26, Sep 2026
Bank Strike and Everyday Life: What Customers Need to Know as Branch Services Face Disruption
A bank strike may begin with a dispute over working conditions, but its effects can quickly reach far beyond the banking sector.
For millions of Indians, banks are part of everyday life. Salaries are credited into accounts, businesses deposit collections, families withdraw cash, cheques are processed, loans are serviced and government payments move through the banking system. When employees at bank branches stop work, even temporarily, these routine activities can face delays.
The proposed bank strike from September 28 to 30, 2026, therefore comes at a particularly important time for customers and businesses, with the end of the month and half-yearly financial closing approaching.
The immediate impact, however, is unlikely to be the same for everyone.
For customers who increasingly use UPI, mobile banking, internet banking and cards, much of everyday banking can continue digitally. For people who depend on physical branches, the disruption could be considerably more visible.
Why the Bank Strike Matters
The strike has been called by bank employee unions in connection with demands including the implementation of a five-day banking week.
While the dispute concerns employees and the organisation of banking services, customers are ultimately concerned with one question:
Will I be able to access my money and complete my banking work?
The answer depends largely on the type of transaction.
Digital payments and many automated banking services can continue operating even when employees are away from branches. Transactions requiring direct intervention by bank staff, however, may have to wait until normal operations resume.
That distinction is becoming increasingly important as India’s banking system moves from branch-based banking towards a hybrid model combining physical and digital services.
Branch Banking Could Take the Biggest Hit
The most visible disruption is likely to occur at bank branches.
Customers requiring services such as cash transactions at counters, account documentation, certain loan-related activities, demand drafts, locker access and other employee-assisted services may have to postpone their work.
For someone who simply wants to make a UPI payment, the strike may have little immediate impact.
For a small trader who needs to deposit a large amount of cash at a branch, the situation is very different.
This creates an uneven impact across different sections of society.
UPI and Mobile Banking Offer a Safety Net
India’s digital payment infrastructure has significantly changed the way bank disruptions affect ordinary consumers.
UPI has become an everyday payment method for everything from groceries and restaurant bills to utility payments and person-to-person transfers.
Mobile and internet banking also allow customers to transfer funds, check balances, pay bills and manage many banking requirements without visiting a branch.
As a result, a branch strike does not necessarily mean that banking activity across the country stops.
However, digital banking has its limits.
A mobile application cannot replace every service traditionally delivered by a branch. Documentation, certain account requests, physical instruments and some customer-service requirements may still depend on bank employees.
ATMs May Continue, But Cash Availability Matters
ATMs are another important part of the equation.
Customers can generally continue to use ATMs during periods when bank branches are closed. But ATM availability does not automatically guarantee unlimited access to cash.
Cash machines need to be replenished, particularly in locations where demand is high.
If large numbers of customers withdraw cash simultaneously because of concerns about a strike, some machines could experience temporary shortages.
For this reason, customers who genuinely require cash for essential expenses may want to plan ahead rather than wait until the last minute.
At the same time, unnecessary panic withdrawals can create avoidable pressure on the cash distribution system.
Small Businesses Could Feel the Impact
The effect on businesses could be more significant than on individual consumers.
Small retailers, wholesalers, restaurants, traders and other cash-intensive businesses often depend on regular bank deposits and branch-level services.
A delay in depositing cash can affect working capital. Delays in cheque processing can affect supplier payments. Documentation-related delays can affect business transactions.
For companies approaching month-end financial closing, even relatively short disruptions can require additional planning.
Businesses that have time-sensitive banking requirements should therefore avoid leaving important branch transactions until the final day.
Cheques Could Face Delays
Although digital payments dominate many transactions, cheques remain relevant to businesses, institutions and some individual customers.
A bank strike can create delays in activities connected with cheque processing, particularly where physical or employee-assisted operations are involved.
Customers expecting a payment to clear by a particular date should therefore take the banking calendar into account.
Where an electronic alternative is appropriate and available, businesses may choose to use it instead.
Senior Citizens and Branch-Dependent Customers
The digital transformation of banking has created enormous convenience, but not everyone interacts with banks in the same way.
Many senior citizens continue to prefer branch banking because they value face-to-face assistance.
Customers who are less comfortable with mobile applications, internet banking or digital payment platforms may have fewer alternatives during a branch closure.
The same can apply to customers in areas where digital connectivity is inconsistent.
This means that the impact of a bank strike is not simply a question of technology. It is also a question of accessibility.
Rural Areas Could Face Different Challenges
Urban customers generally have access to multiple digital payment options and a large network of ATMs and bank branches.
The situation can be different in rural and semi-urban areas.
A customer who depends on a nearby bank branch or banking correspondent may have fewer alternatives if physical services are disrupted.
Digital banking can bridge part of this gap, but reliable internet connectivity, smartphone access and digital familiarity remain important factors.
Government Transactions and Institutional Payments
Banks are also critical to government transactions, salaries, pensions and other institutional payments.
When a strike occurs around the end of a month, government departments and other institutions may need to plan transactions earlier to avoid unnecessary delays.
