Category Archives: Business

Data-Led Report : Cat Food Takes Over, Bengaluru Pampers Pets Most, Delhi Pet Parent Spent INR 60,957 this Year

 June 17: India’s relationship with its pets is changing fast and becoming much more indulgent. From grain-free meals and gourmet treats to premium grooming kits and specialised nutrition, pet parents across the country are truly taking care of their fur babies. Instamart recorded a 41% growth in pet care orders, as shoppers move beyond the basics and start treating their pets’ wellness like their own. Searches for dog shampoo surged nearly 600%, grain-free pet food grew 152% year-on-year, and treats are outpacing every other category in the pet aisle.

While Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Delhi remain the biggest pet care markets overall, the real headline is happening elsewhere: Tier II+ cities posted 96% year-on-year growth in pet care orders.

India Is Having a Cat Moment

International Sushi Day at Amaru

June 17: This International Sushi Day Amaru invites guests to celebrate the artistry of sushi through a thoughtfully curated selection of maki rolls, carpaccios, and Japanese-inspired creations that showcase fresh ingredients and bold flavours. Blending Japanese technique with Amaru’s signature Asian–Peruvian approach, the menu offers something for every kind of sushi lover.

Guests can indulge in favourites like the California Explosion, layered with crab meat, tobiko and avocado, the Prawn Tempura Maki with spicy mayo and crispy tempura prawns, and the Tempura Yasai Maki, featuring crispy exotic vegetables and guacamole. Vegetarian options such as the Hass Avocado Cream Cheese Roll and Amaru Tsurai Maki offer equally satisfying bites, packed with texture and flavour. 

For those who enjoy lighter, more delicate preparations, the Salmon Carpaccio with ponzu and wakame and the Hamachi Carpaccio with spicy jalapeño and wakame bring together freshness and balance in every bite. 

Whether you’re loyal to a perfectly rolled maki or enjoy exploring contemporary Japanese flavours, Amaru’s sushi selection makes for the perfect way to mark International Sushi Day. 

What: International Sushi Day at Amaru 

When: 18th June 

Where: Amaru, Mumbai 

Airtel Extends Connectivity for Indian Army in Arunachal Pradesh

Guwahati, June 17: Bharti Airtel (“Airtel”), one of India’s leading telecommunications service providers, today announced the successful completion of the first phase of a strategic initiative in partnership with 4 Corps of Indian Army headquartered at Tezpur to strengthen mobile connectivity across remote regions in Arunachal Pradesh.

With this milestone deployment, Airtel has become the first and only service provider to deliver reliable mobile connectivity in the mountainous, high-altitude, and difficult-to-access region. This will enable both military and civil personnel residing in these remote locations to stay seamlessly connected with their families.

As part of the initiative, Airtel deployed network infrastructure across 30 Army stations located in challenging mountainous terrain. The deployment significantly enhances voice and data connectivity in areas where access has historically remained limited due to geographical and infrastructure constraints.

This achievement was made possible through the strong collaboration between Airtel and the Indian Army. The Army extended extensive logistical support throughout the project, including assistance for fiber deployment and power infrastructure. In several locations where road access was not possible, the Indian Army provided the necessary assistance and logistics support to move Airtel Technical teams and telecommunication equipment deep into the mountains.

The successful completion of Phase 1 has now paved the way for the next chapter. Encouraged by the impact of the project, the Indian Army and Airtel have agreed to undertake Phase 2, under which network sites will be built across 15 additional locations in Arunachal Pradesh

“This initiative reflects Airtel’s continued commitment to extending connectivity to some of the country’s most difficult terrains. The rollout required extensive coordination between Airtel teams and local support units to overcome immense terrain and weather-related challenges,” said Balaji R, CEO – North East and Assam, Bharti Airtel. “Our teams operated under demanding high-altitude conditions and adverse weather to ensure timely and secure network activation. We are deeply grateful to the Indian Army for their unparalleled logistical support, which made it possible to bring digital connectivity to these frontier regions.”

