By Erick Here is the most important tech news for India this week.
Coin base expands operations in India
Coinbase has received approval from India’s Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) and is re-entering the Indian crypto market after ceasing operations over a year ago due to regulatory challenges. The exchange plans to launch retail services later this year and expand its crypto developer platform in India, joining other foreign crypto exchanges in complying with India’s crypto regulations.
Why it matters: Coinbase previously exited India in 2022 due to “regulatory challenges”. Also, gains from Crypto (if you’re lucky to ever make a profit) is taxable, and crypto trading in India is still illegal-ish… I mean it’s legal but heavily regulated – and the 2025 budget introduced stricter monitoring of crypto transactions and expanded the definition of VDAs, reinforcing the government’s cautious approach towards cryptocurrency regulation in India. So, don’t re-jump on the crypto bandwagon yet just because Coinbase may be re-entering India.
Read: Coinbase returns to India | Indian Express
Urban Company launches Insta Maids
Urban Company has launched ‘Insta Maids,’ a quick commerce service offering on-demand maids in select areas of Mumbai at an introductory price of ₹49 per hour, with plans to expand to other cities; the service aims to revolutionize the unorganized house help market, though some users have debated the use of the term “maid” and raised concerns about the long-term pricing strategy. The company claims that partners will earn ₹150-₹180 per hour with additional benefits.
Why it matters: this is a great opportunity for the unorganized sector and the gig economy. And Urban has been at the forefront of it with Urban Clap which has been a huge success. But as a user, we should be responsible to ensure that the maids you hire – whether through Insta Maids or Snabbit or Blinkit or others – are paid fair and treated well.
Read: Urban Company launches 15 minute Insta Maids service | Mint
BHIM UPI aims to capture 5% of market share by 2028
The Indian government is aiming for the BHIM app to achieve a 5% market share in UPI transactions by 2028 and is working to improve the app’s technology and user interface to compete with dominant players like PhonePe and Google Pay. Concerns have also been raised regarding the security of foreign-owned apps and the need for regulation to protect against scams.
Why it matters: if you’re looking to open a bank account, most friends (including me) would advise using a nationalized bank only. This is kinda like that. If you need more details let me know.
Read: Govt seeks 5% market share for BHIM UPI by 2028 | Economic Times
Narendra Modi got interviewed by Lex Friedman and talked about AI
The three-hour conversation has gained considerable attention, and Lex Fridman called it “one of the most powerful conversations” of his life. He also mentioned spending weeks in India and called it a “magical experience”.
Why it matters: in the long run, it kinda doesn’t matter. Actually in the short run, it doesn’t matter as well. I used to listen to Friedman and I find his style of interviewing full of self-importance and very annoying tbh. This is probably an ad for Friedman. Also, the only tech thing they talked about is AI. Anyway.
New MacBook Air and Mac Studio available in India
Apple’s new M4 MacBook Air starts at 99,900/- and Mac Studio starts at 2,14,900/- There’s also the new iPad Air if you want.
Why it matters: only if you’re in the market for a new MacBook or Mac. If your existing MacBook Air is M1 or prior, or if you want to try a MacBook for the first time, the base model MacBook Air with the M4 Chip and 16GB of unified memory (that’s what we are calling RAM these days) is actually pretty compelling. I don’t care much for the Mac Studio or the iPad though.
Speaking of Apple…
Report says Android users in India will see Apple’s blue chat bubble
Apple is reportedly in talks with Google to bring its RCS messaging to Android devices in India, which would allow for better cross-platform communication. This move is aimed at improving business communications and integrating with local telecom operators, though some carriers like Airtel are hesitant due to spam concerns.
Why it matters: if this goes through – this will be a HUGE move from Apple that has stubbornly retained the blue vs green bubble discrimination for years, as one of its ways to lock iPhone users in the iOS ecosystem. Let’s wait and watch this space.
Read: Apple’s blue bubble chat to pop up on Indian Android phones | Economic Times
For more context, check out this video by MKBHD from 2022:
That’s it for now, see you next week!