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Category: News Headline

  • Plum Benefits picks The Mavericks India as communications partner

    Plum Benefits picks The Mavericks India as communications partner

    MUMBAI: Plum India’s leading employee health benefits platform, has awarded its strategic communications mandate to The Mavericks India, an integrated marketing communications agency known for its brand storytelling and thought leadership expertise.

    Operating at the crossroads of technology, healthcare, and benefits innovation, Plum has steadily evolved from providing modern health benefits to startups and enterprises into a holistic healthcare ecosystem. Its offerings now span insurance, wellness, and preventive care, with recent forays into personal and business insurance, ensuring seamless protection for organisations and individuals alike.

    Under the new mandate, The Mavericks India will strengthen Plum’s communications across key touchpoints, building corporate reputation, stakeholder visibility, and a compelling brand narrative. The partnership will focus on amplifying Plum’s mission of making quality health protection, ranging from preventive healthcare and group benefits to individual coverage, a fundamental workplace right.

    Commenting on the collaboration, Plum Benefits, senior vice president, marketing, Shreyas Achar said, “At Plum, we are deeply invested in changing the way India views employee wellbeing. With The Mavericks India as our strategic communications partner, we are excited to craft a narrative that aligns with our purpose, resonates with our audience, and champions the role of health security in today’s workplaces.”

    The Mavericks India, co-founder and ceo, Chetan Mahajan added, “Plum is a trailblazer in the insurtech and employee benefits ecosystem, disrupting traditional models with empathy, technology, and innovation at its core. We are honoured to partner with a brand creating systemic change for millions of employees and employers. Our goal will be to shape authentic, insight-led communications that strengthen Plum’s leadership and connect deeply with stakeholders.”

    With the tie-up, Plum aims to sharpen its industry voice as it accelerates its expansion into business and personal insurance, setting the pace for a new era of employee wellbeing in India.

  • Orbitaid fuels India’s space race with new 2m dollars R&D hub in Bengaluru

    Orbitaid fuels India’s space race with new 2m dollars R&D hub in Bengaluru

    MUMBAI: Talk about rocket fuel for ambition! India’s space dreams just got a top-up. Orbitaid Aerospace, the country’s first startup dedicated to On-Orbit Servicing and Refuelling (OOSR), has unveiled a sparkling new research and development facility in Bengaluru, setting the stage for India’s next big leap in space sustainability.

    The 2 million dollars, 6,500 square feet centre was inaugurated by none other than ISRO chairman Dr V. Narayanan, who called the initiative a timely boost for India’s growing private space ecosystem. The hub houses India’s largest commercial infrastructure for Rendezvous proximity operations and docking (RPOD), think of it as a cosmic pit stop where satellites can refuel and extend their lifespan instead of burning out.

    Complete with a high-end control room, a class 10,000 cleanroom, and fuel-transfer facilities, the setup signals Orbitaid’s intent to play on the global stage. Dr Narayanan praised the effort, noting that docking and refuelling interfaces will be vital to India’s future missions and confirmed that ISRO is now welcoming private players to collaborate on such technologies.

    For Orbitaid, the new facility isn’t just a milestone, it’s a mission. Founder and ceo Sakthikumar Ramachandran said the company’s indigenously built SIDRP interface has reached technology readiness level 7, putting them in pole position to deliver life-extension services to satellites in India and beyond.

    And Bengaluru is only the beginning. The company plans to expand into Tamil Nadu with a manufacturing hub for propellant handling and satellite servicing, building what it calls a “circular economy” for space tech. Early backer Unicorn India Ventures, whose managing partner Bhaskar Majumdar lauded Orbitaid’s discipline and focus, is doubling down on support.

    The launch event drew dignitaries including the consuls general of Germany, Italy, and Switzerland, along with Startuptn and Unicorn India Ventures representatives. ISRO officials, defence leaders, academics, and space industry executives also turned up, underscoring how the startup has captured attention well beyond the launchpad.

