ITV

Category: News Headline

  • Philips trims the taboo with Oneblade Intimate

    Philips trims the taboo with Oneblade Intimate

    MUMBAI: Looks like Philips isn’t beating around the bush, literally! The brand has launched the Philips Oneblade Intimate, a sleek, skin-safe grooming device designed to make “down there” care feel as normal as skincare or shaving.

    With India’s Gen Z leading a self-care revolution, Philips’ latest innovation answers a growing need for safe, irritation-free Intimate grooming. A recent Philips survey of over 6,000 young Indians found that a whopping 90 per cent already practise Intimate hair removal, but many still battle nicks, cuts and discomfort from products not built for sensitive zones.

    Enter Oneblade Intimate: a unisex, waterproof device made to trim and shave with precision, protection and peace of mind. Its triple-protection skin protect blade system and fast-moving cutter (100 times per second) promise a smooth, nick-free experience, while a 3mm comb and rechargeable battery make it travel-friendly too.

    To launch the product, Philips rolled out its cheeky Dontbeataroundthebush campaign with the tagline “Down there, done right.” From bush-shaped installations across Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru to influencer buzz and a vibrant event at Taj Lands End, Mumbai, the campaign turned Intimate grooming into a confident conversation about comfort and choice.

    “Today’s younger generations are rewriting the rules of self-care,” said Philips personal health India subcontinent head Smit Shukla. “Their openness inspired us to create an honest conversation and a product that delivers safety, comfort, and freedom of choice.”

    Priced at Rs 2,399, Philips Oneblade Intimate is available on Amazon, Blinkit, Instamart and Nykaa (which also offers an exclusive women’s edition with an exfoliating glove). Replacement blades range from Rs 899 to Rs 1,549.

    With its bold messaging and light-hearted honesty, Philips has managed to make grooming talk, well, a cut above the rest.

  • Bihar on the move as Times Now’s Election Yatra hits the road

    Bihar on the move as Times Now’s Election Yatra hits the road

    MUMBAI: Forget bulletins from air-conditioned studios this election season, the news is on the move. As Bihar braces for a high-octane poll battle, Times Now and Times Now Navbharat is hitting the dusty roads and crowded gullies of the state with Election Yatra, a roving newsroom covering 4500 km across 28 districts to capture democracy in its rawest, most unfiltered form.

    Beyond the familiar rhythm of Litti Chokha and Madhubani art, Bihar is a land forever rewriting its story restless, young, and hungry for change. With nearly 58 per cent of its people under 25 and a burgeoning MSME sector generating over 6 lakh jobs across 15 plus industries, the state is quietly shaking off stereotypes, one enterprise at a time. And now, as it heads into one of the most closely watched elections in the post-Operation Sindoor and new GST era, the spotlight burns brighter than ever.

    From Patna’s bustling lanes to Begusarai’s fiery campaign grounds, Times Now and Times Now Navbharat Election Yatra promises a front-row view of Bihar’s shifting political landscape. The mobile newsroom doubles as a studio, broadcasting straight from where conversations spark the chai stalls, the chowks, and the campaign caravans.

    This isn’t just another election coverage; it’s a 4500 km odyssey to decode the state’s complex identity, where nostalgia meets new narratives. Will Prashant Kishor’s experiment rewrite Bihar’s political math? Or will the familiar power blocs, the NDA and the Maha Gathbandhan hold fort once again?

    Under Mandate 2025, Times Now rolls out a power-packed programming slate that goes beyond headline politics.

    ● National Debate, airing from 11 October every Saturday at 8 pm and Sunday at 3 pm, brings sharp minds together to dissect Bihar’s biggest issues.

    ● Inside, a documentary-style weekend special also launching 11 October at 11:30 am, delves deep into the forces shaping the polls.

    ●  Access, another new format, shadows key candidates through the campaign trail, offering an unfiltered, insider’s view of life behind the loudspeakers.

