Category: Brands

Mumbai: Women make up half the global population, yet are a minority compared to men in the workplace. Women’s inclusive sessions play a critical role in driving this change. By creating spaces that elevate, amplify, and empower women and non-binary voices, these sessions inspire attendees, offering hope for a future of true gender equity.

Indiantelevision.com presented the Wonder Women Awards in a glittering evening on 8 July. It aimed to celebrate some of the nation’s top women professionals in business and creative arts, inspiring women across industries by their efforts and hard work.

The keynote address at the event was delivered by L’Oreal Paris AGM Charuta Ambardekar Saoji. She began her presentation, “We are trying to raise the ceiling not just by communicating – ‘I am worth it’, but also by supporting it with stories of women achievers.

About the freedom to make choices – this is what the local, Indian meaning of worth is –  living life on my own terms, making my own decisions even if those decisions are wrong as long as they are mine, the freedom to do and the freedom to be because no matter what choices I make in life, I’m worth it.”

She mentioned that L’Oreal partnered with women leaders across various industries. Women like Navya Nanda, who is UN’s Women’s Representative of India and is making a lot of moves in social work; Dr. Jaishree Sharad – a celebrity cosmetic dermatologist; Mithali Raj – the captain of the Indian Women’s Cricket Team; and Aditi Rao Hydari who is the brand spokes from entertainment. “We partnered with them so that they could reiterate their work stories and we then amplified these stories in media, in addition to the worth that comes across all our categories,” she pointed out.

She went on to say, “Worth is very critical to us because it raises the ceiling for women – we inspire women, and we motivate them to do better. But that’s not enough.  At ground level, there are still a lot of issues. The pace at which things are moving is very slow. Hence, in addition to worth, we have created a program called Stand Up, which is combating street harassment, and providing training to men and women to protect themselves and to protect those around them.

We all know about Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. These are five levels of needs – it’s called the motivational hierarchy as well. At the bottommost level, we have physiological needs; then comes safety, and after that love, belonging, self-esteem, and self-actualization. So, while worth as our program sits in self-esteem and self-actualization, it’s really nothing if the base is not there. Women’s safety is a big issue, and sexual harassment outdoors is a big issue. As many as 80 per cent of women have faced sexual harassment in public places across the world, including developed countries. In India, I feel this number is 100. Each one of us even being the privileged and educated people from the families we come from has experienced at least one incident when we’re out. I have experienced it as well. But do I want my daughter to experience it? No. And for that, what do we need to do as a brand and as a society? We need to stand up for ourselves and for those around us.”

Saoji brought out that while 80 per cent of women have experienced some kind of harassment, only 25 per cent of the victims said that someone came and intervened. But when they did, it was a lot better. The situation improved, the perpetrator went away and they felt safe. “So, it’s very critical that we as a society, learn how to intervene for ourselves and for others, whenever we face such a situation.”

She emphasised, “In India, the context is even deeper. Firstly, street harassment holds back women. As a brand of worth, we want women to really venture out; street harassment is not allowing them to do that. Not just that, in India, the extent of street harassment and acceptance is like, ‘Yes, it’s like this only’, which means that you have to learn to deal with that – this is not healthy. We really need to change that.

And there is an additional layer of this in that the woman is not the victim, but she is the reason of whatever has happened to her – she asked for it, maybe she was wearing something inappropriate, and she called for attention. And this is exactly what needs to change. We need to change this mindset – while we do that, we also need to be prepared for how to deal with such situations.”

She spoke about the Stand Up initiative by the brand. “Stand Up is a worldwide program that we have developed with an NGO. We want to be a part of the solution while the problem is very clear, very defined, and massive in scale. And for that we have developed this 5D program.  What are these 5D’s? Distract (pretend​ to be friends, ask for the time, cause a distraction,​ be creative)​; Delegate (find someone​ who can help you and ask her/him​ to intervene); Document (watch and witness, write down or video the harassment, offer to report the harassment); Direct (Ask the harasser​ to stop, step in, defend the person, call for help – do not confront or put yourself in danger); and Delay (Comfort​ the harassed person after, acknowledge the behavior was wrong, be a friend).”

She concluded, “We are going to many colleges, along with our NGO partners to spread the word and to make this big. Our ambition is to train 1 million people by the end of this year. We are currently at a number of four lakhs, so there is still some way to go. But we know that it will scale up with the help of everyone. We all need to spread the word because we all want to be a part of the solution and stand for a safe place where women can be themselves and can be truly empowered.”

