Indian Bank distributed sanction letters aggregating to ₹1,220 crore across the Retail, Agriculture and MSME sectors at a Mega Disbursement and Customer Outreach Camp organised in Mumbai covering the regions of Maharashtra, Gujarat and Goa as part of its 120th Foundation Day fortnight celebrations.
Shri Binod Kumar, MD & CEO, Indian Bank, inaugurated the camp and handed over sanction tickets to the beneficiaries. Out of the total sanctions, the MSME segment accounted for ₹615 crore underscoring the Bank’s commitment to supporting entrepreneurs and the growth of the MSME sector.
Speaking on the occasion, Shri Binod Kumar, MD & CEO, Indian Bank, said, “Indian Bank remains committed to delivering superior customer service while driving transformative initiatives across the RAM segments. Timely and adequate access to credit is critical to enabling individuals, farmers and entrepreneurs to realise their aspirations. These sectors are key drivers of employment generation, entrepreneurship and inclusive economic growth, and we will continue to strengthen our efforts to provide customer-centric financial solutions that support their growth and development.”
The initiative is aligned with the Bank’s strategic objective of strengthening its presence across the RAM segments and contributing to inclusive growth through customer-centric banking, enhanced access to credit, and support for the financial aspirations of individuals, farmers and entrepreneurs.
Bank has undertaken various CSR initiatives across the country as part of the ongoing Foundation Day celebrations. While the Bank donated computers, laptops and essential infrastructure items to Victoria Memorial School for the Blind, Mumbai, financial assistance towards the development of sports activities was provided at Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT) by Executive Director Ms Mini T.M. in a function held at Cochin.
Wednesday, August 12, 2026
From Music To Movie Nights: Sony Devices To Elevate Your Monsoon Experience
If you're looking to elevate your entertainment experience this monsoon, Sony offers a range of products designed for every way you listen and watch. From immersive televisions and home theatre systems to premium wireless headphones, open-style earbuds, and creator-friendly cameras, these devices combine innovation, comfort, and exceptional performance to help you make the most of every rainy day.
Sony BRAVIA 7 II: There's something special about watching your favourite films or binge-worthy series while it's raining outside. A great television transforms those quiet afternoons into immersive entertainment sessions, bringing every scene to life with remarkable clarity and colour. The Sony BRAVIA 7 II is designed to deliver a truly cinematic viewing experience, making every movie night feel even more memorable.
Powered by Sony's True RGB LED technology featuring RGB Backlight Master Drive Pro™, RGB Triluminos Max™, and the Cognitive Processor XR™, the BRAVIA 7 II delivers vibrant colours, exceptional contrast, and lifelike picture quality. Support for Dolby Vision®, Dolby Atmos®, and IMAX Enhanced further elevates every scene, while Google TV provides seamless access to your favourite streaming platforms, making it easy to enjoy entertainment throughout the season.
Price: INR 2,10,890 onwards
Sony BRAVIA Theatre Trio: A great picture deserves equally impressive sound, especially when you're watching action-packed blockbusters, live concerts, or gripping thrillers. The Sony BRAVIA Theatre Trio is designed to create an expansive audio experience that fills the room without the need for a complicated speaker setup, making it an ideal companion for cosy movie nights during the monsoon.
Featuring 360 Spatial Sound Mapping, Dolby Atmos®, DTS:X®, and Sony's Vertical Surround Engine, the BRAVIA Theatre Trio creates immersive surround sound that makes movies, shows, and music feel more engaging. Its wireless design keeps your entertainment space clean and clutter-free, while seamless integration with compatible BRAVIA televisions further enhances the overall viewing experience.
Price: INR 1,69,990 (limited time offer)
Sony WH-1000XM6: Whether you're working from home, relaxing with your favourite playlist, or catching up on podcasts during your daily commute, uninterrupted listening makes every moment more enjoyable. The Sony WH-1000XM6 combines premium comfort with industry-leading noise cancellation, allowing you to stay immersed in your music wherever the day takes you.
