e-commerce
Amazon set to acquire 9.5% stake in Future Retail
MUMBAI: Ecommerce giant Amazon is all set to acquire a minority stake in Future Retail next week according to an Economic Times report. This deal will allow Amazon to reach the country’s food and grocery market through supermarket chains like Big Bazaar and Nilgiris. Future Retail has more than 1,100 physical stores across India.
The deal is said to be around Rs 2,500 crore. Speaking to Economic Times, sources said, “Amazon, through the foreign portfolio investor (FPI) route, will buy about 9.5 per cent stake in Future Retail and has already signed a term sheet. The deal will be announced after board approval on 14 November.”
Wazir Advisors founder Harminder Sahni said, “It essentially means Amazon is taking a position in offline retail. But it can’t just be a financial investment and they will surely leverage Future Group's network and backend facilities for supply chain and other operations."
e-commerce
Paisabazaar launches bill payments and mobile recharge on app
Zero-fee transactions with assured rewards aim to turn the credit platform into an everyday financial hub.
MUMBAI: Your phone bill just got a reward and it didn’t even ask for one. Paisabazaar, India’s go-to spot for checking credit scores and hunting loans, has quietly flipped the script by adding bill payments and mobile recharges to its app, all at zero platform fee, with assured rewards tossed in on every swipe. The update means users can now settle a whole menu of everyday dues without leaving the app, prepaid mobile recharges, postpaid bills, credit card payments, loan EMIs, electricity, DTH, LPG, and piped gas. No hidden charges, no extra clicks, just quick taps and a little something back in the pocket.
Mobile recharge alone is a monster market, Paisabazaar’s internal estimate pegs it at over Rs 15,000 crore per month nationwide and it’s one of those habits people never skip. By making recharges fast, reliable and rewarding, the platform is betting it can pull in fresh faces across ages, incomes and cities. Many might start with a quick top-up and end up exploring the full buffet: credit tracking, loans, bonds, fixed deposits and more.
Paisabazaar CEO Santosh Agarwal put it plainly, “We are building the Paisabazaar App to play a more active role as an everyday financial companion, beyond just credit. By enabling payments and recharges with zero fees and assured rewards, we are creating strong reasons for consumers to return to the App regularly. Greater frequency drives familiarity, long-term trust, and smarter financial decisions over time.”
The move is the latest step in Paisabazaar’s quiet expansion from a credit-focused marketplace into a broader money-management sidekick. Last year it rolled out bonds and fixed deposits, now payments join the party, aiming to boost daily app opens and turn one-time visitors into regular visitors who trust the platform with more than just their score.
In a world where everyone dreads the low-balance notification, Paisabazaar is handing out small wins with every recharge and bill pay hoping those tiny rewards add up to bigger loyalty. Whether you’re topping up for the month or clearing last month’s dues, the app just made routine money stuff feel a little less routine. And a little more rewarding.
