Business Bureau

Coca-Cola India brought its beverage portfolio closer to consumers during Durga Puja through a series of festive activations across West Bengal, combining local food experiences, cultural traditions and community gatherings. The initiatives featured Maaza, Sprite, Thums Up, Kinley, Minute Maid and Powerade across residential neighbourhoods, popular food destinations, retail outlets and pandals. Maaza introduced festive installations, mocktails through its Kolkata Mixology experience and MaazaAamontron, celebrating Bengal’s tradition of invitations and reunions. Coca-Cola also promoted Laal Mejheadda spaces, reflecting Kolkata’s culture of social gatherings. Sprite’s Sprite x Spicy Pujo Challenge turned popular food streets into interactive hubs, while Thums Up partnered…

Indriya, the jewellery brand of the Aditya Birla Group, has unveiled what it describes as India's largest sustainable jewellery Rangavalli, crafted from grains, at Orion Mall and Shri Sathya Ganapathi Shirdi Sai Baba Temple in Bengaluru to celebrate the country's cultural heritage and festive traditions. The installations, spanning 400 square feet at Orion Mall and 1,600 square feet at the temple, were inspired by the Padmika design from Indriya's festive jewellery collection. The artwork recreated the intricate detailing of a 22-carat gold necklace featuring GulabiMeenakari, a rare pink enamel craft, floral patterns and the motif of Goddess Lakshmi seated on…

Tata Motors Ltd. reported a 42% year-on-year increase in standalone revenue to ₹23,930 crore in the second quarter of FY27, driven by strong demand and improved operating performance. Consolidated revenue rose 36% to ₹25,338 crore for the quarter ended September 30, 2026. Standalone EBITDA increased 31% to ₹2,800 crore, while the EBITDA margin stood at 11.7%, down 90 basis points year-on-year but stable sequentially despite rising commodity costs. Standalone profit before tax, excluding exceptional items, rose 51% to ₹2,660 crore, while profit after tax reached ₹2,100 crore. Free cash flow improved to ₹4,606 crore, taking the standalone net cash position…

Allied Blenders and Distillers Limited (ABD) reported a 15.8% year-on-year increase in income from operations to Rs 1,152 crore in the second quarter of FY27, while quarterly sales volumes reached a record 10 million cases, up 11.1% from 9 million cases a year earlier. The company’s EBITDA rose 10% year-on-year to Rs 143 crore, while profit after tax increased 9.7% to Rs 69 crore for the quarter ended September 30, 2026. Excluding aRs 29-crore impact from global supply chain disruptions, EBITDA would have stood at Rs 172 crore, with profit after tax at Rs 91 crore. Managing Director Amar Sinha…

Barista Coffee, one of India’s largest homegrown coffee chains, has expanded its retail network to 555 cafes with the opening of a new outlet in Salt Lake, Kolkata. The launch marks the company’s seventh cafe in the city and reflects its continued expansion in the Indian coffee market. The new outlet follows a hybrid cafe format, combining food and beverages with spaces designed for work, meetings and social interaction. Its menu includes signature beverages, protein coffee, matcha, bubble tea, gourmet sandwiches, pizzas, pasta, rolls and English breakfast options. The format aims to attract customers seeking spaces for casual dining, professional…

South African Tourism is strengthening its engagement with Indian travel trade partners to familiarise them with South Africa’s new Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system, aimed at simplifying pre-travel formalities for eligible Indian visitors. The digital authorisation process reduces paperwork and is designed to facilitate processing within 48 hours. As part of the initiative, South African Tourism conducted its first digital ETA workshop for the Pune travel trade on September 22, 2026, in collaboration with South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs. The session brought together 65 trade partners and addressed application procedures, processing timelines, child applications and group travel arrangements. Neliswa…

The Government of West Bengal has taken a significant step towards strengthening urban infrastructure, improving municipal services and promoting sustainable waste management with the signing of three Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) with NITCON (India) Limited and Skymax Infrapower Limited. The agreements, signed on October 29, 2026, cover the beautification and urban renewal of Kolkata, the development of multi-level car parking facilities and the establishment of compressed biogas (CBG) plants and associated waste-to-energy projects across the state. The most significant investment proposal involves Skymax Infrapower Limited, which has proposed an investment of approximately Rs 3,000 crore to establish CBG plants and…

Rock salt has long been a part of Indian tradition, revered in Ayurveda for its natural properties. In recent times, as consumers become more conscious of what they are consuming, the use of rock salt in daily cooking has surged, reflecting a broader preference for natural, less processed ingredients that align with a balanced, mindful lifestyle. With so many options available today, sourcing from a trusted brand becomes essential.Tata Salt Himalayan Rock Salt, India's No. 1 Rock Salt, combines this preference with the trust and quality assurance of the Tata brand. It carries trace amounts of natural minerals such as…

Truecaller has launched Truecaller Lite in India, a lightweight Android application designed to provide caller identification and spam blocking on smartphones with limited storage and memory. At approximately 10 MB, the app is designed to run smoothly on devices with up to 4GB of RAM. The launch comes ahead of the festive season, when fraudulent delivery calls, fake offers and KYC scams can pose risks to consumers. Truecaller said the Lite version uses the same database and detection systems as its main application, offering comparable protection against spam and fraudulent calls. The company identified more than 68 billion spam and…

TVS Motor Company, part of TVS Venu, reported a 44% year-on-year increase in revenue to Rs 17,103 crore in the second quarter of FY 2026-27, compared with Rs 11,905 crore in the corresponding quarter last year. The company’s profit after tax rose 52% to Rs 1,377 crore from Rs 904 crore. EBITDA increased 47% to a record Rs 2,219 crore, while the EBITDA margin improved to 13% from 12.7%. TVS Motor recorded its highest-ever quarterly sales of 1.9 million two- and three-wheelers, marking 27% growth. Motorcycle sales increased 28% to 0.9 million units, while scooter sales rose 29% to 0.8…