In today’s digital world, secure and unified payment platforms have become increasingly important. With numerous payment options, customers seek platforms that provide convenience, security, and ease of use. One company stands out among the many players in this field: SabPaisa (SRS Live Technologies). Led by its Co-founder and CEO, Mr. Pathikrit Dasgupta, SabPaisa has been making waves in the payment processing industry with its innovative products and services. The company’s mission is to provide payment processing accessibility to everyone, regardless of their socio-economic background. Its commitment to inclusivity and innovation has made SabPaisa a leader in the industry .
About SabPaisa
SabPaisa is a fintech company established in early 2016 and headquartered in New Delhi. It has developed the world’s first API-driven inclusive payments platform, offering the most extensive checkout with various payment methods, including online options like cards, net banking, UPI, and wallets, and offline options like e-Cash, e-NEFT, and Bharat QR. SabPaisa also enables payment collection through cash and instruments with over 1 million cash counters across India.
SabPaisa’s commitment to inclusivity extends to its product portfolio, covering all sections of society, from the rich to the poor, banked to unbanked, uneducated to the specially-abled. As a result, the company has gained “In-Principle Authorization” from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and is among the few Payment Aggregators (PA) that can still onboard new merchants according to the latest RBI guidelines.
SabPaisa’s payments and collection suite is white-labeled to several public and private banks, including BOI, BOB, IDFC First & Indian Bank, and has already processed more than INR 87.2 billion. Its commitment to inclusivity and an innovative approach to payment processing has made SabPaisa one of the leading payment gateways.
Initial Hurdles
SabPaisa, like any other startup, faced numerous challenges during its early days. Some of the company’s obstacles were recruiting talented individuals, managing cash flow, finding a product-market fit, and devising an effective Go-to-Market strategy. When the company was established, the payment segment of the Fintech industry was already well-developed, and existing providers had a considerable advantage in product development, partner ecosystem, and market development.
The industry was highly regulated, and pricing for products and services was restricted. Moreover, the thin margins and high-volume business strategy made it difficult for new entrants to sustain a high enough average revenue per transaction without any outside funding.
To address these challenges, SabPaisa adopted a unique Go-to-Market strategy, which allowed the company to partner with banks and use its channels to promote its products. This approach ensured low customer acquisition costs, high lifetime value of the acquired customers, and large captive customer sign-ups. The tie-ups also led to better product development ideas, which enhanced the company’s product offerings. Additionally, certain value-added products and services helped consolidate SabPaisa’s top line. Adopting this approach, the company managed its resources efficiently and remained bootstrapped in an increasingly investor-funded environment.
Turning Point
SabPaisa’s growth trajectory was catalyzed by a pivotal collaboration with Allahabad Bank, which proved to be a turning point for the company. With the tie-up, SabPaisa gained access to a platform to offer its products to large organizations banking with Allahabad Bank. The partnership was a crucial step for SabPaisa, providing the fledgling company with a much-needed boost in credibility and market reach. The collaboration helped both organizations to benefit, as SabPaisa’s innovative products and services complemented the bank’s offerings.
The alliance’s success paved the way for SabPaisa to collaborate with multiple leading banks, further fueling the company’s growth. SabPaisa is grateful for its first bank partner’s trust and faith in the capabilities of a startup, which played a critical role in its success.
Products, Services & Competition
SabPaisa offers a range of products and services that cater to the entire payment life cycle. Its product suite includes Payment Collection, Payouts, Link Payments, B2B collections, Subscriptions, and a form builder for payments and data collection, all available in one place.
The company recognizes that for businesses, payments are not just transactions; they are an integral part of multiple workflows, including inventories, supply chains, logistics, deliveries, messaging, customer payments, vendor payouts, EMI, and more. Therefore, it aims to deliver innovative solutions that help remove roadblocks in its operations.
SabPaisa constantly focuses on research and innovation to deliver upgraded and scalable products to meet the evolving demands of the market. The company’s solutions offer flexibility, efficiency, and easy-to-use products, enabling businesses to focus on growth and expansion instead of being hindered by technical challenges. With its advanced solutions, SabPaisa aims to keep businesses at the top of an ever-changing market.
