Author: Neel Achary

Goa Tourism Set to Showcase a Range of New-Age Experiences at TTF Ahmedabad 2026

Focus on Weddings, MICE, Spiritual, Wellness, Culinary and Adventure Tourism to Strengthen Western India Market

Panaji, Goa, Aug 05: The Department of Tourism, Government of Goa, will participate in the Travel & Tourism Fair (TTF) Ahmedabad 2026, one of western India’s leading travel trade exhibitions, being held from August 6 – 8, 2026 at the Mahatma Mandir Convention & Exhibition Centre in Gandhinagar, with a renewed focus on positioning Goa as India’s most diverse year-round tourism destination. Led by the Hon’ble Tourism Minister, Government of Goa, Shri Rohan A. Khaunte, the state’s participation will highlight Goa’s expanding portfolio of high-value tourism experiences that extend far beyond its beaches.

Recognising Gujarat as one of Goa’s most important domestic source markets, Goa Tourism will engage with travel trade partners, wedding planners, MICE organisers, tour operators, airlines, hospitality stakeholders and media to strengthen collaborations and promote specialised tourism segments that appeal to today’s evolving traveller.

Speaking ahead of the event, Hon’ble Minister for Tourism, Government of Goa, Shri Rohan A. Khaunte, said: “Goa’s tourism story is evolving. While our beaches remain an enduring attraction, today’s traveller is looking for meaningful, immersive and personalised experiences. Through our participation at TTF Ahmedabad, we want to showcase Goa as a destination that offers world-class weddings, business events, wellness retreats, spiritual journeys, culinary discoveries and adventure experiences throughout the year. Our focus is on creating greater value for visitors while ensuring tourism growth benefits local communities and businesses across the state.”

Director of Tourism, Shri Kedar Naik, said: “TTF Ahmedabad serves as an important platform for Goa Tourism to engage directly with travel trade stakeholders and strengthen partnerships in one of our key domestic markets. Through our participation, we are showcasing a wide spectrum of tourism experiences that cater to diverse traveller interests, while creating new opportunities for collaborations with tour operators, wedding planners, MICE organisers and the hospitality sector.”

At TTF Ahmedabad, Goa Tourism will showcase six strategic tourism pillars that are driving the state’s transformation into a year-round experiential destination.

– Weddings – Goa has emerged as one of India’s preferred destinations for destination weddings, offering an unmatched combination of luxury resorts, heritage venues, beachfront celebrations and a mature hospitality ecosystem capable of hosting intimate ceremonies as well as large multi-day celebrations.

– MICE – The state is also strengthening its position as a leading MICE destination, with premium hotels, modern convention facilities, excellent air connectivity and a unique blend of business and leisure experiences that make Goa an ideal choice for conferences, corporate meetings, incentive travel and executive retreats.

– Spiritual Tourism – A key highlight will be the recently launched Ekadasha Teertha Yatra, a curated spiritual circuit connecting 11 ancient temples across Goa. The initiative offers visitors an opportunity to experience Goa’s sacred heritage, local traditions, village life and cultural legacy while supporting tourism in the state’s hinterland.

– Wellness – Goa Tourism will also spotlight the state’s growing wellness tourism offerings, including Ayurveda, yoga, holistic healing, nature retreats and luxury wellness resorts that cater to travellers seeking rejuvenation and mindful travel experiences.

– Food and Culinary Trails – The state’s vibrant culinary tourism landscape will be another major focus, celebrating Goa’s diverse gastronomic traditions through authentic local cuisine, seafood, temple food, farm-to-table experiences, feni heritage, local markets and culinary trails that reflect the state’s rich cultural heritage.

– Adventure and Water sports – For adventure enthusiasts, Goa continues to expand its portfolio of adventure tourism experiences across land, sea and forest landscapes, including kayaking, trekking, cycling, wildlife experiences and eco-adventures in the Western Ghats, reinforcing its appeal as an all-season destination.

Goa Tourism’s participation at TTF Ahmedabad aligns with the state’s long-term strategy of promoting high-value, sustainable and regenerative tourism while encouraging visitors to explore the state’s culture, heritage, nature and communities throughout the year. Visitors to the Goa Pavilion will have the opportunity to interact with tourism officials, hospitality and travel stakeholders, discover new itineraries and explore collaborative opportunities across leisure, weddings, MICE, wellness, spiritual, culinary and adventure tourism.

