Archives October 2025

Backed by $2.5 million from the Children’s Trust Fund, partners join forces to expand access to affordable, high-quality care.

(St. Louis, Mo., October 2, 2025) Child Care Aware of Missouri (CCAMO), in partnership with Kids Win Missouri, was recently selected by the Children’s Trust Fund of Missouri to implement a new child care cost-sharing initiative called Missouri Child Care Works. The program is designed to increase family access to affordable, high-quality child care through locally coordinated cost-sharing exchanges.

The Children’s Trust Fund, Missouri’s foundation for child abuse and neglect prevention, is providing $2.5 million to launch Missouri Child Care Works. The program is modeled after the Tri-Share approach, which distributes the cost of child care among employers, families and either state government or a philanthropic partner. The initiative begins November 1.

This marks Missouri’s first statewide implementation of the Tri-Share model. It is also the first time CCAMO and its technology partner TOOTRiS – the nation’s largest and most comprehensive child care platform and services provider – have launched a Tri-Share program together.

“As a Child Care Resource & Referral agency, we connect families to child care programs while coordinating vital resources with state and local governments,” said Robin Phillips, CEO of Child Care Aware of Missouri. “With recent shifts in the child care funding landscape, it is critical to establish sustainable funding streams and leverage innovative technology. This partnership allows Missouri, for the very first time, to combine cost-sharing with technology in a way that strengthens families, supports providers, and benefits businesses and communities statewide.”

Founded in 1999, CCAMO is a statewide nonprofit that focuses on a comprehensive early childhood education experience through impactful programs and partnerships. The organization’s services include workforce development, child care business supports, advocacy and policy work, and its new Child Care Keeps Missouri Working, a regional campaign offering concierge solutions to businesses undergoing employee recruitment and retention challenges due to the overwhelming shortage of quality child care options. For more information, call (314) 535-1458 or visit www.mochildcareaware.org.

Bengaluru, India – Oct. 1, 2025: Samsung today announced that the recently-launched Galaxy S25 FE smartphone is available for customers in India starting today. Galaxy S25 FE plays an important role as a gateway into the broader Galaxy AI ecosystem, empowering more people to bring greater convenience and creativity into their everyday lives.

Galaxy S25 FE will be available through Samsung.com, Samsung Exclusive Stores, select Samsung authorized retail stores, and other online portals. As a limited period offer, customers purchasing the 256GB storage variant will get 512GB storage variant at no extra cost.

Customers can get INR 5000 cashback if the purchase is done using HDFC Bank debit or credit card. Additionally, customers buying Galaxy Buds3 FE with Galaxy S25 FE will get INR 4000 off on the former. Customers can also purchase a two-year screen protection pack at an introductory price of INR 4199. Those looking to buy the Galaxy S25 FE on EMIs can opt for up to 24 months no cost EMI.

Galaxy S25 FE comes with Gemini Live, which enables real-time visual conversations enhanced with multimodal AI, allowing the device to see what users see and making it easy to ask contextual questions. With Circle to Search with Google, gaming tips appear exactly when and where you need them. Just circle an item or challenge on screen to access tips and tactics – all in a floating view that keeps your gameplay uninterrupted. Galaxy S25 FE also brings powerful AI editing tools like Generative Edit and Instant Slow-mo.

A 4,900mAh battery and a more than 13% larger vapor chamber offers smooth, responsive performance with 45W wired charging support ensuring users can stay creative, entertained and connected while on the go. The 6.7-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with a 120Hz refresh rate offers smooth, immersive visuals.

Galaxy S25 FE delivers a premium camera experience thanks to the ProVisual Engine’s latest AI-powered features and an upgraded 12MP front camera that captures captivating selfies with improved clarity. It also elevates Galaxy’s renowned Nightography; Low noise mode boosts the quality of night shots, while Super HDR in video showcases lifelike colors and contrast in every frame. Photo Assist enhances on-device editing with effortless precision, boosting user creativity and seamlessly bringing their visions to life.

