Bengaluru’s ‘NammaKasa’ By Jyothish V.M. Wins Cheistha Kochhar Nudge Award 2026

* For Making Civic Reporting Faster And More Accountable

The Indian School of Public Policy (ISPP), in partnership with the Cheistha Kochhar Foundation, hosted the inaugural Cheistha Kochhar Nudge Awards 2026. The award recognised Bengaluru-based NammaKasa platform by Jyothish V.M, for creating a frictionless public civic-tech platform that enables citizens to report uncollected waste in under 30 seconds without downloading an app or creating an account, helping shift civic reporting towards greater public accountability.

The event brought together policymakers, behavioural scientists, academics, social entrepreneurs, and public leaders to celebrate innovative applications of behavioural science that address real-world public policy and development challenges across India.

The Awards honour the life and legacy of Cheistha Kochhar, a dedicated public policy professional committed to using behavioural insights and evidence-based policymaking to drive change. Through this annual initiative, ISPP and the Cheistha Kochhar Foundation seek to recognise and encourage scalable, practical behavioural nudges, interventions rooted in psychology and economics, that simplify decision-making, improve citizen outcomes, and preserve individual choice.

The ceremony was graced by Dr. Ashok Lahiri, Hon’ble Vice Chairperson, NITI Aayog, as the Chief Guest, alongside Guests of Honour Gen. Dalbir Singh Suhag (Retd.), former Chief of the Army Staff and former High Commissioner of India to Seychelles, and Prof. (Dr.) Pulkit Khanna, Dean, Jindal Institute of Behavioural Sciences.

Reflecting on the role of behavioural science in policymaking, Dr. Ashok Lahiri said, “India’s next frontier in public policy is not merely designing better schemes, but designing schemes around how citizens actually behave. Nudges can help bridge this gap by subtly changing the way choices are presented without taking away individual freedom.” He highlighted the potential of behavioural audits, field experiments and digital public infrastructure to test, measure and rapidly scale interventions that work, making governance more citizen-centric, outcome-oriented and fiscally efficient.

Speaking about Cheistha’s legacy, Gen. Dalbir Singh Suhag (Retd.) remembered her as “God’s child, a wonder child and an angel,” whose energy, warmth and intellect left an impression wherever she studied and worked. “What she achieved in just 33 years, most of us cannot achieve in a lifetime. She has left a legacy behind,” he said, adding that while Cheistha may not be physically present, “she is within our hearts.”

Emphasising the human dimension of behavioural science, Prof. (Dr.) Pulkit Khanna said, “Before you try to change behaviour, please try a little more to understand it.” She observed that a good nudge is “not necessarily the most clever one or the smartest one, but one that is grounded as much in empathy as in evidence.” Looking ahead, she said the future of behavioural science lies in bringing together “evidence, empathy, ethics and impact,” while remembering that “behind every data point there is a human being.”

The evening opened with welcome remarks by Luis Miranda, Chairperson and Co-Founder of ISPP, followed by a special address by Lt. Gen. Dr. S. P. Kochhar, Director General, Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), reflecting on Cheistha’s life, values, and vision.

The Future of Nudging

A panel discussion titled “The Future of Nudging: Behavioural Economics and Public Impact in India”, moderated by Dr. Sujoy Chakravarty, Professor of Economics, JNU, featured Biju Dominic, Chief Evangelist, Fractal Analytics & Chairperson, FinalMile Consulting; Ruby Sinha, Founder, sheatwork.com & President, BRICS CCI Women’s Vertical; and Rama Shankar Pandey, CEO, Work With Dignity Foundation.

The panel explored the expanding role of behavioural architecture in modernising service delivery, citizen engagement, and administrative efficiency in India.

Celebrating the Award Winners

The Cheistha Kochhar Nudge Awards 2026 recognised three impactful initiatives, presenting each with a cash prize of ₹10 lakh to support their continued innovation:

ThinkZone, represented by Binayak Acharya: PRAKASHAK: A government-embedded digital parental engagement programme in Odisha that delivers bite-sized, curriculum-aligned micro-learning activities to rural, low-income parents via WhatsApp, SMS, and automated calls to boost foundational literacy and numeracy.

