15, Jan 2026
Independent Creative Agency Motley Launches ‘Cards Against Advertising’, a Satirical Take on Agency Culture
Mumbai, Jan 15 : Mumbai-Based independent creative agency Motley has launched Cards Against Advertising, a parody party card game that reveals industry truths while giving people a healthier way to process them. The game comprises 150 cards that reflect the chaos, clichés, and some toxic truths of the advertising world, using humour as a lens to examine its work culture.
Inspired by the format of Cards Against Humanity, the game has been developed under Motley Orgnls, the agency’s internal initiative that supports crew-led creative projects. Positioned as both satire and commentary, Cards Against Advertising reflects shared experiences across advertising, marketing and creative services.
Advertising remains one of the most influential industries globally, while also being frequently associated with long hours, high pressure and cultural burnout. Many professionals enter the field driven by ambition and creative energy, only to encounter challenges that are rarely acknowledged openly. The game was conceived as a way to recognise these shared experiences and create a space for reflection through humour, rather than critique or instruction.
“This is more than just a game; it is a unique advertising-specific party experience,” said Priyanka Surve, Founding Partner and Creative Head at Motley. “It’s a product designed by people who work in the industry, for people who live its realities every day.”
The project reflects Motley’s broader approach to workplace culture and creative ownership. Unlike traditional internal initiatives, Cards Against Advertising emerged through Motley Orgnls, which allows its crew members to propose independent creative ideas. Selected projects receive production support from the agency, with profits shared with the creators over time.
“In an industry driven by ideas, it’s important that creative ownership extends beyond client work,” said Jason Menezes, Founding Partner and Business Head at Motley. “Motley Orgnls exists because creativity shouldn’t just earn a salary – it should build equity, ownership, and pride.”
The content of the cards has been written by professionals across roles, including creatives, strategists, account managers, and interns. The scenarios referenced draw from common industry moments – late-stage presentation changes, internal alignment calls, pitch pressures, workplace jargon and informal conversations that often happen outside official forums. The intent is to create a space to release toxicity harmlessly, collectively, and humorously.
Designed for groups ranging from small teams to large gatherings, the game is aimed at anyone who has worked within the creative ecosystem, including agency professionals, former agency employees and clients with a self-aware understanding of the industry. Gameplay typically runs between 30 and 90 minutes and is intended for players aged 18 and above. Expansion packs focusing on Copywriters, Designers, Social Media and more are planned for the future.
The card game comes amid ongoing conversations within the advertising industry around burnout, mental health and sustainable work cultures. While Cards Against Advertising does not position itself as a solution, it seeks to offer a shared, light-hearted way to acknowledge collective experiences through humour and self-reflection.
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- By Neel Achary
15, Jan 2026
Gita-Inspired Needonomics Emerges as a New Paradigm for Teaching Excellence at MH-MMTTC, Hansraj College
New Delhi, Jan 15: Gita-inspired Needonomics is emerging as a transformative paradigm for teaching excellence and ethical education, said Prof. Madan Mohan Goel, Propounder of the Needonomics School of Thought, three-time Vice-Chancellor, and superannuated Professor of Kurukshetra University, during a Faculty Induction Programme (FIP) held at Mahatma Hansraj Malaviya Mission Teacher Training Centre (MH-MMTTC), Hansraj College, in collaboration with Miranda House, University of Delhi.
Prof. Goel delivered two insightful lectures on “Excellence Models for Teachers in a Changing Economic Scenario” and “Indian Knowledge System: Relevance of Gita-Guided Needonomics and Anu-Gita.” The programme was presided over by Dr. Ashutosh Yadav, Director, MH-MMTTC.
Welcoming the participants, Dr. Ritu Pandey, Coordinator of the FIP, delivered the opening address and presented a citation highlighting Prof. Goel’s distinguished academic journey and significant leadership contributions to higher education.
Drawing from the Bhagavad Gita, Prof. Goel emphasized that a truly wise person is one who “sees inaction in action and action in inaction,” remaining free from ego, attachment, and the fruits of action. He stressed that educators must cultivate humility, balance, and sensitivity while remaining street SMART—Simple, Moral, Action-oriented, Responsive, and Transparent.
