Interview with Fintech Visionary Manish Baranwal: The Indian Technologist Powering Global Payment Transformations

New Delhi [India], November 4: From building SEPA and HVPS+ systems across Europe to modernising the UK’s Faster Payments infrastructure, Manish Baranwal represents India’s growing influence in global fintech innovation and leadership.

Q1: Manish, your fintech journey spans continents and core infrastructure. What first sparked your path into global payments?

It began in Mumbai, at the heart of India’s financial services ecosystem. My early roles at Barclays and TCS e-Serve gave me practical exposure to compliance and operations. But it was at Finastra, a global fintech product company, where I discovered my true calling: building Global PayPlus (GPP), a platform now used by more than 50 Tier 1 banks across the world.

That experience taught me a defining lesson. Real-time payments are about speed, trust, resilient design, and smooth economic connectivity.

Q2: You’ve led large-scale programs such as SEPA, HVPS+, and ISO 20022 migrations. What has been most impactful?

Leading SEPA Credit Transfer across UniCredit’s Central and Eastern European network required harmonising diverse local regulations with pan-European payment standards.

The HVPS+ ISO 20022 migration for Mizuho Bank was another defining milestone. It was among the first full-stack transformations aligned with SWIFT CBPR+, requiring deep collaboration between teams in Japan, the UK, and multiple regulatory bodies.

What stays with me is the technical delivery and the creation of resilient, compliant-by-design infrastructure that endures beyond market trends and strengthens global trust in digital payments.

Q3: You’re widely credited with transforming the UK’s Faster Payments system at Lloyds. Can you elaborate?

At Lloyds Banking Group, I led the Payments Engine Modernisation Programme, encompassing CHAPS, TARGET2, and real-time Faster Payments.

The Faster Payments Gateway (FPG) I architected now supports 24/7 instant payments across the UK. Our outcomes included:

• £945,000 in annual cost savings through vendor optimisation
• 30% faster transaction throughput
• 20% improvement in FX processing efficiency

We also built a Strategic Payments Engine, embedding API-first architecture and native ISO 20022 compliance. This future-proofed the UK’s payments backbone while ensuring the highest levels of security and scalability.

Q4: How do you approach the often-perceived tension between innovation and regulation?

I see regulation as a co-architect rather than an obstacle. ISO 20022, PSD2, and GDPR do not suppress innovation. They shape it. From design to deployment, I follow a compliance-by-design philosophy. This approach enables responsible innovation that can scale sustainably and securely.

Q5: Beyond your core projects, you are active as a speaker and mentor. What drives that engagement?

Knowledge grows when it is shared. Through platforms like SpeakIn, I have delivered keynote talks across India and the UK, including at:

• Maharashtra State Innovation Society Summit (1,000+ attendees)
• Lucknow Smart City Expo (600+ professionals)
• NIT Allahabad (500+ students)

I have also mentored more than 20 startups through Digital Boost, guiding them on secure, lean digital frameworks. Many of these ventures are now revenue-positive or part of global accelerator programmes.

Q6: You’ve received several global recognitions. How do they reflect your impact?

Each award represents a collective journey and shared mission. Some highlights include:

• Finastra CEO Award for leading global product transformation
• RedCompass Labs Project of the Year for HVPS+ delivery
• Indian Tech Society UK Award for advancing the UK–India fintech bridge

These recognitions affirm that Indian technologists are not merely contributors but architects of the world’s financial infrastructure.

Q7: Your leadership style seems deeply intentional. What philosophy guides it?

Three values define my approach: Clarity, Empathy, and Consistency.

Whether leading programmes worth over £100 million or mentoring early-stage founders, I focus on clear direction, human understanding, and structured execution. In digital finance, reliability is the true currency.

Q8: Looking ahead, what do you envision for the future of payments and your role in shaping it?

The coming decade will make payments invisible. They will be embedded in ecosystems, powered by AI, secured through biometrics, and governed by programmable protocols.

I aim to help build the rails of that transformation, not just ride on them, creating architectures that are human in intent and compliant by design.

The UK presents a powerful opportunity to integrate India’s velocity of innovation with Britain’s fintech legacy. Together, they can generate globally exportable solutions born from British soil.

Editor’s Note

From modernising the UK’s real-time payment backbone to mentoring emerging startups and addressing global fintech forums, Manish Baranwal embodies the new generation of Indian technologists shaping the world’s financial future. His journey reflects innovation, governance, and human purpose that continue to redefine how the world moves money.