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Wednesday, June 10, 2026
ICICI Pru Signature Secure Launched, An ULIP Combining Guaranteed Maturity Benefit, Life Cover And Tax-Efficient 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
* 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.
American University Of Spiritual Science Launches Officially; Confers Prestigious Honorary Doctorates Upon Cultural Icons
In recognition of their lifelong dedication to Indian classical music, dance, and spiritual traditions, the university bestowed honorary doctorates upon:
• Padma Bhushan Madurai T. N. Seshagopalan (Renowned Carnatic Musician)
• Padma Bhushan Sudha Ragunathan (Celebrated Carnatic Vocalist)
• Padma Shri A. Kanyakumari (Legendary Violinist)
• Padma Shri Pratibha Prahlad (Distinguished Bharatanatyam Exponent)
The prestigious ceremony was presided over by Chief Guest B. S. Yediyurappa, former Chief Minister of Karnataka, alongside Dr. C.N. Manjunath, Member of Parliament. The degrees were formally conferred by Dr. Gireesh Kumar, M.A., M.Phil., Chancellor of AUSS along with G. Arvind Ramaswamy, Vice Chancellor.
Speaking at the convocation, Shri B. S. Yediyurappa emphasized the critical need to nurture and protect India’s spiritual knowledge systems, classical arts, and cultural ethos.
"Institutions like the American University of Spiritual Science play a vital role in connecting the younger generation with India’s rich heritage," Yediyurappa stated. "By disseminating spiritual education, music, dance, and yoga globally, AUSS is guiding society toward a path of discipline, devotion, and cultural pride."
Dr. C.N. Manjunath extended his congratulations to the AUSS board and the esteemed laureates, applauding the recipients' invaluable contributions to society through the Indian classical arts and spiritual knowledge frameworks.
Outlining the core vision of the institution, Chancellor Dr. Gireesh Kumar highlighted that AUSS is dedicated to bridging ancient wisdom with modern global learning. The launch event beautifully mirrored this mission, featuring a vibrant curation of classical Indian music and dance performances.
Registered in Florida, USA, the American University of Spiritual Science designs its degree and certificate programs strictly within a religious-vocational and consciousness-learning context, focusing on holistic growth rather than scientific or medical qualifications.
Air India Introduces ‘Easy Connect’ Flights, Leads Rollout From Varanasi On June 25
* Complete check-in and immigration process at Varanasi for flights to Europe, West Asia, and Southeast Asia
Air India today opened bookings for its first flights under the Government of India’s hub-and-spoke model, introducing these as ‘Easy Connect’ flights, and enabling travellers from cities beyond major hubs to drop baggage and complete immigration at origin airport and travel seamlessly to destinations across the world.
Air India’s new Easy Connect flights will commence from Varanasi on 25 June 2026. As the lead carrier spearheading the implementation of this transformative model, Air India will be driving a phased rollout of Easy Connect flights across multiple cities in the months ahead to operationalise seamless international connectivity from India’s Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities at scale.
What hub-and-spoke flights mean for travellers
Under the hub-and-spoke model, ‘spoke’ cities such as Varanasi are connected to major ‘hub’ airports like Delhi, from where passengers can seamlessly access Air India’s extensive global network. This coordinated structure allows passengers from non-metro cities to connect efficiently to multiple international destinations through a single hub, with optimised schedules and a smooth transit experience.
At the heart of the model, designed and implemented by Air India in close coordination with industry stakeholders, is a significantly simplified and more intuitive international travel experience:
· Through check-in to final destination: Travellers from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities such as Varanasi can check in at their home airport all the way through to their final international destination, with no need to collect or re-check baggage at the hub airport (e.g. Delhi).
· Immigration at origin: Travellers will complete international immigration formalities at their originating airport, avoiding queues and processing at the hub.
· Seamless international transit via ‘hub’ airport: Passengers will transit through hub airports like Delhi as international travellers, making connections faster and more efficient.
