The Government of India launched Sovereign Gold Bonds (SGBs) in 2015, and since then, they have provided investors an exclusive means to latch onto gold’s price uptrend while pocketing fixed returns. Storage and authenticity worries do not plague SGB investors as they do with direct gold ownership. Additionally, SGBs pay interest at an annual rate of 2.5 percent (crediting semi-annually), and they can be redeemed (along with the price appreciation) after five years, with mandatory holding till year eight for those who don’t redeem early. SGBs are freely traded on the NSE and BSE.
Since fresh issuances have been halted starting FY 2024-25, the only way left for investors to get Sovereign Gold Bond (SGB) exposure is through the secondary market. So this Akshaya Tritiya, which is a day typically associated with buying gold, is the perfect occasion to discuss the all-important aspect of investing in gold via SGBs in the secondary market.
Navigating the Secondary Market: Liquidity and Pricing
More than 60 tranches of SGBs have been issued since inception, but only a few are actively traded. Some of the series, like the SGB 2023-24 Series I and III, are known for their better liquidity. Others are known to trade infrequently. As of April 2025, a number of SGBs have been found to be priced above the India Bullion and Jewellers Association (IBJA) gold reference rate. The premium is said to be driven by rising gold prices and limited supply.
Bonds that trade more actively are likely to be closer in value to the IBJA rate and hence offer better value. Conversely, if a bond is thinly traded, it might carry a premium of 10% or more which would definitely eat into any potential returns, especially if the price of gold does not move appreciably higher over the life of the bond. A good rule of thumb is to check the price of the bond against the rate that IBJA is posting before making a purchase.
Strategic Moves for Maximising SGB Returns
Individuals looking to purchase SGBs this Akshaya Tritiya can make use of these practical strategies to enhance their investment experience:
– Put liquidity first: Actively traded series are your best bet for a smooth exit when you need one. And that helps you avoid low-volume, high-price traps that can short-circuit your returns.
– Avoid bonds priced more than 10% above the Indian Bullion Jewelers Association (IBJA) rate. Bonds above that price may not give you sufficient returns for the risk taken.
– In contrast, bonds priced at 10% or less above the IBJA rate may pay you back with a little more than the typical risk-free product. These are the bonds you want to buy.
– Align with Your Objectives: Invest in bonds that match your goals. If you’re saving for retirement and expect to live primarily off your assets for 15 to 30 years, then you might choose to invest in bonds maturing in 2030 or 2031. Those bonds are long-term assets.
– Optimizing the Tax Benefits: When you hold SGBs to maturity, the gains you realize are not taxed. This is a bigger seller than any other gold investment. Even the tax in the hands of the gold bond issuer is paid at a lower rate. There are no annual tax consequences with SGBs. Thus far, SGBs seem to be on a tax honeymoon.
– Monitor Worldwide Changes: With the price of gold soaring to USD 3,100 an ounce in 2025 because of geopolitical crises and plummeting global interest rates, sovereign gold bonds continue to serve as a protective device against the twin perils of inflation and economic uncertainty.
“Mutual fund investments are subject to market risks. Please read the offer documents carefully before investing”. Most of us have heard these sentences on television in between the news breaks. Always wondered as a child what “mutual funds” meant. We all did. These sentences were etched in our minds and continue to live there rent-free. Share market, stocks, IPO, and the most beloved mutual fund, these terms are now a reality for anyone stepping into adulthood. Thanks to digital investment platforms, we all have at least one SIP tucked away safely in the name of investment.
In this article, we will be learning about one such investment platform that has emerged as the hero of retail investment. The tell-tale of Groww. Let’s understand Groww marketing strategy, its marketing mix, and its marketing campaigns in detail.
A Brief Introduction to Groww
As one of the simplest investment platforms, Groww now seems to be a retail investor’s favorite. The quartet Lalit Keshre, Neeraj Singh, Harsh Jain, and Ishan Bhansal conceived and brought this brainchild to life in 2016. Headquartered in Bangalore, the web-based platform has gained ground for investing in SIPs in mutual funds, IPOs, share trades, and gold investments.
With over 50 million users, particularly those under 40, Groww allows retailers to invest through the website or smartphone in over 5000 mutual funds. Despite being surrounded by contemporaries like Zerodha and Upstox, Groww has placed itself successfully in the Indian brokerage market with a propelling market share of 23.4%. As of January 2025, Groww has an active investor base of 13.23 million users.
The Indian fintech landscape has witnessed significant developments in the recent decade. Despite formidable opponents on the global front, the Indian fintech market seems to be making headway by reaching out to oblivious and new investors from tier 2 and tier 3 cities. The digital world has certainly influenced, rather than disrupted, market trends and changed business behavior. Then why should the fintech industry hold back?
Groww, Zerodha, Uptsox, and IND money are some of the pioneers in encouraging the hesitant retail investors grappled by nationwide scams to get over their fear and wisely invest with minimal risks. Here’s where a marketing campaign or strategy wins.
