Author: Neel Achary

Stan Ventures Founder & CEO Pradeep Kumaar Rajarathinam Donates INR 2 Crore to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister’s Public Relief Fund

Chennai, Tamil Nadu, Aug 11: Pradeep Kumaar Rajarathinam, Founder & CEO of Stan Ventures, has contributed ₹2 crore to the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister’s Public Relief Fund, reaffirming his commitment to supporting public welfare initiatives and contributing to the well-being of communities across the state.

At the Chief Minister’s residence, Stan Ventures’ Founder & CEO, Pradeep Kumaar Rajarathinam, met the Hon’ble Chief Minister and presented a bank cheque of ₹2 crore as a donation to the Chief Minister’s Public Relief Fund.

For Pradeep Kumaar Rajarathinam, the gesture reflects his belief that business success comes with a responsibility to give back to society. The contribution is part of a larger CSR initiative aimed at supporting communities and public welfare efforts. Tamil Nadu has been an important part of his entrepreneurial journey, and he sees the initiative as a way to give back to the state and contribute to the welfare of its people.

Speaking about the contribution, Pradeep Kumaar Rajarathinam, Founder & CEO, Stan Ventures, said, “I have always believed that success carries a responsibility to give back. Tamil Nadu has provided an environment where businesses and entrepreneurs can grow, and I wanted to contribute towards the welfare of its people. Through this ₹2 crore contribution to the Chief Minister’s Public Relief Fund, I hope we can support the state’s efforts to help communities and individuals who need it most.”

For Stan Ventures and its leadership, the contribution represents an opportunity to support the state beyond the company’s business operations and contribute towards initiatives aimed at public welfare.

Dubai real estate market diverges as industrial and retail surge

Dubai, 10 August 2026 – Dubai’s real estate market continues to show signs of its maturity, with performance increasingly driven by asset type, location and underlying demand rather than broad market-wide growth, according to new research from Chestertons Global. 

The firm’s Q2 2026 Dubai Real Estate Market Report found that while industrial and retail sectors continued to deliver strong annual growth, office and residential markets entered a more measured period following several years of rapid expansion. The findings suggest the market is creating increasingly unique opportunities across different sectors, even as it demonstrates renewed resilience following a period of regional uncertainty earlier in the year. 

Industrial remained Dubai’s standout performer during the quarter, with sector rents rising 23.3% year on year across key logistics corridors as demand for Grade A warehouse space continued to outstrip supply. Growth was driven by logistics operators, manufacturers and traders, with established logistics corridors benefiting from persistent supply constraints. 

Retail also continued to perform strongly, with average rents reaching AED 273 per sq ft, up 18.3% year on year. Prime destination malls remained close to full occupancy, supported by population growth, tourism and sustained demand for high-quality retail space. 

Meanwhile, Dubai’s office market entered a more balanced phase. Leasing activity remained resilient, with almost 39,000 rental contracts registered during Q2, up 15.2% year on year, although occupiers increasingly favoured smaller, more flexible workspaces while regional geopolitical uncertainty meant larger corporate expansion decisions were delayed. Limited availability of Grade A offices continued to support rental values across prime locations, and government measures, including an AED 1 billion package to support corporate liquidity, helped support the sector during the quarter. 

Residential activity has cooled as buyers took longer to make purchasing decisions and new supply entered the market. However, villas and townhouses continued to outperform apartments, with limited low-density supply supporting further price appreciation.

John Stevens, Chief Executive Officer of Chestertons MENA, said: 

“Dubai’s property market continues to demonstrate resilience, but we’re now seeing a nuanced shift towards a more mature market where performance varies significantly between sectors. Investors and occupiers are becoming increasingly focused on fundamentals such as asset quality, location and long-term demand drivers, creating more selective opportunities across the market.” 

He added: 

“For international investors, Dubai remains one of the world’s most compelling real estate markets. However, success will increasingly depend on identifying areas where structural demand and constrained supply continue to support long-term growth, rather than relying on market-wide appreciation.” 

Looking ahead, Chestertons Global expects Dubai’s property market to remain supported by continued population growth, international investment, tourism and economic diversification. However, the report concludes that future performance will increasingly depend on the ability of individual assets to meet evolving occupier and investor requirements, reinforcing the importance of careful asset selection as the market enters its next phase. 

The Chestertons Global Q2 2026 Dubai Real Estate Market Report provides analysis of residential, office, retail and industrial property trends across Dubai.  

