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<ul><li>An earlier report had suggested that <keyword id="6357120" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="paytm" source="Orion">Paytm</keyword> Mall suffered a massive data breach in August 2020.</li><li>It was expected that the breach had compromised data such as the user’s phone number, email address, purchase history, and more.</li><li>An investigation by Troy Hunt has now revealed that the breached data has been fabricated.</li></ul>Update on July 29: Troy Hunt, the founder of Have I been pwned, the platform that had earlier claimed that a data breach occurred at Paytm Mall in 2020 has now revealed that after a chat with Paytm’s team, he has discovered that the data did not originate from Paytm and that it was fabricated. “An update on this breach: after loading it into @haveibeenpwned, the head of @paytm's infosec team reached out and we had a chat about the authenticity of the data, which they believe didn't originate from them. We now collectively believe it's fabricated,” Troy Hunt said in a <a href="https://twitter.com/troyhunt/status/1552808334759043073">tweet</a>. Paytm, one of the largest wallet and payment services platforms, reportedly suffered a massive data breach in 2020. While the company has not accepted this, it had reportedly received a ransom demand after the data breach. Firefox Monitor, a security tracker by Mozilla that informs users if their mobile number or email has been compromised in a data breach, has today confirmed that Paytm suffered a data breach in 2020 and that data of over 3.4 million users has been discovered online. Update - Paytm has clarified the leak. “The data of our users is completely safe &amp; claims related to data leak in the year 2020 are completely false and unsubstantiated. A fake dump uploaded on the platform haveibeenpwned.com appears to wrongly alert of a data breach on Firefox browser. We are getting in touch with Firefox and the platform to resolve the matter," a Paytm spokesperson said in a statement to Business Insider India. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="What information was compromised in the data breach?" comment="subhead" text="What information was compromised in the data breach?">What information was compromised in the data breach?</cmsannotation> According to a <a href="https://monitor.firefox.com/breach-details/Paytm">report</a> by Firefox Monitor, the data breach compromised information such as the user’s phone number, email address, purchase history, gender, date of birth, location and income levels. Fortunately, payment information such as saved cards was not compromised during the data breach. You need not change your passwords as the data breach did not compromise the passwords. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="How to find out if your data was compromised?" comment="subhead" text="How to find out if your data was compromised?">How to find out if your data was compromised?</cmsannotation> If you are a Paytm user and wish to know if your data has been compromised, you can follow the below steps – <ul><li>Go to Have I been pwned website <a href="https://haveibeenpwned.com/">here</a>.</li><li>Enter your email address or phone number and click “pwned?”.</li><li>You will then be able to see all the websites or apps where your data was compromised.</li></ul>Several users have been warned by Firefox Monitor, and Have I been pwned that their data was compromised during the breach on Paytm. <div type="twitter" handle="narayananh" handlename="Narayanan Hariharan (NithyaKarma.com)" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1504760174132690949/O8KXUu5h_normal.jpg" favoritecount="73" retweetcount="14" status=".⁦@Paytm⁩ data breach. That's an awful lot of my personal info that Paytm has let out. https://t.co/Jg5BDebhLe" createdat="1658889446000" id="1552120952200507392"></div> <div type="twitter" handle="ankitpr89" handlename="Ankit Prakash" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1216767433605668864/3_a8Y8lQ_normal.jpg" favoritecount="9" retweetcount="1" status="And PayTm data breach. https://t.co/LaRN0PQ7Pm" createdat="1658888869000" id="1552118532552671233"></div> <div type="twitter" handle="_rajendraryadav" handlename="Rajendra Kumar Yadav" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1543647761199153152/wEflOpDK_normal.jpg" favoritecount="0" retweetcount="0" status="@Paytmcare @Paytm I have been warned by @firefox monitor for Data Breach.Is it true?Please confirm?@GoI_MeitY… https://t.co/w4Ftn4vwZ8" createdat="1658894750000" id="1552143198130098176"></div> SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/oneplus-10t-to-launch-soon-in-india-launch-date-expected-specifications-and-everything-you-need-to-know/articleshow/93153501.cms">OnePlus 10T to launch soon in India – launch date, expected specifications and everything you need to know</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/redmi-k50i-mobile-phone-review/articleshow/93001395.cms">Redmi K50i review: A solid performer but lacks the charm of its predecessor</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/android-13-beta-eligible-devices-how-to-download-and-everything-you-need-to-know/articleshow/92857016.cms">Google rolls out final Android 13 beta – eligible devices, how to download, and everything you need to know</a>

