MAM
British Council’s ‘Mix the City’ makes Mumbai comes alive
MUMBAI: British Council India launched first version of Mix the City India at Mumbai. Curated by British quartet Django Django, the interactive digital platform features original musical renditions from 12 famous musicians from Mumbai recorded at celebrated location across the city.
The app lets users piece together their own soundtrack and music video using the unique sounds of these musicians. Designed by award-winning British start-ups, Mix the City Mumbai combines British digital innovation and contemporary Indian Culture and provides a platform to share the sounds of Mumbai with the world. Sivamani, Louis Banks and Taufiq Qureshi are some of the artistes who are part of this initiative.
Mix the City India will have four versions: Delhi; Kolkata; Mumbai; Chennai. The four versions for India will aim to showcase the diversity of sound, music and cultural influences in each city. Each region will have 12 musicians (48 musicians in all) who will record 24 samples (two loops per musician) that will be compiled into a shareable 4-minute YouTube track that will sit on the main Mix the City website.
British Council OBE director India Alan Gemmell said, “Mix the City Mumbai is a brilliant way to celebrate the UK-India relationship, connect young people in both countries and, inspire the next generation to build the relationship for the next 70 years. Mix the City Mumbai brings 12 incredible Indian musicians to phones and tablets across Britain and India and let’s people create and share their own Mumbai music video! This world-class digital and cultural innovation means that a global audience will be able to see, hear and share the amazing Mumbai music scene and the beauty of the city – making everyone a little bit of a Mumbaikar on their mobile!”
Visit www.mixthecity.com to create your own soundtrack using the sounds of the world.
The British Council is the UK’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities.
Django Django is a British art rock outfit, based out of London, England. Mohini Dey, the daughter of bass player Sujoy Dey, has been described as prodigy by many acclaimed musicians. Chauss Brass Band, a brass band from Baijapur, Maharashtra, is popular band that plays at marriages.
Ravi Iyer, a guitar mentor, performer and composer, began his musical journey at the age of seven and began his Tabla training under the tutelage of Vasantrao Acharekar.
Sivamani plays many instruments including drums, octoban, darbuka, udukai, and kanjira. Taufiq Qureshi is recognised for his path-breaking and trend-setting work, as a performing artiste and as composer/arranger in the field of world music. Louis Banks is an Indian film composer, record producer, jazz musician-keyboardist and singer.
Brands
Reserve Bank of India cancels Paytm Payments Bank licence
Central bank cites compliance failures; curbs tighten as wind-up looms
MUMBAI: India’s banking watchdog delivered its sharpest blow yet to Paytm Payments Bank, cancelling its licence and effectively ending its ability to operate as a bank under the law.
The Reserve Bank of India said the entity can no longer conduct banking business under the Banking Regulation Act, citing concerns that its affairs were not being run in the interest of depositors or the public and that it had failed to meet licence conditions.
The move escalates a crackdown that has been building for months. The bank had already been barred from onboarding new customers since March 11, 2022, and later faced restrictions on deposits, credit and wallet top-ups. In January 2024, the central bank ordered it to stop accepting fresh deposits, pointing to persistent non-compliance, including lapses in customer due diligence, use of funds and technology systems.
Operationally, the bank is now on a tight leash. It may process withdrawals of existing deposits and facilitate loan referrals through banking correspondents, but it cannot take fresh deposits.
The central bank said it would apply to the high court to wind up the bank.
Paytm sought to ringfence the fallout. In a regulatory filing, it said the licence cancellation applies to Paytm Payments Bank Limited, a separate entity, and should not be attributed to One 97 Communications. It added that there is no exposure or material business arrangement with the bank and that it operates independently, without Paytm’s board or management involvement.
“As informed earlier, Paytm (One 97 Communications Limited) and its services, which have been operating without interruption, will continue to operate uninterrupted. These include the Paytm app, Paytm UPI, Paytm Gold and all other services offered by its subsidiaries and associated companies,” the company said.
The distinction may reassure users of the app ecosystem, but the regulator’s verdict is unequivocal. After years of warnings, caps and curbs, the payments bank experiment at Paytm is being shut down—decisively, and with little room left to manoeuvre.
