Bengaluru, Karnataka, Jan 24: DriveX, a pioneering pre-owned two-wheeler platform, today announced the opening of its two newest company-owned and company-operated (COCO) outlets at Kasturi Nagar and Rajajinagar. These additions mark another important milestone in DriveX’s expansion across Karnataka and reinforcing its growing presence in Bengaluru.

With the addition of the Rajajinagar outlet, DriveX now operates six company-owned stores in Bengaluru and more than 50 outlets across multiple cities, spanning both COCO and FOFO (franchise-owned and franchise-operated) models. This continued expansion strengthens the brand’s footprint in key urban markets and underscores its leadership in India’s fast evolving pre-owned two-wheeler ecosystem.

Strategically located on Outer Ring Road, the Kasturi Nagar outlet offers strong connectivity and access to high-density residential and commercial neighbourhoods in East Bengaluru. Meanwhile, the Rajajinagar COCO store enhances DriveX’s reach in West Bengaluru, catering to a well-established, high-demand micro-market. Together, these locations reflect DriveX’s focused approach to improving accessibility, convenience, and trust for customers seeking quality pre-owned mobility solutions, making it the right choice for the customers.

At both new COCO stores, customers can explore a wide range of quality-assured pre-owned two-wheelers supported by DriveX Finance solutions designed to enhance affordability. Every vehicle undergoes a standardized quality inspection to ensure reliability and peace of mind. Both outlets offer comprehensive customer support, including financing, warranty options, and after-sales services and assistance, creating a seamless, transparent, and value-driven buying experience.

These launches are a part of DriveX’s broader growth strategy to expand deeper into high-potential urban micro-markets. In the coming months, the company plans to further strengthen its presence across India, including cities such as Chennai, Coimbatore, and other key regions, through a balanced mix of COCO and FOFO outlets. This accelerated rollout aims to make trusted pre-owned two-wheelers more accessible while reinforcing DriveX’s customer-first philosophy.

Commenting on the launch, Devesh Taparia, CEO, DriveX, said:

“Bengaluru continues to be a cornerstone of our growth strategy. With the launches at Kasturi Nagar and Rajajinagar, we are taking another step towards building a strong, organized retail network across key city micro-markets. As we expand, our focus remains on addressing real customer challenges in the largely unorganised pre-owned segment by offering transparent processes, trusted products, and meaningful choice, positioning DriveX as the right choice for reliable mobility partner.”

The openings of the Kasturi Nagar and Rajajinagar COCO stores mark another milestone in DriveX’s  mission to build a nationwide, organised pre-owned two-wheeler network. With continued expansion across key markets and a strong emphasis on trust, affordability, and customer choice, DriveX is redefining  the future of pre-owned mobility in India.

Bengaluru, India,  Jan  24: AXISCADES Technologies Limited (BSE: 532395 | NSE: AXISCADES), a chip to product company and a pioneer in Aerospace, Defence, Electronics, Semiconductor and Artificial Intelligence (ESAI) applications, announces new wins in ESAI division by its subsidiary Mistral Solutions.

This strategic contract pertains to testing of audio products of its Hyperscaler customer in the newly established Acoustic Lab in Aeroland facility, Bengaluru.

This pilot order is for multiyear, valued at about $1Mn and is expected to generate more opportunities in innovative audio product development. These small form factor audio products stand out through advanced spatial audio processing, custom silicon for superior noise cancellation, and seamless integration with AI for proactive, ambient AI experiences.

Mr. Manikandan, CEO, Mistral Solutions said,

“This is the result of our efforts to expand beyond our traditional base of TI and Qualcomm ecosystem and add the global majors to our customer list by setting up exclusive facilities for them and forge long term relationship”.

Mumbai, Jan 24: Republic Day Sales 2026 offer a clear view into how India’s e-commerce market is maturing beyond discount-driven spikes towards structurally driven growth. An analysis by Unicommerce, based on over 27 million order items processed on its Uniware platform during the 2025 and 2026 Republic Day Sales periods, highlights four signals shaping the sector’s trajectory.

