9, Sep 2026
Super Chennai Launches ‘Madras Mindset’ to Decode the Chennai Mindset Behind Its Global Success Stories
Chennai, Sept 09: What makes Chennai people tick? Is there something distinctive about the way the city’s people think, build, create and solve problems? Super Chennai seeks to explore these questions through ‘Madras Mindset’, a new fortnightly podcast that brings together people who have built successful careers, companies, institutions and ideas from Chennai and taken their journeys far beyond the city.
The podcast is hosted by Mr.Vijay Gopalan, seasoned business leader and former CFO of AirAsia India. The inaugural episode features Mr.Srinath Ravichandran, Co-founder and CEO of AgniKul Cosmos, whose journey from Chennai to building one of India’s prominent space-technology ventures offers a compelling starting point for the series.
Rather than simply documenting success stories, Madras Mindset looks at what lies behind them: the choices, setbacks, influences, turning points, and values that shape the way people build. The conversations ask a larger question: does Chennai have a distinctive mindset, and if so, what does it look like?
The conversation with Ravichandran looks beyond AgniKul Cosmos’ entrepreneurial journey to examine the experiences, influences, and decisions that shaped his approach to building a deep-tech company from Chennai. His story sets the tone for a series that seeks to understand whether there are common traits shared by people who have built enduring ventures from the city.
Mr. Ranjeeth Rathod, Managing Director, Super Chennai, said, “Chennai has produced remarkable entrepreneurs, business leaders, creators, scientists and institution-builders, but many of their stories remain known only in fragments. With Madras Mindset, we wanted to create a platform that goes beyond celebrating achievement to understand the thinking behind it. What did Chennai teach them? What did they carry from the city? And how did those influences shape what they went on to build? These are the conversations we hope to bring to a wider audience through the series.”
Speaking about the podcast, Mr.Vijay Gopalan, Seasoned business leader and former CFO of AirAsia India, said, “I grew up in Madras and built my career in Chennai. Over the years, I have spent a great deal of time understanding businesses and what makes organisations and leaders work. I have been passionate about bringing the story of captains and achievers who have contributed to nation-building and created a lasting legacy from this city. Madras Mindset is an attempt to explore that mindset through conversations with people who have built remarkable journeys from this city. I hope these conversations reveal not just what they achieved, but the thinking, experiences, and values that shaped how they got there.
Over the coming episodes, Madras Mindset will bring together voices from entrepreneurship, technology, business, creative industries, sport, culture and institution-building. While each guest will have a different journey, the series will look for the influences and experiences that connect them from the city’s educational and institutional foundations to its culture of resilience, community and long-term thinking. The upcoming episode features Krish Subramanian, Co-founder & CEO of Chargebee, and will air on 5 September 2026.
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- By Neel Achary
9, Sep 2026
Gartner Identifies 4 Shifts Shaping the Future of Work
By 2029, 30% of Employees Laid Off Due to Replacement by AI Will Need to Be Rehired
STAMFORD, Conn., Sept 09– As AI continues to accelerate the pace and scope of work, CIOs must prepare for four shifts that will influence the future of work, said Gartner, Inc., a business and technology insights company.
“When business and IT executives look back on the early AI-era, they will realize their greatest mistake was believing that work automation was the point, when workforce amplification was the opportunity,” said Tori Paulman, VP Analyst at Gartner. “The competitive advantage will go to the CIOs and business executives who build an AI-shaped organization where AI value compounds by reshaping roles and allowing workflows to cross traditional boundaries, increasing velocity and reducing friction.”
While workforce cuts may deliver short-term financial gains, they deplete talent pipelines and erode institutional knowledge. With labor force growth flat or declining worldwide, competition for the talent organizations need will be high, ultimately increasing recruitment, training and onboarding costs.
Gartner predicts that by 2029, 30% of employees laid off due to replacement by AI will need to be rehired, often at a significantly higher cost.
“Business and IT executives who use AI primarily as a tool for cost cutting risk making reductions that are too deep and too soon, affecting their ability to innovate their business model and compete in new markets as AI continues to mature. Instead, they should develop a “talent remix” strategy that uses AI to reshape roles and redirect workers from less productive work, to new opportunities.” said Paulman.
The most effective organizations will resist the temptation to automate every task and delegate every decision to AI. “The Gartner 2026 Hype Cycle for the Future of Work shows that as early AI investments hit the Trough of Disillusionment the challenge facing CIOs and business executives is no longer technological; it is using AI to amplify human intelligence, expertise and creativity (see Figure 1),” said Paulman.
