Latest news with #SandeepPatil
Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- General
- Hindustan Times
Unfinished foot over bridge at Pune's Pratik Nagar raises safety concerns
A foot over bridge (FoB) installed at Pratiknagar in Vishrantwadi has been lying incomplete for over three months. Residents claim that the bridge has no staircases and cannot be used. The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) should complete the work immediately to avoid untoward incidents, they said. Anand Adsul, a resident of Vishrantwadi, said, 'The FoB crosses a drain with encroachments on both sides. Without staircases, it serves no purpose.' In 2014, the PMC built a pedestrian bridge at Vishrantwadi Chowk, where five major roads meet. The junction is always busy due to traffic, street vendors, encroachments, and illegal parking. The bridge was built at a cost of ₹4 crore to help people cross the Alandi Road, Dhanori, and airport junction safely. However, the bridge was too high and the lift often didn't work. Very few people used it, and it was poorly maintained. In 2023, PMC decided to scrap it and build a flyover and grade separator instead. Later, the PMC project department dismantled the old FoB and decided to reuse its parts. One section was installed at the College of Engineering, Pune (CoEP) hostel on Jangli Maharaj Road and is now operational. Another section was placed at Pratik Nagar, Vishrantwadi, but without staircases. Residents from Pratiknagar, Mohanwadi, Panchsheel Nagar, Adarsh Nagar, and Maji Sainik Nagar say the FoB could help cross the busy Alandi Road. But the height and lack of access make it unusable—especially for senior citizens. Sandeep Patil, executive engineer at PMC's project department, said, 'Drainage work is underway at the FoB site. We're connecting a line from the underpass to the nearby drain. Due to pre-monsoon rains, the work has been delayed. Once it's done, we'll install the staircases.' Vinod Pawar, civic activist, said, 'The bridge work should be finished before the Palkhi procession. If any untoward incident occurs, PMC will be responsible.'
Hans India
4 days ago
- Business
- Hans India
India stands out as global fintech bright spot as credit demand surges
New Delhi: India has emerged as one of the most dynamic fintech markets globally, driven by a potent combination of digital public infrastructure (UPI, Aadhaar, Account Aggregator), a mobile-first population, and regulatory clarity, a report showed on Monday. Fintech-led digital lending grew at 35 per cent CAGR in 2024, driven by rising credit demand, according to the report by QED Investors and Boston Consulting Group (BCG). Tools like UPI have enabled a wave of fintech innovation from digital lending to payments to wealth particularly benefitting underserved and unbanked populations. These enablers have accelerated innovation and financial inclusion at scale, making India a key focus for both global investors and domestic fintech players, said the report. India features among the top geographies poised for future fintech investment. Investors are encouraged to diversify capital into high-growth regions like India, with an emphasis on AI integration and disciplined scale, it added. India's affluent middle class, currently 31 per cent of the population, is projected to grow to 40 per cent (nearly 600 million) by 2031. This demographic shift is fuelling a surge in consumer demand for credit across retail, consumption, and SME sectors. "India stands at a unique inflection point in the global fintech landscape. With a strong foundation in digital infrastructure like UPI, Aadhar, Account Aggregator, and tech-savvy mobile-first population, the country has already shown how innovation can drive financial inclusion at scale,' said Sandeep Patil, Partner and Head of Asia at QED Investors. To win the next chapter, fintechs must pair innovation with disciplined execution. 'That means building trust, demonstrating profitability, and navigating an evolving regulatory landscape with maturity. The Indian market is large, dynamic and underpenetrated — well-positioned to be one of the defining arenas for global fintech over the next decade,' Patil mentioned. Globally, in 2024, fintech revenues grew by 21 per cent — up from 13 per cent in 2023 — marking a threefold acceleration over the financial services industry at large. 'A class of scaled fintechs is coming of age. Investors are demanding greater maturity, and regulators want more accountability,' said Deepak Goyal, a managing director and senior partner at BCG. 'Meanwhile, emerging disruptors are harnessing next-generation technologies like agentic AI and pioneering new business models, pushing established players to continuously innovate,' he added.
