Gurugram: Blinkit has elevated Tulasi Mohan Padavala to associate director, capping a three-year climb inside the quick-commerce firm and signalling confidence in an executive steeped in ecommerce, category management and on-ground sales execution.

Padavala shared the update publicly, saying he was “happy to share” the promotion, a succinct announcement that nevertheless marks a notable step up within one of India’s fastest-moving delivery platforms. The new role follows nearly three years at Blinkit, where he most recently served as senior category manager from February 2023 to January 2026, focusing on strategic sourcing and assortment planning.

The promotion places Padavala in Blinkit’s mid-to-senior leadership tier at a time when the company continues to expand its rapid-delivery footprint and sharpen category economics. His brief tenure as associate director began in January 2026, with responsibilities expected to span category growth, supplier strategy and cross-functional execution.

Before Blinkit, Padavala spent a short but intensive stint as global ecommerce manager at Wholsum Foods, the parent of Slurrp Farm and Millé, between November 2022 and February 2023. There he worked on digital marketplace expansion and online retail operations, adding a direct-to-consumer and international ecommerce layer to his résumé.

A longer stretch at Amazon shaped much of his cross-border commerce experience. As business development manager for Amazon’s India Global Selling programme from February 2021 to October 2022, Padavala helped Indian D2C brands enter the North American market. His remit ranged from seller recruitment and category revenue management to coordination with industry bodies, regulators and logistics partners. Key outcomes included launching more than 50 D2C consumable brands in the United States, driving a cumulative gross merchandise sales figure of $1m in FY21-22, tripling sales for participating brands during Prime Day through marketing and visibility levers, growing the monthly recurring revenue of more than 10 newly launched sellers from zero to an average $20,000 each, and negotiating ecommerce partnerships that reduced initial launch costs by 20 per cent.

Padavala’s earlier career was forged in the field rather than the dashboard. At Coffee Day Group, he spent close to five years across multiple sales leadership roles. As sales manager in the Greater Delhi Area from July 2019 to January 2021, he led vending-machine and consumables sales for small and medium enterprises with a team of more than 15 assistant and territory sales managers, managed over 2,000 clients, drove upselling and cross-selling, maintained channel partnerships and ensured timely collections. Prior to that, he served as area sales manager in Delhi between May 2018 and June 2019, handling south and east Delhi markets, and earlier in Hyderabad from April 2016 to May 2018, where he led Andhra Pradesh sales for the vending division, supervised service and logistics functions and managed a base of more than 600 machines with a four-member team.

His professional arc began with internships that combined analytics and process improvement. At Boehringer Ingelheim in 2015, Padavala analysed the impact of brand extension on the drug Pradaxa, identified key performance indicators through market research and assessed sales forecasts, recommendations that drew positive responses in pilot studies. Earlier, at Genpact in 2014, he automated manual sales-order backlog reporting using VBA and Excel, increasing efficiency by 800 per cent, and worked on benchmarking metrics within supply-chain planning processes.

From automating spreadsheets to scaling cross-border ecommerce and now steering quick-commerce categories, Padavala’s trajectory tracks the evolution of India’s retail economy itself. Blinkit’s bet is clear: blend data, discipline and delivery speed. The promotion formalises what his career already suggests. In the race for instant commerce, experience that moves from warehouse floors to global dashboards is no longer optional. It is the engine.

MUMBAI: When the stakes rise and seconds matter, even payments need a match-winning finish. That’s the cue for Bharatpe, which has rolled out Super Over, a nationwide campaign led by Indian cricket captain Rohit Sharma, timed neatly ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.

The campaign draws a straight line between the pulse of cricket and the pace of everyday digital payments. A new brand film taps into India’s emotional bond with the game, while positioning UPI as the quiet hero that keeps daily transactions ticking along at match speed.

As part of Super Over, users making payments via Bharatpe UPI can bag daily rewards ranging from match tickets and signed merchandise to a chance to watch a T20 World Cup fixture alongside Rohit Sharma himself. Both consumers and merchants are also assured Zillion Coins on every eligible transaction, adding a little extra sparkle to routine payments.

Behind the scenes, Bharatpe is also batting for safety. The platform is backed by Bharatpe Shield, a fraud-protection layer designed to offer enhanced security, comprehensive coverage and dedicated support aimed at helping users transact with greater confidence as digital payments scale up.

