Author: Neel Achary

Piramal Realty Unveils Its Final Tower at Piramal Revanta, Mulund

Mumbai, 20 May, 2025: Piramal Realty unveils Tower Six, the final addition to Piramal Revanta in Mulund. Building on the success of last year’s launch of Tower Five (Raynav), Piramal Realty is expecting an even stronger response with the upcoming launch of their final tower at Piramal Revanta, further solidifying their presence in Mumbai’s thriving suburb of Mulund.

The development is divided into two phases: the first phase includes four towers out of which the first three are delivered and the fourth tower is nearing completion. The second phase, set within a 3-acre private oasis known as Vana, which translates to ‘Forest’ in Sanskrit, encompasses towers five and six. Tower six is slated to be the tallest structure in Piramal Revanta featuring a selection of thoughtfully designed 2BHK, 2BHK+ Study and 3BHK residences with decks. The tower will offer stunning panoramic views of Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) and the Mulund city skyline, with private balconies for every residence to enjoy these breathtaking vistas. The residences reflect understated elegance, contemporary aesthetics, and cutting-edge design, delivering an unparalleled living experience, further exemplifying Piramal Realty’s commitment to customer-centricity.

Speaking on this significant milestone, Mr. Abhijeet Maheshwari, CEO of Piramal Realty, said, “Mulund has long been known for its seamless blend of urban living and natural beauty, making it one of Mumbai’s most desirable neighbourhoods. With over 50% units sold within a few months of its launch, Tower five Raynav has further strengthened our commitment to delivering a truly distinctive offering in this micro-market. Piramal Revanta’s thriving ecosystem today proudly houses over 700 families. We are commencing the final chapter at this development, to redefine luxury living in Mulund. This milestone goes beyond just building homes—it’s about creating a holistic community that sets a new standard for Mulund.”

Tower six is designed with a product mix of the most spacious apartments in the development, offering an array of world-class amenities and features. Piramal Revanta has already delivered a ~20,000 sq. ft. clubhouse – ‘Club Rasa’ in phase one, featuring recreational and wellness amenities. In addition, Vana, which houses Tower Five and Six, will also include a uniquely designed clubhouse spanning ~11,000 sq. ft., which will be strategically stitched between the two towers. This clubhouse will offer a state-of-the-art gymnasium, ballroom, crèche, mini-theatre, salon, yoga room and a gaming zone. Atop the clubhouse, residents will be able to enjoy an infinity-edge swimming pool. Piramal Realty has partnered with industry-leading experts to bring Tower Six to life, upholding the highest standards of design and construction. The achievement of architectural excellence is a result of their collaboration with Architect Hafeez Contractor.

Tower six offers the final chance for homebuyers to join this vibrant community of Piramal Revanta which features over 50% open spaces, amenities infused with biophilia, and a three-way access to the project: the proposed Goregaon Mulund Link Road (GMLR), Marathon Avenue and Lal Bahadur Shastri Road (LBS Marg). Piramal Revanta brings together quality, connectivity, and comfort to redefine the essence of urban living.

When AI Empowers Both Networks and Hackers: The New Battlefield for India’s Telecoms

Attributed to Sundar Balasubramanian, Managing Director, Check Point Software Technologies, India & South Asia

Telecommunications—always an important utility—has become the critical backbone of our digital economy. It supports everything from emergency response systems and banking to generative AI and smart cities. However, the world is navigating a powerful intersection of opportunity and risk and with this transformation comes heightened vulnerability.

Cyber attackers are no longer targeting only data—they’re aiming for the very infrastructure that keeps societies connected. The Global Telecom Outlook 2024–2028 by PwC reports that telecom revenues rose 4.3% in 2023 to US$1.14 trillion but are expected to grow slower at a 2.9% CAGR through 2028, below inflation. Rising cyber threats and compliance costs could further challenge profitability, making strong cybersecurity essential for sustainable growth. As we celebrated World Telecommunication and Information Society Day (WTISD) 2025, we take a look at this key critical infrastructure sector and how AI can be a double-edged sword for today’s telecommunications providers.

A Strategic Cyber Target – Telecommunications Sector

In the 1Q of 2025, the telecommunications sector experienced the highest percentage increase in weekly cyber attacks, with a 94% jump, reaching 2,664 attacks per organization weekly according to Check Point Research, with the expectation for this to rise.

