Digital Financial News

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.A downward revision in nominal gross domestic product (GDP) following the base-year revision and a sharp depreciation of the rupee have proved to be a setback for India's position in global ranking.The country has slipped to the sixth rank in 2025 (FY26) and 2026 (FY27), falling behind the UK after claiming the fifth position for three straight years, showed the International Monetary Fund's (IMF) latest data.At current prices, India’s GDP is estimated to be $3.92 trillion in 2025 (FY26) and $4.15 trillion in 2026 (FY27). The UK’s GDP is expected to be $4 trillion in 2025 and $4.26 trillion in 2026, respectively.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.The Centre is building a digital system to track the sale of its urea, in an effort to curb diversion and hoarding of its most-utilized fertilizer at a time of broken supply chains and concerns of food security.The new system, spearheaded by the Department of Fertilizers, will require Aadhaar-based biometric authentication through a mobile app currently under development, two people familiar with the plan said. At a later stage, the system will also integrate farmers' land records, crop details, and fertilizer requirements based on landholding.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.The government is moving to close loopholes in its gold hallmarking system, introducing mandatory item-level tracking to end the fraudulent practice of reusing unique identification codes across multiple pieces of jewellery. By digitizing every ornament's physical profile, including photographs and weight, the government aims to formalize a massive, trust-based retail market where light enforcement has often left consumers holding less than they paid for.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Recent proposals by the Reserve Bank of India to curb digital fraud could disrupt payments and hurt small merchants’ cash flows while proving insufficient to combat the growing problem, several industry experts told Mint.In a discussion paper floated on 9 April, the RBI proposed introducing a one-hour lag at the payer’s end for transactions above ₹10,000. Other suggestions included:Industry leaders said the RBI's current ‘safety net’ approach addresses the symptoms rather than the cause.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.The Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) discussion paper, ‘Exploring Safeguards in Digital Payments to Curb Frauds,’ is part of its ongoing efforts to make digital payments safer and fraud-proof to the extent possible. Given the rapid growth of online transfers, it was but inevitable that frauds would also increase manifold.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.MUMBAI: Digital lending firms regained some momentum in FY26, as unsecured lending picked up and growth stabilized after a regulatory-led slowdown the previous year, industry executives and analysts told Mint.The rebound follows a muted FY25, when tighter regulations, rising costs and weakening credit quality sharply slowed expansion. Loan growth, for non-banking finance companies (NBFCs) with assets under management (AUM) below ₹15,000 crore, fell to about 13% in FY25 from around 36% a year earlier, according to a November 2025 report by Icra Ltd, as unsecured lending and microfinance segments contracted.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.A combustible mix of policymaker FOMO, industry self-interest and parental anxiety about the future of work is fuelling Asia’s push to introduce AI into classrooms at ever younger ages. The result risks turning a generation of developing minds into guinea pigs, while gains flow not to students, but to tech companies.You don’t have to be a Luddite to see the problem: AI’s inherent promise is convenience, while learning requires effort. Those aims are fundamentally at odds.

Online commerce is undergoing a structural shift—from discovery-led consumption to decision-led execution. The rise of Agentic AI, capable of searching, evaluating and transacting autonomously, is reshaping how demand is created and fulfilled. This transition does not eliminate consumers, but reduces their role in the decision loop.

TV shows, India lacks a dedicated regulatory framework for music. This, lawyers and industry experts say, creates legal and commercial uncertainty, undermining an artiste’s ability to monetise their work and make creative decisions with confidence.

NEW DELHI: India is moving to position its QR (Quick Response) code-based payment system on the global stage. The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has introduced fresh norms covering biometric authentication, QR code-based payments and digital currency security to reduce fraud risks and enhance interoperability according to two people aware of the development.The move is intended to strengthen safeguards in India’s rapidly expanding digital financial ecosystem and build confidence among developed economies, where QR code payments are still a novelty, the people said.The rapid expansion of digital payments, biometric-based authentication systems and QR code transactions in India has raised concerns over fraud, identity theft, data misuse and vulnerabilities in the digital payment infrastructure.

Mint, Irani said pockets of the market continue to offer value despite headline premiums. Even though smallcaps are quoting at a slight premium to largecaps, on a price-to-earnings-growth (PEG) basis, the ratio is almost half that of largecaps.

