Archives May 2026

Mumbai, India Digital creator and reality personality Nagma Mirajkar, widely known for her appearance on Bigg Boss, is set to make her Cannes Film Festival red carpet debut this year, marking a major milestone in her journey from digital influence to global fashion visibility.

Nagma has arrived in Cannes on 17th May 20269 (today), with her official red carpet appearance scheduled for 19th May 2026.

For her debut, she will be styled in a custom couture creation by internationally acclaimed designer Tasmim Zobaear, founder of TZ Studio, a Paris-based label known for its sculptural silhouettes, intricate craftsmanship, and fusion of South Asian heritage with modern French couture aesthetics.

Tasmim Zobaear is a designer who has built a strong presence in Paris, made his Paris Fashion Week debut in 2022 and has since been recognized for his evolving work within the global couture ecosystem. His design language is defined by architectural tailoring, feminine structure, and detailed embroidery, reflecting a seamless blend of heritage and contemporary luxury.

The collaboration between Nagma Mirajkar and TZ Studio at Cannes marks a cross-cultural fashion moment, bringing together digital-era influence and high couture craftsmanship on one of the world’s most prestigious red carpet platforms.

Zobaear’s recent showcases and Paris-based couture presence have positioned him as an emerging voice in international luxury fashion, further amplified through his bespoke red carpet creations for global events like Cannes.

This appearance signals a significant step in Nagma Mirajkar’s evolving journey as she transitions from digital entertainment and reality television into international fashion and red carpet storytelling.

“Cannes has always felt like a dream that belongs to cinema and couture. Stepping onto this red carpet is not just a moment of visibility for me, but a celebration of how far my journey has come from digital screens to a global stage. I’m incredibly excited to be wearing a creation that reflects both craftsmanship and emotion.” — Nagma Mirajkar

Bhubaneswar, May 18 (BNP): The Securities and Exchange Board of India will soon establish a branch office in Bhubaneswar, marking a significant step toward strengthening financial market regulation and investor outreach in eastern India. The announcement was made by SEBI Chairman Tuhin Kanta Pandey while addressing a regional investor awareness programme organized by the Association of Mutual Funds in India in the city.

Pandey said SEBI would initially begin operations from a smaller office in Bhubaneswar, with activities currently managed through Mumbai and Kolkata gradually shifting to the new centre. He added that plans are also underway to establish a permanent office in the state capital in the future.

Highlighting the growing relevance of alternative financing mechanisms, the SEBI Chairman encouraged Odisha to explore the use of municipal bonds to fund urban infrastructure and development projects. He noted that 22 urban local bodies across the country have issued 33 municipal bonds, mobilizing nearly Rs 4,500 crore for development activities. Municipal corporations in states such as Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh have already benefited from the model, he said.

Pandey emphasized that Odisha, with its expanding urban landscape, should leverage municipal bonds to meet increasing financial requirements for infrastructure expansion. He also pointed out that the Central government offers grant-based incentives to encourage such bond issuances.

Speaking on the growth of India’s mutual fund industry, Pandey said the sector has expanded significantly from nearly Rs 12 lakh crore in 2015-16 to around Rs 82 lakh crore at present. Odisha’s contribution currently stands at about Rs 71,000 crore, accounting for less than one per cent of the national market.

Observing that Odisha contributes nearly three per cent to India’s economy, he said the state’s participation in the mutual fund ecosystem should also rise proportionately. At the same time, he noted that Odisha remains among the leading states in terms of monthly growth in Systematic Investment Plan (SIP) investments.

He further highlighted the rapid growth of India’s capital market over the past decade, stating that the country’s total market capitalization increased from Rs 95 lakh crore in 2015-16 to Rs 463 lakh crore in 2025-26. During the same period, the number of investors rose from 3.8 crore to 14.5 crore.

Pandey also said India recorded 366 Initial Public Offerings (IPOs) in 2025-26, through which companies raised nearly Rs 1.9 lakh crore, placing the country among global leaders in IPO activity.

Mumbai,  May 18 : India’s largest amusement and water park operator has approved a strategic investment of up to ₹100 crore in Shanku’s Water Park, a leading leisure destination in Mehsana, Gujarat, near Ahmedabad. This investment marks a significant step in the company’s nationwide expansion strategy, strengthening its presence in high-growth regional markets and reinforcing its long-term vision of building a diversified, customer-centric leisure ecosystem across India. With strong connectivity to key catchment areas including Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, Mehsana and surrounding regions, Shanku’s offers a compelling platform to enhance customer experiences, drive tourism-led growth, and expand access to organized family entertainment in Gujarat.

