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Artha Bharat Rolls Out Global Expansion Plan to Target USD 3 bn AUM

GIFT City, India/Abu Dhabi – 10 September 2025: Artha Bharat Investment Managers IFSC LLP, the first Category III AIF foreign portfolio investor to shift the domicile of its special situations fund from Mauritius to GIFT City, is embarking on a global expansion strategy as part of its ambitious goal of reaching $3 billion in assets under management (AUM) by 2030.

Already among the largest fund management entities operating out of GIFT City, Artha Bharat is now expanding its footprint to the Middle East. The firm is in the process of establishing a presence in Abu Dhabi Global Markets (ADGM), where it sees strong opportunities to tap both the Indian diaspora and growing institutional interest from sovereign and quasi-sovereign funds.

“The Middle East has one of the largest concentrations of Indian diaspora and has long been one of the key magnets driving inward remittances into India. We have also seen increased investments into India by sovereign funds such as Mubadala, Qatar Investment Authority and Abu Dhabi Investment Authority amongst others. To tap into the growing potential of HNI, family office and SWF across the GCC markets we are in the process of setting up operations in Abu Dhabi Global Markets,” said Sachin Sawrikar, Managing Partner, Artha Bharat Investment Managers IFSC LLP.

The firm that recently moved into a 2,300 sq. ft. leased office in GIFT City has also opened a 10-seater, 1,200 sq. ft. office in Dubai, with another of similar size being planned in Abu Dhabi Global Markets.

Artha Bharat plans to float feeder funds for non-U.S. investors to channel capital into its strategies, including:

Artha Global Opportunities Fund – one of India’s largest foreign distressed debt funds, already delivering a 6X return in just 2 years of its 7-year life.

Artha Global Multiplier Fund – a long-short hedge fund targeting U.S. markets, which has already delivered 13.4% absolute returns in less than 2.5 months.

Artha Bharat Absolute Return Fund – a USD-denominated arbitrage fund investing across equities, commodities and interest rate futures aiming to provide competitive returns vs fixed income avenues to park short term surpluses.

“We believe that providing competitive risk-adjusted returns to our discerning investor base, delivered with a high standard of ethics and integrity, will help us make a mark on the global investment scene and reach our aspirational target,” Sawrikar added.

Sawrikar who has been based in Oman for almost 2 decades and had a long stint with Bank Muscat has already got a good experience of investing and operating in GCC markets.

In addition to the Middle Eastern foray, Artha Bharat is also setting up its own office in Mauritius to house feeder funds for U.S. investors that will invest in its GIFT City managed funds.

To support growth, the firm has also signed a ₹7.5 crore deal to purchase a 7,500 sq. ft. owned office in Shilp Twin Towers in GIFT City, India, tripling its current space and enabling a larger investment team.

By diversifying across geographies and tapping multiple liquidity pools, Artha Bharat expects its global expansion to play a pivotal role in reaching the $3 billion AUM milestone by 2030.

Electrum Portfolio Managers Welcomes Tejas Gutka as New Fund Manager

Mumbai, 09th September 2025: Electrum Portfolio Managers, a boutique asset management firm specializing in Indian equities, today announced the appointment of Tejas Gutka as a Fund Manager. His addition to the team will enhance the firm’s investment capabilities and support its commitment to a research-driven, client-centric approach.

 Tejas brings over 19 years of experience in fund management and equity research. He joins Electrum from Tata Mutual Fund, where he managed diversified equity portfolios. Previously, as Head of Equity at Tamohara Investment Managers, he led the investment team and was responsible for the firm’s flagship small-cap portfolio. Tejas is a value-conscious growth investor, which aligns well with Electrum’s Growth-At-A-Reasonable-Price (GARP) philosophy.

“We are very pleased to have Tejas join us. His diverse experience adds depth to our investment team. This strategic addition to the team reflects our ongoing effort to strengthen our investment process and provide outstanding service to our clients.” said Arpit Agrawal, Co-founder & CIO of Electrum Portfolio Managers.

