Author: Neel Achary

Aptus Value Housing Finance Gets Back to Back Rating Upgrades from CARE and ICRA

Chennai, August 14, 2025: Aptus Value Housing Finance India Limited, a leading housing finance company, announced that ICRA Limited has upgraded the credit rating of the Company’s long-term bank facilities and Non-Convertible Debentures (NCDs) to [ICRA] AA (Stable); from [ICRA] AA- (Stable).

Key Highlights:

· Upgraded Rating: Rating upgrade by ICRA, reflects Aptus’ strong capitalisation, healthy asset quality, prudent risk management, and consistent growth in assets under management. It also underscores the Company’s focus on leveraging its varied customer base through a well-balanced mix of housing finance and loan against property products.

· Facilities Covered:

1.  Long-Term Bank Facilities
2. Non-Convertible Debentures

Commenting on the rating upgrade, Mr. P. Balaji, Managing Director said, “The back-to-back rating upgrades from CARE Ratings and ICRA, reaffirm the strength of our business model, the quality of our portfolio, and the trust we have built with our customers and investors. We will continue to focus on sustainable growth while maintaining our strong asset quality and service standards.”

Tata Motors Enters the Dominican Republic with Versatile Range of Commercial Vehicles

Bengaluru, August 14, 2025: Tata Motors, India’s largest commercial vehicle manufacturer and a global leader in mobility solutions, has officially entered the Dominican Republic market through a strategic partnership with Equimax, its authorised distributor. This launch marks a significant milestone in Tata Motors’ global expansion strategy and introduces a tailored portfolio of commercial vehicles designed to meet the evolving needs of the region’s logistics, infrastructure, and last-mile delivery sectors.

The product lineup includes the Tata Super Ace for agile last-mile delivery, the Tata Xenon pickup for rugged utility, the Ultra range of trucks (T.6, T.7, T.9) for smart intra-city logistics, and the LPT 613 tipper for construction and infrastructure applications. These vehicles are engineered to deliver superior performance, durability, and total cost of ownership—hallmarks of Tata Motors’ global reputation.

Speaking at the launch, Mr. Asif Shamim, Head – International Business, Tata Motors Commercial Vehicles, said, “The Dominican Republic presents a high-potential market aligned with Tata Motors Commercial Vehicles’ global growth ambitions. With its growing economy and infrastructure, our advanced commercial vehicle solutions are well-positioned to support national development goals. Backed by Equimax’s strong local presence, we aim to deliver unmatched value through reliable products, efficient service, and long-term customer support for meeting the aspirations of transporters and businesses in the country.”

Mr. Gabriel Tellerias, President, Equimax, added, “The introduction of Tata Motors’ globally trusted commercial vehicles marks an important milestone for the Dominican Republic’s transport and logistics sector. These vehicles have been carefully selected from Tata Motors’ expansive portfolio and reflect a clear understanding of local business needs. Our priority will be to ensure a superior ownership experience through Equimax’s strong commitment to exceptional after-sales service, offering customers timely support and long-term value. We value our partnership with Tata Motors and look forward to driving growth and progress together in the Dominican Republic.”

Tata Motors’ commercial vehicles are sold in over 40 countries worldwide, with a portfolio that spans sub-1-tonne mini-trucks to 60-tonne heavy-duty trucks and 9- to 71-seater passenger transport solutions. With over seven decades of experience in commercial mobility, the company continues to deliver on its promise of performance, durability, and total cost efficiency — built on a foundation of frugal engineering and global innovation.

Key Highlights of the Launch:

Segment-Centric, Application focused Vehicles:

• Super Ace: Ideal for FMCG, e-commerce, and food delivery
• Xenon: Available in single and double cabin, suited for cargo and utility
• Ultra Range: Built on a next-gen smart truck platform for urban logistics
• LPT 613: Designed for construction and infrastructure sectors

Customer-Centric Services:

Extended warranty of up to 5 years or 200,000 km on select models
Equimax’s strategically located service centers ensure easy access to genuine spares and timely maintenance

Why India’s Architects, Designers, and Luxury Clients Are Turning to Lumeil for Intelligent, Curated Lighting

13th August 2025: In the rarefied world of bespoke interiors — where a Hermès throw speaks volumes and the lines between art and utility blur — procurement has quietly undergone a revolution. The age of spreadsheets, late-night supplier calls, and sample-room chaos is over. Today’s most celebrated interior designers and luxury homeowners demand more than access; they demand elegance, efficiency, and an ecosystem that speaks their language.

Enter Lumeil — India’s definitive digital destination for premium decorative lighting. A brand born not just from a love of lighting, but from an understanding of the new-age design economy — intelligent, intuitive, and uncompromising.