  • Mille shakes up kitchens with protein-packed dal to coffee innovation

    Mille shakes up kitchens with protein-packed dal to coffee innovation

    MUMBAI: If dal could lift weights, it would probably taste like Mille. The supergrain brand from Wholsum Foods (of Slurrp Farm fame) has just dropped a kitchen-friendly fix to India’s biggest dietary gap, protein.

    According to Indian Market Research Bureau (IMRB) data, a staggering 73 per cent of Indian diets are protein-deficient, thanks to plates piled high with rice, roti and dal but little else. And while gym rats sip their heavy shakes and chew dense bars, the everyday eater has been left scrambling for easier answers.

    Enter Mille Protein Powder designed not for bodybuilders but for the rest of us. Available in two versatile formats, it sneaks protein into familiar meals without turning the kitchen upside down. The coffee-flavoured shake offers a comforting hit of caffeine with a whopping 31 grams of protein per serving, while the neutral, heat-stable booster can disappear into dosas, rotis, khichdi, pasta, dal, or even soup without changing taste or texture.

    “Our goal was simple: to bring protein back into the Indian kitchen,” said Wholsum Foods co-founders Meghana Narayan and Shauravi Malik. “Most people aren’t counting macros, they just want food that’s tasty and good for them. Mille makes it easy to add protein to what you’re already eating from your morning coffee to your evening roti without fuss.”

    Retailing at Rs 1,999 for 500 grams, Mille Protein hits shelves this month, with availability on millesupergrain.com, Amazon, and Swiggy Instamart.

    For a nation that loves its dal and dosa, Mille’s pitch is simple: no crash diets, no complicated routines, just protein made familiar, delicious, and everyday. After all, why should fitness buffs have all the shakes?

  • Tata Tea Gold paints Pujo golden with 10 art-led festive packs in Bengal

    Tata Tea Gold paints Pujo golden with 10 art-led festive packs in Bengal

    MUMBAI: If Bengal’s Durga Puja is a painting in motion, then Tata Tea Gold has just framed it in gold. This festive season, the brand has launched a dazzling campaign Banglar Shilpi Shojjito Pujo featuring 10 limited-edition tea packs designed by celebrated Bengali artists, each capturing a different ritual of the five-day celebration.

    The packs are more than packaging, they are canvases. From the thunder of the dhaak on Shashti to the swirling smoke of the dhunuchi dance on Nabami and the sindoor-smeared joy of Dashami, every pack is a stroke of nostalgia. Artists like Goutam Sarkar (acrylic realism), Gopal Naskar (myth-meets-modern pastels), Gourab Kundu (fluid watercolours), Anjan Bhattacharya (rich oils), and Joyeeta Bose (digital magic) have each lent their craft, creating a collectible series that doubles as an ode to Bengal’s artistic soul.

    The campaign extends beyond shelves. A special festive TVC opens with a steaming cup of Tata Tea Gold in a Bengali household before the vapour spirals into colours that paint vibrant pandals, neighbourhoods, and rituals across West Bengal. Every transition becomes art itself with the film ending on the evocative line: “Banglar Pujo Ek Sonar Chhobir Mawto” (Bengal’s Pujo is nothing short of a golden painting).

    “Durga Puja is not just a festival; it is an emotion that binds Bengal,” said Tata Consumer Products president for packaged beverages India & South Asia Puneet Das. “This year, by collaborating with local artists, we’ve brought those emotions alive on every pack, making Pujo feel as personal as it is collective.”

    The initiative builds on Tata Consumer Products’ vast consumer base of 275 million Indian households and its wide portfolio from Tata Tea and Tetley to Tata Salt, Sampann, Soulfull and Ching’s Secret. With a consolidated turnover of Rs. 17,618 crore, the company is betting on art and authenticity to deepen its festive connect.

    This Durga Puja, tea breaks in Bengal may just feel like gallery visits, cups steeped not only in flavour but also in festival, memory, and art.

