Monday 19 / January / 2026
MUSCAT: In 2026, handling money will feel less like visiting a bank and more like using a digital utility that runs silently in the background of everyday life.
Artificial intelligence (AI), embedded finance and real-time payments are rapidly converging into a new operating system for money — one that is set to disrupt long-standing profit models and legacy banking structures.
This shift was highlighted by Rajesh Chandiramani, CEO of Comviva, a global leader in mobility and digital financial solutions, during his visit to Oman on Monday.
Speaking to Times of Oman, Chandiramani said the future of digital payments will continue to evolve, with gamification, proactive risk management and stronger cybersecurity playing a vital role.
“Gamification helps keep customers engaged on platforms. At the same time, technology today allows us to proactively identify risks, prevent money laundering and strengthen compliance,” he said.
He warned of growing cyber threats in an increasingly connected world. “Hackers today can operate from anywhere globally. There are malicious apps that can sit on your phone without your knowledge and read transactions. This makes robust digital identification tools more critical than ever.”
Chandiramani also said Comviva’s presence in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region has been built on long-term partnerships and deep local market understanding.
“Comviva’s contribution to the MENA region has been rooted in long-term partnerships and a deep understanding of local market dynamics. We have worked closely with telecom operators and financial institutions to build scalable AI, analytics and cloud-native platforms,” he said.
He explained that the company’s DigiTech, RevTech, MarTech and FinTech offerings enable financial inclusion, digital commerce and next-generation customer experiences at scale.
“From powering mobile financial services and digital payments to enabling intelligent marketing and monetisation platforms, our solutions have helped organisations unlock new revenue streams and improve service accessibility,” Chandiramani added.
He noted that Comviva’s continued investment in innovation and ecosystem collaboration ensures that digital transformation across the region remains sustainable and inclusive.
“Our Agentic AI platforms going forward are expected to be a key driver of growth.”
According to Chandiramani, the MENA fintech ecosystem is witnessing rapid growth, fuelled by a young digital-first population, supportive regulatory frameworks and strong national visions focused on financial inclusion and digital economies.
“As demand grows for secure, seamless and mobile-first financial experiences, both fintech companies and established institutions are innovating across payments, remittances, lending and savings,” he said.
He added that Comviva plays a critical role as a technology enabler for banks, payment service providers and mobile money operators.
With more than 80 deployments across 55+ countries, Comviva today serves over 500 million customers globally. “Our digital payments platform powers over US dollar 1 billion worth of transactions every single day,” he said.
Chandiramani also spoke about Comviva’s partnership with Global Money Exchange (GME) to launch the Global Pay Oman mobile application.
“The launch of Global Pay Oman represents a major milestone in Oman’s fintech ecosystem,” he said. “This collaboration demonstrates how strategic partnerships can accelerate digital payments adoption, simplify cross-border remittances and strengthen financial inclusion.”
He said the application enables users to make fast, secure payments and manage foreign exchange services directly from their mobile devices, supporting Oman’s vision of a digital-first economy.
“We view this not merely as a product launch, but as a catalyst for wider digital adoption across sectors.”
Highlighting Comviva’s technology roadmap, Chandiramani said the company follows an AI-first approach, embedding intelligence at the core of its digital platforms. “By combining advanced analytics and generative AI with deep domain expertise, we help partners improve efficiency, unlock new revenue and deliver secure, personalised digital experiences at scale,” he said.
He described the Oman visit as a landmark moment for both companies. “This is one of the most important days for Comviva and GME in Oman — launching a mobile application that enables digital inclusion for Omanis and expatriates, while delivering AI-first technology for the benefit of consumers.”
Tracing the company’s journey, Chandiramani said Comviva began as an India-based platform company before expanding into Africa, where it helped digitally include nearly 400 million people. “From Africa, we expanded into North Africa and the Middle East, and now we are moving into Europe and the Americas,” he said.
Currently, Comviva processes nearly $400 billion in transactions annually, averaging $1 billion per day worldwide.