Services Offered by Groww
The web-based investment platform allows you to invest with the following media:
Stocks and shares
IPO
NFO (New Fund Offering)
Mutual funds
Sovereign Gold Bonds
Groww Marketing Mix
Groww Marketing Mix
Product
Groww identified the pain points of conventional investing methods and introduced an app specifically to eliminate those frustrations.
Some features that give it an edge over the others:
Zero account opening charges with simple digital KYC
Fractional share investing is a rarity in India
SIP calculators, investment guides, and education on personal finance
Pricing
Handing out premium services at minimum charges
Zero account opening and maintenance cost
Ultra-competitive commission charges for high-volume traders
Free education content is turning it into a lead-generation tool before monetization
Place
Groww’s primary goal is to dominate the fintech landscape through mobile investment
Strategic distribution:
User-friendly, handy app for the average millennial investor
Collaboration with UPI platforms to enhance seamless bank integration
Insights on the latest IPO listings to attract organic traffic
Promotion
Groww has an active engagement from over 13M+ users, and it capitalizes on the young influencer and content creation business to build its brand
Here are a few strategies applied by the brand:
Referral campaigns with incentives for sharing
Collaborating with India’s top financial influencers on Instagram and YouTube
Comprehensive product walkthroughs by the co-founders on YouTube, building brand presence
Now that we know what Groww is and what it does, let’s delve into the crux of the matter.
Digital marketing utilizes online platforms to reach and engage with targeted audiences, driving brand awareness and sales through various digital channels. It includes strategies like SEO, social media marketing, email campaigns, and content creation to build a robust online presence. Let’s understand Groww’s Digital Marketing in detail:
Content Marketing
Groww’s digital presence has been exponential, with their digital/social media platforms consistently educating about financial literacy. Content marketing through blogs, newsletters, investment guides, webinars, and educational content has made audiences relate to the brand and helped them self-learn in their investment journey.
Social Media Presence
Groww has created its digital ecosystem through the following platforms:
Facebook
Groww’s Facebook page shares informative and educational content with its followers. It also has a discussion group that discusses the latest financial events, such as budgets.
Instagram
Groww’s Instagram page is handled in several vernacular languages, including Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Gujarati, Marathi, and Malayalam. Engagement is driven through interesting content and posts, along with influencer marketing.
Groww uses Twitter to provide real-time market updates, insights, and consumer support.
Youtube
With over 2.4 million subscribers on YouTube, it offers tutorial videos and content on personal finance.
Groww Marketing Strategy
SEO and SEM
Keyword Strategy
A good SEO strategy is to mix up the right keywords to ensure your brand name is a reader’s top choice when searching for a topic. Groww’s SEO breakdown looks something like this:
Primary keywords: Investments, stocks, SIP
Long-tail keywords: “How to start a SIP?”, “Mutual funds for beginners”, “How to open a demat account?”
Local keywords that focus on “mutual fund apps in India”, “best investment platform in India”, etc.
On-page SEO and Backlinks
On-page SEO optimizes title tags, meta descriptions, and headers with targeted keywords. Quality backlinks can be acquired through authoritative financial websites, guest blogging, and influencer partnerships.
Referral Programs
Groww’s referral program “Groww Referral” enables eligible users to refer new users. Head to the ‘Refer & earn’ section of the app. If you are eligible, you will see the option to ‘Share invite link’ or ‘Invite via WhatsApp’ on the ‘Refer & earn’ screen.
Mobile App Strategy
Groww’s user interface is extremely user-friendly. The dashboard provides an overview of your holdings in various types of investments, including shares, mutual fund SIPs, and gold. The onboarding process is seamless, which includes providing our details and KYC.
The app allows you to pick the best mutual funds by giving you a detailed performance report, including the level of risk, market cap, and overall growth.
In case you need to pause or stop investing altogether, the withdrawal process is equally seamless.
Brand Trust and Credibility
Over the years, Groww has created a genuine relationship with its users. Transparency regarding brokerage charges, authentic content, and a user-friendly app, creating a community for learning personal finance, are all important factors contributing to building trust and credibility for the brand.
Partnerships
To give its users more investment choices, Groww has teamed up with leading financial institutions, asset management companies, and stockbrokers. These smart partnerships have not only helped Groww expand its product range but also brought in more users and extended its presence across the market.
Groww Marketing Campaigns
We all know the importance of reaching potential investors during peak viewing times, and Groww leverages TV and Over-The-Top (OTT) platforms to achieve this. Placing advertisements strategically on popular streaming services helps Groww draw attention. They use these platforms to deliver their message and encourage users to explore the platform further.
Here are a few impactful campaigns by Groww:
Ab INDIA Karega INVEST
This campaign aimed to democratize investments in India and make them easily accessible to every eligible individual, especially in tier 2 and tier 3 cities. With offline events every weekend, it educated investors through a detailed workshop conducted by industry experts.