Paytm Mall breach data is fabricated, says Have I been Pwned founder Troy Hunt

<ul><li>The Reserve Bank of India barred <keyword id="3236791" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="paytm-payments-bank" source="Orion">Paytm Payments Bank</keyword> from taking on new customers last week.</li><li>A spokesperson of One 97 Communications, the parent entity of digital payments giant <keyword id="6357120" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="paytm" source="Orion">Paytm</keyword>, has denied the allegations.</li><li>Paytm Payments Bank is a joint venture between Paytm and its founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma.</li></ul>The Reserve Bank of India <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/rbi-stops-paytm-payments-bank-from-opening-new-accounts/articleshow/90156814.cms">barred </a>Paytm Payments Bank from taking on new customers last week because it allowed its data to flow to servers that were sharing information with China-based entities, Bloomberg reported on Monday. “Annual inspections by the Reserve Bank of India [RBI] found that the company’s servers were sharing information with China-based entities that indirectly own a stake in Paytm Payments Bank,” the report <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-03-14/india-said-to-punish-paytm-bank-for-data-leaks-to-chinese-firms">noted </a>citing sources. A spokesperson of One 97 Communications, the parent entity of digital payments giant Paytm, has denied the allegations. The spokesperson has claimed that the report is “completely false” and “simple [sic] sensationalising”. “Paytm Payments Bank is proud to be a completely homegrown bank and is fully compliant with RBI’s directions on data localisation. All of the Bank’s data resides within the country. We are true believers of the Digital India initiative, and remain committed to driving financial inclusion in the country,” the spokesperson added. Paytm Payments Bank is a joint venture between Paytm and its founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma. It is important to note that Paytm Payments Bank is not included under the public offering of One 97 Communications, instead it is an associate entity. Paytm Payments Bank is the backbone behind several Paytm offerings including insurance, digital payments and lending. The company’s shares dipped over 12% on Monday, reaching an <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/paytms-shares-hit-an-all-time-low-plunging-below-the-700-mark-after-rbi-pulls-up-its-payments-bank/articleshow/90193957.cms">all time low of ₹680</a>. The company is currently sitting on a market cap of ₹43,798 crore ($5.7 billion), which is nearly four times less than the $19.9 billion market cap the company was accorded during its initial public offering (IPO). The central bank had banned Paytm from onboarding new customers after noticing certain “material supervisory concerns”. RBI has directed Paytm Payments Bank to appoint an information technology (IT) audit firm to conduct a comprehensive system audit of its IT system. It is important to note that Global investment bank Macquarie had slashed <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/macquarie-slashes-paytms-target-price-to-700-goldman-sachs-upgrades-it/articleshow/89401105.cms">Paytm’s target price to ₹700</a>, from previous ₹1,200 in November 2021 and ₹900 in January 2022, in February this year. SEE ALSO <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/ecommerce/news/four-years-later-sachin-bansal-is-still-battling-eight-lawsuits-from-his-flipkart-days/articleshow/90202495.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" style="text-decoration-line: line-through;">Four years later, Sachin Bansal is still battling eight lawsuits from his Flipkart days</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/paytms-shares-hit-an-all-time-low-plunging-below-the-700-mark-after-rbi-pulls-up-its-payments-bank/articleshow/90193957.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" style="">Paytm’s shares hit an all-time low plunging below the ₹700-mark after RBI pulls up its payments bank</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/interview-you-will-be-able-to-own-bajaj-made-yulu-bikes-by-next-year/articleshow/90172838.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" style="">INTERVIEW: You will be able to own Bajaj-made Yulu bikes by next year</a>

Paytm Payments Bank denies report claiming it leaked data to Chinese firms

<ul><li>RBI aims to make financial data much more accessible through the <keyword id="3270169" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="account-aggregator" source="Orion">Account Aggregator</keyword> Network.</li><li>Under the new initiative, no one company would hold greater authority over the customer’s financial or other data.</li><li>ICICI Securities has issued a buy call for <keyword id="6357120" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="paytm" source="Orion">Paytm</keyword>, at a target price of ₹1352.</li></ul>A latest report by ICICI Securities has listed out the Reserve Bank of India (RBI)’s ‘Account Aggregator Network’ initiative as one of the major challenges that financial services firm Paytm could face in the years to come. The investment bank has noted that data, which is a key moat of Paytm’s entire digital payments and ecommerce ecosystem, is getting democratised and that may not be such a great thing for the company at this point. It is important to note that the RBI aims to make financial data much more accessible through the Account Aggregator Network. It aims to empower customers by giving them greater control over their data, and create one central source for all financial data. For example, a lender will require previous financial statements of the borrower before offering any loan. This information lies with Financial Informational Providers (FIU) like banks, digital banking platforms and other such businesses. The lender will have to request this data on Account Aggregator, which will further seek consent from the said borrower. The Account Aggregator system is said to be a big<a href="https://internetfreedom.in/explainer-account-aggregator-framework-saveourprivacy/"> step towards</a> a connected financial ecosystem, but it also means that no one company would hold greater authority over the customer’s financial or other data. “With access to richer, wider, consented and verified sets of data, lenders can assess credit worthiness more efficiently and seamlessly and take informed lending/investment decisions. It will reduce acquisition/transaction costs and turnaround time enabling low-ticket offering and more tailored products and services to customers [in the industry]. Paytm’s key moat is access to behavioral data and customer insights that may get democratised or the ability to leverage on the same may come with a lower sharing cost,” ICICI Securities said. Business Insider has reached out to Paytm seeking their response on the same. Besides this, ICICI Securities has also highlighted that Paytm's scale comes at the cost of profitability and it needs to fix that to strengthen itself. “It has consistently been in an investment and scale up mode that led to cumulative operating revenue of ₹140 billion [₹14,000 crore] since FY14. Post demon [demonetisation] and with digital push by government as well as regulator (UPI launch), it has spent aggressively on marketing to the extent of ₹70 billion [₹7,000 crore] during FY17-20, ICICI Securities added. The company will spend another ₹4,300 crore on marketing, hiring talent and other aspects from its recent fundraise, the report noted. ICICI Securities has issued a buy call for Paytm, at a target price of ₹1352. Global investment bank Macquarie, on the other hand, had<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/macquarie-slashes-paytms-target-price-to-700-goldman-sachs-upgrades-it/articleshow/89401105.cms"> slashed</a> Paytm’s target price to ₹700. Notably, the company’s shares were trading at ₹821.70 at 10:44 a.m., on Monday. The company has witnessed erosion of nearly $13 billion in valuation since its listing in November 2021. SEE ALSO <a class="tout-title-link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/sensex-and-nifty-50-continue-to-witness-sell-off-as-foreign-investors-continue-to-take-money-out-for-five-straight-months/articleshow/89717224.cms">Sell-off continues in Indian markets as foreign investors continue to take money out for five straight months</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/apple-could-launch-four-new-macs-powered-by-the-m2-chip-in-2022-but-dont-expect-a-larger-imac/articleshow/89715541.cms">Apple could launch four new Macs powered by the M2 chip in 2022, but don’t expect a larger iMac</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/news/massive-credit-suisse-leak-reveals-bank-managed-hundreds-of-millions-of-dollars-with-clients-tied-to-criminal-activity-and-human-rights-abuses/articleshow/89710544.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">Massive Credit Suisse leak reveals bank managed hundreds of millions of dollars with clients tied to criminal activity and human rights abuses</a>

Data, a key moat of Paytm ecosystem, is getting democratised and it's not a good thing for the company