    Times Now Navbharat’s mobile hydraulic canter transforms into a full-fledged studio on-ground. The channel also has come up with a strategically designed lineup captures the pulse of Bihar as it heads into a historic Assembly election. Babua E Bihar Ba presently airing at 11:30 am & 7:30 pm every day, brings a travelogue-style journey across the state, interacting with locals keeping authentic linguistic charm. Further on Reporter Vs Reporter Season 2, returns to present both sides of every story: balanced, accurate, and fair, directly from Bihar’s heartland.

    “Bihar has always been the hotbed of political movements, a laboratory for national experiments,” said Times Now and Times Now Navbharat group editor-in-chief Navika Kumar. “This will be the first big test for voter sentiment post Operation Sindoor and the Opposition’s vote chori campaign. With new entrants like Prashant Kishor shaking up old equations, our teams will be on the ground to track every tremor of change.”

    She added that Times Now’s election coverage stands apart for its “depth, reach, and credibility”, ensuring that viewers don’t just watch the election, they understand it.

    As November 13 brings the Poll of Polls and Exit Poll, Times Now’s analytical engine will decode voter moods and seat projections with surgical precision. The Counting Day special on November 14 promises minute-by-minute updates as results unfold across the state, each number a reflection of not just votes, but voices.

    From Hajipur’s bylanes to Patna’s university corridors, Bihar’s democracy is as earthy as its soil and as unpredictable as its politics. Through Election Yatra, Times Now doesn’t just report the story, it travels with it, kilometre by kilometre, capturing the sounds, the sights, and the soul of India’s most fascinating electoral theatre.

  • Gold and Frameboxx draw up a new script for animation education

    Gold and Frameboxx draw up a new script for animation education

    MUMBAI: When academia meets animation, the result is pure motion magic. India’s pioneering animation studio Green Gold Animation pvt. ltd., the creative powerhouse behind some of the country’s most beloved animated universes, has teamed up with Frameboxx Animation & Visual Effects pvt. ltd., one of India’s top training institutes, to script a new chapter in animation education.

    The two industry leaders have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to introduce an Industry Embedded Degree Programme in Animation and VFX, a first-of-its-kind initiative that fuses classroom learning with real-world studio experience. The MoU was signed by Sitarama Rajiv Chilakalapudi, founder and managing director of Green Gold Animation, and Rajesh Ramesh Turakhia, founder and managing director of Frameboxx.

    Under the partnership, Green Gold’s senior Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) will deliver 150 hours of in-class, hands-on training across three years, ensuring students learn not just the theory but the thrill of production itself. These will be live, interactive sessions with Green Gold’s artists and mentors people who’ve turned sketches into global success stories.

    Students will also work on live production projects during their final year, gaining direct exposure to industry workflows, pipelines, and creative challenges. The result: graduates who don’t just dream in animation, but think, design, and deliver like studio professionals from day one.

    “India’s animation industry is expanding rapidly, driven by global demand for quality content and the explosion of digital platforms,” said Green Gold Animation founder and CEO Rajiv Chilaka. “Yet, there’s a widening gap between what’s taught in classrooms and what studios need. Through this collaboration with Frameboxx, our goal is to bridge that gap by embedding real production expertise into academic learning. We want students to experience the pulse of a professional studio and understand how global projects are executed from concept to credits.”

    He added that this collaboration could help India emerge not just as a major consumer of animation content but as a consistent exporter of world-class animation talent.

    Echoing the sentiment Frameboxx founder and managing director Rajesh Ramesh Turakhia said, “This partnership marks a milestone in academic-industry collaboration. Students will benefit from live projects, masterclasses, workshops, and project reviews by Green Gold’s experts across Frameboxx centres nationwide. Together, we’re offering a learning experience that’s as real as it gets.”

    The programme will award a joint certification from Green Gold and Frameboxx, in addition to the degree from the affiliated university. Students will have access to cutting-edge technology, structured mentorship, and a well-defined career pathway that aligns with global production standards.

    Beyond academic reform, the alliance signals a shared mission to nurture India’s next generation of animators and visual storytellers. For Green Gold, it reinforces its role not just as a studio but as a mentor for the creative economy. For Frameboxx, it deepens its reputation as a bridge between education and employability.

    As the animation industry evolves from art to asset class, this partnership gives India’s young dreamers the tools to not only sketch their ideas but also shape their futures. After all, when the worlds of imagination and education collide the credits don’t roll, they begin.
     

