Category Archives: Business

BIX 2026 Names Canada as Country of Honor Showcasing Bioindustry Trends from BCI To Biotech Foods

Saraf and Partners advised AMPIN Energy Transition on its USD 100 million equity fund raise from Norfund, the Norwegian Climate Investment Fund

25, September 2026: Saraf and Partners acted as the counsel for AMPIN Energy Transition on its equity fund raise of up to USD 100 million from Norfund, the developmental finance institution of the Norwegian Government, through the Norwegian Climate Investment Fund. The capital infusion takes AMPIN’s total equity raised to nearly USD 1 billion, enabling capital deployment of over USD 4 billion. 

This transaction is a significant milestone in India’s renewable energy landscape, with AMPIN becoming the only energy transition company in India to attract leading investors from Europe, North America, and Asia. The deal reinforces India’s position as a key growth market for international clean energy capital and supports the country’s ambitious target of 500 GW of non-fossil fuel generation capacity by 2030. 

The transaction team was led by Avirup Nag (Partner) and comprised Ankit Sahoo (Partner Designate), Ashwini Panwar and Sneha Smriti(Associates).  

Point S International launches new fully EV-compatible all seasons tyre

New Point S 4 Seasons 3 range developed in Germany and manufactured in Europe, 100% compatible with EVs. • TÜV SÜD Product Service testing confirms strong safety and performance across wet, snow, and high-speed conditions. • Available in more than 50 sizes, covering majority of the European vehicle fleet, including van.

Sept 24:  To meet the changing needs of motorists and independent businesses across its growing network, Point S Europe has launched its new-generation Point S 4 Seasons 3 all-season tyre range. The new range comprises Point S 4 Seasons 3 for passenger cars, sports cars, and SUVs, alongside Point S 4 Seasons Van + for vans, commercial vehicles, and caravans. Notably, the full range is 100% compatible for electric vehicles.

Designed in Germany and manufactured in Europe, the new tyres have been developed in close collaboration with one of Europe’s leading premium tyre manufacturers, combining exceptional manufacturing expertise with Point S’s own tyre knowledge and requirements. The result is a range designed specifically around key industry specifications, weather conditions, and fleet requirements, while delivering improvements across a number of key performance criteria.

The new tyre delivers an improved European tyre label, with rolling resistance moving from a C rating compared with D previously, while wet grip is rated B for specific sizes. Development testing also recorded improvements in snow, wet and dry performances compared with its predecessor. The tyres incorporate EV technology designed around the specific requirements of electric vehicles, including enhanced load capacity, optimised rolling resistance, reduced noise levels, and improved wear resistance.

With more than 50 sizes available, including 12 sizes for commercial vehicles and increased coverage across 17-, 18- and 19-inch diameters, the range has been designed to address growing demand for medium and large tyre sizes.

TÜV SÜD Product Service tested for harsh weather conditions

To validate the performance of the new range, Point S International commissioned independent testing from TÜV SÜD Product Service, comparing the Point S 4 Seasons 3 205/55 R16 94V XL against three mid-range and three budget tyre brands. Conducted in February and March 2026 using a Volkswagen Golf VIII and Audi A3, the testing examined the tyres across a range of safety-critical conditions, including wet braking, wet lateral grip, aquaplaning, and snow performance.

The results demonstrated the strong performance of the new Point S 4 Seasons 3, particularly in wet conditions. During wet braking tests from 80 km/h to a complete stop, the mid-range tyres travelled 2.66 metres further than the Point S 4 Seasons 3, while the budget tyres travelled 3.3 metres further. The tyre also recorded a higher wet grip rating than the mid-range and budget tyres tested, while the aquaplaning results demonstrated a lower risk of grip loss compared with the competing tyres.

On snow-covered roads, the Point S 4 Seasons 3 again demonstrated strong performance. From 40 km/h to a complete stop, the mid-range tyres and budget tyres travelled 0.4 metres and 1.7 metres further than Point S Tyres’ tyre, respectively. Acceleration testing on snow also saw the Point S 4 Seasons 3 outperform both the mid-range and budget tyre groups.

Fabien Bouquet, CEO of Point S International, said: “Point S 4 Seasons 3 represents a significant step forward for our own-brand tyre range, combining European manufacturing with the expertise and quality standards we expect from a premium manufacturer. The results acquired from TÜV SÜD Product Service’s independent testing demonstrate that the range delivers the levels of safety and performance our customers expect, particularly in the wet, while also demonstrating strong capability in dry conditions.”

