Tag: digital banking transformation

  • Ajay Khurana takes the wheel at ECL Finance to drive MSME lending shift

    Ajay Khurana takes the wheel at ECL Finance to drive MSME lending shift

    MUMBAI: ECL Finance has just swapped gears in its leadership engine. As of 1 April 2025, Ajay K. Khurana officially took charge as managing director, armed with four decades of no-nonsense banking muscle and a mandate to turbocharge the company’s pivot to MSME lending. Following the Reserve Bank of India’s nod, ECL has pulled the trigger on a leadership move that blends governance grit with digital flair.

    Khurana isn’t just another pinstripe suit in a boardroom. With heavyweight stints at Bank of Baroda, Syndicate Bank and Vijaya Bank, he’s been elbows-deep in consumer banking, risk management and digital transformation. He’s also no stranger to shaping the financial plumbing of the country, having served on boards like NPCI and Indo Zambia Bank, and chaired Baroda Global Shared Services and Baroda Sun Technologies to push tech-led banking upgrades.

    ECL Finance is currently steering its strategy away from its old-school wholesale roots. Over the last five years, the company slashed its wholesale lending book by a staggering 85 per cent and trimmed its debt by 80 per cent, opting instead for a leaner, cleaner, retail-focused model. Now, it’s going all-in on asset-light MSME lending, betting on agility over bulk.

    With Khurana at the helm, the game plan is clear: scale sustainably, innovate boldly, and bring some digital dazzle to the often-boring world of finance. And given his track record, it looks like ECL Finance may finally be ready to play offence rather than just defence.

     

  • Snigdha Nandan steps up as Standard Chartered’s global digital marketing lead

    Snigdha Nandan steps up as Standard Chartered’s global digital marketing lead

    MUMBAI: Standard Chartered has brought in a heavyweight for its digital marketing leadership. Snigdha Nandan, formerly the director of B2C and digital marketing for APAC at Mastercard, has stepped into the role of executive director and global head of digital marketing at Standard Chartered.

    Nandan is now responsible for leading all digital marketing initiatives for the bank’s top markets in the wealth and retail banking (WRB) sector. From spearheading global campaigns to optimising performance marketing and driving digital transformation, she is set to play a pivotal role in shaping the bank’s consumer engagement strategy.

    “This includes driving global marketing campaigns at scale, optimising performance marketing efforts for our key consumer segments and driving a digital transformation initiative that enables us to champion personalised marketing campaigns across the consumer lifecycle. I also lead marketing analytics and effectiveness in my role,” she explained.

    Nandan brings a wealth of experience to Standard Chartered, having spent over 14 years in fintech and payments. At Mastercard, she played a crucial role in shaping brand marketing, paid media, and performance marketing strategies across Asia-Pacific. She also led Mastercard’s global launch of Gamer Xchange and introduced AI/ML-powered solutions like the Digital Engine in Asia.

    Before her tenure at Mastercard, Nandan spent a decade at PayPal, holding leadership roles across consumer and B2B marketing. She was instrumental in driving strategic initiatives in international and regional markets, strengthening PayPal’s presence across APAC with expertise in strategic partnerships, performance marketing, and cross-border commerce.

    Reflecting on how her past experience will shape her role at Standard Chartered, Nandan said, “With my almost 14 years of marketing experience in the fintech and payments space, I have a lot of learnings to take to my new role at Standard Chartered. I have worked across different players in the financial services ecosystem now–from a wallet, to a card network to now an issuer/bank.”

    She added, “These organisations often work in partnership to meet a consumer’s financial needs. For example, the affluent customer segment has been a common one across various roles and I have seen these segments’ digital behaviours over the years. That, in my opinion, is definitely an advantage. I also carry my 14 years of experience in digital marketing to drive excellence as a subject matter expert.”

    Nandan’s appointment comes at a strategic time as Standard Chartered prepares to roll out its ‘Now’s Your Time for Wealth’ campaign. Having already contributed to the campaign, she will now lead the digital charge, ensuring the message—‘The cost of waiting could mean falling short of one’s wealth ambitions’—resonates globally.

    “One month into my role, I am amazed to see the innovation that is happening in the bank and in the financial services space. The way Standard Chartered is innovating with its products to provide more tailored solutions, creating seamless onboarding journeys for customers, driving personalisation across channels, and quickly adopting tools and technology backed by AI to drive this personalisation is impressive,” she stated.

    She further added, “The Digital Transformation initiative that I will lead will be another step in future-proofing our marketing campaigns. There’s a lot more to come.”

    With Nandan at the helm of digital marketing, Standard Chartered is set to amplify its global footprint and redefine personalised banking experiences through AI and data-driven insights.