Archives 2026

Bengaluru, Jan 28: India’s mid-scale hotel segment is witnessing significant growth, with the market expanding at a 13% CAGR and poised to reach USD 6.3 billion by 2030, up from USD 3.75 billion in 2023. A new white paper by Hotelogix, a leading global provider of cloud-based hospitality solutions, highlights key trends shaping the sector, including consolidation, international expansion, technology adoption, and IPO momentum.

Titled “India’s Thriving Domestic Mid-Scale Hotel Brands – Redefining the Industry with Consolidation and Collaboration, International Expansion, and Technology Adoption”, the white paper was released following the 2nd edition of Hotelogix & AxisRooms Connect, the only industry event dedicated exclusively to domestic mid-scale hotel brands.

Consolidation and Collaboration
The report predicts that by 2030, large hotel brands — both Indian and international — will control 75%-80% of branded mid-scale rooms, driven by acquisitions and partnerships with local 3-star and budget-plus properties.

“Consolidation will gather pace. More Indian mid-segment brands will sign up with large domestic and global chains. It will help both stakeholders stay relevant in this competitive industry,” said Aryavir Kumar, Managing Director, The Clarks Hotels & Resorts.

International Expansion

Since 2020, 15-20 domestic mid-scale brands have ventured abroad, targeting markets such as the UAE, Nepal, and East Africa. By 2030, around 30% of India’s mid-scale hotel brands are expected to expand internationally, serving the growing base of 30 million outbound Indian travelers. Brands such as Lemon Tree and Royal Orchid Hotels are already operational in Dubai and Sri Lanka, while others like Elivaas are exploring franchise-led expansion.

“By 2030, about 30% of India’s mid-scale hotel brands will cross borders, transforming themselves into global ambassadors of authentic Indian hospitality,” said Anant Apurv Kumar, Founder, Brij Hotels.

Technology Adoption

Digital adoption is accelerating, with one in three multi-property mid-scale brands already using cloud-based platforms. By 2030, adoption is projected to reach 60%-70%, enabling centralised control, scalability, and AI-driven operational efficiencies.

“Affordable, modern cloud solutions now allow smaller brands like ours to digitise operations, making technology adoption much more accessible,” said Jaideep Ahuja, MD & CEO, Ahuja Residency.

IPO Momentum

Currently, around 5% of domestic mid-scale brands are publicly listed. The white paper projects that 6%-8% more brands will pursue Initial Public Offerings (IPOs) over the next two years.

“Growth-focused brands with asset-light models will continue to attract capital, reflecting buoyant investment across the hospitality sector,” said Arjun Baljee, President, Royal Orchid Hotels Ltd.

“India’s mid-scale hotel brands, representing roughly 60% of the country’s branded rooms, are leveraging local insights and agile business models to capture new demand in emerging cities,” added Aditya Sanghi, CEO, Hotelogix.

The white paper underscores that consolidation, international expansion, technology adoption, and capital market participation will define the next phase of growth for India’s mid-scale hotel industry.

Mumbai, India, Jan 28:  Sayaji Hotels Ltd proudly announces the elevation of Rajendra Joshi to the role of Associate General Manager – Pre-opening Operations, effective from January 2026. In this expanded leadership position, Mr. Joshi will play a pivotal role in driving operational excellence and steering strategic property launches as the hospitality group continues its rapid expansion across India.

With nearly two decades of rich experience in the hospitality industry, Rajendra Joshi brings a deep understanding of hotel operations, food and beverage services, guest experience optimisation and team development. Prior to his current role, he held senior management and general manager positions at several respected hospitality brands, honing his ability to deliver high service quality and operational effectiveness across diverse market segments.

Since stepping into his leadership role at Sayaji Hotels Ltd, Rajendra Joshi has been central to the organisation’s strategic expansion initiatives. He has overseen key operational milestones and contributed to new property launches, positioning the brand to serve emerging markets with a blend of contemporary comfort and personalised hospitality.

On his elevation, Mr. Joshi commented,

“I am honoured to take on this expanded responsibility at Sayaji Hotels Ltd. As we grow our footprint across India, my focus remains on delivering memorable guest experiences while nurturing a team culture rooted in excellence and collaboration.” 

Mr. Joshi’s career highlights include significant leadership roles at prominent properties, including The Fern Residency, Aurangabad and U Tropicana, Alibaug, where he was instrumental in enhancing guest satisfaction, streamlining operations, and driving business growth. His expertise spans pre-opening coordination, resource planning, talent engagement and fostering a culture of continuous improvement.