Emilie Faure, International Private Labels Product Manager, added: “Drivers are increasingly looking for a tyre that gives them a year-round solution without the need to compromise on safety, convenience, or value. At the same time, our members need a range that gives them the breadth and performance required to serve an increasingly diverse vehicle parc, including the growing number of electric vehicles on the road. Point S 4 Seasons 3 is one of our solutions, providing our network with a competitive all-season offering and giving motorists confidence that they are choosing a tyre designed for the conditions they face throughout the year.”

¹ Commissioned by Point S International, the tests took place in February and March 2026 using a VW Golf VIII and Audi A3. In addition to the Point S 4 Seasons 3 205/55 R16 94V XL, three mid-range tyres and three budget tyres were tested under the report number 713389589-AS1.

Atlantis Dubai Announces Major Investment in Enhancements Across the Destination

Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Sept 24: Atlantis Dubai has announced a series of major enhancements across Atlantis, The Palm, Aquaventure World and Atlantis The Royal, as part of its continued investment in the evolution of the destination and the guest experience.

Navbharat Niwas Hosts Book Launch Event in Noida with Shri Suniel V. Shetty

Noida, September 24, 2026: Navbharat Niwas Private Limited successfully hosted a special Book Launch and Property Allotment Event at Radisson Blu, Tower One, Kaushambi, bringing together customers, families, partners and members of the real estate community.

The event featured two key highlights: the launch of the book “Trust Is the Real Capital,” published by Truth & Social Publication, and a property allotment ceremony for customers associated with the company’s Rajasthan-based projects. Actor and entrepreneur Suniel V. Shetty attended the book launch as the celebrity guest, while Founder & Director Prince
Dhariwal led the property allotment segment.

The book, centred on the importance of trust in the real estate sector, highlights the significance of transparency, accountability and credibility in customer relationships. Since property transactions often involve substantial financial commitments, the book underlines the role of trust in building long-term associations between real estate companies and their customers.

Speaking on the occasion, Shri Suniel V. Shetty said, “Trust is one of the most important foundations of any lasting relationship, whether in business or in life. A book that highlights transparency, accountability and commitment brings attention to values that matter in every industry, especially real estate.”

The property allotment ceremony, led by Founder & Director Prince Dhariwal, marked an important milestone for customers associated with the company’s Rajasthan-based projects, including Navbharat Shivani Residency Phase-2, Phulera; Shyam Bhumi Phase-1, Khatu Shyam Ji; and Navbharat Shivani Vatika 11th Phase-2.

The ceremony was conducted to acknowledge customer associations and reinforce the company’s stated focus on transparent property transactions, proper documentation and customer-oriented service. The event brought together approximately 200-250 customers and their families, providing an opportunity for direct engagement between the company and its customer community.

Commenting on the occasion, Prince Dhariwal, Founder & Director of Navbharat Niwas Private Limited, said, “The property allotment ceremony represents an important milestone for our customers and our company. We understand that property ownership is built on confidence, transparency and the fulfilment of commitments. Through this event, we wanted to acknowledge our customers’ association with us and reaffirm our focus on responsible and customer-oriented real estate practices.”

The event also highlighted Navbharat Niwas’s presence across emerging real estate markets in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. The company’s portfolio includes plotted developments, residential and commercial properties, villas, cottages, townships and resort-related projects.

Founded by Prince Dhariwal and Gaurav Gupta, Navbharat Niwas continues to operate with the leadership of its founders and Co-Founders Shivam Verma and Rohit Nayan. The company has stated its focus on developing property projects in emerging locations and building long-term relationships with customers through its service and execution approach.

The combination of the book launch and property allotment ceremony brought together the company’s focus on trust-based business values and customer milestones. The event served as a platform to introduce “Trust Is the Real Capital” while recognising the customers associated with Navbharat Niwas’s ongoing real estate projects.

MFs turn selective amid market volatility; Vedanta Aluminium finds favour

Chandigarh, September 24, 2026: Mutual funds adopted a selective approach to equity investments, reassessing portfolios amid concerns around rising interest rates and a large pipeline of initial public offerings (IPOs). Rather than making broad-based sectoral moves, fund managers appeared to differentiate sharply between individual stocks, increasing exposure to companies where they see relatively stronger earnings and growth prospects while reducing or exiting positions in others.

