New Delhi, Jan. 12 -- Dear reader, as 2025, a year of global tumult and volatility, rolls by, Mint's reporters and columnists look around the corner on what is coming in 2026-to help you know what to expect and prepare for it. Tell us what you think at feedback@livemint.com.

As 2025-a year marked by global volatility and regulatory tightening-came to an end, fintech investors in India turned far more selective. Capital didn't disappear, but clustered around a few proven models, leaving large parts of the sector starved of funding.

Continued regulatory tightening in unsecured credit, coupled with deteriorating collection trends at some consumer lenders, pushed investors toward secured models such as affordable housing and micro, small an...