PNB MetLife India Insurance Company Limited (PNB MetLife) has been recognized by Great Place To Work® India among India’s Top 20 Best Companies to Work For 2026, strengthening its standing as one of the country’s most trusted and employee-centric workplaces. Ranked 16^th among leading organizations across industries, this recognition reflects PNB MetLife’s continued commitment to fostering a high-trust, high-performance culture where employees feel valued, empowered, and inspired to grow. This marks the third consecutive year that PNB MetLife has earned a place among India’s Top 20 Best Companies to Work For.
 

PNB MetLife recognized by Great Place To Work®
 

Commenting on this Balbir Singh, CEO, Great Place To Work®, said, “As we unveil India’s Best Companies To Work For 2026, we reflect on a journey that has, over decades, shaped how organizations understand and build workplace culture. In India, this study has become one of the most comprehensive workplace culture assessments, capturing the lived experiences of over 5.7 million employees across 20+ industries.
 

We observe that Best Workplaces outperform peers by scoring 89% on caring and inspiring, which are two of the nine key leadership behaviors as defined by Great Place To Work. Organizations that prioritize these behaviors see 14% higher experience of productivity, retention, and customer service scores. Leaders at Best Workplaces demonstrate that when people feel valued and heard, they bring their best selves to work.
 

I extend my heartfelt congratulations to PNB MetLife that has earned a place on this year’s list as well. This recognition belongs to every leader who leads with intent, every team that fosters belonging, and every employee who contributes to building a culture of trust. The journey to greatness starts with you.”
 

Commenting on the recognition, Sameer Bansal, Managing Director & CEO, PNB MetLife, said, “Our people are our greatest strength, and this recognition celebrates the culture they help create every day. Being ranked among India’s Top 20 Best Companies to Work For 2026 inspires us to raise the bar further and continue building a workplace where innovation, collaboration, and purpose thrive. As we grow, we remain committed to creating opportunities that empower our employees to achieve their full potential and make a meaningful impact for our customers, communities, and the stakeholders.”
 

Backed by 30 years of data, Great Place To Work is the global authority on workplace culture. Through its proprietary For All™ Model and Trust Index™ Survey, it gives organizations the recognition and tools to create a consistently positive employee experience. Its mission is to help every place become a great place to work for all, driving business growth, improving lives, and empowering communities. Through globally recognized and coveted Great Place To Work Certification™ and highly competitive Best Workplaces Lists, Great Place To Work enables employers to attract and retain talent, benchmark company culture, and increase revenue. Its platform enables leaders to truly capture, analyze and understand the experience of every employee, and compare outcomes with data collected from more than 100 million employees in 150 countries worldwide.
 

About PNB MetLife India Insurance Company Limited

PNB MetLife India Insurance Company Limited (PNB MetLife) is one of the leading life insurance companies in India that combines the financial strength of MetLife, Inc. with the credibility of PNB, one of India’s oldest nationalized banks. PNB MetLife’s positioning, Always Ready for Life, is demonstrated through empowering every individual to lead life with absolute confidence.
 

With a strong presence in 182 offices and access to customers in over 20,000 locations through bank partnerships, PNB MetLife offers a comprehensive insurance solutions portfolio covering Child Education, Family Protection, Long-Term Saving and Retirement. The company has a wide range of protection and retirement plans available through its sales channel of over 40,000 financial advisors and multiple bank partners and caters to over 585 group relationships in India.
 

For more information, follow us on:

Facebook – www.facebook.com/PNBMetLife

Instagram – www.instagram.com/pnb_metlife

Visit – www.pnbmetlife.com

Protinex India has launched a new integrated campaign “Strength hai toh simple hai”, a celebration of everyday strength that speaks directly to the millennial Indian adult. The campaign is rooted in an insight that is simple, sharp, and deeply felt: from 30s onwards, the body quietly begins to lose muscle strength, and most of us don’t get enough protein to keep up. The will to show up for work, for family, for life, never wavers. But when the body can’t match it, even the simplest things begin to feel harder than they should.

Protinex India launches its new integrated campaign, “Strength Hai Toh Simple Hai,” highlighting the importance of everyday muscle strength and protein nutrition

The brand film brings this truth to life with warmth and gentle humour. A mother comes home after a long day her young son spots her from across the room, lights up, and runs straight into her arms. She reaches down to lift him. And in that split second, something that should feel effortless, doesn’t. The film ends with a question that lands with quiet sharpness “Chhota kaam lage bhaari? Kahin muscle strength kam toh nahi ho rahi?” (Small tasks feel heavy? Could your muscle strength be slipping?). Before resolving into the ease and joy that everyday strength makes possible.