Vedanta Aluminium Metal Ltd (BSE- 544780, NSE- VAML) featured among the stocks finding favour with institutional investors. According to mutual-fund portfolio data compiled by MF Scanner, 54 mutual funds increased or initiated holdings in Vedanta Aluminium in August 2026. The net change amounted to 17.51 million additional shares during the month.

The breadth of participation is notable. SBI Flexicap Fund was the largest buyer of Vedanta Aluminium shares, adding 4.27 million shares, while Aditya Birla Sun Life Large Cap Fund added 4 million shares. SBI Multi Asset Allocation Fund initiated a 2 million-share position, while Bandhan Large & Mid Cap Fund added 1.77 million of the company’s shares. UTI Large Cap Fund increased its holding in Vedanta Aluminium by 1.17 million shares and Nippon India Multi Cap Fund added 1 million shares. Other funds increasing exposure included top names such as ICICI Prudential Multi-Asset Fund, UTI MNC Fund, Abakkus Flexi Cap Fund, Nippon India Vision Large & Mid Cap Fund, Mirae Asset Midcap Fund, Tata Resources & Energy Fund and several others.

Brokerages including Nuvama, Emkay Global, Motilal Oswal, Citi and Investec also rated VAML a Buy.

The institutional interest comes against the backdrop of a strong operating performance from Vedanta Aluminium. In Q1 FY27, the company reported record quarterly revenue of ₹21,105 crore, EBITDA of ₹10,499 crore and Profit of ₹6,597 crore, alongside its highest-ever quarterly aluminium production of 632 kt. Value-added aluminium production reached a record 389 kt, while alumina production increased 41% YoY to 826 kt, reflecting the ramp-up of its expanded capacities.

Beyond the near-term earnings performance, Vedanta Aluminium’s growth is is supported by India’s broader infrastructure and electrification cycle. For instance, India’s transmission expansion could create a significant structural demand opportunity for aluminium, with the National Electricity Plan envisaging more than ₹9.15 lakh crore of investment in transmission infrastructure through 2032. Aluminium consumption in electrical applications is projected to increase from around 2.4 million tonnes in FY24 to 4 million tonnes by FY30, with transmission and distribution accounting for a significant share of domestic aluminium consumption. The resulting demand for electrical-grade aluminium products, including wire rods that the company is the largest producer of in the world, used in cables and conductors, could provide a long-term tailwind for producers with integrated aluminium operations and downstream capabilities. Vedanta Aluminium, with its integrated operations and position across the aluminium value chain, is positioned to participate in this expanding power-infrastructure opportunity.

The company’s exposure to value-added products further strengthens its positioning as aluminium demand evolves. Its downstream portfolio spans wire rods, billets, rolled products and other value-added aluminium products, allowing the company to participate beyond primary metal demand.

The mutual-fund activity therefore comes at an interesting intersection of institutional participation, strong operating performance and a potentially multi-year structural demand cycle. Rather than representing a single-fund portfolio decision, the breadth of funds increasing exposure suggests that different investment strategies are identifying multiple aspects of the Vedanta Aluminium proposition – from earnings momentum and scale to infrastructure-linked aluminium demand and value-added products.

Copper Announces Leadership Transition and New Management Team for Next Phase of Growth

Elin Cherry and Sam Goh appointed Co-CEOs to lead Copper through its next phase of growth, with a focus on product development and the evolving needs of institutional clients

London, Sept 24- Copper, the builder of blockchain-based infrastructure for secure and efficient collateral mobility across capital markets, announced a new management structure to lead the next phase of its growth, building on recent progress across its regulatory footprint, institutional offering and market infrastructure. To lead this next phase, Copper has appointedElin Cherry andSam Goh as Co-Chief Executive Officers, withAmar Kuchinad, Copper’s current CEO, moving to an advisory role.  

Elin currently serves as Copper’s Chief Compliance Officer. She brings over thirty years of experience across compliance, regulation and business leadership at broker-dealers, banks and digital asset firms, including Société Générale, Deutsche Bank and Bank of America. Sam has served as Copper’s Chief Financial Officer since 2023 and brings extensive experience in commercial strategy, financial leadership and scaling high-growth businesses in the Fintech sector.

Mike Kuehnel, Copper Chairman, said, “Elin and Sam bring highly complementary experience across institutional markets, strategy, regulation and finance, together with a deep understanding of Copper and its clients. As digital assets and traditional capital markets increasingly converge, Copper is exceptionally well positioned to play a leading role in building the global financial infrastructure institutions will need. The Board has full confidence in Elin and Sam to lead Copper through this next phase. I would also like to thank Amar for his leadership and significant contribution to Copper, and I am pleased that we will continue to benefit from his experience through the transition.”

