Category Archives: Business

MENA Fintech Association Appoints Meera Judge and Zain Umer as Co-Chairs of Digital Assets Working Group

New leadership steps in as digital asset infrastructure matures and institutional adoption picks up pace across the region

Dubai – UAE | Aug 20: The MENA Fintech Association (MFTA), a leading not-for-profit organization serving fintech startups, financial institutions, and regulators across the Middle East and Africa, announced the appointment of Meera Judge and Zain Umer as Co-Chairs of its Digital Assets Working Group.

The appointments come as the region’s digital asset market moves past early experimentation. Tokenized value, blockchain infrastructure, and open-ownership models are increasingly finding practical, institutional use, and MFTA said the new Co-Chairs will help guide the Working Group’s agenda through this next stage.

Commenting on her appointment, Meera Judge said:

“The space we are stepping into looks different from even a year ago. Value that used to sit still is moving on-chain, the technology is maturing fast, and open ownership is becoming practical. I am grateful to be taking on the role of Co-Chair of MFTA’s Digital Assets Working Group at exactly this moment.”

Zain Umer added:

“It is a privilege to take on the leadership of MFTA’s Digital Assets Working Group at such an important stage in the region’s development. MENA has emerged as one of the world’s most dynamic markets for digital assets, but the next phase must be about translating that momentum into sustainable, institutional growth. I look forward to bringing together regulators, industry leaders and the wider ecosystem to help address the market challenges that will shape this next chapter, and to ensure the region continues to set a global benchmark for responsible innovation.”

Nameer Khan, Chairman of MENA Fintech Association:

“Meera and Zain bring the credibility, experience and industry perspective needed to lead the Digital Assets Working Group into its next chapter. Their leadership comes at an important moment as MENA’s digital asset market evolves from early pilots into a more mature institutional ecosystem, and I look forward to seeing them help strengthen collaboration between regulators and industry.”

Child Care Aware of Missouri Hires Senior Accountant

Nancy Light-Lambert brings more than 15 years of experience to support the organization’s financial operations and mission.

(St. Louis, Mo., Aug. 20, 2026) Child Care Aware of Missouri (CCAMO) has hired Nancy Light-Lampert as senior accountant. In this role, Light-Lampert will manage key accounting processes that support the nonprofit’s business operations, including human resources and payroll functions.

Light-Lambert brings more than 15 years of accounting experience to CCAMO. Her background includes financial operations, accounts receivable, payroll support and business administration across the legal, telecommunications and professional services sectors.

Before joining CCAMO, Light-Lambert served as an accountant at Holland Injury Law. She also worked as an operations support consultant for Verizon Corporation and as an accounts receivable senior consultant at CMS Intelliteach. Light-Lambert holds both a master’s degree and a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Fontbonne University. 

“Nancy brings deep financial and operational experience that will be an integral resource as CCAMO continues to grow and strengthen its statewide impact,” said Robin Phillips, CEO of Child Care Aware of Missouri. “Her expertise will support sound business practices, informed decision making and the strong internal foundation needed to advance our mission for Missouri’s children, families, child care providers and early childhood educators.”

Founded in 1999, CCAMO is a statewide nonprofit that focuses on a comprehensive early childhood education experience through impactful programs and partnerships. The organization’s services include workforce development, child care business supports, advocacy and policy work, and Child Care Keeps Missouri Working, a regional campaign offering concierge solutions to businesses undergoing employee recruitment and retention challenges due to the overwhelming shortage of quality child care options. For more information, call 314-535-1458 or visit www.mochildcareaware.org.

MS Dhoni-Backed Garuda Aerospace Limited Signs MoU with Australia’s Timed Automation Solutions to Advance Autonomous Drone Capabilities

Chennai, Aug 19: IPO-bound drone technology company Garuda Aerospace Limited has signed a Memorandum of Understandingwit h Timed Automation Solutions , Australia, a provider of enterprise autonomous drone platforms. The MoU establishes a framework for collaboration between the two organisations to advance technical cooperation, facilitate knowledge sharing, and explore growth opportunities in the autonomous drone sector.

