All posts by Neel Achary

Mumbai, May 16, 2025: Building on the momentum of its past editions, the Trans Employment Mela is back for its third edition on June 18, 2025, in New Delhi. Organised by the TWEET Foundation and InHarmony, in collaboration with the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MoSJE), the event continues to push forward a national dialogue on inclusive employment and economic justice for transgender and non-binary individuals.

In 2024, the Mela drew 227 participants and facilitated over 77 placements across more than 20 companies, nearly doubling the placement numbers from its 2023 debut. This year, the organisers are setting a bold target of 100 placements, backed by strategic industry engagement and a growing movement to create inclusive workplaces.

More than a job fair, the Trans Employment Mela is a rallying point for change—bringing together public and private sector employers, sensitisation experts, and community leaders to break down barriers and build pathways for sustainable livelihoods.

Abhina Aher, Founder, TWEET Foundation, emphasized, “The Mela is not just about getting a job—it’s about claiming a rightful place in the economic fabric of our country. For too long, transgender persons have been excluded from formal employment, forced into the margins despite their skills, potential, and resilience. The Trans Employment Mela is a statement that we will no longer be sidelined. We need many more such platforms that offer not only visibility but dignity, access, and equity.”

Anupama Easwaran, Founder, InHarmony, said, “Workplace inclusion begins with opening doors—and that’s exactly what the Trans Employment Mela does. It bridges the gap between talent that’s often overlooked and opportunities that can be transformative. This isn’t just about ticking a diversity box—it’s about building cultures where everyone is valued, where bias is actively dismantled, and where transgender and non-binary individuals can thrive as their authentic selves. We look forward to deeper and more meaningful engagement from industry leaders this year.”

Maya Awasthy, Co-Founder, TWEET Foundation, shared, “Every edition of the Mela is a powerful reminder that inclusion is not just an aspiration—it’s an actionable goal. From 58 placements in 2023 to 77 last year, we’ve seen firsthand how access to dignified employment transforms lives. Our goal for 2025 is ambitious but necessary: 100 placements, 100 individuals finding not just jobs, but a renewed sense of purpose, independence, and belonging. We urge companies to step forward—not just to hire, but to learn, unlearn, and lead by example in building a truly equitable workforce.”

The announcement of the 3rd edition of the Trans Employment Mela was made during the annual celebrations of the TWEET Foundation, where over 300 representatives from the transgender community were present, including celebrities, allies, and dignitaries. The vibrant gathering served as a powerful reminder of the strength, unity, and resilience of the community, while also reinforcing the importance of inclusive platforms like the Mela in driving real social change.

This year’s edition will feature job interviews, networking sessions, corporate sensitisation workshops, panel discussions, and performances by community artists. It will also be a platform for unveiling new partnerships, tools, and frameworks that support trans-led advocacy and promote inclusive hiring across sectors.

The Mela also celebrates the growing presence of transgender entrepreneurs who are breaking barriers and building businesses across industries. Their success stories not only redefine representation but also serve as powerful testimonies to the resilience, creativity, and leadership within the transgender community.

Publicis Sapient returns as the Platinum Sponsor for this year, while P&G and Hexaware join as Gold Sponsors for this edition.

New Delhi, May 16, 2025: A delegation of eight dynamic startups from Meghalaya who are currently at Vienna are making the state proud through their participation in the Vienna UP 2025, being held from May 8th to May 16th, 2025, touted to be one of the most diverse and forward-thinking startup festivals in Europe. This goes on to prove the rising startup ecosystem of Meghalaya and how the government and PRIME Meghalaya have nurtured the entrepreneurial talent across the region.

The entrepreneurs who are representing various sectors have joined more than 90 startups, including investors, and innovators for a weeklong iconic event celebrating bold ideas and scalable impact. Vienna UP 2025 is being organised by Vienna Business Agency, hosted by 45 programme partners exposing the participants to the startup ecosystem of Vienna, providing them with the opportunity to connect with entrepreneurs and investors from different parts of the world.

On May 8th, ahead of their journey, Shri Conrad K Sangma, Hon’ble Chief Minister also met and interacted with the entrepreneurs and extended his best wishes while also commending their contribution to elevating the entrepreneurial ecosystem of the state in a global platform. He commended the participants who are currently at Vienna saying, “It fills me with great pride that the ideas and innovations born from our hills are being showcased at a global stage. The fact that they could even reach such an international event speaks volumes regarding the diverse entrepreneurial spirit of Meghalaya and its cultural richness. This is not only a personal achievement for them, but a celebration for the entire state. The world is getting a view into the new, vibrant Meghalaya – one that is bold, creative and ready to lead.”

