Kapiva, India’s first modern holistic Ayurvedic brand for millennials, today announced the launch of the Kapiva Innovation Fund (“KIF”), a commitment of up to Rs. 50 crore to support research and innovation in Ayurveda. KIF will back projects across academia, labs and startups that focus on R&D in Ayurvedic science and create clinically validated solutions for real-world health problems.

The Kapiva R&D Team

With this initiative, Kapiva aims to help build an Ayurveda research ecosystem that matches global pharmaceutical standards. KIF will support work in areas such as novel formulations, standardisation and phytochemistry, AI in Ayurveda, pre-clinical and clinical studies, new extraction technologies, bioactive enhancement, tech-enabled wellness models, etc.

Applications will be invited from research institutions, PhD scholars, clinicians, hospitals, early-stage startups and incubators working in or adjacent to Ayurveda, plant-based therapeutics and integrative health.

The fund is structured to nurture innovation throughout the entire development process. Whether a project is in the initial research phase or nearing commercialisation, KIF will offer the necessary capital, mentorship, and clinical resources. This support system ensures that high-potential scientific ideas are successfully translated into practical, real-world solutions.

Announcing the launch, Ameve Sharma, Founder, Kapiva, said, “For decades, Ayurveda has been seen as either faith-based or purely traditional wisdom. We believe its future lies in being outcome-led and evidence-backed. This fund is a long-term bet on that future. By investing up to Rs. 50 crore in research, collaborations and new technologies, Kapiva wants to help build an ecosystem where Ayurvedic products are developed and tested like modern medicine, yet remain rooted in India’s knowledge systems.”

Dr. R. Govindarajan, Chief Innovation Officer, Kapiva, said, “If Ayurveda has to sit at the same table as modern medicine, it must be tested with the same discipline. At Kapiva we already work with standardised extracts, human trials and AI-driven insights that guide our formulations. Through the Kapiva Innovation Fund we want to open that ecosystem to researchers, clinicians and entrepreneurs, share our infrastructure and mentor high-quality projects, so that robust Ayurvedic science can move from paper to products and reach millions of people.”

Kapiva already runs one of India’s most advanced Ayurveda R&D programmes, with clinical trials on flagship products and a dedicated in-house research team. The company collaborates with leading institutions like Translational Health Science and Technology Institute (Ministry of Science and Technology, GoI), Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences (MCOPS, MAHE), Manipal Hospitals among others on various research projects. As part of this focus on scientific rigour and transparency, Kapiva follows stringent testing protocols across raw materials, packaging and finished products, with several Shilajit-based offerings like the Shilajit Gold Resin, already carrying Certificates of Analysis, and the same standards being progressively extended across its portfolio.

The Kapiva Innovation Fund is now open for applications. Eligible researchers, institutions, clinicians and startups can apply via the dedicated portal. Shortlisted proposals will be evaluated by a panel of Kapiva’s R&D leadership and external domain experts on scientific rigour, novelty, feasibility, and potential to improve health outcomes at scale.

Applicants can learn more about the fund, submit their proposals, and track their application status through a dedicated portal on Kapiva’s website: innovation.kapiva.in.

About Kapiva

Kapiva is a modern, homegrown Ayurvedic D2C brand on a mission to make evidence-based Ayurveda simple, modern, and accessible for everyday wellness. Backed by a dedicated R&D vertical of scientists and researchers, Kapiva develops authentic formulations using science-backed Ayurveda, standardised herbs, and high-quality ingredients. Kapiva has been a disruptor in the Ayurvedic industry by introducing innovation in product formats that can be easily integrated into people’s daily routines. Kapiva has expanded globally with its wholly owned subsidiaries in the USA and Middle East, and has a strong offline presence across 50,000+ stores in India.

Website: www.kapiva.in.

Rangeela Bihar, a large-format cultural and musical IP celebrating the spirit, sound, and soul of Bihar, is set to make its debut in Delhi-NCR this February. Designed as a ticketed live experience, the event brings Bhojpuri music and cultural expression to the capital region on a scale rarely seen before.

Rangeela Bihar, a large-scale Bhojpuri music and cultural live-event, makes its debut in Delhi-NCR with Pawan Singh headlining the inaugural edition

Rangeela Bihar is a live-event concept under the Rangeela Events platform, focused on building large-scale, community-led cultural experiences rooted in regional music and shared identity.

The inaugural edition of Rangeela Bihar is positioned as the first-ever ticketed Bhojpuri live-event of this scale in Delhi-NCR, reflecting the growing national footprint of Bhojpuri music and the expanding audience base that engages with it across cities and regions. The IP is envisioned as a recurring cultural platform rather than a one-off performance.