Knox Enhanced Encrypted Protection (KEEP) creates encrypted, app-specific storage environments within the device’s secure storage area, ensuring that each app can access only its own sensitive information. KEEP supports Galaxy’s Personal Data Engine (PDE) to keep user data and preferences entirely on-device and secured by Knox Vault. Together, these solutions ensure fortified security and privacy in a rapidly evolving digital landscape. In addition, seven generations of OS upgrades and seven years of security updates ensures reliable and optimized performance that lasts longer.

Mumbai, October 01, 2025: 86400 (An initiative by Mobileware Technologies), a leading provider of digital payment infrastructure, in collaboration with Vegapay, today announced the launch of its Credit Line on UPI platform, built to enable banks and fintechs to deliver credit seamlessly over UPI.

The launch comes at a pivotal time. UPI currently processes over 14 billion transactions monthly, accounting for more than 75% of India’s retail digital payments. Despite this growth, fewer than 4% of Indians own a credit card, leaving millions without access to affordable, formal credit. By powering credit lines on UPI, 86400 (An initiative of Mobileware Technologies) enables banks and fintechs to extend inclusive, low-cost, and accessible credit for a wider population.

Addressing the Industry Gaps

The Credit Line on UPI platform combines 86400’s high-throughput UPI infrastructure with Vegapay’s Credit Line Management System (CLMS), creating a single, integrated stack for banks and NBFCs. This innovation reduces integration timelines from weeks to days, while ensuring full compliance with RBI and NPCI guidelines.

For customers, it provides instant access to flexible lines of credit that can be used at any merchant accepting UPI. Unlike traditional credit cards, which are limited by eligibility and cost structures, this platform broadens access to credit for underserved segments, furthering India’s financial inclusion agenda.

Compliance, Security, and Scalability

The system is built on a cloud-native, API-first architecture, enabling banks and fintechs of all sizes to scale rapidly. Automated compliance checks, tokenization, bank-grade encryption, and multi-layer fraud detection are embedded within the workflow, ensuring security and regulatory alignment.

Suryoday Bank has become the first financial institution to go live on the platform, with discussions underway with multiple other banks, NBFCs, and fintech distribution partners.

Satyajit Kanekar, Founder & CEO, 86400, said:
“India’s credit penetration remains among the lowest in the world, with fewer than 40 million credit cards serving a population of 1.4 billion. With UPI becoming the backbone of digital transactions, embedding credit lines directly into this ecosystem represents a structural leap forward. The Credit Line on UPI platform ensures that access to affordable credit is no longer the privilege of a few but a universally available utility. This is the foundation of true financial inclusion.”

Gaurav Mittal, Co-Founder & CEO, Vegapay added:
“At Vegapay our focus has always been to equip financial institutions with the infrastructure to deliver credit that keeps pace with India’s growing digital economy. The partnership with 86400 provides a platform to the banks and fintechs that is compliance ready, scalable and allows them to bring credit line onto UPI with speed and reliability.”

Vishal Singh, CIO, Suryoday Small Finance Bank also added:

“Our customers are at the core of every innovation we pursue, and our goal is always to provide them with solutions that are simple, transparent, and trustworthy. Credit Line on UPI allows us to extend flexible and affordable credit in the same seamless way that customers already experience UPI payments. This initiative is an important milestone for Suryoday Small Finance Bank as we continue to expand the reach of responsible credit through digital innovation”

Looking Ahead

Credit lines on UPI are expected to emerge as a mainstream alternative to credit cards and BNPL models. As adoption expands, additional features such as EMI conversion, flexible repayment options, and integration with value-added financial services will be introduced.

With the Credit Line on UPI platform, 86400 and Vegapay reaffirm their commitment to building future-ready financial infrastructure that empowers institutions and democratizes credit access for millions of Indians.

Oct. 1, 2025: Dastan-e-Guru Dutt is a musical tribute to the cinematic legend not through film reels, but through the centuries-old tradition of oral storytelling, in the form of dastangoi to mark his birth centenary.

It is a tribute that commemorates his enduring legacy in a form he would have appreciated—artistic, experimental, and deeply human. Instead of a conventional homage, Dastan-e-Guru Dutt allows audiences to experience his world as though he were present – through the cadences of poetry, the resonance of music, and the intimacy of storytelling where his life and art breathe again in words and in songs.

