All posts by Neel Achary

Bengaluru, 1st March 2023: Jiraaf, one of the fastest-growing high-yield alternative investment platforms in India, has recorded more than 15x growth and deployed more than INR 1,000 cr in investments as of January 2023. Jiraaf is the first horizontal fixed-income platform enabling digital participation from investors with a minimum investment size of INR 1 lakh. Investors can earn yields ranging from 8% to 20% for a period of 30 days to 3 years.

Founded in September 2021 by Vineet Agrawal and Saurav Ghosh, Jiraaf has emerged as a reliable fintech platform for alternative fixed-income opportunities repaying INR 550 cr with zero defaults or delays.

Speaking about this, Vineet Agrawal, Co-founder, Jiraaf, said, “Investments are key to financial wealth creation, and in the modern era, alternative investment options have emerged as great opportunities for those seeking predictable & high returns. While equity markets have seen enormous participation from the public, fixed income remains underpenetrated. Our mission at Jiraaf is to make fixed-income opportunities mainstream by innovating and making them more accessible. We are thankful to our partners like Caratlane, Homecredit, Everest Fleet and Rupeek among others for sharing our journey. We have created a strong team across functions including technology, investments, and credit risk to present a wide range of curated investment opportunities.”

Jiraaf takes a cautious approach to curating investments. It works with select borrowers across the yield spectrum which facilitates investors to create a diversified robust portfolio. Delivering INR 550 cr+ repayments without delays or defaults, Jiraaf has established an early track record. Jiraaf started in September 2021 and raised $7.5 mn in funding in April 2022 led by Accel Partners & Mankekar Family Office.

“In today’s market environment, retail investors have a growing appetite for alternative fixed-income products, and we believe there is a gap in the market for products vetted by professionals. Jiraaf has effectively democratised the debt market and has provided access to a wide array of products for wealth creation beyond the traditional asset classes. This milestone achievement aligns with what Saurav and Vineet were set to achieve. We are proud to be part of this journey of Jiraaf in revolutionizing wealth creation.” – Barath Shankar Subramanian, Partner at Accel

Adding further, Saurav Ghosh, Co-founder, Jiraaf said, “We are extremely happy to have crossed the INR 1000 crore investment mark. The trust of our users remains our biggest asset. It gives us great confidence that 93% of our customers are return investors. Our endeavour in the next 12 months is to grow our user base and increase our monthly run rate of investments from 100 cr to 300 cr. Bringing new opportunities and building a robust digital platform will be our key focus areas in the next 1-2 quarters. We are grateful to our investors Accel partners, Aspire family office, Mankekar family office and others who have supported us through our journey.

2022 has been tough for investors with tremendous volatility in the stock markets. With continued uncertainty on several factors including high inflation, and challenging macro growth, there is a strong need for investment options that are predictable, transparent, and capable of delivering good returns. Studies have shown that diversifying 15-20% of your investment portfolio with alternative investments can provide great portfolio returns. Jiraaf has understood this need well and is fast emerging as a leader in the space of alternative investments.

Kashipur | 1st March 2023
IIM Kashipur FIED (Foundation for Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development) marks one of its kind extravaganza event, 7 th edition of Uttishtha 2023 – Annual entrepreneurship Summit. The initiative supported by Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India, aims to bring socio-economic value in the Uttarakhand’s entrepreneur ecosystem by enabling the raw entrepreneurs to achieve their big dreams. This Unique and successful initiative of IIM Kashipur has successfully clocked 29 LOIs worth Rs 5 Cr funding for 15 national agri-startups. IIM Kashipur’s Uttishtha 2023 also hosted over 100 startups and nearly 20 VCs to exchange
their interests. Three days of Uttishthan 2023 witnessed the National Business Plan Pitching Competition, Investors Meet and Entrepreneur’s Conclave.

Prof Kulbhushan Balooni, Director, IIM Kashipur said, “IIM Kashipur’s FIED platform has gone to a big level especially the ‘Uttishtha’. We are creating socio-economic impact in the home state by promoting the entrepreneurship with the support of state and central government. FIED team has incubated 140+ startups and out of these about 40+ startups have generated over 3.2 billion funding. These startups have also generated direct employment of 1200+ and have impacted over half a million farmers. We have identified the right talent of entrepreneurs and provided them the 360* support for creating success stories.”

