Business - The Purbottar

12 Jan

Coca-Cola brings FIFA World Cup Trophy back to India after 12 years ahead of 2026 event

Business BureauBusiness

The original FIFA World Cup Trophy returned to India after a gap of twelve years as part of the FIFA World Cup™ Trophy Tour by Coca-Cola, ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026™. The Tour marks another milestone in Coca-Cola’s long-standing partnership with FIFA, spanning over five decades. The Tour began with a FIFA Charter Landing, followed by the official unveiling of the Trophy at Taj Mahal Hotel. The event was attended by Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Mansukh Mandaviya, FIFA legend Gilberto D’Silva, sports historian Boria Majumdar, and senior leadership from Coca-Cola India and Southwest Asia. Addressing…

12 Jan

Allied Blenders appoints Scotch whisky veteran Martin Leonard to guide single malt push

Business BureauBusiness

Allied Blenders and Distillers Limited (ABD), India’s largest domestic spirits company by volume, has appointed globally renowned Scotch whisky expert Dr. Martin Leonard as Consultant to advise on the commissioning of its malt distillery and the company’s foray into single malt whisky. Leonard brings over three decades of experience across distillation, maturation, blending, bottling and supply chain operations in the global Scotch whisky industry. He most recently served as Managing Director of Inver House Distillers, where he oversaw five single malt distilleries in Scotland and managed inventories exceeding 600,000 casks. He has also chaired the Scotch Whisky Research Institute and…

12 Jan

IIT Bombay launches five-month certificate programme in Generative AI

Business BureauBusiness

Indian Institute of Technology Bombay has announced the launch of a Certificate in Generative AI, aimed at equipping professionals with hands-on skills to design and deploy real-world GenAI applications. The five-month, online certificate programme will be offered by the Technocraft Centre for Applied Artificial Intelligence in collaboration with Great Learning as the edtech partner, with registrations now open for the 2026 intake. Designed and delivered by IIT Bombay faculty, the programme follows a practical, LLM-first approach across five modules. It covers fundamentals of artificial intelligence, large language models, prompt engineering, model adaptation using proprietary data, and the development of copilots…

12 Jan

Groww Mutual Fund launches Groww Small Cap Fund

Business BureauBusiness

Groww Mutual Fund has announced the launch of the Groww Small Cap Fund, an open-ended equity scheme predominantly investing in small cap stocks. The New Fund Offer (NFO) will be open from January 08 to January 22, 2026. The scheme seeks to generate long-term capital appreciation by investing in high-quality, scalable small cap companies through a disciplined bottom-up investment approach, guided by Groww Mutual Fund’s QGaRP framework—Quality and Growth at a Reasonable Price. India’s economy is undergoing a broad-based transformation, with strengthening physical, financial, and technological capacity reshaping the opportunity set for businesses across the size spectrum. Rising infrastructure spending,…

12 Jan

Ai+ expands wearables portfolio with NovaWatch smartwatch series

Business BureauBusiness

Ai+ Smartphone on Tuesday unveiled NovaWatch, a new smartwatch lineup aimed at strengthening its connected devices portfolio across health, safety and personal style. Scheduled to launch nationwide in Q1 2026, the series reflects the brand’s push to blend practical utility with fashion-forward design for a connected generation. The NovaWatch range includes Active, Wearbuds, Kids Geo Fencing 4G Watch, and an industry-first Rotatecam 4G LTE Watch with a rotating camera. Each model is designed for a specific use case, spanning everyday health tracking, family safety and style-led personal expression. While Active focuses on essential wellness metrics in an easy-to-use format, Wearbuds…

12 Jan

Hindustan Zinc, Silox India deepen ties to push low-carbon manufacturing with EcoZen

Business BureauBusiness

Hindustan Zinc Limited and Silox India have strengthened their long-term partnership as Silox India adopts Hindustan Zinc’s low-carbon zinc brand, EcoZen, across its manufacturing operations, marking a key step toward industrial decarbonisation in India. Under the collaboration, Silox India will integrate EcoZen into its zinc-based chemical production, helping lower embedded carbon emissions while maintaining global performance and quality standards. EcoZen is Asia’s first low-carbon zinc produced entirely using renewable energy, with a verified carbon footprint of under one tonne of CO₂ per tonne of zinc—around 75 per cent lower than the global industry average. In downstream applications such as galvanising,…

12 Jan

84% of Indian professionals feel unprepared for 2026 job market as AI reshapes hiring: LinkedIn study

Business BureauBusiness

A large majority of professionals in India are feeling unprepared to search for a new job in 2026, even as most are actively looking for one, according to new research released by LinkedIn. The study found that 84 per cent of Indian professionals feel unready for the job market, while 72 per cent say they are planning to change roles this year. The report highlights growing anxiety caused by intense competition, fast-changing skill demands and the increasing use of artificial intelligence in hiring. Around 76 per cent of job seekers said finding a new role has become tougher in the…

12 Jan

Arudha SIF, by Bandhan Mutual Fund, unveils maiden SIF strategy through Arudha Hybrid Long-Short Fund

Business BureauBusiness

Arudha SIF, by Bandhan Mutual Fund, has announced the launch of its maiden SIF strategy, - Arudha Hybrid Long-Short Fund, an interval investment strategy aims to deliver optimal returns with a focus on risk management and post-tax efficiency. The strategy intends to allocate up to 65% in short to medium term debt and money market instruments while maintaining a minimum 35% allocation to fully hedged, market-neutral equity positions. Commenting on the launch, Vishal Kapoor, CEO, Bandhan AMC Limited, said, “Arudha Hybrid Long-Short Fund has been designed for sophisticated investors such as HNIs, institutional investors, family offices, etc., looking for optimal…

12 Jan

Uncertainty Grips Markets as Executive Pressure Tests Federal Reserve Autonomy

Preeti SinghBusiness

The dollar declined and U.S. equity futures fell on Monday following comments from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell about threats from the Trump administration regarding a potential criminal indictment, raising concerns over the Fed's independence. The Swiss franc strengthened by 0.4% to 0.7979 per dollar, and the euro rose 0.17% to $1.1656, although traders noted uncertainty regarding the implications for interest rates. Fed funds futures indicate a slight increase of about three basis points in expected interest rate cuts this year, suggesting a potential for the Fed to act more aggressively. Gold prices reached a record high of over $4,600…

12 Jan

Marwadi University to host Vibrant Gujarat Regional Conference; proposes Rs 1,000 cr education investment

Business BureauBusiness

Marwadi University will host the upcoming Vibrant Gujarat Regional Conferences (VGRC) from January 11 to 12, 2026, as part of the Government of Gujarat’s efforts to boost global engagement and investments across the state. The conference will focus on strengthening the education ecosystem and supporting economic growth in Gujarat. The university has proposed a ₹1,000 crore investment MoU to the state Education Department. The plan includes new academic infrastructure, advanced laboratories, modern sports facilities, upgraded hostels, and a 10,000 sq ft innovation centre for start-ups. A separate academic block will also support continuing education for working professionals and entrepreneurs. VGRC…