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  • Top Unique and Creative Ads by Leading Brands | Best Creative Advertising

    A business’s survival lies in its visibility, if it is not visible enough, then there will be no customers who will willingly get associated with your business. For that visibility, marketing is needed. It is one of the most important aspects of a business apart from developing products and services.

    Whatever you decide to launch, you need to market it well. Advertising is a part of marketing; it not only provides your business with the desired growth but also helps you in establishing the brand in front of the world.

    An average human attention span is just 8 seconds. Now, advertising has to be done in such a way that it can gather the desired attention of the public in that short span of time. Not everything can attract human eyes, so it has to be creative and interesting enough to do that.

    Various brands out there use their creative ideas while creating advertisements for their products and businesses. In this article, we will talk about some of the most creative advertising campaigns of all time. So, without any further ado, let’s get right into the business.

    Good advertising does not just circulate information. It penetrates the public mind with desires and beliefs. – Leo Burnett

    PhonePe
    boAt
    AJIO
    House of the Dragon
    McDonald’s
    Burger King
    SUGAR Cosmetics
    Louvre Museum of Abu Dhabi
    Mastercard
    Paytm
    Jana
    Ace & Tate
    Colgate – India
    Dunzo
    IKEA
    Uni Cards
    Colors TV
    Adidas
    Leverage Edu
    Anek (Movie)
    Pine Labs

    PhonePe

    PhonePe Truck Art Campaign | Creative Advertising
    PhonePe Truck Art Campaign – Creative Advertising

    PhonePe is an Indian fintech and digital payment company; it was founded by Sameer Nigam, Rahul Chari, and Birzin Engineer in the year 2015. The company is owned by Flipkart and the headquarters is situated in Bangalore, India.

    PhonePe has created many interesting advertisements for its services and it has also been able to attract a great number of customers, over 350 million people use PhonePe in India. Recently, the company has also started launching health insurance and for their advertisement, they have taken quite an interesting form of making their services visible to the people.

    PhonePe is using the backs of Indian trucks to advertise the insurance service. They use traditional art and quotes like ‘Dekho Magar Pyaar Se, Insurance Lo Magar PhonePe’. The quotes seem funny as well as easy to remember, this way they are able to hammer the ad into the minds of the customers.

    boAt

    boAt Creative Advertising

    boAt is an Indian consumer electronics brand known for offering earwear products at affordable prices. Founded in 2015 by Aman Gupta, its headquarters are in Delhi, India. The brand has gained recognition in the industry for its innovative marketing strategies, making it no surprise that it created a brilliant campaign for Women’s Day.

    boAt’s ‘TRebel’ campaign featured actress Rashmika Mandanna and introduced a unique experience. The campaign video could only be accessed by women, activated by a voice command that recognised a woman’s voice. This interactive feature, powered by a self-learning AI, allowed women to unlock dance move videos. It was an innovative way to make people realise how it feels to step into a woman’s feet, where they often hear that ‘it’s a man’s world’ whenever they try to enter into a different industry.

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    AJIO

    AJIO Unique and Creative Advertising
    AJIO Unique and Creative Advertising

    AJIO’s creative advertising for its Black Friday Sale grabbed the customers’ attention with a fun twist. They featured look-alikes of Indian stars Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, and Virat Kohli. These look-alikes were spotted on the streets holding boards with a catchy message, “Why go for duplicates when originals are on sale?” This clever message played on the idea that, no matter how convincing a copy might seem, nothing compares to the real thing.

    The campaign playfully reminded customers to choose original, high-quality products over copies. It helped promote AJIO’s range of authentic brands and the discounts available during the sale, making the originals more affordable.

    House of the Dragon

    House of the Dragons Marketing Campaign with Swiggy | Creative Advertising
    House of the Dragons Creative Marketing Campaign with Swiggy – Creative Advertising

    The HBO series, ‘House of the Dragon’ premiered on Disney+ Hotstar on 22nd August 2022. For the promotion of the series, Hotstar collaborated with the food delivery platform, Swiggy. As a part of this marketing collaboration, Swiggy changed its delivery agent logo into a dragon. A tagline appears on top of the customers’ orders, saying, ‘Fire will reign, hunger will not. Our dragon rider is on the way!’

    A dragon delivering food did not only appear to be appealing and fascinating for the people but it also proved to be one of the most creative and subtle marketing campaigns ever.

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    McDonald’s

    McCafe Creative Logo - Creative Advertising
    McCafe Creative Logo – Creative Advertisin

    There is hardly anyone who is not aware of the largest fast-food restaurant chain in the world. Mcdonald’s has always been a popular brand, founded in the year 1955 by Maurice McDonald and Richard McDonald, the fast-food brand is available in over 100 countries.

    Recently, for McCafe coffee, the brand created a very creative ad. In the picture, the famous ‘M’ or arches at first looked like tired human eyes and beside it, you can see the proper arches and two coffee beans inside it which depicts that the tiredness is gone.

    Burger King

    Burger King Ad Campaign for Funnel Cake Fries | Unique Advertisement
    Burger King Ad Campaign for Funnel Cake Fries – Unique Advertisement

    In 2019, Burger King suddenly started liking random tweets posted in the year 2010. This action by Burger King, raised many eyebrows, making people wonder, why a multinational restaurant chain would like old random tweets. When the brand stirred enough curiosity among people and got their attention, it revealed the reason behind it by tweeting, “some things from 2010 are worth revisiting—like your old tweets and funnel cake fries. Get them now for a limited time.”

    Burger King was simply advertising the comeback of its funnel cake fries that they introduced back in 2010 by liking people’s tweets from that year. In this way, the brand spent no money and succeeded in creating one of the most creative marketing campaigns ever.

    SUGAR Cosmetics

    Sugar #MyShadeofLove Campaign
    Sugar #MyShadeofLove Campaign

    One of the most popular and fastest-growing Indian cosmetics brands in the country Sugar Cosmetics was founded in the year 2012 by Vineeta Singh and Kaushik Mukherjee. The cosmetic brand is famous for its various ranges of cruelty-free products.

    The company’s campaign has always been unique and this year on Valentine’s Day it launches the campaign called ‘My Shade of Love’ on Instagram as an AR filter. Through this, three different shades of lipsticks can be seen and the audience can virtually try the shades.

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    Louvre Museum of Abu Dhabi

    Louvre Museum Billboard in Abu Dhabi
    Louvre Museum Billboard in Abu Dhabi | Best Creative Marketing

    The Louvre Museum of Abu Dhabi was established in the year 2017 and the museum is the most visited in the Arab World. Recently, it has introduced a way to make the drive from Dubai to Abu Dhabi interesting on E11 Highway.

    The copies of some artworks of the Louvre museum are placed along the sides of the highway, it is not only a pleasant way of introducing the masterpieces to the people but also makes the drive memorable.

    Mastercard

    The American Multination financial services company was founded in the year 1966 and serves its customers with different types of credit and debit cards. It is one of the well-known companies in the payment industry.

    Mastercard showed its creativity when the UAE witnessed a 2 hour of the solar eclipse. During the eclipse, the moon crosses the sun and this way it looks like the Mastercard logo. Mastercard took this opportunity and made the eclipse look like a live billboard in the sky. The prices during the eclipse got lower, and discounts were provided to the customers.

    Paytm

    Paytm is a multinational fintech company that provides a digital payment system. The company was founded in the year 2010.

    Paytm launched an amazing campaign, in India, when there is no change of 1 to 5 rupees, customers are handed over candies by shopkeepers. This causes dissatisfaction among customers. Paytm uses this opportunity to make people opt for digital payment through Paytm. Shopkeepers are instructed to give them candies instead of change, the only difference is that those candies contain a special Paytm code. Customers are asked to download the Paytm app and after that use the unique code that is in the pack of candy, to redeem the money. The amount of money differs into four denominations that is 1, 2, 5 and 10 rupees.

