🏦 Bank Saathi

Inspiration

Banking should be simple and accessible for everyone, yet millions of elderly, visually impaired, and digitally inexperienced users struggle with complex banking apps, IVR menus, and customer support. During emergencies like losing a debit card or reporting fraud, every second matters. We wanted to build an AI-powered banking assistant that not only automates these tasks but also explains every step, making users feel informed, secure, and confident throughout the process.

What it does

Bank Saathi is an explainable, voice-first AI banking assistant that enables users to perform essential banking tasks through natural conversations.

Users can simply speak commands such as:

"My debit card is lost."
"What is my account balance?"
"ATM deducted money but cash wasn't dispensed."

The assistant understands the user's intent, guides them through the process with real-time voice explanations, and securely completes the requested workflow.

Key features include:

Voice-based Banking
Emergency Card Blocking
Account Balance Inquiry
Complaint Registration
Fraud Shield
Panic Mode for emergencies
Multilingual Support (English, Hindi & Hinglish)

How we built it

Our system is divided into three independent modules that work together seamlessly.

Frontend

React + Vite
Tailwind CSS
shadcn/ui

AI Layer

Gemini API for intent detection
Web Speech API for Speech-to-Text
Speech Synthesis API for Text-to-Speech

Backend

Node.js
Express.js
REST APIs
Mock Banking Services

The workflow follows this pipeline:

User Voice → Speech-to-Text → Gemini Intent Detection → Express REST API → Mock Banking Logic → Voice & Timeline Explanation

Every banking operation returns an explainable workflow that is narrated to the user, making banking transparent and trustworthy.

Challenges we ran into

One of our biggest challenges was designing an AI assistant that doesn't simply return answers but explains every action in a clear and user-friendly manner. We also worked on integrating voice input, AI intent detection, backend workflows, and voice output into a seamless experience while keeping the application lightweight enough for a hackathon.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

Built an explainable AI banking assistant instead of a traditional chatbot.
Successfully integrated multilingual voice interaction.
Designed an accessibility-first experience for elderly and visually impaired users.
Created a modular architecture that can easily integrate with real banking APIs in the future.
Developed unique features like Fraud Shield and Panic Mode to enhance banking safety.

What we learned

Through this project, we learned how to orchestrate AI models with backend workflows rather than relying on AI for every task. We gained practical experience in speech recognition, speech synthesis, REST API integration, workflow design, and building accessible AI-powered applications focused on solving real-world problems.

What's next for Bank Saathi

Our vision is to transform Bank Saathi into a production-ready AI banking companion by integrating secure authentication, real banking APIs, multilingual regional language support, WhatsApp and phone-call integration, AI-powered financial guidance, fraud detection using machine learning, and personalized financial assistance. Ultimately, we aim to make banking safer, simpler, and more inclusive for everyone.