  • Robert Redford, Hollywood golden boy and Sundance film festival pioneer, passes on at 89

    Robert Redford, Hollywood golden boy and Sundance film festival pioneer, passes on at 89

    MUMBAI:  Robert Redford, the incandescent star of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Sting and All the President’s Men, has died aged 89. His publicist Cindi Berger said he passed away on 16 September “at Sundance in the mountains of Utah – the place he loved, surrounded by those he loved”.

    Redford was far more than a matinee idol. After conquering the 1970s box office with a string of hits, he turned to directing and won a best director Oscar for Ordinary People in 1981. He then rewrote the rules of American cinema by founding the Sundance Institute and the Sundance film festival, which became the crucible of independent film-making and launched the careers of Quentin Tarantino, Steven Soderbergh and countless others.

    The Sundance Institute, the organisation he nurtured for more than four decades, issued a moving statement that read like a farewell to a guiding spirit. “Our founder, mentor and friend, Robert Redford, has passed away,” wrote acting chief executive Amanda Kelso and founding senior director Michelle Satter. “Bob’s vision launched a movement that, over four decades later, has inspired generations of artists and redefined cinema in the US and around the world. The vibrant storytelling landscape we cherish today is unimaginable without his passionate drive and principled leadership.”

    The note went on to praise his character as much as his achievements: “Beyond Bob’s enormous contributions to culture at large, we will miss his generosity, clarity of purpose, curiosity, rebellious spirit, and his love for the creative process. We are humbled to be among the stewards of his remarkable legacy, which will continue to guide the institute in perpetuity.”

    Redford’s own journey was a Hollywood script in itself. Born Charles Robert Redford Jr in Santa Monica in 1936, he dabbled in art and baseball before studying acting in New York. Early TV work led to Broadway acclaim in Barefoot in the Park and a breakout film role opposite Paul Newman in 1969’s Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. That began a decade of defining performances—Jeremiah Johnson, The Way We Were, The Great Gatsby, Three Days of the Condor—culminating in his dual role as producer and star of All the President’s Men.

    His later career was equally varied. He played a weathered baseball hero in The Natural, an adventurous lover in Out of Africa, and delivered a near-silent tour de force in All Is Lost (2013). He even joined the Marvel franchise as the duplicitous Alexander Pierce.

    A lifelong environmentalist and liberal voice, Redford campaigned against the Keystone XL pipeline and championed documentaries exposing political and ecological failings. Honours flowed: an honorary Oscar in 2002, a lifetime achievement Golden Lion in Venice in 2017, a César in 2019 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Barack Obama in 2016.

    The Sundance Institute’s tribute captures the consensus on his influence: “Thank you for your participation in our work that carries on Bob’s mission and vision,” the letter concluded. “The vibrant storytelling landscape we cherish today is unimaginable without his passionate drive and principled leadership.”

    Redford is survived by his wife Sibylle Szaggars, daughters Shauna Schlosser Redford and Amy Redford, and seven grandchildren—an enduring family legacy to match the cinematic one that bears his name.

  • Sreeleela shines in Chicnutrix’s ‘Glow Mode On’ campaign, blending science with beauty

    Sreeleela shines in Chicnutrix’s ‘Glow Mode On’ campaign, blending science with beauty

    MUMBAI: Chicnutrix, India’s leading beauty and wellness nutrition brand, has unveiled its new campaign ‘Glow mode on’ featuring Telugu actor Sreeleela. With her radiant persona, strong youth appeal, and authentic approach to wellness, Sreeleela brings charm and credibility as the face of Chicnutrix, making her the ideal advocate for beauty and nutrition backed by science.

    Today’s skincare consumer is ingredient-conscious and seeks solutions that are effective and clinically validated. ‘Glow mode on’ reflects this demand with Chicnutrix glow, powered by Opitac Glutathione from Japan, the global gold standard in skin health, along with Vitamin C. Together, these ingredients target dullness, pigmentation, and uneven tone, delivering brighter, clearer, and naturally radiant skin from within.

