Frequently asked questions
Questions, answered plainly.
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About ON:SITE
What is ON:SITE and how is it different from other fintech events?
ON:SITE is a structured commercial event for India’s banking and fintech technology sector. It is built around one observation: deals happen when the right people are in the same room, prepared, with a reason to talk.
Most events in this space put buyers and vendors on the same floor and assume deals will follow. They rarely do — not because the buyers aren’t there, but because they are never qualified, never matched to the right vendor, and never in the right conversation at the right time.
ON:SITE fixes that structurally. Buyers are individually recruited and screened — not self-registered. Every sponsor-buyer meeting is pre-scheduled and fit-scored eight weeks before the event. Title and Platinum sponsors have soundproof meeting pods. Buyers receive a briefing pack 48 hours before their meetings. Post-event meeting reports with buyer notes are delivered within 48 hours of the event closing.
The short version: this is not a conference with an exhibition floor attached. The meeting is the product.
When and where is ON:SITE Edition I?
Date: 20 November 2026
City: Mumbai, India
Venue: To be announced. The venue will be confirmed no later than 8 weeks before the event. All confirmed sponsors and delegates will be notified by email the moment the venue is announced.
This is the first edition. How do I know it will actually happen?
That is a fair question and we won’t dismiss it. Every first edition carries this uncertainty, we are not going to pretend otherwise.
What we can say: sponsorship commitments are governed by a formal Sponsorship Agreement with a full refund more than 12 weeks before the event. Delegate deposits are refundable subject to the terms in our cancellation policy. Your money is not at risk unless the event runs and you don’t attend.
The founding edition is priced to reflect the fact that it has no track record yet. That is an honest trade-off and it is priced accordingly. The sponsors and buyers who commit early are doing so on the strength of the format logic, which we believe stands on its own.
Sponsors
How many meetings will I actually get and how are they scheduled?
The number of meetings depends on your sponsorship tier:
- Title — 15 meetings
- Platinum — 10 meetings
- Gold — 6 meetings
- Associate — 3 meetings
- Lanyard, Lunch, Dinner, Buyers Lounge — 5 to 8 meetings depending on package
Meetings are scheduled by the ON:SITE matching engine at week 7–8, based on your declared Fit Score profile and buyer declared priorities. You receive your draft schedule at week 8, review it, and may request substitutions during week 9. Final schedules are locked at week 10 after buyer confirmation calls. Both sides confirm every meeting before it is finalised.
Meetings are not self-service. You cannot browse buyers and pick who you want to meet. The matching process scores every pairing and a human curation team reviews the shortlist. The result is a schedule, not a suggestion.
What does category exclusivity actually mean?
Category exclusivity at ON:SITE means meeting schedule exclusivity, not room exclusivity. Here is the precise commitment:
- No competitor in your technology category will share your buyer’s meeting schedule on the day
- No competitor will receive the briefing intelligence on buyers you are matched to (Platinum and Title)
- No competitor can intercept or be substituted into your confirmed meeting slots
What it does not mean: competitors cannot attend the event at all. The event floor is open to the broader ecosystem. A competitor may attend as a delegate, but they cannot be in your meeting schedule, and they cannot access your buyer briefing data.
For Title and Platinum sponsors, founding edition category exclusivity means your category position is offered to you first for all future editions before the market opens. No competitor can hold your category title before you decide whether to renew.
What is the difference between soundproof pod and booth?
Title and Platinum sponsors receive two integrated spaces, a booth and a pod, as one combined unit.
The booth is your open-floor presence. It faces the event floor, receives walk-by traffic from delegates, and is where your brand is visible to everyone at the event. Title booths are 24 sqm. Platinum booths are 15 sqm.
The pod is your private meeting space. It is soundproofed, branded, and physically integrated behind or adjacent to your booth. Your pre-matched meetings happen here. The buyer walks in, the door closes, and the conversation is private. Title pods are 18 sqm. Platinum pods are 12 sqm.
Gold and Associate sponsors have booths only, no pods. Their pre-matched meetings happen at a designated meeting area within or adjacent to their booth space.
What happens if a confirmed buyer does not show up on the day?
Where a confirmed buyer withdraws before the event, ON:SITE will source a qualified substitute from the buyer pool at no cost to the sponsor. The substitute will be screened to the same eligibility criteria and matched to your profile.
Where a buyer confirms attendance but does not show on the day without prior notice, ON:SITE will note this in the post-event report, and the meeting slot will be recorded as a buyer no-show. We will not fabricate a meeting that did not happen.
The substitute pipeline is maintained throughout the 12-week programme. We do not wait until the week before the event to manage withdrawals. If your confirmed meeting count changes at any point, your account manager will notify you within 24 hours.
