1, Oct 2026
New Bush Institute report reveals nation’s strongest innovation districts
Report reveals winners on prosperity and housing metrics
DALLAS, TEXAS | Oct 01– The George W. Bush Institute-SMU Economic Growth Initiative released a report demonstrating that America’s innovation districts – compact urban areas where knowledge-generating institutions and leading-edge companies cluster together to stimulate creativity, collaboration, innovation, and entrepreneurship – are growing and delivering significant economic development and opportunity in their immediate surrounding areas.
This report presents new data on the performance of America’s urban innovation districts as economic development engines, updating data reported in a previous analysis based on 2020 data. This new information shows that these districts are delivering significant economic benefits for surrounding neighborhoods, measured by prosperity metrics, such as population growth, incomes, commuting times, and housing development.
Districts that stand out for their strong performance on prosperity metrics include the following:
- Cortex Innovation District (St. Louis, Mo.)
- Kendall Square (Cambridge, Mass.)
- Pittsburgh Innovation District (Pittsburgh, Pa.)
- Research Triangle Park (Raleigh-Durham, N.C.)
- South Lake Union (Seattle, Wash.)
- Tech Square (Atlanta, Ga.)
- uCity Square (Philadelphia, Pa.)
- University of Utah Research Park (Salt Lake City, Utah)
Additionally, the data shows that neighborhoods surrounding innovation districts are also experiencing considerably greater housing price pressures than they saw in the 2010s, reflecting rapid growth in housing demand.
Districts that stand out for their strong performance on housing and neighborhood stability metrics include the following:
- Cleveland Health-Tech Corridor (Cleveland, Ohio)
- Pegasus Park (Dallas, Texas)
- Research Triangle Park (Raleigh-Durham, N.C.)
- St. Pete Innovation District (Tampa-St. Petersburg, Fla.)
- Tech Parks Arizona (Tucson, Ariz.)
- Winston-Salem Innovation Quarter (Winston-Salem, N.C.)
“Housing challenges are now far more pronounced than they were when we wrote our previous report based on 2020 data,” said Cullum Clark, author of this report and Fellow at the George W. Bush Institute-SMU Economic Growth Initiative. “Almost half the district leaders in our survey say that housing availability and price are constraining the growth and success of their innovation districts.”
The report shares findings from a new survey of innovation district leaders. The results highlight several priorities for today’s leaders: accelerating mixed-use development, making better use of underutilized spaces, enriching programming for district tenants, building essential infrastructure, and adding more restaurants, greenspace, and other amenities that enhance quality of life.
The following six new districts have been added to the dataset compared to the last report in 2024:
- 195 District (Providence, R.I.)
- BioPark (Baltimore, Md.)
- Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus (Buffalo-Niagara, N.Y.)
- LSU Innovation Park (Baton Rouge, La.)
- Sandia Science & Technology Park (Albuquerque, N.M.)
- St. Pete Innovation District (Tampa-St. Petersburg, Fla.)
While this data shows immense opportunity, many of the nation’s innovation districts currently face growing headwinds, including rising vacancy rates, unpredictable policy changes at the federal and state levels, and above all surging housing market pressures.
The report states federal, state, local, and university leaders should continue to invest in the growth of innovation districts – but they’ll also need to address current challenges to ensure their future success. Strategies include encouraging expanded federal research funding, infrastructure investment, supportive land-use and housing policies, and, in some cases, direct financial assistance.
America’s innovation districts are a success story, playing a central role in the nation’s innovation economy and contributing to the revitalization and growth of many U.S. cities. Despite the new headwinds faced by these districts, both governmental entities and private organizations are poised to make positive changes going forward. Through the strategic prioritization of funding and prudent policy, innovation districts can continue to act as engines of opportunity across the nation.
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- By Neel Achary
1, Oct 2026
RBI October MPC: Rate Outlook And Implications For Real Estate And Infrastructure
By Dr. Amit Goenka, Chairman & MD, Nisus Finance.
“With inflation pressures becoming broader and global interest rates moving higher, the upcoming RBI MPC meeting will be closely watched for how the central bank balances inflation concerns with the need to support growth. A 25 bps increase in the repo rate to 5.50% would be a measured response to the recent rise in inflation. Retail inflation has climbed to 4.82% in August and the rupee has also been under pressure from rising crude prices and global outflows of capital. At the same time, the domestic economy continues to prove resilient with GDP growing 7.8% in the first quarter of FY27.
For real estate and infrastructure, the immediate impact of a moderate rate increase should remain manageable, particularly for projects backed by strong demand and prudent leverage. However, if borrowing costs remain elevated for a longer period, they could have a bearing on project viability, returns and new investment decisions. The RBI’s guidance on the path ahead will therefore be equally important. If inflationary pressures persist, there could be room for another calibrated policy action later in the year. A measured approach that keeps inflation under control while ensuring that credit continues to flow towards productive sectors will be important for sustaining investment and economic activity.”
1, Oct 2026
Solidus Labs Selected by BTSE to Power Trade Surveillance Across Its Global Digital Asset Ecosystem
New York, Oct 1—Solidus Labs, the category-definer for multidimensional market integrity, today announced that it has been selected by BTSE, a leading global digital asset exchange, to power its comprehensive trade surveillance program. Solidus Labs’ HALO Trade Surveillance module will enable BTSE to detect market abuse and manipulation across its digital asset and tokenized real-world asset (RWA) markets.