The collaboration brings together Garuda Aerospace’s expertise in drone manufacturing and drone-based solutions with Timed Automation Solutions’ strengths in autonomous aerial operations and enterprise drone platforms, including drone-in-a-box orchestration, fleet and site control, AI-assisted image review, and enterprise integrations. Under the MoU, both companies will evaluate non-exclusive opportunities in product distribution, joint development of drone technologies, and participation in domestic and international projects. By leveraging their complementary capabilities, the collaboration aims to support innovation across applications such as agriculture, infrastructure inspection, and remote operations.

Speaking on the collaboration, Agnishwar Jayaprakash, Founder and CEO, Garuda Aerospace Limited, said:

 “As autonomous technologies continue to redefine industries worldwide, building strong international relationships is essential to shaping the future of the drone ecosystem. Our association with Timed Automation Solutions reflects our commitment to expanding Garuda Aerospace’s global reach while developing solutions that address evolving industry requirements. We remain focused on driving technological excellence and delivering long-term value through strategic collaborations.”

“This collaboration with Garuda Aerospace reflects TAS’s vision to build a scalable, software driven UAV ecosystem in Australia. By combining Garuda’s manufacturing capabilities with our SkyStream platform, we aim to deliver flexible, cost effective, and scalable solutions for industries transitioning towards autonomous operations.” Shakil Mansoor, Founder and Director from Timed Automation Solutions added.

The collaboration will also explore pilot deployments across Australia and New Zealand, supporting the evaluation of real-world use cases and operational workflows. This MoU marks another step in Garuda Aerospace’s broader strategy of driving innovation through strategic collaborations. Building on its existing partnerships across the aerospace, defence, and technology ecosystem, the company continues to expand its capabilities while creating new opportunities in autonomous drone technologies and global markets. In 2025, Garuda Aerospace also secured export licence approvals, supporting potential expansion into the Australian market.

From outer perimeter to inner rack: Flir as the end-to-end reliability partner across data center operations

For a data center operator, risk rarely comes down to a single system or department.
 

Aug 19: For a data center operator, risk rarely comes down to a single system or department. It can begin with a cut fence, an intruder approaching a substation, an alarm no one trusted enough to investigate, or a rack that ran hot overnight. The cause may be different, but the consequence is often the same: an interruption to operations that can be costly. More than half of significant data center outages can now cost a company over $100,000, and roughly one in five exceed $1 million, according to the Uptime Institute’s 2024 Annual Outage Analysis.

The challenge is that the industry tends to sell protection the way it is organized internally: one function at a time, with perimeter security pitched to the Security Director, substation protection routed to facilities, and rack thermal monitoring and inspection left to reliability engineering. A VP of Operations, however, is responsible for uptime across the entire site, making the fence and the rack part of the same operational risk conversation.

Reliability, not another security line item
Perimeter detection, electrical monitoring, alarm management, and rack inspections may fall under different departments, but they all serve the same basic purpose: identifying problems early enough to prevent them from affecting operations.

A perimeter breach, for example, often begins as a security event. If the intruder reaches a substation or other critical equipment, it quickly becomes an uptime issue. Security may investigate the incident, but the operational impact will be measured by lost capacity, service disruption, and recovery time. Bringing these controls into a single program gives operators a more complete view of the risk they manage. It also helps reduce the gaps that appear when each department plans, purchases, and operates its systems independently.

Following the risk from the fence inward
At the outer edge of a property, data centers can stretch for miles of dark, lightly staffed perimeter. Much of that darkness is by design. Many sites are built as low-light facilities to avoid adding light pollution to the surrounding area, which is good for neighboring communities but leaves conventional cameras with little to work with. Thermal imaging removes that dependency, reading the heat signature of a person or vehicle in complete darkness. Detecting movement early matters because the farther a potential threat travels into the site, the less time an operator has to assess and respond.

