Link, a global leader in marketing procurement and sustainable brand execution, has announced a new strategic partnership with Alpina, one of Colombia’s most iconic multinational food and beverage companies.

Under this collaboration, Link will manage the delivery of Print, Point-of-Sale Materials (POSM), and Promotional Items across Alpina’s nationwide marketing campaigns. By combining creative innovation with operational excellence, the partnership aims to ensure consistent, high-quality, and sustainable brand execution across Colombia.

Link will deliver an end-to-end marketing execution solution, integrating sourcing, production, logistics, and quality control within a single, streamlined framework. This integrated approach enables faster execution, improved cost efficiencies, and enhanced visibility across the entire marketing value chain.

Early Success Stories: Innovation in Action

Although the partnership is still in its early stages, it has already delivered measurable results through several pilot activations:

• Mochisaurios Campaign Modern Trade Channel:
  Link successfully executed a nationwide gondola branding activation in record time, spanning multiple retail locations across Colombia. The activation significantly enhanced campaign visibility while maintaining high standards of quality and precision.

• Mochisaurios Campaign Traditional Trade (TAT) Channel:
  In response to an urgent rollout requirement, Link delivered 2,500 display units within just three days, leveraging its extensive supplier network. The execution achieved a 10% project cost saving, demonstrating Link’s agility, responsiveness, and operational strength.

These early successes underscore the effectiveness of Link’s Integrator model, which combines innovation, efficiency, and sustainability to deliver meaningful value aligned with Alpina’s brand and business objectives.

Leadership Perspectives

Commenting on the partnership, Manuela Gómez, Trade Marketing Manager at Alpina, said:

“This partnership with Link strengthens our ability to execute impactful campaigns nationwide while driving efficiency and alignment with our business goals. We’re already seeing positive outcomes from these initial initiatives and look forward to future activations that will continue to create value for our customers.”

George Homsi, Managing Director (Americas) at Link, added:

“We’re proud to collaborate with Alpina on this exciting journey. Our Integrator model simplifies the marketing supply chain and enables brands to work smarter, faster, and more sustainably. This partnership brings together Alpina’s commitment to excellence and Link’s global expertise to drive innovation, efficiency, and measurable impact across Colombia and beyond.”

Setting a New Benchmark

The collaboration between Link and Alpina reflects a shared vision for the future of marketing execution in South America—one rooted in integration, innovation, and corporate responsibility. Together, the two companies are setting a new benchmark for how brands can connect with consumers through smarter, more sustainable marketing solutions across the region.

Fulfilling the promise he’d made to Jemimah Rodrigues after India won the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup, Sunil Gavaskar joined her for a jam session and presented her with her very own ‘Bat-ar’, a one-of-a-kind bat-guitar created by Nike that brings together her love for cricket and music.

Shared on their Instagram handles, the candid exchange was a celebration of Jemimah, her recent achievements in sport, and infectious energy.

The Bat-ar was handcrafted by artist Nishant Fogaat, and imagined by Nike to celebrate Jemimah not just for what she does on the pitch, but for who she is beyond it – celebrating the interests, personality and creativity that shape her as both a cricketer and a person.

Fulfilling the promise he’d made to Jemimah Rodrigues after India won the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup, Sunil Gavaskar joined her for a jam session and presented her with her very own ‘Bat-ar’, a one-of-a-kind bat-guitar created by Nike that brings together her love for cricket and music.

Shared on their Instagram handles, the candid exchange was a celebration of Jemimah, her recent achievements in sport, and infectious energy.

The Bat-ar was handcrafted by artist Nishant Fogaat, and imagined by Nike to celebrate Jemimah not just for what she does on the pitch, but for who she is beyond it – celebrating the interests, personality and creativity that shape her as both a cricketer and a person.

India, Jan 10:  Yupp Video Services (YVS), YuppTV’s B2B technology arm and a global leader in white-label OTT platforms and streaming solutions announces its strategic partnership with Get After It Media (GAIM), home to The Heartland Network, Retro TV, The Family Channel, The Action Channel, and Rev’n. This collaboration delivers Heartland+, a next-generation OTT application that expands GAIM’s flagship on-air network, Heartland, into the digital forefront with advanced ad stack features and innovative content verticals.

