Howden Report Reveals 33% Surge in Political Risk Insurance Demand Amid Geopolitical Uncertainty

London, 22 May 2025: Howden, the global insurance intermediary group, today releases its new credit and political risk insurance (CPRI) report, Opportunity in flux. Intensifying geopolitical rivalries, policy uncertainty and competition for critical minerals are reshaping the risk landscape as well as driving demand for protection.

 Research in the report finds that new demand for political risk insurance is up by a third due to considerable uncertainty around the geopolitical and macroeconomic environment. Amid the softening of the broader insurance cycle, Howden’s report argues that now is the time to draw in additional new entrants and for existing CPRI carriers to accelerate ventures into new asset classes and territories.

Market opportunity
With an aggregated premium base of $50 billion1, according to Howden’s research, the CPRI and surety market surpasses the size of many other specialty insurance markets, including marine and energy.
The series of economic and geopolitical shocks in recent years has done little to hold back the CPRI market’s performance: it consistently delivers healthy net combined ratios, with trade credit in the range of 70-80%, which sits at the top end of the broader CPRI market. These results rival the best underwriting in the market, and it is therefore equipped with the skills and expertise for sustainable expansion.
While the market has performed strongly, premium growth has not developed at the pace of other business lines, including property and cyber. There is room for a greater growth rate in today’s world; CPRI presents a compelling case from both a buyer and capacity provider perspective in supporting businesses to invest and trade through heightened volatility whilst delivering market-leading underwriting results.

Driving economic growth

 The report identifies some of the less penetrated asset classes ready for expansion that offer a strong underwriting opportunity for the market to drive economic growth. This will provide buyers with the certainty they need to expand into new territories and grow their portfolios in a new world order.

Matthew Strong, Deputy CEO, Howden CAP and Head of Credit and Political Risk, comments: “The CPRI market’s outstanding long term performance is testament to the deep sector expertise that pervades the value-chain. With demand for CPRI protection rising, now is the time for the market to step up even further. This will enhance global economic growth by increasing commitments and innovating, as well as providing businesses, lenders and public sector entities around the globe with the certainty they need to trade and invest with confidence.”

 Phil Bonner, Managing Director, Global Specialty Treaty, Howden Re adds: “Opportunity is the key takeaway to emerge from our report. Yes, risk is up in a highly fractured world, but providing protection to help clients trade and invest through such uncertainty is precisely why CPRI exists. Our market does this in a way no other can whilst achieving exceptional performance, as demonstrated by underwriting results that rival any other product line of insurance. As demand for protection rises in response to global instability, our call to action for the market is to not only provide adequate supply but to also offer underwriting flexibility and imagination that keep up with clients’ changing needs.”

Bajel Projects Ltd Announces Results For The Quarter And Financial Year Ended 31st March 2025

Mumbai, May 22^nd, 2025: Bajel Projects Ltd, a Bajaj Group company, has declared its results for the quarter and financial year ended 31^st March 2025. For the fourth quarter of FY’25, the Company achieved a total income of Rs. 808.03 Cr. as against Rs. 507.23 Cr., a growth of 59% over the corresponding quarter of the previous year. For the quarter, the EBITDA stood at Rs 27.33 Cr. as against Rs. 25.91 Cr. in the corresponding quarter of the previous year.

Bajel Projects achieved robust growth with an increase in annual total income, reaching Rs. 2,629.13 Cr., representing a growth of more than 2x compared to Rs. 1,194.51 Cr. the previous year. This expansion in the top line was supported by improved operational efficiency, resulting in a healthy EBITDA of Rs. 90.17 Cr. for the entire financial year.

 Financial Performance (Rs. in Crore)

 Commenting on the results, Mr. Rajesh Ganesh, MD & CEO, Bajel Projects Ltd. said, “Our performance this year underscores the enduring spirit and focused effort of our team. We achieved total revenue from operations of Rs. 2,598 Cr. in FY 24- 25 as compared to Rs. 1,169 Cr. last year, a growth of more than 2x. Our PAT stood at about Rs. 15.5 Cr. compared to about Rs. 4 Cr. in the same period last year. Our EBITDA margin for the financial year stands at 3.43%, a 44 bps increase over the last year. This year’s financial performance is a clear indicator of our strengths in effective and efficient project execution”.

