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Exclusive Program: Theory & Practice of Fintech Public Policy
A practitioner-led course in collaboration with Black Dot Public Policy Advisors
This 8-week, weekend-only live online program is designed for professionals who want to operate at the intersection of fintech, financial regulation, and public policy, built and delivered with Black Dot. This fintech-focused public policy advisory firm works directly with regulators, government, and industry on financial sector policy.
Across eight weeks, a capstone, and potential paid internships for the top five learners (merit and evaluation-based), you will move from understanding the architecture of payments, credit, and frontier finance to drafting and defending real-world policy interventions, guided by instructors who actively shape fintech regulation and research in India.
Practitioner-led
Engaging Sessions
Live Online
Classes on Weekends
8-Week
Extensive Learning
In Collaboration with
ABOUT BLACK DOT PUBLIC POLICY ADVISORS
Black Dot was conceptualised as a proactive public policy advisory firm with the aim to act as a bridge between the Fintech and financial industry and Govt. and regulatory stakeholders. Black Dot’s approach is ecosystem driven and it typically involves proactively crafting policy proposals (mainly focussed on fintech, financial policy and adjacent areas) and advocating it to stakeholders to develop public policy in ways that are win-win for India.
Black Dot’s expertise lies in its financial acumen and in its sound knowledge of the business aspects of the fintech space which gives it an edge in suitably advising different stakeholders as well as in converging their interests. Since its founding, Black Dot has advised and executed both business-as-usual and moon-shot public policy engagements for scaled start-ups and financial incumbents operating out of India. Black Dot is also actively engaged with the Niti Aayog Frontier technology team on certain projects in connection with the Fintech segment thereof on a pro-bono basis. Most recently, in June 2022, Black Dot collaborated with Niti Aayog as a knowledge partner in writing the Report, “Digital Banks: A Proposal for Licensing & Regulatory Regime for India.”
ABOUT THE FOUNDER: Black Dot was founded by Mandar Kagade in May 2020. Before conceptualising Black Dot, Mandar Kagade was the Head, Public Policy at “CreditOn”, a B2B Fintech firm in the credit origination space. Before that, he was heading the public policy team at Catalyst, a start-up incubator in the digital payments space, wherein he produced several policy papers including notably one on use-cases for the RBI regulatory sandbox. He is a recovering corporate and financial regulatory lawyer and a graduate of Columbia Law School, and Govt Law College, Mumbai respectively.
Who this is for?
This is a selective program for people who are serious about working at the intersection of fintech, regulation, and public policy. It is best suited for:
Early to mid-career professionals in banks, NBFCs, payments, and fintech operations who want a strong policy and regulatory edge.
Policy, law, and research professionals looking to specialize in fintech, financial regulation, or digital public infrastructure.
Product managers, risk professionals, and strategy roles in fintech or BFSI who increasingly deal with regulators, guidelines, and ecosystem bodies.
Career switchers from tech, data, or consulting who want to move into policy, regulatory strategy, or ecosystem roles in fintech.
This is not an introductory personal finance or “fintech basics” course; it is for Fresh Public Policy Grads and professionals looking to break into Fintech regulatory policy.
Learning Objectives: What you will be able to do
By the end of the program, you will be able to:
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Explain how payment and settlement systems (including UPI) are structured, who the key actors are, and why regulators care.
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Map India’s credit ecosystem—banks, NBFCs, digital lenders, LSPs, credit bureaus—and analyze where and why regulatory intervention happens.
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Understand the role of the RBI as a full-service central bank and identify typical points of tension between fintech business models and regulatory mandates.
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Evaluate crypto and frontier finance through a public policy lens: systemic risk, consumer protection, innovation, and institutional constraints.
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Design a basic public policy or advocacy strategy for a fintech issue, including stakeholder mapping and coalition-building.
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Draft and present a concise, well-argued policy submission on a real-world fintech problem, suitable for your professional portfolio.
Curriculum at a glance (8 weeks, weekends)
Format: Live online sessions on weekends, with readings and assignments during the week. All learners complete a capstone; top 5 (based on performance) will be considered for paid internships in relevant roles.
