11, Mar 2026
One Inc Appoints Fintech Transformation Leader Bryan Thompson as New CTO
Fintech and SaaS veteran with more than 30 years of experience to lead company’s technology initiatives
FOLSOM, Calif. — March 11 — One Inc, the leading digital payments network for the insurance industry, today announced the appointment of fintech transformation leader Bryan Thompson as Chief Technology Officer (CTO). With deep payments expertise, Thompson will lead the vision, strategy, and development of One Inc’s technology. He will oversee the company’s global IT roadmap, innovation initiatives, and enterprise security.
Bryan is an expert in fintech and SaaS transformations, with more than 30 years of experience building high-performing organizations focused on innovation and operational excellence. He has a proven track record in technology development, security, and large-scale platform modernization. Across enterprise and startup environments, Thompson has led financial services and SaaS companies through acquisitions, integrations, and major change initiatives. He has also built data and AI platforms that accelerate growth while improving customer experience, efficiency, and reliability.
Prior to joining One Inc, he served as CTO of professional business platform 8am (formerly AffiniPay), where he helped drive rapid SaaS growth and navigated multiple strategic acquisitions. He also served as CTO at Heartland Payment Systems, where he modernized merchant services for businesses across key sectors. Earlier in his career at EDS, Thompson built expertise in high-volume transaction processing—experience that aligns with One Inc’s mission to process complex insurance payments securely, reliably, and at scale.
“We’re pleased to welcome Bryan to our growing team of Onesters as we advance our mission to create a unified digital payments network that connects the insurance ecosystem,” said Ian Drysdale, CEO at One Inc. “Bryan’s track record leading technology development, engineering, security, and infrastructure will be critical as we build new capabilities that allow carriers to operate more efficiently and deliver on the promise of insurance.”
“Through their relentless dedication to the insurance industry, One Inc has built a reputation for delivering revolutionary solutions that enable a traditional industry to meet the rapidly evolving expectations of today’s policyholders,” added Thompson. “I look forward to working with Ian and the entire team at One Inc to build on this momentum, as carriers adopt technologies that improve operational efficiency and deliver modern, seamless experiences for policyholders.”
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- By Neel Achary
11, Mar 2026
HCLTech partners with Hockey Victoria to support Melbourne Cobras
MELBOURNE and NOIDA, India, Mar 11 —HCLTech, a leading global technology company, today announced a partnership with Hockey Victoria to support the Melbourne Cobras franchise, which will debut in the Hockey One League this year.
The Melbourne Cobras is the eighth franchise to join Australia’s premier domestic hockey competition. As part of Hockey Victoria’s vision to build a globally connected and inclusive franchise, the Melbourne Cobras will bring together Indian international players alongside leading local talent, strengthening the future of the sport in the region while celebrating the diversity of the community.
As part of the partnership, HCLTech will design and develop a digital fan engagement platform for Hockey Victoria and the Melbourne Cobras. Going beyond traditional sponsorship, HCLTech will apply its global experience in building large-scale digital platforms for sports organizations to enhance fan engagement across digital channels.
The platform will feature live match insights, interactive content and personalization, helping fans across Australia and India connect more closely with the team and the sport.
“We are proud to partner with Hockey Victoria to launch the Melbourne Cobras,” said Sonia Eland, Executive Vice President and Country Manager, Australia and New Zealand, HCLTech. “We have helped leading sports organizations around the world build strong, scalable fan platforms and we are excited to bring that experience here to create a more connected fan experience and help grow hockey across Australia and India.”
Andrew Skillern, Chief Executive Officer of Hockey Victoria, said, “The launch of the Melbourne Cobras represents a defining moment for Hockey Victoria and for the future of our sport. From the outset, our vision was to build a team that reflects the diversity of our community while showcasing world-class hockey talent on an international stage. Partnering with HCLTech enables us to offer a truly innovative and inclusive experience for fans.”
