Global Fintech Fest (GFF) isn’t just another event on the calendar, it is where the entire banking and fintech world converges. The BFSI domain has been the early adopter of digital technology including the use of AI. Whether it's early startups, market leaders or regulators and innovators, they all participate in this event. Like every year, it was held at the prestigious Jio Convention Centre in Mumbai from 7-9th October 2025. When the dates got near, we were sure that in order to showcase the Frappe brand, connect with decision-makers, and unlock new growth opportunities we needed to be present at the event.

The event stats were equally impressive with a footfall of 1 Lakh, 7500 participating companies, 50+ product launches, and 400+ exhibitors from 100+ countries.

However, getting there wasn’t as simple.

The road to GFF

We were still unclear about getting an exhibitor space. But we knew that being at global event with NPCI organising it, our open-source products like ERPNext and Frappe Lending were aligned to the theme of the event. We reached out to the organisers with our intent for participation. However what followed was weeks of calls and patient persuasion. We only heard back from them in mid August and understood that there are currently no exhibitor spaces available for new entries.

GFF followed a retention policy that gave last year’s exhibitors first preference for booth locations.This also meant that we had very little chance of entry and that too at an elevated price. Honestly, I felt a little low since we had the energy, the story, and an awesome product offering to back it, but without a booth none of that would matter.

The chase for a booth

We secured a booth

After much back and forth, we managed to secure a booth of 18 Sqm on the ground floor, right where the action happens. I let out a sigh of relief. It was one of those “we did it” moments for me because the ground floor is where most foot traffic and media visibility occur every year.

With the booth settled, the next task was setting up the booth itself as we procured a raw space.

None of the GFF empanelled vendors had the bandwidth, so we finalised an external vendor to handle the fabrication and setup. Now this activity was new for me, as I was the one attending and networking at the event in the past.

Every small detail mattered because this was our first big outing for Frappe Lending.

I worked closely with our marketing team for the design approvals and made sure it truly represented Frappe’s theme of keeping it clean, minimal, and open

Late nights and design dilemmas

The night before the event

To minimise the chaos the next day, we collected the team's delegate passes beforehand. When we visited the night before the event, the entire hall was buzzing with people setting up, testing lights, fixing backdrops, and our vendor was giving the final touches to the Frappe booth. It almost seemed impossible that everything would be ready to invite delegates at 8 am the next morning. My head was full of both excitement and anxiety.

By midnight, things finally started to take shape. The design panels went up, the screens were tested, and suddenly it all looked promising.

Day 1: The rush begins

Day 1

As we reached early in the morning, we looked at the booth. It felt like a reflection of all we had visualised for the last few weeks.

From the moment the gates opened, there was a constant stream of visitors, people from banks, NBFCs, fintechs, and technology partners, all curious about what makes Frappe and ERPNext so unique and how we make money. Our booth location gave the visitors ample space to stop by and converse.

Our “100% Open Source” tagline caught attention instantly. Many visitors turned their backs to make sure of what they read, only amazed to learn that an enterprise-grade lending software and ERP could be open source, customisable, and supported by a strong community.

The conversations primarily revolved around the framework, the user friendliness, scalability and customer references. Most were left to ponder the thought of not exploring before investing in a licensed product, and with vendor lock-in.

We also came across genuine feedback from the customers who were already aware of ERPNext and its capabilities and were glad to see us participate in this event.

Day 2: Deeper conversations

Day 2

Many of the newer team members also joined on day two, standing shoulder to shoulder, imparting a sense of cohesion among the team and also contributing in more focused discussions. Some of the people who had visited on day one came back with specific questions about Frappe Lending, partnership opportunities, and seeking information about other Frappe apps. We got into deeper conversations about deployment options on Frappe Cloud, enterprise implementation plans, the wide partner network for implementation, how open-source adoption is being encouraged and how Frappe ensures customer success with dedicated partner success manager teams for every region.

Again, it was rewarding to see genuine interest not just in our products, but in the open-source philosophy from developers to CXOs.

One line that a visitor said stuck with me; “You’re doing what everyone else says is impossible, i.e.making enterprise software open.”

This somehow summarised why we were different in terms of having a product that sells not because of the price, but the quality. I wondered if there were a few who carried the thought of openness, ownership and contribution to society after visiting us.

Day 3: Stringent security checks and competition analysis

Day 3

The third day started differently; word had spread that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer were scheduled for a visit in the afternoon. The venue was under tight security since morning. All delegates had to wait for their turn for a security check, which was exhaustive since there was a large queue outside the venue. Once inside, it was evident that the crowd was lighter than on the first two days.

This gave breathing room, and I took the opportunity to visit competitor booths. Many had flashy screens, bright colours, free goodies and paper brochures, all backed by a heavy marketing budget. I was more keen to understand the offerings, note the pitch and product positioning and also evaluate where Frappe Lending stands in comparison.

In that moment, I felt a sense of satisfaction that we chose not to be loud in terms of the colour choices, not giving freebies and having a paperless approach. All in all, a learning experience and realisation of the power of a distinct open source model of Frappe.

Wrapping up

Wrapping up

As the event drew to a close, we gathered the team for a quick debrief. We had met hundreds of professionals, collected dozens of business cards, and, more importantly, made meaningful connections that could drive and assist in our future efforts.

As the noise faded, it felt a bit surreal. Before departing, we chalked out a follow-up strategy to reach out to the prospects, some with personalised messages and others with a “Thank You” in order to keep the momentum alive.

This event was not just about brand visibility on a global platform but also about giving a message to the world that quality-focused open-source solutions like Frappe Lending and ERPNext belong on the global stage, right alongside the biggest names in the industry.

And we’re just getting started.