Figure 1: Hype Cycle for the Future of Work, 2026
Source: Gartner (September 2026)
To navigate the evolving landscape of human-AI workforce transformation, CIOs and business executives must consider those changes that influence how work gets done and where organizations create value.
Shift 1: Expand Human Capability Through the Human-AI Relationship
As AI evolves into a “toolmate,” organizations must create richer forms of collaboration that enhance human capability while preserving accountability. The most successful companies will use AI to strengthen employees’ judgment, creativity, leadership and decision making rather than replace them.
Technologies that can help enable this shift include AI avatar of the employee, AI toolmate, digital coaching applications, employee digital twin and emotion AI.
Shift 2: Empower an AI-Ready Workforce That Adapts (Not Just Adopts)
The pace of technological change is exposing critical gaps in skills, adaptability and workforce readiness. Organizations need employees who can continuously learn, collaborate across disciplines and thrive in increasingly fluid roles.
Future-ready organizations will invest in building AI literacy, AI-enabled skills management, digital dexterity and workstyle analytics among their workforce, and ensure their executives are “AI savvy”.
Shift 3: Deepen Context, Judgment and Meaning
As AI becomes embedded in more business processes, organizations face a growing risk that context, human judgement and institutional knowledge could be lost. Future-ready companies will design systems that strengthen decision quality, maintain human oversight and ensure workers understand not only how a process is performed, but also why it is performed that way.
Technologies that CIOs can consider include conversational user interfaces, decision intelligence platforms and generative UI.
Shift 4: Build a Foundation for Compound Value
Long-term success will depend on going beyond the adoption of everyday AI tools by creating the conditions where each use case is faster, less expensive and safer than the one before it.
Gartner predicts that by 2027, 75% of organizations that prioritize capturing AI productivity gains as cost savings will be eclipsed by competitors that aggressively reinvest those gains into innovation, modernization and upskilling.
Technologies that can help CIOs enable this shift include AI-powered wearables, domain-specific GenAI models, embodied AI and vibe coding.
Additional Insights Available
Gartner clients can read more in the report Hype Cycle for the Future of Work, 2026.The Gartner 2026 Hype Cycles Special Reportexamines five interconnected themes emerging across more than 150 Gartner Hype Cycles that highlight how organizations can strengthen resilience, build trust and create sustainable value in an increasingly dynamic environment.
Gartner is the World Authority on AI
Gartner is the indispensable partner to C-Level executives and technology providers as they implement AI strategies to achieve their mission-critical priorities. The independence and objectivity of Gartner insights provide clients with the confidence to make informed decisions and unlock the full potential of AI. Clients across the C-Level are using Gartner’s proprietary AskGartnerAI tool to determine how to leverage AI in their business. With more than 2,500 business and technology experts, 6,000 written insights, as well as more than 4,000 AI use cases and case studies, Gartner is the world authority on AI.
At Gartner IT Symposium/Xpo, CIOs and IT executives will learn how to become agents of change in their organizations and harness AI for successful digital transformation. Follow news and updates from the conferences on X and LinkedIn using#GartnerSYM, and on the Gartner Newsroom.
9, Sep 2026
Shovana Narayan Presents Fractured Harmonies: A Call for Renewal, Bringing Environmental Concerns to the Stage Through Dance
New Delhi | Sept 09: Padma Shri Kathak Guru Shovana Narayan, along with her Asavari Repertory, is set to present Fractured Harmonies: A Call for Renewal at Kamani Auditorium, New Delhi, on Thursday, September 10th, 2026, at 7 PM. Presented with the support of ReNew, the thematic dance production examines environmental disruption across water, land and space, before turning towards the possibility of restoration and renewal.
Conceived by Guru Shovana Narayan, the production explores how the destruction of nature affects communities, particularly women and vulnerable sections of society, while also recognising their role in shaping change. Through the regenerative forces of Sooraj, Hawa aur Paani, it makes a case for stewardship, coexistence and collective responsibility.
The production brings together the dancers of the Asavari Repertory, musicians, designers, visual artists and technical professionals. The dancers include Dr Pallavi Lohani, Komal Biswal, Suparna Singh, Mahima Satsangi, Ruchi Arya, Praveen Parihar, Anil Kumar, Ashish Kathak, Vishal Chauhan and Mayank Gangani.
The music is set by Pt Madho Prasad and the late Pt Jwala Prasad, while the choreography is by the Asavari Repertory. Sandhya Raman has designed the scenography, sets and costumes, with art by Anuj Prasad, sets by Team Desmania, lighting by Sandeep Dutta, and photography and videography by Innee Singh.