NammaKasa, represented by Jyothish V.M.: A frictionless, public civic-tech platform in Bengaluru that changes the default of civic reporting from private to public accountability, enabling citizens to report uncollected waste in under 30 seconds without downloading an app or creating an account.

Project Mumbai, represented by Shishir Joshi: Plastic Recyclothon: A large-scale community recycling movement across Maharashtra that bridges the intent-to-action gap by establishing clear, scheduled plastic collection drives and turning recycled waste into public amenities such as park benches and bins.

Driving the Future of Policy

By spotlighting evidence-backed, citizen-centric innovations, the Cheistha Kochhar Nudge Awards aim to serve as a catalyst for mainstreaming behavioural science in governance, public policy, and social development across the nation, carrying forward Cheistha Kochhar’s legacy of thoughtful, evidence-based public service.

Primus Partners Highlights Workforce Readiness As India's Next AI Imperative In New Report

As Artificial Intelligence (AI) rapidly transforms workplaces across industries, a new thought leadership report by Primus Partners, The AI Workforce Advantage, finds that India is witnessing a shift, with AI reshaping the way people work rather than replacing jobs altogether. The report examines how this transition is redefining workforce skills, career progression and organisational readiness, while identifying the actions needed to build an AI-ready workforce.

Drawing on extensive secondary research and a primary survey of 345 stakeholders across 15 states—including employees, students, founders, HR leaders and policymakers—the report finds that AI is augmenting work faster than it is replacing jobs. Employees are increasingly using AI to support routine tasks, while organisations largely view AI as a tool to automate activities within existing roles rather than reduce the workforce. The findings reinforce that AI is changing how work is performed, with greater emphasis on collaboration between people and technology.

The report also highlights the emergence of a growing divide between AI-enabled and non-AI-enabled talent. Employees recognise that AI skills are becoming increasingly important for career growth, while employers believe that individuals who can effectively work with AI are better positioned to drive productivity and create value. The findings suggest that AI literacy is rapidly becoming a foundational workplace capability rather than a specialist skill.

At the same time, the report points to a widening gap between industry expectations and workforce preparedness. While organisations are increasingly seeking AI and digital capabilities, students and employees continue to have limited access to formal AI education and structured workplace training. Without stronger collaboration between industry, academia and policymakers, the report warns that the skills gap could become a major constraint to India's AI ambitions.

Commenting on the findings, Charu Malhotra, Managing Director & Co-Founder, Primus Partners, said, “The AI question is deeper than job displacement: can India move fast enough to create new roles, new capabilities, new opportunities? Talent is economic and competitive advantage only if it’s industry ready - academia must be agile in preparing talent for not just today’s roles but also shape roles of tomorrow. To do this industry and academia must jointly evolve India’s playbook to compete in a shifting global economic balance.”

Beyond the survey findings, the report identifies three structural shifts that will define the future of work. Human value is moving from execution to judgment, with greater emphasis on creativity, critical thinking and decision-making. Competitive advantage is shifting from access to AI tools to the ability to use them effectively, while career progression will increasingly depend on adaptability and continuous learning rather than traditional linear growth.

The report concludes that India possesses many of the ingredients needed to emerge as a global AI leader, including a young workforce, expanding digital infrastructure and a growing AI ecosystem. However, sustaining this advantage will require moving beyond technology adoption towards building broad-based AI capabilities across the workforce. It recommends a coordinated national approach centred on AI literacy, continuous workforce development, curriculum modernisation and responsible AI governance to ensure that AI-driven productivity translates into inclusive economic growth and long-term workforce resilience. Ultimately, the report argues that India's AI advantage will depend not only on how quickly it adopts AI, but on how effectively it prepares its people to work alongside it.    

