Category technology

Sapaad Forays into India, Strengthening Digital Infrastructure for the Country’s Organised F&B Sector

New Delhi, Dec 20: Sapaad, a bootstrapped, Make-in-India cloud-based restaurant technology company with a strong global footprint, today announced its formal entry into the Indian market. With several thousand customers across more than 40 countries, Sapaad brings over a decade of global operating experience to India at a time when the country’s food services sector is accelerating its adoption of digital, data-led operating models.

As part of its India strategy, Sapaad is focused on the organised and technology-ready segment of the restaurant market, estimated at 5–6 lakh outlets nationwide. This segment includes organised, multi-outlet and growth-oriented F&B brands such as QSR chains, franchise-led brands, cafés and bakeries, cloud kitchen operators and mid-sized restaurant groups. By concentrating on this defined market, Sapaad expects to build a scalable footprint and aims to serve 8–10% of this segment by 2030, translating into a potential nationwide presence across approximately 50,000 restaurant outlets.

For India, the company has introduced localised pricing with monthly subscriptions ranging from INR 5,999 to INR 12,999 per outlet, while offering the same enterprise-grade platform used by customers globally. Sapaad also offers a hybrid pricing model that combines software subscriptions with integrated fintech payments, enabling operators to manage total operating costs through blended payment processing fees. Deployment and onboarding are offered as paid services, reinforcing the company’s focus on implementation quality and long-term customer success. The platform follows a modular pricing approach, allowing restaurants to begin with core capabilities and progressively adopt advanced modules such as inventory automation, kitchen systems, analytics and AI as their operations scale.

Built on a cloud-first architecture, Sapaad’s platform eliminates hardware dependency, delivers high uptime and supports complex, multi-format restaurant operations. Its integrated suite includes cloud-native POS, online ordering, self-ordering kiosks, QR ordering, kitchen display systems, delivery management, CRM, recipe and inventory management, loyalty programmes, analytics and cloud-based printing, all delivered through a unified operational platform.

Announcing the India entry, Vishnu Vardhan Madabhushi, Founder & CEO, Sapaad, said,

“India’s restaurant industry is moving beyond basic digitisation towards systems that can support scale, consistency and data-driven decision-making. While the country has an estimated 10–12 million food outlets, the organised, technology-ready segment presents a clear opportunity for platforms built for operational depth rather than surface-level automation. Having built Sapaad as a bootstrapped company over the last decade, our focus has been on dependable, real-world technology. India is a natural next phase of our journey, and we are committed to building for the long term.”

Commenting on the company’s product and engineering approach, Anup Anthony, Co-Founder & CTO, Sapaad, said,

“Sapaad has been engineered with performance, reliability and scale at its core. Beyond transactional systems, the platform is designed to convert operational data into actionable intelligence, enabling restaurants to improve control, forecasting and decision-making as they grow.”

Sapaad has developed AI-led capabilities across its platform, including Ask Vantage, a conversational analytics layer that enables operators to query business performance in real time, an AI-driven promotion engine, and predictive menu engineering tools that help optimise pricing, demand and margins. These capabilities are designed to move restaurants from static reporting to proactive, data-led operational decisions. The platform is integrated with major Indian fintech payment aggregators, enabling unified payments and operations, real-time order and settlement reconciliation, reduced manual intervention and improved cost management.

With the global food technology market valued at approximately USD 205 billion in 2024 and projected to grow significantly over the next decade, Asia-Pacific accounts for over 30% of this growth, underscoring the strategic importance of markets such as India. Globally, Sapaad powers a wide range of foodservice businesses including boutique and Michelin-star restaurants, bakeries and dessert chains, large Middle Eastern restaurant groups, ice-cream chains, café chains, QSR operators, franchise networks, cloud kitchens and delivery-first concepts, highlighting the platform’s versatility and enterprise-grade reliability across formats.

Hafele’s Midora Full Steam Oven is designed to support healthier, more versatile cooking through the integration of full steam technology with conventional oven functions. Crafted for modern kitchens, the appliance combines performance, convenience and refined aesthetics in a single built-in solution. Steam cooking plays a key role in preserving nutrients, texture and natural flavours while reducing the need for added fats. The Midora Full Steam Oven allows users to seamlessly incorporate steam into everyday cooking, delivering dishes that are moist and tender. When paired with baking, grilling or roasting modes, the oven achieves balanced results with crisp exteriors and well-cooked interiors.

