23, Sep 2026
Efectis Group Strengthens Its Presence in India with the Launch of Efectis India
New subsidiary combines global fire safety expertise with local capabilities to support India’s infrastructure, industrial and energy ambitions
CHENNAI, India, Sept. 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Efectis, a global leader in fire safety and explosion risk management, has officially launched Efectis India following the acquisition of a majority stake in AADIT, developed by entrepreneurs Mr. Anil Agarwal and Mr. Jothi Ramalingam. This strategic milestone marks a significant step in the Group’s long-term commitment to the Indian market.
With more than 70 years of experience as a testing institute, Efectis group has inaugurated a new fire testing facility in Chennai, dedicated to performing fire tests based on Indian, European and international standards. This is the first international fire testing laboratory in India, operated by a strong local team and supported by more than 300 fire experts from Efectis. The Group aims to support India’s development ambitions by providing internationally recognised fire safety expertise tailored to local needs.
The official launch was celebrated at a high-profile event in Chennai, organised with the support of Business France, reflecting Efectis’ ambition to become a trusted partner for India’s rapidly evolving construction, infrastructure, industrial and energy sectors.
The event, held at the Taj Club House Hotel, brought together the Consul General of France in Puducherry and Chennai, Mr. Etienne Roland-Piègue, along with representatives from industry, government institutions, technical organisations, academia and the wider French Indian business ecosystem. Throughout the event, speakers and industry professionals highlighted the need to further strengthen fire safety in India.
Efectis Supporting India’s Next Phase of Growth
India’s rapid urbanisation, large-scale infrastructure projects and industrial expansion are generating increasing demand for advanced safety, resilience and regulatory compliance solutions. In this context, Efectis India will offer a comprehensive range of services, including fire safety engineering, testing, certification, inspection, risk assessment, technical audits, training and compliance support.
Combining local presence with international experience, Efectis India will support safety improvement, developers, manufacturers, infrastructure operators, industrial facilities, energy transition projects, battery technologies and critical infrastructure. Efectis will be available to assist national and regional public authorities or their representatives in addressing evolving fire and explosion safety challenges linked to modern and scientific assessment methods. The new facility will make fire testing more accessible and cost-effective for manufacturers and project owners in India, while ensuring a direct link with recognized international and local practices.
The launch comes at a time when India is accelerating investments in smart cities, industrial corridors, logistics hubs, transportation networks and clean energy infrastructure. As these projects grow in scale and complexity, this investment in India aims to strongly contribute to the improvement of Indian safety in construction, transportation and energy development, ensuring life safety, and make safer international industrial investment.
“The launch of Efectis India through a partnership with AADIT reflects our strong confidence in India’s long-term growth trajectory and our commitment to supporting the country’s ambitions with internationally recognised technical and scientific expertise in fire safety and risk management,” said Daniel Joyeux, President of the Efectis Group
“Our objective goes beyond delivering technical services. We want to build lasting partnerships with Indian stakeholders, contribute to skills development and support the creation of safer, more resilient infrastructure and industrial projects across the country. India is a strategic market for Efectis, and we look forward to working alongside our customers and partners in the years ahead.”
Through engineering expertise, testing and certification capabilities, technical training and regulatory support, Efectis India is positioning itself as a trusted long-term partner for safer buildings, more resilient infrastructure and sustainable industrial growth.
Efectis is an international third-party fire safety company, covering fire and explosion testing, inspection, certification, audits, investigation and engineering. With more than 70 years of experience, more than 350 professionals operating from 28 offices, 8 fire testing laboratories, and recognition as a certification body in 35 countries, Efectis supports clients throughout the entire project lifecycle. In 2025, the Group carried out more than 20,000 tests worldwide, serving sectors including construction, infrastructure, transport, energy, logistics, industry, batteries, and nuclear facilities. Based on a very strong technical and scientific background, Efectis Group actively participates in developing European and international standards and supports the improvement of national fire safety regulations.
Contact
india@efectis.com
Efectis headquarter
Route de l’Orme des Merisiers
91190 Saint-Aubin, France
Fire And Explosion Safety Experts
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- By Sai Krishna
23, Sep 2026
MobileSphere Index Finds Mobile Numbers Are Becoming the New Digital Identity
Financial services account for 41.6% of identified verification activity, as messaging and global mobility highlight the expanding role of the mobile number
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Sept. 16, 2026 – MobileSphere, a leading provider of global mobile communications, today released its Mobile Identity Index for the first half of 2026, finding that the mobile number is evolving from a communications endpoint into an important digital identity credential used to access banking, payments, technology platforms, messaging services, and other parts of everyday digital life.
