ITV

Category: News Headline

  • Asian Cinema Fund unveils 14 bold bets for 2025

    Asian Cinema Fund unveils 14 bold bets for 2025

    MUMBAI: The Asian Cinema Fund (ACF), a key pillar of the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), has unveiled its 14 official selections for 2025 — drawn from a record 850 submissions, up 23 per cent from last year. The picks, spanning three categories, champion fearless storytelling and fresh cinematic forms, offering a snapshot of the region’s creative pulse.

    Three projects have been selected under the ‘Script Development Fund’, each awarded KRW 10 million and a spot at the Asian Project Market 2025. Black Star Angel tells the gripping tale of a woman breaking free from war-fuelled trauma. Heaven Help Us! revisits the Manila Film Center disaster with aching intimacy, and New Life maps the emotional terrain between a grieving mother and daughter.

    The ‘Post-Production Fund’ shortlist includes four films — two Korean, two from the wider region — all set to bow at the 30th Busan International Film Festival this September. Korea’s Coming of Age dives into class and generational shifts, while The Observer’s Journal serves up a quirky, tense thriller. From India, If on a Winter’s Night interweaves complex love stories, and The River that Holds Our Hands traces displacement and memory across borders.

    Meanwhile, the ‘AND Fund’ for feature-length documentaries has backed seven titles with an eye for visual poetry and political poignancy. Korea’s Sea, Star, Woman and Sprouted Potato Lives On explore personal loss and collective memory, while Weathering Architect meditates on Seoul’s vanishing skylines through the lens of veteran architect Joh Sung-yong. From Asia, Kampuchea wrestles with inherited trauma, and Oma profiles a silent yet steely survivor.

    The chosen projects — sharp, subversive, and deeply local — promise to elevate Asia’s voice on the global screen. BIFF 2025 runs 17–26 September at the Busan Cinema Center, with the 20th edition of the Asian Contents & Film Market slated for 20–23 September at BEXCO.

  • A10 Networks claims twin wins at Interop Tokyo 2025 for AI and high-performance security

    A10 Networks claims twin wins at Interop Tokyo 2025 for AI and high-performance security

    MUMBAI: AI may not sleep, but hackers certainly don’t either. That’s why A10 Networks pulled out the big guns at Interop Tokyo 2025, bagging not one but two Special Prizes at the event’s coveted ‘Best of Show Award’.As cyberthreats grow sharper, A10’s solutions showed teeth, earning nods in both the AI security and high-performance security categories.

    Held at Makuhari Messe from 11 June, Interop Tokyo brought together some of the most innovative names in internet technology. A10 Networks walked away with honours for its ‘A10 Defend AI Firewall – Thunder 1060S-AI’ and ‘Web API Security – ThreatX by A10 Networks’. The accolades—awarded by a panel of seasoned IT industry judges—reflected the company’s ambition in staying ahead of next-gen cyber risks.

    Security (for AI) Category – Special Prize: ‘A10 Defend AI Firewall – Thunder 1060S-AI’ stood out for its ability to patrol the vulnerable lines between users and large language models (LLMs). With natural language becoming the new attack vector, the firewall monitors and intercepts data inputs and outputs to prevent exploitation and sensitive data leaks.

    The Special Prize is awarded for the ambitious vision of creating a hardware-based solution that sits between the user and generative AI to inspect data inputs and outputs. The award also recognises the significance of its global debut at Interop Tokyo, and the impactful presentation delivered alongside the company’s lead AI engineer from its headquarters.

    Security (High Performance) Category – Special Prize: ‘Web API Security – ThreatX by A10 Networks’ was recognised for its cloud-native defence capabilities. As APIs continue to serve as gateways to sensitive data, the ThreatX system analyses traffic patterns to isolate attacks, even those masked as legitimate calls.

    At its booth, A10 also showcased the finalist-nominated ‘A10 Defend DDoS Mitigator, Thunder 1060S-AI’, highlighting the Zero-day Attack Protection Response (ZAPR) function and its AI-driven failure prediction module. Meanwhile, at the ShowNet live demo zone, the A10 Thunder series displayed its dual role in DDoS mitigation and CGNAT capability.

    With cyberattacks evolving faster than software patches can respond, hardware-based and AI-augmented defences are drawing attention. And at Interop Tokyo 2025, A10 Networks proved it’s not just keeping up—it’s firing on all cylinders.