Heartland+ will be backed by latest streaming technology, creating a diverse portfolio of ad units and subscription-based services. The app will bring consumers the very best of Heartland content alongside new verticals focused on family viewing and action-driven entertainment – all wrapped around the network’s core affinity for country music. YVS’s proven expertise in building scalable, data-driven OTT platforms ensures seamless delivery across connected TVs, mobile devices and web.

With rollout commencing in the 2nd Quarter, users can expect premium access to Heartland’s country music library, family-friendly shows, action content via flexible subscriptions; advertisers will gain advanced data-driven ad units for scaled targeting. Consumers will enjoy seamless, multi-device streaming, unlocking new revenue streams and audience engagement for GAIM’s evolving ecosystem.

Uday Reddy, Founder & CEO from YVS said, “Our partnership with GAIM to launch Heartland+ blends our decade-long OTT expertise with their authentic country music heritage and family values. This app will deliver advertisers enhanced targeting precision through advanced data analytics, while providing viewers with seamless, multi-device access.”

Joel Wertman, Co-President and CEO, Get After It Media, commented, “We look to partners such as YVS to help us enable data-driven audience solutions for advertisers looking to reach their customers with maximum efficiency and targeting capabilities at scale. The future of our business is highly dependent on our ability to bring innovative and data-driven audience solutions to our customers.”

Chennai, Jan 10: The Fertiliser Association of India (FAI) recently released provisional data on production, import, and sales of major fertilisers for April–November 2025, revealing a notable rebalancing of India’s fertiliser supply chain with growing reliance on imports to support nutrient availability across the country.

The data shows significant variation across key nutrients, with imports playing an increasingly pivotal role in supplementing domestic production during the critical crop nutrition months.

UREA: Imports Drive Supply as Domestic Output Slips

Urea sales reached 25.40 million tonnes during April–November 2025, a 2.3% increase from the same period last year. However, this growth masks an important supply chain shift: domestic urea production fell 3.7% to 19.75 million tonnes, while imports surged 120.3% to 7.17 million tonnes—nearly doubling from 3.26 million tonnes in the previous year.

In November alone, urea sales were 3.75 million tonnes, up 4.8% year-on-year. November imports jumped 68.4% to 1.31 million tonnes, compared to 0.78 million tonnes in November 2024. This import surge reflects planned supply management to ensure continuous availability during critical crop nutrition windows.

“The April–November data reveals the fertiliser sector’s evolved approach to nutrient security,” said Mr. S. Sankarasubramanian, Chairman, FAI, “While we’ve achieved sales growth through coordinated planning, the significant reliance on imports—particularly for urea and DAP—underscores the importance of strategic supply chain management and forward-looking import policy to ensure uninterrupted farmer access.”

DAP: Imports Offset Production Decline

DAP sales remained flat at 7.12 million tonnes during April–November 2025, down marginally 1.0% from last year.

However, the underlying dynamics show a clear supply shift:
Domestic DAP production declined 5.2% to 2.68 million tonnes
DAP now depends 67% on imports for meeting nutrient demand, up from 56% last year
This structural change highlights India’s growing dependence on phosphatic imports to maintain fertiliser availability despite flat sales figures. The import reliance reflects both global market dynamics and the sector’s strategic choice to ensure farmer access to this critical primary nutrient.
Complex NPK Fertilisers: Strong Growth Amid Rising Import Dependency
NP and NPK complex fertiliser sales held steady at 10.38 million tonnes during April–November 2025, a marginal 0.1% increase. However, production and import trends reveal significant momentum:
Production surged 13.8% to 8.15 million tonnes
Imports nearly doubled, rising 98.7% to 2.72 million tonnes (from 1.37 million tonnes)
This dual growth signals farmers’ increasing preference for balanced, multi-nutrient formulations that address soil-specific and crop-specific nutrition requirements more precisely than single-nutrient products.
MOP: Solid Demand
MOP sales increased 8.6% to 1.55 million tonnes during April–November 2025,
SSP: Indigenous Phosphatic Strength Growing
Single Super Phosphate (SSP), India’s home-grown phosphatic fertiliser, demonstrated robust momentum:
Production increased 9.5% to 3.97 million tonnes
Sales rose 15.0% to 4.16 million tonnes

The SSP performance underscores farmer confidence in indigenous fertilisers and validates the sector’s capacity to deliver phosphatic nutrients domestically at competitive cost and quality.

