The New Face of Offline Digital Payments

Q1. Could you start by giving us a brief overview of your professional background, particularly focusing on your expertise in the industry?

Over the last 24 years, I’ve had the opportunity to build and scale businesses across consumer durables, mobility, retail, and fintech. I’ve led large P&L mandates at brands like Samsung and Panasonic and later transitioned into leading major business lines at Paytm as VP & Business Head, where I drove distribution, merchant acquisition, credit-on-POS, and device-led monetisation.
This cross-industry experience has given me a unique vantage point on how hardware, software, and payments converge at the point of sale—particularly in categories such as TVs, ACs, mobile devices, and appliances. Today, I work with brands and founders as an independent consultant, helping them sharpen their GTM, offline expansion, and embedded credit strategy.

Q2. How have customer preferences for offline digital payments evolved in the last few years, especially for high-ticket categories like consumer durables and smartphones?

Digital payments have moved from being “convenient” to “default,” even for high-value purchases. In categories like TVs, ACs, and smartphones, customers increasingly start the purchase journey with clarity on two things: offers and affordability.
UPI continues to dominate small-ticket spends, but in high-ticket…