Can I see the list of confirmed buyers before I commit to sponsoring?
Not a full list, and this is deliberate. Buyer details are shared only with sponsors who have confirmed meetings with them. Sharing the full buyer list before commitments are made would undermine the structured matching process and create a race to contact buyers directly outside the ON:SITE programme.
What we can share before you commit: the institution types, seniority levels, and technology categories we are actively recruiting. Your account manager can tell you specifically which buyer categories are confirmed or in advanced recruitment for your technology category.
Once your Sponsorship Agreement is signed and your Fit Score profile is complete, you will receive your draft schedule at week 8, which includes buyer institution, role, and declared technology priorities for each confirmed meeting.
What is the price lock for edition II?
Founding sponsors who renew for Edition II will pay the same price they paid in Edition I, no markup, no renegotiation. A Title sponsor paying INR 15,00,000 in Edition I pays INR 15,00,000 in Edition II.
This applies to the same tier. A founding Platinum sponsor who wants to upgrade to Title in Edition II would pay the prevailing Title rate at that time.
The price lock is a contractual commitment, not a courtesy. It will be documented in your Sponsorship Agreement for Edition I.
Buyers
How does the refund works for a Financial institution pass?
The Financial Institution Pass is priced at INR 10,000 + GST as a refundable deposit. Here is exactly how the refund works:
- Attend the event on 20 November 2026
- Complete a minimum of 8 verified sponsor meetings on the day
- Submit your refund claim within 7 calendar days of the event via the refund format meetonsite.com/fi-refund
- Your deposit of INR 10,000 is returned by bank transfer or UPI
All three conditions must be met. If you attend but complete fewer than 8 meetings, the deposit is not refunded. If you submit the claim after 7 days, it is not accepted. No exceptions.
A meeting counts when the sponsor host confirms it on the day and you list it in your refund claim. The meeting must be a minimum of 15 minutes. Only meetings with confirmed ON:SITE sponsors count, not conversations with other delegates. Disputed meetings are reviewed by the ON:SITE organizing team. Their decision is final.
Do I have to take meetings with sponsors I didn’t chose?
Your meeting schedule is built from your declared technology priorities, not assigned arbitrarily. The matching engine scores every potential pairing on how closely the sponsor’s category and profile matches what you told us you are evaluating.
Before your schedule is finalized, you receive a draft and have the opportunity to raise concerns. Meetings are confirmed by both sides, you are not placed in a meeting you haven’t agreed to.
That said, ON:SITE is a commercial event. The FI Pass refund is contingent on completing 8 meetings with confirmed sponsors. If you want the refund, those meetings need to happen.
Who else will I be in room with? Can I see who is attending?
The buyer cohort at ON:SITE is senior technology decision-makers, CDOs, CTOs, CIOs, and VP level professionals, from public sector banks, private sector banks, small finance banks, NBFCs, housing finance companies, payment banks, and insurance companies (technology function).
A confirmed attendee list by institution category and seniority level is included in the pre-event briefing pack sent to all confirmed delegates one week before the event. Individual names are not published in advance; they are shared at registration on the day.
The event also includes delegates from the broader ecosystem: technology vendors, consultants, investors, and founders attending on Premium, Regular, and Startup passes.
I am a VP level at an NBFC / Bank. Do I qualify for the FI Pass?
Yes, provided your role sits within the technology, digital, or transformation function of your organization. The FI Pass is open to VP level and above at:
- Scheduled commercial banks (public and private sector)
- Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFC) registered with RBI
- Small finance banks and payment banks
- Housing finance companies (NHB regulated)
- Insurance companies (IRDAI regulated), technology function only
- Cooperative banks, digital transformation units
Eligibility is confirmed at point of application. Your application is reviewed within 48 hours and you will be notified of the outcome with a reason if declined.
Misrepresentation of eligibility at any stage results in pass cancellation without refund. We verify seniority and institutional affiliation as part of the review process.
Delegates
What is the difference between a premium pass and regular pass?
Both passes include full access to the main stage, all sessions, the event floor, and the ability to submit sponsor meeting requests. The differences are:
- Priority meeting request window: Premium Pass holders can submit sponsor meeting requests before Regular Pass holders. Open slots in sponsor schedules are limited, submitting earlier increases the chance of a confirmed meeting.
- Networking dinner: Premium Pass includes access to the official ON:SITE networking dinner. Regular Pass holders may purchase dinner tickets separately if available.
Premium Pass is INR 15,000 + GST. Regular Pass is INR 10,000 + GST.