  • Prepinsta earns Nasscom nod for data science and analytics courses under Prime plan

    Prepinsta earns Nasscom nod for data science and analytics courses under Prime plan

    MUMBAI: In India’s ever-growing skilling rush, one platform just landed a serious badge of honour. Prepinsta, known for its tech upskilling hustle, has secured Nasscom certification for its data science and analytics courses, adding a powerful new edge to its prime subscription offerings. For learners, this means more than just fancy modules—it’s a direct ticket to industry-backed credibility.

    Nasscom, the IT industry’s apex body, officially certified Prepinsta’s courses under the Prime plan, giving students not only access to its learning modules but also to direct Nasscom assessments. On successful course completion, students receive a Nasscom-issued certificate—an increasingly valuable stamp of industry relevance.

    “This is a proud moment for us. At Prepinsta, our focus has always been on delivering high-quality, career-oriented learning experiences. Being Nasscom certified affirms our commitment to excellence and industry relevance. It motivates us to keep pushing forward with even greater passion, helping students build real, job-ready skills that lead to tangible outcomes”, said Prepinsta co-founder Manish Agarwal.

    The certified courses are now live on the Nasscom portal, upping their visibility among job seekers and professionals alike. This also boosts the value proposition of Prepinsta Prime, which already offers over 200 courses covering recorded lectures, mock tests, and company-specific training. With flexible learning paths aligned to specific job roles or targeted placements, the platform continues to cater to outcome-oriented learners.

    The Nasscom nod follows another win: selection under the AICTE NEAT 4.0 initiative. Under this government-backed scheme, Prepinsta courses are available at discounted prices to socially and economically disadvantaged students via the NEAT portal, pushing its mission of equitable access into action.

    The company recently took another big leap with the launch of Optimus, a SaaS platform for the Business-to-Institution (B2I) market. Optimus helps colleges streamline placement training with performance tracking, analytics, and governance tools. Over 250 institutions across North and South India currently use Prepinsta’s B2I stack to boost student placement outcomes.

    As the tech talent war intensifies, Prepinsta’s bet on certifications, custom learning tracks, and institutional collaboration appears to be paying off. With the Nasscom endorsement in hand and national initiatives backing its expansion, Prepinsta continues its sprint towards making India job-ready—one certified learner at a time.

  • Atmos Systems gears up to roll out cutting-edge automation at India Warehousing Show 2025

    Atmos Systems gears up to roll out cutting-edge automation at India Warehousing Show 2025

    MUMBAI: Robots don’t sweat, but they sure know how to hustle. And Atmos Systems is strapping in for a high-powered demo of its warehouse automation arsenal at the upcoming India Warehousing Show 2025.

    As the logistics industry races to keep pace with soaring e-commerce demands and space constraints, Atmos is angling to be the silent force that keeps things moving—literally.

    Atmos Systems, the automation arm of legacy brand Saifi Con-Fab System Pvt. Ltd., will showcase its latest offerings at Booth A-7, Hall 02, during the three-day event at YashoBhoomi, IICC, Dwarka from 26-28 June. The company is doubling down on its tech-forward manufacturing roots to present a range of solutions that plug right into the chaos of modern-day logistics.

    Among its flagship products are Continuous Vertical Conveyors, Telescopic Belt Conveyor Solutions, and integrated Dimensioning, Weighing, and Scanning (DWS) Systems—gear tailor-made for the high-volume grind of logistics hubs, pharma units, cold chains, and FMCG battlegrounds. Each machine is built to perform with precision, backed by in-house planning, system integration, and post-deployment support.

    “Atmos was born from India’s deep-rooted manufacturing excellence and the legacy of Saifi Con-Fab. Today, we are proud to be a trusted automation partner to some of the most respected players in the logistics and warehousing industry. The India Warehousing Show is a powerful platform to showcase our commitment to innovation, our robust R&D capabilities, and the strength of our Make-in-India manufacturing ecosystem. We look forward to engaging with industry leaders and decision-makers who are driving the future of supply chain and warehouse transformation. Driven by a passion for client-centric innovation and world-class quality, Atmos has positioned itself as a transformative force in industrial automation, redefining productivity standards and enabling scalable solutions across India and beyond”, said Atmos Systems founder Khursheed Alam.

    India’s logistics engine is already revving. According to Colliers, the industrial and warehousing sector recorded nine million square feet of leasing activity in Q1 2025 across the top eight cities—a 15 per cent increase year-on-year. With such traction, the automation race is no longer about novelty; it’s about necessity.

