Dreamtime Learning elevates Sudip Saha from Chief Business Officer to Co-Founder, marking a shift from building systems to shaping the brand's global growth journey

Backed by Gruhas, the investment vehicle of Nikhil Kamath and Abhijeet Pai, Dreamtime Learning operates a curriculum backed by brain and behavioural science across an online school, micro-school campuses, a partner school network, and a dedicated Southeast Asia entity. The organisation currently serves 2,000+ enrolled learners through its online school, runs two micro-school campuses in Pune and Hyderabad, and operates 80+ partner schools across India, Malaysia, Oman, UAE, and Saudi Arabia through its “Powered by Dreamtime Learning” programme.

Sudip joined right before the beginning in 2023 with a mandate to translate Dreamtime’s educational vision into scalable formats with measurable impact across geographies. Over three years, he drove enrollment growth in the online school to 2,000+ active learners, expanded the partner school network across five international markets, and operationalised two micro-school campuses as a proof-of-concept for a format the organisation plans to scale to additional cities. He led the incorporation and go-to-market for Dreamtime Learning Asia in Malaysia, structuring it as a standalone entity with locally accredited curriculum pathways, independent partnerships, and its own growth targets for the Southeast Asian market.

As Co-Founder, Sudip Saha takes co-ownership of Dreamtime Learning’s next chapter: where the organisation expands, which markets it bets on, and how it builds the infrastructure to support a fundamentally different model of schooling at scale. The elevation marks a shift from execution to ownership.

Reflecting on his transition, Lina Ashar, Founder of Dreamtime Learning, said, “Sudip has been central to how we’ve grown across markets and formats, and more importantly, how we think about the future of schooling. As we scale Dreamtime globally, his role becomes even more critical in building the systems and models that will define our next phase. This elevation recognises both his contribution and the role he will continue to play in what comes next.”

The elevation acknowledges Sudip’s role in translating Dreamtime Learning’s vision into a scalable, global model.

Speaking about his journey at Dreamtime Learning, Sudip Saha, Co-Founder, said, “Lina had a vision for what schooling could truly look like, one grounded in how children actually learn, not how systems have always run. From the moment I encountered that vision, I knew it was worth building for. My role has been to take everything she has imagined and find the ways to make it real: the schools, the partnerships, the markets, the models. Three years in, we have only just started.”

As Dreamtime Learning enters its next phase, this transition reflects a broader shift in how education is being built for scale today. With Sudip Saha as Co-Founder, the organisation is set to play a more active role in shaping the future of globally connected learning models.

About Dreamtime Learning

Dreamtime Learning is a Conscious Learning Ecosystem with a futuristic curriculum grounded in brain and behavioural science, founded by Lina Ashar and backed by Gruhas (Nikhil Kamath and Abhijeet Pai). The ecosystem operates a global online school with 2,000+ learners, two micro-school campuses in Pune and Hyderabad, a partner school network of 80+ schools across India, Malaysia, Oman, UAE, and Saudi Arabia, and Dreamtime Learning Asia, its flagship school in Malaysia.

GECO Reveals New Packaging Across Range

The vibrant new identity marks a significant milestone in GECO’s evolution from a product line into a fully realised brand platform. In a category long dominated by utilitarian, text-heavy packaging that often blends into hardware store shelves, the refreshed design breaks away from outdated industrial conventions and positions GECO as a bold, contemporary challenger in the tile and stone fixing solutions segment.

Commenting on the launch, Gokul Basker, Brand Founder, GECO and Partner, VNC Group, said, “At the heart of GECO’s redesign is our distinctive gecko mascot, symbolising the unmatched grip and reliability our brand stands for. Complemented by a bold ‘G’ icon and a vibrant blue and magenta palette, the new identity brings a fresh, modern presence to the category while strengthening recall across retail and trade touchpoints. Furthermore, this refreshed identity reflects GECO’s commitment to clarity, performance, and purposeful innovation. While the look has evolved, product performance remains the same — reliable, high-performance solutions across our full portfolio of tile adhesives, grouts, sealants, and tapes.”

Industry Recognition

The packaging refresh follows growing industry recognition for GECO. In 2024, the brand was named among the Top 10 Adhesives & Sealants Manufacturers by Industry Outlook, recognising its commitment to quality, reliability, and delivery excellence.

About GECO

Inspired by nature’s remarkable engineering, GECO delivers high-performance building solutions that hold strong, no matter the challenge. The product range — spanning tile adhesives, grouts, sealants, and tapes — is engineered to help professionals and creators complete their work efficiently and confidently. GECO is part of the VNC Group and is committed to continuous innovation, expanding its portfolio to meet the evolving needs of the construction and finishing industry.

About VNC Group

Headquartered in Karur, Tamil Nadu, VNC Group is a diversified enterprise with strong market leadership across welding consumables, steel wires, and fencing solutions. With over 40 years of commitment to creating lasting value, VNC’s BEST range of brands serves more than 8,000 retailers across South India. VNC launched GECO and Indicus Paints in 2021 and has been rapidly expanding product offerings across both categories. VNC is also a leading distributor for Tata Steel, managing a wide portfolio of their retail products across Tamil Nadu.

For more information about GECO, visit thegeco.in.

The company has announced plans to empower 20,000 new members by 2027, focusing on scaling financial inclusion in the region. This reiterates DJT Microfinance’s commitment to deliver microfinance services to low-income households with a focus on empowering women to become self-employed in underserved and rural areas of the country through convenient and secure loans. As part of the initial phase, the company will focus on the Lower Brahmaputra Valley agro-climatic zone, covering districts including Darrang, Tamulpur, Kokrajhar, Bongaigaon, Chirang, Udalguri, and Bajali.

Avinash Kumar, Chief Operating Officer, DJT Microfinance said, “Our expansion in Assam reflects our long-term commitment to responsible financial inclusion in regions where access to formal credit remains limited. Assam offers a unique combination of accessibility, economic potential and strong portfolio stability. We intend to adopt a calibrated expansion approach, focusing on disciplined growth, strong governance standards, and customer-centric products tailored to local requirements.”

The expansion will be primarily driven through the Joint Liability Group (JLG) lending model, which enables access to credit for low-income households and micro-entrepreneurs who often remain outside the formal financial system. DJT Microfinance recently commenced its operations in the state and is currently undertaking detailed market assessments and area surveys to design financial products aligned with local economic activities and borrower needs. Alongside its existing offerings, the company plans to introduce need-based products tailored to regional demand patterns.

Avinash Kumar further added, “Our lending framework will remain aligned with the NBFC-MFI regulatory guidelines, targeting households with annual incomes of up to ₹3 lakh. We also ensure that the fixed obligation to income ratio does not exceed 50% of the household’s monthly income. We will continue to adhere strictly to SRO guardrails while expanding our portfolio of services in the region.”

Currently, DJT Microfinance operates 75 branches across five states, serving approximately 75 thousand customers. Over the next three years, DJT Microfinance aims to build a scalable and stable portfolio in the Northeast, beginning with Assam. The strategy will focus on disciplined customer acquisition, prudent underwriting, and strong asset quality management.

Through its phased expansion strategy, DJT Microfinance aims to deepen access to formal financial services for underserved households while building a resilient and quality-driven portfolio across eastern and northeastern India.

Razorpay Integrates UPI Payments Directly into OpenAI Codex

This means builders can now move from an idea to a product that earns revenue in minutes. Instead of spending days setting up payment systems, developers can simply ask AI to add payments while building their app, powered by Razorpay’s MCP Server.

India is already home to one of the world’s largest developer communities and processes over 20 billion UPI transactions every month. As AI changes how software is built, this integration ensures that the products developers create can start earning from day one.

How it works → From Idea to Payment in a Single Prompt

By enabling the Razorpay MCP integration, developers can instruct Codex by describing the product they want to build and how they want to charge for it.

For example, a developer could say, “Build me an AI-powered fitness coaching app and help me collect payments from my users via Razorpay,” into Codex, which will generate an app and automatically set up Razorpay’s payment gateway to handle payments (checkout flows and payment collection automatically).

For student builders, solo founders, and early-stage startups, this removes one of the biggest hurdles to launching a product - that is, setting up payments. Builders can now go from idea to product to revenue without complex setup or building any payment infrastructure.

Managing Payments with AI - Inside ChatGPT

Beyond Razorpay’s collaboration with OpenAI on Codex, Razorpay is also bringing payments management directly into ChatGPT. Businesses can install Razorpay’s App from the ChatGPT app directory and manage payments, etc., simply by asking questions.

For example, a business could ask the system to match payments with their bank statement, check refund status, or track settlements - all through a simple conversation.

“India is entering a moment where anyone with an idea can build a product in hours with AI,” said Shashank Kumar, Co-founder and MD of Razorpay. “But the real shift happens when those ideas can become businesses instantly. Our vision is simple: if AI makes it effortless to build, Razorpay should make it effortless to earn. By bringing Razorpay directly into Codex, we’re paving the way, i.e., the moment a developer creates something valuable, they can start charging for it right away. The next generation of startups won’t begin with funding or infrastructure - they’ll begin with a prompt. And when that prompt turns into a product, Razorpay will be there to power the transaction behind it.”

Oliver Jay, Managing Director, International, OpenAI, said, “Codex is helping developers turn prompts into working software in minutes, and we’re seeing strong growth in adoption in India. In February, weekly users for the tool increased by 4x in just two weeks. Integrating Razorpay directly into Codex means builders can now go from idea to product to revenue in a single workflow, and we’re excited to see how this will impact the builder community.”

This launch builds on Razorpay’s broader vision to power the next generation of AI-driven commerce. Through its ongoing work with OpenAI and the National Payments Corporation of India, Razorpay has also introduced agentic payments in India during the Global Fintech Fest last year - enabling AI systems to securely initiate and complete financial transactions on behalf of users.

Together, these efforts reflect a simple vision: as AI makes it easier for anyone to build, Razorpay is making it just as easy for them to earn.

L to R Karamjyot Singh Chawla, Director; Pooja Madhavan, Founder & MD; Kalpan Dalal, Co-founder & Director; Nirav Bhatt, Co-founder & Director

This aggressive scale-up reinforces Limelight’s leadership in the lab grown diamond category and its mission to make sustainable, future-forward luxury accessible to a wider audience. By deepening its presence beyond metros and into emerging markets, the brand is tapping into a powerful shift in consumer behavior where aspiration meets conscious consumption.

Pooja Madhavan, Founder & MD, Limelight Lab Grown Diamonds, said, "When we started Limelight, our vision was not just to build a brand, but to create an entirely new category in India. Today, seeing lab ngrown diamonds being embraced across metros and Tier 2 markets alike are incredibly rewarding. Launching 25 stores at the very start of the financial year is a strong signal of this shift. As pioneers, we are not just expanding retail we are shaping consumer mindsets towards smarter, more sustainable luxury. Our journey to 200 stores is not just about scale, but about making this new-age choice accessible to every modern Indian."

As a first mover in the category, Limelight Lab Grown Diamonds has played a defining role in building awareness and trust around lab grown diamonds, positioning them as an ethical, affordable, and aspirational diamonds. The brand’s expansion strategy is sharply calibrated to ensure both reach and depth across markets.

Karamjyot Singh Chawla, Director – Retail Expansion, added, "Our expansion strategy is sharply focused on building depth across high-potential markets, not just breadth. Every new store is a step towards creating a truly national footprint with consistent, premium experiences. Supporting this scale is a strong backbone across merchandising, supply chain, and financial discipline ensuring that growth is both agile and sustainable.”

Nirav Bhatt, Co-founder & Director – Inventory & Merchandise, said, "As demand for lab grown diamonds accelerates, our focus is on ensuring agility in inventory and relevance in design. We are building a supply and merchandising engine that is as modern as the category itself."

Kalpan Dalal, Co-founder & Director – Production & Finance, added, "Scaling to 200 stores requires a strong backbone of efficient production and financial discipline. Our approach ensures that rapid growth is supported by operational excellence and long-term sustainability."

The brand’s rapid retail growth is further supported by a robust omni-channel strategy, strong franchise partnerships, and continued investment in design innovation and consumer education. Each store is designed to deliver a seamless and elevated customer experience, aligned with the brand’s ethos of transparency, sustainability, and modern luxury.

With a clear roadmap to reach 200 stores by 2027, Limelight Lab Grown Diamonds is poised to further accelerate its growth trajectory and redefine the future of fine jewellery retail in India.

About Limelight Diamonds

Headquartered in Mumbai, Limelight Diamonds is India’s largest and most trusted lab grown diamond jewellery brand, specializing in pure CVD lab grown diamonds. Limelight has been a pioneer in building the lab grown diamond category in India, offering consumers exceptional brilliance, purity and contemporary design.

Over the past few years, the brand has witnessed rapid nationwide expansion and today boasts the widest retail footprint for lab grown diamond jewellery in India, with 60+ exclusive brand outlets across 45+ cities. Limelight’s collections span solitaires, everyday fine jewellery and statement pieces, catering to modern Indian consumers. With a strong focus on retail excellence, design innovation and consumer education, Limelight continues to lead the growth of the lab grown diamond jewellery segment in India.

For more information, visit www.limelightdiamonds.com.

Bisleri International Supports Expansion of The Live Love Laugh Foundation’s Rural Mental Health Programme in Madhya Pradesh

Launched in January 2023 in the Sausar block of Chhindwara, the programme began with outreach across 60 villages and has since expanded to cover 134 villages, reaching 1,595 beneficiaries. This year, the initiative has expanded into the Bichua block, extending its reach to 42 additional villages supporting 200 people living with mental illness (PwMI). With the support of Bisleri International, the programme will strengthen its outreach across Chhindwara district, while building systems that enable communities to sustain these efforts independently over time.

Dr. Shyam Bhat, Chairperson, The Live Love Laugh Foundation and Deepika Padukone, meet beneficiaries of LLL’s Community Mental Health Program

Speaking about the CSR partnership, Ms Jayanti Chauhan, Vice Chairperson, Bisleri International, said, "At Bisleri, we believe that enduring change is rooted in empowering communities with the awareness and resources to shape their own futures. Mental health, though integral to overall well-being, continues to remain under-recognised, particularly in rural India. We are proud to support The Live Love Laugh Foundation’s work in Chhindwara, and hope this initiative fosters greater understanding, accessibility, and a more compassionate ecosystem of care within the community."

Deepika Padukone, Founder of The Live Love Laugh Foundation, said, "Since its inception, The Live Love Laugh Foundation has been committed to creating awareness about the importance of mental health as well as improving accessibility and affordability of mental healthcare across the country. Our rural programme is an important part of that effort. We are pleased to have Bisleri International join us in strengthening our work in Chhindwara. Their support enables us to scale the programme and move closer to our goal of building a sustainable, community-led mental health system." 

The collaboration underscores Bisleri International’s enduring commitment to initiatives that foster meaningful community participation and create lasting social impact. Across India, the company has championed a diverse range of community-led efforts that inspire responsible practices, advance sustainability, and encourage active citizen engagement- shaping a more conscious and collective future.

The Live Love Laugh Foundation’s rural community mental health programme currently operates across several districts in Karnataka, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, and Andhra Pradesh. The programme supports Persons with Mental Illness (PwMI) and their caregivers through an integrated model that combines awareness, early identification, access to treatment, caregiver empowerment, and strong community participation. Through structured support systems, including village-level caregiver groups, block-level federations, and trained community volunteers, the programme equips communities with the knowledge and tools to sustain mental health support systems independently. Over time, this approach enables the programme to evolve into a self-sustaining model driven by community ownership.

About The Live Love Laugh Foundation (LLL)
Since inception in 2015, The Live Love Laugh Foundation has built pathways of care through its flagship Rural Community Mental Health Program for more than 30,000 Persons with Mental Illness (PwMI) and their caregivers, in 19 districts in eight states. LLL has also led pioneering nationwide public awareness campaigns, such as "Dobara Poocho" and "#NotAshamed". LLL recently launched a corporate mental health and well-being program that equips organizations with data-driven knowledge and a roadmap to enable mentally resilient workplaces. 

For more information, visit: www.thelivelovelaughfoundation.org.

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Media OutReach Newswire Appoints Pamela Phua as Managing Partner, Southeast Asia
 

Pamela brings over 20 years of experience in public relations and integrated communications. Having engaged Media OutReach Newswire's global press release distribution, she developed a first-hand appreciation of the newswire's core promise: guaranteed news posting on real media with domain authority, direct access to over 200,000 real journalists and editors through a proprietary international media database to achieve earned media coverage, post-release reports with data insights, as well as its pioneering PR Campaign Intelligence reports for C-suites that give clients a clear, measurable picture of communications impact.

"I have seen how Media OutReach Newswire has genuinely changed the way brands communicate beyond their home markets, reaching journalists to build cross-border media relations and garner earned media coverage. The newswire's ability to guarantee verbatim placement on authoritative news sites with high domain trust – ensures that key messages are cited by the AI models that now shape how the world discovers brands. This is a capability that is much needed now by PR, communications and marketing professionals," said Pamela.

"With guaranteed news posting on real news sites, there is full control in delivering campaign key messages to maximise PR impact, in addition to achieving quality earned media coverage on top of that. I am inspired by the newswire service as a key partner for Southeast Asia's most ambitious companies and strategic communicators in telling the region's growth story," she added.

The appointment follows the recent naming of Ms Kitty Lee as Managing Partner, Greater China, signalling a strategic push by Media OutReach Newswire to connect Asian brands, companies and governments to global journalists and audiences.

Powering the "East-to-Global" Narrative with SEO, GEO, AI Citation and Earned Media
Southeast Asia is producing a new generation of regionally confident, globally ambitious brands. At the same time, deepening trade and investment ties between Greater China and Southeast Asia are driving a surge in East-to-East communications, alongside growing East-to-global expansion.

Ms Jennifer Kok, Founder and CEO of Media OutReach Newswire, said, "We are witnessing a structural shift where Asia is increasingly driving global innovation, with Asian brands expanding their business across Southeast Asia, ASEAN, Asia Pacific, as well as international markets. Media OutReach Newswire's Total PR and Communications Solution is focused on supporting these brands as they develop corporate and brand messaging that builds trust with journalists, editors, investors and customers."

Recognising the importance of AI-citation, Media OutReach Newswire recently launched JSON-LD (JavaScript Object Notation for Linked Data) Schema Markup to enhance the technical infrastructure of clients' press releases and optimise AI visibility. The company continues to focus on adopting AI across its press release distribution network, workflows, and post-release reporting.

As AI algorithms trust news posted on real media, Media OutReach Newswire's guaranteed news posting empowers AI discoverability. The newswire's guaranteed news posting partners in Singapore and Asia Pacific (APAC) include leading media Asia News Network (ANN), AsiaOne, CNA, Vulcan Post, MoneyFM89.3 , Malay Mail, The Sun Daily, Dagang News, MySinchew, Vietnam News, Vietnam Plus and The Manila Times to name a few.

"With a global press release distribution network spanning APAC, USA, Canada, UK, and Europe, as well as Latin America, the Middle East, and Africa, we are uniquely positioned to help Southeast Asian companies and governments build lasting brand equity and trust globally. I am excited to have Pamela on board to help our clients leverage our unique ability to power both SEO and GEO, as well as earned media, internationally," Jennifer added.