    Paytm Creative Brand Advertising

    Jana

    Jana is a brand of bottled water and the source of the water is a depth of 800 meters of the Adriatic Sea. Jana is the largest bottled water producer in Croatia. Recently, they have used a creative way of marketing their brand. To show the depth of the water they have posted on their Instagram profile where each row of the post showed the depth of the sea and when you reach 800 metres, the brand of the water is revealed.

    Ace & Tate

    Ace & Tate Unique and Creative Ad

    Ace & Tate is an eyewear brand founded in the year 2013. They channelise their inner creativity with their new marketing campaign. To advertise their new pair of sunglasses, this time they choose not to use a single pair of them in their advertisement. To make the advertisement meaningful they just showed pictures of the faces of humans who are experiencing discomfort in the sun. This way they are hinting, at how sunglasses are necessary to be comfortable, especially in the sun.

    Colgate – India

    Colgate India Impactful Advertising

    Colgate is one of the most popular brands of oral care products in India. To attract the attention of their customers they created a unique advertisement. In their new advertisement, the model can be seen with a beautiful smile showing her unaligned teeth. The ad was done to make people relate to it more. As not everyone possesses perfectly aligned teeth, it is to make people realise that the brand is aware of the diversity of its customers.

    Dunzo

    Dunzo, is an Indian company that focuses on delivering groceries, medicines and other essential items to the doorsteps of their customers. Dunzo created a great marketing strategy by publishing an interesting and creative newspaper ad. In the advertisement, they have put a ludo game on the front page and have asked people to play ludo. The advertisements have been made in keeping the Delhi-NCR audience. To roll the dice audience can use their mobile scanner to scan the code.

    IKEA

    IKEA Creative Advertising

    IKEA is a brand known for selling ready-to-assemble furniture and kitchen appliances. In 2018, Ikea roped in Yanjaa Wintesoul, who is a Mongolian-Swedish memory athlete for their campaign. She memorized 328 pages of the IKEA Catalogue 2018. In the advertisement, she was shown answering all the questions asked by people randomly regarding the contents of the pages.

    In 2015, IKEA came up with a captivating campaign, “Assembly Fail,” for its assembly service. A German advertising agency, Thjnk, crafted the campaign. This innovative campaign used billboards that were purposely incorrectly put together, which successfully caught people’s attention by highlighting the idea that IKEA furniture can be challenging to put together. Despite the initial hurdles, the campaign aimed to convey the message that the end result is always worth the effort. This creative approach allowed IKEA to transform potential weaknesses into a memorable and impactful advertising strategy that left a lasting impression.

    Uni Cards

    Uni Cards Creative Marketing #UniSoFlexi

    Uni Cards was founded in the year 2020 by Laximikant Vyas, Nitin Gupta, and Prateek Jindal. The brand provides credit cards to its customers. Here you can pay back your monthly spending in three parts over three months. The best part is that it does not demand extra charges for that. The company is situated in Bangalore, India.

    Uni Cards roped in Vicky Kaushal for the face of their brand. In the recent campaign of Uni Cards, Bollywood actor Vicky Kaushal was seen in a funny avatar where he was divided into three parts and talked about the unique feature of the card that you can pay back your monthly spending in three months. This creative idea made the ad funny and interesting to the audience.

    Colors TV

    Colors TV is gearing up with the launch of its new dance reality show, Dance Deewane Junior. For the promotion of the show, the channel adopted Augmented Reality (AR) on streets, offices, and radio stations and danced with kids. Nora Fatehi, one of the judges of the show teaches the hook steps to the children with the help of augmented reality. Karan Kundra, the host of the show was seen interacting through AR.

    Adidas

    Adidas Creative Ads

    Adidas to promote the launch of their new swimwear line created the first swimmable billboard. Women often feel self-conscious while wearing swimwear in UAE in fear of getting body shamed and of course privacy. On this billboard, Adidas invited women to take a dip inside the billboard pool.

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    Leverage Edu

    Leverage Edu – Creative Ads

    Leverage Edu on their new ad campaign created a commotion. People started asking who is Aayushi and it was trending all over the internet. Instead of roping in a celebrity for their campaign, Leverage Edu brings a real girl named Aayushi into the board. Soon Leverage Edu’s team’s social media profile picture was changed to the picture of Asyushi and memes were created as well. This campaign garnered attention as they chose a normal girl looking to study abroad ad.

    Anek (Movie)

    Promotion is one of the most important parts of a movie. Book My Show took a unique step to promote the movie Anek of Ayushmann Khuranna. The promotional video shows Ayushmaan taking and addressing different people with their names. Apart from that, with the help of Rephrase AI, some other tidbits of those individuals are also known addressed by Ayushmaan. This way he invited individuals to watch the film Anek.

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    Pine Labs

    Pine Labs Har Store Tiranga - Unique Advertisements
    Pine Labs Har Store Tiranga – Unique Advertisments

    Pine Labs is a developer of an online payments platform. The leading merchant commerce platform was founded in the year 1998 and is well-known for providing financing and last-mile retail transaction technology to merchants. It is one of the unicorn startups in India with a valuation of $5 billion.

    Recently, on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of India’s independence, everyone celebrated the day with the Har Ghar Tiranga initiative, announced by Prime Minister. Taking inspiration from it, Pine Labs decided to take this initiative to a larger level by adding a tricolour to the QR code on the Pinelabs POS machine in stores. In this way, the company indulged itself in momentary marketing by taking advantage of the Har Ghar Tiranga initiative and extending it by turning Har Store Tiranga as well.

    Conclusion

    Uniqueness attracts human beings. So innovative and creative ways of advertising not only make the product or services visible but also help the brand gain the recognition that it truly deserves. The above-mentioned unique and creative advertisements are some of the perfect examples of how to draw the attention of the general public toward the brand.

    FAQs

    Which is the most creative advertisement?

    Some of the best creative advertising include PhonePe Truck Art, boAt TRebel, House of the Dragon x Swiggy, and Burger King’s 2010 Tweet Campaign.

    How do you make an advertisement creative?

    Research your target audience, Choose a platform, Make sure the tagline is catchy, and use unique visuals.

  • PhonePe Terminates its Collaboration With Juspay

    The leading digital payments company, PhonePe, has cancelled its collaboration with Juspay, a payment orchestration platform, stating that it intends to integrate payment solutions for its merchants directly. With this change, the fintech company, which is sponsored by Walmart, will be able to provide its merchant clients with an integrated payment flow from transaction origination to final settlement.

    More than 40 million retailers are part of the Bengaluru-based company’s network. One of PhonePe’s primary functions as a payment aggregator is to offer its merchants best-in-class success rates via its solutions. According to a statement from a PhonePe representative, the company has chosen not to sell its solutions through any payment orchestration platforms since it can consistently accomplish this for merchants that are directly integrated with the business.

    Opting for Direct Integrations

    The spokesman also stated that the business will only use direct integrations in the future to provide its solutions to retailers. In February of this year, Juspay, an online payment aggregator (PA), was given the final approval to function as a PA. The main goal of partnerships between digital payment firms and payment orchestration platforms, including payment aggregators, is to increase transaction success rates.

    These platforms assess available gateways and procedures, taking into account a number of factors that could affect a transaction’s success, including reliability, prices, and speed. At any given moment, they direct transactions via the most effective payment gateway. In essence, the platform is in charge of rerouting the transaction to a different payment gateway in the case that the primary gateway goes down, avoiding service interruptions.