The scholarship is designed to help students develop career-ready skills aligned with the evolving demands of the global workforce. It forms part of the University’s wider commitment to investing more than £3 million in international talent, reflecting its long-standing focus on graduate employability. This focus is recognised by leading recruiters, with the University, regularly featuring at the top of the Highfliers rankings for institutions most targeted by graduate employers.

As industries are reshaped by rapid technological change, demographic shifts, and complex global challenges, the ability to adapt, innovate, and apply interdisciplinary knowledge has become critical. Developing future skills, such as data literacy, digital fluency, systems thinking, and policy awareness is no longer optional but essential for long-term employability and leadership. 

For India, with a young and globally mobile talent pool, access to education that builds these capabilities equips graduates not only to succeed in international careers, but also to contribute meaningfully to economic growth, public health resilience, and sustainable development at home. 

Commenting on the initiative, Professor Mark Lee, Deputy Pro-Vice-Chancellor (India), University of Birmingham, said,

“The Future Skills Scholarship reinforces the University of Birmingham’s commitment to supporting Indian students as they pursue world-class education and develop the skills that will shape tomorrow’s industries. Education opens doors, expands horizons, and creates new possibilities, and we are committed to ensuring that more Indian students can access these opportunities.”

The scholarships are open to students domiciled in India who are prepared to commence full-time study in September 2026. 

The scholarship applies to the following programmes:

• MSc Business Analytics
• MSc Marketing
• MSc Data Science
• MSc Advanced Engineering Management
• MPH Public Health
• MSc Molecular Biotechnology
• MA International Relations
• LLM programmes (excluding LLM Energy and Environmental Law – Distance Learning)

Mumbai, January 27: What a unique way to position a brand and grab audience attention. SAEL, a vertically integrated and diversified renewable energy company, has creatively placed brand posters in various cinemas across major cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Gurgaon, Noida, Bangalore, Ahmedabad and others.

The posters are visually compelling and so futuristic that moviegoers initially mistook them for an upcoming Hollywood sci-fi blockbuster. This smart storytelling showcases SAEL’s waste-to-energy and solar power verticals, turning casual theatre visits into intriguing introductions to clean energy innovation.

A campaign executed very subtly, yet impactful delivering a blockbuster narrative without saying a word.

By:  Rizwan Patel, Global Head of Cloud, InfoSec, and Emerging Technologies at Altimetrik.

“Enterprise data privacy has become a board-level priority as digital platforms, cloud adoption, and AI-driven operating models reshape how value is created. Data sits at the core of revenue growth, ecosystem partnerships, and business resilience, making privacy by design a strategic requirement rather than a technical afterthought. Trust now functions as a business currency, determined by how responsibly organisations govern data across its lifecycle.

India’s data-centric digital economy further elevates the stakes. Platforms built on India Stack and rapid enterprise AI adoption expand the attack surface and intensify exposure to misuse, leakage, and systemic risk. The Digital Personal Data Protection Act reinforces fiduciary accountability, consent discipline, and breach readiness, setting a higher bar for enterprises operating at scale.

Compliance alone does not deliver confidence or differentiation. Market leaders are embedding privacy engineering into product development (PDLC) and software delivery (SDLC) lifecycles, supported by identity controls spanning human, machine, and emerging agentic identities. At Altimetrik, we integrate automation-driven governance, threat detection, identity and access management, observability, and responsible AI practices into core architectures. This enables organizations to protect data rights, sustain innovation velocity, and strengthen trust in an environment where technology amplifies both opportunity and risk.”

As the Union Budget approaches, the television manufacturing industry hopes for a focused policy support that reflects the reality of TVs no longer being a luxury product, but an integral part of the Indian household. With the Indian TV industry valued at nearly USD 15 billion, it plays a significant role in domestic manufacturing, employment generation, and value addition under the Make in India vision.

Despite this scale, the sector has not received the same policy priority as categories like mobile phones. One long-standing expectation that has remained unaddressed across multiple Union Budgets is the introduction of a dedicated PLI framework for television manufacturing. Such a move could significantly accelerate localisation, strengthen domestic value chains, and improve global competitiveness.