Available in the new Olive Grey finish alongside an array of exciting colour options, the WH-1000XM6 features Sony's advanced HD Noise Cancelling Processor QN3, adaptive noise cancellation, and high-resolution audio support for an exceptionally detailed listening experience. With long battery life, crystal-clear call quality, and a lightweight, comfortable design, they're built for everything from long work sessions to extended music listening.
Price: INR 49,990
Sony WF-1000XM6: Whether you're listening to music during your commute, catching up on podcasts while working, or simply enjoying some quiet time at home, compact earbuds can make it easier to stay immersed wherever you are. The Sony WF-1000XM6 brings the flagship 1000X listening experience to a truly wireless form factor, combining powerful noise cancellation with high-quality sound in a compact design.
Equipped with an 8.4mm driver unit, DSEE Extreme™, and support for LDAC, the WF-1000XM6 is designed to deliver detailed, high-quality audio across different genres. With Noise Cancelling, Ambient Sound Mode, multipoint connectivity, and up to 8 hours of battery life with Noise Cancelling enabled, the earbuds are well suited for everything from daily commutes and work sessions to relaxed music listening at home. They are also IPX4 water resistant, making them a practical companion during the monsoon season.
Price: INR 35,990
Sony 1000X THE COLLEXION: Some listening experiences are as much about the quality of the sound as they are about the design and comfort of the headphones. The Sony 1000X THE COLLEXION brings a more refined approach to personal audio, making it a compelling choice for those who enjoy premium music, movies, and immersive entertainment at home or on the go.
Featuring a 30mm driver unit, DSEE Ultimate™, and support for 360 Upmix across Music, Cinema, and Game modes, the headphones are designed to deliver a spacious sound experience with detailed lows, natural vocals, and clear highs. The 1000X THE COLLEXION also features Sony's 1000X series noise cancelling, Ambient Sound Mode, and multipoint connectivity, while its premium materials, crafted metal accents, and soft vegan leather give it a distinctive finish.
Price: INR 69,990
Sony LinkBuds Clip: Monsoon days don't always mean staying indoors. Whether you're stepping out for a quick coffee, walking through the neighbourhood after the rain, or moving between meetings, it's often important to enjoy your music while remaining aware of what's happening around you. The Sony LinkBuds Clip are designed to offer exactly that balance, making everyday listening feel effortless.
Their lightweight open-style design allows ambient sounds to remain naturally audible while you enjoy your favourite playlists or podcasts. Equipped with a 12 mm driver, Digital Sound Enhancement Engine (DSEE), multipoint connectivity, and intuitive touch controls, the LinkBuds Clip deliver clear, balanced sound in a compact form factor that's comfortable enough to wear throughout the day.
Price: INR 18,990
Sony ZV-E10 II: From rain-soaked streets and misty landscapes to cosy café corners and spontaneous weekend outings, the monsoon offers countless moments worth capturing. The Sony ZV-E10 II is designed for creators who want to transform everyday experiences into engaging content, combining portability with powerful imaging capabilities that make shooting effortless wherever inspiration strikes.
Powered by a 26MP APS-C Exmor R™ CMOS sensor and Sony's latest BIONZ XR™ image processor, the ZV-E10 II delivers detailed 4K video recording, fast autofocus, and natural colour reproduction. Creator-focused features such as Cinematic Vlog, Creative Looks, and a fully articulating touchscreen make it easy to produce polished content, whether you're filming travel diaries, food reels, or everyday lifestyle moments this monsoon.
Price: INR 87,990
Whether you're unwinding with a blockbuster after a long day, rediscovering your favourite music, capturing the beauty of the season, or creating content inspired by the changing weather, the right technology can transform the way you experience every moment. From immersive home entertainment and premium personal audio to creator-focused cameras built for storytelling, these Sony devices are designed to make every monsoon moment more engaging, creative, and memorable.
As More Indians Can Afford Premium Experiences, Getting In First Becomes The New Privilege: Kotak
For years, premium credit cards in India signalled affluent privilege through benefits such as golf access, concierge services, reward points and airport lounge access. These markers mattered when affluence itself was limited.
