SKINN-House Of Titan And Vivanta Collaborate To Reimagine The Modern Hospitality Experience

In a move that redefines modern hospitality through sensorial storytelling, SKINN – House of Titan, the premium fragrance portfolio from Titan Company Limited, has announced a strategic collaboration with Vivanta, the Bon Vivant brand of Indian Hotels Company (IHCL).

As part of the strategic collaboration, guests checking into Vivanta properties will be welcomed with a curated SKINN fragrance vials - designed as a travel-friendly, collectible vial, that that reimagines check‑in as an avante-garde sensory experience, with ‘his’ and ‘hers’ fragrances tailored to today’s guest.

Through this partnership, SKINN – House of Titan introduces a fragrance-led dimension to the guest journey at Vivanta, enhancing engagement at the very first touchpoint while extending the brand beyond personal fragrance into thoughtfully curated lifestyle experiences. The fragrances are thoughtfully crafted for the young, modern traveler. For Vivanta, the initiative reinforces a continued focus on guest delight through differentiated and elevated service moments.

Mr. Manish Gupta, CEO – Fragrance and Fashion Accessories, Titan Company Limited, said:

“At SKINN – House of Titan, we see fragrance as far more than a personal accessory; it is a powerful medium for storytelling, capable of shaping emotions and anchoring memories. As hospitality evolves into a more immersive, multi-sensory experience, this collaboration with Vivanta is a natural fit. It allows us to integrate fragrance into a meaningful moment of arrival, transforming a routine check-in into a lasting sensory impression. For us, this is a deliberate step towards taking fine perfumery beyond the bottle and embedding it into everyday experiences.”

Tajinder Singh, Senior Vice President (IHCL), added: “The partnership with SKINN – House of Titan brings a crafted sensory element into the guest journey at Vivanta. It is a thoughtful addition at a moment that often goes unnoticed, turning arrival into something more memorable. Such collaborations allow us to continuously reinterpret the experience in ways that feel current and true to the brand.”.”

The SKINN fragrance vials will be available for guests across Vivanta properties pan-India, reinforcing both brands’ shared commitment to innovation, design, and guest-centric experiences.

TCS And Anthropic Launch Global Premier Partnership To Drive Enterprise AI Scaling

* As a Global Premier Partner in the Claude Partner Network, TCS will empower 50,000 associates with Claude, powered by Anthropic, transform core enterprise functions, co-innovate industry solutions, and build future-ready AI talent through TCS iON.

* TCS and Anthropic will also jointly go to market with AI solutions for highly regulated sectors.

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) (BSE: 532540, NSE: TCS), a global leader in IT services, consulting, and business solutions, today announced a global strategic partnership with Anthropic, the frontier AI company behind Claude, to help customers scale enterprise AI adoption. TCS will setup a dedicated Business Unit focused on delivering strong customer value propositions, joint industry solutions and deep AI expertise on the Claude family of models through early access to Claude models.

In regulated industries, most AI initiatives stall at the pilot stage, where the requirements for accuracy, auditability and oversight are far more stringent, and the consequences of error significantly higher. This partnership is designed to overcome those barriers. Combining TCS’ governance, controls and implementation expertise will enable enterprises to deploy Claude confidently in production, not just in experimentation.

As a Global Premier Partner in the Claude Partner Network, TCS will bring Claude models to enterprises that demand accuracy, deep integration, resilience and strong governance. Combining scaled internal deployment, joint go-to-market offerings, industry co-innovation, and workforce enablement, the partnership gives clients a practical path to enterprise-wide adoption and measurable outcomes.

TCS will equip 50,000 associates across engineering, finance, legal, marketing, and sales with Claude through enterprise-wide licensing. By deploying Claude internally, TCS will gain first-hand experience to transform its own operations while applying those insights to drive client success.

TCS and Anthropic will jointly go to market with AI solutions and services across industries including highly regulated sectors, such as financial services, public services, life sciences, healthcare, aviation, telecom, and medtech. Together, they will co-innovate solutions for domain-specific workflows, modernization, and customer experience transformation, backed by TCS’ consulting, engineering, and managed services capabilities.