On his appointment, Tejas Gutka said, “Electrum’s strong research ethos and a genuine bottom-up approach is what attracted me. I look forward to working with this talented team to further refine our equity strategies and capitalize on India’s growth story.”

With this appointment, Electrum Portfolio Managers continues to build on its long-term vision of delivering differentiated investment outcomes through expertise, discipline, and deep market insight.

KVB expands presence in Coimbatore & Madurai

Madurai/Coimbatore, 9th september 2025: Karur Vysya Bank (KVB) has expanded its reach by opening new branches in Seraiyampalayam Road, Neelambur, Coimbatore and Nedungalam Main Road, Chinthamani, Madurai. The Coimbatore branch was inaugurated by Smt. R. Vijiyalaxmy B.A.BL., Deputy Commissioner HR & CE, Coimbatore. While the Madurai branch was inaugurated  by Smt. V. Mercy Jeyarani M.Sc (Agri), Deputy Director, Agri Marketing Dept, along with Dr. V. Dhanalakshmi M.D, Director, Institute of Microbiology Madurai Medical College, Madurai. An ATM was also inaugurated in the Madurai branch premises by Mr. M. Manikandan M/s. Sri Sastha Appalam & Traders, Chinthamani, Madurai. With this expansion, the bank now has a total of 894 branches across the country.

The new branch will offer a comprehensive range of banking services like accounts, deposits and loans, including savings and current accounts and it will cater to all basic banking transactions and specific needs of customers, offering an entire spectrum of banking products and financial services covering retail, institutional and consumer lending.

Speaking on the branch expansion, Shri Ramesh Babu, Managing Director & CEO, Karur Vysya Bank, said, “Our bank is committed to expanding its presence across all growing centres in India, and this new branch openings is a part of our strategic expansion plans. With our deep-rooted legacy of over 100 years, we have been aggressively working towards providing our customers with traditional banking solutions along with digital comfort. KVB has multiple branches across Coimbatore and Madurai, and these new branches is a testament of our efforts to strengthen our presence in the regions by offering better access and hassle-free convenience to customers.”

KVB offers internet banking and mobile banking facilities.  KVB DLite, the Mobile Banking app of the bank, offers convenience of financial and non-financial services through 150+ features. The app has been recently upgraded with several customer friendly features.

Raj opens second flagship store in Noida

Noida, 9th September 2025 : Vasundhra Raj, India’s heritage fine jewellery brand celebrated for its contemporary design and timeless craftsmanship, has launched its second flagship store at Central 50, Noida.

The store was inaugurated by Aditya Agarwal, owner of the mall.

The new store marks an important milestone for the brand after the success of its Delhi, Noida and Jaipur stores. Designed as an immersive jewellery destination, the space reflects Vasundhra Raj’s modern yet rooted design philosophy, with interiors that echo sophistication and collections that blend artistry with innovation.

Adding to the buzz around the opening, the store recently welcomed actor Divya Khossla, who visited while in Noida for her upcoming movie promotions Ek Chatur Naar. Known for her timeless style and elegance, Divya explored the brand’s latest collections, embodying the very spirit of modern luxury that Vasundhra Raj stands for.

Speaking on the launch, Vasundhra Raj, Founder & Creative Director, shares, “Opening our second flagship at Central 50, Noida is a proud moment for us. This city is vibrant, dynamic and deeply attuned to contemporary style and we’re excited to create a space where clients can connect with our jewellery in an intimate, experiential way.”

With this launch, Vasundhra Raj Luxury continues to strengthen its footprint in India’s luxury retail landscape, bringing modern heirlooms to a new generation of jewellery lovers.

AI Career Platform OutSpark Surpasses 200,000 Paid Users, Reaches Rs 30 Crore Annual Revenue

MUMBAI, India, 9 September 2025 – OutSpark, the AI-powered career growth platform, today announced it has crossed a major milestone of 200,000 paid users just months after its launch. This rapid adoption has cemented its position as India’s fastest-growing career-tech solution, fueled by a 4x revenue increase over the last seven months and an annual recurring revenue (ARR) of INR 30 Crore as of July 2025.