YouTube link: youtu.be/OwG9oUmmvio?si=FRkv27gGEHao-QQI

The campaign is anchored in Protinex’s core nutritional proposition: delivering 40% of the recommended daily protein intake per serving , + 25 Vital Nutrients for strong muscle health. A healthy adult requires 1.0 – 1.2g of protein per kg of body weight daily 1 (ref: Harris S, DePalma J, Barkoukis H. Protein and Aging: Practicalities and Practice. Nutrients. 2025;17(15):2461. doi:10.3390/nu17152461) and Protinex is designed to meaningfully bridge that gap as part of a balanced diet and healthy lifestyle.

The campaign goes live across a fully integrated media ecosystem, reaching 53 million consumers pan-India. The brand film has been produced in Hindi, Bengali, Telugu, Marathi, Odia, Tamil, Kannada, and English, and will air across 39 television channels spanning GECs, regional GECs, and movie channels with approximately 182 spots airing every day. On digital, the campaign activates across YouTube, Meta, JioHotstar OTT, Connected TV, and Mediakart. The brand is also exploring innovative consumer engagement initiatives that extend the campaign’s core thought into real-world experiences and will be announced soon.

Talking about the concept, Ms. Priyanka Verma, Marketing Director Danone India said: “Strength is often associated with extraordinary feats. But its most important role is far more personal. It’s what closes the gap between what you want to do and what your body lets you do. Through ‘Strength Hai Toh Simple Hai,’ we wanted to speak about that quiet, everyday experience, the moment something simple feels heavier than it should. Because when your body matches your will, life doesn’t just feel easier. It feels like you again.”

With its core vision of One Planet, One Health, Danone India is committed to fostering healthier lifestyles among its consumers and has initiated numerous endeavors in India towards this goal. The company is at the forefront of its sustainability agenda through the Danone Impact Journey, reflecting its dedication to positive environmental and societal impact.

About Danone India (www.danone.in)

In India, Danone started its nutrition business in 2012 through the acquisition of the nutrition portfolio from Wockhardt group. Danone India embodies a holistic approach, offering a full range of products across life stages under recognized brands like Aptamil, Aptagrow, Neocate, Protinex, Dexolac, and Nusobee.

Over the past few years, Danone India has demonstrated robust growth, continually expanding its portfolio and market presence. Danone India employs around 1,000 people, contributing to its dynamic workforce across its Factory in Lalru, Punjab and Head office in Mumbai, Maharashtra.

The company boasts capabilities across various functions, including operations, Research & Innovation (R&I), and sales, ensuring the delivery of high-quality products and services to its consumers, which are designed specifically tailored for Indian tastes and nutritional needs.

With its core vision of One Planet, One Health, Danone India is committed to fostering healthier lifestyles among its consumers and has initiated numerous endeavors in India towards this goal. The company is at the forefront of its sustainability agenda through the Danone Impact Journey, reflecting its dedication to positive environmental and societal impact.

The Government of Mauritius has made mental health a national priority for its schools and communities, launching a programme founded by India-born Dr. Ishan Shivanand and drawn from one of India’s oldest knowledge systems. His Excellency Mr Dharambeer Gokhool, President of the Republic, hosted the launch at State House. It is the first time a national government has adopted the programme, whose meditation and resilience practices have been validated in peer-reviewed medical research.

H.E. President Dharambeer Gokhool of Mauritius and Dr. Ishan Shivanand of Compassion Unites launch the national mental health programme at State House, 8 July 2026

“Mauritius is honoured to become one of the countries where this cross-sector alliance now takes root,” said President Gokhool. “Because ultimately, the strength of a nation is not measured only by its economic achievements or physical development, but by the wellbeing of its people. The true wealth of a nation lies not only in what it builds, but in how it cares for its people.”

Dr. Ishan Shivanand of Compassion Unites addresses delegates at State House in Mauritius, 8 July 2026

Raised in a monastery, Shivanand trained for years in ancient martial arts, breathwork, and meditation practices, a discipline of body, breath and mind rather than stillness alone. He codified what he had mastered into structured protocols and put them through clinical studies with leading universities in the United States. The results, published in peer-reviewed international medical journals, documented up to 80% improvement in symptoms of depression, anxiety and insomnia.

Shivanand’s protocols are already used in clinical and corporate settings internationally, including at Google. With the launch in Mauritius, a national government has adopted them for an entire population. The fact that this comes in a nation whose history and culture are closely bound to India gives it particular resonance. A practice preserved for centuries, carried into modern clinical use by the Indian-born practitioner who mastered it, is now being written into another country’s approach to national mental healthcare.

Dr. Ishan Shivanand said, “For too long we have treated mental health as a private battle fought in silence. It is a public emergency, now magnified by AI. The Republic of Mauritius has chosen to break that silence, prioritising the wellbeing of its citizens and making care accessible to every individual. The answers the world is searching for have been held in India’s contemplative traditions for centuries, and Mauritius is the first nation to put them to work at scale. What has begun here is a blueprint the world can follow.”