The partnership also extends to TCS products, platforms and domain specific solutions in the following areas:

· In the UK, Diligenta, TCS’ FCA-regulated life and pensions business serving over 22 million Life and Pensions customers, will use Claude to improve customer experience through agentic process transformation at scale. In addition, BFSI Products and Platforms teams will leverage Claude Code to enhance productivity in Software engineering and IT Operations.

· TCS iON conducts over 75 million annual assessments across 1,500 cities in India. Through this partnership TCS iON will deliver high-impact learning and certification on Claude models, helping build a future-ready, AI-certified workforce in India.

· TCS will also bring its domain-led engineering expertise to the Claude Code ecosystem through reusable skills and plugins, including capabilities such as claims adjudication and lending advisory.

K Krithivasan, CEO and MD, TCS, said, “Enterprise AI value comes from understanding business context, orchestrating complex systems, and applying deep AI engineering talent. By combining Claude with our industry expertise, engineering rigor, and large-scale transformation capabilities, we will help customers move faster to production, especially in industries where trust, resilience, and regulatory discipline are critical. This partnership reflects TCS’ broader strategy to help clients become perpetually adaptive enterprises by turning frontier AI into transformation at enterprise scale.”

Dario Amodei, Co-founder and CEO, Anthropic, said, “We built Claude to be safe, trusted, and helpful, particularly in contexts where accuracy matters most. This partnership deepens our commitment to India, our second-largest market, with TCS bringing Claude to enterprises and professionals across the region and globally, including 50,000 of its employees.”N Chandrasekaran, Chairman, Tata Sons, said, “This partnership reflects our shared conviction that AI will be foundational and transformative for enterprises worldwide. By combining Anthropic's capabilities with Tata Group’s scale, trusted relationships, and nation-building commitment, we will accelerate enterprise reinvention and equip India’s youth with the skills to lead in the AI era.”

MAGGI Celebrates Everyone’s Favorite Masala - Made So Good, Tastes So Good

* 10 spices. 7 states. 157 quality checks. 1 unmistakeable taste

MAGGI in this country is known for its aroma, masaledaar taste and the ability to bring everyone together. The brand is celebrating the journey of the spices that give MAGGI its iconic taste. MAGGI works closely with over 4,500 spice farmers across 128 villages in 7 states to cultivate the its top 10 spices which are carefully farmed, picked from different states in the country, slow-roasted and taken through quality checks to ensure that every little packet of masala that reaches people’s homes is filled with love and high quality ingredients.

Commenting on the campaign, Ms. Rupali Rattan, Head – Foods Business, said, " MAGGI masala has been at the heart of the brand’s iconic taste for over five decades. Behind this taste lies a deep commitment to our consumers to give them high quality and taste every time. This story is a tribute to the thousands of farmers who make it possible and a celebration of the partnerships that help us deliver the taste consumers love and trust."

Through the MAGGI Spice sourcing, our spices like Cumin, Fenugreek, Coriander, Aniseed, Turmeric, Black pepper, Chilli, Ginger, Cardamom, Nutmeg are grown while supporting sustainable agricultural practices and farmer resilience.

Link to the video: MAGGI: Made so good...Tastes so good!  

The Need For Balanced PPI Regulation: Advancing Consumer Protection Without Limiting Access: Pahle India

* Study finds PPIs have become a critical enabler of everyday digital transactions, financial inclusion and innovation

* A proportionate, risk-based regulatory PPI framework is needed that safeguards consumers while preserving accessibility, innovation, and everyday digital payment use cases.

* Monthly PPI volumes nearly double to 8,750 lakh transactions—everyday use, not big-ticket spends, is driving growth

* Frequency over value: PPI adoption surges as Indians embed digital wallets into daily economic life"

Proposed changes to India's prepaid payment instrument (PPI) framework could have unintended consequences for digital payments adoption, financial inclusion, and everyday consumer transactions if not calibrated carefully, according to a new whitepaper released by Pahle India Foundation.

The whitepaper, titled "Prepaid Payment Instruments and India's Digital Payments Ecosystem: Balancing Regulatory Objectives with Adoption, Inclusion, and Innovation," examines the growing role of PPIs in India's digital economy and the potential implications of ongoing regulatory developments. The release comes amid industry discussions around the Reserve Bank of India's recently issued draft directions on PPIs and their impact on consumers, merchants, fintech firms and the broader digital payments ecosystem.

