Vishnuram Shridhar

RTOS POS vs Android POS — A Strategic Lens for Product Leaders in India As Product Heads, we’re not choosing operating systems. We’re choosing platform strategy, scalability, and long-term control. India’s digital payments ecosystem is scaling at unprecedented levels: 10M+ POS terminals deployed nationwide UPI driving billions of transactions monthly Rapid digitization across Tier-2/3 cities SMEs demanding more than just payment acceptance The question is no longer “Can the terminal process transactions?” It’s “Can the platform evolve with the merchant?” RTOS POS — The Stability Engine RTOS-based touch POS devices have historically powered payment ecosystems with: ✔ Deterministic transaction processing ✔ Low system overhead ✔ Lower hardware cost They are excellent in controlled, payment-centric environments. However, from a product strategy standpoint: Limited extensibility Restricted third-party integration Slower feature evolution Minimal app ecosystem RTOS is infrastructure. Not a growth platform. Android POS — The Platform Play Android POS represents a strategic shift from device thinking to platform thinking. ✔ App-driven architecture ✔ SaaS integration readiness ✔ OTA lifecycle management via modern TMS ✔ Embedded analytics, CRM, loyalty capabilities ✔ Faster feature velocity For product leaders, Android POS unlocks: Monetization beyond MDR Value-added service ecosystems Merchant data intelligence Cross-sell opportunities Reduced vendor lock-in (with proper architecture governance) This aligns directly with India’s fintech maturity curve. What Indian Market Dynamics Signal India’s POS growth is no longer just about hardware deployment — it’s about: 🔹 Software layers 🔹 Merchant enablement 🔹 Embedded services 🔹 Data-led decision ecosystems UPI adoption has accelerated merchant onboarding — but sustainability lies in value-added services layered on smart terminals. Android POS supports that ecosystem play. RTOS supports transaction play. Strategic Considerations for Product Heads When defining your POS roadmap, ask: Are we building a transaction engine or a merchant platform? Do we control our application stack and TMS evolution? How dependent are we on third-party SDKs? Can we modernize the estate without disrupting merchants? Are we monetizing software or just distributing hardware? The Forward View RTOS will continue to serve cost-sensitive, payment-only segments. But in growth markets like India — where fintech, embedded finance, and merchant SaaS are converging — Android POS increasingly becomes the strategic foundation for scalable, future-ready payment ecosystems. It will be platform governance, integration depth, and execution agility. Would be keen to hear how fellow Product Leaders are approaching their POS platform strategy in 2026 and beyond. #ProductLeadership #Payments #Fintech #POS #AndroidPOS #DigitalTransformation #IndiaPayments

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Home broadband growth in India has historically been relatively stagnant. That now appears to be changing on the back of 5G FWA (fixed wireless access) adoption. In just two years since Jio first launched 5G FWA offering in Sept 2023, there are already ~12M FWA subscribers in the country, growing at a CAGR of about 250%, compared with roughly 9% CAGR in wired broadband subscribers over the same period.

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Natasha Malpani Unveils Rs 200 Cr Boundless Ventures to Support AI Startups Former Kae Capital partner Natasha Malpani founded Boundless Ventures, an early-stage fund worth Rs 200 crore that supports Indian AI-native startups. Finance Outlook India READ MORE: https://lnkd.in/gTK4FxKD

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Forget QR codes and PINs for a second—your voice is about to become your new payment method. The big news is that India's Unified Payments Interface (UPI) is integrating Voice AI, enabling payments through simple speech commands. This isn't just a cool tech upgrade; it's a strategic move for radical financial inclusion. In a nation with such linguistic diversity, this feature, supporting multiple Indian languages, will onboard millions of new users who might have found traditional app interfaces challenging. For anyone in tech or finance, this is a clear signal: the future of user experience is multimodal and hyper-accessible. It pushes us to think beyond visual interfaces and consider how voice technology can break down barriers in our own products. What's the next big accessibility challenge that voice AI can solve in your industry? https://lnkd.in/gwE4XBkA #Fintech #UPI #Innovation #AI #FinancialInclusion #VoiceTech