Announcing the campaign, Bharatpe head of marketing Shilpi Kapoor said Super Over mirrors the aspirations of everyday Indians, combining speed, security and instant rewards to make UPI transactions feel both reliable and rewarding.

The campaign will play out across digital platforms, social media and on-ground activations nationwide, staying live through the T20 World Cup season proof that in cricket, as in payments, timing is everything.

MUMBAI: The final weekend of January 2026 has arrived, bringing with it a bittersweet transition in the world of entertainment. While we mourn the passing of the legendary Catherine O’Hara, we also celebrate the staggering wealth of storytelling currently available at our fingertips. If you are looking to lose yourself in a new world without the daunting commitment of a decade-long saga, we have curated the perfect selection.

From rain-soaked Mumbai alleys to the sun-drenched gardens of Regency London, these are the 10 must-watch series this weekend. Each selection is limited to just one or two seasons, making them the ideal candidate for a focused, high-quality binge-watch.

The fresh hits

• A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms (HBO / JioCinema)

Set a century before the events of Game of Thrones, this series follows Ser Duncan the Tall (Peter Claffey) and his squire, Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell). Unlike the grand dragons and dynastic wars of its predecessors, this is a grounded, adventurous tale of chivalry and friendship. Having premiered on 19 January, it has been praised for bringing a much-needed warmth to Westeros.

• Daldal (Amazon Prime Video)

In this 7-episode thriller released on 30 January, Bhumi Pednekar stars as DCP Rita Ferreira. This isn’t just a police procedural; it is a psychological dive into a woman balancing the hunt for a cold-blooded serial killer with the heavy shadows of her own past and PTSD. It is raw, unflinching, and currently the most talked-about crime drama in India.

• The Death of Bunny Munro (Sky / HBO)

Matt Smith delivers a tour de force in this 6-part adaptation of Nick Cave’s novel. As Bunny Munro, a self-destructive, sex-addicted salesman, he takes his young son on a doomed road trip across the south coast of England following his wife’s suicide. It is a brutal yet deeply poetic look at flawed masculinity and grief.

• Sarvam Maya (JioHotstar)

Nivin Pauly returns to top form in this supernatural Malayalam comedy that dropped on 30 January. He plays Prabhendu, an atheist musician who reluctantly assists a priest with an exorcism, only to be haunted by a “Gen-Z ghost” named Delulu (Riya Shibu). It is a clever, quirky investigation into memory and modern relationships.

• Ponies (Apple TV+)

Set in 1977 Moscow, this espionage thriller follows two American widows—played by Emilia Clarke and Haley Lu Richardson—who go undercover as CIA “ponies” (secretaries) after their husbands are killed on a mission. It is a stylish, 8-episode binge that blends Cold War tension with sharp, character-driven wit.

The returning favourites

• The Night Manager: Season 2 (BBC / Disney+ Hotstar)

A decade after his first mission, Tom Hiddleston’s Jonathan Pine is back. The second season picks up with Pine being pulled out of his quiet life to face a new, high-stakes threat in the global arms trade. Olivia Colman also returns as the indomitable Angela Burr, ensuring the stakes remain as high as ever.

• Fallout: Season 2 (Amazon Prime Video)

The wasteland expands as the narrative shifts toward New Vegas. Ella Purnell and Walton Goggins return to navigate the bizarre and brutal remnants of human civilisation. Expect more of the dark humour and retro-futuristic gore that made the first season a runaway success.

• The Pitt: Season 2 (Max)

Noah Wyle leads this intense medical drama that focuses on the daily grind of a Pittsburgh hospital. Season 2 delves deeper into the systemic failures of modern healthcare while keeping the focus on the poignant, personal lives of the ER staff. It is the “ER” successor fans have been waiting for.

• Hijack: Season 2 (Apple TV+)

Idris Elba’s Sam Nelson finds himself in the middle of another high-tension crisis. While the first season took place entirely in the air, the second season applies the same real-time pressure to a new environment, proving that Nelson’s skills as a corporate negotiator are just as deadly on the ground.

The heart of the weekend

• Schitt’s Creek (Netflix / Amazon)

Though this beloved series technically ran for six seasons, the first two seasons serve as a perfect standalone arc of a family losing everything only to find each other. In light of Catherine O’Hara’s passing, there is no more poignant way to spend your weekend than watching her transform Moira Rose into a global icon of resilience and avant-garde fashion.

Whether you choose the gritty realism of a Mumbai precinct or the sharp wit of the Rose family, this weekend offers a chance to see some of the finest acting of the modern era.