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Creators in M&E industry can’t substitute storytelling with technology: Experts at Pearl Academy’s Portfolio 2022
Mumbai: At Pearl Academy’s Portfolio 2022, experts from the world of advertising, media, cinema and entertainment decoded the future of these industries in the metaverse during a panel discussion. The panelists for this discussion were Ogilvy chief creative officer Sukesh Nayak; director, producer Aakash Bhatia; director of the film “Bheja Fry” Sagar Ballary and film producer Vivek Agrawal. The session was moderated by Pearl Academy dean, School of Contemporary Media Viveck Vaswani.
Commenting on the role of technology in these industries, Nayak said, “Technologies like Metaverse allow you to be braver in exploring different possibilities however stories and storytelling remain the key since there’ll not be any magic if the stories don’t mean anything.”
“Content creators and artists in these industries cannot substitute storytelling with technology. You can dream bigger with technology, but it should not make you complacent,” said Agrawal.
On being asked, what should millennials who want to join these industries be taught, Ballary said, “Art is the medium supported by science or technology therefore a beautiful balance between the two is required. Technology should be used as a tool to correct the art and not actually create it. Besides technology, gravitas and patience are important to be able to work on the art.”
“One thing that technology has allowed is for people to watch more content and has given them multiple viewing canvases. However, the usability of technology is on us as anything that moves you forward can take you backwards too,” opined director and producer Aakash Bhatia.
Portfolio 2022, which provided the platform for this panel discussion, is an annual event that showcases students’ projects by Pearl Academy that sits at the intersection of technology and creativity.
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PNB partners Kiwi to launch credit-enabled UPI for users
Targets 180 million customers; RuPay card offers 0.5 per cent to 1.5 per cent cashback
MUMBAI: Swipe, tap, or scan credit is quietly slipping into the rhythm of everyday payments, and Punjab National Bank wants in on the action. The state-run lender has partnered with Kiwi to roll out credit-enabled UPI payments for its 180 million customers, marking a significant push to blend traditional banking with India’s fast-evolving digital payments ecosystem.
At the centre of the collaboration is the launch of the PNB Kiwi Credit Card on the RuPay network. The card is designed with a digital-first approach, offering fully online onboarding and seamless integration with UPI, allowing users to transact via scan-and-pay while accessing credit.
The offering also brings in a rewards layer, with cashback ranging from 0.5 per cent to 1.5 per cent on online transactions, positioning the product as both a convenience play and a spending incentive.
The move comes as UPI continues to dominate India’s digital payments landscape, increasingly blurring the lines between debit-led transactions and credit access. For PNB, which operates over 10,000 branches around 60 per cent in semi-urban and rural areas, the partnership signals a targeted effort to extend formal credit to segments that have traditionally remained underserved.
The collaboration also reflects a broader industry shift, where banks and fintech platforms are converging to embed credit directly into payment flows, reducing friction while expanding access.
With RuPay credit cards gaining traction and UPI evolving beyond peer-to-peer transfers, the PNB–Kiwi tie-up positions both players at the intersection of scale, accessibility, and the next phase of digital finance in India.
