Coffee with the Council Podcast: Introducing the New India-South Asia Regional Engagement Board

This episode of Coffee with the Council is brought to you by our podcast sponsor, Feroot.

Welcome to our podcast series, Coffee with the Council. I’m Alicia Malone, Director of Communications and Public Relations for the PCI Security Standards Council. In today’s episode, I’m excited to announce that the Council is launching a new Regional Engagement Board for India and South Asia. Regional Engagement Boards serve as advisors to PCI SSC on payment data security issues in specific geographies and markets. This will be the Council’s second REB, as it’s commonly referred to, after launching in Brazil in 2018. Joining me to discuss what this all means and how you can participate is the Council’s own Nitin Bhatnagar, Regional Director of India, South Asia, and the Middle East. Welcome, Nitin.

Nitin Bhatnagar: Thank you, Alicia, for your warm welcome to the podcast series, Coffee with the Council.

Alicia Malone: Okay, Nitin, so let’s start by describing what the Regional Engagement Board is. What is its purpose?

Nitin Bhatnagar: So, the Regional Engagement Board is going to act as an advisory role for the PCI Security Standards Council on payment data security issues in specific geographies. So, that’s where India and South Asia comes into the picture. The REB’s purpose is to enhance global payment security by fostering the broad adoption of the PCI security standards and by improving payment security practices. Now, the regional advisors will represent the perspective of the Participating Organizations and stakeholders in India and South Asia, advising and providing feedback and guidance to the PCI SSC on the standards, program development, and adoption in India and South Asia.

Alicia Malone: Of all the regions in the world, why was it important to launch this Board in India and South Asia now?

Nitin Bhatnagar: Absolutely, that was a beautiful question, Alicia. And I think India is a very dynamic market and local involvement is key to shaping a safer payment ecosystem and increasing cybersecurity challenges. The REB is going to serve as an advisory board on payment data security issues in the region and help to strengthen payment security through the local engagement alongside the global collaboration. Now the Regional Engagement Board brings together stakeholders from India and South Asia to discuss challenges and opportunities in the region. The Board is going to offer a unique blend of collaboration from different industry verticals to secure payment data in an involving payment ecosystem.

Alicia Malone: So, Nitin, what are some of the advantages to serving on the India-South Asia Regional Engagement Board? Why should our stakeholders get involved?

Nitin Bhatnagar: Thank you, Alicia, for this question. Serving on India-South Asia Regional Engagement Board is going to offer several advantages for the stakeholders, primarily focusing on strengthening payment data security and fostering the regional collaboration. By engaging with the Board, stakeholders can influence these developments and adoption of security standards, share their regional perspective with the PCI Security Standards Council, and contribute to building a more secure payment ecosystem in the region.

Let me try to break it down on the benefits in three different areas. First, that I’m going to talk about is shaping the security standards. That’s where the Board provides a platform for stakeholders to offer input and feedback on the PCI SSC work on payment data security. This also allows them to shape the direction of security standards and programs, ensuring they are relevant and effective in an India and South Asia context. Local involvement, again, is crucial in a dynamic market like India and South Asia where cyber security challenges are ever-present.

Second area of the benefits: representing regional perspectives. The Board serves as a voice for PCI SSC Participating Organizations and industry stakeholders in the region. It also allows them to share the unique perspective and challenges with the PCI SSC, ensuring that the global organization work is tailored to the specific needs of the region.

And third, and the last, is fostering regional collaboration. The Board brings together stakeholders from various industry verticals, promoting collaboration and knowledge sharing. This can lead to more effective solutions for securing payment data and building a stronger payment ecosystem. The Board is going to facilitate dialogue and understanding different stakeholders, which is crucial for addressing the complex challenges.

And I think, Alicia, this is why our esteemed stakeholders should get involved. In essence, serving on the India-South Asia Regional Engagement Board offers a unique opportunity for stakeholders to contribute to a safer and more secure payment environment in the region. It’s a chance to shape the future of payment security, share their perspectives, and build valuable relationships with other industry leaders.

Alicia Malone: It does sound like an amazing opportunity in this region. 

Alicia Malone: Now, who is eligible to serve on this Board? Is it open to anyone in the payment security industry?

Nitin Bhatnagar: All Participating Organizations, which includes our Affiliate Members, the Qualified Security Assessors with a significant presence in India and South Asia, and are in good standing, are eligible to nominate and serve on the PCI SSC India-South Asia Regional Engagement Board.

Additionally, associations or groups that PCI SSC has determined as representing one or more categories of regional constituents, and or influencing the adoption of PCI standards, may be eligible.

I just want to add here something that India-South Asia Board of Advisors members are eligible to nominate themselves for the India-South Asia Regional Engagement Board. However, preferences will be given to eligible non-Board of Advisor nominees to ensure broad representation.

Alicia Malone: That’s an important distinction to make. Thank you for including that information. So, in order to join the India-South Asia Regional Engagement Board, you must be elected to it. Walk us through the election process and the timeline, beginning with the nomination period.

Nitin Bhatnagar: Eligible organizations will have to nominate individuals to serve on the India-South Asia Regional Engagement Board through the PCI SSC member Portal. Then, the PCI SSC Executive Committee will then select the Board from the list of nominees based on what is needed to ensure broad representation from the payment ecosystem and across industry sectors that offer the best level of support for PCI SSC priorities and initiatives in the region.

Board seats will be allocated in each category which includes your merchants, issuers, acquirers, processors, payment service providers, regional body or group, vendors, and assessors. The nomination period runs from 2 June until 13 June 2025. The primary contacts at eligible organizations can self-nominate or nominate another individual as a candidate for the PCI SSC India-South Asia Regional Engagement Board. Nominations can be submitted through the member Portal from 2 June to 13 June 2025.

Alicia Malone: So, Nitin, you will be leading the India-South Asia Regional Engagement Board once the election process is complete, and the new Board is seated. What are your hopes and expectations for it?

Nitin Bhatnagar: This is actually a very important question, Alicia. And I think I’m hoping for the Board to help guide us in the strategic direction, providing constructive feedback on our standards and expect more to actively participate in the meetings and contribute to the discussions.

Alicia Malone: Very good. Is there anything else you would like to add about the new Regional Engagement Board?

Nitin Bhatnagar: I just would like to emphasize that this new Regional Engagement Board is going to help influence and impact payment security by building a stronger ecosystem, by providing necessary support to stakeholders for implementation of our standards, and, at the same time, giving back to community, and an opportunity to network and collectively strengthening global collaboration, and promoting trust in digital payment systems.

Alicia Malone: Well, Nitin, thank you for joining us on Coffee with the Council today. And I am sure many of our stakeholders in India and the South Asia region are excited for this amazing opportunity to be more involved with the Council and to share their knowledge and expertise.

Nitin Bhatnagar: Thank you very much for the opportunity, and for having me on Coffee with the Council.

This episode of Coffee with the Council is brought to you by our podcast sponsor, Feroot. 

Like what you’ve heard? Subscribe to PCI SSC’s “Coffee with the Council” podcast by visiting any of the following platforms: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, Anchor, Castbox, Google Podcasts, iHeartRadio, Pocket Casts, RadioPublic, Stitcher, Audible, Overcast, or Pandora.