Before her senior management roles at consultancies including Ruder Finn, Ogilvy PR and Omnicom PR Group over the past eight years, Pamela held in-house leadership roles heading Marketing and PR at airline HK Express, as well as Communications and Guest Relations at airline Scoot (under the SIA Group).
 

About Media OutReach Newswire

Media OutReach Newswire is Asia Pacific's first global newswire, serving as a trusted partner to the media and PR professionals at corporations, agencies, and governments across the region and the globe.

Founded in 2009 as a champion of the PR industry, Media OutReach Newswire leverages next-generation and AI technology to redefine press release distribution and reporting, with data insights and PR campaign intelligence, providing total communications solutions for PR professionals.

With a global network of 200,000 journalists and editors, over 70,000 media titles, 1,500 media partners, and more than 40 languages, Media OutReach Newswire is the only newswire with guaranteed verbatim postings on real news sites. Press releases on authentic media are trusted by search engines and AI models, powering both SEO and AI search GEO, surfacing brands for LLM citations.

Headquartered in Hong Kong, with offices across China, Singapore, Japan, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, and Taiwan, the global press release distribution network spans Asia Pacific, ASEAN, and Southeast Asia, the US, Canada, South and Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.

For more information about our services, solutions and network, please visit www.media-outreach.com.

Spain-based Grupo Osborne (“Osborne”), one of Europe’s oldest producers of wines and spirits, has appointed Octopus (APAC) Holdings Limited (“Octopus” or “Company”) as its principal distributor in Singapore under a five-year mandate, alongside a S$5 million strategic equity investment, marking a step towards extending the Company’s business model beyond distribution into brand creation.

Founded in 1772, Osborne is an international food and beverage group with a portfolio of premium brands and a presence in over 70 countries, supported by production facilities across Spain. It owns and manages more than 30 brands across wines, spirits and gourmet products, including global labels such as Carlos I brandy, Nordés gin, Cinco Jotas ham and Bodegas Montecillo wines.

As part of the partnership, Osborne will invest S$5 million in Singapore-listed Octopus by subscribing for new shares at S$0.0680 each, representing a 13.33% premium to the Company’s last closing price of S$0.0600 on 9 April 2026. The investment will give Osborne a 6.40% equity stake, aligning its interests with Octopus’ regional growth strategy.
 

Osborne, a family-owned business now led by the sixth generation, in 2024 reported net sales of €251 million (S$372 million) and net profit of €16.1 million.
 

Under the five-year agreement, renewable for successive three-year periods, Octopus will manage Osborne’s distribution value chain in Singapore. This includes distribution across retail, on-trade and e-commerce channels, alongside marketing, trade execution and brand positioning.
 

From distribution to product development
Beyond distribution, the partnership opens a pathway for Octopus to develop its own wines and spirits by leveraging Osborne’s production expertise. Products developed under this collaboration will be tailored for Asian palates, drawing on Octopus’ on-the-ground understanding of consumer preferences, pricing dynamics and route-to-market execution.
 

Through its wholly owned Octopus Distribution Networks, established in 2011, the Company has built a regional wholesale platform specialising in the import, distribution and marketing of beverages across Southeast Asia. Its portfolio spans both local and international brands with established provenance and heritage, supplying a customer base ranging from high-end cocktail bars to mass-market retailers.

The Osborne partnership marks a natural extension of this model. It positions Octopus to move upstream from distributor to brand creator, with the ability to originate and scale products designed for regional markets. Economic benefits from jointly developed products will be shared equally between both parties.
 

Scalable platform for regional expansion

The partnership is structured as a scalable regional platform, enabling Octopus to extend Osborne’s distribution footprint across Asia-Pacific. Expansion beyond Singapore will be carried out via separate local distribution agreements with existing and newly acquired distribution companies. This allows the network to scale progressively as Octopus builds its regional presence.
 

Mr Fernando Terry Osborne, Chief Executive Officer of Osborne, said, “This partnership with Octopus represents a decisive step in Osborne’s international growth strategy. Asia-Pacific is a priority region for our brands, and Singapore provides a solid platform from which to strengthen our presence in high-potential markets. The investment in Octopus reflects our confidence in their operational capabilities and business vision. We share the same ambition: to bring the excellence and authenticity of our brands to new consumers across the region. We are convinced that, together, we can accelerate our expansion and develop value propositions adapted to the preferences of the Asian market.”
 

Mr Paul Hopkins, Chief Executive Officer of Octopus, said the collaboration expands the Company’s role within the value chain.
 

“This partnership goes beyond distribution. By combining Osborne’s production expertise with our market knowledge, we will be able to develop products built for Asian consumers from the outset,” he said. “It marks a step forward in our strategy to become not just a distributor of global brands, but a creator and owner of brands in our own right.”
 

The distribution agreement is expected to contribute to Octopus’ revenue growth and enhance margins through a greater mix of premium, brand-led products.
 

Octopus intends to replicate this model across future partnerships, combining distribution mandates and strategic investments, where appropriate, with product co-development to build a regional, brand-led platform.

www.octopusholdings.asia/
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Octopus (APAC) Holdings Limited

Octopus (APAC) Holdings Limited is a Singapore-listed alcohol distributor focused on building a scalable regional platform through acquisitions and partnerships with global brand owners. Formerly known as GS Holdings Limited, the Company distributes a portfolio of beers, wines and spirits across Asia-Pacific through a network spanning retail, on-trade and wholesale channels.
 

For more information, please visit www.octopusgroup.com.sg.
 

Grupo Osborne

Founded in 1772, Grupo Osborne is one of the oldest and most established producers of wines and spirits in Europe, with a heritage spanning more than 250 years. The family-owned group has evolved into an internationally recognised food and beverage company with a diversified portfolio of premium brands and a presence in over 70 countries.
 

Grupo Osborne owns and manages more than 30 brands across wines, spirits and gourmet products, including globally recognised labels such as Carlos I brandy, Nordés gin and Bodegas Montecillo wines. Its products are supported by multiple production facilities in Spain and an expanding international footprint, underscoring its role as a global ambassador of Spanish gastronomy and premium beverages.

With a legacy built on heritage, craftsmanship and international expansion, Grupo Osborne is widely regarded as one of Spain’s most iconic consumer brands and among the oldest continuously operating companies in the global wine and spirits industry.
 

For more information, please visit www.osborne.es/en.

DLF Mall of India, India’s largest destination led retail mall, has further elevated its premium brand mix with the addition of globally renowned watchmaker TAG Heuer. Marking the brand’s first franchise boutique in India, launched in partnership with Kapoor Watch Company, the opening reflects DLF’s continued focus on building a future forward retail ecosystem and strengthening its positioning as a destination hub for premium and aspirational brands.

DLF Mall of India welcomes TAG Heuers First Boutique Store

India’s luxury and premium retail landscape continues to witness strong momentum, driven by rising affluence, accelerated premiumisation and a clear shift towards aspiration led consumption. Categories such as fine watchmaking are emerging as key growth drivers, with consumers increasingly seeking brands that represent legacy, craftsmanship and innovation, complemented by immersive and experience led retail formats. The introduction of TAG Heuer at DLF Mall of India aligns with these evolving consumer trends, further elevating the mall’s curated product mix and strengthening its standing as a go to destination for all its patrons.

Commenting on the launch, Ms. Pushpa Bector, Senior Executive Director & Business Head, DLF Retail, said “At DLF Malls, our focus is on continuously evolving our retail mix to stay ahead of consumer aspirations and global trends. The introduction of TAG Heuer at DLF Mall of India further strengthens our premium portfolio, while adding greater depth to our watch and accessories category. As we continue to refine our brand and product mix, our aim is to create a destination that offers not just leading global brands, but a differentiated and future ready retail experience for our consumers.”

Highlighting the significance of the partnership, Mr. Prateik Kapoor, Director of Kapoor Watch Company said “Our long-standing partnership with TAG Heuer has been built on a shared commitment to bringing world-class watchmaking to discerning consumers in India. We are proud to further strengthen this association by launching TAG Heuer’s first franchise boutique in India in partnership with the brand. Partnering with DLF Mall of India allows us to present TAG Heuer’s iconic collections in a setting that reflects the brand’s spirit of innovation and precision, while deepening our engagement with watch enthusiasts across the country. As India’s luxury watch market continues to evolve, we look forward to building on this partnership and expanding our presence across key markets in the years ahead.”

Marking the brand’s expansion in India, Mr. Guillaume Boilot, Managing Director MEIAT - TAG Heuer from TAG Heuer added “This is a landmark moment for TAG Heuer. We are officially expanding our footprint in India with the opening of our first franchise boutique at DLF Mall of India. This market is central to our growth, and this new space allows us to connect directly with a new generation of luxury consumers that values both heritage and performance. We’re excited to invite our community to this new boutique”

The TAG Heuer boutique spans approximately 517 sq. ft. and features a curated selection of the brand’s iconic collections, including Carrera, Monaco, Aquaracer, Formula 1 and Link. Designed with a contemporary aesthetic, the space offers an elevated retail experience, bringing together innovation, design and Swiss watchmaking excellence for the Indian consumer.

Store Details:
TAG Heuer Boutique
DLF Mall of India, Noida
Floor: Ground Floor

Timings: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM

About DLF Malls

India’s organized retail landscape has evolved from transactional spaces into destination-led ecosystems where experience, aspiration and design define consumer engagement. At the forefront of this transformation, DLF Malls stands as a category-defining force, creating landmark destinations that seamlessly integrate luxury, premium retail, dining and culture under one curated vision, where experience, aspiration, and design converge.

With a strategically diversified presence across key urban markets, DLF Malls combines scale with precision, global luxury with homegrown excellence and commerce with community, consistently setting benchmarks for modern retail in India.

DLF Malls comprises 2 Luxury Properties, 6 Premium Properties and newly launched neighbourhood plazas across Delhi-NCR. DLF’s Luxury Malls portfolio includes its two premier destinations, DLF Emporio - The first and finest luxury destination in the country designed as a name synonymous with luxury offering a unique shopping experience where the accent is on exclusivity, space and aesthetics, where Indian fashion designers and International Luxury Brands are showcased under one elegant roof; and the award-winning “The Chanakya” - India’s most uniquely curated luxury destination providing discerning luxury-enthusiasts options across international and homegrown brands offering fashion, lifestyle, gourmet dining and entertainment.

The Premium Malls portfolio includes DLF Mall of India – India’s first & largest destination mall that has delectable dining options and energizing entertainment arenas, while housing over 400  international and domestic fashion and lifestyle brands, making it a delightful, holistic experience for all; DLF Promenade – The fashion-forward mall of Delhi-NCR with 150+ brand stores catering to thousands of discerning shoppers with a unique mix of leading international and Indian fashion, entertainment and dining options; DLF Avenue, Saket – the mall houses125+ fashion and indie fashion brands along with a great shopping and cultural experiences, coupled with a one-of-its-kind curated F&B hub known as COMMONS, where ‘Food is Fashion’; DLF CyberHub, the iconic ultimate social hangout & epicentre of more than 85+ F&B, retail & entertainment brand stores along with a jam-packed calendar of events throughout the year.

In its ever-expanding endeavours, DLF Malls has introduced an upcoming new concept – Plazas. Positioned as upscale and premium neighbourhood destination catering to the daily needs and requirements of audiences residing in the country’s most prominent catchments, Plazas provide an unparalleled level of quality, convenience and ease. DLF Midtown Plaza in Moti Nagar, Delhi is now operational which will be soon followed by DLF Summit Plaza in DLF5, Gurugram.

DLF Malls will also be entering the Goa market with DLF Promenade Goa, set to open soon this year, a premium, multi-levelled mall spanning 700,000 square feet at the heart of Goa, Panjim.

Introducing Retail in Office Spaces, Horizon Plaza at DLF5 – is a world of the finest cuisines & unmatched ambience with a host of F&B outlets & lifestyle retail stores. Furthermore, 2 new office retail spaces were also introduced in the form of The Hub at DLF Cyber City Chennai, and DLF Cyber Park in Gurugram. 

By consistently blending global excellence with homegrown innovation, DLF Malls continues to set the gold standard for modern retail in India.

Santosh Mishra

In his new role, Santosh will lead the development and execution of Alta’s AI-focused initiatives, with a strong emphasis on integrating cutting edge technologies into the learning ecosystem. He will work closely with academic and product teams to strengthen the institution’s AI-first approach and ensure that learners are equipped with industry relevant skills aligned with the evolving demands of the technology landscape.

An alumnus of the NIT , Tiruchirappalli, Santosh has built a strong reputation as an educator and mentor in the technology space. Over the years, he has guided more than 50,000 students globally, helping them navigate technical interviews and build sustainable careers in software engineering. His structured teaching approach and practical insights have made him a trusted voice among aspiring engineers and working professionals alike.

Santosh is also an accomplished author, having written more than ten technical books focused on software engineering principles and system architecture. His work simplifies complex concepts for learners and bridges the gap between academic knowledge and real world application. Beyond publishing, his contributions to tech education have been widely recognised across leading media platforms including AajTak, ABP News, Economic Times, Humans of Bombay, and JoshTalks. His impact earned him a feature at Times Square, underscoring his growing influence in the global education and technology ecosystem.

This appointment comes at a time when Alta School of Technology is strengthening its focus on building an AI-led curriculum that prepares students for the next wave of technological transformation. The institution continues to invest in leadership and innovation to enhance its offerings and expand its reach among learners seeking practical and future ready education.

Commenting on the appointment, Ashish Munjal, Founder of Alta School of Technology, added, “At Alta, we believe that the future of education lies in bridging the gap between learning and real world application. Santosh’s experience across leading technology organisations and his deep engagement with the student community will help us accelerate this vision. His leadership will further strengthen our commitment to delivering high quality, outcome driven education powered by emerging technologies.”

Harshit Agarwal, Founding Director at Alta School of Technology, said, “We are delighted to welcome Santosh to Alta. His strong foundation in technology combined with his passion for teaching makes him uniquely positioned to drive our AI innovation efforts. As we continue to evolve our curriculum, his insights will play a crucial role in shaping programs that are both industry aligned and learner centric.”

Sharing his thoughts on joining the organization, Santosh Mishra said, “I am excited to be a part of Alta School of Technology at a time when AI is redefining how we learn and work. I look forward to contributing to an ecosystem that prioritises practical learning and empowers students to build meaningful careers. Together, we aim to create programs that not only teach technology but also enable learners to think critically and innovate with confidence.”

With this appointment, Alta School of Technology continues to reinforce its position as a forward looking institution focused on innovation, scalability, and impactful learning experiences in the field of technology education.

About Alta School of Technology
Alta School of Technology is an AI-first computer science institute focused on delivering industry-integrated, hands-on learning. Founded by Ashish Munjal and Harshit Aggarwal, Alta combines real-world projects, expert mentorship, and a portfolio-driven approach to build future-ready engineers.

Shri Sanjay Khanna, Chairman & Managing Director, BPCL
 

The appointment has been approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet based on the recommendation of the Search-cum-Selection Committee (SCSC), under the aegis of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas. Shri Khanna will assume charge, effective from the date of assumption of office, and will hold the position till his superannuation on May 31, 2029, or until further orders.

With extensive experience in refinery operations and project execution, Shri Khanna is expected to further strengthen BPCL’s strategic focus on value-added products, petrochemical integration, operational efficiency, and long-term energy security, while driving sustainable growth in an evolving energy landscape.

Shri Sanjay Khanna is a seasoned industry leader with over three decades of experience in refinery operations and technical services. A Chemical Engineering graduate from National Institute of Technology Tiruchirappalli and a postgraduate in Finance Management from University of Mumbai, Shri Khanna has played a pivotal role in strengthening BPCL’s refining and petrochemical capabilities.

Prior to his appointment as C&MD, he served as Director (Refineries) and has previously headed BPCL’s Mumbai and Kochi Refineries, driving operational excellence and capacity augmentation. As Executive Director of Kochi Refinery, he successfully led the commissioning of BPCL’s first niche petrochemical venture—the Propylene Derivative Petrochemical Project (PDPP)—despite significant challenges during the pandemic, marking a key milestone in BPCL’s petrochemical journey.

Over the years, Shri Khanna has anchored several prestigious projects involving the establishment of new process units across BPCL’s refineries, contributing to enhanced efficiency, higher value realization, and technological advancement.

He also serves on the Boards of Bharat Petro Resources Limited, Petronet LNG Limited, and Ratnagiri Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited, strengthening BPCL’s integration across the energy value chain. Additionally, Shri Khanna is the Chairperson of the Technical Committee for Petroleum Refineries under the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, contributing to policy and technical advancements in India’s refining sector.

About Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd. (BPCL)

Fortune Global 500 Company, Bharat Petroleum is the second largest Indian Oil Marketing Company and one of the integrated energy companies in India, engaged in refining of crude oil and marketing of petroleum products, with presence in the upstream and downstream sectors of the oil and gas industry. The company attained the coveted Maharatna status, joining the club of companies having greater operational & financial autonomy.

Bharat Petroleum’s Refineries at Mumbai, Kochi and Bina have a combined refining capacity of around 35.3 MMTPA. Its marketing infrastructure includes a network of installations, depots, fuel stations, aviation service stations and LPG distributors. Its distribution network comprises over 25,300+ Fuel Stations, over 1000+ CNG stations, over 6,250+ LPG distributorships, 440+ Lubes distributorships, 81 POL storage locations, 56 LPG Bottling Plants, 81 Aviation Service Stations, 5 Lube blending plants and 6 cross-country pipelines.

Bharat Petroleum is integrating its strategy, investments, environmental and social ambitions to move towards a sustainable planet. The company has Electric vehicle charging stations at 6800+ Fuel Stations. With a focus on sustainable solutions, the company is developing an ecosystem and a road-map to become a Net Zero Energy Company by 2040, in Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions. Bharat Petroleum has been partnering communities by supporting several initiatives connected primarily in the areas of education, water conservation, skill development, health, community development, capacity building and employee volunteering. With ‘Energising Lives’ as its core purpose, Bharat Petroleum’s vision is to be an admired global energy company leveraging talent, innovation & technology.

The Falcon by Dalcore

Located in Sector 53 on Golf Course Road, one of Gurugram’s most prestigious and well-connected addresses, The Falcon is envisioned as a globally benchmarked residential landmark that seamlessly integrates architecture, interiors, and lifestyle design. The project’s interiors have been designed by YOO Inspired by Starck, with architectural planning / exterior architectural planning led by internationally acclaimed firm UHA, bringing together global design intelligence and local contextual sensitivity in a single, cohesive vision.

Commenting on the launch, Sidharth Chowdhry, Managing Director, Dalcore, said, “The Falcon represents a defining moment for Dalcore as we introduce North India’s first YOO-branded residences. This project reflects our commitment to bringing globally celebrated design philosophies to India’s most discerning homebuyers. With YOO Inspired by Starck’s design vision and UHA’s architectural expertise, we are creating a residential landmark that goes beyond conventional luxury to offer a deeply curated living experience rooted in design, innovation, and long-term value.”