Powered by SLYNUMBER data, the research analyzes more than half a million aggregate and anonymized mobile verification events from January through June 2026. Financial services accounted for 41.6% of identified verification activity, more than twice the share of any other single vertical. Digital services, including platforms such as Google, Microsoft and AI services, represented 18.8%, while messaging accounted for 11.0%. Together, financial services, digital services, and messaging apps represented 71.4% of identified activity, rising to 81.2% when transportation was included.
The findings show the mobile number functioning as more than a way to call or text. It is increasingly part of the identity layer consumers use to access money, activate digital services, communicate, recover accounts, and stay connected across devices, networks, and locations.
“The mobile number has quietly become a critical part of our digital life,” said Toufic Mobarak, founder and President of MobileSphere. “We depend on it to access our money, communicate, activate social and messaging apps, recover accounts, and confirm our identity. That role becomes even more critical when people travel, relocate, or live across borders.”
Financial services emerge as the leading mobile identity use case
Financial services led the identified verification mix across the first half and gained 9.7 percentage points in share from the beginning to the end of the period. Activity spanned banks, payment services, bank-linking platforms, credit products, and cash-flow tools, reinforcing how deeply the mobile number is embedded in financial authentication, account access, and customer continuity.
Additional Findings:
• Messaging gained share. Messaging represented 11.0% of identified activity across the half and increased 4.4 percentage points, with higher aggregate activity across several international messaging services during major travel periods.
• Mobile identity moves with consumers. Aggregate verification activity shifted around tax season, major travel periods, and global events, showing how aggregate demand for access to financial, communications, and mobility services can change alongside real-world events.
• Connectivity and identity are different layers. For travelers and expatriates, eSIMs, roaming plans, Wi-Fi, and hotspots can provide connectivity, but continued access to a recognized mobile number may still matter for banking, payments, messaging, and account recovery.
• Mobile identity is concentrated in essential digital services. Financial services, technology, and messaging accounted for 71.4% of identified activity, rising to 81.2% when transportation was included.
• Emerging service trends are visible. AI services and international messaging produced some of the strongest growth signals in aggregate verification activity during the half, with OpenAI-related activity reaching record levels in May and June and multiple messaging services reaching record or near-record levels during major travel periods.
By tracking aggregate verification activity over time, the Mobile Identity Index is designed to detect emerging shifts in the digital services consumers rely on for identity and access. This report highlights these trends to underscore the critical importance of user digital identity. To download the full 1H 2026 report, visit:
https://slynumber.com/docs/
23, Sep 2026
Wordly Turns Live Event Translation into Revenue Generator
Organizers can now fund language access for multilingual events with high-visibility sponsor logo placements
LOS ALTOS, CA – September 23, 2026 – Wordly, the pioneer in AI translation and captions used across conferences, governments, schools, and enterprises, today announced the launch of Sponsor Logos, a new enhancement that allows event organizers to sell sponsor placement within the live translation and captioning experience for the first time. The release marks the beginning of a broader series of new features rolling out this fall, each designed to expand Wordly’s value for event teams.
Sponsor Logos places a partner’s branding directly on the attendee screens, whether they are following captions on their phones or reading translated subtitles on the screen of the main stage. For multi-stage events, each session can carry its own sponsor, creating a new tier of high-visibility inventory that organizers can sell to partners. In addition to providing a new piece of sponsorship inventory while helping fund the language access that makes an event more inclusive, and potentially more valuable to sponsors and attendees alike.
“Event organizers are constantly challenged to stretch budgets while providing inclusive, accessible experiences,” said Wordly Founder & CEO Lakshman Rathnam. “With Sponsor Logos, language access isn’t just a cost center anymore, it’s a high-visibility revenue stream.”
Sponsor Logos builds on Wordly’s growing momentum across the events industry, where demand for real‑time captioning and translation continues to rise. Adoption of live AI translation and captions has pushed Wordly past the 1‑billion‑minutes and 6‑million‑users milestones, fueling 668% three‑year growth.
“Event organizers have already saved more than $200 million by switching from traditional human interpretation to Wordly,” continued Rathnam. “Sponsor Logos takes that value even further by giving teams a powerful way to showcase sponsors and generate more revenue.”
