Category Archives: Business

SKF Leads in Tribology as Platinum Sponsor of Nanotribology Forum 2026

SKF Strengthens Leadership in Tribology as Platinum Sponsor of International Nanotribology Forum 2026 in India

Mumbai, Jan 27: SKF India (Industrial) Ltd., a leading provider of premium bearing solutions and rotating equipment services, is the Platinum Sponsor of the International Nanotribology Forum (INF) 2026, a globally recognised platform advancing the science of friction, wear, and lubrication at nano and bio scales.

Scheduled from 26 to 30 January 2026 at Hotel Chandela, Khajuraho, INF 2026 continues a distinguished legacy of international nanotribology forums previously hosted across Asia, reflecting its strong global relevance and scientific credibility.

This year’s edition will focus on Soft Tribology and Biotribology, alongside core themes such as adhesion and friction fundamentals, wear mechanisms, and emerging experimental and analytical techniques in nanotribology. The programme will feature invited and contributed lectures, poster sessions, and in-depth technical discussions, fostering collaboration between leading researchers, academicians, and industry practitioners.

SKF’s association with INF 2026 is closely aligned with its purpose of ‘Less Friction, More Progress’. Tribology sits at the heart of SKF’s innovation engine—enabling higher efficiency, longer asset life, and more sustainable industrial performance. By supporting platforms such as INF, SKF reinforces its commitment to bridging fundamental research and applied engineering, accelerating the translation of scientific insight into real-world solutions.

Speaking on SKF’s association, Sanoj Somasundaran , Chief Technology Officer India & Director- Technology Development, ISEAM, said,

“Tribology is central to how we reduce friction, improves reliability and sustainability. The International Nanotribology Forum brings together some of the world’s most respected minds in this field, and as Platinum Sponsor, SKF is proud to support a platform that advances scientific understanding while strengthening its application in industry. We are in the right direction of less friction more progress”

INF 2026 will feature renowned speakers from leading institutions across the United States, Europe, Asia, and India, reinforcing its position as a key global congregation for the tribology community.

The forum will be hosted in Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh, a UNESCO World Heritage site celebrated for its architectural and cultural legacy. Well connected by air and road, the city offers an inspiring setting that blends rigorous scientific exchange with rich cultural heritage.

Cornelius Electronics commits €5 Million Investment in Moldova’s Edineț Region in the Electronics Manufacturing Sector

Jan 27: The British company Cornelius Electronics will invest approximately €5 million to expand production at the Edineț Industrial Park located in the Republic of Moldova’s North-Western region. The project includes the construction of three production halls totaling over 3,000 m², intended for the manufacturing of wiring harnesses and connection systems used across 14 industries, including healthcare, artificial intelligence, railway transport, and renewable energy. Cornelius Electronics currently employs 81 people, of whom over 80% are women. All production is destined for export, serving industrial clients in the European Union.

“Cornelius Electronics SRL is a fast-growing business built on passion, dedication, and the desire to deliver real value to our clients. Through continuous investments in technology, modern equipment, and team development, we have strengthened our position as a trusted partner in a transforming industry. Our mission remains clear: high-quality services, continuous innovation, and full customer satisfaction”,

stated Diana Popovici, Managing Director of Cornelius Electronics SRL.

The expansion of Cornelius Electronics was supported and made possible by a Memorandum of Understanding signed by Invest Moldova Agency, Innovate Moldova, and the Municipality of Edineț, which envisages amendments to the industrial park’s infrastructure plan and allows the extension of existing production halls.

“Cornelius Electronics is an example of how international expertise can be integrated into the local industrial ecosystem. We are pleased that, after several years of validated business activity in Moldova, Cornelius Electronics is managing to attract more clients for its production, making it possible to expand its investment in the country”,

said Natalia Bejan, Director of Invest Moldova Agency.