DVS Advisory Group Strengthens Board Of Directors With Appointment Of Prakash Subramanian KV

DVS Advisory Group today announced the appointment of Prakash Subramanian KV as a Director on its Board. In his new role, he will support the firm's continued growth and strategic priorities.

Prakash joins DVS Advisory Group with more than 35 years of experience across banking, capital markets and asset management. Over the course of his distinguished career, he has held several senior leadership positions with leading global financial institutions, building deep expertise in financial markets, investment advisory and business leadership.

He has played a role in the development of Gift City and has been closely associated with the International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) since its inception. He served on the Regulatory Committee of the International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) and subsequently acted as Advisor to the Chairman of the International Financial Services Centres Authority on regulatory matters and the strategic development of GIFT City’s International Financial Services Centre (IFSC). Through these roles, he contributed to policy formulation, regulatory architecture and market development initiatives supporting India’s ambition to build a globally competitive international financial services centre.

He previously served as Managing Director at Standard Chartered Bank and later as Chief Executive Officer of Millennium Capital India, and served as the Head for Singapore and South Asia at a leading US securities firm.

Welcoming Prakash, Divakar, Founder & CEO at DVS Advisory Group said:

“As DVS expands globally while simultaneously building institution-grade platform capabilities, Prakash’s deep experience in institutionalising complex, cross-border and highly regulated businesses comes at a defining stage of our journey. His expertise in governance, board-led leadership, risk management, and building scalable operating models will be invaluable as we professionalise our organisation, strengthen our governance framework, and evolve DVS into a globally integrated, institution-led professional services platform.”

Speaking on his new role, Prakash Subramanian KV said:

"The most enduring institutions are built on trust, governance and the courage to innovate. DVS Advisory Group has the vision and ambition to redefine professional services, and I look forward to contributing my experience in helping the firm scale sustainably, create long-term value for its stakeholders, and build a globally respected enterprise."

DVS Advisory Group recently formalised an exclusive strategic alliance with Whitman Advisory, the largest consulting firm of its kind serving the U.S. CPA profession, specializing in accounting firm mergers, acquisitions, succession planning, and strategic growth. The alliance supports DVS Advisory Group's long-term vision of building a globally integrated professional and business services platform by pursuing the U.S. accounting firms representing more than US$250 million in aggregate revenues over the next 30 months, backed by a planned investment commitment of up to US$ 500 million over the next five years, in India and the US.

About DVS Advisory Group

DVS Advisory Group is building a globally integrated professional and business services platform spanning accounting, advisory, transactions, and financial services. Through strategic acquisitions, technology, and institutional capital, the Group is creating a next-generation platform designed to help entrepreneurs and mid-market businesses grow across borders, with a long-term vision of evolving into a comprehensive fintech ecosystem.

For further information, please visit https://onedvs.com/    

Work. Create. Move. Repeat. Fastrack Bags Unveils Its New Laptop Collection

Designed for students, creators, and young professionals with dynamic lifestyles, the new Fastrack Bags Laptop Collection brings together utility, style, and self-expression in one elevated range. Anchored by the campaign tagline, "Carry More, Weigh Less," the collection is thoughtfully designed to be lightweight, making it the perfect companion for work, travel, and everyday life.

Featuring 12 new designs across backpacks and totes, the range includes 10 nylon styles and 2 faux leather designs. The collection offers laptop compatibility for both 15-inch and 14-inch devices, with most styles accommodating 15-inch laptops and two designs tailored for 14-inch laptops. Available in various colours including white, chocolate brown, malachite green, cherry red, and dusty pink, the collection reimagines the laptop bag as a stylish everyday essential.

Beyond aesthetics, the collection is designed with practical functionality in mind, featuring dedicated card holders, a trolley loop for travel convenience, a key leash for easy accessibility, and additional storage space to keep everyday essentials organised throughout the day.

