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Category: News Headline

  • Big moves, bigger money as UP Kabaddi heats up

    Big moves, bigger money as UP Kabaddi heats up

    MUMBAI: It wasn’t just tackles flying at the Uttar Pradesh Kabaddi League (UPKL) Season 2 player auction, wallets were too. Held in Noida, the high-voltage event saw 12 franchises flex their financial muscle, with bids totalling Rs 1.70 crore for a pool of 500 players.

    The newest entrant, Gazab Ghaziabad, made a “gazab” debut as the 12th team, joining heavyweights like Lucknow Lions, Kanpur Warriors, and Purvanchal Panthers. But the real drama unfolded at the bidding table. Vinay Tevathia topped the charts, bagging Rs 5.90 lakh from Aligarh Tigers, followed by Nitin Panwar at Rs 4.45 lakh for Ganga Kings of Mirzapur and Ashu Singh, snapped up by Noida Ninjas for Rs 4.35 lakh.

    The defending champions, Lucknow Lions, kept faith in their winning pride by retaining key players Arjun Deshwal, Vivek Chaudhary, Arpit Saroha, and Mohd Amaan.

    “UPKL has become a powerful platform for grassroots kabaddi talent and franchise value creation,” said SJ Uplift Kabaddi founder and director Sambhav Jain. “This season’s auction showcased strategic, disciplined bidding that has built balanced, competitive teams across the board.”

    The event also saw former IAS Awanish Kumar Awasthi, advisor to the Uttar Pradesh chief minister, unveil the league’s broadcast partner for the next three seasons. Kabaddi star Rahul Chaudhary, UPKL’s brand ambassador, and senior officials from the state federation were among those present.

    Season 2 kicks off on 25 December 2025 in Noida, featuring 71 matches under the tagline “Apna bharat, apna khel – khel raha hai mera pradesh.” Matches will be broadcast live on Zee Sports and ZEE5, ensuring the spirit of kabaddi reaches every corner of the country.

    From blockbuster signings to fresh rivalries, UPKL’s latest season promises plenty of action, proving once again that in Uttar Pradesh, kabaddi isn’t just a game, it’s a full-contact celebration.

     

  • Scara Live turns the spotlight on culture and connection in real time

    Scara Live turns the spotlight on culture and connection in real time

    MUMBAI: In a world where everything’s streamed, Scara Live wants you to feel it live. The new vertical from Scara Gaming is reimagining India’s entertainment landscape by bringing brands, creators, and audiences together in the real world where emotion meets experience.

    At the intersection of entertainment, sports, and culture, Scara Live isn’t just about events, it’s about cultural engineering. It crafts immersive, insight-led experiences that move beyond screens and algorithms to build real-world communities that pulse with creativity, connection, and conversation.

    Helmed by a powerhouse leadership team, Scara Live draws on a collective experience of over 60 years across gaming, tech, live events, and media. Manoj George, with 20-plus years in the gaming and cultural sectors, previously drove business and revenue at Nodwin Gaming, Cornerstone, and UTV Disney. Mazher Ramzanali, who has shaped brand narratives for Budweiser, MTV, OML, and Vice Media, brings his 15 years of expertise in sponsorship and culture programming. Santosh P, former marketing leader at Bookmyshow and OML, adds 16 years of live entertainment strategy, while Vikas Chand brings his operational prowess from marquee sports entities such as BCCI, IMG Reliance, and Delhi Capitals.

    Together, they aim to rewrite the live playbook turning brand engagement into shared memory. “Scara Live represents our belief that live experiences are where culture truly happens,” said Manoj George. “We’re combining the power of creativity with the discipline of data and delivery to help brands engage audiences in meaningful, lasting ways.”

    Mazher Ramzanali added, “The lines between digital and physical engagement are fading fast. Scara Live is built to help brands bridge that space, transforming entertainment, sport, and culture into living experiences that drive connection and community.”

    The company’s flagship properties, Pixel Pulse and Beyond the Game, anchor this philosophy. Pixel Pulse blends music, comedy, fashion, and gaming to create large-scale cultural moments, while Beyond the Game functions as a B2B thought-leadership and networking platform for sports, gaming, and innovation professionals.

    The first project under Scara Live’s belt, iPopstar, is already tuning in audiences. A weekly music reality series featuring King, Astha Gill, Aditya Rikhari, and Parmish Verma, it brings together 12 contestants battling it out over six weeks. The series streams on Amazon MX Player, with Spotify and Warner Music as music partners. Scara Live acts as the culture partner for the IP, owned by Rusk Media.