As Goa continues to diversify its tourism offerings and strengthen partnerships with key domestic markets, TTF Ahmedabad provides an important platform to build new business relationships and inspire travellers to experience a side of Goa that is richer, deeper and more immersive than ever before.

SK Telecom Announces Q2 2026 Results

SEOUL, Korea, Aug 5 — SK Telecom (NYSE: SKM, hereinafter “SKT”) today announced its consolidated earnings for the second quarter of 2026, based on Korean International Financial Reporting Standards (K-IFRS): revenue of KRW 4.3591 trillion, operating income of KRW 566.0 billion, and net income of KRW 466.0 billion.

Compared with the same period last year, revenue increased by 0.5%, driven by growth in the data center business. Through efficient, profitability‑focused management, operating income rose 5.3% quarter over quarter (QoQ). Year over year (YoY), it surged 67.3%, supported in part by a favorable base effect from one‑off expenses in the prior year.

The telecommunications business, which has remained focused on restoring customer trust, showed a clear turnaround driven by efforts to enhance customer value and improve profitability. The AI business also recorded robust growth as execution accelerated under the company’s strategy of focus and prioritization.

On a non-consolidated basis, the company reported revenue of KRW 3.1170 trillion, operating income of KRW 427.7 billion, and net income of KRW 310.6 billion. The second-quarter dividend is KRW 830 per share,unchanged from the first quarter.

AI data center business gains momentum, fueling growth through rapid execution

The AI data center (AIDC) business is the fastest-growing segment among SKT’s business areas. In the second quarter, AIDC revenue reached KRW 136.2 billion, up 92.5% year over year, driven by expanded operations.

As generative AI adoption spreads across industries and demand for high-performance computing infrastructure surges, timely delivery of AI infrastructure for customers such as global Big Tech companies has never been more critical.

Last month, SKT established SK Hyper to spearhead AIDC business development, strengthening the company’s execution engine. SK Hyper will proactively secure key resources, including land and power capacity, and attract global customers to accelerate execution and seize market leadership.

Led by SK Hyper, SKT has set an initial goal of bringing AIDCs online in phases starting in 2029, targeting a combined capacity of 5 GW.

The telecommunications business continues to deliver qualitative growth centered on customer lifetime value (CLV). Through efficient marketing activities such as identifying new customer segments and running differentiated campaigns, it achieved net additions in mobile subscribers amid a stable market environment.

Customer Lifetime Value represents the total value a customer generates over the entire period of using a particular service, serving as a critical metric that reflects the depth of the relationship between the company and its customers.

In particular, SKT launched integrated 5G and LTE plans in July to reorganize its overall pricing structure while continuously enhancing customer value by improving customer experience and service accessibility.

“In the first half of the year, we focused on strengthening our fundamentals based on stable telecommunications business profitability while laying the foundation for the rapid expansion of our AI data center business,” said Park Jong-seok, CFO of SK Telecom. “Going forward, we will make every effort to play a leading role in enabling Korea to emerge as an AI infrastructure hub in Asia.”

※The conference call regarding SKT’s Q2 2026 earnings will be available on SKT’s website on Wednesday, August 5, at 16:00 KST.

https://irsvc.teletogether.com/skt/skt2026Q2eng.php

 1. Summary of Consolidated Income Statement (Unit: KRW billion)

 2. Summary of Non-Consolidated Income Statement (Unit: KRW billion)

Accor Strengthens Presence in Eastern India with the Signing of Novotel Sambalpur City Centre

Commenting on the signing, Ms. Ranju Alex, CEO, Accor, South Asia said, “The signing of Novotel Sambalpur City Centre reflects Accor‘s continued commitment to expanding our presence across India‘s high-growth Tier II and Tier III cities. As regional economic centres continue to evolve, we see significant opportunities to introduce internationally recognised hospitality brands that cater to the changing needs of both business and leisure travellers. Sambalpur‘s growing industrial importance, improving infrastructure, and increasing demand for quality hospitality make it a strategic addition to our expanding portfolio in India.”

