Best of both partiesCo-branded In India, such partnerships are still relatively rare. The first one was between Jet Airways and Citibank, dating back to 2003. Since then, many other banks and airlines have launched similar programs, offering attractive perks to airline customers to encourage daily engagement and hoping they stay loyal even if another airline approaches them. Most recently, Vistara had co-branded partnerships that encouraged people to fly with the airline frequently. These partnerships are e ...

Group 1 - The GST Council approved a significant restructuring of the GST framework, eliminating the 12% and 28% slabs and introducing a special 40% rate for 'sin' goods like tobacco and luxury items [4][7] - GST rates on essential items such as packaged food, shampoo, toothpaste, and shaving cream have been reduced to 5%, while rates for small cars, dishwashers, air conditioners, and televisions have decreased from 28% to 18% [4][7] - Economists anticipate that these changes, effective from the start of the festive season, will enhance domestic consumption amid uncertain global demand [5][7] Group 2 - The new GST rates are expected to benefit 11 of the top 30 consumption items, which account for about one-third of an average consumer's monthly spending [5][7] - The impact of the GST changes will be monitored through price movements, the Consumer Price Index (CPI), and GST collections [5][8] - The average GST collection in the first five months of FY26 was ₹2.01 lakh crore, an increase from ₹1.83 lakh crore in the same period last year [6][8]

Group 1: IIT Placements - The placement season at Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) has commenced with strong recruiter interest, particularly from trading firms like Jane Street and Millennium Management [1][3][16] - IIT Kharagpur and IIT BHU anticipate surpassing last year's placement offers, with IIT BHU expecting to exceed 1,405 offers [5][16] - IITs are enhancing their appeal to recruiters by showcasing cutting-edge research and providing training in soft skills and leadership [6][16] Group 2: SoftBank Vision Fund - SoftBank's Vision Fund is laying off 20% of its global staff as part of a strategic shift towards artificial intelligence investments, particularly the $500 billion Stargate project with OpenAI [8][16] - The Vision Fund has seen its third round of layoffs since 2022, despite reporting a net profit of $2.87 billion in Q1, its best performance since mid-2021 [8][16] - Over the past year, SoftBank has invested $9.7 billion in OpenAI and acquired stakes in Nvidia and Intel to bolster its AI ecosystem [8][16] Group 3: Pepperfry Acquisition - Realty services firm TCC Concept has signed a term sheet to acquire up to 100% of Pepperfry, although the deal value and closure timeline remain undisclosed [9][16] - The acquisition aims to enhance TCC's presence in e-commerce and digital marketplaces, while Pepperfry seeks a new direction after years of declining growth and a failed IPO attempt [9][10][16] - Pepperfry's FY24 operating revenue fell by 30.6% to ₹188.9 crore, but losses decreased by 37.4% to ₹117.4 crore [10][16] Group 4: Digital Payments for Russian Tourists - Sberbank has partnered with Indian digital payments app Cheq to enable QR-code-based UPI payments for Russian tourists in India, circumventing Visa and Mastercard networks [11][16] - This initiative allows foreign tourists without Indian bank accounts to utilize UPI, enhancing payment accessibility in India [11][16] Group 5: Digital Personal Data Privacy (DPDP) Act - India is set to finalize the rules for the Digital Personal Data Privacy (DPDP) Act by September 28, 2025, after a decade of development [14][16] - The DPDP Act aims to establish a legal framework for processing personal data, focusing on privacy and the handling of children's data [15][16]

The yield on the 10-year benchmark ended at 6.4885%, after closing at 6.5139% on Thursday. The yield rose marginally on the week, after climbing 2 basis points last week. Yields move inversely to prices. The Federal Reserve reduced interest rates by 25 bps and indicated 50 bps of more cuts in 2025. However, Chair Jerome Powell said the Fed will be in a "meeting-by-meeting situation" regarding the rate cut outlook, and framed the move as a risk-management cut. This indicates that the rate cut cycle may not ...

