Author: Bureau

Process transformation reduces physical SIP processing timelines and improves visibility for investors, distributors and AMCs KFin Technologies Limited (KFintech), a leading provider of global investor and issuer solutions, has introduced Finex, an in-house transformation programme aimed at accelerating physical Systematic Investment Plan (SIP) and mandate registrations. Physical SIP processing has traditionally involved multiple verification stages and manual touchpoints, with workflows across the ecosystem taking between 21 and 30 days from application to first activation. Through Finex, KFintech has increased same-day physical SIP registration from 15% to 90%. The programme brings together AI-powered document recognition, intelligent validation, automated workflows and exception…

Marquee online shopping events are increasingly expanding beyond marketplaces, with D2C brands and offline retailers launching concurrent promotions and campaigns. These sale periods are evolving into large-scale commerce events that bring together marketplaces, brand websites and physical retail channels. Insights from more than 18 million order items processed through Uniware, Unicommerce’s AI-powered commerce enablement platform, comparing the Prime Day sale periods in 2026 and 2025, highlight this shift. D2C brand websites recorded over 130% year-on-year growth in order volumes, along with approximately 110% growth in gross merchandise value (GMV). Demand also expanded beyond metro markets. Beauty & Personal Care order…

India’s first-time credit cardholders are becoming younger and more geographically diverse, according to TransUnion CIBIL’s latest research whitepaper, Beyond the Swipe 2026: How India Uses Card as a Credit Instrument. As of March 2026, 50% of New-To-Credit Card (NTCC) consumers were aged 30 years or below, up from 43% in March 2022. Meanwhile, 46% of NTCC consumers resided in semi-urban and rural markets, compared with 42% four years earlier. India’s credit card market has expanded significantly over the past decade. Between March 2016 and March 2026, the number of cardholders grew 3.6 times from 1.4 crore to 5.2 crore. Outstanding…

Flipkart has extended its Zero Commission policy to all fashion products across every price point, expanding the initiative beyond its earlier coverage of products priced up to ₹1,000. The move is expected to benefit around 90,000 transacting fashion sellers, including MSMEs, homegrown brands and D2C businesses, by enabling them to retain additional margins and reinvest in product expansion, innovation and brand building. Alongside Zero Commission, sellers can access AI-enabled demand insights, trend data and catalogue management tools through the seller dashboard. These capabilities help businesses track changing consumer preferences, expand their assortments and reach customers across the country. The initiative…

On-device biometric authentication also supports RuPay Credit Card on UPI transactions, delivering a faster, secure and seamless payment experience. UPI on-device biometric authentication-based payments accounted for over 611 million transactions in June 2026, with a total transaction value of ₹25,416 crore, reflecting strong adoption across everyday payment use cases. The feature enables users to authorise UPI payments using smartphone’s fingerprint or facial recognition.  UPI users are increasingly adopting biometric-based authentication for everyday payments, marking a significant shift towards faster, simpler and more intuitive digital payment experiences. The feature supports both Person-to-Person (P2P) and Person-to-Merchant (P2M) payments, making routine payments quicker…

Larsen & Toubro Vyoma (L&T Vyoma), L&T’s sovereign AI cloud and digital infrastructure business, has entered into a strategic partnership with Fortanix Inc., a US-headquartered data and AI security company and pioneer in Confidential Computing. The companies will jointly deliver sovereign and secure software-as-a-service offerings for enterprises and government organisations in India. As AI adoption gathers pace, organisations are increasingly focused on data sovereignty, regulatory compliance and protecting sensitive information during processing. This is particularly important for regulated sectors such as banking, financial services, government and healthcare. Under the partnership, L&T Vyoma will provide sovereign AI infrastructure, including data centres,…

The new edition combines comic-inspired TOM and JERRY graphics with safety features designed for young riders STUDDS Accessories Ltd., one of the world’s leading two-wheeler helmet manufacturers, has launched the Marshall Kids TOM and JERRY Edition helmet in India. Developed in collaboration with Warner Bros. Discovery Global Consumer Products (WBDGCP), the new edition brings the iconic TOM and JERRY characters to the company’s dedicated open-face helmet range for children. Designed to make helmet-wearing more engaging for young riders, the new edition features Jerry surfing across the crown, accompanied by comic-style “HA-HA!” and “AA-DHA!” speech bursts, star and lightning-bolt graphics and…

Vande Bharatam, a nationwide initiative to discover, nurture and empower entrepreneurs, innovators and changemakers, has received applications from across India and several international markets. Launched on the occasion of Gautam Adani’s 64th birthday, the initiative has attracted participation from all 28 states and eight Union Territories, along with applications from the United States, United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates, Canada and other countries. Technology, AI & Deep Tech emerged as the leading category, accounting for the highest number of applications. The submissions include ideas aimed at addressing real-world challenges across sectors and communities. Other key categories attracting participation include Agri, Food…

Mercedes-Benz India recorded its highest-ever first-half sales in 2026, retailing 9,768 vehicles between January and June, a 9% increase from 9,013 units in H1 2025. The luxury carmaker also posted its best-ever Q2 performance, with sales rising 10% to 4,637 units during April-June 2026. The growth was supported by new product launches, sustained demand across the Core and Top-End Luxury segments, and strong customer response to the new CLA BEV and V-Class. The Top-End Luxury portfolio grew by more than 20% in H1 2026 and accounted for a record 28% of the company’s overall sales. Mercedes-AMG sales increased 50% during…

Strand Life Sciences, a subsidiary of Reliance Industries Limited, has secured an Indian patent for its integrated platform designed to enable early cancer detection through cell-free DNA (cfDNA) analysis using a blood sample. The patented platform combines high-quality sequencing, rigorous quality control, biologically informed methylation and fragmentomic feature extraction, and machine learning. The technology is designed to detect cancer and predict the tissue of origin from a blood sample. Changes in methylation patterns across the genome are a recognised hallmark of cancer. A key innovation covered by the patent is the ability to obtain these methylation patterns through genome sequencing…