Infosys Chairman Nandan Nilekani is once again at the forefront of digital innovation with Finternet, an ambitious initiative set to redefine the future of global financial infrastructure. Originally introduced in 2023 and developed in partnership with Agustín Carstens, Siddharth Shetty, and Dr. Pramod Varma, the project envisions a new digital ecosystem where financial services are open, interoperable, and seamlessly connected across borders.

Currently, Finternet boasts 10 cohorts across eight sectors and has forged partnerships with 30 ecosystem players, marking its presence in Today, Singapore, the US, and Switzerland. Nilekani announced at the Global Fintech Fest that the project’s first live use cases are expected in 2026, describing it as “an idea which is going global.”

At its core, Finternet focuses on asset tokenisation — the process of converting real-world assets such as land, real estate, and gold into secure digital tokens. Nilekani highlights the urgency of unlocking value from these assets to contribute to national and global economic goals. “So, how can we bring tokenisation to land to real estate, to gold, that's an issue. And what AI is showing us is that you can build a whole new infrastructure using agentic AI, which can make it so much better,” he said.

The initiative’s roots lie in a research paper that outlined the potential of building an interoperable, digital-first financial infrastructure. The goal is to bridge fragmented financial systems and enhance credit access, particularly in emerging markets such as India. As the country experiences rapid wealth creation and a surge in luxury consumption, the need for secure, scalable financial solutions has never been greater.

Unlike cryptocurrency-driven ecosystems that often struggle with regulatory uncertainty, Finternet emphasises compliance and accountability. “Finternet is a way of doing this (tokenisation) strategically, holistically in a structured way, for all kinds of assets. At the same time (doing it) within the regulatory envelope, and this comes from our learning for the last several years on how to build at scale, how to build reliably, how to work with regulators, and so on,” Nilekani noted.

The framework draws insights from evolving global regulatory models, including developments in the US and Singapore, such as the US Genius Act for stablecoins, to ensure that compliance is embedded into Finternet’s architecture from the start. This approach enables Finternet to scale sustainably while ensuring transparency and trust across jurisdictions.

Looking ahead, the initiative’s expansion into key financial hubs — India, Singapore, New York, San Francisco, and Switzerland — underscores its ambition to create a globally connected financial network. As India’s economy continues to grow and its middle and upper classes expand geographically, Finternet’s timing is strategic. The platform promises to provide a future-ready financial infrastructure capable of democratising asset ownership, improving access to credit, and driving inclusive growth worldwide.

Finternet’s 2026 launch could mark the beginning of a new era in financial innovation, where digital assets, artificial intelligence, and regulation work hand in hand to power a more transparent and interoperable global economy.