The programme’s first national event brings that resilience-building into practice through sport. Compassion Unites is staging a Kun Khmer championship at the Cote d’Or National Sports Complex that builds discipline and confidence in young people.

The launch at State House marks the start of a sustained national effort, one its founder intends as a model other governments can study and adapt. A tradition India has held for centuries is now being adopted, at the scale of a nation, beyond its borders.

About Compassion Unites

Compassion Unites is a cross-sector mental health alliance bringing together corporates, governments, faith institutions, academic centres, and community networks to expand access to mental health support worldwide. Learn more at compassionunites.com.

About Dr. Ishan Shivanand

Dr. Ishan Shivanand is an academic, philanthropist and founder of Compassion Unites. Raised in a monastery, he trained within one of India’s oldest knowledge systems before bringing its practices into modern clinical research. His work has been published in peer-reviewed international medical journals. An award-winning author of the USA Today national bestseller, The Practice of Immortality, he has been recognised by the U.S. Congress, received by the U.K. Parliament, and invited to the White House to advise on the opioid crisis. He holds research affiliations with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Ropar and Stanford University.

Dr. Shivanand is available for media interviews and speaking engagements on mental health and the science of meditation.

For nine years, the Thessaloniki International Media Summer Academy never left home. This year, for its tenth, it did – relocating its opening leg to the lakeside town of Kastoria, some distance from the university that has run it since inception. The move is being framed by organizers as a bid to widen Aristotle University’s regional footprint across Macedonia. But it also sets the tone for an edition that seems intent on unsettling its own comfort zones, starting with the question at the centre of this year’s theme: “Unveiling Tomorrow’s Media: Challenges and Tools in Communication“.

THISAM celebrated its 10th anniversary by discussing “Unveiling Tomorrow’s Media: Challenges and Tools in Communication” during the first leg in the lakeside town of Kastoria, Greece

Convened by Professor Nikos Panagiotou and a consortium of 15 partner universities — among them Temple University, DW Akademie, Concordia University and Hong Kong Baptist University – the academy has drawn 71 participants from 19 countries this year: early-career journalists, scholars, NGO leaders and media executives, in Kastoria and Thessaloniki through July 10, with the student body alone stretching from Hong Kong to Montreal. It follows a two-day “Global Media and Culture” conference on July 1 and 2, and runs on a familiar academy format – keynotes, workshops, cross-border collaborations — applied to a less familiar set of anxieties. Day one opened with introductory remarks from Christos Frangonikolopoulos, Dean of the Faculty of Social and Economic Sciences at Aristotle University, before packing in a keynote on the future of media, a workshop on solutions journalism and rebuilding public trust led by Elira Canga of Arizona State’s Cronkite School, a hands-on project-building session with faculty, and a two-hour deep dive into what it takes to win attention in the digital era.

Artificial intelligence has been on THISAM’s agenda since 2018, but this year the conversation has shifted from novelty to consequence: what generative AI does to automated reporting and factverification, what it strips out of newsroom judgment, and where human oversight has to hold the line. Organizers have also flagged journalist safety as a growing concern this year, reflecting how often reporters worldwide are now expected to work in hazardous conditions. Alongside it sits a more grounded initiative — a media literacy pilot run in 35 Greek schools with the country’s Ministry of Education and General Secretariat of Information, now recognized by UNESCO as good practice, aimed at building critical thinking against misinformation at the point where it’s most absorbed: adolescence.

The Attention Question

The academy’s opening day in Kastoria produced its most talked-about session – a two-hour workshop titled “Winning Attention in the Digital Media Era,” co-led by Avinash Mudaliar, Co-Founder & CEO of HT Labs and CEO of OTTplay, alongside Jatin Malhotra, whose background spans product strategy, innovation and go-to-market roles at Oracle, Meta and Reliance Jio.

The pairing was deliberate. Mudaliar’s own account of his career, drawn from HT Media, OTTplay, Carvaan, Gaana and Slurrp, shaped the session’s central premise: that content, once the industry’s scarce resource, no longer is. (A less consumer-facing entry in that same portfolio: an AI search layer built over Hindustan Times’s own digital archive, turning a hundred years of the paper’s reporting into something fully searchable — one more example of the pattern he was describing, even if this one runs behind the scenes rather than in front of an audience.) Attention is — and attention, in the session’s own account, increasingly obeys the logic of algorithms, infinite scroll, streaming platforms and collapsing brand loyalty, not editorial merit. It’s worth noting that this framing comes largely from HT Labs’ own recap of the session, posted to its company channels; independent verification of how the room actually responded to the thesis is harder to come by.

