The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is developing digital public infrastructure and payments intelligence platforms using artificial intelligence and application programming interfaces to improve customer experience and strengthen the payments ecosystem.
PhonePe, at the Global Fintech Fest 2026, unveiled its strategic vision for the next decade, focusing on inclusive digital progress for individuals, households, and businesses across India. The roadmap details innovations in financial inclusion, wealth creation, credit access, and merchant solutions.
India's MSME sector faces a significant formal credit gap of approximately Rs 60 lakh crore, with traditional channels meeting only a fraction of the demand. A new report suggests that a centralised, interoperable digital layer could effectively bridge this gap and enhance productivity across the formal business sector by digitising workflows and enabling cash-flow-based underwriting.
While opening new accounts, banks can check if the name appears in any mule data. In case it does, the bank can conduct enhanced due diligence.
Digital payments firm PhonePe has launched PulsePro, an enterprise intelligence platform providing businesses with aggregated and anonymised transaction data. This platform offers near real-time market insights at granular levels, helping companies track consumer spending, identify growth opportunities, and make informed expansion decisions across India.
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Deputy Governor Rohit Jain has warned that financial institutions' increasing reliance on a small number of common technology providers, including cloud and AI model providers, could create a new source of systemic risk. He highlighted 'speed, concentration and opacity' as key risks, noting that a disruption at one provider could rapidly spread across multiple institutions, amplifying existing financial risks.
India's Unified Payments Interface (UPI) recorded an unprecedented 24.51 billion transactions valued at Rs 29.8 lakh crore in August, largely propelled by the Raksha Bandhan festival. This surge marks a 22% annual increase in volume and 20% in value, highlighting the expanding reach and depth of the UPI ecosystem. Experts anticipate further growth during the upcoming festive season, while UPI's international acceptance now spans 11 countries.
From April 1, 2026, the Reserve Bank of India's new authentication directions modernise how every digital payment you make must be verified -- and place the burden of security squarely on your bank, not on you.
'... but runs with the rigour and discipline of a large enterprise.'
Indian digital certification authority eMudhra has reported a compromise of private keys for some of its global TLS and code-signing certificates, according to Cert-In. This incident, while eMudhra states it has limited impact on its Indian operations, could allow cybercriminals to impersonate websites. Separately, SBI has disclosed a suspected exposure of nearly 4,000 customer records on the dark web.
Cyber intelligence firm CloudSEK reports that online fraudsters are using a new toolkit called 'Digital Lutera' to bypass security features of UPI apps and carry out fraudulent financial transactions.
For India, the goal is not simply to host another grand diplomatic gathering. It is to prove that a diverse coalition of emerging powers can still deliver.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has urged the Reserve Bank of India to accelerate its central bank digital currency initiatives, emphasising the need to sharpen capabilities with the digital rupee amidst rapid advancements in tokenisation, agentic AI, and quantum computing. She also highlighted critical concerns regarding cybersecurity, warning that autonomous AI systems are evolving rapidly and require robust safeguards. Sitharaman proposed a federated industry platform to give India's technology ecosystem a collective international voice.
Gautam Adani, chairman of Adani group, emphasised that energy and intelligence are inseparable national priorities, asserting that India must build its own capabilities in these sectors rather than relying on external sources, especially in the context of global conflicts and shifting supply chains.
India's markets regulator Sebi has launched 'Demat 2.0', a pilot project for tokenisation of corporate bonds, enabling atomic settlement through integration with RBI's wholesale CBDC. This new market infrastructure uses Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) to make bond issuance, trading, and settlement faster and more efficient. India is the first country to issue corporate bonds natively on a distributed ledger with central bank digital currency settlement. Additionally, RBI Governor announced new UPI innovations: 'Tap & Pay' for faster POS transactions and MyUPI, an AI-powered customer support solution.
A new EY India report highlights how young professionals, women wealth creators, entrepreneurs, ESOP beneficiaries, and digitally active consumers from Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities are fundamentally changing India's wealth ecosystem. This shift is evidenced by increased participation of young and women investors, a rise in disciplined investing via SIPs, and the crucial role of Digital Public Infrastructure in democratizing access to long-term wealth creation. The report predicts over 100 million new investors by 2035.
Dark patterns are no longer just a consumer protection concern, but a broader macroeconomic challenge affecting the long-term sustainability of India's digital commerce ecosystem.
