Author: Neel Achary

Asia Pacific Office Demand Rises 3 percentage YoY in H1 2026; India Leads Regional Demand: Colliers

Bengaluru, Aug 24: Asia Pacific’s 11 key office markets recorded office leasing of 4.6 million sq m in H1 2026, a 3 percentage year‑on‑year increase, anchored by robust Grade A space uptake across major markets including India, Mainland China and Japan, according to Colliers’ Asia Pacific Office Market Insights H1 2026report. India alone accounted for over 70% of total leasing during H1 2026. Within the region, the growth in demand during H1 2026 was strongest in markets such as Hong Kong and Taiwan, reflecting improving business confidence and renewed expansion.

During H1 2026, new supply declined by 37% year-on-year to 3.0 million sq m. New supply was highly concentrated in India and Mainland China, which together accounted for more than 80% of completions.

“India continues to anchor leasing volumes in the APAC office market, underpinned by strong demand fundamentals, including expansion of global capability centers in the country. In fact, India accounted for over two-thirds of the region’s demand and supply during H1 2026. Looking ahead, despite geopolitical uncertainty, skilled talent availability and cost arbitrage are likely to support robust absorption and further strengthen India’s position as a preferred office market in the Asia Pacific region,” said Arpit Mehrotra, Managing Director, Office Services, Colliers India.

“Office demand across key APAC markets remained resilient in H1 2026, with leasing activity reaching 4.6 million sq m (49.5 million sq ft). Despite moderating GDP growth, the region continues to outperform global peers. While elevated inflation levels have prompted central banks to maintain a cautious approach to monetary policy, sustained business confidence continues to underpin occupier demand and investment activity. Looking ahead, renewed expansion plans and a growing preference for high-quality, future-ready workplaces are expected to sustain office space demand in the APAC region, with India continuing to drive leasing volumes over the next few quarters,” said Vimal Nadar, National Director & Head of Research, Colliers India.

Asia Pacific continues to outperform peers and remains a key contributor to global economic expansion, according to the report. The report also notes that the region’s resilient growth outlook and likely stability in interest rates are expected to support business confidence and investment, although geopolitical risks and trade uncertainties remain key factors.

“The APAC office market is entering the second half of 2026 with growing momentum. As occupiers double down on high-quality workplaces to attract talent, drive productivity and support business growth, regional demand is increasingly concentrating in best-in-class assets. Over the next few quarters, supply and demand are expected to remain healthy, supported by strong occupier activity and continued preference for high-quality office assets,”Mike Davis, Colliers Managing Director, Occupier Services, Asia Pacific

Overall, the APAC office market activity is expected to remain strong in H2 2026, supported by continued leasing momentum and business expansion. As demand keeps pace with new supply, vacancy levels are likely to stay stable while rents could be on an upswing in high-activity markets.

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MedPlus Recognised as ‘Leading Pharmacy Chain Across India’ at ABP Ananda Swasthya Samman 2026

August 24, 2026: MedPlus Health Services, a leading retail pharma chain in India, has been honoured with the prestigious ‘ABP Ananda Swasthya Samman 2026’ in the category of ‘Leading Pharmacy Chain Across India.’ Mr. Yogesh Babu, National Head – Retail Operations, MedPlus Health Services received the award from Dr. Sharadwat Mukhopadhyay, Cabinet Minister – Dept. Of Health & Family Welfare, West Bengal, Dr. Shankar Ghosh, Cabinet Minister – Dept. of Parliamentary Affairs & the Dept. of Tourism, West Bengal, and Dr. Joydeb Roy, a prominent medical professional in West Bengal, at a glittering award ceremony held in Kolkata.

This recognition marks a significant milestone for MedPlus and reflects the trust it has built among millions of consumers by making medicines and healthcare products accessible, reliable and affordable.

Founded in 2006 by Gangadi Madhukar Reddy, MedPlus has revolutionised the organised retail pharmacy chain segment in India, with a focus on providing branded and quality medicines at affordable costs. The company played a pioneered bringing discounts on branded medicines to customers, introducing a 10% discount in 2006. Today, MedPlus offers discounts of 50-80% on its private-label products and 20% on other branded medicines, helping consumers access quality healthcare products at competitive prices.

MedPlus currently operates more than 5,500 stores across 10 states, including Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Odisha.

Commenting on the recognition, Mr. Yogesh Babu, National Head – Retail Operations – MedPlus Health Services, said, “We are firmly committed to serving our customers with the finest quality medicines at affordable prices. This recognition from ABP Ananda reinforces our commitment to making quality healthcare more accessible to consumers across the country.”

“Being recognised by a respected institution such as ABP Ananda is a matter of pride for the entire MedPlus family. The award is not just a recognition of the organisation, but also of the thousands of colleagues at MedPlus, who work every day across our stores and operations to serve customers with quality, value and trusted care,” he added.

ABP Ananda Swasthya Samman is a platform that recognises and celebrates organisations, healthcare professionals, and institutions making a meaningful contribution to the healthcare ecosystem. The awards acknowledge excellence, leadership and innovation across different segments of healthcare and bring together leading names contributing to a healthier India.