    As Santosh P put it, “India’s creator and live entertainment economy is on the rise. Scara Live is designed to meet the craving for authenticity and interaction, helping brands not just participate in culture but shape it.”

    With a bold vision and a multi-disciplinary team, Scara Live is poised to redefine how India experiences live entertainment not as an event, but as a living, breathing story. For those tired of watching from behind the screen, Scara Live promises to make life itself the stage.

  • Atul Projects builds its brand with new marketing head

    Atul Projects builds its brand with new marketing head

    MUMBAI: Looks like Atul Projects just got a solid foundation for its next big story. The Mumbai-based real estate developer has appointed Piyush Niljikar as its head of marketing, signalling a brand reboot built on creativity, strategy, and legacy.

    With over 15 years of experience across advertising and real estate, Piyush brings a blend of creative and commercial flair. He’s led campaigns at Creativeland Asia and WYP Worldwide, shaping brands such as Mercedes-Benz India, Godrej Cinthol, United Colors of Benetton, Zee5, Arrow and TAJ Group. In real estate, his standout achievement was driving a sell-out in just 18 months at CCI Projects, followed by an award-winning stint at Ashwin Sheth Group, where he led the buzzworthy Spot The Orange Dot campaign.

    “Piyush’s deep understanding of brand building and integrated marketing aligns perfectly with our vision of redefining luxury living through innovation and quality,” said Atul Projects managing director  Aakash Patel. “His leadership will be key in amplifying our brand presence and delivering impactful, customer-centric campaigns.”

    On his new role, Piyush said, “Atul Projects has a proud legacy built on trust and transparency. I’m thrilled to shape a brand narrative that resonates deeply with homebuyers while driving real business growth.”

    As Atul Projects expands its residential footprint across the MMR region, Piyush’s appointment marks the start of a new chapter, one where legacy meets modern marketing muscle, and every campaign is built to last.

     

  • Dentsu AMP turns up the volume on video creativity

    Dentsu AMP turns up the volume on video creativity

    MUMBAI: Move over film reels, it’s time for feel reels. Dentsu India has launched Dentsu AMP, a next-generation, video-first content engine that fuses AI innovation with human storytelling to help brands create videos faster, sharper, and smarter.

    Leading the charge are Dhruv Abrol and Tarika Gulabani, appointed as managing partners. The duo, who earlier co-led TVA, bring a mix of digital business acumen and entertainment flair from stints at Myntra, Tata Cliq, Sony, and StarPlus. They will report to Dentsu Creative & Media Brands CEO South Asia Amit Wadhwa.

    “Dentsu AMP is built for a world where stories must move as fast as audiences do,” said Wadhwa. “It unites craft, content, and technology to deliver creativity that performs.”

    With over ten in-house studios across India, Dentsu AMP covers everything from video production and motion graphics to sound and 3D design. Its AI backbone powers every stage of production, from ideation and editing to targeting, helping brands scale cinematic campaigns and snappy social content alike.

    Brands such as Aditya Birla Fashion, Flipkart, Myntra, and Groww are already onboard, banking on AMP’s ability to merge creativity, data, and speed.

    “We’re building a modern content engine,” said Abrol and Gulabani. “From high-impact films to daily social posts, AMP helps brands make more content, faster, without losing quality or consistency.”

    Sitting alongside Dentsu Lab and the Dentsu Podcast Network, AMP strengthens the agency’s innovation ecosystem. With expansion plans across major metros, Dentsu is clearly turning up the volume on creativity, where imagination scales, and every frame counts.

  • When AI Gets Real Mphasis adds meaning to machine intelligence

    When AI Gets Real Mphasis adds meaning to machine intelligence

    MUMBAI: Artificial Intelligence may be the buzzword of the decade but Mphasis wants to remind the world that without intelligence, it’s just artificial. With its new global campaign, AI Without Intelligence Is Artificial, the Bengaluru-headquartered technology firm is calling out the hype and bringing focus back to context-driven, human-centred innovation.

    The campaign, which marks the global launch of Mphasis NeoIP, redefines what it means to make AI “real” for business. NeoIP is a next-generation platform that combines enterprise knowledge, contextual data, and automation into a continuous, intelligent process helping companies evolve instead of endlessly reinventing themselves.