23, Sep 2026
Liquibase Secure Now Available on Snowflake Marketplace to Automate and Govern Change Across Data Platforms
AUSTIN, Texas, September 23, 2026 – Liquibase, the leader in Database Change Governance, today announced that Liquibase Secure is now available on Snowflake Marketplace, giving Snowflake customers a new way to automate and govern change.
Snowflake, the platform for the AI era, makes it easy for enterprises to innovate faster and get more value from data. As more critical workloads move to Snowflake, the scope and consequence of change grow with it.
Teams aren’t just changing tables and views. They’re changing roles, shares, stages, warehouses, tasks, and other objects that control how data is accessed, moved, and used. But the processes used to manage those changes haven’t always kept pace. Manual SQL scripts, direct changes, and disconnected workflows become harder to control as more teams, environments, and critical workloads build
Liquibase Secure brings those changes into a standardized, version-controlled delivery process. Teams can automate deployment through existing CI/CD and DataOps workflows, enforce policy before changes reach production, detect drift and out-of-band changes, maintain audit-ready evidence, and recover quickly when something goes wrong.
Govern Change Across the Snowflake Data Platform
Liquibase Secure extends governance beyond traditional schema change to changes that affect structure, access, data movement, and execution. This gives organizations a consistent way to manage change across teams and environments without requiring every team to build and maintain its own process.
With Liquibase Secure, Snowflake customers can:
- Automate change delivery through version-controlled workflows integrated with existing CI/CD and DataOps processes.
- Stop risky changes before production with automated policy checks that enforce organizational standards.
- Detect drift and out-of-band changes when customer environments differ from their expected state.
- Maintain audit-ready evidence with a traceable record of what changed, when it changed, and how it was deployed.
- Recover faster when changes fail with traceable, reversible changes and rollback procedures.
Liquibase Secure works alongside the development, CI/CD, infrastructure, and DataOps tools organizations already use. Teams get a consistent, governed path to production while existing tools continue doing the jobs they were designed to do.
“As organizations expand their use of Snowflake across critical data and AI initiatives, strong governance controls and operational consistency become top priorities” said Rodrigo Rocha, Vice President, Global ISV & Enterprise Technology Partnerships at Snowflake. “The availability of Liquibase Secure on Snowflake Marketplace gives customers another way to govern changes in their Snowflake environments.”
Available on Snowflake Marketplace
Liquibase Secure is available now on Snowflake Marketplace. Eligible customers can use Snowflake Marketplace Capacity Drawdown toward Liquibase Secure purchases, allowing them to use a reserved portion of their committed Snowflake capacity for eligible Marketplace purchases.
For enterprises operating across heterogeneous database environments, Liquibase Secure supports more than 65 database platforms, providing one approach to Database Change Governance across Snowflake and the rest of the database estate.
23, Sep 2026
Straive and Imagetwin Partner to Strengthen Image Integrity Screening in Scientific Publishing
New York, September 23, 2026 – Straive, a global leader in data and AI operationalization, and Imagetwin, a leading provider of image integrity analysis software, are pleased to announce a strategic partnership to bring image forensics directly into the editorial workflow.
Image manipulation in scientific publishing has moved well past basic photo editing. Generative AI and GAN-generated figures can now produce fake data that bypasses many traditional detection tools, and by the time a problem surfaces post-publication, the investigation and correction process is slow, costly, and damaging to a journal’s credibility. Catching these issues earlier, before peer review, is where the industry needs to focus.
By embedding Imagetwin’s image analysis into Straive’s aiKira Editorial Desk API, publishers can now screen for manipulated, duplicated, plagiarised, or AI-generated visuals as part of a broader set of more than 20 automated integrity checks that aiKira runs across authorship, journal scope, reference verification, and text. In a pilot study, Straive found the combined solution identified 98% of image integrity issues, including known manipulated images and AI-generated figures. Running these checks upstream gives publishers a way to catch compromised research before it moves further through the pipeline.
Srinivasan Govindarajan, Business Head, Science & Research, Straive, says: “Research integrity is at a breaking point, and this partnership directly answers this ever-growing challenge. Together, we’re empowering publishers to not only uphold the credibility of the scientific record at scale, but get ahead of fraud thanks to the technological breakthroughs we’re achieving.”
