Building for Tomorrow: A look-back at Tide’s India journey and 2025 aspirations

With more than 1200 colleagues  and 450,000 plus SMEs — Tide’s India journey has been truly transformative, while more exciting developments await us in 2025

As we approach the end of another exciting year for the Indian fintech ecosystem, it’s evident that our industry stands at the cusp of unprecedented growth and opportunity. As we reflect on our journey in India, the experience has been nothing short of transformative — not just for our operations here but for shaping our global strategy. India, with its dynamic market, diverse SME landscape, and a regulatory framework that prioritises inclusion and innovation, has served as a unique proving ground for Tide’s mission to support small businesses, especially with a projection of 7% GDP growth in this fiscal year (IMF). 

Through the lessons we’ve learned here in the two years since we launched our product and prior — from leveraging technology to address complex challenges to forging partnerships that drive meaningful impact — India has helped Tide refine its blueprint for serving SMEs worldwide.

In this article, I will reflect on the key learnings from our time in India — what it takes to succeed in one of the world’s most vibrant and challenging fintech markets — and share our vision for the road ahead. 

Adaptability and the power of localisation

The Indian market is incredibly dynamic, and the ability to adapt to local needs and nuances has been critical for us to thrive. What works globally doesn’t always work locally. Building products tailored to India’s unique business landscape has been pivotal to Tide’s success in this market. Introducing features like bill payments, expense management and get paid via UPI have been game changers in product adoption, and usage across the country. 

Financial inclusion is key to economic growth

Supporting underserved small business owners isn’t just about providing tools; it’s about making financial services accessible to all. This mission continues to drive us. Tide’s array of digital solutions help address the pain points for entrepreneurs, making it much easier for them to do business. With convenient, secure and efficient access to financial services for SMEs, Tide is empowering their introduction into India’s rapidly expanding formal economy. By joining Tide, our members also create a financial footprint for themselves, which will drive greater and longer-term access to formal channels of credit, to help them power their businesses.

Partnerships matter

Strategic partnerships, such as Tide’s collaboration with Transcorp, have been instrumental in addressing the unique needs of underserved SMEs by providing tailored financial solutions that enhance accessibility and convenience. Alliances like these help us leverage our partners’ established infrastructure and market expertise to deliver services such as prepaid card offerings, QR code-enabled payments and other financial tools that simplify business operations for small enterprises. Moreover, these partnerships have enabled us to transcend geographical and operational limitations, reaching a broader spectrum of the market.

Customer feedback and a data-driven approach to product offerings 

Our “We Are Listening” campaign (launched just six months into Tide’s India product entry) reminded us that feedback from our users is our most valuable resource for product improvement and relevance. By offering customised features like invoicing, UPI payments, and bill payments, we’re providing Indian entrepreneurs with tools that fit their daily needs. Moreover, the emphasis on data-driven decision-making and cross-functional collaboration has enabled us to build products that make a difference for small businesses. Tide’s global experience with a dash of local insights, and a strong user focus helps its growth as well as expansion into newer markets. This approach to product development is crucial in delivering value to our members worldwide.

Commitment to compliance is non-negotiable

Tide employs a compliance-first approach, implementing full video KYC (Know Your Customer) from day one, which has proven effective in building trust and safeguarding customer data. At Tide, we believe that a regulator has been entrusted with addressing asymmetric risk-return profiles to uphold a strong financial framework that safeguards consumer interests. Operating in a highly regulated space requires us to stay updated and fully compliant. It’s essential for our integrity and success in India.

Building a strong, inclusive team is the foundation

Tide’s growth in India has been extraordinary, and we are proud of the talented team we have built, based out of Delhi and Hyderabad, and across India. We operate with a global mindset, uniting a diverse, international team. At Tide, we have consistently prioritised creating a robust ecosystem that enables our employees to balance their personal and professional commitments seamlessly – a workplace that puts people first. This has shown us the impact of an inclusive and growth-focused culture in achieving ambitious goals. 

The Road Ahead: What’s next for Tide in India

Scaling digital and financial inclusion

Financial inclusion has always been a major concern for our country, however the scenario is changing fast. Businesses that were once heavily cash-dependent in tier-2 and tier-3 markets, from kirana stores to neighbourhood panwallas, are now receiving money digitally through QR codes, and this is exactly where India’s growth story lies. We plan to expand digital access, bringing our financial tools to rural and underserved areas (especially tier 2 and beyond towns). Making these resources accessible to all is essential for our next phase of growth. We will expand on this through our financial literacy initiatives and campaigns. 

Continue to empower women entrepreneurs

At Tide, we believe that there is a huge untapped potential for women entrepreneurs to contribute to the Indian economy. With partners like WE Hub, NEHHDC and Ubuntu Consortium, we’re launching initiatives focused on training, financial support, and resources for women-led businesses across India. We aim to support women entrepreneurs across India, equipping them with the skills, tools, and resources necessary to take their business to the next level. It’s not just the right thing to do, but bringing and digitising more women will have a powerful knock-on effect  to India’s growth. 

Innovation in product development

We plan to expand our suite of financial tools by leveraging cutting-edge technology to address emerging business challenges. Our key areas of focus include enhanced AI-powered financial insights, deeper integrations with India’s evolving digital payment ecosystem, and new features that will help further simplify finance and admin for small business owners, focusing on seamless experiences that keep entrepreneurs in control.

Championing sustainability

Last year, we removed 100% of our emissions with durable carbon removal from 2022 by purchasing 3,711 tonnes of durable biochar removals and this made Tide the first fintech globally to do this. However, 2022 was only the beginning. By 2030, we aim to further remove one million tonnes of durable carbon (CO2e) from the atmosphere. Thus, building sustainable practices will be a strong focus in 2025, as we aim to help entrepreneurs build financially healthy and environmentally responsible businesses.

Supporting small businesses is a marathon, not a sprint

At Tide, we believe that empowering small businesses is critical to driving economic growth, and India continues to be a cornerstone of our global ambitions. Patience and resilience are key as we aim to make a lasting impact. Our vision isn’t just to help small businesses today but to build a lasting ecosystem. India is home to tens of millions of small businesses, and our mission to empower them has only just begun. Together, we’ll continue to push boundaries, innovate, and make a lasting impact for SMEs across the country.