Explaining the core philosophy of Needonomics, Prof. Goel highlighted the restoration of the natural sequence outlined in the Hitopadeśa—knowledge leading to humility, humility to worthiness, worthiness to wealth, wealth to dharma, and dharma to happiness. He noted that education must go beyond earning a livelihood to making life meaningful and fulfilling.
“The real genius,” he observed, “is one who can correctly differentiate what ought to be done from what should not be done.” He added that an average individual guided by values is far superior to a so-called genius who causes harm to others.
Prof. Goel further elaborated on Gita-guided Needonomics as a human-centric, ethical, environmentally friendly, and spiritually rooted approach. Citing the LIC of India motto “Yogakshemam Vahamyaham” (Gita 9.22), he explained that Needonomics promotes common sense economics focused on sustainable happiness and societal well-being.
The session resonated strongly with participating faculty members, reinforcing the relevance of Indian Knowledge Systems in shaping value-driven, responsible educators for a rapidly changing world.
15, Jan 2026
Mindbowser Scales Healthcare Innovation Engine with 6X Growth, Sets 2026 Expansion in Motion
Leading healthtech consulting company, Mindbowser, today announced its strong multi-year performance, driven by rising global demand for clinically guided, AI-driven healthcare solutions. Over the last three years, the company has significantly strengthened its market presence, doubling its revenue and achieving a six-fold expansion of its healthcare customer base. This growth confirms its status as the preferred partner for organizations seeking scalable and secure solutions that integrate both strong engineering capabilities and crucial clinical expertise.
This performance comes at a time when healthcare providers, payers, and health-tech innovators worldwide are accelerating digital transformation and investing in interoperable, compliant, and AI-driven platforms. Mindbowser has benefited from this shift, with more companies seeking engineering partners that can bridge clinical workflows, data security, and modern technology stacks.
To support this scale, Mindbowser recently moved into a new 500+ seater facility in Pune preparing for its next phase of growth. The space includes R&D and AI labs, training zones, and an innovation center for clients, expanding the company’s capacity to handle larger and more complex digital health programs.
Mindbowser Deepens AWS Partnership with Launch of EHRConnect on Marketplace. EHRConnect is a zero-code, HIPAA-ready integration platform designed to help health systems, digital health companies, payers, labs, and wearable-tech providers exchange clinical data in hours instead of months. Because the platform is deployed entirely inside a customer’s AWS environment, all PHI stays within their own AWS account, offering complete privacy, faster deployments, and 60–70% cost savings right out of the gate.
“Our growth is a reflection of what the industry is asking for solutions that are clinically sound, secure, and built to work in the real world,” said Ayush Jain, Founder and CEO, Mindbowser. “The last few years have shown us that healthcare companies want partners who understand both domain and technology. With our expanded leadership and engineering depth, we’re building the foundation for the next decade of healthcare innovation.”
Looking ahead, Mindbowser plans to deepen its presence in the United States, grow its interoperability and AI business, and strengthen its delivery and clinical leadership teams. With this trajectory, the company is targeting a fourfold increase in revenue by 2026 and a team of more than 250 specialists focused primarily on the U.S. healthcare market.
15, Jan 2026
The Minimalist Backs Regional Influencers to Drive Digital Growth
The Minimalist Champions Regional Influencer Marketing as the Future of Brand Growth on YouTube and Meta in India
Mumbai, Jan 15: As brands rethink how they connect with audiences in an increasingly fragmented digital ecosystem, The Minimalist- an integrated creative agency with offices in Mumbai and Delhi- has been building region-first culture-led creator strategies for consumer brands across India.. This approach, the agency says, is already driving stronger engagement, higher stickiness and better platform performance across YouTube and Meta.
According to the data derived by the Minimalist’s recent hyperlocal campaigns, the sharpest performance gains on YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels today are coming from creators who speak one city, one language and one lived truth, rather than generic pan-India messaging.
“One-size-fits-all influencer marketing worked when discovery was new. Today, it feels predictable and easy to scroll past,” says Sahil Vaidya, co-founder of The Minimalist. He adds, “Audiences now reward familiarity, cultural relevance and creators who genuinely reflect their everyday lives.”