The Dastan will be rendered by India’s First Woman Dastango, Ms. Fouzia Dastango, renowned for her many captivating performances , particularly her renditions on Meena Kumari, Madhubala, Krishna, and Ram. She brings her own unique style of storytelling, seamlessly blending narrative with songs, either composed by the artist herself or drawn from the films.

“Guru Dutt is not just a name, he is an emotion—an eternal soul who captured the deepest human feelings through his cinema. With Dastan-e-Gurudutt, I wish to bring his life and art to today’s generation, so that his light continues to shine forever.” Says Fouzia Dastango

“I feel deeply grateful to the universe for making me a part of the story of Guru Dutt. To be associated with a show that celebrates a stalwart like him, whose artistry still shines even as we mark his centenary, is an honour beyond words. When I sing his songs on stage, I feel as though I am carrying his stories forward, under his direction. It is both an opportunity and a responsibility. I am inspired to strive for the same—to create art that leaves an everlasting impact, just as Guru Dutt and Geeta Dutt did.” Says Singer Latika Jain

“Programs focusing on music, dance, art, and theatre play a vital role in promoting cultural awareness. They celebrate diverse traditions, foster mutual respect, and help people understand different cultural identities. These creative expressions build bridges between communities and encourage appreciation of global heritage. This is our small initiative in that direction. “ says Vikas Jalan

· The songs will be sung by Singer Latika Jain from Mumbai.

· The research for Dastan-e-Guru Dutt has been done by Ms. Asha Batra, Founder of Cinemaazi, a private digital archive and research centre on Indian Cinema.

· The script is penned by Mr. Abbas Qamar.

· Presented & Produced by Roopali and Vikaas Jalan

Event Details:

Title of the show: Dastan -E- Guru Dutt -A musical tribute to the cinematic genius

Date: 11th October, 2025

Time: 06 PM – 08 PM

Venue: Kamani Auditorium, New Delhi

New Delhi, 01st October, 2025: The celebrated storytelling series Dreamers, conceptualized and narrated by storyteller-filmmaker Sudhanshu Rai, has unveiled a powerful new episode that captures the inspiring life journey of India’s boxing icon Mandeep Jangra. The episode is now streaming across Sudhanshu Rai’s official platforms.

Through his evocative narration, Sudhanshu Rai brings alive Jangra’s remarkable transformation from a small-town boy in Haryana to an internationally acclaimed boxing champion. The story traces his premature birth and his upbringing by his grandmother, whose modest savings funded his very first boxing kit, a humble beginning that sparked an extraordinary journey.

The episode dives into the raw, untold struggles of Jangra’s early years, training relentlessly on nothing but biscuits and milk, stepping into the ring even with a fractured hand, and battling against the odds without access to proper diet or facilities. Yet, his unwavering determination carried him to historic achievements: a silver medal at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, the distinction of being the only Indian boxer to clinch a World Boxing Federation World Title, and the prestigious Arjuna Award for his contribution to Indian sport.

Recalling the sacrifices made by his family, Mandeep’s story highlighted, “There was a time when his father gave him the money meant for his medicines so he could continue hisboxing. That day he wrote his father’s sacrifice in his dairy”.

Even today, Mandeep’s boxing journey continues as he competes and trains with the same determination that defined his rise. Beyond the ring, he runs a trust in his villagededicated to supporting underprivileged children who dream of boxing but cannot afford training or equipment, a heartfelt effort to ensure that no dream is lost to circumstance.

“Dreamers is not just about victories; it is about the fight behind the fight. Mandeep Jangra’s journey is a testament to resilience, sacrifice, and belief. His story will inspire anyone who has ever dared to dream against the odds,” said Sudhanshu Rai, creator of Dreamers.

More than a chronicle of medals and accolades, the episode is a heartfelt tribute to a dream born in adversity, carried forward with grit, and fulfilled with glory. With this powerful narrative, Dreamers continues its mission to celebrate real-life heroes whose journeys ignite courage and determination across generations.

The latest episode featuring Mandeep Jangra is now live on Sudhanshu Rai’s official YouTube & Spotify Channels.