<keyword id="50691" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="digital" source="Orion">Digital</keyword> payments in India saw a <a href="https://www.republicworld.com/india-news/economy/digital-payments-in-india-see-78-percent-rise-in-2020-as-nation-heads-towards-cashless-economy.html" data-type="tilCustomLink">78% rise</a> in 2021 as compared to 2020. People’s concerns also rose with the rise in digital payments. Covid-19 brought-on a surge in online payments, leaving consumers much more concerned about their safety, with <a href="https://www.livemint.com/news/india/consumers-more-concerned-about-digital-payment-frauds-survey-11623585064492.html" data-type="tilCustomLink">71% of people</a> sharing concerns about online scams and frauds. This is a sharp increase from 47% at the beginning of the pandemic. 30% of consumers also feared their financial data being leaked online. However, when people think about online frauds and scams, they often don’t take into account the payment gateway (PG) they’re using. For early start-ups, using a secure payment gateway is of high priority if they wish to retain customer trust, increase sales, and ensure the safety of their internal data. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="What is a Payment Gateway" comment="subhead" text="What is a Payment Gateway">What is a Payment Gateway</cmsannotation> A payment gateway lets consumers enter into other networks and pay online for their purchases through websites. To alleviate data concerns, <keyword id="30067" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="rbi" source="Orion">RBI</keyword> undertook certain initiatives in 2021, which did not let any website save consumer data. Hence, domestic online merchants and e-commerce firms had to delete the saved card details of their customers from their servers. Since the online merchants cannot hold any customer payment data, it becomes evident that only a good payment gateway can help secure consumer data and avoid leakages due to data breaches. PGs help both parties involved. While a merchant needs an easy flow of transactions without any hiccups, a consumer values a carefree payment environment. A payment gateway helps with data privacy (by ensuring no 3rd party can view the data fed by the consumer) and not letting data get hampered. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Paytm Payment Gateway: What sets it apart" comment="subhead" text="Paytm Payment Gateway: What sets it apart"><keyword id="6357120" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="paytm" source="Orion">Paytm</keyword> Payment Gateway: What sets it apart</cmsannotation> <keyword id="10476989" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="paytm-pg" source="Orion">Paytm PG</keyword>’s security features for merchants ensure data safety and a smooth flow of transactions. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Data privacy" comment="subhead" text="Data privacy">Data privacy</cmsannotation> Paytm PG APIs are secured with HTTPS protocol and checksum logic. An HTTPS protects the privacy and security of website users by preventing hackers from passively listening to communication between the browser and the server. Additionally, checksum logic ensures that data cannot be tampered with while being transported from one server to the other during a transaction. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Fraud prevention" comment="subhead" text="Fraud prevention">Fraud prevention</cmsannotation> Following RBI guidelines and PCI DSS security mandate, Paytm PG converts the 16- digit debit/credit card number into a unique identifier —a token. Thus, even if any 3rd party or hacker enters the PG, they won’t be able to decipher the value of this token, thereby safeguarding sensitive data. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Foolproof encryption" comment="subhead" text="Foolproof encryption">Foolproof encryption</cmsannotation> Paytm PG is PCI DSS Level 1 certified. This RBI-recognized certificate ensures the security of customer data from possible cyber threats. Paytm has the most advanced 128 bit AES encryption &amp; is <keyword id="55014" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="ssl" source="Orion">SSL</keyword> certified, which along with the AI-led real-time risk detection and fraud prevention technology means utmost security for the end customers. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Limited redirections" comment="subhead" text="Limited redirections">Limited redirections</cmsannotation> Any customer transacting on Paytm Payment gateway faces minimal redirections to other pages, that too, to secure bank pages only. This keeps the customers within the secure Paytm PG environment. This improves the success rate of a transaction. Paytm PG supports 3,000 TPS (transactions per second) vs Industry-standard of &lt; 1,000 TPS. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Cutting-edge technology" comment="subhead" text="Cutting-edge technology">Cutting-edge technology</cmsannotation> Paytm PG focuses on leveraging new technologies in an innovative way to provide better security and higher payment control to customers. A prominently displayed interoperable QR in desktop checkouts and <keyword id="6358921" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="upi" source="Orion">UPI</keyword>-Push functionality are two such examples. Using the QR method, customers can initiate the payment by scanning through Paytm or any other UPI app. This puts them in full control of making the payment unlike <keyword id="510437" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="otp" source="Orion">OTP</keyword> driven logins that are vulnerable to abuse. Further, unlike UPI collect which is particularly vulnerable to abuse these days owing to its popularity, Paytm is now shifting focus to a new <keyword id="14028702" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="upi-push" source="Orion">UPI push</keyword> technology that will allow users to enjoy the ease of UPI payments within the secure Paytm environment . UPI Push is a unique feature that allows Paytm users to pay using any bank account from within the Paytm environment, which has several layers of security. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Transparency" comment="subhead" text="Transparency">Transparency</cmsannotation> Because of the high volume of transactions, merchants are sometimes unsure of the status of the transaction. The callback URLs, status check URLs and webhook URLs allow merchants to check the final status of the transaction before servicing the customer. A merchant can easily double check the status of the transaction before issuing tickets and changing inventory at their end. An on-the-spot notification about the status of the transaction reduces the risk of loss in case of failed or pending transactions. Trusted by over 300 million Indians, Paytm PG is the right choice for start-ups who want complete safety of their own and their customers' data. Since it is instantly activated, easy to integrate, and offers 100+ payment sources, opting for the <a href="https://business.paytm.com/payment-gateway?utm_source=Business_Insider&amp;utm_medium=Publisher&amp;utm_campaign=India_Today_Publisher_Payment_Gateway_Security_Features" data-type="tilCustomLink">Paytm PG </a>is the ultimate choice if one wishes to build trust with customers and help them steer clear of online scams. For more information on Paytm PG visit their <a href="https://business.paytm.com/payment-gateway?utm_source=Business_Insider&amp;utm_medium=Publisher&amp;utm_campaign=India_Today_Publisher_Payment_Gateway_Security_Features" data-type="tilCustomLink">payment gateway website</a> Disclaimer: This article is generated and published by the <keyword id="14028703" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="insider-studios" source="Orion">Insider Studios</keyword> team. You can get in touch with them on insiderstudios@businessinsider.in

71% of consumers are concerned about online fraud. Here is how Paytm Payment Gateway’s security features are helping businesses build trust.