Even by that account, though, the room turned it into a genuine two-way exchange. Rather than a lecture, the session unfolded as a lively back-and-forth — participants and faculty from the US, Europe and Asia weighing in with examples from their own media ecosystems, testing whether a model built for streaming and audio apps actually holds for news. The questions raised were pointed: why technically superior products routinely lose to ones that simply understand human behaviour better; whether audience attention can be built without resorting to clickbait; what, if anything, journalism should be borrowing from gaming and streaming design; how recommendation engines are quietly redrawing the lines of discovery, trust and choice; and why emotion, nostalgia, habit and cultural context so often outperform raw technological edge.

Underneath the specific questions was a deeper one for a room full of journalists: in a world of infinite content, what actually makes a person stop, care, remember and come back? Depending on who you asked, that question could read as a test of journalism’s claim on seriousness, or as a fresh case for why it still matters.

Beyond the Attention Discourse

The Mudaliar-Malhotra session may have been the most animated exchange in the room, but it wasn’t the only place the week’s central question surfaced. Day one’s proceedings appear to have opened with a keynote on the future of media and communication delivered by Shin D. Kim, a film professor at Hong Kong Baptist University — setting up, ahead of time, the very question the attention session went on to take up.

By day two, the programme had moved from theory into terrain that adds nuance to a purely attention economy reading of journalism, while also giving the tech optimists their say. Ludovic Blecher, Chairman of WhiteBeard and CEO of IDation, walked through a concrete case of AI implementation and the state of the wider AI ecosystem. Alongside that, Sherri Hope Culver of Temple University led sessions on pop culture, propaganda and media literacy, and on ethics and responsibility in a digitally diverse media landscape – framing audience capture as a phenomenon with a long, complicated history, not just a design challenge. Visual anthropologist and documentarian Dr. Dimitrios Bouras taught two sessions on the representation of war, conflict and humanitarian crises, and on collective memory in conflict reporting – precisely the kind of ground-level, high-stakes work that doesn’t reduce neatly to a scroll-and engagement model, however sophisticated the algorithm behind it.

Later in the run, two sessions carried the attention conversation toward more concrete ground. Niko Efstathiou, Editor in Chief of WIRED Greece, taught a session on wildfire misinformation – challenges, case studies and lessons for journalists – turning media literacy from an abstraction into a specific, highstakes local problem. Dejan Oblak of the University of Zagreb offered a complementary answer to the question Mudaliar’s session had opened up, with a session titled “Reimagining News for the Visual Generation,” an experimental case study in visual storytelling aimed less at chasing algorithms than at rethinking format for how younger audiences actually watch.

Those threads came together, at least on paper, only near the very end of the ten-day run. In Thessaloniki, journalist and Concordia University professor Aphrodite Salas taught a session on oral history as documentary practice, extending the craft-focused thread that had run through Silcock’s and Perišin’s own workshops earlier in the week. Faculty including Silcock, Perišin, Culver and Panagiotou then co-led a session explicitly titled “Trust and Democracy from the Agora to AI: America 250 and Fulbright Voices,” placing the AI question inside a framework of democratic trust rather than product design. Panagiotou then personally closed the academy with a session titled “The Future Is Yours: Global Media, Leadership, and the Careers Students Must Build Now,” followed by a graduation ceremony he led for a cohort that had spent ten days in discourse, across various registers, about what their profession is actually for.

What AI Can’t Do

That pull between efficiency and meaning ran through the rest of the day’s discussions too. Panagiotou himself has suggested that public discourse too often fixates on technological change at the expense of the journalists actually in the field – that real journalism isn’t about speed of information but the slower work of understanding it, interpreting it, and giving it meaning, something he maintains stays irreplaceable even in the age of AI. It’s a familiar line for an industry under pressure to prove it still matters. Placed alongside a session suggesting that attention – not truth, not accuracy – is the currency that decides what survives, it reads less like a settled answer and more like one voice in the wider, ongoing conversation THISAM 2026 is having with itself. The academy runs through July 10.

Paisabazaar, India’s leading marketplace for financial products, today announced the launch of PB Pass, a complimentary airport lounge access, benefit for credit card users in India. Developed in partnership with Collinson International, a global leader in the provision of airport experiences, loyalty and customer engagement solutions, PB Pass provides access to a global network of over 1,800 airport lounges and travel experiences across more than 800 domestic and international airports, powered by LoungeKey. 

PB Pass provides access to a global network of over 1,800 airport lounges & travel experiences across more than 800 domestic and international airports

Designed to reward customer engagement and foster platform loyalty, PB Pass will be offered to select customers who pay their credit card bills through the Paisabazaar app. Every credit card bill payment will provide an opportunity to participate in a “Spin the Wheel” contest, with selected winners receiving a complimentary PB Pass each month. 