The evening will also feature a foyer exhibition curated by Kishore Labar, showcasing works by visual artists Manju Narain, Bishwaranja Bhunia, Nisha Kumari, Darshan Sharma and Riena A. Jain.
The evening unfolds through four acts.
‘Lament of the Azure’ addresses the pollution of rivers and seas, where plastic, fishing nets and microplastics disrupt a once thriving underwater world. ‘Dishantar’ examines deforestation and its relationship with exploitation, inequality and the marginalisation of women. ‘Echoes in the Void’ takes the conversation beyond Earth, confronting the growing problem of space debris and the need for responsibility in humanity’s expanding footprint. The final act, ‘Restoring Nature’s Harmony’, turns towards healing, bringing the performers together in a vision of collective action, clean energy and a more sustainable future.
“Fractured Harmonies is a subject very close to my heart,” says Guru Shovana Narayan. “Through dance, we have sought to engage with some of the most pressing concerns of our time. While the production acknowledges what is being lost, it also looks towards renewal and our shared capacity to restore balance. Art can encourage us to pause, reflect and perhaps see our responsibilities differently.”
“At ReNew, we believe that creating a sustainable future requires more than technological solutions; it also requires a shift in how we think about our relationship with the environment. Fractured Harmonies brings this conversation into the realm of art, making complex environmental concerns deeply human and accessible. We are pleased to support Guru Shovana Narayan and the Asavari Repertory in using the power of dance to spark reflection, inspire responsibility and remind us that renewal begins with collective action,” says Vaishali Nigam Sinha, Co-founder, ReNew.
Fractured Harmonies: A Call for Renewal is an evening that brings together artistic expression and contemporary concern, asking audiences to consider not only the consequences of environmental disruption but also their role in restoring harmony.
9, Sep 2026
Yubi Group Launches ‘TopScore’ at GFF 2026 to Widen Credit Health Awareness for Indian borrowers
MUMBAI, India, Sept. 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Yubi Group, the AI-powered operating system for financial services, today launched TopScore, a consumer credit-health app, unveiled at the Global Fintech Fest (GFF) 2026. The launch arrives at a pivotal moment for financial inclusion in India: even as over a billion Indians are now eligible for credit, recent studies suggest nearly one in two have never checked their credit score, and many first encounter it only as a loan rejection, without understanding what shaped it or what to do next. Credit access has scaled; credit understanding has not.
The app was unveiled by Mr. Ajay Kumar Choudhary, Non-Executive Chairman and Independent Director of the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), Independent Director on the Board of Yubi Group, and a former Executive Director of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
Speaking at the launch, Mr. Choudhary said, “Financial health begins with early education, not late collections. When consumers understand their credit habits before taking on debt, we break the default cycle and curb NPAs across the entire system. Solutions like TopScore are an integral pillar of the effort to improve credit literacy and protect everyday citizens from debt stress.”
Gaurav Kumar, Founder & CEO, Yubi Group, shared the vision behind the launch saying, “For years, debt management in India was reactive, focused on collections, recovery, and managing NPAs after financial stress had already set in. That era is ending. By channeling deep credit infrastructure and predictive technology toward the consumer, we are shifting from reactive recovery to proactive credit health. TopScore is the natural culmination of that evolution. It moves the conversation beyond simply accessing credit to helping people borrow smarter, build lasting financial health, and prevent debt stress before it begins.”
TopScore is a comprehensive credit-health companion built around three simple steps: check, understand, and grow. Users start with a free credit score and full report, drawn from Experian, one of India’s leading credit bureaus with the user’s own consent, and translated from complex bureau data into plain language across 10 languages, including Hindi and English. An AI Score Coach turns that report into a personal, step-by-step plan, showing what is helping a user’s profile and what is holding it back, while a Human Coach, (a real credit expert who speaks the user’s language) is available for the moments where human intervention is required. A built-in score predictor lets users play out real-life scenarios and see their estimated effect before acting. And the app goes beyond numbers: TopScore assists users in raising disputes to correct reporting errors, and in pursuing a consent-first, borrower-initiated path to resolve past dues directly with their lender and rebuild.
TopScore will be available on Google Play Store and the Apple App Store soon.
While TopScore is a bold step into the consumer space, it stands on the foundation of the Yubi Group. For years, Yubi has been the engine powering the systems behind India’s credit landscape. By channeling that institutional understanding into a consumer product, Yubi Group is uniquely positioned to serve the entire credit lifecycle, from awareness to access to rebuilding.
