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ESPNcricinfo brings Gaurav Kalra on board to expand digital video content strategy
MUMBAI: ESPNcricinfo, the world’s leading digital cricket brand seems to be strengthening its digital team. It has brought on board TV journalist Gaurav Kalra as the Senior Editor for the emerging video editorial and a part of the content development group.
Kalra, who joins ESPN from CNN-IBN, will work with ESPNcricinfo’s in-house digital video production teams and acclaimed editorial team to continue to grow and develop the brand’s use of high-quality video in their journalism and storytelling, as well as original analysis and programming. Kalra will report to Editor of ESPNcricinfo Sambit Bal.
Kalra will be based out of ESPN’s Bangalore office, where ESPNcricinfo also unveiled a new studio and control room built to enhance the production capabilities and quality for the site.
The highly-flexible digital video production studio is designed with four different “pocket sets” that can be purposed for four entirely different programming uses – including a main set, smaller and more casual “discussion” space, a video wall and a “pitch” demonstration set. Each can be customised for different shows and sponsor elements. The studio features multiple HD camera positions, cutting-edge digital switcher and recorder equipment, an eight-line Telos audio system, professional grade talk back system and a live streaming encoder – allowing it to produce full TV-quality programme production.
“ESPN has been at the forefront of developing world-class sports content and are known to have revolutionised the way content is delivered on digital platforms. The opportunity to keep pace with evolving tastes of sports fans and develop high-impact, share-able content in the process, is tremendous. ESPNcricinfo has enjoyed enviable brand loyalty from cricket fans thus far, and I look forward to enhancing the offering by looking at new series and video programming to take story-telling to the next level,” said Kalra.
eNews
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.
