DBS Bank India’s CTO on how the lender rewired its tech stack to make banking ‘invisible’

When DBS Bank set out on its digital transformation journey over a decade ago, the ambition was deceptively simple: make banking invisible. For DBS Bank India, that vision—summed up in its now-familiar philosophy of ‘Live More, Bank Less’—has meant a fundamental rethink of legacy technology, operating models and even the role of technology leaders within the organisation.

“At its core, our transformation has always been customer-led,” said Ramesh Mallya, chief technology officer at DBS Bank India. “The question we asked ourselves was how technology can remove friction from banking and make it seamless, intuitive and joyful.”

From legacy systems to cloud-native banking

Like most incumbent banks, DBS once ran on tightly coupled legacy systems that made rapid innovation difficult. The shift began with a deliberate move towards modern software architecture—adopting agile development, microservices, DevOps practices and automation to shorten release cycles and improve resilience, said Mallya.

A key pillar of this transformation has been cloud adoption. Rather than a wholesale shift to public cloud, DBS built its own in-house hybrid cloud platform—EvolvePavedCloud—designed to balance scalability with regulatory and security requirements. The platform combines the flexibility of public cloud infrastructure with the control of on-premise systems, allowing DBS to move workloads dynamically while maintaining compliance.

“Cloud gives us the ability to scale faster and respond to changing customer needs more effectively,” said Mallya. “But for a bank, security and resiliency are non-negotiable. Our approach ensures we don’t compromise on either.”

Data and AI at the centre

If cloud is the backbone of DBS’s digital architecture, data and AI are its nervous system. In 2019, the bank launched ADA (Advancing DBS with AI)—a self-service data and AI platform designed to democratise access to data across the organisation.

ADA allows employees, not just data scientists, to build models and develop insights that can be deployed into production. Since its launch, more than 200 data use cases have been developed across risk, fraud, marketing, operations and customer experience.

“Our focus has been on making data usable at scale,” Mallya said. “When teams have easy access to the right data, innovation becomes faster and more meaningful.”

AI is already deeply embedded in DBS Bank India’s operations, from fraud detection and risk analytics to personalised customer engagement. One standout use case is its AI-powered financial planning tool, which provides hyper-personalised investment recommendations and intelligent triggers based on real-time market data.

“The idea is to help customers make better decisions—anytime, anywhere,” Mallya said. “It’s not about flashy technology; it’s about relevance.”

Experimenting with blockchain and digital assets

Beyond core banking, DBS has also experimented with emerging technologies. The launch of the DBS Digital Exchange marked its entry into digital assets, while Parlour, a blockchain-based loyalty programme, explored new ways to engage customers using distributed ledger technology.

While not every experiment is meant to scale immediately, Mallya said such initiatives are critical to staying ahead of technology shifts. “We are constantly looking for meaningful applications of new technologies that can improve customer experience or operational efficiency.”

APIs and ecosystem banking

Another cornerstone of DBS Bank India’s strategy is its expanding API ecosystem. The bank offers APIs across customer onboarding, deposits, lending, payments and fund transfers, enabling partners to embed banking services directly into their platforms.

To accelerate innovation, DBS provides a secure API sandbox that allows developers to test and experiment without touching live data. “APIs allow us to move from being just a bank to being a platform,” said Mallya. “Our goal is to create integrations that deliver real value rather than technology for its own sake.”

Investing in talent, not just technology

Technology transformation, Mallya emphasised, is as much about people as platforms. Over the next 12–18 months, DBS Bank India plans to expand its technology team through a calibrated mix of hiring and upskilling.

Key focus areas include cloud computing, AI and machine learning, cybersecurity, data science and agile development. “By investing in our people, we ensure we have the skills required to support our long-term strategy,” he said.

Rather than chasing standalone tech trends, DBS aligns its technology investments closely with business priorities—new product launches, ecosystem partnerships, corporate banking initiatives, and strengthening risk and cybersecurity capabilities.

Responsible AI and the evolving CTO role

As AI adoption accelerates, DBS has put guardrails in place through its PURE framework—ensuring data use is Purposeful, Unsurprising, Respectful and Explainable. This framework governs both traditional AI and newer generative AI use cases.

“We see AI and Gen AI as game changers, but responsibility is non-negotiable,” Mallya said. “Trust is the foundation of banking.”

The transformation has also reshaped the role of technology leaders. CIOs and CTOs are no longer back-end operators but central contributors to business strategy. At DBS, the CTO is as much a culture builder as a technologist—driving innovation, collaboration, and the ethical adoption of automation.

“CTOs today are change agents,” Mallya said. “They shape how organisations work, how they innovate and how they protect themselves from emerging cyber threats.”

As DBS Bank India continues its digital journey, Mallya said that its focus remains clear – invisible banking powered by resilient technology, responsible AI and a relentless focus on customer outcomes.