Offering flexibility across a wide range of recipes, the Midora Full Steam Oven supports multiple cooking and steam-assisted modes, making it suitable for everything from daily meals to elaborate preparations. Its spacious interior accommodates varied cookware and portion sizes, allowing users to cook with ease and efficiency. Designed with user comfort in mind, the oven features a soft-close door, an intuitive touch control panel with slider functionality and LED display, and telescopic shelf supports that enable safe and convenient access to dishes. The triple-glazed glass door enhances energy efficiency by minimising heat loss and maintaining consistent cooking temperatures.

Maintenance is simplified through integrated steam cleaning and descaling functions, helping keep the oven clean with minimal effort. Finished in Black Glass with refined detailing, the Midora Full Steam Oven blends seamlessly into premium kitchen interiors while retaining a timeless visual appeal.

Designed to respond to evolving cooking habits, the Midora Full Steam Oven reflects Hafele’s approach to creating appliances that balance technology with everyday usability. By combining steam cooking with conventional oven functions in a refined built-in format, the Midora Full Steam Oven supports more mindful cooking while integrating seamlessly into contemporary kitchen spaces.

Dec 19: In 2025, automotive telematics is more than just a buzzword it’s transforming how we drive, design vehicles, and manage fleets. Whether you’re behind the wheel of a car or overseeing an entire fleet of delivery vehicles, telematics is reshaping everything from safety features to how we monitor and manage vehicles.

The telematics industry is experiencing rapid growth, emerging as one of the most transformative forces in automotive innovation. This technology is reshaping everything from vehicle performance to driver safety and fleet management. With its ability to enhance connectivity, efficiency, and user experience, telematics is proving to be indispensable. Let’s dive into the key ways it’s already revolutionizing the industry and what the future holds for this game-changing technology.

Smarter Vehicles, Safer Roads: Telematics at the Heart of Driver Safety

Your car can alert you if you’re swerving off course, detect if you’re getting drowsy, or even notify emergency services if you’re in a collision. That’s telemetry in action, and it’s saving lives every day. Thanks to advancements in AI, IoT sensors, and vision-based systems, vehicles can now “talk” to each other and their environments, making driving safer and more efficient.

In 2025, we’re seeing telematics systems that can do more than just monitor speed or location. They’re getting smarter. For example, cars are now using real-time data to adjust to road conditions, warn about potential hazards, and even communicate with traffic lights and smart infrastructure to optimize traffic flow. This is just the beginning. The future promises autonomous emergency responses, like rerouting traffic to avoid accidents or instantly sending a car’s GPS coordinates to rescue teams in the event of a crash.

The cool part? Insurance companies are jumping on board, using telematics data to offer drivers better, more personalized rates based on their driving behavior. Safe drivers could see lower premiums—an incentive that’s already changing how we approach road safety.

Telematics in Vehicle Manufacturing: Redesigning How Cars are Made

Telematics isn’t just transforming vehicles once they’re on the road—it’s also revolutionizing how cars are built. In 2025, data-driven design is the name of the game. Automakers are now using IoT sensors embedded in the vehicle components during manufacturing to collect real-time data on everything from material durability to vehicle performance. This allows engineers to test parts virtually before they even hit the assembly line.

Imagine being able to predict how a specific type of steel or aluminum will hold up under real-world conditions—without ever having to build a single vehicle. That’s the magic of telematics, providing advanced insights into how materials, designs, and systems will function over time, leading to better-built cars and trucks.
And it’s not stopping there. The rise of digital twins (virtual models of real-world systems) is set to revolutionize vehicle production even further, allowing manufacturers to simulate entire production lines, tweak designs in real time, and minimize costly errors.

Fleet Management: Making Business Smarter and More Efficient

For businesses relying on fleets of vehicles, telematics is already a game-changer. Whether it’s managing delivery trucks or monitoring the status of production vehicles, telematics systems provide real-time data that help businesses improve efficiency, reduce downtime, and save costs. Fleet managers can track vehicle location, health, and fuel consumption—all in real time.