About Yubi Group:
Yubi Group is the world’s only AI-powered operating system (OS) for financial services, founded in 2020 by CEO Gaurav Kumar. At its core is YuVerse, an applied AI suite powering four specialized companies – Yubi, Accumn, Spocto X, and YuCollect – that together deliver end-to-end solutions in lending, underwriting, and collections. Backed by leading investors including Peak XV, Insight Partners, Lightspeed, B Capital Group, Dragoneer, and TVS Capital, Yubi has facilitated over ₹3.2 lakh crore in credit and 3.5 crore transactions, serving 17,000+ enterprises and 6,200+ investors & lenders while reducing collections costs by 57%. The company is redefining transparency, compliance, and performance across India’s financial services sector.
Visit www.go-yubi.com to learn more.
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9, Sep 2026
Telangana, Zepto to Set Up 5 PRAGATI Centres for Gig Workers Across Hyderabad
Hyderabad, 09 September 2026: The Government of Telangana and Zepto have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish five Project PRAGATI Centres across Hyderabad, creating dedicated spaces where gig workers across platforms can rest and access essential facilities during the working day.
The initiative seeks to address gaps in basic urban infrastructure for workers who spend much of their day on the road. A 2024 HeatWatch survey of 166 gig and platform workers in Hyderabad, whose findings were subsequently examined in Economic & Political Weekly, found that nearly 69% of workers surveyed lacked access to clean washrooms, while more than 80% lacked shaded resting areas or cooling facilities while working.
The PRAGATI Centres will be open to gig workers across platforms, including workers in quick commerce, food delivery, e-commerce, apparel and other last-mile delivery networks. Depending on the locations jointly identified by the Government and Zepto, each centre could see hundreds of worker visits.
Vikas Sharma, Chief Operating Officer, Zepto, said, “India’s gig workforce is projected to grow from 77 lakh workers in 2020–21 to 2.35 crore by 2029–30. As this workforce grows, the infrastructure supporting it must evolve too. Access to drinking water, clean washrooms, a safe place to rest or somewhere to charge a phone are basic requirements for anyone spending much of their working day on the move. We already provide these facilities to delivery partners across our store network. Through Project PRAGATI, we are extending that thinking beyond Zepto’s ecosystem and working with the Government of Telangana to create spaces that can be accessed by gig workers across platforms.”
Jayesh Ranjan, Special Chief Secretary to the Government, Metropolitan Area & Urban Development Department, said, “Gig and platform workers are an increasingly important part of Hyderabad’s urban economy. As the nature of work evolves, cities must also respond to the everyday infrastructure needs of people working on the move. Project PRAGATI will create accessible spaces that address some of these practical requirements and are available to workers irrespective of the platform they are associated with. We welcome Zepto’s partnership in supporting this initiative for Hyderabad’s wider gig-worker community.”
Each centre will provide safe, all-weather resting space, clean drinking water, clean washroom access, first-aid support, mobile charging points and WiFi connectivity. The centres will also host periodic health camps and facilitate awareness around e-Shram registration for eligible gig and unorganised workers. Zepto will fund and maintain the centres on an ongoing basis as provided in the MoU with the Malkajgiri Municipal Corporation.
Zepto’s store network already provides delivery partners access to core facilities such as drinking water, washrooms, resting space, charging and first-aid support. Project PRAGATI extends this approach to the wider gig-worker ecosystem through dedicated, platform-agnostic centres.
9, Sep 2026
Yubi launches Pye, a multi-lender platform for retail borrowers, at Global Fintech Fest 2026
MUMBAI, India, Sept. 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Yubi Group today launched Pye, a new lending platform built for retail borrowers, at the Global Fintech Fest (GFF) 2026 at the Jio World Convention Centre, Mumbai. The launch was marked by Mr. Ajay Kumar Choudhary, non-executive chairman of the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) and an independent director on Yubi Group’s board, who previously served as executive director at the Reserve Bank of India.
Pye is built for the moments that call for credit in everyday life: a wedding, a home, an education, a medical need, a new business idea. Instead of routing a borrower’s application to a single lender, Pye connects it to a network of lending partners at once, matching each borrower’s profile to the partner best suited to their need, loan type, and timeline.
India’s retail credit market is expanding rapidly, with substantial room for further growth. According to CRISIL Intelligence, retail loan growth is projected to reach 17–18% in fiscal 2026. Yet, India’s household debt-to-GDP ratio stood at just 45.5% as of September 2025 (per the RBI’s June 2026 Financial Stability Report), far below more credit-penetrated markets like South Korea, which sits at nearly 89%. Pye taps into this expanding demand by leveraging Yubi’s existing lender network, allowing retail borrowers to connect with roughly 80% of India’s top lending institutions through a single integration to find well-matched credit.