Mint. “This let the impersonator collect the publishing royalties, while my artist page absorbed the poor performance signals from the fake streams.”Tewari says the tracks weren’t just misattributed but appeared to be generated and uploaded at scale.

shipbuilding and expand India's maritime capabilities, strengthen national security, and boost domestic industry.“To operationalise the Shipbuilding Cell's mandate effectively, there is an urgent requirement for 15 naval architects with specialized expertise in shipbuilding, technical assessment, strategic planning, digital infrastructure, and investment facilitation. These naval architects will serve as the technical backbone of the Shipbuilding Cell, providing hands-on expertise in policy development, yard assessment, market analysis, project development, and implementation support,” an official at the ministry of ports, shipping and waterways said, requesting anonymity.“This engagement is structured to attract two distinct categories of naval architects based on experience levels, ensuring a balanced team composition with both senior strategic guidance and intermediate technical execution capability,” the official added.The second person said that the Directorate General of Shipping is transitioning into the Directorate General of Maritime Administration (DGMA) under the new Merchant Shipping Act with the expanded mandate to include digital administration, green energy, and enhanced maritime security.The DGMA is expected to house the dedicated Shipbuilding Cell to develop India's shipbuilding and ship repair capacity, attract domestic and international investment, facilitate policy implementation, and support strategic maritime sector growth.

Earlier this month, when the Gujarat high court and Punjab and Haryana high court barred judicial officers from using artificial intelligence (AI) for drafting judgements or doing legal research, they set out a clear framework for governing AI in high-stake settings. Judges and court staff are prohibited not only from using AI to decide cases, but also from drafting orders, evaluating evidence or assisting them in judicial reasoning.The Kerala high court took a similar stance in 2025. India’s Supreme Court has also kept AI away from the sphere of legal logic.

₹2,055 crore, or about $245 million, marking a more than 90% drop from Unacademy’s 2021 peak valuation. The management churn is notable as upGrad works through integration planning, regulatory clearances and a broader internal restructuring while also preparing for a public listing.upGrad Enterprise sells skilling and training programmes to companies, helping them address gaps in their workforce through courses tailored to business needs, according to a senior former upGrad employee who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss internal matters.

Bay Capital Partners plans to raise about ₹1,000-1,500 crore for a new fund targeting late-stage tech firms, joining investors chasing India’s rapidly maturing digital economy.The Mumbai-based firm’s India Digital Opportunities Fund will back 10 to 15 companies in both private and public markets. To lead the vehicle, Bay Capital has brought in former Delhivery executive Sandeep Barasia and ICICI Ventures veteran Tej Kapoor as co-founders and managing partners.“It's the first time we're doing a dedicated digital crossover fund.

Cycle Pure Agarbatti is sharpening its push into digital channels and associated product categories as it looks to evolve beyond its traditional incense business. As part of this strategy, the company has acquired a majority stake in Satvik Spirituals Pvt Ltd, a company that built its business of spiritual and lifestyle offerings through e-commerce."E-commerce is still relatively new for us and Satvik is a digital-first brand and understands consumer behaviour online,” Arjun Ranga, managing director of N.

India’s development narrative increasingly places women at the centre of an economic transformation. As Parliament prepares to operationalize the Women’s Reservation Act ahead of the 2029 elections, the focus on women’s participation in public life is intensifying. Over the past decade, policy efforts have expanded women’s access to bank accounts, jobs and entrepreneurship.

TA Associates at an enterprise value of roughly $1.2 billion. However, the sale fell through.“The deal is in initial stages.

Irdai) issued guidelines on 2 April, 2026. Insurers and e-platforms have been directed to comply with the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) guidelines on dark patterns issued in 2023.

schemes.Integrated with states’ financial systems and the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) e-Kuber platform, it allows funds to be released only when payments are actually due. The system shifts fund flow from an advance-based model to a demand-driven one.It is used across more than 50 centrally sponsored schemes, where spending is shared between the Centre and states—usually in a 60:40 ratio (and 90:10 for special category states).Earlier, ministries released funds upfront to states and implementing agencies.