  • Arpita Roy Luthra swaps building materials for lifts at Schindler group

    Arpita Roy Luthra swaps building materials for lifts at Schindler group

    NEW DELHI: Arpita Roy Luthra has joined Schindler group as vice president for north India, handling sales, strategy and marketing—a September 2025 move that marks her shift from fibre cement boards to vertical mobility.

    Roy Luthra arrives from Everest Industries, where she spent four years and seven months as national sales and marketing head, driving revenue for the boards and panels division. She turbocharged growth in high-value products by building infrastructure around architect engagement, premium retail and distribution networks, whilst steering new product development through a mix of in-house manufacturing and outsourced partnerships.

    Before Everest, she logged nearly two years as head of marketing for Stallion Group in Lagos, managing automotive brands from Hyundai to Porsche across Sub-Saharan Africa. She helped push the conglomerate’s new car market share from 42 per cent to 45 per cent and secured the national distributorship for Bajaj Auto’s three- and four-wheeler business—a $150m annual turnover addition.

    Her African chapter also included a 19-month stint at Bharti Airtel’s Netherlands-based international arm, managing enterprise operations across 14 operating companies, and a 15-month run at Crown Paints Kenya. But her longest tenure was nine years at Bharti Airtel in India, where she climbed from assistant manager in corporate sales to deputy general manager heading B2B marketing, overseeing mobility, fixed-line voice and data products.

    Earlier stints at Pidilite Industries saw her leading B2B lead generation and key accounts for waterproofing solutions, whilst roles at SAB Miller and Godfrey Phillips India gave her FMCG combat experience in institutional sales.

    Roy Luthra’s track record is built on cracking the B2B code—whether pitching premium cars to Nigerian dealers or fibre cement boards to Indian architects. At Schindler, she’ll deploy that playbook in a market where every new tower needs a lift, and competition for developer mindshare is brutal. The question now: can she make elevators as compelling as automobiles?

  • Sporshita Goswami shifts from fundraising to marketing at EAAA Alternatives

    Sporshita Goswami shifts from fundraising to marketing at EAAA Alternatives

    MUMBAI: Sporshita Goswami has joined EAAA Alternatives as director, marketing and communications, returning to pure-play communications after a stint straddling fundraising and PR at Modulus Alternatives Investment Managers.

    The October 2025 appointment marks a homecoming of sorts for Goswami, who spent the bulk of her career in public relations before moving into investor relations. At Modulus, where she spent two years and five months, she married her media savvy with capital-raising, pitching private credit opportunities whilst managing stakeholder communications.

    Before Modulus, Goswami logged nearly five years in group corporate communications at L&T Financial Services, handling messaging for the diversified financial conglomerate. That role followed a four-and-a-half-year stretch as associate director at Perfect Relations, the Mumbai PR shop, where she managed high-stakes client relationships across sectors.

    Her career foundations were laid at Adfactors PR, where she spent two and a half years generating story ideas, managing IPO communications and orchestrating product launches. She later moved through MSLGROUP and a brief independent consultancy before landing at Reliance Communications as manager, corporate communications.

    Goswami’s pitch is simple: the skills that win media coverage—narrative crafting, relationship building, market intelligence—translate seamlessly to wooing limited partners. Understanding what journalists want isn’t far from decoding what investors demand. Both require trust, transparency and knowing your audience cold.

    At EAAA Alternatives, she’ll deploy that crossover expertise in India’s increasingly crowded alternative investment space. The private credit market is heating up, capital is getting pickier, and everyone’s fighting for the same pool of sophisticated money. Goswami’s bet: the firms that tell the best stories will win the biggest cheques

  • India pitches homegrown large language model as AI summit pre-events kick off

    India pitches homegrown large language model as AI summit pre-events kick off

    NEW DELHI: India is making a play for AI self-reliance. At pre-summit events for the India–AI Impact Summit 2026, held during the India Mobile Congress in New Delhi, the government announced plans to launch an Indian large language model by year-end, aiming to cut dependence on foreign systems.

