Is Technology the new “front office” of a bank? Will pure-play digital banks ever succeed against digitized incumbent banks with scale? How should a traditional bank build a fail-safe culture of innovation? And why should youngsters learn to connect the dots to succeed?

How does a development bank carry out financial underwriting to optimize approval decisions? How are employees measured? Does social impact trump profit objectives? 

How does IBM re-invent itself every decade? Why are IBM employees so loyal? And is IBM on the path to becoming an USD 1 trillion company? 

What do banks get wrong in transformation programs? Is hyper-personalization the future of customer service? What technologies will impact the banking industry most profoundly in the next decade? And why do most banks work in silos? 

In an uplifting conversation, Carla de la Vega argues with Suvo Sarkar that motherhood makes women more effective managers and that career-minded women should stay single unless they can find supportive partners to marry. 

What’s the next big thing for the fintech industry in India? How should founders identify a business opportunity? And what should investors look for in start-ups?

Will crypto-currencies replace fiat currencies in the next decade? Will blockchain technology make life easier? Will traditional finance and decentralised finance converge soon?

Is marketing today an art, a science or a craft? Are the 4P’s of marketing relevant any more? Is advertising dead? How do we differentiate in a sea of sameness? 

How did a risk-averse entrepreneur build an industry leader? How do you build a trusted online brand? Should breaking even be a priority or building out the proposition? Is “Fake it till you make it” the right mantra for start-ups? And what is more important : being kind or being right?

Will neo-banks upend the traditional banking industry? Why is service quality so poor at banks? Should banks call themselves “technology companies”? Will blockchain rule the banking world of the future?

In this inaugural episode of Money Majlis XTRA, we meet Sanjoy Roy, the man behind Jaipur Literature Festival, the biggest literary gathering in the world and a worldwide movement now. 

Episode 9 of Money Majlis explores the trends in the payment industry in the Middle East & Africa with Nandan Mer, Group CEO of Network International, the largest payment company in the region.

Start-up mentor P K Gulati lights up Episode 8 of Money Majlis with his wisdom and insights about start-ups and fintechs in the Middle East.

Episode 7 of Money Majlis explores the future of cashless banking in UAE with Jan Pilbauer, CEO of Al Etihad Payments.

Have the fundamentals of banking changed over the past few decades? What performance indicators are important for today’s banks? Will digital banks upend the industry? What is the ideal role of a bank CFO? What are the skills required for a career in banking?

Episode 5 of Money Majlis features best-selling author and celebrated futurist Brett King in a very exciting conversation with Suvo Sarkar. Together, they explore the future of banking in the coming decades.

 Is there too much choice in payments today? Are banks doing enough for customer education? Is credit card debt a good thing or a bad thing? Do rich reward points for card transactions come at the expense of needy revolvers? Two industry leaders, Suvo Sarkar and Saeeda Jaffar, discuss these and may other topics in an interesting dialogue rich with facts, figures, insights and personal anecdotes.

In conversation with Suhail bin Tarraf, the group chief operating officer of First Abu Dhabi Bank, Suvo discusses how banks should transform the end-to-end service experience and what FAB is doing to lift its game to wow customers.

In a wide ranging conversation, Jayesh talks about the secret of turning a profit within 2 years, about creating differentiation from incumbent banks, about managing the work culture of Generations Y and Z, and about his plans for an IPO.

Introducing the inaugural episode of "Money Majlis," the first-of-its-kind podcast dedicated to exploring the dynamic intersection of money, banking, and technology in the Middle East and beyond.