Business Bureau

HDFC ERGO General Insurance Company’s 11th edition of the HDFC ERGO Insurance Quiz Junior has attracted more than 16,900 students from around 4,850 schools across over 600 districts in India, with more than 120 students from around 43 schools across 11 cities in Sikkim registering for the 2026 edition. The flagship initiative, aimed at students of Classes 8 and 9, seeks to promote insurance literacy and financial awareness among young people. Since its launch in 2016, the quiz has expanded from 18 schools in one city to more than 1,100 cities, reaching around three million students over the past decade.…

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday inaugurated, dedicated and laid the foundation stones for development projects worth more than ₹35,000 crore in Vadodara, while urging India’s youth to build skills suited to the rapidly evolving opportunities in Artificial Intelligence (AI), technology and advanced manufacturing. Addressing the ‘NaMo for Viksit Bharat’ programme at the Pavilion Ground of Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, Modi said AI would create opportunities beyond the technology sector, including agriculture, healthcare, manufacturing and robotics. He stressed the need for continuous skill development as technology and global requirements change. A key highlight of the visit was the completion…

PETRONAS Lubricants India, part of the PETRONAS group, and Tata Motors have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to pilot a structured model for the responsible collection and recycling of used automotive lubricants across Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu. The initiative aims to establish an organised and traceable system for managing used lubricants classified as hazardous waste, covering collection, storage, transportation and recycling. Under the pilot, used oil will be channelled to genuine, registered recyclers for conversion into high-quality re-refined base oil, which can subsequently be reintegrated into finished lubricants. PETRONAS Lubricants India will oversee the aggregation and movement of used…

Systematic Investment Plan (SIP) participation in West Bengal has continued to rise, with Union Mutual Fund highlighting growing investor engagement in the state and improved valuation comfort across several segments of the Indian equity market. At a media interaction in Kolkata, Rajkamal Tiwari, CEO, Union Asset Management Company Private Limited, and Harshad Patwardhan, Chief Investment Officer, discussed market conditions, emerging investment opportunities and changing investor behaviour. The number of live SIPs in West Bengal increased from 69.87 lakh in March 2025 to 80.85 lakh in July 2026, a growth of 15.71%. The state recorded 4.06 lakh new SIP registrations in…

Godrej Professional, the professional hair brand of Godrej Consumer Products Limited (GCPL), has launched its latest hair colour collection, Majesté, powered by Dimension, in Guwahati as part of an initiative to upskill salon professionals and hair stylists across Assam. The collection was unveiled at an immersive showcase attended by more than 150 hairstylists, salon professionals and salon owners from across the state. The session was led by Shailesh Moolya, National Technical Head, Godrej Professional, and featured advanced colouring demonstrations, technique-building sessions and a high-fashion ramp showcase highlighting directional colour looks. Majesté, Godrej Professional’s no-ammonia colour range, comprises three shades inspired…

Sovereign AI cloud service provider BharathCloud has partnered with AI-driven technology company ibentos to advance AI-powered brand marketing and event technology across India and Canada. The partnership was formalised following discussions at the India-Canada Business Summit held alongside the 7th India-Canada Ministerial Dialogue on Trade and Investment, chaired by Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal. Goyal said bilateral trade in goods and services reached $23.66 billion in 2024, while merchandise trade stood at nearly $8.98 billion, marking a 10% year-on-year increase. Under the partnership, BharathCloud will use ibentos HYPE, an AI-powered marketing platform, to create and manage on-brand campaigns…

A new wave of fintech innovation is targeting one of India’s biggest financial inclusion challenges — making banking, credit and cash services available faster and closer to customers. At Global Fintech Fest 2026, Department of Financial Services Secretary Sanjay Lohiya launched three technology-led solutions, in the presence of UIDAI CEO Saurabh Vijay. The first is an open-source Android ATM that can instantly issue personalised RuPay debit, credit and NCMC cards and merchant UPI QR codes, potentially reducing turnaround time from weeks to minutes. It can also support cheque deposits, account opening and loan applications. Banks are exploring the machines as…

JawaYezdi Motorcycles has unveiled the new Jawa 42, completing its AllStars range alongside the Jawa 42 FJ and Jawa 42 Bobber, ahead of the festive season.Positioned as the biggest evolution of the motorcycle that helped establish the modern classic category in India, the new Jawa 42 gets more than 60 enhancements, including a wider and more muscular stance, redesigned side panels, alloy wheels, wider tyres, a reworked rear section and a compact upswept twin exhaust.The motorcycle retains key Jawa design elements, including the round headlamp, 13.2-litre fuel tank and flat, bench-style seat. The 790-mm sculpted seat has been redesigned with…

Godrej Agrovet Limited on Tuesday announced the appointment of Anushree Singh as its Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO), with the new leadership role focused on strengthening the company’s people strategy, organisational capabilities and talent development. Singh will work closely with the leadership team to build a future-ready, high-performance organisation aligned with the company’s long-term business goals. Welcoming her, Sunil Kataria, MD & CEO, Godrej Agrovet, said strengthening people and leadership capabilities remains a strategic priority as the company pursues its purpose of crafting abundance through innovation that empowers farmers and nourishes the nation. Singh brings more than two decades of…

Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. has expanded its Veero light commercial vehicle range with the launch of the new Veero 1.1 XXL CNG and the upgraded Veero Diesel, strengthening its multi-energy Urban Prosper Platform (UPP). The Veero 1.1 XXL CNG, designed for intra-city applications, offers a 1.1-tonne payload and a 2,900-mm cargo deck. It has a 5.1-metre turning radius and is powered by a 1.2-litre naturally aspirated engine producing 48.5 kW of power and 98 Nm of torque. The vehicle delivers an ARAI-certified fuel efficiency of 21.4 km/kg and a combined Petrol+CNG range of over 450 km. It is targeted at…