Spread across approximately 2 acres, The Falcon is planned as a single iconic high-rise tower comprising around 96 ultra-luxury residences. The development will feature expansive 3 BHK and 4 BHK homes, thoughtfully designed to offer privacy, scale, and refined spatial experiences. Residences are expected to be priced at ₹10 crore and above, positioning the project firmly within Gurugram’s ultra-premium residential segment.

Sharing his perspective as YOO Inpired by Starck Creative Director, Philippe Starck said, “In the beating heart of one of the most prestigious and ever-developing neighbourhoods in India, The Falcon is a visionary YOO Inspired by Starck project—a rare haven of elegance and privacy.”

At the core of The Falcon’s identity is its design philosophy, led by YOO Inspired by Starck, which brings a distinctive, globally recognisable aesthetic to every aspect of the development. From private residences, the clubhouse, common areas, and landscaped environments, the project reflects a unified design language that balances artistic expression with functional sophistication. Subtle, warm, poetic, and functional, every space is imagined as a place for sharing, meeting, and dreaming, to inspire and elevate life. The Falcon offers two interior styles for the private residences: Minimal and Classic.

Classic is most appealing to the connoisseur with an understanding and enjoyment of the finer things in life. Classic is a sophisticated style with a strong mix of classic elements and contemporary objects. The spirit of Minimal is clean and calm. A modern edge, incorporating glass, metal, concrete and neutral colors allowing the mind to find space and meditate. Minimal is ideal for those who want to add their own layers and ideas. It can work as a simple start in deciding how you want to live. An almost blank canvas where you can gradually add objects to reflect your tastes and personality.

Translating this vision into built form, the tower’s architecture led by UHA departs from conventional high-rise formats to adopt a sculptural, fluid expression. The structure is composed of softly contoured, pod-like volumes, creating a distinctive skyline presence while enhancing natural light, ventilation, and spatial fluidity within residences. Sustainability and climate responsiveness have been integral to the design approach, with careful consideration of orientation, sun paths, and wind movement to optimise energy efficiency and thermal comfort.

Beyond residences, The Falcon is conceived as a holistic living ecosystem anchored by a curated suite of lifestyle and wellness amenities. Residents will have access to an exclusive clubhouse featuring fitness and wellness facilities, social and recreational spaces, and thoughtfully designed zones for leisure, work, and community engagement. The development aims to deliver a balanced, multi-dimensional lifestyle that caters to both individual and collective experiences.

For more information, please visit  www.starck.com / @Starck / @StarckOfficial

Downtown 66 by BPTP Limited

The contract, valued at approximately INR 488 Crore, pertains to civil structure and finishing with a total construction area of approximately 1,79,302 Sq.mtr. The scope of work includes towers, and other amenities, aligned with approved project plans and defined project specifications.

Commenting on the development, Manik Malik, CEO & President, BPTP Limited, said, “BPTP has awarded the construction contract for Downtown 66 to NCC Limited an established player in the construction sector. This engagement reflects our strategic emphasis on partnering with seasoned contractors for project execution, aligned with design imperatives and project requirements.”

Located along Golf Course Extension Road, Downtown 66 forms part of BPTP’s development portfolio in Gurugram. The project is planned with a focus on modern design, holistic and multi-generational living, sustainability, connectivity, and occupier requirements, and is being developed in compliance with applicable laws, approvals and regulatory framework.

Downtown 66 is envisioned to bring together design-led planning, sustainability discipline and engineering integration. The project includes collaboration with global and domestic consultants, including AEDAS Singapore (Principal Architect & Interior Design), Coopers Hill Singapore (Landscape), Nulty Studio Dubai (Lighting), End Point Dubai (Signage), GreenTree (Green Building), Manish Consultant (Structural Proof), BES (Façade), RSMS (Building Bye-laws), ATN Consultants (Kitchen Design), Sanelac (MEP), RWDI (Wind Tunnel), and Proion (Fire Safety). The development is being planned in alignment with India’s highest seismic considerations of Zone V for high-rise structures, viz-a-viz Zone IV as stipulated by Indian Codes and has received IGBC Platinum pre-certification, based on current design parameters.

NCC Limited has extensive experience across residential, commercial and infrastructure developments and will lead project execution in line with the defined scope of work. NCC is also engaged by other real estate developers in the region for their marquee residential and commercial projects.

About BPTP

BPTP Limited is a real estate developer with over two decades of operations in the Delhi-NCR region. The Company has delivered numerous residential and commercial projects across multiple locations in NCR, including group housings, plotted developments and integrated townships.

Shreyas Iyer styled in Pepe Jeans in association with ELLE

The collaboration presents a series of elevated casual looks that blend classic denim with modern silhouettes, from timeless double-denim styles to relaxed, refined fits. Shot in a clean, editorial-style setting, the campaign captures Iyer’s effortless presence, where comfort meets confidence, and versatility defines everyday style.

Reflecting his personal approach to fashion, the edit subtly mirrors a sense of ease, adaptability, and understated confidence, qualities that resonate with both his on-field persona and off-duty wardrobe.

Shreyas embodies the spirit of modern India, confident, expressive, and constantly evolving. His style aligns seamlessly with the brand’s focus on individuality and contemporary fashion, making this collaboration a natural fit. Through this association with ELLE India, the brand aims to create a strong cultural moment at the intersection of sport and style.

With this collaboration, Pepe Jeans London continues to strengthen its cultural relevance in India, aligning with influential voices who bridge sport and lifestyle with authenticity.

You can watch the video here: youtube.com/shorts/Y8WYCjo1aCo?si=eICH1Be49oaXuGNs

About Pepe Jeans London

Pepe Jeans London was born on London’s iconic Portobello Road in 1973. Today, over 50 years later, the brand remains devoted to its initial mantra and pledge to create the world’s most exciting denim-led fashion. The diversity and mix of cultures that define the city of London also define the Pepe Jeans personality, providing a constant source of inspiration for the women’s, men’s, and junior collections. Music, Culture, Fashion, London, and Denim, that’s what Pepe Jeans is all about.

fischer FUS C-Channel

The FUS-C Channel has been designed as the next evolution in mounting rail systems, replacing the existing fischer U-Channel with a more advanced and globally aligned solution. Built with precision engineering and enhanced features, the FUS-C sets new standards in performance, safety, and versatility.

Key highlights of the new FUS-C Channel include:

• Internationally standardized geometry ensuring compatibility across applications

• Tighter tolerances and optimized angular design for enhanced structural safety

• Increased serration depth to support higher load-bearing capacity

• Comprehensive size availability to meet diverse project requirements

• Cost-efficient design without compromising on performance

At the core of this innovation is the introduction of Zinc-Magnesium coating, offering a significant advancement over traditional zinc coatings:

• Superior corrosion resistance for extended durability

• No additional treatment required on cutting edges

• Higher protection with lesser coating thickness compared to traditional coatings

• More economical and environmentally sustainable than conventional galvanization

• One versatile solution suitable for multiple applications, simplifying inventory decisions

The FUS-C Channel is not just a product upgrade—it is a strategic move to provide engineers, consultants, and contractors with a reliable, future-ready solution that delivers both performance and value.

fischer India has also inaugurated a new production facility in Bangalore, Karnataka, further strengthening its commitment to the Indian market. The new plant plays a crucial role as an enabler—allowing fischer to respond faster and more effectively to customer needs across India.

Speaking on the occasion, fischer India Managing Director Mr. Mayank Kalra said, “This new facility is a significant step forward in our journey towards building a stronger, more agile fischer India. By enhancing our local manufacturing capabilities, we are not only improving speed and efficiency but also reinforcing our commitment to ‘Make in India’ for India with German quality standards. This investment reflects our long-term vision of being closer to our customers, supporting their evolving needs, and driving sustainable growth in the construction and installation systems industry.”

With the introduction of the FUS-C Channel and the support of local manufacturing, fischer India is well-positioned to offer:

• Faster product availability

• Improved service levels and responsiveness

• Streamlined supply chains

• Consistent global quality with local adaptability

This dual approach—innovation-led product development supported by localized production—demonstrates fischer India’s focused strategy to serve the evolving demands of the Indian construction ecosystem.

As infrastructure growth accelerates across the country, fischer’s latest offering ensures that customers benefit from cutting-edge technology, cost efficiency, and dependable performance, all delivered with the assurance of a brand that stands for precision, reliability, and innovation.

fischer Building Materials India Private Limited

Ward No. 76, Unit 101, First Level, New No. 3, Old No. 4, Prestige Sigma, Vittal Mallya Rd, Richmond Town, Bengaluru- 560001, Karnataka

The White Gold management team shares a proud moment ahead of handing over cars to top performers

The event marked a significant milestone for White Gold, which has grown into one of Bengaluru’s most recognised brands through the collective effort, discipline, and dedication of its people. More than an annual rewards and recognition celebration, White Gold Excellence Night stood as a powerful reflection of the organisation’s belief in valuing individuals who contribute consistently and grow alongside the company.

At a time when much of the corporate conversation is centred on layoffs, restructuring, and workforce uncertainty, White Gold’s gesture sends a strong and hopeful message to employees and the wider business community. In recognising and rewarding loyalty in such a meaningful manner, the company has reinforced the importance of long term commitment and people first values in building enduring enterprises.

In what the company sees as one of the first initiatives of its kind by a South Indian company, White Gold’s decision to reward employees with cars highlights a rare and inspiring approach to employee recognition. The move reflects the belief that traditional companies can continue to lead with gratitude, responsibility, and faith in their people, even in an evolving and often unpredictable employment environment.

The evening also reflected the emotional depth of the White Gold journey. As the company looked back on its growth, it celebrated not just employees, but the shared milestones, trust, and relationships that have helped build the organisation. While White Gold has welcomed many new faces over the years, the event paid tribute to those who stood by the company through its defining moments and helped strengthen it from within.

The awardees represented a wide cross section of the organisation, including professionals from administration, finance, gold processing, sales, branch management, and support services. Among those recognised were Mr. Jiju Kochappan, Administration Manager; Mr. Suresh K Sebastian, Gold Processing Manager; Mr. Augustine Kumar, Senior Finance Manager; Mr. Anand R, Sales Manager; Mr. Praveen N, Sales Manager; Mr. Haribabu J, Chauffeur; Mr. Bharath Kumar R, Senior Branch Manager; and Mr. Manoj B, Senior Branch Manager, along with other deserving awardees whose loyalty and performance have left a lasting impact on the organisation.

A particularly meaningful moment of the evening was the recognition of Mr. Haribabu J, Chauffeur, whose honour symbolised one of the strongest values White Gold wanted to celebrate. His recognition showed that at White Gold, value is not defined by designation alone. It is defined by loyalty, trust, consistency, and the quiet strength with which a person serves the organisation every single day. Having been a part of the company’s journey since 2013, Mr. Haribabu has represented dependability and dedication in its truest form. By honouring him alongside managers and senior leaders, White Gold sent a clear message that contribution matters more than title, and that loyalty remains one of the highest values an organisation can uphold.

Each honouree was celebrated not only for professional achievement, but also for embodying the values that White Gold stands for, including discipline, responsibility, humility, and a deep sense of ownership. Their contributions, whether visible on the front lines or behind the scenes, have played a defining role in the company’s continued progress and success.

For White Gold, the cars symbolised far more than rewards. They represented appreciation, trust, and a legacy of mutual growth between the company and its people. The evening served as a reminder that when organisations invest in loyalty and recognise sincere effort, they create a culture that inspires others to remain committed and strive for excellence.

The message from White Gold Excellence Night was simple and powerful: stay committed, work hard, and value will follow. In honouring its employees so visibly and generously, White Gold has not only celebrated achievement but also kept alive an important belief in today’s business environment: that companies can still reward loyalty, uphold traditional values, and offer hope through meaningful recognition.

About White Gold

White Gold is one of South India's most trusted gold buying brands, built on a foundation of teamwork, transparency, and long-term commitment. With 100+ branches across Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana, White Gold has grown into a strong and reliable presence in the industry.

White Gold is the only organised player in the gold buying space and is committed to creating a trusted ecosystem that enables customers to make informed financial decisions and sell their gold with dignity.

White Gold

The appointment marks a defining moment in BetterCloud's evolution, from leading SaaS management platform to a foundational pillar of CoreStack's enterprise governance vision. With the combined entity now serving over 2,000 customers globally, governing more than $6 billion in annual cloud consumption and $35 billion in SaaS spend, the need for experienced, execution-focused leadership has never been greater.

Leadership Appointment

Raj Kunnath brings an exceptional combination of operational depth and strategic reach to the role. Having led more than 80 acquisitions throughout his career, he has built a reputation for turning complex integrations into competitive advantages. His experience spans enterprise SaaS platforms, go-to-market execution, and global operating models, with high-impact transformation roles at organizations including Microsoft and major global financial institutions.

At CoreStack, Kunnath has already operated at the intersection of technology, business, and strategy. As President of BetterCloud, he will drive integration execution, customer and partner success, and the next phase of organic growth, with a particular focus on enabling the Agentic Governance OS vision that CoreStack and BetterCloud are building together.

"BetterCloud has built something rare: a true category, a loyal customer base, and a platform that sits at the center of how modern enterprises manage their SaaS environments. My focus is clear: integrate with excellence, serve our customers without disruption, and unlock the full potential of what CoreStack and BetterCloud can achieve together. The governance challenge enterprises face today, across cloud, SaaS, and AI, is exactly the problem we're uniquely positioned to solve. - Raj Kunnath, President, BetterCloud.

CoreStack Leadership Perspective

Ez Natarajan, CEO of CoreStack, underscored the strategic importance of the appointment and the combined company's ambition.

"Raj is exactly the kind of leader this moment demands: someone who can execute at pace, integrate with precision, and inspire the teams and customers who make BetterCloud what it is. AI is reshaping how enterprises operate: from systems we manage to systems that act. The challenge is no longer just managing infrastructure or applications; it is governing outcomes at machine speed. Raj will ensure we deliver on that promise, and do it in a way that earns the trust of every customer and partner we serve." - Ez Natarajan, CEO, CoreStack.

A Founder's Continued Commitment

In a further signal of confidence in BetterCloud's trajectory, David Politis, founder of BetterCloud and the pioneer who coined the term "SaaSOps" and built the category from the ground up, will join the combined entity as Strategic Advisor.

Politis founded BetterCloud in 2011 with a vision that SaaS applications needed their own operational discipline. Over more than a decade, he raised $187 million, scaled the company to hundreds of employees across New York, Atlanta, and San Francisco, and established BetterCloud as the definitive leader in SaaS management and security. He authored two landmark industry books, The IT Leader's Guide to SaaSOps (Volumes 1 and 2), and has been featured in The New York Times, Fortune, CIO, and the BBC. His continued involvement as Strategic Advisor brings category-defining insight and deep customer community trust to the leadership team.

"I built BetterCloud because I believed the enterprise world needed a dedicated discipline for managing and securing SaaS, and I've spent over a decade proving that out. Watching that vision grow into a category, and now seeing it become part of CoreStack's broader governance platform, is exactly the evolution I hoped for. Raj brings the execution depth and integration expertise this next chapter requires, and I'm excited to stay close to the work." - David Politis, Founder, BetterCloud & Strategic Advisor.

About The Combined Platform

Together, CoreStack and BetterCloud deliver the industry's first Agentic Governance Operating System: a unified control plane that governs cloud infrastructure, SaaS applications, and AI-driven systems continuously and at machine speed. The combined platform enables enterprises to orchestrate autonomous systems, enforce human-defined governance intent without manual intervention, and unify FinOps across cloud and SaaS into a single operational model.

About CoreStack

CoreStack is the leading Agentic Governance OS for FinOps, security, and compliance in the AI-accelerated enterprise. It enables organizations to achieve Velocity with Control by continuously and intelligently governing cost, risk, compliance, and operations across cloud, SaaS, and AI-driven systems, operating at machine speed so enterprises can scale faster without increasing risk or cost. Trusted by over 1,000 global enterprises and partners across 40+ countries, CoreStack governs more than $3B in annual cloud consumption.

Learn more at corestack.com.

About BetterCloud

BetterCloud is the leading all-in-one SaaS management platform that helps organizations manage, secure, and govern cloud applications across their enterprise. Trusted by thousands of customers and more than 2 million users, BetterCloud oversees $35B in annual SaaS transactions and delivers unmatched expertise and support, as validated by customers on G2 and industry analyst reports from Gartner and Forrester.

Learn more at bettercloud.com.
 

Ranked among 134 Pacific-region companies recognized for exceptional growth, CoreStack achieved a 97% two-year revenue growth rate - outpacing the regional median of 94 percent. This recognition is a direct reflection of CoreStack's expanding footprint, deepening customer trust, and its accelerating momentum as enterprises worldwide increasingly turn to its Agentic Governance OS to manage the growing complexity of cloud, SaaS, and AI-driven environments.

"It is indeed an honor to make Inc.'s list of fastest-growing companies 4 years in a row," says CoreStack's CEO, Ezhilarasan (Ez) Natarajan. "This recognition reflects our robust growth and the transformative value our Agentic Governance OS delivers to customers and partners. Our 97% two-year growth is a testament to our clients' trust and the innovation driving our platform forward. And this milestone comes at a pivotal moment, marked by our landmark acquisition of BetterCloud, opening a new chapter in unified enterprise governance."

Between 2022 and 2024, these 134 private companies had a median growth rate of 94 percent; by 2024, they'd also added 7,503 jobs and $2.5 billion to the region's economy.

"The honorees on this year's Inc. Regionals list achieved exceptional growth at a time when the odds were against them. Amid inflation, supply chain disruptions, and ongoing economic uncertainty, they didn't just persevere - they innovated, adapted, and thrived. Their resilience made them standouts in their industries and true growth engines in their regions," said Bonny Ghosh, editorial director at Inc.

About CoreStack

CoreStack is the leading Agentic Governance OS for FinOps, security, and compliance in the AI-accelerated enterprise. It enables organizations to achieve Velocity with Control by continuously and intelligently governing cost, risk, compliance, and operations across cloud, SaaS, and AI-driven systems - operating at machine speed so enterprises can scale faster without increasing risk or cost. Trusted by over 1,000 global enterprises and partners across 40+ countries, CoreStack governs more than $3B in annual cloud consumption and is a Microsoft Azure (Legacy) Gold Partner, AWS Technology Partner with Cloud Operations Competency, Oracle Cloud Build Partner, and Google Cloud Build Partner.

Learn more at www.corestack.com.

About Inc.

Inc. is the leading media brand and playbook for the entrepreneurs and business leaders shaping our future. Through its journalism, Inc. aims to inform, educate, and elevate the profile of its community: the risk-takers, the innovators, and the ultra-driven go-getters who are creating the future of business. Inc. is published by Mansueto Ventures LLC, along with fellow leading business publication Fast Company.

For more information, visit www.inc.com.

JK Cement hosted the latest edition of its flagship ‘Gathbandhan’ program

The event brought together leading dealers and channel partners from the region and was attended by Dr. Nidhipati Singhania, Vice Chairman, JK Cement; Dr. Raghavpat Singhania, Managing Director, JK Cement; and Mr. A.K. Saraogi, CFO, JK Cement, along with other senior leadership from the company

The ‘Gathbandhan’ initiative has emerged as a key platform for JK Cement to recognise and reward the contributions of its dealer network, celebrating excellence and strengthening long-term partnerships. Over the past two years, the program has honoured top-performing dealers across India in the prestigious Titanium and Legend categories, underscoring the company’s commitment to collaborative growth with its channel partners.

