents

What was said

The asks and the numbers, taken one reporter at a time. Around forty accounts carried this speech on Day 1, most of them saying the same sentence; these are the six that each say something different.

• Curated from X →

  The instruction underneath the speech, and the one that matters most to anybody building here: stop competing on payments, go and do credit, savings, insurance and pensions.

  Fortune India 1d

  Fintech companies should increasingly focus on non-payment financial services, including expanding access to credit, savings, insurance and pension products, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said at the Global Fintech Fest (GFF) 2026 in Mumbai.

  (@chit_ranjan reports)
  https://www.fortuneindia.com/economy/global-fintech-fest-pm-modi-pitches-for-fintech-consumer-protection-index/158142

• Curated from X →

  ET NOW 1d

  #WATCH | PM Modi At GFF 2026: “India’s 7.8% Growth Amid Global Turmoil Gives Confidence To The World”

  Addressing the Global Fintech Fest 2026 in Mumbai, PM Narendra Modi highlights India’s 7.8% GDP growth in Q1 FY27, saying the performance amid global uncertainties, oil price shocks and supply-chain disruptions reflects the country’s resilience.

  #PMModi #GlobalFintechFest #GFF2026 #GDPGrowth #IndianEconomy #Fintech #Mumbai #ETNOW

  

• Curated from X →

  Moneycontrol 1d

  From 18 billion+ monthly transactions to the next frontier of intelligent finance.

  Alongside #GFF2026, CNBC-TV18 Soiree: UPI Decade – The Intelligence Era gathers the key minds shaping the next billion users and reinventing how India pays.
  Swipe through to see the leaders decoding the shift from simple transactions to connected digital ecosystems, embedded commerce, and AI-driven experiences:

  Amitabh Kant, Former CEO, NITI Aayog
  Vikas Bansal, CEO, Amazon Pay
  Sharath Bulusu, Sr Director, Product Management, Google Pay & Wallet
  Vikash Jalan, COO Consumer Payments, Paytm

  Date: Thursday, 10th September 2026
  Time: 5:00 PM onwards
  Tune in to: CNBC-TV18

  In association with Karix, @wizzmonifs , @amazonpay , and Sofitel Mumbai BKC.

  #UPIDecade #CNBCTV18 #GFF2026 #TheIntelligenceEra #DigitalIndia #Fintech #DigitalPayments #FutureOfPayments #ArchitectsofUPI #Partnered

  

• Curated from X →

  Foundry Daily 1d

  PM Modi at Global Fintech Fest: UPI is a 'civilisational story,' echoing French President Macron's remark. This highlights the immense global recognition and transformative impact of India's digital payment infrastructure. #UPI #Fintech #IndiaTech

  PM Modi's direct endorsement at a global event, coupled with recalling Macron's 'civilisational story' comment, isn't just rhetoric. It's a clear signal of UPI's strategic importance for India and its growing international acceptance. For fintech players and governments worldwide, this validates UPI as a blueprint for public digital infrastructure, demonstrating its potential for massive scale and impact beyond just payments.

  

• Curated from X →

  A Fintech Consumer Protection Index, proposed from the stage. This is the ask on the list that does not yet exist anywhere, so it is the one to watch.

  CNBC-TV18 1d

  'We need a Fintech Consumer Protection Index'

  Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called for the creation of a Fintech Consumer Protection Index to promote greater transparency and accountability across the sector.

  Speaking at the Global Fintech Fest 2026, Modi said the index could provide a transparent basis for rating fintech companies on consumer protection standards.

  #PMModi #GlobalFintechFest #Fintech #ConsumerProtection #FintechIndia #DigitalFinance #CNBCTV18Digital

  

• Curated from X →

  ET NOW 1d

  Global Fintech Fest 2026 | PM Modi calls for expanding UPI’s role beyond payments to areas such as pensions and insurance

  “It's the right time for us to ‘carpe diem’ on this opportunity...” — Ajay Rajan of Protean eGov Technologies on need to come up with innovative products, importance of starting retirement planning early, highlighting the need for greater collaboration across the fintech ecosystem

  @anuragshah_ @ProteanEgovTech #GFF2026 @GffFintechfest

  

Back to contents

What was not said

The three pillars are agentic AI, tokenisation and quantum. One post noticed what is missing from that list, and the replies became the only real argument of the day. The last entry is GFF's own, tagging four crypto exchanges.