Time of India
05-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
US VC QED investors set to deploy $300 million in India, APAC
US-based venture capital firm QED Investors is looking to deploy between $250 million to $300 million in early and growth-stage startups in India and Asia Pacific. #Pahalgam Terrorist Attack India much better equipped to target cross-border terror since Balakot India conducts maiden flight-trials of stratospheric airship platform Pakistan shuts ports for Indian ships after New Delhi bans imports from Islamabad 'While we do not have separate allocation for each geography, India will of course attract the major share of the investment planned for Asia,' Sandeep Patil , partner and head of Asia at QED Investors, told ET. Armed with a $925-million fund it raised in 2023, the fintech-focused venture firm plans to invest in Indonesia, Singapore, Japan and all across Asia Pacific. The strategy would be to invest in growth-stage companies and follow-up rounds beyond early-stage investments in Asia, Patil said. 'We have a growth fund and an early-stage fund,' he said. 'For the first cheque, we can deploy anywhere between $3 million to $20 million, and for growth stage companies, we can deploy between $20 million to $50 million.' Live Events In the last five years, QED Investors has invested around $220 million across Asia. It has taken early bets in Indian startups like neo-banking platform Jupiter, credit card sourcing platform OneCard, Upswing, which enables consumer facing startups to offer financial services, and Efficient Capital Labs, which offers financing solutions to Saas (Software-as-a-service) companies. Discover the stories of your interest Blockchain 5 Stories Cyber-safety 7 Stories Fintech 9 Stories E-comm 9 Stories ML 8 Stories Edtech 6 Stories QED Investors was founded in 2007 by Nigel Morris, who is also a cofounder of American banking corporation Capital One. Among Morris' famous early-stage venture bets are US-based personal finance startup Credit Karma, remittance startup Remitly, and Brazilian neo-bank NuBank. He is also an investor in Swedish fintech major Klarna. In December, QED Investors led a $25-million funding round in OneCard. While the fund has not undertaken any major stake sale in any of its Indian bets, Patil said booming public markets, with active retail institutional investor participation, and several successful startup IPOs over the last couple of years have given global investors much confidence to invest in India. Within the broader fintech theme, Patil is looking out for embedded finance players and those who are using artificial intelligence in finance . 'By embedded finance, I mean even consumer-facing applications who can use unique data sets to underwrite customers better or have some unique opportunities to tie in financial services into their products,' he said.
The Hindu
22-04-2025
- Sport
- The Hindu
13th edition of Tiger Cup 2025 sees debut of girls' league
The 13th edition of the Tiger Cup 2025, a cricket tournament for the under-12, under-14 and under-16 categories, was inaugurated in Bengaluru, this time with a special announcement on the launch of a girls' cricket tournament. Scheduled to take place from April 21 to May 13, the tournament, supported by Cycle Pure Agarbathi, began with the lighting of a 6-foot Agarbathi by the girls participating in the tournament. Officials of JSS Academy of Technical Education and cricket expert Joseph Hoover were at the event. Featuring under-12, under-14, and under-16 categories, matches started at JSS Academy of Technical Education with teams from Bengaluru, Mysuru, Dharwad, Koppal and Belgaum participating. Raising awareness on wildlife Created by renowned cricket players Sandeep Patil, Harbhajan Singh, and Yusuf Pathan, the Tiger Cup Tournament brings 56 talented teams together, including more than 900 players from all around India. According to a press release, the 13th edition of the Tiger Cup 2025 will be dedicated to raising awareness on the importance of conserving wildlife. The proceeds of the event will be donated towards forest foot soldiers for their commendable service in protecting the forests and wildlife in the country, the release noted. On the final day of the tournament, ₹1 lakh each will be awarded to two forest staff from Karnataka, one from Kerala, and one from Tamil Nadu, to honour their dedication to wildlife conservation. Additionally, Rs. 1 lakh has been earmarked to support the participation of girls in the tournament. Inclusive spirit Speaking on the occasion, Arjun Ranga, Managing Director of Cycle Pure Agarbathi, said, 'We are proud to host the 13th edition of the Tiger Cup 2025, which, for the first time, includes felicitation of the forest staff and a dedicated girls' cricket category. At Cycle Pure Agarbathi, we believe that sports play a pivotal role in shaping young lives, and through this initiative, we are committed to creating new opportunities for aspiring female cricketers. The tournament also continues to honour the unwavering dedication of our forest staff, who work relentlessly to protect India's rich biodiversity.' Hoover noted that the Tiger Cup 2025 is a celebration of budding cricketing talent. 'It's wonderful to see the inclusion of the 'girls' category' in this edition. It reflects the true spirit of the sport – one that's inclusive, inspiring and full of opportunity. It's been a privilege to witness young talents take their first steps towards greatness through this platform, and I wish them all the best in their journey ahead,' he said.