    Juspay Largest Payment Orchestration Platforms in India

    According to a media report, Juspay, which is supported by Softbank, makes up about 15% of PhonePe’s payment gateway business. It is one of the biggest platforms for payment orchestration in the nation. As of March 31, about 88% of the company’s revenue came from its payment platform integration division. If other payment platforms decide to follow suit and break up their partnerships with payment orchestration platforms, this might have an effect. 

    But in February of this year, Juspay also obtained the authorisation to function as a payment aggregator. It might soon begin to compete with businesses it previously collaborated with, like PhonePe and RazorPay.

    PhonePe is on the Rise

    In 2023, PhonePe raised around $1 billion from investors including Tiger Global, Walmart, and General Atlantic. Together with efficient cost control, this large investment enabled PhonePe to reduce its losses in FY24 and surpass INR 5,000 crore in revenue.

    According to the company’s consolidated annual report, which is available on its website, PhonePe’s operating revenue increased by 73.8% to INR 5,064 crore in the fiscal year that ended in March 2024. Payment service revenue continued to be PhonePe’s main source of income, but a $195 million funding round helped the company generate an extra INR 661 crore in interest income, mostly from investments and deposits. As a result, PhonePe’s overall revenue increased from INR 3,085 crore in FY23 to INR 5,725 crore in FY24.

    Employee perks accounted for 46.45% of total expenses for tech company PhonePe, up 16.4% from INR 3,096 crore in FY23 to INR 3,603 crore in FY24. Of the INR 1,876 crore in ESOP expenses included in this number, only INR 288 crore were paid in cash; the remaining amount was paid in non-cash. Payment processing fees increased 74.8% to INR 1,166 crore in FY24, in tandem with its expansion. Moreover, overall costs increased by 31.3% to INR 7,756 crore in FY24 due to expenditures for advertising, IT, licenses, legal, and other overheads.

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  • TBO Tek Establishes a New Indonesian Subsidiary

    TBO Tek, a publicly traded B2B travel technology firm, has established a new wholly owned subsidiary in Indonesia as part of its strategy to increase its presence in the area and broaden its worldwide reach. TBO Tek in Indonesia will receive business support services from the subsidiary, including marketing and promotional operations, the company announced in an exchange filing. On November 28, TBO Tek Indonesia was established with 10,000 shares of authorised and issued capital, each worth INR 10 lakh. Nevertheless, the recently established organisation has not yet started conducting business.

    TBO Tek is on Worldwide Expansion Spree

    TBO Tek was established in 2006 and offers tour operators and travel brokers travelling solutions. Among other things, it provides dynamic packages, hotel and travel booking APIs, and white-label solutions. The business has been increasing its footprint in important foreign markets. To strengthen its position in the Australian tourism market, the company established a new subsidiary last month called TBO Tek Australia. To increase its presence in the area, TBO Tek first established a subsidiary on Canary Island in September.

    Current Financial Details of TBO Tek

    In the September quarter of the fiscal year 2024–25 (Q2 FY25), Travel Boutique Online (TBO Tek) announced a 7% increase in its consolidated net profit to INR 60.1 Cr, up from INR 56.1 Cr in the same quarter the previous year. During the reviewed quarter, the company’s operating revenue increased by 28% to INR 450.7 Cr from INR 352.3 Cr during the same period last year.

    Revenue from hotels and packages increased 36.2% year over year to INR 357.1 Cr, while revenue from the airline ticketing sector remained nearly unchanged at INR 83.9 Cr. It was announced last month that TBO Tek had prevailed in its six-year tax battle against the Service Tax Department of the federal government. The case centred on TBO Tek’s methods for collecting service tax from its travel sub-agents between 2007 and 2013.

    Indian Startups Taking on Global Market

    In addition to the requirement to scale their operations, Indian startups are drawn to foreign expansion since it offers them the chance to improve brand awareness and pull in talent from around the world. Favourable government regulations, technological developments, easy access to finance, and a growing pool of skilled workers all contribute to this tendency.

    Indian entrepreneurs are meeting the demands of global markets in addition to the problems faced by Indian consumers by utilising innovative technologies and disruptive business methods. About 570 businesses from India’s enormous 60,000-strong ecosystem entered foreign markets in 2022, up significantly from the 300 that did so in 2018, according to Global Launch Base, an international consulting firm. Singapore, the US, the UK, Canada, and Australia are some of the most popular locations for Indian entrepreneurs looking to expand internationally.

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  • Info Edge Accuses Rahul Yadav, the Founder of 4B Networks, and Others of Fraud

    Rahul Yadav, the founder of its portfolio firm 4B Networks, and others are the targets of a first information report (FIR) filed by online classified company Info Edge, the parent company of the jobs listing portal Naukri, due to allegations of fraudulent actions related to the misappropriation of the money. According to an exchange filing made by Info Edge on November 30, “a formal complaint has been filed by the Bandra Police Station (Mumbai Police) on November 29, 2024, against Yadav, who also co-founded Housing.com, Devesh Singh, Pratik Choudhary, Sanjay Saini (and unnamed others) in connection with 4B Networks (an indirect subsidiary of the company), alleging inter alia the commission of certain fraudulent acts involving 4B Networks’ funds.” Info Edge has promised that the FIR won’t affect its commercial operations, nevertheless. In 2020, Yadav introduced 4B Networks.

    Arbitration Proceedings Against 4B Networks

    Since early 2021, the Sanjiv Bhikchandani-led Info Edge, which runs the Naukri.com employment portal, among other things, has invested a total of INR 288 crore in 4B Networks through its fully owned subsidiary ALLcheckdeals India in several tranches, holding a roughly 59% ownership.

    After 4B Networks refused to give Info Edge the information it said it was contractually required to receive—including details and specifics of financial transactions, related party transactions, and information about operations and management—Info Edge launched a forensic examination last year. The Info Edge claimed at the time that although the startup was growing rapidly, it had chosen to write off the investment in accordance with “principles of conservatism” because of the high capital burn and the general funding climate. Info Edge complained to the Mumbai Police’s Economic Offences Wing (EOW) in October of last year about Yadav’s suspected INR 288 Cr in cheating. Yadav, Chaudhary, Singh, Yadav’s wife Karishma Khokhar, and RY Advisory LLP, the partnership firm founded by the Broker Network founder, are also identified in the EOW complaint as 4B Networks Private Limited.

    Info Edge’s Financial Report

    In a message to investors, Info Edge revealed that it had lost INR 532 crore overall as a result of writing off its investment in 4B Networks. Before Info Edge had to write down its whole investment, the 4B Networks was valued at INR 719 crore.

    One of the oldest internet-based businesses in India, Info Edge was founded in 1995 by Bikhchandani and works in a number of industries, including education (Shiksha), real estate (99acres), marriage (Jeevansathi), and recruitment (Naukri). Its portfolio includes unlisted edtech company Adda247, insurtech upstart PB Fintech, and listed heavyweights like foodtech giant Zomato. In the September quarter of the financial year 2024-25 (Q2 FY25), the company’s net profit dropped 64.6% to INR 84.73 Cr from INR 239.74 Cr in the same quarter the previous year.

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  • Cashfree Success Story – Full Stack Payment Solution

    Company Profile is an initiative by StartupTalky to publish verified information on different startups and organizations.

    The Indian digital payments industry stands at ₹2,153 Tn i.e., ~961% of GDP (source: RedSeer report) as of 2022. Cashfree has rapidly grown in the country’s competitive environment to the point where it is now dominating the payment disbursals with more than 30% market share among payment processors. Founded by Akash Sinha and Reeju Dutta, Cashfree is a full-stack payments solution that helps Indian businesses accept and send money.

    Know more about Cashfree’s business model, how it started, its funding and investors, growth, and more, in this post ahead.

