- Sahamati invited nominations for the AA Ecosystem Excellence Awards 2026 from Financial Information Users (FIUs) and Account Aggregators (AAs) across lending, insurance and wealth
- Entries were assessed on the data and evidence each organisation submitted, against published metrics for every award category
- 16 recognitions went to 14 organisations across 11 award categories, including two FIP Champion awards
- Winners were felicitated at SamvAAd 2026 in Mumbai by Shri R Gandhi, Former Deputy Governor, RBI and Chairman, Sahamati, and Shri Nandkumar Saravade, Independent Director, Sahamati
The AA Ecosystem Excellence Awards looked at how deeply organisations have woven consent-based data sharing into their everyday business: how many first-time borrowers they reach through AA, how many women they lend to, how many insurance policies they issue, and how well their customer journeys work.
The winners were announced on 15 October 2026 during the main day of SamvAAd 2026, Sahamati’s flagship community event, in a dedicated session honouring the leaders and innovators shaping India’s AA ecosystem.
About the Awards
The awards were open to organisations across the AA ecosystem, with categories built around four segments: FIU – Lending, FIU – Insurance, FIU – Registered Investment Advisers (RIA) and Account Aggregators. Recognition was also extended to Financial Information Providers (FIPs), whose reliable data supply makes every AA journey possible.
Each category had its own evaluation metric. Lending awards, for example, looked at the share of new-to-credit (NTC) cases, loans to women, business loans or home loans sourced using AA data, out of all loans sourced across channels. Insurance awards looked at the share of policies issued using AA data and the number of distinct AA use cases live. The AA App of the Year assessed functionality, ease of access, UI/UX, security features and app store ratings.
How winners were selected
- Reporting period: Organisations reported metrics for June 2025 to August 2026, or from their AA go-live date if later.
- Evidence-based evaluation: Every nomination was assessed against the published criteria for its category, based on the data and evidence submitted.
- Signed declaration: All submitted data had to be accompanied by a signed declaration confirming its accuracy.
The Winners
| S.No. | Segment | Award | Winners |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | FIU – Lending | AA Excellence – Credit Inclusion | EarlySalary Services Private Limited; Bajaj Finance Limited |
| 2 | FIU – Lending | AA Excellence – Gender Inclusive Credit | Bajaj Finance Limited; Hinduja Housing Finance Limited |
| 3 | FIU – Lending | AA Excellence – Business Loans | Purple Finance Limited (Emerging Category); Tata Capital Limited |
| 4 | FIU – Lending | AA Excellence – Home Loans | Hero Housing Finance Limited (Housing Finance Category); Axis Bank Limited (Banks Category) |
| 5 | FIU – Lending | AA Early Adopter – Gold Loan | Kotak Mahindra Bank Limited |
| 6 | FIU – Insurance | AA Early Adopter – Insurance | Axis Max Life Insurance Limited |
| 7 | FIU – Insurance | Use Case Leader in Insurance | Axis Max Life Insurance Limited; SBI Life Insurance Company Limited |
| 8 | FIU – RIA | AA Customer Choice Award | MobiKwik |
| 9 | Account Aggregator | AA App of the Year | SAAFE |
| 10 | FIP | AA Champion – FIP Securities Market | Central Depository Services Limited (CDSL) |
| 11 | FIP | AA Champion – FIP Banking | HDFC Bank |
Celebrating the Winners
Lending
AA Excellence – Credit Inclusion: EarlySalary and Bajaj Finance
This award recognised lenders sourcing a high share of new-to-credit customers through AA. For borrowers with no credit history, consented bank statement data is often the only reliable way to show repayment capacity. Both winners have used it to bring first-time borrowers into formal credit.
AA Excellence – Gender Inclusive Credit
Bajaj Finance and Hinduja Housing Finance. Women are often underserved by documentation-heavy underwriting. This award recognised lenders with a high share of loans to women facilitated using AA data. Bajaj Finance makes the list for a second time, alongside Hinduja Housing Finance in the affordable housing space.
AA Excellence – Business Loans: Purple Finance (Emerging Category) and Tata Capital
Cash-flow-based lending to small businesses is one of AA’s strongest use cases. Purple Finance was recognised in the Emerging Category, and Tata Capital for the share of its business loan disbursements sourced using AA data.
AA Excellence – Home Loans: Hero Housing Finance (Housing Finance Category) and Axis Bank (Banks Category)
Home loans involve some of the heaviest income verification in retail lending. Both winners have used AA data to simplify it, with separate recognition for housing finance companies and banks.
AA Early Adopter – Gold Loan: Kotak Mahindra Bank
Gold loans are usually underwritten on collateral alone. Kotak Mahindra Bank was recognised for bringing AA data into gold loan sourcing early, opening the door to better-informed, cash-flow-aware lending in this segment.
Insurance
AA Early Adopter – Insurance: Axis Max Life Insurance
This award recognised the share of insurance policies issued using AA data. Consented financial data can speed up income assessment and reduce paperwork at the point of purchase.
Use Case Leader in Insurance: Axis Max Life Insurance and SBI Life Insurance
This award looked at the number of distinct AA use cases live and in active use. Both insurers have taken AA beyond a single journey and into multiple parts of their business.
Wealth and Customer Experience
AA Customer Choice Award: MobiKwik
This award looked at what customers actually do: active AA users, time spent, consent renewal rates, app ratings and the quality of the AA journey. MobiKwik was recognised for building an AA experience that customers return to.
AA App of the Year: SAAFE
This award assessed AA applications on functionality, ease of access, UI/UX design, security features and app store ratings. SAAFE was recognised for its overall app experience.
Financial Information Providers
AA Champion – FIP Securities Market: CDSL and AA Champion – FIP Banking: HDFC Bank.
This award assessed FIPs on request volumes handled, service reliability, consistency, FI coverage, SLA adherence and customer-centric initiatives such as fair-use policy implementation. The winner was recognised for its contribution to the AA ecosystem and for making AA more accessible and easier for customers to use.
By recognising these organisations, Sahamati aims to celebrate the institutions that are turning consent-based data sharing into real outcomes for customers. Their work shows how the Account Aggregator ecosystem is helping first-time borrowers, women and small businesses access credit, and making insurance and financial journeys simpler. By giving individuals greater control over their financial data, the ecosystem is paving the way for a more inclusive and efficient financial landscape.
Congratulations to all the winners, and thank you to every organisation that submitted a nomination.