4, Feb 2026
Aludecor Launches Largest Free Testing Initiative in Façade Products to Elevate ACP Fabrication and Fire Safety
Feb 04: Aludecor one of the country’s leading façade products manufacturers, has announced the launch of a voluntary, free, open-to-all material testing initiative in the aluminium composite panel (ACP) industry, the largest such programme in the B2B space, reaffirming its long-standing commitment to promoting the use of the right materials for the right applications. The initiative is aimed at strengthening material transparency, improving on-site accountability, and addressing industry-wide concerns around fire safety and product performance, all of which are critical to the growth of the industry and the community of fabricators, architects, and builders. ACP is widely used for cladding the facades and interiors of commercial, healthcare, hospitality, and residential buildings.
The campaign holds particular significance for tier 2 cities in north India, a key and high-growth ACP market, where Aludecor has maintained strong, long-term relationships with fabricators across residential, commercial and infrastructure projects. As the market expands and project complexity increases, the company sees transparent material testing as a critical enabler for protecting fabricator, architect and builder interests and ensuring safer built environments.
“Fabricators play a critical role in the ACP value chain, and it is essential that they are supported with credible, transparent testing mechanisms. When a product fails, they are the first to face blame. At the same time, it’s a big pain point for architects and builders as well. With repeated fire incidents, testing and traceability have become an industry concern, not a brand issue,” said Saurav Kabra, Director – Sales, Aludecor Lamination Pvt. Ltd. “By opening our NABL-accredited in-house FR testing facilities to the entire ACP industry, free of cost and in a brand-blind manner, we are encouraging informed, responsible material choices. This initiative is about protecting reputations, reducing risk, and ultimately saving lives.”
As part of the initiative, Aludecor has opened its fully equipped in-house R&D centre housing the only NABL-accredited reaction-to-fire testing facilities by an ACP manufacturer, to all ACP brands at no cost. Samples are to be collected directly from supplied-at-site materials, ensuring alignment between tested products and installed materials. All testing is conducted in a brand-blind and anonymised format, with no disclosure of brand, customer or project details to the testing team, ensuring complete neutrality and credibility.
The initiative builds on Aludecor’s established quality framework, under which its ACPs are validated through a comprehensive matrix of over 205 mandatory quality and performance tests covering durability, colour stability, fire resistance and long-term structural integrity. By extending access to its testing infrastructure, the company is positioning testing as a shared industry responsibility rather than a brand-led exercise.
Over the past 12+ years, Aludecor has undertaken pan-India knowledge development and skill enhancement programmes, benefitting over 3 lakh fabricators. This initiative is a natural progression of that engagement, inviting fabricators in Lucknow and across the country to participate in a transparent, voluntary testing movement focused on safety, credibility and long-term industry value.
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- By Neel Achary
4, Feb 2026
Union Budget 2026 Boosts Manufacturing Confidence with Focus on Execution, Technology and Ease of Doing Business
Mr. Kunal Bajaj, Director, Jupiter Group.
“The Union Budget 2026 sends a strong and reassuring signal to India’s manufacturing sector by moving decisively from intent to execution. Continued public capital expenditure, tax reforms to boost manufacturing, and measures such as customs duty rationalisation, deferred duty payment for trusted manufacturers, and supply-chain facilitation directly improve ease of doing business on the factory floor. For packaging manufacturers, the broader emphasis on high-value manufacturing and revitalisation of legacy industrial clusters strengthens domestic capacity and global competitiveness. The Budget’s push towards technology adoption, including AI-led manufacturing processes, will help improve productivity, quality, and operational efficiency. Sustaining GDP growth at around 7% while maintaining fiscal discipline provides the policy stability entrepreneurs value most, reinforcing confidence to invest, expand capacities, and build resilient, India-anchored value chains aligned with Make in India and Viksit Bharat”
4, Feb 2026
Hexnode Strengthens Endpoint Management in India with Enhanced Genie AI
Chennai, Feb 04: Hexnode today announced a significant upgrade to Hexnode GenieAI, its AI-powered assistant built to simplify and accelerate endpoint management. The enhanced Genie AI introduces a conversational interface within the Hexnode Unified Endpoint Management (UEM) console, allowing IT teams to retrieve real-time device insights, execute commands, and automate troubleshooting using natural language interactions.