10, Mar 2026
Ember Sports Ignites the Future of Baseball and Softball Training With Launch of Mobile-First VR Platform
Affordable and hardware-free, Ember Sports is bringing major league analytics to the phones of baseball and softball athletes nationwide
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — March 10, 2026 — Baseball and softball season is almost in full swing, and sports technology company Ember Sports is stepping up to the plate to launch its mobile-first training platform that puts professional-level analytics and affordable training tools into the hands of players and coaches nationwide. Backed by former MLB players and coaches such as Brady Clark and Damon Mashore, the Ember Hitting Analyzer and Ember Pitching Analyzer are redefining the landscape of baseball and softball training, this time without the barriers of expensive equipment or exclusive training facilities.
Expertly designed for accessibility, Ember’s iOS-based Hitting Analyzer delivers instant metrics such as exit velocity, launch angle, bat path and distance directly to players’ phones; no bulky, external hardware required. Meanwhile, Ember’s Pitching Analyzer tracks velocity, flight path and strike zone and offers multi-pitch comparisons to evaluate performance. Integrated video replay, telestrations and side-by-side comparison tools make it easy for players and coaches to break down performance in real time, whether on the field or at home.
Where similar products rely on extensive and costly hardware,
“Parents invest significant time and money to develop their children into professional players, but for the longest time, professional-grade training
With over 25 million youth participating in baseball and softball across the United States, Ember is tapping into a long-overlooked market of players, coaches and parents eager for accessible, professional-grade training. Through Ember’s mobile platform, high-level development is now both affordable and scalable, bringing elite training directly into the hands of athletes everywhere. More than just an app, Ember is a connected performance ecosystem that’s designed to elevate skill, track progress and transform the way the next generation of players trains and grows.
10, Mar 2026
Rackspace and Uniphore Announce Strategic Partnership
San Antonio, TX, March 10, 2026 — Rackspace Technology® (NASDAQ: RXT), a leading hybrid multicloud and AI solutions company, today announced a strategic partnership with Uniphore, the Business AI leader backed by NVIDIA and AMD, to deliver the industry’s first Infrastructure-to-Agents architecture, offered as an outcomes-based service. The partnership reflects a shared ambition to unlock $100 million in enterprise AI deployments as customers move from AI experimentation to production at scale, without sacrificing governance, security, or control. This is especially relevant for regulated industries where choice, security and sovereignty are non-negotiable requirements.
Operationalizing AI in production remains a challenge due to the complexity of choices across the stack. By integrating Uniphore’s Business AI Cloud with Rackspace’s private cloud infrastructure, Rackspace will deliver a full-stack secure and governed AI private cloud that includes: advanced inferencing capable of running on both NVIDIA and AMD compute architectures; Data Preparation-as-a-Service; fine-tuned Small Language Models (SLMs)-as-a-Service; and industry-specific AI agents-as-a-Service.
“For the first time, enterprises in regulated industries do not have to choose between moving fast on AI and maintaining the governance and control their business requires. Rackspace is taking on that accountability,” said Gajen Kandiah, CEO of Rackspace Technology. “We are not just providing infrastructure, we are committing to outcomes, and that changes the nature of the relationship between a technology partner and an enterprise customer.” For enterprises, the conversation has shifted from choosing between GPUs and CPUs, or open versus proprietary Large Language Models (LLMs), to driving measurable business outcomes.
Through this partnership, Rackspace brings deep expertise operating private clouds and optimizing public environments, backed by forward-deployed engineers. These forward-deployed engineers, embedded directly in customer environments, are trained on the Uniphore platform and accountable for delivering measurable outcomes from day one. The architecture is designed to extend across hybrid and public cloud environments, ensuring that enterprises with mixed deployment models can access the same governed, outcomes-based AI stack without compromise. The result is an end-to-end governed operating model delivering an outcomes-based service with control, accountability and measurable results.
“Business AI Cloud adoption is seeing exponential growth globally due to its sovereign and open architecture and what enterprises are telling us is that they need business outcomes. Rackspace’s adoption of Uniphore’s Business AI Cloud allows our customers to access all five layers of our offering spanning Inferencing, Data, Knowledge, Model, and Agents, on Rackspace’s secure and governed enterprise AI private cloud. For customers looking for sovereign AI solutions, this is a game changer,” said Umesh Sachdev, CEO and Co-founder of Uniphore.
