Attributed to : Mr Deepak Verma, MD and CEO, Findi

UPI’s record-breaking ₹24.77 lakh crore transaction volume this March represents a crowning achievement for India’s homegrown financial innovation. This extraordinary milestone showcases how a solution designed specifically for India’s unique needs has transformed the nation’s payment landscape. 

The widespread adoption of UPI is building a foundation of trust in India’s digital economy. As millions of Indians increasingly rely on UPI for transactions ranging from daily essentials to significant purchases, this trust is fostering comfort with digital financial services more broadly. This growing confidence is critical as it creates pathways for previously excluded populations to access formal financial systems.

To achieve true financial empowerment across India, we must continue building a comprehensive ecosystem that addresses diverse needs. The journey from Financial Inclusion to Financial Expansion requires that all citizens—particularly the underserved and underbanked—can access financial services through channels and payment methods that match their preferences and circumstances, especially for those for whom cash still remains the key medium of transaction. The ecosystem must balance innovation with inclusivity, allowing even those with limited digital literacy to participate in the growing Indian economy.

As UPI expands globally and integrates with credit, insurance, and investment platforms, its collaborative development model between regulators, financial institutions, and technology companies sets a powerful example of innovation that respects user choice while driving national progress. India isn’t just participating in the digital payments revolution—it’s defining it through solutions built by Indians, for Indians, that now inspire the world.

Attributed to : Mr. Dilip Modi, Founder & CEO, Spice Money

The record-breaking UPI transactions of ₹24.8 lakh crore in March 2025, marking a 25% surge in value and an impressive 36% growth in volume compared to last year, demonstrate the unstoppable momentum of India’s digital payments revolution. With daily transactions averaging ₹79,903 crore, up 1.9% from February, and volumes rising 2.6%, these numbers underscore the rapid adoption and trust in digital financial solutions. This sustained growth signals deeper financial inclusion, enhanced consumer confidence, and a thriving digital economy. As UPI cements itself as the backbone of India’s payment ecosystem, businesses, fintech players, and policymakers must strategically leverage this expansion to drive innovation, enhance security, and scale financial services for the next wave of digital transformation.

At Spice Money, we take immense pride in contributing to this transformation by empowering rural and underserved communities with inclusive, secure, and user-friendly fintech tools. This exponential growth reflects the success of India’s financial inclusion policies and the collaborative efforts of the fintech ecosystem. As we celebrate this milestone, we remain steadfast in our mission to bridge the urban-rural financial divide, ensuring every Indian, from metros to villages, can actively participate in and benefit from the digital economy

Wooden Street, India’s leading home furniture brand, proudly announces the opening of its 104th experience store in Hyderabad. This expansion strengthens the brand’s presence in the city with its 11th store, reaffirming its commitment to offering high-quality and innovative furniture solutions to Indian homeowners.

Located in one of Hyderabad’s top malls, the newly inaugurated store spans over 3,000 sq. ft. and showcases a curated collection of furniture designs. The store is designed to offer an immersive shopping experience, allowing customers to explore a wide range of furniture, home décor, and furnishing products tailored to evolving tastes and preferences.

“Our vision has always been to make premium furniture accessible to every Indian home. The launch of our 104th store in Hyderabad is a result of our rapid growth and dedication to customer satisfaction. Hyderabad continues to be a key market for us, and we are thrilled to bring our experience-driven retail approach closer to its residents,” said Lokendra Ranawat, CEO, Wooden Street.

Wooden Street’s aggressive expansion plan focuses on strengthening its nationwide footprint by entering both metro cities and tier-2 and tier-3 markets. With robust supply chain capabilities and cutting-edge manufacturing infrastructure, the company is poised for continued growth.

 Wooden Street at a Glance:

• 104+ Experience Stores across India
• 20+ Warehouses ensuring seamless supply chain operations
• 15 Lakh Sq. Ft. State-of-the-Art Manufacturing Facility
• Over 30,000 Products in furniture, home décor, and furnishings
• 1 Million+ Homes Transformed with Wooden Street’s offerings

Since its inception in 2015, Wooden Street has secured approximately $78 million in funding, accelerating its omni channel presence across India. With a focus on customer-centric service, quality craftsmanship, and innovative designs, the brand continues to redefine the home furniture landscape in India.

The launch of this new store in Hyderabad further solidifies the company’s position as a leading home furniture destination, offering customers a seamless blend of aesthetics, functionality, and superior shopping experience.