“Every lender has its own view of risk, its own criteria for ticket size, documentation, and timing, shaped by its own mandate. That’s the nature of a healthy lending market,” said Gaurav Kumar, founder and CEO, Yubi Group. “It also means the right partner for a borrower isn’t always the first one they approach. Pye is built to help a borrower find that fit faster, matching them to the right lenders across our network, instead of going door to door. The compliance and legal work, KYC, documentation, disclosures, happens once on Pye, so a borrower isn’t repeating paperwork with every application. We open these avenues while being fully compliant with RBI’s digital lending guidelines such as neutral display of offers, full disclosure on APR, and ensuring native journeys for seamless customer experience.”
“Credit access works best when it is broad-based, transparent, and well matched to the borrowers’ needs. Initiatives that bring technology and multiple regulated lenders together, like Pye, are a welcome step for India’s financial inclusion agenda,” said Mr. Ajay Kumar Choudhary, non-executive chairman, NPCI, and independent director, Yubi Group.
Over the past six years, Yubi’s platforms have enabled more than ₹3.2 lakh crore in credit across 3.5 crore transactions while enabling ₹80,000 crores in debt collections.
The name Pye draws from π, the mathematical constant whose value continues without repeating. It’s a small nod to the idea behind the platform: a borrower’s options shouldn’t end with one lender’s decision on a given day. Pye’s tagline reflects this: ‘One platform. Infinite possibilities.’
Every lender on Pye is RBI-regulated, pricing and terms are shown transparently before a borrower proceeds, and a borrower’s data is shared only with the lenders they choose to apply to.
Pye’s ambition goes beyond a dedicated app. Yubi is working to make Pye reachable over time from the online storefronts, bill payment platforms, and other everyday digital services, bringing credit closer to the moment it is actually needed.
Pye is being showcased at GFF 2026, running September 9-11 at the Jio World Convention Centre, Mumbai, where Yubi is at booth F2.
About Yubi
Yubi Group is the world’s only AI-powered operating system (OS) for financial services, founded in 2020 by CEO Gaurav Kumar. The Group comprises YuVerse, Accumn, Spocto X, YuCollect, Yubi Wealth – subsidiaries that together deliver end-to-end AI-based solutions in lending, underwriting, collections and wealth management. Backed by leading investors including Peak XV, Insight Partners, Lightspeed, B Capital Group, Dragoneer, and TVS Capital, Yubi has facilitated over ₹3.2 lakh crore in credit and 3.5 crore transactions, serving 17,000+ enterprises and 6,200+ investors & lenders while reducing collections costs by 57%. The company is redefining transparency, compliance, and performance across India’s financial services sector. Visit www.go-yubi.com to learn more.
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9, Sep 2026
SMERGERS Data: F&B emerges as the strongest franchise category among investors
September 9, 2026: Food & Beverage stands out as the largest category in franchising, making up about a third of all active franchise listings (553 of 1,770), more than Consumer Retail and Education combined, reveals SMERGERS. SMERGERS is a Bengaluru-based online investment banking platform that connects small and medium-sized businesses and franchise brands with investors, buyers, lenders, and M&A advisors across the world.
Within F&B, Fine Dine Restaurants, Cafes and Fast Food Restaurants alone account for over half the listings, while smaller formats like Bakeries, Ice Cream Parlors and Juice & Snack Shops are where new listings are growing fastest. Investor interest in F&B is unusually strong: brands here average around 54 introduction requests each, well ahead of the platform-wide average of about 39 requests per listing, and ahead of other major categories like Consumer Retail (35) and Education (23). While average investor demand across franchising has fallen since 2019 due to Covid Lockdown, F&B has held up and is now back to near all-time-high levels.
Looking at over 29,000 investor introduction requests across these 553 F&B brands, three clear patterns stand out.
Niche beats scale
Bakeries, Ice Cream Parlors and Juice & Snack Shops, smaller and more specific formats, get 2-3x times more interest per listing compared to larger F&B categories like Fine Dine Restaurants and Cafes. Brands like The Bake Shop (Bakeries), Lassi House (Juice & Snack Shops) and Giani Ice Cream (Ice Cream Parlors), and Drunken Monkey (Juice & Snack Shops) are among the platform’s most sought-after names. Nice brands attract maximum investor interest for example a Juice & Snack shop brand called Drink Your Selfie, has received over 200 introductions from investors around the world. These niche formats are also where new franchise listings are growing fastest, so a focused, specific concept clearly stands out more than a generic one, even in a crowded category.