While earlier GST rationalisation provided some relief, persistent challenges such as limited display fab availability, volatility in memory prices, rupee depreciation and ongoing semiconductor supply constraints have diluted its impact. Although the government has taken important steps to build a domestic ecosystem for critical components, semiconductors, and display fabs, a stronger and more coordinated ecosystem push is needed to truly encourage domestic manufacturing. In the interim, the industry hopes this Budget considers temporary duty relief and targeted support for critical components to improve supply stability, cost competitiveness, and support the long-term growth of India’s TV manufacturing industry. Additionally, export-focused measures such as duty drawbacks, logistics support, and rationalised trade barriers will be critical to enhance competitiveness, enable scale beyond the domestic market, and strengthen India’s position in global electronics and television exports.

Chandigarh, Jan 28: Tata Power Renewable Energy Limited (TPREL), one of India’s leading renewable energy companies and a subsidiary of The Tata Power Company Limited, has commissioned 10 GW of EPC projects till date thereby underscoring its position as the leader player in the renewable energy sector.

TPREL has commissioned 10 GW of EPC projects till date, which comprise 9.7 GW of solar projects and 290 MW of wind projects. These comprise both 4.2 GW in-house projects and 5.8 GW third-party projects.

TPREL has commissioned 1.88 GW of EPC RE capacity in the first 9-months of FY26. This represents a 33% increase compared to the 1.4 GW of projects commissioned during the first 9 months of FY25. These EPC project installations reflect Company’s seamless execution, rigorous project management, and an unwavering commitment to quality and safety.

Of the total 1.88 GW, 1329 MW of solar projects were completed for third party clients and 546 for in-house RE projects (187 MW Wind and 359 MW of Solar projects). These projects were executed at multiple sites across 5 states under challenging soil strata and climatic conditions.

In Q3FY26, TPREL completed 941 MW of RE projects, marking its highest-ever quarterly addition and representing a 139% increase over the 393 MW installed in Q3FY25.

This quarter of TPREL , notable projects commissioned include, NHPC, NLC and SJVNL (DCR-compliant solar projects in Bikaner, Rajasthan) and 187 MW wind project in Karur, Tamil Nadu. Leveraging advanced engineering practices, TPREL has consistently delivered projects, even in challenging environments. A robust supply chain, an agile execution model, and strong vendor partnerships enable efficient project delivery while optimizing costs.

TPREL’s  total utility-scale operational capacity now stands at 6.0 GW, including 4.8 GW solar and 1.2 GW wind. It further plans to commission 0.75 GW of its utility owned capacity during FY26.

Hyderabad, Jan 28: ITC Master Chef, one of India’s most trusted brands in the frozen foods category, has strengthened its leadership with the launch of Piri Piri Prawns — a bold, flavourful addition designed for seafood enthusiasts seeking a juicy, restaurant-style snack at home.

While prawns are a favourite for many, their perceived cooking complexity often discourages home preparation. ITC Master Chef Piri Piri Prawns solves this with easy-to-use masala mix sachets that can be added to prawns and cooked to perfection in minutes.

The product combines the natural juiciness of freshly frozen prawns — frozen within 15 hours of harvesting to preserve taste — with the fiery, tangy notes of Piri Piri masala. Each pack includes two Piri Piri Masala sachets, offering the perfect balance of convenience, taste, and ITC Master Chef’s renowned quality. Rich in protein and ready in minutes, these prawns are ideal for quick meals or foodie gatherings, making every bite a moment to savour.

Speaking on the launch, Ashu Phakey, Vice President and Business Head – Frozen and Fresh Foods at ITC Limited, said:

“At ITC Master Chef, our endeavour has always been to delight consumers with high-quality, convenient, and delicious food solutions. With Piri Piri Prawns, we aim to bring restaurant-style food right into home kitchens — delivering the perfect balance of freshness with flavour. This launch is another step forward in strengthening our non-veg portfolio and driving deeper category penetration.”

With this launch, ITC Master Chef continues to expand its ready-to-cook delicacies that offer a gourmet experience at home — from chicken snacks and cheesy delights to now, flavour-rich prawns that deliver a fiery, delicious bite.

Tanishq Strengthens Global Luxury Presence With Fourth Showcase Unveiling Desert Diamonds at Paris Couture Week, in Collaboration With Rahul Mishra

Chandigarh, Jan 28: Tanishq, India’s largest jewellery brand from the House of Tata, cemented its global presence with its fourth showcase at Paris Couture Week 2026, marking a defining milestone in its global luxury journey and reinforcing its position as a design-led, globally aspirational jewellery maison. Continuing its celebrated collaboration with internationally acclaimed couturier Rahul Mishra, Tanishq returned to the world’s most prestigious fashion platform, unveiling an exceptional high-jewellery presentation centred exclusively on its evocative Desert diamonds collection. Choosing a diamond born of the desert, is choosing something truly unique – a fragment of the earth’s history that captures the hues of the land where they are found.

