Author: Neel Achary

Pack the Fun: 5 Toys That Make Picnics a Blast for your little ones

Sun’s out, snacks are packed, and the kiddos are ready to run wild — it’s picnic time! And no picnic is complete without a dash of fun and games to keep the laughter rolling. We’ve rounded up five timeless toys that never go out of style — guaranteed to spark joy, fuel imaginations, and keep the little ones happily buzzing. These playful picks are perfect for turning your picnic blanket into the happiest hangout spot around. Let’s dive in!

1. Skoodle Stackrr Tube Stacking Tumbling Tower Game
The Skoodle Stackrr Tube Tumbling Tower is more than just a game , it’s a full-on laugh-out-loud, hold-your-breath, don’t-let-it-fall experience. As kids take turns removing blocks with one hand, they’re not just having fun , they’re also building hand-eye coordination, strategic thinking, and even a bit of self-control (because not toppling the tower takes serious patience!)
Easy to carry, quick to set up, and endlessly replayable , it’s a classic with a fun twist that never gets old.

2.Hasbro Gaming Connect 4 Grab & Go Game
Connect 4 Grab and Go is the perfect picnic game for kids and families! Each player gets 21 counters and battles to get 4 in a row—while blocking their opponent’s moves. It’s a fun game of strategy that keeps everyone thinking and laughing. Compact and easy to pack, it folds up neatly for outdoor play and travel. Bring it along to your next picnic for quick, competitive fun in the sun!

3. Funskool Travel Snakes and Ladders

Portable Snakes and Ladders is a classic game that’s perfect for picnics and family outings! Just roll the dice and race to the top, climbing ladders and dodging sneaky snakes along the way. It’s simple, fun, and great for all ages.

4. Mattel Pictionary Card Game

Pictionary Card Game is a fast-paced and hilarious game that’s perfect for family picnics! It combines the fun of Pictionary with charades, no drawing needed! Just use picture cards to act out clues while your team tries to guess. Easy to learn and super portable, it’s great for outdoor play, game nights, or taking fun on the go!

5. Skoodle Quest Marbellious
The kind of game that fits right into those slow, laid-back afternoons with family and friends. This 2-in-1 set keeps things fun and relaxed while quietly boosting creativity, focus, and problem-solving, perfect for when you’re just hanging out and want something to bring everyone together.

Birlasoft Reports Resilient FY25 Performance with Steady Growth, Strong Deal Wins, and Strategic AI Investments Amid Macro Headwinds

New Delhi (India), May 28, 2025: Birlasoft, a leading IT services and solutions provider, today reported its audited consolidated financial results for the fourth quarter and year ended March 31, 2025. Birlasoft is part of the multibillion-dollar CKA Birla Group.

Mr. Angan Guha, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Birlasoft, said, “We are pleased to report a steady year in the face of a soft demand environment owing to sustained macro-economic challenges, with revenue during FY2025 growing 1.8% over the preceding year. We continue to generate consistently strong cashflows. We also saw a noticeable uptick in our deal wins during the second-half of the year under review, with a sequential increase in TCV of deals won during the quarter under review to $236 million led by higher new deals, demonstrating the strength of our pipeline and our ability to pursue deal closures. While our near-term outlook is likely to reflect the impact of shifts in customer priorities, we continue to invest in our capabilities such as Generative AI where we have been early adopters.”

“Our consolidated revenue during FY’25 have grown 1.8% over the preceding year to Rs 53,752 million. Our EBITDA margin performance for the year reflects the investments we have been making in our business as well as higher furloughs, consolidation deals, and growth in the Infra business. For the quarter under review, revenue stood at $152.2 million and EBITDA margin expanded 119 basis points sequentially to 13.2%. Cash flow from operations during the year and the quarter were 88.3% and 88.1%, respectively, of EBITDA led by sustained focus on collections. We have ended the year with a robust balance sheet and believe that we are well-positioned to successfully navigate through the prevalent macroeconomic environment,” said Ms. Kamini Shah, Chief Financial Officer, Birlasoft.