The World Economic Forum’s Global Cybersecurity Outlook 2025 report also acknowledged that from large-scale state-sponsored cyber espionage via telecommunications infrastructure to the targeting of satellites and undersea cables, geopolitical tensions continue to manifest through the increasing number of attacks on critical communications infrastructure. Undersea cables are crucial for facilitating not just the flow of global data but also the corresponding economic exchange. Their strategic role makes them vulnerable to monitoring and disruption, especially with limited defense measures and rising geopolitical tensions.

Incidents experienced since April has seen India experiencing a series of coordinated cyber activities believed to be linked to groups based in Pakistan, such as APT36 and Team Insane PK. These incidents have impacted sectors including telecommunications, involving tactics ranging from website defacements to ransomware and data breaches. Experts have also raised concerns about the importance of enhanced cyber security measures and increased public awareness.

This continued rise in cyber attacks on this critical infrastructure are driven by a few factors :

• Growing reliance on digital infrastructure such as 5G deployments have massively expanded the digital attack surface, especially through edge computing nodes.
• Telecoms are increasingly integrating AI and automation, creating new vulnerabilities in service delivery, data flow, and customer interactions.
• State-sponsored actors now view telecom infrastructure as a soft entry point to disrupt national economies, gather intelligence, or sow chaos, making this critical infrastructure a prime target for cyber criminals looking to exploit vulnerabilities.

 The European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA) classified telecom as a top-priority critical infrastructure sector in its Threat Landscape Report 2024, a trend now echoed in over 85 countries globally.

Without (Tele)Communications, A Quiet Place

The potential impact of a compromised telecom system extends far beyond just inconvenience. Cyber attacks on the telecommunications can paralyze national services, derail emergency responses, and cripple financial operations, besides just halting the ability for citizens to contact one another.

Societal chaos was evident a few years ago ,when in India, a BEC (business email compromise) attack on a telco vendor led to the leakage of over 12 million mobile subscriber records, including geolocation, which were later exploited in targeted phishing campaigns.

This is more than just an isolated incident, that can be seen as an early warning. As countries digitize critical infrastructure and societies become reliant on digital services, telecom outages caused by cyber attacks can lead to national economic disruption, erosion of public trust, and at worst, in extreme cases, to loss of life.

The AI Factor: Double-Edged Sword for Telcos

AI is transforming telecom operations worldwide. According to the KPMG India IMC Report 2024, 55% of Indian telecom companies have deployed AI at scale, with 37% actively expanding their use. Despite challenges like talent shortages and costs, 65% of Indian CXOs view generative AI as a critical driver of long-term growth. A 2024 study by Nvidia1 found that nearly 90% of telecom companies use AI, with 48% in the piloting phase and 41% actively deploying AI. Most telecom service providers (53%) agree or strongly agree that adopting AI would provide a competitive advantage. Additionally, satellite communications in India is poised for growth, supported by anticipated policy and regulatory updates.

However, as telcos ramp up their use of AI, so do cyber attackers, leveraging it for unprecedented scale and precision. For example, with chatbots now handling a growing amount of telco customer interactions, these bots are now being targeted for prompt injection and social engineering.

In Hong Kong in 2024, a British multinational engineering firm was reportedly scammed out of $25 million (approximately HK$200 million) through a deepfake scam involving an employee in the Hong Kong office. This employee was tricked into transferring the funds to five local bank accounts via 15 transactions after receiving video conference calls from individuals posing as senior company officers.

Building Security into Every Layer

Whilst governments around the world have noticeably started to collaborate to ensure the critical infrastructure sector of telecommunications is receiving greater attention for security, it’s clear more needs to be done.

The Telecommunications (Telecom Cyber Security) Rules, 2024, introduced under the Telecommunications Act, 2023, mark a major step in enhancing India’s telecom security. Replacing the 2017 rules, they aim to combat rising cyber threats by mandating telecom entities to adopt robust cyber security policies, conduct regular audits, and appoint a Chief Telecommunication Security Officer (CTSO). Entities must report cyber incidents within six hours and establish Security Operations Centres (SOCs) for real-time threat management. The government is empowered to collect non-content telecom data for security purposes, with prescribed safeguards. However, concerns remain over broad definitions, potential overreach, lack of procedural clarity, high compliance costs, and unclear alignment with existing IT laws. While the rules bolster security, experts call for clearer guidelines, privacy protections, and support for smaller players to ensure balanced enforcement.

In the Asia–Pacific region, countries such as Japan and Singapore are strengthening their cyber laws, with Japan’s Act on the Protection of Personal Information (APPI) and Singapore’s Cybersecurity Act reinforcing compliance for critical infrastructure operators..