Overall Narrative: Coordinated Supply Planning with Growing Reliance on Imports

The April–November 2025 data reflects a matured supply chain where domestic production and imports function in complementary roles. The key takeaway: Imports are structural, not supplementary. Urea imports at 120% growth, DAP imports at 54% growth, and complex fertiliser imports at 98.7% growth indicate that India’s fertiliser sector has integrated global supply chains into core planning.

“The standout stories in this data are twofold,” said Dr Suresh Kumar Chaudhari, Director General, FAI. “First, the structural shift toward import-driven supply management for nitrogen and phosphate nutrients. Second, the strong performance of indigenous phosphatic fertilisers like SSP, which have grown 15% in sales. This signals a balanced approach—we’re securing critical nutrients through planned imports while strengthening domestic phosphatic production. Going forward, FAI will focus on data-driven planning and diversification in nutrient use to support sustainable agriculture.”

FAI will continue to monitor fertiliser production, import and sales trends and engage with stakeholders across the value chain to facilitate coordinated action in line with national agricultural priorities. The Association remains committed to evidence-based dialogue, supply chain transparency, and promotion of balanced fertilisation practices suited to India’s diverse agro-climatic zones.

Hyderabad, Jan 10: Hyderabad is set to welcome a transformative addition to its retail and entertainment landscape with the launch of Odeon Mall, a next-generation shopping and lifestyle destination coming up at the iconic RTC X Roads. Scheduled to open in January 2026, Odeon Mall is poised to redefine the way the city experiences shopping, entertainment, dining, and leisure by bringing together scale, technology, design, and curated experiences under one roof.

The grand inauguration was graced by the esteemed presence of Chief Guest Shri Anumula Revanth Reddy, Chief Minister of Telangana, who unveiled the mall amidst much enthusiasm and celebration. Guests of Honour Shri Bomma Mahesh Kumar Goud, President, PCC, Telangana; Shri Duddilla Sridhar Babu,  Minister for IT, Telangana; Shri Md. Azharuddin, Minister for Public Enterprises and Minority Welfare, Telangana; Shri Anil Kumar Yadav,  MP; Shri T. Prakash Goud, MLA, Rajendra Nagar; Shri P. Mahender Reddy, MLC; Promoters & Developers Mr. Tulla Vijayender Goud, Director, Odeon Mall; Mr. Amarnath Vuppalancha, Director, Odeon Mall; Mr. Narsaiah, MD, Shanta Sri Ram Constructions; Mr. Pramodh Arora, CEO, PVR Cinemas; Mr. Saif Ali Khan & Mr. Najaf Ali Khan, graced the occasion.

Strategically located at RTC X Roads—one of Hyderabad’s most historic and high-footfall commercial hubs—Odeon Mall enjoys exceptional connectivity and visibility. The location has long been synonymous with cinema, culture, and commerce, and the arrival of a modern, integrated mall is expected to further elevate the area’s significance while catering to the evolving aspirations of urban consumers. With a well-defined primary and secondary catchment spread across densely populated residential neighbourhoods, educational institutions, office zones, and established retail markets, Odeon Mall is designed to serve both destination visitors and daily shoppers alike.

Promoted & developed by Shanta Sriram Constructions, Tulla’s Family, Farzana Khan, Amarnath & Tulla Odeon Facility Management Services with a strong focus on scale and functionality, Odeon Mall spans a total mall carpet area of approximately 2.1 lakh square feet, with a chargeable area of about 2.8 lakh square feet. The development comprises seven retail levels, supported by three dedicated basement parking floors. The mall will house more than 40 retail outlets, carefully planned across categories to ensure a balanced mix of fashion, lifestyle, electronics, entertainment, food, and services. Adequate parking infrastructure has been provided to accommodate large visitor volumes, with around 350 car parking spaces and 500 two-wheeler parking slots, ensuring convenience in one of the city’s busiest zones.

One of the most significant highlights of Odeon Mall Mr. Tulla Vijayender Goud, Director of Odeon Mall, stated that Odeon Mall marks a new chapter for RTC Cross Roads by introducing several first- of-its-kind concepts. The mall will be home to the area’s first multiplex, operated by INOX, bringing a premium cinematic experience to a location deeply rooted in Hyderabad’s film culture. In addition, Odeon Mall is positioned as India’s first AI-integrated mall, with smart systems planned to enhance operational efficiency, visitor navigation, safety, and overall customer experience, setting a new benchmark for retail infrastructure in the region.