The same principle applies to businesses.
Instead of waiting for a payment deadline that falls during a period of disruption, organisations can process eligible transactions in advance.
This is particularly relevant during financial closing periods, when banks handle large volumes of reconciliation and settlement-related activity.
What Customers Should Do
Customers do not need to panic about a bank strike, but some advance planning can prevent unnecessary inconvenience.
Complete branch work early
If you need a service that requires physical interaction with bank staff, try to complete it before the strike begins.
Keep digital banking ready
Make sure your mobile banking and internet banking credentials are working and that your registered mobile number is active.
Use UPI for routine payments
Where appropriate, UPI and other electronic payment methods can help maintain normal household and business transactions.
Plan essential cash requirements
If you require cash for unavoidable expenses, plan your withdrawal in advance rather than waiting until demand rises.
Don’t delay important cheques
Time-sensitive cheque transactions should be planned around the strike period.
Check your bank’s own advisory
Not every banking service is affected in exactly the same way. Customers should follow communications issued by their individual bank.
Will Normal Life Stop?
Probably not.
That is one of the most important distinctions between a modern bank strike and a banking shutdown.
India’s financial system now has multiple layers.
There are physical branches, ATMs, UPI, cards, mobile banking, internet banking, banking correspondents and automated transaction systems.
Because of this infrastructure, many routine financial activities can continue even when branch employees are not working.
But the disruption will still be real for people whose transactions depend on physical banking.
The strike therefore creates friction rather than a complete halt.
The Digital Divide Becomes Visible
There is a broader lesson in the situation.
India’s rapid digitalisation has made the economy more resilient to interruptions in physical banking services. At the same time, it has highlighted the gap between customers who can comfortably operate digitally and those who still depend on traditional banking.
The future of banking is increasingly digital, but physical branches continue to perform functions that cannot simply disappear overnight.
The challenge for banks is therefore not choosing between digital and physical banking.
It is maintaining reliable access to both.
Why the Timing Is Important
The proposed strike falls close to the end of September and the half-yearly financial closing period.
For banks, businesses and financial institutions, this is an important operational window.
Transactions, reconciliations, settlements, accounting processes and other financial activities may need careful scheduling.
For ordinary customers, the simplest lesson is equally practical:
If something important requires a bank employee, don’t wait until the last possible day.
The Changing Meaning of a “Bank Holiday”
A generation ago, a bank holiday could mean a much broader interruption to financial activity.
Today, the meaning has changed.
A customer may find the local branch closed while simultaneously completing a UPI transaction, paying a bill through an app and transferring money through internet banking.
The physical bank may be unavailable, but the digital banking system continues to operate.
That transformation has fundamentally changed how India experiences bank disruptions.
The Bottom Line
A bank union strike can inconvenience normal life, but its impact is likely to vary sharply depending on how people use banking services.
Digital-first customers may be able to carry on with many routine transactions, while customers and businesses dependent on physical branches could face delays.
Small businesses, cash-dependent establishments, senior citizens and customers requiring documentation or employee-assisted services may need more advance planning.
The best response is not panic but preparation.
Complete important branch work before the strike, keep digital payment options available, plan essential cash requirements and allow additional time for transactions that could face delays.
The episode also highlights a larger transformation in India’s financial system: banking is no longer confined to a branch, but the branch remains important for millions of customers.
And until digital services can provide every banking function seamlessly, a bank strike will continue to have an impact—not necessarily by stopping the economy, but by slowing down the parts of everyday financial life that still depend on human interaction.
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- By Neel Achary
26, Sep 2026
The Sunday Sleep Trap: Why One Long Sleep Isn’t Enough
For millions of people, Sunday morning feels like the one opportunity to catch up.
The alarm is switched off. The workweek is over. There is nowhere to rush. So the body gets what it appears to have been asking for all week: a few extra hours in bed.
Sleeping until 10 a.m., 11 a.m. or even noon can feel wonderfully restorative after several nights of late work, early mornings, long commutes and endless screen time.
But there is a catch.
One long Sunday sleep may help you feel less tired, but it cannot completely undo a week of inadequate sleep.
Sleep recovery is more complicated than simply adding up the hours lost during the week and trying to repay them in one weekend.
The Weekend Recovery Myth
Consider a common routine.
Monday to Friday, a person sleeps around five or six hours a night. By Friday, they are tired, irritable and struggling to concentrate. Saturday night becomes an opportunity to sleep longer, followed by an even longer Sunday morning.
It feels like recovery.
And in one sense, it is. Additional sleep can reduce sleepiness and provide the body with more time for recovery.
But researchers have found that weekend catch-up sleep does not necessarily reverse all of the effects associated with repeated sleep restriction.
That distinction matters.
Feeling better is not necessarily the same as being fully recovered.
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends that adults regularly obtain at least seven hours of sleep per night to support health and daytime alertness.
The goal, therefore, isn’t to build a sleep deficit during the week and settle the account on Sunday.
It is to avoid accumulating that deficit in the first place.