Speaking at the event, Dr. Nidhipati Singhania, Vice Chairman, JK Cement, said, “Our dealers have always been the backbone of JK Cement’s growth journey. The ‘Gathbandhan’ program reflects our deep appreciation for their dedication, trust, and unwavering partnership. By recognising their achievements, we aim to further strengthen this bond and continue building a future of shared success.”

Sharing his thoughts, Dr. Raghavpat Singhania, Managing Director, JK Cement, said, “At JK Cement, we believe that our dealer partners are integral to our success and expansion across markets. ‘Gathbandhan’ is our way of celebrating their achievements and reinforcing the spirit of collaboration that defines our relationship. We remain committed to empowering our partners and growing together as we continue to strengthen our presence across the country.”

Through initiatives like ‘Gathbandhan’, JK Cement continues to strengthen its channel ecosystem and reinforce its commitment to growing together with its partners.

About JK Cement Ltd.

JK Cement Ltd. is among India’s top manufacturers of Grey and White Cement, and home-building solutions globally. For over five decades, JKCement has contributed to India’s infrastructure through product quality, customer focus, and technology leadership, beginning with its flagship grey cement unit in Nimbahera, Rajasthan, in May 1975.

The Company’s Grey Cement capacity is 31.26 MTPA, making it a leading manufacturer with a strong presence across 15 states, especially in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh. With a total White Cement and Wall Putty Capacity of 3.05 MTPA, JK White Cement is sold in 36 countries around the globe.

The Company has a strong international presence with two subsidiaries, JK Cement Works Fujairah FZC and JK White Cement (Africa) Ltd. In 2023, JKCement launched JKMaxx Paints, offering wall, wood, and metal finishes. In the same year, JKCement expanded into construction chemicals with JK Profix, a waterproofing line, and also entered the Ready-Mix Concrete segment with JK Super Concrete, serving Delhi NCR and set for nationwide growth.

For more information, please visit JK Cement: www.jkcement.com

Samir K Modi addressing Modicare Advisors at the Azadi Ke Tees Saal Celebration
 

Founded in 1996 with the vision of enabling Azadi for every Indian, Modicare has grown into a powerful movement that continues to create meaningful impact across the country. What began as a bold idea has today evolved into a nationwide community of millions of advisors, united by belief and driven by purpose.
 

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Samir K. Modi, Founder and Managing Director, Modicare Limited, said, “I have dedicated my life to carrying forward the legacy of my grandfather, Rai Bahadur Gujar Mal Modi, and my father, KK Modi. When we founded Modicare in 1996, it began with a powerful idea - Azadi. Azadi to live better, earn with dignity, and dream without limits.
 

We started with just 8 products. Today, we have over 470. But products alone don’t build success—people with belief do. Modicare began with 369 people who believed in this opportunity, and today, the Modicare Parivaar is 60 lakh+ strong. We now service over 15,000+ pincodes across India, because we believe true Azadi will only come when we reach every home. Ghar Ghar Azadi, Har Ghar Modicare.
 

Over the years, we have empowered millions of Indians to find their own Azadi. Today, 43% of our advisors are women—a milestone that matters deeply, because when a woman rises, a whole generation rises.
 

And yet, I believe this is just the beginning. As India moves forward with the vision of an Atmanirbhar Bharat, our mission becomes even more meaningful—to empower individuals with opportunities that create dignity, self-reliance, and pride.
 

Thirty years have given us a strong foundation, but the next chapter is far more meaningful. Our mission is simple—to take Azadi to every Indian home. Because the future of Modicare will not be built by time, but by people who believe.
 

Every home. Every dream. Every Indian deserves Azadi.
 

Soch Badlo. Khudko Badlo. Duniya Badlo.”

Marking this milestone, Modicare hosted a special YouTube Live on 30th March, where Mr. Samir K. Modi engaged and connected with Modicare advisors nationwide. The brand also celebrated the occasion across all its offices and Modicare Lifestyle Centres, bringing together leaders and advisors for a day filled with engagement, recognition and shared moments of joy. Across the country, advisors came together with their respective teams, making it a truly collective celebration of the brand’s journey.
 

Over the years, Modicare has not only built a diverse portfolio of high-quality products across categories, but more importantly, has created sustainable income opportunities for lakhs of Indians. At its core, the brand has always stood for more than just products—it stands for possibility, self-reliance, and the power of dreams.
 

As Modicare celebrates 30 years, the journey is not just a reflection of the past, but a renewed commitment to the future, of reaching more homes, empowering more lives, and taking the Azadi movement forward.
 

About Modicare Limited
Modicare Limited is one of India’s leading Direct Selling companies. Founded in 1996 with a vision to empower individuals by providing them the opportunity to build a better life. With a strong nationwide presence, Modicare offers a diverse portfolio of 470+ high-quality products and 750+ SKUs across categories such as wellness, personal care, skincare, nutrition, home care, and food & beverages.
 

Over the years, Modicare has built a robust network of over 60 lakh+ advisors and services more than 15,000+ pincodes across India. The company is committed to enabling sustainable income opportunities, fostering entrepreneurship, and empowering individuals to achieve financial independence.
 

Driven by its philosophy of ‘Azadi’, the freedom to live better, earn with dignity, and dream bigger, Modicare continues to inspire millions of Indians to transform their lives while contributing to the vision of a stronger, Atmanirbhar Bharat.

BrandIQ: AI-Powered, Forward-looking Brand Intelligence

What is BrandIQ?
BrandIQ is an always-on brand intelligence platform developed by TheSixth.AI, SixthFactor's proprietary AI analytics division. It continuously monitors and analyses digital brand signals across four interconnected dimensions to deliver a unified, live, real-time view of brand awareness, perception, trust, and advocacy, replacing the rearview mirror of periodic surveys with forward-looking intelligence.

• AI & LLM Visibility: How a brand is represented in AI-generated responses across large language models including ChatGPT, Google Gemini, and Perplexity

• Search Performance: How a brand surfaces, ranks, and competes in organic and paid search environments

• Social Narrative: How brand-related conversations form and travel across social platforms

• Consumer Reviews & Validation: How consumer sentiment and trust signals play out through public reviews and ratings

Today's consumer spends 6–7 hours online daily (Telefonica, 2025), searching, reviewing, comparing, and reacting publicly. Before they buy, they sense-check. Before they trust, they search. What looks like everyday digital behaviour is in reality live brand experience, playing out continuously, at scale, largely outside the view of traditional brand tracking. BrandIQ is built to change that.

Developed by TheSixth.AI, SixthFactor's proprietary AI-led insights division, BrandIQ has been launched globally, with its India debut marking a major expansion of the platform's footprint, bringing always-on brand intelligence to India, home to nearly 1.02 billion internet users and one of the world's fastest-growing digital consumer markets (Reuters, Jan 2026).

BrandIQ's methodology is AI-powered, human-led, and research-grade with analytical models and correlative data analysis. Advanced AI models process the scale and complexity of digital signals. Human expertise interprets them, delivering structured intelligence that can be acted upon, not just observed. Each engagement is bespoke, built around a brand's specific category, competitive context, and strategic questions. Crucially, BrandIQ is one of the few brand intelligence platforms to include Generative AI Visibility as a core tracking dimension, monitoring how brands appear in responses generated by large language models such as ChatGPT, Google Gemini, and Perplexity, a channel that now influences consumer decisions before a traditional search even takes place.

Himanshu Vashishtha, Founder and Global CEO, SixthFactor, said, "Brands today are navigating a digital ecosystem that is more complex, faster moving, and more consequential than anything traditional tracking was built for. BrandIQ is our answer to that. It gives our partners a complete, real-time view of their digital brand health, so that every brand decision starts from the clearest, most current picture of where they stand."

Diptanshu Ray, Managing Director, SixthFactor India, stated, "India is one of the most digitally active consumer markets in the world, and the signals that shape brand perception here are richer, faster, and more complex than ever before. Brand decisions today need to be informed by what consumers are searching, saying, and experiencing in real time. BrandIQ makes that possible, delivering structured, decision-ready intelligence that turns digital signals into genuine competitive advantage."

Faisal Khan, Managing Director, TheSixth.AI, added, "Most AI tools today are built to listen. BrandIQ is built to understand. The AI models powering this solution handle the complexity and scale. The structured analytical framework and correlation modelling applied on top of that make it research-grade. And human judgment ensures the intelligence is real."

Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is BrandIQ?
BrandIQ is an AI-powered brand health intelligence platform by SixthFactor that tracks digital brand signals in real time across AI/LLM environments, search, social media, and consumer reviews.
Q: Who is BrandIQ designed for?
BrandIQ is built for brand managers, CMOs, and insights teams at mid-to-large organisations seeking always-on visibility into how their brand is perceived and experienced across digital channels.
Q: How is BrandIQ different from traditional brand tracking?
Traditional brand tracking relies on periodic consumer surveys, which provide a retrospective snapshot. BrandIQ delivers continuous, real-time intelligence across live digital signals, including AI-generated brand mentions, a channel not captured by any legacy tracking methodology.
Q: In which markets is BrandIQ currently available?
BrandIQ is now live for clients across global markets.

About SixthFactor 
SixthFactor is an insights consultancy, powered by Behavioural Sciences, Artificial Intelligence and Design Thinking, that gives organizations clarity, predictability and profitability at every step of their growth journey. Founded in 2012 and home to the Middle East's first Neuro Lab, the firm is headquartered in Dubai, with offices in Saudi Arabia, India, Singapore, and the United States. SixthFactor deploys a full spectrum of qualitative, quantitative, and advanced research methodologies including neuromarketing, AI analytics (TheSixth.AI), ethnographic research and Design Thinking sprints along with proprietary Behavioural Economics frameworks, translating insight into commercial action. Clients include HSBC, Visa, IKEA, Amazon, Google, Microsoft, Samsung, Nestlé, Flipkart, ITC, Birla White, Asian Paints, Emami, Tata Consumer Products, Dabur and other global and regional leaders. 

Website : www.sixthfactor.in ; www.thesixth.ai.
LinkedIn : www.linkedin.com/company/sixthfactor-consulting
Business Contact for Queries or to book a BrandIQ demo : Arjun Urs | arjun.urs@sixthfactor.com.

VinFast officially opened bookings for the VF MPV 7, a premium seven-seater electric MPV designed for Indian customers

From April 2, 2026 VinFast will accept booking for the VF MPV 7 through its official website at vinfastauto.in and its current network of 50 authorized dealerships nationwide, with a booking amount of INR 21,000. The official launch and price announcement of VF MPV 7 will be on April 15, 2026.

As one of VinFast’s latest models, the VF MPV 7 is developed based on the signature ‘golden ratio’ proportions of MPV design, with its wheels pushed toward the corners to maximize cabin space.

With dimensions of 4,740 x 1,872 x 1,734 mm and a wheelbase of 2,840 mm, the VF MPV 7 offers a spacious cabin in both width and length. It is optimized for a seven-seat configuration, ensuring consistent comfort across all three rows, making it particularly suitable for larger families.

Its R19 alloy wheels, gives the vehicle a strong presence that suits family use while maintaining a sporty character.

The VF MPV 7 is equipped with 60.13 kWh battery which enables a driving range of 500+ kms on a full charge. Its advanced fast charging technology allows the battery to charge from 10 percent to 70 percent in approximately 30 minutes, enhancing convenience in real world conditions.

Mr. Tapan Ghosh, CEO of VinFast India, said, “The VF MPV 7 marks another step forward in VinFast’s efforts to win over Indian consumers with modern, practical, and accessible electric mobility solutions. We believe this model will help redefine standards in its segment and become an ideal choice for families seeking a clean mobility solution that meets everyday practicality.”

InPrior to the VF MPV 7, in September 2025, VinFast launched its two premium electric-SUVs, the VF 6 and VF 7, both of which received multiple prestigious industry awards. Alongside expanding its product line-up, the company continues to strengthen other pillars of its comprehensive EV ecosystem through an expanding showroom and aftersales network, as well as partnerships with local financial institutions. It has also extended Industry Best Product Warranty and introduced customer-centric support policies such as the value assured program, trade-in programs for switching from gasoline vehicles to electric vehicles, and free charging within the V-Green network until March 31, 2029, creating optimal conditions for customers to transition to electric mobility.

About VinFast

VinFast (NASDAQ: VFS), a subsidiary of Vingroup JSC, one of Vietnam’s largest conglomerates, is a pure-play electric vehicle manufacturer with the mission of making electric mobility more accessible to everyone. VinFast’s current product portfolio includes a wide range of electric SUVs, electric motorcycles, electric bicycles, and electric buses.

VinFast is entering its next phase of growth by rapidly expanding its global distribution and dealer network while strengthening manufacturing capabilities, with a focus on key markets in North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.

Learn more at: vinfastauto.in 

ORGATEC India Launches “WorkNXT” – A Defining Theme for the Next Era of Workplaces

Workplace Transformation and Industry Growth
This transformation is already underway and is being accelerated by macro trends shaping the global workplace economy.

India alone hosts over 1,850 Global Capability Centres (GCCs), accounting for nearly 55% of the global GCC market, with projections indicating growth to 2,400–2,500 centres by 2030. At the same time, India’s office leasing is expected to surpass 90 million sq. ft. in 2026, reflecting sustained demand for high-quality, flexible, and technology-enabled work environments.

What is WorkNXT? A Unified Workplace Ecosystem Vision
In response to these shifts, WorkNXT presents a unified vision for how workplaces will be imagined, built, and experienced in the years ahead. More than a thematic concept, WorkNXT reflects a broader transformation within the workplace industry-moving beyond individual products toward a connected ecosystem where space, people, and technology work together to create environments that are adaptable, performance-driven, and future-ready.

The Three Pillars of WorkNXT
At the centre of WorkNXT are three interconnected pillars: Design, Technology, and Experience, each representing a critical dimension of modern workplace evolution.

Design – Intelligent and Adaptive Workspaces
Design within the WorkNXT framework extends far beyond aesthetics. It encompasses intelligent spatial planning, responsible material choices, and modular thinking that allows workplaces to evolve alongside changing organisational needs. Today, over 40% of new office fit-outs in India incorporate flexible and modular design systems, reflecting a clear shift toward adaptability, sustainability, and performance-led environments.

Technology – Enabling Smart Workplace Systems
Technology acts as the invisible infrastructure enabling next-generation workplaces. Smart systems, digital platforms, sensors, and automation are transforming buildings into responsive environments capable of learning, adapting, and optimising performance. India’s smart building and building automation market is now valued at USD 12–15 billion, with technologies such as IoT sensors, energy management systems, and digital twins delivering 15–30% operational efficiency gains across commercial assets. Within the WorkNXT vision, technology does not stand apart-it enhances design and elevates the overall workplace experience.

Experience – Human-Centric Work Environments
Experiences place people firmly at the heart of workplace thinking. Modern work environments are increasingly defined by how individuals interact, collaborate, and perform within them. With hybrid work now firmly established, organisations are prioritising human-centric design-focusing on wellbeing, engagement, and productivity. Studies indicate that employee-centric workplace strategies can significantly improve performance, retention, and overall workplace satisfaction, reinforcing the importance of experience-driven environments.

A Connected Workplace Ecosystem
Together, these three pillars form an integrated framework where design, technology, and human experience operate as a single ecosystem, defining how future workplaces will function.

The introduction of WorkNXT also reflects a broader transformation across India’s workplace landscape. As organisations rethink how their environments support productivity, culture, collaboration, and employee wellbeing, the industry is increasingly moving toward integrated solutions that connect architecture, interiors, materials, ergonomics, workplace strategy, and digital infrastructure.

ORGATEC India as a Thought Leadership Platform
Through this theme, ORGATEC India reinforces its role as a platform that encourages forward-thinking innovation, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and the adoption of smarter workplace solutions. WorkNXT aims to stimulate new conversations within the industry while supporting the transition toward more resilient and human-centric work environments.

Co-Creators and Value Creators of WorkNXT
Within this evolving ecosystem, ORGATEC India brings together two important communities that collectively shape the platform.

Co-creators-the brands, innovators, and industry contributors participating in ORGATEC India-play a vital role in bringing the WorkNXT concept to life. Through their innovations, materials, technologies, and solutions, they actively contribute to shaping the future of workplace environments.

At the same time, value creators-architects, designers, corporate leaders, workplace strategists, facility professionals, and technology decision-makers-engage with this ecosystem by exploring and implementing the ideas and solutions that define modern workspaces.

Together, these communities create a dynamic exchange of ideas, insights, and collaboration that defines the ORGATEC India platform.

Looking Ahead to ORGATEC India 2026
As the workplace landscape continues to evolve globally, WorkNXT positions ORGATEC India 2026 as a destination where these transformations become visible and tangible-a place where the industry can collectively explore how design thinking, human experience, and technology will shape the workplaces of tomorrow.

Ultimately, WorkNXT represents a collective step forward for the workplace ecosystem-a shared commitment to elevating industry standards, strengthening collaboration, and shaping work environments that are more intelligent, adaptive, and human-centred.

Through this vision, ORGATEC India continues to stand as the platform where ideas converge, innovation accelerates, and the future of workspaces begins to take shape.

To know more visit orgatec-india.com

Pritika Shah – Head of Marketing, HDFC Life

Pritika Shah, Head-Marketing, HDFC Life, said, "Given India’s diversity, we have been building our brand through culturally relevant region focused efforts in India. This association with Kolkata Knight Riders continues that journey for us. KKR’s fantastic following gives us an opportunity to deeply connect with households across the country, especially in the East.”

Binda Dey, Chief Marketing Officer, Knight Riders Sports, said, “We are delighted to welcome HDFC Life as our Official Partner for IPL 2026. The most meaningful partnerships are those built on shared values, and HDFC Life’s ethos of pride and respect strongly reflects what KKR stands for as a team. Just as our fans trust us to give our all on the field, HDFC Life empowers millions of Indians with the confidence to face life beyond it. Together, we look forward to a collaborative partnership that creates memorable moments and resonates deeply with fans across the country.”

Over the course of this association, HDFC Life will roll out a series of high‑impact visibility and engagement led promotions across digital, social, on-ground and other touch points in collaboration with Kolkata Knight Riders.

Oaksmith Packaged Drinking Water teams up with Mumbai Indians as Official Style Partner, celebrating a shared spirit of excellence and ambition

Through Oaksmith Style Studio, the brand engages with the summer of cricket as a platform where the game is experienced across style, fan engagement, and contemporary culture.

The association will be activated through a season‑long, 360‑degree brand presence that mirrors the rhythm of the tournament. Oaksmith Packaged Drinking Water will feature on the Mumbai Indians kit, reinforcing consistent visibility during the franchise’s high‑impact moments. This will be complemented by digital storytelling and cultural narratives driven through Oaksmith Style Studio, reflecting how elevated standards and intent show up around the game, across players, fans, and the wider cricket ecosystem.