Cignal Super – Powered by Tata Play Binge White Label Solution – is now officially live in the Philippines

May 22nd, 2025, India: Bringing Filipinos one step closer to a unified world of OTT entertainment, Cignal Super – powered by Tata Play Binge white-label solution – is now officially available to the consumers, after a successful pilot.

Seamlessly integrating at least 8 popular entertainment apps through a single subscription and a unified user interface, Cignal Super marks a first-of-its-kind OTT streaming aggregation app in the Philippines.

Built and deployed on Tata Play Binge’s scalable cloud infrastructure, the app delivers frictionless access to content from top-tier platforms including MAX, VIU, Lionsgate Play, Hallmark+, Curiosity Stream, Fuse+, Pilipinas Live, and Cignal Play – all in one place, with one login, one search, and one subscription.

This landmark launch not only redefines entertainment for the Philippines market but also further solidifies Tata Play Binge’s leadership in the global OTT aggregation space. As a pioneering Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) provider, Tata Play Binge enables broadcasters and telcos worldwide to fast-track their OTT journeys with a ready-to-deploy, future-ready technology stack—already live in Bangladesh and now in the Philippines.

“The launch of Cignal Super is a proud moment for Tata Play Binge white label solution,” said Harit Nagpal, MD & CEO, Tata Play. “Our PaaS model is helping leading broadcasters and telecom providers to go digital with speed, efficiency and scale. After a successful partnership in Bangladesh and now with Cignal in the Philippines, it’s exciting to see Indian technology enabling local champions to elevate entertainment experiences in their markets.”

“Cignal is happy to partner with Tata Play for the launch of Cignal Super, the Philippines’ pioneering streaming aggregator. This collaboration allows Cignal to deliver a world-class entertainment experience to Filipino viewers, at home and on the go. With over 70 million smartphone users in the Philippines, Cignal Super is set to revolutionize how Filipinos enjoy their favorite content,” said Jane Jimenez-Basas, President and CEO of Cignal.

She added, “This partnership with Tata Play represents a significant step in Cignal’s continuing evolution and reaffirms our commitment to bringing joy, providing the best value, and creating shared experiences for Filipinos everywhere by delivering the content that they love.”

The launch of Cignal Super embodies Tata Play Binge’s bold vision of “Local Going Global”—supporting regional partners with global-grade infrastructure to transform how entertainment is aggregated, delivered, and consumed across emerging digital economies.

Classmate Teams Up with Grandmasters for 30-City eduGAMES Infinity Campaign

Bengaluru , May 22, 2025: ITC’s Classmate, India’s leading notebook and stationery products brand has launched eduGAMES Infinity an innovative gamified notebook that seamlessly blends play with education. It encompasses a fun and engaging initiative aimed at transforming learning into a delightful experience. Classmate eduGAMES Infinity is now launching a unique campaign, participation in which will provide a chance to visit Hong Kong Disneyland, a once in a lifetime opportunity!

At the core of Classmate eduGAMES Infinity is the idea that learning should be joyful igniting the fun side of learning. Building on the iconic last page of Classmate notebooks — loved by generations of students — eduGAMES Infinity takes this concept to a new paradigm by making last page puzzles interactive, gamified, and rewarding. Students can scan the last page of the notebook and play a new game every day.

To bring this to life, Classmate is rolling out a 30-city campaign starting 24th May, inviting students to join the movement by simply buying a Classmate notebook and playing eduGAMES Infinity.

This season, the campaign gets even more exciting with a special opportunity to play with world champions. Celebrated sibling duo and Indian chess Grandmasters, R Praggnanandhaa and R Vaishali, will also dive into eduGAMES Infinity for 30 days, sharpening their minds daily through the power of puzzles. They believe that engaging the mind with puzzles is a great way to stay focused and mentally agile.