The Park is spread across 25+ acres with over 25 rides and attractions, Shanku’s is one of Gujarat’s largest and most established water parks, with strong access to Ahmedabad, Mehsana, Gandhinagar and surrounding catchments. The park has recently undergone extensive renovation and modernization, including advanced water filtration systems comparable to Imagicaa’s flagship Khopoli park.

The investment will be made through a mix of equity and debt, including capital for future expansion on adjoining surplus land. Imagicaaworld will also provide end-to-end Operations & Management services across park operations, guest experience, safety systems, F&B and revenue optimization, earning a management fee of 6%–10%, while leveraging its expertise to enhance performance and scale the destination further.

These developments mark Imagicaa’s strategic expansion beyond destination parks into scalable, high-margin formats. The company recently announced its Q4FY26 results where revenue from operations stood at ₹91.9 crore with a significant increase in footfalls by 5% year-on-year to 6.21 lakh visitors, while continuing to witness steady consumer demand across its existing parks.

Commenting on the development, Jai Malpani, Managing Director, Imagicaaworld Entertainment Limited, said,

 “This transaction represents an important milestone in Imagicaaworld’s growth strategy as we deepen our footprint in Gujarat, one of India’s fastest growing leisure and tourism markets. Gujarat has a strong consumer base, rising discretionary spending and significant long-term potential for organized entertainment destinations.

Shanku’s Water Park is a well-established destination with high-quality infrastructure, strong regional recall and significant growth potential. Strategically located within a one-hour radius of Ahmedabad and GIFT City, this asset sits at the crossroads of commercial growth and weekend tourism.

Through this partnership structure, we aim to leverage Imagicaaworld’s operational expertise and brand capabilities to further enhance guest experiences, drive footfalls and create long-term value for stakeholders.”

Bhubaneswar, May 18 (BNP): Odisha is poised to play a pivotal role in strengthening India’s energy security, with Chandikhol set to emerge as a major strategic crude oil storage hub under a significant India-UAE energy partnership formalized during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to the United Arab Emirates.

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Under the proposed initiative, Chandikhol will house a massive underground strategic petroleum reserve with a storage capacity of nearly 40 lakh metric tonnes of crude oil. Estimated at around Rs 8,743 crore, the project is expected to significantly enhance India’s emergency fuel preparedness and strengthen long-term energy resilience.

The agreement for the project was signed between the Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserves Limited and the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company during Prime Minister Modi’s visit, following discussions with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The partnership is seen as a major step toward deepening bilateral cooperation in the energy sector and reinforcing India-UAE strategic ties.

Although the Union Cabinet had approved the project in 2018, implementation was delayed due to land acquisition-related challenges. With renewed focus and momentum, the project is now expected to move forward, positioning Odisha as an important pillar in India’s petroleum infrastructure network.

Experts believe the underground reserve will play a vital role during emergency or war-like situations by helping maintain fuel availability in the event of disruptions to global crude oil supplies. The facility is also expected to strengthen India’s strategic fuel reserves and improve preparedness against international supply uncertainties.

Once operational, the project is likely to boost industrial growth, infrastructure development and employment opportunities in Odisha, further reinforcing the state’s growing importance in India’s energy and industrial ecosystem.

Mumbai, May 18 : JK Lakshmi Cement Limited, India’s leading cement manufacturer focused on sustainable constructions solutions, participated in a strategic discussion with H.E. Maya Tissafi, Ambassador of Switzerland in India and Bhutan, on low-carbon cement innovation, sustainable construction, and long-term industry collaboration. The meeting reflected on the shared journey of the Limestone Calcined Clay Cement  initiative and the growing importance of scalable decarbonisation solutions within India’s infrastructure and construction sector.

The discussion highlighted the progress of LC3 as a commercially viable low-carbon cement technology capable of reducing CO₂ emissions by up to 40 percent compared to conventional cement. The technology has emerged as an important pathway for balancing infrastructure growth with environmental responsibility, particularly in rapidly developing economies such as India.

Speaking on the occasion, Ms. Vinita Singhania, Chairperson & Managing Director, JK Lakshmi Cement Ltd., said,

 “The transition of LC3 from research and pilot implementation to commercial production reflects what meaningful collaboration between industry, academia, and global institutions can achieve over time. As India continues to expand its infrastructure and urban development footprint, sustainable construction materials will play an increasingly important role in shaping resilient and resource-efficient growth. Our production of Green Pro LC3 cement has been guided by a long-term commitment towards responsible manufacturing, operational excellence, and solutions that create enduring value for both industry and society.”

H.E. Maya Tissafi, Ambassador of Switzerland in India and Bhutan, acknowledged JK Lakshmi Cement’s contribution towards advancing low-carbon cement adoption in India and appreciated the company’s early leadership in taking LC3 from research into commercial implementation. The meeting also reflected on the broader importance of international cooperation and industry participation in accelerating climate-responsive industrial solutions.