Fine Dine and Cafes, by contrast, are the two formats that have slower investor interest in recent years, and the reasons likely go beyond the platform itself. Both are relatively capital and space-intensive formats, harder to replicate cheaply at scale, at a time when rising urban rentals and staffing costs have squeezed dine-in economics. The rapid rise of food delivery and cloud kitchens has also given brands a lower-cost way to build a customer base without opening full-format restaurants or cafes, and inflation-conscious consumers have leaned toward quicker, smaller-ticket formats like juice bars, bakeries and ice cream parlors over sit-down dining. Fine Dine and Cafes remain large, established categories, but the newer growth is clearly happening in leaner, more asset-light formats.
Ticket size is the strongest lever
Franchises priced under ₹20 lakh get roughly 2-3x times more investor interest than those priced above ₹80 lakh, and this holds true across almost every industry. Cheaper entry point consistently means more interest from franchise buyers. Keeping the entry investment low is one of the strongest levers a brand has to attract more franchisee interest.
“Food and beverage has consistently been where franchise investors show up in India. What the data now tells us is that even as broader franchise investment has slowed, F&B has held its ground and continued to grow. But within that, the investor is becoming more selective. The formats drawing the most interest today are not the ones with the most listings. They are the ones with the sharpest concept and the lowest entry cost,” said Vishal Devanath, Co-Founder and CEO, SMERGERS.
Indian brands lead, but cross-border interest runs both ways
It’s often assumed that Indian investors would be especially drawn to well-known foreign F&B brands, but the data tells a different story: domestic brands win this race by a clear margin. The vast majority of interest Indian investors show goes to homegrown F&B brands, with only a small share directed at foreign ones. Foreign brands that do draw meaningful Indian interest include Hong Kong’s Le Bistro Winebeast and AOC Eat & Drink, UAE’s Orril Water, South Korea’s Mad for Garlic and Greece’s Mikel Coffee Company, brands where a large share of their platform interest comes specifically from Indian investors.
It is interesting to note, though, that there is significant demand running the other way too: Indian F&B brands receive real interest from foreign investors, mainly out of the UAE, along with UK, Malaysia and Singapore. So while Indian investors clearly prioritize homegrown brands first, F&B franchising is still a genuine two-way cross-border market, not a one-way street.
“If you’re an F&B brand owner looking to franchise, the data points to a clear playbook: a focused, niche concept will draw more investor interest than a generic one, a lower entry investment will multiply the number of leads you get, and don’t assume international appeal is out of reach, several Indian brands here are already pulling serious interest from investors in the UAE, UK, Malaysia and Singapore. If you’re an investor looking to take up a franchise, F&B remains the category with the deepest pool of active, well-performing brands to choose from, and the smaller, lower-investment formats, bakeries, ice cream parlors, juice and snack brands, are consistently where competition for a good territory is fiercest, so it pays to move quickly and do diligence early on brands in these formats,” concluded Vishal Devanath, Co-Founder and CEO, SMERGERS.
SMERGERS operates across 195 countries and 900+ industries and has facilitated over 23,000 business and franchise introductions to date.
9, Sep 2026
Mannai Corporation appoints Sumanta Roy to strengthen ICT leadership
Technology expert Sumanta Roy to drive growth across Mannai’s Information and Communication Technology (ICT) business in the Middle East and Africa region.
Dubai, UAE, Sept 09 – Mannai Corporation QPSC announced the appointment of technology industry veteran Sumanta Roy as Group President for Information and Communication Technology (ICT). Roy will lead the Group’s ICT business across the Middle East, and Africa, strengthening its technology capabilities and advancing its regional expansion, with Saudi Arabia among its priority markets.
Saudi Arabia stands as a strategic priority for Mannai with the Group deepening its operations in the Kingdom through Mannai Information Technology Saudi Arabia. In his new role, Roy will steer the next phase of growth from the company’s base in Riyadh, drawing on Mannai’s regional capabilities and global partnerships to build on its technology presence in the Kingdom and support the Group’s broader expansion across Middle East and Africa. This will include deepening relationships with customers and technology partners, while widening the portfolio across high-growth areas such as AI, cybersecurity, cloud, digital transformation, intelligent infrastructure and managed services. He will also work to bring greater integration and scale across Mannai’s ICT businesses, driving sustainable, profitable growth as the Group extends its regional footprint.
