The new norms follow a February 2024 draft circular that encouraged stakeholders in the Indian digital payment ecosystem to adopt more factors of authentication for validating and confirming customers’ credentials. The banking regulator has asked all payment system providers (PSPs) and payment system participants, including banks and non-bank entities, to comply with the RBI’s (Authentication…
India’s digitally native brands, those that produce and sell directly to consumers, are stepping beyond screens into malls, high streets, and curated experience centres. In the first half of 2025, direct-to-consumer (D2C brands) accounted for 18% of retail leasing, up from 8% in the same period last year, according to real estate consultant CBRE. Mint…
India’s months-long festive calendar—from Dussehra and Diwali to Christmas—has long been the sweet spot for film releases. Traditionally, some of the biggest blockbusters—from Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge in 1995 to Pushpa 2 in 2024 have released during this period. Filmmakers usually aim to capitalise on long holidays and the celebratory mood in India and overseas….
Bank holiday today: All days of this week are bank holidays in some part of India due to Durga Puja, Navratri and Gandhi Jayanti celebrations. Today, October 3, is also a holiday for Durga Puja and Dasain in Gangtok, Sikkim. Overall, October 2025 has 21 official bank holidays, including religious and regional festivities of Diwali,…
Tata AutoComp has acquired companies in Europe and Latin America, while Sona Comstar has entered China with a partnership, targeting its electric vehicle market. Anand Group bought a Swiss firm, while Minda Corp has struck joint ventures in Taiwan, China and Japan. This follows co-founder Vivek Chaand Sehgal’s Motherson’s approach, which has built presence across…
With increasing focus on and need for production of AI-generated content to scale pipelines and speak to younger audiences, many film industry veterans are exploring partnerships with companies specialising in AI or launching their own ventures. Actor Ajay Devgn and filmmakers like Ram Madhvani and Shekhar Kapur are among those involved in new artificial intelligence…
Mobile banking, free cheque books, and more: Zero-balance accounts, technically called Basic Savings Bank Deposit (BSBD) accounts, may soon sport more features. These accounts, designed with limited services for mass consumers, are mandatory for every bank. On Wednesday, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) proposed sweeping changes to help these accounts join India’s digital transformation….
On 30 September, Arkansas senator Tom Cotton introduced the Visa Cap Enforcement Bill, which seeks to prevent universities, research institutions and non-profits from hiring an unlimited number of foreign workers. “Colleges and universities shouldn’t get special treatment for bringing in woke and anti-American professors from around the world. My bill closes these loopholes that universities…
A recent government move may help midmarket travellers: rooms priced below ₹7,500 now attract just 5% goods and services tax (GST), down from 12%. Still, the impact on hotel occupancy and investor returns is expected to be modest. Rooms above that threshold remain in the 18% bracket, meaning India’s most expensive hotels could still be…
Bank holiday today: Banks across India, including private and public banks, are closed today on 2 October due to Gandhi Jayanti, Dussehra and Vijaya Dashami. Today, 2 October is also Dasara, Durga Puja (Dasain) as well as the Janmotsav of Sri Sri Sankardeva. There is a bank holiday today at all banks in India, including…