05 April 2025: Spice Money (a subsidiary of DiGiSPICE Technologies), India’s pioneering rural fintech transforming the way Bharat banks, continues to bridge the financial literacy gap through its flagship learning platform, Spice Money Academy. Accessible via web and mobile app, the Academy empowers Adhikaris to operate as Non-Bank Business Correspondents (BCs) and has digitally trained 5,28,000 Adhikaris/Merchants, equipping them with essential skills and knowledge to facilitate seamless financial inclusion and digital transactions in the country’s most underserved regions.

This initiative has driven a transformational impact to strengthen Adhikaris’ proficiency in providing financial inclusion products. This has led to a 6.9% growth in AePS cash withdrawal transactions, reinforcing digital payments adoption across rural regions, while bill payments (BBPS) surged by 17%, streamlining essential service payments. Savings and current account transactions (CASA) jumped by 93%, indicating the intent of savings and inclusion of banking at convenient locations.

One of the key focuses of Spice Money Academy has been fostering women’s participation in the financial ecosystem. In 2024, the Academy trained 2,950 women Adhikaris across critical financial products, including Aadhaar Enabled Payment System (AePS), BBPS, instant PAN card issuance, and savings accounts. On top of this, Spice Money also conducts exclusive sessions for women Adhikaris/Merchants based on their convenience, thereby ensuring more participation from women. This initiative aligns with Spice Money’s broader mission of driving gender-inclusive financial empowerment, ensuring more women actively engage in digital and financial services, thereby strengthening the rural economy. 

The recent discussions by DFS on revising training modules for Non-Bank BCs highlights the industry’s shift towards stronger compliance and digital expertise. Spice Money Academy is also equipping Adhikaris with structured learning programs that enhance their digital banking skills. By staying aligned with these evolving regulatory changes, Spice Money continues to drive financial literacy and seamless compliance.

Spice Money Academy offers structured training modules covering key financial services such as AePS Cash Withdrawals & Deposits, Bharat Connect (Formerly  BBPS), CMS, domestic remittances, micro-ATM operations, and savings accounts. In 2024, the Academy provided product-specific training to Adhikaris, ensuring they are well equipped to serve their communities:

·         AePS: 1,49,026 trained

·         BBPS: 85,898 trained

·         CASA Services: 45,000 CASA trained

·         Instant PAN Card: 6,97,000 trained

·         Subscriptions-led Services: 17,800 trained

·         Cash: 20,026 trained

·         CASA(AXIS- CA): 41,300 trained

·         CASA(Axis-SA): 60,700 trained

Spice Money Academy is already empowering Adhikaris through a structured digital training approach. Online sessions, social media tutorials, and in-app and web-based content, followed by quizzes, ensure effective learning and comprehension. Certifications based on quiz performance validate their expertise, enabling continuous skilling and upskilling. This ensures Adhikaris stays ahead in the rapidly evolving digital landscape while maintaining seamless compliance.

“At Spice Money, we believe that true financial inclusion goes beyond just providing access to services; it requires deep-rooted knowledge, continuous skill-building, and grassroots empowerment. With the training of the non-bank business correspondents, we are committed to equipping them with the expertise needed to bridge the financial gap in underserved regions. Spice Money Academy is at the heart of this mission, ensuring that our Adhikaris are not just service providers but true financial enablers in their communities. The remarkable growth in transactions post-training is a testament to the Academy’s impact in driving last-mile financial access and strengthening Bharat’s digital economy,” said Dilip Modi, Founder & CEO, Spice Money.

By leveraging digital learning tools and strategic training programs, Spice Money Academy transforms financial enablers into rural nanoprenuers, ensuring that even the most remote communities can seamlessly access banking and financial services. As the Academy continues to expand its reach, it remains committed to bridging the digital divide and strengthening the rural fintech ecosystem.

As organizations manage growing volumes of unstructured content, traditional keyword-based search systems are proving insufficient. AI is now enabling a shift toward contextual, predictive, and user-aware discovery, helping teams surface relevant information faster and more accurately ultimately improving business decision-making.

AI is transforming the search landscape by enabling more intuitive, personalized experiences. Unlike traditional search methods, which rely heavily on predefined keywords, AI-powered systems understand the intent behind queries, providing results that are contextually relevant and aligned with the user’s needs. This advancement allows organizations to navigate vast datasets more efficiently, uncovering insights that were previously hidden or difficult to access. By leveraging machine learning algorithms, AI continuously adapts and improves, ensuring that search results become progressively more accurate over time. As AI continues to evolve, it will redefine how enterprises interact with information, paving the way for smarter decision-making and enhanced productivity across industries.

Lumina Datamatics, a strategic partner to 8 of the world’s top 10 publishers and 3 of the top 5 global eCommerce leaders, is at the forefront of this shift. The company enables enterprises to move from static repositories to intelligent content ecosystems powered by semantic discovery, real-time content recommendations, intelligent tagging, and conversational interfaces