Tier 3 Cities Are Now Volume Leaders

Smaller cities emerged as key growth drivers. Tier 3 cities, led by Kolar (Karnataka), Rohtak (Haryana), Kamrup (Assam), Ernakulam (Kerala) and Khordha (Odisha) among others accounted for nearly 40% of total order items, with order volumes growing over 19% YoY. Healthy food volumes more than doubled in Tier 2 cities, while Tier 3 markets contributed around 43% of total food and beverage orders, underscoring the deepening reach of e-commerce beyond metros.

Repeat consumption driving growth 

Order volumes grew 16.9% year-on-year, while GMV rose 11.9%, driven by higher order frequency rather than ticket size alone. FMCG & Agriculture and Beauty & Wellness were the fastest-growing categories, with nearly 80% and ~53% YoY growth respectively. Demand was led by healthy and everyday items such as dry fruits, millet-based products, packaged healthy snacks, and organic staples, and face serums, body washes along with other grooming products—reflecting a shift towards habit-driven, repeat consumption.

Speed and Automation Are Driving Conversions

Channel trends highlighted rising expectations for faster fulfillment. Quick commerce led growth with a ~25% YoY increase in order volumes, followed by brand-owned websites at 23%, while marketplaces continued to process the largest share of orders. Brands increasingly relied on automation to manage real-time inventory, routing, and customer engagement, reinforcing that execution quality is now as critical as pricing in driving sales performance.

AI-Led Engagement Is Closing the Conversion Gap

Brands leveraged AI and automation to convert high-intent demand during the Republic Day sale period this year. Insights from Unicommerce’s Convertway platform show over 2.5 million customer communications across SMS, WhatsApp, and RCS, driving improvement in conversion rates. AI Voice Agent ‘Catalyst’ further enabled last-mile order completion, with over 1.2 lakh calls made during the sales period—generating over ten times revenue for brands compared to the cost they incurred, making it a high-yield channel and highlighting the growing role of AI in shaping sale outcomes.

Together, these four signals point to an inflection in India’s e-commerce growth: repeat consumption driving growth, execution and technology-led expansion, smaller-city participation, faster fulfillment, and AI engagement emerging as the key growth levers in 2026.

By:  Mr. Roy Aniruddha, Co-Founder & Chairman of TechnoStruct Academy

“The Union Budget 2025–26 allocated ₹1.28 lakh crore to education, including ₹20,000 crore for private R&D and ₹500 crore for AI Centres of Excellence. Despite this, results remain limited: India produces 1.5 million engineers each year, yet only 42.6% are employable (Mercer-Mettl 2025). R&D spending is just 0.7% of GDP, and nearly 99% of graduates from non-elite institutions struggle due to outdated, theory-heavy curricula that lack practical skills like BIM, VDC, and advanced manufacturing. The construction sector alone loses over ₹1.5 lakh crore annually due to digital skill gaps.

Budget 2026 must focus on vocational engineering skills rather than just credentials. Key measures should include lowering GST on skill-based courses to make them more affordable, offering tax incentives for industry-led skilling platforms and digital labs, and launching a National Construction Tech Skilling Mission with hands-on project learning and apprenticeship programs. Industry-aligned vocational training already achieves up to 95% placement for non-elite graduates. Targeted skilling reforms are essential to improving employability, boosting productivity, and driving long-term economic growth.”

 By:  Matthew Oostveen, VP & CTO, Asia Pacific & Japan, Pure Storage

“Data Privacy Day is a reminder that privacy is fundamentally about trust and how responsibly organizations protect and control the data they are entrusted with.

As data volumes grow and regulations evolve, privacy can no longer be addressed through policy alone. It must be built into the way data is stored, accessed, and governed across the enterprise. In India, the introduction of the Digital Personal Data Protection Act (DPDP Act), marks a significant step forward, placing sharper focus on accountability, consent, and responsible data stewardship for organizations operating in an increasingly digital economy.

Strong data privacy begins with secure foundations. Built-in encryption and robust key management play a critical role in protecting sensitive information at rest, supporting privacy objectives, and enabling organizations to manage regulated and mission-critical data with confidence. As regulatory frameworks such as the DPDP Act, GDPR, and DORA continue to raise expectations around accountability and resilience, maintaining clear ownership and control of data has become essential.