During the National Business Plan Pitching Competition, agriculture startups, participated from across India, made presentations to the Investors and Industry experts. The enthusiasm of all the startup participants was remarkable and the whole process was very exciting for the key stakeholders. HimMadhu, AI-MRI, MyPahadiDukan, TheFitBread, FLAAR, Vikalp Herbals, GeeComIndia, PahariHaat, SuperFarmers, and many more presented marvelous business pitching sessions that impressed the investors and other jury members. Investors such as PinCap, FitSol Supply Chain Solutions, HBF Limited, GSF Accelerators, Omnivore and Venture Capitalists were surprised looking the startup ideas and efforts made by the founders to scale up.

Prof. Safal Batra, Director of FIED (Foundation for Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development) said, “The 7 th edition of Uttishtha has taken the big leap by generating the interests of some significant investors. FIED stands tall nationally by hosting such platform in the Uttarakhand state. We have seen our incubators team going in exterior and remotest places in the state to identify the entrepreneurs with unique business ideas who can represent the future of Indian Business. The 3 rd generation of farmers are not limited to crop cultivation but expanding
into food processing and setting startups. By facilitating the right platform for bringing the right human resources, branding, investors, larger market place, price & packaging, we put them into the main stream business.”

Some of the IIM Kashipur FIED incubated startups are making success stories in the country. Bijak raised $ 34.1 million, LoopWorm raised $ 3.4 million and Greenpod Labs raised $0.54 million from external investors. PoultryMon, NKosh, InfiU Labs and many more have also generated funds on merit and showing ways to other registered startups. Eminent Startup dignitaries remained present at the inaugural session of Entrepreneur’s
Conclave and Agri Mela. Rajat Jain, Founder of Sunfox; Nitin Jain, Co-Founder of OFBUSINESS; Anubhav Dubey, Founder of Chai Sutta Bar delivered keynote address and motivated the startup participants. A thoughtful panel discussion on – ‘How an Ecosystem can be Created in Uttarakhand State’ made the conclave more interesting with different viewpoints of marquee startups founders such as Subhadeep Sanyal of Omnivore, Monika Pandey of YourNest, Sachin Sheron of HBF Direct, Manish Srivastava of Alphavalue.

Inaugurating the Agri Mela (Startup Expo), Sunil Kaushik, General Manager of NABARD said, “I congratulate to the IIM Kashipur FIED for making difference in the entrepreneurship journey. Entrepreneurship in Agriculture can surely bring the paradigm shift for the country’s economic growth. NABARD is committed to support for marketing and branding of startups and motivate them to grow.” Also, Prabhat Kumar, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare; and Devendra Agarwal, MD of KVS Companies expressed their gratitude towards the enthusiasm
whown by the startups during the expo – Agri Mela.

Several innovative businesses made a memorable impact on the minds of expo visitors. Various startups  presented fantastic business ideas, such as a clothing range made from bamboo fabric, interior design articles made from cow dung, a crockery range made from bamboo, a range of toys made from wood waste, a drone for pesticide spraying in agricultural fields, honey-coated dry fruits, organic fertilizer, wellness products, handicrafts, and hand-knits, as well as an immunity booster made from agricultural produce, incense sticks made of recycled flowers.

New Delhi: Comedian Bharti Singh reached HIIMS Meerut for the treatment of her mother and mother-in-law. Both of them are undergoing treatment for kidney disease through naturopathy. HIIMS Meerut is an integrated hospital, which treats severe diseases through Naturopathy, Ayurveda and Homeopathy. HIIMS Meerut is Asia’s largest Institute of Naturopathy and Integrated Science with a capacity of 1000 beds. Here treatment is done under the guidance of Acharya Manish, founder of HIIMS and Dr BRC, an expert in naturopathy.

In a statement, Bharti’s mother said that after getting treatment from here, she has experienced a lot of improvement in her health. She now feels no need to take insulin injections at all. Witnessing the improvement in her mother’s health, Bharti herself visited HIIMS Meerut and received Neem Karela therapy, by which she was extremely impressed. After receiving this therapy, she felt that all the toxins were coming out of her body. When Bharti’s mother-in-law also faced the same problem, Bharti advised her to go to HIIMS Meerut as well. Both Bharti’s mother and mother-in-law are undergoing treatment in HIIMS Meerut and are feeling much better than before for which they are extremely thankful to the doctors and the team here.