This upgrade marks a fundamental shift in how IT administrators interact with enterprise device ecosystems—enabling faster decision-making, streamlined execution, and more responsive endpoint management across large-scale environments.
Chat with Genie AI: Instant Insights, Reduced IT Fatigue
Traditional device management often requires navigating multiple dashboards and complex filters to locate critical information—especially during urgent troubleshooting scenarios. Hexnode GenieAI eliminates this friction by integrating directly with live device inventory, enabling administrators to query their device fleet conversationally and receive instant, context-aware insights.
By replacing manual navigation with natural language interaction, Genie significantly reduces dashboard fatigue and accelerates issue discovery, allowing IT teams to focus on resolution rather than investigation.
Fix It with Genie AI: Intelligent Troubleshooting and Automated Remediation
Beyond delivering insights, Hexnode GenieAI introduces a new level of operational intelligence. IT teams can now initiate device management actions using simple, natural-language commands, reducing dependency on manual workflows.
When actions fail or unexpected issues occur, Genie rapidly identifies root causes and provides clear, actionable remediation guidance. Administrators can apply recommended fixes directly from the Genie interface, minimizing manual effort, shortening resolution times, and reducing the need for support escalation.
Script with Genie: Simplified Command Execution Across Platforms
Enhancing its operational capabilities further, Genie AI now includes a scripting terminal interface for Windows, Linux, and macOS devices. This dedicated channel allows administrators to execute custom commands directly, offering a streamlined and intuitive approach to scripting and cross-platform management.
Leadership Perspective
Commenting on the announcement, Apu Pavithran, CEO and Founder of Hexnode, said:
“This marks an important milestone in our journey toward an intelligent, AI-driven UEM. By expanding Genie beyond device-centric actions, we’re enabling a more intuitive and responsive way for IT teams to operate. Our focus is on building a system that understands context and actively assists teams in day-to-day endpoint operations.”
What’s Next
Looking ahead, Hexnode plans to extend Hexnode GenieAI to its Hexnode XDR platform, bringing the same conversational intelligence and automation to advanced threat detection and security operations—further strengthening enterprise security and operational resilience.
4, Feb 2026
Kingfisher, JioHotstar Launch ‘Good Times Hangout’ for TATA WPL
Kingfisher Premium Packaged Drinking Water and JioHotstar Launch ‘Kingfisher Good Times Hangout’ for TATA WPL
Feb 04: Kingfisher Premium Packaged Drinking Water has partnered with JioHotstar to introduce Kingfisher Good Times Hangout, a first-of-its-kind live viewing experience designed to make cricket watching more social, interactive, and entertaining.
The exclusive content feed will go live on the JioHotstar platform during the TATA Women’s Premier League (WPL) Semi-Final on February 3 and the Final on February 5, starting 6:30 pm onwards, and will be available to viewers watching the matches live.
Kingfisher Good Times Hangout enhances the live match experience by blending real-time cricket commentary with humour, pop culture conversations, and interactive storytelling. The curated line-up brings together a diverse mix of cricket broadcasters, former cricketers, stand-up comedians, and popular entertainment and digital personalities. Featured names include Mantra, Sahiba Bali, Angad Singh Ranyal, Gurleen Pannu, Aakash Gupta, Harsh Gujral and Kullu, alongside seasoned cricket experts Aakash Chopra, Reema Malhotra and Veda Krishnamurthy—offering viewers a balance of match insights and light-hearted banter throughout the broadcast.
Commenting on the initiative, Vikram Bahl, Chief Marketing Officer, United Breweries Limited, said,
“Cricket has always been closely associated with togetherness and shared experiences, which strongly aligns with the ethos of our brand. With Good Times Hangout, our objective was to move beyond conventional engagements and add a differentiated layer to live cricket viewing by making it more social and interactive. Our collaboration with JioHotstar enables us to leverage technology to enhance engagement while staying true to the way fans naturally enjoy the game.”
Anup Govindan, Head – Sports Sales, JioStar, added,
“At JioStar, our focus is on constantly reimagining how fans experience live sports. The Kingfisher Good Times Hangout on JioHotstar demonstrates how brands can become an integral part of the viewing experience. By combining live cricket with culture, conversation, and community, this partnership introduces a new level of interactivity that resonates strongly with today’s audiences.”