Matthias Winter, currently Head of Legal, EMEA at Copper, has been appointed as Chief Legal Officer, further strengthening the leadership team across regulatory, financial, legal and operational functions. As Copper advances its next phase of development, its Board of Directors, which includes Chair Mike Kuehnel and founderDmitry Tokarev, provides strategic guidance to Copper’s leadership team, with a particular focus on product development and growth strategy.

Elin Cherry, incoming Co-Chief Executive Officer at Copper, said, “Copper has built strong regulatory and institutional foundations to serve clients at scale. Our focus now is to build on that position as institutional digital asset markets develop, while continuing to evolve our product strategy around the needs of our clients. I am looking forward to leading that next phase alongside Sam and the wider team at Copper.”

Sam Goh, incoming Co-Chief Executive Officer at Copper, said, “Copper has a clear opportunity to build on the momentum we have created. For me, that means bringing together the trust and rigour institutions expect with the innovation and speed that digital asset markets demand. I look forward to working closely with Elin and the wider team as we lead Copper into this next chapter.”

Copper has continued to strengthen its institutional and regulatory footprint in 2026. Copper Markets (US) Inc., an SEC-registered broker-dealer, became a FINRA member, establishing Copper as a Qualified Custodian in the world’s largest capital market. The milestone also laid the foundation for Copper’s U.S. offering across qualified custody, staking, financing solutions, and collateral management solutions, as well as access to the ClearLoop Network, Copper’s shared collateral management layer that connects custodians, prime brokers, trading venues and post-trade infrastructure providers.

Amar Kuchinad, CEO, Copper said, “Copper has built a strong institutional platform and made important progress across regulation, product and market infrastructure. Elin and Sam bring the experience and perspective to lead the business through its next phase of growth, and I look forward to supporting them as Copper continues to build and deliver for its clients.”

The appointments took effect on September 21, 2026.

ASG Power appoints Samir Habboosh as engineering manager

Experienced engineering leader brings 25 years of expertise in engineering, manufacturing and product development 

ROCKY HILL, Conn. — ASG Power has appointed Samir Habboosh as engineering manager, bringing 25 years of engineering, manufacturing and product development experience to the company.

Habboosh will lead ASG Power’s engineering team in the design and development of machine control panels, power distribution equipment, switchgear, switchboards, motor control centers and other electrical systems. He will also oversee customer technical relationships from product development through production.

Before joining ASG Power, Habboosh served for eight years as director of R&D and product development, managing global R&D and engineering activities and supporting business development in the Department of Defense, aerospace and government markets.

Habboosh holds 23 patents and received the 2005 Frost & Sullivan Product Innovation Award for Aerospace Sensors. His experience spans aerospace, medical, electronics, food, personal products, oil and gas and X-ray systems.

“Samir brings extensive engineering expertise and leadership experience to ASG Power,” said Dan Burke, general manager of ASG Power. “His background across complex industries will be a tremendous asset to our team and our customers.”

Habboosh holds an MBA from Pennsylvania State University, an MS in mechanical engineering from the University of Rhode Island and a BS in mechanical engineering from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. He resides in Hamden, Connecticut.

Straive and Imagetwin Partner to Strengthen Image Integrity Screening in Scientific Publishing

New York, September 23, 2026 – Straive, a global leader in data and AI operationalization, and Imagetwin, a leading provider of image integrity analysis software, are pleased to announce a strategic partnership to bring image forensics directly into the editorial workflow.

Image manipulation in scientific publishing has moved well past basic photo editing. Generative AI and GAN-generated figures can now produce fake data that bypasses many traditional detection tools, and by the time a problem surfaces post-publication, the investigation and correction process is slow, costly, and damaging to a journal’s credibility. Catching these issues earlier, before peer review, is where the industry needs to focus.

By embedding Imagetwin’s image analysis into Straive’s aiKira Editorial Desk API, publishers can now screen for manipulated, duplicated, plagiarised, or AI-generated visuals as part of a broader set of more than 20 automated integrity checks that aiKira runs across authorship, journal scope, reference verification, and text. In a pilot study, Straive found the combined solution identified 98% of image integrity issues, including known manipulated images and AI-generated figures. Running these checks upstream gives publishers a way to catch compromised research before it moves further through the pipeline.

