Category Archives: Business

SAKU expands retail footprint with second Gurugram store, strengthening its vision of everyday Designerwear Fashion

May 5, 2025, Gurugram: Saku, a homegrown Indian Fashion brand, has opened its second retail store in Gurugram. This milestone reinforces the brand’s growing presence in India’s fashion landscape by bringing its full portfolio of women’s, men’s, and kidswear collections under one roof, designed to reflect SAKU’s core philosophy: Nothing but Fine Living. With a commitment to offering premium designerwear at affordable prices, Saku makes high-quality fashion accessible to Modern Indian families.

The new store, located in Gurugram, is thoughtfully designed to make shopping feel more personal, comfortable, and immersive across the brand’s portfolio. From its curated layout and fabric-first displays to warm, attentive store assistance, the space is crafted to offer a calm and engaging alternative to the typical fast-paced fashion environment.

“Our vision at Saku is to build a house of brands that feels both aspirational and wearable, especially for everyday moments.. We are seeing strong traction in both our physical and digital channels, and are targeting 45% year-on-year growth with plans to scale our presence to 10+ cities in India,” Sandeep Sampla, Co-founder & CEO, SAKU, added. “We started SAKU to bridge the space between aspiration and access — to bring designer-led, thoughtfully crafted fashion into everyday lives. You shouldn’t have to compromise on quality, design, or comfort to find something that feels truly you. That’s the heart of everything we create.”

The new store also introduces the brand’s seasonal womenswear capsule — The Neela Collection — a poetic exploration of blue through clean silhouettes and soft detail. However, it is part of a larger offering that includes SAKU (flagship womenswear brand), Stoik (menswear), and Picaasu (kidswear), collectively positioning SAKU as a distinctive, family-first fashion destination, catering to the diverse needs of modern families.

With strong momentum across both digital and physical platforms, SAKU is targeting 45% year-on-year growth and plans to open five additional stores across key Indian cities in the next 12–15 months. The brand also continues to scale its D2C website and grow through strategic marketplace partnerships.

Airtel Business Launches ‘Business Name Display’ to Boost Call Trust

(India), May 5, 2025: Airtel Business today announced the launch of ‘Business Name Display’ (BND), an industry-first solution designed to enhance customer engagement for enterprises. The service enables businesses to display their brand name on the recipient’s mobile screen during outgoing calls, thereby fostering trust and helping customers distinguish legitimate business calls from spam.

Airtel solved the spam challenge for its customers with the launch of India’s first spam-fighting network, supported by a nationwide awareness campaign to educate users. While these initiatives have significantly increased customer awareness, leading more people to ignore calls flagged as spam or from unknown numbers, it also resulted in unintended consequences where call from brands got tagged as spam. Consequently, customers were missing on critical calls from banks, food delivery, courier delivery, hospital for critical doctor’s appointment et al. The “Business Name Display” solves for this challenge and facilitates a relevant yet safe communication environment enabling end customers to make informed decisions on all incoming calls, which will  display the name of the company the call is from. In turn, businesses can stand-out to their customers even as they protect them from fraudulent callers.

  Sharat Sinha, Director & CEO, Airtel Business, said, “At Airtel, we are constantly innovating to create a communication experience that is smarter, safer and more transparent for everyone. With “Business Name Display”, we will be helping businesses establish trust and stand out with every call while simultaneously giving customers the confidence of knowing who is reaching out to them. It is about making communication more personal, secure and seamless for both sides.”

The solution was successfully piloted with over 250 businesses across sectors including banking, retail, food delivery, mobility, Quick commerce, courier and logistics. These businesses used 1.5 million+ phone numbers to make 12.8 million calls in the last 30 days, leading to an impressive increase in customer engagement.

 By displaying a verified name at the onset of each call, businesses can:

• Clearly distinguishes themselves from unknown calls
• Build trust and enhance their brand reputation
• Provide context that improves the customer experience as well as the call answer rates

Serentica Powers INOX with 75 MW Green Energy in New Supply Agreement

Mumbai, 5 May 2025: Serentica Renewables, a leading renewable energy provider in India, has signed a Power Supply and Consumption Agreement (PSCA) with INOX Air Products (INOXAP), India’s largest manufacturer of industrial, electronic and medical gases. Under this agreement, Serentica will supply 75 MW of hybrid renewable energy to INOXAP – its marquee customer – through Inter-State Transmission System (ISTS) project, enabling competitive tariffs and flexible power usage across multiple locations in different states.

This agreement marks a significant milestone in Serentica’s growth journey as it expands its clean energy solutions beyond state borders, enabling large-scale, multi-location industrial customers to transition to sustainable operations. The 75 MW of hybrid energy will significantly increase INOX Air Products’ renewable energy portfolio, spanning four of its key manufacturing sites in four different states.