By seamlessly integrating sport, entertainment, and technology, Kingfisher Good Times Hangout presents a differentiated approach to live cricket consumption while reinforcing Kingfisher Packaged Drinking Water’s long-standing association with fun, togetherness, and shared moments. Viewers can access the feed by selecting the Kingfisher Good Times Hangout option under the Audio & Subtitles tab while watching the live match on JioHotstar—adding a fresh, social dimension to the live sports experience.
4, Feb 2026
VISWAM.AI, SFLC.in Release Draft License to Protect Open-Source AI
VISWAM.AI and SFLC.in Release Draft License for Consultation Aimed at Safeguarding Open Source AI and Community Ownership
Hyderabad, Feb 04: VISWAM.AI (A Joint initiative of Swecha and IIIT Hyderabad), jointly with SFLC.in released the new Draft License for consultation aimed to address critical gaps in current open Source licenses, regarding data usage, attribution, and the definition of openness in the age of AI. This License Draft Release was announced at the roundtable event “Understanding Trust and Safety in AI: From Code to Creativity” stakeholder consultation held at IIIT Hyderabad, jointly by VISWAM.AI, SFLC.in, FOSS United and The Linux Foundation.
Various community initiatives for the publication of datasets for public use have gained traction, exemplified by the community model pioneered by VISWAM.AI and Swecha for Telugu datasets. Nonetheless, the absence of suitable licensing frameworks presents a risk that these datasets could be appropriated by large organisations without appropriate attribution or reciprocal contribution to the community. The consultation highlighted that existing open-source licenses are insufficient for AI. While they cover source code, they fail to protect the training data which is the fuel of modern AI, from appropriation by proprietary giants.
The Key Objectives of the Draft License:
Community Ownership and Reciprocity: The license is designed to prevent the extraction of community-generated data by large corporations without attribution, with the central tenet to ensure that the value generated from the community-owned contributions flows back to the community. This is based on the principles of copy-left licenses like GNU GPL which are popular in the field of software.
Verifiability: It introduces the concept that for an AI to be truly open, the data provenance must be verifiable to detect bias and ensure safety. If the dataset is biased, the “openness” of the source code alone is insufficient.
In the following days, VISWAM.AI and SFLC.in will be conducting a series of online and in-person public consultations to gain feedback on the draft of the license. The draft license for consultation is available at: https://discuss.sflc.in/d/SBNXHa9k/viswam-ai-data-set-license-draft-for-discussion
“The Free and Open Source Software movement has been one of the most successful collaborative efforts in history. However, the licenses that powered this movement like the GPL and Creative Commons were written for a world of copying and distribution. They were designed to answer: “Can I copy this code?” They were never built to answer: “Can I train a neural network on this culture?
Even in the internet era, “to train or not to train” was a context the pre-AI world never envisaged. We are releasing this Draft License for consultation to ensure proprietary models cannot simply appropriate our work without attribution. This paves the way for the release of community-contributed, crowdsourced datasets under a framework that guarantees community ownership and verifiability” said Kiran Chandra Yarlagadda, Center Head and Chief Technologist, VISWAM.AI, Founder, Swecha.
Prasanth Sugathan, Legal Director, SFLC.IN said “We need a license to ensure that the rights of creators are protected and big tech companies do not appropriate the work of individuals and the community without even attributing them.”
4, Feb 2026
United by Unique: A Call for Awareness and Early Action This World Cancer Day 2026
“Cancer care today is deeply personalised two patients with the same diagnosis may need very different treatments based on tumour biology and individual circumstances. ‘United by Unique’ reminds us that while every journey is different, compassion, early detection and multidisciplinary care can dramatically improve outcomes. Listening to your body and seeking timely medical advice can save lives.”
4, Feb 2026
iLEAD Hosts ‘Nidhi Aapke Nikat 2.0’ PF Awareness Program in Kolkata
Kolkata, Feb 04: iLEAD successfully organized ‘Nidhi Aapke Nikat 2.0’ in association with EPFO Regional Office, Kolkata on January 27, 2026. The district-level outreach program saw active participation from all teachers and staff of the college and addressed PF-related issues like withdrawal, claim settlement, UAN activation, and KYC updates.
Sri Ashis Kumar Das, Enforcement Officer and Sri Satyaki Basu, Assistant led the event.