PRIME Meghalaya has been having an impactful role to play in the entrepreneurial journey of these entrepreneurs whom they have been handholding through incubation, mentoring and funding. Their innovations representing Meghalaya’s rich heritage and indigenous products have already caught the attention from European stakeholders who are interested in ethically handmade, culturally relevant products. Some products including Eri silk textiles, handcrafted goods, as well as traditional beverages have gone down well with the stakeholders, participants and investors alike. These products are the kind that are being sought after as environmentally friendly and sustainable alternatives, one where the entrepreneurs of Meghalaya are showing immense promise.

The eight entrepreneurs from Meghalaya are not only presenting their businesses but are also ambassadors of the creative development and entrepreneurial spirit of the state. The participation of these startups in the Vienna UP 2025, will provide them with valuable global insights, broaden their perspectives, open avenues for cross-country collaborations and accelerate their growth potential as well as exposure to global markets and meaningful impact on their ventures in Meghalaya. It is also an opportunity to build relationships and learn from some of the innovative minds in the startup world, as well as an inspiration to empowering more youth from the state to dream big and contribute to the growth and sustainability of Meghalaya’s economy.

16^th May 2025, Mumbai: Unicommerce, one of India’s leading e-commerce enablement SaaS platforms, processed 2 Crores+  quick commerce order items via its flagship platform Uniware in FY25.

The orders were processed via Unicommerce’s integration with various leading Q-commerce platforms. This integration enables brands using Uniware to process bulk orders from their warehouses to the mother stores of quick commerce platforms.

The integration of Uniware with both brands and various quick-commerce platforms enables the brands to align orders in real time, optimise stock allocations and process these orders efficiently from their warehouse. Uniware’s single-window system allows brands to allocate shipments to pre-integrated B2B courier partners, in the process also ensuring simplified compliances like GST e-invoicing and e-way bill generation.

The categories benefiting from this integration include personal care and hygiene products, nutraceuticals and supplements, toys and baby products, snacks and healthy foods, fashion and travel accessories, apparel as well as home decor items.

Quick commerce has become an essential aspect of India’s retail ecosystem, with customers cherishing the convenience of a 10-20-minute doorstep delivery. Expected to show an annual growth rate (CAGR 2025-2029) of 16.60%, the quick commerce market in India is projected to reach a market volume of US$9.95 bn by 2029. ⁽¹⁾

Commenting on the growing scale of quick commerce orders, Kapil Makhija, MD & CEO of Unicommerce, said, “Quick commerce has brought products closer to consumption points, heightening customer expectations and driving retail growth. As brands continue to invest in intelligent and agile supply chains to meet this demand, Unicommerce is proud to be a key part of this dynamic technology ecosystem.

 Unicommerce’s Uniware, which includes a multichannel order management, warehouse management and omnichannel retail management system which enables brands to fulfil orders received across different channels, including their brand websites, online marketplaces, offline stores, and quick commerce platforms. This is enabled through a centralised dashboard, which pulls live data from multiple integrations to present a real-time status of inventory availability across the entire supply chain.

Virtual Reality (VR) is no longer a futuristic concept in architecture — it’s actively reshaping how commercial workspaces are designed, visualized, and executed. As noted by Carleton University, VR allows clients to step into immersive environments of their yet-to-be-built spaces, fundamentally changing the relationship between designers, clients, and the built environment. This evolution goes beyond esthetics; it’s about enhancing decision-making, minimizing budget and timeline deviations, and creating more collaborative and transparent design journeys.

Today, several startups are leveraging VR technologies to bridge the gap between imagination and execution in the workspace sector. These platforms offer immersive walkthroughs, real-time design updates, and cloud-based collaboration tools that let businesses visualize and customize every element of their future office — from layouts to lighting — before construction even begins. The result is a significant reduction in guesswork and rework, improved cost efficiency, and faster project delivery.

In this piece, we highlight four innovative startups using VR to redefine the commercial design experience. These companies are not just offering visualization — they’re delivering a new way to build trust, reduce friction, and empower businesses to make smarter decisions about their workspace investments.