The engagement equips BTSE’s compliance team with behavioral and risk-based detection across a broad range of manipulation typologies. As BTSE continues to expand its product offering across spot digital assets and tokenized RWAs, the partnership reflects the exchange’s commitment to embedding institutional-grade oversight into its trading infrastructure. Beyond its own trading platform, BTSE also provides white-label exchange infrastructure to clients around the world, enabling them to build and operate digital asset exchange offerings using BTSE’s technology. Together, these capabilities form part of BTSE’s broader global digital asset ecosystem.
Alongside core surveillance, BTSE’s compliance team will use HALO’s Model Testing capabilities to fine-tune algorithm parameters, simulate scenarios, and reduce false positives — allowing the team to customize detection to BTSE’s specific trading patterns and business needs while maintaining regulatory readiness. The team will also leverage Market Inspection, which extends visibility beyond BTSE’s own trading activity to give analysts broader context on market-wide behavior for more informed investigations.
“Since we’ve expanded our services to serve users in many different regions and countries, it’s become increasingly difficult to monitor each and every transaction for potential market abuse and manipulation”, said Jeff Mei, COO at BTSE. “Deploying smart solutions from Solidus Labs will enable us to do so more efficiently, so that we can maintain a better playing field for our traders.”
Optimized for the velocity and complexity of modern digital asset markets, HALO correlates trade data with behavioral signals to surface suspicious patterns such as spoofing, wash trading, and ramping across thousands of symbols in real time.
“BTSE has built a reputation for operating at the leading edge of digital asset trading, which requires surveillance technology built for the same speed and complexity,” said Diana Xu, Head of APAC at Solidus Labs. “We’re proud to support BTSE as they expand into new asset classes, including tokenized RWAs, with market integrity built in from day one.”
The partnership reflects a broader trend of digital asset exchanges adopting next-generation surveillance technology to meet stricter regulatory expectations and increasingly complex market dynamics across both crypto-native and tokenized traditional assets.
1, Oct 2026
SeKondBrain’s Kemory Launches with Indian Users’ Data Held on Indian Soil
Opens beta for Kemory: one memory layer across every AI one uses providing a way past the cold start for India’s own AI model builders.
NEW DELHI, Oct. 1, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — SeKondBrain opened public beta access to Kemory in India, with Indian users’ context held on Indian soil from day one with servers in India making it ‘For India From India’. Kemory, is a permissioned memory layer that remembers what a person has told any AI, so they don’t have to re-explain themselves every time they switch between them. Sitting independently, Kemory operates outside any single AI model, so that the knowledge a person establishes with AIs and agents is available to every other AI they use. The product has been built on the premise that AI’s real limitation today is not intelligence, but memory, and how often AI suffers from amnesia and hallucination.

Indian users are among the most multi-AI in the world, moving between assistants by price, availability and task, using one LLM today, and another tomorrow with an Indian model next month, each one great at something. Every switch means starting over: re-explaining context, re-uploading material, using more tokens, rebuilding what one already knows and wasting time spent correcting the output once again. Push any model past what it can hold, and it fills the gap with a plausible answer built on nothing but assumptions. That cost compounds daily for a knowledge workforce moving faster between AI tools than almost anywhere else.
A Brain Is Grown, Not Built Overnight
SeKondBrain’s belief is that this isn’t a shortage of AI model capability, models have never been sharper. What’s been missing until now is an independent place for knowledge and meaning to accumulate: a layer that holds understanding the way a map holds a landscape, so knowledge, token use and time compounds instead of resetting with every new chat, project or model that comes along.
That belief shapes how the company is building. Rather than launching a single, fully-formed platform, SeKondBrain is releasing its architecture in layers, with memory as the foundation everything else stands upon: first Kemory, the shared independent and permissioned memory layer; then the reasoning and product-building tools built on top of it; followed by the same principle applied to whole organisations, through a business edition, KompanyBrain, already in beta with design partners across the legal sector; and, in time, the flexibility to hold the way any individual works and lives.
An Open Invitation to India’s Model Builders
The cost of moving or recalling isn’t only paid by users. It’s the reason a new model struggles to win users in the first place. India is backing a generation of home-grown AI through the IndiaAI Mission, but every new model still sees its users as a stranger, no history, no preferences, again starting at zero regardless of how capable it is. The incumbent’s advantage is rarely capability; it is the accumulated knowledge and context a user cannot easily take elsewhere with them. That is the cold start, and it is the largest single limiter for any challenger model. Kemory removes this barrier: a user who holds their chats, memories, agents and context in Kemory arrives at a new model already understood, from their first project. The model does not have to earn the history back. It only has to be better.
“India is not a follow-on market for Kemory. It is the market,” said Sachin Dev Duggal, Founder and CEO of SeKondBrain. “The thing standing between an Indian model and a user is almost never quality, it’s that the user’s valuable knowledge and context lives somewhere else. That’s a poor reason for anyone to lose. If a person carries their own understanding with them, any model can be useful to them from the first chat, and the question becomes which one is actually better – that is the question that ought to decide it. This is an open invitation to everyone building models and using AI in India: your users and models start with the knowledge they already own.”