Airtel’s continued expansion into such challenging environments reflects its commitment to bridging the digital divide and powering India’s digital transformation.

Omdia: XR headwear market set for growth from 2027, as industry attention shifts from headsets to glasses

LONDON, June 17: Global shipments of XR headwear will decline by 12% to 6.2 million units in 2026, according to the latest forecast from Omdia. However, the market is expected to return to growth in 2027, reaching 6.5 million units, an increase of 4.8%. This recovery will be driven by the rapid expansion of XR glasses, offsetting declines in headset shipments, as both consumers and manufacturers increasingly favor lighter form factors over bulkier devices.

The tethered XR glasses segment, led by Chinese vendors like RayNeo and Xreal, is projected to reach 900,000 units in 2026 – a 19% increase – and maintain double-digit growth to reach 3.8 million units by 2030. Meanwhile, standalone XR glasses remain a relatively small segment, largely confined to enterprise and developer use, with shipments forecast to reach just 93,000 units in 2026. However, the category is expected to grow rapidly over the next five years as hardware matures and spatial computing capabilities improve.

XR headwear is part of the wider intelligent headwear market as defined by Omdia, which also includes AI glasses. “Following three years of rapid growth, AI glasses have begun normalizing face-worn computing for daily use,” said George Jijiashvili, Senior Principal Analyst at Omdia. “This growing consumer familiarity is directly fueling the XR glasses segment, laying groundwork for an industry-wide evolution toward slimmer glasses form factors.”

The standalone XR headset category, which includes the Meta Quest 3 and Apple Vision Pro, is projected to decline 15% in 2026 to 4.7 million shipments, with contractions continuing into 2027, marking a fifth consecutive year of decline for the category since its pandemic-induced peak in 2021/22. A return to growth is predicted in 2028, with shipments forecast to rise to 5 million units.

This recovery relies on Apple introducing a more accessible Vision Pro around 2028, acting as the catalyst for players like Samsung and Vivo to make a more competitive push. Without these developments, growth prospects for the segment remain uncertain. Meanwhile, tethered headsets continue their steep decline, dropping 34% in 2026 to 500,000 units as standalone alternatives displace them.

“Despite maturing technology, bulky XR headsets struggle to demonstrate everyday utility for mainstream consumers,” noted Qiran Ju, Senior Analyst at Omdia. “Meta has prioritized AI glasses, while Google signaled a similar direction through emphasis on XR glasses at I/O 2026. Lighter form factors are better positioned to gain widespread consumer acceptance and steer the future of XR development.”

Algorand Foundation Launches Global x402 Challenge with Dollar 100k USD + 500k ALGO Prize Pool

Competition opens on the heels of a successful Berlin hackathon as developer momentum behind x402 payments accelerates

DOVER, DELAWARE, June 17:  The Algorand Foundation today launched the Global x402 Challenge, a five-month competition for developers building x402-powered, pay-per-request API services on Algorand mainnet.

The announcement follows the Algorand Builders Berlin: Agentic Commerce x402 Hackathon on June 6-7, where more than 100 builders gathered in Berlin for a 36-hour build sprint. Winning builds ranged from an agentic trust layer for regulated finance to a peer-to-peer energy market where an EV agent settles solar power purchases in real time, with no checkout step required.

x402 is an open protocol that embeds payment logic directly into HTTP requests. Originally developed by Coinbase, it enables AI agents and services to transact per call without API keys or billing infrastructure. Algorand’s instant finality and low transaction fees make it particularly well-suited as the settlement layer for high-frequency agent payments at scale.

To enter the Global x402 Challenge, developers must deploy a paid x402 endpoint on Algorand Mainnet. Usage is tracked automatically via the GoPlausible facilitator on a public leaderboard. The top 50 qualify for 10 finalist spots, who will present live (in-person or virtually) at Devcon 8 India. The top five finalists share $100,000 USD, with an additional 500,000 ALGO split across the top 20 endpoints on the leaderboard. Full eligibility requirements, prize terms, and conditions are set out in the Official Rules; the Challenge is void where prohibited and is not open to residents of sanctioned or otherwise restricted jurisdictions. 