    Atmos is stepping into this momentum with what it claims is a “future-ready portfolio”, built to meet rising throughput needs while reducing labour dependencies. The company’s emphasis on end-to-end project management—from design to deployment—has turned heads in an industry hungry for scalable, reliable solutions.

    As policymakers, operators, and manufacturers descend on the India Warehousing Show, Atmos will pitch its tent as a key voice in the conversation around India’s logistics evolution. The event promises networking, deal-making, and a good share of automation theatrics—and Atmos, clearly, is coming prepared to steal the scene.

  • Biocon raises Rs 4,500 crore via QIP, its first equity fundraise since 2004 IPO

    Biocon raises Rs 4,500 crore via QIP, its first equity fundraise since 2004 IPO

    MUMBAI: If the stock market had a hall of fame for patience, Biocon would deserve a shiny plaque. After two decades since its IPO debut in 2004, the Bengaluru-based biopharma giant returned to the equity markets, raising Rs 4,500 crore through a qualified institutions placement (QIP) that closed on 19 June 2025.

    The fundraise saw 13,63,63,635 equity shares priced at Rs 330 each (face value Rs 5, including a premium of Rs 325), and attracted a swarm of top-tier investors. The final orderbook featured heavyweights like SBI Mutual Fund, ICICI Prudential Mutual Fund, HDFC Life Insurance, Nippon India Mutual Fund, Mirae Asset, Aditya Birla Mutual Fund, Franklin Templeton, SBI General Insurance, Norway’s Government Pension Fund Global, and Blackrock.

    “The strong response to our QIP reflects deep investor conviction in Biocon’s differentiated strategy and consistent execution”, said MD & CEO Siddharth Mittal. “This capital raise further strengthens our balance sheet, enabling us to invest in innovation, expand global access to lifesaving biopharmaceuticals, and advance our purpose of delivering affordable healthcare solutions”.

    Biocon plans to channel the proceeds towards multiple priorities: acquiring outstanding optionally convertible debentures issued by Biocon Biologics Ltd to Goldman Sachs’ India AIFs, repaying and prepaying select financial instruments and borrowings, and covering other corporate obligations.

    This marks Biocon’s first equity fundraise in 21 years, and it didn’t disappoint. Backed by a diverse mix of domestic mutual funds, insurance firms and foreign institutional investors, the transaction not only widened the company’s investor base but also reinforced trust in its long-term business vision.

    With shareholder approval secured via postal ballot on 4 June 2025, the QIP positions Biocon for its next growth sprint. Post-issue, the promoter and promoter group’s shareholding stands at 54.45 per cent.

    Kotak Mahindra Capital, BofA Securities India and Goldman Sachs India served as book running lead managers. Legal counsel included JSA Advocates & Solicitors for Biocon, and Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas and Linklaters Singapore for the lead managers.

  • Foxtale brings Neena Gupta and Orry face-to-face in a glow-up that outshines filters and facades

    Foxtale brings Neena Gupta and Orry face-to-face in a glow-up that outshines filters and facades

    MUMBAI: When an old-school icon and an internet sensation walk into a dressing room, you don’t get small talk—you get culture shock therapy. In a video that felt less like a campaign and more like a social experiment, Foxtale paired Neena Gupta with gen z’s hyper-charged mascot Orry, and the result was anything but filtered.

    Foxtale launched the bold new visual on Instagram, tossing out the traditional beauty playbook in favour of candid chaos. The video opens in the greenroom of an upcoming shoot, where Orry greets Gupta with trademark over-the-top energy, while she sizes him up with quiet intrigue. Cue the sparks.

    What follows is a delicious volley of life lessons, lingo confusions and cross-generational comedy gold. Gupta shares her glowing secrets—sunscreen and facials. Orry counters with his ride-or-die: Foxtale’s Super Glow Face Wash with papaya extracts. “I would choose this glow boost over facials any day”, he declares. Between ‘Don’t chase the bag’ and ‘Your glow is your story’, the two carve out something rare: a beauty ad that doesn’t preach but provokes.

    Behind the laugh lines is Foxtale’s subtle product placement—smart, seamless and soaked in realness. The campaign plays to contrast not for comedy alone, but to highlight a bigger truth: that skincare and selfhood come in many shapes, decades and dialects.

    “This idea was born from our desire to move the beauty conversation forward—not through preachiness, but through personality”, said Foxtale CSO Anindita Biswas. “Neena Ma’am and Orry stand for radically different versions of selfhood, and yet their connection proves how powerful honesty, humour, and a little chaos can be”.