Your Body Doesn’t Have a “Reset” Button
One of the biggest misconceptions about sleep is that the body can simply compensate for lost hours whenever convenient.
It doesn’t work quite that way.
Sleep influences a wide range of biological processes, including brain function, metabolism, hormonal regulation, immune activity and cardiovascular health.
When insufficient sleep becomes a repeated pattern, the consequences can extend beyond feeling sleepy at work.
Research has linked habitual inadequate sleep with a range of health risks, although the relationship between sleep and individual health outcomes is complex and influenced by many other factors.
This is why occasional sleep loss should not be confused with chronic sleep deprivation.
A late night before an important presentation is one thing.
Getting five or six hours of sleep almost every night for months is something else entirely.
Why Sunday Can Create Another Problem
There is another side to the Sunday sleep trap.
Suppose your normal weekday schedule requires you to wake at 6:30 a.m. But after a tiring week, you sleep until noon on Sunday.
You have gained several hours of sleep.
However, Sunday evening may bring an unexpected consequence: you are no longer sleepy at your usual bedtime.
You stay awake scrolling through your phone, watching television or working late.
Monday morning arrives.
The alarm rings at 6:30.
You feel exhausted again.
The cycle starts over.
This is one reason sleep experts emphasize not only sleep duration but also regularity and timing.
Your internal biological clock responds to patterns. Large swings between weekday and weekend sleep schedules can make it harder for some people to maintain a consistent rhythm.
Catch-Up Sleep Isn’t Completely Useless
It is important not to turn this into another sleep myth.
Sleeping longer after a period of insufficient sleep isn’t necessarily bad.
If you have had a particularly short night, additional sleep can help reduce sleepiness. People recovering from accumulated sleep loss may also need extra sleep.
The problem is relying on this strategy as a permanent solution.
Think of it this way:
A weekend recovery sleep can be part of recovery. It shouldn’t become the entire recovery plan.
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health notes that after several days of insufficient sleep, recovery can require several nights of good-quality sleep.
That is very different from assuming that one extended Sunday morning completely resets the body.
The Real Cost of a Week of Poor Sleep
Sleep deprivation doesn’t always announce itself dramatically.
Sometimes it appears as small changes:
- Losing concentration during meetings
- Making avoidable mistakes
- Forgetting small details
- Becoming impatient more easily
- Needing multiple cups of coffee
- Struggling to stay alert in the afternoon
- Finding it harder to make decisions
- Feeling unmotivated or mentally drained
For professionals, entrepreneurs, students and people working long hours, these effects can have practical consequences.
A tired employee may spend more time completing a task.
A sleep-deprived driver faces reduced alertness.
A business leader making important decisions may be operating with less-than-optimal attention.
The issue isn’t simply whether you can stay awake.
It is whether your brain and body are functioning at their best.
Seven Hours Is a Starting Point, Not a Competition
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends that healthy adults regularly obtain seven or more hours of sleep per night.
But sleep requirements are not identical for everyone.
Age, lifestyle, health, activity levels and individual biology can influence how much sleep a person needs.
The important point is consistency.
Someone who needs eight hours cannot necessarily function optimally on six hours during the week simply because they sleep ten hours on Sunday.
Likewise, spending an excessive amount of time in bed does not automatically guarantee high-quality sleep.
Sleep quality matters as much as quantity.
What About Sleeping Until Noon?
Sleeping until noon occasionally is not automatically a health problem.
There may be perfectly reasonable explanations: travel, an unusually demanding week, illness, social commitments or a temporary disruption to the normal routine.
The concern arises when sleeping until noon every Sunday becomes necessary just to feel functional.
That could be a sign that the weekday sleep schedule is not providing enough rest.
If someone regularly sleeps for long periods but still feels exhausted during the day, the problem may also involve sleep quality or an underlying sleep disorder.
Persistent symptoms deserve professional attention rather than simply adding more weekend sleep.
The Better Weekend Approach
The answer isn’t to eliminate weekend relaxation.
Instead, rethink what the weekend is for.
Rather than using Sunday as a sleep rescue mission, use it as an opportunity to reinforce a healthier routine.
Protect your weekday sleep
Don’t wait until Friday to think about recovery.
If work requires an early start, set a realistic bedtime that provides enough opportunity for sleep.
Keep weekend timings reasonably consistent
You don’t need to wake at precisely the same minute every day.
But a huge difference between weekday and weekend wake times may make it harder to maintain a stable sleep-wake rhythm.
Use extra sleep strategically
If you are genuinely sleep-deprived, allowing yourself some additional sleep can be helpful.
Just don’t assume that sleeping half the day every Sunday compensates for chronic sleep restriction.
Reduce late-night stimulation
Phones, streaming platforms, work emails and social media can easily push bedtime later.
The problem often isn’t that people don’t have enough time to sleep.
It is that sleep keeps getting postponed.
Look for the underlying problem
If you repeatedly sacrifice sleep because of work, caregiving, commuting, entertainment or other commitments, the long-term solution is to address that pattern.
Weekend sleep cannot solve a schedule that is fundamentally incompatible with adequate rest.