Patrick Starke, Imagetwin’s Co-Founder and CEO, added: “The earlier an integrity issue is found, the easier and less damaging it is to fix. Partnering with Straive lets us put image integrity screening directly into publishers’ existing workflows through aiKira, so integrity checks happen automatically, at scale, before problems reach peer review.”
23, Sep 2026
Al-Futtaim Partners with Juspay to Unify Digital Payments Across Brands and Markets
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23, Sep 2026
Red Sift launches BIMI Maker to help every brand get its logo into email inboxes
The free tool uses AI to prepare existing logos for BIMI, validate email authentication, and guide brands through certification in a single workflow.
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – September 23, 2026 – Red Sift, the company making the internet fundamentally safer, today launched Red Sift BIMI Maker, a free self-service tool that uses AI to take brands from virtually any logo file to an inbox-ready Verified Mark Certificate (VMC) in a single session, eliminating the need for trademark registration, design work, or engineering resources.
The certificate enables a brand’s logo to appear alongside its emails in Gmail, Yahoo, and other inboxes that support BIMI (Brand Indicators for Message Identification), helping organizations increase trust, visibility, and engagement. Organizations with BIMI see a 39% increase in email open rates, yet adoption remains stalled by deployment complexity. While roughly 50,000 domains publish BIMI records today, only about 6,500 organizations have obtained the certificate required for logos to display consistently in inboxes. Research indicates that nearly 87% of organizations that begin a BIMI deployment never complete it, largely because of logo-formatting and trademark-related requirements.
Red Sift BIMI Maker removes those barriers by using AI to prepare existing logos for BIMI compliance, validating email authentication readiness, and guiding users through the certification process from start to finish. The result is a faster path to inbox brand visibility, higher engagement, and increased revenue from email.
“Nobody sets out to spend three weeks learning about an SVG profile. They set out to get their logo in the inbox,” said Rahul Powar, Co-founder and CEO at Red Sift. “The standard has been ready for years. The path to using it hasn’t been. Most of the work between a brand’s logo and an issued certificate is work that software and modern AI should be doing, and CMCs mean the brands that were locked out by trademark rules now have a route in. That’s a much bigger market than the few thousand domains showing a logo today.”
BIMI Maker brings logo preparation, readiness checks and certificate application into one guided workflow. Users can start with their website address or upload an existing logo. AI helps convert the existing logo into the format BIMI requires and match it against branding on the company’s website and archived pages to gather evidence of prior use. Users can preview their logo in an inbox, check their domain’s email authentication and review potential blockers, like DMARC status, before applying for a Verified Mark Certificate (VMC) or Common Mark Certificate (CMC). The tool packages the logo, domain checks and supporting evidence for certificate authority review, then guides users through payment and DNS setup.
“The key to any adoption is ease, and BIMI maker is removing the hurdles that we often see senders struggle with,” said Nick Schafer, Director of Deliverability and Compliance at Sinch Mailgun. “Anything that makes it easier for senders to achieve BIMI compliance is a win for the industry.”
Red Sift BIMI Maker is available now with no signup required to check a logo or generate a compliant SVG.
23, Sep 2026
CooperVision Powers the Next Era of Eye Care with New Global Vision Centre and Major Pipeline Advancements
The Vision Centre Brings Industry Leading Innovation to Accelerate Breakthroughs in Eye Care
ROCHESTER, N.Y., Sept. 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — CooperVision today unveiled the grand opening of The Vision Centre, the company’s new global innovation hub in Southampton, England, and announced six major product advancements that have been accelerated to launch over the next several years. The announcements were made as CooperVision brings together research and development, clinical expertise, pilot manufacturing, advanced technologies, and commercial capabilities to accelerate the development and commercialization of breakthrough solutions for patients and eye care professionals worldwide.
During the event, the company highlighted plans to introduce:
- The build-out of the world’s first and only complete family of 1-day contact lenses for myopia control, built on the world’s #1 toric design;
- A novel premium 1-day silicone hydrogel (SiHy) technology;
- A next-generation SiHy material in a high-performing monthly contact lens;
- A differentiated entry 1-day SiHy innovation to drive new fits;
- The most advanced 1-day SiHy toric multifocal contact lens;
- A new toric 1-day contact lens experience for astigmatic patients.
Together, these innovations represent one of the most ambitious product pipelines in CooperVision’s history, reflecting the company’s confidence in the future of contact lenses and its commitment to shaping the next era of vision care through science-led innovation.