Drawing on more than six years of RBI payment system data, the study finds that PPI volumes reached 98,699 lakhs in FY 2025-26, evolving into a significant component of India's digital payments infrastructure. It facilitates billions of transactions annually across consumer payments, merchant transactions, e-commerce platforms, gig economy services, and financial inclusion use cases.

The study also finds that PPIs often serve as an entry point into the digital economy for first-time users and provide low-friction payment solutions that complement India's broader digital public infrastructure, offering a simple and low-friction way to participate in the formal digital economy. Their accessibility has made them particularly relevant for gig workers, small merchants, and financially underserved populations. This has led to the RBI Digital payment Index (DPI) rise from 217.74 in September 2020 to 516.76 in September 2025 – a 137% increase across eleven consecutive periods of uninterrupted growth.

"The evidence suggests that PPIs have become an important gateway to digital payments for millions of users. Their rapid adoption has been closely linked to convenience, accessibility and ease of use. As policymakers seek to strengthen consumer protection and operational resilience, it is important that regulatory interventions remain proportionate, evidence-based and supportive of continued adoption," said Dr. Suyog Dandekar, Senior Economist at Pahle India Foundation and co-author of the report.

The report also highlights the role of PPIs in advancing several national policy objectives, including digital payments adoption, financial inclusion, ease of living, innovation and competition. It notes that PPIs serve a diverse range of user groups, including gig workers, MSMEs, platform users, and low-income populations, helping them reduce dependence on cash, enable participation in the formal economy, and support innovation by both banks and fintech firms.

"India's digital payments success has been built on a combination of trust, innovation and ease of use. The data suggests that PPIs occupy an important space within this ecosystem, particularly for low-value, high-frequency transactions. The objective of this paper is to bring evidence into the policy conversation and contribute to a regulatory framework that protects consumers while preserving the accessibility and convenience that have driven adoption at scale," said Surabhi Singh, Research Associate at Pahle India Foundation and co-author of the report.

The whitepaper recommends a proportionate and risk-based regulatory framework that aligns compliance requirements with actual risk levels. It also calls for preserving low-value, high-frequency use cases, conducting regulatory impact assessments before major policy interventions, balancing consumer protection with ease of access, and adopting phased implementation approaches for significant regulatory changes.

The report concludes that India's digital payments success has been driven by a combination of innovation, inclusion and low-friction user experiences. Future regulatory reforms, it argues, should seek to preserve these gains while strengthening safeguards in a manner that supports continued growth of the ecosystem.

About Pahle India Foundation:

Pahle India Foundation is a homegrown think-and-action tank dedicated to putting India first by generating rigorous, evidence-based research and translating it into practical policy impact. Founded by Dr. Rajiv Kumar with a mission to fill India’s public policy ecosystem gap, it combines world-class capabilities with cutting-edge technologies to drive inclusive and sustainable economic development.

The Big Bangalore Book Fest Returns To Bhartiya Mall Of Bengaluru With Over 1 Lakh Titles

* Bhartiya Reads, Readers' Lounge, Open Mics And Writing Workshops

As Bengaluru's reading culture continues to flourish, the Big Bangalore Book Fest returns to Bhartiya Mall of Bengaluru for its fourth edition in association with Crossword and specially curated literary events in collaboration with Poets Of Bangalore. Featuring over one lakh books, the festival goes beyond a traditional book sale with the launch of Bhartiya Reads, a community-led book club, a dedicated Readers' Lounge, storytelling sessions, open mic & poetry sessions and writing workshops for aspiring writers. Bringing together readers, authors, and literary enthusiasts under one roof, the festival aims to create a lasting platform for the city's growing literary community.

One of the key highlights of this year's edition is the launch of Bhartiya Reads, a community-driven book club designed to foster meaningful engagement among Bengaluru's readers through shared reading experiences, discussions, and literary conversations that extend beyond the festival itself.

Visitors can also unwind at the specially curated Readers' Lounge, a comfortable space created for immersive reading and quiet reflection. Beyond the duration of the festival, the lounge will continue to function as a weekend reading destination, providing a permanent space for the city's book lovers to meet up.