Avio Smart Market Stack Appoints Sandeep Pandya to Drive Global Expansion of its Diagnostics & Healthcare Business

June 17: Avio Smart Market Stack Limited (formerly Bartronics India Limited) has appointed healthcare industry veteran Sandeep Pandya as Head – International Sales, Diagnostics & Healthcare Division, as the company accelerates its global expansion strategy in diagnostics and healthcare technologies.

With over two decades of experience across diagnostics, medical devices, pharmaceuticals, and healthcare technologies, Pandya has built and scaled international businesses across Asia, Africa, Europe, and emerging markets. He has previously held leadership roles at Meril Life Sciences, Beacon Diagnostics, CTX Life Sciences, and Span Diagnostics, where he led international market development, distributor networks, regulatory initiatives, and commercialisation programs.

In his new role, Pandya will spearhead  Avio Stack’ international business development efforts, focusing on market expansion, strategic partnerships, distribution network development, and commercialisation of the company’s healthcare portfolio across global markets.

A key priority will be expanding the international footprint of Huwel Lifesciences’ molecular diagnostics portfolio, a cornerstone of  Avio Stack’s healthcare strategy. The portfolio includes advanced molecular diagnostic solutions for tuberculosis (TB), drug-resistant TB, sepsis, HPV, hepatitis, antimicrobial resistance (AMR), respiratory illnesses, and other infectious diseases.

Commenting on the appointment, Vidya Sagar Reddy, Managing Director, Avio Smart Market Stack Limited, said: “Healthcare and diagnostics represent a strategic growth pillar for Avio Stack. As we continue building a globally relevant healthcare platform, strengthening our international presence becomes increasingly important. Sandeep brings deep expertise in diagnostics and healthcare commercialisation across multiple geographies, and his leadership will help us accelerate market access, forge meaningful partnerships, and create sustainable growth opportunities worldwide.”

Speaking on his new role, Sandeep Pandya, Head – International Sales, Diagnostics & Healthcare Division,  Avio Smart Market Stack Limited said: “The global healthcare landscape is evolving rapidly, creating significant opportunities for innovative and accessible diagnostic solutions.  Avio Stack has laid a strong foundation through its healthcare initiatives, and I look forward to working with the team to expand our international reach, strengthen strategic collaborations, and deliver impactful healthcare solutions across diverse markets.”

The appointment underscores Avio Stack’s long-term vision of building a globally scalable diagnostics and healthcare business through indigenous healthcare technologies, strategic collaborations, and expanded international market access. The company aims to strengthen its presence across both emerging and developed healthcare markets while improving access to affordable, high-quality diagnostic solutions.

JioBlackRock Integrates Overnight Fund with Jio Payments Bank’s ‘Savings Pro’ to Expand Digital Investment Access

Mumbai, June 17: JioBlackRock Asset Management Private Limited, a joint venture between Jio Financial Services Limited and BlackRock, one of the world’s leading asset managers, today announced the integration of the JioBlackRock Overnight Fund with ‘Savings Pro’, a savings-plus-investment feature available on the JioFinance App through Jio Payments Bank Limited (JPBL).      

 The integration enables customers to seamlessly deploy surplus balances from their bank accounts into overnight mutual funds through a fully digital experience.

JPBL’s Savings Pro is designed to combine the convenience of digital banking with access to mutual fund investments. The feature allows customers to automatically invest idle balances above a self-defined threshold into overnight funds while retaining liquidity and flexibility.  

The offering provides customers with the option of an Auto-Invest feature, where surplus balances above a selected threshold are invested on a daily basis, or a One-Time investment option for immediate deployment. Customers can set thresholds between ₹5,000 and ₹1,50,000, with a daily investment limit of up to ₹1,50,000 through the platform.