    The campaign blends live action with Japanese anime to create a striking visual narrative. In the film, Sreeleela appears as a radiant force whose Glow transforms into a shield, defeating the villains of pigmentation and dullness, protecting her from external stressors, and amplifying her inner beauty.

    Chicnutrix, ceo, Shilpa Khanna Thakkar said, “Glow Mode On isn’t just a campaign, it’s a movement that speaks to every modern woman who knows true beauty starts from within. With Sreeleela, we have the perfect face to deliver this message with both glamour and credibility. She represents the balance of science and style that Chicnutrix stands for.”

    Speaking about her association, Sreeleela said, “For me, true beauty is about feeling confident in your own skin, inside and out. Chicnutrix glow combines clinically proven ingredients like Opitac glutathione and Vitamin C in a way that is simple, fun, and effective. I am delighted to be part of this campaign that encourages women to switch their Glow Mode On and embrace wellness as a lifestyle.”

    The ‘Glow Mode On’ campaign is now live across social media platforms, carrying the bold message that with Chicnutrix: Glow mode on is equal to skin problems off.

  • RR Kabel serves up power as title sponsor of Prime Volleyball League

    RR Kabel serves up power as title sponsor of Prime Volleyball League

    MUMBAI: Talk about an electrifying partnership RR Kabel has spiked into the spotlight as the Title Sponsor of the Prime Volleyball League powered by Scapia, just in time for its fourth edition. The announcement was made in Mumbai, where RR Kabel’s leadership sealed the deal alongside league organisers, unveiling the official match ball with plenty of flair.

    The tournament, set to begin 2 October 2025 in Hyderabad, will see 10 teams including debutants Goa Guardians battle it out across 38 matches and 21 action-packed days. The defending champions, Calicut Heroes, will face off against hosts Hyderabad Black Hawks in the opening clash. The stakes climb as the top four sides advance to the semi-finals on 24 October, with the grand finale scheduled for 26 October. Fans can catch all the high-energy action live on Sony Sports Network and the league’s Youtube channel.

    For RR Kabel, one of India’s leading wire and cable manufacturers, the tie-up is more than just branding, it’s about plugging into the spirit of sport. “Volleyball embodies energy, teamwork, and resilience values that resonate strongly with our brand,” said RR Global director Kirti Kabra calling the partnership “historic”. RR Kabel CMO Shishir Sharma added that the title sponsorship is a “commitment to fuelling India’s youthful, forward-looking spirit” through sport.

    The league itself has been steadily growing in scale and appeal. Baseline Ventures MD & co-founder Tuhin Mishra hailed the deal as proof of volleyball’s rising commercial traction. With RR Kabel on board, he believes Season 4 will deliver bigger visibility, more opportunities for players, and an expanding fan base across the country.

    From double-headers to do-or-die finals, the RR Kabel Prime Volleyball League is gearing up to be India’s most electrifying sporting festival this October, a season where the game, quite literally, runs on power.

  • Kaya finds its true glow with Fatima Sana Shaikh as brand ambassador

    Kaya finds its true glow with Fatima Sana Shaikh as brand ambassador

    MUMBAI: When science meets stardom, the glow is hard to miss. Marico Limited has announced actor Fatima Sana Shaikh as the new brand ambassador for its Kaya range of skincare products, bringing together 20-plus years of dermatological expertise and a star known for her bold, authentic persona.

    Kaya, trusted for formulations designed specifically for Indian skin, boasts a portfolio of over 75 products spanning acne care, sun protection, anti-ageing, pigmentation, hair, and body solutions. The brand’s dermat-led approach aims to simplify routines while delivering visible results cutting through the clutter of skincare trends that often leave consumers confused.

    For Marico, the move signals a fresh chapter for Kaya. Marico executive vice president and head of beauty & styling digital business Akash Banerji said Fatima embodies “confidence, relatability, and a progressive take on beauty,” qualities that resonate with today’s informed yet overwhelmed skincare audience. He added that Kaya’s mission remains simple: science should empower, not complicate.