    Cashfree – Company Highlights

    Startup Name Cashfree
    Founders Akash Sinha (CEO), Reeju Dutta
    Launch Year 2016
    Headquarters Bangalore
    Sector Fintech, Digital Payments
    Website cashfree.com

    About Cashfree
    Cashfree – Industry
    Cashfree – Founders and Team
    Cashfree – Startup Story | How it Started?
    Cashfree – Startup Launch
    Cashfree – Mission and Vision
    Cashfree – Name, Tagline and Logo
    Cashfree – Product/Service and USP
    Cashfree – Business Model and Revenue Model
    Cashfree – Customer Retention Strategies
    Cashfree – Challenges faced
    Cashfree – Marketing Strategies
    Cashfree – Revenue and Growth
    Cashfree – Funding and Investors
    Cashfree – Partnership
    Cashfree – Acquistion
    Cashfree – Investments
    Cashfree – Competitors
    Cashfree – Recognition and Achievements
    Cashfree – Future Plans

    About Cashfree

    Cashfree offers businesses the fastest and most seamless way to collect and disburse payments at scale. The company’s products include a payment gateway, payout processing, marketplace settlements, Cashgram, Subscriptions, bank account verification, UPI Stack, Instant Refunds, Global Payouts, and auto-collection via virtual bank accounts.

    Cashgram is Cashfree’s innovative web link that allows users to provide account details and receive payments instantly from businesses. Cashfree is leading the way in payments innovation with faster settlements, advanced fast-refund solutions, and higher success rates on online transactions.

    The company has introduced solutions like Instant Settlements on its payment gateway; recurring payments via Subscriptions; and a UPI stack with 15+ ready-to-use integrations for all business payment needs including collections, disbursals, and verifications using UPI infrastructure. Furthermore, Cashfree also has specific solutions tailored for NBFCs – Lending, Insurance, E-commerce, and Education verticals.

    Since Cashfree’s inception in 2015, the company has built a strong presence among enterprises by innovating for experience, scale, and security. The payment industry is still seen as an evolving industry with its own challenges.

    Cashfree – Payments Industry Details

    The market for payment processing is robust in India. Payment processors use gateways to authorize direct payments across networks of online retailers, storefronts, credit cards, and individuals. That’s why Cashfree has rapidly grown in the country’s competitive environment to the point where it is now dominating payment disbursals with more than 30% market share among payment processors.

    According to Statista, the Indian digital payments industry stands at $ 1,624.00 billion in 2024 and will grow at 16.35% CAGR to reach $3,463.00 billion by 2029. This growth will be driven by:

    • Strong use case of merchant payments across user cohorts
    • Government policies such as Jan Dhan Yojana, personal data protection bill along with the growth of MSMEs
    • High smartphone penetration indicates strong headroom for growth through banking and financial services collaborations

    Cashfree – Founders and Team

    Akash Sinha (CEO) and Reeju Dutta are the founders of Cashfree.

    Cashfree Founders
    (L-R) Reeju Dutta, Akash Sinha (CEO) – Founders of Cashfree

    Both Akash and Reeju were engineering graduates. Akash and Reeju were introduced to each other by common friends, people with whom they went to college with.

    Akash Sinha (CEO & Co-founder, Cashfree)

    Akash was working at Amazon writing software and leading a tech team. He has a technical background and has also worked at BankBazaar, a fintech company. With Akash’s experience as a programmer and product owner, at Cashfree, he focuses on the intersection of technology and business opportunities. As a community builder in the startup and entrepreneur space, he is excited and enthusiastic about cutting-edge technologies that can help businesses experiment, scale, and innovate faster.

    Reeju Dutta (Co-founder, Cashfree)

    Before co-founding Cashfree, Reeju was heading marketing at FabFurnish, an e-commerce retailer. He has a background in digital marketing. He has also worked at ZS Associates, a consulting firm, advising pharmaceutical companies on managing data. At Cashfree, he focuses on customer experience, sales & marketing, finance, and hiring. He is passionate about the growth of the startup ecosystem and enjoys interacting with businesses that offer innovative solutions.

    In 2020, Cashfree strengthened its workforce to over 225 employees with hiring accelerated by the growth of e-commerce and digital payments sectors. By the end of 2021, Cashfree plans to further double its workforce to 400 team members, filling up critical positions as they gear up for the next wave of transformation. As the company builds agile digital payments products, it also plans to grow its sales and support teams.

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    Cashfree – Startup Story | How it Started?

    In mid-2015, Akash Sinha (CEO and Co-founder of Cashfree) and Reeju Datta (Co-founder of Cashfree) were bouncing ideas off each other and looking for a co-founder to build on their ideas. Akash had an idea around an AI-based chat while Reeju was thinking of something around route logistics. They were brainstorming on what could work and what wouldn’t be based on the market situation. Since hyperlocal commerce was thriving in 2015, Akash came up with the idea of finding a way to make their payments cashless – which until then was cash-intensive. That’s how Cashfree was born.

    Akash and Reeju started Cashfree in 2015 and initially, they were digitizing offline COD payments. Then in April 2016, they got into the online space completely. When they started, it was only Reeju and Akash, along with another member who handled sales.

    The idea worked well with night restaurants where it was difficult to make cash payments at odd hours. As a beta version, they launched a mobile web product were after the placement of an order. The customer receives a link to input their card details or uses their wallet to make the online payment. Soon after, the delivery person would get an SMS saying that the payment had been received.

    A few such merchants approached them to process the payments for their businesses via their website as well and that is when Akash and Reeju started developing an online payment gateway.

    Cashfree – Startup Launch

    Initially, Akash and Reeju started out by working with small restaurants in Bangalore. They were focused on night delivery restaurants, as it was a segment that required alternate options for cash payments. So, night delivery restaurants are where they found their very first users.

    Cashfree – Mission and Vision

    Cashfree’s mission is unwavering, which is “to enable online businesses to deploy payment solutions to innovate and scale.”

    The short-term vision is to invest in next-gen payments as well as banking tech to make payments processing easier and more reliable. The long-term vision is to grow Cashfree to be the leader in the payments space in India and internationally, backed by a solid foundation of in-house technologies, tech-driven processes, and in-depth industry knowledge.

    Akash Sinha, CEO & Co-founder, Cashfree said, “At Cashfree, we are working towards boosting India’s fintech ecosystem, as it is the backbone of Digital India and is a key problem-solver of the economy.”

    “Trusted by enterprises Loved by developers”, goes the tagline of Cashfree.

    Cashfree Logo

    Cashfree – Product/Service and USP

    Cashfree has built a comprehensive payment toolkit for small to large businesses in India. It has launched various products and solutions with six first-of-its-kind fintech innovations including Payouts, Instant Refunds, Cashgram, Pre-Authorization, Subscriptions, and Instant Settlements. Their products and solutions are aimed at making online payments easier and elevating customer experience through innovation and higher transaction success rates. The company’s products include a payment gateway, payout processing, marketplace settlements, Cashgram, Subscriptions, bank account verification, UPI Stack, Instant Refunds, Global Payouts, and auto-collection via virtual bank accounts.