Mumbai: An evening of glamour and glitz, a room filled with women leaders, Indiantelevision.com presented the ‘Wonder Women’ Awards on 8th July. As India steps into 2023, it is witnessing a new wave of entrepreneurship led by women entrepreneurs across various sectors. More and more women are coming out to start their ventures and build successful enterprises. According to the latest studies, women-owned businesses are set to rise in the coming years. However, the overall percentage of women in the workforce is still very low, and a lot remains to be done. On this International Women’s Day, Indiantelevision.com is set to bring industry experts from across the spectrum to share some of these stories of the admirable grit and determination of these entrepreneurs and discuss the challenges that still need to be tackled to ensure a fair and equitable representation of women in all roles.

The moderator for this session was Indiantelevison.com associate editor Kalpana Ravi. The panellists consisted of Bajaj Group head – digital & social strategies Suruchi Kore, Lionsgate VP Gayathiri Gulliani, AnyMind CCO – Rubeena Singh, Natural Diamond Council managing director, Middle East and India – Richa Singh, Knight Riders Sports, CMO –  Binda Dey, PhonePe, head of Ad sales – Shivani Srivastava.

Ravi started the session by saying, “From broadcast to distribution, how have you women broken the shackle of being in a male bastion environment and making a name for yourself and showing the man that we can do a better job?”

To this Kore responded, “Stepping from media to Bajaj has been an experience where there’s always a stereotype that we have faced that whether women are made for manufacturing industries, B2B industries, will they be able to tackle the kind of hardships that are required like they have to be available 24/7 and how to deal with them.”

Gulliani added, “Distribution, revenues everything is a male bastion, at one point of time, while there have been a lot of changes but there are a couple of things which I would like to point out: The gender gap. Gender equality is missing. Another thing is a stereotypical mindset which used to be there. Third is societal pressure. Usually, people come up to us and ask how do you manage our work-life balance. How do you manage your home? And I would just turn around and say why isn’t this question asked to a man? It’s always a burning question that irks me.

Rubeena Singh commented, “If I talk about myself being in the marketing technology space, I think there is always a label for technology that it is male-dominated. I think it’s about unconscious bias that all people have. A lot of women of my age in the beginning, where there were ways to think about taking the fields of creativity, and arts a little more what would be thought to be not too technical. But today I see many women who are good at technology and are breaking the age-old stereotypes.”

Richa Singh opined, “There’s a little bit of feminism in me that says I am a good leader and not a good ‘women’ leader and I would like to reiterate that when you stand up and say you are a great editor in chief nobody says a male editor in chief. So, I think that’s a bias we need to think we need to stop with. I headed a large team and it had men and women and I didn’t identify and say I have 70 men and 20 women do work. You work with a team of 90 and that’s how you need to be proud of how you groomed them.”   

Dey told, “I couldn’t agree to more than the ladies before me. It takes a will, especially a girl child and the confidence you gain when you are young goes a long long way. I was privileged to have parents who brought me up as an equal to my brother. They had more expectations from me than my brother pushed me harder. Career was always the focus and it was not an option at all. So, it’s infectious, when someone has confidence in you, you grow the confidence too. In my career, I had amazing bosses both men and women who treated me as equals and that grew my confidence simultaneously.”  

Srivastava said, “I come from a hardcore business background and I think because I have proven my credibility again and again in whatever project or business I was asked to lead, manage and build is how the sales opportunity landed on my plate and like all of you guys said that they are eternally grateful to people who take a point on you and say here’s the talent, potential and if you don’t nurture it they will never become who they are meant to be. It’s been a very interesting journey and some snippets from what each one of you said are that the whole concept of whole leadership is filled with such masculine characteristics: ‘aggression’, ‘dominance’, ‘competitiveness’ and as a woman and all of you are tall, I am tiny, so I genuinely feel like I am the smaller one in the room and that’s usually as women are little more submissive. But I think what worked well for me was to keep that personal emotion aside and own my voice.”

Ravi goes on to ask, “What is that one thing you would like to change and make it better for women in the workplace?”

