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COEP won ₹1,00,000 at KREATE 2025 for innovative designs on sustainability, alongside other colleges; Cashfree Payments offers startups low transaction rates.
COEP secures top rank in state-level competition
Students from the College of Engineering Pune (COEP) secured one of the top prizes worth ₹1,00,000 at Kalika Steel’s 3rd edition of KREATE 2025. Sharing the winners’ circle with COEP were teams from PR Pote Patil College of Engineering, Amravati, and Thakur College of Architecture, Mumbai, who impressed the jury with their innovative interpretations of the theme. In addition, Kalika Steel awarded three consolation prizes of ₹10,000 each to NDMVP Sharadchandra Pawar College of Architecture, Nashik; Kolhapur Institute of Technology (KIT), Kolhapur; and Dr Bhanuben Nanavati College of Architecture, Pune. This year’s theme, “Celebrating Sustainability – A Tribute to the Changemakers,” challenged participants to design trophies inspired by individuals driving environmental and social impact.
Cashfree Payments announces special campaign for online merchants
Fintech firm Cashfree Payments has announced special campaign for online merchants with businesses that get onboarded on Cashfree Payments by December 31, 2025 will be able to access its payment gateway solutions at 1.6%, the rate ever offered for startups in India, valid for the next one full year. By lowering payment costs, the initiative aims to directly improve margins for startups, D2C brands, MSMEs, and e-commerce businesses, enabling them to grow faster in India’s booming digital economy.
Lexus India announces launch of smart ownership plan
Lexus offers guests higher flexibility and the opportunity to own Lexus cars through easy EMIs, making luxury more accessible. Commenting on the initiative, Hikaru Ikeuchi, president, Lexus India, said, “ This plan reflects the evolving aspirations of our guests, especially those seeking financial flexibility along with premium experiences. This forward-looking initiative is designed to deliver an amazing ownership experience, one that is not only desirable, but also smart, accessible, and a true reflection of the Lexus Promise.”
Bharti Airtel announces anti-fraud initiatives
Bharti Airtel on Friday announced its anti-fraud initiatives have resulted in decline in cybercrime complaints, and that this has been further endorsed by recent information from the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) — Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). According to the MHA-I4C, there has been a 68.7% decrease in the value of financial losses and a 14.3% drop in overall cybercrime incidents on the Airtel network. The data analyzed by MHA-I4C compares key cybercrime indicators from September 2024—prior to the launch of Airtel’s Fraud & spam detection solution —with those from June 2025.