    • Payouts: The first gateway with a bulk disbursal solution for domestic and international payments. Payouts perform bank transfers to any unified payments interface, wallet, or debit card with more than 100 payment options and support for 30+ foreign currencies. It can also verify accounts in real time.
    • Instant Refunds: Launched on September 4, 2019, this was the first-time instant refunds were available on the Cashfree payment gateway. Merchants can initiate partial or full refunds from the dashboard or via an API. It seamlessly integrates with Shopify and Magento refund flows.
    • Cashgram: COD orders providing instant refunds for the first time. Customers can send a Cashgram link to a user, who can specify a destination for payments or instant refunds.
    • Pre-authorization: Provides the ability to block funds temporarily and debit the full or partial amount upon fulfillment. Customers can save payment gateway charges on canceled orders and integrate with their enterprise resource planning software. Users get real-time tracking of transaction progress.
    • Subscriptions: Cashfree was one of the first gateways to offer recurring payments via the e-mandate payment service initiated by the Reserve Bank of India and the National Payments Corporation of India.
    • Instant Settlements: Cashfree delivered the industry-first and fastest instant bank settlements for payment collections (within 15 minutes).
    • Co-lend: The first completely automated escrow management solution for co-lending in India, called “Co-lend,” was introduced by Cashfree on February 7, 2023. It allows for quick disbursal with automatic reconciliation and a dashboard for managing numerous partnerships.
    • BNPL Plus: To help companies give their clients more inexpensive and flexible payment choices, the fintech platform Cashfree Payments has introduced ‘BNPL Plus’ in July, 2023.
    • UPI Plug-in solution: The UPI Plug-in was introduced by Cashfree Payments, an API banking firm, on September 14, 2023. It enables mobile-first businesses to accept UPI payments from clients without requiring them to leave the application.

    Pivot from the Initial product offering

    When Akash and Reeju reached out to businesses to partner with for their online cash-on-delivery needs, around 5-6 months down the line, merchants approached them for an online payment gateway (PG) service. That’s why they went on to build the payment gateway for them because both the products were kind of similar, though not the same.

    It was easy for the founders to transition to an online payment gateway. When they started rolling out the PG, they soon realized that there was still a need for a modern payment gateway that offered services like simple API integration, high transaction success rates, full collection on all the payment modes. That is how they transitioned into an online payment aggregator as businesses (customers) asked for it.

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    Cashfree – Business Model and Revenue Model

    Cashfree is a full-stack payments solution that helps Indian businesses accept and send money and is used by 3,00,000+ businesses for vendor payouts, wage payouts, bulk refunds, etc. The company makes a fee of anywhere between 1.75% and 3% of the value of the transaction as of year 2020.

    Cashfree – Customer Retention Strategies

    Cashfree has focused on building exceptional payment products and developing innovations for merchants to minimize pain points associated with various payment use cases. This has led to a lot of organic growth for the company, driven by word of mouth and inbound traffic.

    The high success rates of Cashfree’s flagship products such as Payouts and Cashgram have led to the company winning the trust of their customers. This led to these same customers also adopting some of the company’s other products to simplify payments.

    Many of the payment products built by Cashfree were a result of direct feedback from existing customers on their payment challenges. The company saw these challenges as opportunities to develop products that would add value to their customers. One of the payment innovations that was a direct outcome of customer feedback is Cashfree’s Instant Settlements cycle – where Cashfree enables merchants to get access to their funds in 15 minutes. Merchants can make use of the settled funds for disbursals to vendors and other partners even on bank holidays.

    Cashfree – Challenges faced

    In early 2015 when Akash and Reeju first started out Cashfree, they were making prototypes in AI chat and logistics, but it didn’t work out, as a lot of hyperlocal commerce companies were using COD and there was no way to pay digitally.

    That’s how they came up with their idea to use digital payment modes such as credit cards, debit cards, and netbanking. They were able to sign up 200-300 offline stores in Bangalore. They started at the right time, tried figuring out online payment pain points and ways to solve them.

    Cashfree – Marketing Strategies

    One of Cashfree’s most successful marketing campaigns was for the launch of the company’s e-commerce product suite. Cashfree’s e-commerce payments platform offers merchants the best payment experience for mobile and UPI payments and allows them to collect customer payments, process refunds, pay sellers and do a lot more. Along with the regular rollout of press releases, digital marketing, email marketing, and more.

    Cashfree also hosted a series of fireside chats and webinars with thought leaders in the e-commerce space as a knowledge-sharing platform. This series of sessions not only helped Cashfree reach out to thousands of businesses but also helped many entrepreneurs understand the finer points of running a successful e-commerce venture.

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    Cashfree – Revenue and Growth

    Cashfree has been profitable since its first year of operations and counts more than 50,000 businesses amongst its merchants including leading internet companies such as Cred, BigBasket, Zomato, HDFC Ergo, Ixigo, Acko, Zoomcar, and Delhivery, among others.

    Cashfree’s solutions are used by over 10,000 e-commerce platforms including Nykaa, Furlenco, EaseMyTrip, Wakefit, Vero Moda among others. In 2020, Cashfree processed more than over 100 million transactions from e-commerce orders and expects to onboard 5,000 e-commerce companies by the end of the year.

    Cashfree claims to process transactions worth $80 bn annually as of 2024. Furthermore, it has an over 50% market share among the payment processors. Besides, Cashfree helps 3,00,000businesses with a wide range of activities including payment collections, vendor payouts, wage payouts, bulk refunds, expense reimbursements, loyalty, and rewards. The Bengaluru-based fintech startup also boasts of an international presence in countries including the USA, Canada, and the UAE.

    At the end of 2024, here are some growth highlights of Cashfree:

    • Cashfree Payments boasted of a 50% market share in Payouts, thereby becoming the leading disbursals solution provider in India
    • Cashfree received funds from SBI Bank, India’s largest lender, which invested in the company, thereby boosting the company’s operations and growth
    • Cashfree saw a 95% rise in the number of merchants, which helped the company increase its merchant sign-ups by 268%
    • It managed to process $40 Bn transactions annually
    • Cashfree successfully served 200+ Million bank accounts has grown beyond the startup status and has emerged as a bigger and better firm now
    • Cashfree is currently serving 3,00,000 merchants
    • The company successfully launched ‘Accounts’, which is designed to be a BaaS solution, which will help the neo-banks and fintech platforms integrate banking services into their products
    • The company helped grow its employee count by 2X and is aiming to to double its employee count by 2022 end
    • Cashfree also noticed an increasing amount of trust and credibility among its stakeholders due to the partnering of Cashfree with some of the leading brands including Dvara Solutions, Deskers, Zybra, Shipway, Shyplite, Shoptimize, Hylobiz, Syrow, and more. This list also included some of the leading internet companies like Cred, BigBasket, Zomato, HDFC Ergo, Ixigo, Acko, Zoomcar, Delhivery, and more.

    Cashfree has made it possible for users and businesses to transact with ease within software platforms with the release of its payment solution as per the news report of March 6, 2024. All parties benefit from efficiency and ease as transactions happen directly without the need for external interfaces or redirects to the availability of more than 120 payment types.

    Cashfree Financials

    Cashfree Financials FY23 FY24
    Operating Revenue INR 614 crore INR 642.7 crore
    Total Expenses INR 750 crore INR 779.4 crore
    Profit/Loss Loss of INR 133 crore Loss of INR 135 crore
    Cashfree Financials
    Cashfree Financials

    Cashfree – Funding and Investors

    The funding details of Cashfree are as follows –

    Date Stage Amount Investors
    May 18, 2023 Debt Financing – Trifecta Capital Advisors
    June 7, 2021 Debt Financing – SBI
    November 24, 2020 Series B USD 35.3 Mn Apis Growth Fund II, Y Combinator
    April 9, 2019 Series A USD 5.5 Mn Y Combinator, George Osborne, Vellayan Subbiah
    August 21,2017 Pre Seed Round USD 120K Y Combinator
    January 1, 2017 Seed Round – –

    Cashfree has raised a total of $40.9 Million to date. Cashfree’s investors are – Y Combinator, George Osborne (former Chancellor of Exchequer of the UK), Vellayan Subbiah (former MD of Cholamandalam Investment), and APIS Growth Fund II.