In addition, PB Pass will be offered as an assured benefit for customers who apply for a new credit card through Paisabazaar. Eligible users can unlock a complimentary PB Pass upon activating their new card and making their first credit card bill payment through the Paisabazaar app.

Each PB Pass offers seamless access to an airport lounge or a travel experience within the LoungeKey network, a digital travel experiences programme operated by Collinson International (owner and operator of Priority Pass). Access is enabled via a QR code, without the need for additional memberships or registrations. Participating airport experiences include the newly opened Travel Club Lounge at Thailand’s Don Mueang International Airport, Kyra Lounge near gate 40 at Hong Kong International Airport, Rose Lounge at Vietnam’s Tan Son Nhat International Airport, among others.

Santosh Agarwal, CEO, Paisabazaar, said, “At Paisabazaar, we are focused on delivering value beyond acquisition, and building deeper engagement across the customer lifecycle. PB Pass is a key step in that direction. Airport lounge access continues to be one of the most valued travel benefits for credit card users, and through PB Pass, we are making this experience more accessible, rewarding and convenient. Backed by LoungeKey’s global network of airport lounges and travel experiences, PB Pass enables us to offer a differentiated benefit that our customers can continue to enjoy as they engage with the Paisabazaar platform.”

Rom Remy, Managing Director for South and Southeast Asia, Collinson International said, “Travel demand in India continues to gain strong momentum, with consumers placing increasing importance on travel-focused benefits such as airport lounge access. Our research shows that 81% of travellers in India believe access to airport lounges and travel experiences enhances their journey. We are delighted to partner with Paisabazaar to elevate the travel experiences of their customers through our LoungeKey network, and we look forward to welcoming them to our network of airport lounge and travel experiences worldwide.”

While airport lounge access remains one of the most valued benefits associated with credit cards, it is often subject to card-specific eligibility criteria, spending thresholds and visit caps, making the experience complex for many consumers. PB Pass provides an additional way to access airport lounges and travel experiences through a simple QR code-based journey and broad network coverage, complementing the travel benefits already available on credit cards. 

For more on PB Pass: www.paisabazaar.com/cards/pb-pass.

About Paisabazaar

Paisabazaar, a part of PB Fintech (listed since 2021), is India’s leading marketplace for financial products and a free credit score platform. Over the last 12+ years, Paisabazaar has earned the trust and goodwill of over 58 million consumers from 850 cities and towns across India. Paisabazaar has built wide and deep partnerships across the ecosystem, to offer a broad range of financial products, ranging from loans and cards to investments and savings along with bill payments and mobile recharge. The platform also enables consumers to check their free credit score from all 4 CICs (Credit Bureaus) in India. Paisabazaar is an ISO (27001:2013) and PCI DSS certified organisation, with industry-best controls, to safeguard the best interest of consumers.

About LoungeKey

LoungeKey™ is a digital travel experiences programme providing cardholders from participating issuers with swift and secure access to airport lounges, dining, retail offers, spa offers and more – using their existing payment card or smartphone. 

The programme provides access to over 1,800 airport lounges and travel experiences at over 856 airports across the world. Customers simply use a payment card or a QR code within the LoungeKey app, as a mechanism to gain swift lounge entry, redeem offers and more. 

LoungeKey is operated by Collinson International, the global, privately-owned company dedicated to helping the world travel with ease and confidence. For over 35 years, Collinson has worked with the world’s leading payment networks, over 1,400 banks, 90 airlines and 20 hotel groups worldwide to deliver market-leading airport experiences, loyalty and customer engagement, and insurance solutions for over 400 million end consumers. 

For more details, please visit www.loungekey.com

Understanding the personal loan interest rate before applying can help customers estimate their borrowing cost and plan repayments with greater confidence. The Bajaj Finance Personal Loan offers interest rates ranging from 10% to 30% per annum, and a repayment tenure of up to 108 months, giving customers greater flexibility while repaying their loan. 

Bajaj Finance Personal Loan

The collateral-free loan is designed to help finance planned and urgent expenses such as home renovation, higher education, medical treatment, travel, and weddings with minimal documentation, quick approval, and disbursal within 24 hours* after approval.

What affects the Bajaj Finance Personal Loan interest rate?
Several financial and credit-related factors influence the personal loan interest rate offered to an applicant. Knowing these factors before applying can help customers better understand how their borrowing cost is determined and plan their repayments accordingly.

Some of the key factors include:

• Credit score and repayment history

• Monthly income and repayment capacity

• Employment type and job stability

• Existing financial obligations

• Loan amount requested

• Repayment tenure selected

• Overall eligibility assessment

For example, a salaried software engineer in Pune earning Rs. 90,000 per month with manageable financial commitments and a strong repayment history may apply for a Bajaj Finance Personal Loan of Rs. 8 lakh. The applicable personal loan interest rate is determined after evaluating the applicant’s complete financial profile and eligibility. This assessment enables the borrower to estimate the monthly EMI and select a suitable repayment tenure.

