Paytm (One97 Communications Limited), India’s leading payments and financial services distribution company and pioneer of mobile payments, QR codes and Soundbox, today announced the appointment of Mr. Ramana Kumar as Chief Executive Officer for its Middle East business. He brings over 20 years of leadership experience in the fintech, payments, and banking sectors along with deep expertise in driving innovation and business growth in financial services.
Before joining Paytm, Mr. Kumar was the founding CEO of Magnati, a leading payments company in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and a subsidiary of First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB), where he led key initiatives to modernize payment systems and drive business growth. He also served as Executive Vice President at FAB, overseeing the bank’s payments and digital banking businesses. Prior to that, he was Managing Director and Head of Global Transaction Banking – Product and Business Management at the National Bank of Abu Dhabi (NBAD), where he played a key role in developing digital banking and payment solutions. Over the years, Mr. Kumar has built a strong reputation for creating scalable, innovative, and secure payment solutions.
Mr. Kumar will lead Paytm’s expansion in the UAE and the broader Middle East, focusing on developing digital payment solutions tailored to local needs. He will leverage the company’s proven technology and expertise as a pioneer of mobile payments and payment devices in India to drive regional growth. His appointment marks a key step in Paytm’s journey to bring its digital financial services to new international markets.
Vijay Shekhar Sharma, Founder & CEO – Paytm said, “We welcome Ramana, who has built a formidable merchant payments business in the UAE. We aim to serve the region by building and bringing strong regional leadership, backed by our proven technology.”
Mr. Ramana Kumar, Chief Executive Officer, Middle East, Paytm said, “I am excited to join Paytm and lead its Middle East business. The region is rapidly adopting digital payments, and there’s a strong demand for innovative, secure, and scalable solutions. Paytm’s technology, built and refined in India, is well-suited to meet these needs. We will work closely with regulators and ecosystem partners to introduce impactful innovations and strengthen the digital payments landscape.”
The company sees strong potential to expand its technology-driven merchant payments and financial services distribution model to international markets. Paytm is exploring select global opportunities as part of its long-term growth strategy, with meaningful results expected over the next few years.