With its meticulous curation, swift timelines, and quietly powerful tech backbone, Lumeil is rewriting what procurement looks like for India’s luxury design community.

Here is how:

1. Procurement but Make It Couture

What Net-a-Porter did for fashion, Lumeil is doing for lighting — bringing the boutique experience online without losing the soul. Gone are the days of generic B2B catalogues and fragmented sourcing.

Lumeil offers a curated vault of hand-selected designs — each chosen for its story, silhouette, and soul.
This is not mass retail. This is digital discovery for the discerning.

Designers can now specify with confidence, knowing every piece has been reviewed not just for quality, but for its relevance to a global luxury aesthetic — timeless, tasteful, and tailored.

2. One Platform. Many Possibilities. No Chaos.

For architects and studios managing multi-million-rupee projects across continents, time is not just money — it is brand equity. Lumeil’s platform integrates selection, coordination, and client approvals into one elegant interface.

Whether tagging a chandelier for a Mediterranean villa in Goa or shortlisting dimmable wall sconces for a penthouse in Mumbai, designers now work in a space that mirrors the elegance of their vision.

Live inventory visibility, premium supplier coordination, and personalized recommendations mean your time is spent designing — not chasing.

3. A Digital Concierge with a Designer’s Eye

What sets Lumeil apart is its understanding of who it serves. This is a brand that knows its clients fly first class, collect contemporary art, and treat interiors as legacy statements.

Behind every project dashboard is a team that blends tech fluency with impeccable design sensibility — offering advice, assistance, and alternatives that do not feel transactional, but tailored.

From supporting complex lighting schedules to ensuring white-glove delivery across India’s top postcodes, Lumeil offers the kind of proactive service usually reserved for haute couture maisons.

“We built Lumeil for the kind of clients and creators who do not compromise. Our goal is to offer a platform that is not just smart and seamless — but soulful. One where every product is a piece of art, and every order — personal.”
— Naman Jain, Co-Founder, Lumeil

Instamart Expands Home and Lifestyle with ‘Home Stop’ by Shoppers Stop in Key Metros

August 13, 2025: Strengthening its growing household and lifestyle portfolio, Instamart, India’s pioneering quick commerce platform, has partnered with Home Stop by Shoppers Stop, offering premium crockery, serveware, home décor, and furnishings. With this collaboration, Instamart becomes the first quick commerce platform to offer over 100 curated Home Stop products for discerning online shoppers. The platform will enable 10-minute delivery of a wide range of products across stores in Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Gurgaon.

The launch features a curated range of products spanning linen and furnishings, home décor, dinnerware, serveware, and kitchen storage. Offerings include artisanal candle holders, modern serveware, Buddha figurines, jharokha t-light holders, and other items designed to enhance everyday living.

Sharing insights on quick commerce’s expanding role beyond groceries and essentials, Manender Kaushik, AVP & Category Head – Instamart, shared, “Since the launch of the Home & Lifestyle category on Instamart, we’ve witnessed robust growth in the segment. This signals that quick commerce has evolved from a simple grocery delivery service into a more sophisticated marketplace encompassing larger and diverse categories. Traditionally, home and furnishings were planned purchases; however, today, the needs of Indian online shoppers are rapidly evolving. By closely understanding consumer preferences, we have prioritized expanding our assortment of lifestyle products. Our partnership with Home Stop marks a significant step towards making curated home décor and furnishings accessible to shoppers within minutes.”

Speaking on the collaboration, Mr. Kavindra Mishra, MD & CEO, Shoppers Stop, said: “Home Stop offers a curated selection of contemporary, classic, and innovative home solutions that blend quality, style, and value. It’s a one-stop destination for everything from bed and bath to living, dining, and kitchen, thoughtfully curated to help our customers build homes that truly reflect their personality. This partnership with Instamart marks a significant step in making the Home Stop experience instantly accessible through the power of quick commerce, allowing us to meet our customers at their doorstep, quickly and effortlessly. Together, we’re reimagining how modern India discovers and shops for premium home living.”

Instamart’s entry into the home and lifestyle segment started with essentials such as pillows, blankets, and décor accents, which quickly gained popularity. In 2023, items like blankets ranked among the most searched on the platform. Since then, the lifestyle range has expanded considerably, now offering thousands of curated products across home décor, furnishings, serveware, and storage.

Instamart is now live across 127+ cities, offering lightning-fast 10-minute delivery and an expanded assortment through new megapods that stock up to 50,000 SKUs. The platform also recently introduced Maxxsaver, a feature designed to unlock maximum savings and support more planned, affordable purchases for users across India.