<ul><li><keyword id="964794" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="BigBasket">BigBasket</keyword> faced a security breach, which ended up compromising the data of almost 20 million users. </li><li>The blog by cybersecurity research firm Cyble said that their research team found the database of BigBasket being sold for over $40,000 in the cyber-crime market.</li><li>However, BigBasket isn’t the first grocery retail startup to have come under the target of hackers. Hyperlocal delivery startup Dunzo too was targeted in July 2020.</li><li>BigBasket is also reportedly in talks with the Tata Group for an investment, where the 152-year old conglomerate could pick up a 50% stake in the <keyword id="1640900" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Online-grocery">online grocery</keyword> retail startup. </li></ul>One of India’s popular e-grocery startups, BigBasket, has faced a security breach that compromised the data of almost 20 million users. The blog by cybersecurity research firm <a href="https://cybleinc.com/2020/11/07/bigbasket-indias-leading-online-supermarket-shopping-allegedly-breached-personal-details-of-over-20-million-people-sold-in-darkweb/">Cyble</a> said that their research team found the database of BigBasket being sold for over $40,000 in the cyber-crime market. BigBasket admitted that a breach had happened and that it is currently evaluating the same. “A few days ago, we learnt about a potential data breach at Bigbasket and are evaluating the extent of the breach and authenticity of the claim in consultation with cybersecurity experts and finding immediate ways to contain it. We have also lodged a complaint with the Cyber Crime Cell in Bangalore and intend to pursue this vigorously to bring the culprits to book,” said the company spokesperson. However, an IANS report said that the complaint had not been confirmed by the Cyber Crime Cell. Cyble said that the <keyword id="41677" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="hacked">hacked</keyword> data could mean that crucial information like users’ full names, email IDs, password hashes (potentially hashed OTPs), pin, contact numbers (mobile + phone), full addresses, date of birth, location, and IP addresses of login could have been leaked. BigBasket acknowledged that the hackers could have accessed email ids, phone numbers, order details and addresses, but the financial data, including credit card numbers, remains confidential and secure. “We have a robust information security framework that employs best-in-class resources and technologies to manage our information. We will continue to proactively engage with best-in-class information security experts to strengthen this further,” said the company. BigBasket is the second online grocery retailer to be targeted BigBasket has come under the hackers’ scanner at a time when the e-grocery market has gained popularity during the coronavirus lockdown. BigBasket, along with Grofers, has been one of the key players in the segment – BigBasket saw a 3-6 fold increase in demand, its CEO Hari Menon had said on Twitter in April. However, BigBasket isn’t the first grocery retail startup to have come under the target of hackers. During the coronavirus lockdown, another hyperlocal delivery startup – Dunzo had reported a breach in its user data. In July 2020, the personal data of 3.4 million users of Dunzo was exposed. “Our investigation so far suggests that the servers of a third party we work with were compromised. This allowed the attacker to get unauthorized access and breach our database. This database contained a user phone number and email address information. No payment information like credit card numbers was compromised as we do not store this data on our servers,”<a href="https://medium.com/dunzo/your-security-is-our-top-priority-def5ebe5db12"> Dunzo had said in a statement then. </a> BigBasket’s big ambitions Meanwhile, BigBasket is also reportedly in talks with the Tata Group for an investment, where the 152-year old conglomerate could pick up a 50% stake in the online grocery retail startup. According to <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/temasek-to-back-bigbasket-in-400mn-round/articleshow/78372845.cms">reports</a>, BigBasket was also looking to raise $300-$400 million in funds as demand grew for online grocery. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/top-cyber-espionage-groups-that-have-india-in-their-crosshairs/slidelist/79120867.cms">Top cyber espionage groups that have India in their crosshairs</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/paytm-aims-to-disburse-1000-crore-in-small-loans-by-march-thats-twice-as-much-as-last-year/articleshow/79121669.cms">Paytm aims to disburse ₹1000 crore in small loans by March – that's twice as much as last year</a>

BigBasket, the e-grocery startup which Tata Group is eyeing, admits a data breach of over 20 million users

<keyword id="6358777" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="new-delhi" source="Orion">New Delhi</keyword>, March 15 (IANS) <keyword id="3658" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="india" source="Orion">India</keyword> reported 2,568 new cases in a span of 24 hours, which is a slight increase from 2,503 reported on the previous day, said the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in its latest update on Tuesday morning. In the same period, 97 deaths were reported, taking the total number of deaths to 5,15,975. In a positive development, India's active caseload has declined to 33,917. Active cases now constitute 0.08 per cent of the country's total positive cases. The recovery of 4,722 patients in the last 24 hours has increased the cumulative tally to 4,24,46,171. Consequently, India's recovery rate stands at 98.72 per cent, said the <keyword id="83655" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="union-health-ministry" source="Orion">Union Health Ministry</keyword>. Also in the same period, a total of 7,01,773 tests were conducted across the country. India has so far conducted over 77.97 crore cumulative tests. There has been a sustained fall in the weekly and daily positivity rates too. Weekly positivity rate in the country currently stands at 0.46 per cent and the daily positivity rate is reported to be 0.37 per cent. On the vaccination front, India's Covid-19 vaccination coverage has exceeded 180.40 crore as per provisional reports till 7 a.m. This has been achieved through 2,11,52,628 sessions. More than 17.30 crore balance and unutilised Covid vaccine doses are still available with the states and union territories to be administered, according to the <keyword id="46535" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="health-ministry" source="Orion">health ministry</keyword> as of on Tuesday morning. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/personal-finance/news/epfo-continues-to-give-attractive-interests-rate-compared-to-other-government-schemes/articleshow/90210522.cms">EPFO continues to give attractive interests rate compared to other government schemes</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/paytm-payments-bank-denies-report-claiming-it-leaked-data-to-chinese-firms/articleshow/90203210.cms">Paytm Payments Bank denies report claiming it leaked data to Chinese firms</a>

