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  • The Body Shop sparks joy with marigold glow and changemaking Diwali gifts

    The Body Shop sparks joy with marigold glow and changemaking Diwali gifts

    MUMBAI: Diwali just got a fresh coat of glow and this time it’s painted marigold. The Body Shop has rolled out the third edition of its award-winning initiative, Spark A Change 3.0, with a stirring festive film starring Saachi Bindra and Saiee M Manjrekar and the launch of a limited-edition Marigold Bodycare range. The campaign puts kindness at the heart of celebration, showing how the smallest acts can light up not just homes, but lives.

    At the centre of this season’s sparkle is the Marigold Bodycare collection, part of The India Edit. Inspired by the flower synonymous with prosperity and new beginnings, the line includes a Shower Gel, Body Lotion and Body Mist with a warm, earthy fragrance. Priced from Rs 495 onwards, the collection sits alongside the brand’s colourful Changemaking Gifts, wrapped in festive hues of marigold, pink, green and red.

    The campaign film carries an intergenerational narrative, weaving belonging and empathy into a traditional Diwali moment. “With Spark A Change 3.0, we are building on our legacy of beauty with purpose,” said The Body Shop India chief brand officer Harmeet Singh. “Our collaboration with Plastics for Change shows how conscious business can transform lives and protect the planet.”

    The partnership with Plastics for Change (PFC), based in Bengaluru now the world’s largest source of fair trade-verified recycled plastic continues to power the social impact of Spark A Change. Last year’s edition funded donations equivalent to 19 E-tricycles for waste collectors. This year, the brand aims to expand that drive, giving collectors safer and more sustainable ways to earn a living.

    For the actors, the campaign’s message resonates beyond the screen. “It reminds us that even the smallest acts of inclusion can light up someone’s life,” said Saiee M Manjrekar. Saachi Bindra added: “Spark A Change 3.0 goes beyond gifting, it creates real impact. The Marigold range feels pure and rejoicing, a perfect festive gift.”

    From customisable gift sets to pre-packed hampers and gift cards, The Body Shop is offering treats that combine indulgence with intent. Beyond festive shimmer, the initiative stands as a reminder that beauty, when matched with purpose, can truly spark change, one marigold-tinted act at a time.

  • Roadcast launches India’s first made-in-India alcohol breath analyser

    Roadcast launches India’s first made-in-India alcohol breath analyser

    MUMBAI: Roadcast, a saas-based, hardware-agnostic tracking platform backed by Jubilant Foodworks, has unveiled India’s first fully homegrown alcohol breath analyser. The launch marks a significant leap in road and workplace safety, as well as a push for indigenous innovation under the ‘Make in India’ vision.

    Compact and easy to use, the device integrates with Roadcast’s telematics system to prevent vehicle ignition if a driver is intoxicated. Real-time data is simultaneously transmitted to fleet administrators, making it a powerful tool for transport companies, government fleets, taxis, ambulances and public transport operators. Beyond roads, it can also be deployed in warehouses, factories and offices, with features such as facial recognition for attendance management combined with alcohol detection.

    “With this launch, our aim is to make safety proactive rather than reactive,” said Roadcast, co-founder & ceo, Vishal Jain. “The alcohol breath analyser is not only technologically advanced but also proudly made in India. It brings accountability into everyday operations while demonstrating India’s ability to create lasting impact on society and industry.”

    The launch comes at a time of rising global demand for alcohol detection technologies. The global breath analyser market is projected to grow from 715.5 million dollars in 2024 to 1,154.3 million dollars by 2034 (CAGR 4.9 per cent), while India’s market is expected to expand at an even faster 8.2 per cent CAGR. Roadcast has set itself a milestone of one million dollars in business from this product over the next two years and is targeting two times overall growth by adding safety tech to its portfolio.

    Unlike conventional alcohol tests that rely on blood or urine samples, Roadcast’s analyser offers a non-invasive, on-the-spot solution. Historical data storage and reporting further enhance compliance, making it especially valuable for industries with strict safety mandates.

    By tackling one of India’s most pressing road safety issues like drunk driving and extending safety standards into workplaces, Roadcast is positioning its new solution as more than just a product. It’s a public safety tool designed to save lives and set new benchmarks for responsible mobility.