Saint-Gobain Begins Construction of New Float Glass and Insulation Lines in Chennai

Saint-Gobain today announced the commencement of construction of its 7^th float glass line and 5^th mineral wool insulation line in Oragadam,Chennai. This expansion marks a significant milestone, reinforcing the Group’s strategic commitment to strengthen local manufacturing capabilities and grow in the Indian market.

The new float glass facility will have a production capacity of 1,000 tonnes per day, significantly boosting Saint-Gobain’s ability to meet the growing demand for high value-added glass in the construction market. Aligned with Saint-Gobain’s global sustainability goals, the new float line is designed to minimize energy consumption and environmental impact, while integrating advanced digital capabilities for operational excellence and superior product quality.

Following the acquisition of Rockwool India (Rockinsul) and UP Twiga (Twigainsul), Saint-Gobain has rapidly expanded its insulation business in India.  The 5^th mineral wool insulation plant will be its largest investment in Asia-Pacific, with a production capacity of 50,000 tonnes. This near net-zero carbon facility will serve the growing insulation needs in building construction across India and feature the latest digital and engineering innovations to deliver superior insulation solutions for the growing Indian market.

Speaking on the occasion, Sreedhar N., Senior Vice-President and CEO – Asia Pacific and India, said, “Saint-Gobain is uniquely positioned to serve the Indian construction market with a comprehensive portfolio of solutions that are both light and sustainable. Our commitment to local manufacturing, coupled with state-of-the-art facilities, including a dedicated R&D centre, empowers us to adapt our solutions to the evolving needs of our customers. The two new investments, leveraging advanced engineering and industry 4.0 technologies, will further enhance our ability to deliver high-performance and differentiated solutions to our customers, aligning seamlessly with our commitment to innovation and excellence.”

The Oragadam site is poised to become Saint-Gobain’s largest multi-business manufacturing hub that will house facilities for float glass, mineral wool insulation, gypsum plasterboards, plasters and acoustic ceilings.

AU Small Finance Bank strengthens Business Banking footprint in Delhi-NCR with new branches in Karol Bagh, Chandni Chowk, and Gurgaon

New Delhi, August 13, 2025: AU Small Finance Bank (AU SFB), India’s largest Small Finance Bank, has transformed branches in key strategic locations into dedicated Business Banking Branches, including three in the Delhi-NCR region Karol Bagh, Chandni Chowk, and Sohna Road (Gurgaon). This initiative reflects the Bank’s deepened focus on SMEs and service-led enterprises, helping meet their evolving financial needs through personalized and digital-first services.

Each of these locations is a recognized commercial hotspot – Karol Bagh for its textile and retail trade, Chandni Chowk for its heritage markets, and Sohna Road in Gurgaon for its growing base of startups and SMEs making them ideal for AU SFB’s relationship-centric business banking model.

The Karol Bagh, Chandni Chowk and Sohna Road branches were inaugurated by Mr. Rao Narbir Singh, Hon’ble Minister of Foreign Cooperation, Haryana; Mr. Kunal Kohli, President, BJP (Cultural Cell); Mr. Dharam Pal Arora, President, Karol Bagh Wholesale Shoes Market Association; Mr. Rajesh Arora, President, Delhi Scooter Market Association; Mr. Brijesh Goyal, Chairman, Chamber of Trade & Industry, Delhi; Mr. Mukesh Sachdeva, Chairman, Delhi Hindustani Mercantile Association, along with senior officials from AU SFB.

These branches are designed to be a one-stop shop for comprehensive business banking services, enabling efficient and speedy financial management, including loans, credit lines, business accounts, trade services, payments and collections services, investment advice, payroll and vendor management services. The Bank’s dedicated relationship managers will provide personalized support to every customer, fostering business growth and development.

Key offerings at AU SFB’s Business Banking branches include:

• • Current Accounts
  • Payments and Collections Solutions
  • Trade & Forex Solutions
  • Business Lending & Working Capital Finance

• Digital Banking
• Supply Chain & Vendor Financing
• Relationship Management & Advisory Services

Mr. Uttam Tibrewal, Executive Director & Deputy CEO, AU Small Finance Bank, said, “With the launch of our Business Banking Branches in Karol Bagh, Chandni Chowk, and Sohna Road, we’re strengthening our commitment to Delhi-NCR’s thriving SME ecosystem. These key commercial hubs deserve tailored financial solutions backed by deep relationships and digital efficiency and that’s exactly what AU stands for. Our goal is to empower every business with the tools and support they need to grow confidently.”

With over 2,505 banking touchpoints across India, AU SFB continues to expand its presence in Delhi-NCR, offering inclusive, flexible, and business-centric banking solutions.