A PhD is not survived alone. Send this to the person who made yours survivable.
Send Built for Indian researchers
PhD finances are messy. Start with four cards that actually make sense.
Researchers do not have time to decode every bank page. This student-run site starts with four practical cards, one reward calculator, and feedback from people who live the same academic chaos.
0% forex travel pick Cashback for online spend Lounge for long layovers
Pain is temporary. Doctorate is permanent. But forex markup on a conference payment feels permanent too.
If this helps, applying through these links may support the cost of running Indian Scientist, at no extra cost to you. Use the links only if the card genuinely fits your life.
Top picks Click any card to apply/check
Conference travel + zero forex 
Scapia Credit Card 5% online cashback 
CASHBACK SBI Card Lounges + travel + movies 
IndusInd Tiger Credit Card Beginner food + movie card 
Axis Neo Credit Card
Scapia Credit Card 5% online cashback CASHBACK SBI Card Lounges + travel + movies IndusInd Tiger Credit Card Beginner food + movie card Axis Neo Credit Card Scapia referral offer Refer 6 successful friends and get a Rs.25,000 Flipkart gift card.
Friends get Rs.1,000 off flights too. Offer is based on the current Scapia referral campaign you provided.
4launch cards
1calculator
0login needed
Launch shortlist
Check reward value Pick by use case, then verify terms.
Travel, cashback, lounge value, and everyday campus spends. No endless comparison rabbit hole.
Conference travel + zero forex
Federal Bank / BOBCARD / Scapia
Scapia Credit Card
Zero forex, lifetime-free pricing, 20% travel rewards, and lounge access after eligible spends.
Annual fee Nil
Forex 0% forex fee as per reviewed Scapia page
- Zero forex fee
- Lifetime-free card
- 20% Scapia Coins on travel bookings
Referral offer Refer 6 successful friends: Rs.25,000 Flipkart gift card
Friends get Rs.1,000 off flights too, as per the current Scapia referral campaign.
Apply / check Scapia
5% online cashback
SBI Card
CASHBACK SBI Card
For Amazon, Flipkart, devices, books, subscriptions, and online spends paid in full.
Annual fee ₹999 + GST
Forex 3.5% foreign currency transaction fee
- 5% cashback on eligible online spends
- 1% cashback on eligible offline spends
- Rs.4,000 total statement-cycle cashback cap
Apply / check SBI
Travel + lounges + movies
IndusInd Bank
IndusInd Tiger Credit Card
A strong travel card with domestic and international lounge access plus movie benefits.
Annual fee Nil
Forex 1.5% forex markup in reviewed reference; verify official fee schedule.
- 2 domestic lounge visits per quarter
- 2 international lounge visits per year via Priority Pass
- One BookMyShow movie ticket up to Rs.500 every 6 months
Apply / check Tiger
Beginner food + movie card
Axis Bank
Axis Neo Credit Card
A starter card for Zomato, Blinkit, BookMyShow, Myntra, and daily campus spends.
Annual fee ₹250
Forex 3.5%
- Zomato discount up to Rs.120 per order as per Axis offer terms
- Blinkit discount up to Rs.250 per month as per Axis offer terms
- BookMyShow movie discount up to Rs.100 per month
Check Axis Neo
Why this exists
PhD people do not have time to become credit-card analysts.
Indian Scientist is starting small: a few credit cards, one calculator, and practical travel/finance notes for researchers. Tell us what you need next and we will build around real researcher problems.
Community feedback is open Tell us what to build next. No login, no email.
Use any nickname or stay anonymous. One useful suggestion from a real researcher is enough to shape the next update.
Leave quick feedback Small guide shelf
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