This Women’s Day, Get #OneStepCloser with @Groww
Women’s Day Campaign: Rationalising gender inequality and taking into account the general lack of financial literacy in most Indian women, this campaign aimed at educating working women and nudging them towards investing.
Investment ki Bhasha
A series of two commercials depicting common folks talking investment terms like share market, Sensex, portfolio, and stocks. Something rare and left for the financial experts to discuss. This campaign nudges the users to learn these terms by downloading the app because “market sab ka hai”.
Life Mein Groww Karo
Groww Marketing Campaigns
The “Life Mein Groww Karo” campaign encourages young Indians to take control of their financial future by starting their investment journey. With a simple and relatable message, the campaign connects personal growth with financial progress. Through real-life scenarios and easy language, it positions Groww as a user-friendly and trustworthy platform for beginners, making investing feel less intimidating and more accessible to everyone.
Nimisha Nair was featured in this ad that struck a chord with a lot of people and quickly went viral. In the ad, she talked about the “Growth-winning” side of using Groww—basically how the app makes investing simple and rewarding. She also shared the ad on her Instagram, saying how grateful she felt to be part of the campaign.
Conclusion
Groww has cracked the code for hassle-free investments for millions of Indians. Driving its growth past Zerodha, Groww has contributed to than 700% customer base since March 2021. Its marketing effectiveness can be seen through its educational content, transforming amateur and new investors into evangelists. While there may be room for improvement in app performance and customer support, the marketing strategy of Groww can be seen taking flight.
Groww’s marketing strategy has been simple and effective: honing pain points, taking actionable steps to resolve them, and providing a safety net for hesitant investors. With a strong digital presence, Groww has gained ground in smaller cities, helping people with much-needed investment guidance. And this continues to be their best bet.
FAQs
What does Groww do?
Groww is an online investment platform that allows users to invest in mutual funds and equities directly. The company is a creator of a mutual fund direct access platform.
Who are Groww owners?
Groww was started in 2016 by four former Flipkart employees: Lalit Keshre, Harsh Jain, Ishan Bansal, and Neeraj Singh.
What is the active investor base of Groww?
As of January 2025, Groww has an active investor base of 13.23 million users.
This domestic cricket league was founded in 2008 as an audacious idea combining Bollywood glamour, auction drama, and T20 fireworks. Today, the Indian Premier League (IPL) is more than just a cricket tournament; it’s a commercial juggernaut and one of the wealthiest leagues in the world. With franchise valuations skyrocketing, record-breaking media rights, and a loyal fan base that spans continents, the IPL has transcended sports. It’s a brand, an emotion, and most importantly, a money-minting machine.
In 2025, the league’s valuation crossed $16.4 billion (approximately INR 1,34,858 crore) in 2024, as reported by American investment bank Houlihan Lokey, marking a 6.5% increase from the previous year, despite global economic slowdowns. What’s driving this relentless rise? How did IPL, within just 17 years, carve a space alongside elite leagues like the NFL, NBA, and Premier League?
Let’s break down the biggest reasons that transformed IPL from a cricketing experiment into a multi-billion-dollar powerhouse.
The Business of IPL: How a Cricket League Turned Into a Goldmine?
The IPL’s explosive commercial growth is not just a stroke of luck. It’s the result of innovative business strategies, digital disruption, and a keen understanding of what fans want: all packed into a tight, high-stakes sporting format. The unbeatable strategy that turned the IPL into a money-making machine is mentioned below:
Media Rights: The Real Jackpot
The IPL’s most significant revenue stream is its broadcasting rights. In 2022, the BCCI signed a 5-year media rights deal worth a record-breaking INR 48,390 crore (~$6.2 billion) for the 2023–2027 cycle.
Why does it matter?
Every IPL match now generates INR 118.02 crore ($14 million), making it the second most valuable sports property globally on a per-match basis only behind the NFL.
Breakdown of the 2022 Deal:
Disney Star secured TV rights: INR 23,575 crore
Viacom18 secured digital streaming: INR 20,500 crore
This deal completely changed the commercial landscape of Indian cricket.
Franchises Now Worth Billions
IPL teams are no longer just sports teams; they’re full-blown business assets. In 2023, Chennai Super Kings saw an increase of 80% and are worth $15.4 billion. Whereas the Mumbai Indians under Rohit Sharma’s leadership, the team’s brand value in 2023 is at $190 million, up by 34.8% from $141 million last year.
What’s driving team value?
Stable Revenues from Media Rights Share: The IPL’s media rights deal for the 2023–2027 cycle, valued at INR 48,390 crore (~$6.2 billion), has provided franchises with a substantial and consistent revenue stream. This stable financial backing is one of the primary factors fueling the growth in team valuations.
Massive Fan Loyalty and Brand Partnerships: The IPL’s franchises benefit from extremely loyal fan bases and strategic brand partnerships. The combination of these factors contributes to strong commercial appeal, not just locally, but globally, driving up the valuation of teams.