Kotak Mahindra Bank said that definition of privilege is evolving.
Across entertainment, dining and cultural experiences, affluent consumers are increasingly gravitating towards moments that are exclusive, memorable and difficult to recreate. A favourite artist performing after years, a front-row seat at a concert, or a limited tasting menu carries value that extends beyond the transaction.
The experience remains the aspiration. What has changed is the competition around it.
Experiences are increasingly valued because, unlike most products, they are tied to a specific moment in time. A product can be purchased later. A concert, a chef-led dinner or a cultural performance cannot, according to the bank. Their appeal lies not only in exclusivity, but also in the memories, conversations and stories they create long after the event itself.
As of 2025, India’s live-events market was valued at nearly ₹13,000 crore, and consumer studies continue to suggest a strong preference for spending on experiences over products, according to reports. As more consumers pursue similar experiences, demand is converging around a limited number of events, seats and moments.
When affordability is no longer the constraint
Kotak Mahindra Bank began associating with global artistes and premium live events over three years ago, when international performances in India were still relatively infrequent.
Since then, India has seen a wave of global performers return, in some cases after decades. As the events calendar expanded, a clear pattern emerged: the most sought-after ticket categories routinely sold out first.
Kotak observed this during Rishabh Rikhiram Sharma’s recent tour, where presales for the Mumbai and Delhi shows sold out within 24 hours. The tour attracted nearly one lakh attendees across ten cities.
As demand continues to outpace availability, participation itself is becoming increasingly valuable. In many cases, there are now more people who can afford the experience than there are seats available for it.
Through its interactions with affluent customers, Kotak Mahindra Bank is seeing this shift play out clearly. Experiences that were once occasional indulgences are now planned well in advance, particularly when availability is limited.
The bank said this helps explain why traditional markers such as lounge access, concierge services and golf privileges, while still valued, no longer carry the same signalling power they once did. Their wider availability has reduced their ability to distinguish one customer from another.
How affluent customers are expressing privilege
For Kotak Solitaire customers—an invite-only segment within the bank’s affluent franchise—this trend is particularly visible.
The bank provides pre-sale access across its credit-card portfolio, allowing customers to secure tickets before public sales begin. Demand has influenced ticket allocations as well. While presales typically account for 20–30% of inventory, allocations for select recent events increased to as much as 40%.
Kotak said affluent consumers are placing increasing value on certainty of participation. Securing a place has become an increasingly important part of the experience itself.
“We are seeing affluent customers place greater importance on participating in experiences that feel distinctive, memorable and difficult to recreate,” said Jyoti Samajpati, Head – Affluent & Salaried Proposition, Kotak Mahindra Bank. “As demand around these moments grows, certainty of participation becomes increasingly valuable. Customers want the confidence of knowing they can be part of experiences that matter to them, and access, timing and ease play an important role in enabling that.”
Kotak Mahindra Bank said that as affluence rises and competition around premium experiences intensifies, privilege is evolving—from being able to afford an experience to being assured of a place in it.
Godrej Consumer Products Appoints Aasif Malbari As New Managing Director & CEO
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Aasif has spent three decades in the FMCG and auto industries, at GCPL, Tata Motors, and Hindustan Unilever. As Global CFO, he directly oversees business strategy and has played a critical role in partnering leadership teams across geographies to advance growth and strengthen performance. Aasif has delivered an outstanding transformation of GCPL’s Africa business. The business has rapidly grown its margin-accretive FMCG portfolio, headlined by the highly successful launch of our air care category, while strengthening the legacy Hair Fashion business. This has resulted in EBITDA margins growing significantly, from ~9% in FY24 to ~15% in FY26.
Prior to joining GCPL, Aasif served as Chief Financial Officer at Tata Passenger Electric Mobility and Director at Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles, where he played a key role in scaling the business significantly, including its reorganisation and a USD 1 billion fundraise in the electric vehicle business. Earlier in his career, he worked at Hindustan Unilever across a range of finance and business roles. Aasif is a Chartered Accountant and Company Secretary who secured the All India First Rank in both the CA Intermediate and Final examinations.