Commenting on the partnership, Neeraj Kumar, Managing Director of Suntory Global Spirits India said, “Partnering with Mumbai Indians aligns with our intent to associate Oaksmith with platforms that hold strong cultural significance in India. The summer of cricket continues to be one of the country’s most powerful shared experiences, and Mumbai Indians represent a franchise that resonates deeply with a wide and diverse fan base. This partnership strengthens Oaksmith’s presence during moments where culture, identity, and sport come together on a national scale.”

Rishi Walli, Senior Director, Marketing & IMFL, Suntory Global Spirits India, added, “Mumbai Indians have a history of impressive performance and setting new benchmarks, which aligns closely with Oaksmith’s philosophy of standing tall & pegging it higher. The summer of cricket offers a unique opportunity where new standards in style, identity and fandom come together, and this association via the Oaksmith Style Studio allows us to engage with that space in a manner that is relevant to our consumer.”

A Mumbai Indians spokesperson said, “We are delighted to have Oaksmith Packaged Drinking Water as our Official Style Partner. As a team that continuously looks to raise benchmarks, Oaksmith’s approach to blending style, culture, and the spirit of the game adds a distinctive dimension to our journey.” 

Across the 2026 season, the Oaksmith–Mumbai Indians partnership will be brought to life through consistent engagement aligned with the season’s defining cultural moments. With this association, Oaksmith Style Studio strengthens its footprint within one of India’s most influential cultural platforms, reinforcing the brand’s understanding of how contemporary India experiences franchise cricket — through performance, personality, and distinctive style.

Prateep Basu, Chief Executive Officer, SatSure and Nagendra Nath Sinha, Managing Director, Rodic Digital & Advisory

The strategic partnership brings together SatSure’s full‑stack Earth intelligence capabilities with RDA’s deep expertise in government digital transformation and large-scale programme delivery. By leveraging satellite-derived insights, the collaboration will enable public-sector agencies to gain real-time visibility into large infrastructure projects and natural resource management through intuitive dashboards, APIs, and command-centre-style monitoring systems.

Speaking on the partnership Nagendra Nath Sinha, Managing Director, Rodic Digital & Advisory, said, “Public-sector programmes today operate at a scale where decision-making must be faster, more evidence-based, and more transparent. By combining SatSure’s Sovereign Earth intelligence capabilities with our experience in building governance-grade digital platforms for public institutions, we aim to deliver operational intelligence that is practical, deployable, and outcomes-led particularly in sectors where visibility and compliance are mission-critical.”

The collaboration focuses on transforming operations across a broad spectrum of mission-critical areas including agriculture, rural development, power and energy, public construction, mining, and forestry by leveraging aerial imagery and geospatial analytics to automate progress tracking, strengthen resource optimization, and ensure environmental compliance. Under the MoU, the two organisations will adopt a joint go-to-market approach for government clients, delivering intelligence outputs through dashboards, APIs, and command-centre-style monitoring systems.

Prateep Basu, Chief Executive Officer, SatSure, added, “Governments today are increasingly moving toward systems that are not just digitized, but intelligence driven. This partnership with Rodic Digital & Advisory allows us to embed Earth Observation intelligence directly into public-sector workflows, especially in EPC domain, enabling institutions to move from periodic reporting to continuous, real-time decision-making. Together, we aim to strengthen how large-scale national programs for critical infrastructure are monitored, executed, and optimized.”

Varun Mundra, CEO – Technology, Rodic Digital & Advisory, said, “The core of this partnership lies in the seamless integration of geospatial AI into our existing technology ecosystem. By embedding SatSure’s advanced EO analytics into RDA’s smart digital platforms, we are moving from reactive monitoring to predictive intelligence. This technological synergy will empower public-sector administrators with high-fidelity, autonomous data streams that significantly enhance the efficiency and reliability of large-scale digital twins.”

Abhishek Arora, Chief Growth Officer, SatSure, said, “India's public sector transformation will not be won on technology alone. It requires equal parts institutional credibility, execution depth, and the trust of governments that have seen too many pilots that never scaled. RODIC brings all three. For SatSure, this partnership represents the clearest path we have found to ensuring that our geospatial intelligence reaches the departments and ministries where it can drive real operational change.

The collaboration reflects a broader shift in India’s public administration toward evidence-based governance, real-time programme monitoring, and technology-enabled accountability. As part of the MoU, RDA and SatSure intend to jointly engage with central ministries, state governments, and public agencies, with a shared commitment to delivering solutions that are scalable, operationally viable, and measurable in their impact on governance outcomes.

Founding Team - NowPurchase

The newly raised capital will be strategically deployed to accelerate key growth initiatives, with NowPurchase focusing on strengthening its core offerings such as scrap recycling, expanding its portfolio of branded products, and scaling its AI-powered platform, MetalCloud.

NowPurchase, founded in 2017 by Naman Shah and Aakash Shah, with an initial investment of $300K from Nipha Group, offers an AI enabled procurement solution that enables metal manufacturers to source high-quality raw materials such as scrap, alloys, and additives in a transparent and reliable manner. The company differentiates through its network of scrap processing centers and branded products for alloys and additives. NowPurchase’s AI platform MetalCloud helps metal manufacturers digitize & optimize their production process leveraging IoT & Computer Vision.

Speaking on the announcement Naman Shah, Founder & CEO, NowPurchase said, “We are delighted to have Bajaj Finserv as a partner in our next phase of growth. This investment will accelerate our investment in R&D capabilities & scrap recycling infrastructure to drive innovation and create meaningful value for our customers. Backed by a strong pan-India presence and an expanding global footprint, NowPurchase is well-positioned to double down on its core operations and continue scaling with strong unit economics.”

Aakash Shah, Co-founder NowPurchase highlighted, “This funding will fast-track the growth of MetalCloud—our AI-powered platform built to digitize and optimize production in metal manufacturing. We believe AI can fundamentally transform shop-floor operations, and MetalCloud is positioned to lead that shift.”

Mrs. Lakshmi Iyer, CEO of Bajaj Alternates, said, “We are pleased to join hands at a defining moment in the growth journey of NowPurchase. The company’s strong nationwide pan-India presence, expanding global ambitions, and its AI-enabled platform, positions it well to transform the metal manufacturing ecosystem.”

Mr. Girish Jhunjhunwala, Fund Manager – PE and VC Investments at Bajaj Alternates, said, “This investment reflects our conviction in using technology to drive efficiency, innovation, and resilience across procurement, finance, and the company’s supply chain. We are committed to supporting NowPurchase’s scale-up journey and enabling long-term value creation.”

With this latest infusion, NowPurchase has raised approximately Rs. 120 crore (14.46 million USD) in total equity funding to date.

Nutrica Yellow Mustard Oil

With consumers increasingly moving towards cleaner and more natural cooking ingredients, Nutrica Yellow Mustard Oil unrefined to retain its natural antioxidants and full-bodied nutrition caters to health-conscious families, fitness enthusiasts, and home cooks who seek authentic flavours without compromise. It preserves the natural aroma, taste, and nutritional value of yellow mustard seeds, making it a dependable choice for everyday Indian cooking, from tadkas and sauteing to curries, marinades, and traditional recipes.

Nutrica Yellow Mustard Oil stays close to tradition by bringing the rich taste and natural character of mustard without chemical processing, making it a trusted choice for families seeking real and reliable kitchen staples. The product is available in two convenient pack sizes, a 1 Litre PET bottle and a 5 Litre tin container, catering to both nuclear and joint family needs. It will be available across general trade stores and retail outlets in Delhi NCR.

Commenting on the launch, Sparsh Sachar, Director and Business Head – FMCG, Nutrica, said, “At Nutrica, we believe that everyday cooking should be both wholesome and flavourful. Consumers today are more aware of what goes into their meals, and Nutrica Yellow Mustard Oil has been crafted with that understanding. It brings natural purity and the authentic taste that Indian kitchens have trusted for generations. With this launch, we are continuing our commitment to offering products that make home cooking healthier and more enjoyable.”

The introduction of Yellow Mustard Oil expands Nutrica’s growing offering of clean-label, natural food products, furthering its vision of becoming a preferred brand for modern households seeking purity and authenticity in their everyday cooking experiences.

About Nutrica
Nutrica, a leading edible oil brand of BN Agritech Limited, carries a mission to reimagine health by crafting innovative and nutritious oils that cater to the diverse needs and preferences of families across India. Understanding that every family is unique, the company is dedicated to creating nutrient-infused oils that fulfil the health goals and taste preferences of its customers. The oils are made from the finest ingredients and cutting-edge technology, ensuring the highest standards of quality and nutrition.

slice UPI credit card

The card is free to own and use, with no joining fee, no annual fee, and no maintenance charge of any kind. Payments through the slice UPI card, work just like any other UPI transaction; through a QR code or a UPI ID. Customers can split payments into three monthly instalments at no extra cost through the product’s "slice in 3" feature. The card works internationally too, with no forex markup and acceptance in 200+ countries.

slice's UPI credit card makes no-cost credit instalments accessible to 300 million Indians across 65 million merchants, on the largest payments network ever built. For context, the world's largest buy-now-pay-later platforms together reach roughly 1.5 million merchants globally.

“slice credit card is now live for everyone. We appreciate the patience of our 1.2 million waitlisted customers over the last few months. We will shortly begin processing your applications and start accepting all new ones,” Rajan Bajaj, founder & CEO, slice said in a tweet.

Users earn rewards across all transactions, making it one of the first credit products in India to consistently reward small-ticket, high-frequency UPI transactions. UPI has already put a payments infrastructure in the hands of 300 million Indians. This card now layers a credit product on top of that — built around how those 300 million actually spend: in small amounts, frequently, and across millions of merchants. slice's systems assess creditworthiness based on real transaction behaviour, enabling it to extend credit responsibly and grow limits incrementally as behaviour is demonstrated. 

About slice
slice is on a mission to build India’s most loved bank. It is reimagining consumer banking in India with simple, transparent and technology-driven products. slice operates as a full-stack bank, offering solutions such as the slice savings account, slice fixed deposits, slice UPI, slice borrow, the slice UPI credit card, and India’s first UPI-led bank branch. Its mission is to make banking faster, fairer and easier for every Indian. slice is backed by global investors including Tiger Global, Insight Partners, Advent International, Blume Ventures and Gunosy Capital.

Ghaziabad has witnessed a significant milestone in its real estate journey as Saya Gold Avenue, the tallest residential development in the city, has been completely sold out.

Saya Gold Avenue

Located in the prime neighbourhood of Indirapuram, the project has emerged as a landmark development, with the final few units being sold at prices exceeding Rs. 15,000 per square foot, reflecting strong buyer confidence and premium positioning in the market.

Developed as a large-scale residential community, Saya Gold Avenue comprises 1620 units across 8 towers, each rising up to 39 storeys, making it one of the most prominent high-rise developments in the region. The project offers a mix of 2BHK, 3BHK, 4BHK apartments and penthouses, catering to a wide spectrum of homebuyers, including end-users and investors. Adding to its premium appeal is an expansive 80,000 sq. ft. clubhouse and a host of modern lifestyle amenities including Olympic size swimming pool, world class gymnasium etc, designed to offer a holistic living experience.

Strategically located at the heart of Indirapuram with excellent connectivity to major roads and highways, the project has been particularly preferred by senior government officials, journalists, business leaders, CEOs, and working professionals, further enhancing its status as a sought-after residential address.

The strong sales performance of Saya Gold Avenue also reflects the growing demand for premium and high-rise living in Indirapuram and the larger Ghaziabad region. Over the past few years, Indirapuram has evolved into a well-established residential hub with robust social infrastructure, seamless connectivity to Delhi and Noida, and a vibrant ecosystem of schools, hospitals, and commercial centres. Ghaziabad, too, has seen a steady rise in demand, driven by improved connectivity, infrastructure upgrades, and relatively competitive pricing compared to other NCR markets, making it an attractive destination for both end-users and investors.

Commenting on the development, Mr. Vikas Bhasin, Managing Director, Saya Group, said, “The complete sell-out of Saya Gold Avenue is a testament to the strong demand for quality developments in emerging micro-markets like Indirapuram and Ghaziabad. Today’s homebuyers are increasingly looking for well-designed, high-rise communities with modern amenities, strong connectivity, and a premium living experience. The response to this project, especially the price appreciation to over Rs. 15,000 per sq. ft., reflects the growing maturity of the Ghaziabad real estate market and the confidence that buyers have in such developments.”

The success of Saya Gold Avenue highlights the ongoing transformation of Ghaziabad into a key residential destination within NCR, with premium developments setting new benchmarks in design, scale, and pricing.

About Saya Group

Saya Group, established over 25 years ago, is a trailblazer in the real estate industry with a strong presence in the Delhi NCR region. Known for pioneering luxury residential and commercial developments, Saya Group began with the development of low-rise floors and luxury villas, and soon expanded into high-rise luxury homes and commercial projects.

Saya Group a portfolio of over 4.99 Lacs Sq. Mtr. of luxurious residential spaces and innovative commercial projects. This includes 2.20 Lacs Sq. Mtr. of high-street retail malls in Noida and Greater Noida West. Our diverse range of developments underscores our commitment to meeting the evolving needs of our customers and stakeholders.

Noida Care Home in Sector 66 is the second facility in the Antara network to receive NABH Care Home Accreditation

For Antara Senior Care, India’s only fully integrated senior care ecosystem, this is the second facility in its network to receive this prestigious recognition, and a step toward its goal of bringing all its care homes under this framework. Antara Senior Care is the only assisted living provider with NABH accredited care homes in north India. In 2025, its Gurugram Care Home became the first facility in India to receive this certification from the country’s apex healthcare quality. This reflects the organisation’s continued dedication to excellence in personalised ageing-related care, transparent operations, family involvement in care decisions, and measurable outcomes meeting the highest national standard in senior care.

Ishaan Khanna, CEO, Antara Assisted Care Services, said, “Choosing a care home for a loved one is ultimately a decision made on trust. The NABH accreditation offers that trust as proof. It means that here care is delivered through defined processes, by qualified and trained professionals, against standards that are independently verified. For us, this certification reflects our long-standing belief that quality senior care cannot be left to chance. Our goal is to extend this standard across our care home network in Delhi-NCR, Bangalore and Chennai, and continue raising the bar for what families should expect from senior care in India.”

As part of the accreditation process, the Antara Care Home in Noida Sector 66 was assessed across several critical parameters including resident safety, quality of life measures, clinical governance, staff qualifications and training, medication management, infection prevention and control, physical infrastructure standards, including round-the-clock availability of essentials like potable water and electricity, installation and periodic inspection of safety devices. This rigorous evaluation also encompassed several health and safety parameters, including bio-medical waste management systems, regular facility rounds with documented inspections, emergency preparedness and rights of residents through grievance redressal mechanisms.

Prem Singh Rathore, Chief Quality Officer, Antara Senior Care, said, “Senior care in India has evolved in an informal and fragmented manner. It’s largely unregulated with wide variations in quality and safety delivered. NABH accreditation represents an important shift toward making ecosystems more structured, accountable, scalable with readiness to deliver standardised care. It ensures that care delivery is guided by documented processes, measurable standards, and continuous quality improvement across functions. Achieving this accreditation reflects Antara’s commitment to operational excellence and to building systems that can deliver safe and dignified care consistently for every resident.”

India is on the cusp of a significant demographic shift that is reshaping the country’s care needs. Its senior population is set to more than double to ~350 million by 2050 (JLL-ASLI report, 2024) with the 80+ population growing by 279% in the same timeframe (UNFPA). To improve health span alongside rising lifespan, the need for structured, reliable, and professionally managed senior care infrastructure is becoming urgent.

But India's senior care ecosystem remains largely fragmented and unregulated leading to inconsistencies in care delivery. The adoption of NABH Care Homes Accreditation Standards, introduced by the country’s apex healthcare accreditation body, is a decisive step towards building institutional preparedness to meet India’s rising need for safe and high-quality environments that deliver dignified care.

Antara remains committed to redefining senior care by combining medical expertise with an environment designed for dignity, compassion, and trust.

The 53-bed Antara Care Home in Noida’s Sector 66 offers short-, medium- and long-term living solutions for seniors who need assistance with activities of daily living as an outcome of ageing; the FFRO-licenced facility also offers short-term, clinically supervised, structured care after surgery or acute illness. It has state-of the-art infrastructure for transition care, an engaging social calendar designed to alleviate loneliness and promote mental alertness, 24x7 nursing, specialist doctor support, geriatric-trained teams, in-house kitchen offering specialised meals planned by dieticians, physiotherapy, and occupational therapy.

For more information about Antara Care Homes or to schedule a visit, contact +919811441111 or visit www.antaraseniorcare.com.

About Antara Senior Care

Launched in 2013, Antara is the senior-care business of Max India Limited, part of the $7-billion Max Group. It is an integrated ecosystem for senior care, operating in two main lines of business – Residences for Seniors and Assisted Care Services. Antara’s first senior residential community in Dehradun, comprising nearly 200 families, caters to their social, recreational, educational, wellness, and health-related needs. In the near future, it will open its second senior living community in Noida’s Sector-150, with families moving into the 340 apartments built in the first phase. Expanding its footprint in Gurugram, Antara will manage senior living residences, dedicated spaces for senior living, and primary healthcare services at Estate 360 and Estate 361, developed by Max Estates. Antara’s Assisted Care Services include Care Homes, Memory Care Home, Care at Home and AGEasy. This line of business caters to seniors, who need more immersive interventions in their daily lives due to medical or age-related issues. With eight facilities and 485 beds across Gurugram, Noida, Bengaluru and Chennai, Care Homes provide long-term care to seniors who require constant medical and nursing supervision, and short-term care services for the recuperation of seniors. Its Care at Home services, offered in Delhi NCR, Bengaluru and Chennai, provide well-equipped, trained professionals offering care to seniors inside their home’s comfort. AGEasy, an online and offline store focusing on senior-specific products and solutions to manage chronic health conditions at home, has touched over 6.5 lakh lives since inception in 2023.

(L-R) - Ms. Meenakshi Lekhi, Former Minister of State for External Affairs and Mr. Sharad Malhotra, Managing Director, Nippon Paint India

Setting the tone for the initiative, Mr. Sharad Malhotra, Managing Director, Nippon Paint India, delivered the opening address, outlining the vision behind HERizons. He highlighted the need for platforms that go beyond recognition to actively enable collaboration, visibility, and long-term impact for women leaders across domains. "HERizons is our commitment to building a platform where women's potential is recognised, accelerated, and celebrated — not once, but consistently," said Mr. Malhotra. "We believe that when women are empowered to lead, entire industries transform”, he added.

The keynote address was delivered by Ms. Meenakshi Lekhi, Former Minister of State for External Affairs, who underscored the importance of policy, representation, and innovation in advancing women’s empowerment in India. Smt. Lekhi brought national perspective to the conversation, speaking on the critical role that platforms like HERizons play in translating women's potential into tangible progress at scale. A key highlight of the evening was the unveiling of the Mission SHAKTHISAT mascot, a pioneering global initiative to advance women’s participation in space and science, led by Ms. Lekhi in her capacity as Global Chair of Mission ShakthiSAT. She was also felicitated during the ceremony in recognition of her leadership and contributions to public service and women’s empowerment.              