    Cashfree plans to use the latest round of series B funding for research & development and for creating new product lines. The company will strengthen its team in India and expand into some of the emerging markets.

    The investments have supported Cashfree’s ambitious growth plans including launching and rolling out new products. The company introduced Global Payouts which enables it to offer fintech, e-commerce marketplaces, logistics platforms, remote staffing platforms, etc. based outside India, instant, simple and cost-efficient rails for bulk cross-border money transfers to India.

    International businesses can use Cashfree’s solution without having to set up a place of business in India. Cashfree also launched a payments toolkit for e-commerce stores and marketplaces in India. With a host of specific solutions, this product suite enables e-commerce businesses to collect payments on the website, mobile app, or any social media channel using Cashfree’s payment gateway, and to process partial or full refunds, facilitate seller payouts, split payments with multiple sellers and affiliate partners, and more.

    Cashfree – Partnership

    Cashfree has partnered with many companies some of the prominent partnerships are:

    Multi-Partner Cross-Border Payment Launch

    Swiggy, Nykaa, BookMyShow, Zepto, and others have partnered with Cashfree Payments to enable cross-border transactions. With RBI’s license for cross-border payments, Cashfree has launched a pilot program allowing international customers to pay for services in India.

    Shopify

    In order to offer onsite card payments to Shopify’s Indian merchants, Cashfree Payments has partnered with the Canadian e-commerce platform in September, 2023.

    Yes Bank

    Together with Yes Bank, Cashfree Payments is now able to provide exporters who have accounts there with “Global Collections,” an international collection service on May 3, 2023.

    Mobikwik

    In order to provide its consumers with the convenience of interest-free credit at their fingertips, MobiKwik announced its partnership with Cashfree Payments on August 31, 2023, a top provider of payments and API banking services. “ZIP Pay Later” will be integrated with Cashfree Payments’ Payment Gateway.

    AutoPay on QR

    ‘AutoPay on QR’ has been launched by Cashfree Payments on September 12, 2023 a provider of payment and API banking solutions, in partnership with National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI).

    Cashfree – Acquistion

    Cashfree acquired two companies. The most recent acquisition is of Zecpe on February 28, 2023.

    Company Name Date Amount
    Zecpe Feb 28, 2023 –
    Telr Nov 30, 2021 $15M

    The company has exited Telr as per various news reports.

    Cashfree – Investments

    Cashfree has made a strategic investment in Telr. The company invested 15 mn in the UAE-based payment gateway on November 30, 2021. This will further allow the company to expand its international footprints, which will start from the MENA region.

    Cashfree – Competitors

    Payu, Paytm, CCAvenue are some of the top competitors of Cashfree.

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    Cashfree – Layoff

    During a reorganization process, Cashfree has laid off up to 100 workers on January, 2023. In recent years, the SBI-backed company doesn’t appear to have conducted any layoffs until now.

    Cashfree – Recognition and Achievements

    • Akash Sinha, CEO, and Co-Founder, Cashfree was listed in Forbes 30 under 30 2021
    • Cashfree secured as the 5th fastest growing technology company in Deloitte Technology Fast 50 India 2020

    Cashfree – Future Plans

    Cashfree estimates 45,000 to 50,000 merchant leads per month and is optimistic in its continued development trajectory. With the goal of becoming profitable again by the first quarter of FY25, the company intends to improve customer satisfaction and service offerings as per news report of January, 2024.

    This entails broadening the range of services offered, making infrastructural investments in technology, breaking into untapped markets, putting the needs of the client first, and developing clever alliances. These calculated actions highlight Cashfree’s dedication to maintaining its position as the market leader in payment solutions and maximizing value for all parties involved.

    Cashfree – FAQs

    Who founded Cashfree?

    Akash Sinha (CEO) and Reeju Dutta are the founders of Cashfree.

    How does Cashfree make money?

    Cashfree charges a fee of anywhere between 1.75% and 3% of the value of the transaction.

    How much funding has Cashfree raised?

    Cashfree has raised a total of $40.9 Mn to date. Its recent funding was led by Trifecta Capital Advisors as a Debt Financing round.

    What is Cashfree?

    Cashfree is a full-stack payments solution. It helps Indian businesses accept and send money. It offers businesses the fastest and most seamless way to collect and disburse payments at scale.

    How much is Cashfree’s Operating Revenue?

    Cashfree operating revenue is around INR 642.7 crores in FY24 and a Loss of INR 135 crore.

    Is Cashfree free?

    NO. Cashfree charges a fee of anywhere between 1.75% and 3% of the value of the transaction.

  • Sachin Bansal: The Visionary Behind Flipkart and Navi

    Sachin Bansal, an Indian entrepreneur and innovator, has carved a unique path in the business world. Known for co-founding Flipkart, India’s major e-commerce platform, and later as the founder of Navi Technologies, his work has reshaped two major industries: retail and financial services.

    From selling books online to revolutionizing the financial inclusion landscape, Sachin’s career showcases his determination and visionary thinking. Let’s dive into the inspiring story of this successful entrepreneur and learn more about Sachin Bansal’s education, career, net worth, and more.

    Sachin Bansal – Biography

    Name Sachin Bansal
    Birth August 5, 1981
    Birth Place Chandigarh, India
    Education Bachelor of Science in Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi
    Position Chairman & CEO of Navi, Co-Founder of Flipkart
    Residence Bangalore, India
    Net Worth $1.2 billion

    Sachin Bansal – Early Life and Education
    Sachin Bansal – Career
    Sachin Bansal – The Rise of Flipkart
    Sachin Bansal – Navi Technologies
    Sachin Bansal – Challenges and Lessons
    Sachin Bansal – Personal Life
    Sachin Bansal – Investments
    Sachin Bansal – Awards and Recognitions
    Sachin Bansal – Impact on the Entrepreneurial World

    Sachin Bansal – Early Life and Education

    Sachin Bansal - Early Life and Education
    Sachin Bansal – Early Life and Education

    Born on August 5, 1981, in Chandigarh, India, Sachin was raised in a modest middle-class family. His childhood was marked by a natural curiosity and interest in technology. Encouraged by his family to pursue education seriously, Sachin excelled in academics. He eventually secured a spot at the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi, where he graduated in 2005 with a degree in Computer Science.

    At IIT Delhi, Sachin’s technical knowledge and problem-solving skills began to take shape. His education instilled a deep understanding of algorithms, data structures, and software development—skills that would prove invaluable in his future endeavors.

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    Sachin Bansal – Career

    Sachin Bansal - Career | The Flipkart Owner
    Sachin Bansal – Career

    After graduating, Sachin began his professional journey at Techspan, a technology startup. Seeking to work in a more dynamic environment, he later joined Amazon India as a software engineer. At Amazon, he was introduced to the potential of e-commerce and became fascinated with creating something similar in India.

    In 2007, Sachin and his IIT batchmate Binny Bansal decided to leap into entrepreneurship. They launched Flipkart, initially an online bookstore, from a small apartment in Bengaluru with a small personal investment. With the tagline “Ab Har Wish Hogi Poori” (Every Wish Will Be Fulfilled), Flipkart aimed to make online shopping easy and trustworthy for Indian consumers.

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    Sachin Bansal – The Rise of Flipkart

    Flipkart’s growth was rapid and revolutionary. Starting with just two employees and a handful of books, the platform soon expanded into electronics, fashion, home goods, and groceries. Its success was driven by customer-centric policies like cash on delivery, a user-friendly website, and hassle-free returns.

