# Banking at the speed of business: Why SMEs cannot afford to wait - In conversation with Mashreq's Rajeev Chalisgaonkar Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/ab-majlis-6625109/banking-at-the-speed-of-business-why-smes-cannot-afford-to-wait-in-conversation-with-mashreq-s-rajeev-chalisgaonkar Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/ab-majlis-6625109/banking-at-the-speed-of-business-why-smes-cannot-afford-to-wait-in-conversation-with-mashreq-s-rajeev-chalisgaonkar.md Podcast: [AB Majlis](https://stenobird.com/podcast/ab-majlis-6625109) Published: 2026-07-08T06:52:48+00:00 Episode link: https://rss.com/podcasts/abmajlis-arabianbusiness/2968509 Audio file: https://content.rss.com/episodes/228180/2968509/abmajlis-arabianbusiness/2026_07_07_06_30_49_0a1112e5-41eb-4b3a-a312-954d83e6410e.mp3 Processing state: not_requested JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/ab-majlis-6625109/episodes/banking-at-the-speed-of-business-why-smes-cannot-afford-to-wait-in-conversation-with-mashreq-s-rajeev-chalisgaonkar Duration seconds: 1998 ## Resource SPONSORED - For SMEs, growth can stall before the business has even properly begun. A delayed bank account, slow payments or limited access to working capital can affect hiring, supplier relationships and the ability to enter the market quickly. In this episode of AB Majlis, Reporter Nicole Abigael speaks with Rajeev Chalisgaonkar, Head of Business Banking and NEO BIZ at Mashreq, about the changing demands of SME banking in the UAE. The conversation looks at why speed-to-market has become critical for founders, how digital onboarding and eKYC are changing business account opening and why cashflow, resilience and operational efficiency are now central to SME survival. They also discuss Mashreq NEO BIZ’s One-Day Service Promise for eligible business customers, the role of banks beyond lending and payments, and what entrepreneurs should expect from their financial partners as they build and scale. ## Actions - request_transcript: `POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/ab-majlis-6625109/episodes/banking-at-the-speed-of-business-why-smes-cannot-afford-to-wait-in-conversation-with-mashreq-s-rajeev-chalisgaonkar/transcription-requests` — Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode. - read_markdown: `GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/ab-majlis-6625109/banking-at-the-speed-of-business-why-smes-cannot-afford-to-wait-in-conversation-with-mashreq-s-rajeev-chalisgaonkar.md` — Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource. A page view does not enqueue transcription. Agents should invoke `request_transcript` explicitly when they need this episode processed. ## Transcript Full transcripts are not published on public pages unless there is a clear rights basis.