“Sumanta joins Mannai at an important point in the evolution of our technology business. He brings more than three decades of industry experience, an exceptional understanding of the Middle East and Africa, and a proven ability to build businesses, deepen customer relationships and lead growth across complex and rapidly evolving markets,” said Alekh Grewal, Group Chief Executive Officer, Mannai Corporation QPSC. “As we strengthen our leadership in Qatar and accelerate our ambitions in Saudi Arabia and across the wider region, his experience and perspective will be invaluable. I am delighted to welcome Sumanta to Mannai and look forward to working with him as we build the next chapter of our ICT business.”
“I am pleased to join Mannai at a time of significant opportunity for the technology industry across the region. Mannai has built an extraordinary legacy of trust, deep customer relationships and technology expertise, and there is a tremendous opportunity to build on that foundation as markets accelerate their digital and AI ambitions.” said Sumanta Roy, Group President – ICT, Mannai Corporation QPSC “My focus will be on bringing together the strength of our people, capabilities and global technology partnerships to create greater value for our customers, while accelerating our growth in strategic markets, particularly Saudi Arabia, and expanding Mannai’s technology footprint across Middle East and Africa. I am excited to work with the team to build the next phase of this journey.”
Roy brings more than thirty years of leadership experience in IT services, business transformation and regional growth. He served as President and Regional Head for Middle East and Africa at Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), leading business growth, market expansion and customer relationships across the region. During his tenure, he strengthened TCS’ presence in the Middle East and Africa markets and advanced AI, cloud and digital transformation initiatives, while carrying out substantial work in Saudi Arabia. He holds an MBA in Marketing from the Indian Institute of Social Welfare and Business Management (IISWBM).
With Mannai Information Technology Saudi Arabia scaling its operations from Riyadh, the Group is bringing its technology expertise, global partnerships and decades of enterprise experience to customers across the Kingdom and wider region.
9, Sep 2026
Adani Airports to raise ~USD 1 billion of primary equity from marquee global investors
Investment by Alpha Wave Global, Premji Invest, Temasek and BlackRock managed funds values AAHL at ~USD 18 billion pre-money equity valuation
Editor’s Synopsis
- Adani Airport Holdings Limited (AAHL) has entered into binding agreements to raise ₹9,825 crores (~USD 1 billion) of primary equity capital from a consortium of leading domestic and global investors.
- The transaction values AAHL at a pre-money equity valuation of ~USD 18 billion, establishing a significant external institutional valuation benchmark for the airports platform.
- The investor consortium comprises Alpha Wave Global, Premji Invest, Temasek and BlackRock managed funds. Upon completion of all three tranches, the investors will collectively hold approximately 5.54% in AAHL.
- The proceeds will support airport modernisation and capacity expansion to serve ~ 200 million passengers annually, integrated Adani Airport City development of ~22 million sq. ft. of mixed-use development in the first phase and the continued scaling of AAHL’s ground handling and non-aeronautical businesses.
AHMEDABAD, India, Sept. 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Adani Airport Holdings Limited (AAHL), a subsidiary of Adani Enterprises Limited (AEL) and one of India’s largest private airport operators, has entered into binding agreements to raise ₹9,825 crore (~USD 1 billion) of primary equity capital from a consortium of investors comprising Alpha Wave Global, Premji Invest, Temasek and BlackRock managed funds. The transaction values AAHL at a pre-money equity valuation of ~USD 18 billion and represents one of the largest primary equity investments from financial institutions in India’s airport infrastructure sector.
The participation of a consortium of long-term domestic and global investors represents a significant institutional endorsement of AAHL’s scale, operating capabilities and long-term growth potential. The investment brings long-duration institutional capital into the business at a time when India’s aviation sector is entering a sustained phase of passenger growth, capacity expansion and infrastructure investment.
AAHL and the investors have entered into a Share Subscription Agreement and a Shareholders’ Agreement pursuant to which the investors will subscribe to new equity shares of AAHL in three tranches, with the final tranche expected to be completed by July 2027. Upon completion of all three tranches, the investors will collectively hold approximately 5.54% in AAHL.
The proceeds will support three strategic priorities: expanding and modernising airport infrastructure across AAHL’s portfolio; accelerating the development of integrated Adani Airport City ecosystems around its airports with development of ~ 22 million sq. ft. of mixed-use development planned in the first phase; and scaling passenger-facing and other non-aeronautical businesses including our ground handling business. These investments are expected to increase capacity to serve ~ 200 million passengers annually, deepen commercial monetisation, enhance passenger experience and further strengthen AAHL’s integrated airport ecosystem.
The transaction follows AEL’s successful ₹15,000 crore qualified institutional placement (QIP) in July 2026, India’s largest QIP by a non-financial corporate. Together, the transactions reflect continued access by the Adani portfolio to significant pools of long-term domestic and global institutional capital.