• Curated from X →

  Posted before the speech, and it turned out to be right. The three pillars were named from the stage and crypto was not among them, which for an industry that spent the previous week in the news is the absence worth noticing.

  Satyam 1d

  Three words open Global Fintech Fest in Mumbai today: agentic AI, tokenisation, quantum. Crypto is not one of them.

  PM Modi addresses it, RBI Governor and SEBI Chairman speak. Indian crypto spent all of last week on two of those three.
  #WazirX #GFF2026 #CryptoIndia
  https://www.ciol.com/news/pm-modi-global-fintech-fest-2026-agentic-ai-tokenisation-12404876

• Curated from X →

  Dhairya 1d

  @iSatyam100 PM addressing it for the third year running means fintech gets policy attention that crypto still has to ask for.

• Curated from X →

  The question the whole page rests on: does anything said from this stage bind a regulator later, or is it direction setting?

  Dhaval Nimavat 1d

  @iSatyam100 Genuine question, does anything said on that stage actually bind a regulator later, or is it all just direction setting?

• Curated from X →

  saumaya 1d

  @Dhaval_Nimavatt @iSatyam100 Direction setting mostly, but the RBI and SEBI heads speaking on record still moves the frame.

• Curated from X →

  Umang Soni 1d

  @iSatyam100 Watching for whether anyone on stage says the word crypto out loud or dances around it for four days.

• Curated from X →

  GFF's own post, tagging four crypto exchanges into a session on an AML framework for virtual digital assets. Crypto is not one of the three pillars and it is on the programme anyway, which is a fuller answer than the speech gave.

  Global Fintech Fest 1d

  @giottus @Unocoin @CoinSwitch @coinbase Register now: https://www.globalfintechfest.com

  We look forward to bringing together regulators, financial institutions and other stakeholders for this important conversation at FinSight Global Fintech Fest 2026.

  #FinSight #GFF2026 #GlobalFintechFest #ARIFAC #AML #CFT #VDA

Back to contents

Carried in seven languages

One speech, carried across the country the same evening by Doordarshan and All India Radio in English, Hindi, Marathi, Odia, Telugu, Bengali and Tamil. More than fifty posts in the day's corpus carry this one speech, most of them saying the same sentence, so what is here is one post per language rather than one per outlet. The Marathi bulletin leads on something none of the others mention.

• Curated from X →

  Hindi, on Doordarshan's Uttar Pradesh feed: the Prime Minister walking the exhibition floor, and the only one of these to state the edition and the dates.

  DD News UP 1d

  प्रधानमंत्री @narendramodi ने महाराष्ट्र के मुंबई में आयोजित Global Fintech Fest 2026 की प्रदर्शनी का अवलोकन किया।

  Global Fintech Fest का 7वां संस्करण 8 से 11 सितंबर 2026 तक मुंबई में आयोजित हो रहा है।

  @PMOIndia @GffFintechfest @GoI_MeitY
  #GFF2026 #GlobalFintechFest

  

Back to contents

On the floor

Booth numbers, demos and the first launches. This is the part of GFF that has nothing to do with the main stage, and it is where most people spend the week.

• Curated from X →

  Zaggle 1d

  Heading to #GFF2026? Visit Zaggle at Booths S8–S11, JWCC Mumbai. Explore AI-powered #SpendManagement, #EmployeeBenefits, Rewards, UPI & Cards. Let’s connect and discover what’s next in FinTech!