“We’re not satisfied with simply keeping pace with the evolution of eye care. We intend to help define what’s next, while strengthening CooperVision’s position as an innovative, technology-forward and consumer-connected vision care leader,” said Jerry Warner, President of CooperVision.
The Vision Centre itself reflects CooperVision’s continued investment in purposeful innovation and serves as a physical expression of the company’s commitment to advancing vision for every eye. By strengthening the connections between scientific discovery, customer insight, product development, and commercialization, The Vision Centre is designed to help accelerate the delivery of meaningful innovations to eye care professionals and patients around the world.
The state-of-the-art facility is designed to create faster learning cycles and accelerate the path from idea to market-ready solution. The Centre further strengthens CooperVision’s ability to leverage advanced modeling, simulation, analytics, and AI-enabled tools to support faster decision-making and future discoveries. The result is an ecosystem that combines scientific rigor, advanced technology, and deep customer understanding to help shape the future of eye care.
“The future of eye care will be shaped by collaboration, scientific advancement, and a deep understanding of the people who provide and benefit from our innovations,” said Warner. “The Vision Centre provides an environment that helps our teams build on the strong collaboration that already exists across CooperVision, enabling faster learning, deeper integration, and accelerated discovery.”
Spanning 9,940 square meters, the multi-story facility combines advanced laboratories, pilot manufacturing capability, a state-of-the-art clinic, customer engagement spaces, and technology-enabled environments.
The site will house approximately 350 employees and welcome colleagues, customers, partners, and other visitors from across the vision care industry through a range of learning, development, and collaboration programs.
For more information on CooperVision, visit www.coopervision.com.
About CooperVision
CooperVision, a division of CooperCompanies (Nasdaq: COO), is a global leader in contact lens innovation, dedicated to advancing vision at every stage of life. The company offers one of the industry’s most comprehensive portfolios of soft and specialty contact lenses—including daily disposable, two-week and monthly options—with high–performance materials and optics across spherical, toric, and multifocal designs. With a strong heritage of addressing complex vision challenges such as childhood myopia, astigmatism, presbyopia, and irregular corneas, CooperVision combines purposeful research and development, state–of–the–art manufacturing, and deep practitioner partnerships to deliver clinically advanced solutions. Decades of experience and insight continue to shape the eye care profession and create meaningful advantages for both practitioners and wearers. For more information, visit www.coopervision.com.
About CooperCompanies
CooperCompanies (Nasdaq: COO) is a leading global medical device company focused on helping people experience life’s beautiful moments through its two business units, CooperVision and CooperSurgical. CooperVision is a trusted leader in the contact lens industry, helping to improve the way people see each day. CooperSurgical is a leading fertility and women’s healthcare company dedicated to putting time on the side of women, babies, and families at the healthcare moments that matter most. Headquartered in San Ramon, Calif., CooperCompanies has a workforce of more than 15,000, sells products in over 130 countries, and positively impacts over fifty million lives each year. For more information, please visit www.coopercos.com.
Media Contact
Laura DiCaprio, APR, McDougall Communications
laura@mcdougallpr.com or +1-585-434-2153
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heather@mcdougallpr.com or +1-585-434-2148
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23, Sep 2026
Bird.com secures $450m financing as it launches communications infrastructure for AI agents
- $450 million debt financing led by J.P. Morgan, Capital One and Citi comprises a $400 million term loan and $50 million revolving credit facility.
- Revamped Bird platform builds on giving AI agents access to the outer world in a regulated compliance-focused Agentic Harness to send messages, make calls, and manage email directly, as Bird accelerates its push into the US.
- Bird generated $165 million EBITDA in 2025 following extensive automation across the business.
NEW YORK and AMSTERDAM, Sept. 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — AI communications infrastructure company Bird.com has completed a $450 million debt financing, led by J.P. Morgan, and unveiled a revamped Agentic Harness platform that now lets AI agents send messages, place calls, manage email, and even get their own eSIM phone plan on Bird’s network without custom integration.
The platform forms part of Bird’s broader repositioning to serve the growing agent economy as the company accelerates its push into the US.
This follows a two-year period during which the company continued to grow, generated $165 million EBITDA in 2025 and extensively automated its operations.