IPL’s popularity means brands are willing to spend big bucks for visibility. In 2024, TATA Group renewed its title sponsorship deal at INR 2,500 crore for 5 years, the biggest title sponsorship ever in IPL history.
Why brands invest?
Massive reach: 600M+ total viewers
Cross-platform visibility (TV + digital)
Audience: Urban + rural, Gen Z + families
Alongside TATA, brands like Dream11, JioCinema, Swiggy Instamart, and CEAT continue to spend crores for spot ads, team sponsorships, and digital campaigns.
In a landmark move that redefined digital sports broadcasting in India, Viacom18 streamed IPL 2023 and 2024 for free in HD on JioCinema. This bold decision removed the traditional paywall and democratized access to premium cricket content, especially benefiting audiences in Tier 2 and Tier 3 towns, where OTT subscriptions are less common due to affordability barriers.
Key Impacts
Massive Digital Reach: IPL 2023 witnessed over 44.9 crore viewers tuning in digitally via JioCinema, making it the most-watched digital sporting event in Indian history.
Record-Breaking Concurrent Viewership: The IPL 2023 final set a new global record with 3.2 crore (32 million) concurrent viewers, the highest ever for a live-streamed event in India, surpassing even global sporting events like the FIFA World Cup or previous ICC tournaments.
Global Distribution of IPL Matches
The Indian Premier League (IPL) has established a vast international broadcasting network, ensuring that matches are accessible to fans in over 120 countries. This extensive reach is facilitated through partnerships with major broadcasters across various regions:
United Kingdom: Sky Sports Cricket holds the exclusive rights to broadcast IPL matches in the UK and Ireland, providing comprehensive coverage for cricket enthusiasts in these regions.
United States & Canada: Willow TV is the primary broadcaster, offering live coverage of IPL matches to audiences in North America.
Sub-Saharan Africa: SuperSport broadcasts IPL matches across Sub-Saharan Africa, bringing the excitement of the league to a vast audience on the continent.
Australia: Fox Sports and Kayo Sports provide live streaming and television coverage of the IPL, catering to Australian cricket fans.
New Zealand: Sky Sport NZ airs IPL matches, ensuring New Zealand viewers can follow the tournament.
South Asia & MENA: Star Sports and beIN Sports cover the Indian subcontinent and the Middle East and North Africa regions, respectively.
Additionally, YuppTV streams IPL matches across more than 100 countries, including regions in Europe, Southeast Asia, and South America, making it one of the most expansive OTT providers for the tournament.
Beyond broadcasting, IPL franchises have actively expanded their presence by acquiring teams in international T20 leagues, thereby extending their brand influence globally:
USA’s Major League Cricket (MLC) – United States
The inaugural season of MLC in 2023 saw significant involvement from IPL franchises:
Mumbai Indians: Established MI New York, bringing their brand to the U.S. cricket scene.
Chennai Super Kings: Partnered to form the Texas Super Kings, based in Dallas.
Delhi Capitals: Collaborated with local investors to launch the Seattle Orcas franchise.
Kolkata Knight Riders: Took charge of the Los Angeles Knight Riders, expanding their global footprint.
SA20 – South Africa
Mumbai Indians: Own MI Cape Town
Chennai Super Kings: Manage the Joburg Super Kings.
Delhi Capitals: Operate the Pretoria Capitals
Rajasthan Royals: Control the Paarl Royals.
Sunrisers Hyderabad: Run the Sunrisers Eastern Cape.
Lucknow Super Giants: Oversee Durban’s Super Giants.
The IPL has introduced AR overlays and VR experiences, allowing fans to immerse themselves in match previews and live analyses. These technologies provide interactive visualizations, enabling fans to explore player statistics, pitch conditions, and strategic insights in a more engaging manner.
Such innovations have been particularly impactful in Fan Parks across Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, offering an immersive experience to a broader audience. Moreover, Reliance has conducted brain-mapping studies to understand viewer engagement during IPL matches. These studies revealed that ads streamed during live matches resulted in up to four times better engagement and memorability compared to other platforms.
Youth-Driven Content and Meme Culture
The IPL has mastered capturing Gen Z audiences with youth-centric content and meme culture. As a result of strategic use of social media, collaboration with influencers, and short-form content, teams such as Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), and Rajasthan Royals (RR) have significantly enhanced their level of engagement with fans.
Dominance in Short-Form Content: Teams such as RCB, KKR, and RR have excelled in producing short-form content tailored for platforms like Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts. This approach aligns with Gen Z’s preference for quick, engaging videos, fostering a deeper connection with the teams.
RR’s YouTube Shorts
Meme Marketing and Viral Trends: The IPL’s embrace of meme culture has led to viral moments that resonate with younger audiences. Events such as Rinku Singh’s five consecutive sixes and the Kohli-Gambhir exchange have sparked widespread meme creation and sharing, amplifying the league’s reach beyond traditional cricket fans.