The solution can be a multilayered security approach, beginning with a radar system such as the Flir R-190/R-290 detecting movement as it approaches or crosses the perimeter. It works in concert with both the bi-spectral FH-Series AI thermal/visible cameras and the bi-spectral Elara DX-Series thermal/visible PTZ cameras to verify the activity and continue tracking it. Instead of relying on a single sensor or an isolated alarm, the operator receives multiple sources of information that help determine whether the event requires action.

Those detections can feed into Flir Latitude VMS, giving the control room a common view of the event. Flir Nexus® connects sensors and systems so that information gathered at the fence reaches the person responding.

Moving deeper into the property, the substation is one of the most important points of exposure. The equipment feeding power to the data halls is essential to the operation, yet it is often less visible than the systems inside the building.

Fixed radiometric thermal cameras can continuously monitor transformers, electrical connections, and other energized equipment for abnormal temperature changes. While technicians could miss a loose or deteriorating connection during a visual inspection, an infrared camera detects the heat it produces well before the equipment fails. That allows the operations team to investigate and make repairs during a planned maintenance window rather than responding after an outage.

Inside the data hall, the available response time becomes even shorter. GPU-dense racks can draw several times the power of the traditional 8 to 12 kW rack, creating more heat in a smaller space. Under those conditions, a cooling issue or component failure that developed over several days could escalate within minutes.

Periodic handheld inspections also play an important role, as they allow maintenance teams to view assets from multiple angles and distances. Fixed thermal monitoring provides visibility between scheduled surveys, while handheld tools with route-based inspection capabilities, such as the Flir i65 and Assetlink software, support more detailed inspections, analysis, and documentation when a potential issue is identified. Onboard tools such as reference imaging ensure these handheld inspections result in repeatable, trackable thermal data, making it easier to identify changes over time and support repair decisions. When combined with safety equipment such as infrared windows, maintenance teams can help maintain uptime by safely inspecting energized electrical equipment.

Two budgets, one operational problem
Security and operations are often managed separately, leading different teams to purchase thermal technology for different purposes. The security department may invest in thermal cameras for perimeter protection, while the operations team deploys thermal equipment for electrical inspections, early fire detection, and rack monitoring. Although these purchases are often made independently, they address closely related risks.

Simply put: the purchases come from different budgets because the organization is divided that way. The risk itself is not.

Grand View Research valued the data center physical security market at $1.87 billion in 2023 and projects it will reach $4.83 billion by 2030. Mordor Intelligence projects the thermal imaging systems market will grow from $5.78 billion in 2025 to $8.71 billion by 2031.

These may appear to be separate markets, but operators experience them as parts of the same uptime challenge. Both are intended to reveal developing issues, provide enough information to act, and prevent a larger disruption.

A more complete reliability picture
Compliance requirements are also moving operators toward a more coordinated approach. The 2023 edition of NFPA 70B placed greater emphasis on documented electrical maintenance and thermographic inspection. Inspection records, identified deficiencies, and corrective actions are increasingly part of the facility’s broader maintenance and audit process rather than being managed informally or in isolation.

None of this means operators need to replace systems that already work. It means they should view perimeter protection, power monitoring, interior surveillance, rack conditions, and compliance as part of a single reliability program.

Flir supports that full path, from radar and thermal detection at the perimeter to radiometric monitoring of critical equipment inside the facility. By connecting those capabilities, operators gain a clearer view of risk across the site and more time to respond before a condition escalates into an outage.

For most data center operators, the first step is not another purchase order. It is a change in perspective: seeing the path from the outer fence to the inner rack as one continuous reliability environment.

Tenable Advances Exposure Management with Coverage Across Every Major AI Platform and Developer Tool

Tenable now delivers greater risk visibility and governance across an expanded AI attack surface created by increased adoption of LLMs, MCPs and AI tools

 Dubai, UAE | Aug 19 — Tenable® Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: TENB), the exposure management company, today announced enhanced AI security capabilities within the Tenable One Exposure Management Platform. Tenable One AI Exposure now delivers expanded platform coverage with support for Google Gemini, extending its coverage across major LLMs: Google Gemini, Anthropic Claude, OpenAI ChatGPT Enterprise and Microsoft Copilot. The release also extends discovery to all major Model Context Protocol (MCP) deployments and AI-native Integrated Development Environment (IDE) tools. Together, these capabilities give security teams a more complete view of where AI is being used, what risk it creates and where action is needed.