Many incurable diseases like kidney failure, liver failure, cancer, thalassemia and autoimmune are successfully treated at HIIMS through lifestyle changes, Naturopathy, Ayurveda, Naturopathy and Panchakarma.

HIIMS is famous all over the country for its treatment of kidney failure. HIIMS Shuddhi Ayurveda centres have been established in many other cities of India apart from Meerut such as Chandigarh, Lucknow, Navi Mumbai, Thane, Sangrur, Bhagalpur, Gurugram, Ludhiana, Amritsar, Delhi and Goa. More than 200 specialist doctors are rendering their services in these centers across the country.

Hyderabad1st March 2023: Under the aegis of Azadi Ka Amrut Mahotsav, The Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying, Govt. of India organized a grand start-up Conclave today in order to promote the existing and emerging startups in the livestock, dairy and animal husbandry sectors at Marriott Convention Center, Hyderabad in close collaboration with the National Dairy Development Board, Startup India, CII and the Animal Husbandry Department of Telangana.

Shri Parshottam Rupala, Hon’ble Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Government of India graced the event with his presence as Chief Guest in august presence of Dr. Sanjeev Kumar Balyan, Hon’ble Minister of State of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying and Dr. L. Murugan, Hon’ble Minister of State of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying and Shri T. Srinivas Yadav, Minister for Animal Husbandry, Fisheries and Cinematography of Telangana

This event brought together entrepreneurs, investors, and industry experts to share their ideas, network, and learn from each other. It provided an excellent opportunity to showcase innovative ideas and products and network with fellow entrepreneurs and stakeholders. The event featured keynote speeches by prominent industry leaders, interactive sessions, panel discussions, and presentations by successful start-ups.

The Conclave included Showcasing of Selected startups, Pitch fest, Buyer seller meet and a workshop for startups to train the early-stage startups operating in the Animal Husbandry and Dairying Sector in the art of pitching, building the main business pillars and their story of impact.

Addressing the Conclave, Shri Parshottam Rupala stated that the agriculture diversification through animal husbandry is one of the primary drivers of growth in rural incomes and higher public investment in Livestock Sector is need of the hour. The Ministry of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (MoAHD) stands committed to work with all stakeholders to further boost growth in livestock sector and thereby making animal husbandry more remunerative to farmers and entrepreneurs engaged in Livestock Sector.

Dr. Sanjeev Kumar Balyan, Hon’ble Minister of State of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying also addressed the gathering and highlighted the importance of livestock sector and Major Challenges of Livestock Sector in India viz. lower productivity and emerging diseases. Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying is dovetailing and synergizing efforts with other Ministries and stakeholders in order to overcome all these challenges and promoting entrepreneurship, technology interventions, digitalization, innovative ideas etc.

Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying is also dovetailing and synergizing efforts with other Ministries and stakeholders especially in the context of common objective of helping the farmers and entrepreneurs increase their income through the livestock sector.

Dr. L. Murugan, Hon’ble Minister of State of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying emphasized that transforming rural economy through scientific intervention in livestock sector has already commenced and we are speeding up the process to achieve new milestones and Valuable suggestions of all the stakeholders will help us to formulate policy for further development.

Shri T. Srinivas Yadav, Minister for Animal Husbandry and Fisheries, Govt. of Telangana congratulated the Department to organize such conclave of startups in Hyderabad.

Shri Rajesh Kumar Singh, Secretary in his opening remarks highlighted the enormous potential of India’s livestock and dairying sector and various interventions being taken by Government for livestock including infrastructure development, enhancing productivity, product value addition improving livestock health and providing services at farmers’ doorstep.

Ms. Varsha Joshi, Additional Secretary, GoI gave a brief presentation on the promotional and supportive activities of the department of Animal Husbandry nurturing the growth of startups. Dr. Sapna Poti, Director, Strategic Alliances Division, PSA Office, discussed industry & startup engagements through the MANTHAN Platform at the Grand Startup Conclave.

