e-commerce
Fintech upstart Pay10 recruits GoKwik marketing chief
MUMBAI: Pay10 India has roped in Joyeeta Ghosal from e-commerce enabler GoKwik to lead its marketing charge as the fintech outfit seeks to muscle into India’s crowded payments landscape. Ghosal, who spent over three years as head of marketing at GoKwik, has been appointed senior vice-president and head of marketing and communications at the alternative payments specialist.
The hire marks a homecoming of sorts for Ghosal, who previously cut her teeth in financial services during a near four-year stint at Home Credit India, where she rose from senior manager to head of marketing communications. Her track record spans traditional media, telecommunications, and consumer finance—experience that could prove crucial as Pay10 attempts to differentiate itself in a market dominated by heavyweight rivals.
Before her GoKwik tenure, Ghosal honed her brand-building credentials across diverse sectors. She managed marketing communications for Czech lender Home Credit during its aggressive Indian expansion, crafted customer insights at telecom giant Vodafone, and helped launch Bengali daily Ebela at media house ABP Group—a project later showcased at the World Newspaper Congress in Bangkok.
Her appointment comes as India’s payments sector faces increasing fragmentation, with niche players attempting to carve out specialised niches amid the dominance of established giants. Pay10’s focus on “open finance solutions and alternate payment methods” suggests an attempt to exploit gaps left by mainstream providers.
The move also highlights the ongoing talent shuffle in India’s fintech ecosystem, where experienced marketing professionals command premium valuations as companies vie for consumer mindshare. For Pay10, landing a veteran who has navigated both traditional financial services and cutting-edge e-commerce represents a strategic coup.
Whether Ghosal can translate her diverse experience into market traction for Pay10 remains the acid test. In a sector where regulatory headwinds and competitive pressures have claimed numerous casualties, her cross-industry expertise may prove the difference between breakthrough and bust.
e-commerce
American Express to acquire AI startup Hyper to boost automation
Deal targets expense management as AI reshapes corporate spending tools.
MUMBAI: From receipts to robots, the expense sheet is getting a brain upgrade as American Express moves to bring artificial intelligence into the heart of corporate spending. The company has announced plans to acquire Hyper, a relatively young but fast-rising startup founded in 2022 that builds AI-powered agents capable of organising expenses, generating reports, verifying compliance with budgets and policies, and nudging users with timely reminders. The deal, expected to close in the second quarter of 2026, underscores a growing shift among financial institutions to automate traditionally manual, time-heavy workflows.
Hyper counts Sam Altman among its backers, adding a layer of Silicon Valley credibility to the acquisition. While financial details remain undisclosed, the strategic intent is clear: deepen automation capabilities and sharpen American Express’s position in the competitive corporate spending ecosystem.
The two companies are not strangers. They previously collaborated in 2024 on a co-branded credit card product, suggesting that the acquisition is less a cold buy and more an extension of an existing relationship. With this move, American Express is effectively bringing that capability in-house, aiming to embed AI directly into its commercial services stack.
Chief executive Stephen Squeri had already signalled the direction of travel in a recent shareholder letter, describing AI as a “structural shift” in how businesses operate. The Hyper acquisition appears to be a direct response to that shift, particularly in expense management, where processes such as approvals, compliance checks and reporting remain ripe for automation.
Alongside the acquisition, the company is also expanding its product suite. A recently launched business credit card offers cashback and benefits at an annual fee of $295, with another card expected later this year moves that complement its broader push into commercial services.
Taken together, the strategy points to a future where managing expenses may require fewer spreadsheets and more algorithms. For American Express, the bet is simple, if businesses are rethinking how work gets done, the tools that power that work need to evolve just as quickly.