Importantly, travellers also benefit from a familiar and comfortable transit environment within India, avoiding the complexity and unfamiliarity usually associated with transiting through foreign hub airports.
Easy Connect flights from Varanasi to the world
The designated Easy Connect flight from Varanasi to Delhi will operate daily as AI1111. Within four hours of arrival at Delhi, the flight is timed to provide seamless connections to 17 international destinations, including London Heathrow, Frankfurt, Milan, Rome, Zurich, Manila, Singapore, Phuket, Kuala Lumpur, Riyadh, and Dubai, among others.
Subsequent Easy Connect flights with hub-and-spoke operations from other ‘spoke’ airports will be numbered in the ‘AI11XX’ series, creating a distinct network identity for these services.
P. Balaji, Group Head – Governance, Risk, Compliance & Corporate Affairs, Air India, said: “The successful implementation of the hub-and-spoke model requires close coordination across airlines, airports, and multiple government agencies, and we are grateful for the strong collaboration that has enabled this rollout. Air India is committed to continuing to work closely with all stakeholders across the industry and the Government of India as we expand this model to more cities and phases. Together, we are building a more efficient, integrated, and globally competitive aviation ecosystem for India.”
The rollout will expand to several additional cities in a phased manner over the coming months, as Air India continues to anchor and lead the implementation of this next-generation connectivity model.
Bookings for Air India’s Easy Connect flights under the new hub-and-spoke model are now open across all channels, including Air India’s website, mobile app, contact centre, and travel agents.
INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS DEPARTING DELHI WITHIN FOUR HOURS OF AIR INDIA EASY CONNECT FLIGHT’S ARRIVAL:
FROM SPOKE TO HUB |
| INTERNATIONAL CONNECTIONS | ||||||
Flight # | Sector | Departure | Arrival |
| Flight # | Sector | Departure | |
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| AI2017 | Delhi-London | 12:05 Hrs | |
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| Heathrow | |||
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| AI151 | Delhi-Zurich | 12:15 Hrs | |
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| AI2362 | Delhi-Manila | 12:25 Hrs | |
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| AI123 | Delhi-Rome | 12:20 Hrs | |
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| AI157 | Delhi- | 12:20 Hrs | |
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| Copenhagen | |||
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| AI2029 | Delhi-Frankfurt | 12:20 Hrs | |
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| >>> | AI153 | Delhi-Vienna | 12:30 Hrs | |
AI137 | Delhi-Milan | 12:45 Hrs | ||||||
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| Connections | ||||
AI281 | Delhi-Colombo | 12:40 Hrs | ||||||
AI1111 |
Varanasi-Delhi |
09:50 |
11:00 | within 4 hours | ||||
AI2388 | Delhi-Ho Chi Minh City | 12:55 Hrs | ||||||
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| AI2015 | Delhi-London | 13:10 Hrs | |
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| Heathrow | |||
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| AI2382 | Delhi-Singapore | 13:10 Hrs | |
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| AI2376 | Delhi-Phuket | 13:25 Hrs | |
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| AI2243 | Delhi-Riyadh | 13:45 Hrs | |
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| AI2384 | Delhi-Kuala | 13:40 Hrs | |
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| Lumpur | |||
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| AI2304 | Delhi-Bangkok | 14:30 Hrs | |
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| AI219 | Delhi- | 14:25 Hrs | |
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| Kathmandu | |||
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| AI4309 | Delhi-Dubai | 15:15 Hrs | |
About Air India Group
The Air India Group – comprising full-service global airline, Air India, and value carrier, Air India Express – is spearheading a new era of Indian aviation. The Air India story began in 1932 when JRD Tata piloted the airline’s inaugural flight and opened the skies for aviation in India. Today, Air India Group employs more than 30,000 people, operates over 300 aircraft and carries travellers to 60 domestic and 51 international destinations across five continents.




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