The rapid adoption of AI across the enterprise has created a critical AI exposure gap, a largely invisible risk that emerges across interconnected applications, infrastructure, identities and data. Underscoring this risk, Tenable detected 457 million AI-related security issues across more than 7,000 organizations, averaging 62,000 exposures per organization over a 30-day period. Traditional security tools leave security teams blind to high-impact attack paths, forcing them into a reactive loop rather than preemptively reducing AI risk.

Tenable One continuously discovers AI across endpoints, cloud and LLM applications, including both authorized and shadow AI. It inventories AI assets with the Tenable Exposure Graph, Tenable’s data lake that aggregates massive volumes of security data to help organizations map, analyze and prevent cyber risks. Tenable One reduces real-world AI risk by securing the environments where AI runs and hardening AI workloads before they can be exploited. With these new advancements, Tenable One enables organizations to gain better visibility, context and control to manage AI risk while being able to govern AI use, enforce policies and prevent cyber exposures.

New AI security capabilities within Tenable One include:

● Google Gemini Coverage: Tenable One now delivers visibility and governance for Google Gemini including monitoring of user interactions and prompt responses, policy enforcement, and detection of malicious activity and inappropriate usage.

● Enhanced AI Visibility: Tenable One now doubles its coverage of sanctioned and shadow AI, supporting MCPs, AI-native IDEs (such as Cursor, Windsurf and Trae) and AI-enabled browser extensions.

● Operationalised Remediation: Organizations can remediate faster by creating tickets directly in Jira and ServiceNow or alerting users on policy violations by sending automated email notifications, Slack or Teams messages.

“The massive volume of AI exposures confirms the operational reality that authorized and unauthorized AI is deployed faster than security teams can govern it,” said Eric Doerr, Chief Product Officer, Tenable. “There’s no denying that AI attack surfaces are making defenders’ jobs even harder, and legacy or siloed cybersecurity tools simply don’t cut it. With today’s expansion to include Google Gemini, MCP and AI-native IDE deployments, Tenable is the only exposure management platform delivering unified AI visibility and governance across all major LLMs, software, and tools.”

Tenable One brings together two distinct AI capabilities. Tenable AI Exposure helps organizations discover, assess and secure how AI is being used across their environments. Tenable Hexa AI is the platform’s agentic engine, using AI to coordinate agents, automate security tasks and accelerate remediation. Put simply, AI Exposure helps organizations secure their use of AI, while Hexa helps them use AI to improve security operations. Together, they advance Tenable’s preemptive security strategy by helping organizations reduce AI-related risk and act on cyber exposure more efficiently.

The Pilot Shortage Paradox: Why Many Cadets Still Struggle to Get Their First Airline Job

Aug 19: The aviation industry continues to warn about a growing need for pilots. Boeing forecasts that commercial aviation will require 674,000 new pilots over the next two decades, driven by fleet growth and workforce attrition.

Yet for many newly qualified Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL) holders, the reality feels very different, as competition for entry-level First Officer positions remains intense, despite persistent pilot shortage forecasts.

So why are airlines struggling to find pilots while aspiring First Officers are struggling to find jobs?

The answer lies in a misunderstanding of what today’s pilot shortage actually looks like.

There Is No Single Pilot Job Market

 The term pilot shortage often suggests a single, industry-wide problem. In reality, commercial aviation consists of multiple labour markets, each driven by different operational needs, fleet strategies and hiring priorities.

According to Julius Norkunas, CEO of aviation recruitment platform AviationCV, the supply of newly trained pilots and current airline demand are out of sync.

“Flight academies continue producing cadets at a steady pace, but airline demand has not increased accordingly,” says Norkunas. “Aircraft delivery delays mean fleets are not growing as planned, while high fuel prices have pushed some carriers to park aircraft. As a result, airlines are often able to manage with the pilots they already have.”