Akshay Hiranandani, CEO of Serentica Renewables, said, “This partnership reflects our shared commitment in driving decarbonization across India’s industrial ecosystem. The scale and inter-state nature of this project showcases our evolving capabilities to deliver firm, reliable, and geographically flexible clean energy to large enterprises. This project represents a major step forward in enabling large industrial customers like INOX to seamlessly transition to sustainable operations across the country.”

Commenting on the partnership, S K Jena, Head – Operations (LASU & Onsite plants), INOX Air Products, said, “With decarbonization as a priority, we are committed to integrating sustainable practices into every facet of our operations. This agreement with Serentica is a major leap in our decarbonization journey, as this would enable us to significantly increase the share of renewable energy in our energy consumption mix and get closer to our Net-Zero target. We are excited to reinforce our commitment to clean energy, while ensuring operational excellence across our facilities.”

Serentica’s hybrid renewable solutions integrate wind, solar, and storage assets to ensure 24X7, reliable clean power delivery. Through such partnerships, Serentica continues to accelerate the decarbonization of hard-to-abate sectors and contribute to India’s broader net-zero ambitions.

Magical Blends Introduces Summer AM-PM Care Routine

Magical Blends is a Unique Patented Personalised Skincare System with 6 unique serums that caters to every skincare issue and concern. The clinically researched and formulated serums blend magically with the base, making it a quick, simple, and hassle-free skin care routine. Their beginner and summer friendly AM-PM skincare routine is a perfect gift for your mom this Mother’s Day.

The Sun Defence serum is India’s first oil-based sunscreen serum and has ultra effective broad-spectrum UVA & UVB protection, leaving no white cast! It’s perfect to use for AM whether one is indoors or outdoors as it also helps protect against blue rays and radiation from our digital devices.

The Pore Refining Serum is enriched with Tea Tree Oil and Salicylic Acid for healthy, refined and sebum-balanced pores. This serum is perfect for all-over use for keeping acne & sebum under control, and can also be applied topically on active acne overnight for quicker relief. Depending on how oily or acne prone your skin is this serum can be added to both AM and PM routine.

Use the Vit C Brightening Serum in your PM routine for a clear and radiant complexion, resulting in blemish-free skin. It stimulates collagen, enhances skin luminosity, helps even out skin pigmentation, and brightens dark spots. Vitamin C serums are typically advised to be used in the evening, as its exposure to sunlight can inadvertently cause skin oxidation.

The Light Hydrating Gel is a perfect moisturizing base enriched with Aloe Vera and Vitamin E. It is a non-sticky formula with a lightweight texture, is nourishing, gives long-lasting hydration, and provides cooling relief to the skin.

Excuses like lack of time or not understanding the serum layering science should not stop your mom from shining bright anymore! Gift her a perfect one step regimen with Magical Blends this Mother’s Day and get her rolling on her skincare journey…

FADA Releases Apr’25 Vehicle Retail Data

5^th May’25, Mumbai, INDIA: The Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA) today released Vehicle Retail Data for Apr’25.

 April’25 Retails

Reflecting on April 2025 auto-retail results, FADA President Mr. C S Vigneshwar noted: “The new financial year began on a modest note as overall retails in April managed to grow by 3% YoY. All categories except CV closed in the green, with 2W, 3W, PV and Trac up 2.25%, 24.5%, 1.5% and 7.5% respectively, while CVs declined by 1%. With the tariff war paused, stock markets staged a sharp pullback—alleviating investor concerns—and customers thus leveraged Chaitra Navratri, Akshay Tritiya, Bengali New Year, Baisakhi and Vishu to complete purchases, helping April end on a positive note.

2W retail volumes demonstrated a resilient up-cycle—growing 2.25% YoY and accelerating 11.84% MoM—underscoring a stable demand environment amid mixed headwinds. Dealers reported buoyant enquiry growth in rural areas post-Rabi harvest, driven by strong crop yields, healthy reservoir levels and a favourable monsoon outlook, while wedding-season tailwinds sustained rural offtake. Urban demand remained robust, supported by new-model introductions, although elevated financing costs and OBD2B-linked price adjustments posed isolated bottlenecks.

Despite limited model introductions, the PV segment registered a 1.55% YoY increase alongside a marginal 0.19% MoM decline. This performance reflects a discount-led market and elevated inventories—approximately a 50-day supply—amid cautious consumer sentiment that tempered enquiry-to-sale conversions. Sustained SUV demand underpinned volumes even as entry-level customers remained cautious, underscoring the need for OEMs to recalibrate production and reduce stock levels to mitigate deeper discounts and carrying costs at dealerships. FADA continues to advocate a 21-day inventory norm at dealerships to enhance market responsiveness and cost efficiency.