Key Financial highlights for Q4 & FY25

Q4 FY25

• Revenue:

o  ₹ 13,169 M, down 3.4% QoQ and YoY respectively

o  $152.2 M, down 5.4% QoQ and down 7.2% YoY

o  In constant currency terms, revenue down 5.3% QoQ

• EBITDA margin at 13.2%, PAT up 4.4% QoQ at ₹ 1,221 M
• Cash and cash equivalents increase 27.1% YoY to ₹22,177 M

Full year FY25

• Revenue:

o ₹ 53,752 M, up 1.8% YoY

o $635.4 M, down 0.3% YoY

o   In constant currency terms, revenue down 0.1% YoY

• EBITDA margin at 13.0%, PAT at ₹ 5,168 M translating to basic EPS of ₹18.64

Other operating highlights

• Revenue performance during Q4FY25 was led by E&U among verticals and by Infrastructure among service lines.
  • E&U up 1.8% QoQ while the others registered a sequential decline among verticals.
  • Infrastructure up 4.1% QoQ.
  • Revenue contribution from Top 5 and Top 20 customers remained stable QoQ.
• Signed deals of TCV $ 236 M during the quarter, up 4% QoQ, with new deal wins TCV of $ 112 M and renewals of $ 124 M.
• Active Client Count at 254 in Q4FY25 (compared to 265 in Q3FY25 and 259 in Q4FY24), reflecting some rationalisation of the ‘tail’.
• Cash & Cash equivalents rise to $259.5 M by end of Q4FY25 versus $240.1 M at end of Q3FY25. In rupee terms, cash and cash equivalents increased to ₹22,177 M at the end of Q4FY25 from ₹20,552 M at the end of the preceding quarter.
• Q4FY25 DSO at 54 days versus 53 days in Q3FY25.
• Workforce strength stood at 11,930 as on 31^st March 2025 and attrition was 12.8% during Q4FY25.

Key deal wins for the quarter…

• Secured a large multi-year deal in Europe with a new customer, a global communications major, where Birlasoft will deploy advanced AI-powered capabilities, including Agentic AI and Intelligent Diagnostics AI, to deliver a next-gen IT service model designed to transform the customer’s global technology operations through the integration of AI-driven innovation across the Americas, EMEA, and APAC regions.
• Partnered with a large global agricultural machinery company to support their North America operations SAP environment over a multi-year contract.
• Engaged with a new leading upstream services company in the E&U vertical to perform end to end IT Infrastructure and Systems separation and enable IT operations.

…Key deal wins for the quarter

• Strengthening our wealth management portfolio within the BFSI vertical, became an exclusive vendor partner for a leading asset management group to provide services across Application, Infrastructure, and Data.
• Partnered with a US based industrial services company that provides a wide range of services to industries like chemical, refining, power generation, and agriculture for their green field Oracle Cloud ERP implementation.
• Won a multi-year ERP and Cloud Infrastructure maintenance and support contract for a global petrochemical trading company.

Awards & Recognitions

• Birlasoft recognized as ‘Star Performer’ and a ‘Major Contender’ in the Everest Group Capital Markets IT Services PEAK Matrix® Assessment
• Birlasoft recognized as ‘Leader’ in the ‘SAP Ecosystem Partners 2025 ISG Provider Lens™ Study’ – APAC, Germany, U.S.
• Birlasoft identified as ‘Innovator’ in the Avasant High-Tech Industry Digital Services 2024-2025 RadarView™
• Birlasoft identified as ‘Disruptor’ in the Avasant Life Sciences Digital Services 2025 RadarView™
• Birlasoft recognized as ‘Market Challenger’ and ‘Product Challenger’ in the ‘Digital Engineering Services 2025 ISG Provider Lens™ Study’ – Europe, U.S.
• Birlasoft identified as ‘Challenger’ in the Avasant’s Oracle Cloud ERP Services 2024-2025 RadarView™
• Birlasoft identified as ‘Rising Star’ and ‘Major Contender’ in the Everest group’s SAP Business Application Services PEAK Matrix® Assessment 2025
• Birlasoft positioned in ‘Horizon 2’ as an ‘Enterprise Innovator’ in the HFS Generative Enterprise Services 2025 Horizons Report
• Birlasoft achieved the Advanced Specialization in Microsoft Low Code Application Development
• Birlasoft has achieved Oracle Cloud Solutions Provider Expertise
• Birlasoft recognized as one of India’s Top 50 Best Workplaces in IT & IT-BPM 2024 by Great Place to Work®
• Birlasoft recognized as a Great Place to Work for the fourth consecutive year

Astro Motors unveils flagship EV products in the L5 cargo and passenger segment called Navya and Nova

Pune, May 29, 2025: Astro Motors, a manufacturer of commercial electric vehicles, has launched two of its flagship products in the L5 cargo and passenger segment called Navya and Nova respectively, underscoring its focus on user-centric game changing innovations which create operational and experiential value delivering delight. The latest advancements were presented at the EV Expo in Pune.