Nisaba Godrej, Executive Chairperson of GCPL, said “As Global CFO, Aasif brings deep command of GCPL’s strategic and operating rhythm. He has also led an outstanding transformation of our Africa business and I believe it's exactly the kind of ambitious, disciplined execution rigour GCPL needs across all our businesses for our next chapter. Aasif leads with humility and integrity, and the Board and I have complete confidence in him to accelerate GCPL's growth alongside our very strong team.
I want to thank Sudhir for the bold thinking he has brought to GCPL over the last five years, and we wish him success in what comes next.”
Aasif Malbari, said, "GCPL has always stood for trust, innovation, and boldness. I’m very grateful that Nisa and the Board have entrusted me to carry that forward. Our fantastic team and I are committed to meeting their high expectations; elevating performance in our core while accelerating new category growth. We have iconic brands and significant category development opportunities ahead of us, and I’m very excited to get started in my new role."
About Godrej Consumer Products Limited
At Godrej Consumer Products, part of the Godrej Industries Group, we craft the goodness of health and beauty for consumers in emerging markets. We serve over 1.4 billion consumers across more than 85 countries and are a leading emerging markets FMCG company. With revenues of USD ~1.6 billion and a market capitalisation of USD 11 billion as of 31 March 2026, we continue to strengthen our leadership across home, personal, hair, and air care.
We drive category development by expanding access and addressing real consumer needs with greater relevance and reach. People and Planet are at the heart of how we operate, shaping our decisions, partnerships, and everyday actions. In 2025, we were ranked number one globally in the Personal Products category on the Dow Jones Best-in-Class Sustainability Indices, recognising our integrated and long-term approach to creating shared value.
Celebrate The Spirit Of Freedom At Phoenix Mall Of Asia, Bengaluru, This Independence Day
This Independence Day, Phoenix Mall of Asia invites Bengaluru to come together for a celebration of patriotism, music and community as it hosts a special performance by the Indian Military Bands, featuring the Army Brass Band, Pipe Band and Jazz Band, at Fan Park, 2nd Floor. Beginning at 11:00 AM on 15th August 2026, the celebrations will also feature the AWWA Entrepreneurs Exhibition and Ramcharan Collectives Live.
From the powerful sound of the Army Brass Band and the stirring notes of the Pipe Band to the vibrant rhythms of the Jazz Band, the performance will bring three distinctive military music traditions together on one stage. Audiences can look forward to patriotic favourites, ceremonial marches, jazz arrangements and traditional pipe music, performed with the precision and energy that have made Indian Military Bands an integral part of the country’s most significant national celebrations.
With a legacy that extends from the Republic Day parade on Kartavya Path to military music festivals across the world, Indian Military Bands have carried India’s musical and ceremonial traditions to audiences at home and abroad. This Independence Day, that legacy comes to Phoenix Mall of Asia, offering Bengaluru an opportunity to experience the grandeur of Indian military music up close.
Adding to the celebrations, the AWWA Entrepreneurs Exhibition and Ramcharan Collectives Live will bring additional experiences to the day’s line-up at Fan Park.
This Independence Day, head to Phoenix Mall of Asia, Bengaluru, and be part of a celebration of freedom, music and the enduring traditions of the Indian Armed Forces. The event is open to all.
Event Details:
Event: Independence Day Celebrations at Phoenix Mall of Asia
Date: 15th August 2026
Time: 11:00 AM onwards
Venue: Fan Park, 2nd Floor, Phoenix Mall of Asia
Tickets: Open for all
Biopeak Opens Its Second Flagship Centre At Indiranagar, Advancing India's Precision Health And Longevity Ecosystem
India is still one of the world's youngest large economies, with a median age of under 38. But beneath that demographic advantage, a quieter shift is already underway. Fertility rates have fallen to nearly 1.5 nationally, with some states recording rates as low as 1.2; lower than Japan's. As birth rates decline, the conversation around healthcare is beginning to shift from simply living longer to living healthier for longer.