April’s CV segment faced a 1.05% YoY decline and a 4.44% MoM contraction following OEM-led price increases against stagnant freight rates and fleet utilisation. Dealer feedback highlights that advance purchases in March resulted in elevated carryover stocks, while holiday calendars dampened fresh enquiries and delayed conversions—particularly in the SCV cargo category, where price and product gaps have weighed heavily. Conversely, the bus segment exhibited resilience, underpinned by strong school-transport and staff-mobility demand. Although financing availability remains broadly stable, enhanced support for first-time users will be critical to reignite momentum.”

 Near-Term Outlook

May’s agricultural cycle is concluding on a strong note, underpinned by healthy crop prices and robust mandi procurement. The IMD’s forecast of an above-normal southwest monsoon bodes well for rural incomes, farm-sector growth and downstream demand, while a well-distributed rainy season is critical to containing food inflation. At the same time, Kantar’s Rural Barometer and GroupM data signal heightened consumer selectivity in rural India—household spending has outpaced income growth, and inflationary pressures are tempering discretionary purchases. Here, non-essential categories such as 2W is likewise plateauing amid rising living costs. Meanwhile, the Reserve Bank’s recent bond purchases are set to inject surplus liquidity into the banking system, paving the way for lower lending rates and enhanced auto-loan affordability.

Dealer feedback also paints a nuanced picture for May across all segments. In 2W, marriage-season and post-harvest demand should underpin enquiries, yet financiers are tightening customer-level credit criteria—higher CIBIL requirements and down-payment mandates—despite broader banking-system liquidity. Summer heat and school holidays may further suppress showroom visits though IMD predicts that it may not be as bad as last year. PV retails are expected to hold steady but muted, as buyers await new-model roll-outs and contend with elevated financing costs. Commercial vehicles are likely to trade flat, weighed down by a high-base effect, slower e-commerce activity and intensifying competition from electric three-wheelers; targeted OEM incentive schemes and forthcoming infrastructure projects offer some offset. Auto Industry will need to balance these event-driven tailwinds against customer-level liquidity constraints and seasonal softness to sustain momentum.

In aggregate, these dynamics point to a cautiously optimistic outlook—demand will be choppy, but disciplined inventory management, targeted incentives and easing borrowing costs should help the industry navigate the month.

Key Findings from our Online Members Survey

• Liquidity

• • Neutral              52.34%
  • Good                  23.83%
  • Bad                     23.83%

• Sentiment
  • Neutral              55.08%
  • Good                  23.83%
  • Bad                     21.09%

• Expectation from May’25

• • Flat                     48.44%
  • Growth               37.50%
  • De-growth         14.06

Volkswagen India to open pre-bookings for the iconic Golf GTI

Bengaluru , May, 2025: Volkswagen India is proud to announce that pre-bookings for the legendary Volkswagen Golf GTI will commence from the 5th of May 2025. With the latest generation Golf GTI Mk 8.5, Indian enthusiasts will have access to the globally celebrated carline for the very first time through a limited allocation. With its rich motorsport heritage, timeless design language, and exhilarating performance, the Golf GTI is more than just a car – it’s a symbol of dynamic driving, and iconic appeal. The Golf GTI is available as a Fully built unit (FBU) offering customers an opportunity to experience the true GTI DNA in its purest form.

Commenting on the announcement, Mr. Ashish Gupta, Brand Director, Volkswagen India, said, “The Golf GTI is revered as one of the most iconic cars globally, and we are truly proud to offer customers in India the opportunity to own a piece of Volkswagen’s performance legacy. It’s a car that blends everyday usability with turbocharged driving experience – perfect for discerning enthusiasts who appreciate precision engineering designed to deliver thrilling performance. It’s an embodiment of German Engineering at its finest.

Key highlights of the Golf GTI Mk 8.5:

– 265 PS of power and 370 Nm of torque

– 0-100 Km/h in 5.9 seconds

SawtarLuxeInterior Unveils Bespoke Design Services for Discerning Clients

New Delhi – 05\05\2025 – SawtarLuxeInterior, a leader in high-end interior design, is proud to announce the launch of its Bespoke Interior Design Services, offering clients an exclusive, personalized design experience that elevates their lifestyle through tailor-made living environments.

From concept to completion, Sawtar’s bespoke service is designed for individuals who seek one-of-a-kind interiors that reflect their personality, values, and aesthetic vision. With a focus on fine craftsmanship, premium materials, and artistic expression, every detail is meticulously curated to create interiors that are as unique as the people who live in them.

