Insights
Perspectives on sales, partnerships and how business works.
Notes and longer pieces on sales and customer understanding, partnerships and payments, technology and practical AI, startups and SMEs, and what I’m learning from the business community.
13 pieces
UPI now has a merchant fee. What the October 2026 change means for your business
From 15 October 2026, larger UPI payments to merchants carry a 0.4% fee. Here is who pays, who is exempt, and what to check with your bank or payment partner.
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RBI's payment aggregator rules, explained for merchants
In September 2025 the RBI brought all its payment aggregator rules into one Master Direction. Here is what it means for the businesses that use them.
How to choose a payment gateway: a 12-point checklist for Indian businesses
Pricing is only one line on the list. After years of selling payment gateways, these are the 12 questions I would ask before signing with any provider.
A week of phone calls that turned into a venture
Within a week of setting out on my own, businesses started calling me about payment gateways. How passing on leads for free became The Harsmit Ventures.
Why online payments fail, and what it quietly costs your business
Every failed payment is a customer who wanted to pay you. Here is why payments fail in India and the simple fixes that recover lost revenue.
Business insurance for MSMEs: 7 questions owners forget to ask
Most small businesses are under-insured until something goes wrong. These are the questions I ask business owners before they buy or renew a policy.
Working capital without the stress: how small businesses should think about loans
The right loan at the right time can grow a business. The wrong one can choke it. A practical guide to working capital options for Indian MSMEs.
Practical AI for small businesses: five places it saves real time today
Forget the hype. These are five simple, affordable ways Indian businesses are already using AI to save hours every week.
Before you sign an ERP contract: lessons from ₹4.5 Cr+ of ERP deals
I sold and implemented ERP for distributors across Gujarat and now work with SAP. These are the questions that decide whether an ERP project succeeds.
Getting a yes from banks: what I learned building banking alliances
At SabPaisa and PhiCommerce I built partnerships with PSU banks, private banks and government entities. Here is what actually moves a bank partnership forward.
From a Vodafone store to FinTech: 10 sales lessons from 15 years
I started in 2011 setting up in-store displays for Vodafone. Fifteen years later, these are the sales lessons that held true across telecom, retail, ERP and FinTech.
What 12,000+ merchants taught me about selling FinTech
Leading a team that activated 12,000+ merchants in 7 months at BharatPe, and 15 years of selling payments, insurance and software, taught me a few things about how businesses really decide.