Archives 2025

Noida, 24th September 2025 :The Reppro, an emerging PR agency with a growing focus on education and international higher education, has been chosen to lead the India communications mandate for the University of Worcester a UK institution widely recognised for its teaching excellence, student support, and leadership in sustainability. The partnership aims to raise the university’s profile in India, strengthening its connection with students, parents, and education partners at a time when overseas study options are expanding rapidly.

For The Reppro, the win marks another step in its expanding higher education portfolio across India and South Asia, underscoring its expertise in positioning global universities in one of the world’s most competitive student markets.

Nick Slade, DPVC International and External Affairs, University of Worcester, said: “The University of Worcester continues to grow its presence in India. Through this partnership with The Reppro, our focus will be on strengthening our engagement in the region with strategic public relations initiatives that highlight who we are and what we stand for. Ranked Joint 1st in the UK for Quality Education in the THE Impact Rankings 2025 and consistently among the top 10 for Gender Equality, we are equally proud of our strong employability outcomes, with most of our graduates moving into work or further study soon after completing their degrees. This collaboration is about building bridges, connecting students, educators, and partners in India with the opportunities and values the University of Worcester represents worldwide.”

The University of Worcester has earned consistent recognition in the UK for its teaching quality, student satisfaction, and inclusive environment. It has been shortlisted for national awards, including University of the Year, and is widely regarded as a leader in sustainability within higher education.

Amit Gupta, Founder of The Reppro, said, “A university’s reputation today is built on academic excellence and how well it connects with students’ aspirations, values, and career goals. The University of Worcester combines academic excellence, inclusivity, and a strong commitment to sustainability, qualities that matter to Indian students and families making important decisions about higher education. Our role at The Reppro is to highlight these strengths in a way that informs and inspires, while also contributing to the broader conversation on how global institutions engage with India, one of the world’s most dynamic education markets.”

This partnership signals The Reppro’s continued focus on higher education, as it works with universities worldwide to strengthen their presence in the Indian student market. At the heart of its approach is creating communications that bridge global institutions with the priorities of Indian students and their families, from academic quality to career prospects and campus culture. With international education becoming increasingly competitive, The Reppro aims to help universities like Worcester stand out by aligning their strengths with the aspirations of Indian students and by shaping narratives that matter to both students and stakeholders.

Bengaluru, September 24, 2025: Under Swachhata Hi Seva Campaign 2025, as per the call given by the Finance Ministry, Government of India, a mega cleanliness drive was conducted by Canara Bank, Head Office, on 23.09.2025 at Ward No. 182, Padmanabhanagar, Bengaluru.

Under the guidance of General Manager Shri Rama Naik K and other Executives, along with participation of more than 100 bank staff, general public & safai karmacharis, 3 Cleanliness target units were cleaned and freed from garbage.

All the staff and general public volunteers participated in the true spirit of the campaign and did their best to bring about cleanliness in the spots identified.

As a token of appreciation and thanks-giving, Safai Karmacharis were also felicitated with safety kits & refreshments.

The cleanliness drive was successful, and the efforts were applauded by the residents of the area.

Mumbai, September 24, 2025 — Three seasoned financial services professionals Mr. Saif Hasan, Mr. Jaspreet Singh, and Mr. Prajit Chandrasekhar have come together to launch KreditVenture, a pioneering NBFC dedicated to bridging the credit gap for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in India’s tier 2 and tier 3 cities. The company began operations earlier this year with a focus on Loan Against Property (LAP), marking the start of its secured lending journey.

India’s LAP market is estimated at INR 5.6–7 lakh crore, yet a significant portion remains underserved. KreditVenture’s approach is anchored in secured lending, initially targeting MSMEs and later expanding into used commercial vehicle loans. The mission is to build a scalable, responsible lending business rooted in strong credit discipline.

Saif Hasan, Founder of KreditVenture, said, “We are committed to building KreditVenture as a long-term, responsible player in secured lending. Our focus is on prudent, scalable growth across Bharat—from LAP to adjacent secured products—anchored in trust, customer-centricity, and discipline. We believe the next phase of secured lending growth will be led by early movers who drive collaboration by digitally integrating partners across the value chain.’’

