Lizzie Chapman, creator of ZestMoney, a Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) company that won first place in the Woman Ahead category of the Economic Times Startup Awards 2021, believes that the time for BNPL in India has come. In an interview with the Economic Times, Chapman, who co-founded the company before India's e-commerce and digital payments boom, said that these companies will create more market capitalisation in the country than anyplace else in the globe.
Chapman reveals in the interview that the last few years have been fantastic for female leaders. Given the long history of influential women in India’s banking system—and the fact that some of India’s largest banks have been led by women—this interest in the fintech industry among Indian women is not surprising.
Attributing this interest to a high level of awareness, Chapman lists some of the women leaders in the Indian fintech industry who, she believes, is making quite the mark. Upasana Taku, who is leading Mobikwik's IPO campaign, as well as Mabel Chacko and Dina Jacob of Bank Open, are all strong female founders in the fintech industry, Chapman says. She also notes that in an ironic twist, India may be better off than the rest of the world in terms of having senior women in leadership positions. However, there is always scope for improvement, she adds.
Though she began her own career at Goldman Sachs as an equity researcher, Chapman became interested in Indian money. Understanding that the concept of EMIs is well-understood in India, she believes India will be the world's largest BNPL market. More market capital will be developed in this segment in India than anywhere else in the planet. Chapman’s own company operates with incumbents, and they collaborate with 22 of the world's largest banks and NBFCs.
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