Sber embraces a people-centric philosophy, supporting healthy competition and welcoming API openness to all players in the financial ecosystem. The discussion titled “Digital platforms and services: what’s next?” was part of a plenary session, where Kirill Tsarev, First Deputy Chairman of the Board of Directors at Sberbank, shared insights at the Finopolis forum on innovative financial technologies.
From a people-centric standpoint, Tsarev emphasized that when a competitor offers a stronger product, a company faces two possible outcomes: first, it risks losing a customer who will eventually discover a superior offer elsewhere; second, the same customer could receive services from another provider. This reinforces the idea that competition drives overall progress in the market.
Tsarev argued that Sber has long supported competition. He highlighted that new product requirements now demand the ability and willingness to compete under evolving circumstances. Through digitalization, customers should have access to information that shows when someone else delivers faster or better service. Over time, this trend can make API openness a pathway to competing on the customer’s journey, experience, and how a service is delivered. The ultimate aim is to ensure the customer receives the best possible service, which expands the chance that they will remain loyal over the long term. [Citation: Finopolis forum discussion on fintech innovations]
The speaker pointed to the importance of consistency, transparent rules, and non-discriminatory treatment for all participants when APIs are opened. He noted that today’s financial landscape extends beyond banks competing with banks. Ecosystems, e-commerce platforms, and digital firms are now active players, making it essential to monitor every participant in the API ecosystem to gauge its impact on competition and service quality. [Citation: Finopolis plenary remarks on API ecosystems]
Tsarev recalled a series of ideas that illustrate the potential for deeper integration between public services and financial infrastructure. One example involved using bank IDs to access government services. There were efforts to connect bank accounts with government platforms through the Unified Identification and Authentication system. With 27 million customers, the Unified ID has achieved verification through the SberBank Online mobile app, demonstrating how authentication can scale across services. Another concept proposed was to link the bank ID with the Unified Identification Number, enabling seamless transitions from one mobile application to another, and simplifying user movement across platforms. [Citation: Sberbank leadership commentary on digital identity and service integration]