Business - The Purbottar

26 Aug

UBL completes safe drinking water project benefiting over 6,000 in Nadia

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United Breweries Limited (UBL), in partnership with WaterAid India, has completed a Safe Drinking Water Project in West Bengal’s Nadia district, providing improved access to safe drinking water to more than 6,000 people across six villages in Kalyani block. The project includes eight solar-powered community drinking water systems, each with a 5,000-litre storage capacity and equipped with arsenic and iron removal technology. The infrastructure was formally handed over to the respective Gram Panchayats, marking the transition of responsibility for its management and maintenance to local institutions. Groundwater arsenic contamination had affected access to safe drinking water in the project villages,…

26 Aug

L&T Secures Major Gas, Offshore Contracts Amid West Asia Revival

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Larsen & Toubro Ltd. (L&T) has secured 13 orders since early July, including seven from West Asia, signalling a revival in business activity in the region following disruptions caused by the US-Iran conflict. While L&T discloses order values within broad ranges rather than providing exact figures, estimates suggest the company’s average order inflow for the quarter ending September 30 could reach around ₹1.11 trillion, surpassing the ₹1.08 trillion recorded in the previous quarter. Even under a conservative estimate, the new orders could be worth about ₹93,800 crore. West Asia remains a strategically important market for L&T, contributing roughly one-third of…

26 Aug

Boltt enters smartphone market with Ace 5G and Evo

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Homegrown consumer technology brand boltt, from the house of Fire-Boltt, on Tuesday announced its entry into India’s smartphone market with the launch of the Ace 5G and Evo. The two smartphones will go on sale exclusively on Flipkart from September 1 at 12 pm. The Ace 5G is priced from Rs 13,999, while the Evo starts at Rs 10,999. Under introductory Day 1 offers, prices will begin at Rs 12,999 and Rs 9,999, respectively. Both devices feature a 6.79-inch 120Hz display, a 6000mAh battery and Android 16 with a clean, no-bloatware interface. They also come with Google Gemini-powered features, including…

26 Aug

Sigma secures ₹1,600 crore Rolls-Royce aerospace contract

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Defence and aerospace major Sigma Advanced Systems has secured an additional long-term agreement worth nearly £125 million, or approximately ₹1,600 crore, with Rolls-Royce through its recently acquired UK subsidiary, Bromford Precision Solutions. The latest contract follows a previously secured long-term agreement worth around £300 million, or approximately ₹3,800 crore, further strengthening Sigma's presence in Rolls-Royce's UK supply chain and increasing its long-term revenue visibility. Under the new agreement, Bromford Precision Solutions will manufacture aero-engine rings, casings, lock plates and other critical engine structures across Sigma's manufacturing facilities in India and the UK. The arrangement will provide Rolls-Royce with a dual-source…

26 Aug

Kotak BizLabs Season 3 to support over 100 startups across India

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Kotak Mahindra Bank on Tuesday announced the launch of Season 3 of its Kotak BizLabs Accelerator Programme, a flagship CSR initiative that aims to support more than 100 early-revenue-stage startups across India between August 2026 and October 2027. The programme has expanded its national footprint through partnerships with five incubation hubs, including IIM Calcutta Innovation Park, CIIE Initiatives, NSRCEL at IIM Bangalore, T-Hub and FITT at IIT Delhi. The addition of IIM Calcutta Innovation Park is expected to strengthen the initiative's reach across eastern and north-eastern India. The accelerator will focus on sectors including Agritech, Climate tech, Fintech, Sustainability, Healthtech,…

25 Aug

Barpeta Braves crowned champions as inaugural Assam Premier League concludes

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The inaugural Imperial Blue Packaged Drinking Water Assam Premier League (APL) concluded at the ACA Stadium in Guwahati on August 23, marking the launch of a new franchise-based T20 competition aimed at strengthening Assam’s cricket ecosystem. Organised by the Assam Cricket Association, the maiden edition featured eight franchises and 43 matches, providing a competitive platform for emerging and established cricketers from the state. Barpeta Braves emerged as the first-ever champions of the tournament after defeating Guwahati Royals by five wickets in the final. Imperial Blue Packaged Drinking Water served as the founding title sponsor of the league, marking its first…

25 Aug

Godrej Agrovet bets on Aqua Feed to drive next phase of growth

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Godrej Agrovet Limited is positioning its Aqua Feed business as a key growth driver within its broader animal nutrition portfolio, with plans to expand manufacturing capacity, accelerate research and development and target double-digit growth in the segment. The company sees significant headroom in India’s aquaculture sector and aims to strengthen its position among the country’s leading fish feed players. Its strategy will focus on developing superior feed solutions and improving feed conversion ratios, which could help farmers lower production costs, improve yields and enhance farm profitability. Sunil Kataria, MD and CEO of Godrej Agrovet, said fish feed is a strategic…

25 Aug

Uber expands to Gangtok as it enters 100 more Indian cities

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Uber has expanded its operations to 100 more cities across India, including Gangtok, taking its overall footprint in the country to 225 cities. The expansion, covering 18 states and one Union Territory, will be powered primarily by Uber Bike and is aimed at strengthening affordable mobility and first- and last-mile connectivity in smaller cities. The company said the expansion would also create flexible earning opportunities for thousands of local drivers. In Gangtok, Uber Bike will offer commuters an additional option for short-distance and everyday travel, particularly in navigating traffic and connecting with other modes of public transport. In Gangtok, the…

24 Aug

NISM and SEBI hold financial literacy quiz in Kolkata

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The National Institute of Securities Markets (NISM), in collaboration with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), conducted the Eastern Regional Round of the National Financial Literacy Quiz (NFLQ) 2026 at St. Xavier’s College (Autonomous), Kolkata, on August 22 and 23. The two-day competition brought together undergraduate and postgraduate students from Jharkhand, Bihar, West Bengal and Odisha, testing their knowledge of financial markets, investment principles, investor protection and responsible financial practices. More than four lakh students participated in the college and online qualifying rounds of the nationwide initiative, with top teams progressing to regional competitions across six zones. In…

24 Aug

Norton Manx R wins global design award for redefining the superbike

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Norton Motorcycles’ flagship superbike, the Norton Manx R, has won the Bronze award at the 2026 International Design Excellence Awards (IDEA), becoming the first production combustion-engined sports motorcycle to receive the recognition. The Manx R was honoured in the Automotive and Transportation category at the awards organised by the Industrial Designers Society of America. The award was received by Darren McNeill, Head of Marketing at Norton US, during the IDEA Ceremony and Gala in Pasadena, California. Designed under Norton’s new Resurgence strategy, the Manx R adopts a reductive design approach, moving away from aggressive winglets, excessive creases and racing graphics.…