Blinkit Checks In At Mumbai Airport
Most frequent travellers will relate to this: you get your boarding pass, clear security checks at the airport, and finally settle at your gate, when you suddenly start to feel something’s amiss. You frisk your handbag just to realise you have forgotten your phone charger at home. While the internet, conditioned to expect corporate mischief on April Fools’ Day, collectively raised a brow and scrolled past, it took an official press release, jointly issued with Adani Airport Holdings Limited (AAHL), to make people believe that it was not a shenanigan of any kind. In a country where quick commerce players race to deliver groceries to your doorstep in 10 minutes, the bar has just been raised.
New-Age Tech Stocks Advance In Holiday-Curtailed Week, Ola Electric Top Gainer
Thirty one out of the 55 new-age tech companies under Inc42’s coverage gained in a range of 0.26% to close to 17% this week. After heavy selling on March 30 (Monday), stock momentum regained on April 1 (Wednesday) and April 2 (Thursday). On Monday, 11 new-age tech stocks. However, a majority of these companies ended the week in the green. The top three gainers of the week – Ola Electric (up 16.81%), Zaggle (up 16.69%) and Veefin Solutions (up 16.05%) – were stocks which plunged in 2026. Meanwhile, 24 new-age tech stocks declined in a range of 0.04% to over 12% this week.
Top Anchor Investors Powering Indian New-Age Tech IPOs
About 18 new-age tech companies have launched IPOs since the start of 2025, amid strong investor appetite for higher-risk, high-growth bets. A critical factor underpinning a company’s public market debut is the participation of large investors in its anchor round. Anchor investors are institutional backers in an IPO whose participation boosts credibility, demand, and investor confidence. Since anchor allocations can be up to 60% of the Qualified Institutional Buyer (QIB) portion, a sizable chunk of the institutional book is already committed before the IPO opens to the public. This improves subscription optics and reassures retail and high-net-worth investors about demand for the offering.
Ola Electric’s Roadster X+ Gets PLI Certification
Listed two wheeler EV maker Ola Electric Limited has received Production Linked Incentive (PLI) certification for its electric bike, Roadster X+ 4.5 kWh. The certification, issued by the global automotive research centre (GARC), confirms that the Roadster X+ 4.5 kWh meets the minimum domestic value addition (DVA) requirements, making all units eligible for incentives under the PLI-Auto scheme. The development comes amid a series of strategic moves undertaken by Ola Electric to boost sales after a lengthy period of slowdown. The company recently cut the price of its flagship Roadster X+ 9.1 kWh model, powered by the 4680 Bharat Cell, by over 31%, from ₹1.9 Lakh to ₹1.3 Lakh. It cited increased cell production at its Gigafactory and cost efficiencies from vertical integration as key reasons behind the price reduction.
OpenAI acquires TBPN
Fidji Simo shared this message with the company earlier today: I’m excited to share that we’ve acquired TBPN(opens in a new window). This acquisition brings a team with strong editorial instincts, deep audience understanding, and a proven ability to convene influential voices across tech, business, and culture. As I've been thinking about the future of how we communicate at OpenAI, one thing that's become clear is that the standard communications playbook just doesn't apply to us. A statement from TBPN: “Over the past year, we’ve had a front-row seat not just to OpenAI, but to the entire ecosystem, covering the daily news, announcements, and launches in real time.
Fuel prices are soaring. Plastic could be next.
As the war in Iran continues to engulf the Middle East and the Strait of Hormuz stays closed, one of the most visible global economic ripple effects has been fossil-fuel prices. Plastics are made using petrochemicals, and the supply chain impacts of the oil bottleneck near Iran are starting to build up. Plastic production accounts for roughly 5% of global carbon dioxide emissions today. It goes far beyond their use for energy. As I write this, I’m wearing clothes that contain plastic fibers, typing on a plastic keyboard, and looking through the plastic lenses of my glasses. And in some ways, moving away from fossil-derived plastic could prove even more complicated than decarbonizing our energy system. Crude oil prices have been on a roller-coaster in recent weeks, and prices have recently topped $100 a barrel.