The Wealth Company Launches Gift City Fund to Give NRIs a Single, Dollar-Denominated Route into India’s Mutual Fund Market

Mumbai, Aug10: For millions of Indians living outside the country, investing in India’s growth has often meant navigating two worlds, the opportunity of India’s capital markets and the complexity of accessing them from overseas. The Wealth Company is seeking to simplify that equation. The Company has launched The Wealth Company IFSC FoF, an open-ended Category III Alternative Investment Fund based in GIFT City IFSC, designed to give eligible non-resident investors, including NRIs, a single, US-dollar–denominated route to a professionally managed portfolio of Indian mutual funds and ETFs. With this, The Wealth Company has forayed into the Category III AIF segment, marking another significant step in expanding its alternative investment platform and offering sophisticated investors access to differentiated, strategy driven investment opportunities.

The Fund is managed by Wealth Company Asset Management Private Limited , a Fund Management Entity registered with IFSCA.

India’s mutual fund story is becoming too large to ignore

The timing reflects the scale of India’s investment transformation. Indian mutual fund assets stood at ₹82.22 lakh crore as of June 30, 2026, up from ₹13.81 lakh crore a decade earlier, almost a six-fold increase. SIP contributions reached ₹31,781 crore in June 2026, according to AMFI.  While India’s domestic investor base has expanded rapidly, global Indians have not always had an equally straightforward way to participate in that growth.

Overall, India now has more than 50 AMCs and over 1,700 active mutual fund schemes, creating a market where the challenge is no longer simply access. It is selection deciding which managers, categories and strategies deserve capital, and when that allocation needs to change.  That is the gap The Wealth Company IFSC FoF is designed to address.

One India allocation instead of navigating the entire market

Rather than investing directly into individual Indian mutual fund schemes, the FoF will select and allocate across the wider mutual fund and ETF universe. Its investment process evaluates schemes using factors including historical performance, risk metrics, quantitative parameters, relative performance and forward-looking market positioning. The portfolio can span diversified equity-oriented funds, sectoral strategies, fixed income funds, hybrid funds, gold and silver ETFs, index strategies and SIFs, subject to the fund’s mandate. 

The objective is straightforward: give an overseas investor one professionally managed India allocation rather than asking them to become an expert in India’s entire mutual fund industry.

“India’s growth has stopped being a story that Indians only watch from abroad. For many, it is becoming an opportunity they want to participate in,” said Ms. Madhu Lunawat, Founder, The Wealth Company. “GIFT City gives us the ability to build that bridge. We want an Indian living overseas to think about India as part of their long-term wealth portfolio and not as a market that is difficult to access from where they live.”

Why this matters to an NRI

For an NRI in Dubai, Singapore, London, Australia or any other global financial centre, the attraction is not simply the familiarity of investing in India. It is the ability to participate in India’s growth through a structure designed specifically for non-resident investors.

The Fund is denominated in US dollars and is structured through GIFT City IFSC. Eligible investors do not separately need to undertake the SEBI FPI registration process merely to access the underlying Indian mutual fund portfolio through the FoF structure. The Fund’s materials also state that an NRI investor may not have an Indian income-tax return filing obligation where the relevant conditions are met, including applicable tax deduction and the absence of other circumstances requiring a return.

The structure is intended for eligible global family offices, institutional allocators, accredited investors and HNI/UHNI non-residents. It does not accept resident Indians and currently excludes investors resident in the USA and Canada, as well as investors from FATF-restricted jurisdictions. For the wider NRI community, the proposition is therefore less about creating another investment product and more about creating a dedicated bridge between global Indian wealth and India’s domestic capital markets.

The tax question: potentially significant, but not one-size-fits-all

Tax is another consideration for overseas investors. The Fund is structured as an IFSC-based Category III AIF and is expected to qualify as a “Specified Fund” under the applicable provisions of the Income-tax Act, 2025, subject to satisfaction of the prescribed conditions.

Under Section 11 read with Schedule VI of the Income-tax Act, 2025, specified income of a qualifying fund attributable to eligible non-resident unit holders may be exempt from Indian income tax, subject to the applicable conditions and prescribed computation mechanism. The tax framework provides for specified treatment of income earned by the Fund from its underlying investments, including capital gains on transfer of specified securities and prescribed rates of tax for certain dividend and interest income.

For eligible non-resident investors, distributions by the Fund and capital gains arising on transfer or redemption of Fund units may be exempt from Indian income tax, subject to the applicable statutory conditions. Further, eligible non-resident investors who satisfy the prescribed conditions may also benefit from relaxations relating to PAN and filing of an Indian income-tax return, including where they have no other income chargeable to tax in India and the prescribed investor information and tax-deduction requirements are complied with.