Influencer Collaborations: Collaborations with influencers like Danish Sait, Shubham Gaur, and Taran Singh have enabled teams to produce relatable and entertaining content. These partnerships have been instrumental in engaging fans off the field, particularly among Gen Z demographics.
RCB’s Collaboration with Danish Sait
Second-Screen Engagement: A significant portion of Gen Z fans engage with IPL content through second screens, using social media to interact during live matches. This behaviour underscores the importance of real-time digital engagement strategies to maintain and grow the league’s youthful fan base.
Boosts India’s Economy
The Indian Premier League (IPL) has evolved into a significant economic catalyst for India, influencing various sectors beyond cricket. Here’s an overview of its multifaceted economic impact:
Contribution to GDP: According to a KPMG survey commissioned by the BCCI, the IPL 2015 season contributed INR 1,150 crore (approximately $182 million) to India’s GDP. The total economic output associated with IPL matches in India for that season was estimated at INR 2,650 crore (approximately $418 million), encompassing direct, indirect, and induced economic activities.
Employment Generation: Each IPL season creates a surge in employment opportunities across various sectors. Over 30,000 temporary jobs emerge in areas such as players, coaches, and support staff.
Boost to Tourism and Hospitality: Host cities experience increased tourism during the IPL season, leading to higher occupancy rates in hotels and increased patronage of restaurants and local attractions.
Support for Local Vendors and Small Businesses: The IPL season provides a significant boost to local vendors and small businesses. From merchandise sales to food stalls near stadiums, small enterprises benefit from the increased footfall and consumer spending associated with the matches.
What started as a cricket tournament has transformed into a billion-dollar business empire that stretches far beyond the boundaries of sport. From packed stadiums to second-screen streaming, from celebrity ownership to Silicon Valley tech partnerships, the IPL has crafted a strategy for the future of entertainment and commerce.
FAQs
What is the IPL and when did it start?
The Indian Premier League (IPL) is a professional Twenty20 cricket league in India. It was founded by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the first season was played in 2008.
Who is the title sponsors for IPL 2025?
For 2025, Tata is the official title sponsor for the Indian Premier League.
In an effort to solidify its position as the industry leader in pop culture items, D2C fashion company The Souled Store has announced the purchase of clothing brand Redwolf. The startup did not, however, reveal the deal’s financial details.
The goal of the acquisition is to leverage Redwolf’s knowledge of fan merchandise to improve the startup’s goods and services. Ameya Thakur, Rahul Jaisheel, and Vivek Malhotra founded Redwolf, a clothing company that creates and produces graphic t-shirts and other accessories, in 2011.
The Mumbai-based company claims to have rights for Game of Thrones, Marvel, Disney, Star Wars, Rick & Morty, Peanuts, Breaking Bad, and other properties. Its designs are primarily influenced by popular culture. The founders will now become part of the leadership team of The Souled Store.
Acquisition to Enhance The Souled Store’s Product Offerings
According to a statement from The Souled Store, the acquisition will enable the company to further expand its line of creative products. The next obvious step in achieving Redwolf’s goal of providing the greatest pop culture items to the Indian market, according to Malhotra, was the company’s merger with The Souled Store.
Every one of Redwolf’s three founders is an avid fan of pop culture and is eager to use The Souled Store’s scale to grow the company. Originally founded in 2013 as a branded product apparel brand by Vedang Patel, Rohin Samtaney, Aditya Sharma, and Harsh Lal, The Souled Store later evolved into its present D2C casual wear brand form.
Additionally, it sells items like socks, shoes, trainers and backpacks to clients of all ages. According to Patel, the acquisition will support the company’s goal of becoming India’s “Home of Pop Culture”. The company is eager to work with Redwolf’s founders to develop this common goal.
The Souled Store runs about 40 locations in India and has over 200 licenses, including One Piece, Naruto, and Marvel.
Financial Outlook of The Souled Store
Financially speaking, the firm became profitable in the fiscal year that concluded in March 2024 (FY24) thanks to a robust increase in its top line and improved margins. Compared to a loss of INR 16.5 Cr in FY23, The Souled Store reported a net profit of INR 18.2 Cr in FY24.
From INR 233.5 Cr in FY23 to INR 360.2 Cr, its operating revenue increased 54.26%. Membership fees brought in INR 5.2 Cr, with product sales accounting for the remaining revenue. The development coincides with a decline in merger and acquisition (M&A) activity in the Indian startup ecosystem last year.
Only 71 of these transactions were noted in 2024, according to Inc42’s research. However, as more and more listed businesses flex their cash, it is anticipated that startup M&As might increase by 58% in 2025. The industries with the highest likelihood of M&A activity include fintech, edtech, e-commerce, AI, and consumer services.
According to business emails dated April 29, Infosys has fired an additional 195 trainees out of a total of 680 due to internal assessment failures. Since February, the number of impacted trainees has increased to almost 800.