But the impact doesn’t end there. In 2025, we’re looking at AI-powered fleet management systems that can autonomously optimize routes, adjust deliveries in real time based on traffic, and predict when a vehicle will need maintenance. This can help businesses avoid costly repairs and downtime, while simultaneously improving delivery speed and reducing fuel consumption.

In fact, studies show that businesses using telematics in fleet management have saved up to 20% on fuel costs and significantly reduced maintenance expenses. And this is just the beginning as AI and machine learning start to work their magic in logistics.

The Future of Telematics: A World of Connectivity and Innovation

Looking ahead, the future of automotive telematics is all about interconnectivity. We’re on the brink of a new era where smart cities and connected infrastructure will fully integrate with telematics systems in vehicles. Cars won’t just interact with each other; they’ll communicate with traffic lights, smart road signs, and even nearby pedestrians—all in real-time.

This level of connectivity will dramatically reduce traffic congestion, prevent accidents, and improve road safety for everyone. Vehicles will be able to “talk” to each other to avoid crashes, while cities will be able to manage traffic patterns more effectively, reducing travel time and fuel consumption. Imagine a world where traffic jams are a thing of the past, thanks to seamless coordination between vehicles and urban infrastructure.

How to Prepare for the Telematics Revolution: 4 Key Steps for Manufacturers

As the automotive industry races toward widespread telematics adoption, manufacturers need to make sure they’re ready. Here are four key steps to help companies prepare for this transformative shift:

1. Embrace a Data-First Strategy

Telematics generates vast amounts of data, and data management will be crucial in the coming years. Automotive companies need to build robust data infrastructures that can handle both existing and future telematics data sources. This means ensuring data is stored securely and is easy to access for real-time decision-making.

2. Develop Digital Twins and AI Integration

Incorporating digital twins and AI-powered simulations into manufacturing will be essential for creating smarter, more efficient production lines. Companies that harness these technologies will be able to anticipate problems before they arise and streamline vehicle design.

3. Collaborate with Smart City and Infrastructure Networks

Manufacturers should look at opportunities to collaborate with smart city initiatives. As urban infrastructure becomes more connected, cars will need to communicate seamlessly with traffic systems, roads, and other vehicles. Being part of these larger networks will enhance vehicle performance and safety.

4. Focus on Sustainability

Telematics data can help automakers reduce emissions and improve fuel efficiency by optimizing driving patterns and reducing waste in production. Manufacturers should leverage telematics to make smarter, greener vehicles that align with global sustainability goals.

Why Telematics is the Future of Automotive Innovation

Telematics isn’t just the next step for the automotive industry—it’s the next revolution. From smarter manufacturing and advanced driver safety features to intelligent fleet management and connected infrastructure, the possibilities are endless. As we move deeper into 2025, the world of telematics is expanding beyond what we could have imagined just a few years ago. Whether you’re a driver, a manufacturer, or a fleet manager, the impact of telematics on your daily life—and your business—will be profound.

Balancing cloud-led agility with infrastructure resilience

“As organisations prepare for 2026, enterprise technology is entering a period of accelerated evolution driven by cloud-first architectures, AI-powered automation, and the rapid build-out of digital public infrastructure. These shifts signal a clear move toward services-led transformation models that prioritise agility, resilience, and measurable business outcomes. At the same time, traditional IT infrastructure continues to play a foundational role, anchoring the stability and performance that large-scale digital environments demand. The year ahead will require technology partners to blend deep services expertise with robust infrastructure capabilities to support mission-critical, high-complexity programmes. Companies that can balance both dimensions will be best positioned to enable organisations as they navigate this next era of digital growth.”– Ajay Sawant, Chairman & Managing Director, Orient Technologies