“This partnership marks an important milestone in building out the Adani Airports platform, and we are privileged to have such marquee, long-term investors alongside us on this journey,” said Mr. Jeet Adani, Non-Executive Director, Adani Airport Holdings Limited. “India’s aviation sector is one of the most powerful multipliers of the country’s GDP growth. Every expansion in air connectivity catalyses trade, tourism, employment and regional development well beyond the airport gate. With the backing of these partners, we will continue to invest ahead of that growth, scaling our infrastructure, city-side developments and non-aeronautical businesses to build one of the world’s leading integrated airport platforms.”
“We will continue to build capabilities within AAHL to scale it into the world’s largest airports platform,” said Mr. Arun Bansal, CEO, Adani Airport Holdings Limited. “This ambition is buoyed by the exponential growth opportunities across India, the rising spending power of the Indian consumer, and the momentum of our city-side developments as powerful economic catalysts in the country’s major urban centres. We are deeply grateful to our partners for their confidence and look forward to continuing on this path together as we build a truly world-class airport platform for India.”
The key advisors to the transaction were Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas, AZB & Partners, JSA Advocates and Solicitors, TT&A Advocates and Solicitors, Jefferies India Private Limited, SBI Capital Markets Limited and Ernst & Young LLP.
The transaction is subject to customary conditions precedent, including receipt of applicable approvals.
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9, Sep 2026
DFI Introduces One Board, Two CPU Generations Mini-ITX Platform to Advance Physical AI for Robotics and Automation
TAIPEI, Sept. 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — DFI, a Qisda Group company and a global leader in embedded motherboards and industrial computers, introduces the ARH171/ARH173, expanding its AI-ready portfolio with a Mini-ITX platform built for space-constrained, mission-critical deployments. Powered by Intel® technologies, the ARH171/ARH173 is purpose-built to handle demanding Physical AI workloads from perception to reasoning, enabling next-generation smart logistics and industrial automation.
As Physical AI transitions to operational deployment, intralogistics is driving rapid mobile automation adoption. Mordor Intelligence projects the autonomous mobile robot (AMR) market to expand at a CAGR of nearly 15% through 2029 to counter labor shortages, while advanced systems like 3D cube storage robots require on-device AI to navigate floors, climb racks, and process dense sensor streams in real time.
Flexibility starts at the board level. The ARH171/ARH173 adopts a unified “One Board, Two Generations” architecture, supporting 16 Intel® Core™ Ultra processor options across Meteor Lake-U/H and Arrow Lake-U/H (15–28W; Intel vPro® available on select SKUs). Delivering up to 99 total platform TOPS on Arrow Lake-H models, its integrated Intel® Arc™ GPU and dedicated NPU accelerate AI inference via OpenVINO™, DirectML, and ONNX RT. This lowers reliance on discrete graphics, reducing thermal and spatial overhead while enabling system integrators to scale across performance tiers using a unified platform architecture. The launch will further leverage DFI’s core strengths in embedded computing to support Qisda Group’s overall strategy across its four AI business categories: “AI Vision & Display,” “AI Infrastructure,” “AI Solutions & Smart Manufacturing,” and “AI Hospital & Wellness Ecosystem.”
“System integrators developing next-generation autonomous logistics robots need to shorten validation cycles and avoid recurring redesign costs,” said Claire Tien, President of DFI. “By supporting two processor generations on a unified board architecture, the ARH171/ARH173 simplifies long-term platform planning, delivers on-chip AI acceleration, and supports continuous operation through hardware-level remote management.”
Once deployed, reliable operation and reduced on-site maintenance become critical. Engineered for 24/7 robotic deployments, the ARH173 features a 12–28V wide-range DC input, up to three 2.5GbE LAN ports, and modular M.2 expansion for flexible sensor integration. To simplify field maintenance, the optional DFI EXT-OOB module enables out-of-band power cycling and OS recovery even if the primary system is unresponsive, while integrated Intel vPro® technology (on select SKUs) provides comprehensive remote hardware management.
From board to system to solution, the ARH171/ARH173 delivers a deployment-ready foundation that consolidates dual-generation scalability, native AI performance, and remote management into a single validation point, reducing engineering overhead and accelerating the transition from pilot to production.
About DFI
Founded in 1981, DFI is a global leading provider of high-performance computing technology across multiple embedded industries. With its innovative design and premium quality management system, DFI’s industrial-grade solutions enable customers to optimize their equipment and ensure high reliability, long-term life cycle, and 24/7 durability in a breadth of markets including Industrial Automation, Medical, Gaming, Transportation, Energy, Mission-Critical, and Intelligent Retail.
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