HERizons reflects the company’s broader vision to build a multi-dimensional platform for women’s growth and empowerment - extending beyond business to actively champion platforms that empower women leaders - through three key initiatives: HERizons Canvas: A creative and collaborative platform to showcase expression, storytelling, and artistic voices; HERizons Voices: A forum for dialogue, thought leadership, and amplification of women’s perspectives across industries and HERizons Next: A future-focused initiative designed to mentor, support, and enable the next generation of women leaders.

The summit also marked the induction of the first cohort of HERizons Achievers. The HERizons Change Maker Awards recognised 18 extraordinary women across fashion, design, real estate, infrastructure, education, arts, sustainability, and social impact — leaders who are actively rewriting the rules in their fields.

Through the launch of HERizons, Nippon Paint India reinforces its foundational philosophy: the company provides the canvas, and people paint new possibilities for the future.

The funding will accelerate Uncia’s growth in India while simultaneously funding the company’s entry into the Middle East, North Africa (MENA), and North American markets. Uncia has also announced its intent to pursue a public listing in the next few years, positioning this round as the first chapter of what the company’s leadership describes as a multi-year journey toward becoming a globally scaled, publicly accountable lending technology institution.

Hari Padmanabhan

“We made a deliberate choice to build before we raised. Every rupee we invested came from the conviction that if we solved the right problem well enough, the market would validate it. Today, we manage over 2 lakh crore rupees cumulatively for some of India’s top NBFCs, and we believe we’ve proven our thesis. This funding is not a beginning but a gear shift. We have the product. We have validation at scale and diversity. Now we have the capital to take this to the world. We’re pleased to partner with Pavestone. Their investment values align closely with our mission, and we look forward to drawing on the strategic insight of their leadership team.” - Hari Padmanabhan, Chairman, Uncia.

In an era defined by heavily funded fintechs and venture-backed growth stories, Uncia represents something increasingly rare: a technology company that chose to let its product do the talking before its pitch deck did. Without external capital, the company had no choice but to be relentlessly precise about what it built, for whom, and why. The result is an AI-native platform suite that today powers loan origination, loan management, and supply chain finance operations for some of India’s most respected financial institutions.

Uncia’s AI-native platforms are designed around a philosophy the company calls ‘self-serve lending infrastructure’: the ability for a financial institution to configure, launch, and manage complex lending products independently, without change requests, IT dependencies, or implementation delays measured in quarters. Over 2 years of dedicated AI research, conducted in collaboration with IIT Madras from Uncia's base at the IITM Technology Research Park, is now beginning to deliver measurable results. Early adopters among Uncia's clients are already seeing direct cost efficiencies and smarter underwriting outcomes powered by these models.

“At Pavestone, we focus on backing businesses that are solving structural problems in large enterprises, with a clear path to scale and profitability. The lending ecosystem is expanding rapidly, yet much of the underlying technology remains constrained by legacy systems that cannot support the speed, flexibility, and intelligence lenders now require. Uncia has built a unified, cloud-first platform with embedded AI capabilities that addresses these challenges while enabling rapid deployment and ‘pay-as-you-grow’ scalability. We believe the company is well-positioned to deliver durable value.” - Srikanth Tanikella, Managing Partner, Pavestone Capital.

About Uncia Technologies Private Limited

Uncia Technologies is a Chennai-based AI-Native lending technology company that builds the digital infrastructure powering India’s banks and NBFCs. Founded on the belief that financial institutions deserve technology as sophisticated as the problems they solve, Uncia offers three integrated platforms: UnciaPrime (Loan Origination System), UnciaLeap (Loan Management System), and UnciaFlow (Supply Chain Finance and Digital Lending). The company’s platforms today process over INR 2 Lakh Crore AUM across leading financial institutions, including some of India’s largest and most respected lenders.

About Pavestone VC

Pavestone, a Hyderabad-headquartered VC firm, brings timeless investing principles to modern Venture Capital with a philosophy of supporting committed innovators with smart capital to build real-world value. Pavestone Technology Fund, with an INR 816 Cr corpus, fosters early growth-stage B2B technology companies that solve critical challenges for large public and private enterprises. The fund’s focus is on companies with validated market traction, established product-market fit, and partnerships with anchor clients. They also selectively invest in early-stage ventures pioneering high-impact technologies, targeting significant breakthroughs in enterprise solutions.

Red Hat, the world's leading provider of open source solutions, today announced an expanded collaboration with Google Cloud to help organizations accelerate application modernization and cloud migrations. This expansion introduces Red Hat OpenShift in the Google Cloud console, deeper integrations with Google Cloud services and marks the general availability of Red Hat OpenShift Virtualization on Red Hat OpenShift Dedicated on Google Cloud.

Today's announcement reinforces both companies' shared commitment to provide a comprehensive application platform where enterprises can confidently build, deploy, manage and scale containerized, virtualized and AI applications on Google Cloud. Customers can operate with the assurance that both Red Hat and Google are committed to the performance, security and continued success of applications running on Red Hat OpenShift on Google Cloud.

Enhanced flexibility for workloads on Google Cloud

Red Hat OpenShift is now available within the Google Cloud console. This makes it easier for customers to find the right solution for running their workloads on Google Cloud and guiding users through a more seamless onboarding experience. Key benefits include:

• Streamlined onboarding: Red Hat OpenShift Dedicated users can natively validate Google Cloud prerequisites before transitioning to a guided cluster provisioning flow within the Red Hat Hybrid Cloud Console.

• Unified billing and procurement: Organizations can use flexible, pay-as-you-go pricing through Google Cloud Marketplace that counts their Red Hat OpenShift subscription costs against their Google Cloud committed spend.

• Native service integrations: Red Hat OpenShift users can unlock the power of Google-native integrations through jointly engineered and supported integrations with key services such as Google Cloud Secret Manager, Certificate Authority Service and Workload Identity Federation among others.

Modernizing infrastructure with Red Hat OpenShift Virtualization

Faced with rising costs and increased complexity, organizations need solutions that let them migrate workloads today and modernize at their own pace. Red Hat OpenShift Virtualization, a built-in capability of Red Hat OpenShift, bridges the gap between legacy infrastructure and modern innovation by unifying traditional virtual machines (VMs) with containers and serverless workloads on a consistent Kubernetes platform. Users benefit from one interface, one toolset and one set of operational practices across all workloads.

Available on Google Cloud C3 bare metal instances, Red Hat OpenShift Virtualization enables organizations with direct access to CPU and memory resources for performance-sensitive or licensing-constrained workloads, helping support modernization while maintaining predictable performance in the cloud to achieve:

• Accelerated modernization: Red Hat OpenShift Dedicated on Google Cloud brings modern application development processes and tools to VMs, allowing organizations to accelerate the modernization of VM-based applications at their own pace.

• Consistent management across hybrid environments: With a unified operational model, IT teams can consistently manage VMs and containers across on-premises, cloud, and edge environments, improving efficiency and gaining flexibility.

• Simplified migration: Organizations get flexibility to migrate from traditional virtualization with minimal downtime using tools like the migration toolkit for virtualization and Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform to ease the transition to a modern offering with flexibility to bring these workloads to a consistent hybrid approach with OpenShift and Google Cloud. 

• Enhanced scalability and reliability: Red Hat OpenShift Dedicated on Google Cloud enables organizations to gain more predictable performance, elastic scaling, and stronger SLAs, backed by a comprehensive application platform and highly scalable infrastructure.

Red Hat OpenShift Dedicated on Google Cloud is a fully managed application platform that allows customers to focus on building and scaling applications that drive their core business. Global Site Reliability Engineers and built-in automation reduce operational overhead and improve efficiencies.

To experience these new capabilities and accelerate the modernization journey, organizations can explore Red Hat OpenShift directly within the Google Cloud console. Additionally, organizations can begin their modernization journey at their own pace with Red Hat OpenShift Virtualization on Red Hat OpenShift Dedicated on Google Cloud.

Supporting Quotes

Mike Barrett, vice president and general manager, Hybrid Cloud Platforms, Red Hat, “Red Hat’s hybrid cloud vision is built on consistency – the ability to run any workload, anywhere, with the same operational model. This extended collaboration with Google Cloud further empowers organizations with comprehensive cloud-native capabilities of Red Hat OpenShift, whether they need to accelerate application development or streamline migration to the cloud. Together, Red Hat and Google provide a clear, unified path for organizations to modernize their entire application portfolio, helping them manage both their traditional VMs and containerized applications on a single platform.”

Nirav Mehta, vice president, Product Management - Google Cloud Compute Platform, Google Cloud, “Our customers are constantly looking for ways to simplify their infrastructure and accelerate innovation without sacrificing performance. We are pleased to deepen our collaboration with Red Hat for OpenShift on Google Cloud. Customers now have a smoother path, enabling them to run both virtualized and containerized workloads consistently on Google Cloud's global, secure, and performant infrastructure.”

Additional Resources

• Learn more about Red Hat’s collaboration with Google Cloud

• Find Red Hat solutions on Google Cloud Marketplace

• Explore the benefits of Red Hat OpenShift Virtualization

• Modernize virtual machines on Google Cloud with Red Hat OpenShift Virtualization

• Documentation for OpenShift Virtualization

Connect with Red Hat

• Learn more about Red Hat

• Get more news in the Red Hat newsroom

• Read the Red Hat blog

• Follow Red Hat on X

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• Watch Red Hat videos on YouTube

• Follow Red Hat on LinkedIn

About Red Hat, Inc.

Red Hat is the open hybrid cloud technology leader, delivering a trusted, consistent and comprehensive foundation for transformative IT innovation and AI applications. Its portfolio of cloud, developer, AI, Linux, automation and application platform technologies enables any application, anywhere—from the datacenter to the edge. As the world's leading provider of enterprise open source software solutions, Red Hat invests in open ecosystems and communities to solve tomorrow's IT challenges. Collaborating with partners and customers, Red Hat helps them build, connect, automate, secure and manage their IT environments, supported by consulting services and award-winning training and certification offerings.

Forward-Looking Statements

Except for the historical information and discussions contained herein, statements contained in this press release may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are based on the company’s current assumptions regarding future business and financial performance.  These statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially. Any forward-looking statement in this press release speaks only as of the date on which it is made. Except as required by law, the company assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements.

Founded in 2016 to address systemic challenges in how social purpose organisations are led and managed, ISDM was established with a clear intent, to build the theory and practice of management for the social sector, enabling organisations to sustain and scale their impact. 

At its core, ISDM was created to strengthen a critical gap by complementing the efforts of government and other stakeholders, while business and public systems benefit from well-established management disciplines, the social sector has historically had limited access to a similarly structured framework tailored to its unique complexity and context. 

Over the past decade, ISDM has worked to build this foundation, developing leadership, strengthening organisations, and catalysing a broader ecosystem for Development Management.

The evening brought together ISDM’s extended community of founders, trustees, alumni, partners, and sector leaders, reflecting on the institution’s journey, its growing influence, and the road ahead.

The programme featured reflections from key stakeholders associated with ISDM’s journey, alongside a special showcase of its milestones, a musical performance by Manzil Mystics, and the premiere of a film capturing the institution’s evolution over the last decade.

Speaking on the milestone, Ravi Sreedharan, Founder, ISDM, said, "Ten years ago, ISDM was founded on a simple but urgent belief — that India’s development challenges require not just intent, but strong, thoughtful management. Over the years, that belief has only strengthened. We have seen our alumni and partners demonstrate what becomes possible when leadership is grounded in both rigour and empathy. This anniversary is a moment of gratitude, but also of responsibility. The next decade calls on us to expand our reach, strengthen the discipline of Development Management, and build institutions that can carry impact further, deeper, and longer."

A key highlight of the evening was the unveiling of ISDM’s renewed brand identity reflecting both its evolution and its ambition for the future.

Today, ISDM defines its role through a sharper narrative, “Preparing purpose-driven professionals to lead India’s social sector, supported by a rigorous, practice-led discipline of Development Management.”

The new identity is anchored in its mission, “To create leaders for organisations driving India’s social development.”

Since its inception, ISDM has grown into a national platform for leadership development in the social sector, with:

• 8+ graduating cohorts of its flagship Post Graduate Programme in Development Management

• 475+ alumni working across NGOs, foundations, social enterprises, and policy institutions

• 75+ practitioners and academics contributing as faculty and mentors

• Multiple research initiatives and sector reports shaping leadership and organisational practice

• Leadership programmes for social purpose leaders, women leaders, CSR professionals, and philanthropists

Beyond individual programmes, ISDM has played a critical role in advancing Development Management as a distinct discipline, integrating management science, public policy, social theory, and field practice to strengthen how organisations in the sector are led.

Reflecting on ISDM’s next phase, Ashish Dhawan, Founder and CEO, The Convergence Foundation said, “ISDM’s journey over the last ten years is a powerful reminder that real change begins with investing in people who combine competence with deep conviction. Through its programs, it has nurtured leaders who are choosing to work where they are needed most, creating meaningful impact across the country. As its alumni network expands and the ecosystem matures, the next decade holds immense potential for ISDM to deepen its influence and catalyze a stronger, more resilient development sector in India.”

As ISDM looks ahead, it remains focused on three interconnected priorities: strengthening leadership development, advancing Development Management as a field, and building organisational capacity across the ecosystem.

The evening concluded with a shared call to action—inviting the broader ISDM community to continue building a stronger, more capable social sector for India.

SOLIZE PARTNERS India achieves ISO/ IEC 27001:2022 ISMS certification

ISO/IEC 27001:2022 is the current international standard for establishing, implementing, and continually improving an Information Security Management System. The certification validates that SOLIZE has implemented a structured and risk-based approach to safeguarding client data, intellectual property, engineering designs, digital assets, confidential business information, and internal operational systems.

As engineering and manufacturing industries become increasingly digital and interconnected, data protection has become a critical priority. Most engineering and industrial programs today involve distributed teams, cloud-based platforms, and cross-border collaboration. In such an environment, strong cybersecurity practices are essential to protect product designs, proprietary technologies, and strategic business information.

With this certification, SOLIZE ensures robust access controls, continuous risk monitoring, defined incident response mechanisms, and business continuity planning. The company has also established clear policies, regular internal audits, employee awareness programs, and structured governance frameworks to strengthen information security at every level of the organization.

The certification further strengthens SOLIZE’s commitment to its work with OEMs, Tier 1 and Tier 2 suppliers, and enterprises across automotive, manufacturing, industrial, aerospace, defense, transportation, and technology sectors. Many global clients operate under strict international security compliance requirements, and ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certification provides assurance that their data is handled with the highest level of protection and responsibility.

“Information security is fundamental to modern engineering collaboration,” said V.S. Mahadevan, CEO & Director, SOLIZE PARTNERS India. “Achieving ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certification validates our commitment to protecting client intellectual property through structured and process-driven operations. As digital transformation accelerates, strong governance and secure systems are essential to building long-term trust.”

ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certification represents an ongoing commitment. SOLIZE will continue to review, monitor, and improve its security practices to address evolving cyber threats and regulatory expectations. By aligning with global best practices, the company reinforces its focus on operational excellence, compliance, and trusted engineering partnerships.

About SOLIZE PARTNERS India Pvt. Ltd.

SOLIZE PARTNERS India, a key entity of the SOLIZE Group, provides engineering and technology services across transportation, aerospace and defense, and other manufacturing and industrial sectors. The company supports enterprise-level digital transformation through the design and delivery of efficient, future-ready, end-to-end engineering solutions, anchored by secure and globally aligned practices.

For more information, please visit www.solizepartners.in or contact Archana (archana.bh@solize.com).

L&T Finance Ltd. (LTF) (formerly known as L&T Finance Holdings Ltd.), one of the leading Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs) in the country, successfully concluded its ‘Pillion Rider to Rider’ program at the K.L.E. Society's Jagadguru Gangadhar College of Commerce, Hubballi. In a partnership with Aatm Nirbhar, a social enterprise and women's mobility training organisation, LTF empowered over 100 women to achieve true independence and mobility.

L&T Finance's ‘Pillion Rider to Rider’ program's felicitation ceremony at the K.L.E. Society's JG College of Commerce, Hubballi

The initiative serves as a strategic touchpoint for LTF, reinforcing its commitment as a trusted enabler for the next generation. By facilitating the shift from public transit to personal two-wheeler mobility, the program instilled lasting independence and self-reliance among young commuters.

The program saw its women participants transform into confident and independent riders. Beyond the mechanical skill of riding, LTF assisted every participant in securing their official learner’s licenses.

To ensure a safe, sustainable, and modern learning experience, the program utilised popular, beginner-friendly models for hands-on training. Beyond physical riding skills, the curriculum prioritised responsible citizenship; the felicitation ceremony was preceded by an intensive Road Safety & Driving module. This session educated women on traffic regulations and the ethics of the road, ensuring they are not just mobile but also safety-conscious. Upon completion, participation certificates were presented to the learners. 

Mr. Jinesh Shah, Chief Executive – Urban Secured Assets & Third-Party Products at LTF, shared, “At LTF, our role extends far beyond traditional lending; we are the architects of enablement. The 'Pillion Rider to Rider' initiative serves as a powerful testament to our commitment to driving mobility and empowering the next generation to take control of their own journeys. By training over 100 women for two-wheelers, we are ensuring they hit the road as disciplined, safety-conscious drivers."

"This commitment to responsible mobility is mirrored in our business excellence. Our Two-Wheeler Finance business is one of our top three fulcrum products, and as a leading financier in this segment, we take pride in maintaining a prime-dominant portfolio with a superior zero DPD (Days Past Due) record compared with the industry. We extend this same level of empowerment to all our customers through our broader Two-Wheeler Finance offerings, featuring instant approvals, maximum loan eligibility, and competitive EMIs starting at Rs. 2,199 per lakh. This industry-leading underwriting speed is driven by ‘Project Cyclops,’ our proprietary Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning three-dimensional credit risk assessment engine that evaluates creditworthiness in real-time.”

In the third quarter ended December 31, 2025 (Q3FY26), LTF’s Two-Wheeler Finance business achieved an all-time high quarterly disbursements of Rs. 3,217 Crore, representing a significant 33% Year-on-Year (YoY) growth. Consequently, the total book size reached Rs. 13,913 Crore, marking a 10% YoY increase.

K.L.E. Society’s Jagadguru Gangadhar College of Commerce, Hubballi is a premier, NAAC A++ accredited institution established in 1947. Affiliated with Karnataka University, the college offers B.Com. and M.Com. programs, with a focus on comprehensive education in commerce, including specialised training in taxation and computer applications. The college is known for a strong, experienced faculty and active placement support for students.

About L&T Finance Ltd. (LTF)
L&T Finance Ltd. (LTF) (www.LTFINANCE.com), formerly known as L&T Finance Holdings Ltd. (LTFH), is a leading Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC), offering a range of financial products and services. Headquartered in Mumbai, the Company has been rated ‘AAA’—the highest credit rating—by four leading domestic rating agencies.  In August 2025, S&P Global Ratings upgraded LTF’s long-term Issuer Credit Rating to “BBB/Stable” from “BBB-/Positive” and short-term issuer credit rating to “A-2” from “A-3.” Fitch Ratings has assigned LTF Long-Term Foreign and Local-Currency Issuer Default Ratings of “BBB-” with a Stable outlook.  It has also received leadership scores and ratings by global and national Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) rating providers for its sustainability performance. The Company has been certified as a Great Place To Work® and has also won many prestigious awards for its flagship CSR project—Digital Sakhi—which focuses on women's empowerment and digital and financial inclusion. Under Right to Win, being in the ‘right businesses’ has helped the Company become one of the leading financiers in key Retail products. The Company is focused on creating a top-class, digitally enabled, Retail finance company as part of the Lakshya 2026 plan. The goal is to move the emphasis from product focus to customer focus and establish a robust Retail portfolio with quality assets, thus creating a Fintech@Scale while keeping ESG at the core. Fintech@Scale is one of the pillars of the Company’s strategic roadmap—Lakshya 2026. The Company has over a 2.8 Crore customer database, which is being leveraged to cross-sell, up-sell, and identify new customers.