The architectural and interior design of the mall reflect a contemporary, global aesthetic. Expansive atriums, seamless vertical circulation through escalators and elevators, wide corridors, and thoughtfully designed common areas create an open and inviting environment. The layout ensures clear visibility for retailers while offering visitors a comfortable and immersive shopping experience enhanced by natural light and premium finishes.

Retail planning at Odeon Mall follows a structured floor-wise category mix to optimize footfall distribution and shopper engagement. The ground floor is dedicated to high-visibility categories such as fashion, men’s and sportswear, jewellery and watches, cosmetics and fragrances, cafés, and everyday lifestyle brands. The first floor focuses on men’s fashion and apparel, while the second floor caters to women’s wear, kids’ fashion, electronics, and specialty retail. Higher levels of the mall are dedicated to entertainment, wellness, dining, and leisure, ensuring the mall remains active throughout the day and into the evening.

Entertainment forms a key pillar of the Odeon Mall experience. In addition to the INOX multiplex, the mall will feature a family entertainment center, bowling alley, gaming zones, mystery rooms, laser shooter experiences, and minigolf, creating multiple engagement points for children, youth, and adults alike. These offerings are designed to position Odeon Mall not just as a shopping destination, but as a comprehensive leisure hub for the city.

The dining experience at Odeon Mall has been curated to cater to a wide range of tastes and occasions. The mall will feature cafés, fine-dining restaurants, rest-o-bars, and a spacious food court, offering a mix of quick-service outlets and sit-down dining options. Wellness and personal care offerings such as salons, spas, and beauty destinations further add to the mall’s holistic lifestyle appeal.

With its strategic location, future-ready infrastructure, curated brand mix, and strong focus on entertainment and experiences, Odeon Mall is expected to emerge as a landmark destination in Hyderabad’s retail ecosystem. As the city continues to grow as a dynamic metropolitan hub, Odeon Mall stands as a symbol of this evolution—blending the legacy of RTC X Roads with modern design and technology to create a vibrant and inclusive urban destination.

LabelBlind Unveils AI-Powered FoLSol® 2.0 to Help Indian Food Businesses meet FSSAI Regulatory Labelling Compliance

New Delhi, Jan 10: As India’s food regulatory landscape evolves, LabelBlind® Solutions Pvt. Ltd. a pioneering AI-led digital food labelling SaaS company, is proud to unveil FoLSol® 2.0, its proprietary AI-powered food labelling platform that helps food businesses achieve effortless, real-time FSSAI compliance amid an increasingly complex

regulatory environment.

“India is entering a new era of food safety and regulatory intelligence. With FoLSol® 2.0, our aim is to transform compliance from a check-box exercise into a strategic enabler of trust, transparency, and global competitiveness. Our vision is to make every Indian food business confidently compliant in the face of evolving regulations. This is how AI and technology can power India’s ambition to lead the world in food safety systems and export excellence. LabelBlind® is entering strategic partnerships with leading food companies to apply the solutions in different business environments to advance the capabilities of the AI model.”

NEW DELHI – Hansraj College delivered a clinical performance today to lift the Mahatma Hansraj Memorial T20 Cricket Tournament trophy, defeating Miranda House by a massive 127 runs in a one-sided final.

​Tarun’s Century Powers Hansraj to 225

​Electing to bat first, Hansraj College set the stage on fire by posting a daunting total of 225 runs. The highlight of the innings was a sensational century by Tarun, who dismantled the opposition bowling attack. He smashed 130 runs off just 57 deliveries, a knock decorated with 19 boundaries and 6 towering sixes.

​Supporting the onslaught, Mohit Tyagi contributed a solid 41 runs, while Captain Satish Pathak added a crucial 20 runs to ensure the team reached a formidable score.
​

Miranda House Collapses Under Pressure

​Faced with a mountain to climb, the Miranda House batting lineup crumbled early. They failed to find any momentum and were eventually bowled out for 98 runs in 19 overs. Captain Sonu Giri was the top scorer for the side, though he managed only 13 runs as wickets fell at regular intervals.

​Award Ceremony

​The match concluded with a grand presentation ceremony. The Chief Guest, Professor Vijay Lakshmi, Principal of Miranda House, lauded the spirit of the game and presented the championship trophy to the winning captain, Satish Pathak.