R Praggnanandhaa said, “Classmate eduGAMES Infinity is not just about games — it’s a fun and effective way to train your mind. I’m excited to take on a new puzzle every day and see how students across the country challenge themselves too.”

R Vaishali added, “We grew up solving puzzles at home, and they really helped us stay sharp and focused. It’s amazing to see Classmate bring that joy of learning to life for today’s generation in such an engaging manner.”

Expressing their feelings about this initiative, their parents stated “When our children were young, we encouraged them to play puzzles and brain games every day. We’ve seen first-hand how these small habits helped build their mental discipline. Classmate eduGAMES Infinity reminds us of that journey — and it’s a wonderful way for other children to begin theirs.”

Speaking about the initiative, Mr Vikas Gupta, Chief Executive, Education and Stationery Products Business Division, ITC Ltd. said “At Classmate, we have always believed that learning should be joyful and must keep alive the spirit of creativity, curiosity and fun endeavour brings that belief to life. Praggnanandhaa and Vaishali are perfect role models and their success and achievements are a reflection of the fact that focus, agility and the right tools can shape champions. We hope this initiative inspires students across India to explore eduGAMES infinity and become sharper from within.”

Participants from these 30 cities can compete on the EduGAMES leaderboard for a chance to win exciting daily prizes including a Meta Quest VR headset, and the final reward — a magical trip to Disneyland.

Campaign Reach and Visibility
The campaign will be rolled out across digital platforms, regional print & TV and influencer partnerships, ensuring wide visibility across participating cities. This leg of the campaign will run in tandem with the national Disneyland EduGAMES campaign, which continues to reward curiosity, consistency, and clever thinking.

Paytm Appoints Ramana Kumar as CEO for Middle East Business

Paytm (One97 Communications Limited), India’s leading payments and financial services distribution company and pioneer of mobile payments, QR codes, and Soundbox, today announced the appointment of Mr. Ramana Kumar as Chief Executive Officer for its Middle East business. He brings over 20 years of leadership experience in the fintech, payments, and banking sectors along with deep expertise in driving innovation and business growth in financial services.

Before joining Paytm, Mr. Kumar was the founding CEO of Magnati, a leading payments company in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and a subsidiary of First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB), where he led key initiatives to modernize payment systems and drive business growth. He also served as Executive Vice President at FAB, overseeing the bank’s payments and digital banking businesses. Prior to that, he was Managing Director and Head of Global Transaction Banking – Product and Business Management at the National Bank of Abu Dhabi (NBAD), where he played a key role in developing digital banking and payment solutions. Over the years, Mr. Kumar has built a strong reputation for creating scalable, innovative, and secure payment solutions.

Mr. Kumar will lead Paytm’s expansion in the UAE and the broader Middle East, focusing on developing digital payment solutions tailored to local needs. He will leverage the company’s proven technology and expertise as a pioneer of mobile payments and payment devices in India to drive regional growth. His appointment marks a key step in Paytm’s journey to bring its digital financial services to new international markets.

Vijay Shekhar Sharma, Founder & CEO – Paytm said, “We welcome Ramana, who has built a formidable merchant payments business in the UAE. We aim to serve the region by building and bringing strong regional leadership, backed by our proven technology.”

Mr. Ramana Kumar, Chief Executive Officer, Middle East, Paytm said, “I am excited to join Paytm and lead its Middle East business. The region is rapidly adopting digital payments, and there’s a strong demand for innovative, secure, and scalable solutions. Paytm’s technology, built and refined in India, is well-suited to meet these needs. We will work closely with regulators and ecosystem partners to introduce impactful innovations and strengthen the digital payments landscape.”

The company sees strong potential to expand its technology-driven merchant payments and financial services distribution model to international markets. Paytm is exploring select global opportunities as part of its long-term growth strategy, with meaningful results expected over the next few years.