Bhojpuri cinema’s Powerstar Pawan Singh will headline the first edition of Rangeela Bihar. Alongside him, the event will feature performances by Shweta Mahara, Vinay Tiwari, and Khushi Kakkar, bringing together diverse voices from the Bhojpuri music and performance landscape.

Speaking about the vision behind the IP, Pawan Singh said, “Rangeela Bihar is not just a concert, it’s a celebration of where we come from and how far our culture has travelled.”

At its core, Rangeela Bihar aims to go beyond a conventional concert format. It seeks to create a shared cultural space for audiences who have carried Bihar with them across geographies — particularly the large Bhojpuri-speaking diaspora in Delhi-NCR — while also introducing the richness of Bhojpuri music and performance to newer audiences.

The first edition of Rangeela Bihar will be held on 21st February 2026 in Delhi-NCR.
Tickets for Rangeela Bihar will be available exclusively on RangeelaEvents.com.

About Rangeela Bihar
Rangeela Bihar is a live-event IP celebrating Bihar’s music, culture, and community through large-scale performances and immersive cultural experiences. The platform is designed as a recurring property with a long-term vision to take Bhojpuri cultural expression to wider national stages.

Conceptualised and curated by Fourth Wall, a multidisciplinary collective working at the intersection of culture, media, and live experiences.

Valentine’s Day, celebrated on February 14 each year, honors love and romance through gestures such as exchanging cards, flowers, and chocolates. This year, Gen Z and younger generations are embracing love calculators as viral, interactive tools, blending nostalgia with digital trends like AI quizzes and zodiac-based matching. These playful apps and websites—such as Neo Astro’s love meter—turn compatibility checks into fun, shareable experiences on social media. Trend-driven articles highlight how love calculators, popularized online, gauge compatibility using names, birth dates, or numerology, offer lighthearted percentage scores meant purely for entertainment.​

Love in the digital age: How Gen Z is blending technology and emotion to redefine modern romance

Apps like Neo Astro provide free tools for love matches, moon signs, and birth charts, revealing emotional alignments through Vedic astrology. Users can enter their details to see whether their stars align at 80% or spark adventurous chemistry. This fusion of fun and astrology makes these tools especially popular for Valentine’s planning.​

Younger generations often kick off Valentine’s Day with love calculator by name pranks or challenges entering a crush’s name for hilarious 0–100% scores and sharing TikTok reactions. Apps such as Love Calculator 2026 take it further by adding photo or fingerprint matching, fueling “soulmate reveal” trends that drive engagement. Many trendy pieces also note how these results are shared as Galentine’s Day icebreakers, reflecting the fact that nearly 58% of Gen Z prioritizes platonic bonds.​

Love calculators on astrology apps like Neo Astro or Love Calculator 2026 transform simple curiosity into engaging Valentine’s activities by sparking playfulness, conversation, and shareable fun. It often begins with solo reflection—inputting your name alongside a crush or ex to observe emerging patterns, such as repeated 70% matches with water signs, and setting self-love intentions using moon sign insights. For couples, the experience becomes interactive: syncing phones for mutual calculations over wine, debating score accuracy, and discussing Venus placements before embarking on “compatibility quests,” such as mini-dates inspired by top shared traits. Some even make it a weekly ritual to re-test and track relationship growth.​

The trend scales effortlessly into group celebrations. At Galentine’s parties, guests can pair up anonymously for bulk calculations, unveiling scores with dramatic flair, prizes for “best matches,” and pranks for the lowest ones. Gen Z creators often amplify the fun through TikTok Lives, turning unexpected results into memes.​

To boost digital content, users screenshot high scores featuring romantic animations, then remix them into Reels or Stories with captions like “Our 92% fate—tag your soulmate!” Whether solo, paired, or in squads, love calculators weave whimsy into romance, proving that in 2026, the sweetest connections start with a swipe, a score, and a shared laugh—making every heart a little bolder for love’s grand reveal.

Big Bang Boom Solutions Pvt. Ltd. (BBBS), a leading Indian DeepTech Defence company, today announced the commissioning of its new 20,000-sq-ft state-of-the-art R&D centre in Chennai and the opening of two new Capability and Service Centers in cities of Pune and Delhi. With six iDEX contracts and the prestigious i4F Indo-Israel grant to its credit, the company has demonstrated a strong track record of innovation, indigenisation, and capability development. Building on this momentum, the launch of the R&D Centre and Capability and Service Centers underscores BBBS’s rapid growth and expanding footprint in the defence sector.