  • Dalet calls on Dalia as AI agent rewrites rules of media operations

    Dalet calls on Dalia as AI agent rewrites rules of media operations

    MUMBAI: In an industry where seconds can make or break a story, Dalet has decided it’s time to give newsrooms, broadcasters and content creators a smarter sidekick. Meet Dalia not just another chatbot, but the new agentic AI brain unifying the entire Dalet ecosystem.

    Announced ahead of IBC 2025 (Hall 7, Stand 7.A43), Dalia sits at the heart of Dalet Flex, Pyramid, Instream, Brio and Amberfin, offering media professionals a single conversational-style interface to handle the messy sprawl of ingest, production, rights management, distribution and archiving. Think less dashboard juggling, more “just ask and it’s done.”

    “From day one, we’ve pushed ourselves to deliver a truly user-centric experience,” said Dalet chief product & Technology Officer Stephen Garland. “What we’re unveiling isn’t just another tool. It’s intelligence beyond an agent, an assistant that unifies our entire ecosystem under one natural conversation.”

    Unlike generic LLM chatbots, Dalia is “media aware” trained not on customer data but on Dalet’s own orchestration and media engine. That means secure, task-specific smarts: it can search, clip, transcode, package or trigger review workflows without users leaving the chat. Early trials show that complex operations once requiring multiple tools can now be executed end-to-end in a single request.

    The roots of this breakthrough lie in Dalet’s in-house “Skunk Works” experiment, led by Erwan Kerfourn with Matteo De Martinis and Aaron Kroger. Operating like a startup within the company, the team moved at “breakneck speed”, turning bold ideas into a production-ready innovation without derailing day-to-day operations.

    “Dalia feels less like software and more like a savvy colleague,” said Kerfourn. “It eliminates friction from workflows and gives customers new freedom to create, sell, distribute and publish faster than ever.”

    The launch comes as the media sector wrestles with increasingly fragmented workflows. A recent survey found that comms and media professionals juggle an average of 11 different tools daily, with 68 per cent citing fragmentation as their biggest productivity killer. Dalet is betting that its AI-driven assistant can reclaim both time and sanity by collapsing silos into one conversational layer.

    For media companies, the implications are huge: streamlined operations, faster time-to-air, and a new way of working that feels less like fighting software and more like talking to a trusted colleague.

    With Dalia, Dalet isn’t just plugging AI into media, it’s inviting media to talk back.

  • Sponsors hit it out of the park at DP World Asia Cup 2025

    Sponsors hit it out of the park at DP World Asia Cup 2025

    MUMBAI: The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) has unveiled a formidable line-up of sponsors for this year’s tournament, led by title sponsor DP World. Joining the roster are Wonder Cement, Spinny, Hero MotoCorp, Beyond Developments, Haier, Vimal Elaichi, Ozone Locks, Hero FinCorp, Havells, and Groww. The partnerships have been brokered by TCM Sports, the sports marketing firm with a three-decade legacy of landmark cricket alliances.

    The men’s Asia Cup, running from 9 to 28 September, will see eight nations battle it out in the high-octane T20 format. With packed stadiums, fierce rivalries and a broadcast reach expected to run into hundreds of millions, the tournament promises one of its most competitive editions yet.

    ACC President Mohsin Naqvi said, “The DP World Asia Cup is the heartbeat of cricket in Asia. It’s a stage where champions rise, rivalries ignite, and fans unite. We are delighted to have a dynamic mix of sponsors across categories and welcome them all as partners.” [sic]

    TCM Sports, md, Lokesh Sharma added, “Participation of globally renowned sponsors is an acknowledgment of the stature of the Asia Cup. Beginning with this edition, we are placing more emphasis on fan engagement and grassroots development.”
     

  • Technogym brings Italian design-led fitness to India with first boutique launch

    Technogym brings Italian design-led fitness to India with first boutique launch

    MUMBAI: Technogym, the Italian fitness and wellness giant, has officially stepped into India with the launch of its first boutique: a sleek space designed to showcase the brand’s award-winning equipment and immersive training experiences.