Artificial intelligence major Anthropic has launched AI inference capabilities in India through Amazon Bedrock, allowing its Claude AI models to process data within the country's jurisdiction. This strategic move addresses the growing demand from Indian entities, particularly in regulated sectors, for compliance with local data processing norms as per the Digital Personal Data Protection Act. The initiative strengthens Anthropic's commitment to the Indian market, enabling secure and compliant AI deployment for sensitive workloads and fostering trust among major enterprises like Reliance, CRED, and NPCI.
Rediff.com India Ltd, a subsidiary of AvenuesAI Ltd, has filed draft red herring prospectus (DRHP) with SEBI through the confidential pre-filing route, marking an important step towards a potential public listing after its acquisition and strategic shift to an AI-led digital platform.
RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra stated that the central bank consistently views fintechs as 'valuable partners' in shaping India's future financial system, crediting the sector with expanding financial inclusion, enhancing customer experience, and streamlining credit delivery, particularly for MSMEs.
Meesho, a value-commerce platform targeting middle- and lower-income geographies, is poised for significant growth driven by its asset-light model and low fulfilment costs, but faces intense competition from e-commerce giants and high valuations.
By enabling real-time data sharing, the platform will help prevent scams and ensure secure transactions.
Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) has launched two new mobile applications, MyLIC for policyholders and Super Sales Saathi for its sales intermediaries, aiming to enhance digital agility and cater to the younger generation's needs. The apps, part of LIC's DIVE digital transformation platform, offer features like policy management, premium payments, and personalised recommendations.
RBI Deputy Governor Rohit Jain highlighted that banks are well-positioned to deploy $133 billion mobilised through FCNR(B) deposits, especially with strong credit demand ahead of the festival season, while also stressing the importance of robust technology governance and cyber defences in the financial sector.
A senior Microsoft executive says India is uniquely positioned to lead the next phase of global AI deployment, driven by a massive developer base, rapid enterprise adoption, and robust digital public infrastructure.
RBI Deputy Governor Rohit Jain discussed the future of India's foreign exchange markets, highlighting the increasing role of local currencies in cross-border trade, the impact of technology, and existing challenges. He emphasised the need for market evolution to facilitate India's global engagement, absorb shocks, and serve all users efficiently. Jain also addressed concerns about unauthorised forex trading platforms and the importance of customer awareness.
BRICS finance ministers and central bank governors have called for increased representation of emerging-market and developing economies in the IMF and World Bank, while also criticising unilateral tariffs and trade measures, as the expanded bloc aims to bolster financial cooperation amidst global fragmentation.
Google Pay, PhonePe, and Paytm may deliberately delay transactions, issue fraud alerts, and require an extra layer of user confirmation before processing any transactions that are likely to be classified as fraudulent.
This would imply a 29 per cent year-on-year rise, significantly lower than growth rates seen in recent years.
Delhi Police dismantled an interstate cyber fraud network involved in routing illicit funds through bank account kits, SIM cards, and ATM credentials, leading to the arrest of three key individuals from Haryana and Himachal Pradesh.
E-commerce major Flipkart has announced significant appointments to its technology leadership team, bringing in experts in artificial intelligence, data science, fintech, and core engineering. These strategic hires, including Goda Ramkumar, Mohan Palisetti, and Nitesh Jain, are aimed at strengthening Flipkart's capabilities in these critical areas to better serve India's expanding digital consumer and seller base.
E-commerce major Flipkart has announced significant appointments to its technology leadership team, bringing in experts in artificial intelligence, data science, fintech, and core engineering. These strategic hires, including Goda Ramkumar, Mohan Palisetti, and Nitesh Jain, are aimed at strengthening Flipkart's capabilities in these critical areas to better serve India's expanding digital consumer and seller base.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is promoting India as a global hub for digital infrastructure and artificial intelligence, highlighting the government's incentives for data center investments and inviting the world's data to reside in India.
Tata Sons has the balance sheet to support them, for now.
'Dark patterns exploit human psychology, cognitive biases, urgency, confusion, or lack of attention to increase revenue for digital platforms at the expense of consumer choice and transparency.'
The biggest challenge to widespread deployment is no longer AI. It is the financial and commerce infrastructure that was built decades ago for deterministic software and human interactions -- not autonomous AI agents.
The move comes amid growing demand from organisations in India for local access to Claude.
'Just like oral hygiene, cyber hygiene must become a daily habit,' says Beena Vaheed, executive director, Bank of Baroda. 'It is not enough to rely only on banks, companies, or the government. Each of us must play our part.'
'Improved law and order and transparent governance have helped change UP's investment image.'
Streaming has globalised the entertainment industry, enabling artists like Diljit Dosanjh and Arijit Singh to reach diverse international audiences.