Empowering Business Leaders: MDI Gurgaon Announces June 2025 Management Development Programmes

India, 22nd May, 2025: Management Development Institute (MDI) Gurgaon, one of India’s premier business schools, is pleased to unveil its suite of Management Development Programmes (MDPs) for June 2025. These executive education offerings are designed to equip professionals across sectors with advanced expertise in analytics, finance, leadership, and neuromarketing, reaffirming MDI Gurgaon’s commitment to continuous learning and leadership development.

Programme Highlights
1. Advanced Business Analytics
Dates: June 5–7, 2025
Gain hands-on experience with sophisticated analytical tools, including predictive modelling, machine learning, and data visualisation, to drive strategic business decisions.

2. Finance for Non-Finance Executives
Dates: June 16–20, 2025
Demystify financial concepts and strengthen your ability to interpret financial statements, manage budgets, and make informed business decisions, no prior finance background required.

3. Managerial Effectiveness
Dates: June 18–20, 2025
Develop essential leadership and communication skills through experiential learning, enhancing both personal and team effectiveness in today’s dynamic business environment.

4. Neuroscience in Marketing
Dates: June 19–21, 2025
Explore how neuroscience principles can transform marketing strategies by providing deeper insights into consumer behaviour and decision-making.

Who Should Attend:
These programmes are ideal for mid-to-senior professionals, aspiring leaders, entrepreneurs, and cross-functional managers seeking to sharpen their strategic, operational, and leadership skills. Most programmes do not require prior technical expertise, making them accessible to a wide audience.

Key Benefits
· Strategic Insight: Strengthen your ability to tackle complex business challenges with confidence.

· Practical Learning: Engage in real-world case studies, interactive sessions, and hands-on exercises for immediate workplace impact.

· Peer Networking: Connect with a diverse cohort of professionals, fostering valuable industry relationships.

· Expert Faculty: Learn from MDI Gurgaon’s distinguished faculty, known for blending academic rigour with industry relevance.

Parvati Nair Guest of Honour at Apollo’s Rafaelo Treatment Launch

Chennai, May 22, 2025: Renowned South Indian model and actress Parvati Nair was Guest of Honour at the launch of the Rafaelo procedure at Apollo Hospitals today.

Addressing the gathering, actress Parvati Nair, who is known for her work in South Indian cinema and her roles in critically acclaimed films and who is also an advocate for preventive healthcare, said, “It is heartening to see Apollo’s relentless pursuit of healthcare excellence through investments in future-ready medical technology. As someone who strongly believes in the power of preventive health, I can’t stress enough on the importance of putting our health first—before symptoms force us to. Regular health check-ups, early detection, a balanced diet, staying physically active, and being mindful of our mental well-being are the simple yet powerful tools we all have access to. Let’s continue to make fitness as a priority in our lives—not just through exercise, but by being proactive about our health choices.”

Apollo Spectra Hospitals has introduced the Rafaelo Procedure in Chennai, marking a major advancement in proctology care in South India.

This minimally invasive, outpatient treatment for internal haemorrhoids uses targeted radiofrequency energy to shrink haemorrhoidal tissue with minimal discomfort and faster recovery. Performed by senior colorectal surgeon Dr. Vani Vijay, the 15–20-minute procedure allows same-day discharge and preserves healthy tissue. With lower risks and quicker healing compared to traditional surgery, the Rafaelo Procedure is ideal for today’s busy lifestyles.

“Routine health check-ups, timely screenings, a nutritious and balanced diet, staying physically active, and caring for our mental health are all small yet powerful habits that can drastically improve our quality of life.” advised Ms Parvati.

She also highlighted that fitness should not be seen as a temporary goal, but a sustainable lifestyle anchored in awareness and proactive choices. “It’s not just about hitting the gym or following trends—it’s about taking responsibility for our bodies and minds every single day,” she said. “Let’s inspire each other to lead healthier lives—not out of fear, but out of love for ourselves and those we care about.”

 Parvati Nair’s address served as a powerful reminder that true wellness begins with prevention. By embracing consistent health screenings, mindful living, and active choices, individuals can take control of their health journey. Her message aligned seamlessly with Apollo’s vision for future-ready healthcare—underscoring the collective responsibility to prioritise well-being before illness takes hold.