Bird’s headcount has fallen from more than 1,000 at its peak to 120 today, driven by extensive automation across the business rather than a retreat from the market. The automation drive has resulted in higher productivity and lower prices for customers, with some channels costing 90% less than competitors.
Robert Vis, founder and CEO of Bird.com, said:
“This is the direction the global economy is heading in, and we as a company have demonstrated how automation can work. We didn’t automate to cut headcount, we did it to become more productive, and the headcount came down as a result.”
“Half the apps on your phone rely on our infrastructure, and yet we’re running this business at a fraction of the size we used to be. You can’t do that unless you’re automated in a way that would have sounded crazy a few years ago.“
The $450 million financing comprises a $400 million term loan and $50 million revolving credit facility. It is structured as a dividend recapitalization, providing liquidity to Bird’s existing shareholders, including current and former employees with equity in the company. The financing involved seven banks, including J.P. Morgan, Capital One and Citi.
Shikha Goyal-Allain, Managing Director and Market Executive, Innovation Economy, Commercial Banking at J.P. Morgan, said:
“We’re seeing significant growth in agentic AI, and we expect that to keep accelerating as agents transact and communicate on people’s behalf. Bird has built a business combining scale, a lean operating model and sustained profitability. Leading this financing reflects our confidence in Bird’s fundamentals and in Robert’s track record of running a highly efficient, profitable business as it takes on its next chapter.”
Bird’s revamped platform includes a new layer — its Agentic Harness — specifically designed for AI agents to use Bird’s products via the technical protocols they rely on to connect to software, with full access to create, update and manage information across Bird’s systems on their own, so no human needs to log in. Operational mechanics that previously had to be handled manually by developers, including how message delivery differs by country and how to reach an inbox differently depending on the provider, can now be executed without a human in the loop. Agents’ ability to manage the Harness end-to-end is a significant differentiator versus competitors such as Twilio where agents’ access is more limited. Further, the platform connects to multiple major AI models rather than a single one, giving Bird’s customers enormous flexibility.
Robert Vis added:
“The world is filling up with AI agents. They can reason, plan and decide. But an agent that can’t send the email, fire the text or pick up the phone never actually achieves anything. We’ve built the layer that lets AI take actions in the real world. With Bird, every app or web application can communicate through ChatGPT, Claude or Cursor, making the agent economy work.”
Notes to editors
J.P. Morgan led the financing as joint lead arranger, joint bookrunner and administrative agent, with Capital One and Citi as joint lead arrangers and joint bookrunners. Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG), Flagstar and Huntington are also in the lender syndicate.
About Bird.com
Bird.com is an AI communications infrastructure company founded in 2011 by Robert Vis. It is the messaging infrastructure of the modern internet, moving trillions of messages a year. It offers one API for email, SMS, WhatsApp, voice and RCS, built so that developers and AI agents can reach the world in a few lines of code. It is trusted by enterprises across 150+ countries and is dual-headquartered in New York and Amsterdam. Learn more at bird.com.
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23, Sep 2026
TGI Fridays™ Signs Development Agreement to Fuel Pakistan Growth
Plans include scaling to 15 restaurants as TGI Fridays continues to expand its footprint across South Asia and the Middle East under its 1-2-3 Strategic Vision.
DALLAS, Sept. 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — TGI Fridays™ today announced a landmark development agreement with Meerab Hospitality, marking an exciting chapter for the brand in Pakistan and further accelerating its growth across South Asia. Following the brand’s recent development agreement in the Maldives, the partnership builds on growing momentum across the region and reinforces TGI Fridays’ strategy of expanding its global footprint through strategic, long-term franchise partnerships.
The agreement marks an important milestone in TGI Fridays’ continued international expansion and further strengthens the brand’s presence across South Asia and the Middle East, as it accelerates toward its 1-2-3 Strategic Vision of 1,000+ restaurants and $2 billion in annual revenue by 2030.
With more than 240 million people and a median age of just 21, Pakistan offers TGI Fridays a compelling combination of scale, youth and long-term growth potential. Rapid urbanization, continued investment in malls and mixed-use destinations, and an evolving dining culture are creating new opportunities for international restaurant brands as consumers increasingly seek distinctive, experience-led dining. Through its partnership with Meerab Hospitality, TGI Fridays is positioned to capture that opportunity with a brand guests already recognize, bringing its signature combination of bold American flavors, legendary mocktails, high-energy atmosphere and unmistakable Fridays hospitality to one of South Asia’s most dynamic consumer markets.