Shri Meenesh Shah, Chairman, NDDB extended vote of thanks for the Dignitaries and participants of the Conclave.

The Government of Telangana provided all administrative support enthusiastically to make the event grand success.

New Delhi,1st March 2023 Bajaj Finserv Ltd., one of India’s leading and diversified financial services groups, has committed support to differently-abled persons by providing hi-tech mobility solutions that enable them to integrate into mainstream society.

The initiative ‘Accessibility & Freedom’ is part of Bajaj Finserv’s social responsibility programme, aimed at driving equitable and inclusive opportunities for children and youth. It is being funded and driven through its subsidiary, Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Company, in partnership with Round Table India, a non-profit working to improve the lives of differently-abled persons.

The initiative was launched at an event in Pune where 40 differently-abled persons identified by Round Table India were provided hi-tech mobility devices that convert a wheelchair into a roadworthy vehicle. The device is an indigenous innovation by NeoMotion, a start-up from R2D2 of IIT Madras. It comprises NeoFly, a compact, personalised wheelchair designed to best fit a user’s health and lifestyle, and NeoBolt, a hi-tech motorised add-on that transitions it seamlessly into an outdoor mobility device.

The first recipients of the solution were largely individuals with quadriplegia, including ex-servicemen, para-athletes, and homemakers. Under the initiative, 200 hi-tech mobility solutions will be provided by Bajaj Finserv to recipients across India. Present at the event were Shefali Bajaj, Chairperson, CSR Steering Committee, Bajaj Finserv; Ajay Sathe, Group CSR Head, Bajaj Finserv; Tapan Singhel, MD & CEO, Bajaj Allianz General Insurance, and senior officials of Round Table India and Neo Motion.

Shefali Bajaj, Chairperson of the CSR Steering Committee, Bajaj Finserv, said, “The initiative is life-transformative for the differently-abled. It ties in with our efforts to advance inclusion among children and youth by giving them equal access to resources, health, education, and opportunities. The hi-tech device gives recipients improved access, a feeling of freedom and goes a long way towards integrating them into mainstream society. It is heart-warming to see the smiles on recipients’ faces when they receive the devices. For us, it’s deeply satisfying to be able to make a tangible impact on people’s lives.”

Tapan Singhel, MD & CEO, Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Company, said, “As a group, Bajaj Finserv has always believed in giving back to society and making a positive impact on communities. Bajaj Allianz General Insurance resonates with the Group’s philosophy and strives to take measures that add value to the lives of our citizens. Many fellow Indians who use wheelchairs face numerous challenges in their routine lives, restricting their career opportunities and thus hampering them economically. As part of this initiative, we have donated 200 hi-tech mobility solutions to suit users’ health and lifestyle needs, empowering them to move around with much ease. We endeavour to make a difference in society and contribute to the well-being of the citizens of this country so that they can live a life of dignity.”

Ajay Sathe, Group CSR Head, Bajaj Finserv, said, “The initiative illustrates how technology can be leveraged for social impact. The hi-tech mobility solutions improve access for differently abled persons, enabling them to pursue an active liberated lifestyle. With the increased availability of these devices, the macro socio-economic impact can be significant. We are happy to associate with Round Table India. They have done commendable work in identifying the recipients and getting this initiative off to a great start. “

India has approximately 3 crore differently-abled persons facing mobility challenges and heavily dependent on a support ecosystem for their fundamental necessities. Restricted mobility impacts their ability to move outdoors, earn livelihoods and grow economically.

The hi-tech mobility solutions provided by Bajaj Finserv are compact wheelchairs customised to an individual’s posture and energy and are fitted with a motor-powered clip-on device that converts the wheelchair into a safe, roadworthy vehicle. It eliminates the need to transfer the person into other vehicles and can be independently attached by the user within seconds.

The powered wheelchair has a maximum speed of 25 kmph and can travel up to 25 km per charge. The solution has been compatible with rugged conditions to enhance its utility. Recipients can access the outdoors with the solution, pursue an active liberated lifestyle, be independent and explore a world of opportunities, including education and employment.

