S5 E5 Fintech Files - Leapfrogging Into the Future

Discover how Central Asia is skipping over traditional banking as TBC Uzbekistan CEO Nika Kurdiani unpacks the region’s journey from a cash-based past to a young, mobile-first digital economy.
Podcast
December 17, 2025

How does a region skip the traditional path of banking entirely and jump straight into a digital future? Central Asia has become one of the fastest-moving digital banking regions in the world. In this episode, Nika Kurdiani, CEO of TBC Uzbekistan, reflects on the forces behind this rapid shift, from a post-Soviet cash-based legacy to a generation that expects mobile-first financial services.

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We discuss TBC’s approach to entering Uzbekistan, the evolving needs of a young and digital-first population, and the strategic choices required to build trust in a transforming market. Kurdiani also shares how AI, UX design, and digital onboarding are speeding up adoption and redefining what customers now consider a modern banking experience.

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From leapfrogging traditional infrastructure to shaping the next wave of fintech innovation in the region, this episode reveals how Central Asia is rewriting the rules of digital banking and what this means for the future of financial services. Listen here.

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/QAg48XnoIX8
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Nora is an expert in IT strategy and agile ways of working. By combining her expertise in banking and emerging technologies, she has delivered IT strategies, next-gen target architectures, and agile operating models for fintech and incumbent banks across the globe.

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