Commenting on the partnership with Accor, Mr Jasbir Singh Hura, Chairman, JAS Group said, “Partnering with Accor to bring the internationally recognised Novotel brand to Sambalpur is an important milestone for JAS Group and for the hospitality landscape of Western Odisha. This project reflects our long-term confidence in the region’s economic and tourism potential, as well as our commitment to creating world-class hospitality infrastructure in Sambalpur. We believe Novotel Sambalpur City Centre will become a preferred destination for business travellers, conferences, social celebrations and leisure guests, while contributing meaningfully to employment, tourism and the overall development of the region.”

boAt and Spotify Premium Partner to Deliver the Complete Music Experience

Gurugram, Aug 04: boAt, India’s No. 1 audio and wearables brand, today announced a strategic partnership with Spotify Premium to deliver a richer, more immersive music experience for listeners across India. Bringing together boAt’s premium audio technology and Spotify Premium’s uninterrupted listening experience, the partnership reflects a shared belief that music deserves to be experienced in its fullest form without interruptions or compromise.

As consumers increasingly seek experiences that combine great hardware with exceptional content, the collaboration aims to redefine everyday listening by pairing immersive sound with uninterrupted access to the music they love. Eligible boAt products will now come bundled with a four-month Spotify Premium subscription, free for the first 12 weeks, enabling users to enjoy ad-free music, offline listening and enhanced audio quality.

To mark the partnership, boAt and Spotify Premium have launched a digital campaign titled “HALF the Experience.” Built around the thought “HALF the quality. HALF the fun. HALF the experience,” the campaign playfully demonstrates how interruptions, poor-quality audio and generic listening devices can diminish the way music is meant to be experienced.

The campaign film opens at a seemingly full-blown concert, where everything is only half complete. Chaar Diwari becomes “Do Diwari,” the audience is asked to give “half a round of applause,” and the band performs with three-string guitars, half a drum kit and incomplete stage looks. The performance soon reveals what listening to music through generic headphones without Spotify Premium feels like: HALF the experience. The artist then pops out of the listener’s earphones and says, “Aise aadha-adhura gaana kab tak sunoge? Sunna hai toh poora sunno. Ab toh boAt ke saath Spotify Premium free hai, bro.” As the listener switches to boAt, the artist returns to the stage in full form, delivering the high-quality, uninterrupted music experience it was meant to be.

Commenting on the partnership, boAt spokesperson said, “At boAt, we have always believed that great music deserves a great listening experience. Over the years, we have worked to make premium audio accessible while building meaningful connections with artists, creators and music communities. Our partnership with Spotify Premium brings together two essential parts of that experience: immersive sound and uninterrupted music. Through ‘HALF the Experience,’ we wanted to communicate this in a way that is entertaining, relatable and rooted in how young India experiences music today.”

The partnership reflects boAt’s continued focus on creating experiences that extend beyond devices by bringing together technology, content and culture. By combining premium audio with one of the world’s leading music streaming platforms, boAt and Spotify Premium aim to deliver a more seamless and rewarding listening experience for music lovers across the country.

Eligible boAt customers can now enjoy a four-month Spotify Premium subscription, free for the first 12 weeks, with select products. The offer allows users to experience ad-free music, offline listening and high-quality audio alongside boAt’s award-winning audio devices.

Dr. Agarwal’s Health Care Q1 profit rises 44.6 percent to INR 55 crore on record surgical facility additions

Chennai, Aug 04: Dr. Agarwal’s Health Care Limited opened FY27 with its strongest quarter on record. Revenue from operations grew 26.0% year-on-year to ₹614 crore, EBITDA rose 25.2% to ₹177 crore with margins resilient at 28.5%, and profit after tax surged 44.6% to ₹55 crore — profit growth outpacing revenue growth even as the Company absorbed higher greenfield investments.

Performance was anchored by the Company’s mature facilities, which grew revenue 16.3% year-on-year, alongside 91,082 surgeries performed during the quarter, up 15.5%. The Company commissioned 18 greenfield facilities — 1 tertiary, 15 secondary and 2 primary — including 16 surgical facilities, its highest-ever addition in a single quarter, taking the network to 304 eye care facilities across 10 countries. It plans to add another 42 facilities through the remainder of FY27, deepening its footprint across both established and emerging markets.

The Company’s growth strategy rests on two engines: sustained growth across mature centres, and accelerated greenfield expansion into under-served markets.