    The global AI industry may be booming McKinsey estimates that generative AI could add up to 4.4 trillion dollars in annual global productivity yet many companies are still struggling to translate that promise into profit. “In a market flooded with AI-centric solutions, Mphasis asks a critical question, what happens when intelligence is missing from AI?” said Mphasis global chief marketing officer and head of hyperscalers & strategic partnerships Veda Iyer. “True AI must evolve with business needs. AI without context is simply not enough.”

    At the heart of the new campaign is a challenge to stop viewing AI as a shiny new tool and start treating it as a thinking partner. NeoIP does just that, fusing Mphasis’ proprietary solutions with third-party technologies and client systems to create an AI ecosystem that is intelligent by design, secure by default, and scalable by nature. The approach reduces the constant reinvestment typical of traditional digital transformation efforts.

    Set to roll out across digital, social, and experiential platforms, the campaign targets decision-makers across banking, healthcare, insurance, and hi-tech industries. The tone is provocative yet purposeful showing how contextual intelligence, not just code, drives measurable transformation.

    Iyer explained that Mphasis’ approach is rooted in intelligent engineering, where AI doesn’t just automate, it adapts, optimises, and learns. “Our goal is to help businesses build AI systems that think ahead systems that are not static, but evolve continuously to drive long-term success,” she added.

    Through NeoIP, Mphasis is already working with leading financial institutions to modernise infrastructure, enhance security, and future-proof operations. The results echo the core philosophy behind the campaign that AI must be intelligent by design to create real, lasting impact.

    As the world races to embrace automation, Mphasis’ message lands with timely precision: intelligence is the soul of AI without it, all that’s left is an empty buzz.

  • Charged on spirits, ThunderPlus unveils ethanol power

    Charged on spirits, ThunderPlus unveils ethanol power

    MUMBAI: Looks like India’s electric future just got a shot of “liquid courage.” In a move that’s set to energise the country’s green mobility drive, ThunderPlus and Trinity Cleantech have launched the world’s first ethanol-powered, mobile 150 kW DC fast charger, the ME energy rapid charger 150, in Hyderabad.

    Forget heavy grid setups and endless approvals, this clean, portable powerhouse can be up and running in just 72 hours, and it runs entirely on ethanol, a bio-fuel made from plants. The result? Up to 80 per cent lower CO2 emissions and half the operational costs of diesel generators.

    “This innovation is all about collapsing timelines, cutting diesel dependence, and giving India a cleaner, instantly deployable charging solution,” said ThunderPlus director and CEO Rajeev YSR. “We proudly call it liquid electricity.”

    Unveiling the charger, Olectra Green Tech Ltd. managing director Mahesh Babu hailed it as a “game-changer” for India’s electric bus and fleet ecosystem. “It’s a breakthrough that slashes costs and wait times while boosting sustainability. Perfect for roadside assistance and depots as the grid catches up,” he said.

    Trinity Cleantech executive director Raj Kumar added that the product is made under a patented licence from Germany’s ME Energy GmbH and is ready for rollout across India. “It offers a scalable, economical path for companies serious about decarbonising their operations,” he noted.

    Inspired by Nitin Gadkari’s ethanol mission, the launch was attended by leaders from India’s clean mobility sector, including Chandramouli Vemula from SIDBI, who praised it as a perfect fit for the nation’s green-finance goals.

    The rapid charger 150 isn’t just for EVs stranded on highways. It’s also ideal for remote depots, logistics hubs, mining zones, and even construction sites where grid access is tricky. Beyond transport, it could replace diesel gensets in residential and commercial spaces, offering both power and charging in one eco-friendly package.

    With over 1,000 chargers across 60 cities, ThunderPlus has already become one of India’s fastest-growing EV charging companies, working with giants like Tata Motors, Olectra, and Mahindra. Trinity Cleantech, meanwhile, continues to push the boundaries of clean energy innovation.

    Together, the two firms are proving that India’s future runs not just on electricity, but on ethanol-fuelled ingenuity. It’s not just a new charger on the block; it’s the start of a cleaner, cleverer India on the move.

  • Made in Bharat goes global as HiTech Animation powers a mythic leap

    Made in Bharat goes global as HiTech Animation powers a mythic leap

    MUMBAI: Once upon a timeline not in Hastinapur, but in Kolkata, a creative revolution took root. What began as a modest dream inside a small studio in 2012 has today turned into one of India’s most compelling success stories in animation. HiTech Animation Studios, the homegrown powerhouse behind Kurukshetra, is showing the world that the next wave of visual storytelling is proudly Made in Bharat.