Kore said, “Why are their smoking zones for men and not creches for women as we are now talking about women leaders and entrepreneurs and delivering, then facilities like a creche, and feeding room should be provided by the organisation. That is one change which has to be normalised. The second name for a woman is ‘Mother’ and we all here have faced these issues at one time or another.”

Binda Dey reiterates this point and goes on to say, “Don’t get comfortable, being a woman and handling a job is difficult, certain responsibilities and household chores are assumed to be taken care of by the woman, my advice is do not get comfortable, demand things, equal share of responsibilities both at home and work. But the biggest barrier is people getting comfortable with the situation they are in. If it is the glass ceiling you are facing, your career is not going anywhere or plateaued or taken a maternity break and want to get back. I think it is in our heads, should I take the plunge or not? The important thing is to put yourself out there. Rework your resume, aggressively network and tell people you are looking for a job. If your career has plateaued, tell your bosses that you are not happy with the current situation, and demand what you think you deserve. Most times we women have not asked or demanded what is due to us.”

Rubeena Singh added, “This assumption judgement about women still exists when we interview women, the first question we ask is are you planning to get married if married do you have a child these are leading questions and subconsciously and a lot of women sitting in this room must have gone thru it, I really hope that changes. Today we are living in a world where we are working in a hybrid mode, with the flexibility of time, organisations are more aware and more supportive, of where it started. That is one change I would like to see. The other thing is judgement, sometimes we just assume when it comes to networking, it is like she has a child at home so let us not ask her. Why is it not left to the woman to make her choice. Let’s take my example when I resumed back to work after six weeks of delivering a baby, I had just taken up a senior role and I would go to work for 4 hrs., but nobody respected the fact that I was serious about my job and that is why I was leaving my baby and coming to work. I would hear snide remarks at work saying she is shunning work and the society around me termed me a bad mother. My only thought on this is to leave the women alone and let them make their own choices. I would just ask everybody just not to assume or judge women for the choices they make and let them be to do whatever makes them happy.”

Srivastava goes on to add, “PhonePe has initiated the ‘Mothers at PhonePe, this has two interesting insights, one is to help women make that seamless transition to get back to work and the flexibility around it and assuring the designation. The other part that I love is educating the people around them on how do you inculcate the woman to get back to work. It is not only about the women but when someone in my team was going on paternity leave and it was an early delivery, the HR sat me down and said first twins and the delivery is two months away. The awareness building and telling people how to operate in an environment like that helps. Now to answer your question on what is that one change I would like to see in organisations especially which both Rubeena and Richa pointed out as it is not about men or women but there is a requirement, there is a job, but here is what is needed for that position, if you can fill it you are there. This assumption of you will get married soon, then you will have a baby in the next two years etc. should go. The second thing I would like to see change is when a woman shows aggression it is pointed out that she is being emotional, oh why are you so anxious but on the other hand if a man is aggressive then he is assertive and ambitious. This dual definition or differentiation of how humans behave in circumstances I would love to see that go. I run a large team and another colleague runs another part of the team and every time somebody tells her that you are being too aggressive, I stand up and say sorry, she is just teaching you to do your job.”

Everybody spoke so passionately about their journey and the changes they want to see in organisations and at the workplace, equal opportunities is a very important part and that is the change we all want to see. Let us not have a stereotypical mindset and let us collaborate whether it is in the workplace or home, and not get insecure about each other. It exists but nobody speaks about it, women go through whether they are in the top positions or other positions at work. We need to normalise the situation.

To sum up this debate, one thing which we all women agreed on was do not be judgmental, do not assume, let the woman do whatever makes her happy.

Mumbai: India’s retail landscape is experiencing a remarkable transformation as the country witnesses a skyrocketing rise of the shopping mall culture. Anticipated to surge at an annual growth rate of 29 per cent, the retail sales within the shopping malls of the top eight cities are poised to reach an impressive $39 billion by 2027. As consumers crave immersive shopping experiences and a diverse range of offerings under one roof, Ingka Centres’ newest meeting place Lykli is set to emerge as a key destination for entertainment, social connections and retail therapy in the lucrative Indian market. 

“Shopping malls have long been perceived as simply places to shop. Ingka Centres´ immersive experiences challenge this outdated concept and transform shopping malls into a destination for many people to recharge, play, build emotional connections and nurture community. Lykli will capture that promise in its own unique way directly speaking to the people of Gurugram,” says Ingka Centres global marketing manager Anna Larsen.  