The interaction further explored opportunities for continued knowledge exchange with Swiss institutions working in sustainable construction and innovative building materials, including EPFL, EMPA, and ETH Zurich. Discussions also covered the evolving role of the cement sector in achieving long-term climate goals while continuing to support India’s infrastructure and housing requirements.

JK Lakshmi Cement has been closely associated with the LC3 initiative since its early stages in 2014, working alongside research and implementation partners including EPFL Switzerland, IIT Delhi, IIT Madras, DA (Development Alternatives) and TARA (Technology and Action for Rural Advancement). The company conducted one of the earliest industrial trials of LC3 and subsequently announced commercial production of Green PRO LC3 earlier this year from its integrated Jaykaypuram plant in Rajasthan.

India remains the world’s second-largest cement producer, with infrastructure expansion, urbanisation, and housing demand continuing to drive long-term sector growth. In this context, low-carbon technologies such as LC3 are gaining wider relevance as the industry strengthens its focus on environmental efficiency, resource optimisation, and resilient construction practices.

The meeting concluded with a shared acknowledgement of the importance of continued collaboration between industry leaders, research institutions, and international stakeholders in advancing sustainable solutions for the construction sector.

Hyderabad, May 18 : Zithara.AI, an AI first retail intelligence platform, announced its strategic entry into the Australian market with the onboarding of Ernesto Buono Fine Jewellery , the esteemed Sydney-based luxury atelier, as its first customer in the region. The launch marks the introduction of Zithara.AI’s unified AI-stack bringing together Customer Relationship Management , Customer Data Platform , marketing automation, conversational AI, omnichannel communication and online reputation management into a single platform built specifically for consumer-focused businesses in Australia.

Alongside this expansion, Zithara.AI also unveiled proprietary Meta and Google integrations designed to enable closed loop attribution for offline retail businesses. The platform allows brands to connect digital engagement, social media interactions and advertising spends directly with in store visits, customer conversations and final purchases, helping retailers clearly measure business impact and return on ad spend . Unlike traditional CRM platforms designed primarily for B2B workflows, Zithara.AI is purpose built for consumer-focused businesses operating across physical stores, websites, WhatsApp and social platforms, enabling retailers to centralise customer intelligence and create a unified 360-degree customer view.

As part of the partnership, Ernesto Buono Fine Jewellery will implement Zithara.AI’s AI native CRM platform to unify customer journeys across in store consultations, WhatsApp conversations, Instagram and Facebook interactions, Google reviews and digital campaigns into a single intelligence layer. Founded by master jeweller Ernesto Buono, the Sydney based luxury jewellery atelier is known for its bespoke engagement rings, wedding bands and handcrafted fine jewellery and was recently named among Luxury Lifestyle Awards’ TOP 100 Jewelry & Watch Brands for 2025. Through this deployment, the brand aims to centralise customer data, automate personalised engagement workflows, improve retention and drive repeat purchases while maintaining the personalised luxury experience that defines the brand.

Varun Kashyap, Founder, Zithara.AI, said,

 “We are excited to enter the Australian market with Ernesto Buono Fine Jewellery as our first customer in the region. Luxury retail is built on relationships and personalised experiences, and our platform is designed to help brands unify every customer touchpoint into one intelligent ecosystem. From WhatsApp inquiries and social engagement to in store purchases, retailers can now build stronger and more measurable customer relationships powered by AI.”

Sridevi Reddy, Co founder, Zithara.AI, added,

“Australia has always been a strategic market for us as retailers increasingly look for data driven engagement and measurable marketing outcomes. Through this expansion, we aim to help consumer brands bridge the gap between online engagement and offline retail experiences while improving customer retention, repeat purchases and overall customer lifetime value.”

The platform’s AI native architecture includes its proprietary AI Agentic Framework (MCP – Model Context Protocol Server), a retail first orchestration layer that monitors customer behaviour across physical stores, websites, WhatsApp, Meta and Google to automate engagement workflows and customer follow ups. Zithara.AI also offers Ziri, its AI powered data intelligence agent that delivers real time insights on store performance, customer behaviour and campaign effectiveness directly to business leaders without the need for complex dashboards. In addition, the platform supports unified messaging across WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook Messenger, helping retailers manage all customer conversations through a single interface while also enabling AI driven Google review nudging and online reputation management.

The launch further strengthens Zithara.AI’s growing international presence across consumer retail markets. The company currently supports more than 500 retailers across India and Southeast Asia. Businesses using the platform have reported up to 3x increase in repeat purchases, 28% improvement in customer retention, 25% uplift in customer acquisition, 25% higher WhatsApp conversion rates and 60% growth in customer lifetime value.