Brands
BuyBuyCart launches smart vending machines in retail push
Firm plans up to 400 automated units across high footfall locations
NEW DELHI: BuyBuyCart is betting on convenience at the tap of a screen with the launch of its smart vending machines, marking its entry into India’s fast-evolving automated retail space.
Designed for speed and simplicity, the machines aim to bring everyday essentials closer to consumers who are increasingly short on time but high on expectations. From packaged snacks and beverages to ready-to-eat meals, personal care items and even healthier options like makhanas and dry fruits, the offering is built around daily needs with a dash of impulse buying.
Each unit comes equipped with an interactive touchscreen and supports multiple payment modes, including upi, qr code scanning, debit and credit cards, and digital wallets, making the entire purchase journey quick and contactless.
Founder Ashish Pandey said the move reflects a broader shift in consumer behaviour. “Convenience, speed and accessibility are now central to retail. Our vending machines are designed to deliver essentials round the clock while strengthening a technology-led retail ecosystem,” he noted.
The company plans to roll out between 300 and 400 machines in the first phase, targeting high footfall locations such as offices, IT parks, colleges, hospitals, fuel stations and residential complexes. It is also exploring partnerships with educational institutions to deepen its reach.
Beyond convenience, the machines double up as miniature storefronts for brands, offering a new channel for product visibility and promotions.
To scale operations, BuyBuyCart will adopt both FOCO and COCO models, allowing entrepreneurs to plug into the network while the company retains operational control in select locations.
As urban lifestyles grow busier, retail is quietly stepping out of stores and into corridors, campuses and corners, one vending machine at a time.
Brands
Rakesh Menon joins Paytm as avp – lending
Fintech product leader takes on new role after building digital lending, payments and credit products across fintech ecosystem
MUMBAI: Rakesh Menon has joined Paytm as assistant vice president – lending, taking on a new role focused on strengthening the company’s lending and credit products.
Prior to this, Menon worked at Profectus Capital Pvt Ltd as chief manager – payments based financing and digital lending.
At Profectus, he designed and launched digital credit products for merchants with variable cash flows, including overdraft-linked and revenue-share lending models. He led end-to-end LOS–LMS API integrations with payment partners and aggregators, enabling real-time underwriting, disbursal and repayment workflows.
He also worked on funnel optimisation initiatives using journey analytics, improving onboarding, KYC and disbursal conversion by 35 per cent. He developed ecosystem partnerships for transaction-data-based credit assessment and automated settlement systems, and collaborated with credit and data science teams to strengthen risk models and early delinquency detection.
Menon standardised partner onboarding and API frameworks, reducing go-live timelines by 40 per cent and improving digital scalability.
Before Profectus Capital, he worked at PayU as senior manager – presales lead – enterprise business from August 2022 to August 2023. He set up a national presales function for fintech and digital commerce clients, aligning solutions such as EMI, BNPL, BBPS and offer engines to merchant requirements.
He also helped improve conversion rates by around 15 per cent through merchant persona mapping, demo frameworks and structured sales playbooks, working closely with product and go-to-market teams.
From April 2019 to July 2022, Menon served as business unit head – SMB – direct acquisitions at Worldline, where he built the SMB online payments vertical from scratch. The business scaled to Rs 2,500 crore in annual transaction volume, growing at 45 per cent year-on-year.
During this period, he introduced paperless onboarding processes including eKYC and eSign, developed partner dashboards and CRM automation systems, and integrated platforms such as Shopify, WooCommerce and Tally to expand merchant adoption.
Across roles, Menon has worked across digital lending, payments and merchant financing, with experience in product development, ecosystem partnerships, API integrations and fintech-led growth strategies.
At Paytm, he will focus on scaling lending products and strengthening digital credit infrastructure within the company’s financial services ecosystem.
His appointment comes as fintech firms continue to expand their lending and embedded finance offerings in a competitive market.
