Future of Digital Payments in India - Flywire Senior Director Gives Latest Insights | The Living Pod

In this episode, Saurabh Arora chats with Venkataramani Prakash, Senior Director Payments at Flywire, about the incredible rise of digital payments in India and how it’s changing the game for international student .

Starting his career at Nestlé India, followed by over a decade at Thomas Cook and EbixCash, Prakash brings a wealth of experience from the FMCG payments world. In this episode, he candidly shares how unwavering focus is key to building expertise and specialization be it FMCG or digital payments-there are no shortcuts to real success.

They discuss the massive shift India witnessed towards digital payments over the past decade. Prakash explains how Flywire is simplifying cross-border payments for international students and their parents — a process that was once cumbersome and manual. Flywire's technology not only makes payments streamlined but also provides safeguards against online theft, ensuring the money reaches the right hands every time.

Beyond payments, they explore critical business topics like:

1) Should companies adopt an app-first or web-first model in today’s digital age?

2) Why University Living decided to build an app and if having one is necessary for every brand.

3) India's unique remittance landscape which sends out $30 billion and receives ~$100 billion; and key drivers behind these massive flows.

Saurabh also shares valuable insights on building high-performing teams — breaking down the difference between average and exceptional teams — and the everyday challenges founders face while scaling their start ups.

Whether you’re a fintech enthusiast, start up founder, student paying tuition abroad, or simply curious about how digital payments and global education intersect, this episode is packed with practical knowledge and inspiring stories.

👉 Don’t miss this candid, behind-the-scenes look at payments innovation, start up growth, and the future of digital finance in India and beyond.

Keywords: digital payments, Flywire, cross-border payments, fintech India, student payments, remittance, Liberalized Remittance Scheme, LRS, startup India, edtech payments, payment security, founder insights, high-performing teams, startup challenges, Saurabh Arora, Venkataramani Prakash, University Living, international education payments, app vs web strategy, Indian remittance economy

Chapters-

⏱️ Timestamps
00:00 – 01:08 - Introduction
01:08 – 07:26- Saurabh & Prakash: Personal rapport and early career lessons at Nestlé.
07:26 – 14:11 -Hard work over shortcuts — building a meaningful long-term career.
14:11 – 20:04 - Job-hopping vs. deep work — why staying matters.
20:04 – 23:16 - Career shift: From marketing to payments.
23:16 – 26:22 - How Flywire simplifies international tuition fee payments.
26:22 – 29:15 - Tech, security, and banking partnerships with SBI, HDFC, ICICI.
29:15 – 34:01 -Building bank integrations: compliance, security & UAT explained.
34:01 – 36:13- How to pitch large institutions: purpose, value, and user impact.
36:13 – 41:04 - Liberalized Remittance Scheme (LRS) – How Indian families send money abroad.
41:04 – 44:24- Web vs App: Why Flywire is web-first for high-value student payments.
44:24 – 50:04 - India’s remittance paradox: $100B received, $30B+ sent abroad.
50:04 – 55:04- Size of global remittance market and cross-border student payments.
55:04 – 1:05:02 -Final thoughts: Payment challenges, user trust, and the future of fintech in education.

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