The name Lykli comes from ‘lycklig’, a Swedish word for ‘happy’ and it was chosen by its future customers in India! With customer satisfaction being the company’s top priority, Ingka Centres invited people to share their feelings around several potential names, and they were instinctively drawn to happiness, vibrancy and liveliness embodied by ´Lykli`.

The first assets to bear the bright and lively new brand will be Lykli Gurugram meeting place in New Delhi, scheduled to open in late 2025. The meeting place will be anchored by IKEA and has been designed to meet local needs with a playful blend of dining and entertainment complemented by a diverse retail selection of both global and local brands. It will also provide high-class office facilities as well as spaces for community events. Earlier this year, Ingka Centres confirmed that PVR Limited became the first tenant of Lykli Gurugram that will operate a nine-screen movie multiplex as a part of a leisure offer in a new meeting place, with many more tenants bringing unique and exciting experiences! 

Ingka Centres already won the hearts of both industry and its loyal customers with its dedication to people and planet, and with Lykli they want to further strengthen that promise. The new meeting place is thoughtfully designed to foster a sense of community and prioritise well-being of over two million busy individuals in Gurugram. With a strong focus on health and well-being, it offers spaces that encourage relaxation and support mental and physical wellness. By addressing these specific areas, the meeting place aims to build a supportive community that caters to the holistic needs of its local population.  

Reflecting the local community’s need for more than shopping, but also catering to the awoken conscious consumer, the new meeting place will set the golden standard for the next generation of sustainable mixed-use destinations. Throughout the development of the meeting place in India, Ingka Centres maximises renewable energy usage, prioritises water recycling, and implements effective waste management and recycling initiatives. With its passion for building communities and protecting the planet, Lykli is set to bring a delightful blend of freshness and playfulness into the lives of the people of Gurugram!  

Mumbai: Motorola, India’s best 5G Smartphone, and a pioneer in the mobile phone industry, just announced Bollywood actress Kriti Sanon as its brand ambassador during the launch event of its latest smartphones, the Motorola razr 40 Ultra and razr 40, held in the city. The combination of Motorola’s innovative technology, its leadership in design and Sanon’s star power, promises an exciting journey ahead for both the brand and its customers.

Motorola launched the first razr in the early 2000, a phone that became an icon, proving that design-focused devices could drive smartphone desire. Backed by their strong innovative DNA, they re-invented this iconic design by bringing the world’s first foldable smartphone to market just a few years ago. And now, the all new razr 40 ultra and razr 40 prove once again that innovative design can re-define the smartphone experience.

The new razr 40 family leads with an intriguing proposition of ‘Flip the Script’, that stands for redefining the norms and challenging the status quo of the current smartphone industry through disruptive design and innovative features.

To commence their collaboration with Sanon, Motorola has worked on two exciting television commercials (TVCs) featuring Sanon, bringing alive the proposition ‘Flip the Script’ for the all new razr 40 ultra and razr 40.

The campaign showcases Sanon teaming up with Motorola to show off her flip side while exploring the many possibilities of the latest Motorola razr phones. The motorola razr 40 ultra TVC captures the essence of style, versatility, speed and seamless user experience that the smartphone offers in a high-octane action setting that flips the script. The ad showcases Sanon in a completely new avatar, delivering heart racing action while being at her stylish best – flipping the script not just as a character in the commercial, but also as an actor.

In the second TVC created for Motorola razr 40, Sanon is seen as a stylish commuter who casts a spell on all the others going through their mundane lives in a metro. The ad symbolizes the excitement of the incredibly stylish and flexible form of the razr over the standard candy bar phones. As Sanon flips the razr, she flips the script for everyone around her, bringing fun and joy in their mundane lives.

Commenting on the partnership, Motorola head of marketing APAC Shivam Ranjan stated, “We are targeting exponential growth in the Indian market, and were looking to partner with an ally, who represented our brand in its true spirit.  Kriti’s charming and charismatic personality, diversity and innovation with her roles, relatability and strong connect with the youth, plus the challenger mindset made her the ideal choice to represent our brand. We are absolutely delighted to have Kriti Sanon as the face of Motorola in India. We believe that this partnership will help us reach newer consumers, allowing us to expand our base and make meaningful impact in their lives through our stylish and innovative smartphones.”