  @GffFintechfest
  .
  #Zaggle #SaaS #FinTech #ZaggleAtGFF2026 #GFF #GlobalFintechFest

  

• Curated from X →

  Devcon 8 | Mumbai, India 🇮🇳 1d

  Ethereum 🤝 Mumbai

  Heading to @GffFintechfest this week? Drop a "🇮🇳" and be sure to catch up with our ecosystem team there on the ground.

  See you around the city 👋

• Curated from X →

  Agentic payments is one of the three things GFF is built around this year, and most of what carried the phrase on Day 1 was a banner or a panel slot. Sushant runs Prava, a payments API for AI agents backed by WTFund, and he is offering the demo instead: your own card, with the agent holding a token good only for the merchant and the price you approved, which he says is live in the US and APAC with Visa. Whether an agent can pay that way in India is what the protocol NPCI is reported to be preparing will decide.

  Sushant 1d

  If you're at GFF and want to see real Agentic Payments- comment/dm here.

  @pravapayments is payments stack for AI Agents & apps. Backed by WTFund of Nikhil Kamath.

  You get to use your regular card, AI Agents gets a payment token for merchant & price you approved for.

  Agent buys while you're on a run, within limits you've set. Live in US & APAC with @Visa & more to follow in coming weeks.

  If you're an AI Agent startup, solving for shopping, travel or a Neobank, Issuer looking to build AI Concierge- happy to do a 1:1 demo.

  

• Curated from X →

  Smartping.ai 1d

  The journey to #GFF2026 starts here! 🚀

  We’re heading from Gurgaon to Mumbai. Find us at:

  📍 Booth J24–25, Pavilion Hall
  📅 9–11 September | Jio World Convention Centre
  Come meet the team and explore smarter enterprise communication.

  See you at GFF 2026!

  

• Curated from X →

  The loudest non-political post of Day 1 by a wide margin, and it is an AI company rather than a payments one, which is roughly the point of this year's programme.

  Sarvam 1d

  Sarvam will be at Global Fintech Fest 2026.

  Across the week, we’ll have live demos and conversations on building AI that financial institutions can own, control and keep improving.

  Venue: Booth E8-E15, Pavilion Hall
  Dates: 8-11 September 2026

  Here’s what we have lined up at

  

• Curated from X →

  Visa_IND 1d

  GFF’26 is here, and there’s a lot to look forward to.

  Three days of launches, conversations, and what’s next in fintech. Here’s the complete Visa schedule.

  See you at Jio World Convention Centre from 8th to 11th September. ✨

  

• Curated from X →

  Global Fintech Fest 1d

  FinSight happening as a key component of the GFF 2026, convened by ARIFAC with FIU-IND in an observer capacity, brings together leading voices from the financial services ecosystem for a discussion on:
  “Beyond Compliance: Building a Resilient AML/CFT Framework for the Global VDA”

• Curated from X →

  Announced on Day 1 for Day 2: a PhonePe and Visa product launch, with both founders on stage.

  PhonePe 1d

  Tomorrow, we take the stage at #GFF2026. 🚀

  A packed day ahead - from the PhonePe × Visa product launch to conversations on AI, programmable money, the future of merchant payments and a decade of building for a billion Indians.

  Catch PhonePe founders Sameer Nigam & Rahul Chari , alongside our leadership team, as they share what’s next.

  📍 Booth F1 | Global Fintech Fest 2026

  🗓️ 9 September

  Here’s a glimpse of what’s on the agenda. 👇

  

• Curated from X →

  "India's first Humans vs Agents race." Agentic AI as a stunt on a stand, which is how a pillar reaches the floor.

  Pine Labs 1d

  India's first Humans Vs Agents race. You get to pick a side!

  AirPods & iPhones at 40% off for @mastercardindia users, live on @bigbasket_com.

  Booth I2, Jio World BKC. For @GffFintechfest attendees only.

  Agents are ready, and now it’s your move: http://marketing.pinelabs.com/racetocheckout

  #AgenticAI #GFF2026 #HumansVsAgents #PineLabsAtGFF2026

  

• Curated from X →

  Twenty-three startups in one GIFT City pavilion. Worth knowing where they are if you are walking the floor.