Astro Navya is India’s first geared electric commercial three-wheeler designed keeping in mind challenges that drivers and fleet owners face in running their vehicles and businesses efficiently and smoothly. A unique combination of a high-performance motor, battery and a gearbox has helped it unlock performance in all key impact areas like payload, battery usage and life, vehicle performance on bad roads, stop-go traffic and mountainous terrain. Their launch campaign “Gear hai to sahi hai” captures the benefits of a geared electric cargo vehicle in an evocative and simple manner. Tailored to capture the minds and hearts of its intended audiences, this campaign has gone live on the brands social handles.

The brand’s other popular launch, the Astro Nova is a passenger auto rickshaw designed to deliver unmatched comfort and space for the driver and the passengers. In a world of share-an-auto and premium Uber auto experiences, this is an opportunity to elevate the overall experience of an auto which has largely remained unchanged for decades. “Duniya badal gayi lekin Auto Rickshaw nahin badli”. The Astro Nova is a large-hearted way of looking at the category in a world where space and comfort is premium. The launch campaign for the Nova “Auto ka SUV” is designed to evoke the product’s unique benefits in a memorable manner.

Vitan Jagada, Founder & CEO, Astro Motors said, “Astro’s first commercial product, a geared electric L5 cargo vehicle, is ready for rollout, with deliveries set to begin soon. Our L5 passenger variant is undergoing homologation for a July 2025 launch, followed by L3 cargo and passenger vehicles in October 2025.

By early FY 2026, we plan to unveil a four-wheeler modular skateboard chassis, capable of supporting diverse vehicle types. The IP is fully owned by Astro, offering opportunities to license the platform and powertrain tech to other OEMs, extending its influence across the EV ecosystem.

Targeting both B2B and B2C markets, we envisage rapid domestic scaling via fleet partnerships and a wide distribution network. We are also looking at expansion into emerging global markets like Africa, Southeast Asia, and Latin America, before entering mature economies.

Guided by Industry 4.0 principle, we aim to build a global EV brand anchored in innovation, customer-centricity, and sustainable, lean operations.”

In a launch ceremony attended by special invitees and partners, Astro Motors officially launched the Navya and Nova amidst high interest and expectations. The company has already laid the foundation for the business with strategic dealer sign-ups, financial partnerships and an after-sales service ecosystem to facilitate a hassle-free and fulfilling user experience. In the coming months, the company plans to aggressively scale its reach and operations.

Key Partnerships: The company is already making headway in its market-readiness with key dealer sign-ups and financial partnerships in key markets. The company has already signed up 3 dealers in Pune, Bhavnagar and Jammu with 5 more being signed on across key centres in UP, Delhi NCR and Maharashtra. Astro Motors commercial vehicles are currently available in the following 3 dealerships:

1. Ampere EV, Jammu (J&K)

2. Hunddekkari Motors, Pune (MH)

3. JJ Patel, Bhavnagar (GUJ)

Its strategic financial partnerships include MUFIN Greenfinance, RiseWise Capital and Perpetuity Capital which have its operations across the country.

Currently, Astro Motors is looking to further extend its footprint across the country with more strategic dealer and financial partnerships.

PUMA India’s ‘RCB Shotline’ Is the Ultimate Crossover Campaign — Featuring Virat Kohli, Usain Bolt, PV Sindhu, Jack Grealish & More

May 2025: What do you get when global sporting icons and cricket royalty share the same hotline? Pure entertainment. PUMA India’s latest campaign, RCB Shotline, brings together a power-packed lineup including Virat Kohli, Usain Bolt, PV Sindhu, Jack Grealish, Rajat Patidar, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, and Krunal Pandya — all in one high-energy Instagram campaign that’s already taken the internet by storm.

In the campaign, RCB stars Virat, Rajat, and Krunal man the PUMA “Shotline,” fielding calls from excited fans — and some rather legendary ones. The fun begins with Virat picking up a call from none other than Usain Bolt. “How can I help the fastest man in the world?” he asks, only for Bolt to hang up in record time. “Typical! I guess he does everything in record time,” Virat quips.

From there, the campaign is packed with playful banter: Jack Grealish calling in and mistaking Virat for Ben Stokes; PV Sindhu cheekily asking whether her smash is tougher than a fast bowler — to which Virat replies, “Definitely your smash. As you know, we do have helmets in cricket”; and Rajat and Krunal fielding fan calls about VIP match passes and more.