The Sunday Night Test
There is a simple question worth asking:
After sleeping late on Sunday, can you still fall asleep comfortably at your normal bedtime?
If the answer is regularly “no,” your weekend sleep schedule may be pushing your biological clock later.
And if Monday morning consistently feels like a shock to the system, the solution may not be another Sunday lie-in.
It may be a more consistent sleep schedule across the entire week.
When Sleep Problems Need Attention
Occasional tiredness is normal.
Persistent sleep problems are different.
If you regularly experience difficulty falling asleep, frequent nighttime awakenings, loud snoring, gasping or choking during sleep, excessive daytime sleepiness or consistently unrefreshing sleep, it is worth discussing the problem with a healthcare professional.
Simply sleeping longer on weekends may not address the underlying cause.
The Bigger Lesson
Modern life encourages people to treat sleep as flexible.
Work runs late.
Phones stay beside the bed.
Streaming platforms make “one more episode” easy.
Emails arrive around the clock.
Social commitments stretch into the night.
And then Sunday becomes the day when the body is expected to recover from everything that happened during the previous six days.
But sleep isn’t a luxury that can always be postponed and repaid later.
The body needs regular opportunities to rest.
A longer Sunday sleep can certainly feel good. It can help reduce sleepiness after a difficult week. But it should not become a substitute for adequate sleep on the other six days.
The goal isn’t to become someone who never sleeps late.
The goal is to become someone who doesn’t need Sunday to recover from Monday through Saturday.
The Bottom Line
Sunday sleep can help—but it isn’t a reset button.
If poor sleep has become a weekly pattern, the most effective change is likely to come from improving the entire sleep routine rather than relying on one long weekend morning.
Sleep more consistently. Protect your bedtime. Keep your schedule reasonably stable. And treat rest as part of your daily health—not as something to catch up on once a week.
Because the best Sunday recovery plan is not needing to recover from the whole week.
Health Disclaimer: This article is intended for general health and wellness information. It does not replace professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Persistent sleep difficulties or excessive daytime sleepiness should be discussed with a qualified healthcare professional.
26, Sep 2026
Kia India Brings ‘Kia Vibe Studio’ to Chennai for HYBE INDIA’s ‘Final Call’ Auditions, Celebrating Creativity and Youth Culture
26, Sep 2026
Paradip Becomes East Coast’s First Mega Port Under Indian Ports Act, 2025
Bhubaneswar, Sept. 26 (UDN): Paradip Port in Odisha has been officially granted the status of a ‘Mega Port’ by the Union Government under the provisions of the Indian Ports Act, 2025, marking a significant milestone for India’s maritime sector.
Representational Image
The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways issued the notification on Friday after the port fulfilled the structural and operational benchmarks laid down under Section 73 of the Act.
With this recognition, Paradip has become the only port on India’s eastern coast to receive the Mega Port designation. It joins three other ports across the country—Deendayal Port (Kandla) and Mundra Port in Gujarat, and Jawaharlal Nehru Port (Nhava Sheva) in Maharashtra.
Located in Odisha’s Jagatsinghpur district, Paradip Port plays a pivotal role in handling cargo for eastern and central India. The port manages substantial volumes of coal, iron ore, fertilizers and crude oil, making it one of the country’s most important maritime trade gateways.
The new designation is expected to accelerate infrastructure expansion, improve operational efficiency and strengthen maritime connectivity. It is also likely to enhance the port’s capacity to handle growing cargo volumes while supporting industrial and trade activities across the region.
The recognition reinforces Paradip Port’s strategic importance in India’s port-led development initiative and positions it for greater investment and modernization in the years ahead.
26, Sep 2026
THE FUTURE OF CPG LAUNCHES ISN’T ANOTHER FLAVOR — IT’S FANDOM
THE FUTURE OF CPG LAUNCHES ISN’T ANOTHER FLAVOR — IT’S FANDOM: BELLIWELLI BRINGS ITS BRAND-BUILDING PLAYBOOK TO 3,120 WALMART STORES
Walmart’s fastest-growing fiber brand pairs its biggest endcap rollout to date with 8 winners, $64K in cash prizes and a limited 8 Other Reasons collaboration inspired by fashion’s drop-culture playbook
LOS ANGELES, Calif. — September 25, 2026 — Fiber is having a moment — and BelliWelli is taking the community-first playbook that built the brand to its biggest retail stage yet.
The digestive wellness brand known for turning “Hot Girls Have IBS” into a cultural conversation is already sold in every Walmart store nationwide — and is now scaling its in-store presence even further
with its biggest Walmart endcap to date, featured in 3,120 stores across the country by September 26.
Rather than treating the investment as simply another retail expansion, BelliWelli is building a broader consumer activation around it designed to turn a major Walmart moment into participation.
Beginning September 21, BelliWelli launched a sweepstakes giving eight people the chance to win $8,000 each, with every prize package also including a limited BelliWelli x 8 Other Reasons charm
created for the campaign. And yes, the “8” is intentional.
