India’s financial world is in the middle of a transformation that is rewriting the rules for both professionals and consumers. Fintech platforms are not just making platforms digital but are offering instant BFSI services by leveraging new age technologies like AI and ML for predicting sentiments, analysing trends and robotically advising clients. 

 

With the Indian fintech market projected to grow at a 30.2% CAGR and touch almost $1 trillion by 2032 from $155.67 billion this year, India is one of the world’s most dynamic financial playgrounds for building a career.

 

While the adoption of AI is skyrocketing, there are intense discussions about the future of AI in fintech. What is the future going to be – is it going to be a combination of AI and humans or is it going to be a situation of AI vs Human advisors in fintech.

 

While we will explore that topic in this blog, one thing for young professionals and graduates looking to make a career in the financial services industry is that fintech is an opportunity that cannot be ignored.

 

Read on to know more!

The role of AI in traditional banking jobs

While we will discuss the impact of AI vs human advisors in fintech, let’s first understand the impact of AI on traditional banking jobs.

 

54% of banking sector jobs are considered at high risk of AI-led automation, with an additional 12% of roles expected to be significantly augmented by AI. Positions involving routine and clerical tasks, such as data entry, documentation, reconciliation, basic customer service and entry-level analyst positions, will be the most impacted.

 

According to the Reserve Bank of India, AI and automation could impact around 5% of the total banking workforce in India by 2025. Clerical and support staff roles are shrinking as a result, while specialist and technical roles are rising. 

 

This change is evident. The ratio of officers who perform decision-making and analytical functions to support staff in Indian banks changed from 50:50 in FY 2011-12 to 74:26 in FY2023-24, highlighting the automation of lower and mid-tier jobs.

Benefits of AI in finance

• Affordability and access: Robo-advisors and digital lending platforms offer financial insight and services at a fraction of the traditional cost which can make goal planning, insurance or investments accessible to first-time users from all financial backgrounds.
• Speed and scale: AI tools process thousands of transactions per second. For example, credit scoring and personal loan approvals can happen in under two minutes, which is a critical business advantage.
• Personalisation at scale: By crunching real-time data from user behaviour, AI generates hyper-personalised investment portfolios, savings nudges or insurance suggestions for millions of users simultaneously.

What human advisors do that AI cannot replace

Trust is not a value-add when it comes to financial services. It is essential for user adoption and brand survival in India’s fintech boom. While AI is revolutionising service delivery, consumers want human reassurance, especially when the stakes are high.

• Emotional context: Financial choices are rarely rational or purely mathematical. An entrepreneur deciding whether to liquidate assets for business expansion, a family planning for a child’s education or retiree unsure about annuities; all face questions loaded with emotion, stress and ambiguity. Human advisors excel at interpreting these life events and offering context-driven advice that builds confidence.
• Complexity and ambiguity: When a client faces new tax regimes, inheritance disputes, or the pandemic’s financial volatility, AI alone lacks the experience to see around corners. A trusted human advisor can synthesize law, market trends and personal values to deliver holistic strategic advice that no bot can match.
• Building confidence through transparency: In India, where millions are still adapting to digital payments and online banking, even a single poor interaction with a fintech app can result in permanent distrust, and migration to a competitor. Customers in smaller towns and first-time investors need jargon-free, culturally sensitive guidance and the option to speak with a real person.

AI vs human advisors in Fintech: Collaboration or competition?

 

90% of finance functions will see at least one AI-led automation, whether for fraud detection, customer advisory or for identifying any anomalies. By 2028, AI-driven investment models will be the first source of advice for 80% of investors. What this indicates is that AI is not a passing trend. It is here to stay.

 

At the same time, India’s financial system remains deeply trust-driven. High-stakes decisions such as retirement, inheritance, insurance or loan planning often involve nuanced advice where humans are yet to fully trust advice not directly delivered by humans.

 

According to a recent survey by the CFA Institute, 91% of Indian graduates stated that they trust human advisors more than AI robo-advisors for finalising investment decisions.

 

Considering all these nuances, it is going to be a world of AI + Humans, preferring collaboration over complete automation. The emergence of hybrid advisory models in investment platforms and banking apps reflects this reality: technology for efficiency, humans for empathy and trust.

What’s the future of jobs in fintech?

While it is evident that it is not going to be a situation of AI vs human advisors in fintech, Indian fintech companies are aggressively hiring employees with demonstrable knowledge of AI, ML and advanced data analytics.

• More than 7200 active fintech firms now operate in India, directly employing over 180,000 employees. The indirect employment, including sales and support roles, estimated to be 1.5 times higher.
• 60% of Indian fintech companies face a shortage of skilled employees, with the gap most acute in AI, data analysis and engineering.
• Companies are increasingly focusing on skills, such as PyTorch, ML Ops and prompt engineering.
• 48% of companies are looking for demonstrable skills rather than formal undergraduate or graduate degrees.
• Demand for AI and ML roles in fintech companies surged by 39% in 2024, with the trend expected to continue.

How to start a career around AI in fintech from the ground up?

For those ready to build a flourishing career, the Certificate Programme in AI in Fintech by IIT Guwahati and TCS iON offers a powerful head start.

Built for engineering and finance graduates, this program helps learners:

• Understand how AI and ML are transforming financial services
• Gain practical exposure to digital lending, fraud analytics, risk modelling and algorithmic trading
• Work on real-world case studies with applied projects using cutting-edge tools
• Learn directly from the faculty of IIT, IIM and NIT, and industry experts

With the fintech space becoming more tech-intensive by the day, this course provides the ideal foundation to help learners go beyond theory and gain practical AI in fintech skills that can be implemented at work.

Final words

The future of fintech will not be defined by AI replacing humans, but by humans who are equipped to work with AI. As India’s financial ecosystem continues to evolve, companies are not just hiring more talent but are looking for professionals who can think financially and operate harmoniously with AI.

 

Young professionals who understand that it is no longer AI vs human advisors in fintech, but rather a brilliant collaboration of both, there is enough room to grow and achieve success in this field. The smartest career move today is to upskill in AI technologies while strengthening the very human qualities that machines cannot replicate, such as trust-building, critical thinking and empathy.