Set in a fictional, fun-filled PUMA-verse, RCB Shotline is a light-hearted peek into what happens when the worlds of cricket, football, track, and badminton collide. With swagger, humor, and unmistakable star power, the campaign showcases the effortless blend of sport and street that PUMA India is known for.

The high-energy campaign shows Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) stars like never before — off the pitch, on a hotline, answering wildly entertaining calls. From fans begging for VIP tickets, to excuses for skipping work to attend a match, and even surprise questions from Bolt and Sindhu themselves — the video is a laugh-out-loud glimpse into a fictional PUMA-verse where top athletes share one hotline, one vibe, and one massive fanbase.

With a mix of swagger, banter, and squad chemistry, the RCB Shotline campaign captures what makes PUMA India stand apart — a bold blend of performance and play, of sport and street. It’s not just a video; it’s a celebration of iconic personalities, shared love for the game, and the spirit of entertainment that fans crave.

Malabar Group Allocates INR 150 crore to scale up its CSR Initiatives in 2025-26

Delhi, May 28th, 2025: Malabar Group, India’s leading business conglomerate and the parent company of Malabar Gold & Diamonds, has allocated INR 150 crore in 2025-26 for scaling up its CSR initiatives focused on healthcare, education, hunger & poverty alleviation, women empowerment, environment protection and housing for less privileged.

Under its flagship CSR initiative ‘The Hunger Free World’, the Group has committed to distribute 70,000 meals daily in India and Zambia to the under-privileged, totalling 2.50 crore meals in 2025-26. This represents a significant leap from its cumulative achievement of 2.5 crore meals served over the past 3 years and signals a deepened commitment to the cause of food security for underserved communities. The initiative is aligned with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 2 – Zero Hunger.

At an event held at the Dr. Ambedkar International Centre, Janpath, New Delhi on May 28, 2025 which also marks the World Hunger Day, Dr. Amitabh Kant, former CEO of NITI Aayog & G-20 Sherpa launched the next phase of the Group’s CSR programmes. Other dignitaries included M.P. Ahammed, Chairman of Malabar Group; KP Abdul Salam, Vice Chairman; O Asher, Managing Director of India Operations; Group Executive Directors Nishad A K and K P Veerankutty, Group Director PA Abdulla Ibrahim, Dr. Idrees V, Chairman, THANAL Daya Rehabilitation Trust, Jishad N K, Zonal Head – North and other management officiates.

 Commenting on the initiative, MP Ahammed, Chairman of Malabar Group said, “At Malabar Group, CSR is an integral part of our culture and we believe in giving back to society. We dedicate May 28 as our annual CSR day; we reaffirm our pledge to stand with the underserved through sustained and impactful action. Our CSR initiatives are a reflection of that enduring commitment. While we are doing our utmost, a greater impact can be achieved if more organisations join this mission. With 295 million people globally facing acute hunger (as per UN data), immediate action is non-negotiable. This urgency drives our meal distribution efforts under the Hunger Free World initiative. Having said that, along with food distribution, the need of the hour is concerted efforts to boost production, creating jobs, and fostering economic growth to bring in sustainable change.”

 The Hunger Free World project currently distributes 70,000 meal packets daily across India and Zambia. In India, over 60,000 nutrient-rich meals are provided daily through 167 centres spanning 20 states. In Zambia, the group collaborates with the Zambian government to serve daily meals to 10,000 students across three schools. The Hunger Free World project operates state-of-the-art kitchens equipped with modern facilities and staffed by trained culinary experts and hygiene-conscious personnel.

 Under its educational and social welfare initiative, Malabar Group has established 716 micro-learning centres across India, providing primary education and nutrition to street children. Over 32,000 children have enrolled, with 9,000 already integrated into formal schools. This project is being run in collaboration with Thanal. In addition, scholarships have been awarded to 1,14,000 girls to support their education.

 The Group has also launched an initiative called Grandma Homes under which shelters have been built to offer free accommodation and care for destitute women. Currently operational in Bengaluru, Kerala and Hyderabad. Plans are underway to expand the initiative to Chennai, Kolkata, Delhi, and Mumbai.

 On the healthcare and disaster relief front, the Group has plans to set up non-profit medical stores in all 140 locations in Kerala, offering medicines at subsidised rates. Such stores are already operational in 27 locations in the state.

 Malabar Group has also launched the Uyirppu Project which supports higher education for children affected by last year’s landslide in Wayanad, providing financial aid to 134 students. Since its inception, Malabar Gold and Diamonds has been allocating 5% of its profits to social welfare.