All posts by Neel Achary

Bengaluru, India – May 15, 2025 – Your Galaxy wearables are about to get even smarter in the coming months. Google Gemini is set to debut on Samsung Galaxy Watches, making its first integration into the Galaxy wearable lineup. Moreover, activating Gemini will be smoother than ever when paired with the Galaxy Buds3 series. This update will extend AI functionalities across the entire Galaxy ecosystem, creating a more cohesive and intelligent user experience.

Galaxy Watch: Get More Done, Hands-Free

With Gemini on your Galaxy Watch, you can get hands-free assistance using natural voice commands to stay productive on the move. When running on the treadmill at the gym, simply ask Gemini to “Remember I’m using locker 43 today” so you can focus on your workout without a second thought. Or when you receive an important email while your hands are tied up carrying groceries, just ask Gemini to “Summarize my last email” for a quick overview. Gemini handles these requests across your apps, letting you quickly glance at the response and get right back to what you’re doing.

Galaxy Buds: Seamless Device Interaction

When used with Galaxy Buds, the Gemini experience becomes even more seamless. By using voice or pinch and hold controls, you can activate Gemini on your Galaxy Buds and smoothly interact with your Galaxy smartphone. So when you are lacing up your running shoes before a jog, just ask Gemini, “What’s the weather for my run today?” without having to reach for your phone. With Gemini, a more intelligent Galaxy experience is at your fingertips.

Lucknow, 15th May 2025 – DEVI Sansthan successfully hosted Leadership Circle 3 at the WUCC Auditorium, City Montessori School, LDA Branch, Lucknow. The two-day seminar brought together over 600 education leaders, policy-makers, and change makers from across India to strengthen the national movement for Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN), aligned with the NIPUN Bharat Mission.

The Chief Guest for the event was Mr. Awanish Kumar Awasthi (IAS), Chief Advisor to the Chief Minister, Government of Uttar Pradesh. Other distinguished guests included Mr. Puneet Bali, Director of Smile Foundation; Mr. Arun Arora, Executive Director of Chetak Foundation; Ms. Gauri Bhure-Roy, CSR Head at DXC Technology; and Mr. Yogesh Kumar, Head of HCL Foundation, among others.

A key highlight of Day 2 was the formal signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between DEVI Sansthan and the district administration of Asifabad, Telangana, to initiate the pilot implementation of the ALfA program in the region.

In his address, Mr. Awasthi emphasized, “Strong learning outcomes in children and effective skilling of youth are the cornerstones of a nation’s growth. Countries like China have made remarkable strides in technology and infrastructure—especially in schools—laying a strong foundation for future generations. In India, through initiatives like the NIPUN Bharat Mission, we are also seeing promising progress. In Uttar Pradesh alone, about 1,18,000 schools exist, out of which 80,000 have applied for NIPUN accreditation, and 57,000 have achieved NIPUN readiness. While this is an encouraging milestone, there is still a critical need to further strengthen learning outcomes and empower schools to independently conduct and prepare for NIPUN assessments.”

Building on the success of previous editions, Leadership Circle 3 evolved from a state-level initiative into a nationwide platform, drawing participation from mid-level government officials—Block Education Officers (BEOs), DIET Principals, and Block Resource Coordinators—from 10 states and union territories, including Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu, Telangana, Maharashtra, Delhi, Jharkhand, Sikkim, Nagaland, and Andhra Pradesh.

Participants engaged in dynamic panel discussions on topics such as “FLN – The World’s Best Investment,” “Overcoming Challenges to FLN for All,” and “Quality Education & Grassroot NGOs.” Hands-on training sessions introduced attendees to the Accelerating Learning for All (ALfA) pedagogy, DEVI Sansthan’s evidence-based and fast-track approach to foundational learning.

One of the highlights was the Educators’ Panel on Day 2, where leaders from Jammu, Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, Telangana, and other states shared their ALfA implementation experiences. Mr. Babu Singh, Zonal Education Officer from Jammu, remarked, “Around 30 trainers in our district have been trained with modern methodologies. It is vital to constantly update teaching methods and empower educators with innovative tools. We are now implementing these approaches across all zones.”

The ALfA methodology, developed through extensive research and practical field experience, is designed to accelerate foundational literacy and numeracy for children across varied contexts. Since its introduction in 2022–23, the ALfA program has expanded from 20 schools to over 35,000 government schools across India and has been adapted into 33 national and international languages, setting the stage for global dissemination. Implementation efforts are ongoing in states like Uttar Pradesh, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Telangana, Jharkhand, and select regions in Maharashtra, Haryana, and Punjab, with more partnerships in progress.