This is the fourth round of exits at the Bengaluru-based software behemoth. About 150 of the affected individuals have signed up for outplacement services, while about 250 have enrolled in upskilling programmes offered by NIIT and UpGrad.
Infosys has partnered with NIIT for IT training and UpGrad for BPM training. More than 300 trainees were laid off under similar conditions in February, followed by 30 to 35 in March, while the second-largest IT services company in India laid off roughly 240 on April 18. Through NIIT and UpGrad, Infosys is providing free upskilling classes to those who are impacted.
Revenue Growth Just 0 to 3% this Fiscal
The layoffs occur while Infosys manages a low level of demand. For the upcoming fiscal year, the company has projected revenue growth of only 0% to 3%, highlighting the ongoing unpredictability in its primary markets.
Despite the extra preparation time, doubt-clearing sessions, many mock assessments, and three attempts, trainees have not met the qualifying criteria in the “Generic foundation training programme”, according to the findings of trainees’ final assessment attempt.
The email that was sent on April 29 said, “As a result, you will not be able to continue your journey for the apprenticeship programme,” which was similar to the communication that was received earlier in the month.
The impacted trainees, who were onboarded after a delay of more than 2.5 years, are being offered other career paths by the software company, including 12 weeks of training for possible roles in Infosys Business Process Management (BPM). Furthermore, Infosys announced that it will pay for the training of anybody who chooses to enrol in the BPM course.
Perks Offered to Exiting Trainees
For the impacted trainees, the company is also providing a letter of release and a one-month ex gratia payment. The company will provide transportation from Mysuru to Bangalore and a normal travel stipend to their hometown for those who choose not to pursue a career in BPM.
Trainees can stay at the Employee Care Centre in Mysore till the day of their departure if necessary.
Clearance from Karnataka Labour Department
Based on the documentation gathered, the Karnataka Labour Department cleared Infosys on February 27 of any labour law infractions pertaining to trainees’ departure. They were all merely trainees, according to a media report that cited a source, and some of them had three months of training.
Since this cannot be considered a layoff, these labour laws do not apply. Only when there is regular employment does a layoff apply. An employer-employee relationship does not exist. They weren’t workers; they were all apprentice trainees.
Following rumours of trainee layoffs, representatives from Karnataka’s Labour Department previously visited Infosys’ campuses in Bengaluru and Mysuru to evaluate the situation.
Prior to this, the Union Labour Ministry sent a letter instructing the Karnataka Labour Commissioner and Labour Secretary to look into the situation and take immediate measures to settle the conflict.
According to a media outlet, Axis Bank has confirmed that certain workers were asked to leave because of performance-related concerns, stating that this was a normal evaluation procedure for the institution.
The lender in the private sector was responding to news that over 100 top staff members had been asked to resign. According to Amitabh Chaudhry, MD of Axis Bank, the bank does a thorough review cycle at the conclusion of every fiscal year, just like any other organisation.
A Regular Practice in Banking Sector: Chaudhry
During the release of the bank’s Q4 results, Chaudhry stated that while many staff receive rewards and promotions, some may perform poorly, which could result in challenging discussions.
The banking sector have a variety of difficulties; some companies are doing well, while others are struggling. The bank still makes significant investments in various sectors, although withdrawals are occasionally unavoidable based on individual performance. This is a typical occurrence in our yearly cycle.
Axis Bank’s fiscal fourth quarter earnings report, which was announced on April 24, showed a profit of INR 7,117 crore, up from INR 7,130 crore in the same quarter of FY24.
The slower growth in other income had an effect on this. From INR 13,089 crore in the same time last year to INR 13,811 crore in Q4, net interest income increased by 6%.
Axis Bank has announced a final dividend of 50%, or INR 1 per share at a face value of INR 2, in addition to releasing its financial results for the January–March 2025 period.
According to the bank, this would need shareholder approval at the upcoming annual general meeting. Axis Bank has set July 4 as the record date to decide who will be entitled to collect the INR 1 dividend per share.
Layoff has Become a Common Scenario in 2025
With big companies like Google, Microsoft, and others continuing to reduce their workforces, layoffs in the tech sector are not expected to halt in 2025.
Companies are still cutting employees in an effort to simplify operations, save money, and emphasise automation and artificial intelligence, even though these figures are much lower than the major layoffs that occurred between 2022 and 2023.
Layoffs.fyi, a website that tracks layoffs in the industry, reports that 93 organisations have laid off nearly 23,500 tech workers so far this year, and the number is still growing. Google and Microsoft are apparently contemplating a new round of layoffs, according to the most recent job reduction reports.
According to reports, AI-led restructuring and performance-based terminations are part of the corporations’ goals to increase the effectiveness of their personnel.
Umang Bedi, a cofounder of VerSe Innovation, informed a media outlet that the company’s financials are accurate and fair, and the report is clean. Although Deloitte found that the company’s controls were inadequate, it has been established that these shortcomings do not affect the consolidated financial statements of the business.
