Building the Future of Home Finance: Growth, Risk & Digital Discipline
In a thought-provoking session at Bharat Fintech Summit 2026, Laks Duraiswamy, Managing Director, Sundaram Finance, shared a sharp and balanced perspective on where home finance is headed.
While digital transformation dominates industry conversations, he reminded us that technology is only one pillar of sustainable success.
Digital is the backbone, not the buzzword
Home finance has moved from thick paper files to APIs, alternate data, analytics, and app-based underwriting. The real question isn’t whether to digitize but how fast you can do it without losing discipline.Technology levels the playing field
Today, smaller institutions can compete with large banks through data aggregation, automated decisioning, and continuous learning systems.Credit quality is non-negotiable
Even in a fully digital ecosystem, income verification, property validation, and human judgment remain critical. Digital should handle 70–80% — experts must focus on edge cases.Growth without risk discipline is a shortcut to failure
High double-digit growth in housing finance must be backed by strong guardrails. A “sexy” digital front end means nothing without a resilient balance sheet.The real promise of digital is inclusion
It’s not about approving metro loans in 7 minutes. It’s about reaching underserved borrowers who were excluded by traditional models.
- His closing message was powerful:
- Prudence enables innovation.
- Survival builds long-term service.
- Digital without discipline invites consolidation.
A compelling reminder that the future of home finance will be built on growth, risk intelligence, trust, and balance sheet strength not speed alone.