The festival will showcase an extensive collection of over one lakh books spanning a wide range of genres, including bestselling fiction, thrillers, mythology, business, self-help, and children's literature, offering something for readers of every age and interest.

Adding to the literary experience, the festival will host a vibrant lineup of open mics, poetry readings, and storytelling sessions, creating opportunities for readers, performers, and storytellers to connect, exchange ideas, and celebrate creativity together.

Aspiring writers will also have the opportunity to participate in workshops focused on storytelling, writing, and publishing fundamentals. Led by experienced speakers and industry professionals, these sessions are designed to offer practical insights and guidance to emerging authors.

Specially Curated Literary Events in collaboration with Poets Of Bangalore

As part of the festival's literary programming, Poets of Bangalore will curate and manage a series of engaging community events, including a Storytelling Workshop on 14 June, an Open Mic & Poetry Session on 21 June, and a Book Writing Workshop on 28 June. The team will oversee event curation, registrations, moderation, and on-ground execution, creating meaningful opportunities for readers, writers, and storytellers to connect and engage with Bengaluru's vibrant literary community.

Event Details: Big Bangalore Book Fest

1. 14th June 2026 – Storytelling Workshop

2. 21st June 2026 – Open Mic & Poetry Session

3. 28th June 2026 – Book Writing Workshop

Where: The Bhartiya Mall of Bengaluru

When: 11th - 28th June

Time: 5 PM- 8 PM.    

ICICI Pru Signature Secure Launched, An ULIP Combining Guaranteed Maturity Benefit, Life Cover And Tax-Efficient Wealth Creation

· Offers guaranteed maturity benefit with the potential for wealth creation

· Single premium product with life cover

· Designed to provide tax-efficient returns

ICICI Prudential Life Insurance has launched ICICI Pru Signature Secure, Indian life insurance’s first Unit Linked Insurance Plan (ULIP) with an in-built guaranteed maturity benefit.

ICICI Pru Signature Secure is a Non Participating Linked Individual Savings Life Insurance Plan and has been designed for customers looking for the reassurance of tax efficient guaranteed benefits. The product offers a simple proposition - invest once, stay protected through life cover during the policy term and receive a maturity benefit at the end of five years. . On maturity, the customer receives the higher of the fund value or the guaranteed maturity benefit, providing the reassurance of a guaranteed outcome

For instance, a 45-year-old customer looking for a one-time investment solution can invest ₹5 lacs in ICICI Pru Signature Secure and remain protected through life cover during the policy term. The customer can choose a life cover (Sum Assured) of ₹6.25 lacs and gets a guaranteed maturity benefit of ₹7 lacs in this case.

Commenting on the launch, Mr. Vikas Gupta, Chief Product Officer, ICICI Prudential Life Insurance, said, “Customers seeking guaranteed returns have traditionally relied on instruments such as fixed deposits, bonds and other guaranteed-return products. However, customers are increasingly looking for solutions that can help them achieve better post-tax outcomes along with guaranteed returns and financial protection. ICICI Pru Signature Secure has been designed to address this need by bringing together the benefits of a ULIP, an in-built guaranteed maturity benefit and life cover within a single proposition.

The product enables customers to make a one-time investment while remaining focused on their long-term financial goals with greater confidence. The plan also offers life cover throughout the policy term, helping customers secure the financial future of their loved ones.”

Notably, the product provides a guaranteed maturity benefit of up to 140% of the initial premium paid. At maturity, customers receive the higher of the fund value or the guaranteed maturity benefit. In addition, the product comes with zero premium allocation charges and policy administration charges.

ICICI Prudential Life Insurance remains committed to delivering superior value to its customers. The Company achieved a claim settlement ratio of 99.3% with an average turnaround time of 1.1 days in FY2026, demonstrating its commitment to supporting customers and their families when it matters the most.

Over the past 25 years, ICICI Prudential Life Insurance has had the privilege of serving customers across generations. The Company remains focused on building a future-ready organisation led by technology that continues to adapt thoughtfully, act with agility and create meaningful impact by expanding access to insurance while delivering long-term sustainable value to all stakeholders.