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While reading about 5G Network Slicing on how telcos are monetizing it, came across few use cases mostly on the enterprise side like: - Verizon (US) using it for Smart city traffic management - China Mobile using it in Smart manufacturing (obvious) or - Etisalat powering Telemedicine & remote surgeries. ⚡ And now it's even reaching to Consumers, where a telco is bundling slicing into its Unlimited plan, possibly the first consumer-level monetized use case. That said, terms like 5G Network Slicing, Edge Computing, etc., often sound too complex to a non-telco person. 🤔 But what if we explain them using something we all understand… like roads and vehicles. For example- 1️⃣ 3G = A Single-Lane Road - One narrow path for both voice and data, - Congested, slow-moving traffic, Buffering is the norm 🔸 Analogy: One narrow road for everyone. Traffic jams. You reach, but slowly and with delays. 2️⃣ 4G = A Wider Highway - Faster speeds, better capacity - Voice and data still share space, but with less congestion 🔸 Analogy: Multi-lane roads with smoother traffic flow , but no lane priority. 3️⃣ VoLTE = Separate Lanes for Voice & Data - Voice no longer clogs the data lane - Better call quality + uninterrupted data 🔸 Analogy: One lane for calls, another for data – like dedicated lanes for trucks and cars. 4️⃣ 5G = Smart Expressway - Ultra-fast speed, low latency - Can handle huge traffic and many types of vehicles 🔸 Analogy: Superfast expressway with intelligent traffic management 5️⃣ 5G Network Slicing = VIP Lanes on the Smart Highway Custom lanes for different use cases: - Emergency Lane for Ambulance (ultra-low latency apps like remote surgery) - Truck Lane for Goods Delivery (massive IoT & logistics connections) - Private Car Lane for Regular Traffic (enhanced mobile broadband) All slices operate independently — no interference 🔸 Analogy: Emergency Lane, delivery lane, and high-speed lane – all on the same road, without slowing each other down. 💡 This reminds me, just like governments charge toll tax or Road tax to maintain expressways, can telcos use 5G Network Slicing to offer dedicated fast lanes to high-bandwidth users like OTT platforms 🔹 These “VIP lanes” for OTT ensure their video content reaches users faster 🔹 In return, OTTs can be charged — just like we pay tolls for using premium roads 😀 🔹 This can reduce the cost burden on telcos, who invest billions in infrastructure while OTTs benefit without contributing.   6️⃣ Edge Computing = Fuel Stations Along the Highway - Why send traffic reports to a control room 500 km away? 🔸 Analogy: Edge Computing is like placing traffic signals and decision systems right at the junction — faster decisions, zero delay. Tech doesn't have to be complex :) #Telecom #5G #NetworkSlicing #EdgeComputing #DigitalTransformation #TelcoSimplified #DAIS #VOIS

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There's a lot to learn for founders in this note and IDfy journey. But I think there's a learning here for folks in VC firms as well - please don't tell founders that they are wasting their life with the company they are building(even if you mean well).

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Who controls the rails of digital access? 🇮🇳 ​Critical insights on why India needs a localized, open app ecosystem to sustain its massive digital growth. ​A great read on the work we are doing at Indus Appstore. Priya Narasimhan breaks down the problem and articulates our commitment to broadening the app economy through openness and choice. ​Read the full article below 👇 ​#IndusAppstore #AppStoreForIndia #DigitalSovereignty

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👷‍♂️ The real builders of Digital India don’t sit in offices. They sit on rooftops, at junction boxes, and sometimes on the floor with wires in their lap. Over the last few weeks, Varun Joshi been learning from the people who make the internet actually work — the technicians on the ground. The ones who climb stairs, get calls from four people at once, and somehow still bring a disconnected home back online. He thought he understood their world. He didn’t. 🔍 What he discovered: There isn’t just one kind of technician. There are five very different types — and each one works differently, thinks differently, and needs a different kind of support. See them in the image > 🧠 What this taught us: ✅ Clarity matters. Many errors come from people not knowing what’s expected — or when. 🚫 Tech shouldn’t block intent. If someone’s at the customer’s door 🚪 and the app says “error” ❌, the system failed — not the person. 🌍 Context is everything. What works for one doesn’t work for another. Their life shapes their workflow. I share this because it’s reshaped how we, at Wiom think about tools, systems, and user-centric design. The people on the frontlines are not “users” — they are humans navigating chaos, fixing what’s broken, and doing it without asking for credit. If you build products that touch the real world, take time to understand the people who deliver them. They’ll teach you what no dashboard ever will. #ProductDesign #UserEmpathy #UXResearch #TechnicianLife #DigitalIndia #OnGroundLearning #Wiom