India records 2,568 COVID-19 cases and 97 deaths in the last 24 hours

<ul><li><keyword id="6372438" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="epfo" source="Orion">EPFO</keyword> has reduced interest rates to the lowest in more than 40 years for the current financial year.</li><li>The government body has slashed interest rates to 8.1% from 8.5% in the previous fiscal year.</li><li>Despite EPFO’s interest rates being the lowest in its history in decades, it is higher compared to many other <keyword id="1791040" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="government-saving-schemes" source="Orion">government saving schemes</keyword> currently. </li></ul>The popular retirement saving scheme followed by many corporations for its employees has slashed its interest rates to a 40-year low amid such a challenging environment. On Saturday, the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation’s (EPFO) announced that it has recommended to reduce the interest rate of the retirement fund to 8.1% from 8.5% last year. The rate will now be approved by the Finance Ministry. While this is reportedly the lowest interest rate by EPFO since 1977-78, it still offers the highest returns than many other government saving schemes and bank deposits. <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none; table-layout: fixed; width: 468pt;"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Saving instruments </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">% interest rate </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Employees Provident Fund </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">8.1% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Public Provident Fund Scheme </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">7.1% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Senior citizen savings scheme </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">7.4% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Sukanya Samriddhi Scheme </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">7.6% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Post Office time deposit (5 year) </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">6.7% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">National Saving Certificate </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">6.8% </td></tr></tbody></table>Source: Department of Posts Ministry, Ministry of Communications Employees’ Provident Fund is a government retirement fund mandatory for employees earning up to ₹15,000 a month in firms with over 20 workers. Here the employee and the employer contribute to the EPF scheme on a monthly basis in equal proportions of 12% of the basic salary and dearness allowance. <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none; table-layout: fixed; width: 468pt;"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Fiscal year </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">EPF interest rate </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">FY16 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">8.80% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">FY17 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">8.65% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">FY18 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">8.55% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">FY19 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">8.65% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">FY20 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">8.50% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">FY21 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">8.50% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">FY22 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">8.10% </td></tr></tbody></table>K E Raghunathan, member of central board of trustees after announcing the reduction, reportedly said that it is understood that this is going to be the most unpredictable year because of the war and market conditions, among other things. Hence, the government body doesn’t want to overcommit with high rates. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/paytm-payments-bank-denies-report-claiming-it-leaked-data-to-chinese-firms/articleshow/90203210.cms">Paytm Payments Bank denies report claiming it leaked data to Chinese firms</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/ecommerce/news/four-years-later-sachin-bansal-is-still-battling-eight-lawsuits-from-his-flipkart-days/articleshow/90202495.cms">Four years later, Sachin Bansal is still battling eight lawsuits from his Flipkart days</a>

EPFO continues to give attractive interests rate compared to other government schemes

<ul><li>The listing of the most awaited issue was disappointing though widely expected. Its stock fell over 8% today.</li><li>However, analysts believe investors need not feel dejected and end up selling in losses as the long term view for life insurance products remains strong.</li><li>India’s highly underpenetrated life insurance space is still at a nascent stage and LIC is attractively positioned to capture the huge growth opportunity, say analysts.</li></ul>Almost one in every two retail investors who applied for the initial public offering of Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) has been allotted the shares. This is because 13.77 crore retail investors bid for 6.91 crore shares reserved for this category of investors. However, the listing of the most awaited issue was disappointing though widely expected. Its stock fell over 8% today on listing to ₹867.20 while the price band was fixed at ₹902 - ₹949 per share. Hold LIC for the long term, recommend analysts But there is no case to feel dejected and go on a selling spree, believe analysts. They recommend them to hold them for the long term as demand for life insurance products remains strong. A report by CareEdge expects the life insurance industry to grow at around 12-14% for the next three to five years. “Insurance demand is positively correlated with economic growth and grows at a multiple to the GDP. FY23 has started on a strong note, and LIC’s growth momentum over the past few months comes ahead of its initial public offering…Overall, the outlook is expected to be positive in the medium term,” said the report. Moreover, stock analysts also believe at the current market prices, LIC’s share price is significantly cheaper compared to listed players. This is despite the fact that LIC is a dominant player with 60% market share in premiums. “At current price, LIC is trading at a price-to-earnings P/EV (embedded value) of close to 1.08 times, which is at a significant discount to other listed private life insurance companies like HDFC Life, ICICI Pru Life, and SBI Life,” said Yash Gupta, equity research analyst at Angel One. “As expected given the adverse market conditions listing has been muted for LIC. However, cheap valuations as compared to other listed players offer comfort, and investors with a longer time horizon can hold on to their positions while retail traders with a short-term view can exit their positions in case there is any upside movement over the next few days,” he added. <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none; table-layout: fixed; width: 468pt;" class="redcator-table-advance"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Life insurers </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Share price </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Market cap </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">LIC India </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹901 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹5.68 lakh crore </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">HDFC Life </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹547 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹1.15 lakh crore </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">SBI Life </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹1,053 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹1.05 lakh crore </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">ICICI Prudential Life </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹496 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹71,241 crore </td></tr></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody></table> <div type="javascript" title="Custom" contenttype="Image"><cdata><![CDATA[]]></cdata></div> Listing gains of IPO stocks maybe a thing of the past LIC is not the only company with a bad listing to its name. LIC is not the only company with a bad listing to its name. On the top of this list is PayTm which lost 60% of its value since it listed in November 2021. “As observed, the majority of big IPOs have not given strong listing debut gains. Considering previous trends, LIC has continued to take the same path. We believe that personal savings and awareness regarding insurance will increase enabling the sector to outperform in the long run and will indirectly benefit LIC as it is the market leader in this sector. We feel long term investors should continue to hold the scrip while short-term investors can wait to enter at a lower price,” said Mohit Nigam, Head - PMS, Hem Securities. Analysts believe India’s highly underpenetrated life insurance space is still at a nascent stage and LIC is attractively positioned to capture the huge growth opportunity. LIC’s brand value, large scale of operations and a wide distribution network will drive its stock performance. “The company’s issue was priced at a price to embedded value of 1.1 times, providing a valuation comfort, so we suggest investors to stay with the company for the long term despite the negative listing,” said Parth Nyati, Founder, Tradingo. <div type="image" title="LIC market share" height="900" width="1200" msid="91615323" hostid="261"></div>Some analysts even hope that the life insurance giant may give dividends to disappointed investors. “LIC didn’t pay any dividends in the last financial year, so there are high chances that the company might declare a good dividend this year, thus making it a good dividend play,” said Santosh Meena, Head of Research at Swastika Investmart. <div type="image" title="LIC profit" height="900" width="1200" msid="91615343" hostid="261"></div> SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/lic-stock-falls-8-on-listing-day-but-still-beats-hul-and-icici-to-become-indias-fifth-most-valued-company/articleshow/91609556.cms">LIC stock falls 8% on listing day, but still beats HUL and ICICI to become India’s fifth most valued company</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/elon-musk-says-twitter-deal-cannot-move-forward-until-parag-agrawal-proves-less-than-5-spam-account-claim/articleshow/91615141.cms">Elon Musk says Twitter deal cannot move forward until Parag Agrawal proves less than 5% spam account claim</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/international/news/four-in-ten-american-users-thought-that-facebook-should-have-blocked-trump-sooner-reveal-leaked-internal-documents/articleshow/91610652.cms">Four in ten American users thought that Facebook should have blocked Trump sooner, reveal leaked internal documents</a>

