Chandan Khaitan
Co Chair, CII Southern Region Taskforce on Innovation & Startup Ecosystem and CEO
Muthoot FinCorp ONE
Muthoot FinCorp ONE
Corporate-Startup Collaboration: Taking Innovation to Scale
India’s startup ecosystem brings strong capability in innovation and speed. Startups are designed to experiment, iterate quickly, and develop new solutions. Legacy organisations contribute scale, governance, customer trust, and the ability to deliver proven solutions to large and diverse customer bases. The corporate–startup collaboration is most effective when these roles are clearly defined, with startups focused on innovation and established institutions responsible for scaling that innovation to reach millions of customers.
At Muthoot Fincorp One., (Muthoot Blue), startup collaboration is viewed as a long-term capability. The objective is ecosystem development. We work with startups that address real business and customer needs and support them in scaling solutions responsibly, particularly in areas aligned with financial inclusion.
Our approach is rooted in demonstrative engagement. Instead of limiting partnerships to conceptual discussions, we collaborate with, mentor, and work alongside startups in real business environments as opportunities emerge. These collaborations focus on improving efficiency, strengthening processes, and enhancing service delivery. Startups bring agility and problem-solving capability, while we provide access to operating environments, regulatory context, and a nationwide network of over 3,750+ branches supported by digital platforms.
We have successfully partnered with multiple startups to drive efficiency and automation across our customer journeys. One such collaboration leverages AI-based, human-like voice calling to qualify leads through two-way conversations, significantly reducing call-center workload while seamlessly handing over high-intent customers to human agents.
Another initiative involves building a loan marketplace to cross-sell offerings to our existing customer base, thereby enhancing customer lifetime value. This collaboration focuses on intelligent customer-lender matchmaking to deliver superior borrower experience and higher conversion outcomes.
Over time, this approach has resulted in sustained partnerships where solutions are refined, tested, and gradually expanded across relevant parts of the organisation. The emphasis remains on continuity and shared outcomes.
For us, strong governance is central to all startup collaborations. Operating in a regulated financial services environment requires clear frameworks around compliance, data security, and customer protection. These structures ensure that innovation is adopted responsibly while maintaining customer trust.
Looking ahead, we remain open to engaging with new ideas and emerging approaches that can move beyond pilots to deliver outcomes at scale. By combining startup-led innovation with institutional reach, experience, and trust, we aim to ensure that innovation delivers meaningful and inclusive outcomes for millions of customers across India.
At Muthoot Fincorp One., (Muthoot Blue), startup collaboration is viewed as a long-term capability. The objective is ecosystem development. We work with startups that address real business and customer needs and support them in scaling solutions responsibly, particularly in areas aligned with financial inclusion.
Our approach is rooted in demonstrative engagement. Instead of limiting partnerships to conceptual discussions, we collaborate with, mentor, and work alongside startups in real business environments as opportunities emerge. These collaborations focus on improving efficiency, strengthening processes, and enhancing service delivery. Startups bring agility and problem-solving capability, while we provide access to operating environments, regulatory context, and a nationwide network of over 3,750+ branches supported by digital platforms.
We have successfully partnered with multiple startups to drive efficiency and automation across our customer journeys. One such collaboration leverages AI-based, human-like voice calling to qualify leads through two-way conversations, significantly reducing call-center workload while seamlessly handing over high-intent customers to human agents.
Another initiative involves building a loan marketplace to cross-sell offerings to our existing customer base, thereby enhancing customer lifetime value. This collaboration focuses on intelligent customer-lender matchmaking to deliver superior borrower experience and higher conversion outcomes.
Over time, this approach has resulted in sustained partnerships where solutions are refined, tested, and gradually expanded across relevant parts of the organisation. The emphasis remains on continuity and shared outcomes.
For us, strong governance is central to all startup collaborations. Operating in a regulated financial services environment requires clear frameworks around compliance, data security, and customer protection. These structures ensure that innovation is adopted responsibly while maintaining customer trust.
Looking ahead, we remain open to engaging with new ideas and emerging approaches that can move beyond pilots to deliver outcomes at scale. By combining startup-led innovation with institutional reach, experience, and trust, we aim to ensure that innovation delivers meaningful and inclusive outcomes for millions of customers across India.