Commenting on the launch, Manish Gupta, CEO, Accessories and Fragrance Division, Titan Company Limited, said, "Today's generation wants products that are as expressive as they are functional. Our new Laptop Collection is designed for people who are constantly moving between work, creativity, and everyday life, offering thoughtful utility without compromising personal style. With contemporary designs and elevated finishes, the collection reflects the evolving needs and aspirations of young consumers."

Priced at ₹4,995, the Fastrack Laptop Collection is now available across select Fastrack, Shoppers Stop, and Lifestyle stores, as well as on leading e-commerce platforms including Myntra, Amazon, and Flipkart.

REDMI Note 17 Debuts With REDMI's Biggest-Ever 8000mAh Battery And Premium TrueColour AMOLED Display

* Powered by Snapdragon 4 Gen 4, the REDMI Note 17 delivers up to 3 days of battery life, a 120Hz TrueColour AMOLED display, long-term software support, and everyday durability in a slim 8.4mm profile.

Xiaomi India today announced the launch of the REDMI Note 17 5G, the latest addition to India's most trusted smartphone series. Built to eliminate battery anxiety, the REDMI Note 17 combines REDMI's biggest-ever 8000mAh silicon-carbon battery with a premium TrueColour AMOLED display, trusted Snapdragon performance, and long-term software support to deliver a complete smartphone experience.

The REDMI Note 17 features REDMI's largest-ever 8000mAh silicon-carbon battery, delivering up to three days of typical usage while maintaining a slim 8.4mm profile. It supports 45W turbo charging with a charger included in the box, 22.5W reverse wired charging, and TÜV-certified battery longevity that retains up to 80% battery health after 1,600 charging cycles.

Designed for immersive everyday entertainment, the smartphone features a 12.75cm (6.9-inch) TrueColour AMOLED display with a 120Hz AdaptiveSync refresh rate, 100% DCI-P3 colour gamut, and up to 1800 nits peak brightness. Complementing the display are 200% volume speakers, HydroTouch 2.0 for improved touch responsiveness in wet conditions, and TÜV Rheinland Eye Care certifications for enhanced viewing comfort.

Powered by the Snapdragon 4 Gen 4 mobile platform built on an advanced 4nm process, the REDMI Note 17 delivers smooth everyday performance while maximizing power efficiency. With up to 16GB RAM (including memory extension), 2TB expandable storage, a 10,416mm² graphite cooling system, and Xiaomi's Long-Term Fluency Engine, the device is engineered to deliver up to 48 months of smooth performance.

For photography, the REDMI Note 17 features a 50MP AI dual rear camera paired with an 8MP AI front camera, supported by AI-powered features including Night Mode, AI HDR, Dynamic Shots, AI Editor, and 2x in-sensor zoom.

Running Android 16 with HyperOS 3, the REDMI Note 17 comes with 4 years of Android updates and 6 years of security updates. The smartphone also features Corning Gorilla Glass 7i, an IP65 rating for dust and water resistance, and is available in Dark Night, Arctic Blue, and Starlight Purple.

Price and Availability

The REDMI Note 17 will be available in Dark Night, Arctic Blue, and Starlight Purple in two storage variants:

Device	Variant	MRP	Introductory Price*
REDMI Note 17 5G	6GB + 128GB	INR 27,999	INR 24,999
	8GB + 128GB	INR 30,999	INR 27,999

 

*Introductory prices include an instant bank discount of INR 3,000 on SBI Card, Axis Bank, and Kotak Bank credit cards and EMI transactions.

Customers will also receive 5TB of JioAI Cloud storage with Jio True 5G, 3 months of YouTube Premium Lite, and 6 months of Google One (200GB cloud storage).

The REDMI Note 17 will be available starting 12:00 PM IST on 13th August 2026 via mi.com, Amazon Specials, and Xiaomi Retail

CHRIST University And IBM Launch IBM Innovation Center For Artificial Intelligence

* To Accelerate Research, Innovation And Talent Development

* New center will provide students, researchers and PhD scholars access to enterprise AI technologies, including IBM Bob to accelerate AI research, innovation and skills development

CHRIST (Deemed to be University) and IBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced the establishment of the IBM Innovation Center for Artificial Intelligence, aimed at advancing AI-driven education, research and innovation. The center will provide students, faculty members, researchers and PhD scholars with opportunities to develop and apply AI capabilities through access to enterprise technologies and real-world use cases.

