FinTech LIVE Dubai: FinTech Strategies Panel
At FinTech LIVE Dubai, leading voices from the fintech sector took to the virtual stage for a panel discussion titled ‘FinTech Strategies’, exploring 2025’s biggest developments in embedded finance, AI-driven transformation and regulatory evolution.
Panellists include:
- Paulius Lastas, Embedded Finance Commercial Lead at Nuvei
- Dipu KV, Senior President at Bajaj Allianz General Insurance
- Conor Lane, MENA Head of Data, Technology, Automation and Testing at Delta Capita
Embedded finance is accelerating
Kicking off the discussion, Paulius emphasised the growing momentum behind integrating financial services into non-financial platforms.
“It’s about modularity,” he explained, referencing the growing desire for flexible, plug-and-play services.
“Whether it would be the financial services plug into a non-financial platform or something similar, this modularity is really taking off.”
This sentiment was echoed by Conor. He outlined the strategic necessity of API-led infrastructure in financial services.
“You're not going to get a look in unless your technology is able to be embedded into an existing technology stack,” he said.
He also spotlighted the rise of regulatory technology, or ‘regtech’, driven by a tightening global compliance environment.
Joining the panel, Dipu offered a different take, pushing the idea that 2025’s fintech shift involves deleting the box altogether, not just thinking outside of it.
Highlighting a new generation of AI applications, he observed a shift from machine labour to content generation and even decision-making automation.
The customer is at the core of fintech innovation
The discussion turned toward customer expectations and digital experience.
Dipu commented: “We are not just digitising the physical, we are also humanising the digital,” underlining the essential role of AI-driven chatbots and omnichannel engagement in reshaping customer service.
Conor expanded on this point, noting that modern users, spoiled by the seamlessness of platforms like Apple and Spotify, demand intuitive, all-in-one experiences.
“If technology doesn't feel intuitive and look fantastic, you’re going to get left behind,” he warned, emphasising the urgency for financial institutions to modernise legacy systems.
Despite this, legacy firms are not necessarily doomed.
Dipu shared how incumbents can pivot through partnerships.
“Today, the customer can take photographs and upload them and the AI engine will give an assessment within 20 minutes,” he said, describing a reimagined insurance claims process facilitated through collaboration with startups.
Regulation can enable—not hinder—progress
Fintech’s relationship with regulation was a key theme, with speakers generally praising regulators’ increased openness to collaboration.
Paulius pointed to the Bank of Lithuania as a proactive body that not only enforces compliance but also advises on product development.
“This is the way to go,” he said, calling for a healthy dialogue between regulators and firms.
Dipu added an Indian perspective, highlighting sandbox frameworks that allow companies to pilot products without the full weight of regulation.
“Once it picks up the scale, then they work with the regulator to co-create the entire framework,” he explained.
Conor pointed out that regulation has often driven innovation.
He cited the North American mandate for T+1 settlement in capital markets as a driver for digitised workflows. “It forced the industry to become more innovative,” he said.
Across jurisdictions, regulation is converging. The panel highlighted the EU’s Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulation as an example of cohesive policy that other countries are beginning to emulate.
Conor concluded: “Broadly speaking, we are seeing [regulators] become more and more collaborative, which is only a good thing.”
Looking ahead: scaling, partnerships and investment
When asked what fintech startups need to do to stay ahead in 2026 and 2027, the panel’s answer was unanimous: partnerships.
“They can’t build everything themselves,” said Paulius.
Conor agreed, noting that fintechs should focus on what they do best – typically building great software – and partner for non-core services like compliance or back-office processes.
Navigating these partnerships, however, requires cultural agility, particularly for large institutions. Conor explained how Delta Capital helps guide legacy organisations through these transitions using dedicated frameworks.
Meanwhile, Dipu stressed the importance of mindset. “Mindset shift is the biggest shift that you need to undertake in any transformation exercise,” he said.
On scalability, the panel cautioned against premature growth.
“68% of startups fail because of premature scaling,” Dipu stated. Instead, startups should ‘super-specialise’ and understand that one-size-fits-all solutions rarely work across diverse global markets.
To conclude the session, the panellists were asked where they’d invest their hypothetical billions over the next three years.
The answers included agent AI, distributed ledger technologies in the Middle East and any firm offering top-tier products with real, scalable value.
Essential diary dates for 2025
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- FinTech LIVE New York | 17 June
- FinTech LIVE London | 7-8 October
- The Global FinTech Awards | 7 October
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