Moving Beyond Broadcast-Style Influencer Marketing
The Minimalist has seen this shift play out across multiple digital campaigns, including a monsoon-led campaign for CEAT executed with regional influencers across Bangalore, Hyderabad and Kochi that garnered over 1.3M average views and 2.4% engagement, outperforming pan-India creator benchmarks by prioritising cultural relevance over scale.
That cultural resonance was most visible during Eveready’s Durga Puja campaign in Kolkata, where collaborating with city based creators led to authentic connection and stronger audience appeal.
“These weren’t translated ideas. They were locally imagined ones, and that’s what stuck” the agency noted.
On Instagram and other Meta platforms, The Minimalist has observed that performance is increasingly tied to quality of engagement over scale—an advantage regional creators consistently deliver.
“India isn’t one feed. It’s thousands of micro-cultures living side by side,” adds Sahil Vaidya. “The brands that win will be the ones that respect that reality and build presence within communities, not just impressions around them.”
The Minimalist works with a dynamic portfolio of consumer brands including Parle, Birla Estates, CEAT, Eveready, among others, delivering culture-first influencer and content campaigns that balance strategic rigour, platform understanding and creative instinct.
15, Jan 2026
Hexnode Marks its Move into Endpoint Security with Hexnode XDR
Delhi, India, Jan 15: Hexnode, the enterprise software division of Mitsogo, announced the release of Hexnode XDR, its extended detection and response platform, reinforcing its commitment to helping Indian organisations strengthen their cybersecurity posture.
Indian organisations continue to see a sharp rise in cyber threat volumes as they scale operations across cloud platforms and diverse endpoint environments. Recent research indicates that over 265 million cyberattack attempts were recorded in India, underscoring the sustained pressure on security teams to detect and respond to threats effectively.
“You can’t expect an enterprise to stay resilient if IT and security aren’t aligned. That separation has been a long-standing weak spot. Hexnode XDR bridges the divide by unifying endpoint data, deeper context, and powerful response tools. The result? IT teams can finally anticipate threats and act with certainty,” said Apu Pavithran, CEO and Founder of Hexnode.
Security Simplified for IT Admins
Hexnode XDR reimagines the XDR experience with usability at its core. Its clean, structured dashboard unifies endpoints, alerts and vulnerabilities into a single view, simplifying how IT teams assess and respond to threats.
Key Features Include:
- Unified Incident Visibility: Real-time overview of threats, alerts, and vulnerable devices, helping IT admins assess their security posture quickly.
- Automated Correlation: Collect and analyze signals across endpoints to uncover malicious activity, supported by severity levels, device impact, and threat lifecycle logs.
- Contextualized Alerts: Alerts enriched with device and policy insights for focused response decisions.
- One-Click Remediation: Instant coordinated response to kill processes, quarantine or delete files, and isolate devices for swift threat containment.
- Complete Audit Trail: Searchable and exportable logs of threats, actions and system events, preserving full traceability for efficient analysis and compliance.
By emphasizing clarity and automation, Hexnode XDR helps IT teams respond to threats faster and with greater certainty.
Unified Security and Endpoint Management Under One Ecosystem
Hexnode XDR integrates seamlessly with Hexnode UEM, creating a single connected environment for endpoint management and security. This unified approach reduces tool sprawl and shortens response time.
Integration Highlights:
- Effortless Setup: Extends protection from existing Unified Endpoint Management (UEM) environments with minimal configuration.
- Centralized Control: Manage devices, monitor threats, and enforce policies from one intuitive interface.
- Real-Time Feedback Loop: XDR insights flow directly into Hexnode UEM for consistent device and security visibility.
- Familiar Workflows: Built on the same design principles as Hexnode UEM to ensure quick adoption.
- Future-Ready Scalability: Scales with workforce growth, cloud adoption, and hybrid work models.
This synergy enables organizations to manage, secure, and respond all within a single, cohesive platform.
Built for What’s Next
Hexnode XDR is engineered to evolve into a fully advanced XDR platform that adapts to growing enterprise security demands.
Upcoming features include:
- Broader Endpoint Coverage: Support for macOS, Linux and mobile devices alongside Windows.
- Third-Party UEM Integration: Compatibility with external UEMs, allowing organizations to leverage Hexnode XDR without replacing existing tools.
- Actionable Security Prompts: Suggests timely security actions, enables one-click setup through pre-filled UEM policies, and tracks impact to refine future recommendations.