Commenting on the performance for Q1 FY2027, Dr. Adil Agarwal, CEO, Dr. Agarwal’s Health Care Limited, said: “What makes this quarter significant isn’t just the growth — we delivered our highest-ever sequential revenue growth while simultaneously commissioning more surgical facilities than in any quarter in our history. At the heart of this momentum is something no metric captures — the deepening trust patients place in us, bringing us their own and their families’ eye care. Mature centres funding aggressive expansion is exactly our model working as designed. With 42 more facilities planned this year, we are building density in markets where quality eye care remains out of reach for many in need. Backed by strong execution capabilities and a healthy expansion pipeline, we remain firmly on track to achieve our growth objectives for the year.”

Schneider Electric and BSES Rajdhani Partner to Deploy India’s First Sustainable Pure Air RMU Pilot Project

Mumbai, Aug 4: Schneider Electric, a global energy technology leader, has partnered with BSES Rajdhani Power Limited  to deploy India’s first RM AirSeT 12kV Indoor Ring Main Unit  pilot integrated with T300 Field Remote Terminal Unit, enabling a more sustainable, connected, and future-ready power distribution network. By eliminating the use of SF6 gas and replacing it with pure air insulation, the deployment enables an estimated reduction of nearly 75 tons of CO2 equivalent emissions during the capex phase alone, marking a significant step toward cleaner and environmentally responsible grid infrastructure.

As Delhi’s peak power demand is projected to cross 9,000 MW amid rising urbanisation and growing cooling requirements, utilities are increasingly focusing on smarter and more sustainable grid infrastructure to ensure reliable power supply and support future energy needs. BRPL has been evaluating innovative medium-voltage switchgear technologies that can reduce environmental impact while improving operational reliability and network visibility. Schneider Electric deployed its SF6-free RM AirSeT 12kV solution, designed using pure air technology as an alternative to conventional gas-insulated switchgear. The deployment was further integrated with Schneider Electric’s T300 FRTU, enabling remote monitoring and control through BRPL’s SCADA network.

Speaking on the development, Mr. Deepak Sharma, Zone President – Greater India, MD & CEO, Schneider Electric India, said,

 “India’s power sector is entering a new phase of transformation where sustainability must become an integral part of every infrastructure decision. As the country works towards its energy transition goals, it is important that environmental considerations are embedded across the entire electricity value chain, including transmission and distribution networks. The shift towards cleaner technologies will be critical in building a power ecosystem that can support growing demand while advancing the nation’s decarbonization ambitions. This collaboration with BRPL reflects the kind of forward-looking action that will help shape the future of India’s energy infrastructure.”

Mr. Udai Singh – MD & CEO, Schneider Electric Infrastructure Ltd and VP, Power Systems, Schneider Electric India said,

 “As India advances its energy transition journey, the focus must extend beyond expanding generation capacity to building distribution networks that are sustainable, resilient, and digitally enabled. Utilities will play a pivotal role in enabling this transformation by advancing energy technologies that strengthen grid reliability, reduce environmental impact, and accelerate the adoption of SF6-free infrastructure. Our collaboration with BRPL reflects a shared commitment to accelerating grid modernization and creating future-ready infrastructure that can support India’s evolving energy needs.”

The project marks a significant milestone for India’s utility sector. For the first time in the country, RM AirSeT 12kV Indoor RMUs were sourced from Schneider Electric’s SBMV global plant, while the FRTU integration was carried out at the company’s MVI plant in India. This enabled greater customization and flexibility in line with BRPL’s operational requirements. To support the deployment, Schneider Electric facilitated specialized training for Indian teams at its AMT Hungary plant to strengthen expertise in RM AirSeT technology and FRTU integration.

BRPL official said,

 “At BRPL, we are continuously exploring technologies that strengthen network reliability while supporting our sustainability commitments. The deployment of Schneider Electric’s RM AirSeT solution with integrated FRTU is an important step in that direction. This pilot has given us valuable insight into how SF6-free and connected technologies can support the future evolution of distribution networks in India.”

The RM AirSeT 12kV solution integrated with T300 FRTU delivers both sustainability and operational advantages. The technology also removes concerns around SF6 leakage during operations and eliminates the need for SF6 recovery and recycling at end of life, while offering a robust, reliable, and longer-lasting alternative to conventional RMUs.

This deployment reflects Schneider Electric’s continued commitment to supporting India’s grid modernization journey through sustainable and digitally enabled technologies. The BRPL pilot is expected to serve as a strong reference for future large-scale adoption of SF6-free medium-voltage solutions across the Indian utility market.