Currently operating in nearly ten towns across Maharashtra, KreditVenture aims to expand to fifty locations within a year and plans to extend into southern and northern markets soon, strengthening its presence across India’s growth corridors.

Sharing his perspective, Jaspreet Singh, Co-Founder said, “Markets beyond metros are full of high-potential entrepreneurs who lack access to formal credit. By combining data-driven underwriting with on-ground validation, we bridge this gap. Our platform digitizes traditional manual processes, enabling micro businesses and partners to improve sourcing, boost efficiency, and unlock new growth opportunities.”

What sets KreditVenture apart is its blend of high-tech tools with deep local engagement. While digitized land and income records enhance underwriting accuracy, we also assess household-level income streams such as small shops, tailoring, or seasonal work validated through community references. This combination of technology and human insight allows us to extend credit to those largely excluded from formal finance.

Prajit Chandrasekhar, Founding Partner, added, “Our focus on secured lending enables responsible growth. By integrating real market data into our assessments, we address challenges like limited income proof and low financial literacy in rural areas. Digitized records, combined with on-ground validation, help us manage risk transparently and reduce information asymmetry building a resilient, responsible NBFC”

The three founders bring diverse strengths that form the company’s core Saif Hasan, with over two decades of experience in financial services from leading business teams to forging strategic partnerships, Jaspreet Singh, with 20 years of experience in transaction banking, technology, and strategy, and Prajit Chandrasekhar, with 20 plus years in corporate and investment banking, fintech, and credit-risk management.

KreditVenture has already secured early-stage equity funding from Nikunj Jajodia a Delhi based large family office. The association of such a family office reflects strong confidence in the company’s vision and positions KreditVenture for future rounds of capital raising. Also, the company has partnered with reputed NBFCs and HFCs—including DMI Housing Finance, Agrim Housing Finance, and Singularity Credit World (BHN)—for co-lending and partnership requirements.

With a clear strategy, innovative lending model, and a leadership team that combines vision with operational depth, KreditVenture is positioning itself as a next-generation NBFC committed to financial inclusion and entrepreneurship across India’s vibrant tier 2 and tier 3 markets.

By Akash Pharande, Managing Director – Pharande Spaces

As India’s cities expand, redevelopment projects are rapidly reshaping our cities’ skylines—but this transformation invariably brings some serious challenges with it, namely to the natural ecosystems that have been part and parcel of the areas being urbanized.

It is widely acknowledged that modern construction consumes significant resources. Buildings consume nearly a third of available potable water, as much as 1/4th of the available electricity, and give rise to huge quantities of waste. This has given rise to the trend in sustainable buildings, which tend to replace older, wasteful buildings and societies.

If done right, sustainable real estate uses less than half the water and energy of regular, older buildings. This reduces their environmental footprint, which is crucial in a time and place where climate change and increasing resource scarcity are taken seriously.

India has been at the forefront of the Paris Accords on climate change, which makes sustainability a national responsibility – not only of real estate developers but also consumers of real estate. Responsible building practices and insistence on sustainability features in the spaces we occupy are no longer optional.

Redevelopment that Respects Nature

The Ministry of Urban Development issued its Model Building Bye-Laws in 2016, which are compulsory for all plots above 100 square metres and therefore cover a significant chunk of redevelopment projects. Under its provisions, one tree must be planted for every 80 square meters being developed; three new trees must be planted for every tree chopped down; and the development must retain a minimum of 20% of unpaved land for open or recreational green space.

This is a critical measure to protect biodiversity amid densely urbanized areas. It is also important because redevelopment is driven by a clear profit motive, and the first instinct for precious space in city centres is to build up every available square foot as marketable real estate.