This is not a route to anyone’s data. Kemory holds knowledge for that person, their project or their agent; a model provider is never handed it, it sits independently and permissioned. The user grants access per connection, can see precisely what is shared, and can withdraw it at any time. SeKondBrain is also open to integration conversations with any Indian model provider.
Held in India, and Held for You
Kemory is a permissioned system that any AI, agent or tool can read from and write to, so a person’s knowledge travels with them rather than resetting with every new chat, model or provider, resident in India, not mirrored, for Indian users. Understanding compounds instead of being rebuilt from scratch: what is explained once stays known, and the token cost of that knowledge shrinks over time rather than growing with it. In the company’s internal testing on LongMemEval-500, a public benchmark for long-horizon memory recall, Kemory scored 89.6%.
A New Category, Not Another Assistant
SeKondBrain positions Kemory as infrastructure rather than another application competing for attention alongside the AI tools people already use. It’s built model-agnostic by design: the memory and knowledge a person builds inside it works identically whether they are using a global model or an Indian one, and no provider is given preferential access or integration advantage over another. That neutrality matters most precisely where switching between models is most common or needed depending on the model’s skill.
A memory layer tied to one vendor’s incentives functions as a retention mechanism; a memory layer that can work everywhere is only useful if it belongs to the person using it, not the company hosting it. That is the basis of what SeKondBrain calls knowledge ownership: understanding built through AI is treated as an asset the user holds outright, inspects, exports, shares or deletes on their own terms, wherever knowledge is held.
What’s Included in the Free Edition of Kemory
- Kora for Chrome – import the existing AI history
- Two connected AIs
- 2,000 memories and chats
- Fair-use credits
Referrals extend the plan: every person a beta user brings in who signs up and adds memories earns both accounts 1,000 further memories, permanently.
What Comes Next
Free is the starting point, not the ceiling. Upcoming plans for a Community Edition will release the memory layer under an Apache 2.0 open-source licence, with self-hosting genuinely supported rather than offered as a footnote. A Business Edition will extend Kemory to organisations that need permissioning, knowledge retention, trackability and cost effectiveness at company scale.
SeKondBrain’s KompanyBrain, follows this path and is already live with early design partners doing real client-facing work in the legal sector with more sectors to come. Looking further out, SeKondBrain plans an individual edition that adapts to how any one person operates.
Kemory’s free edition beta is live now at https://sekondbrain.ai/products/kemory with access opening in staggered groups starting with the early sign-ups, by what has been affectionately called the #SeKondBrainTribe.
About SeKondBrain
SeKondBrain is the shared intelligence layer for AIs, humans, and knowledge teams. A neurosymbolic memory and reasoning layer, it is a platform that sits above every model, and below every agent and tool a person or organisation uses, so understanding compounds instead of resetting with each conversation. Kemory, its shared memory layer, is the first layer to be released in a brain being built in layers, memory first. The company’s mission is to unshackle the world’s thinkers from information overload.
SeKondBrain is organised as a flat team it calls Kognitivo: no specialist silos and no pure managers, with everyone building and everyone owning their piece end to end. The company is headquartered in London, with teams in Delhi and Mumbai among other locations. Understanding, unshackled.
For more information, visit https://sekondbrain.ai and https://sekondbrain.ai/products/kemory
For access to SeKondBrain’s Kemory Press Kit click here
Notes to Editors
- Benchmark: cite as “89.6% on LongMemEval-500, internal testing.” Do not round or restate. Full method and results: https://sekondbrain.ai/research
- “Resident in India” may only be used once infrastructure go-live is confirmed.
- Community Edition is not yet released. Apache 2.0 and self-hosting are forward-looking and must remain future tense.
- Business Edition: confirm current status before distribution – remains as described here as live with early design partners; verify this remains accurate at time of release.
- “200+ sign-ups” is a beta sign-up figure, not an active-user or retention figure. Confirm the exact number before distribution.
- No Indian model provider is named and no live integration is claimed. The invitation is a standing offer, not an announced partnership. SeKondBrain is never handed a user’s data; access is granted per connection, by the user, and can be withdrawn at any time.
- This release makes no compliance or regulatory assertion. Any reference to Aadhaar, DigiLocker, UPI, DEPA, the DPDP Act or Bhashini would be contextual only, not a claim of participation, endorsement, integration or compliance, and none is made in this version.
- “Model-agnostic” refers to Kemory’s architecture working identically across model providers; it is not a claim of formal integration or partnership with any named provider unless separately announced.
- “Knowledge ownership” describes user-controlled export, inspection and deletion of memory data. It is a product/design claim, not a legal or regulatory characterisation.
- Confirm whether the legal entity name is required on Indian materials.
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1, Oct 2026
$180 Million, 77,000 Acre Iconic Texas Ranch Listed to Sell
Historic 77,721-acre Texas Panhandle water oasis -Turkey Track Ranch reemerges and returns to market following recovery from the Smokehouse Creek Fire, the largest wildfire in recorded Texas history.