AI scale meets rising security and resilience demands

“2025 highlighted both the promise of AI and the mounting pressures felt across sectors from security and cybersecurity to healthcare and beyond. Over the past year, organisations across industries accelerated their adoption of AI for automation, decision intelligence, and operational efficiency, even as they navigated increasingly sophisticated, persistent, and unpredictable threats and disruptions. This dual trajectory has reshaped expectations for 2026, where AI will continue to drive scale, speed, and innovation across every digital ecosystem. As an industry-agnostic solutions provider, we see this shift impacting all sectors alike: the need for continuous intelligence, resilient architectures, and adaptive, self-learning systems is no longer limited to one domain. The path ahead is a transition from fragmented, reactive approaches to integrated, AI-powered frameworks that uphold trust, reliability, and long-term digital growth.” – Tejesh Kodali, Group Chairman, Blue Cloud Softech Solutions Limited

UTRECHT, Netherlands and NOIDA, India, Dec 18: HCLTech, a leading global technology company, announced that it has been selected as a strategic partner by ASN Bank (formerly de Volksbank), the fourth-largest retail bank in the Netherlands.

As part of its new strategy ‘Simplify and Grow’, ASN Bank aims to modernise and standardise its IT architecture, which will involve consolidating IT services, simplifying the vendor landscape and building a future-ready organisation. Under the multi-year agreement, HCLTech will support ASN Bank’s enterprise applications, and streamline services through a distributed delivery model to enhance efficiency and customer experience.

Michel Ruijterman, Chief Information Officer, ASN Bank: “By signing this agreement, HCLTech’s proven track record in delivering scalable, innovative solutions tailored to the financial services sector means we can now confidently press on with streamlining our business by reducing the number of existing products and aligning the underlying processes and systems under our new strategy. Standardising and further automating our systems will enable us to organise our business operations more efficiently and effectively.”

Sudip Lahiri, Executive Vice President and Head of Financial Services for Europe, HCLTech: “By aligning our engineering mindset and scalable, domain-led solutions with ASN Bank’s strategic goals, we are set to deliver tangible impact and long-term value, laying the foundation for future-ready operations. Collaborating with ASN Bank marks a major step forward for HCLTech as we grow our presence in the Dutch banking sector.”

Insurance Samadhan and Vealthx, a leading wealth continuity platform, have established a strategic partnership through service integration to directly address the substantial national challenge of unclaimed financial assets. This joint effort is designed to deliver millions of Indian consumers a secure, unified platform that simplifies the effective management of insurance assets, provides essential clarity on policy provisions, and ensures the successful recovery of rightful claims nationwide, thereby helping customers find money that is rightfully theirs.

The partnership is built on powerful, complementary strengths: Vealthx offers a secure, all-in-one platform for managing customers’ financial assets, liabilities, and estate planning documents, while Insurance Samadhan provides the specialized backend expertise necessary for expedited claim support and grievance redressal. The central motivation is clear: Vealthx and Insurance Samadhan are uniting to directly tackle the high-impact national problem where thousands of crores are locked in unpaid insurance claims.

The challenge posed by unclaimed financial assets in India is substantial, with the Union Finance Minister stating that assets worth approximately ₹1.84 lakh crore are currently lying dormant with banks, regulators, and other financial entities as of late 2025. This pool of dormant wealth continues to grow rapidly: the life insurance sector alone holds over ₹20,062 crore in unclaimed amounts (as of March 2024, IRDAI data).

Through this integration, the Vealthx app will become the single digital touchpoint, providing instant, hassle-free access to critical insurance support services. All backend operations will be managed seamlessly by Insurance Samadhan’s expert team.

The Vealthx app provides access to specialized Insurance Samadhan solutions, which include the Know Your Policy (KYP) Feature aimed at delivering policyholders transparent, accurate, and timely policy understanding, thereby eliminating confusion and reducing paperwork. Additionally, the app offers Policy Claim Grievance Support, leveraging expert knowledge to expedite claim resolutions, significantly lower the rate of rejected cases, and ensure a smoother recovery of insurance-related assets. This strategic integration is set to expand the reach of both Vealthx and Insurance Samadhan across new customer segments and wider geographical areas by utilizing Vealthx’s expanding digital ecosystem.