The Ecological Toll of Construction

Despite these and other related mitigation measures, there is no getting completely around the ecological consequences of construction, which involves clearing of vegetation, deep excavation work, and the use of heavy machinery. This has a direct impact on the natural habitats of birds, insects, and smaller mammals. At the same time, the use of fossil fuels, paints, solvents, and volatile organic compounds in construction and development releases heavy pollutants that seep into the soil and groundwater.

Particulate matter severely impacts the air quality in a construction site even as toxic effluents play havoc with the aquatic ecosystems. At any construction site, the local flora and fauna are the silent victims.

Green Construction Lessens Ecological Impact

When redevelopment, or any development for that matter, is done from a sustainable construction perspective, it will involve materials that are gentler in their ecological impact. Greener construction materials include bricks made of fly ash, bamboo, autoclaved aerated concrete panels, and less dense concrete. Not only do these materials put less pressure on the environment, but they are also largely recyclable.

Sustainable development also involves better insulation materials, which reduce the need for power-intensive climate controls like ACs, which also use very harmful coolant gas, and reduce overall emissions. At the same time, new technologies like solar panels and passive solar designs reduce reliance on fossil fuels, while “cool” roofs treated with reflective paint help counteract the harmful urban heat island effect.

The idea behind all these measures remains clear and unwavering – redevelopment must coexist more respectfully with the ecology. The old ways simply don’t serve the needs of the current day any longer.

Integrated Townships – A New Blueprint for Urban India

Moving away from redevelopment, which is basically an afterthought, there is an even more important greenfield development concept that is forward-looking – that of integrated townships.

These massive, master-planned developments have sustainability embedded in their very DNA and in every facet of their design. Efficiently combining residential, commercial, leisure, and green spaces into a cohesive whole, they significantly reduce not only ecological impact but also the stress levels of their inhabitants.

Integrated townships are, quite simply, the ideal blueprint of our urban future and are becoming more and more prevalent in cities like Pune, Bengaluru and the National Capital Region.

Much has been achieved when it comes to taking sustainable development from concept to construction site, but a lot more needs to be done if we are to meet our climate commitments and leave a better urban environment for the future generations.

Perhaps most importantly, we need to realize that sustainability is not just a construction strategy and just the responsibility of real estate developers. It is a responsibility we all share to build and inhabit a nation whose progress does not come at the expense of the environment.

About the Author:

Akash Pharande is Managing Director – Pharande Spaces, a leading real estate construction and development firm famous for its township projects in Greater Pune and beyond. Pharande Promoters & Builders, the flagship company of Pharande Spaces and an ISO 9001-2000 certified company, is a pioneer of townships in the region. With the recent inclusion of Puneville Commercial into one of its most iconic townships, Pharande Spaces taken a major step towards addressing Pune’s current and future requirements for fully integrated residential-commercial convenience

Bengaluru, 24 September 2025: The wait is finally over. Volvo Car India today announced the arrival of the much-anticipated Volvo EX30, the brand’s most sustainable and stylish electric car. The EX30 is set to make luxury electric mobility more accessible than ever before.

This festive season, Volvo Car India, together with its dealers, is bringing extra delight by offering exclusive benefits for customers who pre-reserve the car before 19th October 2025. This special offer is available for a limited time, and customers can reach out to their nearest dealership for further details.

The car will be available in five colors, and deliveries are scheduled to begin in the first week of November 2025.

This marks the third EV model from Volvo Cars to be locally assembled at the company’s plant in Hosakote, Bengaluru. Each EX30 comes with an 11-kW charger as a standard offer. The EX30 embodies Volvo’s commitment to sustainable mobility, innovative technology, futuristic design, and uncompromising safety.

“We are thrilled to introduce the Volvo EX30 to the Indian market at such an exciting price point, with special benefits for those who pre-reserve,” said Mr. Jyoti Malhotra, Managing Director, Volvo Car India. “We believe this model will play a significant role in making luxury electric vehicles appeal to a new segment of innovators and achievers, those who appreciate power, design and sustainable luxury. With its impressive performance, extended range, sophisticated look, and the convenience of a hassle-free ownership package, the EX30 is set to redefine the EV experience for our discerning customers.”

