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Trumping India

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MUMBAI: From Bollywood to cricket and terrorism to defence, US president Donald Trump made an attempt to woo Indians and send a positive message back home to the Indian-Americans in his 26-minute-long speech during an event ‘Namaste Trump’.

The event, Namaste Trump, is considered to be strategically important to Trump as the US presidential elections are slated later this year. Seeking a second term in office, he has been trying to create positive vibes and raise his brand value across the globe which eventually could have an impact back home. In the US, as many as 40 lakh people Indian-Americans are crucial, capable of swaying votes in his favour.

Media pundits and experts are of the opinion that Trump’s India visit is a well-calculated marketing initiative.  

Havas Media chief executive officer Anita Nayyar said: “Indian-Americans are contributing a lot to the US economy and could be the potential campaign fundraisers.”

Nayyar believes it was a well-planned marketing gambit of Team Trump to come to India a few months ahead of the presidential elections to woo the Indians and the Indo-Americans back home. It may be recalled that in 2018, the US president turned down India’s request to be a chief guest for the Republic Day event.

She adds: “Trump talked about India very well in his address. He talked about Indian festivals and the country’s cultural diversity. He also touched upon topics such as movies, cricket – all those good aspects where India is progressing.”

Trump quite often has a habit of making loose comments, which can have repercussions, at domestic and international levels. “I was quite surprised that Trump remembered and touched upon all the areas where the Modi government has made progress,” explains Nayyar.

Literally playing to the gallery and earning the applause of the cheering crowd at Motera stadium, the US president eulogised Bollywood and mentioned Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge and Sholay. He very well struck a chord with the audience by talking about cricket, which is almost like a religion to the masses. He also mentioned the cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar and the Team India skipper Virat Kohli in his speech.

Despite facing problems in pronunciation, Trump also praised the work of Swami Vivekananda and Sardar Patel in his speech. He also lauded India’s effort to reach the moon’s southern pole.

The president’s popularity in India has soared to 56 per cent from 14 per cent since his candidacy in 2016, a Pew Research poll said in a report. Nayyar says: “The sole credit for the increase in confidence within Indians for Trump goes to Modi as their bonhomie has been quite visible for the last few years.”

The president, all along with his speech, kept praising India, Indians and prime minister Modi and his government’s work. “India will hold a very special place in our hearts,” he said. “America loves India, America respects India and America will always be a loyal and faithful friend to Indian people.”

Nayyar also said that it was expected that Trump would speak on the common problem shared by both the two nations: terrorism. Trump in his speech said: “India and the US are committed to fighting terrorists and their ideology; that is why my government is working with Pakistan to crack down on terror groups.”

Moreover, on defence strategy, he also announced an over $3 billion military deal between the two nations that would be signed on Tuesday. “The Indian armed forces will get the absolute finest state-of-the-art military helicopters and other equipment through this deal,” he said.

Echoing Nayyar’s views, Dentsu Aegis Network’s chief executive officer Anand Bhadkamkar says: “Trump is a great marketer and he understands the pulse exactly where to reach out. He definitely will make use of every  opportunity he comes across.”

He believes that the recent visit to India could be termed as Trump’s approach to woo Indians in India as well as in America. “Indian-Americans are quite large in the US and this visit cannot only be seen as the upcoming US election agenda, but an enhancement of bilateral and trade relations between India and the US.”

“Trump is a quite sharp businessman and great politician, which he has proved in the last few years. Trump as a brand has great value and people do respect him for what he’s creating. He has maintained what he was before and he’s very conscious and aware of the same,” says Bhadkamkar.  

The Namaste Trump event is a return gift to the US president. “Five months ago, the United States welcomed your great Prime Minister at a giant football stadium in Texas and today India welcomes us at the world's largest cricket stadium right here in Ahmedabad,” Trump said in his address.

Quid Pro quo?

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Delhivery chairman Deepak Kapoor, independent director Saugata Gupta quit board

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Gurugram: Delhivery’s boardroom is being reset. Deepak Kapoor, chairman and independent director, has resigned with effect from April 1 as part of a planned board reconstitution, the logistics company said in an exchange filing. Saugata Gupta, managing director and chief executive of FMCG major Marico and an independent director on Delhivery’s board, has also stepped down.

Kapoor exits after an eight-year stint that included steering the company through its 2022 stock-market debut, a period that saw Delhivery transform from a venture-backed upstart into one of India’s most visible logistics platforms. Gupta, who joined the board in 2021, departs alongside him, marking a simultaneous clearing of two senior independent seats.