    With this campaign, Foxtale continues its streak of chucking the traditional in favour of the disruptive. It isn’t just pushing product; it’s pushing perspective. In an industry crowded with glass skin promises and perfection filters, this video dares to champion the imperfect, the intergenerational, and the intensely human.

     

     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

    A post shared by Orhan Awatramani (@orry)

     

  • Liji Godbole exits Balaji Telefilms, signs off as group HR Head after stint in senior leadership

    Liji Godbole exits Balaji Telefilms, signs off as group HR Head after stint in senior leadership

    MUMBAI: Balaji Telefilms has seen a key leadership shuffle. Liji Godbole, who led the company’s human resources vertical as group head – HR, officially stepped down on 20 June 2025. Her resignation, attributed to a decision to pursue other career opportunities, was confirmed by the company in a formal stock exchange filing to BSE and NSE.

    In her letter addressed to the group CEO and group CFO dated April 25, Godbole expressed gratitude to the board, senior management and colleagues for their support during her tenure. “I hereby tender my resignation from the position of group head – HR of the Company to pursue other career opportunities outside the Company”, she wrote.

    The move, in line with regulatory requirements, was disclosed under Regulation 30 of the SEBI (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2015, and SEBI’s July 2023 circular that mandates transparency in senior personnel changes.

    Balaji Telefilms stated that Godbole’s association with the firm had ended and confirmed that the update has been uploaded on the company’s website. While no successor has been named yet, the development reflects ongoing flux within the television and digital content production house that has long been synonymous with Indian soap opera dominance.

    With no directorial linkages involved, the resignation stands purely professional and voluntary. The company did not release any statement on a potential replacement or organisational restructuring within the HR function.

    The last few months have seen Balaji Telefilms tighten its internal governance and streamline departments amid industry-wide shifts in content consumption patterns and platform distribution.

    While Godbole’s next chapter remains under wraps, her exit adds another page to the story of India’s rapidly evolving entertainment workforce.

  • Royal Enfield and Unesco rev up for Ladakh docuseries on Nat Geo

    Royal Enfield and Unesco rev up for Ladakh docuseries on Nat Geo

    MUMBAI — Royal Enfield and Unesco are shifting gears from adventure to archival with the third edition of ‘The Great Himalayan Exploration’—a four-part docuseries that captures the heartbeat of Ladakh’s Intangible Cultural Heritage. The series premieres on National Geographic and streams on JioHotstar from 8 PM, 21 June.

    Featuring 40 handpicked rider-researchers out of 1,500 applicants, the project blends motorcycling with meaningful discovery, traversing Ladakh’s remote valleys and high passes to document cultural practices that rarely make it to mainstream maps. From butter tea and Brokpa weaves to archery in Kargil and horse polo in Drass, the docuseries doesn’t just observe heritage—it lives it.

    Notable voices such as Gul Panag, Prateek Sadhu, Bandana Tewari, and Clifton Shipway join the journey, each episode peeling back a different cultural layer, ‘Food, Sports, Crafts, and Community’. Together, they chronicle stories that echo with centuries of tradition but are increasingly at risk in a world spinning faster than the Himalayas can handle.

    For Royal Enfield Social Mission, this marks a significant step forward in our long-term goal of partnering with the Himalayan communities to build resilience.”, said Eicher Group Foundation, executive director, the CSR arm of Royal Enfield, Bidisha Dey.

    “Ladakh’s fragile mountain ecosystems and increasing exposure to climate risks make it more urgent than ever to recognize and value the traditional knowledge embedded in its living heritage. These cultural practices—whether in sustainable land use, food systems, or collective rituals—offer not only a sense of identity and continuity, but also vital insights into how communities adapt and thrive in harmony with their environment. At UNESCO, we believe the goal must extend beyond safeguarding and transmission. This is about understanding heritage as a source of resilience, creativity, and social cohesion in the face of global challenges. Our partnership with Royal Enfield’s ‘The Great Himalayan Exploration’ reflects this spirit—showing how heritage is not confined to monuments, but lives in the way we eat, speak, and gather. It is, at its core, a celebration of our shared humanity,” said Unesco Regional Office for South Asia, director and representative, Tim Curtis.

    Launched in 2022, the project is part of a multi-year partnership between Royal Enfield’s Social Mission and Unesco to document 200 ICH practices across the Eastern and Western Himalayas. With Ladakh in focus this season, the series brings visual storytelling to the forefront—culturally immersive, environmentally urgent, and filmed with boots (and wheels) on the ground.