    From the land known for art, music and literature, HiTech emerged with a clear vision to create world-class animation from India, for the world. Over the past decade, the studio has worked with some of the biggest names in entertainment, including Sony Yay, Nickelodeon, Byju’s, Cartoon Network, and Pogo. Each project honed its craft, blending technical precision with creative flair, and proved that Indian animators could hold their own against global giants.

    The studio’s crowning glory arrived this year with Kurukshetra, a two-part animated epic that reimagines the Mahabharata through the eyes of 18 warriors. Released on Netflix on 10 October and 24 October 2025, and produced in collaboration with Tipping Point, the digital arm of JioStar, the series took three years and over 250 artists and technicians to create.

    Rendered in cutting-edge 3D animation, motion capture, and photorealistic visual design, the 18-episode series is available in 34 global languages and streaming in 190 countries. For Indian storytelling, Kurukshetra is more than a milestone, it’s a declaration of creative intent, proving that homegrown myth and modern technology can together craft a cinematic spectacle with universal appeal.

    “Our focus has been on building an integrated ecosystem, where talent development, technology, and production excellence work in sync to deliver content that creates impact beyond borders,” said HiTech Animation managing director and founder Subrata Roy. “We’ve always approached animation as both a creative pursuit and a scalable industry.”

    HiTech’s rise mirrors a larger cultural moment India’s transformation from a content service hub into a storytelling powerhouse. By combining state-of-the-art infrastructure with its own in-house training programmes, the studio not only creates premium content but also shapes the next generation of animators powering India’s creative economy.

    Roy believes that the foundation for this artistic growth lies deep within India’s culture itself. “Art and craft have always been integral to our education and identity. Combine that with our socio-cultural diversity, and we have the stories and the talent to captivate audiences across countries and cultures something the global success of Kurukshetra clearly shows,” he said.

    From a single floor in Kolkata to the world’s biggest streaming platform, HiTech Animation’s journey is a story of vision meeting velocity, of tradition reimagined through technology. As Kurukshetra takes Indian mythology to millions of screens worldwide, one truth stands tall when Bharat dreams in pixels, the world watches in awe.

  • Nat Geo digs deep as Explorer Film Festival returns with fresh stories

    Nat Geo digs deep as Explorer Film Festival returns with fresh stories

    MUMBAI: Adventure calls again and this time, it’s cinematic. National Geographic is rolling out the yellow carpet for the return of its Explorer Film Festival, a celebration of bold ideas, breathtaking quests, and the indomitable human spirit. The much-loved festival premieres on Sunday, 9 November at 10 pm, promising an evening of storytelling that travels from the ocean floor to volcanic peaks.

    Continuing National Geographic’s legacy of inspiring curiosity, the 2025 edition spotlights Explorers scientists, conservationists, and adventurers whose work blurs the line between passion and peril. Whether it’s uncovering ancient secrets, saving species, or pushing the limits of human endurance, each film captures the thrill of discovery in its purest form.

    The global lineup reads like a love letter to exploration.

    . Love + War follows Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist Lynsey Addario, who has risked her life on frontlines from Afghanistan to Ukraine to reveal the human cost of conflict.

    . The Last Rhinos: A New Hope chronicles a daring scientific mission to save the Northern White Rhino from extinction through the world’s first surrogate rhino pregnancy.

    . Secrets of the Penguins dives into the icy lives of these resilient creatures, their courage, bonds, and surprising intelligence.

    . Titanic: The Digital Resurrection resurfaces the world’s most famous shipwreck using cutting-edge 3D scanning to create a digital twin of the Titanic for a hauntingly immersive exploration.

    . Explorer: Lake of Fire takes viewers into the molten heart of an uncharted volcano as scientists seek answers to one of nature’s most explosive mysteries.

    . Explorer: The Deepest Cave journeys into the Earth’s underbelly, where cavers navigate perilous underground mazes to reach the planet’s lowest known depths.

    Each film in the Explorer series isn’t just about discovery, it’s about reflection. It questions how far we’ve come, what we’ve lost, and what remains to be found.

    To drum up anticipation, National Geographic will launch a nationwide promo campaign two weeks ahead of the premiere. The teaser already hints at breathtaking visuals, edge-of-seat drama, and heart-stirring human stories, an ode to the restless spirit of exploration.

    With themes spanning love, loss, courage, and curiosity, this year’s Explorer Film Festival invites audiences to look beyond borders, dive beneath the surface, and climb into the unknown, one frame at a time.

