eNews
Collective Newsroom to produce BBC content in Bangla and Urdu in India
Expansion adds two major languages as CNR deepens its reach among young and diverse Indian audiences
MUMBAI: Collective Newsroom (CNR) has been commissioned by the BBC to produce journalism in Bangla and Urdu for audiences in India, marking an expansion of its multilingual news operations.
With the addition of the two languages, CNR’s mandate now spans eight Indian languages along with English, further strengthening its role in delivering credible public-interest journalism to diverse audiences across the country.
The newsroom will produce news, current affairs, digital-first storytelling and in-depth features covering subjects ranging from history and culture to business and health. The programming will also place particular emphasis on engaging younger audiences and women, while continuing to follow the BBC’s editorial standards of impartiality, accuracy and trust.
The move reflects a growing appetite for quality journalism in Indian languages and signals CNR’s expanding presence in the country’s evolving media landscape. By bringing Bangla and Urdu into its multilingual operations, the organisation also aims to encourage deeper cross-language collaboration and wider audience engagement.
Collective Newsroom editor-in-chief and co-founder Rupa Jha, said the development marks an important step in connecting with more communities across India.
“Bangla and Urdu have rich literary and journalistic traditions, and we are proud to bring focused, high-quality content to these audiences in India. Our priority remains delivering journalism that is accurate, independent and relevant to people’s everyday lives,” she said.
Collective Newsroom managing editor and co-founder Sanjoy Majumder, said the expanded remit will span digital, video and social platforms to reach increasingly mobile-first audiences.
“We will continue to invest in editorial talent, technology and regional partnerships to strengthen our multilingual output. This milestone reinforces our mission to build an inclusive newsroom that reflects India’s linguistic and cultural diversity while maintaining the highest editorial standards,” he said.
Collective Newsroom, a wholly Indian-owned company founded by former BBC employees, took over most of the BBC’s India operations in April 2024. The organisation currently produces BBC content in Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Punjabi, Tamil and Telugu, along with English content on YouTube.
CNR also manages and produces the BBC Indian Sportswoman of the Year initiative, which recognises women athletes and para-athletes.
Teams producing BBC News Bangla and BBC News Urdu for audiences outside India will continue to operate from Bangladesh and Pakistan respectively.
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.