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From my own journey in building and scaling businesses, one thing is very clear: Sustainable success comes from vision, discipline, and patience. Not from chasing trends, but from consistently building value over time. India today is entering a phase where leaders are not just growing companies — they are shaping industries, empowering partners, and creating opportunities at scale. Exciting times ahead for our economy and for those who believe in long-term thinking. #IndiaGrowthStory #Leadership #LongTermVision #BusinessStrategy #EntrepreneurMindset #EcosystemBuilding #EVMIndia

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Seeing Shop the Look officially go live brings back a lot of memories. The idea started as a simple question during a discussion: if we can already achieve “see it, get it” in images, why can’t video go one step further? A few of us kept exploring that thought, breaking it down, challenging assumptions, and gradually turning what felt like an idealistic concept into something worth seriously validating. The 2024 company hackathon became a particularly special moment. In 48 hours, we built a working demo and stitched together the core loop. That showcase didn’t just help the idea gain visibility — it was the first time we could truly see it in action. It was no longer a slide or a concept note, but something tangible that actually worked. I still remember the excitement of that 0-to-1 moment. What followed was a much longer and more complex journey. Taking an early prototype and evolving it into a scalable, production-ready product required deep cross-team collaboration, constant iteration, and many thoughtful trade-offs. It’s the kind of progress that only happens when multiple teams align and keep pushing forward together. Ideas often grow through a relay of contributions — someone raises the question, someone validates the direction, someone hardens it into a system, someone brings it to market. I’m grateful to have been part of the early exploration, and truly happy for the teams who carried it forward and made it real. There’s something special about seeing a question once sketched on a whiteboard become a product serving real users. Looking forward to watching how this space continues to evolve. https://lnkd.in/grgbpY58

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Over the last few years, we’ve spent time with ISPs and Internet Operators across India —both direct-to-customer and franchise-led models. One pattern keeps repeating. Most ISPs are fighting on speed, price, and VAS (IPTV, OTT, voice) to compete with the top telcos. That fight is understandable. But it’s also where many regional ISPs quietly lose the real battle. Let’s talk churn — honestly. Globally, mature markets operate at 1.5–2% churn. In India, top telcos are around 3–5%.But for regional ISPs and last-mile Internet Operators, churn is often 5–12%.This gap isn’t because customers don’t want regional ISPs. It’s because service reliability breaks before value is felt. As FTTH scales, one thing is clear: Top 5 telcos alone cannot serve the entire last mile. In reality, 50–60% of FTTH customers will continue to be served by regional ISPs and Internet Operators — through franchise and partner models. Even large telcos will increasingly depend on the last mile. Regional ISPs aren’t temporary players. They’re foundational to India’s broadband future. So why are many still struggling? Because of two silent killers: Invisible Problems - Issues that don’t clearly show up in AAA or TR-069,but customers feel every day. Hidden Losses - Repeat complaints, truck rolls, delayed fixes, higher OPEX — and finally churn. Not one big outage, but a slow leak. For every 10,000 FTTH customers, this often means ₹75–80 lakh lost every year — unseen, untracked. A hard truth from the field: For every 1 customer who complains,9 others are silently watching. If the issue repeats, all 10 may leave within 3–4 months in next billing cycles. Internet is no longer a luxury. It's like electricity. Many customers started already keep two broadband connections as backup. If they’re willing to pay for two average connections, why won’t they pay for one reliable one? They will — when trust exists. VAS matters, But reliability comes first. FTTH is already ~70% globally and ~72% in India. India will grow 3× in the next decade. At this scale, operations — not expansion — will decide winners. One final question: We talk a lot about new additions. How many of us are tracking net adds? Growth isn’t just who you add. It's who you keep. If this feels uncomfortably familiar, that’s a good sign. It means you’re ready to fix the right problems. Happy to have a short conversation or demo to share what we’re seeing across FTTH networks. #FTTH #ISP #Telecom #Broadband #Fiber #India #DigitalIndia #Connectivity #CustomerExperience #Churn #NetworkOperations #InternetOperators #TelecomInfrastructure Klick AI

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"Big Move" in India's fintech landscape. IPO-bound BharatPe is strengthening its tech leadership, appointing Ajit Kumar, former SVP of Engineering at Paytm, as its new CTO. A significant leadership "poach" as the company gears up for its next phase of growth and a public offering. Read:https://lnkd.in/dTfWtnZ6 #FoundersPlaybook #BharatPe #Fintech StartupTN #startupindia

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From trust gaps to trust power — Ashok Hariharan and IDfy are reshaping digital onboarding, fraud prevention and privacy in India and globally!