The availability of these benefits is subject to the Fund satisfying the conditions applicable to a specified fund and to the individual circumstances of each investor. In particular, an investor’s tax position in their country of residence may differ materially from the Indian tax treatment. Investors should therefore obtain independent tax advice regarding the tax implications of their investment in the Fund, including the applicability of local tax laws and any relevant Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement.

The Fund may be of particular interest to investors based in jurisdictions such as the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Uganda and Mauritius; however, the tax treatment in each investor’s home jurisdiction is subject to the investor’s individual circumstances and should be evaluated with the investor’s own tax advisor.

GIFT City is becoming part of India’s global capital strategy

The fund comes at a time when GIFT City is developing into an increasingly important international financial centre. Gift city has more than 200 Fund Management Entities and over 350 schemes, with AIF commitments of approximately US$39.09 billion as of March 2026, representing ~148% year-on-year growth.  For India, the significance goes beyond creating another financial-services hub.

It creates the possibility of bringing global capital into Indian investment opportunities through structures designed in India, regulated in India and denominated in global currencies.

“The problem for a non-resident investor isn’t a lack of conviction about India. It is the distance between conviction and execution,” said Mr.Unmesh Kulkarni, Managing Director – Group Product Head, The Wealth Company. “There are more than 1,600 schemes to choose from, different market cycles and very different investment styles. Our job is to do that selection and rebalancing within a structure that makes sense for an overseas investor.”

From the Indian diaspora to global capital

The opportunity extends beyond NRIs. The Fund is also designed for global family offices, institutional investors, accredited investors and wealth platforms seeking professionally managed exposure to Indian mutual funds and ETFs. The underlying idea is that India’s next phase of financial-market growth need not be funded only by capital sitting within India.

India’s mutual fund industry has already demonstrated the depth of domestic participation. The next question is whether Indian-origin capital and global capital can participate alongside it through structures built for the way global investors actually operate. For The Wealth Company, GIFT City is intended to be that bridge.

“India has spent the last decade building the financial infrastructure for its own savers. The next chapter is about making that infrastructure work for Indians wherever they live,” Lunawat said.

Greenply launches infant child feeding & care booth to bring comfort, convenience and dignity to mothers and infants

Mumbai, Aug 10: Greenply Industries Limited, one of India’s leading interior infrastructure companies, has launched an ‘Infant Child Feeding & Care Booth’ at Lower Oshiwara Metro Station, Mumbai, to provide mothers and young children with a safe, private and hygienic space while travelling. Introduced during World Breastfeeding Week 2026 (August 1–7), the initiative reflects the company’s commitment to creating infrastructure that addresses everyday needs through thoughtful design and innovation.

Designed to support nursing mothers and families on the move, the booth offers a comfortable space for breastfeeding, comforting infants and taking a short break during transit. The initiative seeks to make public spaces more inclusive by providing an environment where mothers can care for their children with dignity and privacy.

Inspired by the concepts of ‘Nesting’ and ‘Resting’, the booth has been designed as a calm and welcoming space for mothers and infants. Constructed using Greenply Gold Plywood, it incorporates Zero Emission plywood to support healthier indoor air quality, along with fire-safe and ultimate waterproof properties suited for high-footfall public environments. The booth is also equipped with Sound Lock acoustic panels to minimise external noise and create a quieter, more comfortable environment for families.

To ensure a safe and reassuring experience, dedicated personnel are stationed outside the booth to assist users whenever required.

Speaking on the initiative, Mr. Sanidhya Mittal, Joint Managing Director, Greenply Industries Limited, said: “For many mothers, travelling with an infant often means having to choose between their child’s immediate needs and the lack of appropriate facilities in public spaces. At Greenply, Care is an integral part of who we are, and we believe that care should extend beyond the products we create to the spaces and communities we serve. We wanted to address this everyday challenge by creating a space that offers privacy, comfort, convenience and a safe environment for both mothers and children. Made using E-0 plywood, the booth ensures a safer environment for mothers and children. The Infant Child Feeding & Care Booth reflects our belief that good infrastructure should not only be durable and innovative, but also empathetic, responsible and safe. Through this initiative, we hope to make public spaces more inclusive and encourage more spaces across the country to become truly family-friendly.”

