Fintech players’ fight for survival: Navigating India's regulatory maze for NBFC licences

In the heart of the fintech world last month, a peculiar M&A transaction sent ripples throughout the ecosystem. Fintech unicorn Slice announced its merger with Guwahati-based North East Small Finance Bank (NESFB) on October 4, shortly after receiving the green light from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). The stealth of the deal, absent from headlines until RBI’s approval, highlighted the meticulous, covert strategy orchestrated by Slice CEO