Dr. Sunita Gandhi, Founder of DEVI Sansthan, emphasized the event’s significance, stating, “Leadership Circle 3 witnessed enthusiastic participation, with leaders sharing ground-level experiences of adopting innovative methodologies to boost student learning outcomes. The event successfully unified educators, teachers, and officials onto a common platform to strategize for achieving the NIPUN 2027 goals. The role of government officials is particularly crucial in ensuring the statewide adoption and sustainability of these innovative practices.”

A special focus was placed on building institutional capacity across 50 blocks in Uttar Pradesh to embed foundational learning practices deeply into the education system, ensuring scalability and sustainability. DEVI Sansthan aims to reach over 500,000 students in the next five years through these initiatives.

Mumbai, May 15th, 2025 Kriscore Capital, a new venture firm focused on early-stage Indian tech startups, has announced the first close of its debut ₹100 Cr fund (with a provision for an additional ₹100 Cr greenshoe).  With initial commitments of ₹50 Cr from a curated group of family offices and high net worth individuals, Kriscore plans to partner with 16 – 18 breakout companies that are solving large-scale problems using technology.

The sector-agnostic fund will invest into tech-driven businesses at the pre-seed and seed stages with a bias for exceptional founders building across key trends in India including (1) Blossoming digital consumer story (2) China+1 supply chain opportunities (3) Global export of India’s premium market, (4) Gen AI powered services, and (5) Net zero 2070. Kriscore has already made its first investment into a stealth-mode startup. 

“India’s startup ecosystem is exploding, and Indian founders are building generational global businesses. Apart from technical prowess and team strength, enduring entrepreneurship needs an ecosystem of support – including financial expertise, capital firepower, compliance mentorship, and strategic global connectivity to build exceptional businesses. We invest more than capital – we commit our time, expertise, and passion to help founders build something truly groundbreaking.” says Nilesh Balakrishnan, General Partner of Kriscore Capital.

With a unique team that boasts decades of experience across early-stage VC, investment banking, and financial services – Kriscore Capital will provide value-added services that focus on critical but non-operational aspects of the Founder journey that are underserved, but essential to derisking early-stage investments. The fund also has an eminent Advisory Board comprising of Mr. D Sundaram (Lead Independent Director, Infosys Ltd), Mr. Shyam Srinivasan (ex-MD & CEO, Federal Bank Ltd), and Mr. Manish Khetarpal (Founding Partner, WaterBridge Ventures) in addition to a strong partner ecosystem of accomplished senior industry professionals to support its investee companies.

Commenting on the appointment, Shashi Kiran Shetty, Founder and Chairman, Allcargo Group said, “Ravi has played a key role in our strategic and financial initiatives in recent years. His flair for initiative and risk taking abilities with a balanced approach make him a strong leader. He has turned around Latin America in a very quick time bringing key people on board and contributed immensely to the group. Ravi together with the support of skilled finance team around the world & respected members of board of directors, internationally & domestically, will work towards the mission to accomplish world class finance organization for the group. I wish Ravi continued success in his expanded responsibilities.”

Commenting on his new role, Ravi Jakhar, Director – Strategy & Group CFO, Allcargo Group, said, “I am truly honoured by the trust placed in me and am excited to take on additional responsibility. I see immense opportunities for growth for our group across all businesses and also believe that we can create significant value for all stakeholders with sharper focus on financial management. I place a very high focus on governance, building systems & processes and creating an agile organization. We shall continue to build a world class institution by investing in right people and talent and continuing to be resilient in the face of all adversities and driving change through tech and commercial mindset.  I look forward to chart the Group’s next phase of growth.”

National, May 15, 2025: Following its grand theatrical release across 600+ screens and three languages, Aghathiyaa, the fantasy-horror spectacle directed by Pa. Vijay is now making waves on OTT. The film has officially entered Amazon Prime Video’s Top 10 trending titles in India, marking a milestone moment for regional genre cinema.

Presented by Vels Film International Ltd. and WAMINDIA, Aghathiyaa follows an ordinary man caught in an extraordinary war between angels and dark forces. With its rich blend of mythology, horror, and historical intrigue, the film pushes the boundaries of visual storytelling in Indian cinema. Shot with breathtaking VFX and backed by a compelling score from Yuvan Shankar Raja, the film offers audiences a deeply cinematic experience that is now accessible at home.

Aghathiyaa stars Jiiva, Action King Arjun Sarja, Raashii Khanna, and Yogi Babu, with standout performances that balance drama, suspense, and emotional depth. The film also adds a poignant layer by exploring India’s colonial history and a touching mother-son bond, all while delivering edge-of-the-seat thrills.

Aneesh Arjun Dev, Founder & Managing Director of WAM India, shares, “Aghathiyaa was created as a passion project to blend storytelling with technology. Seeing it embraced by audiences on Prime is a proud moment for our entire team.”