“Deepak and Saugata have been instrumental in our process of recognising the need for and enabling the reconstitution of the board of directors in line with our ambitious next phase of growth,” said Sahil Barua, managing director and chief executive, Delhivery. The statement frames the exits less as departures and more as deliberate succession, a boardroom shuffle timed to the company’s evolving scale and strategy.

The resignations arrive amid broader governance recalibration. In 2025, Delhivery appointed Emcure Pharmaceuticals whole-time director Namita Thapar, PB Fintech founder and chairman Yashish Dahiya, and IIM Bangalore faculty member Padmini Srinivasan as independent directors, signalling a tilt towards consumer, fintech and academic expertise at the board level.

Kapoor’s tenure spanned Delhivery’s most defining years, rapid network expansion, public listing and the push towards profitability in a bruising logistics market. Gupta’s presence brought FMCG and brand-scale perspective during a period when ecommerce volumes and last-mile delivery economics were being rewritten.

The twin exits, effective from the new financial year, underscore a familiar corporate rhythm: founders consolidate, veterans rotate out, and fresh voices are ushered in to script the next chapter. In India’s hyper-competitive logistics race, even the boardroom does not stand still.

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Brnd.me enters Europe as haircare brands power global expansion

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Bengaluru:  Brnd.me, the global consumer brands company formerly known as Mensa Brands, has entered the European market following strong momentum across the Middle East, the United States and Canada.

The company has launched across the UK, Germany, France and Spain, with plans to expand into Italy, the Netherlands and Poland over the next year. The push is being led by its haircare and aromatherapy brands, Botanic Hearth and Majestic Pure, marking Brnd.me’s first structured expansion into Europe.

The European beauty market represents a total addressable opportunity of over $4 billion across haircare and aromatherapy, supported by high digital adoption and demand for accessible, performance-led products.

Brnd.me’s hair care and aromatherapy business currently operates at an annual run rate of around $6 million, with Botanic Hearth and Majestic Pure delivering roughly 10 per cent month-on-month growth, driven by expansion and rising repeat demand.

To support regional growth, the company has appointed a general manager based in Germany and is evaluating investments in warehousing and local team expansion.

Early traction has been strong. Within weeks of launch, Botanic Hearth’s rosemary hair oil ranked among the top five hair oils in Germany, signalling strong consumer pull in a competitive market.

Brnd.me founder and chief executive officer Ananth Narayanan, said Europe represents the next phase of the company’s international strategy. He added that the European business is expected to scale to a $10 million annual run rate by the end of 2026, with long-term ambitions to reach $60 million over the next six years.

The company’s Europe strategy centres on digital-first distribution, repeat demand and TikTok-led discovery, alongside direct-to-consumer expansion to strengthen brand equity and margins.

The move also aligns with growing EU–India trade engagement, supporting long-term sourcing and cross-border supply chains.

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TechnoSport taps quick commerce with launch on Slikk’s 60-minute platform

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NATIONAL: TechnoSport has launched on Slikk, the ultra-fast fashion app offering 60-minute delivery, as the activewear brand accelerates its push into quick commerce to capture Gen Z and young millennial shoppers.

The debut brings more than 150 high-performance styles to Slikk’s platform, with an average selling price of Rs 450, expanding TechnoSport’s reach across over 80 pin codes.

The partnership follows strong momentum for TechnoSport across Q-commerce channels, where the brand has recorded around 60 per cent volume growth over the past six months. The company expects quick commerce to contribute nearly 20 per cent of its revenue in the coming years as hyperlocal delivery gains scale.

Slikk, which recently raised $3.2 million in seed funding led by Lightspeed, has rapidly gained popularity among youth consumers seeking speed, trend relevance and impulse-led shopping experiences.

Activewear remains one of Slikk’s fastest-growing categories, driven by shoppers increasingly treating fitness-led fashion as an everyday essential. The platform has reported a 30-fold year-on-year increase in items sold, reflecting rising demand for performance wear that blends comfort with style.

TechnoSport chief executive officer Puspen Maity, said the collaboration would help the brand engage more closely with young consumers whose fashion choices are shaped by instant needs and lifestyle aspirations. He added that rapid delivery bridges the gap between intent and purchase, allowing shoppers to access activewear exactly when they want it.

 

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