X: x.com/LnTFinance

Facebook: www.facebook.com/LnTFS

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/company/lntfinance

Instagram: www.instagram.com/lntfinance

YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/ltfinance

Vedica Partners with Rishab Sharma’s Sitar for Mental Health India Tour 2026

The multi-city tour is conceived as a multi-sensory, immersive and holistic experience that seamlessly blends music with mindfulness. It invites audiences to pause, reflect, and engage with sound in a more intentional and meaningful way.

With a mission to redefine how Indian classical music connects with contemporary listeners, Sitar for Mental Health positions the sitar as a powerful conduit for inner reflection and emotional release. The experience bridges meditative soundscape rooted in classical Indian tradition with contemporary elements, creating a deeply resonant and transformative live experience.

Rooted in a shared philosophy of mindful living and culturally enriched experiences, this collaboration underscores Vedica’s continued association with premium, culture-shaping IPs and live events. It reflects the brand’s commitment to engaging with evolving, discerning audiences at the intersection of wellness and contemporary lifestyle.

Tushar Malhotra, Director of Sales and Marketing, Bisleri International states, “Sitar for Mental Health by Rishab Rikhiram Sharma is a deeply immersive cultural experience—where music, emotion, and mindfulness come together to create something truly special. With Vedica, our intent was to complement this atmosphere by becoming a seamless part of the experience by elevating moments of pause, reflection, and connection. As a brand born in the Himalayas, Vedica naturally aligns with platforms that celebrate conscious living and meaningful experiences. This association reflects our continued effort to be present in spaces that inspire a more elevated, mindful way of life.”

Mohit Bijlani, Founder, Team Innovation states, “With Sitar for Mental Health, our focus was on creating an immersive and intentional environment that remained true to the essence of the experience. Vedica’s association played a pivotal role in shaping this vision, enabling us to integrate a premium hydration layer that felt both purposeful and contextually relevant. Our approach was to ensure that Vedica was not merely present, but seamlessly woven into the overall journey where functionality met experience.”

Vedica partnered across two key showcases of the tour in Delhi (April 19) and Mumbai (March 20) with exclusive on-ground presence at both venues. Vedica-branded hydration and retail carts were strategically placed to offer a seamless and elevated hydration experience for attendees. This carefully curated presence complemented the overall ambiance of the showcases, reinforcing the brand’s signature expression of purity, balance and calm. 

About Bisleri International Pvt. Ltd.

With a legacy of over 50 years, Bisleri International Pvt. Ltd has grown to become one of the largest premium beverage businesses in India. Being the makers of the country's largest-selling packaged drinking water, Bisleri follows a stringent process of 114 quality tests and a 10-stage purification. It remains true to its core value of providing consumers with pure, safe and healthy water.

Bisleri International has a strong presence with 128 operational plants and a robust distribution network of over 6,000 Distributors and 7,500 Distribution Trucks across India and UAE market. It offers a range of beverages that are produced for all occasions. Whether it is the promise of goodness, trust, and purity with Bisleri packaged drinking water, or a daily dose of health offered through Vedica Himalayan Spring Water. Besides, Bisleri International has ventured into fun-filled refreshments with a diverse range of carbonated drinks available in multiple flavours, such as Bisleri Limonata, Bisleri Rev, Bisleri Spyci Jeera, Bisleri Pop and Bisleri Soda. These Bisleri products are also available on the e-commerce platform - Bisleri@Doorstep. This D2C platform reassures customers that they will receive a safe and uninterrupted supply of their most trusted brand at their doorstep.

The core values of Bisleri International lie in yielding growth and embedding sustainability by being responsible in all aspects of the business. The organization has unveiled Sustainability 2.0 with Bisleri Greener Promise that focuses on creating greener future for all through implementing initiatives under the program of recycling, water conservation, and sustainability.

For more information on Bisleri International, our people, brands, and OSR initiatives, visit www.bisleri.com

Business Development Service Provider Interactive session on ERP software for efficient planning and resource management leading to decarbonization

The project, “Demonstrating Decarbonisation Pathways through Pilots in Textile SMEs,” set out to enable MSMEs to transition towards low-carbon operations and in doing so, with the recommendations, has projected reduction in annual emissions up to 5655.60 tonnes of CO2, developed bankable proposals of INR 39.94 crore for green financing for MSMEs and unlocked annual cost savings of 6.47 crore across participating enterprises.

Conceived at a time when textile MSMEs face increasing pressure from global sustainability standards but limited access to finance, technology and technical know-how, the initiative aimed to bridge this gap by demonstrating scalable, business-friendly decarbonisation pathways.

 Anchored in Panipat, India’s leading recycled textile hub, the project focused on strengthening both environmental performance and global competitiveness of MSMEs, proving that climate action need not come at the cost of growth.

What distinguishes the initiative is FMC’s ecosystem-driven, implementation-first approach. Moving beyond awareness, the project engaged 40 MSMEs, including 16 pioneering enterprises that received intensive support through diagnostic assessments, customised decarbonisation plans, technology linkages, and facilitation of green finance.

A series of targeted BDSP promotion events further strengthened the ecosystem by bringing together MSMEs, financial institutions, and technical experts, resulting in 215 enterprises being sensitised and creating strong linkages with service providers. These interventions translated into real interest and action around energy audits, solar adoption, digitalisation, and cleaner production processes, areas critical for both cost efficiency and compliance with global standards.

For MSMEs on the ground, the shift has been both perceptual and practical. “Earlier, sustainability felt like an added burden. Through this project, we realised it actually improves efficiency and reduces costs. We are already seeing savings and feel more confident in meeting international buyer expectations,” said Mr Ankur, an entrepreneur from Panipat.

Reflecting on the broader significance, Mr Manoj Bhatt, FMC representative, noted, “This initiative shows that decarbonisation for MSMEs is not just about compliance—it is about competitiveness. By combining technical support, financial access, and ecosystem partnerships, we have created a model that can be scaled across India’s industrial clusters.”

As the project concludes, it leaves behind more than just numbers; it offers a clear roadmap for scaling sustainable transformation across MSMEs.

The key learnings are unequivocal: awareness must be backed by continuous handholding, adoption accelerates when the business case is clear, local service providers play a critical bridging role, and ecosystem collaboration is essential for long-term impact. In a global market increasingly defined by sustainability, the Panipat experience stands as a compelling blueprint for how India’s MSMEs can transition towards a low-carbon future while strengthening their economic resilience.

About FMC
Foundation for MSME Clusters (FMC) is a leading non-governmental, not-for-profit public charitable trust, established in India in 2005. FMC has made remarkable strides in fostering sustainable livelihoods and environmental progress through our innovative cluster development approach. Our work spans more than 300 MSME clusters, supporting over 100,000 artisanal and industrial units, ranging from household operations to medium-sized production entities. As an empanelled Nodal Agency with the Ministries of MSME and Rural Development, FMC extends support to prominent schemes like SFURTI, and is also providing technical, research and evaluation support to various organisations, including SIDBI & KVIC. FMC has implemented multiple projects on environment and livelihoods with support of agencies like NABARD, UNIDO, UNDP, EU, ADB, and major corporates such as CISCO, Mahindra Finance, HCL, Yes Bank and Hindalco. Since its inception, FMC has enhanced more than 275,000 livelihoods, impacted more than 100,000 women by generating income of more than 75 Crore INR and facilitated the reduction of 60,000 tons of carbon.

For more details,
Please Contact: Mr Manoj Bhatt
Mobile no: +91 7742907423
Email: manoj@msmefoundation.org
Website: www.fmc.org.in

#A2ZOfMedicalAesthetics is a consumer education initiative by Allergan Aesthetics, an AbbVie company to empower them make informed choices in their aesthetic treatment journey

With growing interest in medical aesthetic treatments across India, many consumers actively seek information online. While a lot of information available can be complex and difficult to navigate, Allergan Aesthetics has proactively addressed this by introducing the A–Z of Medical Aesthetics, providing consumers with a reliable and easily understood source of guidance.

The initiative addresses common consumer concerns and treatment options within medical aesthetics, presenting information in an accessible and straightforward way. By enhancing consumer understanding, the program seeks to foster more meaningful and productive discussions between consumers and aesthetic healthcare professionals.

As medical aesthetics becomes an integral part of many consumers self-care and confidence journeys, being well-informed is more important than ever. Empowered consumers who understand their options can approach treatments with confidence and clarity, enabling aesthetic physicians to focus on delivering personalized care and meaningful guidance.

Commenting on the initiative, Kalyan Sattaru, Country Manager Allergan Aesthetics India, said, “As medical aesthetics continues to evolve in India, access to credible, science-backed information becomes critical. With A–Z of Medical Aesthetics, we are setting a benchmark for responsible consumer education by helping address misinformation and improve awareness. Our intent is to empower consumers to make informed choices and enable more meaningful, transparent consultations between patients and aesthetic physicians—ultimately elevating the standard of aesthetic care in the country.” 

Siddharth Hundoo, Head – Marketing, Allergan Aesthetics India, said, “There is a growing need for genuine, easy-to-understand information in medical aesthetics. A–Z of Medical Aesthetics is our effort to support consumers with reliable knowledge so they can have more informed and confident discussions with their doctors. When patients come prepared and aware, it helps doctors too, making consultations more effective and transparent.”

With the launch of A–Z of Medical Aesthetics, Allergan Aesthetics, an AbbVie company continues its commitment to responsible education and consumer empowerment, ensuring that consumers have access to authentic information especially when misinformation is significant.

Consumers can access and download A–Z of Medical Aesthetics to begin their learning journey and take a more informed approach to aesthetic consultations by visiting this link here: allerganaesthetics.co.in/az.

About Allergan Aesthetics*
At Allergan Aesthetics, an AbbVie company, we develop, manufacture, and market a portfolio of leading aesthetics brands and products. Our aesthetics portfolio includes facial injectables, body contouring, plastics, skin care, and more. Our goal is to consistently provide our customers with innovation, education, exceptional service, and a commitment to excellence, all with a personal touch.

For more information, visit allerganaesthetics.co.in.

About AbbVie*
AbbVie's mission is to discover and deliver innovative medicines that solve serious health issues today and address the medical challenges of tomorrow. We strive to have a remarkable impact on people's lives across several key therapeutic areas: immunology, oncology, neuroscience, eye care, virology, women's health and gastroenterology, in addition to products and services across its Allergan Aesthetics* portfolio. 

Co-Founders of design-led manufacturing platform Bidso - Aditya Krishnakumar, Vivek Singhal & Rahul Agarwal

The Series A round, finalised in March 2026, follows BIDSO’s earlier institutional backing from Peer Capital during its Seed round in July 2023, and a Pre-Series A round in January 2025 that saw participation from Peer Capital along with Sadev Ventures, Marshot Ventures, and Atrium Ventures.

Sajith Pai, Partner, Blume Ventures says, "After textiles, toys is shaping up to be one of the bigger beneficiaries of the China+1 shift, and Bidso is one of the very few Indian manufacturers actually equipped to serve that demand today. Vivek, Rahul, and Aditya, have known each other for over 15 years, and bring complementary skills, and deep operating experience, to come together with a clear-eyed understanding of what Indian toy manufacturing needs. Their depth of customer insight, coupled with operating rigour makes them amongst the best teams we have seen in manufacturing thus far. We are excited to partner with Bidso, and support them for the next phase of growth ahead."

The fresh capital will be deployed to strengthen BIDSO’s product design and manufacturing capabilities, expand its manufacturing footprint and production capacity, and significantly scale its product portfolio. The company will also invest in expanding its design, engineering, production, and sales teams as it accelerates growth in both domestic and international markets.

Commenting on the funding, Vivek Singhal, Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer, BIDSO, said, “We are disrupting the traditional manufacturing bottleneck by integrating product design and licensing execution directly into the supply chain. Our unique FOCO model brings a much-needed network effect to manufacturing capacity, providing the agility that the industry has lacked for decades. With this new capital, we will expand our manufacturing network and design capabilities, enabling both global and domestic brands to scale high-quality production out of India at unprecedented speeds."

Over the past 12 months, BIDSO has recorded significant momentum across its global B2B partnerships with leading toy brands. The company has also successfully executed a strategy of acquiring licenses for globally recognized characters such as Peppa Pig, Harry Potter, Transformers, and NASA, enabling the company to develop licensed product ranges for its brand partners that resonate strongly with children. 

These developments, combined with a substantial expansion of its product portfolio and increased manufacturing capacity, have helped BIDSO more than double its revenue over the last 12 months. During this phase, the company has also transitioned from being perceived purely as a contract manufacturer to being recognized by customers as a strategic partner in product development and innovation.

Ankur Pahwa, Managing Partner, Peer Capital says, “Consumer goods is a trillion-dollar global market where India holds less than 2% of supply despite having every other advantage: demand, talent, capital, and digital infrastructure. The gap has always been a missing capability layer: a full-stack Original Design Manufacturer that can take a brand from brief to shelf-ready product. Bidso has built the kind of capability spine that Indian manufacturing has lacked, and that global supply chain diversification is now urgently demanding. With 7-8% of global consumer goods manufacturing projected to shift to India in the next five to seven years, Bidso is positioned at the centre of what we believe is a generational opportunity.”

BIDSO is currently focused on the toys segment, but over time plans to leverage the design, engineering, and manufacturing capabilities it is building to expand into adjacent consumer product categories that represent a combined global market opportunity of approximately $486 billion, with an estimated India market of around $22 billion. Within these sectors, nearly 45% represents organized contract manufacturing opportunities, creating significant long-term potential for integrated manufacturing platforms like BIDSO.

Rahul Agarwal, Co-Founder & Chief Business Officer, BIDSO, added, “We are seeing a structural shift in both domestic and global markets. Indian brands are scaling rapidly, increasing demand for innovation-led manufacturing partners, while global brands are diversifying supply chains beyond China as a strategic priority. This creates a strong opportunity for India to emerge as a hub for design-led manufacturing, with end-to-end support for scaling brands.”

New Tax Rules 2026: Gifts Tax-Free Upto Rs 15,000 in Both New and Old Tax Regime, AdvantageClub.ai Ready with Tax Saving Benefits & Rewards

Two key employee benefit changes HR teams will care about

1. Gifts and festival vouchers (new and old tax regime)
 The annual exemption limit for gifts/festival vouchers has been increased from Rs 5,000 to Rs 15,000 in both new and old tax regime. This is especially relevant for engagement and Rewards & Recognition moments—including spot awards, festive gifting, and milestone recognitions—where organizations want employees to feel the value directly.

2. Meal and food vouchers (old tax regime)
The exemption limit for meal/food vouchers has been increased from Rs 50 per meal to Rs 200 per meal under the old tax regime, subject to the conditions specified in the notified rules.

Practical “tax-free” salary can reach Rs 12.9 lakh in new tax regime

Under the new tax regime, many salaried employees can have nil tax liability up to Rs 12 lakh of taxable income, and the Rs 75,000 standard deduction can take this to Rs 12.75 lakh of salary income in practical terms. The revised Rs 15,000 gift/festival voucher exemption can further add tax-efficient value through employer-provided Rewards & Recognition, depending on applicability and structure.

AdvantageClub.ai said its Tax Saving Benefits & Rewards offering has been updated to align with the notified rules, effective April 1, enabling HR teams to structure and issue benefits such as gifts/festival vouchers, and meal vouchers (where applicable) in a compliant manner, so employees experience the enhanced value seamlessly.

“April 1 should feel like a smooth switch, not a scramble. The revised limit on gifts and festival vouchers is a meaningful upgrade for Rewards & Recognition, and the change to meal vouchers further strengthens everyday benefits for eligible employees. We are ready with Tax Saving Benefits & Rewards so HR teams can implement the updated limits with compliance and clarity from Day 1,” said Sourabh Deorah, CEO & Co-founder, AdvantageClub.ai.

Other notified changes impacting salaried employees (selected highlights):

• Company car perquisite (motor car): monthly valuation revised upward—up to 1.6L from Rs 1,800 + Rs 900 to Rs 5,000 + Rs 3,000; above 1.6L from Rs 2,400 + Rs 900 to Rs 7,000 + Rs 3,000 (as applicable by use-case).

• Driver provided by employer: perquisite value revised from Rs 900 per month to Rs 3,000 per month.

• Interest-free or concessional loans: no perquisite value where the aggregate loan does not exceed Rs 2,00,000; medical treatment loans have specific provisions, including limits where reimbursed under medical insurance.

• Children-related allowances (old tax regime): Children Education Allowance revised from Rs 100/month/child to Rs 3,000/month/child; Hostel Expenditure Allowance from Rs 300/month/child to Rs 9,000/month/child.

• HRA expansion + disclosures (old tax regime): “metro” list expanded to 8 cities for 50% of salary (Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune, Ahmedabad); additional disclosure requirements apply in certain cases, including landlord-relationship disclosure in Form 124 where applicable.

• Transport allowance (transport system employees): exemption remains lower of 70% of allowance or the monthly cap, with the cap increased from Rs 10,000 to Rs 25,000 (subject to conditions, including not receiving daily allowance).

• Driver provided by employer (with company car): taxable perquisite value for a driver has been revised from Rs 900 per month to Rs 3,000 per month (effective April 1).

AdvantageClub.ai added that as HR teams recalibrate benefits for the new financial year, organizations should proactively educate employees on what has changed, and help them make an informed choice between the old and new tax regimes based on their individual salary structure and eligible benefits.

BIG FM Launches Realty Vertical, Targets Rs. 1,200 Cr with Debut Project in Lucknow

The company is targeting a revenue of Rs. 1,200 crore from the project and has outlined an ambitious roadmap to scale up to Rs. 4,000 crore with their upcoming projects over the next three years.

The announcement was made at a large-scale event held at The Centrum, Lucknow, which saw participation from 500+ channel partners and key stakeholders from the regional real estate ecosystem. The event signalled the arrival of a national, media-powered real estate brand in a market that is rapidly evolving. The stakeholders welcomed the idea of a professionally driven, media-led real estate ecosystem that could elevate standards across the region.

A key highlight of the evening was the unveiling of Greenlands Global Pvt. Ltd. as the Managing Partner for Big UNIMAXX City, Bahraich, Uttar Pradesh. The firm will lead the project’s overall operations, including sales, marketing, brand strategy, and positioning, bringing in a structured, professional approach to execution and market engagement.

Commenting on the launch, a spokesperson for Big FM Realty said, “We have always believed that strong brands have the power to shape industries. With BIG FM Realty, we are bringing the credibility, reach, and storytelling strength of a national media network into real estate. Lucknow is at a very interesting inflection point today, where infrastructure growth, rising aspirations, and investment appetite are coming together.”