Flipspaces

FlipSpaces delivers end-to-end design and build solutions for commercial spaces globally. With in-house proprietary technology, it offers VR-supported video walkthroughs—an industry first—enabling clients to visualize spaces upfront and reduce budget or timeline variances. A dedicated client dashboard provides real-time access to layouts, 3D renders, and project updates. With over 750 projects delivered across 8 million sq. ft. in the last decade, FlipSpaces stands out through its tech-enabled execution, in-house manufacturing, and a vast vendor network. Its integrated approach ensures high quality, faster delivery, and cost efficiency—setting a new benchmark in commercial interior design and execution.

Trezi

Provider of SaaS-based VR-based visualization solutions. Its platform provides users with features that include immersive design presentations, real-time design communication, collaborative design reviews, and VR-enabled coordination meetings.

SmartvizX

Provider of VR-based solutions for multiple businesses. It facilitates creating an interactive virtual environment to stimulate potential users into experiencing arenas and spaces that haven’t even been physically built like buildings, office desks.

PropVR

Provider of a cloud-driven virtual tour software for real estate professionals. It enables users to build VR tours using drag-and-drop tools and allows clients to visit multiple projects remotely. The company also provides 360 photography services, 3D floor plans, and virtual tour development services.

Bengaluru, India – May 16, 2025 – Asia’s leading jobs platform, foundit (formerly Monster APAC & ME), today announced the appointment of Binita Agarwal as Chief Financial Officer (CFO). In her new role, Binita will lead the Finance & Accounts function across all regions, playing a pivotal role in shaping foundit’s long-term financial vision and supporting its growth strategy.

Binita Agarwal as Chief Financial Officer (CFO), foundit

A Chartered Accountant with over 15 years of experience, Binita brings deep expertise across finance, compliance, investor relations, and business strategy. Known for driving financial efficiency and cost optimisation, she has led finance functions at AppsForBharat (SriMandir), Headout, and HungerBox, and held early career roles at Goldman Sachs and EY.

“We are pleased to welcome Binita to the foundit leadership team,” said V Suresh, Chief Executive Officer, foundit. “She brings deep expertise across both startup and enterprise finance, along with valuable cross-regional experience. Her insights will be key to strengthening our financial systems and building long-term value. Her leadership comes at a time of strong momentum at foundit and will help ensure our financial strategy stays tightly aligned with business growth.”

In her most recent role, Binita was instrumental in building robust financial systems, leading fundraising efforts, and supporting high-growth expansion. Her experience spans key markets across the US, Europe, Middle East, and Asia, bringing a global lens to risk management and cross-border operations.

“Joining foundit at this time offers a unique opportunity to contribute to its continued momentum,” said Binita Agarwal, Chief Financial Officer, foundit. “I look forward to working closely with the leadership team to drive disciplined growth, enhance financial agility, and create new opportunities for operational excellence.”

Binita holds a Bachelor of Commerce from Shri Shikshayatan College and is a Chartered Accountant.

Chandigarh, May 16, 2025: Indian Hotels Company (IHCL), India’s largest hospitality company, today announced the opening of Ginger Dehradun. This new addition to the Ginger portfolio brings the brand’s signature lean luxe philosophy to the capital of Uttarakhand.

Ms. Deepika Rao, Executive Vice President – Hotel Openings & New Businesses, IHCL, said, “Ginger Dehradun reflects our focused approach to accelerating growth for the brand in high-potential markets. The mid-scale segment continues to see strong demand driven by rising domestic travel. Dehradun, with its mix of leisure, commercial activity as a state capital and presence of multiple educational institutions offers itself as a good market for diverse hospitality brands like Ginger.”

Strategically located near major tourist attractions and commercial hubs, Ginger Dehradun offers 72 rooms designed for comfort. Guests can enjoy all-day dining at Qmin, a smart meeting room, the fully equipped fitness centre, and the vibrant community spaces.

Nestled in the heart of the Doon Valley, Dehradun, serves as a gateway to several popular tourist destinations in Uttarakhand, including Mussoorie, Rishikesh, and Haridwar. Known for its prestigious educational institutions and numerous attractions including Robber’s Cave and Sahastradhara, Dehradun is one of India’s most popular hill cities.

New Delhi, 16^th May 2025: MedVital, a new-age MedTech startup focused on making advanced and innovative technologies for hard-to-heal wounds and minimally invasive aesthetics more smart and accessible, has raised 8.4 crore in pre-seed funding. The round was led by Nihar Parikh’s 4point0 Health Ventures, with participation from a marquee group of operator-investors, including founders of Tata 1mg, NephroPlus, SafeExpress, Eye Q Hospital, Hexa Health, and AstroTalk.