 Savings Pro is structured to offer an alternative for managing surplus balances while maintaining ease of access to funds. Customers can redeem up to ₹50,000 or 90% of the invested amount, whichever is lower, on an instant basis. Redemption requests beyond this limit are processed on a T+1 basis, in accordance with applicable regulatory guidelines. The offering has no entry or exit load, no lock-in period, and no hidden charges.    

 Sid Swaminathan, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, JioBlackRock Asset Management Private Limited, said: “Customers today are increasingly seeking simple and seamless ways to manage surplus balances. Through this integration, we are combining digital banking convenience with access to overnight fund solutions in a transparent and accessible manner. This is aligned with our broader effort to expand access to investment solutions for a wider set of investors.”

 Vinod Easwaran, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Jio Payments Bank Limited, said: “At Jio Payments Bank, we continue to focus on enhancing digitally enabled financial solutions for customers. Savings Pro is designed to provide a convenient way to manage surplus balances while maintaining flexibility, liquidity and ease of access.”
Savings Pro is available to Jio Payments Bank savings and salary account customers and offers a fully digital onboarding experience enabled through Aadhaar and video KYC on the JioFinance App. Customers can set or modify thresholds, track investments and monitor transactions through the platform.

 This integration represents a step towards building a more integrated, accessible and digitally enabled financial ecosystem, combining everyday banking with investment access for customers.

Dubai sets global standard for cities designed around how people live and thrive

Keturah founder says the onus is now on developers to match the vision behind the new longevity authority

Dubai, UAE, June 17: Luxury developer Keturah has welcomed the establishment of the new Dubai Longevity Authority, saying it shows the emirate leading the world in how cities are designed around how people live and thrive.

Talal M. Al Gaddah, CEO and Founder of the Keturah luxury brand, says developers in Dubai now have a key role to play in supporting the initiative by creating the homes and environments that make life better.

The Dubai Longevity Authority has been established to develop the emirate as the world’s leading hub for regulated longevity, wellness and advanced healthcare, and open up channels for investment in the sector.

“This is exactly the kind of institutional commitment that sets Dubai apart,” said Al Gaddah. “A dedicated government body with a clear mandate to lead the world in longevity and wellness sends a message that resonates well beyond the healthcare sector.

“Developers in Dubai now have a framework to align with and a standard to meet. The residents who will live in the communities we are creating today deserve homes that reflect the same ambition the new authority represents; homes that make life better, and allow people to thrive.”

Keturah has two luxury residential communities under development in Dubai which place wellness and healthy living at the heart of their design, construction and the everyday experience of the people who will call them home.

The Ritz-Carlton Residences at Keturah Resort, on the shores of Dubai Creek adjacent to the Ras Al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary, will be the Middle East’s first fully wellness-certified resort.

With creek-side mansions, apartments, a Ritz-Carlton boutique hotel and a standalone wellness centre, the resort is certified by Delos, the US-based wellness real estate and technology firm, and the International WELL Building Institute.

Keturah Reserve, the AED5.7 billion bio-living community under development in Mohammed Bin Rashid City’s District 7, is the first development in the region to integrate wellness science into residential architecture at scale.

AED200 million has been invested in proprietary antimicrobial tiling, breathable wall systems and zero-VOC finishes which actively inhibit bacteria, regulate humidity and eliminate harmful airborne chemicals, creating homes where every surface contributes to healthier indoor living.

“The onus is on developers to ensure that the vision the Dubai Longevity Authority represents is reflected in every decision we make, from the materials we specify to the communities we design and the standards we build to,” says Al Gaddah.

“Dubai is setting a standard the world will follow, and we have an opportunity to help define what healthier, longer and more fulfilling lives look like for generations to come.”

TDI Infratech announces ₹75 Crore Investment in Ramada by Wyndham Hotel at TDI Connaught Estate, Panipat

Planned 53-key hotel reflects growing demand for branded hospitality in emerging NCR markets

India | June 17: TDI Infratech has signed with Wyndham Hotels & Resorts to introduce the Ramada by Wyndham Panipat Connaught Estate, marking another step in the expansion of branded hospitality across high-growth Tier-II cities in India.

