Ajinkya Kawale
 "Ajinkya Kawale")
Ajinkya Kawale
Ajinkya Kawale works as a correspondent for Business Standard, specialising in the emerging fintech industry in India. In addition to his assigned beats, he has had the opportunity to cover agrarian distress in Maharashtra and political developments during the Lok Sabha election season. He holds a postgraduate degree in multimedia journalism from Christ University in Bengaluru. He is passionate about India's infotainment space on YouTube and other OTT platforms. His favourite sections in a library are non-fiction and biographies.
Ajinkya Kawale works as a correspondent for Business Standard, specialising in the emerging fintech industry in India. In addition to his assigned beats, he has had the opportunity to cover agrarian distress in Maharashtra and political developments during the Lok Sabha election season. He holds a postgraduate degree in multimedia journalism from Christ University in Bengaluru. He is passionate about India's infotainment space on YouTube and other OTT platforms. His favourite sections in a library are non-fiction and biographies.
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Gullak raises $7.5 million Series A to expand reach, strengthen brand
The fresh capital will be used to strengthen brand presence and marketing, expand reach across Tier-II and Tier-III cities, and deepen partnerships with India's largest jewellers
 "Gullak raises $7.5 million Series A to expand reach, strengthen brand")
FACE membership grows fourfold to 275 a year after SRO recognition
The association marked its one year of recognition by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) last month
 "FACE membership grows fourfold to 275 a year after SRO recognition")
Dream11 pivots to free-to-play, banks on ads and sponsorship revenue
Dream11 moves to a free-to-play model following a gaming ban, focusing on ads and sponsorships with 10 million daily users and partnerships with brands like Swiggy and Tata Neu
 "Dream11 pivots to free-to-play, banks on ads and sponsorship revenue")
India, Brazil lead real-time A2A payments with UPI and Pix adoption
A BCG report says A2A payments exceed 50 per cent of all transactions in India and Brazil, powered by UPI and Pix, with AI agents set to further transform digital commerce
 "India, Brazil lead real-time A2A payments with UPI and Pix adoption")
Question over H-1B fee sees techies, students scrambling for answers
For Arun Kumar (name changed), a techie from south Tamil Nadu, the past 30 hours have been a whirlwind of stress and frantic search for a flight ticket to the US
 "Question over H-1B fee sees techies, students scrambling for answers")
Amazon Now to expand to over 300 dark stores by 2025 with ₹2,000 cr push
Amazon India will expand its Amazon Now network to more than 300 dark stores by end-2025, investing Rs 2,000 crore in storage, processing and delivery infrastructure
 "Amazon Now to expand to over 300 dark stores by 2025 with ₹2,000 cr push")
RBI grants PhonePe final approval to operate as payment aggregator
Fintech major PhonePe has secured the Reserve Bank of India's final approval to act as an online payment aggregator, expanding its reach to enterprises and merchants nationwide
 "RBI grants PhonePe final approval to operate as payment aggregator")
Fintech firm MobiKwik freezes 2,000 merchant accounts after ₹40 cr loss
MobiKwik froze 2,000 merchant accounts after a technical error caused unauthorised settlements worth Rs 40 crore, with Rs 14 crore recovered and FIRs filed in Haryana
 "Fintech firm MobiKwik freezes 2,000 merchant accounts after ₹40 cr loss")
Gameskraft lays off 120 staff after real money gaming ban in India
Gameskraft has laid off 120 employees as the online gaming ban shutters its core real-money business, extending health cover till March 2026 and pledging re-hiring priority
 "Gameskraft lays off 120 staff after real money gaming ban in India")
Adani group airports planning to test pre-booked security check slots
If implemented in India, the service will let passengers book security screening slots in advance, helping cut down wait times in long queues
 "Adani group airports planning to test pre-booked security check slots")
E-com firms focus on cybersecurity ahead of high-volume festive season
As the e-commerce ecosystem gears up for robusts festival sales companies are increasingly turning up their cybersecurity measures to prevent fraud that typically spikes around this time
 "E-com firms focus on cybersecurity ahead of high-volume festive season")
AI startup Sentient launches open AGI network for 2 million users
Nailwal calls this launch "a pivotal moment where India proves it can define the AI future - not just follow it"
 "AI startup Sentient launches open AGI network for 2 million users")
Fintech firm Razorpay integrates Apple Pay to support foreign transactions
Razorpay has integrated Apple Pay for cross-border transactions, enabling Indian merchants to tap global users with faster checkout and higher conversion rates
 "Fintech firm Razorpay integrates Apple Pay to support foreign transactions")
A metal-petal: How Navi Mumbai airport mimics a lotus, carries a legacy
Rising from reclaimed wetlands, Navi Mumbai airport mirrors city's design legacy
 "A metal-petal: How Navi Mumbai airport mimics a lotus, carries a legacy")
SuperGaming's MaskGun crosses 100 mn downloads, raises $15 mn funding
Pune-based SuperGaming's first-person shooter MaskGun has crossed 100 million downloads worldwide as the studio secures $15 million in Series B funding backed by global investors
 "SuperGaming's MaskGun crosses 100 mn downloads, raises $15 mn funding")
Krafton India to launch third edition of gaming incubator KIGI on Sept 20
Krafton India will open registrations for the third edition of its gaming incubator programme, KIGI, on September 20 to support local studios with funding, mentorship, and resources
 "Krafton India to launch third edition of gaming incubator KIGI on Sept 20")
Fintechs offer secured lending with instant loans against mutual funds
Fintechs including PhonePe, Paytm, BharatPe, and Cred roll out loans against mutual funds, offering instant, fully digital secured credit at lower capital costs for investors
 "Fintechs offer secured lending with instant loans against mutual funds")
Paytm's comeback trail looks open, but regulatory concerns remain
This approval marked the end of a two-year wait, during which PPSL was barred from onboarding new merchants
 "Paytm's comeback trail looks open, but regulatory concerns remain")
RBI fines PhonePe ₹21 lakh for non-compliance with PPI regulations
RBI penalises PhonePe Rs 21 lakh for failing to report escrow shortfalls under PPI norms, marking its third penalty since 2019 over compliance issues
 "RBI fines PhonePe ₹21 lakh for non-compliance with PPI regulations")
Four banks may log in to NBBL's 'interoperable netbanking' in October
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Sanjay Malhotra is expected to launch the new netbanking switch at the Global Fintech Fest 2025, scheduled for October 7-9.
 "Four banks may log in to NBBL's 'interoperable netbanking' in October")
