Visa names new group country manager for South Asia

Visa has named Suresh Sethi as group country manager for India, Bangladesh, and South Asia, underscoring its strategic focus on digital payments leadership across the region.

In this role, Sethi will oversee Visa's strategy and operations across India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, the Maldives, and Bhutan, according to a press release.

Based in Mumbai, he will report to Stephen Karpin, regional president for Asia Pacific at Visa.

Sethi succeeds Sandeep Ghosh, who is departing Visa to pursue new opportunities.

Stephen Karpin noted that India and South Asia remain among Visa's most dynamic and strategically important markets.

'Suresh brings expertise and knowledge that will accelerate Visa's aspiration to be the best way to pay and be paid,' he said.

'I am confident he will build on Visa's strong foundations in the region, alongside clients, partners, and policymakers, to advance digital payments,' he added.

Karpin also thanked Sandeep Ghosh for his leadership over the past four years and for ensuring a smooth transition.

Suresh Sethi expressed his enthusiasm at joining Visa at a pivotal moment for digital payments in India and South Asia.

'The next phase of growth will be driven by scale, trust, and innovation across an increasingly diverse payments ecosystem,' he said.

'Visa's global capabilities, strong partnerships, and technology leadership provide a powerful platform to accelerate adoption, deepen acceptance, and deliver secure, inclusive, high-impact payment solutions,' he added.

Sethi said he looks forward to collaborating with clients, partners, and policymakers to drive sustainable growth and long-term value across the region.

Over his career, Sethi has held senior leadership roles focused on innovation and ecosystem-driven growth across the financial sector.

His experience spans India and key international markets, including Africa, Latin America, the US, and the UK.

Most recently, he served as managing director and chief executive officer at Protean e-Gov Technologies Ltd, where he led the company's transformation into an agile, product-focused digital public infrastructure institution.

Previously, Sethi was the founding chief executive officer of India Post Payments Bank, where he helped build a large-scale financial inclusion model by leveraging India Post's extensive network to deliver doorstep banking services, especially in underserved and rural areas.

Earlier, Sethi held senior roles as managing director and chief executive officer at Vodafone M-Pesa India, group president at YES Bank, and in regional leadership positions at Citigroup, where he led transaction banking and payments businesses across multiple geographies.

Visa stated that it remains focused on expanding secure, inclusive, and innovative digital payment solutions across the region.