Ola Electric Slashes Price Of Flagship Ebike, Shares Jumps 10%
Shares of electric two-wheeler (E2W) maker Ola Electric rallied for the second straight session, surging over 10% to reach an intraday high of ₹28.53 on the BSE today after the company said it it cutting the price of its Roadster X+ 9.1 kWh electric motorbike by over 31%. At 13:35 IST, the stock was trading 7.10% higher at ₹27.77 apiece on the BSE. The company’s market capitalisation stood at around ₹12,250 Cr (about $1.3 Bn) at the time. The rally in the stock began yesterday, with the stock zooming over 14% during the intraday trading following a sharp improvement in its E2W registrations in March.
UPI Transactions Jump 11% MoM To 22.64 Bn In March
After a slight decline in growth in the month of February, UPI adoption in India regained momentum in the month of March. UPI transactions surged 11% MoM in March to 22.64 Bn from 20.39 Bn in February, as per NPCI data. The value of UPI transactions stood at ₹29.53 Lakh Cr during the month, marking a 10% increase from ₹26.84 Lakh Cr in February. PhonePe retained the top spot with 928.3 Cr transactions, even as volumes declined over 6% MoM, while Google Pay processed 676.7 Cr transactions, maintaining its second position with a stable 34% market share. Paytm remained the third-largest player with 159.9 Cr transactions, even as volumes dipped sequentially.
Ola Electric Zooms Over 13% As Escooter Registrations Soar In March
Electric two-wheeler (E2W) maker Ola Electric’s shares surged 13.49% to reach an intraday high of ₹25.44 on the BSE today after its escooter registrations more than doubled in March. The stock was trading 12.43% higher at ₹25.65 on the BSE at 13:05 IST. The company’s market capitalisation stood at about ₹11,300 Cr (around $1.2 Bn) at the time. Ola Electric jumped E2W registrations in March. Its registrations zoomed 139% to 9,496 units during the month from 3,973 units in February, as per Vahan data. It held a 5.3% share in the E2W market in India last month. In a statement, the company claimed its registrations crossed 1,000 units per day in the last week of March, which is when it also announced a campaign to offer discounts of up to ₹50K across its portfolio, offering some variants for as low as ₹49,999.
Groww Jumps Over 5% After RBI Defers New Capital Market Rules Implementation
The extension allows market participants to continue using 50% margin-backed bank guarantees for an additional three months. Until the revised norms are implemented, brokers will continue to operate under the existing system, including the use of bank guarantees backed by 50% margin. The central bank clarified that while certain relaxations have been introduced, the core structure of the proposed framework remains unchanged. The RBI has capped loans provided to individuals against eligible securities at ₹1 Cr per individual, and to ₹25 Lakh for subscribing to shares under IPO, FPO, or under ESOP at banking system level. Under the new norms, bank financing to capital market intermediaries for proprietary trading can be undertaken against 100% collateral comprising cash or cash equivalents. BSE Sensex surged over 2,000 points (2.8%) to hit an intraday high of 73,965, while the Nifty 50 gained more than 600 points (2.7%) to touch 22,941.
Like it or not, AI is part of art school curriculums
When my baby brother, a 3D modelling and animation student, talks to me about his projects and studies, the pride I usually feel is becoming increasingly tainted by a growing sense of dread. As a creative professional and former design student myself, I understand all too well how fierce the competition for postgraduate jobs will be, but his future is being threatened by something that barely even existed during my own time in higher education: generative AI. Earlier this year, in a small protest at CalArts, posters that requested the help of AI artists for a thesis were reportedly altered wit … Read the full story at The Verge.
E2W Registrations Jump 59% In March To 1.78 Lakh Units, Ola Electric Sales More Than Double
Amid growing energy concerns triggered by the ongoing West Asian war, consumer interest in buying electric two wheelers (E2Ws) resurged in the month of March. A total of 1.78 Lakh units were sold in March till 31st, marking a 59% jump from 1.12 sales registered in February. Important to highlight that this is the highest number of monthly E2W sales, a feat that comes after months of growth stagnation. Market leader TVS, which has held the top spot since last year, recorded a 47% month-on-month (MoM) increase in sales in March to 46,859 units. TVS recently launched a battery subscription model across its entire electric scooter range, which includes its flagship TVS iQube.