But to combat evolving threats, telecom providers must go beyond compliance and adopt cyber security as a core strategic function. That includes:

1. AI red teaming – Simulating attacks on AI-based systems to identify weaknesses before adversaries do.
2. Voice biometrics & real-time analysis – To detect AI deepfake audio or spoofed communications.
3. Advanced threat prevention –Harnessing AI-driven solutions such as Check Point GenAI Protect, AI Cloud Protect, and ThreatCloud AI to enable real-time prevention across all environments—including on-premises, DevSecOps, cloud, applications, and workspaces. In addition, continuous threat exposure and risk assessment analysis is integral to achieving a fully automated and adaptive threat prevention strategy.

 In regions like Southeast Asia, some telcos have already partnered with Check Point to implement cloud-native threat detection and secure SD-WAN policies across their 5G rollout zones. In one case, incident response times were reduced by 30% within six months, drastically improving business continuity.

Resilience is the New Bandwidth

As the world races toward full digital transformation, telecom networks are the threads weaving everything together. But smart, connected systems can also collapse at scale if not adequately protected. In 2025 and beyond, we must treat cyber security in telecom not as an IT line item, but as a pillar of national and global security.

Telecommunication is the circulatory system of our digital world. But as AI accelerates and cyber adversaries become more sophisticated, the risk of systemic failure grows. The future of telecom resilience depends on whether we can secure what we innovate—and whether our defenses evolve faster than the threats we face.

C Com Digital and FRAT Launch Collaborative Campaign to Promote Early Autism Diagnosis

Mumbai, 20/5/25: C Com Digital a techno digital agency from India, delivered an impactful campaign for Religen Inc., a USA-based company, and its product, the Folate Receptor Antibody Test (FRAT®). This campaign combines science, strategy, and storytelling and has successfully impacted the conversation around autism in the USA and reached over a million people with the appropriate messaging.

 With more than 15,000 individuals tested and over 52% showing the presence of Folate Receptor Autoantibodies—a condition often linked to cerebral folate deficiency—FRAT® offers a new lens in the early diagnosis of autism. C Com Digital understood the client’s needs and created a campaign that could amplify the insights through viral social content, high-performing infographics, animated explainers, and physician-targeted blogs. This campaign reached over 1 million users while cutting cost-per-click by half and driving a 754% surge in new users.

 What set this effort apart was its ability to humanise complex science without compromising its credibility. A single user testimonial on TikTok, detailing a child’s transformation post-diagnosis, went viral, garnering 800 K+ views and tens of thousands of shares.

 Speaking about this, Chandan Bagwe, Founder/Director of C Com Digital, said, “This was more than just a campaign; it was a mission. While we led the digital execution, the insights and support from FRAT®, medical experts, and families made this a truly collaborative project. It demonstrated how storytelling and science can work hand-in-hand to create real awareness and action.”

 Furthermore, Bhushan Sawant, Founder of Religen Inc., said, “C Com Digital played a key role in crafting the campaign’s messaging and outreach, and the results speak for themselves. Their understanding of healthcare communication helped us engage with families and professionals meaningfully.”

 Beyond digital traction, the campaign engaged autism support groups, offline advocacy platforms like the National TACA Conference, and initiatives like the #BlueBucketPledge to build collective momentum. From community pledges to professional forums, the message was consistent: early diagnosis changes outcomes.

 With over 1 million individuals reached, the FRAT® awareness campaign has set a benchmark for how collaborative healthcare communications can promote preventive diagnostics in the public sphere.

MMCM Leads The Industry With First-of-its Kind Event: Rewards early RVSFs for ELV Credit Project| Press Release

20th May, 2025, India — In a breakthrough for India’s green economy, Meta Materials Circular Markets (MMCM), one of India’s leading envirotech enterprise pioneering circular economy solutions in the sector automotive launched the pilot phase of the ELV Credit Project in New Delhi. Showcased in pilot partnership with two leading Registered Vehicle Scrapping Facilities (RVSFs) — MTC Group and Rosmerta Auto Recycling Pvt. Ltd., the recognition is pegged to the first-of-its-kind in the industry that transforms vehicle recycling into verified climate action.

The recognition was announced at “Advancing Circularity: Through Carbon Credits, EPR & Traceability,” a workshop by MMCM in association with the Material Recycling Association of India, Carbon Markets Association, and India EPR Association.