The Indian equity market has witnessed sharp swings over the past year, but the last six months have seen a notable rebound, particularly from March 2025, after a steep correction from the late-September 2024 peak through early March 2025. During this six-month period ending September 17, 2025, the Nifty 50 Total Return Index (TRI) advanced 14 per cent, while the Nifty Midcap 150 TRI and Nifty Smallcap 250 TRI gained 21 per cent and 24 per cent, respectively.This rebound coincided with steady mutual fund in ...

The local currency closed 32 paise lower at 88.13 per dollar, compared with the previous close of 87.8150/1$.The rupee had gained amid broad weakness in the dollar in anticipation of a rate cut by the Late Wednesday, the US Fed cut Immediately after the rate announcement, the dollar weakened further but rebounded after Powell signalled caution and the so-called "dot plot" indicated only 1 rate cut in 2026, currency dealers said.Live Events"Dollar weakness is expected to persist as the rate cut cycle in 202 ...

Credit Cards: South Korean credit card company Lotte Card, controlled by private equity fund MBK, said that the personal data of 2.97 million customers has been leaked as a result of a hacking attack, reported Reuters. Lotte Card was set up in Dec 2002 as a technical and business company licensed by American Express and Lotte Department Store, its Wikipedia page shows.Among the credit card customers who had been affected, some 280,000 had sensitive data leaked that could be abused for card fraud, Lotte Card ...

Core Insights - Credit card delinquency is a significant issue that affects cardholders' ability to secure future loans and credit [1][3] - The recent surge in credit card delinquencies in India indicates broader economic stress, with a 44% year-on-year increase, reaching ₹33,886 crore as of March 2025 [6] Group 1: Impact on Cardholders - Missing credit card payments leads to delinquency reports to credit bureaus, which can severely lower credit scores and borrowing credibility [3][4] - Continuous missed payments can escalate to defaults, resulting in legal complications and long-term damage to credit profiles [4] - Unpaid credit card bills and loans attract high interest rates, compounding the debt and making repayment more challenging [5] Group 2: Economic Implications - The rise in credit card delinquency reflects an over-reliance on debt for daily needs, prompting banks to tighten credit lending norms [6][7] - The government emphasizes responsible repayment and good financial habits to maintain a stable and accessible credit system [7] Group 3: Strategies for Management - Establishing a monthly budget and setting up automatic payments can help manage expenses and avoid missed payments [10] - Prioritizing the repayment of high-interest debts and maintaining communication with credit card issuers are essential for managing delinquency [10][11] - Avoiding further credit card spending until existing dues are cleared can prevent deepening the debt cycle [10]

As per DGCA data, India’s domestic airlines flew 1.26 crore passengers in July 2025. IndiGo, India’s largest airline, flew 82.15 lakh passengers with a 65.20% market share. With so many passengers flying with IndiGo, what if your next IndiGo flight ticket is sponsored with credit card reward points? What if the regular spends on your credit card sponsored your next Indigo flight? Yes, you can do that with the IndiGo IDFC FIRST Bank Credit Card.In this article, we will understand what the IndiGo IDFC FIRST B ...

Core Insights - Dreamfolks Services has exited the lounge access business in India, which is expected to disrupt lounge access for credit card users of select banks, particularly affecting customers of smaller banks [1][8] - The company faced increasing competition and market changes, leading to the withdrawal of major lounge operators from its network [2][3] - Major clients like ICICI Bank, Axis Bank, and IDFC FIRST Bank have shifted to other platforms, contributing to Dreamfolks' decline [4][5] Company Overview - Dreamfolks previously acted as an intermediary between banks, credit card issuers, and airport lounge operators, facilitating access for millions of travelers [2] - The company has been under pressure from new competitors, including TFS and Adani Digital's LoungeOne [3] - The loss of key lounge operators and clients has significantly impacted Dreamfolks' business model [4][6] Market Dynamics - ICICI Bank and Axis Bank have partnered with LoungeOne, which operates across 16 airports, affecting Dreamfolks' customer base [4] - IDFC Bank has directed its debit card customers to use Elite Assist by TFS for lounge access, while credit card users have not received similar guidance [5] - Customers with super premium credit cards that include Priority Pass membership can still access lounges, but smaller banks may face challenges until new partnerships are established [7][8]