State-of-the-art R&D centre in Chennai

The expanded R&D Centre will have 6 dedicated labs, including a massive 4,000-sq-ft Electronics Warfare Center, to cater to defence innovation in today’s fast-changing world. Further, over next 6 months, BBBS also plans to increase the headcount at the R&D centre by 40 specialized researchers from fields of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Electronic Warfare and Nanotechnology. This will enable the company to cater to new projects, as well as its national and international orders with greater agility and efficiency.

Having recently completed its first large order, BBBS has the distinction of being an indigenous startup that has not only delivered a large-scale defence contract but has done so ahead of schedule, laying the foundation for driving deep-tech innovation at a faster pace in India. A stable and enabling regulatory environment continues to support the scaling and execution of its robust order book.

Commenting on BBBS’s growing presence across India, Praveen Dwarakanath, CEO, said, “Timely realization of government receivables for the on-schedule delivery of our anti-drone systems has strengthened our cash reserves. In line with our commitment, we are reinvesting these gains into R&D to drive cutting-edge innovation and support the company’s next phase of growth.”

Dr. Shivaraman Ramaswamy, CTO, added, “Our deep focus on delivering superior product quality, continuous innovation, and solid on-ground execution has enabled us to establish a strong presence across multiple product verticals. As we scale our operations across the country with the new R&D and Capability centers, we are optimistic about a stronger FY27, both in terms of research advancements and financial performance.”

About Big Bang Boom Solutions

Big Bang Boom Solutions Pvt. Ltd. (BBBS) is one of India’s leading Deep Tech startups, focused on developing indigenous, next-generation defence, aerospace, and dual-use technologies. Founded with a mission to solve high-impact national and industrial challenges through innovation, BBBS blends scientific research, advanced engineering, and user-centric design to create cutting-edge solutions across autonomous systems, counter UAV systems, UAVs, smart surveillance, and tactical platforms.

With strong R&D roots and a growing portfolio of patents, BBBS has rapidly emerged as a trusted technology partner to the Indian Armed Forces, homeland security agencies, and strategic industrial sectors. The company’s autonomous drone systems, anti-drone solutions, wearable soldier tech, portable shooting ranges and AI-driven situational awareness platforms are being developed for deployment in some of the world’s most demanding environments.

India’s consumer startup story is no longer just about marketplaces and software. A new wave of women-led brands is quietly reshaping the way products are designed, marketed, and experienced by women consumers. These ventures are grounded in lived realities, not assumptions. VAGINE™ (thevaginestory.com), a personal care and lifestyle brand from India, exemplifies this shift with its fragrant offerings and recent expansion into feminine hygiene.
 

Virendra Sharma and Amisha Priyadarshi, co-founders of VAGINE | THE VAGINE STORY, a women-led personal care brand spanning perfumes and feminine hygiene

A Growing Market with Room for New Voices

India’s beauty and personal care market is already substantial and growing. Valued at over USD 31 billion in 2025 and projected to reach nearly USD 49 billion by 2033, the sector is expanding as consumers embrace premium, personalised, and culturally relevant products. Increasing disposable incomes and digital access are fuelling this growth. (IMARC Group¹)
 

In parallel, the women’s fragrances segment mirrors global trends. The worldwide market for women’s fragrances was estimated at USD 43.4 billion in 2023 and is expected to approach USD 69.2 billion by 2031, driven by rising grooming awareness and disposable income. (Markets & Data²).
 

Equally noteworthy is the rising demand for feminine hygiene products. India’s feminine hygiene market was valued close to USD 960 million in 2024 and is forecast to grow to nearly USD 3.8 billion by 2033, reflecting strong growth at a CAGR of nearly 15 percent. (IMARC Group³) This surge is linked to broader awareness campaigns, improving access, and evolving consumer preferences.
 

These figures show the structural opportunity brands like VAGINE are tapping into, and why innovation matters in both expressive and essential categories.
 

Designing with Purpose

Where many consumer brands start with trend-chasing, VAGINE’s founding philosophy is rooted in women’s lived experience. Its co-founder Amisha Priyadarshi often speaks about femininity not in superficial terms, but as a dynamic source of identity and empowerment. The brand’s zodiac-inspired perfume range for women embraces this perspective, suggesting that fragrance can be an expression of personality, not just a beauty accessory.
 

This approach resonates with a growing base of consumers who see personal care as an extension of self, not a commodity. By drawing inspiration from elemental traits and astrological individuality, the brand is positioned as a voice in the larger conversation about identity and self-expression.
 