DALLAS, Oct. 1, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Icon Global announces the return to market of Turkey Track Ranch, one of America’s great legacy ranches, at $180 million, including a 25% mineral stake. Spanning nearly 80,000 acres under one fence, the Texas Panhandle legacy ranch brings together significant water resources and more than a century of Coble and Whittenburg family ownership.
The ranch was withdrawn from the market following the February 2024 Smokehouse Creek Fire, which burned approximately 60% (46,000 +- acres) of the property’s range land. Recorded as the largest wildfire in Texas history and burning over one million acres to the township of Canadian and into Western Oklahoma, the fire was responsible for the killing of thousands of head of livestock, two human fatalities and the destruction of approximately 500 buildings. The fire began when a fallen utility pole adjacent to the Turkey Track Ranch boundary brought down live power lines.
The sellers were at the time in sale negotiations. Turkey Track was withdrawn from the market and given time to recover before being offered again. The land has come back with renewed strength and vigor, including robust regrowth of native vegetation, pastures and wildlife. Approximately 65 miles of new fencing have been installed and the cattle operation again in full swing. The managers of the ownership shareholders recently voted to resume public marketing and proceed with the sale of the ranch.
Water is central to the property. Stretching from Caprock country to the Canadian River, the ranch includes high mesas, open range, sheltered draws and river bottoms. Its water resources include approximately 26 miles of Canadian River frontage, eight major creek basins and natural springs, with the Ogallala Aquifer beneath the land. Across the property, 64 water wells serve livestock and wildlife, while five irrigation pivots cover 838 acres.
During the drought of the 1950s, the family began building earthen dams to slow runoff and protect the soil. That conservation work continued over decades. In 2016, Turkey Track was named a regional honoree of the Environmental Stewardship Award Program for its land and water management.
Icon Global founder Bernard Uechtritz stated, “I have represented some of the great ranches of the American West, and Turkey Track belongs in their company. The water here is extraordinary, the legacy and history incredible. It is a best in class, and rarity both. Available legacy ranches with this scale, production, recreation and history are today few and far between, scarce anywhere in the American West. Nearly 80,000 acres under one fence, a 25 percent mineral stake and more than a century of family ownership make this a very rare offering. This is a ranch you buy with the next hundred years in mind.”
The ranch encompasses the Adobe Walls battle sites of 1864 and 1874. Its brand dates to 1878, and W. T. Coble acquired the original headquarters in 1916. More than a century of Coble and Whittenburg ownership has carried that history into the present offering.
The 77,721± acre holding returns as a rare opportunity to own a landmark of American ranching and to shape its future over generations to come.
Turkey Track Ranch is offered exclusively through Icon Global. For property information, photographs and viewing arrangements, visit Turkey Track or contact 214.855.4000.
About Icon Global
Icon Global designs and implements strategic, tactical, national and global marketing campaigns for Iconic real estate, and additionally provides specialty advisory and portfolio services for owners of unique assets across the USA, parts of Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Icon represents banking and governmental institutions, and high net worth individuals’, as well as corporations and family offices globally in the acquisition, management and disposition of property in all asset classes. Icon Global was founded by complex deal maker and International real estate advisor, Bernard Uechtritz.
- Email campaign preview: [Email preview link]
- BACK ON MARKET Video preview: [video link]
- Photography: [press photography link]
- Official Launch Feature video; Flying The Turkey Track; Global Preview
- Property background and history:Turkey Track Ranch
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1, Oct 2026
Odisha Invites Entries for 37th State Film Awards 2025
Bhubaneswar, Oct. 1 (UDN): The Odisha government has invited entries from film producers and writers for the 37th Odisha State Film Awards-2025, with the deadline for submissions set for October 31, 2026.
Representational Image
The Department of Odia Language, Literature and Culture has issued the invitation for eligible applicants seeking recognition for their contribution to Odia cinema.
Producers Can Submit Films by October 31
Film producers interested in participating can submit their entries along with the required documents and a soft copy of the film stored on a pen drive.
The submissions can be sent to the concerned department through registered post, speed post or parcel, and must reach the department by October 31.
Entries Invited for Best Writing on Odia Cinema
The department has also invited applications for the Best Writing (Book/Monograph) on Odia Cinema award.
Writers interested in the category are required to apply in the prescribed format and submit 10 copies of their book or monograph to the Department of Odia Language, Literature and Culture.
These submissions must also reach the department through registered post, speed post or parcel by the October 31 deadline.
The Odisha State Film Awards recognise achievements and contributions to the state’s film industry across various categories, providing a platform to honour creative work in Odia cinema.
1, Oct 2026
InSolare Energy Unveils New Brand Identity, Marking Its Evolution into an Integrated Net Zero Solutions Provider
New identity reflects the company’s expanding capabilities across renewable energy, storage and emerging clean-energy technologies
AHMEDABAD, India, Oct. 1, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — InSolare Energy Limited., a technology-driven renewable energy company, has unveiled its new logo and refreshed brand identity, marking a significant milestone in its journey from a solar EPC company to an integrated solutions provider for renewable energy.

The new identity reflects the company’s growth in capabilities and ambition as the energy landscape continues to transform. Built on years of engineering expertise, proven execution and trusted delivery, InSolare Energy has progressively expanded beyond solar to address a broader range of clean-energy requirements.
