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SIA-India to set up portal to facilitate govt-private interface for satellite industry
Mumbai: Over 48 noted experts from as many as 12 countries attended – ‘SatCom Emerging trends: Post reform era’ – a two- day conference organised by the Satcom Industry Association (SIA) India from 5-6 August.
The virtual event saw various eminent speakers discussing the future role of the Satellite industry especially in the context of India. Supported by Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) the objective of this conference was to provide a platform to various stakeholders to come together and address the critical issues and challenges faced by the Satellite industry.
In his opening remark, SIA India president and Ananth Technologies, CMD Subba Rao Pavuluri outlined the importance and future prospect of space technology especially the Indian Satcom ecosystem. According to Dr Rao, over 500 firms engaged in space technologies will benefit from these reforms.
Airspace IX founder CEO and Speedcast founder CEO Thomas Choi said, “India should focus more on developing systems which are not expensive”.
In his special address, ISRO Scientific Secretary R. Umamaheshwaran who was also the guest of honour talked about the fantastic growth of the SatCom industry in India in the last 40 years which has drastically affected the lives of the common people. Space has the opportunity to play a complementary role for development and growth, he said.
ISRO former chairman and department of space secretary, Dr AS Kiran Kumar emphasised on the larger participation of private and global players in this field to fulfil the need and demand for Satcom Industry overall growth in India.
“In a country with 57 per cent rural India is unconnected, satellites will play a pivotal role in bridging the digital divide. SIA-India’s emphasis is to play an important role in facilitating a regulatory and policy framework to make this happen,” said Satcom Industry Association, director general, Anil Prakash.
The day two of the event saw eminent speakers deliberate on the participation of the private sector in the SatCom industry. ‘Space Startups connecting to International markets with emerging business Models’ was also a subject for the discussion.
The conference aimed to help create a bridge between the government and the industry bodies to understand the importance of the space economy as the next big leap towards making India a global superpower.
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.