This Data Privacy Day, organizations should recognize that lasting trust is built not only through how data is used, but through how securely it is protected and how firmly they remain in control of it.”

By:  Mr. Ritesh Goenka, Managing Director, Damson Technologies,

“We have successfully moved from ‘Imported in India’ to ‘Assembled in India’; the 2026 Budget must now build the bridge to ‘Engineered in India.’ For brands like Just Corseca investing heavily in local infrastructure, the focus must shift from basic assembly incentives to deep-tier manufacturing.

We need a fiscal runway that rationalises duties on high-tech capital machinery and incentivises domestic R&D for core components like PCBAs and batteries. The government has given us the volume; now we need the policy support to own the value. This budget should be about empowering Indian brands to own the intellectual property, not just the factory floor.”

Rohtak, Jan 24: Rohtak Royals, the franchise representing the city of Rohtak in the inaugural Kabaddi Champions League (KCL), have announced a strong line-up of sponsors for the upcoming season of the KCL. Adroit Sports LLP-owned Rohtak Royals franchisee, has roped in Ixigo as the Official Travel Partner and John Players as the Official Loungewear Partner, while Campus Activewear and MuscleBlaze have come on board as the Official Footwear and Nutrition Partners, respectively. The partnerships mark a significant step for the Rohtak Royals as they prepare for their first-ever campaign in the Kabaddi Champions League, underlining the growing commercial appeal of the franchise and the league.

Commenting on the sponsorship announcements, Aishwarya Bhargava, COO, Rohtak Royals, said,

“We are delighted to welcome Ixigo, John Players, Campus Shoes, and MuscleBlaze to the Rohtak Royals family. These partnerships come at a crucial time as we gear up for the inaugural season of the Kabaddi Champions League. Each of these brands aligns perfectly with our vision of performance, professionalism, and fan engagement, and we look forward to building long-term associations with them.”

Head Coach Surender Nada added,

“Strong support off the mat plays a vital role in a team’s success on the mat. Having reputed brands come on board gives our players added confidence and motivation as we prepare for a challenging season ahead. We are focused on putting up strong performances and representing Rohtak with pride.”

Ixigo, India’s leading online travel platform, comes on board as the Official Travel Partner of Rohtak Royals. Known for its user-friendly interface and data-driven travel solutions, Ixigo will support the team’s travel requirements through the season, ensuring seamless and efficient travel for players and support staff.

John Players, a renowned name in men’s fashion, joins the franchise as the Official Loungewear Partner. With a strong focus on comfort, style, and versatility, John Players’ association adds a touch of modern lifestyle appeal to the Rohtak Royals brand, catering to both athletes and fans alike.

Campus Activewear, one of India’s biggest domestic sports and athleisure lifestyle brands, has been named the Official Footwear Partner of Rohtak Royals. Campus offers a diverse product portfolio for the entire family. With the changing market dynamics, Campus has sustained its focus on product design and innovation by facilitating access to the latest global trends and styles through a fashion-forward approach.

MuscleBlaze, a pioneer in the sports nutrition space in India, has come on board as the Official Nutrition Partner. Trusted by athletes across disciplines, MuscleBlaze will play a key role in supporting the fitness, recovery, and overall performance needs of the Rohtak Royals squad during the season.

Earlier, KMC Constructions Limited joined hands with Adroit Sports Ventures as the Strategic Partner for Rohtak Royals, combining infrastructure-led expertise with a focused sports development vision aligned with “Kheloge Kudoge Banoge Lajawaab.” Backed by Mr. Shashank Shekhar, Director, KMC Constructions Limited, Adroit Sports Ventures operates across talent identification, high-performance training, event management, and sports infrastructure, guided by Mr. Gajendra Sharma and led by Mrs. Aishwarya Bhargava, with the Rohtak Royals franchise jointly owned by Adroit Sports Ventures and Mr. Surender Malik.

