Shilpa Mankar Ahluwalia is a Partner in the banking & finance and corporate practice areas. She leads the FinTech group at the Firm.

Shilpa has advised several companies on their FinTech related investments and product structuring including American Express, Whatsapp, Revolut, Paytm, Clix Capital, Bharat Pe, Mobikwik, Amazon, PayPal, GoIbibo, Flipkart, Phone Pe, Bharti Airtel, Facebook, Zeta, Cred, Tata Sky, Vodafone, Zeta, LendingKart, Onfido, BonusPay, Razorpay, Advance AI, WeCash and Oxigen. She writes and comments regularly on FinTech related regulatory issues and has spoken at several Fintech conferences including the Mint Pivot or Perish FinTech Webinar, Global FinTech Fest organized by NPCI, FCC & PCI, VCCircle FinServ Summit, Legal Era GenNext Business & Law Conference, Mint FinTech Conclave, DLAI FinTech Summit, Financial Express Digital Currency Conclave. She has appeared on discussions hosted by the BBC India, Economic Times (Crypto TV), and the Business Standard, on cryptocurrency regulation. Shilpa has also spoken at the ET Tech – Rundown: Regulation Around Crypto and Axie Infinity & Blockchain Gaming hosted by Venture Intelligence on cryptocurrency regulation.

Shilpa also advises various companies, banks and financial institutions in connection with their structured debt investments. Her clients include Farallon Capital, Morgan Stanley, JP Morgan, Brookfield, Kotak, International Finance Corporation, KKR, ChrysCapital.

Shilpa supported Microfinance Institutions Network in their policy initiative with the RBI re: developing a regulatory framework for MFIs. She was part of the committee that advised the Ministry of Finance on the Factoring Act that was notified in 2012. Shilpa has worked with USISPF to present before the FinTech Steering Committee, MoF re: impact of data localization requirements in India. She worked with the Data Governance Network spearheaded by the IDFC Institute to study data regulations in India and conduct a series of workshops for the Fintech community. She has conducted training sessions on Fintech law & policy at the Forum of Indian Regulators. Shilpa was part of a committee constituted by the Payments Council of India to submit recommendations to the RBI on KYC regulation. Shilpa has worked with iSpirit (a leading technology think tank) to draft a framework on shared KYC for credit platforms. Shilpa advised the Digital Lending Association of India (DLAI) in its effort to submit recommendations to the RBI on its Working Group Report on Digital Lending and is currently advising DLAI in connection with setting up a self-regulatory organization (one of the first in India).

Shilpa was recognized by Asian Legal Business as among India’s top FinTech lawyers 2023, and as among the Top 5 FinTech Practitioners in India, by Chambers & Partners in 2020. She was ranked as a Band 1 FinTech lawyer by Chambers & Partners in 2019 and 2020. She was on the Economic Times 40 under 40 Women Ahead List for 2019. She received the Legal Era Women Lawyer of the Year 2019. Shilpa was on the Forbes India Legal Power List as one of India’s Top 100 Lawyers 2020 and 2021.

Prior to joining the Firm, Shilpa worked with Davis Polk & Wardwell, New York.

Shilpa has advised several companies in connection with structuring and successfully launching FinTech related products and platforms. She has also advised clients in connection with their investments in the Fintech sector.

Select Experience Statement

• Advised on FinTech product integration aspects related to Facebook’s USD 5.7 billion investment into Jio platforms (one of the largest deals in this sector this year)
• Advised Warburg Pincus in connection with their USD 50 million investment into Perfios Software Solutions one of the leading FinTech data analytics platforms in India
• Advised Whatsapp in connection with launch of their payment solutions in India
• Advised PayPal in connection with their India related strategy and payment solutions in India
• Advised Clix Capital in connection with its digital lending platform

A detailed experience statement can be shared on a confidential basis.

Professional Membership

• Bar Council of Maharashtra
• New York State Bar Association

Education

• LL.M, Columbia University School of Law, New York
• B.A. LL.B, (Hons.), National Law School of India University, Bangalore