Nikhil Sawant
Mumbai
Summary
Results-oriented senior manager with extensive expertise in banking and financial services, specializing in customer onboarding, digital journeys, revenue growth, and credit risk underwriting. Adept at improving process efficiency and product visibility, with strong analytical, technical, and strategic expertise
Overview
11
11
years of professional experience
Work History
Senior Product Manager
Mahindra Finance
05.2024 - Current
- Led end-to-end product lifecycle management for Co-lending, including product & policy drafting, stakeholder collaboration, process design, and product launch.
- Streamlined and digitized SME lending processes, improving operational efficiency and enhancing customer experience.
- Implemented SME sales and credit processes with a focus on quality, risk, and credit management; conducted periodic reviews and process upgrades in compliance with RBI regulations.
- Prepared Business Requirement Documents (BRDs) and product wireframes for products, ensuring clarity and alignment with business goals.
- Collaborated with Learning & Development team to achieve 100% adherence to standardized processes and policies.
- Developed and monitored analytics dashboards to assess portfolio quality and identify new business opportunities.
- Assisted with LMS migration and collaborated with the tech team for seamless LOS and LMS integration.
Manager
Piramal Capital and Housing Finance Limited
02.2022 - 05.2024
- Collaborated with leadership to identify and prioritize projects that align with organizational goals.
- Collaborated with cross-functional stakeholders to create and streamline processes, prioritizing Digital First approach to enhance efficiency and customer experience.
- Conducted regular reviews of credit policies and program risk acceptance criteria, ensuring timely updates to adapt to changes in legal and regulatory requirements.
- Integrated KYC APIs into Loan Digital journeys to enhance customer verification processes.
- Consulted with design team to improve UI/UX by incorporating user personas for better usability.
- Performed testing on business rules engines (BRE), ensuring compliance with policy amendments and providing sign-off for newly developed features.
- Assisted in documenting and proposing business processes, SOPs, Credit flows and rules.
- Coordinated with Tech for end-to-end management of development, deployment, testing, training, and quality assurance.
Manager (Credit & Risk) in Digital Banking
AU Small Finance Bank
06.2019 - 01.2022
- Portfolio analysis for the Digital book and providing feedback to Policy team, Risk team & management for Policy formulation and amendments in exiting policy.
- Setting up framework of TTDs & EWS - to ensure that timely actions are taken to prevent further loss.
- Automate credit-decision - work with tech and product team to Implement the scorecards.
- Getting the Credit policy incorporated in the API integration with the help of vendor & tech team.
- Prepared deck of ETB PL pre-approved loans while monitoring portfolio and collaborating with collection team to enhance risk framework.
- Collaborated with collection team on recovery initiatives for NPA and delinquent accounts to mitigate losses.
- Conducted UAT for online PL and SME web journey in credit underwriting portal with Jocata team to ensure functionality and compliance.
- Web journey for Personal Loan- with multiple flows such as Bureau based STP, banking based STP and NSTP.
- Training and leading new processing executives for calculation of Income eligibility, System workflow, other products, and process guidelines.
- Preparation of monthly bouncing analysis and Monthly early warning signals reports.
- Resolved Internal Auditor’s query in terms of Policy and Underwriting Process.
Credit Manager
Indiabulls Consumer Finance Limited
01.2018 - 05.2019
- Appraising & Credit Decision for DHANI application Personal Loan & Self-employed cases with approving authority of Rs.3 lacs at PAN India Level.
- Appraising and credit U/w of PL & BL-West Region (DSA) with approving authority of Rs.7.5 lacs.
- Evaluated delinquent accounts, recommended changes in credit underwriting, and trained team members on updated processes.
- Served as the single point of contact between credit team and EY team to enhance online credit underwriting process for offline cases using Salesforce-CRM.
- Coordinated with centralized policy and audit team to clarify policy for accurate decision-making within TAT.
- Personal Discussion with applicants of High ticket by visiting their office with required due diligence, along with that to maintain rapport and create leads.
- Compiled and published necessary management information systems (MIS) reports for senior management to aid in decision-making.
- Executed briefings to keep the team informed about new processes and products.
- Involved in Skip tracing activity & DSA empanelment activity.
Credit Officer
Aditya Birla Finance Limited
01.2017 - 12.2017
- Monitored approval rates and maintained optimal turnaround time (TAT) while staying updated on market intelligence to ensure compliance and efficiency.
- Recommended approvals and denials for cases within limits based on PD comfort, financial and banking analysis, financial ratios, and bureau reports to support informed decision-making.
- Analysis of the Cases and taking decision based on CIBIL & Banking as per Policy.
- Checked dedupe requirements for case processing, including CIBIL checks and RBI defaulter list, to mitigate risk and ensure compliance.
- Verifying KYCs of Customers in accordance with RBI and internal KYC Policy.
- Monitoring FI MIS and TAT for the same. Coordinating with Agencies for best possible quality services.
- Involved in UAT with McKinsey Team for a bfldirect.com Portal.
- Engaged in training sessions provided by the process and product team to improve operational effectiveness.
Compliance and Tax Assistant
M/s K.S. Jhaveri & Co.(CA Firm)
02.2015 - 12.2016
- Filed income tax returns for companies and individuals, ensuring compliance with tax regulations.
- Drafted and vetted MOA, AOA, and resolutions to support corporate governance and compliance.
- Prepared minutes and reports for directors and auditors to document key decisions and maintain regulatory compliance.
- Accounting and Auditing work-Preparation of Accounts-Balance Sheet, P&L account.
- Filed forms with the Registrar of Companies using the MCA 21 portal.
Education
PGDM - Banking & Finance
NMIMS University
Mumbai01-2023
B.Com -
Mumbai University
01-2013
Skills
- Digital product management
- Product management
- Product backlog management
- Product enhancement strategy
- Digital transformation strategy
- API integration
- Salesforce and Oracle Flexcube
- Microsoft Office and Power BI
- Jira and SDLC
- EasyMorph tool
- Figma and Drawio
- Cross-functional collaboration
- Team leadership
- Project management
- Product launches
Projects Handled so far:
Digital transformation projects in lending business
- Organic PL,BIL,HL,LAP and D2C journey
- Loan against Securities
- Partnership products
- Direct Assignment (Securitization)
- Co-Lending Model
- MSME
Hobbies
Exploring new places, Cycling, Listening to Music & Podcast
Skills
- Digital product management
- Product management
- Product backlog management
- Product enhancement strategy
- Digital transformation strategy
- API integration
- Salesforce and Oracle Flexcube
- Microsoft Office and Power BI
- Jira and SDLC
- EasyMorph tool
- Figma and Drawio
- Cross-functional collaboration
- Team leadership
- Project management
- Product launches
Timeline
Senior Product Manager
Mahindra Finance
05.2024 - Current
Manager
Piramal Capital and Housing Finance Limited
02.2022 - 05.2024
Manager (Credit & Risk) in Digital Banking
AU Small Finance Bank
06.2019 - 01.2022
Credit Manager
Indiabulls Consumer Finance Limited
01.2018 - 05.2019
Credit Officer
Aditya Birla Finance Limited
01.2017 - 12.2017
Compliance and Tax Assistant
M/s K.S. Jhaveri & Co.(CA Firm)
02.2015 - 12.2016
PGDM - Banking & Finance
NMIMS University
B.Com -
Mumbai University