There is a strong case to go long on LIC say analysts and macroeconomic indicators

<ul><li>The private sector lender saw credit card spends more than double in August, compared to a 40% growth seen by SBI.</li><li>ICICI Bank has grabbed market share from HDFC Bank that was banned from launching new credit cards until August.</li><li>The ban on Mastercard, which ICICI Bank has less exposure to, also helped in boosting spends ahead of the festive season.</li><li>Check out the latest news and updates on <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/">Business Insider</a>.</li></ul>As fear of a third Covid-19 wave in India eased and festive sales began, ICICI Bank surpassed State Bank of India in credit card spends in August. The private sector lender saw a 127% growth in its credit card spends in August, compared to last year. On the other hand, SBI had to make peace with a much slower growth of 40%, as per the latest <a href="https://rbi.org.in/Scripts/ATMView.aspx">data</a> from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). <div type="image" title="icici bank stock." msid="86808665" hostid="261"></div> There are at least two reasons why ICICI Bank’s credit cards are getting swiped so often now. RBI had <a href="https://www.bseindia.com/xml-data/corpfiling/AttachHis/893abfb4-95cb-4942-a555-312aef465ef4.pdf">banned</a> HDFC Bank from issuing credit cards in December last year due to multiple glitches in its digital banking system over the past two years. Even as the curb was lifted in August, it gave an opportunity to other lenders, including ICICI Bank, to grab credit card market share from HDFC Bank. <div type="image" title="hdfc bANK STOCK." msid="86808651" hostid="261"></div> “The growth in ICICI Bank credit card spends having surpassed SBI can also be attributed to higher spends per credit card due to quality of customers,” said Parijat Garg, an independent digital lending consultant. "Even as the number of cards issued by SBI and ICICI Bank have been largely similar, clearly ICICI Bank has seen higher credit card spends ahead of the festive season due to a better quality of customers that made higher-value transactions per card, compared to SBI customers,” he said. Among other lenders, IndusInd Bank Ltd. also saw its credit card spends more than double in August compared to last year, while market leader HDFC Bank Ltd. saw a 28% year-on-year increase. Top banks by credit card spends <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none;" class="redcator-table-advance"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">As of Aug. 2021 </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Credit Card Spends (in Rs Crore) </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">YoY increase (in %) </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">MoM increase (in %) </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">HDFC Bank </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">20595 </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">28% </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">-1% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">ICICI Bank </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">15256 </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">127% </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">6% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">State Bank Of India </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">14550 </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">40% </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">1% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Axis Bank </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">6830 </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">69% </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">11% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">CitiBank India </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">3845 </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">127% </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">10% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">IndusInd Bank </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">3655 </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">48% </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">11% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">RBL Bank </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">3471 </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">50% </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">1% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">American Express </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">2505 </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">33% </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">12% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Kotak Mahindra Bank </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">2039 </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">22% </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">6% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Standard Chartered Bank </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">1071 </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">41% </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">1% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Total </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">77733 </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">54% </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">4% </td></tr></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody></table>Source: RBI On an overall basis, credit card spends rose 54% to ₹77,733 crore in August, compared to last year. Compared to July, the preceding month, however, the growth seemed tepid as overall credit card spends grew just 4%. The growth was partly due to a low base effect, as lockdown curbs affected mobility during August last year, which saw nearly two million Covid-19 cases and 28,000 virus deaths-- the <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-53981828">highest monthly tally</a> in the world since the pandemic began. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/triton-model-h-electric-suv-india-live-pictures-leaked/articleshow/86805977.cms">Exclusive: First live pics of Triton Model H electric SUV leaked ahead of next week’s launch</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/reliance-jio-network-down-in-india-no-internet-no-calls/articleshow/86802857.cms">#JioDown: Reliance Jio network goes down in certain circles, users report they cannot use internet or make calls</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/byjus-paytm-oyo-and-ola-are-currently-valued-higher-than-ashok-leyland-indian-hotels-and-escorts/articleshow/86782880.cms">India's largest two-wheeler maker, biggest beer brewer and aluminum producer are smaller than startups like Byju's, Paytm, and OYO</a>

ICICI Bank leaves SBI behind in credit card spends as it chases HDFC Bank in pole position