    The IndiaAI Mission, approved last year, is already delivering results: 38,000 graphics processing units are now available at Rs 65 per hour, whilst 12 companies are developing foundation models. “We envision to launch an Indian Large Language Model by year-end, reducing dependence on foreign systems,” says ministry of electronics and information technology additional secretary,  chief executive of IndiaAI and director general of the National Informatics Centre Abhishek Singh. 

    The pre-summit events drew leaders from government, industry and academia to explore how AI can drive inclusive growth across telecom and digital infrastructure. Four panels tackled AI’s role in telecom impact, trustworthy deployment, workforce development and social empowerment. Representatives from Reliance Jio, Tata Consultancy Services, Google, Airtel, Amazon Web Services and Microsoft joined government officials for the discussions.

    MeitY secretary S Krishnan framed India’s approach as both innovative and frugal. “We have adopted innovative means by learning from the experiences of others to build viable projects and products that will truly make a difference for us,” he says. “A number of international agencies have also found our approach very appealing, to build a model which can be used for the rest of the global South.”

    IndiaAI Mission chief operating officer and scientist G at MeitY Kavita Bhatia highlighted AI’s potential in telecom—from spectrum management to fraud detection. “AI in telecom holds immense potential. It can ensure reliable connectivity in rural areas, enhance resilience against network disruptions, and power new services across various sectors.”

    The main India–AI Impact Summit 2026 is scheduled for 19-20 February at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. Organised around three “sutras”—people, planet and progress—and seven thematic “chakras”, the summit will position India as a global convener on responsible AI deployment.

    Whether India can deliver a competitive LLM by December—or merely another government deadline—will test its ambitions. For now, the rhetoric is running ahead of the code.

  • YouTube adds Nykaa and Purplle to shopping affiliate programme as beauty commerce booms

    YouTube adds Nykaa and Purplle to shopping affiliate programme as beauty commerce booms

    MU7MBAI: YouTube is turning beauty tutorials into storefronts. The video platform has added Nykaa and Purplle to its shopping affiliate programme, expanding creators’ ability to monetise content as shopping-related watch time in India jumps 250 per cent year-on-year.

    The move doubles down on beauty and lifestyle, a category where 89 per cent of Indian shoppers say YouTube helps them make confident purchase decisions. Creators enrolled in the programme can now tag products from Nykaa and Purplle alongside existing partners Flipkart and Myntra, earning commissions when viewers buy.

    More than 40 per cent of eligible creators in India have signed up since the programme launched a year ago, tagging products in over three million videos. Over 200 million logged-in users in India have made shopping-related searches on YouTube, creating what the platform calls a “complete monetisation ecosystem”.

    “The next era of video commerce is already being defined by India’s vibrant creator economy on YouTube,” says YouTube India managing director Gunjan Soni. “We are scaling content-driven shopping from a successful programme to a complete monetisation ecosystem.”

    YouTube is sweetening the deal with artificial intelligence tools that automatically tag products the moment they’re mentioned in videos, capturing viewer interest at its peak. The platform will also test automatic product identification later this year.

    Flipkart vice president of growth and marketing Pratik Arun Shetty, frames the partnership as commerce meeting creativity. “India’s creator economy is transforming how people engage with brands,” he says. Myntra reports creator collaborations have grown threefold in the past year, whilst Nykaa positions itself as a pioneer in content-led commerce.

    YouTube is also rolling out tools to make brand deals more lucrative: a flexible format for inserting and replacing sponsored segments, links to brand sites in Shorts, and a Creator Partnerships Hub inside Google Ads to connect advertisers with influencers.

    It’s a bet that authenticity converts. Whether creators cash in or merely chase clicks will depend on whether viewers trust recommendations—or just skip to the comments.

  • Ceuticoz promotes Arvin Mondal to head of marketing as global push accelerates

    Ceuticoz promotes Arvin Mondal to head of marketing as global push accelerates

    MUMBAI: Ceuticoz is gearing up for a growth spurt. The medical-grade skincare brand has promoted Arvin Mondal to head of marketing, tasking him with building a global footprint as the company chases revenues of Rs 150-200 crore by financial year 2029-30—a compound annual growth rate of 30-35 per cent.