Commenting on the collaboration, Sanon, Bollywood actress and Motorola’s brand ambassador said, “I am thrilled to be a part of Motorola, an iconic brand that resonates with innovation, style, performance, and functionality that today’s consumers seek. I am excited to be a part of Motorola’s journey and look forward to creating exciting experiences with the brand.”

This collaboration signifies a commitment to delivering technology that seamlessly blends with the latest fashion trends, creating an unmatched smartphone experience.

Mumbai: Indians are displaying a continued appetite for travel post the peak summer season. With the monsoon season ushering in a cooler climate, Indians are keen to travel and this has resulted in a 15-20 per cent increase in demand compared to last year – for monsoon travel. To capitalise on this increased demand, Thomas Cook (India) Ltd, India’s leading omnichannel travel services company and its Group Company, SOTC Travel, have curated exciting monsoon getaways that include short driveable holidays, air-inclusive holidays, weekend & extended weekend getaways and multiple shorter trips/mini-cations of approx. three-seven days starting at Rs 7,099.00 for four days.

Indians are quintessential value seekers and are showcasing interest in availing of attractive off-season pricing. Thomas Cook & SOTC’s monsoon getaways offer low-season discounts, together with special offers/complimentary add-on benefits to India’s millennials/working professionals, couples, groups of friends and families.

Travelling in India during the monsoon creates a memorable experience for travellers with its cool climate, lush green landscapes and replenished water bodies.

The Companies’ Monsoon portfolio extends across popular locales like Kerala backwaters, Wayanad, Coorg, Munnar, Vagamon, Alleppey, Chikmagalur, Ooty, Kodaikanal, Manali, Shimla, Nainital, and Pondicherry. Also, Himalayan ranges and off-beat destinations like Dharamshala, Spiti Valley and the North-East; beach destinations like Goa and Andamans.

Travellers from Delhi-NCR are keen on short and drivable holidays to Shimla, Manali, Dharamshala, Mcleodganj, Nainital, Mussoorie; travellers from Maharashtra & Gujarat are visiting Rajmachi, Lohagad, Igatpuri, Lonavala, Matheran, Mahableshwar and Panhala; and travellers from Karnataka/Tamil Nadu are visiting Hampi, Gokarna, Coorg, Pondicherry, Kanyakumari.

Outdoor enthusiasts can opt for thrilling game drives at leading national parks like Kanha, Bandhavgarh and Corbett or monsoon hiking/trekking.  Adventure seekers are spoilt for choice with high-adrenaline experiences such as body surfing, waterfall rappelling/trekking in Rishikesh and Lonavala; white water rafting in Ladakh, zip lining in Dawki, kayaking in Kerala, etc. Leisurely biking trips among quaint hamlets, lush meadows and tea/coffee plantations are also a top draw across India. This is an ideal time for Kerala’s famed Ayurveda treatments and a tour of the backwaters and forests of Thekkady.

Additionally, short-haul international destinations are witnessing high demand during this season with increased interest for Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Dubai, Abu Dhabi; island destinations like Maldives, and Mauritius. Strongly emerging on the radar are Vietnam, Cambodia and Japan; also Nepal, Bhutan and Sri Lanka in the Indian subcontinent.

Cruises represent a unique value proposition for travellers for monsoon travel: an all-inclusive holiday without the hassle of multiple check-in/check-out and transfers. On the domestic front, Thomas Cook & SOTC have emerged as top sellers of India cruises (Cordelia), with over 8000 customers booked from the restart of travel. Popular cruises during the monsoon include domestic sailing of Cordelia Cruise (Chennai – High seas – Chennai) and Chennai to Sri Lanka; on the international front, Resorts World Cruises and Royal Caribbean Cruises in Singapore.

Thomas Cook (India) Ltd president & country head –Holidays MICE Visa Rajeev Kale,  said, “Monsoons in India have a special attraction – an experience in itself to witness the rains across different parts of the Country. Being a traditionally low season for travel, Monsoon is the perfect time to embrace the great outdoors and experience slow travel at discounted rates with special offers. Our Monsoon Getaways include a diversity of offbeat experiences such as biking trips, trekking, hiking, and more for customers across segments including millennials/working professionals, groups of friends, couples and families. We invite our customers to book their monsoon getaway with us and have a memorable experience”.