This pressure is visible in aircraft delivery data. According to IATA’s June 2026 outlook, deliveries were approximately 5,600 aircraft below the pre-pandemic trend, while the global order backlog reached 18,100 aircraft in May 2026 – equivalent to almost 60% of the active fleet. These constraints can postpone the recruitment and training intended to support airline fleet expansion.

When airlines do recruit, safety and insurance requirements can lead them to favour experienced pilots over newly qualified pilots, as they require less additional training.

“The long-term shortage forecasts are real, but they describe the next two decades, not today’s job market for a low-hour First Officer,” Norkunas adds.

Demand Shifts Between Regions and Aircraft Types

 Pilot demand also shifts between regions as airlines respond to geopolitical developments and changing operating conditions.

“Overall, demand is fairly balanced across regions, but recent geopolitical developments have shifted activity,” says Norkunas. “The crisis in the Middle East put recruitment among Gulf carriers on pause for several months, but we are now seeing the region recover as airlines resume activity and work to attract pilots again. At the same time, the uncertainty pushed some pilots back to Europe, adding to the available supply there.”

Aircraft type is another important factor. AviationCV data show strong demand for both First Officers and Captains on the Airbus A320 family and Boeing 737, but the clearest growth trend is in the widebody market.

“Leading carriers are increasingly building their fleets around the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and 777,” says Norkunas. “With new widebody aircraft arriving, particularly in the Gulf, airlines are competing to attract experienced pilots from leading European and Asian carriers. The biggest mismatch today isn’t in overall numbers, but in experience and type qualifications. Demand consistently outstrips supply for highly skilled, type-rated pilots, particularly on widebodies, and that gap will only widen.”

Airlines Are Looking Beyond Basics

 Meeting regulatory requirements remains the foundation of every airline career, but securing a first airline job requires more than technical flying ability. Additional credentials and certifications, simulator assessments, behavioural interviews, Crew Resource Management (CRM), decision-making, communication, and overall professionalism are integral parts of many airline selection processes.

According to Stian Skaar, Head of Training at BAA Training, a strong profile on paper does not automatically make someone a strong airline candidate.

“Holding a CPL isn’t enough anymore. Airlines – particularly low-cost carriers in Europe – increasingly prefer candidates with additional qualifications such as the Airline Pilot Standards Multi-Crew Cooperation Course (APS MCC). It develops the technical and non-technical skills expected of today’s pilots,” says Skaar.

This preference is already reflected in airline recruitment criteria. Ryanair states that cadet applicants who have completed APS MCC training are given preference during initial selection and have a distinct advantage during the interview and assessment process. At the time of writing, British Airways also listed APS MCC as a requirement for its Speedbird Self-Sponsored Pathway campaign.

Many candidates focus heavily on obtaining their licence and building flight hours but devote less attention to airline selection. Simulator assessments, behavioural interviews, operator research and non-technical competencies are often overlooked until the first assessment invitation arrives.

What Helps Candidates Stand Out

 Airline-oriented courses, like APS MCC, can help bridge the gap between obtaining a licence and entering commercial operations. Such training exposes CPL holders to airline-standard procedures, realistic simulator scenarios and Crew Resource Management (CRM) before they begin applying for First Officer positions. At BAA Training, this approach extends beyond helping cadets obtain their licences. The focus is also on preparing them for airline selection and the operational mindset expected on the flight deck. 

“Ultimately, our goal isn’t simply to graduate licensed pilots,” says Skaar. “It’s to help them become pilots who are ready to succeed in an airline recruitment process, transition confidently into commercial operations, and ensure overall aviation safety and standards.”

The Shortage Is Real, but So Is the Competition

 The pilot shortage is therefore not a contradiction but a question of timing and qualification. Long-term forecasts point to substantial demand across commercial aviation, while today’s recruitment decisions are shaped by immediate fleet requirements, regional conditions, aircraft types and the availability of experienced pilots.

For aspiring First Officers, waiting for the forecast shortage to translate automatically into job offers is not a strategy. A CPL opens the door, but candidates still need to understand where demand exists, prepare for airline-specific selection and develop the technical and non-technical skills required to transition into commercial operations.

