Sai Krishna Kumaraswamy

Financial Sector Specialist

Sai Krishna Kumaraswamy leads CGAP’s work on inclusive competition, and as part of the policy and investment team, contributes to work on innovation, digital finance regulation and supervision, financial consumer protection, and policy responses to financial crises. He also serves as CGAP’s Regional Lead for Asia based in Bangkok, where he supports member engagement and partnership development, contributes to regional projects, and works to deepen CGAP's influence in the region.

Previously, Sai was part of CGAP’s Business Models team for five years, where he worked on digital finance innovations that enabled improved livelihoods and expanded access to essential services for people living in poverty, focusing on micro and small enterprise financing, asset finance, off-grid energy access, and gender-responsive fintech innovation. Before joining CGAP, Sai worked at the Gender Group and the Global Infrastructure Facility of the World Bank, and as an auditor and consultant in India. 

Sai holds a Master’s degree in Development Economics from The Fletcher School at Tufts University, a Master’s degree in Liberal Arts from Ashoka University, and an Undergraduate degree in Accounting, Business and Finance from St. Joseph’s College, Bangalore. He is also a Chartered Accountant. He is fluent in Tamil, Kannada and Hindi.

By Sai Krishna Kumaraswamy

Research

Safeguarding Financial Inclusion During Crises: Lessons for Policymaking

This paper offers guidance to financial safety-net authorities on designing crisis response measures that both restore financial stability and safeguard financial inclusion.
Research

Competition for Financial Inclusion: A Conceptual Framework

The insights in this paper point to the importance of financial authorities applying an intentional competition lens and offer an analytical framework to help deliver more inclusive and resilient financial systems.
Blog

Six Ways Open Finance Can Drive Competition and Inclusion

Open finance can make financial markets more inclusive and competitive, but only if designed intentionally. CGAP highlights six policy levers to ensure it benefits low-income and underserved people.
Blog

Competition as a Catalyst for Financial Inclusion

Healthy competition in the financial sector is essential for advancing financial inclusion, as it lowers costs, spurs innovation, improves access and service quality—especially for underserved populations.
Research

Responsible Digital Finance Ecosystem (RDFE): A Conceptual Framework

This framework builds on global and country knowledge to help financial sector authorities and key ecosystem actors strengthen financial consumer protection in the digital era through a holistic ecosystem approach.