Speaking about the initiative,Suhasini Anand, COO/CHRO, Vealthx, commented on the partnership’s alignment with their core mission: “Vealthx was built to ensure that no family ever loses access to their rightful financial assets. Insurance Samadhan complements this mission by specializing in insurance grievance redressal and claim support—two areas where families often struggle the most. Our discovery engine combined with their claim support can jointly reduce unclaimed insurance pools, fast-track rightful recoveries, and simplify transmission for nominees.”

The relationship between Insurance Samadhan and Vealthx establishes ways to help automate and simplify multiple facets of implementing and managing your own coverage. COO and Co-founder of Insurance Samadhan, Shilpa Arora stated that partnering with Vealthx gives its users the tools they need to manage their policies on their own via mobile or web applications. “Working together, we create a whole new support system for our customers, as well as ensure that they understand their coverage completely,” said Arora. Insurance Samadhan is focused on providing users with the most comprehensive support, including a user-friendly claims process and instant access to claims-processing resources. The partnership between Insurance Samadhan and Vealthx represents an opportunity for people to have complete control over their own insurance experiences; for example, through easy access to Know Your Policy and Grievance Redressal.

GURUGRAM, India, Dec 17: Samsung, India’s leading consumer electronics brand, today announced that in 2026, it will launch an expanded Micro RGB TV lineup, available in 55-, 65-, 75-, 85-, 100- and 115-inch models. The new expansive range introduces the next evolution of Samsung’s Micro RGB display technology, setting a new standard for premium home viewing.

“With Samsung’s latest technology, our Micro RGB portfolio delivers vivid color and clarity that make movies, sports and TV shows feel more expressive and engaging,” said Hun Lee, Executive Vice President of the Visual Display (VD) Business at Samsung Electronics. “By expanding the lineup for 2026, we’re establishing a new premium category with sizes that span the full range of modern living spaces while maintaining our highest picture standards.”

Consumers are demanding better picture quality from their TVs, and this differentiator has become a key reason many viewers upgrade to premium models. Whether used as a centerpiece for large living spaces or a space-conscious premium display, each Micro RGB model utilizes Samsung’s advanced display architecture to reflect the company’s commitment to engineering precision and elite picture performance.

Micro RGB: Precision Engineered for Lifelike Colors

Building on the 115-inch Micro RGB introduced in 2025, the new lineup includes advanced features and new enhancements that elevate picture performance across color, clarity and style:

• Micro RGB Technology uses sub-100 μm red, green and blue LEDs that each emit light independently. This advanced display architecture enables ultra-precise light control and improved color accuracy. Enhanced picture-processing technologies, including 4K AI Upscaling Pro and AI Motion Enhancer Pro, further refine brightness, smooth out motion and add clarity in real time.
• Micro RGB AI Engine Pro is equipped with a next-generation AI chipset that enables more precise frame-by-frame clarity and realism. It also includes Micro RGB Color Booster Pro and Micro RGB HDR Pro to provide a vivid color experience that makes viewing content feel as real as seeing it in person. 
• Micro RGB Precision Color 100 includes a refined Micro RGB light source with enhanced RGB color dimming precision for unparalleled color expression. Certified by VDE, Micro RGB Precision Color 100 achieves 100% of the BT.2020 wide color gamut, delivering hyper-real hues and brilliant brightness.
• Upgraded Vision AI Companion, Samsung’s multi-agent platform, combines large language model (LLM)-powered intelligence with natural conversation via Bixby. It enables conversational search, interactive Q&A, proactive recommendations and access to AI features and apps such as Live Translate, Generative Wallpaper and Perplexity.
• Samsung’s proprietary Glare Free technology minimizes reflections to further preserve clear color and contrast in a variety of lighting conditions for the best viewing experience.
• Enhanced audio features including Dolby Atmos® for multidimensional sound, Adaptive Sound Pro for optimized clarity based on room and content types and Q-Symphony, which connects TV speakers with compatible Samsung devices to deliver a deeper soundstage. All 2026 Samsung TVs will also feature Eclipsa Audio, the new spatial sound system engineered for immersive 3D audio.

First Look at CES 2026: New Micro RGB Lineup Made To Reshape Home Entertainment

Highlighting Samsung’s latest advancements in display performance, the company will showcase the new Micro RGB lineup at CES 2026, which takes place in Las Vegas Jan. 6-9. Samsung’s presence at the event will reinforce its commitment to delivering ultra-premium displays across a broader range of screen sizes and living spaces.