Indian Markets Extend Losing Run as Global Cues and Crude Oil Weigh on Sentiment

Mumbai, Aug 19: Indian equity markets remained under pressure on Wednesday, with the Nifty 50 falling for a seventh consecutive session and the Sensex declining for the fourth straight day, as cautious global sentiment and elevated crude oil prices weighed on investors.

The Nifty slipped 76.60 points, or 0.32 per cent, to close at 24,078.30, while the Sensex declined 325.78 points, or 0.42 per cent, to settle at 76,909.68. The Nifty’s latest fall marks its longest losing streak in about 11 months.

Investor sentiment remained cautious as rising crude oil prices, higher global bond yields and continuing geopolitical uncertainty created pressure on risk assets. Brent crude was trading near a three-week high, adding to concerns over inflation and corporate costs.

The weakness was visible across the broader market as well. The Nifty MidCap index fell 0.21 per cent, while the Nifty SmallCap index declined 0.51 per cent. Sectoral performance was mixed, with the chemical sector among the weaker performers, while IT stocks showed relative resilience.

Among individual stocks, HCL Technologies, Eternal, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Sun Pharmaceutical Industries and Titan were among the notable gainers. Power Grid Corporation, Bajaj Finance, Larsen & Toubro, ITC and Hindustan Unilever were among the stocks facing selling pressure.

Market participants are now closely watching the 24,000 level on the Nifty, which has emerged as an important psychological support. Analysts said sustained weakness below key technical levels could keep volatility elevated in the near term.

Despite the recent market pressure, the domestic earnings picture offers some reassurance. The Q1 FY27 results season has largely reflected earnings resilience, giving investors a fundamental cushion even as external factors remain challenging.

Going ahead, market direction is likely to depend on crude oil movements, global bond yields, geopolitical developments and foreign investor flows. For investors, the immediate focus remains on whether the market can stabilise around key support levels and regain confidence after the extended period of selling.

EVM Launches EnTwins, a Premium Detachable Twin-Speaker 2.0 Stereo System with 10W RMS Stereo Sound

Mumbai, Aug 19:  After establishing itself as a leading Indian brand in the IT storage segment, EVM, the flagship technology brand of Hundia Infosolutions Pvt. Ltd., is now expanding its footprint in the premium audio accessories category with the launch of EnTwins Speaker. Designed to combine performance with versatility, EnTwins features two detachable magnetic speaker units that can be used together or placed separately to create a wider, more immersive stereo experience—bringing a fresh, design-led approach to compact personal audio.

Delivering a combined 10W RMS output, EnTwins brings together stereo sound, Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity, spatial audio support, RGB ambient lighting and approximately 10 hours of playback in a compact, fabric-finished design.

At the heart of EnTwins is its distinctive twin–speaker format. Unlike a conventional portable speaker, where the sound comes from a single enclosure, EnTwins allows the two speaker units to be separated and positioned on either side of a smartphone, laptop or workspace. This creates a more natural left-and-right stereo experience and gives music, movies and games a wider sense of sound.

The two speakers can also be placed back on their magnetic base when not being used separately, keeping the setup compact and organised. The speaker also supports spatial audio, helping create a broader and more immersive listening experience. Whether users are streaming music, watching a movie or gaming on their smartphone or laptop, the twin–speaker arrangement is designed to make the audio feel more open and engaging.

Despite its compact size, EnTwins weighs just 285 grams, making it easy to move between a work desk, bedroom, gaming setup or while travelling.

EVM has also integrated a 2-in-1 phone stand into the design, allowing users to place their smartphone alongside the speakers for watching videos, gaming or consuming content hands-free.

The exterior features a fabric-finished design, giving the product a refined, premium look. A rotating RGB light effect adds subtle ambient lighting around the speakers, helping EnTwins naturally into modern desks, entertainment spaces and gaming setups.

Speaking on the launch, Ankit Shah, COO, Hundia Infosolutions Pvt. Ltd., said, “With EnTwins, we wanted to create something beyond a conventional compact Bluetooth speaker. The idea was to combine good sound with a design that gives users more freedom in how they experience it. The detachable speakers allow users to create a proper left-and-right setup, while features such as the magnetic form factor, phone stand and compact design make the product practical for everyday use.”