<ul><li>Recent leaks from the draft e-commerce policy spell more trouble for the likes of <keyword id="18635" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Amazon">Amazon</keyword> and <keyword id="6354742" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Flipkart">Flipkart</keyword>.</li><li>E-commerce firms in India will have to ensure that all sellers on the platform are treated equally and should not use algorithms to give partial treatment to any seller.</li><li>Recently, Amazon’s businesses had come under speculation for preferential treatment towards sellers that it had a stake in – Cloudtail and Appario.</li></ul>The Indian government is in the final stages of formulating its draft e-commerce policy and recent leaks from the draft spell more trouble for the likes of Amazon and Flipkart. A Reuters report said that the draft <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/india-ecommerce-policy-idUSKBN2B50DJ">e-commerce policy</a> would ensure that e-retail platforms in India will have to ensure that all sellers on the platform are treated equally and should not use algorithms to give partial treatment to any seller. “E-commerce operators must ensure equal treatment of all sellers/vendors registered on their platforms and not adopt algorithms which result in prioritising select vendors/sellers,” says the new policy as per Reuters. In the initial draft released by the government in November 2019, FDI in e-commerce will only be allowed for the marketplace model and not for inventory-based selling. This means that Flipkart and Amazon, will not be allowed to own or sell through any of their entities. However, there is now conjecture on how these entities or parties could be defined. According to an <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/tech-bytes/indias-new-draft-e-commerce-policy-to-rein-in-related-parties/articleshow/81502310.cms">ET report</a>, the government at its will could notify and change the definition of these parties. Recently, Amazon’s <a href="https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/amazon-india-operation/">businesses</a> had come under speculation for preferential treatment towards sellers that it had a stake in – Cloudtail and Appario. However, the company had lashed out, calling the report “unsubstantiated, incomplete, factually incorrect”. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="India’s e-commerce policy – a long time coming" comment="subhead" text="India’s e-commerce policy – a long time coming">India’s e-commerce policy – a long time coming</cmsannotation> The government has put together a group of secretaries to work on the e-commerce policy, who had then sent it to several departments within the government for their views. According to reports, the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade is also holding consultations with various departments from March 17-19, 2021 to finalize the policy. A draft of the National e-commerce policy was introduced in February, 2019 and in November 2019, yet another draft on consumer protection in e-commerce also came in. The policy has already gone through multiple rounds of deliberations. While homegrown players like Snapdeal, Paytm Mall have, more or less, found this to be a palatable draft, foreign and foreign-funded players like Amazon and Flipkart find it tough to digest. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="What the Indian e-commerce policy could include" comment="subhead" text="What the Indian e-commerce policy could include">What the Indian e-commerce policy could include</cmsannotation> General rules laid out in the draft released on November, 2019 <ul><li>It shall be a registered legal entity under the laws of India;</li><li>It shall submit a self-declaration to this Department stating that it is in compliance with these guidelines;</li><li>The promoter or key management personnel should not have been convicted of any criminal offence punishable with imprisonment in last 5 years by any Court of competent jurisdiction;</li><li>It shall comply with the provisions of Information Technology (Intermediaries guidelines) Rules, 2011.</li><li>Payments for sale may be facilitated by the e-commerce entity in conformity with the guidelines of the Reserve Bank of India.</li></ul>One of the major problems in the e-commerce sector, deep discounting or predatory pricing will be looked into as well. Anti-counterfeiting measures will be taken to curb the growing menace of fake products. Another important point of the policy is the government's insistence that all local data should be stored in India. The policy also states that e-commerce players cannot directly or indirectly influence the price of the goods or services and must maintain a level playing field. They also cannot falsely represent themselves as consumers or post reviews on their behalf. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/stripe-the-most-valued-startup-in-the-us-to-offer-payment-services-to-indias-merchants-after-its-latest-fundraise/articleshow/81504106.cms">Stripe, the most valued startup in the US, to offer payment services to India’s merchants after its latest fundraise</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/the-us-dollar-is-expected-to-get-stronger-thats-good-news-for-indian-it-services-but-not-for-many-others/articleshow/81511223.cms">The US dollar is expected to get stronger⁠ — that's good news for Indian IT services but not for many others</a>

Amazon and Flipkart may have a new headache as India’s e-commerce policy could also question their algorithms

<ul><li><keyword id="4009819" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Amazon-Pay">Amazon Pay</keyword>, <keyword id="18635" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Amazon">Amazon</keyword> <keyword id="418872" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="digital-wallet">digital wallet</keyword> in <keyword id="3658" type="COUNTRY" weightage="20" keywordseo="India">India</keyword>, is rolling out user verification (KYC) for its customers.</li><li>Reportedly submitting biometrics using <keyword id="144117" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="AADHAAR">Aadhaar</keyword> credentials is a faster process for verification than other physical documents. </li><li>But concerns related to Aadhaar aren’t about its convenience, but about its security.</li></ul>Amazon Pay is the next digital wallet to roll out physical customer verification — but there’s a catch. If you use your <keyword id="6356006" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Aadhaar-card">Aadhaar card</keyword> for verification, the process is a lot quicker than if you other methods of verification — passport, drivers license, voter ID, or bank statements. It’s not really Amazon’s fault because the biometric verification through Aadhar is simple matter of verifying your fingerprint through a fingerprint reader. But, with other physical documents, the company needs people on the ground to verify the authenticity of the documents. Simply put, the verification through Aadhaar is a lot cheaper for Amazon as compared to using other documents for physical verification. Amazon Pay and other digital wallets have to enforce user verification in line with the Reserve Bank of India’s new policy on data localisation. Not an Amazon-specific problem India’s central bank, the Reserve Bank of India, rolled out its data localisation policy rendering 95% of mobile wallets in the country vulnerable to being shut down. The directive of the policy makes it mandatory for all digital wallets to have biometrics or physical customer verification in place. Even PayTM nudged its users into adopting KYC in order to continue using their wallets. If your PayTM account isn’t verified, you can still receive payments from other users and make payments at retail outlets using the QR-code but you can’t send out money to other users directly. Other digital wallets like MobiKwik have shifted to diversifying themselves because they haven’t been able to push their customers towards KYC norms with RBI’s February deadline coming up. The case with Aadhaar India’s top court has already ruled that private companies can’t make it ‘mandatory’ for Aadhaar to be the only method of user verification. But that doesn’t negate it as an option. The issue that people are facing with Aadhaar isn’t whether or not it’s convenient, but whether or not it’s safe. The series of data breaches associated with the Aadhaar system didn’t happen through actual government database, but through third-party organisations that were using Aadhaar information as user identification. A <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/80-people-concerned-about-aadhaar-data-security-study/articleshow/64382747.cms">study </a>by Velocity MR estimates that as many as 80% of respondents in India are concerned about data security when it comes to giving out their Aadhaar card information anywhere. It’s not just about identity theft but information being leaked that leads to customers being spammed over text and email — or even phished. This is probably why Amazon is looking to roll out its own Unified Payments Interface (<keyword id="6358921" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="upi">UPI</keyword>) because, in that case, KYC isn’t mandatory for setting up an account. The verification done by the respective banks is enough. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/in-india-amazons-fight-is-not-just-with-flipkart-but-with-paytm-google-pay-and-truecaller/articleshow/67456165.cms">In India, Amazon's fight is not just with Flipkart, but with PayTM, Google Pay and Truecaller</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/indian-government-portal-leaks-8-9mn-aadhaar-details-again/articleshow/63924186.cms">Indian government portal leaks 8.9mn Aadhaar details, again</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/supreme-court-clarifies-that-aadhar-isnt-mandatory-for-a-new-sim-connection/articleshow/63928188.cms">Supreme Court clarifies that Aadhar isn’t mandatory for a new SIM connection</a>