India’s healthcare system is undergoing a pivotal shift. A growing burden of hard-to-heal wounds driven by aging, diabetes, obesity, and trauma is intersecting with the rising demand for minimally invasive aesthetic solutions. At the heart of both lies a shared need for advanced, outcome-oriented, evidence-led technologies that can repair, restore, and regenerate skin. Yet access to such solutions remains limited, held back by systemic gaps in reach and scale.

MedVital is addressing this gap by building India’s first integrated platform for complex wound care and minimally invasive aesthetics, two underserved domains despite their clinical urgency. Its flagship brand, NoWound™, is a state-of-the-art Negative Pressure Wound Therapy (NPWT) device designed to offer precision-controlled healing across hospital, clinic, and home-care settings. Unlike traditional NPWT systems, NoWound is compact, digitally enabled, and made in India, allowing seamless deployment even in resource-constrained environments.

“MedVital was founded on the belief that skin repair and restoration deserve the same level of innovation and investment as any other critical area of medicine,” said Dr. Varun Gupta, Co-Founder and CEO of MedVital. “We are building a full-stack platform that integrates clinically proven devices, intelligent monitoring, and next-generation biomaterials to transform how complex wounds are treated and how patients recover. Our goal is to become a trusted partner for specialists restoring a patient’s skin, preventing diabetic amputations, or helping individuals regain confidence through aesthetic enhancements, our mission is simple: to make advanced solutions accessible and fairly priced for everyone.” This funding allows us to accelerate that mission, strengthen our infrastructure, and scale with purpose.

This fresh capital injection will be directed towards expanding MedVital’s product portfolio, strengthening its supply chain, and broadening its distribution network to cover tertiary care hospitals, rural clinics, and home-care settings.

Tarun Bansal, Co-Founder and COO, added, “Our vision is to make India a global hub for cutting-edge wound care and skin restoration solutions. This funding gives us the fuel to scale responsibly, building a system that works not just in ICUs, but in homes and clinics across the country.”

 Nihar Parikh, Founder of 4point0 Health Ventures, commented, “We invest in teams that understand and address India’s healthcare challenges on a large scale. MedVital’s strategic approach to hard-to-heal wound management and minimally invasive treatments positions them uniquely in the healthcare landscape. Their focus on improving accessibility of high-quality science backed with measurable clinical outcomes addresses exactly what the market demands.”

Building on this momentum, MedVital will soon launch liquid chitosan-based dressings for hard-to-heal wounds, and expand into dermal and hair regeneration solutions—unlocking new clinical pathways in both therapeutic and aesthetic care.

With a robust roadmap and growing clinical footprint, MedVital is poised to become a category-defining leader in regenerative medicine—backed by science, built in India, and made for the world.

Infosys Foundation, the philanthropic and CSR arm of Infosys, announced the launch of the fourth edition of its Aarohan Social Innovation Awards. Continuing its commitment to fostering social innovation in India, Infosys Foundation is inviting innovators and social entrepreneurs from across the country to participate in the awards.

The Aarohan Social Innovation Awards 2025 aim to recognize and reward individuals, teams, NGOs, and social enterprises developing unique technology-based solutions that have the potential to create a significant impact on the underprivileged communities across India, at scale. Infosys Foundation commits up to INR 50 lakh per winner, with a total award purse of INR 2 crore.

“At Infosys Foundation, we believe in the power of innovation to address real-world challenges and uplift communities. Through the Aarohan Social Innovation Awards, we are committed to identifying and supporting changemakers who are driving impactful solutions in education, healthcare, and environmental sustainability. We encourage social innovators from across India to step forward, share their ideas, and make a tangible difference. With this fourth edition, we aim to further our purpose of amplifying human potential to create the next opportunity for everyone,” said Sumit Virmani, Trustee, Infosys Foundation.

The Aarohan Social Innovation Awards 2025 will accept submissions across three categories:

• Education
• Healthcare
• Environmental Sustainability

Key Highlights:

• The submissions for the fourth edition of the Aarohan Social Innovation Awards will commence on April 24, 2025, and conclude on June 15, 2025.
• Entries are open for all Indian citizens aged 18 years and above who are residing in the country.
• Participants can submit entries describing their work in the form of videos that can be uploaded on the Aarohan Social Innovation Awards website.
• The entries must be of a fully functioning prototype or finished project and not just a concept, idea, or mockup.

