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IAMAI hails piracy task force as shot in the arm for creative economy
MUMBAI: The Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) has cheered the ministry of information and broadcasting’s (MIB’s) decision to set up a dedicated task force to tackle the scourge of online piracy, calling it a long-overdue step to protect the country’s creative economy.
IAMAI’s digital entertainment committee said the initiative would help turn the tough provisions of the Cinematograph Amendment Act 2023 into action on the ground. The law introduced steep penalties for piracy and empowered authorities to crack down on illegal recordings and transmissions.
A 2024 “Rob Report”, published by EY and IAMAI, estimated that India’s entertainment sector—spanning OTT platforms and cinemas—loses Rs 224 bn annually to piracy, with 51 per cent of consumers admitting to watching pirated content. It urged stronger enforcement, fairer pricing and more innovative distribution models.
JioStar chief executive and chair of the digital entertainment committe Kiran Mani said IAMAI’s role in the task force would channel industry expertise into “decisive measures that safeguard our creative economy and fuel long-term growth.”
Inshorts a co-founder & chief executive and co-chair of the committee Deepit Purkayastha called piracy “one of the biggest hurdles” for the industry, adding that the task force was a chance to “set the stage for a stronger and more trusted entertainment industry.”
With a task force in place, the law tightened and industry voices aligned, India’s media and entertainment sector is finally poised to fight piracy with more than words.
(The picture shown above is just a representation of the task force and does not purport to depict either Shastri Bhawan or the industry executives who are part of the task force)
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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.