Meerab Hospitality brings deep regional expertise and operating strength to the partnership. As the franchise and development arm of Meerab Properties, the company combines a two-decade track record across the Middle East, South Asia and Central Asia with extensive international hospitality experience. Together, TGI Fridays and Meerab Hospitality are well positioned to capture Pakistan’s growing appetite for international dining experiences, while creating new employment opportunities, investing in local hospitality talent and bringing the unmistakable Fridays spirit to a new generation of guests.
“We don’t enter a market like Pakistan because it’s on a list — we enter it because the fundamentals are right and the partner is right,” said Phil Broad, Global President, TGI Fridays. “Pakistan has one of the youngest populations anywhere in the world and a retail landscape that’s evolving fast. Meerab Hospitality understands that better than an outside operator could, and their hospitality background means they know how to run a room, not just build one. That’s the combination we look for.
What makes Pakistan particularly exciting is the energy of the market and the generation coming through. They’re connected, curious and looking for brands that give them more than just a meal. That plays directly to the strength of TGI Fridays. We’ve always been at our best when we bring people together, create a little theatre and give guests a reason to stay longer, celebrate louder and come back again. Pakistan gives us an exciting new stage to do exactly that.”
Pervaiz Iqbal Shahid, Founder and Group CEO, Meerab Properties, said:
“We are delighted to bring TGI Fridays back to Pakistan and to begin a new chapter for this iconic global brand in the country. Our ambition is to reintroduce the brand through an energized and well-capitalized platform, supported by strong operational leadership and a long-term commitment to responsible growth across Pakistan.
Our first flagship restaurant is targeted to open within the next 12 months at the prestigious Hyatt Regency Hotel complex in Lahore. This will provide an exceptional launch platform for the brand and establish the standard for the restaurants that follow.
Over the next decade, we look forward to developing TGI Fridays across Pakistan through a carefully considered combination of company-owned and approved sub-franchised restaurants. We are committed to protecting the strength of the brand, delivering an outstanding guest experience, and building a sustainable nationwide business together with the TGI Fridays team.”
The agreement is TGI Fridays’ second market signing this month, following the brand’s first-ever entry into the Balkans, and builds on a series of international agreements over the past year spanning Kenya, the Maldives, Peru, Japan, Mexico, the Philippines, Greece, Cyprus and Spain. Together, these agreements have added close to 200 restaurants to TGI Fridays’ global pipeline as the brand advances toward its 1-2-3 Strategic Vision of 1,000+ restaurants worldwide by 2030. The ambition is not about volume for its own sake but about selecting the right partners — experienced local operators who deeply understand the markets they are committed to developing.
At the heart of that growth is a deliberate franchise strategy: entering high-potential markets with partners who bring the local knowledge, capability and ambition to build TGI Fridays at scale. Meerab Hospitality is a strong example of that approach, combining deep market understanding with the hospitality expertise and ambition to build the brand for long-term success in Pakistan.
For more information: www.tgifridays.com/franchise/
About TGI Fridays™
Founded in 1965 as the world’s first casual bar and grill, TGI Fridays is where the world goes to celebrate. Operating nearly 400 restaurants in almost 40 countries, Fridays brings people together through its craveable American classics, legendary cocktails and that unmistakable Fridays™ feeling – all brought to life by its rockstar teams. Whether it’s full-service dining or bold-format convenience, TGI Fridays franchise-first approach, operational excellence, and brand power are built to scale. Franchisees are supported by global hubs in Dallas, Dubai and London, complemented by regional resources in select markets. Visit www.tgifridays.com for more information, join Fridays Rewards, and follow TGI Fridays™ on social media: Instagram @tgifridays, Tik Tok @tgifridays, Facebook TGI Fridays, and LinkedIn TGI Fridays.
About Meerab Hospitality
Headquartered in the United Arab Emirates, Meerab Properties is a diversified investment and operating company with investments and business interests across the UAE and Pakistan. The company develops long-term opportunities through direct ownership, strategic partnerships, and specialist operating platforms.
Through its hospitality platform, Meerab Hospitality Ventures, Meerab Properties is building a portfolio of international restaurant and hospitality brands in Pakistan, supported by experienced leadership, strong governance, and committed capital. Its strategy is focused on establishing sustainable businesses, developing local operating capabilities, and creating long-term value for its brand partners, customers, and stakeholders.
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