New Delhi, May 1 -- Imagine paying your neighbourhood store, auto driver, domestic help using money parked not in a bank savings account, but in a mutual fund. Thanks to fintechs integrating mutual funds with UPI, this is now possible-offering not just convenience but significantly better returns.

While bank savings accounts now yield as little as 2.7-2.75%, liquid mutual funds offer returns of 5-6%. That means your idle cash doesn't just sit-it grows, even as it remains instantly spendable. In a low-interest environment, this could make mutual funds a compelling alternative to traditional bank deposits.

At the centre of this new experiment is Curie Money, a fintech startup that aims to blur the lines between your investment account and...