InSolare Energy Expands Beyond Solar EPC
Today, InSolare has an EPC portfolio of 2.2 GW+ and capabilities spanning solar, wind energy, Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS), green hydrogen, green ammonia, electrolyser manufacturing and other emerging clean-energy solutions.
The refreshed brand identity is anchored by the tagline ‘Innovating Net Zero Solutions,’ reflecting the company’s focus on developing technology-led solutions that contribute to the transition towards a cleaner and more sustainable energy future.
Talking about the rebranding, Dr. Sunit Tyagi, Founder & Managing Director, InSolare, said:
“InSolare’s journey has always been about responding to the changing needs of the energy sector. We began with solar EPC and built our foundation on engineering expertise, execution and trust. As the energy landscape evolved, so did we. Today, our capabilities extend across multiple areas of the energy transition, and our new identity reflects this growth. ‘Innovating Net Zero Solutions’ captures our ambition to bring these capabilities together and create solutions that contribute meaningfully to a sustainable future.”
Technology and Innovation at the Core of InSolare’s Growth
Technology and innovation have remained central to InSolare Energy’s growth as the company has expanded into new areas of the energy transition. Dr. Hemanshu Bhatt, Co-Founder & Chief Technology Officer, InSolare, said: “Technology has been central to InSolare’s growth and will continue to shape our next phase. The energy transition requires solutions that are connected, scalable and responsive to increasingly complex energy requirements. Our focus is therefore not limited to individual technologies, but on how engineering, innovation and different energy solutions can work together to create greater value. Our new identity reflects this technology-led approach and the organisation we are building for the future.”
Building Capabilities Across the Clean-Energy Ecosystem
InSolare Energy’s expanding portfolio reflects the convergence of renewable power, energy storage, green hydrogen and other technologies shaping the next generation of energy infrastructure. The company is building capabilities across these areas to address diverse energy requirements across technologies, scales and sectors.
The new identity brings this broader portfolio under one unified brand while retaining the principles that have guided the company’s journey — Discipline, Innovation, Integrity, Quality, Respect and Result.
Commenting on the new identity, Navashil Sharma, CEO & Executive Director, InSolare, said:
“Our business has grown considerably, and our brand now needs to represent the breadth of what InSolare has become. We are moving from being identified primarily with solar EPC to building a broader portfolio of renewable energy and clean-energy solutions. This enables us to engage with customers across a wider set of energy requirements and create long-term value through technology, engineering and execution. The new identity represents this broader proposition and our ambition for the road ahead.”
InSolare Energy’s Next Phase of Growth
The launch marks the beginning of the next phase for InSolare Energy as the company continues to strengthen its technology capabilities, expand its clean-energy portfolio and pursue opportunities across the rapidly evolving energy landscape.
With its 2.2 GW+ EPC portfolio, expanding clean-energy capabilities and continued focus on engineering and innovation, InSolare Energy is working towards its vision of becoming a leading technology solutions provider and accelerating the global transition towards sustainable and Net Zero energy solutions.
About InSolare Energy
Founded in 2009 and headquartered in Ahmedabad, InSolare Energy Limited. is a technology-driven renewable energy company focused on delivering integrated solutions across the clean-energy ecosystem.
The company has capabilities across solar EPC, wind energy, Battery Energy Storage Systems, green hydrogen, green ammonia, electrolyser manufacturing and other emerging clean-energy solutions. With an EPC portfolio of 2.2 GW+, InSolare Energy combines engineering expertise, technology and execution capabilities to develop and deliver solutions supporting the transition towards a sustainable and Net Zero energy future.
InSolare — Innovating Net Zero Solutions.

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1, Oct 2026
38.7 percent of Urban Indians Show Blood-Sugar Dysfunction, Reveals Loop Health’s Workforce Health Index 2026
01 October 2026: Loop Health, India’s leading group health insurance and health benefits provider, today announced the launch of the Workforce Health Index (WHI) 2026, its largest national assessment of urban workforce health to date. Among employees across India’s urban workforce, health risks are emerging well before middle age. The warning lights are already blinking in blood sugar, sleep, stress, nutrition, and liver health, often before people realise anything is wrong.
Now in its second edition, WHI 2026 is Loop Health’s largest read yet on India’s workforce health, drawing on a dataset 4x larger than its 2025 debut. The report is built on 816,000+ lab values across 11,400+ health reports and 9,000+ survey responses from urban working Indians, with a biomarker sample more than 4x the size of WHI 2025’s 214,142 biomarker rows and 3,437 survey responses. This year’s edition also adds hospital-claims data for the first time, covering 74,000+ hospital claims.
The picture didn’t shift overnight: the larger 2026 sample shows several core health risks have stayed stubbornly high, while a few lifestyle indicators have moved in the wrong direction. Glucose dysfunction stood at 31.3% among employees tested in 2026. Nutritional deficiencies remain widespread, with 81.4% of Vitamin D reports below the sufficiency threshold and 73.9% of employee reports recording low Vitamin B12 levels.