Against this backdrop, Biopeak, India's first full-stack precision health and longevity company, has been building the infrastructure it believes this shift will require. With the opening of its 14,500 sq. ft. flagship centre in Indiranagar, the company brings together advanced diagnostics, regenerative therapeutics, personalised, preventive and longitudinal care within one integrated ecosystem. Building on the foundation laid at its Millers Road centre, the flagship brings Biopeak's full-stack longevity model under one roof.
The centre's health optimisation and regenerative therapy suite is designed around health outcomes rather than a standard wellness menu. It brings together interventions such as Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT), Cold Plunge, Infrared Sauna, aquatic conditioning, Cell Gym and VO₂ max assessments, each selected to address specific biological goals such as recovery, inflammation, mobility, metabolic health and cardiovascular performance. Rather than offering one-size-fits-all treatments, every intervention is prescribed as part of a personalised, continuously evolving protocol informed by an individual's biology and guided by Biopeak's multidisciplinary team of doctors, systems biologists and health experts, helping optimise and sustain healthspan over time.
"India is at the start of its own healthspan revolution, and Biopeak is building the model this shift will demand," said Rishi Pardal, Co-founder & CEO, Biopeak. "Healthcare has traditionally stepped in once something goes wrong. But what we're learning through our growing client cohort is that biology begins changing much earlier than symptoms appear, and maintaining health requires continuous optimisation rather than episodic intervention. In fact, fewer than 5% of the individuals we've assessed presented with completely normal biological profiles. That wasn't just an interesting statistic; it reinforced our belief that the future of healthcare lies in helping people understand, optimise and effectively manage their biology over time. That's the philosophy we've built into our flagship centre and the model we intend to scale."
Shiva Subramanian, Co-founder & Chief Innovation Officer, Biopeak, added: "A flagship centre has to demonstrate the full model; not just one part of it. Diagnostics, clinical interpretation and therapies work together within the same ecosystem, allowing us to understand how a person's biology changes over time rather than at a single point. Every recommendation is informed by the latest scientific evidence, interpreted by a multidisciplinary clinical team and adapted as an individual's biology evolves. Our commitment isn't simply to provide diagnostic answers; it's to deliver one of the most comprehensive understandings of an individual's health so they can optimise their healthspan and quality of life over the long term."
The expansion reflects Biopeak's Detect. Optimise. Regenerate. framework, where diagnostics are the starting point of an individual's health journey. As the company's flagship centre, Indiranagar will serve as the blueprint for Biopeak's expansion into cities across India, bringing together diagnostics, health optimisation, regenerative therapies and expert-led care within one integrated model. Through this approach, Biopeak aims to make personalised, science-led preventive healthcare more accessible while continuing to build a deeper understanding of Indian biology and its role in shaping the future of healthcare.
About Biopeak
Founded by Rishi Pardal and Shiva Subramanian, Biopeak is India’s first full-stack precision health platform, delivering AI-driven, science-backed longevity programs tailored for high achievers, CXOs, and women. By combining advanced diagnostics, wearable data, and global health insights adapted to Indian biology, Biopeak helps individuals optimize performance, resilience, and well-being. For more information, visit: https://biopeak.com/
Dr. Bhargav Mallappa Meets Union MSME Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi, Invites Him To Visit Skill Institutes In South India
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During the meeting, Dr. Mallappa invited Manjhi to visit skill development institutes run under his initiatives in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. He briefed the Minister on the institutes’ efforts to equip young people with practical skills and connect them with employment, entrepreneurship and self-employment opportunities.
Jitan Ram Manjhi also appreciated Dr. Mallappa’s work and said he would try to visit the institutes, meet students and understand their work at the grassroots level.
Dr. Mallappa also welcomed the Ministry of MSME’s efforts to promote entrepreneurship, skill development and employment generation. He said stronger coordination between grassroots institutions and national initiatives could expand access to skills and livelihood opportunities for young people.
The two sides discussed ways to strengthen skill development and create more opportunities for youth to pursue employment and entrepreneurship.
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