1st March 2023– Senco Gold & Diamonds has been Great Place To Work® Certified™ in India for the period January 2023 to January 2024. Senco Gold & Diamonds, which is a pan-India jewellery retail player with a history of more than five decades and the largest organized jewellery retail player in the eastern region of India has received this prestigious award for the first time.

Great Place To Work is the global authority on workplace culture. Since 1992, they have surveyed more than 100 million employees worldwide and used those deep insights to define what makes a great workplace: trust. Their employee survey platform empowers leaders with the feedback, real-time reporting, and insights they need to make strategic people decisions. The Institute serves businesses, non-profits and government agencies in more than 60 countries and has conducted pioneering research on the characteristics of great workplaces for over three decades.

Suvankar Sen, MD & CEO, Senco Gold & Diamonds said, “We at Senco Gold & Diamonds have always believed in being an equal opportunity employer and we strive to maintain diversity in our employee base. Senco Gold & Diamonds has always promoted inclusivity and supported the causes for the LGBTQ+ community regularly. The Great Place To Work Certification™ is a testament to the trust that our 2000+ employees have reposed in us. And this trust by our employees who are Senco’s face for our customers has ensured that we are featured consistently in the league of the most trusted jewellery brands”

In India, the institute partners with more than 1400 organizations annually across over 20+ industries to help them build High-Trust, High-Performance Cultures designed to deliver sustained business results. Hundreds of CEOs and CXOs from India Inc. are part of the great place community that is committed to the vision of making India a Great Place To Work For All.

The Institute’s research shows that great workplaces are characterized by great leadership, consistent employee experience, and sustainable financial performance. These organizations can deliver a consistent experience to all their employees irrespective of their role, gender, tenure, or level. Their leaders believe in the vision of creating and sustaining a Great Place To Work For All and role models being for all leaders.

Hyderabad, 1st March 2023 KLH Global Business School (KLH GBS) Hyderabad announced the establishment of the Centre of Excellence, Business Process Automation Lab at the Kondapur campus today and signed an MoU with Automation Anywhere, Bangalore – an American Global Robotic Process Automation company. The lab was inaugurated by Mr. Krishna Raju S, Manager for Global Academic Alliances and Training partners at Automation Anywhere, Bangalore in presence of Dr. A. Ramakrishna, Director, KLH Global Business School, Hyderabad, Dr. L Koteswara Rao, Principal, KLH Hyderabad Campus, faculty and others.

The purpose is to strengthen students’ abilities to become ideal candidates for automation-related employment and acquire skills to solve real-world business challenges. The collaboration will enable students with e-learning content and access to enterprise software of Automation Anywhere 360 and eventually achieve Global certification. The scope of collaboration also covers helping students with placement opportunities for roles such as business analyst, RPA program manager.

The use of Automation Anywhere is determined by the needs of the organization. Keeping the demand of the industry, the GBS Lab will provide appropriate hands-on experience to students who can discover business processes and gain automation solutions to business problems.

Commenting on the initiative, Er. Koneru Satyanarayana, Chancellor, KL Deemed-to-be University said, “The Business Process Automation Laboratory exemplifies KLH-GBS’s commitment to software education and an honest endeavor to build the abilities required by industry. This new generation of business executives with automotive skills would be best suited to perform in the volatile industry. Students in today’s world must be prepared with information and skills that will keep them employable indefinitely. We emphasize keeping our curriculum relevant to industry expectations at KLH-GBS.”

Automation Anywhere is designed to provide a visionary roadmap and deliver innovations to enterprises via the use of automation techniques. Potential employers value Automation Anywhere’s prominence and affiliations with organizations throughout the world. To explore such opportunities, students can put BPA training certificates and badges on their CV and social accounts. The collaboration will also help students to explore a variety of business advantages.

Joint efforts of the faculty, students and convener of the event, Dr. Vani Majumdar made the event a grand success.

Stuttgart 1st March 2023: Leading engine injection system manufacturer Woodward, has announced it is developing a comprehensive new range of injection systems applicable for new and future fuel powered engines including methanol and ammonia.

Designed to support the global energy transition to low carbon fuels, the comprehensive portfolio of injection systems for P2X fuels in large engines will range from 100 kW/Cylinder to over 1000 kW/Cylinder – to enable all possible combustion concepts.

