AYE WAY

The company welcomed me not merely as an employee, but as a partner in its vision

From being one of the first ten employees to being the Head of Customer Service team that serves over half a million customers has been an amazing journey. Today, as I reflect on over the decade spent with Aye, I am filled with gratitude for the opportunities and experiences that have shaped me. It is here that I have grown as a professional, and as a person — learning resilience, embracing change, and embodying the values of integrity and collaboration.

The trust that has been put in me to not only build the department but also to grow with it and lead it has given me an experience that I will cherish forever. I say it everyday and I’ll say it again, there is no other place like Aye for me.

My career at Aye has been like different shades of the rainbow

I had just graduated from Delhi School of Economics when I stepped into a world where ambition met opportunity. I started off as Manager - Credit, and deciphered the intricacies of business analysis. Each figure was a piece of a puzzle, that when put together built one of the pioneering underwriting models in the country. After a year, I found myself helping to set up the Risk Management function for the organization.

Not surprisingly, my journey did not end at risk management. I was offered the opportunity to move into the Business Excellence function and I grabbed it with both hands. Very soon, I was at the forefront of transforming outdated business practices and legacy systems.

This is my first job and it has been over 5 years now! This journey has given me more than the opportunity to rub shoulders with a bunch of very smart professionals. I ended up with a group of friends who dare to challenge conventions, and weave together the threads of possibility into a tapestry of achievement.

I have come to realize that a good policy is an opportunity to empower businesses.

For over 8 years, I was responsible for the credit policy for Aye Finance. During this time, I would often travel through smaller towns across the length and breadth of India. In my quest to gain first hand experience of what and how businesses work, I came across some remarkable businesses - sustainable, well-managed and profitable. Yet, accessing formal credit seemed near impossible for them. That’s where we stepped in.We had to find innovative ways of fueling their dreams. It was about finding ways to say yes when others say no.

Beyond numbers and profit margins, our mission is etched in the lives we touch. In alliance with CGAP, a global partnership of development organizations, including the World Bank and UNDP, we launched Shakti loans- a product designed for women-led businesses.

And it doesn’t end there. Our not-for-profit initiative, FAME, dances to a different rhythm. From skilling our partners to providing access to better markets, we believe in nurturing not just businesses but the very fabric of society. We are rewriting the script of possibility, one loan at a time.

It's not just about meeting expectations; it's about going above and beyond.

Since my very first day at Aye, I knew I had landed in a special place. Our commitment to customers, was not merely a statement. Our NPS scores would consistently hover above 87% putting us in the same league as reputable organizations like Netflix, Flipkart, Amazon and Starbucks. It was a powerful affirmation that our efforts, from the smallest detail to the biggest effort, resonated deeply with those we serve.

What I cherish most about this organization is our ability to foster deep customer loyalty. With over 66% of our customers coming back as repeat customers, we create unique bonds that are founded on shared trust and mutual respect.

All of us in the Product team are constantly endeavoring to craft offerings with our customers at the forefront of our design. It is a very daunting task to innovate and develop new products that would make a difference to our customers' lives all the time. Many a time, things do not turn out the way we envisaged. But then, there are those days when we hear from our field teams that something we recently launched, has been a huge success. And it is those days that make all the hard work that we put in, worthwhile.

I was the first HRBP at Aye Finance and I have been here for 7 years now.

In my line of work, I come across people from all backgrounds. Over the years, it did not surprise me that we could attract talent from some of the best colleges like IITs and IIMs. We even had people with very diverse backgrounds such as Social Work, Data Science , graphic designing, political science and even mathematics.

Something that happened two years back was eye opening. We launched a program called the “LA +2 program” designed to hire candidates who had just completed +2 education. Many of them could not pursue further education due to financial constraints or family responsibilities. Within the organization, there were concerns such as whether the lack of formal education will be a hindrance to business or whether these employees will be able to match the standards their colleagues have set. However, more than half of the batch, shocked these skeptics by performing outstandingly. Today, we have over 500 employees owing to this program.

Our commitment to hiring from local communities isn’t just about filling roles; it’s about investing in futures. I take pride in working at Aye, because we ensure there’s a place for everyone.