“Through investments in the Edineț Industrial Park, we are contributing to the transformation of the entire northern region. Each new hall brings dozens of jobs, more prosperous communities, and a more competitive national economy, based on engineering, innovation, and modern, export-oriented manufacturing”,

said Sergiu Rabii, Director of the Innovate Moldova Programme.

The investment fits into the positive dynamics of bilateral economic relations between the Republic of Moldova and the United Kingdom, grounded in the Strategic Partnership, Trade and Cooperation Agreement signed on December 24, 2020. According to data from the National Bank of Moldova, British foreign direct investment increased from USD 78.8 million in 2009 to over USD 257 million in 2024, with the bulk concentrated in value-added sectors such as IT, electronics, agro-industry, and services. Currently, 235 companies with British capital operate in the Republic of Moldova, with a total share capital investment volume of approximately MDL 840 million.

The approximately €5 million investment in Edineț, made by Cornelius Electronics, aims to bring British capital and technology in the future, support professional training, and create opportunities for better integration of Moldova into regional value chains, strengthening the country’s role as a stable supplier in the European electronics sector and regional value chains.

The Republic of Moldova’s electronics sector is an essential supplier to European markets, accounting for a significant share of the country’s exports. According to UN Comtrade, between 2019 and 2024, Moldovan exports of electrical equipment and components to the European Union totaled USD 3.37 billion, accounting for over 90% of the sector’s total exports.

4 Signals from Republic Day Sales 2026: Unicommerce Analysis

Mumbai, Jan 24: Republic Day Sales 2026 offer a clear view into how India’s e-commerce market is maturing beyond discount-driven spikes towards structurally driven growth. An analysis by Unicommerce, based on over 27 million order items processed on its Uniware platform during the 2025 and 2026 Republic Day Sales periods, highlights four signals shaping the sector’s trajectory.

Tier 3 Cities Are Now Volume Leaders

Smaller cities emerged as key growth drivers. Tier 3 cities, led by Kolar (Karnataka), Rohtak (Haryana), Kamrup (Assam), Ernakulam (Kerala) and Khordha (Odisha) among others accounted for nearly 40% of total order items, with order volumes growing over 19% YoY. Healthy food volumes more than doubled in Tier 2 cities, while Tier 3 markets contributed around 43% of total food and beverage orders, underscoring the deepening reach of e-commerce beyond metros.

Repeat consumption driving growth 

Order volumes grew 16.9% year-on-year, while GMV rose 11.9%, driven by higher order frequency rather than ticket size alone. FMCG & Agriculture and Beauty & Wellness were the fastest-growing categories, with nearly 80% and ~53% YoY growth respectively. Demand was led by healthy and everyday items such as dry fruits, millet-based products, packaged healthy snacks, and organic staples, and face serums, body washes along with other grooming products—reflecting a shift towards habit-driven, repeat consumption.

Speed and Automation Are Driving Conversions

Channel trends highlighted rising expectations for faster fulfillment. Quick commerce led growth with a ~25% YoY increase in order volumes, followed by brand-owned websites at 23%, while marketplaces continued to process the largest share of orders. Brands increasingly relied on automation to manage real-time inventory, routing, and customer engagement, reinforcing that execution quality is now as critical as pricing in driving sales performance.

AI-Led Engagement Is Closing the Conversion Gap

Brands leveraged AI and automation to convert high-intent demand during the Republic Day sale period this year. Insights from Unicommerce’s Convertway platform show over 2.5 million customer communications across SMS, WhatsApp, and RCS, driving improvement in conversion rates. AI Voice Agent ‘Catalyst’ further enabled last-mile order completion, with over 1.2 lakh calls made during the sales period—generating over ten times revenue for brands compared to the cost they incurred, making it a high-yield channel and highlighting the growing role of AI in shaping sale outcomes.

Together, these four signals point to an inflection in India’s e-commerce growth: repeat consumption driving growth, execution and technology-led expansion, smaller-city participation, faster fulfillment, and AI engagement emerging as the key growth levers in 2026.