This is why Amazon wants your Aadhaar number

<ul><li><keyword id="44604" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Nandan-Nilekani">Nandan Nilekani</keyword>, Infosys co-founder and the architect of the world’s largest biometric system, was just appointed by India’s central bank to improve the adoption of digital payments in the country. </li><li>Despite numerous attempts by the Indian government, cashless payments dipped once cash was available after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s demonetisation exercise. </li><li>There are numerous challenges ahead for Nilekani including addressing the level of digital literacy in the country and keeping digital payments affordable.</li></ul>India now has 800 million mobile phone users but merely a fraction are using digital payments. The <keyword id="6354335" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="reserve-bank-of-india">Reserve Bank of India</keyword> has brought none other than Nandan Nilekani, the architect of the world’s largest biometric identity system, the <keyword id="144117" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="AADHAAR">Aadhaar</keyword>, after several attempts to push Indians to go cashless fell short of the government’s goal. While the infamous demonetisation in November 2016, which aimed at pushing Indians to use digital payments, gave a temporary fillip to mobile wallets — the momentum wasn’t maintained once banks had enough cash to dispense. According to the government think tank, Niti Aayog, the digital payment market is set to reach $1 trillion by 2023.However, Nilekani, an entrepreneur-turned-techocrat, has his task cut out for him and it’s not an easy one. 
 <div type="ExtQuote" text="The five-member panel on deepening of digital payments has been constituted with a view to encourage digitisation of payments and enhance financial inclusion through digitisation." auname="Reserve Bank of India, press statement"></div>



 More internet penetration, but is it enough More people in India have access to internet in India than ever before but the infrastructure and connectivity is far from ideal, more so outside the big cities — even with credit or debit card transactions. Even when demonetisation took place, PayTM — one of India’s most-used <keyword id="6358031" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="digital-wallets">digital wallets</keyword> — <a href="https://www.exchange4media.com/marketing-news/paytm-faces-multiple-challenges-ata-crucial-juncture-of-its-journey-67263.html">crashed</a> under the sudden increase in traffic. Force of habit It’s not about knowing that you can make payments using the internet, it’s also about habit. In rural areas, due to the lack of infrastructure and appropriate incentives — going to the bank or to the market is still easier and cheaper than shopping online. Limited digital literacy The biggest hurdle in the committee’s way isn’t access to internet but digital literacy. Educating the masses so that they are able to use these apps will be a prerequisite. Even among those who are familiar with digital modes, a large section of Indians are still paranoid about the safety of online transactions. The question of security A report by Qualcomm states that a lot of wallets and banking apps in India lack the requisite hardware security. And since they run on Android accommodating versions that lack the latest security updates, they are relatively more vulnerable to being hacked. The question isn’t only of alphanumeric passwords but also biometrics, like your fingerprint. Even one of <keyword id="30067" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="RBI">RBI</keyword>’s mandate is speaks to that regard. 
 <div type="ExtQuote" text="Suggest measures to strengthen the safety and security of digital payments and a roadmap for increasing customer confidence and trust while accessing financial services through digital modes." auname="Reserve Bank of India, press statement"></div>



 Security and trust are two different things Even with best security in place, the people will only use digital payments if there’s trust. The recent data leaks and reports of insider fraud at PayTM have not helped that cause. Most people prefer cash in the country because it doesn’t leave a digital footprint under the perception that having every transaction scrutinized could lead to more trouble. Nilekani, one of the founders of Indian tech services major Infosys, is often eulogized for creating the Aadhaar framework, but notwithstanding the magnitude of the exercise, the unique identity project has had its share of chinks. The Tribune, when looking into the security of the Aadhar database, found that they could attain all the details about a person using the 12-digit unique identification number after <a href="http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/nation/rs-500-10-minutes-and-you-have-access-to-billion-aadhaar-details/523361.html">paying an agent</a> ₹500. For another ₹300, you get a physical copy of the Aadhaar card, which could then be used to access various government schemes. Robert Baptiste, a french researcher known by online Twitter handle ‘Elliot Alderson’, was <a href="https://twitter.com/fs0c131y/status/973482430903586816?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E973482430903586816&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.businessinsider.in%2Findian-government-portal-leaks-8-9mn-aadhaar-details-again%2Farticleshow%2F63924186.cms">able to</a> hack into the Aadhaar app in under a minute. Another twitter user, Srinivas Kodali, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/indian-government-portal-leaks-8-9mn-aadhaar-details-again/articleshow/63924186.cms">exposed</a> how 8.9 million Aadhaar numbers were vulnerable. Aadhaar was still a mode for people to receive government benefits and cash transfer. It will take a lot more time and effort to convince penny-wise Indians to risk their money in digital payment apps.

You Searched For "paytm data leaked" and got 12 results

Paytm Mall breach data is fabricated, says Have I been Pwned founder Troy Hunt

Sourabh Jain

Paytm Payments Bank denies report claiming it leaked data to Chinese firms

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Data, a key moat of Paytm ecosystem, is getting democratised and it's not a good thing for the company

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71% of consumers are concerned about online fraud. Here is how Paytm Payment Gateway’s security features are helping businesses build trust.

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BigBasket, the e-grocery startup which Tata Group is eyeing, admits a data breach of over 20 million users

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India records 2,568 COVID-19 cases and 97 deaths in the last 24 hours

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EPFO continues to give attractive interests rate compared to other government schemes

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There is a strong case to go long on LIC say analysts and macroeconomic indicators

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ICICI Bank leaves SBI behind in credit card spends as it chases HDFC Bank in pole position

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Amazon and Flipkart may have a new headache as India’s e-commerce policy could also question their algorithms

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This is why Amazon wants your Aadhaar number

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Can Nilekani, the architect of the world’s largest biometric project, spark digital payments in India?

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