Understanding these factors before applying contributes to better financial planning and more informed borrowing decisions.

Bajaj Finance Personal Loan: Key features at a glance
Bajaj Finance offers a collateral-free personal loan with features designed to support a wide range of financial requirements.

What is new in this offering?
One of the latest updates to the Bajaj Finance Personal Loan is the extension of the maximum repayment tenure to 108 months.

The longer repayment period provides eligible customers with greater flexibility while managing larger loan amounts. By spreading repayments over a longer duration, monthly EMIs may become more manageable, supporting improved financial planning.

For example, an individual taking a Rs. 10 lakh loan may choose a longer repayment tenure to reduce monthly EMI obligations. While extending the repayment period may lower the monthly instalment amount, the total interest payable over the entire tenure may be higher. Comparing available tenure options can help identify a repayment structure that aligns with individual financial circumstances.

Why does the personal loan interest rate matter?
The personal loan interest rate directly influences both the monthly EMI and the overall borrowing cost throughout the repayment period.
Knowing the applicable interest rate before applying can help customers estimate their monthly repayments and choose a suitable loan amount and repayment tenure. Using an EMI calculator can further help compare different repayment scenarios and support better financial planning.

Who can benefit from the extended repayment tenure?
The extended repayment tenure can benefit eligible customers who prefer lower monthly EMIs or need greater flexibility while repaying their loan.

This feature may benefit:

• Homeowners planning renovation or repair work

• Parents financing higher education

• Individuals managing wedding expenses

• Customers facing medical emergencies

• Professionals investing in career development or skill enhancement

The flexibility to select a repayment tenure of up to 108 months allows eligible customers to choose a repayment schedule that aligns with their income, financial commitments, and long-term financial goals.

How does the application process work?
The Bajaj Finance Personal Loan application process is fully online and can be completed in a few simple steps.

• Visit the website: Customers begin by visiting the Bajaj Finance website and navigating to the Personal Loan page.

• Check loan eligibility: Customers enter the required loan amount and select the preferred repayment tenure. They then click “CHECK LOAN OFFER”.

• Enter personal details: Customers provide their personal, financial, and employment details to receive a personalised loan offer.

• Review the loan offer: Customers review the available loan offer and may adjust the loan amount or repayment tenure based on their requirements.

• Complete KYC verification: Customers complete the KYC process and verify their bank account details to facilitate disbursal.

• Application assessment: The application is submitted for assessment, following which a loan specialist contacts the customer regarding the next steps in the process.

Eligible customers may receive funds within 24 hours* after approval and successful verification.

Making an informed borrowing decision
Understanding the factors that influence a personal loan interest rate can help customers estimate borrowing costs, compare repayment options, and choose a repayment plan that aligns with their financial requirements.

With loan amounts ranging from Rs. 40,000 to Rs. 55 lakh, interest rates from 10% to 30% per annum, and a repayment tenure of up to 108 months, the Bajaj Finance Personal Loan offers eligible customers a flexible, collateral-free borrowing solution for a wide range of planned and urgent financial needs. Eligible customers can check their loan offer online and complete the application process through a simple digital journey.

*Terms and conditions apply.

*Disbursal timelines and loan eligibility are subject to assessment and document verification.

About Bajaj Finance Ltd.
Bajaj Finance Ltd. (‘BFL’, ‘Bajaj Finance’, or ‘the Company’), a subsidiary of Bajaj Finserv Ltd., is a deposit taking Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC-D) registered with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and is classified as an NBFC-Investment and Credit Company (NBFC-ICC). BFL is engaged in the business of lending and acceptance of deposits. It has a diversified lending portfolio across retail, SMEs, and commercial customers with significant presence in both urban and rural India. It accepts public and corporate deposits and offers a variety of financial services products to its customers. BFL, a thirty-five-year-old enterprise, has now become a leading player in the NBFC sector in India and on a consolidated basis, it has a franchise of 69.14 million customers. BFL has the highest domestic credit rating of AAA/Stable for long-term borrowing, A1+ for short-term borrowing, and CRISIL AAA/Stable & [ICRA]AAA(Stable) for its FD program. It has a long-term issuer credit rating of BB+/Positive and a short-term rating of B by S&P Global ratings.

Unwired Connect, a leading provider of building automation and IoT solutions, today announced that its range of DALI-2 lighting control products has been certified by the DALI Alliance, the global industry body responsible for the Digital Addressable Lighting Interface (DALI) standard.