    To scale operations, Sachin introduced Flipkart’s own logistics network, Ekart, which became a game-changer in ensuring faster deliveries. By 2018, Flipkart had over 100 million registered users, making it the largest e-commerce platform in India. That same year, Walmart acquired a majority stake in the company for $16 billion, the largest acquisition in Indian corporate history. Sachin’s vision and leadership played a key role in creating this unprecedented success story

    Sachin Bansal – Navi Technologies

    After exiting Flipkart, Sachin ventured into the fintech sector by founding Navi Technologies in 2018. The company focuses on simplifying financial services for Indians, offering affordable personal loans, health insurance, and investment solutions.

    Navi was born out of Sachin’s observation that many Indians lacked access to reliable and transparent financial products. With a digital-first approach, Navi uses technology to reduce paperwork, streamline approvals, and make services accessible to people in underserved areas.

    Under Sachin’s leadership, Navi quickly gained traction, raising significant capital in the previous years and aiming for a valuation of multiple billion dollars by 2024. This success solidified Sachin’s reputation as a serial entrepreneur capable of succeeding across industries.

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    Sachin Bansal – Challenges and Lessons

    Both Flipkart and Navi came with their share of challenges. During Flipkart’s early days, the Indian e-commerce market was uncharted territory. Sachin and Binny faced skepticism from investors and logistical hurdles in delivering products to remote locations. At Navi, regulatory complexities in the financial services sector and fierce competition have presented significant obstacles.

    However, Sachin’s ability to learn from failures and his focus on execution helped him navigate these difficulties. His journey underscores the importance of perseverance and adapting to changing market needs.

    Sachin Bansal – Personal Life

    Despite his professional commitments, Sachin maintains a relatively private personal life. He is married to Priya Bansal, a dentist, and the couple prefers staying away from media attention. They have one son together. Sachin is known for his disciplined lifestyle and work ethic, often working long hours to ensure the success of his ventures.

    In interviews, Sachin has emphasized the importance of balance, highlighting the need to stay grounded amidst the highs and lows of entrepreneurial life.

    Interestingly, he is an online gaming enthusiast.

    Sachin Bansal – Investments

    Sachin Bansal has also emerged as a significant investor in the Indian startup ecosystem. Some of his notable investments include:

    Announced Date Organisation Name Funding Round
    Apr 2, 2020 Navi Technologies Venture Round
    Nov 14, 2019 Navi Technologies Venture Round
    Oct 10, 2019 U Gro Capital Debt Financing
    Jul 24, 2019 Chaitanya Debt Financing
    Jul 21, 2019 Piramal Group Post-IPO Debt
    May 28, 2019 Ather Energy Series C
    Apr 24, 2019 KrazyBee Series B
    Feb 19, 2019 Ola Series J
    Jan 31, 2019 Navi Technologies Angel Round
    Jan 10, 2019 Ola Series J

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    Sachin Bansal – Awards and Recognitions

    Over the years, Sachin has received numerous accolades for his contributions to the business world:

    1. Economic Times Entrepreneur of the Year (2013)
    2. 86th in Forbes India’s Richest (2015)
    3. Time 100 Most Influential People (2016)
    4. The ‘NDTV Indian of the Year award’ in the year (2016)
    5. Economic Times Game Changer of the Decade (2020)

    Sachin Bansal – Impact on the Entrepreneurial World

    Sachin Bansal’s entrepreneurial journey has left an indelible mark on India’s business landscape. By making online shopping mainstream through Flipkart and addressing financial inclusion challenges through Navi, he has significantly contributed to India’s digital and economic progress.

    His story is one of resilience and relentless pursuit of innovation. By leveraging technology to solve real-world problems, Sachin continues to inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs to dream big and act boldly.

    In his own words, Sachin Bansal’s career is a testament to the transformative power of determination and creativity.

    FAQ

    What does Sachin Bansal do now?

    Sachin Bansal is currently the Executive Director and CEO of Navi, a financial services company.

    Are Sachin and Binny Bansal brothers?

    No, Sachin and Binny Bansal are not brothers. They are former colleagues who co-founded Flipkart.

    Who is the Flipkart owner?

    The owner of Flipkart company is Walmart, which acquired a controlling stake of 77% for $16 billion in 2018, valuing the company at $21 billion at the time Walmart further increased its stake to 80.5% in July 2023 by purchasing additional shares for $3.5 billion. The co-founders, Sachin Bansal and Binny Bansal, no longer hold any stake in the company following the acquisition.

    What is Sachin Bansal’s Education?

    Sachin Bansal graduated from the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi (IIT Delhi) in 2005 with a degree in Computer Science.

    What is Sachin Bansal net worth?

    Sachin Bansal’s net worth is $1.2 billion, as of December 2024.

  • Google Cloud and HCLTech Collaborate to Introduce an AI-Powered Security Detection Service

    Google Cloud Security and HCLTech have announced a new partnership to provide cutting-edge AI-driven security solutions to businesses globally. Using Managed Detection and Response (MDR) capabilities, the alliance aims to improve organisations’ capacity to identify and address cyber attacks. The collaboration was announced on December 2, 2024.

    Universal Managed Detection and Response

    HCLTech’s Universal Managed Detection and Response (UMDR) service, which integrates Google Cloud Security’s technologies with the company’s proprietary Fusion Platform, is the foundation of this partnership. Complete security coverage is provided by this integrated solution for a number of vital infrastructure elements, including endpoints, networks, apps, identity and access management, industrial control systems, hybrid cloud environments, and operational technology.

    With its comprehensive and adaptable solutions and Fusion security operations platform, which is powered by Google Cloud, HCLTech is dedicated to providing clients with exceptional security results. According to Amit Jain, Executive Vice President and Global Head of Cybersecurity at HCLTech, the company’s collaboration with Google Cloud Security enables it to combine its strong security automation skills with its vast cybersecurity knowledge, which has been accumulated over the previous 26 years.

    “Organisations require strong solutions to help protect their operations as cyber threats become more complex and common,” stated Magali Bohn, Director of Partners, Google Cloud Security. Businesses can keep ahead of emerging dangers by combining HCLTech’s vast cybersecurity experience with Google Cloud’s sophisticated Security Operations suite and expertise.

    Offerings of the New Collaboration

    By introducing a modular operating architecture, the new service enables customers to tailor their security coverage to meet their unique requirements while still offering end-to-end protection. Because of this flexibility, organisations may modify their security posture as their needs change, which is especially crucial given how quickly the threat landscape is evolving nowadays.

    AI Becoming a New Cyber Guard for Various Businesses

    Many companies can’t react to cyberattacks fast enough. In numerous instances, they are simply overwhelmed by the vast volume of data points that must be monitored for intrusion. Though it’s not all bad news, these were some of the main conclusions of a recent analysis from the Capgemini Research Institute. According to the report, companies have a high level of confidence in AI’s ability to strengthen cybersecurity.

    850 top IT security professionals from 10 countries and seven corporate sectors were surveyed for the report Reinventing Cybersecurity with Artificial Intelligence: the new frontier in digital security. A resounding vote of confidence in AI was revealed. More than 60% of organisations said AI was necessary to detect major dangers, and more than two-thirds of organisations admitted they would not be able to respond to them without the technology.

    The growth of end-user devices, networks, and various user interfaces is one factor fuelling interest in AI, according to Capgemini. This growth has been fuelled by developments in cloud, IoT, 5G, and conversational interface technologies. The end result is that businesses must urgently increase and enhance their cybersecurity.

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  • Swiggy Extended its 10-minute Meal Delivery Service, “Bolt,” to More than 400 Locations

    Swiggy Ltd., an on-demand convenience platform, announced on 2 December that it has extended its Bolt 10-minute meal delivery service to more than 400 Indian cities and towns. According to a statement from Swiggy, Bolt was first introduced in Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, New Delhi, Mumbai, and Pune. Today, it operates in Jaipur, Lucknow, Ahmedabad, Indore, Coimbatore, and Kochi.