Rackspace has over 20,000 mid-market and enterprise customers spanning industries such as healthcare, financial services, insurance and others. Additionally, Uniphore will move select enterprise inferencing workloads to Rackspace’s private cloud to deliver a Sovereign AI offering.
“This Rackspace–Uniphore deal packs real punch for organizations struggling to get beyond AI pilot mode”, said David Cushman, Executive Research Leader, HFS Research. “It couples Uniphore’s ‘get-you-going-fast’ AI platform with a Forward-Deployed Engineer (FDE)-style delivery model and governed private cloud, that gets you to value fast, but with control. That’s something most mid-market organizations simply don’t have and will be particularly welcome in regulated industries.”
“While the drive to scale AI across enterprise systems is high, many organizations find their progress stalled by the dual challenges of technical complexity and regulatory compliance,” said Brian Jones, Chief Information Officer of Valley Medical Center. “It is a significant milestone to see Rackspace and Uniphore join forces. This partnership can be a game changer for organizations in highly regulated sectors, providing a robust framework to scale AI and extract tangible value from complex data landscapes.”
For customers, this partnership will deliver:
- From AI pilot to production at scale: Most enterprises are stuck running AI experiments that never make it to production. This partnership delivers a unified, governed environment spanning infrastructure all the way to agents, enabling the path from pilot to production to be measured in weeks, rather than years.
- Data that is ready for AI: Most enterprises have data, but not in a form that AI can use. Uniphore’s data agents accelerate modernization, so enterprise data is structured, clean, and ready to power real workflows, without a multi-year transformation program standing in the way.
- Industry-specific AI that teams can easily deploy: Pre-packaged solutions built on SLMs and agentic workflows provide business teams with a faster path to automation, with governance built in from the start.
- The right compute at the right cost: Enterprises no longer have to over-provision or lock into a single architecture. Rackspace optimizes CPU and GPU environments, enabling each workload to run efficiently.
10, Mar 2026
Amidst Global Conflicts Disrupting Supply Chains, Vedanta Chairman Anil Agarwal Urges India to Unlock Its Natural Resources
India must unlock its vast natural resource potential and give entrepreneurs the freedom to build scale if the country wants to achieve energy and mineral self-reliance, says Vedanta Chairman Anil Agarwal, warning that geopolitical conflicts are exposing India’s vulnerability to raw material imports.
“It is painful to see India face the adverse consequences of a war we have nothing to do with,” Agarwal said, referring to global disruptions that impact commodity prices and supply chains. “We import nearly 90% of our oil, 95% of our copper and 99.5% of our gold, despite the fact that Mother Earth has given India one of the best geologies.”
Drawing from over four decades in the minerals, metals and oil industry, Agarwal argued that India’s natural resources, if developed efficiently, could dramatically reduce import dependence while creating jobs, industries and exports.
Recounting his own entrepreneurial journey, Agarwal said he arrived in Mumbai from Bihar at the age of 19 and built Vedanta from scratch. Over the years, the company acquired major assets including Hindustan Zinc, BALCO, the oil and gas business of Cairn India, and Sesa Goa Iron Ore, with the aim of significantly expanding production.
According to Agarwal, Vedanta’s operational turnaround of some of these assets demonstrates what private enterprise can achieve. “We increased zinc production ten times and aluminium twenty times. As a result, more than 1,000 companies have emerged around these value chains,” he said, adding that Vedanta has contributed ₹4.5 lakh crore to the national exchequer in the last decade.
Agarwal also outlined ambitious targets for the future. In oil and gas, the company aims to produce one million barrels per day, while in iron ore he envisions production of 100 million tonnes, equivalent to roughly a third of India’s current output.
He emphasised that India needs globally competitive mining champions. “Vedanta should be for India what Rio Tinto and BHP are for Australia or Vale for Brazil. And there should be many more Vedantas,” he said.