SabPaisa’s comprehensive suite of products and services offers end-to-end payment solutions, including Payment collections, Payouts, APIs, and B2B solutions. The company’s innovative and easy-to-use products provide the flexibility businesses need to succeed. Furthermore, its commitment to research and development ensures they constantly adapt to meet the market’s changing demands.
Key Factors Behind Long-standing Success
Since its foundation, SabPaisa has grown significantly to become a leading player in the fintech industry. The company’s flagship product, the Hybrid Payment Gateway, has enabled online and offline payments for a Unified Payment Experience (UPE). The introduction of the world’s first API-driven payments platform in 2021 has made payments accessible to all. These products have resulted in a 2x growth in Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) over the last two years and doubled the Transaction Volume Year on Year (YOY).
However, the long-standing success of SabPaisa cannot be attributed solely to its products. The company has one of the lowest employee turnover rates in the fintech space, with several members still integrally attached since its inception. This stability has helped to create a strong company culture that values innovation, decentralized decision-making, merit-based growth, and a commitment to serving partners and customers.
Disruption
Over the years, India’s payment and card industry has undergone significant changes, making it more convenient, secure, and accessible for consumers and businesses. Here are some of the main factors that have contributed to this evolution:
Digitization:
The rise of digital technologies has led to an increased shift towards digital payments. The Indian government has promoted digital transactions through initiatives like UPI (Unified Payments Interface) and BHIM (Bharat Interface for Money).
Cashless Transactions:
Cashless transactions have grown in popularity with the rise of mobile wallets, online banking, and mobile banking apps. People no longer need to carry cash or visit ATMs to withdraw money.
Increased usage of Cards:
The usage of debit and credit cards has increased, with the number of cardholders growing and more merchants accepting cards as a mode of payment. This has made transactions easier and more convenient for people.
Interoperability:
The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) setting up has increased interoperability between payment systems. This means that people can use different payment apps and systems to transfer money to each other.
Regulator involvement:
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has closely monitored and regulated the payment and card industry to ensure customer protection and promote a secure and efficient payment system. RBI has also come up with the requirements of authorization for Payment Aggregators, which has now made the segment more regulated.
The dominance of UPI:
The emergence of UPI has revolutionized the Digital Payment environment in India. It has become the country’s most popular and widely used digital payment method. India is growing at the fastest rate in terms of digital payment adoption, and the affordability of digital transactions has fueled the growth in digital e-commerce transactions in a manner that was unthinkable during the pre-UPI era.
Launch of Digital Currency by RBI:
The recent launch of the Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) has laid down the path for adopting digital currency with the security of the regulatory environment. It is expected to provide more convenience and security to people while making digital transactions.
The approach
India’s payment and card industry has undergone significant changes in recent years. In response to these changes, SabPaisa has implemented innovative strategies to provide customers with modern, resilient platforms that deliver the desired features.
To enhance the customer experience, SabPaisa has continuously improved customer-facing products with features like easy onboarding and integration, maximum payment options on checkout, and an easy reconciliation and settlement process. Modernizing its platforms, the company has updated its technical architecture and moved to cloud-based hosting using microservice-based structures. This enables flexibility in upgrades at the component level without disrupting entire systems.
Moreover, SabPaisa has partnered with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to create an industry-leading, cloud-based issuer processing platform. This approach offers greater flexibility, efficiency, and cost savings than traditional processors. Additionally, it has implemented a fraud management system that uses artificial intelligence and machine learning capabilities to identify card scores, thus mitigating card fraud.
Web 3.0 & Commitment to Inclusive Payments
With the emergence of Web 3.0 technology, the payment landscape in India is expected to undergo significant changes, including the use of blockchain, cryptocurrencies, digital currencies, and DeFi applications. However, SabPaisa acknowledges that regulatory and adoption challenges must be addressed before Web 3.0 in payments can reach its full potential.
As a forward-thinking payment aggregator, SabPaisa is already working towards developing innovative products and services to meet the changing needs of the payment industry. In the future, customers can expect the following products and services from SabPaisa:
AI-Driven Payments:
SabPaisa is leveraging the power of artificial intelligence and machine learning to develop a fraud management system that identifies the card score, thus ensuring secure transactions. The system analyzes customer behavior and determines the transaction’s risk score, thus preventing fraudulent activities.
