PM Modi to Inaugurate Global Fintech Fest 2026 in Mumbai Tomorrow

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the seventh edition of the Global Fintech Fest (GFF) 2026 in Mumbai on Tuesday, marking the commencement of one of the world's largest annual fintech gatherings that brings together policymakers, regulators, financial institutions, technology companies, investors and academia. The four-day event, scheduled from September 8 to 11, will focus on emerging technologies and their role in advancing inclusive finance.

Since its inception in 2020, GFF has evolved into a global platform for discussions on the future of finance and digital innovation, according to a Press Information Bureau statement. The theme of GFF 2026 is “Potential to Impact: Agentic AI, Tokenisation, Quantum - Trusted, Connected, Global Systems for Inclusive Finance”. GFF 2026 has been designed as a convergence point for policy, regulation, technology, capital and industry on a common platform.

It seeks to build on India’s leadership in digital payments and financial inclusion and move from potential to impact. The discussions will focus on how Agentic AI, programmable finance, quantum technologies and other critical and emerging technologies can create trusted, inclusive and measurable outcomes for citizens, enterprises and economies globally, a government statement said on Monday.

Earlier, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis recently positioned Mumbai not just as the financial capital of India, but as the country's Fintech Capital. He emphasised that Mumbai historically under-leveraged its standing as India's financial hub. By marrying traditional banking and capital markets with cutting-edge digital infrastructure, the city is evolving into an integrated fintech ecosystem.

Addressing perceptions around tech hubs like Bengaluru or Hyderabad, CM Fadnavis highlighted that Maharashtra leads the country in absolute numbers of startups, venture funding, and total unicorns, driven heavily by fintech enterprises. He further stated that Maharashtra currently houses over 60 per cent of India's total data centre capacity (exceeding 1 GW operational capacity).

The state's power-surplus status and dedicated cloud infrastructure provide the technical backbone required for low-latency financial transactions and digital payment processing. ​ The state government implemented dedicated fintech policies offering plug-and-play parks, single-window clearances, and rapid land allotments (often within 24-36 hours) to lower the cost and friction of doing business. Through broader initiatives -- including AI Innovation Parks, cyber-security centres, and digital public infrastructure -- the administration is aligning the fintech domain with emerging technologies to secure financial networks and scale solutions globally, said the industry department sources.

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