As the most sustainable car in Volvo’s lineup, the EX30 has the lowest carbon footprint of any fully electric Volvo to date. Its attractive interiors are made from recycled materials, including denim, PET bottles, aluminium, and PVC pipes. Incorporating Scandinavian design and cutting-edge technology, EX30 has achieved a five-star rating in the Euro NCAP safety test. The EX30 also features active safety tools such as an intersection auto-brake to mitigate collisions, a door-opening alert to prevent “dooring” accidents, and the advanced Safe Space Technology, which boasts 5 cameras, 5 radars, and 12 ultrasonic sensors.

The cabin offers an immersive experience with five ambient lighting themes and sounds inspired by Scandinavian seasons. The new Harman Kardon soundbar concept, featuring a 1040W amplifier and nine high-performance speakers, delivers state-of-the-art surround sound. The intuitive 12.3-inch high-resolution center display includes Google Built-in, 5G connectivity, and Over-the-Air (OTA) updates. This head-turning design has also earned international accolades, including the prestigious Red Dot award: Best of the Best Product Design 2024 and the World Urban Car of the Year 2024.

The EX30 comes with an 8-year battery warranty and a wall box charger. The car reimagines convenience with its digital key functionality. Using NFC, one can simply tap a card to unlock the car, and with Digital Key Plus on the Volvo Car App, your phone acts as the key, providing a seamless and smarter experience.

Hassle-free package inclusions:

• 3 years comprehensive car warranty
• 3 years Volvo Service Package
• 3 years Roadside Assistance
• 8 years battery warranty
• 5 years subscription to digital services (now called ‘Connect Plus’)
• 1 wall box charger (11 kW) through third party

New Delhi, 24th September 2025: Relaxo Footwears Limited has rolled out its much-awaited Festive Bonanza Offer, bringing shoppers a chance to celebrate the season with exciting cashback rewards. The exclusive retail initiative is designed to add extra cheer to every shopping experience this festive season.

Under the offer, every purchase worth INR 1,499 or more at Relaxo retail outlets qualifies for guaranteed cashback, starting from INR 101 and going up to a bumper reward of INR 1,00,000. With assured benefits on every eligible purchase, the Festive Bonanza Offer ensures that customers walk away not just with their favourite footwear, but also with an added reason to celebrate. 

The Festive Bonanza Offer is valid exclusively at Relaxo Footwear’s retail outlets across all brands including Flite, Sparx, Bahamas and Relaxo. 

Mr. Nitin Dua, Executive Vice President, Relaxo Footwears Ltd., said, “Festivals in India are about spreading happiness, and with our Festive Bonanza, we wanted to bring that joy right into our customers’ shopping journey. At Relaxo, we have always believed in creating meaningful connections with people, and this initiative is another way of thanking our customers for making us a part of their everyday lives. We hope this festive season becomes even more memorable as every purchase brings with it a gift of celebration.”

By pairing exciting rewards with its wide range of stylish, comfortable, and affordable footwear, Relaxo strengthens its position as a trusted choice for millions of households. The Festive Bonanza reflects the brand’s commitment to making every shopping experience more rewarding, while reinforcing its promise of quality and value across generations.

Mumbai, 24 Sept 2025: Kalpataru Limited, one of India’s leading developers, has announced the launch of Kalpataru Estella. Designed with global expertise and modern features, Estella sets a new milestone within the 100+ acre-integrated township of Kalpataru Parkcity on Kolshet Road, Thane with state-of-the-art buildings. The launch comes with strong business performance with sales bookings of INR1,249 crore in Q1 FY26, up from INR 682 crore last year. 

The project offers thoughtfully designed 2 and 3 BHK homes, with Jodi-flat options for larger families. Future phases will also include spacious 4 BHK residences. Every layout is Vastu-compliant, naturally lit, and crafted for cross ventilation. Towers are spaced 100 metres apart to ensure privacy, ventilation, and ample natural light. Estella also features EV charging points at all parking levels, energy-efficient systems, and enhanced safety measures. Around 70% of Kalpataru Parkcity is dedicated to open spaces, including tree-lined avenues, themed gardens, a lake zone, and the 20+ acres Namo Grand Central Park. 