Srinivasan Govindarajan, Business Head, Science & Research, Straive, says: “Research integrity is at a breaking point, and this partnership directly answers this ever-growing challenge. Together, we’re empowering publishers to not only uphold the credibility of the scientific record at scale, but get ahead of fraud thanks to the technological breakthroughs we’re achieving.”

Patrick Starke, Imagetwin’s Co-Founder and CEO, added: “The earlier an integrity issue is found, the easier and less damaging it is to fix. Partnering with Straive lets us put image integrity screening directly into publishers’ existing workflows through aiKira, so integrity checks happen automatically, at scale, before problems reach peer review.”

Al-Futtaim Partners with Juspay to Unify Digital Payments Across Brands and Markets

Dubai, September 22nd, 2026: Al-Futtaim has announced a strategic partnership with Juspay, a global payments technology company, which will serve as its payment orchestration partner across its brands and markets. The orchestration rollout will commence in September 2026, with the first brand scheduled to go live that month.

The partnership is an important step in Al-Futtaim’s digital commerce transformation, with Juspay providing a unified payment platform across the Group’s businesses for a simpler, more seamless checkout experience. The solution will also support fraud management, adaptive 3D Secure workflows, local payment methods, network tokenisation and consolidated analytics and reconciliation. Juspay will also integrate its Breeze commerce stack, a next-generation checkout layer designed for digital-first consumer brands to support scale, conversion and retention.

(L-R)Paul Carey, EVP-Cards, Payments & Fintech, Al-Futtaim_ and Nakul Kothari, Head of APAC & Middle East, Juspay 

The partnership is designed to support the operational complexity of managing payments across multiple brands and markets. Juspay will deploy a multi-hierarchical architecture with central controls, country-level configurations and individual brand settings. This will allow each brand to maintain its own checkout identity and local payment experience, while Al-Futtaim’s central team retains unified visibility and control across the payment ecosystem.

For Al-Futtaim, this is expected to support a more consistent and modernised checkout experience across its brands, with enhanced payment security and smoother customer journeys across markets.

At the heart of the partnership is also a focus on creating simpler, faster and more reliable payment experiences for customers. As digital expectations continue to evolve, customers increasingly expect choice, convenience and security at every stage of their journey. By strengthening the payments experience across its brands, Al-Futtaim aims to reduce friction at checkout, support more local and preferred payment methods, and make it easier for customers to transact confidently across its businesses and markets.

“At Al-Futtaim Finance, we see payments as an important part of the overall customer experience. Our partnership with Juspay is about creating a simpler, more seamless and secure way for customers to transact across Al-Futtaim’s brands and markets, while building the infrastructure needed to support our continued growth and digital ambitions. As customer expectations continue to evolve, partnerships like this allow us to bring greater choice, convenience and innovation into the everyday payment experience.” Said Omar Haddad

CEO, Al-Futtaim Finance. 

“Al-Futtaim is the kind of enterprise that requires payment infrastructure to support multiple brands, markets and payment service providers through one unified system and a consistent checkout experience for customers. That is precisely what Juspay’s orchestration layer is built for. We are proud to be their partner as they advance digital commerce across the region,” said Nakul Kothari, Head of APAC & Middle East at Juspay.

“The launch of our payment orchestration platform marks a major milestone in Al-Futtaim’s digital transformation journey. By unifying payment operations across 50 brands and 12 markets, we are creating a scalable and resilient foundation that supports growth, innovation and exceptional customer experiences. Beyond today’s benefits, payment orchestration is a key enabler of the emerging era of agentic commerce, where intelligent AI-driven interactions will increasingly shape how customers discover, purchase and pay.” said Paul Carey, EVP Cards, Payments & Fintech at Al-Futtaim.

Juspay’s payment stack processes over 350 million transactions daily, surpassing $1 trillion in annualised Total Payment Volume (TPV) at 99.999% uptime. With a presence across Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, Latin America, Europe, the UK and North America, Juspay’s global footprint provides Al-Futtaim with the flexibility to build scalable and localised payment experiences across its markets. 

The partnership also sets the foundation for building agentic commerce experiences for Al-Futtaim’s brands, enabling AI agents to autonomously initiate and complete payments on behalf of customers. Through partnerships like this, Juspay is committed to improving the payments experience for customers across the region, working alongside enterprise merchants and financial institutions to build future-ready payment infrastructure that is reliable, flexible and built for tomorrow’s commerce.