Building on its continued presence at Paris Couture Week since 2023, Tanishq’s exclusive collection of Desert diamonds, placed the spotlight firmly on the origin of natural diamonds. Formed in the depths of the earth over millennia, Desert diamonds carry the spirit of the land – connecting each stone back to wild desert landscapes. A spectrum of natural colours, with diamonds ranging from warm whites and honey tones through to whiskey and sunset browns form a palette that’s both rare and unmistakable. Prized for their individuality, subtle tonal variations, and depth of character, these stones are considered connoisseur diamonds—markers of rarity, quiet power, and refined self-expression.

Rahul Mishra’s Spring 2026 collection, Alchemy, showcased at Paris Couture Week, draws inspiration from the cosmic and elemental origins of life, interpreting the continuity of matter and the transience of existence. It begins at the ether (akasha), the cosmic vastness, the eternal silence; which is not nothingness, but intelligible potential. The impression of air (vayu), its lightness, movement and enormous strength, traced into fabric through instinct and memory. Fire (agni) is the transformational force, like a contemplation. Shapeless by nature, but gives form to anything it touches. Water, (apas) obedient to gravity yet constantly in motion, a mirror to the moon and the world around it, yet humbly adapting to each vessel it inhabits. And Earth, the eternity’s ledger of memories. Shaped from the interactions between the other forms, it is a vessel retaining their traces and textures, the force of resilience and tenderness. Rooted in the interplay of air, fire, water, earth, and space, the collection reflects how these classical elements interact and transform—mirroring the patient formation of diamonds over billions of years. Through texture, scale, and movement, Mishra’s couture translates these unseen forces into a poetic narrative, where design echoes nature’s rhythms, elemental harmony, and timeless cycles of transformation. This philosophy celebrates creation as a process shaped by time, balance, and quiet resilience—values intrinsic to both couture and natural diamonds. The jewellery showcased in Paris highlighted how Tanishq’s Desert diamonds bring these natural elements to life, perfectly mirroring the vision of Rahul Mishra. Each rare, naturally coloured diamond was crafted into bold, sculptural silhouettes that celebrate both strength and subtlety, reflecting the desert’s timeless landscapes and the slow, meticulous artistry of its formation. Following their successful launch in the USA, Tanishq now introduces these exceptionally rare diamonds to India, offering connoisseurs and jewellery enthusiasts an opportunity to experience natural diamonds of extraordinary provenance, individuality, and elegance. With scale, form, and thoughtful settings designed to let each stone’s brilliance shine, these creations are conceived as wearable art, elevating high jewellery on one of the world’s most prestigious fashion platforms.

Every creation showcased in Paris was the result of extensive design ideation, hundreds of artisanal man-hours, intricate settings, and uncompromising attention to detail—a testament to Indian artistry that stands confidently among the world’s finest. With its fourth appearance at Paris Couture Week, Tanishq continues to strengthen its position as a globally aspirational luxury jewellery brand, engaging with the world’s leading maisons on an international stage. The Desert diamonds collection provides a new perspective – a sense of freshness and innovation in natural diamonds and was crafted in collaboration with De Beers Group, the world’s leading diamond company.

Speaking on Tanishq’s continued presence at Paris Couture Week, Pelki Tshering, Chief Marketing Officer, Tanishq, said: 

“Paris Couture Week is where design speaks without borders. For Tanishq, returning for the fourth time reflects our belief that Indian jewellery can engage the world through a shared language of design, rarity, and expression. With Desert diamonds, created in partnership with De Beers, we are presenting a story shaped by nature and refined through design—one that feels both deeply rooted and globally relevant. Our collaboration with Rahul Mishra allows us to translate this vision onto one of fashion’s most influential stages, reinforcing our commitment to creating distinctive natural diamond jewellery that resonates with a new generation of global connoisseurs.”

