Success Story: Tirthankar Sundaram’s 101 Blockchain Learning Journeys

About Tirthankar Sundaram

name: Tirthankar Sundaram

designation: Director – Deposits and Analytics, Treasury ALM

company: Axis Bank

nation: India

of Tirthankar An inspiring learning journey

Have you completed any courses or certifications from 101 Blockchains?

I completed my Certified Blockchain Product Manager (CBPM)™ certification. 101 Blockchain certification program.

Why did you choose this certification program and what was your learning experience on the platform like?

I have over 20 years of professional experience in various banking sectors, including treasury, retail and wholesale functions. Currently I work in Treasury and ALM and spend most of my time analyzing balance sheets from the perspectives of liquidity, risk and fund efficiency.

As digital innovation and new technologies have become essential components of the financial services industry, I have become curious to understand how new technologies can solve real-world balance sheet problems.

Blockchain has been a recurring topic in conversations about banking, industry narratives, and strategy meetings. However, I believed that it was important to not only understand blockchain technology, but also how to apply it in a relevant business context.

Thinking about blockchain beyond the hype helped me choose the Certified Blockchain Product Manager certification. I would also like to say that I had a productive learning experience with the certification process and 101 Blockchain.

At 101 Blockchains, you won’t just get a certification, you’ll acquire real-world skills that will transform you into a confident blockchain expert.

What skills or knowledge you gained through the program were most helpful to you?

The structured content design of the certification program is what appeals to me the most. I would like to point out that this program does not describe blockchain as a standalone technology. Rather, it clearly demonstrates how blockchain can become an essential aspect of banks’ larger product and ecosystem design challenges. The certification course also demonstrated how to combine various concepts such as smart contracts, governance, and tokenization to create viable solutions to business problems.

I deal with financial functions and balance sheets in my professional role, and I found the hands-on projects in the certification program most helpful. My project involved creating a design to address real-world challenges related to SME supply chain financing in India with a practical roadmap for implementation.

The relevance of the hands-on training in the certification program to my professional goals proved to be a huge advantage. Above all, this program allowed me to see problems from a different perspective. The new perspective allowed us to design a blockchain-based model that treats invoices as digital assets. As a result, it provides better access to credit, improves overall capital efficiency, and reduces the risk of double financing.

Practice should always be viewed as more than academic requirements. The solutions I design in the program directly target real-world challenges in the small business finance ecosystem. It also provides a clear implementation path across most of the existing market structures to deliver the tangible value you want.

101 How has blockchain helped your professional growth?

101 Blockchains’ certification program provided classes on blockchain architecture, integration layers, and consensus mechanisms, which I used to create my solution. Most importantly, we were able to develop a system that could work seamlessly with the existing infrastructure, rather than replacing it.

I think the next promising aspect of this program is that it doesn’t dwell too much on technical complexities. I learned how to explain technology concepts to business stakeholders and gained the skills necessary to drive blockchain adoption in financial institutions.

With the help of the certification program, I learned blockchain concepts and developed fluency in identifying the right use cases and approaches to implement blockchain technology.

From learners to leaders — Explore the success stories of over 100,000 professionals across 101 blockchains.

Who would you recommend CBPM certification to and why?

I believe the CBPM certification program is the right choice for anyone working at the intersection of finance, technology, and strategy. This program was instrumental in turning my curiosity about blockchain into a clear understanding of all the concepts. Most importantly, this certification enhances your ability to identify how emerging technologies can support real-world business outcomes.