“True luxury is personal,” says Mr. Udit Bhardwaj, Creative Director of SawtarLuxeInterior. “Our bespoke service is not about trends—it’s about translating a client’s essence into spatial form. We approach each project as a new canvas, where imagination and individuality define the outcome.”

The service includes:

• Personal Design Consultations with lead designers
• Tailor-Made Furnishings & Fixtures crafted by artisans
• Exclusive Material Sourcing including rare marbles, exotic woods, and custom textiles
• Private Atelier Access for real-time collaboration and design previews
• Concierge Project Management ensuring seamless delivery from start to finish

Clients can expect a white-glove experience that merges design innovation with cultural refinement, whether for a city penthouse, countryside estate, luxury yacht, or destination property.

With this launch, SawtarLuxeInterior continues its commitment to redefining modern luxury, one bespoke space at a time.

Store My Goods Secures Fresh INR 4 Crore from JIIF, Set to Cross One Million Dollar Funding Mark

India’s First Gold Melting ATM Revolutionizes Gold Transactions

Hyderabad, May 5, 2025: Imagine a machine that knows what you need before you do. Goldsikka Ltd, a pioneer in the gold and fintech industry, proudly announces the launch of its groundbreaking innovation: the world’s first AI-powered Gold Melting ATM. This state-of-the-art machine seamlessly integrates multiple gold-related services, offering users the ability to buy, sell, exchange, lease, digitize, and monetize gold with unparalleled convenience.

Building upon the success of India’s first real-time Gold ATM introduced in 2022, this next-generation ATM incorporates advanced features that redefine gold transactions. Notably, it offers an integrated Augmented Reality (AR) experience, allowing users to virtually try on jewellery before making a purchase, enhancing the shopping experience.

Mr. Sy Taruj, MD & CEO, Goldsikka Ltd.; speaking on the occasion said, we are launching world’s first all in one ATM, in 2022 we launched Gold Realtime world’s first Gold ATM, it’s been accepted across the globe and today our Gold ATM is in most of the states of India and internationally we have gold ATMs at Dubai, Cairo, Russia, Tanzania etc. In this new all-in-one Gold ATM we can buy gold, sell gold, exchange gold, transfer gold, digitize gold, monetize gold, lease gold, except dispensing gold loans, this machine is capable of doing anything and everything in gold, even sell jewelry on its own. This is an Automated Teller Machine, with zero human interference. It is a highly advanced AI and VR integrated and driven platform.  Gold will no more be an ornament, it will be slowly converted into an asset class and will definitely be considered as a currency in the near future. Through this ATM you can buy gold through a credit or debit card and we can also sell gold. In the process of selling gold, when we deposit gold in the machine it will be melted, purity of that gold will be tested, and the value of the pure gold will be displayed on the machine. Once the customer accepts the value displayed by the ATM, the amount can be transferred into his bank account. Also, old gold can be exchanged with new gold. One can also buy ETF, we are working with SEBI and regulators to transfer and buy ETFs. The customer can also buy jewelry from the same machine and transfer money into a digital wallet. The process of depositing the gold in the ATM and getting the money in the bank account will take an approximate time of 30 minutes, during this time it takes the photograph of the depositor, verifies his Aadhar card and ID proof. If any fraud is involved in the gold transaction, the ATM will hold back the gold and will automatically report to the police department. A physical hackathon, the software hackathon, hardware hackathon has already been completed and as of now there is no one who can hack the machine. The ATM costs approximately Rs 40 lakhs. We already have 14 working ATMs all over India and 3 working ATMs globally, in a year’s time we are ready to install 100 machines in India and 100 machines globally.

Key Features:

• Comprehensive Gold Services: Facilitates buying, selling, exchanging, leasing, digitizing, and monetizing gold in one platform.
• Instant Evaluation and Transaction: Utilizes AI to assess gold purity and value instantly, with options for immediate bank transfers upon monetization.
• Augmented Reality Integration: Enables users to select and virtually try on jewellery pieces, ensuring satisfaction before purchase.
• Transparent Transactions: Provides digitally recorded, traceable transactions with detailed purity reports, eliminating hidden charges and middlemen.
• 24/7 Accessibility: Offers round-the-clock access to gold transactions, ensuring convenience for all users.

“For centuries, gold has been central to Indian culture and security. This Gold Melting ATM blends that trust with modern technology,” said Sy Taruj, MD & CEO of Goldsikka Limited. “It eliminates middlemen, hidden charges, and waiting times, offering unparalleled transparency with digitally recorded, traceable transactions and detailed receipts.”

This innovative ATM is a testament to Goldsikka’s commitment to building a tech-driven gold ecosystem, making gold transactions smart, secure, and accessible for all.