Assessing AI powered price forecasting tools in currency markets
As artificial intelligence becomes a driving force in financial prediction, the reliability of its forecasting tools faces increasing scrutiny. The surge of AI powered price forecasting tools has brought new abilities, but it has also raised questions about what constitutes meaningful accuracy. Scrutinising claims of accuracy in predictive tools Accuracy claims regarding AI forecasting in currency markets are often presented optimistically, particularly when based on controlled demonstrations. When evaluating the accuracy of AI powered price forecasting tools, it is crucial to clarify what “accuracy” represents in this context. Navigating real world frictions and effective risk controls When AI powered price forecasting tools are integrated into live strategies, various real world frictions become significant.
Helping disaster response teams turn AI into action across Asia
March 29, 2026 First-of-its-kind AI workshop with the Gates Foundation, ADPC, and DataKind. Many are directly involved in disaster response on the ground, coordinating information, supporting affected communities, and making time-critical decisions. This effort also builds on the expansion of our OpenAI for Countries Program(opens in a new window) announced at Davos. At its core, this work is about helping organizations move beyond interest in AI and into real-world applications, embedding it into the operational challenges they face every day. Disaster response teams often operate in resource-constrained environments, working with fragmented data, manual processes and limited infrastructure. The World Bank estimates disasters have cost ASEAN countries more than $11 billion in previous years. In these moments, we’re also seeing a shift in how people seek support.
Fino Payments Bank Emerges Biggest Loser In Bearish Week For New-Age Tech Stocks
Forty one out of the 55 new-age tech stocks under Inc42’s coverage fell in a range of 0.2% to close to 16% this week, while 14 stocks registered gains in a range of 0.34% to over 5%. Fino Payments Bank, which has been under pressure since the arrest of its MD and CEO Rishi Gupta in a GST evasion case, emerged as the biggest loser this week. The stock tanked 15.81% to end at ₹127. BlueStone, EaseMyTrip, Yatra, ideaforge, Paytm, Lenskart, Fractal, and Shadowfax were among the other losers this week. Consequently, the market capitalisation of the 55 new-age tech companies declined to $116.31 Bn at the end of the week from $119.46 Bn a week ago.
RBI Slaps Penalty On Pine Labs For Violating PPI Guidelines
The RBI has imposed a penalty of ₹3.1 Lakh on fintech major Pine Labs for failing to comply with guidelines related to prepaid payment instruments (PPIs). The central bank, in a statement, said it found Pine Labs in violation of PPI norms by issuing full-KYC PPIs without completing the required know your customer (KYC) checks. The penalty order came after the RBI carried out inspection of the company’s operations between July 2024 and May 2025. On the financial front, the full-stack fintech company, with verticals spanning payments, loyalty and rewards, API banking, merchant software, and more, reported a second consecutive profitable quarter in Q3 FY26.
PB Fintech’s Paisabazaar Receives Benami Act Order Linked To Vendor Transactions
Fintech major PB Fintech’s lending arm Paisabazaar has received an order from the Adjudicating Authority under the Prohibition of Benami Property Transactions Act. In a stock exchange filing today, the company received an order from the Department of Revenue’s Adjudicating Authority on March 26 under Section 26(3) of the Prohibition of Benami Property Transactions Act, 1988. For context, this section pertains to the adjudication stage of proceedings against alleged benami properties. The company said that the order was issued on certain vendors of Paisabazaar wherein Paisabazaar was alleged as beneficial owner in respect of its transactions with them.
Google’s ‘live’ AI search assistant can handle conversations in dozens more languages
Google is expanding access to Search Live, a feature that lets you search for information using your voice and camera. The AI search assistant is now available in more than 200 countries and territories, as well as dozens of languages. Search Live rolled out broadly in the US last September, allowing you to point your phone's camera at something and ask about it aloud, such as how to install a shelving unit. The AI assistant will then offer an audio response, along with links to information it finds on the web. Video: Google Google says it's powering the global expansion of Search Live with its new … Read the full story at The Verge.