Data Privacy Day: Building Trust Through Secure and Responsible Data Stewardship

 By:  Matthew Oostveen, VP & CTO, Asia Pacific & Japan, Pure Storage

“Data Privacy Day is a reminder that privacy is fundamentally about trust and how responsibly organizations protect and control the data they are entrusted with.

As data volumes grow and regulations evolve, privacy can no longer be addressed through policy alone. It must be built into the way data is stored, accessed, and governed across the enterprise. In India, the introduction of the Digital Personal Data Protection Act (DPDP Act), marks a significant step forward, placing sharper focus on accountability, consent, and responsible data stewardship for organizations operating in an increasingly digital economy.

Strong data privacy begins with secure foundations. Built-in encryption and robust key management play a critical role in protecting sensitive information at rest, supporting privacy objectives, and enabling organizations to manage regulated and mission-critical data with confidence. As regulatory frameworks such as the DPDP Act, GDPR, and DORA continue to raise expectations around accountability and resilience, maintaining clear ownership and control of data has become essential.

This Data Privacy Day, organizations should recognize that lasting trust is built not only through how data is used, but through how securely it is protected and how firmly they remain in control of it.”

From Assembled to Engineered in India: A Call for R&D-Driven Budget Support

By:  Mr. Ritesh Goenka, Managing Director, Damson Technologies,

“We have successfully moved from ‘Imported in India’ to ‘Assembled in India’; the 2026 Budget must now build the bridge to ‘Engineered in India.’ For brands like Just Corseca investing heavily in local infrastructure, the focus must shift from basic assembly incentives to deep-tier manufacturing.

We need a fiscal runway that rationalises duties on high-tech capital machinery and incentivises domestic R&D for core components like PCBAs and batteries. The government has given us the volume; now we need the policy support to own the value. This budget should be about empowering Indian brands to own the intellectual property, not just the factory floor.”

Vikram Roller Flour Mills expands portfolio with entry into Rice category

The company adds Basmati rice category alongside its existing range of Chakki Atta, Maida, Sooji and Dalia, with the range to be developed gradually.

New Delhi, Jan 24: Vikram Roller Flour Mills Limited (Vikram Mills), a long-established name in India’s wheat-based food segment, has entered the rice category. The company is expanding beyond wheat flour and allied staples to include everyday food products such as rice and rice-based items.

Through this expansion, Vikram Mills is looking to increase its presence in essential food categories linked to regular consumption. The basmati rice products will be introduced in stages. Distribution of rice range will cover retail outlets alongwith institutional customers such as hotels, restaurants, food service operators and FMCG companies. The focus will remain on supply continuity while maintaining the product quality.

The company supplies its products from its own manufacturing units, including facilities at Lawrence Road Industrial Area (Delhi) and Kiloi, Rohtak. These plants will support the expanded portfolio and ensure controlled, uninterrupted supply across categories.

Vikram Mills has spent the past few years studying customer preferences and demand in basmati rice category. The company has entered the segment after reviewing demand trends and procurement requirements and has ensured supply-chain preparedness before introducing rice. According to the management, customers are increasingly sourcing more than one staple product from manufacturers they already work with.

Basmati rice sourcing will follow a paddy-to-rice model, similar to the company’s wheat sourcing approach. Paddy will be procured directly, stored in warehouses for ageing and processed into rice, allowing better control over quality, grading and consistency—on lines comparable to wheat-to-flour operations at Vikram Mills.

The rice portfolio has been planned keeping in mind the regional consumption habits and bulk usage requirements. Initial offerings will focus on commonly consumed, high-quality variants, with scope for additions based on market response and feedback from trade partners and buyers.

Speaking on the development, Mr. Shubham Garg, Director, Vikram Roller Flour Mills Limited, said, “Staple foods continue to form the backbone of everyday consumption in India. While wheat-based products remain our core strength, rice is an equally important category across regions. Our entry into basmati rice builds on our manufacturing and sourcing capabilities and allows us to offer customers a wider range of essential products.”

