eNews
Nippon TV unveils four new standout titles for MIPCOM
Mumbai: Nippon TV, Japan’s multiplatform entertainment powerhouse, announced today the company will unveil four new formats at this year’s MIPCOM. The program lineup includes two new unscripted formats, Man or Mannequin? (60-120 min. eps.) and Unstoppable (60-120 min. eps.), as well as two new scripted formats Secret Makeover (60 min. eps.) and Going Home (60 min. eps.).
“Man or Mannequin? and Unstoppable are both ambitious game shows that test the limits and imaginations of contestants through universally appealing formats,” commented Nippon TV head of formats Tom Miyauchi. “At Nippon TV, we pride ourselves in creating compelling game shows with a unique twist that are entertaining for global audiences. Man or Mannequin? is a game show format with a strong visual identity, a guessing game scaled to a new height and staged all around the city. Unstoppable is a conceptual game show in which the challengers never stop and always try to keep winning through a succession of simply irresistible games. We are delighted to be offering these new unscripted formats that are sure to captivate viewers with its fun and innovative concepts.”
“Secret Makeover and Going Home are scripted formats with stories about female protagonists who gather the courage to change the irrational world and face unsolved mysteries as well as personal burdens from the past,” commented Nippon TV head of scripting Sayako Aoki. “As we have seen with our mega-hit formats Mother and Rebooting, there is an appetite for scripted formats with strong women at the helm of the story. It is our goal that our new formats will also resonate with audiences around the world while keeping them engaged with a fast-paced story packed with unexpected plot twists.”
eNews
PNB partners Kiwi to launch credit-enabled UPI for users
Targets 180 million customers; RuPay card offers 0.5 per cent to 1.5 per cent cashback
MUMBAI: Swipe, tap, or scan credit is quietly slipping into the rhythm of everyday payments, and Punjab National Bank wants in on the action. The state-run lender has partnered with Kiwi to roll out credit-enabled UPI payments for its 180 million customers, marking a significant push to blend traditional banking with India’s fast-evolving digital payments ecosystem.
At the centre of the collaboration is the launch of the PNB Kiwi Credit Card on the RuPay network. The card is designed with a digital-first approach, offering fully online onboarding and seamless integration with UPI, allowing users to transact via scan-and-pay while accessing credit.
The offering also brings in a rewards layer, with cashback ranging from 0.5 per cent to 1.5 per cent on online transactions, positioning the product as both a convenience play and a spending incentive.
The move comes as UPI continues to dominate India’s digital payments landscape, increasingly blurring the lines between debit-led transactions and credit access. For PNB, which operates over 10,000 branches around 60 per cent in semi-urban and rural areas, the partnership signals a targeted effort to extend formal credit to segments that have traditionally remained underserved.
The collaboration also reflects a broader industry shift, where banks and fintech platforms are converging to embed credit directly into payment flows, reducing friction while expanding access.
With RuPay credit cards gaining traction and UPI evolving beyond peer-to-peer transfers, the PNB–Kiwi tie-up positions both players at the intersection of scale, accessibility, and the next phase of digital finance in India.