For applications that require the highest levels of power density and efficiency, Woodward is developing a High-Pressure Dual-Fuel (HPDF) platform for methanol and ammonia injection with full diesel backup capability.

The new range of direct solenoid actuated injection systems is perfectly tailored to meet market requirements for simpler and retrofitted systems, including methanol injection systems for Port Fuel Injection (PFI) and Direct Injection (DI). The injectors are designed for optimal atomization of the fuel to enable good mixing and minimize wall wetting.

For gas engines that are adapted to run on gaseous P2X fuels such as hydrogen and ammonia, Woodward’s well-known SOGAV gas admission valves are also being optimized to withstand the properties of these fuels such as poor lubricity, corrosion behavior and hydrogen embrittlement.

“The combustion engine industry is accelerating its efforts to decarbonize and switch from fossil fuels to alternative fuels produced from renewable sources (P2X) such as hydrogen, methanol and ammonia, and as a leading global injector manufacturer we need to ensure we have tailor made solutions for this transition.

“We are currently collaborating closely with engine OEM’s to design and test a range of injector systems that will meet the performance demands of new engines. Current development stages range from full field validation through to SCE and R&D phase with extremely positive results to date,” said Dr. Michael Willmann, Director of Engineering – Large Engine Systems at Woodward.

“There is a broad variety of combustion concepts for these fuels, and the best choice strongly depends on the target application for the user, whether they are in the marine and shipping sector, power generation or wider industry applications where these engines will be used. We are seeing the creation of a range of solutions to meet specific needs, ” said Willman.

1st March 2023  Students of Sri Triveni schools, Hyderabad today commemorated National Science Day by organizing an art and science exhibition at the school. National Science Day is celebrated every year on February 28 in commemoration of the discovery of the ‘Raman Effect’ by the genius scientist Sir C.V. Raman.

On this National Science day, the school recognized the immense hard work and dedication of students and the faculty who strive hard to present the arts and science exhibits at the fair.

Commenting on the occasion, Sri K Goverdhan Reddy, Director, of Sri Triveni schools said, “At our school premises, our annual science exhibition is our small offering to the nation. We believe that strides of science and technology alone can liberate our motherland in the modern world. At the exhibition, our students presented exhibits topics like _ Save soil, Organic farming, Hydraulic crane, Wastewater treatment plant, Bhuvana Vijayam, etc.,”

A total of 225 models were exhibited in the science expo

New Delhi,1st march 2023Asian Paints ColourNext, the most authoritative voice in the Indian subcontinent for trends and material forecasting completed 20 years this year. Renowned for their exemplary insights, ColourNext continues to share design directions for the year inspired by the cultural and social influences on colour and decor trends. ColourNext revealed the four forecast design directions for 2023 – ‘Gothilicious’, ‘Edge of the Forest’, ‘Sleep Sense’ and ‘Shroom’, the stories of which address sociocultural topics ranging from how we express ourselves, to a newfound urgency for wellness, and forming deeper connections with others and the world around us. The forecast also launched Wallpaper of the Year – AION, breakthrough natural and earth-safe paint – Nilaya Naturals, and imaginative palette of wall finishes called Material Finishes by Royale Play.

ColourNext’s forecast for 2023 is all about building a better future, embracing the past and present and creating with joy, hope and intention. The year is the silver lining everyone waited for, after the dark clouds of the past few years and the colour of the year ‘Silver Escapade’ encapsulates the optimism with which we are going forward. On the occasion of ColourNext’s 20th edition, Asian Paints has also launched the new logo for ColourNext.

Mr. Amit Syngle, Managing Director and CEO, of Asian Paints Ltd. commented, “As we celebrate 20 years of ColourNext with pride & zest, we look ahead to share with the world, the colour and material forecast for the year. The design directions for the year – Gothilicious, Edge of the Forest, Sleep Sense and Shroom highlight self-expression, wellness, fantasy and connecting with the world, addressing socio-cultural and consumer shifts which have emerged from getting out of a rather difficult and tough phase of the last two years. The Wallpaper of the Year- Aion speaks about time and eternity through art and design and Nilaya Naturals along with Material Finishes by Royale Play align perfectly with our forecasted themes for the year. We are excited to see the multitude of interpretations of our directions across landscape and medium. It is definitely going to be an interesting year where we see the application of our forecast and our colour and material intelligence behind them come to life.”