Estella offers a thoughtfully curated mix of amenities that elevate daily living. It features a 76,000 sq. ft clubhouse, a 6-acre podium, and 8 acres of recreational spaces. Residents can enjoy a fully equipped gym, indoor and outdoor sports facilities, an Olympic-sized swimming pool, and an infinity pool. Designed as a calm retreat from the city, it blends fitness, leisure, and luxury, giving resident’s space to relax, stay active, and pursue their passions every day.

On the launch Mr. Parag Munot – Managing Director, Kalpataru Limited said, “Projects like Estella exemplify our vision for modern city living where the vitality of Thane’s growth is seamlessly woven with vast open spaces, thousands of trees, and thoughtfully planned green zones. Here, residents can rest, rewind, reflect, and reenergize every day within an environment crafted for wellness, connectivity, and enduring value. We are building an ecosystem where families experience the best of both fast-paced urban life and tranquil natural habitats, while their investment appreciates steadily over the years.”

Kalpataru Parkcity has been designed with inputs from AEDAS, Arup, and Cracknell, the firms behind landmarks like the Sydney Opera House and Burj Khalifa. Location is a key advantage of the township, which has been developed with a forward-looking approach to provide strong connectivity for future generations. It is close to Metro Line 5, the proposed Thane–Borivali tunnel, the Eastern Express Highway, and Ghodbunder Road. Leading schools such as Singhania and CP Goenka, hospitals including Jupiter and Bethany, and malls like Viviana and Korum are all just minutes away.

24 September 2025, India: Standard Chartered’s latest report, “Future of Trade: Resilience,” highlights a significant shift in global corporate strategies, with India emerging as the leading market of interest for companies looking to realign their trade and manufacturing activities.

As per the survey, India is the leading market of interest, where almost half of the respondents are looking to ramp up or maintain trade activities with the world’s fastest-growing major economy, while two in five intend to ramp up or continue manufacturing activities. In particular, more than 60 per cent of corporates from the US, the UK, Mainland China and Hong Kong are looking to increase trade with India.

The report presents inputs from 1,200 C-suite and senior leaders at multinational corporations based in 17 key markets across four industries, on their views for global trade and their strategies over the next three to five years.

Overall, globally the Future of Trade report, reveals that while trade tariffs are top of mind, emerging technologies and global economic growth are equally critical factors, with 53% of corporates respectively ranking those as the top strategic drivers shaping the future of global trade.

Sunil Kaushal, Global Co-head, Corporate & Investment Banking and CEO, ASEAN and South Asia, Standard Chartered, said, “We are seeing strong demand from clients to evolve their global trade and supply chain ecosystems and accelerate the adoption of smart manufacturing and AI to drive efficiencies and offset rising costs. Although trade fragmentation is likely to hinder global growth in the short term, rising prosperity in developing economies and emerging technology mean that the picture, while complex, is still compelling.

The Future of Trade report offers a forward-looking perspective on global corporate priorities to build resilience. It serves as a strategic compass, highlighting the top destinations that multinational companies are considering for realigning their sourcing, manufacturing, and exports. It also provides actionable insights to shape decision making, such as investing in supply chain finance platforms and digitalisation to improve treasury management, corporate cashflows, and supply chain diversification,” Kaushal added.

Corporate leaders believe that Asia will continue to drive trade growth in the next three to five years, with rising prominence from the Middle East and the US remaining as a heavyweight. The report also reveals corridors that will see increased trade and manufacturing activities.

Table: Top six markets of interest for global corporates realigning their supply chains geographically

Net intention is the net proportion of surveyed corporates who are planning to increase or maintain activities with the target market.

Market Analysis by Felipe Barragán, Expert Research Strategist at Pepperstone

– September 23, 2025 –

“The Mexican peso traded with a steady tone on Tuesday, balancing weak domestic signals against a somewhat more constructive global backdrop. The market’s attention remains centered on Banxico’s upcoming policy decision later this week, where most investors anticipate another 25 basis point rate cut that would bring the benchmark rate to 7.50%.

