Bajaj Finserv has launched Finserv Intelligence, a group-wide applied research and innovation initiative under which Bajaj Finserv companies plan to invest between Rs 1,500 crore and Rs 2,000 crore in technology-led startups over the next five years.
The initiative will focus on emerging and strategic technology sectors, including artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, quantum technologies, fintech, and consumer technology. Through this programme, the company aims to strengthen its long-term technology capabilities while accelerating innovation across India’s rapidly evolving digital economy.
Finserv Intelligence will primarily target early-stage startups ranging from seed-stage ventures to Series B companies with strong scalability potential. Investment sizes will vary depending on the specific needs and growth stage of each startup, while a dedicated investment team will manage the funds and oversee deployment strategies.
Additionally, Bajaj Finserv has signed a Master Collaboration Agreement with the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay. The partnership will support joint research projects, technology development initiatives, and efforts to transform academic innovation into commercially viable business solutions.
Speaking about the initiative, Sanjiv Bajaj, chairman of Bajaj Finserv, said the company wanted to move beyond its existing short-term research cycles and focus on long-term technological transformation.
“In the last 15 years, as we have built our own research and the application focus has been with a three- to five-year time frame… What we have realized is that given the advent of how the digital world has grown in the last couple of years with AI, it was timely for us to look at a five- to ten-year window as well,” Bajaj said.
“Medium-term research is what we will do through this initiative because we think that it is very important to build transformational capabilities in the medium-term,” he added.
Finserv Intelligence will combine academic collaborations, startup investments, and internal expertise to create scalable technology solutions tailored for India’s financial services and digital ecosystem.
Furthermore, the company plans to expand collaborations with additional academic institutions while simultaneously building an in-house team to support the initiative’s long-term objectives.
According to Bajaj, Bajaj Finserv is currently hiring specialists for Finserv Intelligence and expects to build an initial team of nearly 40 members over the next year, including both full-time and part-time professionals.
“We have people coming on board in the next one or two months. Over the next year, we will have a team, some full-time and some part-time, about 40 people to start. They will start working with IIT Bombay. But they will also build out the other academia partnerships,” he said.
The chairman also highlighted the company’s growing use of artificial intelligence to communicate with customers in multiple languages, including English and Hindi. According to Bajaj, Finserv Intelligence could help expand these capabilities to support more Indian languages and regional dialects as the company seeks broader nationwide reach.
“India has so many languages and then so many dialects. To make sure that we achieve our ambition to be present in one in three Indian households to every household,” he said.
“If you are looking at Bhojpuri or if you are looking at a dialect of Tamil, the world is not working on that. To get to language 20 and 30, and to get to dialect 70 and dialect 80, that will be taken up as a medium-term project by this initiative,” he added.
Bajaj also stated that the company could eventually explore commercial opportunities by offering some of the technologies developed under Finserv Intelligence to other businesses and enterprises.
The initiative is expected to include research and development labs, centres of excellence, venture-led innovation models, and scholar-in-residence programmes designed to support technological advancement and applied research in India.
The launch of Finserv Intelligence marks a major strategic step for Bajaj Finserv as the company strengthens its focus on artificial intelligence, deep technology, and long-term innovation. By combining startup investments, academic partnerships, and internal research capabilities, Bajaj Finserv aims to position itself at the forefront of India’s next wave of fintech and digital transformation. As demand for AI-driven financial services, regional language technologies, and cybersecurity solutions continues to rise, the initiative could play a significant role in shaping the future of India’s technology ecosystem.
