MAM
SIDBI, MonetaGo team up to secure MSME lending
MUMBAI: When it comes to lending, trust is the best collateral. In a major move to fortify India’s MSME financing ecosystem, SIDBI (Small Industries Development Bank of India) has teamed up with MonetaGo to roll out a cutting-edge fraud prevention and digital infrastructure solution.
The partnership aims to make credit safer and smarter for India’s small businesses, ensuring they get the funds they deserve without the risk of duplicate or fraudulent financing. This marks the first time a development financial institution has adopted MonetaGo’s technology, setting a new benchmark for secure and transparent MSME lending.
SIDBI chief general manager Y. M. Kumari said the collaboration would strengthen trust in MSME credit systems, especially in initiatives like GST-Sahay invoice-based financing. “By adding transparency and resilience, we aim to boost confidence in the lending ecosystem and help unlock the sector’s full potential,” she noted.
SIDBI deputy managing director Sudatta Mandal highlighted that de-risking credit flows is key to expanding MSME access and competitiveness.
For MonetaGo, the partnership is another milestone in its mission to secure digital finance. “SIDBI’s adoption of our Secure Financing system is a turning point for fraud prevention in MSME lending,” said MonetaGo India managing director Kalyan Basu.
Since 2018, MonetaGo’s technology has underpinned India’s digital trade finance framework. Backed by the Reserve Bank of India, it has already helped MSME financing grow by over 216 per cent since 2023, proving that when finance gets smarter, small businesses grow stronger.
MAM
Cipla appoints Achin Gupta as MD and global CEO
Veteran pharma leader with 20-plus years takes charge from 1 April 2026, succeeding current MD.
MUMBAI: Cipla’s next chapter just got a seasoned prescription because when it comes to leading a pharma giant, Achin Gupta knows exactly which dose delivers results. The Mumbai-based drugmaker announced on 23 February 2026 that Achin Gupta, currently global chief operating officer, will step up as managing director and global chief executive officer from 1 April 2026. He succeeds the outgoing leadership team and will steer Cipla’s worldwide operations, market expansion, operational efficiency, and innovation pipeline across its broad portfolio of generics, specialty drugs, and consumer healthcare treatments.
Gupta brings more than 20 years of pharmaceutical industry experience to the corner office. Before rejoining Cipla, he spent over eight years at Glenmark Pharmaceuticals in senior roles, having also worked there earlier between 2004 and 2012. His career path also includes key stints at Abbott Laboratories and management consulting firm A.T. Kearney, giving him a well-rounded view of global pharma strategy, operations, and growth.
In his current COO role, Gupta has already been deeply involved in streamlining Cipla’s supply chain, boosting manufacturing agility, and driving digital transformation moves that positioned the company strongly amid post-pandemic supply challenges and rising competition. As MD and Global CEO, he’ll now have full accountability for executing Cipla’s long-term vision, from deepening presence in key markets like the US, Europe, and emerging regions to accelerating R&D in complex generics and biosimilars.
The appointment comes at a pivotal time for Cipla, as the industry navigates pricing pressures, regulatory shifts, and the push for affordable innovation in chronic therapies. Gupta’s track record of scaling operations and delivering consistent performance makes him a logical internal choice to keep the momentum going.
For a company that’s long been a household name in affordable medicines, this leadership handoff is less about a big shake-up and more about steady continuity with fresh energy ensuring the next dose of growth is as effective as the last.