    Founded in 1983 by Nerio Alessandri in his family garage, Technogym has grown into a global benchmark for design-driven fitness. Its products are as much about style as performance, seamlessly fitting into living rooms, home gyms, offices and commercial fitness centres. Take the Technogym bench, for instance: a compact, elegantly designed unit that conceals all the essential tools for a full-body workout without cluttering a space.

    The brand’s dedication to marrying form and function has won it global recognition, including the If design award, good design award and red dot design award. Trusted by elite athletes and professional teams, from Formula 1 to leading football clubs, Technogym has also been the official supplier to nine Olympic games, most recently Paris 2024 and the Paralympics.

    The new Indian boutique offers a hands-on experience of Technogym’s most iconic products, all crafted in Italy. Highlights include:

    ‘Technogym Run’ is a high-performance, whisper-quiet treadmill that blends running with strength training and ‘Technogym Ride’ is developed with cycling champions, it features a 22-inch immersive screen and seamless integration with top training apps.

    Technogym’s ethos is rooted in precision and biomechanics, ensuring workouts that are effective, safe and tailored to everyone from elite athletes to fitness beginners or those with specific health needs. With over four decades of expertise, the brand is now looking to transform India’s fitness culture by combining luxury, science and innovation.

    “Technogym has always believed fitness is more than exercise, it’s a lifestyle,” said the company in a statement. “Our Indian boutique brings that philosophy to life, inviting enthusiasts, athletes and professionals to experience the future of wellness first-hand.”

  • MIPCOM Cannes 2025 puts creators centre stage

    MIPCOM Cannes 2025 puts creators centre stage

    PARIS: Mipcom Cannes is recasting itself as the global meeting ground for the creator economy, unveiling a 13–16 October programme that director Lucy Smith calls “the biggest generational shift the market has ever seen”. She declared the creator economy “no longer emerging—it’s arrived”, signalling a fresh era for storytelling, distribution and monetisation.

    The scale remains vast: organisers expect more than 10,500 delegates from over 100 countries to pack the Palais des Festivals and surrounding beachfront. Joining the traditional powerhouses—Disney, Warner Bros Discovery, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Paramount Global, Banijay, BBC Studios, ZDF Studios and ITV Studios—are creator-led platforms and digital natives such as YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat, Dhar Mann Studios, Tubi, Samsung TV Plus and Luma AI. Big advertisers and agencies including Mattel, Toys“R”Us, Ancestry, Dentsu and McCann are coming to broker brand-funded projects.

    YouTube mounts its most ambitious presence yet: a dedicated space on the Croisette, daily workshops and a headline keynote with EMEA vice-president Pedro Pina and BBC Studios digital chief Jasmine Dawson in conversation with industry analyst Evan Shapiro. The rebadged MIP Creative Hub—formerly the Producers Hub—will host four days of matchmaking between creators, studios and brands.

    Fresh summits aim to blur the lines between TV, tech and social platforms. The BrandStorytelling Summit, imported from Sundance, will showcase how advertisers and digital talent collaborate on narrative campaigns. The Innovation Lab expands with an AI summit and new demo areas for cloud production, virtual sets and immersive formats. Panels will dissect monetisation models from Fast and AVoD to direct-to-fan subscriptions.

    MIPJunior, the kids’ pre-market on 11–12 October, moves into the Palais for the first time, offering dedicated matchmaking and a premiere of Ki & Hi in the Panda Kingdom, based on Kevin Tran’s best-selling manga.
    High-wattage speakers include Mattel Studios president Robbie Brenner, Banijay chief Marco Bassetti, Mediawan Pictures CEO Elisabeth d’Arvieu and Toys“R”Us CMO Kim Miller Olko, alongside creators Callum “Callux” McGinley and Dhar Mann. World premieres on the main stage feature Paramount’s Boston Blue, ZDF’s Ku’damm 77 and a Sony preview of The Miniature Wife, with cast members Donnie Wahlberg, Sonequa Martin-Green and Matthew Macfadyen expected.

    By weaving creators into every strand—from keynotes to co-production hubs—MIPCOM is betting that the next wave of global television will be forged as much by YouTubers and TikTokers as by Hollywood studios. The 2025 edition aims to prove that the Croisette can be the crossroads where legacy broadcasters and digital disruptors strike their biggest deals yet.