A selection from Unwired Connect’s DALI-2 certified constant current LED driver range, including DT6, DT8 Tunable White and DT8 RGB variants, all designed, developed and manufactured in India

Unwired Connect became an Associate Member of the DALI Alliance in May 2026, with its DALI-2 products certified in June and July 2026 and several more in the pipeline. The certification covers the company’s 15W, 24W and 40W DT6 drivers, DT8 Tunable White drivers, and RGB DT8 drivers, marking a significant milestone in the company’s journey to build globally compliant automation products from India.

The DALI-2 DT8 RGB Driver from Unwired Connect, offering precise RGB colour control alongside the advanced interoperability of the DALI-2 standard

With this achievement, Unwired Connect becomes one of the few Indian companies to design, develop, and manufacture DALI-2 certified products locally, reinforcing its commitment to advancing indigenous innovation in the building automation sector.

DALI-2 is the globally recognized standard for intelligent lighting control systems, enabling seamless interoperability between lighting and automation devices from different manufacturers. Certification ensures that products meet stringent requirements for performance, reliability, and compatibility, making them suitable for deployment across commercial buildings, hospitality projects, industrial facilities, and smart infrastructure developments worldwide.

Unlike many solutions available in the market that rely on imported or rebranded technologies, Unwired Connect’s DALI-2 certified products have been engineered from the ground up at the company’s R&D and Innovation Centre in India and manufactured locally. The achievement reflects the company’s ability to meet rigorous international standards while building technology tailored for the evolving needs of modern buildings.

“Achieving DALI-2 certification is a proud milestone for Unwired Connect and a testament to our team’s engineering expertise and commitment to innovation. What makes this achievement particularly significant is that these products have been designed, developed, and manufactured in India. As one of the few Indian companies with DALI-2 certified products, we are demonstrating that world-class automation technologies can be built locally while meeting the highest global standards. This certification further strengthens our position as a technology partner for the automation industry and enables us to offer customers a comprehensive portfolio spanning both wired and wireless automation solutions,” said Varun Joshi, Co-Founder, Unwired Connect.

“Getting DALI-2 certified is genuinely hard. Each driver had to prove itself on precise dimming, fault handling, and real plug-and-play compatibility with other brands’ devices, with nothing left to chance. Doing all of this in-house means we truly understand our hardware and firmware, and that gives us a strong base to keep expanding our DT6, DT8 Tunable White, and RGB range as our customers’ needs grow,” said Nitesh Vasant, Co-Founder and CTO, Unwired Connect.

The certification journey required Unwired Connect to adhere to stringent global benchmarks across hardware architecture, electronic design, firmware development, interoperability testing, and product performance validation. Successfully meeting these requirements underscores the company’s focus on engineering excellence and its ability to deliver globally competitive automation products.

The milestone also expands Unwired Connect’s market opportunities by enabling deeper engagement with system integrators, lighting manufacturers, and automation solution providers seeking standards-compliant products for large-scale projects. With a complete portfolio that now supports both wired and wireless automation ecosystems, the company is well-positioned to address the growing demand for intelligent, energy-efficient, and future-ready buildings.

As smart building adoption accelerates across India and global markets, Unwired Connect remains focused on developing innovative automation technologies that simplify integration, enhance operational efficiency, and support sustainable infrastructure development.

About Unwired Connect

Unwired Connect is a technology-driven company specializing in building automation, IoT, and smart infrastructure solutions. Through its focus on research, innovation, and local manufacturing, the company develops intelligent products that enable smarter, more connected, and energy-efficient buildings. Unwired Connect’s solutions are deployed across commercial, industrial, and institutional environments, helping organizations accelerate their digital transformation and sustainability goals.

For more information visit: www.unwiredconnect.in

Allianz Services India and Allianz Technology India, the Global Capability Centers (GCCs) of Allianz Group in India, celebrated the landmark achievement as their Plastic Waste-Free Rivers Project – a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative, crossed the milestone of recovering over 1,000 tons of plastic waste from Thiruvananthapuram’s rivers and waterways over four years, preventing it from reaching the Arabian Sea. This is equivalent to removing 50 million plastic bottles from the city’s waterbodies – if kept end-to-end, the bottles would stretch to 12,000 km which exceeds the coastline of India.  The milestone was formally announced at an event held in Thiruvananthapuram, graced by an august gathering of dignitaries such as P.K. Kunhalikutty, Minister for Industries, IT, AI and Startups, Adv. Mons Joseph, Minister for Water Resources, K M Shaji, Minister for Local Self Government, Adv. V V Rajesh, Mayor of the Corporation of Trivandrum, V Muraleedharan, Member of the Kerala Legislative Assembly (Kazhakoottam constituency),  Jison John, MD & CEO, Allianz Services India, Jayant Tulsiani, Branch Head India, Allianz Technology SE. 

During the 1000-Ton recovery milestone announcement of Allianz’s CSR initiative ‘Plastic Waste-Free Rivers Project Thiruvananthapuram’

Since its launch in 2022, This four-year journey has been entirely funded by Allianz Services India and Allianz Technology India, who have together invested more than INR 5 crores (EUR 500,000) from CSR funds in the project.

