True display of belief and passion: Kohli lauds Women in Blue's heroics in WC semifinal

Navi Mumbai: India team celebrate after defeating Australia to qualify for the finals of the ICC Women’s World Cup ODI at DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on Thursday, October 30, 2025. (Photo: IANS)

New Delhi, (IANS) Indian batting stalwart and former skipper Virat Kohli hailed the Women in Blue for their stunning victory over seven-time champions Australia in the ODI World Cup semifinal, calling it a “true display of resilience, belief, and passion.”

India produced a remarkable performance to defeat Australia by five wickets at the DY Patil Stadium on Thursday, punching their ticket to their third ICC Women's Cricket World Cup Final after 2005 and 2017, when they finished as the runners-up behind Australia and England, respectively.

Reacting to the triumph, Kohli took to social media platform X to applaud the team’s efforts. “What a victory by our team over a mighty opponent like Australia. A great chase by the girls and a standout performance by Jemimah in a big game. A true display of resilience, belief, and passion. Well done, Team India!” he wrote.

Jemimah Rodrigues starred in the chase with a stunning knock under pressure, scoring 127 off 134 deliveries as India chased down a record total of 339 in Women's ODI history.

India's 341/5 in the semifinal is also the second-highest score in a Women's ODI run-chase, after their own 369 all-out against the same team in New Delhi last month.

This is the first time a 300-plus total was gunned down in an ODI World Cup knockout - Men's or Women's. The previous highest had come in the Men's CWC 2015 semifinal: 298 by New Zealand vs South Africa in Auckland.

India will now look to carry the same momentum into the final as they chase their maiden Women’s World Cup title.The tournament hosts India will take on South Africa, featured in a Women's World Cup Final for the first time, on Sunday, meaning a team will claim the coveted trophy for the very first time. True display of belief and passion: Kohli lauds Women in Blue's heroics in WC semifinal | MorungExpress | morungexpress.com

Read More........ → October 31, 2025

UPI impact: India now makes faster payments than any other country, says IMF

New Delhi, (IANS): Thanks to the massive adoption of unified payments interface (UPI) based digital transactions, India now makes faster payments than any other country in the world, an International Monetary Fund (IMF) note has emphasised.

Since its launch in 2016, UPI has grown quickly, while some proxies for cash usage have begun to decline. UPI now processes more than 18 billion transactions per month and dominates other electronic retail payments in India, according to the note titled ‘Growing Retail Digital Payments: The Value of Interoperability.’

UPI is an instant payments platform built over the Immediate Payment Service (IMPS) infrastructure.

UPI has transformed the digital payments landscape in India. Evidence from the platform suggests that interoperability can improve users’ experience of digital payments and expand overall adoption.

“Interoperability directly increases users’ freedom to choose their favourite app, enabling them to take full advantage of the variety and quality of apps available. Interoperability can also facilitate entry by new providers and incentivise existing providers to upgrade their apps, offering indirect benefits to users,” said the IMF note.

As a result, interoperability can make adopting digital payments more attractive for users and hence increase overall adoption relative to a world with only closed-loop alternatives.

Providing infrastructure for interoperable systems, or otherwise supporting interoperability through regulation, could be a promising avenue for countries seeking to transition from cash to digital payments, read the note.

The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) launched the Bharat Interface for Money (BHIM) app in late 2016, when total UPI usage was small and there were fewer other providers.

“Indeed, BHIM initially accounted for more than half of payer-side total transaction value, prior to the take-off of apps produced by major fintech firms. This highlights the potential catalytic role of direct public provision of payment apps,” according to the IMF note.

The public sector can help overcome coordination failures — for example, low user adoption because of a lack of high-quality apps, alongside a lack of high-quality apps as a result of low user adoption — and so kick-start an ecosystem, it added.UPI volumes in June grew 32 per cent year-on-year. Transaction value rose 20 per cent compared to June last year. The number of daily UPI transactions rose to 613 million in June from 602 million in May. UPI impact: India now makes faster payments than any other country, says IMF | MorungExpress | morungexpress.com

Read More........ → July 12, 2025

India must aim for $1 trillion ‘Orange Economy’ by 2047: Kiran Mazumdar Shaw

Mumbai, (IANS) The media and entertainment sector contributes $20 billion to the GDP today and we must aim for $100 billion dollar, and eventually, a $1 trillion ‘Orange Economy’ by 2047, which will resonate with the dream of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, global business leader and Biocon founder, Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, has said.

‘Orange Economy’ or the creative economy refers to knowledge-based activities that integrate culture, creativity, technology, and IP to drive economic, social, and cultural development.

The Indian startups involved in creative content sector should think beyond films and build brands, ecosystems, and intellectual property that create global waves, she said during the World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES) 2025 Summit here.

Mazumdar Shaw spoke about the global potential of Indian narratives.

“It’s time for India to create new stories that blend tradition and technology. Just as George Lucas drew inspiration from Indian epics for Star Wars, we can use technology to transform our cultural heritage into global franchises,” she noted.

Touching on India’s demographic and digital strengths, she said that with over a billion smartphones and a tech-savvy Gen Z, India is poised for global innovation.

“But like any blockbuster, success starts small — with an idea, strategy, and relentless focus,” she emphasised.

She drew parallels with her own journey of starting Biocon in a garage and building it into a global biotech force.

Talking about the India’s creative economy, she said that those in the filed should focus on the growth of the so-called ‘Orange Economy’ which has immense potential.

Responding to questions on India’s creative edge, Shaw highlighted the convergence of AR, VR, and immersive experiences as key frontiers.

“The next unicorns won’t just be apps — they will be creators who understand IP, tech, and immersive storytelling,” she noted.She urged startups to embrace originality and persistence, saying “every great idea starts small. What matters is how far you take it. Failure is part of the journey.” India must aim for $1 trillion ‘Orange Economy’ by 2047: Kiran Mazumdar Shaw | MorungExpress | morungexpress.com

Read More........ → May 06, 2025