Speaking on the collaboration and the association with Paris Couture Week, Garima Maheshwari, Head of Design, Tanishq, said: 

“Paris Couture Week represents the pinnacle of global luxury and creative expression. Our third presentation with Rahul Mishra marks a deeper creative dialogue between couture and high jewellery, where fashion and craftsmanship move together seamlessly. With Desert Diamonds, we showcased rare natural diamonds shaped by ancient desert landscapes, interpreted through bold, sculptural forms that echoed Rahul Mishra’s nature-inspired silhouettes. The collection’s natural hues—ranging from luminous whites to warm champagnes and deep ochres—were highlighted through intricate settings and meticulous detailing. Each creation was conceived as wearable art, reinforcing our shared commitment to authenticity, rarity, and presenting Indian high jewellery with confidence on a global couture stage.”

Speaking on the launch of Dessert Diamonds in India, Shweta Harit, Global Senior Vice President, De Beers, said: 

“De Beers has now been a long-standing partner of Tanishq, and together we share a vision of bringing the world’s finest natural diamonds to discerning audiences in India. Desert diamonds exemplify this collaboration, each stone is part of a unique origin concept, showcasing the rarity, individuality, and natural beauty that only nature can create. With Desert diamonds, the ancient sands of time meet today’s desire for authentic beauty. Having already launched these exceptional diamonds in the USA, Tanishq is now bringing Desert diamonds to India, unveiling them on the global stage at Paris Couture Week and reinforcing our shared commitment to authenticity and craftsmanship.”

Rahul Mishra, Founder and Creative Director, said:

 “This collaboration with Tanishq is a meeting of philosophies shaped by time, nature, and human hands, and I am honoured to join hands with the legacy and trust created by them. Desert diamonds, formed over billions of years, resonate deeply with my couture collection Alchemy, which explores the elemental forces that bind creation and transformation. Presenting this dialogue at Paris Haute Couture Week allows us to honour rarity, not just in materials, but in thought, process, and craftsmanship. Together, we are telling a story where Indian artistry evolves naturally onto a global stage, rooted in heritage yet expressed through contemporary design.”

Bengaluru, Jan 27: In a significant step toward placing nutrition at the core of modern healthcare, Physicians Association for Nutrition (PAN) India will host its 50th Annual Signature Continuing Medical Education (CME) on 25 January 2026 at Taj Yeshwantpur, Bengaluru, in collaboration with IMA Bangalore and Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute (BMCRI).

The full-day, accredited CME brings together 600+ physicians, specialists, public health experts, and researchers from across the country to address one of India’s most pressing health challenges—the rapidly rising burden of obesity, pre-diabetes, and metabolic disease. Participants will earn 2 KMC credit points while engaging in in-depth scientific discussions, interactive sessions, and practical learning experiences.

The programme features an eminent panel of national and international experts and will focus on:

• Evidence-based dietary interventions in obesity and metabolic disorders
• Understanding insulin resistance and cardiometabolic risk
• Re-evaluating macronutrient quality and dietary patterns
• Nutrition, healthspan, and longevity
• Translating research evidence into everyday clinical practice

A defining theme of the CME is clinical applicability. Beyond keynote lectures and panel discussions, the programme includes interactive quizzes, movement and fitness sessions, and a culinary medicine demonstration illustrating how to design calorie-appropriate, nutrient-dense dietary patterns suited to Indian contexts. A curated whole-food, plant-based lunch will offer participants a tangible experience of the dietary approaches discussed on stage.

Marking an important milestone, PAN India will also formally launch a new physician reference book on Healthy & Sustainable Diets during the CME. The book represents the first volume in a planned series of evidence-based, clinically practical nutrition resources tailored for Indian healthcare professionals.

“Nutrition is not an adjunct to treatment; it is foundational to prevention and recovery. When clinicians are equipped with evidence-based nutrition knowledge, we move from disease management to true health restoration. Embedding this evidence into healthcare systems and medical education is essential for sustained population-level impact.”

The CME also underscores the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration, bringing together perspectives from clinical medicine, nutrition science, public health, and policy to explore sustainable, patient-centred healthcare models.

“We are seeing a clear shift among clinicians who want to meaningfully integrate nutrition into their practice, not as an add-on, but as a core part of patient care.”

“What is particularly encouraging is the growing interest from medical colleges and professional organisations to integrate evidence-based nutrition into curricula and training programmes.”

As PAN India marks its 50th CME, the Annual Signature CME 2026 reaffirms the organisation’s long-standing mission to integrate evidence-based nutrition into medical education and routine clinical care. With growing engagement from the medical fraternity nationwide, PAN India continues to lead the conversation on food as medicine, shaping a future where nutrition is central to healthcare delivery.