The dazzling and enchanting Wallpaper of the Year, AION (pronounced Ahee-ohn) has a mesmerizing visual palette with deft use of tones in different sections of the design. In the foreground, strong powerful and modern graphic lines, blaze with a white intensity. Receding totem silhouettes signal the way back into myth and mist, hanging chandelier-like against a soft wash of colour. ‘AION’ offers more than the eye can see and tells a tale of the universe’s greatest puzzle: Time.

Each of the forecast stories outline a narrative that connects with individuals differently.

Gothilicious is the trend of self-expression and being unapologetically bold and sensual. It can be seen as challenging the traditional ideas of dark and nebulous and exploring the intensity of pensive and powerful human emotion. There is a shift towards an understated gothic essence with colours like charcoal warm matt black, deepest dark skies, blackest black pigment, deep dark forest olive greens, dark reds, sheen & shimmer of mother of pearl and molten metal.

Edge of the Forest is a life-affirming and a restorative forecast story. When the pandemic hit we were clouded with loneliness, people found themselves turning to nature for answers, as per big data reports. This is because people know from instinct that nature allows them to connect to a world larger than themselves. Inspired by unfiltered forests, woods and its many enchanting creatures, this forecast story includes deep forest greens, mud, moss browns and mystical fluorescence inspired by wildflowers, rare bees, bugs and worms, along with the magical sheen and shimmer of gleaming lake waters. This trend signifies reconnecting with nature and its joy and vitality and a new kind of ‘inland living’ at the edge of the forest.

Sleep Sense refers to a new frontier in wellness – a sleep revolution i.e. prioritizing good quality sleep and rest of mind as the movement towards health, wellness and slow living gains ground. There is a renewed focus on breathable, handcrafted fabrics and locally sourced natural materials. The overall colour palette is a collection of broken whites that give a feeling of stillness and lightness. Comforting, nourishing, soft adaptive, familiar, and tranquility are the colour and material qualities of this forecast story.

Shroom is a story of revival and rebirth. It involves taking all that is dead and turning it back to life, in many ways mirroring the year itself, as people come out of the biggest health scare this generation has witnessed. It seems simple from the outside but has complex layers of ecological memory. A palette of profound tones combined with luminous and saturated hues with mesmeric quality make up this forecast story.

Earlier this year, Colour of the Year – Silver Escapade was unveiled as a representative colour of the times we live in. Wellness and hope for the future have emerged as the two most important design trends this year which inspire silver, a ubiquitous colour of hope, festivities and glamour. Silver has been the colour of auspicious new beginnings in India for centuries. Given the hybrid lifestyles we live, the colour is timeless and expansive transcending physical and digital realms, the past, present and the future.

Having been in existence for 20 years, Asian Paints ColourNext has evolved as the subcontinent’s most-awaited and one-of-its-kind, intelligence in colour and material. The entire forecast takes into account the impact of the socio-political-economic climate backed by the science of research tools and colour psychology. It is put together based on comprehensive research involving the country’s prominent tastemakers from the fields of architecture, art, interiors, fashion, sociology, media and FMCG. Over 20 years, ColourNext has grown its influence and manifestation having immensely contributed to and shaped the world of colour and design.

Along with ColourNext, Asian Paints has revealed its new breakthrough product, Nilaya Naturals, a uniquely luxurious earth-safe, lime-based paint. Nilaya Naturals is made with 90% earth-positive ingredients making it robust and breathable, with a clean, fresh smell. Its tonally perfect palette with a vintage, flawlessly matte finish, has a beauty that only grows deeper with time. For projects which require an artistic colour, this will prove to be a perfect choice.

Material Finishes by Royale Play which are designer plaster solutions will showcase textures, styles and decor effects inspired by the colour of the year and forecast stories. This dynamic product offers a variety of options to fit evolving consumer tastes, such as The Archi Argilla, an imitation of nature with natural clay and lime composition; fit for houses with a trendy-chic rustic style, or W2F Decorative for differentiated luxury spaces. Some other options include Opaco Matt’s complete matt styling, and Marmorino’s marble like effect among others.