“Global Capability Centres (GCCs) in Kerala are not merely engines of economic growth – they are responsible corporate citizens who invest in the communities and ecosystems that sustain them. This milestone also reinforces a powerful message to global investors: Kerala’s industrial growth is inseparable from its commitment to environmental excellence,” said P K Kunhalikutty, Minister for Industries, IT, AI and Startups.

“What makes the Plastic Waste-Free Rivers Project particularly commendable is its sustained, systematic approach,” said Adv. Mons Joseph, Minister for Water Resources. “I urge corporates, local bodies, and citizens alike to draw inspiration from this model,” he added.

“I call upon our Panchayats, Municipalities, and the Corporation of Thiruvananthapuram to draw inspiration from this model and deepen their collaboration with initiatives of this nature,” said K.M Shaji, Minister for Local Self Government. 

“Reaching the 1,000 ton milestone is incredibly meaningful for Allianz – every piece of plastic removed from rivers is one less harming the ocean. It reflects a clear conviction: to protect biodiversity and ocean health, we must act upstream.  This is about more than cleanup – it’s about lasting change: creating jobs, raising awareness, and transforming how communities manage waste. But we are only at the beginning. Preventing plastic pollution at scale requires deeper collaboration, systemic solutions and long-term commitment – because caring for tomorrow means protecting the ecosystems that sustain life today,” said Barbara Karuth-Zelle, Member of the Board of Management (Responsible for Allianz Services and Allianz Technology) and Group COO, Allianz SE. 

The Plastic Waste-Free Rivers Project deploys low-cost floating barriers called TrashBooms to intercept plastic waste in rivers and urban waterways. Today, 15 TrashBoom systems operate across critical sites – including Thampanoor thodu, Ulloor thodu, Pattom thodu, Thekkinakara canal, Amayizhanchan thodu, Karamana river, Killi river, Kariyil thodu, and Thettiyar canal – collecting and removing plastic waste daily. Allianz Services India and Allianz Technology India run this initiative in association with NGO partners Thanal Trust and Sustera Foundation, deploying technology from Plastic Fischer, Germany. The project provides local employment and is supported by three Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs) at Injakkal, Venpalavattom and Vallakadavu, managed by Plastic Fischer’s team of 23 professionals responsible for recovery, transportation, segregation and shipping. Collected non-recyclable plastic is transported to the Thiruvananthapuram MRFs and subsequently co-processed at the plants of Dalmia Cement (Bharat) Limited in Tamil Nadu, while recyclable plastic is repurposed locally, including into TrashBins now installed at Veli Beach.  

Globally, nine million tons of plastic reach the oceans every year. In Thiruvananthapuram, 79% of debris on major water banks is plastic, and the Karamana and Killi rivers have the highest microplastic densities in the region. Without intervention, plastic is projected to outweigh fish in the world’s oceans by 2050 – a stark reality that makes this milestone all the more significant. 

In 2025, Allianz Services India and Allianz Technology India launched grassroots-level programs in Puthenthope, Kadinamkulam and Veli, in association with NGO partners Thanal Trust and Sustera Foundation, marking a strategic shift towards preventive waste management by extending impact from interception to behaviour change and early intervention. The initiative encourages visitors, local merchants, and residents to dispose of waste responsibly. Employees regularly collaborate with NGO partners to undertake beach cleanup drives and awareness campaigns, while close collaboration with the Corporation of Thiruvananthapuram and the Government of Kerala (Departments of Local Self Government and Water Resources) ensures the initiative complements local governance efforts.

This achievement demonstrates that Thiruvananthapuram-based GCCs are driving environmental initiatives with measurable outcomes through corporate citizenship. The 15 sites span critical urban waterways surrounding Technopark and key industrial zones, and by removing massive plastic blockages, this industry-led initiative helps local authorities mitigate urban flood risks, protecting tech infrastructure and enhancing the liveability index that attracts global talent to the city. The project has also earned endorsement from the UN Ocean Decade. What began in Thiruvananthapuram is now being replicated by others in Mangaluru, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Kanpur, and Varanasi – demonstrating that structured, long-term action backed by strong partnerships can deliver real, scalable impact.

Allianz established its Global Capability Centers (GCCs) as one of the early tenants of Technopark, Thiruvananthapuram. They are among the first GCCs in Kerala and today employ over 6,600 professionals, making Thiruvananthapuram Allianz’s largest GCC location by headcount globally. Allianz Services is the AI-powered value accelerator for Allianz Group, one of the world’s leading insurers and asset managers and, Allianz Technology India is a key delivery center for Allianz Technology and a strategic hub within the Allianz Group’s global IT and digital transformation strategy.