MPAI Student Fellowship
Deadline for submission: Sunday, February 18, 2024, 11:59 PM
The Merchant Payments Alliance of India (MPAI) is a group of like-minded merchants accepting digital payments in an ever-growing payments market in India. Our members include leading technology companies who serve lakhs of consumers in India.
India’s digital payments sector has grown 100x over the last decade, and is poised to surpass the 1 billion transactions per day mark by FY2026-27. But the rapid digitization of financial transactions has far outpaced community awareness on safety and security in digital spaces. For example, payment fraud, particularly through social engineering, remains a key challenge. The inaugural Merchant Payments Alliance of India (MPAI) Student Fellowship encourages young citizens to lend their voice in strengthening India’s digital payments landscape. If you
feel you fit the bill, we invite you to channel your creativity and intellect to combat payment fraud in the digital landscape of India under the theme, “Combating Payment Fraud in Digital India.”
The Merchant Payments Alliance of India (MPAI) is a group of like-minded merchants accepting digital payments in an ever-growing digital market. Our members include digital businesses that serve lakhs of consumers in India.
Fellowship Details
The 3-month fellowship will give students an opportunity to interact with some of the leading Indian practitioners and private sector representatives in the digital payments space. Selected applicants will be asked to develop Information Education and Communication materials and will receive a certificate of completion from MPAI thereafter. The INR 20,000 fellowship is intended for 10 students currently enrolled in an undergraduate or postgraduate programme in India.
Candidates are expected to develop creative content to educate the public on ways to avoid being defrauded while making digital payments. Ideas are to be expressed visually through video essays, traditional paintings, digital artwork or mixed media to communicate your message on payment fraud prevention. MPAI will work with the candidates to disseminate such content widely once completed.
Medium of expression:
- Short video (Up to 60 seconds)
- Digital art / painting
- Infographic (upto 2 pages/slides)
Things to keep in mind:
- Focus on detailing strategies that citizens can adopt to combat fraud while using digital payments
www.merchantpaymentsalliance.in - Provide a 400-word abstract detailing the core idea you want to pursue to ensure the efficacy and impact of your educational content
- Final submissions must be original works. Use of generative AI will lead to disqualification.
- Candidates must be physically present at a day-long event on digital payments on February 28th to be shortlisted. Shortlisted candidates will interviewed where they will be asked to share their inspiration and artistic process
Eligibility / Application Process:
- Send email to secretariat@merchantpaymentsalliance.in. with the subject “MPAI Fellowship_Application”
- Deadline for submission: Sunday, February 18, 2024, 11:59 PM
- Shortlisted candidates will be invited to the MPAI Summit taking place at the India Habitat Centre, New Delhi, on Wednesday, 28th February between 10 am – 4 pm.
- Outstanding applicants will receive travel support in case they are based outside the National Capital Region.
- Candidates are expected to attend the day-long event and interact with experts from the digital payments and cybersecurity communities in order to refine their ideas.