He added, “As EVM expands its consumer technology portfolio, our focus remains on bringing products where quality can be experienced not only through specifications, but also through the design, finish, usability and overall ownership experience. EnTwins reflects that approach.”

With EnTwins, EVM is strengthening its presence in consumer audio with a product that focuses equally on sound, design and everyday usability. Rather than competing only on loudness or battery specifications, the product has been designed around how consumers actually use portable audio today — across smartphones, laptops, workspaces, gaming environments and entertainment setups.

EnTwins comes with a 1 Year warranty, assuring consumers of the finest after-sales assistance. The after-sales service is also top-notch, with a free on-site warranty available for added convenience. EVM is committed to serving its customers with a wide network of 500+ service locations across the country.

Beyond Black: G+D Brings New Colors to Convego Ceramic Payment Cards as Banks Compete for Affluent Customers

India, Aug 19:  As fintechs and digital-first challengers narrow the gap on price and convenience, a growing number of banks are also exploring new target groups. Giesecke+Devrient is expanding its Convego Ceramic payment card line with a wide range of new on-trend colors, including elegant white, bright blue and deep red. It takes the material beyond the black and dark tones that have defined it so far, giving banks a new tool for physical differentiation as they compete with fintechs for affluent customers.

Retail banking is undergoing a recalibration. Fintechs’ combined share of revenue among the world’s largest banks and fintechs rose from 10 % in 2021 to 17 % in 2025, according to McKinsey’s Global Banking Annual Review – evidence, that, according to the report, fintechs are maturing from niche challengers into full-scale competitors for broad customer relationships, not just individual transactions. Facing the competition, many banks are looking past standard segmentation toward more personalized, identity-driven relationships with affluent and aspirational customers.

This group is not easy to win or keep. Ultra-high-net-worth individuals collectively spend USD 280 billion on luxury goods annually, according to analyst Altrata. Also, aspirational consumers pursuing that lifestyle account for a significant share of premium brand purchases.Overall, the global luxury market is projected to reach $700 billion by the end of the decade, growing 4 % to 6 % annually, according to McKinsey consumer research.

For banks, the competition for these customers has less to do with rates or fees, and more with whether customers feel their status is recognized. What better way to reinforce that connection than through a payment card, the most visible link between a customer and their bank?

Ceramic cards: A demanding material gets more color

This is the specific space G+D is addressing with its updated Convego Ceramic line, adding a variety of colorways, including white, blue- and red-toned finishes, to a portfolio that has so far been almost exclusively black. A wide range of additional colors can also be produced. Further customization options, such as laser engraving for background textures and electroplating, are also available. Here, a thin layer of metal is deposited electrochemically onto the ceramic surface, producing a mirror-like, color-shifting effect, giving issuers an additional way to customize a ceramic card.

Already the material itself, with its distinct look, offers a special payment experience. G+D launched the Convego ceramic card in black some time ago as the first payment card on the market made entirely of ceramic, except for its electronic components and antenna.

Creating colored ceramics is easier said than done. Color in fired ceramics is not printed onto the surface; it is produced chemically within the material itself. During firing at high temperatures, many pigments fade or shift in tone. Only compounds combined with stabilizers such as zirconium reliably survive the process without discoloring, which is one reason dark, oxide-based tones have dominated ceramic production.

Achieving stable, repeatable colors at scale still requires significant craftsmanship and specialized manufacturing processes. Zirconia also brings additional benefits: It makes the surface resistant to scratches and enables a mirror-like effect, helping the card maintain its look and feel even after being taken in and out of a wallet many times. G+D’s ceramic cards are particularly distinguished by their high-gloss, durable surface.

“Ceramic in payment cards has been almost synonymous with black. Expanding the palette is a technical achievement that gives banks a genuinely new tool to signal exclusivity and identity,” says Mikko Kähkönen, Head of Payment Cards Portfolio at G+D. “As institutions compete for affluent customers, the physical card is once again becoming a strategic differentiator, one that customers can see, hold, and identify with.”