VerSe Innovation, the parent company of DailyHunt and Josh, is situated in Bengaluru. In its audit report for the fiscal year that ended in March 2024 (FY24), Deloitte found flaws in its internal financial controls.
Numerous weaknesses in VerSe Innovation’s internal procedures, such as supplier selection, expense provision, revenue recognition, virtual asset handling, and IT systems control, were brought to light by the audit. It is noteworthy that the company’s operational revenue for FY24 decreased 8.8% from INR 1,046.8 Cr to INR 954.7 Cr.
During the same year, their net loss decreased by over 56% to INR 814.8 Cr from INR 1,878.4 Cr in FY23. Additionally, according to Bedi, the loss was cut in half in FY25. (FY25 assertions from Dailyhunt will be discussed later.)
What Deloitte’s Findings State?
Deloitte, VerSe Innovation’s auditor, claimed in its report that the business lacked adequate controls over vendor selection, purchase order approval, and payment processing. Deloitte claims that this may result in overpayments, incorrect payments, or even fraud.
For example, one vendor provided specific invoice numbers associated with INR 35 Cr when the auditor requested confirmation of all outstanding payments as of March 31, 2024. VerSe Innovation discovered, however, that it had never received the aforementioned bills when it examined its internal records. VerSe Innovation claims that the invoice numbers seemed to be from FY22 rather than the fiscal year that was being examined.
This was not an isolated problem. The company’s controls over the purchase, sale, and management of virtual assets were deemed inadequate by the auditor. This raised the possibility of asset theft or even revenue misreporting.
Notably, the business runs and maintains mobile platforms that allow users to engage with live streamers in real time and view live-streamed material from the streamers. Such content is sold under the category of virtual assets.
Additionally, the auditor stated that VerSe’s approach to documenting all costs before the end of the fiscal year was inadequate, potentially leading to inaccuracies in the costs that were reported.
VerSe Innovation’s controls for capturing advertising revenues were deemed ineffective by Deloitte. Some campaigns ran the danger of inaccurate revenue reporting because they were not adequately documented with client permissions.
Playing with the Rules
The auditor added that VerSe Innovation had trouble appropriately implementing revenue recognition rules under Indian accounting standards. It is because of the complexity of its company, which included serving as an aggregator across numerous partners, publishers, and ad platforms.
In addition to the news aggregator Dailyhunt and the short video platform, VerSe Innovation also runs Valueleaf, a digital marketing solutions company, and Magzter, a news subscription platform.
VerSe Innovation acknowledged the problems the auditor had found and stated that it was strengthening internal controls through IT access policies, process workshops, and new documentation frameworks.
Canara HSBC Life Insurance Company Limited, a prominent bank-led private player in the Indian life insurance sector, has filed its Draft Red Herring Prospectus (DRHP) with SEBI for an Initial Public Offering (IPO).
Canara Bank and HSBC Insurance (Asia-Pacific) Holdings Limited are the promoters of the company.
The offer comprises of an Offer for sale of up to 237,500,000 Equity Shares of face value of INR 10 each, (The “Offer for Sale”) including up to 137,750,000 equity shares by Canara Bank (“Promoter Selling Shareholder”); up to 4,750,000 equity shares by HSBC Insurance (Asia-Pacific) Holdings Limited (“Promoter Selling Shareholder”); and up to 95,000,000 equity shares by Punjab National Bank (“Investor Selling Shareholder”).
Canara HSBC Life Insurance Company Limited is a private life insurer in India and is promoted by Canara Bank (which ranks as the fourth largest public sector bank by total assets in India as at December 31, 2024. (Source: CRISIL Report)) and HSBC Insurance (Asia-Pacific) Holdings Limited, a member of The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited (“HSBC”) group, whose global reputation as a financial institution adds credibility and brand value to the company. ss) The company had the third highest assets under management (“AUM”) amongst public sector promoted led life insurers, as at March 31, 2024 (Source: CRISIL Report) and ranks amongst the top five bank-led life insurers in India based on the number of lives covered for Fiscal 2024. (Source: CRISIL Report)
Incorporated in 2007, Canara HSBC Life Insurance Company Limited has grown into a prominent bank-led private player in the Indian life insurance sector as it ranks second amongst public sector bank-led life insurers in India based on the number of lives covered for Fiscal 2024. (Source: CRISIL Report). The Annualised Premium Equivalent (“APE”) of the Company has consistently grown, reflecting efforts to expand products and services and increase market presence. The profit after tax of the Company has increased at a CAGR of 232.61% from INR 102.43 million in Fiscal 2022 to INR 1,133.17 million in Fiscal 2024, and was INR 848.93 million in the nine months ended December 31, 2024
The equity shares are proposed to be listed on the stock exchanges being BSE Limited (the “BSE”) and National Stock Exchange of India Limited (the “NSE”, and together with the BSE, the “Stock Exchanges”).
