CAMS and IIT Madras to bridge fintech skill gap

metro india news I hyderabad

Amid rapid digital transformation in India’s financial services sector, Anuj Kumar, Managing Director of Computer Age Management Services (CAMS), has stressed the need for continuous upskilling and reskilling of professionals.

His remarks come as CAMS expands its collaboration with IIT Madras through the CAMS IIT Madras FinTech Innovation Lab (CIFIL), with a sharper focus on emerging technologies such as blockchain, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and professional education.

Speaking at the signing of a renewed Memorandum of Understanding at the IIT Madras campus on August 12, 2026, Kumar highlighted the importance of bringing together industry expertise and academic exploration.

“Organisations that have spent decades serving an industry develop deep expertise, but some of the most transformative ideas often emerge from outside conventional boundaries,” Kumar said, referring to the fresh perspectives brought by researchers, students and innovators.

He said CIFIL was established to create an intersection between industry experience and academic exploration, enabling bold ideas to be explored and developed into solutions with long-term value for the financial services ecosystem.

Launched in 2022 as part of CAMS’ corporate social responsibility initiatives, CIFIL has supported research projects, national hackathons, startup mentoring and executive education. Its expanded mandate now covers AI in financial services, digital payments, blockchain and tokenisation, cybersecurity, regulatory technology (RegTech), WealthTech, InsurTech, digital lending, data analytics and financial inclusion.

These rapidly evolving domains require specialised skills, making structured upskilling and reskilling increasingly important for the banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI) workforce.

As India’s mutual fund and capital markets infrastructure handles higher transaction volumes, real-time processing and growing cyber threats, professionals must adapt to new technologies. Blockchain applications, including tokenisation and secure transaction ledgers, along with robust cybersecurity frameworks, are becoming integral to the sector.

Central to the renewed partnership is talent development and professional education. CIFIL is launching or expanding programmes such as the Professional Certificate Programme in FinTech and a Certificate Programme in Personal Financial Planning.

The programmes are aimed at working professionals, entrepreneurs, researchers, students and aspiring fintech leaders. Participants in the FinTech programme receive certification through the Centre for Outreach and Digital Education at IIT Madras.

Beyond formal courses, CIFIL offers internships, hackathons, expert interactions and startup mentoring. These initiatives allow participants to work on real-world fintech challenges and develop practical competencies in areas such as blockchain systems and cyber defence. Industry partners can also collaborate on proofs-of-concept, applied research and technology evaluation.

CAMS has invested in platform modernisation, AI-driven solutions and digital infrastructure while serving asset management companies and the wider BFSI sector. By supporting CIFIL, the company aims to promote ecosystem-wide capability building.

India’s growing fintech sector continues to face shortages of specialised talent in areas such as blockchain development, smart contract auditing, threat detection and zero-trust architectures. CIFIL’s programmes seek to help mid-career professionals transition into these high-growth areas while equipping graduates with industry-relevant skills.

IIT Madras Director Prof. V. Kamakoti said the institute’s research strengths, combined with CAMS’ domain expertise, could accelerate innovation in India’s financial ecosystem. CIFIL Head Prof. M. Thenmozhi said the lab aims to emerge as a global centre for fintech innovation.

As digital financial ecosystems and regulatory frameworks evolve, Kumar stressed that technological progress must be matched by human capital development. Initiatives such as CIFIL, he said, can help build a resilient and future-ready financial services workforce.