India’s Fintech Summit Excludes Crypto and Stablecoin from Agenda
India's Global Fintech Fest 2025 made a deliberate pivot away from private cryptocurrencies and stablecoins, spotlighting government-controlled digital initiatives instead. The three-day summit in Mumbai focused exclusively on CBDC development, AI integration, and national infrastructure projects like DigiLocker—a clear signal of regulatory priorities.
Concurrently, India's Financial Intelligence Unit blocked 25 offshore crypto exchanges for compliance failures, tightening the noose on unregulated digital asset activity. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's acknowledgment of stablecoins for cross-border payments stood as the sole crypto-related remark, framed within strict oversight parameters.
The agenda exclusion reflects India's broader strategy: channeling financial innovation through state-sanctioned pipelines. With the digital rupee pilot advancing and AI-driven infrastructure gaining momentum, private crypto assets appear increasingly marginalized in India's financial future.