Commenting on the findings, Ryan Singh, Co-Founder and COO, Loop Health, said, “The most important finding from WHI 2026 is how early these health risks are showing up. One in three professionals in their 30s already shows blood-sugar dysfunction, and that is only one part of the picture. We are also seeing high stress, widespread Vitamin D and B12 deficiencies, and a clear gap between the health risks people have and the care they actually seek. Most of these signals are visible well before someone feels unwell. That is where prevention has to start with knowing what is happening, getting the right medical guidance and acting before a health problem becomes a much bigger one.”
India’s Blood-Sugar Warning Decade May Now Be the 30s
The findings show that blood sugar markers are being observed during prime working years. According to the report, among employees alone, 31.3% showed blood sugar dysfunction on HbA1c, based on 4,482 HbA1c reports. The share increased with age, from 16.7% among those tested in their 20s to 33% among those in their 30s and 52.9% among those in their 40s.
The findings also show a difference between measured markers and self-reported diagnoses. Across the full tested group of employees and dependents, 38.7% flagged blood sugar dysfunction, while only 5.8% of respondents said they had ever been diagnosed with diabetes. Among people in their 30s, 10.3% of men and 4.3% of women fell into the diabetic-range category.
The Sunshine Vitamin Is Still Missing In Urban India
Micronutrient levels emerged as an important health indicator in urban India. 81.4% of Vitamin D reports had insufficient levels, including 60.1% who were deficient or severely deficient, while 73.9% recorded low Vitamin B12 levels.
The preventive picture also showed a change in Vitamin D supplementation. Vitamin D supplementation stood at 20.4% in WHI 2026, compared with 26.2% in WHI 2025, while 81.4% of employees tested remained below the Vitamin D sufficiency threshold.
34.6% Of Women Tested Had Haemoglobin Below 12 g/dL
Anaemia emerged as another significant health finding. 34.6% of 4,375 female reports had haemoglobin below 12 g/dL, while 8.9% of 5,210 male reports were below 13 g/dL. Among employees, 14.5% were identified with anaemia. The biomarker sample includes both employees and covered dependents, so the broader biomarker figures should not be described as employee-only prevalence.
Among women, the share was 30.6% in the 20–29 age group, 36.4% in the 30–39 age group, and 37.5% in the 40–49 age group. Metro-level findings also showed variation: in Mumbai, 52.3% of female reports were below the report threshold, compared with 23.2% in Bengaluru.
30.7% Of Respondents Reported Sleeping Less Than Six Hours Per Night
Sleep and stress findings emerged as important aspects of workforce health. 30.7% of respondents reported sleeping less than six hours per night, while 40.4% reported high stress in the past week. Among women, 47.4% reported high stress and 36.3% reported sleeping less than six hours per night.
The findings also showed changes compared with WHI 2025. The share of professionals getting less than six hours of sleep stood at 30.7%, compared with 27.3% in WHI 2025, while high stress stood at 40.4%, compared with 33.9%. The share of professionals who do not exercise regularly stood at 30.9%, compared with 28.0% in WHI 2025.
Heart Health Risks Are Building Earlier Than Expected
The report also examined key cardiovascular health indicators among urban professionals. 62.6% of the 8,054 LDL reports recorded levels at or above 100 mg/dL, while 47.3% of employees recorded HDL levels below 40 mg/dL. Among the employee reports, the HDL finding was based on 4,824 reports.
The findings also showed variation across major urban centres. Hyderabad recorded the highest share of low HDL at 50.6%, followed by Pune at 47.8%, Mumbai at 46.3%, Bengaluru at 41.8% and Delhi NCR at 39.1%. The findings provide a city-level view of lipid health indicators across India’s major urban centres.
The report also found that 23.7% of employees tested showed liver dysfunction, while Delhi-NCR recorded the highest metro-level figure at 34.4%.
19.8% turn to AI Tools like ChatGPT for Health Information
The report also captures changing patterns in how urban professionals access health information. 19.8% of respondents reported using AI tools such as ChatGPT for health-related information, while 19.7% cited Google and 54.0% said they referred to doctors or healthcare professionals. Respondents could select multiple sources.
The findings reflect the growing presence of digital tools alongside traditional healthcare sources in everyday health information-seeking.
Metro-Level Biomarker Mapping
WHI 2026 also maps health indicators across Mumbai, Delhi-NCR, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Pune, showing meaningful differences between major urban workforces.
● Mumbai recorded the highest blood-sugar dysfunction among the five major metros at 46.8%. Nearly half of the HbA1c reports in the Mumbai sample fell at or above 5.7%. Mumbai also recorded the highest female haemoglobin-below-threshold rate among the five metros, at 52.3%.
● Delhi-NCR showed the highest liver-health signal, with 34.4% of tested reports showing elevated liver enzymes.
● Bengaluru recorded the lowest glucose dysfunction at 30.7%, but had the highest Vitamin D insufficiency rate at 83.9%.
● Hyderabad recorded the highest prevalence of low HDL at 50.6%, a lipid marker used in cardiovascular risk assessment.
● Pune recorded the lowest share of professionals reporting fewer than six hours of sleep among the five metros, at 26.2%, compared with 30.7% across the overall survey sample.