  • Reelo launches ‘Membership’, a prepaid platform to power restaurant loyalty

    Reelo launches ‘Membership’, a prepaid platform to power restaurant loyalty

    MUMBAI: India’s F&B sector is getting a new loyalty lifeline. Reelo has rolled out ‘Membership’, a prepaid platform that helps restaurants drive recurring revenue while deepening customer relationships.

    The launch comes as restaurants struggle with shrinking margins and high third-party commissions. According to Food Delivery Unwrapped, a report by The Mavericks India, hidden aggregator costs run into thousands of crores each year. ‘Membership’ by Reelo aims to shift the balance back in restaurants’ favour by encouraging direct engagement through prepaid plans and rewards.

    “With Membership, we’re enabling restaurants to generate predictable revenue, build loyalty, and regain control of their customer relationships,” said Reelo, ceo and co-founder, Parin Sanghvi.

    The platform allows restaurants to design custom prepaid programs from coffee subscriptions and festival bundles to prepaid wallets where customers might load 5,000 and unlock 7,500 in spending power. Seamless integration with 35 plus POS systems means automation of sales, redemption and reconciliation at scale.

    Early pilots show promise. NOA by the Nutcracker in Mumbai enrolled 175 plus members in two months, adding over Rs 3 lakh in revenue. Niro in Ahmedabad saw visit frequency nearly double, while The Beer Café has launched its beer ocrat plan targeting Rs 50 lakh in the first month.

    “With loyalty in place, membership was the natural next step,” said NOA, ceo, Gordon D’Souza. “It builds deeper relationships and brings in steady, repeat business.”

    Reelo, which already supports 28,000 plus restaurants across India, the Middle East and Africa, says ‘Membership’ is about more than technology. “We’re catalysing a movement,” Sanghvi added. “This is the future of F&B in India: empowering restaurants to build legacies of loyalty.”

     

  • BGMI digs deep with Stepwell as 4.0 update blends culture and combat

    BGMI digs deep with Stepwell as 4.0 update blends culture and combat

    MUMBAI: Cricket may be India’s favourite sport, but when it comes to battlegrounds, millions are logging in with their squads this time, to fight it out in a Stepwell. Krafton India has rolled out the BGMI 4.0 Update, and its showstopper is Stepwell, a brand-new location on the Erangel map that’s conceived, designed and created entirely in India. This is a first for Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI), with the design borrowing inspiration from the subcontinent’s architectural heritage while reshaping tactical play.

    Unlike the flat plains and predictable ridges of Erangel, the Stepwell is a maze of tiered vertical combat, twisting corridors, sniper-friendly sightlines and ambush corners. High ground advantage collides with claustrophobic traps, forcing squads into close coordination and precision movement. From 18–24 October, the site even turns festive, letting players set off Diwali fireworks mid-match, fusing celebration with combat.

    “This isn’t just a new location, it’s a statement,” said Krafton Inc VP and head of India Publishing Minu Lee. “Stepwell sets a new benchmark for blending cultural inspiration with world-class gameplay.”

    But Stepwell is only one pillar of BGMI’s latest overhaul. The 4.0 Update also introduces:

    . Ghost Gameplay: Players summon spectral allies with active skills like Floating Balloon and Guardian Shield, while passive boosts like Heal, Armorer and Ghost Helm allow even eliminated teammates to remain useful through Spectral Revival mechanics.

    .  Unfail (4v1 Mode): A bold asymmetrical format where one stealth-powered hunter takes on four survivors racing to escape.

    .  Spooky Soiree Seasonal Mode: Complete with Wraithmoor Mansion (a haunted estate of gardens and magic mirrors), The Performing Dead concerts that double as enemy alerts, and interactive ghosts hidden in crates.

    . Magic Broom Vehicle: A flying broom for two, complete with dash and sweeping attack options.

    Alongside, players get new firepower with the Mortar weapon, refreshed Training Camp systems, and rewards at the Diwali Exchange Center (3–23 October). The much-loved Weekend Grind log-in rewards also return, promising purple-tier prizes.