Stepping into Feminine Hygiene

VAGINE’s expansion into sanitary pads reflects a broader evolution among women-led consumer ventures that move beyond aesthetic categories into essential wellness. The sanitary pad market in India, while rapidly growing, still carries cultural stigma and accessibility challenges in many regions. A product that balances comfort, quality, awareness, and accessibility can help deepen category penetration and encourage more open conversations about menstrual health.
 

This blend of beauty and biology is not accidental. It underscores a simple insight: women do not separate their expressive choices from everyday needs, and brands that acknowledge that complexity are likely to resonate more deeply. (thevaginelife.com).
 

Policy Shifts Supporting Women Entrepreneurs

Institutional backing has also played a role in enabling ventures like VAGINE to scale. The brand is recognised under Startup India and the Start-in-UP programme, and has received funding support from the Uttar Pradesh government’s Start in UP scheme, which includes incentives for women-led startups. Such support helps reduce early-stage barriers and underscores evolving policy focus on women’s entrepreneurship in consumer goods.
 

The Bigger Picture

India’s consumer market is expanding on multiple fronts, but the rise of women-led, women-focused brands marks a particularly meaningful shift. These companies are not just participating in growth segments; they are redefining them with products that reflect authentic female experience and choice.
 

In a market where scale often overshadows nuance, brands like VAGINE remind us that relevance and resonance, grounded in real-world insight, are equally important drivers of long-term success.
 

The Founders: Shaping a Brand Through Women’s Lived Experience

Co-founded by Virendra Sharma and Amisha Priyadarshi, VAGINE’s vision is strongly shaped by its female co-founder, Amisha, a legal professional turned entrepreneur. Her perspective brings legal clarity, cultural sensitivity, and a deep understanding of women’s lived experiences. The brand’s storytelling, product philosophy, and positioning are guided by empathy rather than assumptions, ensuring relevance in a market where conscious consumers increasingly value authenticity over trend-led narratives.

VAGINE (VAGINÉ)
 

SOLSTICEA ELIXIR PRIVATE LIMITED

Market data sources:

1: Market & Data | Global Women’s Fragrances Market Assessment, Opportunities and Forecast, 2017-2031F | July 2024

2: IMARC Group | India Beauty and Personal Care Market Size, Share, Trends and Forecast by Type, Product, Distribution Channel, and Region, 2026-2034 | Report ID SR112026A4210

3: IMARC Group | India Feminine Hygiene Products Market Size, Share, Trends and Forecast by Product Type, Distribution Channel, and Region, 2025-2033 | Report ID: SR112026A21410

Bisleri International’s premium beverage category, Bisleri Vedica, returns as the Hydration Partner for Lollapalooza India 2026, marking its fourth consecutive year of association with the festival since its inaugural edition. At large scale live events, access to drinking water is fundamental to the overall fan experience, making hydration central to the festival planning. Through this long-term partnership, Bisleri Vedica continues to integrate hydration seamlessly into the cultural fabric of the festival, where music, movement, and shared moments come together.

Bisleri Vedica Rejoins Lollapalooza India 2026

Led by Bisleri Vedica, the on-ground presence will feature Vedica branded water selling carts positioned across key festival zones, along with the brand’s signature helium balloon activation, handed out free of cost and designed to move with festivalgoers throughout the day, giving consumers an immersive experience. Supporting this, Bisleri will ensure uninterrupted access to safe drinking water through free hydration stations, while under #LollaForChange, Bisleri Bottles for Change will drive sustainability efforts with recycled benches, plastic collection points, and on-ground recycling support, reinforcing responsible consumption and waste management across the venue.

Bisleri Vedica Rejoins Lollapalooza India 2026

Commenting on the association, Samradha Tibrewala, Head – Partnerships and Revenue, BookMyShow, said, “From our very first edition, free and easy access to drinking water has been non-negotiable for us at Lollapalooza India. As the festival has grown in scale and intensity, ensuring hydration at every touchpoint has remained central to how we design the fan experience. Long-standing partners like Bisleri make this possible, helping us deliver hydration at scale, responsibly and seamlessly, year after year.”

Commenting on the association, Tushar Malhotra, Director of Sales and Marketing, Bisleri International, said, “Lollapalooza India is a high energy cultural space where hydration plays a critical role in enabling the overall experience. Over the years, our roles have remained clearly defined. Bisleri ensures hydration at scale, Bottles for Change enables responsible plastic management, and Bisleri Vedica brings a premium, culture-led presence that audiences recognize and engage with. Together, we focus on making hydration an integral part of the festival experience.”