Multiple Language Support:
In a diverse country like India, where multiple languages exist, SabPaisa understands the importance of multilingual support. The company plans to introduce a platform offering multiple language support to ensure all customers can easily navigate through the payment system.
Turnkey B2B Payment System:
SabPaisa recognizes the importance of a streamlined payment system for businesses. To this end, the company is developing a turnkey B2B payment system that will enable businesses to send and receive payments quickly, easily, and securely.
The Responsibilities of an Entrepreneur
Mr. Dasgupta believes that entrepreneurs have a range of responsibilities. They must raise funds, develop business strategies, manage cash flow, recruit and train employees, and take calculated risks. Entrepreneurs must be involved in every aspect of their business, from ideation to execution.
They must be able to pitch their business ideas effectively to potential investors and secure funding. Developing efficient processes and hiring employees who share the company’s vision and are willing to work hard are crucial for growth. Managing cash flow involves tracking expenses and revenue, paying vendors on time, and ensuring the business has enough funds to cover unexpected costs.
Mr. Dasgupta emphasizes that entrepreneurs must be willing to take calculated risks to achieve success. The journey of an entrepreneur can be challenging, but with hard work and dedication, they can make a significant impact in their industry.
Background
Mr. Dasgupta had a modest educational background, having completed his B.Com from a lesser-known university in Kharagpur. While pursuing the CA course, he developed a keen interest in Information Technology. He decided to drop out of the course to enroll in a Diploma course on Web Technologies from a leading institute.
This decision led him to work in the IT industry for several years, during which he gained experience working with companies of various sizes. As a sales professional, he developed skills in solutions and business development. These experiences enriched his understanding of the industry and paved the way for him to take the plunge into the Fintech domain in 2016, along with his co-founders.
Mr. Dasgupta’s interest in IT and his experiences in the sales field enabled him to understand the potential of Fintech and the role it could play in improving financial services. Today, SabPaisa is a leading Fintech company in India, offering innovative payment solutions and services to individuals and businesses alike.
Achievements as a Fintech Entrepreneur
Mr. Dasgupta attributes his success to the support he received from his co-founders, team members, bank partners, and customers. Under his leadership, SabPaisa has achieved significant growth over the past seven years. It has grown from a small five-member company to a 100+ member company, with business volumes increasing significantly. As a bootstrapped company operating in a highly regulated industry with stiff competition, developing a sustainable business with reasonable profits has been a significant achievement.
Mr. Dasgupta is proud of SabPaisa’s achievements in the Fintech industry, as it has positively impacted the lives of individuals and businesses. The company’s innovative payment solutions have simplified making and receiving payments, contributing to financial inclusion.
Employee-centric Approach and Unique Team Culture
Mr. Dasgupta believes that employees are the company’s biggest asset and prioritizes their well-being. The company offers comprehensive benefits, including health insurance, paid time off, as well as training and development programs. Additionally, SabPaisa provides professional development opportunities, flexible work arrangements, and opportunities for advancement within the company.
SabPaisa’s team is unique in its commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. The company values employees’ unique perspectives and experiences and believes diversity drives innovation and creativity. It prioritizes open communication and collaboration, encouraging employees to share their ideas and feedback to help improve processes and overall success as a team.
This approach has helped build a supportive work environment, fostering a sense of community and belonging amongst employees. This has contributed to the company’s success, as happy and engaged employees are more productive and invested in the company’s goals.
Advice to Budding Entrepreneurs
Mr. Dasgupta believes that budding entrepreneurs should focus on the fundamentals of the business in the initial years and gain professional experience in companies that operate in their area of interest. He suggests that selecting co-founders with complementary skill sets and matching expectations and ambitions can create a formidable team.
A careful selection of investors, including angel and venture capitalists, is also crucial to a company’s success. Mr. Dasgupta’s advise to entrepreneurs is to develop a sustainable business strategy and avoid high customer acquisition costs that can help drive business while transitioning towards profit.
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“SabPaisa’s commitment to inclusivity extends to its product portfolio, covering all sections of society, from the rich to the poor, banked to unbanked, uneducated to the specially-abled.”