The initiative will support learning and experimentation in areas including generative AI, agentic AI, large language models (LLMs), retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), intelligent automation and responsible AI. Participants will have access to IBM technologies to build enterprise AI applications through interdisciplinary research and solution development. These include watsonx.ai, an AI development studio; watsonx Orchestrate, an agentic control plane for scaling and governing AI; and IBM Bob, an AI development partner that supports the full software lifecycle.

Dr. Fr. Jose C C, Vice Chancellor, CHRIST (Deemed to be University) said, “Artificial Intelligence is redefining every sector of society. Through this collaboration with IBM, CHRIST University is creating a future-ready innovation ecosystem where education, research, and industry converge. The IBM Innovation Center for Artificial Intelligence will empower our students and researchers with enterprise-grade AI technologies, enabling them to build impactful solutions while contributing to the advancement of responsible and ethical AI.”

As part of the collaboration, IBM Expert Labs will conduct hands-on training and enablement programs for faculty members, PhD scholars and postgraduate students to help strengthen expertise in enterprise AI technologies and accelerate the development of AI-driven applications across disciplines. They will also have access to IBM SkillsBuild, IBM’s free technology education program, as part of their learning and certification journey.

“The future of AI innovation depends on strong collaboration between academia and industry. By fostering deeper industry-academia collaboration, we aim to strengthen India’s AI talent pipeline, accelerate research and innovation, and help prepare the workforce needed for an AI driven future,” said Siddhesh Naik, Executive Director, Growth Markets, Technology Sales, IBM India & South Asia. “This initiative will enable students, faculty, researchers and PhD scholars to gain hands on experience with enterprise AI technologies while applying them to real world challenges,” he added.

“The way software is built is being fundamentally reshaped by AI. Through this Innovation Center, students and researchers will work with IBM Bob to experience how AI can accelerate every stage of the software lifecycle. By bringing enterprise software development closer to academia, we hope to equip the next generation of innovators to build AI applications that are scalable, trusted and ready for real world adoption," said Vishal Chahal, Vice President, IBM India Software Lab.

The center will also support collaborative research, industry engagement, internships, hackathons and innovation challenges, while providing a platform for students and researchers to experiment with emerging AI technologies and contribute to the development of future-ready AI solutions.

About CHRIST University

CHRIST (Deemed to be University), Bengaluru, is one of India's leading multidisciplinary institutions, recognized for its commitment to academic excellence, research, innovation, and holistic education. Established in 1969 as Christ College, the institution was declared a Deemed to be University in 2008. Today, it serves over 42,000 students across multiple campuses in India, offering a wide range of undergraduate, postgraduate, doctoral, and online programmes across disciplines.

Guided by its vision of Excellence and Service, the University fosters industry collaboration, interdisciplinary research, entrepreneurship, and global engagement. Through Centers of Excellence, international partnerships, and a strong emphasis on emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, Quantum Computing, and Digital Transformation, CHRIST University prepares future-ready graduates equipped to address global challenges with innovation, ethics, and social responsibility. For more information, visit www.christuniversity.in

About IBM

IBM is a leading provider of global hybrid cloud and AI, and consulting expertise. We help clients in more than 175 countries capitalize on insights from their data, streamline business processes, reduce costs and gain the competitive edge in their industries. Thousands of government and corporate entities in critical infrastructure areas such as financial services, telecommunications and healthcare rely on IBM’s hybrid cloud platform and Red Hat OpenShift to affect their digital transformations quickly, efficiently and securely. IBM’s breakthrough innovations in AI, quantum computing, industry-specific cloud solutions and consulting deliver open and flexible options to our clients. All of this is backed by IBM’s long-standing commitment to trust, transparency, responsibility, inclusivity and service. Visit www.ibm.com for more information.