Moscow, Jan 09:  “The Kursk region has been front-page news this past year. The news was largely alarming. Operation of the existing Kursk Nuclear Power Plant and construction of new power units occurred amid constant provocations and direct attacks from the Ukrainian Armed Forces. This makes it all the more valuable that at the end of the year, the first power unit of Kursk NPP-2 was connected to the national power grid for the first time. So, the Kursk nuclear scientists deserve congratulations and thanks for such a wonderful New Year’s gift, and the entire country  for  acquiring a new source of clean energy. Much work remains ahead for the Kursk residents. But the following can already be confirmed. The Kursk unit  is  the first embodiment of the latest VVER TOI nuclear power unit design. This design not only incorporates the latest advances in nuclear energy. It is also the most powerful power unit in Rosatom’s fleet: 1250 MW, which is 50 MW more than the previous record-holders —  the power units of Leningrad NPP-2.  And secondly … “On December 30, 2024, the general plan for the deployment of power facilities through 2042 was approved, according to which we are to build 38 power units. And today, a year later, we are taking the first step in 38, the goal of which is to increase nuclear generation in the country’s energy mix from the current 20% to 25%,” noted Alexey Likhachev, Director General of the Rosatom State Corporation .

The power start-up took place in the presence of the heads of Rosatom’s Electric Power and Engineering Divisions and key contractors.

“Today’s power start-up is the result of the hard work of tens of thousands of people—from those who poured the first concrete in 2018 to the engineers involved in the commissioning operations. Despite external threats, every specialist successfully completed their work, recognizing their responsibility to the team and to the country. The new power unit will increase nuclear power generation by more than 50% to meet the needs of the Kursk Region and ensure the stable operation of the Central Asian Unified Energy System of the Centre, guaranteeing its energy stability and confident progress,” said Andrey Petrov, First Deputy Director General for Nuclear Energy at Rosatom State Corporation and President of JSC ASE (general designer, Engineering Division of Rosatom State Corporation).

The first connection of the generator to the grid was performed by Valery Yakushev, the electrical shop shift supervisor. “Our power unit has finally found its purpose and begun generating electricity. Considering it will operate for up to 100 years, being a part of this event  is  a great honor for me,”  he  shared after the historic occasion.

During the power startup phase, the power unit’s capacity will be gradually increased to 35-40%. This will be followed  by  a lengthy period of ramping up to 100%.

“The power unit’s commissioning is proceeding according to plan. Comprehensive testing of the unit is currently underway, ensuring the required power level is reached  . The equipment and systems must operate efficiently, reliably, and safely, as required by the process regulations,” noted Alexander Shutikov,   CEO of Rosenergoatom Concern JSC  . ” After all the process operations, we will confirm with Rostekhnadzor that the unit’s characteristics and physical parameters comply with modern nuclear energy standards and requirements.”

The commissioning of Unit 1 of the replacement plant is scheduled for 2026. The implementation of projects similar to the VVER-TOI project will ensure reliable energy supply to the region and make a significant contribution to the country’s economic development.

By: Richa Agarwal, CEO of Emami Art and Chairperson, KCC

Field Notes (On the Afterlife of Trees) is the first-ever solo exhibition by the young and emerging artist, Vishal Kumar Gupta. At the core of his practice is the deliberate and poetic depiction of the idea of fragmentation. By using it as the central idea of his artistic practice, Gupta, creates a world of abstraction and ambiguity. His deep engagement with the natural world and the overlooked objects brings a fresh perspective on visual representation as well as the use of material itself. Displayed in a fluid and expansive style, the exhibition features his most recent works, we hope the viewers have a great time discovering the spectacular world in his work.

By: Ushmita Sahu, Director and Head Curator of Emami Art

In his debut exhibition, Field Notes (On the Afterlife of Trees), Vishal Kumar Gupta explores painting with a sense of discovery. One of the key qualities of Vishal Kumar Gupta’s work is his joy in exploring the essence of painting itself. Gupta draws inspiration from the intricacies of the natural world and its most overlooked aspects. Through expressive, painterly investigations of twigs, branches, and weathered stumps, Gupta does not merely depict nature but channels its organic self and embodied time. So, the practice itself is a comprehensive exploration of time, memory and embodiment. The first-ever solo exhibition is conceptualised and designed as an introduction to the curious world of Gupta’s artistic practice.