SOTC Travel president & country head – Holidays Daniel D’souza,  said, “Travelling in India during the monsoon season creates an out-of-the-world experience with beautiful scenery and weather. It’s the perfect season for self-drive holidays, nature trails and offbeat outdoor & adventure experiences like bike trips, hiking, rafting, waterfall rappelling/trekking, and more. Our Monsoon Holidays are curated for customers who want to experience India’s untapped beauty amidst the rains. Additionally, value options like special deals/discounts, complimentary transfers, dining or spa vouchers make Monsoon travel a truly attractive value proposition for Indians”.

Mumbai: Glad U Came, an award-winning PR and Influencer Marketing Agency, has acquired the PR Mandate for BBB (Better Body Bombay) a Wellness Forever venture. BBB is a personal care brand that offers consciously curated products for the Indian skin type. As part of the mandate, Glad U Came will take the lead in devising and implementing distinctive PR and Influencer Marketing campaigns across various digital platforms and touchpoints, ensuring effective reach and engagement with the brand’s target audience. A multi-agency pitch was used to win the account.

BBB (Better Body Bombay) is a clean beauty brand that draws inspiration from the spirit of Bombay, India. They offer consciously curated personal care products specifically designed for the Indian skin type, providing complete head-to-toe care. Born in the good bay, the brand embraces sustainability and cruelty-free practices, using pure ingredients that take care of you and your environment. Experience the essence of Bombay with BBB, where clean beauty meets conscious living.

Glad U Came Founder Maddie Amrutkar shared, “We are thrilled to be working with BBB, a brand that is dedicated to providing effective skincare solutions. Through strategic communication and brand-building initiatives, we aim to increase BBB’s visibility and connect with skincare enthusiasts who are seeking reliable and innovative products”.

BBB’s founder shared, “We are thrilled to embark on this exciting journey with Glad U Came as our trusted PR partner. Together, we aim to amplify the essence of Bombay through our clean beauty brand and connect with a wider audience. We look forward to the collaboration with GUC and many more remarkable ventures ahead”.a

Mumbai: Asian Footwears, Delhi based homegrown full-stack footwear brand, has signed the Indian cricketer MS Dhoni as its brand ambassador to elevate and strengthen its position in the footwear market. In addition to Dhoni, former Indian cricketer Virender Sehwag is also one of the ambassadors for the brand.

Commenting on the matter, Asian Footwears chairman & MD Rajinder Jindal said, “We wanted to associate with someone who has a natural fitment with our brand ethos and MS Dhoni seemed the perfect choice. Just like Dhoni, Asian Footwears stands for excellence, reliability, and a relentless pursuit of perfection. Both share a deep-rooted commitment to delivering exceptional performance and winning the hearts of their audience.”

He further added, “Dhoni is also known to be dependable, and for most Asian users, we are known to be solid & sturdy who provide excellent comfort, support and durability, under all circumstances.”   

Dhoni said, “I am thrilled to announce my exciting collaboration with Asian Footwears, a brand that embodies the values of excellence and unwavering determination. Through this partnership, I am eager to explore the remarkable range of stylish shoes across various categories that Asian Footwears has to offer. This association allows me to align myself with a brand that resonates with the aspirations of the Indian masses. Together, we aim to inspire individuals to chase their dreams and take confident strides, while Asian Footwears ensures that they make the right choice of footwear, providing comfort and style every step of the way.”

Asian Footwears CEO Aayush Jindal said, “The name Mahendra Singh Dhoni creates magic in the hearts of people not only in India but globally. People take him as a mentor and a guide and more importantly a man with substance. He has an immense followership not only as an iconic cricketer but as a simple and down to earth human being. With this association, Asian Footwears aims to connect with its customers on a deeper level, leveraging Dhoni’s iconic status and inspiring persona to reinforce the brand’s values and elevate its presence in the market. We are extremely proud of having MSD in our team and look forward to play a long innings.”

Midas representative Vikas Hasija, who is managing the association, said, “We are excited about the collaboration between MS Dhoni and Asian Footwears. I have had the opportunity to closely interact with the young and agile team at Asian. Their passion, dedication, and commitment to crafting exceptional footwear are truly commendable. I firmly believe that the team at Asian Footwears possesses the intrinsic capability to create a lasting impact in the footwear industry, embodying the essence of MS Dhoni sir’s values and excellence.

