Kholo Accounts: opening a bank account in ten minutes, with a video call instead of a branch visit
A small finance bank wanted to reach customers far from its branches. Account opening took two branch visits and a week. We built Kholo Accounts: mobile onboarding with digital KYC, video KYC with trained agents, risk checks, instant account creation in core banking and a first-week activation journey — built for first-time digital banking customers.
Customers the branches could not reach
Kholo's head of retail banking had a map on his wall showing branches and the villages around them. Many potential customers lived hours from the nearest branch. Opening an account meant a day off work, a bus ride, forms and a second visit to collect a debit card.
Regulators allowed video-based customer identification. The bank wanted to use it to bring accounts to customers' phones — without losing the care its branch staff gave first-time customers.
“Our branches are good at helping people. They're just too far away from most of them.”
Watching first-time customers
We tested early prototypes with people who had never opened a bank account on a phone. Many hesitated at English screens, struggled to photograph documents flat and in focus, and were nervous about video calls. Some shared a phone with family.
The journey had to feel guided and human: Hindi first, one step per screen, automatic document capture, and a video agent who greeted them warmly rather than reading a script.
- Hindi, one step at a time
- Automatic document capture with feedback
- A friendly human on the video call
- Clear next steps after the account opens
Ten minutes, start to finish
The app verifies mobile number and identity, captures documents with automatic edge detection, and runs face match and liveness checks. The customer then joins a video call where an agent confirms identity, checks the original documents and completes the declaration. Risk checks run in the background, and the account is created in core banking the moment the agent approves.
After opening, a first-week journey guides customers through UPI setup, a first deposit and the debit card — because an account that is never used helps nobody.
The team
Core banking integration and regulatory compliance were the biggest risks, so both had dedicated people.
Bank workshops and district launch.
Hindi-first onboarding and agent console.
Onboarding app, document capture and video.
Onboarding workflow, risk checks and core banking.
OCR, face match and liveness.
Regulatory checks and security testing.
8 people in total, working as one team.
Decisions we made
Agreed with the bank's compliance, IT security and retail teams.
Native Android or cross-platform?
- Cross-platform
- Native Android
Our call: Native Android. Camera, video and device-security features worked most reliably natively on the budget Android phones customers used.
Fully automated or agent-assisted?
- Fully automated onboarding
- Automated checks plus a video agent
Our call: Automated checks plus a video agent. Regulations required video identification, and customers trusted a human.
Where to host?
- Public cloud
- Bank's data centre with disaster recovery
Our call: Bank's data centre with disaster recovery. Customer identity data had to stay within the bank's controlled environment.
Stop at account opening?
- Account opening only
- Include a first-week activation journey
Our call: Include a first-week activation journey. Unused accounts cost the bank money. Activation turned new accounts into active customers.
Every feature, module by module
Everything that shipped for customers, agents and the bank's operations.
- 01Mobile verification
OTP-based number and device binding.
- 02Digital identity verification
Identity details fetched with consent.
- 03Automatic document capture
Edge detection and quality feedback.
- 04Face match and liveness
Selfie matched to documents.
- 05Video KYC call
Scheduled or instant call with an agent.
- 06Hindi and English
Full bilingual journey.
- 07Agent console
Video, documents and checklist in one screen.
- 08Call queue
Waiting customers with estimated wait time.
- 09Geo and time stamps
Call location and time recorded.
- 10Approval with reasons
Approve, reject or request resubmission.
- 11Risk screening
Sanctions and negative-list checks.
- 12Duplicate customer check
Existing customers detected.
- 13Instant account creation
Account opened in core banking on approval.
- 14Recorded call storage
Calls stored securely as required.
- 15UPI setup guide
First UPI transaction walkthrough.
- 16First deposit nudges
Reminders and simple deposit options.
- 17Debit card tracking
Card dispatch and activation.
- 18Operations dashboard
Applications, approvals and drop-offs.
- 19Role-based access
Agents, supervisors, risk and operations.
- 20Audit trail
Every step recorded for inspection.
Launch
We launched in two districts with a small team of video agents trained by experienced branch staff. Agents' warmth turned out to matter as much as the technology; the bank now recruits for it.
- Weeks 1–3Discovery
Regulatory review and customer research.
- Weeks 4–6Design
Hindi-first journey tested with first-time users.
- Weeks 7–17Build
App, video KYC, risk checks and core banking integration.
- Weeks 18–20Compliance and security review
Audit and penetration testing.
- Weeks 21–22District launch
Two districts with trained agents.
What we learned
Digital onboarding still needs a human touch. The video agent made first-time customers feel safe.
Opening is the beginning. The activation journey determined whether accounts were actually used.
- Kotlin (Android)
- Next.js
- Java / Spring Boot
- PostgreSQL
- Video KYC with liveness checks
- Face match and OCR
- Core banking integration
- Bank data centre + DR