Go Digit Faces ₹384 Cr Demand Notice From Income Tax Dept
Insurtech major Go Digit has received a tax demand worth ₹384.4 Cr, including applicable interest of ₹100.4 Cr, from the Income Tax (IT) department’s assessment unit for the assessment year 2023-24 (AY24). The tax demand primarily on account of: Go Digit said that the aforementioned disallowances primarily relate to industrywide issues. Thus, it plans to pursue an appeal with Appellate authorities or evaluate against other legal options. “The company will also evaluate and make appropriate disclosure in its financial statements, if required,” the company said. The development comes just weeks after the company received a GST demand notice of around ₹170 Cr for alleged short payment of taxes over a nearly five-year period. The company’s total income in Q3 FY26 stood at ₹2,497.7 Cr, up 5% YoY.
Are high gas prices good news for EVs? It’s complicated.
But as the conflict in Iran has escalated, fossil-fuel prices have been on a roller-coaster, and I’ve started paying attention. In the US, average gas prices are $3.98 a gallon as of March 25, up from under $3 before the war started. The subtext (or even the text) is “I told you so.” Don’t get me wrong—this could be an opportunity for EVs to make headway around the world. Then again, maybe that won’t quite do the trick: One survey from Cox Automotive found that most US consumers would consider switching to an EV or hybrid if gas prices hit $6 per gallon.
Google Partners SEBI To Label Verified Trading Apps On Play Store
With an eye on clamping down on fraudulent trading apps and scamsters, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has partnered with big tech giant Google to roll out “verified” badges for legitimate stock trading apps on Play Store. Under the initiative, a SEBI-registered stock trading app will now display a “verified” label on the app marketplace. Going forward, the badges will also be extended to apps of other regulated intermediaries. “SEBI, in collaboration with Google, has taken this initiative to implement a first-of-its-kind “Verified” badge on Google Play, to start with, for all stock trading apps in India that are offered by entities that are registered with SEBI,” read an official SEBI statement.
Can you monitor a situation without monitors? The Polymarket sports bar tried
Hello and welcome to Regulator, a newsletter for Verge readers who are political junkies, and Washington insiders hooked on technology. If this email has been forwarded to you but you're not a subscriber, sign up here so you can get that pure, uncut Regulator every Wednesday, straight from the source (aka me). I was taking Friday off in Maine when two major pieces of tech news dropped: first, the White House released its framework for a comprehensive national AI bill with the intent of passing it through Congress. (Hayden Field, our AI reporter, has a thorough analysis of it here.) Second (and clearly more important), Polymarket opened the … Read the full story at The Verge.
Mark Zuckerberg and Jensen Huang are part of Trump’s new ‘tech panel’
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Oracle CEO Larry Ellison, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, and Google cofounder Sergey Brin will be the first four members of the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST). The panel, which will "weigh in on AI policy," will include 13 members to start, but could grow to 24. Trump's AI and crypto czar David Sacks and White House tech advisor Michael Kratsios will co-chair the panel. According to the White House's January announcement for the panel, PCAST will "advise the President on matters involving science, technology, education, and innovation policy.
Zerodha Raises F&O Charges To ₹40 Per Order For Certain Intraday Trades
Stock broking platform Zerodha has doubled the brokerage fees for intraday F&O trades to ₹40 per order for accounts that do not comply with the 50% cash margin requirement. As per a communication sent by the company to some of its users, Zerodha will charge a brokerage fee of ₹40 for intraday F&O trades from April 1, as against ₹20 currently, for user accounts which have cash and cash-equivalent collateral at below 50% of the margin required for the trade. In case a user fails to maintain the required margin, platforms like Zerodha cover for the cash shortage. “If you pledge a stock and take collateral up to ₹1 Lakh and don’t bring in any funds, and you take a position for ₹1 Lakh, you are using the broker’s capital for 50% of that, or ₹ 50K.