The thirty-year-old brand, Asian, is one of the fastest growing and popular footwear brands in India, catering to all age groups and genders with a diverse portfolio. It has adapted to the need of the hour by fostering continuous innovation with a robust full-stack manufacturing process and stringent quality checks. The announcement follows a recent investment round of INR 225 crores from Motilal Oswal PE and is a key development towards achieving the company’s mission to provide high end Made in India products to the global markets.

The brand’s latest range of products like Ultracore, Twinspring & Metacushion series have received excellent feedback on their style, design, and performance. Asian Footwears has a pan India presence through more than 10,000 outlets and is available at all leading e-commerce platforms. It plans to aggressively expand its network of exclusive brand showrooms also. Currently Asian has 13 stores across Delhi-NCR, Haryana, UP and Gujarat.

Mumbai: Tanishq, India’s largest jewelry retail brand from the house of Tata has unveiled an exquisite collection of rare and precious diamonds along with colored gemstones – ‘Tales of Mystique’ inspired by the architectural beauty of Rajasthan’s palaces and cityscape. With the launch of this collection, Tanishq takes pride in announcing its grand debut at the Paris Haute Couture Week, Fall-Winter 2023-24 in partnership with renowned Indian designer Rahul Mishra.

Every jewellery piece captures the nuances of these architectural marvels and tells the story through the eyes of the youthful exuberance of the traveler who has often heard these stories and has come here to experience the palaces of Rajasthan in all their grandeur. Tanishq has reimagined these across 60 creations of exquisite jewellery.

The collection celebrates the artisans as the embodiment of artistic expression, masterfully combining unique craftsmanship with the technical prowess to transform imagination into reality. By merging jewellery and haute couture, Tanishq and Rahul Mishra have created a synergy that transcends traditional boundaries & takes Indian heritage to the international fashion landscape.

Speaking on the collaboration, Tanishq general manager – marketing Ranjani Krishnaswamy said “This collection marks another milestone in the journey of Tanishq to be the preferred jeweller for the connoisseur who is well-traveled and seeking to add to her repertoire. The ‘Tales of Mystique’ and Rahul Mishra’s ‘We, The People’ share the same ethos of redefining Indian fashion by bringing the confluence of intricate craftsmanship, and contemporary silhouettes. Our Muse is the modern Indian woman and her expansive choices in jewelry, her curiosity in chic vintage, and her innate taste in art.”

 Speaking on the collection, Tanishq head of design Garima Maheshwari said, “With Tales of Mystique, Tanishq offers an ode to the spirit of Rajasthan with a new line of high-end statement jewels that boast of color, culture and refined aesthetic. The collection narrates the tales hidden in the beautiful architectural details of the majestic palaces, the charming forts, and the exotic cityscapes of Rajasthan. It is inspired by the artistic hues of wondrous Rajasthan and imbued with rich motifs and detailed elements unique to this place.

Translating the allure of grand jharokhas, arches, domes, and staircases, each jewel has been painstakingly crafted in three dimensions and sculpted forms to bring alive the architectural beauty with the use of contemporary silhouettes and color combinations preserving the true essence of the era gone by and having an enchanting story to tell!

The collection uses a combination of unique design elements, semiprecious color stones with brilliant and fancy cut diamonds set in 18kt gold.

The collection celebrates exquisite craftsmanship and design keeping in mind the discerning, conscious women of today with evolving tastes and their desire to own statement pieces as unique as their personality. It’s carefully styled to adapt to the woman’s lifestyle adorning her as beautifully in a saree and equally effortlessly in a gown or a dress. “

Speaking on the collaboration, Rahul Mishra said, “It makes me glad and proud to be joined by ‘Tanishq’ this season as a jewellery partner for our Couture Fall 2023 showcase at the Haute Couture Week in Paris. I commend and admire the colossal cultural impact of their brand as one of the largest in its domain, in India. Their prime workmanship & expertise in jewellery-making, along with their efforts towards empowering local craft communities of India are unparalleled and in alignment with the core philosophies of the brand Rahul Mishra.”

Mumbai: Zomato, India’s food ordering and delivery platform, in an effort to recognize the efforts of delivery partners who go above and beyond to provide outstanding delivery services to customers even during rains, has started a program to give rewards to the delivery partners. These rewards, which include refrigerators, television sets, washing machines, mobile phones, among other items are given as a token of appreciation to the delivery partners for their dedication and hard-work during the rainy season (and are over and above other incentives provided).

