eNews
Idea launches ‘Internet For All’ initiative
MUMBAI: Aiming to connect millions of internet non-users and bring them online, Idea Cellular; the fastest growing telecom operator, has announced an “Internet For All” program. This program empowers all the Idea prepaid consumers and retailers to give one month of free Internet access to Internet non-users just by logging on to http://i4all.ideacellular.com from their smartphones. They can gift free 100 MB data for a month by entering the Idea mobile number of non-internet users.
Idea further personalizes this service by sending periodic information on how to use free data to the non-data user and providing various ways to latch onto the internet. The notifications are also sent to the initiator on the progress of internet usage made by the person nominated by them. As a small token of gratitude, Idea credits 100MB of data to the initiator’s account.
Talking about the new initiative, Mr. Sashi Shankar, Chief Marketing Officer, Idea Cellular said, “Internet adoption today is being shaped predominantly through the use of mobile telephony. However, currently only 25% of India’s population are connected to the internet. Accelerating mobile internet adoption is huge task and requires larger participation. Our ‘Internet for All’ initiative will encourage the uninitiated to learn more about the internet as a tool for education, banking, shopping, and entertainment, while gaining access to a world of opportunity that the internet opens for us all. We believe that internet adoption can be accelerated at the grassroot level if existing internet users introduce their un-connected friends and family to adopt the service, thereby transforming their lives.”
Idea users can log on to http://i4all.ideacellular.com from their prepaid connection or retailer VTOP to gift data to a non-internet user. Alternatively, customers can also avail the service by dialing *756# or sending SMS IFA to 56756.
With pan India 2G operations and 3G and 4G services in 17 telecom circles, Idea has the capability to provide mobile broadband to nearly 880 million Indians. Demonstrating its commitment to connect the unconnected a reality, Idea will continue to work towards connecting the next billion and making them a part of the digital world.
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.