The easing cycle reflects the drag from subdued activity data and softening private demand, but also raises questions about whether Mexico can preserve the carry appeal that has supported the peso. Inflation is the key variable: while headline pressures have moderated, core inflation has proven stickier, prompting Banxico to lift its near-term projections. That has introduced an element of caution, as any upside surprise in inflation could slow the pace of cuts and, paradoxically, lend short-term support to the peso.

Fiscal policy is also coming under greater scrutiny. Analysts believe that without firmer consolidation efforts, Mexico’s debt trajectory could become a source of vulnerability. Authorities have pledged to narrow the budget deficit in the coming year, but investors remain wary given the scale of competing social and infrastructure spending commitments. These fiscal uncertainties layer onto recent trade policy moves, such as higher tariffs on autos from China and other non-USMCA countries. While framed as measures to protect domestic industry, such steps risk raising import costs and potentially complicating Banxico’s disinflation effort if they feed into consumer prices.

At the same time, external conditions provide an offsetting source of support. Mexico continues to benefit from resilient U.S. demand, which underpins exports even as domestic activity shows signs of fatigue. More broadly, expectations that the Federal Reserve will remain on an easing path have helped soften the dollar and maintain appetite for higher-yielding currencies. That dynamic has cushioned the peso against some of its local headwinds, though it leaves the exchange rate vulnerable to any abrupt change in Fed guidance or a renewed bout of dollar strength.

Taken together, the peso sits at the crossroads of easing domestic policy, fragile fiscal dynamics, and supportive global demand. The interplay of these forces will likely keep the currency sensitive to each new data point and policy signal. The critical question in the weeks ahead is whether Banxico can cut rates without unsettling inflation expectations, and whether the government can maintain enough fiscal credibility to keep investor confidence intact. Until those answers become clearer, the peso’s path will remain finely balanced between domestic fragilities and the broader pull of external conditions..”

Compliance with rigorous global standards underscores company’s ability to deliver privacy-first security and regulatory alignment for healthcare, finance, and other regulated industries

RESTON, VA., Sep. 23, 2025 – Diliko, the cloud-delivered Agentic AI data platform company for mid-sized enterprises, today announced it has achieved certification for ISO/IEC 27001:2022 (Information Security Management) and ISO/IEC 27701:2019 (Privacy Information Management). The independent audit, conducted by National Quality Assurance (NQA), USA, found zero nonconformities, confirming the maturity of Diliko’s security and privacy practices.

These internationally recognized certifications validate that the Diliko platform provides enterprise-grade controls for safeguarding sensitive data, including PII and PHI, across complex, multi-cloud environments (Azure, Google, AWS) and with Snowflake as a core data interface. The audit scope also covered ETL, data orchestration, provenance, lineage, and AI platform development, ensuring security and privacy are embedded across the entire data lifecycle.

“Midmarket organizations face the same stringent privacy and security mandates as global enterprises, but without the deep staff or budget resources required to manage compliance,” said Ken Ammon, Chief Strategy Officer at Diliko. “Certification to both ISO 27001 and ISO 27701 independently verifies that the privacy and security controls in our platform are not bolted on after the fact—they’re built in from the start. Customers can operate with confidence knowing their data is managed to the highest international standards.”

Diliko’s platform was designed with security and privacy by design, providing features such as zero-trust data access, end-to-end encryption, real-time anomaly detection, and automated compliance monitoring. Beyond traditional ETL and orchestration, Diliko embeds PII discovery, consent management, and granular policy enforcement into its data pipelines, capabilities essential for meeting global and state-level mandates.

The ISO 27701 certification is particularly valuable for organizations aligning with evolving privacy frameworks including GDPR, HIPAA, HITRUST, CCPA, Virginia CDPA, and the Tennessee Information Protection Act. By certifying to both standards, Diliko helps customers demonstrate compliance while reducing the operational burden of managing overlapping controls internally.