Delivery partners onboarded on Zomato play a pivotal role in ensuring that customers receive their meal with utmost care even during the rainy season. Their commitment to providing their delivery services, despite challenging weather related situations, has contributed tremendously to the customer experience in the food ordering and delivery domain.

To recognize these contributions, Zomato has rolled out a first-of-its kind feature in the gig industry for delivery partners delivering orders during rain – Spin the Wheel. Available to the delivery partners on their app upon undertaking a certain number of deliveries during rains, this feature gives them the opportunity to spin the wheel and earn rewards. This feature essentially rewards delivery partners for their notable commitment – that goes above and beyond – to delivering customer experiences during rains.

Since the launch of this feature last week, over 30,000 rewards – which include television sets, refrigerators, washing machines, mobile phones, tablets, dining vouchers and shopping coupons –  have been given to delivery partners. More than 500 delivery partners have received major rewards that include television sets, washing machines and refrigerators.

The Spin the Wheel feature is currently available to  delivery partners onboarded on Zomato in 23 cities across India, including Delhi, Bangalore, Pune, Kolkata, Hyderabad, and others, and will be available on the delivery partner’s app throughout the rainy season. To be eligible, the delivery partners complete a qualifying number of orders during rains, post which they are able to spin the wheel on the app to receive certain rewards.

Speaking about the initiative, Zomato chief operations officer Rinshul Chandra stated, “Our delivery partners are the backbone of Zomato, and we are immensely grateful for their tireless efforts in delivering happiness to our customers’ doorsteps – even when the weather makes it difficult to do so. They deserve the collective gratitude of the food ordering and delivery ecosystem. This recognition program is a small gesture from us at Zomato, to acknowledge the exceptional efforts and dedication of delivery partners. We are proud to partner with such dedicated service providers.”

Expressing his excitement about receiving the reward through Spin the Wheel, Vishal Ankush Maske, a 40-year-old delivery partner from Pune said, “We are all very excited about this new feature. There is no better feeling than being seen and appreciated for our work. I am so grateful to Zomato for this reward. Our deliveries make customers happy, and this fridge made my family happy.”

Zomato remains committed to providing a safe and inclusive environment for all its delivery partners. The company invests in training and support initiatives to empower delivery partners onboarded on Zomato. Earlier this year, the company launched rest points for all gig workers, offering clean drinking water, phone-charging stations, access to washrooms, high-speed internet, a 24×7 helpdesk and first-aid support. “We believe that by providing a space for all delivery partners to rest, recharge, and take a moment for themselves, we can create a better environment that promotes their physical and mental health,” the company had stated in a blog.

Mumbai: Nutella, the hazelnut cocoa spread brand of Ferrero, celebrates the birthday of its esteemed and popular brand endorser, Ranveer Singh, on 6 July. To mark this special occasion, Nutella is thrilled to announce a limited-edition Nutella jar featuring Ranveer Singh’s image, which will be available as an online giveaway through engaging digital activities. The highlight of this unique initiative is the interactive augmented reality (AR) experience that accompanies the limited-edition Nutella jar. Enclosed within the hamper box, the Nutella jar proudly displays a collectible label showcasing Singh. But that’s not all – the box itself is an AR trigger designed to unveil an exclusive AR avatar of Singh delivering a special birthday message.

To activate the immersive AR experience, fans simply need to scan the QR code provided on the box using Instagram’s AR lens. The lens will instantly bring Singh’s avatar to life, creating an exciting and personalized interaction for fans. To engage and reward fans for their enthusiasm, Nutella invites viewers to comment their favourite Singh dialogue on the designated social media post. Each comment serves as an entry to win* a limited-edition Nutella x Ranveer Singh jar. The more comments fans share, the higher their chances of winning this iconic, collectible Nutella jar.

Ferrero India marketing head, Nutella brands Zoher Kapuswala said, “We are thrilled to celebrate Ranveer Singh’s birthday with this special limited-edition Nutella jar. The combination of Ranveer’s dynamic personality and the magic of augmented reality creates an unforgettable experience for our fans. We invite everyone to participate, comment, and have the chance to add this exclusive Ranveer Singh Nutella jar to their collection.”