    The update is backed by hard numbers too: according to industry research, comms professionals use an average of 11 tools daily with 68 per cent citing workflow fragmentation as their biggest barrier BGMI is answering a similar call for consolidation by weaving seasonal events, survival modes and India-first design into one package. Early testers have reported richer tactical variety and sharper squad play.

    BGMI has long been more than just a battle royale; it has become a cultural playground. With Stepwell as its India-first landmark, ghostly revivals, and Diwali fireworks lighting up firefights, the 4.0 update proves that battlegrounds can be both a warzone and a festival ground.

    For fans, the message is clear: the battleground just got deeper, darker and more desi.

  • Amazon MX Player, Sony TV team up to stream and beam ‘Rise and Fall’

    Amazon MX Player, Sony TV team up to stream and beam ‘Rise and Fall’

    MUMBAI: Streaming is going prime time. Amazon MX Player, Amazon’s free video service, has joined hands with Sony Entertainment Television to take its buzzy new reality series Rise and Fall to a wider audience.

    In a first-of-its-kind distribution pact, episodes of the show will drop daily at noon on Amazon MX Player before hitting Sony TV at 10:30 pm, giving viewers the choice of mobile-first streaming or traditional appointment viewing.

    The gamble seems to be paying off. According to Ormax Media, Rise and Fall was the most-watched show in its launch week. Hosted by Ashneer Grover, the show packs 15 celebrities from across entertainment, sports and music into a towering set split between extremes: a penthouse for the “Rulers” and a spartan basement for the “Workers.” Contestants shuffle between privilege and hardship, testing their wits in a battle of ambition, survival and strategy.

    Amazon MX Player, director & head of content, Amogh Dusad called the partnership “a cultural moment,” adding that the bold and disruptive format deserved the widest possible reach. Akshay Agrawal of Sony Pictures Networks India said the tie-up reflects Sony TV’s mission to bring “unique and compelling” formats to millions of households.

    The show has also lined up big-brand backers, with Lux Cozi, Orient Electric, Haier, Pintola and Avvatar Whey Protein among its sponsors.

    New episodes of Rise and Fall stream daily for free at 12 pm on Amazon MX Player, available via the MX app, Amazon shopping app, Prime Video, Fire TV and Airtel Xstream and air at 10:30 pm on Sony Entertainment Television.

  • YuppTV secures Digital Telecast Rights for Asia Cup 2025

    YuppTV secures Digital Telecast Rights for Asia Cup 2025

    MUMBAI: Cricket fans in Continental Europe and South East Asia will witness the best of cricketing action as YuppTV has acquired the digital broadcasting rights for the Asia Cup 2025. The live streaming platform is set to bring every moment of the action live to viewers across more than 60 countries.

    Uday Reddy, Founder & CEO of YuppTV, said, “We are thrilled to announce that YuppTV secured the digital streaming rights for the Asia Cup 2025. This is a proud milestone for us and a huge win for cricket fans across Continental Europe and South East Asia. We believe the Asia Cup 2025 will spark unmatched excitement and bring millions of fans closer to the game.”

    The Asia Cup 2025 kicked off on 9th September with India began their campaign on September 10th against hosts United Arab Emirates. The India vs Pakistan clash, one of the most eagerly awaited fixtures, will be held on September 14th in Dubai. If both teams progress further, Cricket fans could witness this rivalry unfold as many as three times in the group stage, Super Fours, and the Grand Finale.

    Teams in Asia Cup 2025

    Group A: India, Oman, Pakistan, United Arab Emirates

    Group B: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Hong Kong, Sri Lanka

    Total 19 matches will be contested in this edition of the cricket tournament. The top two teams from each group will move on to the Super Four stage, with the final set for September 28.

    YuppTV will telecast the Asia Cup 2025 across 60+ countries in Continental Europe and South East Asia. The Cricket tournament will be available to watch live in the following countries.

    Continental Europe: Albania, Andorra, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Kosovo, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, North Macedonia, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino and Vatican City, Serbia, Scandinavia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Russia, Ukraine, Baltics (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania).

    South East Asia: Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Brunei, Myanmar, Cambodia, China, Christmas Island, Cocos Island, East Timor, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Macau, Mongolia, Micronesia, New Caledonia, the Philippines, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam