India’s Bengaluru-based digital bank Fi is shifting from a consumer-focused neobank to an enterprise-first model, refocusing its resources on B2B technology products amid a tighter venture capital environment. The move aims to leverage Fi’s engineering, AI and payments infrastructure to serve startups, enterprises and financial institutions.
Strategic shift amid cooling fintech funding
Fi built its reputation on digital savings, smart spending tools and lifestyle-oriented financial features targeted at young professionals. But with venture funding for fintechs slowing, the company has recalibrated its strategy to prioritise long-term sustainability over rapid consumer growth.
Leadership says the decision follows an internal assessment that identified Fi’s strongest assets as its technical stack, artificial intelligence capabilities and experience operating at scale—capabilities that can be productised for business customers.
Leadership on the pivot
CEO Sujith Narayanan has acknowledged the difficult capital-raising climate, noting that even established fintech brands face greater fundraising headwinds. In public remarks, he framed the pivot as a pragmatic response: concentrating on areas where Fi can deliver the most value and build a more resilient business model.
The planned B2B offerings will draw on systems originally developed to support millions of retail users, repackaged as scalable, enterprise-ready infrastructure and AI-driven financial services.
Products, people and operations
As Fi transitions, several consumer products will be phased out and organisational restructuring will follow. The company emphasised that staff changes are a consequence of strategic realignment rather than individual performance assessments.
This is consistent with prior actions by Fi and other fintechs, which have trimmed costs and honed priorities as investor sentiment has shifted toward profitability and capital efficiency.
Consumer business to be supported, but deprioritised
Fi has reassured existing retail customers that core services will continue to be supported. The consumer business is viewed as the foundation that informed the company’s product design, compliance and user-experience expertise.
However, future investment and innovation will be channelled primarily into enterprise solutions, reflecting a deliberate move to diversify revenue and build repeatable B2B monetisation.
Wider implications for India’s fintech sector
Fi’s pivot mirrors a broader trend across India’s fintech ecosystem, where startups are increasingly exploring infrastructure and B2B opportunities as investors demand clearer monetisation paths and sustainable unit economics.
Industry observers will watch whether Fi can successfully translate consumer-grade innovation into reliable, enterprise-grade services—a test of adaptability that many fintechs now face as the market matures.
