Digital
Bajaj Markets plugs into ONDC to power up shopping plus finance
MUMBAI: From EMI dreams to LED screens Bajaj Markets just got an e-commerce upgrade. In a move that fuses fintech with fridge-shopping, Bajaj Markets, part of Bajaj Finserv Ltd. has officially joined hands with the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC). This integration transforms Bajaj Markets into a buyer-side participant on the ONDC network, allowing its users to shop for over 1.5 lakh premium electronics and appliances directly through the Bajaj Markets App and website alongside its existing suite of 140 plus financial products.
With this upgrade, the platform becomes more than just a place to compare credit cards or apply for a loan. Now, users can pick up an air fryer, finance it with a few clicks, and still have enough bandwidth left to explore insurance or investment options all under one digital roof.
“With 90 plus partners, 140 plus financial products, and over 16 million users, this is our next leap in enabling smarter consumer journeys,” said Bajaj Finserv Direct Ltd MD & CEO Ashish Panchal. “By integrating with ONDC, we’re not just enhancing choice, we’re accelerating India’s digital public infrastructure to reimagine commerce.”
ONDC’s Acting CEO and COO Vibhor Jain echoed the sentiment, calling the partnership a “redefinition of how financial services and commerce intersect.” The move, he added, leverages Bajaj Markets’ deep credit intelligence and ONDC’s open network philosophy to empower consumers with greater flexibility, smarter financing, and stronger financial planning tools.
Founded to simplify access to financial services, Bajaj Markets has grown into one of India’s largest digital marketplaces, connecting customers with leading banks and NBFCs. The tie-up with ONDC now adds another layer trusted commerce.
For India’s increasingly digital-first consumers, that means everything from choosing a washing machine to applying for personal loans could soon be part of the same scroll.
One platform. Many needs. Fully financed.
Digital
Ethical AI must benefit society, not dominate it, says WFEB chief Sanjay Pradhan at IAA event
At Mumbai event, ethics expert urges businesses and governments to shape AI responsibly
MUMBAI: Artificial intelligence may be racing ahead at lightning speed, but its direction must still be guided by human conscience. That was the central message delivered by Sanjay Pradhan, president of the World Forum for Ethics in Business (WFEB), during the latest edition of IAA Conversations held in Mumbai.
The session was organised by the International Advertising Association (IAA) and the Artificial Intelligence Association of India (AIAI) in association with The Free Press Journal at the Free Press House on 7 March. Addressing a packed audience, Pradhan called for stronger ethical leadership to ensure AI remains a tool that benefits humanity rather than one that governs it.
“Artificial intelligence has rapidly become one of the most powerful technologies humanity has created,” Pradhan said. “It is unlocking breakthroughs in medicine, science and creativity at a pace unimaginable just a few years ago.”
But he warned that the same technology carries serious risks. AI, he noted, can amplify disinformation faster than facts can travel, compromise privacy, deepen discrimination and disrupt millions of livelihoods. Referencing concerns raised by AI pioneers such as Geoffrey Hinton, often called the godfather of AI, Pradhan stressed that the real challenge is not whether AI will shape the world, but whether humans will shape it with ethics and wisdom.
Structuring his talk around four guiding questions, why, what, how and who, Pradhan introduced the audience to WFEB’s emerging AI Ethics Partnership, a global platform aimed at advancing responsible artificial intelligence. He outlined four priority concerns that demand urgent attention: disinformation, bias and discrimination, data privacy and job security.
To make the idea of ethical AI easier to grasp, Pradhan offered a simple metaphor. Ethical AI, he said, is like a three layered cake. The outer layer represents the visible value ethical AI creates for businesses and society. The middle layer is organisational culture that moves ethics from written codes to everyday practice. The innermost layer, however, is the most crucial, the conscience of individual leaders.
Drawing from Indian philosophical thought through WFEB co-founder Ravi Shankar, Pradhan noted that while artificial intelligence can reproduce stored knowledge, true intelligence is boundless and rooted in conscience, creativity and compassion. Practices such as breathwork and meditation, he suggested, can help leaders develop the calm clarity needed for ethical decision making.
The event also featured a discussion with Maninder Adityaraj Singh, chief of staff and head of innovation at Rediffusion Brand Solutions Pvt Ltd, and Yash Johri, lawyer, Supreme Court of India.
Opening the session, IAA India chapter president Abhishek Karnani, highlighted the need for industries to understand and engage with AI responsibly.
“AI has to be befriended and understood,” added Rediffusion managing director and AIAI national convenor Sandeep Goyal. “Its ethical use will determine whether it becomes a friend or a foe.”
As AI continues to reshape industries and societies, Pradhan ended with a simple but powerful call to action. Businesses, governments and individuals must work together to ensure that the algorithms shaping the future reflect human values rather than just cold logic.