With its digital success now echoing its theatrical impact, Aghathiyaa is poised to inspire a new era of Indian genre filmmaking, where myth, meaning, and mainstream entertainment meet.

Golden Dragon, the signature Cantonese and Sichuan cuisine restaurant at Taj Coromandel Chennai, invites you to embark on a flavourful journey with its newest culinary showcase – Dim Sum & Then Some.  This experience celebrates the fine artistry of dim sums with an array of thoughtfully curated delicacies from the Cantonese repertoire. Each dim sum is a testament to tradition, technique and taste, presented with contemporary flair by the team of chefs led by Executive Chef, Sujan Mukherjee.

Guests can begin their journey with a comforting bowl of our signature soup – Lemon Garlic Wonton Broth for the vegetarians, while the non-vegetarians may savour a hearty version with chicken. The experience continues with the signature dim sum medley, a delectable selection of five exquisite varieties, available in both vegetarian and non-vegetarian options. Each guest will enjoy two servings of each variety, freshly steamed and crafted to perfection.

The vegetarian selection features delicately wrapped Edamame and Truffle; Water Chestnut and Cilantro; Mushroom and Cheese; Asparagus Gua Bao; and Steamed Tofu Steak, Chilli Bean. Non-vegetarian guests can indulge in sumptuous choices such as Prawn Har Gao; Lamb Gyoza; Chicken Sui Mai; Chicken Gou Bao; and Steamed Fish, Chilli Bean. To round off the meal, guests will be treated to the elegant Chocolate Terrine, thoughtfully chosen to complement the flavours of the feast.

New Delhi, India – May 15, 2025 – Wadi Surgicals, India’s foremost manufacturer of nitrile gloves, has announced a major innovation milestone with the launch of accelerator-free nitrile gloves under its flagship brand Enliva. Developed through intensive R&D and global collaboration, these gloves are India’s first accelerator-free nitrile gloves, representing a leap forward in skin-safe, allergy-free hand protection.

This innovation eliminates the use of common chemical accelerators such as thiurams, carbamates, and MBTs compounds known to cause allergic contact dermatitis (Type IV hypersensitivity) among frequent glove users. The gloves are manufactured using alternative non-sensitizing crosslinking agents and have been rigorously tested for dermatological safety, mechanical strength, and chemical resistance.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Anindith Reddy, Managing Director of Wadi Surgicals said “With this launch, we are proud to bring Indian glove manufacturing to the forefront of global innovation. Accelerator-free nitrile gloves are no longer a luxury reserved for global brands – we are making them accessible and affordable. This product not only addresses a critical health concern for healthcare workers and industrial users but also reinforces our commitment to safe, high-performance, and sustainable glove solutions.”

The gloves are certified under EN 455, EN ISO 374, ISO 13485:2016, and REACH-compliance frameworks, and are suitable for use in hospitals, cleanrooms, biotech labs, food processing, and electronics manufacturing.

Mr. Selvam Subramaniam, Vice President – Operations said “This achievement is the result of deep material science innovation and relentless process engineering, Our team worked closely with global polymer experts to create a glove that not only eliminates skin sensitizers but also matches or exceeds global standards of durability, flexibility, and protection. It’s a proud moment for Indian manufacturing.”

The Enliva Accelerator-Free range will be available across multiple variants:

• Enliva Pro – BIS-Compliant Medical Gloves
• Enliva Premium Nitrile Gloves – ASTM Standard Examination Gloves
• Enliva QuickDraw – Multipurpose Disposable Gloves
• Enliva UrbanShield – Food-Grade Gloves

White-label and OEM options will also be offered to international partners.

This development places Enliva in league with leading global brands such as Ansell’s DermaShield, Hartalega’s NGX, and SHIELD Scientific—reaffirming India’s ability to compete at the highest level of innovation in medical disposabl

National, India – Internationally acclaimed fitness expert Naveen Chandra Kulkarni is set to revolutionize Mumbai’s wellness landscape with the grand opening of Muscleheadon, his state-of-the-art fitness and wellness studio in Bandra West. This ambitious venture represents the culmination of Naveen Kulkarni’s decade-long journey in transforming lives through holistic fitness approaches.

“Muscleheadon is the physical manifestation of my lifelong vision to create a complete wellness ecosystem,” says Naveen Kulkarni, whose illustrious career includes competing at Mr. Olympia in Las Vegas for five years, at Dubai Muscle Show for three years and at the Arnold Sports Festival for one. “Every element of the studio has been meticulously designed to reflect my philosophy that true transformation requires addressing physical, nutritional, and mental well-being simultaneously.” His comprehensive background uniquely positions him to pioneer this revolutionary wellness concept, which he personally oversees at every level.