    Mondal, who previously steered the brand’s international expansion, will oversee marketing across retail and e-commerce whilst leading regional campaigns in Britain, the European Union, the Gulf Cooperation Council states and south-east Asia. His brief: turn a dermatologist-trusted label into a household name.

    Ceuticoz projects revenues of Rs 50 crore in FY 2025-26, up from a record monthly turnover of Rs 4 crore in November-December 2024. The brand already operates in over 10 countries, including Canada, Kenya and South Africa. America, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia are next on the list, with a target of 25-plus markets by 2030.

    “Arvin has played a vital role in the company’s international expansion,” says managing director Sukhbir Singh Chimni. “His new role allows him to craft our brand’s story as we move towards becoming a globally acclaimed skincare brand, driven by science and authenticity.”

    Founded in 2005, Ceuticoz positions itself as evidence-based and clinically proven—skincare that doctors recommend rather than influencers hawk.

    Whether that pitch resonates beyond dermatology clinics will determine if Mondal’s targets are ambitious or merely optimistic. Either way, he’s got skin in the game.

  • Nexus Select Malls recruits Ayushmann Khurrana to sell emotional decluttering this Diwali

    Nexus Select Malls recruits Ayushmann Khurrana to sell emotional decluttering this Diwali

    MUMBAI: Nexus Select Malls is betting that guilt sells better than glitter. The mall operator has roped in Hindi cinema actor Ayushmann Khurrana for a Diwali campaign urging Indians to declutter their emotional baggage alongside their homes—and then head to the shops to celebrate.

    The digital film, Declutter Wali Diwali, wraps a shopping pitch in feel-good messaging. “Adhure vaade, ankahee baatein, pending apologies iss Diwali, emotional space bhi declutter karo, aur apno ke liye dil mein jagah banao,” Khurrana intones against a backdrop of festive lights. Roughly translated: sort out your unfinished business, make space for loved ones, and—conveniently—do it at Nexus.

    “Our idea was to go beyond traditional festive advertising and tap into what the season truly stands for: togetherness, reflection and genuine joy,” says Nexus Select Malls chief marketing officer  Nishank Joshi.

    The campaign’s sign-off is less subtle: “Asli Happyness sirf yahan hai, at Nexus Select Malls.”

    The film will run across digital and social platforms throughout October, backed by on-ground activations at 19 malls across 15 cities. It arrives as India enters peak shopping season, with Diwali serving as the year’s biggest retail moment.

    Whether consumers buy the emotional angle or just the merchandise remains to be seen. Either way, Nexus is counting on footfall—reconciled or otherwise.

  • Steve Madden taps Shanaya Kapoor as first India brand ambassador

    Steve Madden taps Shanaya Kapoor as first India brand ambassador

    MUMBAI: Steve Madden is rolling the dice on Hindi cinema’s next generation. The American footwear and accessories brand has named actress Shanaya Kapoor as its first-ever brand ambassador in India, marking a calculated bet on youth appeal as it deepens its retail footprint across the subcontinent.

    Kapoor, whose style straddles contemporary trends and accessible glamour, will front the brand’s autumn-winter 2025 and spring-summer 2026 campaigns. The partnership, brokered through Reliance Brands, aims to position Steve Madden’s shoes and handbags as tools of self-expression for a generation that treats fashion as identity.

    “Steve Madden has always been a go-to brand for me—it’s where I find pieces that are both fashion-forward and incredibly versatile,” says Kapoor. “I am honoured to be their first brand ambassador in India.”

    The announcement arrives alongside the brand’s latest campaign, Step Into Your Story, which pitches its products as declarations of individuality rather than mere accessories. It’s standard-issue empowerment marketing, but Steve Madden reckons India’s fashion-conscious youth will buy it—literally.

    Reliance Brands, which operates over 1,590 stores across India, is banking on Kapoor’s reach to crack a market where aspiration meets affordability. Steve Madden already sits in its sprawling portfolio alongside Burberry, Versace and Tiffany & Co.

    For Kapoor, it’s another rung on the ladder. For Steve Madden, it’s a wager that star power still shifts product. Time will tell if the shoes fit.