Utkarsh Parhate

EMV Certification specialist

Professional Experience

EMV Certification Quality Assurance Analyst with proficient knowledge on payments and cards domain. Worked on 7 different certifications in a span of 4 years starting 2015.

Managed certifications of several different payment processing apps in collaboration with Point of Sale devices such as VeriFone VX805, Ingenico iPP320 US EMV, Ingenico iUC285 Unattended, PAX. Also managed certification project for Mobile iOS/Android payment apps with Anywhere Commerce Bluetooth contact and swipe device. All these projects were completed while working for merchant acquirer organization that delivers payment innovations to support new technologies and allows creation of third-party custom software solutions.

My area of expertise is in backend testing of EMV chip card processing and XML message verification of various transaction types supported by POS devices. It also involves establishing optimum testing methodologies and practices within a given project.

Understanding client expectations and working proactively to achieve the objectives within stringent timelines and prioritizing the requirements. Preparation of test and effort estimation, project dashboards, weekly reports, status and monthly management reports.

Skills

Platforms & Environments

Retail Payment Platform
iOS/Android App Testing
Windows/Mac OS
Mobile Payment Quality Analysis

Software Development & Testing Process

SDLC & Test Estimation
Agile Testing
Test Strategy
System Testing
User Acceptance Testing

Tools & Technologies

HTML & Test Management
Selenium & Test Automation
Defect Tracking
Guidewire
Data Warehousing
Microsoft Office

Quality Practices

Quality Assurance
Quality Control

Certifications

ISTQB
RPA
Rhetoric: The Art of Persuasive Writing and Public Speaking

Payment Systems & Processes

EMV Brand Certification
Authorization Process
Credit Card Processing
Credit Card Payments
Mobile Payment Applications
iOS and Android Payments
Apple Pay

Devices & Integration

Credit Card Terminals
Chip & PIN
POS Data Analysis
Ingenico, VeriFone, and PAX
B2 Chip Integration Tool

Tools & Platforms

UL Test Tools
VisionPLUS

Standards & Security

International Standard – ISO 7816
ICC to Terminal Interface
Security and Commands for Interchange
Commands for Card Management
Cryptographic Information Application
Security and Key Management

Awards

Certifications/Associations

G-Suite Automated Status Dashboard

About me

We make sense of our lives through stories.
Mine has been shaped by both uncertainty and gratitude.

In 2017, I was diagnosed with Stage 1 skin cancer (DFSP).
Three surgeries, multiple procedures, and years of scans later, I was declared cancer-free. That season of life taught me how fragile we truly are, and how much courage it takes to keep walking when fear is whispering in your ear.

The following year brought U.S. visa challenges, strained family ties, and career missteps that slowed my growth. At the time, it felt like I was losing everything. In truth, life was redirecting me. Each challenge became a teacher. Each setback carved a deeper sense of resilience, clarity, and peace.

After the pandemic, I chose to rebuild myself from the inside out. I turned to what had always held me quietly together: yoga, meditation, and the wisdom of ancient Indian philosophy. These practices reminded me that peace is not the absence of struggle, but the ability to remain steady in the middle of it.

In 2021, Zoey, my golden doodle, came into my life. Her joy, loyalty, and grounding presence filled the quiet spaces of my days. Together, we embraced the beauty of Vancouver, from its ocean waves to its mountain peaks. Even in the endless rain, I found clarity in running, keeping a steady pace that turned grey mornings into moments of balance and light.

By the end of 2023, I became a Canadian citizen and fully made Vancouver my home. Around the same time, I began a 100-hour Hot Prana yoga teacher training in downtown Vancouver, an experience that continues to shape me and is slowly growing into an academy of its own.

In 2025, I launched Cosmic Innerpeace and began sharing The Gifts of Pure Consciousness. This series is not entertainment. It is a body of work born of lived experience, careful study, and disciplined practice.

Each episode explores the meeting point of neuroscience and Eastern wisdom. We reflect on the workings of the nervous system, the science of breath, the healing power of yoga, the mysteries of kundalini energy, and the timeless call of awareness. At its heart, the series is about remembering that our bodies are not betraying us, but carrying us toward deeper presence. It is about loosening the knots of fear and conditioning so we can reconnect with the truth of who we are.

Through it all, I remain deeply grateful.
Grateful for resilience, which carried me through.
Grateful for belonging, which anchored me here.
And grateful for the chance to live with purpose, to share what I have learned, and to remind others that peace was never far away.