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Javed Akhtar revamped IPRS’s new chairman
MUMBAI: Fresh elections were held after more than a decade in the revamped IPRS, in which both the authors (music composers and lyricists) and publishers (music labels) participated. These elections have the backing of the author and publisher community in India. Renowned poet and writer, Javed Akhtar, was unanimously elected as the chairman of the new board.
The revamped IPRS has adopted a new working constitution and is fully in sync with the Amended Copyright Act. The primary objective of this constitution is to ensure rightful royalty flow to all the rights owner, while simplifying licensing process for the end users.
Akhtar said, “IPRS has turned over a new page and a new chapter has started, where there is no WE and THEM, only US. Writers, composers and publishers have risen above the past conflicts and have a taken a pledge to work together for the enhancement of Indian Music Industry’s reach and prosperity.”
“This is a historic moment for the music industry, and will act as catalyst of growth for all stakeholders. We look forward to IPRS achieving new heights under the leadership of Javed saab,” said Saregama India managing director Vikram Mehra.
The newly elected members on the board are Javed Akhtar, Shridhar Subramaniam, Aashish Rego, Kumar Taurani, Rajinder Singh Panesar, Devraj Sanyal, G.V. Prakash Kumar, Ganesh Jain, Anupam Roy, Mandar Thakur, Sahithi Cherukupalli and Vikram Mehra.
The Indian Performing Right Society Ltd. (IPRS) owns, administers and currently controls the Performing Right in Musical Works and Literary Works assigned to it by its owner members.
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.