Despite growing awareness around breastfeeding, access to dedicated nursing and childcare facilities in public spaces remains limited. Through this initiative, Greenply aims to encourage the development of more breastfeeding-friendly infrastructure across transport hubs and other public spaces, supporting mothers and young children with greater comfort, convenience and care.

The Infant Child Feeding & Care Booth reflects Greenply’s continued focus on combining design, technology and responsible innovation to create spaces that positively impact communities. 

MSME Reform Bill Seen Boosting Flexibility and Growth for Small Businesses

New Delhi, Aug 10: The proposed MSME Amendment Bill is being viewed by industry as an important step towards creating a more flexible regulatory environment for micro, small and medium enterprises, helping businesses expand while managing compliance more easily.

Industry representatives said the proposed changes could give growing enterprises greater room to scale their operations, invest in technology and create jobs without facing unnecessary regulatory hurdles as their businesses become larger.

For millions of small businesses across India, growth often comes with additional compliance requirements and administrative responsibilities. A more flexible framework could make that transition smoother and allow entrepreneurs to focus more on building their businesses.

The MSME sector remains an important part of India’s economic landscape, supporting employment, manufacturing, services and entrepreneurship across urban and rural areas. Improving the ease of doing business for these enterprises can have a wider impact on local economies and job creation.

Industry sees greater regulatory flexibility as particularly useful for businesses that are moving from the early stages of operation towards expansion. Predictable rules can help entrepreneurs make longer-term decisions about hiring, investment, production capacity and technology.

The proposed changes could also encourage more businesses to formalise their operations and adopt digital systems. Easier compliance can reduce the time and resources spent on administrative work, allowing business owners to concentrate on customers, innovation and market expansion.

For startups and rapidly growing enterprises, the ability to scale without abrupt regulatory pressures could be especially valuable. Businesses that cross from one growth stage to another need a framework that recognises their changing size and requirements.

The reforms may also strengthen the ability of Indian MSMEs to compete in wider markets. Businesses with simpler compliance processes can potentially respond more quickly to new opportunities, build stronger supply chains and invest in improving productivity.

However, industry experts have emphasised that the effectiveness of the reform will ultimately depend on how the provisions are implemented and understood at the ground level.

For entrepreneurs, the broader objective is clear: creating a business environment where companies can grow without compliance becoming an unnecessary barrier.

The proposed MSME Amendment Bill could therefore provide a stronger foundation for scalability, investment, innovation and job creation, while supporting India’s wider goal of building a more competitive and resilient small-business ecosystem.

Bringing the Spirit of Onam to Every Table: JW Marriott Mumbai Sahar’s Curated Sadya Experience

Mumbai, Aug 10: Known for turning every season into a memorable culinary affair, JW Marriott Mumbai Sahar is bringing the spirit of Onam to life with a celebration that goes far beyond the dining table. This year, the hotel transforms Kerala’s most cherished festive feast into an experience that travels, with beautifully curated Sadya boxes available through Marriott Bonvoy On Wheels for festive gifting, office celebrations, and intimate gatherings at home, and a grand festive finale with an expansive Onam Sadya Lunch at JW Café.

Running from 16th to 26th August, Marriott Bonvoy On Wheels presents a beautifully reimagined 26-dish Onam Sadya that honours tradition while embracing the ease of modern celebrations. Available on pre-order with a minimum lead time of 24 hours, the Sadya is served in a 12-compartment banana leaf-lined bento box that captures the ritual, flavours, and balance of a classic feast in a format designed to be enjoyed anywhere, without losing its authenticity.

Inside, every compartment tells a story of Kerala’s rich culinary heritage, from Palakkadan Matta Rice with Parippu and Kerala ghee to comforting Sambar, creamy Avial, earthy Thoran, delicate Olan, Kalan, refreshing Pachadis, crisp banana chips, sharkara varatti, pappadam, inji puli, and mango pickle, before ending, as every great Sadya should, with a warm serving of Ada Pradhaman.

The celebrations conclude on 26th August with a special Onam Lunch at JW Café, where the festive spirit comes alive in its most traditional form. Bringing together authentic flavours, festive hospitality, and the joy of gathering around a shared meal, it marks the perfect finale to the hotel’s Onam celebrations.

More than a festive feast, the Onam Sadya is a celebration of heritage, community, and the simple joy of sharing a meal. With experiences designed both for home and the hotel, JW Marriott Mumbai Sahar brings the spirit of Kerala’s harvest festival to every kind of celebration.

What: Onam Sadya
When: 16th August – 26th August 2026 MBOW; Special Lunch at JW Café on 26th August
Where: JW Café on 26th August