Workforce Healthcare Patterns Revealed Through Hospital Claims
For the first time, WHI 2026 analyses 74,000+ hospital claims, offering a broader view of healthcare needs and costs across India’s workforce. The hospital claims dataset provides another view of healthcare utilisation across covered populations. Parents and parents-in-law accounted for 36.9% of incurred healthcare costs, compared with 32.2% for employees.
The claims data also recorded 11.7% of claims relating to infection and fever, while musculoskeletal injuries and fractures accounted for 10.7% of incurred costs. Cardiac-related claims represented 3.3% of hospital claims, with an average claim value of ₹1.10 lakh. Maternity accounted for 10.6% of claims, with C-sections comprising 73.4% of maternity claims.
Preventive Care Remains Underused
The report also highlights a significant prevention gap. Only 24.3% of respondents underwent a full-body health screening during the past year, while 42.3% selected “None of these” when asked about preventive health actions such as routine check-ups, health camps, doctor consultations, or fitness assessments. Among respondents with a reported diagnosis, 36.1% had undergone full-body testing, compared with 22.9% among those without a diagnosis, indicating that preventive testing was more common among those who already had a known health condition.
Screening also varied significantly by income. Full-body testing ranged from 15.6% among respondents earning under ₹3 lakh a year to 54.3% among those earning above ₹40 lakh, representing a 3.5x difference. This suggests that the use of preventive health benefits varies considerably across income groups, even when access to employer-funded healthcare benefits is available.
Loop Health’s WHI 2026 brings together biomarker, lifestyle and healthcare-claims data across Mumbai, Delhi-NCR, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Pune to examine how health indicators vary across India’s major metros. The report analyses laboratory reports, survey responses and hospital claims separately, with findings spanning both covered employees and their dependents across the respective datasets. The findings are intended to help employers, healthcare providers, and individuals identify emerging health risks and support earlier intervention and preventive care.
1, Oct 2026
Made of Many Stories: Forevermark’s Millemoi Celebrates the Many Facets of Womanhood
Distinctive creative voices bring “Made of Many Stories” to life through movement, art, music and wellness
MUMBAI, India, Oct. 1, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Forevermark Diamond Jewellery introduced Millemoi, a new diamond jewellery collection that celebrates the many stories and experiences that come together to shape our personality. Bringing this narrative to life, the Millemoi campaign features Eshna Kutty, a movement artist exploring expression through hula hooping; Bahaar R Dhawan, a visual artist translating ideas through colour and form; and DJ Shanaya Sardesai, whose musical sensibility brings rhythm and energy to the campaign. Together, their distinct creative languages across movement, art and music bring the philosophy of “Made of Many Stories” to life, capturing the many facets of a woman’s identity and how each becomes part of one evolving story.

Designed with Forevermark’s signature natural diamonds, Millemoi features flowing bands in yellow, rose, and white gold that come together around a Forevermark diamond. The layered forms embody the campaign narrative, reflecting how different experiences and aspirations intersect to create something deeply personal and uniquely your own.
Each personality brings the campaign idea to life through her own creative language, using movement, art and music to reflect the many roles, passions and experiences that shape modern womanhood. From the circular motion of a vinyl record to the sweep of a paintbrush and the fluidity of movement, each story finds its own expression while celebrating the individuality of the women who wear it.
The campaign films can be viewed here:
Forevermark offered another way to experience the collection by collaborating with The Aura House and its community for an intimate wellness experience at Soho House, Mumbai. Led by a sound healer and yoga instructor, the experience brought together guided Pranayama, Breathwork, a Sharing Circle inspired by the Red String Theory and a grounding sound bath featuring singing bowls, chimes and other sound instruments. Guests were also invited to discover and try on the Millemoi collection, bringing its philosophy of personal stories and self expression into a setting centred on wellbeing.
Commenting on the launch, Mallikarjuna Reddy Yarabolu, Managing Director, Forevermark, De Beers India Pvt. Ltd., said, “With Millemoi, Forevermark Diamond Jewellery celebrates the many stories, roles and experiences that shape modern womanhood. Through this campaign, we wanted to bring this thought to life through women from different creative disciplines, each with her own journey, perspective and way of expressing themselves. Their stories reflect the many facets of a woman’s identity and the experiences that make each one unique. The campaign brings these different expressions together to reflect the spirit of Millemoi – made of many stories, each adding depth and meaning to one individual journey.”
Price on request. For more information visit: https://in.forevermark.com/ & @forevermarkbydebeers
Forevermark Diamond Jewellery Store Addresses:
Delhi: B/324, South Extension-1, New Delhi – 110049
Mumbai: Plot no. 393, Crest Link, 002-102, Linking Rd, Khar West, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400052
Mumbai: Shop no. 1, Nandanvan Apt, Lokmanya Tilak Rd, Gautam Nagar, Borivali West, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400092
Mumbai: Elmer, Plot No: 563, Central Avenue, Chembur, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400071
Noida: SCO 27 & 28, Wave One Mall, Sector 18, Noida. U.P.: 201301
Patna: A0110, 1st Floor, Block A, City Centre Mall, Buddh Marg, Lodipur, Patna, Bihar 800001. Call: 090069 68111/ 0612 233 0389.