- Hexnode Genie AI support: An intelligence layer that powers guided troubleshooting and quick chat-based responses to admin queries.
- Intelligent Threat Response: Automated threat remediation and technician assignment for faster containment.
- Application Vulnerability Insights: Visibility into system and user-installed apps, with alerts to help IT teams identify risky software.
Hexnode XDR equips organizations of all sizes, offering simplified threat management for SMBs and full-scale orchestration through UEM integration for enterprises.
15, Jan 2026
Jaro Education and Delhi Technological University announceda collaboration to launch industry-focused online degree programs and strengthen workforce upskilling
New Delhi, Jan 15: Jaro Education, a publicly listed company and one of India’s leading EdTech players in higher education and upskilling company, has announced a collaboration with Delhi Technological University (DTU), one of India’s premier engineering and technology institutions, ranked 30th in Engineering by NIRF 2025.The two entities have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to launch industry-relevant online degreeprograms, particularly in technology-driven domains, aimed at empowering learnersand enhancing the nation’s talent ecosystem.
Through this collaboration, Jaro Education and DTU plan to democratize access to high-quality higher education by offering flexible, modular, and digitally enabled degreeprograms that combine DTU’s academic excellence with Jaro’s deep expertise in learner outreach and technology-enabled delivery. These programs will cater to the growing need for tech-focused upskilling and create future-ready professionals aligned with evolving industry requirements.
Ranjita Raman, Chief Executive Officer, Jaro Education, said: “India’s growth story will be shaped by how effectively higher education responds to the needs of a changing workforce. Today, many capable learners are ready to advance but remain constrained by geography and rigid academic formats. This collaboration with Delhi Technological University addresses that challenge. DTU offers strong academic foundations in technology, and Jaro specialises in translating that excellence into accessible, industry-aligned online programs. Together, we are creating meaningful pathways that serves learners, meets industry needs, and aligns with the National Education Policy”.
Prof. S. Indu, Dean of Delhi Technological University, added: “DTU is committed to expanding its reach and impact by developing programs that respond to the evolving needs of industry and society. Partnering with Jaro Education allows us to offer our academic excellence to a wider audience and promote lifelong learning opportunities that foster innovation and employability.”
This collaboration reinforces both institutions shared vision of leveraging edtech innovation to scale quality education, promote industry-academia synergy, and upskill the Indian workforce for the digital economy.
13, Jan 2026
V-Guard’s In-House Manufactured Induction Cooktop Becomes India’s First to Earn 5-Star BEE Rating
V-Guard Industries Limited, India’s leading consumer electrical and electronics brand, has achieved a landmark milestone with its Induction Cooktop Model VIC06V1 becoming India’s first induction cooktop to receive a 5-Star energy efficiency rating from the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE).
The recognition underscores V-Guard’s commitment to energy-efficient innovation, in-house manufacturing excellence, and uncompromising quality standards. The VIC06V1 induction cooktop is designed and manufactured at V-Guard’s state-of-the-art Perundurai facility, reinforcing the brand’s focus on indigenous design. Furthermore, the model has been engineered to deliver faster, cleaner and more environment-friendly cooking while helping consumers reduce electricity consumption without compromising on performance or convenience.
The VIC06V1 (5-Star BEE Rated) induction cooktop delivers a maximum power output of 1600 W and features eight power and temperature levels with eight preset cooking modes,
enabling versatile and efficient everyday cooking. The soft-touch switch controls and easy-to-read digital display are complemented by a 4-hour timer, 24-hour preset function, and energy and voltage indicators for seamless monitoring and operation.
Designed with safety and reliability at its core, the cooktop is equipped with 3 kV surge protection, high–low voltage cut-off, and BIS certification. The Grade A crystalline glass panel ensures durability and a premium finish, while its lightweight design and wide working range support fast, efficient cooking. The product comes with a 1-year product warranty and a 3-year warranty on the induction coil, offering enhanced peace of mind to consumers.
Commenting on the achievement, Mr. Mithun Chittilappilly, Managing Director, V-Guard Industries Ltd., said,
“The recognition reflects our strong focus on in-house design, manufacturing excellence, quality standards, and energy-efficient innovation. This milestone sets a new industry benchmark and further reinforces V-Guard’s leadership in energy-efficient home appliances.”
