BFC Bulletins Monthly News Digest
Although the COVID-19 pandemic has brought about difficult times for many businesses, many FinTech startups are starting to see a possible silver lining in its aftermath. The pandemic has pushed consumers to increase their use of contactless payment methods as well as their use of online platforms for making purchases. While, in the short term, discretionary spending from consumers is likely to be severely reduced as consumers rebuild savings and rebound from a rise in unemployment, their increased comfort level with all things digital cannot be overlooked. For example, experts in India are now projecting the significant rise in digital payments (including online commerce and mobile point-of-sale transactions) over the next 4 years, going from USD 64.7 billion in transaction value in 2019 to a projected USD 134.5 billion in transaction value by 2023. In other words, the pandemic might ultimately serve as the impetus for FinTech startups to drastically accelerate their strategies as consumer penetration in these spheres hits new highs.