Rohtak Royals will begin their inaugural Kabaddi Champions League campaign against Karnal Kings on January 25, 2026. The Kabaddi Champions League is scheduled to be held from January 25 to February 7, featuring eight teams in the league’s first season.

The company adds Basmati rice category alongside its existing range of Chakki Atta, Maida, Sooji and Dalia, with the range to be developed gradually.

New Delhi, Jan 24: Vikram Roller Flour Mills Limited (Vikram Mills), a long-established name in India’s wheat-based food segment, has entered the rice category. The company is expanding beyond wheat flour and allied staples to include everyday food products such as rice and rice-based items.

Through this expansion, Vikram Mills is looking to increase its presence in essential food categories linked to regular consumption. The basmati rice products will be introduced in stages. Distribution of rice range will cover retail outlets alongwith institutional customers such as hotels, restaurants, food service operators and FMCG companies. The focus will remain on supply continuity while maintaining the product quality.

The company supplies its products from its own manufacturing units, including facilities at Lawrence Road Industrial Area (Delhi) and Kiloi, Rohtak. These plants will support the expanded portfolio and ensure controlled, uninterrupted supply across categories.

Vikram Mills has spent the past few years studying customer preferences and demand in basmati rice category. The company has entered the segment after reviewing demand trends and procurement requirements and has ensured supply-chain preparedness before introducing rice. According to the management, customers are increasingly sourcing more than one staple product from manufacturers they already work with.

Basmati rice sourcing will follow a paddy-to-rice model, similar to the company’s wheat sourcing approach. Paddy will be procured directly, stored in warehouses for ageing and processed into rice, allowing better control over quality, grading and consistency—on lines comparable to wheat-to-flour operations at Vikram Mills.

The rice portfolio has been planned keeping in mind the regional consumption habits and bulk usage requirements. Initial offerings will focus on commonly consumed, high-quality variants, with scope for additions based on market response and feedback from trade partners and buyers.

Speaking on the development, Mr. Shubham Garg, Director, Vikram Roller Flour Mills Limited, said, “Staple foods continue to form the backbone of everyday consumption in India. While wheat-based products remain our core strength, rice is an equally important category across regions. Our entry into basmati rice builds on our manufacturing and sourcing capabilities and allows us to offer customers a wider range of essential products.”

The rice category will be supported through sourcing, grading and processing practices similar to those followed for the company’s wheat products. The same checks related to hygiene and traceability will apply to the rice range.

Over the years, Vikram Mills has built working relationships across procurement, processing and distribution, which are expected to support the steady rollout of the rice business. These existing systems will continue to support the category as it scales in a measured manner.

Its existing product range includes Chakki Atta, Maida, Sooji, Rawa and Dalia, supplied to both household consumers and institutional customers. Basmati rice has now been added to this range. The rice business will be developed in a phased manner, with emphasis on stable operations and market response.

Vikram Mills supplies its products across several markets, including tier-II and tier-III locations, through its distribution network. The company works with institutional buyers and trade partners in these markets.

With the addition of basmati rice, Vikram Mills is extending its presence within everyday staple foods while building on its existing manufacturing, sourcing and distribution capabilities. The category will be developed steadily, in line with operational readiness and demand across markets.

Mumbai,  Jan 23:  Pepe Jeans London elevates its denim portfolio with the launch of Shiruku, a premium denim line inspired by the refined touch of Japanese silk, celebrated for its exceptional softness and smoothness.

Crafted for consumers who value comfort as much as style, Shiruku introduces the innovative features of fine textile engineering with sophisticated design to provide superior comfort, soft feel, and style.

Inspired by the sensorial elegance of Japanese silk, Shiruku Denim delivers an elevated wearing experience, light against the skin yet structured in silhouette, making it a versatile choice for all-day wear.

Prices starting from ₹4,999, Shiruku Denim is now available pan-India, across exclusive retail outlets, leading departmental stores, multi-brand outlets and leading e-commerce portals.

The launch of Shiruku further reinforces Pepe Jeans London’s position as a brand that continues to evolve with modern lifestyles while remaining rooted in its denim-first philosophy.