BelliWelli partnered with accessories brand 8 Other Reasons for the activation, leaning into the collaboration with eight winners, $8,000 each and eight limited charm designs. The partnership adds
scarcity, collectibility and cultural relevance to the activation, but the bigger story is BelliWelli’s investment in bringing its community-first brand-building strategy to mass retail at unprecedented scale.
BelliWelli co-founder Katie Wilson with the brand’s dedicated Walmart endcap, part of BelliWelli’s biggest Walmart endcap program to date across 3,120 locations nationwide.
FROM COMMUNITY TO FANDOM TO RETAIL GROWTH
The activation is the latest evolution of a playbook BelliWelli has been building from the beginning: take a category that traditionally felt clinical, functional — and sometimes taboo — and find unexpected ways to put it directly into culture.
From its viral “Hot Girls Have IBS” billboard to “belli-bomb” social moments with Spencer Pratt, Bethenny Frankel, Jojo Siwa and Kelly Osbourne, BelliWelli has consistently looked for ways to make digestivewellness something consumers actually want to talk about, participate in and share. That community-first approach has increasingly become a growth strategy. Led by co-founders Katie
Wilson, Nick Wilson and Tyson Woeste, BelliWelli has focused on building enough affinity around the brand that consumers want to participate in what it does next, rather than simply competing for attention
with another flavor or SKU. The 3,120-store endcap program represents BelliWelli’s largest physical expression of that community-first strategy to date.
“Our mission hasn’t changed; the machine around it has,” said Katie Wilson, co-founder of BelliWelli. “We’ve always wanted to normalize taking fiber, destigmatize digestive health and make the category
something people actually want to engage with. Now we have the opportunity to take that same community-first approach and bring it to consumers at Walmart scale.”
FIBER IS HAVING ITS CULTURAL MOMENT
The Walmart expansion arrives as “fibermaxxing” has pushed fiber further into the broader wellness conversation, reflecting growing consumer interest in getting more fiber into everyday routines.
For Wilson, the opportunity is bigger than a single trend. It is about bringing the energy, creativity and cultural relevance of modern consumer brands to a category that has historically been marketed primarily
around function and need.
“Fiber is finally having its moment, but we believe there is still enormous white space in how this category shows up for consumers,” said Wilson. “We’re not interested in simply launching another flavor and
hoping people pay attention. We want to build real affinity around fiber — making it approachable, fun and culturally relevant enough that consumers want to participate in the brand itself.”
The 8 Other Reasons collaboration is one expression of that strategy. By borrowing elements from fashion’s drop-culture playbook — collaboration, scarcity, collectibility and anticipation — BelliWelli is
creating another entry point into a category consumers may not traditionally associate with fandom. BelliWelli pairs its fiber gummies and powders with a limited BelliWelli x 8 Other Reasons charm collaboration, bringing elements of fashion’s drop-culture playbook to digestive wellness.
THE STRATEGY IS TRANSLATING INTO WALMART MOMENTUM
Behind the cultural strategy is meaningful retail momentum. BelliWelli is currently Walmart’s fastest-growing fiber brand, based on the latest 13-week POS data ending July 11, 2026. Already sold in
every Walmart store nationwide, the brand is now receiving expanded in-store visibility through its biggest Walmart endcap program to date, with dedicated endcaps featured in 3,120 locations.
BelliWelli is also reaching consumers who are new to the category, with 77.6% of its shoppers having never purchased fiber before during the latest 12-month period ending December 31, 2025.
For BelliWelli, that signals an opportunity beyond winning share among existing fiber shoppers. The brand is investing in making fiber relevant and accessible to consumers who may not previously have
considered themselves part of the category — and Walmart gives BelliWelli the ability to take that strategy to mass-retail scale.
Across 3,120 stores nationwide, the endcap program brings BelliWelli’s fiber gummies and powders into a highly visible physical retail moment while the accompanying activation gives consumers a reason to engage with the brand beyond the shelf.
8 WINNERS. $8K EACH. 8 LIMITED CHARMS.
The primary marketed consumer journey is simple: shoppers can purchase an eligible BelliWelli product at Walmart or Walmart.com, upload a qualifying receipt at www.belliwelli8otherreasonssweeps.com and participate for a chance to win. No purchase is necessary, and a free alternative method of entry is available as detailed in the Official Rules.
The BelliWelli x 8 Other Reasons collaboration features eight limited charm designs created for the campaign, with sweepstakes winners receiving one charm alongside an $8,000 cash prize.
Each of the eight prize packages includes $8,000 plus one BelliWelli x 8 Other Reasons charm, with an approximate retail value of $8,050 per prize and approximately $64,400 in total prizes, subject to the Official Rules. The BelliWelli x 8 Other Reasons charm will initially be available exclusively to sweepstakes winners, giving consumers the chance to access a limited campaign collectible before the charm collection becomes available for purchase at 8OtherReasons.com beginning October 27.
The sweepstakes began at 12:00 p.m. ET on September 21, 2026 and ends at 11:59 p.m. ET on October 31, 2026.
Eligible BelliWelli products are available at participating Walmart stores and Walmart.com. For complete eligibility, entry methods, prize details, odds, restrictions and the free alternative method of entry, visit www.belliwelli8otherreasonssweeps.com.
25, Sep 2026
Mantle Hits Back-to-Back All-Time Highs with 1,473 Tokenized Assets and $476M in Distributed Asset Value
DUBAI, UAE, Sept. 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Mantle, the open financial network connecting global market participants to institutional-grade capital market assets on-chain, today announced back-to-back all-time highs across two of the most closely tracked benchmarks in tokenized finance. The total number of tokenized assets on Mantle has crossed 1,473, up from 71 at the start of the year, per Blockworks Research, while total Distributed Asset Value for real-world assets (RWAs) on Mantle has climbed to $476 million, a 110% increase over the past 30 days, per RWA.xyz.
Both milestones reflect the accelerating concentration of institutional-grade real-world assets on Mantle, with the network’s tokenized asset count growing more than twentyfold since January.
The Numbers Behind the Growth
The 1,473 tokenized asset count places Mantle among the fastest-growing networks for real-world asset issuance in 2026, driven by an expanding roster of established issuers building on the network, including xStocks for tokenized equities and ETFs, Securitize for tokenized index funds, Ethena for yield-bearing stablecoins, Paxos for regulated dollar issuance and more.The $476.10 million in Distributed Asset Value, more than doubling in a single month, reflects both the scale of individual asset launches and the deepening liquidity behind them, spanning tokenized equities, ETFs, stablecoins, and yield-bearing instruments including the Mantle Vault, which extended into decentralized finance earlier this year alongside Grove, CIAN, and Fluxion.
These milestones follow a series of high-profile listings on Mantle in recent months, including the on-chain listing of tokenized SpaceX equity (SPCXx) simultaneously with the SpaceX IPO; the addition of Franklin Templeton’s USPX ETF (USPXx) as one of the first Ethereum Layer 2 networks to bring a tokenized ETF from one of the world’s largest asset managers on-chain; and the native minting of USDG, the Paxos-issued regulated stablecoin, joining Mantle to the Global Dollar Network alongside more than 150 partners.
Why the Growth Is Concentrating on Mantle
Real-world assets require infrastructure built for institutional standards: regulated custody, verifiable settlement, deep liquidity, and composable utility. As the largest chain running ZK validity proofs on Ethereum, Mantle delivers verifiable settlement with institutional-grade security, paired with a distribution stack that spans both centralized and on-chain venues through Bybit and Fluxion. Assets on Mantle trade 24/7 through Fluxion’s hybrid AMM and Atomic RFQ infrastructure, and remain productive from the moment they land through the network’s growing suite of yield products and DeFi integrations.
“These all-time highs reflect what we have been building toward from the start: borderless access to global capital markets, on infrastructure that can carry them at scale,” said Emily Bao, Key Advisor at Mantle and Head of Spot at Bybit. “Every asset that lands on Mantle brings us closer to a network where anyone, anywhere, can reach institutional-grade opportunities without the barriers that have historically defined them.”
About Mantle
Mantle is the open financial network connecting global market participants to institutional-grade capital market assets on-chain. With institutional-grade infrastructure and a composable ecosystem anchored by MNT within Bybit and built out through core projects including mETH, fBTC, and MI4, Mantle serves as the destination where institutional RWA capital concentrates on-chain. For more information visit mantle.xyz.
For media enquiries, please contact: contact@mantle.xyz
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25, Sep 2026
Babylist Opens 20,000 Square Foot Showroom in New York City: NYSE Content Update
NYSE issues a pre-market daily advisory direct from the trading floor.
NEW YORK, Sept. 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) provides a daily pre-market update directly from the NYSE Trading Floor. Access today’s NYSE Pre-market update for market insights before trading begins.
Ashley Mastronardi delivers the pre-market update on September 25th
- Babylist’s new showroom is designed for the entire early parenting journey.
- Features include dedicated stroller test tracks, a Volvo for hands-on car seat installation practice, and a 600-square-foot model apartment where parents can see how baby gear fits and functions in a real-world living space.
- Chief Marketing + Experience Officer Jill Cress will join NYSE Live to discuss why Babylist specifically chose New York City for the showroom’s destination.
- Energy tech firm Hyliion dual lists on NYSE Texas.
- The Texas-based company says that the move connects it to the capital markets fueling Texas’ energy and technology growth.
- Founder + CEO Thomas Healy will join NYSE Live to discuss the strategy of dual-listing and the role its home state of Texas plays in Hyliion’s momentum.
- Investors monitor elevated Treasury yields and rate decision data.
- The 30-year U.S. Treasury yield reached its highest level since 2004 this week.
- New data shows that roughly 70% of traders anticipate the Fed to raise interest rates next month
Opening Bell
Operation Lifesaver, Inc. recognizes the 10th annual See Tracks? Think Train® Week
Closing Bell
XPRIZE celebrates the XPRIZE Wildfire Awardees
For market insights, IPO activity, and today’s opening bell, download the NYSE TV App and check out the NYSE YouTube: TV.NYSE.com and YouTube.com/@NYSEofficial
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25, Sep 2026
Rapido Launches Ownly in Hyderabad, Celebrates the City’s Captains with a Biryani Party
September 25, 2026: Known for its biryani houses, Irani cafés and late-night kitchens, Hyderabad is one of India’s most food-loving cities. Mobility platform Rapido today announced the launch of Ownly, its standalone food delivery app, in Hyderabad, the brand’s second city after Bengaluru, where it first launched earlier this year. With Ownly now live across the city, Hyderabad becomes the newest home for the platform’s zero-commission, price-honest approach to food delivery.
At the heart of Ownly’s proposition is its zero-commission model, under which restaurants pay no fees and customers are charged only an honest delivery fee that reflects the actual cost of getting food to their door.
Speaking at the launch, Aravind Sanka, Co – Founder, Rapido and Ownly said: “Hyderabad is one of the most passionate food cities in the country, especially when it comes to biryani; and that makes it a natural next home for Ownly. Our model is simple: restaurants keep what they earn, customers pay only for their food and delivery, and nobody pays for anything in between. Bengaluru showed us that people respond to honesty in pricing, and we expect Hyderabad to hold us to it just as closely. It felt right to begin here with our captains, because they are the ones who carry this promise to every doorstep in the city.”
25, Sep 2026
Companies Of The UN Global Compact Across Europe Make Tangible Contributions To The Sustainable Development Goals But Still Lack Operational Actions To Advance Environmental Goals
Release of the first comprehensive analysis of the private sector’s contribution to the 2030 agenda
NEW YORK, Sept. 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — On the occasion of the United Nations General Assembly, UN Global Compact Networks Bulgaria, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom and Türkiye are releasing the second edition of the European Private Sector SDGs Stocktake. Drawing on 136 data points from 5,793 UN Global Compact participant companies across 21 European countries, the study makes it possible, for the first time, to estimate the private sector’s level of contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals. The overall average contribution score of 58.2 out of 100 suggests a positive level of contribution to sustainable development, with room for improvement on specific issues.
KEY FINDINGS
- European UN Global Compact participant companies make a tangible contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals, with an overall average contribution score of 58.2 out of 100.
For each analysed SDG target, a contribution score from 0 to 100 was calculated using a set of indicators, with 0 meaning no contribution at all and 100 the highest possible level of contribution. The scores reveal that while differences between countries are relatively small, the level of contribution remains uneven across the Goals. SDG 3 on health records the highest contribution score (73.6). - Companies’ contribution is higher on SDGs related to social issues than the ones related to the environment. Anti-corruption is well integrated by UNGC companies in Europe.
This difference may reflect longer-standing regulations in Europe on social issues, as well as a greater number of operational indicators for measuring environment-related SDGs, which require a higher level of maturity in terms of sustainability. - European industrial participant companies tend to embed environmental practices more deeply.
Overall, contribution to climate change (SDG 13) remains moderate among European participant companies, with an average score of 45.8. Only 28.1% of responding companies have developed a climate adaptation plan. The indicators show that industrial companies tend to contribute more to SDG 13 on climate and SDG 12 on responsible consumption and production than service-sector companies, suggesting that more direct exposure creates a stronger incentive to act. - The contribution scores by country show a degree of homogeneity in Europe.
The highest overall contribution scores have been calculated for companies from Greece (67.3), Türkiye (63.9) and Italy (62.8), as opposed to lower scores in Poland and Denmark (51.7) and Switzerland & Liechtenstein (54.6). Most countries fall within ± 2.9 points around the European average overall score. This suggests that companies in Europe now operate within broadly shared sustainability frameworks, with similar levels of regulations and expectations. - Most companies have now taken policy commitments and implemented internal prevention measures, but it remains difficult for most to translate these commitments into operational actions.
This is particularly the case for SMEs, which account for 56% of the responding companies. Employee training on sustainability also remains an area where progress is needed, given that its wide-scale adoption is essential to the implementation of the SDGs. - The efficiency of sustainability actions is still not systematically measured for all areas.
Among the companies that have implemented sustainability measures related to social issues, only half have measured their progress. This is however significantly more common for measures related to the environment, despite 20% of companies still not tracking their efficiency. Sustainability training (SDG 4) also leaves room for improvement as less than 40% of companies offer such training to their employees on social and environmental issues. - Multi-stakeholder and public-private partnerships show room for improvement among European companies participating in the UN Global Compact.
This is shown by a low contribution score on SDG 17 (22.1), and can be explained by the voluntary nature of such partnerships. Public-private partnerships present a real opportunity for further progress and to drive a measurable impact in all sustainable development areas, notably in technological progress and financing.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Based on these findings, the European Global Compact Country Networks that contributed to this study issue four recommendations to the European private sector:
- Increase progress measurement in all sustainability areas, to efficiently measure impact and ensure alignment with Sustainable Development Goals.
- Adaptation to climate change should become a priority for all sectors in Europe, to ensure the long-term viability of business models.
- Engage in more multi-stakeholder and public-private partnerships, such as cross-sector alliances, multi-stakeholder cooperation on innovative sustainable projects, or public-private finance mechanisms for supporting sustainable development.
- Increase sustainability training opportunities for all employees and suppliers, to ensure that sustainable impact can be positively delivered through the entire value chain.
The UN Global Compact and its Country Networks in Europe continue to carry out their mandate by supporting the implementation of the 2030 Agenda by companies of all sizes and operating in all business sectors, through a comprehensive value proposition, tailored to all levels of sustainability maturity.
METHODOLOGY
The study was built from the 2025 Communication on Progress (CoP) of 5,793 UN Global Compact participant companies in Europe, using 136 data points.
The study covers 21 European countries where the UN Global Compact has a Country Network: Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland & Liechtenstein*, Türkiye and the United Kingdom. As sample sizes vary across countries, margins of error have been indicated on the publication.
*Both countries belong to the same UN Global Compact Country Network.
The CoP indicators were mapped to the SDG targets, drawing on the work of the Global Reporting Initiative as a starting point. The CoP questionnaire does not provide indicators enabling companies’ contribution to SDG 1 on no poverty, SDG 2 on zero hunger and SDG 11 on sustainable cities and communities to be measured. These three Goals were therefore removed from the scope of the study. For the remaining 14 Goals, the CoP data allow contribution to be measured on at least one target.
To calculate the contribution score for each target and each Goal, the CoP indicators were weighted and aggregated. A contribution score ranges from 0 to 100, where 0 is the lowest and 100 the highest.
The calculated score reflects the level of contribution to the SDGs by European UN Global Compact participant companies, not the extent to which those companies have achieved the Goals.
ABOUT THE UNITED NATIONS GLOBAL COMPACT
As a special initiative of the United Nations Secretary-General, the UN Global Compact is a call to companies worldwide to align their operations and strategies with Ten Principles in the areas of human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption. Our vision is clear: to mobilize business to transform sustainability ambition into action at the scale the world demands. With more than 25,000 participants and a presence in over 100 countries through 5 Regional Hubs and more than 70 Country Networks and expansion territories, the UN Global Compact is the world’s largest corporate sustainability initiative.
For more information, follow @globalcompact on social media and visit our website at unglobalcompact.org.
CONTACTS
UN Global Compact France
Hadrien Kleiman
hadrien.kleiman@pactemondial.org
+33 7 64 43 81 27
Agence Edifice (France)
Amine Moussaoui
amine@edifice-communication.com
+33 6 99 81 59 04
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25, Sep 2026
Rohde & Schwarz Mobile Test Summit 2026 puts the spotlight on 6G – registrations open
This October, Rohde & Schwarz will welcome the wireless community back for the sixth Mobile Test Summit. Under the banner of 6G, the virtual global forum will connect industry leaders, technology experts and testing professionals. Across three online sessions, participants will gain insight into the technologies set to define the next generation of wireless communications.
Caption: The Rohde & Schwarz Mobile Test Summit 2026 brings the wireless industry together to explore the future of 6G.
Following the format of last year’s summit, Rohde & Schwarz will host Mobile Test Summit 2026 as a virtual event. The event will be split across three sessions on October 7, 14 and 21. Wireless communications professionals are invited to register for individual sessions on the Rohde & Schwarz website. Each session covers one of three pillars of the emerging 6G standard: (1) AI-native RAN, (2) integrated sensing and communication (ISAC) and (3) non-terrestrial networks (NTN).
• The series will open on October 7 with a session on AI-native RAN. This architecture unites network operations and AI computing on a single platform. Participants will learn how this technology improves network performance, along with what it takes to validate and test it.
• On October 14, the focus will shift to integrated sensing and communication (ISAC). This technology puts existing radio infrastructure to double use, simultaneously transmitting data and sensing the surrounding environment. The session will cover the current market outlook, use cases already emerging across industries and the ecosystem’s growing momentum. It will close with a look at what ISAC means for testing.
• The final session, on October 21, will focus on non-terrestrial networks (NTN). NTN combines satellites, high-altitude platforms and drones to extend wireless coverage beyond terrestrial infrastructure, reaching regions that ground-based networks cannot. Attendees can look forward to a discussion of current market trends and deployment opportunities. They can also expect to learn more about the technical challenges still standing in the way of truly ubiquitous, uninterrupted connectivity.
Together, the three sessions will cover both the current state of 6G research and its expected future trajectory. The purpose is to provide participants with a well-rounded perspective on the wireless ecosystem.
Alexander Pabst, Vice President of Wireless Communications at Rohde & Schwarz, says: “Now in its sixth year, the Mobile Test Summit has become a trusted meeting point for the wireless community. This year, we’re turning our attention to 6G, with sessions covering AI-native RAN, ISAC and non-terrestrial networks. Beyond exploring where these technologies are headed, we want to give participants practical, actionable insight into what they mean for testing and validation as the industry moves toward commercial 6G.”
There are three sessions for each topic, and participants can choose the one that best fits their time zone