However, Agarwal stressed that policy reforms and a change in regulatory mindset are critical for the sector to flourish. He called for simpler regulations, greater trust in businesses and a shift towards self-certification and audit-based oversight rather than prolonged approvals and litigation.
“The system must stop creating hurdles. Businesses need recognition and respect, and the benefit of doubt should go to entrepreneurs,” he said.
Highlighting past missed opportunities, Agarwal cited the example of Rio Tinto exiting a diamond project in Madhya Pradesh due to regulatory complexities, saying India lost the chance to become a global diamond production hub.
Agarwal also reflected on a personal tragedy his family faced this year, sharing that he drew strength from words of encouragement by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who urged him to stay strong and continue contributing to India’s development.
Invoking the values passed down by his grandparents, Agarwal said wealth must ultimately serve society. He added that developing India’s natural resource sector can play a pivotal role in job creation, women’s empowerment and nation-building.
“This sector has contributed the maximum revenue to the exchequer globally,” he said. “If we unlock its full potential, it will help India become a developed nation. Let us make India and Indians proud.”
10, Mar 2026
Federal Bank extends support to NEST International Academy and Research Centre
Kozhikode, Mar 10: Federal Bank extended support to NEST International Academy and Research Centre by handing over a vehicle as part of its continued commitment to supporting institutions that contribute to community development and education through its CSR arm Federal Bank Hormis Memorial Foundation.
At the event organised by the institution, Mr. Sutheesh A, Senior Vice President & Zonal Head, Federal Bank handed over the vehicle key to the officials of NEST International academy in the presence of Mr. Pramod Kumar T V, Regional Head, and Mr. Ranjith G, Branch Head, along with other officials of the Bank.
Representing NEST International Academy and Research Centre, Mr. Muhammed Younus T K, General Secretary, Mr. Abdulla K, Chairman, and Mr. Basheer T P, Treasurer, were present at the event along with the staff and students of the institution.
Federal Bank, through the Federal Bank Hormis Memorial Foundation, is deeply committed to supporting communities
10, Mar 2026
Secureframe Launches Secureframe Defense, an AI-Powered Platform to Strengthen DIB Cybersecurity and Simplify CMMC Certification
San Francisco, CA – MAR 10, 2026 – Secureframe, the leading AI-powered cybersecurity compliance platform, today announced Secureframe Defense, the only end-to-end solution for CMMC certification. Secureframe Defense delivers the secure infrastructure deployment, AI-built System Security Plans (SSPs), policies, and comprehensive monitoring that Defense Industrial Base (DIB) organizations need to achieve and maintain CMMC certification faster, without unnecessary cost or complexity.
With CMMC enforcement underway, readiness across the DIB remains critically low. The Department of Defense (DoD) estimates nearly 80,000 organizations will ultimately require CMMC Level 2 certification, yet fewer than 800 organizations—less than 1%—have achieved certification as of January 2026.
Research indicates that most DIB organizations spend over a year and $100K–$300K or more preparing for CMMC Level 2 certification by a Certified Third-Party Assessment Organization (C3PAO). Meanwhile, 47% of contractors have already received flow-down requests from prime contractors requiring proof of certification, making readiness urgent for subcontractors at every tier.
“Secureframe Defense reflects everything we learned going through our own CMMC Level 2 assessment and the feedback we received from our partner C3PAOs about the real problems organizations face,” said Shrav Mehta, Founder and CEO of Secureframe. “Our AI-powered platform can take organizations with zero infrastructure to assessment-ready in less than 8 weeks.”
From Zero to CMMC Ready with Secureframe
Secureframe Defense guides organizations through three critical stages:
Stage 1: Deploy Secure CUI Environments in Minutes
Traditional enclave deployments typically take 8–10 weeks and require significant resources from internal IT teams or consultants. With Secureframe, teams can stand up a CMMC-compliant enclave in under 30 minutes.