The planned 53-key hotel, backed by an investment of approximately INR 75 crores, will form part of TDI Connaught Estate, TDI Infratech’s flagship mixed-use development in Panipat. Currently under development, the hotel is expected to open in the second quarter of 2028 and will cater to growing demand from business travellers, transit guests and small-scale meetings and events.

The signing reflects increasing momentum within India’s hospitality sector, where improving infrastructure, industrial expansion and rising domestic travel are driving demand for internationally branded hotels beyond major metropolitan centres. Strategically positioned within the NCR growth corridor, Panipat continues to emerge as an important commercial and transit destination with increasing need for quality branded accommodation.

Located within TDI Connaught Estate, the hotel will benefit from proximity to commercial developments, retail destinations and major transport links, further strengthening the positioning of the wider development as an integrated urban destination.

Commenting on the development, Akshay Taneja, Managing Director, TDI Infratech said, “This planned investment reflects our long-term confidence in Panipat’s evolving economic landscape. At TDI, we are focused on creating developments that go beyond standalone real estate to become integrated urban destinations. The addition of Ramada by Wyndham strengthens the ecosystem at TDI Connaught Estate and aligns with our vision of delivering high-quality, future-ready infrastructure.”

Rahool Macarius, Market Managing Director – Eurasia, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts said: “Panipat and the wider Tier 2 and Tier 3 markets across North India continue to present strong growth opportunities for Wyndham, driven by improving infrastructure, rising commercial activity and increasing demand for quality, branded hospitality. Ramada by Wyndham to Panipat is strategically located to cater to the evolving needs of business and leisure travellers in the region. This development reflects our continued focus on expanding across high-potential, emerging cities and strengthening Wyndham’s presence in fast-growing regional markets across India.

The development is expected to contribute to local employment generation and economic activity while supporting the continued evolution of Panipat’s hospitality and commercial landscape.

CaratLane – A TATA Product Appoints Dhaval Raja as Chief Saes Officer

Mumbai, India, June 17: CaratLane – A Tata Product, India’s leading omni-channel jewellery brand, has announced the appointment of Dhaval Raja as its Chief Sales Officer (CSO). In this role, Dhaval will lead the company’s sales function across channels and markets, driving business growth, retail excellence, customer experience transformation, and network expansion as CaratLane continues to strengthen its omni-channel presence across India.

Dhaval brings extensive experience in sales leadership, business expansion, and retail operations, having worked across leading consumer-facing organisations. Prior to joining CaratLane, he served as Chief Sales & Business Officer at Senco Gold & Diamonds, where he led the retail, online, corporate, and digital business verticals. During his tenure, the company witnessed significant transformation, expanding from a strong regional player into a nationally recognised jewellery brand while achieving rapid retail growth and a successful public listing.

Speaking on his appointment, Dhaval Raja, Chief Sales Officer, CaratLane, said, “CaratLane has built a strong reputation for redefining the jewellery-buying experience through innovation, accessibility, and a customer-first approach. I look forward to working closely with the leadership team to strengthen sales excellence, expand our retail footprint, enhance customer experiences, and contribute to the brand’s next phase of growth.”

At CaratLane, Dhaval will be responsible for driving sales growth, accelerating new store expansion, strengthening retail execution, and leading customer experience transformation initiatives across the network. He will work closely with the leadership team to align sales strategy with the company’s long-term growth ambitions, while enhancing productivity and delivering consistent business performance across channels.

Over the course of his career, Dhaval has held leadership roles at Raymond Ltd., Raymond Apparel Ltd., and Aditya Birla Fashion & Retail Ltd., where he built expertise across sales, commercial strategy, channel management, and business operations. He has worked closely with cross-functional teams to drive market expansion, improve productivity, and build scalable operating structures that support sustainable business growth.

Known for his structured leadership style and strong execution orientation, Dhaval brings a sharp focus on building accountable, high-performing teams and fostering collaboration across functions. His ability to combine commercial insight with operational discipline has enabled organisations to scale efficiently while maintaining consistency in execution.