The rice category will be supported through sourcing, grading and processing practices similar to those followed for the company’s wheat products. The same checks related to hygiene and traceability will apply to the rice range.

Over the years, Vikram Mills has built working relationships across procurement, processing and distribution, which are expected to support the steady rollout of the rice business. These existing systems will continue to support the category as it scales in a measured manner.

Its existing product range includes Chakki Atta, Maida, Sooji, Rawa and Dalia, supplied to both household consumers and institutional customers. Basmati rice has now been added to this range. The rice business will be developed in a phased manner, with emphasis on stable operations and market response.

Vikram Mills supplies its products across several markets, including tier-II and tier-III locations, through its distribution network. The company works with institutional buyers and trade partners in these markets.

With the addition of basmati rice, Vikram Mills is extending its presence within everyday staple foods while building on its existing manufacturing, sourcing and distribution capabilities. The category will be developed steadily, in line with operational readiness and demand across markets.

5 Ways Protein Protects Skin From Premature Ageing

Great skin starts from within. While skincare products play an important role, they can’t deliver all the benefits of a youthful, healthy appearance on their own. What you eat has a significant influence on your skin as what you apply to it. Protein, often thought of as only a muscle-building nutrient, is essential for maintaining skin strength, nourishment, and repair. As we age, the body’s natural ability to produce the key proteins that support healthy skin declines, making it especially important to consume enough protein every day to help maintain skin health over the long term.

Here are five key ways protein helps fight skin ageing:

1. Boosts Collagen and Elastin Production

Protein contains essential amino acids such as proline and glycine which help provide the building blocks needed for your body to produce collagen and elastin, which are responsible for keeping skin firm, smooth, and flexible. While protein alone will not increase collagen levels or remove wrinkles, consuming an adequate amount of protein is an important factor in supporting the body’s collagen synthesis process along with other factors that include vitamin C, the consumption of sufficient calories, the use of sunscreen, and other aspects of one’s lifestyle.

2. Improves skin repair and regeneration

The amino acids found in proteins consumed through diet supports regeneration of cells and the healing of skin. An adequate intake of protein can help the skin to better recover from the daily stresses of environmental exposure, minor inflammation, and normal wear and tear on a daily basis. While nutrition cannot prevent scarring or pigmentation alterations directly, consuming enough protein can support your body’s natural healing processes as well as help maintain a balanced, healthy skin color.

3. Strengthens the skin barrier

The skin barrier consists of proteins, lipids, and various other materials, which help keep moisture locked in and protect the body from external sources causing irritation. In addition, proteins consumed through the diet are used to produce structural proteins, which maintain the healthy condition of the skin. If a person does not consume enough protein, the ability of the skin barrier to perform its function could be negatively affected. This could lead to dry, sensitive skin and increased transepidermal water loss. Proteins, along with essential fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals such as zinc, iron, copper, and vitamin C, all play vital roles in supporting overall skin barrier health.

4. Provides Antioxidant Defense

Cysteine and methionine are amino acids that are used to create glutathione, a major antioxidant created by the body. Antioxidants help reduce oxidative stress caused by free radicals, which ultimately leads to skin ageing. While protein does not act as an antioxidant directly, sufficient amounts of protein consumed aid internal systems in protecting cells from oxidative damage.

5. Reduces inflammation and stress-related ageing

Protein intake, when part of balanced meals, can help stabilize blood sugar and produce hormones and enzymes that help manage stress. Prolonged stress and chronic inflammatory conditions negatively affect skin and can contribute toward skin redness, breakouts, and accelerated ageing.  Protein drinks from Not Rocket Science can offer a convenient way to help meet daily protein needs, particularly during busy or high-stress periods when regular meals may be inconsistent. It’s important to note that nutrients such as omega-3 fatty acids and adaptogenic herbs support inflammation and stress responses independently of protein and should be considered complementary components of a holistic nutrition approach.