About ICICI Prudential Life Insurance (www.iciciprulife.com)

ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Company Limited is promoted by ICICI Bank Limited and Prudential Corporation Holdings Limited. The Company began its operations in fiscal year 2001 and has consistently been amongst the top private sector life insurance companies in India on Retail Weighted Received Premium (RWRP) basis. The Company offers an array of products in the Protection and Savings category which match the different life stage requirements of customers, enabling them to provide a financial safety net to their families as well as achieve their long-term financial goals. The digital platform of the Company provides a paperless buying experience to customers, empowers them to conduct an assortment of self-service transactions, provides a convenient route to make digital payments and facilitates a hassle-free claims settlement process.

The Company has introduced ICICI Pru Stack, a first-of-its kind suite of platform capabilities that combines digital tools and analytics. This innovative suite aims to enhance the understanding of customers' requirements and enable distributors to offer suitable insurance products, deliver seamless experiences, and provide exceptional pre- and post-sale services. By deploying this comprehensive solution, the Company aspires to transform into the most customer-friendly and partnerable insurance provider in the country.

At March 31, 2026, the Company had an AUM of Rs. 3.14 lakh crore and a total in-force sum assured of Rs. 46.11 lakh crore. ICICI Prudential Life is also the first insurance company in India to be listed on both the National Stock Exchange (NSE) Limited and Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) Limited.

Honeywell Introduces Experion Cognition To Deliver Autonomous Control Room Operations For Borouge International

* Powered by Honeywell, Borouge International advances industry-first AI autonomous operations at Ruwais complex in the UAE

* Proof of concept sees potential for significant increase in plant efficiency and enhancement of reliability

* Borouge International will progress work to further demonstrate the potential of autonomous operations and assess opportunities to scale the technology across its Ruwais and global facilities

Honeywell (NASDAQ: HON) today introduced Experion Cognition, an AI-enabled control system platform designed to advance autonomous operations by making recommendations and automated decisions that optimize production and increase safety within industrial facilities. The live proof-of-concept was demonstrated at Borouge Group International AG’s (“Borouge International”) Ruwais facility in Abu Dhabi.

By proactively detecting and mitigating abnormal situations before they happen, Experion Cognition can help reduce process mistakes and downtime, ultimately increasing the operator’s scope of responsibilities while optimizing facility production.

“The industry has talked about autonomous control rooms for years – and now, Experion Cognition brings autonomous control rooms into production, driving safer operations and stronger performance in complex environments,” said Jim Masso, president and CEO of Honeywell Process Automation. “With AI-powered agents actively managing process abnormalities, operators can consistently achieve better results, day after day.”

The platform combines Honeywell’s decades of process automation expertise with AI models to proactively act on behalf of the operator to help resolve anomalies in the control room. As long-time operators retire, automating situation management can help solve the industrial workforce shortage and skills gap that exists. By delegating those cognitive tasks to autonomous agents, Experion Cognition helps enable less experienced operators to run plants with comparable knowledge as that of a seasoned veteran.

“Representing the petrochemical industry’s first AI autonomous operations, this collaboration sets a new industry standard for efficiency and innovation, upskilling our people, as well as boosting our performance and competitiveness,” said Dr. Hasan Karam, Chief Operating Officer of Borouge International. “This initiative is a core component of Borouge International’s AI, Digitalization & Technology program reflecting our continued focus on disciplined execution, operational impact and long-term value creation.”

Experion Cognition incorporates several AI-enabled features including Operations Assistant. In multiple pilots, the platform was able to make predictions an average of 5-10 minutes before alarm incidents.

As part of Honeywell’s Experion PKS distributed control system network, Experion Cognition is designed to seamlessly integrate into existing control room environments. Experion Cognition will be commercially available in Q3, 2026. For more information, visit Honeywell.com.

About Honeywell:

Honeywell is an integrated operating company serving a broad range of industries and geographies around the world, with a portfolio that is underpinned by our Honeywell Accelerator operating system and Honeywell Forge platform. As a trusted partner, we help organizations solve the world's toughest, most complex challenges, providing actionable solutions and innovations for aerospace, building automation, industrial automation, process automation, and process technology, that help make the world smarter and safer as well as more secure and sustainable. For more news and information on Honeywell, please visit www.honeywell.com/newsroom.