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This shift from search & filters to conversation is exactly what the next wave of users needs, especially beyond metros. Engineering, at its core, is about solving complex problems with simple, intuitive solutions. "vaani” is a great example of that philosophy in action bringing natural, conversational commerce to millions. Big unlock for accessibility, discovery, and user trust. 🚀 #meesho #VoiceCommerce #DigitalIndia

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🔗 From MNV to Federated Identity: Building a Unified Digital Persona 🌐 In a hyper-connected world, identity is the new infrastructure. Mobile numbers, Aadhaar, PAN, and bank credentials are no longer just identifiers — they are digital trust anchors. Imagine Mobile Number Verification (MNV) evolving into a Federated Identity Framework, where Aadhaar, PAN, banking KYC, and telecom data converge into one unified, secure, and interoperable digital identity. This isn’t about control — it’s about consent, inclusion, and Trust by Design: ✅ Citizen-owned identity ✅ Cross-sector and cross-border interoperability ✅ Seamless onboarding across services ✅ Global portability with privacy and security at its core As 6G, AI governance, and Digital Public Infrastructure evolve, identity must transcend borders — moving from static documents to dynamic, verified attributes that travel with you securely. 🌍 I invite world leaders, policymakers, and technologists: 👉 Can we envision a “Global Federated Identity Framework” built on Aadhaar, PAN, and banking KYC — with privacy, sovereignty, interoperability, and Trust by Design at its core? Tagging thought leaders and institutions shaping this space: @NandanNilekani @SatyaNadella @SundarPichai @KlausSchwab @BradSmith @AmitabhKant @ShriAshwiniVaishnaw @ShriRajeevChandrasekhar @UNDPDigital @WorldEconomicForum @ITU @WorldBank 🔒 Secure the Identity. Empower the Citizen. Secure India. Secure World. 🌍 #DigitalIdentity #FederatedIdentity #TrustByDesign #Telecom #Aadhaar #MNV #GlobalIdentity #SecureIndiaSecureWorld #DigitalTrust #AI #6G #IdentityGovernance

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1. Airtel sees more wireless additions via M2M vs Jio in last seven months: IIFL Securities -- https://lnkd.in/gzTrTtaH 2. ‘Reliance Jio may become dominant FWA provider by June-end, ahead of T-Mobile’ -- https://lnkd.in/gQT5wdjc #Airtel #Jio #5G #M2M

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📢 DoT Mandates Sanchar Saathi Pre-Installation on All New Mobile Phones The Department of Telecommunications has directed all mobile manufacturers and importers to pre-install the Sanchar Saathi App on every device sold in India. This will help users verify IMEI genuineness, check mobile connections, and report fraud, lost or stolen devices. 🔑 Key Points ✅ App must be visible, enabled, and functional at first setup. ✅ No hiding or disabling allowed. ✅ Devices already in the market should get the app via software update. ✅ 90 days for implementation. ✅ 120 days for compliance reporting. For this initiative to deliver real impact, manufacturers must ensure seamless pre-installation, secure IMEI programming and timely OTA updates. On the user side, success depends on keeping the app active, verifying device authenticity, and reporting fraud proactively. When both sides support it, this becomes a sustainable security layer for India’s mobile ecosystem. #DigitalSecurity #TelecomSecurity #CyberSafety #IMEISecurity #SancharSaathi #DoTIndia #MobileSecurity #DigitalTrust #CyberAwareness #SecureIndia

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Just concluded a mandate to help define and operationalize the AI Product Strategy for CX, for an early stage tech co. Key learnings for an org which is extremely dynamic in nature and operating in a highly-regulated vertical - 1. Build for today but actively anticipate for future scenarios 2. Stress on the human-in-the-loop (HITL), esp due to the regulations involved 3. Combine CX with account management/ upselling, when the HITL kicks-in 4. Redefine how metrics look in an AI-first world Deployments like these have the added benefit of forcing companies to chart their customer journey and bring the focus back to the user.

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