The Secureframe platform automatically configures Google Workspace or Microsoft GCC High with all required CMMC controls, including access control, logging and monitoring, and security event notifications, to isolate CUI. Organizations can then auto-provision secure Azure virtual desktops for CUI access in minutes, or use a FedRAMP Moderate authorized, pre-configured device management solution to enforce CMMC baselines across their fleet of laptops and workstations.
Stage 2: Document and Manage your Cybersecurity Program
Turn the CMMC requirements into an AI-guided implementation workflow with Defense Navigator. After configuring your scope, integrations, and enclave, Secureframe’s AI engine generates SSPs and policies tailored to your exact environment. Built-in modules cover risk assessments, vendor reviews, policy assignments, and security awareness training, with continuous monitoring to flag controls the moment they fall out of compliance.
Stage 3: Get and Stay CMMC Certified
Secureframe’s Audit Module packages documentation and evidence artifacts automatically for efficient C3PAO review, reducing manual evidence collection and long assessment timelines. Organizations also gain access to the Secureframe network of vetted CMMC Registered Practitioners who can provide additional guidance and a network of vetted C3PAO partners experienced with the platform to complete your assessment.
Months Saved, Hundreds of Hours Recovered
Secureframe Defense reduces overall certification timelines from 12-18 months down to 4-8 weeks, cutting readiness time significantly compared to manual processes or point solutions.
Manufacturing Consulting Company, a defense contractor supporting U.S. Air Force programs, significantly reduced the operational complexity of documenting and monitoring compliance with Secureframe and passed their CMMC Level 2 assessment months before the Phase 1 deadline.
“Using Secureframe to get NIST 800-171 and CMMC compliant saved us at least 500 hours,” said David Hoenisch, Lead Cybersecurity Engineer at Manufacturing Consulting Company. “Having a tool that can come alongside and augment your personnel force is a huge blessing. It was a weight off our shoulders.”
“Everyone in the defense tech space has to be compliant, but many are relying on manual processes. It’s the peace of mind that Secureframe provides, the continuous monitoring, the fact that we have a system as opposed to a person trying to manage and ensure all of this – that’s the value add for us,” said Stephanie Castro, Director of Operations, Adyton.
Federal-Grade Credentials, Proven in the Field
Secureframe has been recognized by industry analysts and notable awards for its cybersecurity compliance excellence, reinforcing its position as a trusted platform for federal customers and other regulated organizations. The company continues to demonstrate its commitment to the federal market and the unique challenges it faces through industry-leading credentials:
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CMMC Level 2 Certified: Among the first 0.5% of the ~80K expected Level 2 organizations to achieve certification in September 2025.
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FedRAMP 20x Low Authorized: Among the first organizations to be FedRAMP® 20x Low Authorized in August 2025 and one of the few organizations selected for the Phase 2 pilot in January 2026.
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25+ CMMC Registered Practitioners: A CMMC Registered Practitioner Organization listed in the CyberAB Marketplace since March 2025.
Organizations at any stage of the CMMC certification process can explore Secureframe Defense, access cybersecurity compliance resources, and connect with vetted C3PAO partners at secureframe.com/cmmc.
10, Mar 2026
7 Common Startup Mistakes Uk Entrepreneurs Make – and How to Avoid Them
10, Mar 2026
HD Fire Protect Limited receives UL Listing for advanced deluge valve with integrated pressure-reducing mechanisms
Mumbai, Mar 10: HD Fire Protect Limited has received UL Listing from UL Solutions Inc. for its advanced deluge valve with integrated pressure-reducing mechanisms. UL Solutions is a global safety certification company that provides testing, inspection and certification services for multiple products, including electrical and electronic devices and fire safety products.
The company holds a design patent for the product and is the first Indian fire protection equipment and systems manufacturer to receive UL Listing for deluge valves (1996) (Source: CRISIL Report. The certification follows testing and evaluation in accordance with applicable UL standards.
The deluge valve is designed in various materials of construction, suitable for both, on-shore and off-shore installation for industrial and critical infrastructure applications. HD Fire Protect Limited manufactures fire protection equipment and systems for industrial and commercial applications and holds product certifications from international approval agencies including UL Solutions and FM Approvals.
