MAM
HDFC Bank, Escotel’s co-branded international debit card
NEW DELHI: HDFC Bank and Escotel which claims to be the leading cellular service provider in Kerala, UP, Uttranchal and Haryana, have announced the launch of the HDFC Bank Escotel co-branded international debit card. Both parties offer customers benefits through the first of its kind debit card.
For an Escotel customer, whether prepaid or post paid, the debit card will come virtually free, as the Rs 150 paid towards the cost of the card will be credited back to him as talk time. This will be done by way of first free credit of Rs 100 upon registration and second free credit of Rs 50 on first usage of the debit card at merchant outlets within 31 days of card issuance.
Escotel’s CEO Rajan Swaroop made the following remarks about the endeavour. “It has always been our effort to provide our customers with value that goes far beyond the normal benefits of mobile usage. That is why we have entered into this tie-up with HDFC Bank to give our customers a whole range of benefits and value-additions. We are sure the HDFC Bank Escotel Debit Card will find wide acceptance among our customers.”
An official release informs that among the exclusive benefits being offered to postpaid customers is the waiver of Rs 532 activation fees along with the waiver of the national roaming rental worth Rs 1,200 for a lifetime. On the other hand, the prepaid customer gets an exclusive offer of credit of Rs 50 worth talk time on his first five recharges.
HDFC bank has also offered to waive off the one per cent processing fee on HDFC Bank personal loans and two per cent on HDFC Bank two-wheeler loans. The initiative also has a social side to it. The two companies will also be donating two rupees to People for Ethical Treatment of Animals’ (PETA) compassionate citizen programme against every co-brand card issued in Kerala, states the release.
Brands
Aman Gupta’s OFF/BEAT secures Rs 100 crore seed funding round
Bessemer backs new venture betting on AI and India’s digital shift
MUMBAI: Aman Gupta has raised Rs 100 crore in seed funding for his new venture OFF/BEAT, with Bessemer Venture Partners leading the round as it bets on a new wave of AI-led, consumer-first businesses in India.
The funding marks an early but significant push for OFF/BEAT, which is positioned to tap into a rapidly evolving market shaped by a digitally native generation and advances in artificial intelligence. The venture aims to build at the intersection of culture and technology, where brand identity and innovation increasingly go hand in hand.
Gupta, best known for co-founding boAt and scaling it into a Rs 3,000 crore-plus business, is now looking to apply those learnings to a new playbook. His focus this time is not just on building a consumer brand, but on leveraging AI and global networks to accelerate growth.
OFF/BEAT founder Aman Gupta said, “Having built from scratch before, I know what capital can do and what it cannot. This time, I was looking for partners with a global perspective who can help me leverage technology and AI, because that is where the future lies. Bessemer’s track record with companies like Anthropic, Shopify, Canva and LinkedIn says it all.”
The choice of investor reflects that ambition. Bessemer Venture Partners has backed global technology players such as Anthropic, Shopify, Canva and LinkedIn, bringing not just capital but strategic support and global reach.
Bessemer Venture Partners partner Anant Vidur Puri said, “We back founders who see around corners. Aman saw how a new India would come to think about aspiration, identity and quality, and built boAt as proof. He is now applying that same instinct to a market being reshaped by AI and by a generation with entirely new expectations.”
The investment comes at a time when India’s startup ecosystem is being reshaped by both consumer behaviour and technological disruption. Founders are increasingly expected to understand not just products, but the cultural shifts that drive adoption.
For OFF/BEAT, the journey is just beginning, but the signal is clear. In a market where attention is fleeting and expectations are rising, building something truly distinctive may be the only way to stay on beat.