Altered Metabolism in Zombie-Like Cells Helps Promote Destructive Inflammation as We Age

When our immune system detects a pathogen or injury, it sets off biological alarm bells. This alert brings in a variety of immune and other cells to deal with the threat and heal any harm done.

This rapid response to danger—called inflammation—is critical for our health, but it should only last as long as needed to stop infections and heal our wounds. As we grow older, however, we accumulate a type of cell that promotes chronic inflammation—and which has been linked to many age-related diseases.

Scientists at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, Mayo Clinic and their international collaborators published findings July 29, 2026, in Nature revealing a new connection between energy-producing mitochondria and this sustained inflammation. They also found that blocking a related gene reduced inflammation and promoted healthier aging in mice.

Normally, some cells in our body are able to divide. This ability underpins our growth into adults and ability to recover after injury. As we age, more of our cells are prone to becoming zombie-like senescent cells that are no longer dividing to make new cells.

“Senescent cells are not completely inert,” said co-corresponding author Peter Adams, PhD, the Jeanne and Gary Herberger Leadership Chair in Cancer Research at Sanford Burnham Prebys. Adams also is director of and professor in the Cancer Genome and Epigenetics Program.

“They remain metabolically active and have an inflammatory program causing them to secrete inflammatory molecules.”

Cells “running” this inflammatory program are considered to exhibit the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) that is linked to age-related pervasive inflammation and many chronic diseases.

Led by the lab of senior and co-corresponding author João Passos, PhD, a professor of Physiology at Mayo Clinic, the research team searched for molecular drivers of SASP with the goal of finding a way to prevent it or reduce it.

“It turns out that there is a convergence of at least two biological pathways related to mitochondria,” said Adams. “One alters how DNA is stored to promote areas related to SASP, and the other boosts the expression of the exposed SASP genes.”

While senescent cells remain metabolically active, the mitochondria in charge of their energy production are unusual. The scientists discovered a new quirk in which senescent mitochondria conducting metabolism also produce more acetyl-CoA. This molecule interacts with spool-like histone proteins that hold DNA like a thread. Without changing the DNA, acetyl-CoA loosens its histone spool and opens up inflammatory genes for transcription into proteins.

On its own, this metabolic signal sent through acetyl-CoA is not enough to make senescent cells continuously spill out inflammatory molecules. The other requirement is an uptick in immune signals caused by DNA and RNA seeping out of damaged mitochondria and triggering the immune system. These signals activate inflammatory transcription factors that home in on the SASP genes exposed by overabundant acetyl-CoA.

“After seeing how these two independent pathways intersect, we wanted to see if interrupting one could prevent their partnership in promoting SASP,” said Adams.

The research team turned to a drug called CTPI-2. It blocks the activity of a transport protein that carries a component required to produce acetyl-CoA. When tested in mice, CTPI-2 suppressed inflammation across tissues as well as improved tissue function and healthspan during aging.

“Even though the immune signaling from leaky mitochondria was still present, disrupting the metabolic signal made SASP genes less accessible and produced functional benefits,” said Adams. “Using selective inhibitors such as CTPI-2 to reduce acetyl-CoA and, in turn, inflammation is a novel therapeutic strategy that should be explored.

Also, more broadly, this research shows that targeting metabolic signals that influence DNA accessibility may represent a new approach for mitigating age-associated inflammation and functional decline.”  

Hélène Martini, PharmD, PhD, a postdoctoral researcher in the Passos lab at Mayo Clinic, is first author of the publication.

Om Patel and Deepshika Vinayagamurthy Lift UNIFI–ITF Junior Tennis Cup 2026 Titles

HCL Group’s 50th Anniversary Celebrations Continue in Vijayawada with Sid Sriram Concert

Vijayawada, August 24, 2026: HCL Group continued its celebrations marking 50 years of its journey with a special employee concert in Vijayawada, on 22 August, featuring acclaimed singer and composer Sid Sriram. Held at the HCLTech campus, the concert brought together more than 3,000 employees from HCL Group and the Shiv Nadar Foundation for an evening of music and celebration.

The concert was attended by Roshni Nadar Malhotra, Chairperson, HCL Group and HCLTech, Rahul Singh, Chief Operating Officer, Corporate Functions, HCLTech, Vijay Guntur, Head of CTO & Ecosystems, HCLTech and Shiva Prasad, Centre Head, HCLTech Vijayawada, who joined employees in Vijayawada as they celebrated the Group’s golden jubilee. Sid Sriram took to the stage with some of his most popular songs, with employees singing and dancing along through the evening.

The Vijayawada concert follows similar celebrations held earlier in Noida, Lucknow and Chennai as part of a special concert series marking HCL Group’s 50th year. While HCL marked its official 50th anniversary on August 11, the celebrations have continued across locations, bringing employees together to celebrate the people and shared journey that have shaped the organisation over five decades.

The Vijayawada concert is the fourth in HCL Group’s special 50th anniversary concert series, with celebrations continuing across locations as the Group marks five decades of its journey.