With Big UNIMAXX City, BIG FM Realty aims to redefine how real estate is marketed, positioned, and experienced in emerging cities, leveraging the power of media, brand trust, and strategic execution to create a differentiated offering in the market.

Prateek Prasad, Director – Projects, P. B. Prasad, Founder, Shefali Prasad, Business Development Director

The mandate marks one of the most significant bottling initiatives in the Indian hospitality sector, covering a rapidly expanding network. Radisson currently operates 200+ hotels across the country and continues its strong growth trajectory toward 500 by 2030, while Louvre Hotels maintains a solid and expanding presence through the Sarovar brand portfolio.

PBP EcoAqua has built a strong reputation for turnkey in-house bottling solutions tailored for hospitality operations. With 100+ clients, 27 brands served, operations across 40 cities, and over 55 million bottles delivered, the company combines engineering capability with operational discipline to deliver scalable, sustainable, and quality-driven systems. Its CE-certified infrastructure and ISO-aligned processes reinforce its commitment to global standards.

Commenting on the development, P. B. Prasad, Founder, PBP EcoAqua, said, “This mandate reflects the confidence leading global hospitality brands place in our execution capability and service standards. We see this as both a privilege and a responsibility. Our focus will remain on delivering consistent quality, operational efficiency, and sustainable solutions across every location.”

Adding perspective on the process, Shefali Prasad, Business Development Director, PBP EcoAqua, said, “This has been among the most rigorous, detailed, and professionally demanding evaluation processes we have engaged in — spanning over eight months. The depth of diligence and engagement reflects the seriousness of the mandate and reinforces our confidence in delivering long-term value across the portfolio.”

Director – Projects, Prateek Prasad, added, “Our teams, systems, and execution frameworks are fully aligned and prepared to scale responsibly to meet this mandate. We are confident in our ability to deliver with consistency, speed, and precision across locations.”

The rollout is scheduled to commence from April 2026 in line with phased project implementation plans.

For more details, please visit: www.pbpco.net

About PBP EcoAqua

PBP EcoAqua is a leading provider of in-house water bottling plant solutions for the hospitality industry in India. The company partners with premium hotel brands nationwide, delivering reliable, sustainable, and operationally efficient systems backed by strong service support.

Primetrace, India’s leading AI-first consumer startup, announced it has scaled to a INR 550 Cr Annual Revenue Run Rate (ARR) with INR 200 Cr EBITDA run rate as of February 2026. This marks a rare profitability milestone in India's consumer app ecosystem that runs on high cash burn, vanity metrics and broken unit economics. Primetrace has delivered 50x revenue growth over three years — building its growth on real user needs, deep engagement, and strong retention.

Primetrace Team: Naveen Dewangan, Co-founder, Tech; Abhishek Kejriwal, Founder & CEO; Vipul Allawadhi, Co-founder & CPO; ⁠Mohit Sharma, Co-founder, Tech

Primetrace operates a ‘house of apps’ model, identifying large consumer opportunities to build AI-native products around everyday use cases. The company focuses on retention and proven engagement before scaling distribution through a subscription-based monetization strategy.

The company’s product portfolio includes Kutumb (a community platform used by 2 Lakh communities), Crafto AI (AI-powered content creation app used by 200M users), Tarot AI (AI-powered personalised tarot readings), Polo (an inclusive dating platform), and Sundar AI (an AI-powered image enhancement platform). Each of the apps are the most downloaded in their respective categories – with cumulative downloads exceeding 350 million.

Primetrace is powered by a proprietary AI infrastructure built specifically for the Indian market. Rather than relying on standard third-party solutions, the company engineers true AI-first products for Bharat using custom model training and proprietary datasets. Primetrace has built an intelligence layer that deeply understands the needs and preferences of Bharat users.

The company has also received industry recognition for the scale of its technology adoption. OpenAI recognised Primetrace for surpassing 10 billion tokens in usage, while the company ranks among the top service users of Google AI in India. Primetrace had earlier raised $30 million in funding from Tiger Global and Peak XV Partners (formerly Sequoia Capital India), providing the foundation for building and scaling its AI-driven consumer app ecosystem.

Talking about the company’s approach to building and scaling consumer products in India, Abhishek Kejriwal, Founder and CEO, Primetrace, said, “India's consumer AI opportunity is massive and largely uncaptured. Over the next decade, AI will transform every digital touchpoint for a billion Bharat users — how they learn, earn, communicate, and make decisions. Primetrace is here to lead that transformation. Our greatest strength is the deep, real-world understanding of daily user behavior we've gained through our proprietary dataset across our suite of products. This is the right time, this is the right market, and we have the right playbook. Our goal is clear: to build AI-powered apps that empower one billion Bharat users every single day.”

Looking ahead, Primetrace is actively expanding its suite of AI-native applications to solve everyday needs for Indian consumers. Driven by a dedicated internal research and development team, the company is constantly exploring new high-utility categories across the digital ecosystem. Their long-term mission is singular and focused: to build the native AI products that powers daily lives of Bharat.

Ai+ Smartphone Partners with Mumbai Indians and Kolkata Knight Riders as Official Smartphone Partner

The partnership places Ai+ Smartphone at the centre of one of India’s most powerful and biggest cultural platforms connecting the brand directly with millions of passionate cricket fans across the country offering exclusive fan experiences including player meet and greet, match tickets, and signed merchandise and access to exclusive player content shot on Ai+ Smartphone.

Commenting on the partnership, Madhav Sheth, CEO of Ai+ Smartphone and Founder of NxtQuantum Shift Technologies, said, “Sport has a unique ability to bring people together in moments of shared excitement and aspiration. Our partnership with Mumbai Indians and Kolkata Knight Riders allows Ai+ Smartphone to connect with millions of fans where India’s energy is most visible and alive. It reflects our belief that technology should move at the same pace as the ambition and passion of the people who use it.”

A Mumbai Indians spokesperson said, “Ai+ Smartphone’s focus on delivering accessible, high-performance technology aligns well with the evolving expectations of today’s fans. We look forward to collaborating on initiatives that enhance how fans engage with the game.”

Binda Dey, CMO, Knight Riders Sports, said, “Cricket in India brings together fans, communities, and shared moments at an unmatched scale. Our approach to partnerships is focused on creating meaningful engagement and delivering experiences that feel relevant and accessible to fans. With Ai+ Smartphone, we look forward to building initiatives that deepen this connection and add value to the overall fan journey.”

For Ai+, the partnership represents more than brand visibility, its when India comes together across cities, communities, and generations. By aligning with two of the league’s most iconic franchises, Ai+ Smartphone aims to become part of those moments where competition, celebration, and collective excitement define the national conversation.

The collaboration will see Ai+ Smartphone integrated across team platforms, fan experiences, and digital activations throughout the season, creating new opportunities for fans to interact with the teams and the brand.

With this partnership, Ai+ Smartphone strengthens its presence at the intersection of technology, culture, and sport, positioning the brand within the moments that shape modern India.

About Ai+ Smartphone

Ai+ Smartphone is a next-generation brand built in India, delivering reliable and high-performance mobile experiences. Powered by NxtQuantum OS, India’s first sovereign mobile operating system. The brand focuses on delivering a clean design, ensuring long battery life, and maintaining trusted software performance, all while keeping prices accessible without compromising the user experience.

From redefining smartphones to pioneering AIoT products as part of the company's Connected Ecosystem, Ai+ Smartphone is creating a new standard for trust, immersive experience, and accessibility. Rooted in a privacy-first architecture and a commitment to equitable access, Ai+ Smartphone stands for more than specs — it stands for India’s next era of user-owned, future-ready technology.

About NxtQuantum Shift Technologies
NxtQuantum Shift Technologies is a deep-tech Indian company building secure, sovereign digital platforms for a digital-first world. Founded by Madhav Sheth, the company develops NxtQuantum OS, India’s first sovereign operating system, and is committed to building technology that is authored in India and globally competitive.

HDFC Life recognised in the 'Leadership' category of the Indian Corporate Governance Scorecard, assessed by Institutional Investor Advisory Services (IiAS)
 

This milestone reflects HDFC Life's continued commitment to transparency, accountability, and exemplary Corporate Governance practices. The recognition in the ‘Leadership’ category marks a significant milestone for Corporate Governance in HDFC Life as the Company completes 25 years of its journey.

Speaking on the recognition, Narendra Gangan, General Counsel & Chief Compliance Officer, HDFC Life, commented, "We are truly honoured to be recognised in the 'Leadership' category of the Indian Corporate Governance Scorecard. It reflects the collective effort of every individual at HDFC Life to uphold the highest standards of Corporate Governance. For us, Corporate Governance is not merely a compliance obligation rather it is a core value that shapes every decision we make. This recognition inspires us to hold ourselves to an even higher standard as we continue to serve millions of Indian families."

The Indian Corporate Governance Scorecard framework was developed jointly by IFC, BSE, and IiAS. It is anchored in the G20/OECD Principles of Corporate Governance and has been in use since 2015. The assessment covers BSE 100 companies and is widely regarded as a benchmark for governance excellence in India.

Just twelve months ago, Parth Gardenia was a project in distress—stalled by high financial leverage, pending approvals, and a total loss of channel partner confidence. Unitern stepped in as the surrogate developer, deploying a 360-degree DaaS strategy to overhaul the project's DNA and re-engineer the development under a model that integrates Money, Material, and Management.

In a single year of execution excellence, Unitern has cleared the wreckage alongside the Promoter to achieve total financial closure. Previously delayed for over eight years and formerly funded by DHFL, the project has been completely restructured as a debt-free development, backed by a successful settlement with lenders. With 100% of regulatory approvals and RERA status now firmly in place, the project has secured the greenlight for timely delivery.

The transformation includes significant value engineering; through FSI optimization and structural audits, Unitern and the Promoter increased the project's density and worth. Construction is now rapidly progressing, with over 80% of the development work completed and six floors already standing in two of the three towers.

Unitern will officially launch sales for Parth Gardenia on March 19, 2026. The mandate covers the entire value chain, from pre-sales, marketing, and collections to CRM and final handovers. Beyond sales, Unitern continues to manage the project end-to-end, including daily cash flows, procurement, and on-site operations to ensure the fulfillment of long-standing commitments.

Located just 10 minutes from the Mall of Asia in Sahakar Nagar, the project offers a Gross Development Value (GDV) of approximately INR 300 crore. It features 288 premium, spacious 2- and 3-BHK residential units designed for modern family living, including unique "Jodi" (twin) apartment options and dedicated dining areas.

“We don’t just provide advice; we provided the money, material, and management to bring this project to launch,” says Navin Dhanuka, Director at ArisUnitern RE Solutions Pvt.Ltd.. By integrating deep market research with aggressive execution, Unitern’s DaaS model has proven that even the most complex financial distress can be converted into a premium residential landmark.

About Arisinfra Solutions Ltd.
Arisinfra Solutions Ltd. (NSE, BSE: ARISINFRA), India’s first listed company offering an organised construction material supply and services network; bringing together fragmented suppliers and manufacturers to reliably serve large developers and contractors.

The company serves a wide spectrum of infrastructure and real estate clients, delivering value through operational efficiency, material supply exclusivity, and high-margin service offerings. With a strong presence across high-growth regions, Arisinfra is committed to setting new benchmarks in innovation, sustainability, and profitability within the Indian construction ecosystem. Through its subsidiary Unitern, it provides integrated development management expertise focused on delivery excellence, financial transparency, and rebuilding stakeholder confidence in the real estate sector.

This launch introduces a new paradigm for DevOps: Intent-Driven Testing, designed to bridge the "Velocity and Quality Gap", the widening distance between how fast AI generates code and how slowly teams can validate it for enterprise-grade quality.

High-quality test creation is one of software development's most persistent bottlenecks. Developers spend 30%+ of their time writing and maintaining test suites, while non-technical team members, business analysts, product managers, and manual QA testers with deep domain knowledge remain locked out of automation entirely due to the coding expertise required.

Disrupting the $1 Trillion Quality Assurance & Engineering Spend
Today, Fortune 2000 companies dedicate 22% to 25% of their total IT budgets to Quality Assurance & Engineering, representing over $1 trillion in aggregate annual spend across global enterprise IT. As these enterprises adopt GenAI to ship code at up to 10x their historical velocity, they face several key challenges:

• Test Authoring Speed and Ensuring Quality: 89% of CIOs report that "Test Authoring Speed" is now the primary hurdle to AI-driven delivery

• The Coverage Deficit: Automated test coverage for complex journeys typically plateaus at under 35%

• The Maintenance Trap: Teams spend 40% of their working hours fixing "flaky" tests or maintaining legacy scripts

"AI can generate millions of lines of code in minutes," said Dr. Prince Kohli, CEO of Sauce Labs. "The question for enterprises is: Can you verify it and trust it with your business? We are solving this problem, permanently."

Reinventing for the AI Era: Intent-Driven Testing
Today, Sauce Labs is reinventing the future of test automation with Intent-Driven Testing that replaces brittle, hand-coded test scripts with autonomous, self-improving test suites and validation.

Sauce AI for Test Authoring automatically understands intended application behavior by scanning the application workflow or interpreting specifications written by product managers or designs from tools such as Figma. In addition, it allows engineers, application developers and product managers to describe application behavior in natural language. The platform then autonomously generates complete, executable test suites for web, Android, and iOS, with the option to execute them in the Sauce Labs Test Cloud, and automatically reports the results, including insights on where to look and what to fix. Key capabilities include:

• 90%+ Faster Automated Test Case Generation: Achieving real-time test creation from product specifications.

• Resilient, Stable Test Scripts: Framework-agnostic tests built to adapt to application changes, with significantly fewer flaky failures and less maintenance overhead.

• 99%+ Automatic Coverage: Eliminating "blind spots" in the user journey.

• Built-in Review and Editing: Ensuring human oversight and control over AI-generated tests, allowing teams to validate, refine, and maintain reliability.

• Autonomous Learning Loop: Continuous feedback that improves test accuracy.

The Data Moat: Deep Domain-Specific Testing Expertise
Sauce AI for Test Authoring surpasses general-purpose AI with a superior understanding of application workflow and user intent, generating stable OS-agnostic and device-agnostic tests. Fueled by the industry's most robust proprietary dataset, 8.7 billion real-world test runs, this "Data Moat" enables 41% faster root-cause analysis than general-purpose LLMs. Trusted by 80% of the world's top ten financial institutions, Sauce Labs offers enterprise-grade platform capabilities for complex software environments.

"Setting up mobile testing is traditionally painful and can take days and weeks. Sauce AI for Test Authoring's no-code capability gives our team something they simply weren't able to do before. It turns a major bottleneck into an automated process that anyone can navigate," said a Director of Engineering at a Fortune 500 pharmaceutical company participating in the Sauce AI for Test Authoring early access program.

Availability
Sauce AI for Test Authoring is available now for enterprise customers. To learn how to reclaim your IT budget and join the Intent-Driven Test era, visit saucelabs.com/solutions/ai

About Sauce Labs
Sauce Labs is the world's largest full-lifecycle, test automation platform, and the company behind Selenium. Trusted by 80% of the world's top ten largest financial institutions and over 300,000 enterprise users, Sauce Labs provides the only AI platform capable of turning business intent into autonomous testing and quality assurance. With a proprietary dataset of 8.7 billion test runs, Sauce Labs empowers the Fortune 2000 to bridge the gap between AI-driven code generation and enterprise-grade software quality.

Learn more at saucelabs.com.

Nebius (NASDAQ: NBIS), the AI cloud company, today announced the expansion of its operations in the Asia-Pacific region as it seeks to capture surging global demand for purpose-built AI infrastructure. The company has appointed John Haarer as General Manager for Asia-Pacific and Japan to lead its commercial growth across the region.

Reporting to Chief Revenue Officer Marc Boroditsky, Haarer will be based in Singapore and will oversee the company's commercial expansion across the region through key markets including Singapore, Japan, South Korea and India. Haarer brings over a decade of experience driving go-to-market efforts in the region for global technology leaders including Cloudflare and Twilio.

"Over the past year we have taken our first steps into Asian markets, winning our first customers and building the foundations for rapid expansion in the region," said Marc Boroditsky, Chief Revenue Officer at Nebius. "The appointment of a leader like John reinforces this commitment. He brings deep regional experience from scaling major tech companies across Asia-Pacific, and he joins at a moment when demand for purpose-built AI infrastructure is accelerating across every major market in the region."

"Asia is one of the world's most exciting regions for AI, and Nebius is the cloud that is powering the next wave of AI innovation," said John Haarer, General Manager for Asia-Pacific and Japan. "I am excited to join a company with some of the world's most talented engineers at a pivotal moment for the business. As we ramp up in Asia, I look forward to helping our partners, customers and local governments across the region navigate their AI bottlenecks and transform the promise of AI into tangible economic value."

Nebius is one of the fastest-growing AI cloud companies globally, with 479% year-over-year revenue growth in 2025 and a contract backlog exceeding $20 billion, including multi-year AI infrastructure agreements with Microsoft and Meta. The company has $3.7 billion in cash and is targeting annualized run-rate revenue of $7 billion to $9 billion by end of 2026. Haarer's appointment marks the company's shift in Asia-Pacific from initial market entry to full commercial expansion.

Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which involve risks and uncertainties. All statements contained in this press release other than statements of historical fact, including, without limitation, statements regarding our expansion plans in the Asia-Pacific region, anticipated revenue targets, contract backlog, and expected business growth, are forward-looking statements. The words "anticipate," "believe," "continue," "estimate," "expect," "guide," "intend," "likely," "may," "will" and similar expressions and their negatives are intended to identify forward-looking statements.

These forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions, some of which are beyond our control. Actual results may differ materially from the results predicted or implied by such statements, and our reported results should not be considered as an indication of future performance. The potential risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ from the results predicted or implied by such statements include, among others: market, macroeconomic and geopolitical conditions; our ability to successfully expand into new geographic markets; competitive pressures; technological developments; and our ability to secure and retain clients; as well as those risks and uncertainties related to our continuing businesses included under the captions "Risk Factors" and "Operating and Financial Review and Prospects" in our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2024, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") on April 30, 2025.

All information in this press release is as of the date hereof (unless stated otherwise). Except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, after the date on which the statements are made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

In addition, statements that "we believe" and similar statements reflect our beliefs and opinions on the relevant subject. These statements are based upon information available to us as of the date hereof and, while we believe such information forms a reasonable basis for such statements, such information may be limited or incomplete, and our statements should not be read to indicate that we have conducted an exhaustive inquiry into, or review of, all potentially available relevant information. These statements are inherently uncertain, and investors are cautioned not to unduly rely upon these statements.

About Nebius
Nebius, the AI cloud company, is building the full-stack platform for developers and companies to take charge of their AI future — from data and model training to production deployment. Founded on deep in-house technological expertise and operating at scale with a rapidly expanding global footprint, Nebius serves startups and enterprises building AI products, agents, and services worldwide.

Nebius is listed on Nasdaq (NASDAQ: NBIS) and headquartered in Amsterdam.

For more information please visit www.nebius.com.