Lakshya Mutual Fund: Lakshya Asset Management Company (Lakshya AMC) has received SEBI approval (Securities and Exchange Board of India) to start the mutual fund business.

The new AMC is sponsored by Wealth First Portfolio Managers Ltd. Wealth First is a publicly listed wealth management company. Its shares are listed on both the exchanges, NSE and BSE.

The SEBI approval to launch mutual fund business marks a significant milestone in its vision to build an innovation-led asset management platform in India.

Lakshya Mutual Fund said that it has onboarded key members of the founding team of Benchmark Asset Management Company: Sanjiv Shah, Rajan Mehta and Sanjay Gaitonde.

They are widely regarded as pioneers of Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) in India.

Benchmark AMC introduced several industry-first products, including India’s first ETF, Nifty BeES; India’s first Gold ETF, Gold BeES (World’s First Gold ETF to be filed with regulators); and the world’s first money market ETF, Liquid BeES.

Founded in 2001, Benchmark was also the first Mutual fund in India which focused exclusively on passive and quantitative investment, which is one of the fastest-growing segments today.

The Benchmark AMC product suite was subsequently acquired by Nippon Life India Asset Management from Goldman Sachs Asset Management.

“Our focus in this AMC will be to identify gaps in the investment landscape and build products that effectively address those needs. We believe there is significant opportunity to create differentiated offerings that deliver meaningful value to investors,” Ashish Shah, Managing Director, Wealth First Portfolio Managers, said.

Lakshya Mutual Fund will also become the first asset management company to be headquartered in Ahmedabad.

India’s mutual fund industry has expanded dramatically from about Rs 1 lakh crore in assets under management in 2001 to over Rs 82 lakh crore in early 2026.
 

Demat Accounts In India: The number of women investors is increasing rapidly in India. According to a recent customer trend from Axis Direct, women-led demat account openings have surged 129 per cent since 2021.

The latest data points to a strong rise in financial participation and inclusion in India which is projected to remain the world's fastest-growing major economy in the world.

As per Axis Direct, mutual fund (lumpsum) (49 per cent) and systematic investment plans (33 per cent) account for the majority of total investments by women, underscoring a strong preference for disciplined, long-term financial planning over short-term market exposure.

Investments in direct equities, derivatives and commodities remain minimal, further reflecting a risk-aware investment approach. This trend reflects a focus on consistency, diversification, and goal-oriented investing.

The preference for systematic investing is particularly pronounced among women in the 26-45 age group, who are leading SIP adoption. Younger investors below 25 and those above 45 tend to favour mutual fund (lumpsum), reinforcing their role as a trusted and accessible investment avenue across different life stages.

Nearly 64 per cent of equity orders placed by women are executed online, Axis Direct data showed.

"These trends collectively point to an evolving investment narrative wherein women are not only entering the markets in greater numbers but are also shaping a more disciplined and resilient investing culture," Axis Direct, which is a subsidiary of Axis Bank, said.

Axis Direct, with over 5 million customers, offers investment solutions like equities, mutual funds, SIPs, IPOs, derivatives, bonds, NCDs, ETFs, and FDs.

Zepto Pay Later Option: Zepto has launched a suite of new in-app features. This includes a 'Pay Later' option and real-time images of fresh produce.

Zepto, the quick commerce platform, said that it is shifting its strategic focus from delivery speed to behaviour-led commerce and the new features are part of the strategy.

Zeptosaid that India's quick commerce market is moving beyond the "race to the fastest 10 minutes" to focus on reducing everyday shopping friction and serving customers more intelligently.

Zepto Pay Later Feature

The newly rolled-out 'Pay Later' feature offers a 15-day, interest-free repayment cycle embedded directly within the app. Designed for high-frequency, low-value orders, the facility allows for a one-tap checkout without One-Time Passwords (OTPs) or third-party redirects.

According to the product interface shared by the company, the service provides instant credit of up to Rs 10,000.

"Meet Zepto Pay Later, a BNPL experience built completely inside the Zepto app. Shopping is now going to be smoother than ever. It's already live for a small percentage, and we plan to scale this up to the entire user base very soon," Zepto Co-Founder Kaivalya Vohra said in a post on LinkedIn.

Furthermore, the company has introduced Real Lens – providing users with daily-updated, timestamped photographs of fresh produce from their nearest store, allowing them to toggle between standard catalogue pictures and actual images.

Zepto expects this to bridge the online "trust gap," to achieve higher conversion rates and fewer returns/complaints.

Additionally, the platform has introduced an 'Add After Checkout' function, which enables customers to add forgotten items to an existing order within a specific time window without having to place a duplicate order, while keeping original delivery timelines intact.