DCB Bank Reports Highest Ever Quarterly PAT in Q3 FY 2026; Advances and Deposits Show Strong Growth

Mumbai, Jan 23: The Board of Directors of DCB Bank Ltd. (BSE: 532772; NSE: DCB) approved the unaudited financial results for the quarter ended December 31, 2025 (Q3 FY 2026), along with a limited review report by statutory auditors Varma & Varma, Chartered Accountants and B S R & Co. LLP, Chartered Accountants.

Commenting on the results, Mr. Praveen Kutty, Managing Director & CEO, said:

“The growth momentum in both advances and deposits continues to be robust. Net Interest Margin (NIM) has maintained its upward trend, while fee income continues to show strong performance. Credit costs remain benign with slippages reducing, and GNPA & NNPA at their three-year lows. Despite a one-time impact of ₹26.87 crore due to the New Labour Codes, the Bank has registered its highest-ever quarterly PAT.”

The Q3 FY 2026 results highlight DCB Bank’s consistent focus on profitable growth, strong asset quality, and sustainable operational performance.

NICMAR, one of India’s leading institutions for Construction, Real Estate, Infrastructure and Project Management education

By:  Dr Tapash Kumar Ganguli, Director-General, NICMAR

With record allocations across the board in the last Union Budget, India’s infrastructure growth is no longer constrained by capital but by the availability of industry-ready talent. Specialised education in construction, real estate, infrastructure and project management is critical to bridging the academia–industry gap. Targeted funding for advanced labs, digital tools, sustainability research and applied R&D can significantly strengthen execution capacity. The upcoming Budget offers a timely opportunity to reinforce this ecosystem through technology-led skilling and public-private collaboration.”

ITC Foods Press Release:: Sunfeast Wowzers turns up the ‘Wow’

As indulgence-led snacking evolves, young consumers are seeking snacks that deliver intensity, personality and share-worthy moments and not just taste. Responding to this shift, Sunfeast Wowzers from ITC Ltd. has dialled up the sensory drama with a bolder, cheesier and crunchier communication. Staying true to its core, Wowzers brings alive indulgence through its signature 28-layer cracker enrobed in an indulgent cheesy crème, creating a cracker that doesn’t just taste cheesy, but feels cheesier with every bite, taking the ‘wow’ a notch higher.

The new campaign translates this heightened product experience into a fresh, youthful film that speaks the language of young consumers. Conceptualized by Ogilvy, the film unfolds in a vibrant, high-energy setting, capturing spontaneous snack breaks among friends. Riding on the growing trend of ASMR, the TVC engages deeply with the product’s sensory appeal. The film brings alive the indulgence through immersive sound and rhythm, mirroring how today’s youth experience food.

With this communication, Sunfeast Wowzers strengthens its positioning by moving beyond conventional product claims to build a stronger cultural connect with young consumers. By pairing a cheesier product experience with a fresh, vibe-led visual language, the brand makes indulgence feel contemporary, premium and socially relevant.

Commenting on the new campaign, Suraj Kathuria, Head of Marketing, Sunfeast at ITC Limited, said,

“Youth look for snacks that are bold, expressive and sensorial, something that stands out in both taste and experience. With Wowzers, we’ve leaned into what makes the product truly distinctive by making the indulgence even cheesier and bringing that to life through a fresh, high-energy film. The idea was to create a communication that feels immersive and culturally in sync, where the product’s layered crunch and cheesy payoff are experienced as much visually as they are in taste.”

Adding the creative perspective, Puneet Kapoor, Chief Creative Officer, Ogilvy South, said,

“I still recall biting into Wowzers at the ITC office, with the whole team instantly falling for the multi-sensorial snacking experience, led by that indulgent cheesy hit. The campaign idea was simply to demonstrate the truth we tasted first: the proof of the tasty, cheesy cracker is in the munching.”