Harsh Kumar, Ajinkya Kawale

Stories by Harsh Kumar, Ajinkya Kawale

'I Never Take My Opponent's Name'

'I Never Take My Opponent's Name'

Rediff.com   30 May 2024

'Even last time, when I defeated Shatrughan Sinha, I did not take his name.'

'Draft infra norms good for industry'

'Draft infra norms good for industry'

Rediff.com   29 May 2024

'Probably revised guidelines will come, and then the real picture will emerge.'

BharatPe, PhonePe amicably settle trademark disputes over 'Pe' suffix

BharatPe, PhonePe amicably settle trademark disputes over 'Pe' suffix

Rediff.com   27 May 2024

Financial technology (fintech) firms PhonePe and BharatPe announced on Sunday that they have settled long-standing legal disputes regarding the use of the trademark with the suffix 'Pe' in their brand names. The settlement concludes five-year-long legal disputes across multiple courts. Both companies have decided to withdraw all opposition against each other in the Trade Marks Registry.

'No need to panic on draft infra guidelines'

'No need to panic on draft infra guidelines'

Rediff.com   24 May 2024

'It's a debatable topic, and we will submit our comments to the RBI by June 15.'

Crypto firms bank on fair play as Binance logs into FIU-IND

Crypto firms bank on fair play as Binance logs into FIU-IND

Rediff.com   20 May 2024

The regulatory gap between crypto firms registered with the Financial Intelligence Unit-India (FIU-India) and unregistered offshore entities is expected to narrow, industry players said, after global crypto players Binance and KuCoin received approvals to register with India's anti-money laundering unit.

Litchi Heats Up Election Season In Muzaffarpur

Litchi Heats Up Election Season In Muzaffarpur

Rediff.com   19 May 2024

'The local support from our MP is nil. He never comes to see our farms.'

Who Will Taste Grapes Of Wrath In Nashik?

Who Will Taste Grapes Of Wrath In Nashik?

Rediff.com   19 May 2024

'During times of adversity, a brick becomes better than a stone. That is how I look at the election season.'

Who Will Be The Next SBI Chief?

Who Will Be The Next SBI Chief?

Rediff.com   14 May 2024

'The FSIB will conduct interviews for the SBI chairman position on May 21-22 as the tenure of the current chairman Dinesh Kumar Khara is scheduled to end by August.'

Next-gen politicians battle it out for Samastipur

Next-gen politicians battle it out for Samastipur

Rediff.com   9 May 2024

'Dynastic politics has become a tool of convenience for political parties. The BJP does not hesitate to accept it when it comes to its own alliance or party candidates. The same goes for the others.'

UPI credit line: NPCI may go easy on interchange fee

UPI credit line: NPCI may go easy on interchange fee

Rediff.com   8 May 2024

To increase the adoption of credit on United Payments Interface (UPI), National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) is looking at an interchange fee for transactions lower than that for a credit-card transaction. Sources in the know said these charges could be 1-1.2 per cent. Fintech participants concur with the view that the interchange fee is expected to be lower than that for a credit-card transaction.

'Govt won't privatise GIC Re at this stage'

'Govt won't privatise GIC Re at this stage'

Rediff.com   5 May 2024

'Because it is the only public sector company in this sector, currently.'

Fintechs Push For Easier KYC

Fintechs Push For Easier KYC

Rediff.com   3 May 2024

'For smaller merchants, there should be a process that is digital and a minimum KYC journey should be allowed.'

Payments banks bat for new model, pin hopes on lending licence amid stress

Payments banks bat for new model, pin hopes on lending licence amid stress

Rediff.com   29 Apr 2024

Payments banks are expecting to get the rights to offer small-ticket loans sometime soon, according to an industry source familiar with the matter. The industry has been in talks with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for some time in seeking lending rights.

Cautious approach: Small finance bank model in the slow lane, say experts

Cautious approach: Small finance bank model in the slow lane, say experts

Rediff.com   24 Apr 2024

The small finance bank model may still be testing the water some 10 years since its launch. According to banking experts, the regulator has taken a cautious approach in granting approvals. Unity Small Finance Bank was the last one to get a licence in the category in November 2021.

Why Election 2024 Is So Subdued...

Why Election 2024 Is So Subdued...

Rediff.com   22 Apr 2024

'It's dull because this time the election is spread over such a long period.'

PSBs may be allowed to transfer unclaimed shares to IEPF

PSBs may be allowed to transfer unclaimed shares to IEPF

Rediff.com   14 Apr 2024

The finance ministry is considering amending the Banking Companies (Acquisition and Transfer of Undertakings) Act, 1970, which governs public-sector banks (PSBs), to make suitable provisions for allowing PSBs to transfer shares to the Investor Education and Protection Fund (IEPF) when dividends of such shares remain unclaimed by the investors for seven consecutive years. "While Section 10B of the Banking Companies (Acquisition and Transfer of Undertakings) Act, 1970, allows the transfer of unclaimed dividends to the IEPF, it, however, does not mention a provision for transferring unclaimed shares and may now be amended by the next government to allow such transfers to happen," said a person familiar with the matter.

Airfares, hotel rates shoot up ahead of Holi, Good Friday

Airfares, hotel rates shoot up ahead of Holi, Good Friday

Rediff.com   22 Mar 2024

As March draws to a close, two consecutive long weekend opportunities - Holi and Good Friday - are driving up hotel occupancy and airfares across major routes. According to travel platform Cleartrip, hotel bookings have seen a 3.5 times spike for the Holi weekend, while a 3.7 times spike has been visible in the Good Friday weekend.

Use of Indian languages key for increasing internet access in India: Report

Use of Indian languages key for increasing internet access in India: Report

Rediff.com   13 Mar 2024

Nearly 665 million Indians or 45 per cent of the rural population did not have access to the internet as of 2023. Difficulty in understanding internet procedures, insufficient awareness of its benefits, and a lack of interest have emerged as the top reasons for a gap in internet penetration in rural India, according to a joint report by the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) and Kantar. "The proficiency of English in rural India is very low. While we have content in Hindi, the internet is English-heavy.

RBI restrains commercial card payments by a network

RBI restrains commercial card payments by a network

Rediff.com   16 Feb 2024

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI), on Thursday issued orders restraining commercial transactions routed through intermediaries by a card network. The central bank, without naming the card network, said the intermediary with an arrangement with the network, did not have the authorisation to function under the Payment and Settlement Systems (PSS) Act. This led the regulator to suspend the arrangement till further notice.

Paytm shock: Fintech cos wary as frequent regulatory actions hurt sentiment

Paytm shock: Fintech cos wary as frequent regulatory actions hurt sentiment

Rediff.com   13 Feb 2024

Following the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI's) action against Paytm Payments Bank, participants in the fintech ecosystem have turned their attention to giving priority to compliance with regulatory norms. Fintech industry players say the episode will ensure adherence to such measures. Executives Business Standard spoke to said companies should have clarity on their requirements.