    The 10-minute meal delivery service has been extended by Swiggy to Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities, including Roorkee, Guntur, Warangal, Patna, Jagtial, Solan, Nashik, and Shillong, the company said. According to the report, the states with the greatest Bolt adoption rates are Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, followed by Haryana, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, West Bengal, Rajasthan, and Punjab.

    Closely Working with Restaurant Partners for Bolt

    In order to maximise order priority for Bolt orders that contain food products that require little to no preparation time, Swiggy stated that it is actively collaborating with eateries.

    There is no incentive for quick delivery, and delivery partners are not made aware of the difference between Bolt and standard orders for their own safety. According to the corporation, Bolt’s current delivery radius of 2 kilometres fosters familiarity and allows for quicker delivery. Additionally, it stated that giving priority to delivery executives who are nearest to Bolt stores maximises delivery speed.

    Features of Bolt

    Bolt, which was created with speed in mind, specialises in foods that can be served without sacrificing quality, freshness, or taste. Swiggy further stated that it offers a selection of over 10 lakh dishes from over 40,000 restaurant partners.

    Bolt is transforming the dining experience for patrons. It was simple to decide to expand Bolt given the positive feedback the company has received thus far and the increasing enthusiasm from local and national eateries. According to Rohit Kapoor, CEO of Swiggy’s Food Marketplace, the company is excited to expand this experience to even more cities and homes.

    It has collaborated with local businesses like Gwalia Sweets in Ahmedabad, Karachi Bakery in Hyderabad, Shiraz in Kolkata, Irani Cafe in Pune, and KFC, McDonald’s, Burger King, Baskin Robbins, and Starbucks. Restaurants in Tier II cities, such as Baap of Rolls in Roorkee and Varalakshmi Tiffins in Guntur, report that Swiggy Bolt processes more than 10% of their orders.

    The industry leader in meal delivery, Gurgaon-based Zomato, tried 10-minute food delivery in 2022 but ended the trial programme and introduced Zomato Everyday instead. In comparatively shorter amounts of time, Zomato Everyday delivers meals made by home cooks from central kitchens.

    Swiggy’s this Year’s Performance

    In the quarter that ended in June 2024, Swiggy recorded a gross order value (GOV) of INR 6,808 crore, up from INR 5,959 crore during the same period the previous year. During the April–June quarter, the firm had 14.03 million monthly transacting consumers.

    According to a research report published on November 25 by broking firm UBS Securities, Swiggy’s GOV for food delivery grew more slowly than Zomato’s in the first quarter of fiscal 2025, but both businesses are predicted to grow at comparable rates starting in FY26.

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  • In November, UPI Value Falls 8% and Volume Declines 7%

    According to data from the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), the volume of Unified Payments Interface (UPI) transactions decreased by 7% to 15.48 billion in November, while the value of these transactions decreased by 8% to INR 21.55 trillion. They reached an all-time high in October thanks to festive sales.

    October saw the most transactions through UPI since the digital system’s launch in April 2016, with 16.58 billion totaling INR 23.5 trillion. The value was INR 20.64 trillion, and the volume was 15.04 billion in September. Due to an increase in person-to-merchant transactions (for the purchase of goods or services) over the festive season, October transactions were higher than November transactions.

     This was a 38% increase in volume and a 24% increase in value compared to November 2023. The value of the transactions decreased from INR 75,801 crore in October to INR 71,840 crore in November of this year, as the number of daily transactions also decreased from 535 million in October to 516 million in November. 

    IMPS Transactions Declined by 13%

    Transactions using the Immediate Payment Service (IMPS) decreased 13% in November to 408 million from 467 million in October. In terms of value, they fell from INR 6.29 trillion in October to INR 5.58 trillion in November, an 11% decrease.

    Last month’s IMPS transactions had a 14% decrease in volume but a 4% increase in value when compared to November 2023. In comparison to last month, the number of daily transactions fell from 15 million to 14 million, and the value of daily transactions declined from INR 20,303 crore to INR 18,611 crore.

    FASTag Transactions Increase by 4%

    The number of FASTag transactions increased from 345 million in October to 359 million, a 4% increase. Compared to INR 6,115 crore in October, the value decreased by about 1% to INR 6,070 crore. This was 318 million and INR 5,620 million in September, respectively. Compared to the same month in 2023, the November FASTag data showed a 14% increase in value and a 12% increase in volume. There were 12 million transactions per day, up from 11.13 million.

    Transactions through the Aadhaar Enabled Payment System (AePS) fell 27% to 92 million from 126 million in October. From INR 32,493 crore in October to INR 23,844 crore during the review period, the value of transactions decreased by 27%. In September, there were 100 million transactions with a total value of INR 24,143 crore. Compared to the same period last year, the volume and value of AePS transactions decreased by 16% and 20%, respectively.

    India’s payments ecosystem is thinking of switching low-ticket transactions to UPI Lite, according to Dilip Asbe, managing director and CEO of the NPCI. This occurs months after the Reserve Bank of India raised the limit for UPI 123Pay transactions from INR 5,000 to INR 10,000. Similar to this, UPI Lite’s transaction limit was increased from INR 500 to INR 1,000.

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  • Rohan Verma, the CEO of MapmyIndia, will Quit to Launch New B2C Business

    The geotech business MapmyIndia revealed that Rohan Verma, its chief executive and executive director, will be leaving his position in March of next year, only weeks after the company’s second quarter results were released. As of March 31, 2025, Verma will no longer serve as the company’s CEO and full-time director. In a regulatory filing, the business stated that he will remain a non-executive director on the board. Verma is leaving his position to start a new business-to-consumer venture. The board of MapmyIndia has now authorised an INR 10 Lakh initial investment to purchase a 10% ownership in the new venture, with plans to invest an additional INR 35 Cr (more than $4 Mn) in it.

    Proposal from the Board of MapmyIndia

    The company also stated in the filing that the board had decided to invest INR 10,00,000 to purchase a 10% stake at face value of INR 10 per share and to invest an additional INR 35 Cr in the form of compulsory convertible debentures (CCDs) in the new company that Rohan Verma would be forming. According to his LinkedIn page, Verma has been the company’s CEO for about six years and has approximately twenty years of expertise altogether.

    Notably, he has been employed by MapmyIndia since 2004 in a variety of managerial roles. In the past, he has also worked with multinational companies like McKinsey and Company and Microsoft. Rakesh Kumar Verma, the chairman and managing director, will continue to serve as MapmyIndia’s leader in the interim. The board of the Delhi NCR-based business has also authorised investments of INR 2 Cr to purchase a 19.84% stake in location intelligence platform Kaiinos Geo Spatial Technologies Private Ltd. and INR 3 Cr to purchase a 9.37% stake in automotive SaaS platform SimDaaS Autonomy Private Ltd.

    Current Statups Leadership Scenario in India

    This change occurs as a number of startup companies have recently undergone leadership shakeups. For example, Amit Kumar, the managing director and CEO of online classifieds platform OLX India, resigned a few weeks ago after seven years in that position, and Sidharth Malik, the global CEO of CleverTap, a startup focused on customer engagement and retention, also resigned.

    In addition, Mayank Kumar, the managing director and cofounder of the edtech unicorn upGrad, left his leadership position in October to start a new business. In terms of finances, MapmyIndia’s net profit decreased by 8% to INR 30.35 Cr in the quarter that ended in September 2024 (Q2 FY25) from INR 33.09 Cr in the same period last year. In the meantime, operating revenue increased 14% from INR 91.08 Cr in Q2 FY24 to INR 103.67 Cr in the reviewed quarter. 

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