Key stakeholders including Mrs. Youthika Puri (Divisional Head – E-Waste & WM-III, Central Pollution Control Board ), Mr. V.P. Yadav (Director, Central Pollution Control Board), Mr. I.V. Rao (Distinguished Fellow – Transport & Urban Governance,TERI), Mr. Dhanish Goyal (Chairman, India EPR Association), Dr. Ashok Kumar (President, Recycling & Environment Industry Association of India; Vice Chairman, Greenscape Eco Management Pvt. Ltd) and Mr. Rohit Kumar (Secretary General, Carbon Markets Association of India), amongst others convened to promote traceable recycling, carbon credit generation, and circularity in India’s end-of-life vehicle sector.

At the heart of the event was a financial incentive distribution — a landmark moment where the two initial partner RVSFs received rewards directly derived from the monetization of verified environmental data (ELV credits) from end-of-life vehicle (ELV) dismantling and material recovery.

Speaking on the intent of the Carbon Project, Mr. Nitin Chitkara, CEO of MMCM said, “The ELV Carbon Project marks a defining moment for India’s transition to a circular and low-carbon economy. By embedding transparency, traceability, and verified climate impact into end-of-life vehicle recycling, we envision to set a new benchmark for sustainable industry practices. The goal is not just to manage waste—but to redefine it as a verified contributor to national climate commitments and global sustainability goals.”

The ELV Carbon Project aims to convert ELV data into 100% traceable, blockchain-verified carbon credits, directly addressing Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions for OEMs, financiers, and recyclers. The pilot demonstrated that formal recyclers can become verified contributors to India’s voluntary carbon markets, while also ensuring eco-friendly ELV processing.

Mr. Yashodhan Ramteke, Carbon Business Unit Head at MMCM, shared key insights from the pilot, and added. “During this phase, we were honored to collaborate with IIT Bombay, whose expertise in sustainable systems brought depth and credibility to our model. Our partnership with Hedera and use of the Guardian framework enabled us to digitize a blended methodology — rooted in UN CDM standards AMS-III.AJ and AMS-III.BA — to ensure transparency and traceability through blockchain-backed dMRV.”

MMCM acknowledged the contribution of MTC Group and Rosmerta Auto Recycling Pvt. Ltd for their early leadership. With 19 more RVSFs already onboarded for the next phase, MMCM is preparing to scale the initiative with a larger recognition ceremony planned in the near future. The project underscores India’s growing leadership in automotive circularity, digital decarbonization, and climate innovation — proof that every bit of traceable action counts.

ASCI Releases Whitepaper on Opinion Trading: Calls for Regulatory Clarity Amidst Growing Concerns

Mumbai, May 20, 2025: The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) has released a whitepaper titled “Examining Opinion Trading in India,” shedding light on the emerging area of opinion trading /prediction markets and the need for regulatory clarity around this rapidly growing sector. As per the National Initiative for Consumer Interest (NICI), these platforms have over 50 million users and transactions exceeding INR 50,000 crore annually. Opinion platforms engage users to make monetary bets on binary (yes/no) outcomes of real-world events ranging from sports to politics.

Globally, opinion trading is regulated either as a financial instrument, or under gambling laws. In India, SEBI has already issued an advisory dated April 29th, 2025 cautioning the public that “… opinion trading does not fall within regulatory purview of SEBI, as what is traded is not security…”. There are several public interest litigations and the courts are also evaluating its standing in the country.

ASCI has come across advertising from various players both global and local, as well as influencers on social media that promote opinion trading as knowledge and skill based games. However, analysis of such posts reveals that some of these appear to be pure speculation and can pose financial risks – especially for young and financially vulnerable groups.

ASCI has called for regulatory clarity on the status of such activities in India. If such activities and their advertising are permitted, then certain advertising guidelines need to be developed to safeguard consumers. However if such activities are not legally permissible, then all stakeholders need to establish mechanisms to monitor any violations of the law.

Besides seeking clarity on the legal status of opinion trading, the whitepaper spotlights the current advertising practices and applicability of existing laws, as well as examines regulatory approaches to similar services in other countries.

Ms. Manisha Kapoor, CEO & Secretary General of ASCI, said, “Opinion trading platforms raise serious concerns as their structure and mechanics closely resemble betting in some instances, and can expose consumers to significant financial risk. The advertising that accompanies these platforms often heightens the risk, with exaggerated claims of easy winnings and false assurances of reliability. No disclaimers cautioning consumers are provided. ASCI’s whitepaper highlights these risks and urges urgent regulatory clarity so appropriate steps can be taken to protect consumers from potential harm.”