  GIFT International Fintech Innovation Hub 1d

  23 startups. One GIFT City Pavilion. A whole lot of fintech innovation.

  Meet the innovators from the GIFT City ecosystem at Global Fintech Fest 2026, as startups across fintech, tech and financial services come together to showcase their ideas, solutions and possibilities.

  

• Curated from X →

  IRCTC's chairman on a fintech stage, talking about new revenue lines. A railway ticketing company is one of the largest payments surfaces in the country, which is the kind of thing GFF is for.

  ET Now Swadesh 1d

  #Watch | कमाई के लिए कौन-से नए जरिए तलाश रही है IRCTC?

  जानें GFF 2026 के मंच से कंपनी के CMD, राहुल हिमालयन ने क्या कहा

  #GFF2026 #GlobalFintechFest #IRCTC @IRCTCofficial

  

Back to contents

Speaking

People announcing their own sessions. With 450 sessions across four days, this is how anyone actually finds out what is on.

• Curated from X →

  AlgoTest | Free Backtesting | Algo Trading India 1d

  We’re excited to share that our Founder & CEO, Raghav Malik, @rogue_hft will be speaking at Global Fintech Fest 2026! 🎤

  Register now: https://www.globalfintechfest.com/

  He’ll join fellow industry leaders for a panel discussion on “Data as the New Financial Infrastructure.”

  Hear directly from industry experts on how data is shaping financial services and what it could mean for the future of trading and investing.

  See you there!
  #GlobalFintechFest #GFF2026 #AlgoTest

  

• Curated from X →

  Tanmay Kurtkoti | Quant Trading 1d

  Join us tomorrow, guys

  at the Global Fintech Fest @5paisa booth for a session on

  Superior Indices creation and investing 👇🏻

• Curated from X →

  Vats 1d

  Speaking at GFF tomorrow alongside an amazing roundtable with folks from NSE, Nuvama and more.
  Would love to meet everyone- hit me up

  #GFF

• Curated from X →

  Ravi Maheshwari 23h

  Attending Global Fintech Fest on 9 Sept in Mumbai.

  Anyone else at Jio World Centre / BKC?

  DM me - let’s meet.

  Follow @CreditCardsInd and turn on Notifications for live coverage of credit card launches & product drops.

  No keynote fluff, just what #ccgeeks will actually use.

  #GFF2026 #GlobalFintechFest

  

• Curated from X →

  Kundan Prajapati 23h

  Speaking at @GffFintechfest at @5paisa booth

  Let's meet and learn✌️

• Curated from X →

  Bloomberg 23h

  In today’s India Edition, Menaka Doshi looks at the problems created by the RBI’s dollar bonanza and Sidhartha Shukla explores the big questions facing the Global Fintech Fest. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2026-09-08/india-s-dollar-deluge-creates-a-problem-of-plenty?taid=6aa04298c7918d000143ae30&utm_campaign=trueanthem&utm_content=business&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter

Back to contents

The other story

A fake PMO identity card and an armed bodyguard got into Jio World Plaza the day before the Prime Minister arrived.

• Curated from X →

  India Brains 1d

  Mumbai Police detained two men after a security scare at the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre ahead of PM Modi’s scheduled Global Fintech Fest visit. https://www.indiabrains.com/politics/news/gunman-with-fake-id-at-pm-modi-s-mumbai-event

• Curated from X →

  IndiaToday 1d

  Fake PMO ID, armed bodyguard & access to Mumbai's Jio World Plaza a day before PM Modi's Global Fintech Fest visit.

  Was a 24-year-old drone-tech graduate, #RohanParekh, running a fraud, or was he himself conned by individuals posing as PMO officials? One accused has been arrested, while another remains wanted.

  #PMO #Mumbai #JioWorldPlaza #GlobalFintechFest #PMModi #FakeIdentity #ReportersGroundReport | @divyeshas