The way businesses manage money has changed, and banking needs to catch up.

Finance teams today expect transactions to happen where they already work; inside their ERP systems.

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems are software platforms that help organisations manage core functions like finance, procurement, and inventory in one place.

As ERP-first workflows become the norm, banks can no longer rely on channel-based models or siloed interfaces. The demand is clear: corporate banking must evolve from static access points into real-time, embedded layers within operational flows.

Are Indian banks ready to deliver contextual, modular, and ERP-aware digital banking experiences? What do corporate clients expect when it comes to the expectations? Let’s dive into the discussion.

How ERP-first workflows are reshaping expectations

ERP platforms have become the financial nerve centre for most modern businesses. From procurement to payments, cash visibility to reconciliation, everything runs through one system.

In this landscape, businesses are raising the bar on what corporate banking should look like.

  • The ERP market in India is growing at over 10% annually and is expected to maintain that pace through 2028.
  • Finance teams expect seamless access to balances, payments, and approvals from within ERP dashboards, not external portals.
  • Plug-and-play fintech APIs are normalising real-time, embedded banking inside ERP tools.

This shift isn’t about becoming an ERP provider. It’s about ensuring banking services are designed to fit into existing enterprise workflows. Indian banks that meet this expectation can position themselves not just as service providers, but as infrastructure partners.

Embedded Banking

The integration gap Indian banks must address

While the expectations are clear, delivery is lagging. Most Indian banks still operate on legacy infrastructure that’s not built for real-time integration or contextual engagement.

  • Corporate portals are often static, with limited scope for role-based experiences.
  • API banking exists in silos, without orchestration across user journeys.
  • Real-time cash visibility is difficult to offer across fragmented internal systems.
  • Configuration cycles remain long and dependent on backend customisations.

As a result, banks struggle to respond quickly to client-specific needs, especially when those needs involve automation, flexibility, or workflow-level controls like payment approvals, transaction triggers, or role-based access within ERP systems.To bridge this gap, banks need more than APIs. They need modular, experience-led platforms that expose the right capabilities at the right points within a client’s ERP environment.

ERP-Integrated Corporate Banking, Simplified by Clayfin

Clayfin’s Corporate Banking Digital Platform is designed to work seamlessly with ERP systems. Through ERP integration and straight-through processing (STP), banks can enable businesses to initiate, track, and complete transactions from within their existing workflows — without toggling between systems.

  • Pre-integrated APIs for smooth data and transaction flow
  • Role-based interfaces that match business functions
  • Support for high-volume, multi-channel transaction needs
  • Real-time dashboards and self-service tools across digital touchpoints

Explore Clayfin’s digital corporate banking solutions to see how banks can deliver ERP-integrated experiences that are fast, contextual, and built for scale.

Real-world questions: Answered

How can Indian banks meet ERP-era expectations without rebuilding everything?

Start with workflow-led APIs and redesign portals to support real-time, role-based actions.

What’s the difference between embedded banking and ERP-native integration?

Embedded banking means being ERP-aware, offering contextual access without needing to live inside the ERP system itself.

Can corporate banking become plug-and-play for clients?

Yes, with modular platforms and pre-integrated APIs, banks can offer flexible, embedded finance experiences.

Srikanth KS

Srikanth has over 3 decades of experience in the Information Technology space across Banking, Retail, Insurance, Health care & Manufacturing domains. He has been with Clayfin since inception handling customer relationships in India, MEA, Singapore and in the US. He handled various roles in his career including Sales & Account Management, Project Delivery & Product Implementation, Leading Tele-calling & Sales support, Quality Management and Employee Engagement (HR). He is currently heading the Pre-sales & Partnerships for Clayfin and part of the Management Team. Prior to joining Clayfin, he was an Oracle DBA, heading Implementation & Maintenance of ERP systems for a leading manufacturing house at Chennai, India. He holds a MBA in International Trade and also a certified Project Manager (PMP) from Project Management Institute (PMI) USA. He is also certified by Roger S Pressman Associates (RSPA) on SDLC methodologies, trained in Agile methodologies and a Scrum Master.

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