Commenting on the development, Harish Narshi Dharamshi, Chairman & Managing Director, HD Fire Protect Limited said, “The UL Listing for our VIRAT V5 deluge valve, VIRAT V3 deluge valve and VIRAT V6 deluge valve marks an important milestone in our commitment to operational excellence and stringent quality standards set by the International Organization for Standardization. This approval reinforces customer confidence in our high performance fire protection solutions and scale our presence in regulated markets. We remain focused on continuous innovation and expanding our product portfolio to support complex industrial and critical infrastructure applications worldwide.”
The Indian fire protection equipment market expanded at a CAGR of 11.0% between fiscals 2019 and 2025 to ₹102 billion, outperforming the global fire protection equipment market in terms of growth rate (7.0% CAGR between 2020–2024), and is expected to clock a CAGR of 11.0–12.0% between fiscals 2025 and 2030 to reach ₹165–175 billion. In Fiscal 2025, the fire suppression system segment accounted for 75% of the total market and was valued at ₹76 billion. (Source: CRISIL Report)
HD Fire Protect Limited is an Indian manufacturer and supplier of fire protection equipment and systems, offering a comprehensive portfolio spanning water, foam, and gas-based fire suppression systems, which are also generally known as fire-fighting products. The company develops majority of its products in-house with proprietary designs to meet national and international standards, serving high hazard industrial applications as well as residential and commercial sectors. According to the CRISIL Report, HD Fire Protect is the second-largest manufacturer of fire protection equipment and systems in India in terms of operating income (revenue from operations) in Fiscal 2024 and the largest exporter by value (equipment) in Fiscal 2024. The company has export sales in more than 90 countries as of Fiscal 2025.
HD Fire Protect Limited is also the first Indian fire protection equipment and systems manufacturer to receive FM approval for range of products used in low expansion foam system namely foam concentrates, bladder tanks, proportioners, topside discharge devices and foam water sprinkler discharge devices (Source: CRISIL Report). Further, it is also the first Indian company focused on fire protection equipment and systems manufacturing to receive ASME U (pressure vessels) stamp certification (Source: CRISIL Report). With 22 and 87 UL Listed and FM Approved certifications, as per UL product certifications and FM product certifications respectively, HD Fire Protect has the highest number of UL Listed and FM Approved product certifications amongst the fire protection equipment focused peers in India as of September 2025 (Source: CRISIL Report).
As of March 31, 2025, company’s offerings are spread across eight product categories covering industrial, residential and commercial end-use sectors. The company has supplied products to key sites including India’s space launch pad at Sriharikota, India’s largest refinery at Jamnagar, the new Indian Parliament building, Saudi Aramco’s Ras Tanura Sea Island site and Oman’s Integrated Power & Water Plant Project.
10, Mar 2026
GNLU Report Highlights Policy Pathways for Crypto-Asset Regulation in India
New Delhi, March 10:
The Gujarat National Law University (GNLU), in partnership with the Society of Indian Law Firms (SILF), on Tuesday formally launched its project report titled “Crypto-Assets in India: Assessing the Case for Regulation” at an event held at The Lalit, New Delhi. The report presents a comprehensive examination of India’s current approach to crypto-assets and outlines a structured framework for regulation aimed at balancing innovation, investor protection and financial stability.
The report underscores that India is at a critical juncture in shaping its regulatory architecture for digital assets. While the government has introduced certain fiscal and compliance measures in recent years—such as the taxation of virtual digital assets and the extension of anti-money laundering obligations to crypto intermediaries—the absence of a dedicated statutory framework continues to create regulatory ambiguity for market participants. The study argues that a coherent and forward-looking regulatory regime is essential to ensure that India remains competitive in the rapidly evolving global Web3 ecosystem. The report puts forth various models of regulation by different existing regulators, along with a new model of self regulation under government oversight till the time a robust regulatory ecosystem is established.
The launch event brought together senior members of the judiciary, leading legal practitioners, policy experts and representatives from the digital asset industry to deliberate on the future trajectory of crypto regulation in India.