Can I request meetings with sponsors as delegate?
Yes, all pass holders can submit sponsor meeting requests for open slots in sponsor schedules. Meeting requests are submitted in advance through the ON:SITE meeting system and must be confirmed by the sponsor before they are scheduled.
This is not a walk-up system. You cannot approach a sponsor’s booth and expect a formal meeting slot. Requests go through the system, sponsors review them, and confirmed meetings are added to your schedule.
Premium Pass holders submit requests during the priority window, before Regular, Startup, and FI Pass holders. In practice this means Premium Pass holders have a higher chance of securing meetings with sponsors who have limited open slots.
What is the cancellation policy if I buy a pass and can’t attend?
For Premium, Regular, and Startup passes:
- More than 8 weeks before the event: 75% refund of pass price
- 4–8 weeks before the event: 50% refund of pass price
- Less than 4 weeks before the event: no refund
For FI Pass holders cancelling before the event:
- More than 4 weeks before the event: full deposit refunded
- Less than 4 weeks before the event: no refund
You may substitute a colleague from the same organization with at least 5 business days’ notice. The substitute must meet the eligibility criteria for your pass type.
To cancel: email delegates@meetonsite.com from your registered email address with your name and confirmation reference. The date we receive your written request determines which tier applies.
My application was denied. Can I appeal?
Yes. If you believe your application was denied incorrectly, reply to your denial email within 5 business days with any additional context you think is relevant. We will review and respond within 48 hours.
The most common reason for incorrect denials is a mismatch between the information provided and what we could verify. If your seniority, role, or institutional affiliation is accurately reflected but wasn’t clear from the application, an appeal with supporting context usually resolves the issue.
Denials based on sponsor category conflict (where your company competes directly with a confirmed sponsor in the same technology category) are reviewed on a case-by-case basis. In some circumstances, a competitor of a sponsor may attend on a pass type that excludes sponsor meeting requests.
Event day
What does event day actually look like?
ON:SITE runs as a single full day, 20 November 2026 in Mumbai. The day operates in two modes that run concurrently:
Floor mode: Sponsors are at their booths and pods. Pre-matched meetings run to a confirmed schedule. Delegates move between sponsor units, making requested meetings and informal conversations. The floor is live throughout the day.
Stage mode: The main stage half-moon runs keynote sessions and programme content throughout the day. Seating is tiered and open to all pass holders. Stage sessions do not disrupt scheduled meetings, the two programmes run in parallel.
Lunch is a separate hosted event for confirmed buyers and sponsors, by invitation. A delegate F&B area is available to all pass holders throughout the day for networking and breaks. The networking dinner takes place in the evening at a separate venue.
What is the buyers lounge and who can access it?
The buyers lounge is a credentialled quiet zone positioned opposite to the main stage, reserved exclusively for confirmed FI Pass holders. It provides seating, charging, and a calm space away fromthefloor energy for senior buyers to work, take calls, and connect with peers between their scheduled meetings.
Access is controlled by the ON:SITE operations team at the entrance. FI Pass holders are identified by their pass credential on the day. No other pass type has access to the buyer’s lounge.
The buyers lounge is sponsored by the Buyers Lounge sponsor, a single company whose branding appears throughout the space. The sponsor does not have a meeting slot within the lounge itself.
What happens if I miss a scheduled meeting on the day?
For sponsors: if your team is unavailable for a scheduled meeting, notify the ON:SITE operations team as soon as possible. We will attempt to reschedule within the day if a slot is available. The buyer will be notified. A sponsor no-show without notice is recorded in the post-event report.
For FI Pass buyers: a missed meeting does not count toward your 8-meeting minimum for the refund. If
you miss a meeting, you will need to complete additional verified meetings to reach the minimum. The operations team can help identify open slots with sponsors on the day.
For delegates: missed meeting requests are noted. Repeated no-shows may affect meeting request priority for future editions.
How are meetings verified on the day of FI Pass refund?
A meeting is verified when two things both happen:
- The sponsor’s designated host confirms the meeting took place using the ON:SITE verification system on the day
- The buyer lists the meeting in their refund claim submission within 7 days of the event
The meeting must be a minimum of 15 minutes. Meetings of fewer than 15 minutes, scheduled meetings that did not take place, and informal conversations do not count.
Where a buyer disputes a meeting verification outcome, the dispute is raised within the refund claim form. The ON:SITE organizing team reviews disputed meetings in consultation with the relevant sponsor. The decision is final.
Double opt-in verification, where both the sponsor and buyer have agreed to the meeting in advance, is preferred and encouraged but not mandatory for the meeting to count. Host verification on the day is what matters for the refund.