Mangalore: Shop no 9 & 10, Souza Arcade, Balmatta Rd, Hampankatta, Mangaluru, Karnataka 575002. Call: 0824-2423272.
Chandigarh: Unit No. 10, Nexus Elante Mall, Plot No. 178-178A, Industrial & Business Park, Phase 1, Chandigarh 160002. Call: 9897973537
Bangalore: Unit No. UG-3 on the Upper Ground Floor, The Phoenix Mall of Asia, No. 239/240, Bellary Road, Byatarayanapura, Yelahanka Hobli, Bengaluru 560092
Kolkata: Unit No. S-110, First Floor, South City Mall, 375 Prince Anwar Shah Road, Jadavpur, Kolkata – 700068
Contact Number: 7596002474
About Forevermark Diamond Jewellery
Forevermark Diamond Jewellery is the diamond jewellery brand from De Beers Group, the world’s leading diamond company, a name synonymous with more than 135 years of expertise and heritage in the world of diamonds. Every Forevermark Diamond Jewellery creation celebrates life’s most meaningful moments, featuring natural diamonds that are beautiful, rare, and responsibly sourced. Every Forevermark diamond bears a unique inscription, ensuring authenticity and making each piece deeply personal. Formed over billions of years deep within the Earth, Forevermark diamonds are hand-selected for their exceptional quality, graded beyond the 4Cs in the pursuit of absolute beauty. Responsibly sourced and carefully cared for along their journey, they reflect the brand’s commitment to creating a positive impact on the people and places its diamonds come from. Expertly crafted by master designers, Forevermark Diamond Jewellery combines modern artistry with timeless elegance. Each piece elevates the brilliance of its diamond while embodying the brand’s enduring values of beauty, rarity, and responsibility.
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1, Oct 2026
Bahrain to Convene Architects of the Future Economy for Gateway Gulf’s Fourth Edition This November
At a pivotal moment for the global economy, international leaders will engage in open dialogue to explore how partnerships and cross-border investment can catalyse sustainable growth and strengthen economic resilience.
MANAMA, Bahrain, Oct. 1, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Bahrain is set to convene an exclusive gathering of ministerial and senior government officials, visionary chief executives, and influential voices from across the Middle East, Asia, Europe, Latin America, and North America, for the fourth edition of Gateway Gulf, taking place from 1-2 November 2026 at the Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay under the theme Reimagining Global Partnerships, Powering Sustainable Growth.

Hosted by the Bahrain Economic Development Board (Bahrain EDB), the invitation-only forum will explore how shifting dynamics are transforming investment, capital flows, innovation, and economic collaboration across borders. As geopolitical landscapes evolve, energy systems transition, and technological change accelerates, the forum will examine the strategic relationships, connectivity corridors, and emerging opportunities that will define the future of the world economy.
With a combined economy exceeding USD 2.38 trillion, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) has cemented its position as a nexus for capital, talent, and innovation, demonstrating resilience through sustained investment in infrastructure, regional integration, and economic diversification. Serving as a gateway to the region, Bahrain offers a highly connected, business-friendly ecosystem and a diversified economy in which non-oil sectors contribute 86% of GDP, positioning the island nation as a compelling destination for businesses and investors seeking to scale, invest and capture long-term opportunities across one of the world’s most dynamic economic regions.
Together with representatives from Bahrain’s public and private sectors, 200 senior decision-makers will take part in two days of high-level dialogue, executive engagement, and dealmaking. This year’s programme will feature curated networking opportunities, private meetings, and investment showcases designed to foster meaningful partnerships and tangible outcomes. Discussions will explore the evolving landscape of global capital flows and economic connectivity, the Gulf’s expanding role in shaping global growth, the industries defining the next era of competitiveness, and the rise of the intelligence economy. Collectively, these conversations will examine how governments, investors, and businesses can strengthen resilience and unlock new pathways for collaboration in an increasingly interconnected and complex global environment.
Building on its track record as a catalyst for investment and cross-border economic collaboration, the forum has consistently translated dialogue into action, facilitating landmark investment announcements and strategic agreements. The 2025 edition alone generated more than USD 17 billion in announced transactions and investment commitments, reinforcing its role in accelerating capital deployment and contributing to shaping the region’s economic future. Previous editions have welcomed prominent speakers including H.E. Shaikh Salman bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, Minister of Finance and National Economy of the Kingdom of Bahrain; H.E. Noor bint Ali Alkhulaif, Minister of Sustainable Development, Chief Executive of Bahrain EDB; H.E. Ahmed Al-Khateeb, Minister of Tourism of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; H.E. Dr. Thani Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of State for Foreign Trade of the United Arab Emirates; Lubna S. Olayan, Chair of the Corporate Board of The Olayan Group; Andrea C. Bonomi, Chairman of the Industrial Advisory Board at Investindustrial; Sir Alastair King, DL, His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of Greater London; Sir Jonathan Symonds CBE, Chair of the Board of GSK; Mohammad Abunayyan, Founder & Chairman of the Board of Directors of ACWA Power; Tony Fernandes, CEO of Capital A Berhad & AirAsia Berhad; Martin Gilbert, Chairman of Revolut; and Gabriel Escarrer, Chairman & CEO of Meliá Hotels International.
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