RPSG Group's Purvah Green Power To Acquire 1.4 GWp Operating Solar Portfolio For INR 4859 Crore From ReNew Solar Power

* Transaction takes Purvah Green's contracted capacity to 4.8 GWp + battery capacity of 2.2 GWh and accelerates the group's path to 10 GW of renewable energy~

The RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group (RPSG) today announced that Purvah Green Power Private Limited, the renewable energy platform of CESC Limited, is set to acquire a 1.4 GWp operating solar portfolio from ReNew Solar Power Private Limited, held across six project special purpose vehicles in Rajasthan and Karnataka, at an enterprise value of ₹ INR 4859 crore (USD 509 million at ₹95.5/USD). The acquisition has been funded by the parent company.

The transaction is among the largest acquisitions of operating solar assets in the Indian market and marks a decisive shift in the composition of Purvah's portfolio – from a platform built primarily on projects under development to one anchored by assets already generating contracted cash flows.

The acquired assets are operating projects with an established generation track record. More than 90% of the capacity is contracted with the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) under long-term power purchase agreements, with the balance contracted with Karnataka distribution companies. All PPAs are over a 25-year tenure.

Commenting on the transaction, Shashwat Goenka, Vice chairman, RPSG, said: “This acquisition marks a significant acceleration of our renewable energy journey. It gives us immediate operating scale, complements our strong pipeline of contracted capacity, and meaningfully brings forward the growth of the platform. We have always believed our renewable growth should combine disciplined greenfield development with selective acquisitions where they accelerate value creation, and the quality and long-term visibility of these assets made this a compelling opportunity. For a Group with a long heritage in the power sector, this marks our move from a conventional power player to a diversified energy platform, and an important step towards building RPSG into one of India's leading renewable energy platforms.”

Purvah's contracted capacity stood at approximately 3.4 GWp prior to the transaction. Following completion, total contracted capacity rises to 4.8GWp, of which 1.8 GWp is operational and 3 GWp is tied-up, at various stages of construction. Additionally, 2.2 Gwh battery capacity is also tied-up and under implementation .The acquisition substantially increases the proportion of the portfolio that is already generating revenue and strengthening recurring cash flows well ahead of the commissioning schedule for the under-construction pipeline.

The acquisition also materially accelerates progress towards the group's immediate stated ambition of building a 10 GW renewable energy platform in the next few years.

About Purvah Green Power Private Limited

Purvah Green Power Private Limited is the renewable energy platform of CESC Limited, part of the RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group. Incorporated in December 2023, Purvah develops and operates utility-scale solar, wind and hybrid renewable energy assets across India, and is building towards a 10 GW portfolio. For more information visit https://purvahgreen.com

About CESC Limited

CESC Limited is the flagship power utility of the RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group and India's first fully integrated electrical utility with private participation across generation, transmission and distribution. CESC along with its subsidiaries serves approximately 4.4 million consumers and operates distribution businesses across West Bengal (Kolkata , Howrah, Hoogly, 24 parganas) , UP(Greater Noida), Rajasthan (Bharatpur , Bikaner , Kota) , Maharashtra (Malegaon) and Chandigarh. For FY26, CESC reported consolidated revenue of ₹18,570 crore, EBITDA of ₹4,707 crore and consolidated net profit of ₹1,618 crore. For more information visit https://www.cesc.co.in

About RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group

The RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group, one of India’s new-age and fastest growing conglomerates, is headquartered in Kolkata with presence in 60+ countries and 100+ offices worldwide, has a strong workforce of approximately 55,000 employees, belonging to different nationalities. Its business interests span power and energy, IT services, carbon black and chemicals, FMCG, retail, media, entertainment, sports, education, wellness and healthcare. The group employs approximately 55,000 people. Its listed entities include CESC Limited, PCBL Chemical Limited, Firstsource Solutions Limited and RPSG Ventures Limited. For more information visit https://www.rpsg.in