SBI Capital Markets Limited, BNP Paribas, HSBC Securities & Capital Markets (India) Private Limited, JM Financial Limited and Motilal Oswal Investment Advisors Limited are the Book Running Lead Managers to the issue.
Franklin Templeton Category II Alternative Investment Fund Trust, a Category II Alternative Investment Fund (AIF) is managed by Franklin Templeton Alternative Investments (India) Pvt. Ltd. Franklin India Credit AIF – Scheme I, the first scheme under the above license has been established in accordance with Securities and Exchange Board of India (Alternative Investment Funds) Regulations, 2012 read with circulars thereunder.
Franklin India Credit AIF – Scheme I achieved its first close on April 28, 2025, raising over INR 205 crore. The Fund has a target corpus of INR 1,000 crore and is designed to invest in debt securities—both primary issuances and secondary market purchases—of portfolio companies in India.
Franklin India Credit AIF – Scheme I will primarily seek to invest in secured instruments of portfolio companies, including a mix of debt, mezzanine instruments, pass-through certificates, and market-linked debentures. The Fund is expected to have significant exposure to the financial services sector, including non-banking finance companies (NBFCs) and housing finance companies (HFCs).
The portfolio management team at Franklin Templeton Alternative Investments (India) Pvt. Ltd. is led by Santosh Kamath, CIO and President, and Arun Gupta, Head of Investments.
About Franklin Templeton Alternatives
With more than 40 years of experience in alternatives and nearly 400 alternative investment professionals around the world, Franklin Templeton is one of the largest managers of alternative assets globally. The firm’s specialist investment managers, each with deep domain expertise, provide a diverse range of alternative asset capabilities including private equity secondaries and co-investment funds (Lexington Partners), private credit (Benefit Street Partners and Alcentra), real estate (Clarion Partners), as well as hedged strategies, venture capital and digital assets. Franklin Templeton manages over US$ 250 billion in alternative assets as of 31 March 2025.
About Franklin Templeton
Franklin Resources, Inc. [NYSE:BEN] is a global investment management organization with subsidiaries operating as Franklin Templeton and serving clients in over 150 countries. Franklin Templeton’s mission is to help clients achieve better outcomes through investment management expertise, wealth management and technology solutions. Through its specialist investment managers, the company offers specialization on a global scale, bringing extensive capabilities in equity, fixed income, alternatives and multi-asset solutions. With more than 1,500 investment professionals, and offices in major financial markets around the world, the California-based company has over 75 years of investment experience and US$1.53 trillion in assets under management as of March 31, 2025.,
Vivek Tiwari, the former cofounder of Medikabazaar, a B2B medical supply chain firm, has been the subject of a first information report (FIR) filed by Delhi Police’s Economic Offences Wing (EOW). The EOW has accused Tiwari of criminal breach of trust, cheating, forgery, and account falsification, according to a media report.
According to the story, which cited sources, the fired CEO was summoned twice but did not show up before the EOW. Thus, a formal complaint was filed. According to the FIR, Tiwari and others engaged in a “well-planned and deep-rooted criminal conspiracy” to allegedly embezzle over INR 100 Cr through contract violations, record falsification, and cheating.
In response to a question regarding the development, Tiwari stated that he is steadfast in his determination to protect his rights by legal methods.
He has cooperated with judicial authorities and will continue to do so, presenting all pertinent evidence to the Hon’ble Courts, where he is certain that a fair and unbiased decision will be made. The new acts taken against him, he continued, are “retaliatory and a counterblast.”
Tiwari’s Allegations Against Medikabazaar’s Board
Tiwari claimed that while settlement talks were taking place in the Delhi High Court (HC), Medikabazaar’s board submitted the complaint to the EOW.
“With full knowledge that I (Tiwari) was scheduled to travel to China from April 7, 2025,” he added, the board of the corporation filed the complaint against him on April 11, 2025.
This almost immediately follows the removal of Tiwari from Medikabazaar’s board earlier this month due to accusations of fraud, poor governance, and financial mismanagement. This came after the business fired him as CEO last year and appointed Dinesh Lodha in his place.
Medikabazaar’s Saga
Last year, an anonymous whistleblower complaint claimed that Tiwari, then-newly hired CFO Raman Chawla, and 15 other workers were involved in financial irregularities at the firm, which sparked the Medikabazaar scandal.
The board of the startup then hired a third-party investigator to look into the complaint. However, auditor PwC had already indicated that Medikabazaar had overstated its gross merchandise value by at least 60% prior to the report’s submission.
This was due to the fact that the same medical products were sold through multiple entities, which unduly inflated the startup’s business metrics. Tiwari filed a complaint against the startup and a few of its investors with the Delhi High Court after being removed.
The creator has accused Medikabazaar’s investors, HealthQuad, Creaegis, and Ackermans & van Haaren, of planning to illegally deprive him of his position and promoter rights in a petition submitted to the HC. April 30, 2025, is the date of the case’s next hearing.