New Delhi, Dec 16:  As consumers reflect on the year gone by and prepare their homes for a fresh start, Croma, India’s trusted omni-channel electronics retailer, has announced the ‘Cromtastic December Sale’, a year-end shopping event designed for customers looking to upgrade their lifestyle before stepping into 2026.

Running from December 15 to January 4, the sale offers some of the best deals of the year across electronics and home appliances at Croma stores nationwide, positioning it as the final upgrade window of 2025.

Unmissable Deals Across Categories

Smartphones

• Latest iPhone models

• Premium Samsung Galaxy and Fold series

• Popular Vivo smartphones

Laptops

• MacBook Air (latest generation)

• Next-generation AI PCs

• Gaming laptops

• Lenovo performance laptops

Televisions

• Large-screen Samsung Smart UHD TVs

• Croma UHD Google TVs

• Compact Google TV options

Washing Machines

• Front-load and top-load models from LG and Samsung

• High-capacity Croma washing machines

Air Conditioners

• Voltas inverter ACs

• Haier 5-star inverter ACs

Commenting on the sale, a spokesperson from Infiniti Retail Ltd. said:
“December is when customers actively look for meaningful upgrades—whether it’s refreshing their home setup, preparing for the year ahead, or purchasing what they postponed during the festive season. With Cromtastic December, we’ve curated strong price drops, bank offers, and EMI benefits so shoppers can make informed, value-driven purchases before the year closes.”

The Cromtastic December Sale is available across all Croma stores, offering customers attractive deals, flexible payment options, and year-end upgrade opportunities across key product categories.

Dubai, UAE, Dec 16: Zain Omantel International (ZOI), the Middle East’s leading global wholesale carrier, in cooperation with Zain Kuwait, the country’s leading digital operator, provided ultra-low latency connectivity that enabled a Guinness World Record-breaking remote surgery spanning 12,000km. ZOI and Zain Kuwait worked in collaboration with Kuwait’s Ministry of Health (MOH), Jaber Al-Ahmad Hospital, the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences (KFAS), and international partners to enable a surgical team in Kuwait to operate on a patient in Brazil in near real-time.

The remote robotic surgery set a Guinness World Record for the longest distance between a patient and a surgeon. ZOI provided the international transport services between Kuwait, Marseille and Sao Paolo (Equinix SP4) while Zain Kuwait delivered local access networks. The joint networking strategy achieved 199ms (0.2seconds) end-to-end latency, an average bandwidth of 80 Mbps, and a packet loss of just 0.19%. This record-low latency allowed the surgeons to control the robot in real time despite the distance.

The announcement was made at a press conference at Zain Kuwait’s headquarters where a Guinness World Records representative presented certificates to the Minister of Health, the surgical team, Zain, and KFAS. The representative confirmed that the teams at Jaber Al-Ahmad Hospital in Kuwait and SCOLLA at Hospital Cruz Vermelha in Brazil had officially set the record.

Sohail Qadir, CEO at ZOI, said: “ZOI’s strategic investment in digital infrastructure that directly enables local innovations at global scale provides a foundation for connecting low-latency applications and services across the globe. This is what coordinated delivery with local access and international backbone can achieve.”

The surgery was performed on a live global network using a route purpose-built for predictable latency, with multiple diverse paths on standby in case of disruption, demonstrating how advanced digital infrastructure can enable new frontiers in medicine.

Qadir continued, “This level of precision over 12,000 kilometers is only possible when every part of the network is engineered and operated for consistent low-latency performance. Our role was to ensure a stable, predictable international route so the surgical team could focus on the patient while we took accountability for the network. The record is a great headline, but it really shows what can be achieved when strong partners, advanced digital infrastructure and a shared commitment to innovation come together.”

ZOI provides customers faster entry into regional markets, stronger resilience across multiple routes, and confidence that their most sensitive traffic is managed and prioritized. Backed by Zain and Omantel, ZOI combines decades of wholesale expertise with deep local presence and a track record of delivery across a global footprint.