With this significant achievement, V-Guard’s VIC06V1 sets a new benchmark for the induction cooking category in India, reaffirming the company’s role as a pioneer in delivering sustainable, high-performance kitchen appliances for modern Indian households.
13, Jan 2026
Step Into the Upside Down: Samsung and Netflix Offer Exclusive ‘Stranger Things’ Theme for Galaxy
As the door closes on “Stranger Things,” Samsung Electronics and Netflix are giving fans a chance to celebrate the final season of the iconic show that has shaped pop culture for nearly a decade. Starting Jan. 12, Samsung Galaxy users in 186 countries can download an exclusive “Stranger Things” theme and wallpapers via Galaxy Store — available at no additional cost for a limited time to those who download or launch the Netflix app.
Iconic Imagery From a Cultural Phenomenon
Since its debut in 2016, “Stranger Things” has been one of the defining titles behind Netflix’s rise as the world’s leading entertainment service. The series became a global megahit, driving viewership and conversation across regions and generations. Following the release of Season 5, Part 1 on Nov. 27, 2025, it ranked No. 1 in 91 countries and recorded 59.6 million views in its first five days, marking the strongest opening performance for an English-language series on Netflix to date. It also became the first series in Netflix history to place all five seasons in the Global Top 10 at the same time, holding that record for five consecutive weeks. All episodes from the final season are now streaming globally, only on Netflix.
Samsung’s exclusive content inspired by Season 5 builds on that momentum. Available from Jan. 12 through Feb. 22, the collection includes a special theme and five wallpapers featuring live-action characters and settings from the show, including Hawkins and the Upside Down. Reflecting the unique atmosphere of the show, the visuals allow fans to bring elements of the series into their everyday lives.
A Long-Standing Partnership Celebrating Great Storytelling
Samsung and Netflix have a long-running partnership, bringing compelling, high-quality content inspired by some of the world’s best-loved shows. The latest collaboration follows their recent partnership to offer special themes for the worldwide hit film “KPop Demon Hunters,” while the companies previously worked together to celebrate the launch of Season 4 of “Stranger Things.”
13, Jan 2026
PHDCCI Women Entrepreneurs Share Key Inputs at Haryana Vision 2047 Meet
Women Entrepreneurs of PHDCCI Present Visionary Recommendations at Haryana Pre-Budget Consultation on “Haryana Vision 2047”
Gurugram, Jan 13: Chief Minister of Haryana, Shri Nayab Singh Saini ji, invited women entrepreneurs to participate in the Pre-Budget Consultation Session on “Haryana Vision 2047”, held in Gurugram on 12 January 2026. The consultation aimed at incorporating stakeholder inputs to shape an inclusive, future-ready, and sustainable economic roadmap for the State.
A delegation of women entrepreneurs led by PHDCCI Women Entrepreneurs, along with COWE Haryana, IamSMEofIndia, and women entrepreneurs from diverse sectors, actively participated in the session and shared key challenges, aspirations, and policy recommendations.
The delegation emphasized that women entrepreneurs today do not wish to remain confined to the startup ecosystem alone. Instead, they aspire to build and scale large enterprises, contribute meaningfully to industrial growth, and generate substantial employment, positioning women as key drivers of Haryana’s economic transformation.