Week 1-2
Financial regulation foundations
Week 3-4
Credit policy & digital lending
Week 5
Central banking, RBI & fintech
Week 6
Crypto & frontier finance
Week 7
Fintech ecosystem & policy in practice
Week 8
Immersive policy project & capstone
Teaching Approach
The course is deliberately practice-heavy while being grounded in strong fundamentals.
You can expect:
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Short, focused conceptual segments
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Case discussions on real regulations, circulars, and policy changes
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Simulations of regulatory or stakeholder interactions
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Group work on live-like policy problems
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Guest sessions with practitioners from across the fintech and policy ecosystem
The goal is not to turn you into an armchair commentator, but into a professional who can work with regulation, constraints, and institutions as they actually are.
Meet the Course Instructors/ Mentors
Mandar Kagade
Founder, Black Dot Public Policy Advisors · Public Policy, Corporate Affairs & Governance Expert
Mandar is a fintech and financial regulation specialist who founded Black Dot Public Policy Advisors in 2020 to help fintechs and financial institutions work more intelligently with the state.
Before Black Dot, he led public policy at “CreditOn”, a B2B fintech in the credit origination space, and headed the public policy team at Catalyst, a digital payments incubator where he produced several policy papers, including on use-cases for the RBI regulatory sandbox.
He is a recovering corporate and financial regulatory lawyer and a graduate of Columbia Law School and Government Law College, Mumbai, bringing a rare combination of legal training, ecosystem experience, and hands-on regulatory strategy to the classroom.
Manvi Khanna
Research Associate, Future of Finance Initiative, Dvara Research
Manvi is a financial regulation and inclusion researcher with the Future of Finance Initiative at Dvara Research, where she works on financial inclusion, digital public infrastructure, and sustainable finance.
She previously worked at Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy in New Delhi, undertaking independent research on financial inclusion, DPI, and sustainable finance, and has worked with the Ministry of Finance and the International Financial Services Centres Authority.
A BBA.LLB (Hons.) graduate from National Law University, Odisha, and a university gold medallist in Corporate and Insurance Laws, she brings a sharp legal-policy lens to questions of fintech, data governance, and regulatory design.
Shatakshi Shekhar
Technology Law & Public Policy Professional · Masters in Technology & Public Policy, Columbia University
Shatakshi is a technology law and public policy professional working at the intersection of technology regulation, AI policy, data governance, and digital public infrastructure, with a strong focus on fintech and digital lending.
She advises startups and technology companies on regulatory strategy, digital lending compliance, platform governance, and data protection, with a particular interest in how public infrastructure and regulatory design shape private innovation in finance.
Her work spans law firms, policy roles, and industry settings, and engages closely with India’s DPI ecosystem - payments, consent-based data sharing, and platform regulation- allowing her to examine fintech through a 360-degree lens that situates private innovation within institutional incentives, regulatory architecture, and the public interest.
Guest Sessions by:
Jaspreet Kalra
Jaspreet Kalra works as a reporter with Reuters News in Mumbai. His coverage areas include financial markets, financial technology and areas of overlap between the macro-economy and markets. A graduate of Columbia University, Jaspreet spends time outside of work either reading or bombarding folks with recommendations on what they should read.
Admission Process & Fees Structure
01.
Submit application form
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Share basic details, professional background, and your motivation to join the course.
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Pay 399, non‑refundable application fee to complete your submission.
02.
Profile review & shortlist
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Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.
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Shortlisting is based on fit, clarity of goals, and ability to contribute to a serious fintech policy cohort.
03.
Interaction/ interview
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Shortlisted candidates are invited for a brief conversation online (20–30 minutes).
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This helps assess motivation, analytical comfort, and schedule fit.
04.
Offer & seat confirmation
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Selected candidates receive an admission offer by email.
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Seats are confirmed only after payment of the first instalment within the specified deadline.
Program Fee Structure:
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Program fee: ₹1,00,000 (all-inclusive of GST and core learning resources.)
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Early bird benefit: 20% discount for candidates who confirm admission on or before 31 January 2026 (subject to seat availability).
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Payment schedule: Payable in two installments; detailed timelines and exact amounts are shared with selected candidates in the offer letter.
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Merit-based scholarships: A limited number of merit-based scholarships may be available for exceptional profiles.