In today’s competitive job market, professionals face significant challenges, including navigating AI-driven hiring systems, building a strong digital presence, and standing out to recruiters. OutSpark addresses this by providing a unified career operating system and an end-to-end ecosystem that equips job seekers with AI-powered tools previously available only to corporations.

The platform has already achieved significant traction, reviewing over two million resumes and LinkedIn profiles with AI-driven feedback. Its unique offerings, such as a first-of-its-kind pack of ten hyper-personalized resumes tailored to specific job descriptions and instant LinkedIn makeovers with studio-grade AI headshots, are empowering professionals to overcome hiring barriers.

“Hiring is evolving faster than ever with AI. But while companies have powerful tools, job seekers have been left behind,” said Kumar Apoorv, Founder and CEO of OutSpark. “OutSpark bridges that gap—giving every professional, from mid-career to senior levels, the same advantage that recruiters enjoy. We are not just building tools; we are creating a market-ready talent pipeline.”

Key Milestones and Platform Highlights:

● Rapid Commercial Growth: Achieved a ₹30 Crore ARR, with 4x revenue growth in seven months. Notably, 50% of revenue comes from existing users purchasing higher-value services.

● Massive User Impact: Generated over 300,000 resumes and delivered more than 20,000 LinkedIn profile makeovers.

● Engagement Automation: The proprietary AI-powered LinkedIn Co-Pilot boosts user visibility by suggesting daily high-impact posts, comments, and networking actions, turning passive profiles into opportunity magnets.

● Recruiter Ecosystem: Provides recruiters access to a talent pool of over one million active and 30 million passive job seekers, searchable through a proprietary AI talent intelligence layer that ensures candidate profiles are always current and relevant.

Future Outlook

Building on its domestic success, OutSpark is preparing for strategic expansion into the US, Europe, and Southeast Asia. The company’s roadmap includes launching a hyper-personalized job alert system, a job search co-pilot to automate applications, and forging partnerships with global recruitment platforms. This vision aims to build the largest AI-first talent database of high-intent professionals and create a truly seamless global career ecosystem.

AWAKEN YOUR TRUE SPIRIT WITH RAY-BAN.EXE

9th September 2025, Milan, IT – For too long, our identities have been clipped and tamed by soulless systems and brittle binaries. As a harbinger self-expression, Ray-Ban has been redefining style outside the limits since 1937, finding deep resonance with those who long to break free from conventions that feel rigid or performative.

 On September 4th, Ray-Ban elaborated on its iconoclastic approach with the launch of a new campaign and animation, Ray-Ban.EXE, that blends the visual language of Korean webtoons with dystopian storytelling to call viewers to their own creative awakening.

Unveiled at the brand’s first-ever pop-up in Seongsu-dong, Seoul, Korea – a symbolic choice – the premiere brought together cultural trailblazers at the heart of a creative scene that is increasingly shaping global youth identity. The initiative marks more than just a creative milestone: it reflects Ray-Ban’s ambition to reposition itself as a brand in sync with Korea’s next generation – and, through their cultural influence, with Gen Z audiences worldwide.

Through its arresting graphic style, the film paints a picture of an austere future where the world is controlled by humanoid machines, programmed to eliminate any trace of individuality, memory or self-expression. The protagonist, EV11, is a robot tasked with destroying non-conforming objects; until one day, when he discovers a black briefcase containing a pair of Ray-Ban Clubmaster sunglasses. When he slides on the shades, something awakens inside of him. A memory, a spart of identity stirs within. Suddenly marked as deviant, EV11 escapes and re-emerges in the real world as a human named Kim. He finds himself in a facility filled with others still trapped in the simulation. Greeted by a group of likeminded rebels, they hand Kim another pair of glasses, this time to pass forward. He places the glasses on a sleeping girl, kickstarting the cycle of awakening again.
Far more than a mere accessory, Ray-Ban cements its status as a catalyst for identity and self-actualization – a tool to bring about the true connection we crave.