The event was attended by Justice Hima Kohli, Former Judge of the Supreme Court of India, who shared her views on the evolving legal and regulatory landscape surrounding digital assets. Other distinguished speakers at the event included Justice M. R. Shah, Former Judge of the Supreme Court of India; Justice Ravi Tripathi, Former Judge of the Gujarat High Court; Dr. Lalit Bhasin, President of the Society of Indian Law Firms (SILF); and Prof. (Dr.) S. Shanthakumar, Director of Gujarat National Law University.
Justice Hima Kohli, Former Judge, Supreme Court of India, said, “Crypto assets illustrate the broader challenge that legal systems face when technological innovation evolves faster than legislative processes. Today, with the global crypto market exceeding $2.4 trillion and India emerging as one of the largest markets with millions of users, the policy debate is no longer about whether such technologies should exist but about how they should be regulated. The task before policymakers is to craft a balanced framework that protects financial stability, ensures investor protection and transparency, while allowing innovation in blockchain and digital technologies to continue.”
Justice M. R. Shah, Former Judge, Supreme Court of India, said, “With nearly 12 crore Indians already investing in crypto assets, it is no longer possible to simply ignore this sector. In a globalised digital economy, attempts to stop such technologies are neither practical nor effective. The real need is for a clear regulatory framework that ensures transparency, prevents misuse and protects the interests of investors. The government’s decision to tax income from virtual digital assets is an important first step, but comprehensive regulation will be essential to strengthen confidence in this emerging ecosystem.”
Justice Ravi Tripathi, Former Judge, Gujarat High Court, said, “In an era where technology is rapidly transforming society and the economy, institutions cannot afford to ignore emerging developments such as crypto assets. Academic institutions have an important role to play in studying such complex issues and contributing thoughtful recommendations to policymakers. Initiatives like this report demonstrate how research and informed dialogue can help shape regulatory thinking on technologies that already exist and are increasingly influencing economic activity.”
Prof. (Dr.) S. Shanthakumar, Director, Gujarat National Law University, said, “What began as a classroom discussion on a regulatory grey area eventually evolved into a national research initiative. With nearly 12 crore Indians engaging with crypto assets despite the absence of a comprehensive regulatory framework, we felt it was important for academia to contribute to the policy conversation. Through stakeholder consultations in Bengaluru, Mumbai and Delhi involving developers, exchanges, regulators and legal experts, the university sought to understand the technology and its challenges. The report ultimately presents five possible regulatory models, leaving policymakers with practical options to consider while shaping India’s approach to crypto regulation.”
Drawing on comparative regulatory models and global policy developments, the report highlights that several major economies have moved toward clear regulatory frameworks for crypto-assets. It notes that the absence of a comprehensive domestic framework in India has contributed to regulatory uncertainty, with implications for capital flows, industry development and technological innovation.
The report calls for a calibrated regulatory approach that combines institutional oversight with coordinated participation from relevant regulators. It recommends a framework that strengthens consumer protection, addresses risks relating to financial stability and illicit finance, and simultaneously supports the development of blockchain-based innovation within India.
The project was guided by an eminent advisory board comprising Justice M. R. Shah, Former Judge of the Supreme Court of India; Justice Ravi Tripathi, Former Judge of the Gujarat High Court; Rajkumar, Former Chief Secretary, Government of Gujarat; J. P. Gupta, Former Additional Chief Secretary, Government of Gujarat; Dr. Keshav Kumar, Former DGP and Director, Anti-Corruption Bureau; Senior Advocate N. S. Nappinai; Prof. Vijaya Bhaskar Marisetty, Dr. B. R. Ambedkar Chair Professor at IIM Visakhapatnam; Prof. M. K. Bhandari, Founder, ILTES and expert in Blockchain, AI, FinTech and Law; Chittu Nagarajan, Online Dispute Resolution expert; Advocate Mitali Gupta; Kalyanjit Hatibarua, Managing Director, Flugelsoft Group of Companies; and actor Kabir Bedi.
