MAM
LEAD School rebrands itself as LEAD
Mumbai: LEAD School, an EdTech company in the K-12 segment, has rebranded itself as LEAD.
This new change reflects the evolution of LEAD from a chain of schools to one of India’s leading EdTech players that transforms traditional schools with its disruptive solutions. It also symbolises LEAD’s promise to propel millions of students in tier 2+ towns with a global standard of education, uninterrupted learning across physical, online, and hybrid classrooms, and exposure for all-around growth, the company said in a statement.
The new logo captures the upward trajectory, culminating into a starburst – symbolising excellence and achievement for students, teachers and schools. Consumers have already started to engage with the new brand identity on social media and over the next few weeks the brand will complete its transition across all touchpoints, it added.
LEAD co-founder & CEO Sumeet Mehta said, “Whenever we talk to students, teachers, school owners and parents, one thing stands out – LEAD propels them into a new world of opportunities! For far too long, schools were stuck in rote learning. Students found it hard to break out of their local constraints. And parents searched for good schools but to no avail. LEAD has changed that. 2000+ schools are now powered by LEAD. And we have just begun. Today, LEAD recommits to be a propulsive force in the lives of schools, students, teachers, and parents. And our new brand identity reflects this commitment.”
LEAD chief marketing officer Anupam Gurani said, “At LEAD, we have always believed that learning should never stop. While we are constantly upgrading and evolving, our brand identity is a reflection of what we stand for. The starburst formed with the letter ‘L’ is not only a universal symbol for success and excellence but also represents ownership with the first letter of our brand. We stand for being Trustworthy, Confident, Fearless, and Revolutionary, and our new identity reflects these attributes.”
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.