Vedanta’s Renewable Energy Use Surges 52 percent to 4 Billion Units as Net-Zero Investments Cross US Dollar 1 Billion

New Delhi, Aug 19: As India rapidly expands renewable energy and electrification to meet its growing energy needs, Vedanta Group is strengthening its position across the energy transition — both as a supplier of the critical materials needed to build the new energy economy and as a large energy consumer transforming how those materials are produced.

India has set an ambitious target of 500 GW of non-fossil fuel-based power capacity by 2030, alongside its broader ambition of meeting 50% of its energy requirements from renewable sources and achieving net–zero emissions by 2070. This expansion will require significant investments in renewable generation, transmission, power grids, storage and electrification — driving long-term demand for the metals and minerals that underpin this infrastructure.

Vedanta’s diversified portfolio gives it a strategic position in this opportunity. Copper, aluminium, zinc, silver and steel are fundamental to renewable power generation, transmission, grids, solar technologies, energy storage and the broader electrified economy. At the same time, Vedanta is transforming the energy profile of its own energy-intensive operations.

On Akshay Urja Diwas, Vedanta announced that it has invested more than US$1 billion in net–zero transition initiatives through FY2025-26, with renewable energy, lower-carbon fuels, energy efficiency and technology-led interventions driving its decarbonisation efforts. As part of this transition, the Group’s renewable energy utilisation increased 52% year-on-year to 4 billion units (400 crore units) in FY2025-26, equivalent to the annual electricity consumption of around 3 crore Indian households. Vedanta now has nearly 2,000 MW of installed and contracted renewable energy capacity and is targeting 2.5 GW of round-the-clock renewable energy capacity by 2030. These initiatives, alongside other decarbonisation interventions, helped avoid approximately 3 million tonnes of CO₂e emissions in FY2025-26, while greenhouse gas emissions intensity across the Group’s metals and mining production declined by approximately 14% from the FY2020-21 baseline.

Vedanta’s energy-transition strategy spans both sides of the value chain. The Group is building the materials and capabilities required for a more electrified economy while simultaneously transforming the way its own operations are powered. This dual positioning creates an opportunity to strengthen Vedanta’s relevance to customers seeking to decarbonise their value chains, while positioning its businesses at the centre of one of the most significant structural shifts in the global economy.

“The global transition to clean energy demands both, sustainable materials and sustainable operations. Vedanta operates at the heart of this shift; producing the critical metals essential for a low-carbon future while aggressively decarbonizing our own footprint. And in doing so, we are building the resilient, sustainable industrial foundation that will power an Atmanirbhar and Viksit Bharat.” said Priya Agarwal Hebbar, Non-Executive Director, Vedanta Ltd. and Chairperson, Hindustan Zinc Ltd.

Vedanta Aluminium’s Restora and Restora Ultra and Hindustan Zinc’s EcoZen are designed to address growing demand for lower-carbon materials. In FY2025-26, customers using EcoZen avoided approximately 8,268 tonnes of CO₂e emissions.

Across its businesses, Vedanta is also deploying AI, automation, Industrial IoT and advanced analytics to improve energy efficiency, optimise processes and enhance asset performance.

The Group’s focus on responsible business practices is also reflected in the ESG performance of its companies, with Vedanta Limited, Vedanta Aluminium and Hindustan Zinc (HZL) featuring among leading performers in S&P Global’s ESG assessments. HZL is also a member of the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM), reinforcing its commitment to responsible mining practices and sustainable development. Vedanta Oil & Gas is also strengthening emissions management and became the first and only upstream oil & gas company in India to achieve OGMP 2.0 Gold Standard Pathway status for methane reporting and management, reflecting its focus on robust measurement, transparency and emissions reduction.

As India’s energy transition accelerates, Vedanta’s opportunity extends beyond reducing the carbon intensity of its own operations. Its portfolio is positioned to supply the materials required for the transition, its investments are building the capabilities to produce them more sustainably, and its lower-carbon products are enabling customers to transition alongside it.