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Kochi, May 07: Federal Bank has announced the integration of the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) payment facility into its digital platforms, enabling customers to make EPFO payments securely through the Bank’s Net Banking system. The new feature aims to provide a seamless, efficient, and hassle-free digital experience for users while supporting statutory compliance requirements.

The facility was officially launched at a ceremony held in New Delhi, attended by senior officials from EPFO, including Brij Mohan Singh, Regional P.F. Commissioner–I (Banking), Ajay Krishna Paliwal, Regional P.F. Commissioner–II (Banking), and Kapil Anand, EPFO official.

Representing Federal Bank, Anoop T, Senior Vice President & Country Head, Government and Institutional Business Department, along with other senior officials from the Bank, participated in the launch event.

Speaking on the development, Harsh Dugar, Executive Director of Federal Bank, said,

“True to our motto, ‘Digital at the Fore, Human at the Core,’ Federal Bank remains steadfast in its commitment to customers by introducing convenient, need-of-the-hour facilities. These initiatives enhance customer experience while enabling seamless engagement with government establishments and supporting the government’s collection mechanism.”

The service is available to all Federal Bank Net Banking customers and is designed to strengthen digital convenience while ensuring quick and secure EPFO payments for individuals and business organisations. By enabling online EPF remittances, the Bank aims to reduce the need for physical visits to offices, saving time, cost, and effort.

With this integration, Federal Bank continues to expand its digital payments ecosystem and reinforces its focus on delivering secure, reliable, and customer-centric banking solutions.

New Delhi, May 7 (BNP): The Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet has appointed renewable energy entrepreneur Tanya Singhal as Vice President for India, strengthening its leadership as it expands clean energy and grid modernisation initiatives in the country.

Singhal, known for her work in the renewable energy sector, joins the organisation at a time when India is accelerating efforts to improve power reliability, expand clean energy access, and modernise electricity infrastructure.

In her new role, she will lead initiatives focused on battery storage, grid digitalisation, and distributed renewable energy systems aimed at supporting India’s transition toward a more resilient and sustainable energy ecosystem.

The organisation said her appointment comes as it completes three years of operations in India, where it has been working on projects related to clean energy access, energy storage, and strengthening power systems while also supporting economic opportunities and job creation.

Singhal is the co-founder of SolarArise, a utility-scale solar platform that developed large grid-connected solar assets across multiple Indian states. During her tenure, the company expanded its renewable portfolio with significant infrastructure investments and later achieved a landmark transaction through an Infrastructure Investment Trust listed on the London Stock Exchange.

An alumna of Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Singhal also previously worked as a strategy consultant before moving into the renewable energy sector.

Industry observers say her appointment reflects the growing importance of experienced clean energy leaders in driving India’s next phase of energy transition and infrastructure modernisation.

New Delhi, May 7 (BNP): Gold and silver prices rose by up to 1% on Thursday as global markets reacted to rising crude oil prices and ongoing geopolitical uncertainty linked to US–Iran negotiations, according to market data.

On the Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX), June gold futures touched an intraday high of ₹1,52,887, gaining 0.49%, while silver futures for July climbed as much as 1.49% to ₹2,57,055 during the session.

Internationally, precious metals also traded in positive territory. COMEX gold rose to around $4,703 per ounce, while silver gained over 1% to trade near $78.17 per ounce.

Analysts attributed the upward movement to continued safe-haven demand amid global uncertainty, including tensions in West Asia and concerns surrounding the ongoing US–Iran discussions. Market sentiment has been influenced by reports of negotiations involving nuclear-related commitments and strategic maritime routes.

A weaker US dollar, with the index trading below the 98 mark, also supported the rally in precious metals by making them more attractive to global buyers.

At the same time, rising crude oil prices added to inflationary concerns, further boosting demand for gold and silver as defensive assets. Brent crude traded above $102 per barrel, while WTI also recorded gains.

Market experts say precious metals may continue to remain supported in the near term, driven by geopolitical risks, currency movements, and energy market volatility.

India, May 07: Ebix Risk today announced the launch of the new Ebix COI, the next generation of its certificate of insurance (COI) management solution. The release introduces Policy & Contract Intelligence, an AI Assist Agent, and a new self-service model enabling organizations to manage COI compliance end-to-end, from intake through validation and resolution.

For most organizations, COI compliance remains fragmented. Certificates are collected and digitized, but validation is often performed against generic templates rather than actual contract requirements. Deficiencies are identified but not consistently resolved, leaving compliance gaps and ongoing operational risk.

Ebix COI is designed to close that gap.

Unlike extraction-only tools, the platform connects certificate data to the underlying contract, validates coverage against actual requirements, and drives follow-through to resolution. The result is a complete compliance process not just document processing.

At the core of the platform is more than 30 years of focused investment in COI management. Ebix has built one of the industry’s deepest datasets of certificates, policies, endorsements, and contractual exceptions capturing the edge cases that determine whether compliance decisions are accurate. The new Ebix COI applies modern AI to that foundation, enabling faster, more reliable decisions.

What’s New in Ebix COI

Policy & Contract Intelligence

• Contract Intelligence Lens reads vendor agreements, extracts requirements, and validates certificates against actual terms
• Policy Intelligence Lens surfaces deeper policy and endorsement insights

Closed-Loop Execution

• AI Assist Agent drives deficiency identification, vendor outreach, and resolution follow-through

Scalable Operations

• AI–powered extraction captures certificate data accurately at scale
• Self-service workflows enable in-house teams to manage compliance directly

From Intake to Resolution

Policy & Contract Intelligence ensures compliance is verified against what each contract actually requires not a generic checklist. By reading agreements first and validating certificates accordingly, organizations gain a more accurate view of compliance risk while reducing manual review.

The AI Assist Agent extends this further by executing key workflows helping ensure that identified deficiencies are not only flagged, but resolved.

Built on Domain Depth

In a rapidly evolving market, the differentiator is not access to AI models it is the depth of expertise behind them.

“The real opportunity is to turn certificate compliance into an intelligent risk and compliance workflow,” said Gagan Sethi, CEO of Ebix Technologies. “With the next generation of Ebix COI, we are connecting contract requirements, coverage validation, and deficiency resolution into one AI-enabled process. This creates a larger growth opportunity for Ebix in the risk and compliance market.” 

“Compliance teams don’t need another extraction tool. They need to know whether a certificate actually satisfies the contract, and what to do when it doesn’t,” said Robert Rodriguez Chief Technology Officer, Head of Technology & Product Strategy – Ebix Risk. “The next phase of this market won’t be won by who has the best AI model. It’ll be won by who has the best signal feeding it. After thirty years of building that signal in insurance compliance, Ebix COI is the first platform to put it directly in front of the AI making the call.”