    Fatima echoed this sentiment, saying Kaya stood out because it “cuts through the noise” with products co-created with dermatologists and built on trust. For her, authentic beauty is about confidence and clarity, not chasing fleeting trends.

    With this partnership, Kaya looks to sharpen its storytelling edge while reinforcing its credibility as a science-backed, results-driven skincare brand. In an industry crowded with quick fixes, its pitch is clear, stop second-guessing, trust the experts, and let confidence be the true glow-up.

  • Pee Safe’s new DVC champions toilet hygiene, one spray at a time

    Pee Safe’s new DVC champions toilet hygiene, one spray at a time

    MUMBAI: Think your spotless toilet at home is squeaky clean? Think again. Pee Safe, India’s leading hygiene and wellness brand, is out to change the way the country views bathroom hygiene with its new digital video campaign: “Hygiene ki aadat banao, Pee Safe ke saath.”

    This isn’t just another health PSA. It’s a call for a culture shift. The campaign highlights a blind spot in everyday hygiene: while people are cautious about using public toilets, they often overlook the invisible germs lurking on toilet seats in their own homes.

    “A toilet that looks clean can still be teeming with bacteria,” said Pee Safe, founder, Vikas Bagaria. “We want people to understand that hygiene doesn’t end at what the eye can see. Sanitising toilet seats should be as routine as brushing your teeth.”

    Backed by data showing India’s female workforce participation rising to 40.3% in 2023–24, the campaign also underscores the increased exposure to shared work and public restrooms. With more women navigating dynamic environments, Pee Safe is championing a hygiene habit that supports both health and confidence.

    But the initiative isn’t just for office-goers or commuters. It’s inclusive and family-focused, targeting everyone: men, women, and children with a simple, powerful message: sanitisation is self-care.

    By encouraging Indians to adopt toilet seat sanitisation as a daily ritual, the campaign aims to make the act as instinctive as washing hands. With this bold push, Pee Safe hopes to spray away old habits and usher in a new era of mindful, everyday hygiene.

  • India streams ahead with 601 million OTT users in Ormax 2025 report

    India streams ahead with 601 million OTT users in Ormax 2025 report

    MUMBAI: When it comes to streaming, India is no longer buffering, it’s booming. Ormax Media has unveiled the fifth edition of The Ormax OTT Audience Report: 2025, pegging the country’s OTT universe at a staggering 601.2 million viewers (60.12 crore), or 41.1 per cent of India’s population.

    The report, based on a robust survey of 15,600 respondents across urban and rural India in June and July 2025, defines an OTT audience as anyone who has watched at least one online video free or paid in the past month. While the audience base grew by 10 per cent year-on-year, the rate is slightly slower than the 13–14 per cent surge in 2023 and 2024.

    Paid subscriptions are also gaining ground, with 148.2 million active subscriptions (including telecom bundles and aggregator deals) recorded in the report. Meanwhile, the most dramatic growth has come from the living room: India’s Connected TV user base now stands at 129.2 million, translating to 35–40 million homes, marking a jaw-dropping 87 per cent jump in just a year.

    Ormax Media Founder & CEO Shailesh Kapoor said the Connected TV surge was a turning point: “India has long been regarded as mobile-first, but this sharp rise in CTV usage signals a paradigm shift in viewing behaviour.”

    Since its launch in 2021, the Ormax OTT Audience Report has become the industry’s go-to yardstick. This year’s edition goes further, adding fresh parameters on time spent, preferred languages, content formats, and media habits. Ormax head of business development (streaming, Tv & brands) Keerat Grewal said these updates were driven by industry feedback: “The 2025 edition widens the scope, complementing business and monetisation insights with a richer picture of content consumption.”

    The full report, available on subscription, is aimed at streaming platforms, advertisers, media agencies, investors, and production houses, offering a data-backed lens on the ever-expanding OTT ecosystem.