    Because sometimes, preserving the past takes a little petrol, a lot of purpose, and a camera on the move.

  • Mutual fund bigwigs to chart India’s $1 trillion AUM journey at Moneycontrol summit

    Mutual fund bigwigs to chart India’s $1 trillion AUM journey at Moneycontrol summit

    MUMBAI: For India’s booming mutual fund sector, the trillion-dollar mark is no longer a distant pipe dream—it’s a target with a ticking clock. On 23 June 2025, Mumbai will host the fourth edition of the Moneycontrol Mutual Fund Summit, themed ‘The Trillion Dollar Dream’, aiming to unpack the roadmap to reach $1 trillion in Assets Under Management (AUM) by 2030.

    The summit, presented by HDFC Mutual Fund and powered by Axis Mutual Fund, will bring together a high-powered roster of financial minds, market regulators, and investment strategists. The agenda: laying down actionable insights to accelerate investment growth, widen retail participation, and future-proof India’s fund ecosystem.

    The speaker lineup reads like the Who’s Who of the Indian financial galaxy. From SEBI whole time member Amarjeet Singh to top AMC heads including Navneet Munot (HDFC AMC), Nilesh Shah (Kotak Mahindra AMC), and Radhika Gupta (Edelweiss Mutual Fund), the event promises both brain and brawn. Other stalwarts include Vishal Jain (Zerodha Fund House), Niket Shah (Motilal Oswal AMC), Kalpen Parekh (DSP), and Rahul Singh (Tata Mutual Fund), among others.

    “The mutual fund industry is at the heart of India’s retail investor boom and we are delighted to be hosting the fourth edition of the Moneycontrol Mutual Fund Summit”, said Moneycontrol managing editor and Network18 chief AI officer – editorial operations Nalin Mehta. “Our theme of ‘The Trillion Dollar Dream’ this year captures myriad aspects of India’s incredible journey, from expanding financial inclusion to the fast-changing demographic of the country’s retail investor base”.

    The summit will feature a mix of panel discussions and standalone sessions. Topics on the docket range from regulatory frameworks and digital democratisation to the changing behaviour of young investors and the evolving role of AI in personal finance management.

    The annual summit has become a marquee event in India’s financial calendar, offering not just macroeconomic perspectives but also granular playbooks for AMCs, distributors, and policy stakeholders. The 2025 edition is expected to underscore how collaboration across regulation, distribution, and innovation is key to India’s financial future.

    The live event will stream on Moneycontrol.com at 5:00 pm IST on 23 June. For more details, visit: https://www.moneycontrol.com/msite/mutual-fund-summit-2025

  • India ends Cannes Lions 2025 on a high, bags 32 metals in a roaring run

    India ends Cannes Lions 2025 on a high, bags 32 metals in a roaring run

    MUMBAI: India wrapped up its Cannes Lions 2025 campaign in style, pocketing a cool 32 Lions—nearly double last year’s tally of 18. The final medal, a Silver Lion on Day 5, came in the Sustainable Development Goals category for BBDO India’s long-running Ariel #ShareTheLoad campaign. It capped a festival that saw Indian agencies sprint, leap and roar across the Croisette.

    The BBDO campaign, now a decade-old crusade challenging patriarchal laundry norms, was hailed for its creative consistency and cultural clout. Josy Paul, chairperson and chief creative officer at BBDO India—also this year’s SDG Lions jury president—called it “a movement, not just a message.” Well, the jury agreed.

    Though Day 5 brought just the one metal, the closing spotlight stayed firmly on impact. FCB India’s blockbuster “Lucky Yatra” for Indian Railways, already a Grand Prix and multi-Gold winner, made the Titanium shortlist but didn’t convert. The Womb’s nostalgic “We Broke the Jinx. We Won the World Cup” for Jim Jam Pops also reached the Film shortlist but walked away empty-handed.

    Still, India’s medal chest sparkled: 1 Grand Prix, 9 Golds, 9 Silvers, and 13 Bronzes. That’s a barnstorming 32 Lions. FCB India led the pride, while Ogilvy, Leo India, Havas Creative India, Talented and others made strong showings in categories ranging from Brand Experience & Activation to Creative Commerce.

    What clicked? A sharp mix of culture and conscience. From turning train tickets into lottery dreams, to custom-tailored heart health awareness, to menus that doubled as eye tests—Indian creativity pulled off the rare trick: selling with soul.

    Cannes Lions 2025 proved the Indian ad world is no longer an emerging force—it’s arrived, swagger and all.