Key Issues and Policy Suggestions Presented
- Identification of Priority Industries & Services for Women
The delegation recommended identifying specific industries and service sectors where women entrepreneurs can be given preference through targeted subsidies, incentives, and policy support to enable participation and scaling of women-led enterprises. - State-wide Micro Business Program for Self-Employment
A proposal was made to launch a State-wide Micro Business Program to promote self-employment among grassroots-level innovators, particularly women, through structured training, seed funding, mentoring, and assured market linkages. - Centre of Excellence for Women in Emerging Technologies
The delegation suggested establishing a Centre of Excellence for Women focusing on emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), electronics, and deep-tech. The centre would provide hands-on training, incubation, and industry exposure, especially for women from polytechnics and women-focused degree colleges. - Scholarships for Women in Higher Education
Dedicated scholarships were proposed to support women pursuing higher education, advanced technical skills, and leadership development, particularly in STEM and future-ready disciplines. - State-wide Public Awareness & Mindset Shift Campaigns
The need for large-scale public awareness campaigns was highlighted to encourage women’s education and employment, especially in Tier-3 and Tier-4 cities, addressing social barriers and fostering family and community support. - Centre of Entrepreneurship & Shared Facilities
The delegation recommended setting up Centres of Entrepreneurship and Innovation with shared infrastructure and common facilities to support women entrepreneurs in technology development and scalable production. - Women Entrepreneurs as a Bridge between SHGs and Markets
Women entrepreneurs should be enabled to act as a bridge between Self-Help Groups (SHGs) and markets, ensuring market-driven training, demand-linked production, and sustainable livelihoods. - End-to-End, Market-Linked Support with Impact Measurement
The delegation called for end-to-end support covering training, product development, certification, branding, logistics, finance, and market access, backed by clear impact measurement indicators. - Access to Markets, Exports & Procurement
Dedicated export facilitation mechanisms were proposed for women entrepreneurs, including buyer–seller meets, compliance assistance, and international market access. - Public Procurement from Women Entrepreneurs
Strict implementation of the 3% public procurement mandatefor women entrepreneurs by State Departments, PSUs, and State Bodies was strongly emphasized. - Tax Incentives to Encourage Market Adoption
The delegation recommended tax incentives on purchases made from women-led enterprises and SHG-linked initiatives to stimulate private sector demand. - Workplace Health & Women-Centric Welfare Measures
Introduction of workplace health schemes, including free cancer screening and preventive healthcare services for women, was proposed to ensure workforce well-being. - Policy Mandate, Convergence & Accountability
The delegation stressed the need to make these initiatives mandatory, ensure inter-departmental convergence, and establish robust monitoring and impact assessment frameworks. - Increasing Green Cover through SHGs and FPOs
To address pollution and promote sustainability, SHGs and Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) should be encouraged to undertake plantation of trees and economically viable crops, linking environmental goals with livelihood generation. - Incubation Centres with Co-Manufacturing Facilities
Establishment of incubation centres with co-manufacturing facilities was proposed, offering shared production infrastructure, mentoring on manufacturing, quality control, branding, and marketing, in collaboration with institutions such as NIFT and leading designers. - Simplified Access to Funds and Grants for Women Entrepreneurs
The delegation highlighted the urgent need for easy, transparent, and fast-track access to finance through state-level funds, grants, credit guarantees, interest subvention, and single-window facilitation.
The women entrepreneurs expressed their appreciation to the Hon’ble Chief Minister and the Government of Haryana for providing an inclusive platform and reaffirmed their commitment to partnering with the State in achieving the vision of Haryana Vision 2047—a progressive, equitable, and women-led economic future.
13, Jan 2026
Zee 24 Ghanta launches ‘24 Ghanta Dekhun Prize Jitun’ with daily and weekly rewards
Zee 24 Ghanta has announced the launch of its new viewer engagement contest, ‘24 Ghanta Dekhun Prize Jitun’ (Watch 24 Ghanta & Win Prizes), beginning today. The initiative has been designed to recognise and reward viewers who stay connected with the channel’s daily news coverage.
With audiences increasingly engaging with news across multiple touchpoints, 24 Ghanta Dekhun Prize Jitun adds an interactive layer to regular news viewing, encouraging viewers to participate while following the channel’s programming.
Five winners will be selected every day and will receive Amazon voucher. In addition, one weekly winner will be selected through a lucky draw, and the bumper prize will be awarded to both the winner and the associated Local Cable Operator (LCO). All the winners will be announced the next day across Zee 24 Ghanta’s linear and digital platforms.
Commenting on the initiative, Pew Roy, Deputy Editor, Zee 24 Ghanta, said,
“This initiative is a structured way to encourage viewers to engage more closely with our daily programming, while continuing to focus on news that is relevant, timely, and credible. At Zee 24 Ghanta, we believe trust is built through consistency and relevance, and 24 Ghanta Dekhun Prize Jitun is designed to keep viewers connected with the news they rely on every day, while upholding the standards of credibility that define our journalism.”
Through 24 Ghanta Dekhun Prize Jitun, Zee 24 Ghanta continues to explore formats that strengthen viewer participation while remaining anchored in its news-led approach.