Naveen Kulkarni’s new establishment features his signature 90-day transformation program, which includes expert body assessments, customized nutrition plans, personalized supplement recommendations, and access to an exclusive fitness tracking app—all personally developed by Kulkarni to deliver comprehensive results.

Naveen Kulkarni’s vision extends beyond traditional fitness training. His(the) Muscleheadon facility features an extensive recovery wing offering treatments including UV and 0zone filtered cold plunge therapy, infrared sauna sessions, steam rooms, and contrast therapy.

“What makes Muscleheadon unique is that clients aren’t just joining another gym—they’re accessing my complete system for transformation,” explains Naveen Kulkarni, who was also featured as a TEDx speaker in 2024. “Every aspect of the client experience reflects my personal approach to optimal wellness.” The facility also houses a supplement store and health café curated by Kulkarni himself, offering only products and nutrition options that meet his exacting standards.

Bengaluru: Vidya (name changed), from Bangalore, has successfully conceived after enduring repeated IVF failures due to biochemical pregnancies, a condition where implantation would occur but fail to progress. Despite undergoing multiple fertility treatments, she was unable to achieve a sustained pregnancy, leading the couple to seek a more specialized approach at Indira IVF, Bangalore. Following a detailed evaluation, a tailored treatment strategy was implemented, which ultimately resulted in a successful pregnancy.

Dr. Shyam Gupta, Gynaecologist & IVF Specialist at Indira IVF

For years, Vidya faced immense emotional and physical distress as each unsuccessful attempt left her without answers. While embryos were forming and implantation was taking place, the pregnancies failed to develop further, indicating deeper underlying issues that needed to be addressed. Recognizing this, the medical team devised a comprehensive plan focused on enhancing ovarian function, improving embryo quality, and ensuring the uterine environment was optimally prepared for implantation. By carefully modifying each aspect of the treatment cycle, they were able to significantly improve her chances of a sustained pregnancy.

Dr. Shyam Gupta, Gynaecologist & IVF Specialist at Indira IVF, explained, “When patients face repeated IVF failures despite embryos implanting, it becomes essential to look beyond standard protocols and identify the precise barriers to a successful pregnancy. By optimizing ovarian response, addressing possible immune-related implantation failures, and fine-tuning the treatment plan to suit Vidya’s specific needs, we were able to create an environment conducive to embryo development. This approach was key in overcoming the challenges she had faced for so long.”

Her case stands as a testament to the power of personalized, science-backed fertility care in overcoming even the most complex infertility challenges. With continuous advancements in reproductive medicine, more couples struggling with repeated setbacks now have access to innovative treatments designed to address the root causes of infertility. Indira IVF remains committed to undertaking these evidence-based, individualized treatment strategies, ensuring that every hopeful parent receives the best possible chance of achieving their dream of parenthood.

Gurugram, 15 May 2025: The Derma Co., an active ingredient-led skincare brand from Honasa Consumer Limited, has partnered with Zepto, India’s fastest-growing quick commerce company, to provide essential summer skincare to Zepto’s delivery partners in Jaipur. In a city where desert heat can be especially harsh on the skin, this initiative aims to protect and uplift those who form the backbone of the Pink City’s hyperlocal delivery ecosystem. With this special initiative, Zepto’s continued its commitment to care-led actions that safeguard delivery partner’s safety and health.

Snigdha Anand, VP – Marketing, Honasa Consumer Limited, said, “At The Derma Co., we believe in delivering science-backed skincare that solves real problems. Through our partnership with Zepto, we’re proud to extend this philosophy to the delivery partners who work tirelessly in challenging weather conditions. This campaign is a reflection of our shared commitment to care not just for consumers, but also for the people who keep essential services running. It underscores our belief in purposeful, science-led skincare that goes beyond convention.”

Commenting on the campaign, Vikas Sharma, Chief Operating Officer, Zepto, said “At Zepto, every delivery is powered by real people navigating the city to serve users with speed and care. We’re committed not just to fast deliveries, but also to the safety and well-being of those who make them happen. Every store has a designated rest area for delivery partners—with drinking water, hydration-focused refreshments, washrooms, and charging ports. Our partnership with The Derma Co. helps us take this one step further by protecting our partners during the harsh summer months.”

Set against the vibrant streets of Jaipur, the campaign film follows Zepto’s delivery partners as they navigate the city’s heat and hustle. Featuring real riders receiving skincare kits, sharing stories, and smiling with gratitude, the film captures their resilience and the joy of feeling seen. The activation was carried out across Zepto’s dark stores in Jaipur, where riders collected their kits and participated in the programme in dedicated rest areas. The collaboration reflects both brands’ shared focus on the well-being and dignity of delivery partners, who form the backbone of the quick commerce ecosystem.