The program emphasized the importance of PF savings for a secure future, especially for middle-income groups.
4, Feb 2026
Pidilite Posts Double-Digit Growth on Strong Volumes, Margin Expansion
Pidilite Industries Reports Double-Digit Revenue Growth with Strong Volume Momentum and Margin Expansion
Mumbai, Feb 04: Pidilite Industries Limited, India’s leading manufacturer of adhesives, sealants, and construction chemicals, today announced its financial results for the quarter and nine months ended December 31, 2025, reporting strong double-digit growth across revenue and profitability, supported by robust underlying volume growth and improved margins.
Standalone Financial Performance
During the third quarter of FY26, Pidilite recorded net sales of ₹3,425 crore, registering a growth of 11.0% compared to the same quarter last year. This performance was driven by healthy underlying volume growth (UVG) of 9.3%, reflecting sustained demand across key categories.
Earnings before interest, tax, and depreciation (EBITDA) for the quarter stood at ₹840 crore, marking a 12.1% year-on-year increase. EBITDA margin improved to 24.5%, expanding by 24 basis points over Q3 FY25. Profit after tax for the quarter rose by 12.5% to ₹601 crore.
For the nine months ended December 2025, standalone net sales grew by 10.7% to ₹10,165 crore. EBITDA increased by 12.6% to ₹2,535 crore, with margins improving to 24.9%. Profit after tax for the period rose by 12.8% to ₹1,837 crore.
Gross margins during the quarter improved by 200 basis points compared to last year, aided by lower input costs. This benefit was partially offset by a one-time provision related to the new labour code and increased investments in advertising, sales, and promotion.
Consolidated Financial Performance
On a consolidated basis, Pidilite reported net sales of ₹3,699 crore for Q3 FY26, reflecting a growth of 10.2% over the corresponding quarter of the previous year. EBITDA before non-operating income rose by 12.0% to ₹894 crore, while EBITDA margin expanded to 24.2%.
Profit after tax for the quarter increased by 12.0% to ₹624 crore.
For the nine-month period ended December 2025, consolidated net sales stood at ₹10,982 crore, up 10.2% year-on-year. EBITDA grew by 12.9% to ₹2,686 crore, with margins improving to 24.5%. Profit after tax rose by 13.1% to ₹1,887 crore.
Gross margins at the consolidated level improved by 222 basis points during the quarter, driven by favorable input cost trends.
Business Segment Performance (Standalone)
Consumer & Bazaar (C&B):
The Consumer & Bazaar segment delivered strong performance, with revenue growing by 12.4% to ₹2,802 crore during Q3 FY26, supported by an underlying volume growth of 9.7%. Segment EBIT increased by 14.4% to ₹873 crore, with EBIT margin expanding to 31.2%.
For the nine months ended December 2025, C&B segment revenue grew by 11.1% to ₹8,276 crore, while EBIT rose by 13.5% to ₹2,597 crore, reflecting continued strength in brand-led demand and premium product mix.
Business-to-Business (B2B):
The B2B segment reported revenue of ₹667 crore for the quarter, growing by 2.9% year-on-year, with underlying volume growth of 7.4%. Performance was partially impacted by lower exports of industrial products. EBIT for the quarter stood at ₹116 crore.
For the nine-month period, B2B revenue increased by 7.7% to ₹2,048 crore, indicating gradual recovery in industrial demand.
Outlook
Pidilite continues to focus on driving profitable growth through innovation, brand investments, and operational efficiencies, while maintaining a strong balance sheet. The company remains well-positioned to capitalize on improving demand trends across consumer and construction-related segments.
4, Feb 2026
From SDVs to AI-Native Cars: The Software Shift Reshaping the Automotive Industry
By:- Sharad Bairathi, Managing Director, Embitel Technologies
Bengaluru, India, Jan 04: The global automotive industry is entering a decisive phase in its evolution towards Software-Defined Vehicles (SDVs), with 2026 expected to emerge as a key inflection point. Central-compute and zonal architectures—once limited to premium vehicles—are now set to penetrate the affordable ₹15–25 lakh mass-market segment, fundamentally reshaping vehicle design, manufacturing economics, and user experience.
Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) are rapidly moving away from fragmented Electronic Control Unit (ECU) silos towards unified diagnostics, shared perception data, and end-to-end over-the-air (OTA) coverage. This architectural shift enables the rollout of advanced SDV features while simultaneously reducing system complexity. By cutting ECU counts by 20–40 per cent and lowering wiring weight by nearly 30 per cent, OEMs can scale SDV platforms without significantly increasing vehicle costs.
Today, automotive OEMs and engineering service providers are already deploying ASIL-ready zonal controllers, production-grade SDV middleware, and robust OTA stacks. These platforms are reinforced by stringent regulatory security mandates, ensuring compliant, continuous OTA pipelines with real-time cybersecurity monitoring, a critical requirement as vehicles become increasingly software-centric.
Data Governance Emerges as the Backbone of SDVs
As vehicles transform into software-driven platforms, data governance has become mission-critical. SDVs generate massive volumes of data through real-time telemetry, behavioural analytics, infotainment systems, and location services. To manage this complexity, Master Data Management (MDM) platforms are playing a pivotal role by creating a single, trusted view of each vehicle across its entire lifecycle.
MDM frameworks enable secure OTA updates, reliable AI model training, and scalable connected services. As SDVs transition from concept to large-scale production in 2026, they are also laying the groundwork for the next evolutionary leap in mobility—AI-native vehicles.
From Smart Features to Learning Machines
AI-native vehicles will redefine in-cabin comfort, safety, and intelligence. Features such as micro-adjustments to seating, dynamic climate control, lighting, audio, and display settings will adapt in real time to driver behaviour and preferences. Over time, vehicles will learn autonomously, reducing the need for manual configuration.
The AI co-pilot will unify human-machine interface (HMI), navigation, and personalisation systems, transforming user interaction from menu-driven commands to conversational intelligence.
Safety will see a major leap forward as AI-native vehicles are trained and validated using millions of computer-generated driving scenarios before deployment. These synthetic scenarios allow engineers to test Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS)—including automatic emergency braking and lane-keeping—against rare and hazardous conditions such as sudden pedestrian crossings, wrong-way driving, and low-visibility environments. By learning from these simulated situations, AI systems can respond more effectively in real-world conditions, even when sensor inputs are imperfect.
Redefining the Future of Mobility
As software-defined vehicles evolve into truly AI-native machines, cars are no longer just driven by code—they are learning, adapting, and improving with every mile. This transformation is redefining automotive safety, intelligence, and mobility, setting the stage for a new era in transportation over the coming decade.
4, Feb 2026
Bring Romance to the Table with SALT’s Exclusive Valentine’s Day Menu
Valentine’s Day at SALT Indian Restaurant & Grill is all about sharing great food and celebrating love through flavours that feel both familiar and exciting. This year, the restaurant introduces a thoughtfully curated Valentine’s Day menu, designed to offer couples an intimate dining experience rooted in Indian cuisine, elevated with a modern sensibility.
Created exclusively for the occasion, the limited-edition menu brings together comforting classics and inventive presentations. Guests can begin with vibrant starters such as Dilwalon Ki Papdi Chaat and the indulgent Paneer Dilbahar Tikka, while seafood lovers can opt for the refreshing Grilled Prawns and Avocado Salad. The main course offerings continue the romance with standout dishes like Rasella Murgh Musallam, Surf ‘N’ Turf and the luxurious Lobster Angara, each crafted to be rich, flavourful and perfect for sharing.
Complementing the menu is a special selection of Valentine’s cocktails and mocktails that add a playful touch to the evening. Signature cocktails like Good Night Kiss, featuring vodka with hints of pink grapefruit and lychee, and Cupid’s Arrow, a creamy blend of white rum and strawberry, set the mood effortlessly. For non-alcoholic indulgence, mocktails such as Be My Valentine and Love Song bring together fruity and dessert-inspired notes, making every sip feel celebratory.
Desserts like the Baked Rasgulla Mille-Feuille and Gulab Anjeer Ki Kulfi provide a sweet conclusion to the meal, rounding off the experience on a nostalgic yet contemporary note. Paired with SALT’s warm lighting, refined interiors, the Valentine’s offering is ideal for couples looking to enjoy a relaxed yet special evening together.
Whether marking a milestone or simply spending quality time with someone special, SALT’s Valentine’s Day menu promises an experience where romance is served at every course.