    So, mark your calendars. On 9 November at 10 PM, switch on National Geographic and prepare to journey from the deepest caves to the coldest ice caps proof that the world’s greatest stories aren’t just out there; they’re waiting to be explored.

  • Sandwizzaa’s cRAVE party toasts 40 years of flavour

    Sandwizzaa’s cRAVE party toasts 40 years of flavour

    MUMBAI: This World Sandwich Day, Mumbai’s beloved sandwich brand Sandwizzaa is serving more than just its signature chutneys. The city’s iconic pure-veg chain is celebrating with a full-on cRAVE Party, a flavour-packed bash that fuses food, music, and Mumbai’s unmistakable vibe.

    Hosted at Sandwizzaa’s flagship outlet in Vile Parle (East), the invite-only celebration is a nod to the global trend of “sandwich raves,” where food meets festivity. For loyal fans, it’s a delicious mix of nostalgia and novelty, topped with that signature Sandwizzaa freshness.

    The event also kicks off the brand’s 40th anniversary journey. From a humble sandwich shop to 20 bustling outlets across the city, Sandwizzaa has built an empire one chutney-layered bite at a time. Known for its inventive vegetarian creations and crowd-favourite classics, it remains a cornerstone of Mumbai’s fast-food culture.

    “We wanted to celebrate World Sandwich Day in a way only Sandwizzaa can, with flavour, energy, and the people who made this journey possible,” said Sandwizzaa founder Pankaj Sharma. “The cRAVE Party is our thank-you to Mumbai as we step into our 40th year.”

    As the world raises a toast to its favourite handheld meal, Sandwizzaa’s cRAVE Party reminds Mumbai why a good sandwich never goes out of style, especially when it’s made with a little love and a lot of chutney.
     

  • From reel to real change as IMDb maps 25 years of indian cinema

    From reel to real change as IMDb maps 25 years of indian cinema

    MUMBAI: Lights, camera, reflection! As IMDb turned the spotlight on 25 Years of Indian Cinema (2000–2025), a new script of change unfolded, one where superstardom is shared, stories are decentralised, and the audience now holds the director’s chair.

    In a spirited roundtable hosted by Anupama Chopra for The Hollywood Reporter India, industry stalwarts Siddharth Roy Kapur, Kiran Rao, Sameer Nair and Raj Nidimoru dissected the shifting contours of India’s cinematic universe. The conversation, anchored in IMDb’s landmark report, delved deep into how streaming, social media, and audience evolution have rewritten Bollywood’s rulebook.

    “Stardom has been democratized,” said Siddharth Roy Kapur, noting how the halo once reserved for a handful of megastars has now spread across platforms and personalities. Rao agreed, adding that today’s fascination lies less with the cult of celebrity and more with the craft itself. “It’s stopped being all cult of personality. There are so many more artists now that people are interested to watch,” she said, highlighting how Youtubers, comics, and digital creators now rival traditional film stars in influence.

    Raj Nidimoru pointed out the industry’s long-standing blind spot, the lack of sustained investment in building women’s stardom. “The hero is treated like a franchise,” he said, “but the same pipeline doesn’t exist for actresses. You can’t expect overnight success for female-led films when you haven’t built that equity over time.” His words struck a chord, echoing an industry still learning to give its heroines equal narrative and commercial weight.

    The conversation turned south quite literally as Kapur acknowledged the audacious ambition of regional cinema. “There’s something to be said for the ambition of South films,” he remarked, attributing their boldness partly to the less corporatised funding ecosystem. “They go all in. That chaos fuels creativity.”

    Nidimoru added a telling anecdote from his Stree shoot in Chanderi: “The cook was watching a dubbed Telugu film that’s all they watched.” For him, the distinction between North and South cinema no longer holds. “It’s one Indian film industry now,” he said.

    Sameer Nair proposed a compelling concept CSR for creativity. “The industry needs its own form of CSR Creative Social Responsibility,” he said, urging filmmakers to balance profit with purpose. “For all the commercial stuff we aspire to, we must ensure creativity is preserved and shared almost like saving the knowledge of the race.”

    As the discussion drew to a close, it was clear that Indian cinema’s next 25 years won’t just be about bigger budgets or bolder scripts but about inclusion, integrity, and imagination.

    After all, the story of Indian cinema has never been just about stars on screen. It’s about who gets to shine next.

    Watch the full discussion here