A panel of distinguished judges will evaluate the shortlisted participants to determine the final winners. The final winners will be evaluated on the following criteria:

• Real Problems: Addressing genuine social challenges with practical solutions
• Sharp Solutions: Innovations that are effective, scalable, and sustainable
• Committed Founders: Passionate innovators dedicated to driving meaningful change

Hyderabad, May 16 2025: HDFC Bank, India’s leading private sector bank in Current Account deposits announced the launch of its new Biz+ Current Accounts, a reimagined suite of Current Account offerings designed to meet the evolving needs of Indian businesses. The range of accounts aims to empower businesses by bringing the entire Bank to the customer from day one.

Each Biz+ Current Account comes equipped with core benefits including cash handling services, seamless digital banking platforms and dedicated Bank/Relationship Manager support along with bundled solutions that address the full spectrum of banking needs for businesses.

A standout highlight of the new offering for new to bank current account customers is the inclusion of comprehensive business and payment protection insurance coverage from day one for the first year. This helps business owners safeguard their enterprises against unforeseen risks.

The Bank has introduced a tiered structure under the Biz+ Current Accounts, offering four distinct variants designed to cater to different stages of a business journey:

• Biz Lite+ Account is ideally suited for businesses in the Setup stage. It offers:
  • Free 6X cash deposit limit on account balance
  • Up to 5% savings on tax payments with complimentary debit cards
  • Free shop/payment protection insurance
  • Monthly rental waiver on soundbox based on usage

• Biz Pro+ Account is ideally suited for those in the Growth stage. It offers:
  • Free 10X cash deposit limit on account balance
  • Free shop/payment protection insurance
  • Zero-collateral Overdraft Loan at special rates
  • Rental waiver on PoS devices based on usage

• Biz Ultra+ Account is ideally suited for the Expansion stage. It offers:
  • Free 12X cash deposit limit on account balance
  • Savings of up to ₹1.3 lakh annually with BizPower Credit Card
  • Free shop/payment protection insurance
  • Special offers on banking services under the Preferred Program
• Biz Elite+ Account is ideally suited for businesses in the Diversification stage. It offers:
  • Free 15X cash deposit limit on account balance
  • Special offers on banking services under the Imperia Program
  • Free shop/payment protection insurance
  • Collections across 3,200 pin codes with Cash Management Systems
  • Nil foreign bank charges on all overseas remittances

For all the above, terms and conditions apply as per product variant

In line with its leadership position, HDFC Bank has designed the Biz+ current Account range to scale with the success of its customers Moreover, these accounts adapt dynamically to individual business segments such as manufacturers, traders, service providers, and more — offering sector-specific solutions to meet distinct business needs.

Speaking on the launch, Mr. Parag Rao, Country Head – Payments, Liability Products, Consumer Finance and Marketing, HDFC Bank, said “This is a strategic shift towards offering a value-based engagement from a transactional one, and addresses both business and personal banking needs. We are now delivering a   more modular, scalable and business life stage-aligned proposition. Our Biz+ Account range is designed to be adaptive—with Dynamic Multiplier Benefits that scale with business growth, removing friction.”

The Biz+ Current Account variants will offer bundled benefits under a One Bank approach and will be available across over 9,455 branches nationwide.

Additionally, over 45 lakh existing customers will benefit from the new Biz+ Current Accounts offerings, thereby facilitating a more structured, value-driven banking experience. Through the Biz+ Account offerings, customers will have access to a simplified, structured and higher value bundled proposition including liability products, asset solutions, digital payments and business cards.

The launch of Biz+ Current Account range reaffirms HDFC Bank’s commitment to fostering India’s entrepreneurial ecosystem by delivering smarter, more holistic banking experiences to support business growth.

Speaking about the importance of her real family, Swati shares, “Family is my biggest strength. They are always by my side, through my ups and downs, guiding me with love and support. I believe family is not just about living under one roof, but about being there for each other in every moment. Their prayers, encouragement, and unconditional love keep me going every day. On International Day of Families, I’m reminded how lucky I am to have such a close-knit, loving family that is the heartbeat of my life.”

Talking about the beautiful bond with her on-set family, she adds, “Spending nearly 12 hours daily on the set of Sun Neo’s Rishto Se Bandhi Gauri, my co-actors have become like an extended family. We laugh together, share food, help each other through tough scenes, and celebrate small joys as one. It’s more than just work—it’s like living another family life on set. This bond keeps us happy, motivated, and full of positive energy. I feel so grateful to have found not one but two beautiful families in my life!”