Now in its fourth year, the Bisleri Vedica and Lollapalooza India partnership reflects a sustained, culture first collaboration that brings together premium engagement, access at scale, and sustainability in a way that feels natural and relevant to today’s festival audiences.

About Bisleri International Pvt. Ltd.

With a legacy of over 50 years, Bisleri International Pvt. Ltd has grown to become one of the largest premium beverage businesses in India. Being the makers of the country’s largest-selling packaged drinking water, Bisleri follows a stringent process of 114 quality tests and a 10-stage purification. It remains true to its core value of providing consumers with pure, safe and healthy water.

Bisleri International has a strong presence with 128 operational plants and a robust distribution network of over 6,000 Distributors and 7,500 Distribution Trucks across India and neighbouring countries. It offers a range of beverages that are produced for all occasions. Whether it is the promise of goodness, trust, and purity with Bisleri Mineral Water or a daily dose of health offered through Vedica Himalayan Spring Water. Besides, Bisleri International has ventured into fun-filled refreshments with a diverse range of carbonated drinks available in multiple flavours, such as Pop, Rev, Limonata and Spyci Jeera. These Bisleri products are also available on the e-commerce platform – Bisleri @Doorstep. This D2C platform reassures customers that they will receive a safe and uninterrupted supply of their most trusted brand at their doorstep.

The core values of Bisleri International lie in yielding growth and embedding sustainability by being responsible in all aspects of the business. The organization has unveiled Sustainability 2.0 with Bisleri Greener Promise that focuses on creating greener future for all through implementing initiatives under the program of recycling, water conservation and sustainability.

For more information on Bisleri International, our people, brands, and OSR initiatives, visit www.bisleri.com.

As India’s startup ecosystem continues to scale rapidly, founders are increasingly navigating a complex risk landscape spanning cyber threats, regulatory scrutiny, people-related challenges, and operational disruptions. While innovation and growth remain the primary focus, a single unforeseen incident can significantly impact business continuity, reputation, and investor confidence if risks are not planned for early.

(L-R) Mr. Sunny Bhardwaj – National Head Broking, ICICI Lombard, Mr. Amit Jain – CEO & Co-Founder, Girnar Soft & Mr. Sanjeev Mantri – MD & CEO, ICICI Lombard

Recognising this gap, ICICI Lombard General Insurance, India’s leading private general insurer hosted ‘Startup Shield – The Risk Readiness’, a focused awareness initiative designed to help Indian start-ups identify, assess, and mitigate key business risks through structured risk planning and appropriate insurance solutions.

The exclusive event brought together over 100 participants, including startup founders, private equity and venture capital investors, CXOs, industry experts, and risk professionals, for interactive discussions on building resilient and future-ready businesses. The initiative aimed to move the conversation beyond risk avoidance, encouraging founders to adopt a proactive approach to risk preparedness as they scale.

The event saw participation from prominent voices across the start-up ecosystem, including representing the investor and broader ecosystem perspective. The presence of founders and investors at different stages of the startup lifecycle enriched discussions around practical risk planning and long-term business resilience.

Startup Shield focused on risk preparedness across different growth stages, highlighting how early planning can strengthen governance, improve operational resilience, and enhance investor confidence. Sessions addressed emerging and critical risk areas such as cyber and data security, employee health and wellness, professional indemnity, directors and officers (D&O) liability, asset protection, and business interruption.

Experts from ICICI Lombard shared real-world case studies demonstrating how timely insurance coverage and structured risk management have helped startups recover from unexpected disruptions, manage legal and financial exposures, and continue their growth journeys with minimal impact on operations.

The discussions also underscored how risk readiness is increasingly becoming a key consideration during investor due diligence, enterprise partnerships, and board-level decision-making, positioning it as a growth enabler rather than a compliance exercise.

Speaking on the initiative, Mr. Sandeep Goradia – Chief Corporate, International & Bancassurance, ICICI Lombard, said, “India today is the third-largest startup ecosystem in the world, with over 1.8 lakh DPIIT-recognised startups driving innovation, employment, and global competitiveness. As Indian startups build ambitious, high-growth businesses, their exposure to unforeseen risks is also rising. Through Startup Shield, we aim to shift the conversation from reacting to risk to anticipating it — helping founders protect their people, strengthen their businesses, and build lasting stakeholder trust. In doing so, we aspire to become their long-term risk partners, enabling them to scale with resilience, responsibility, and sustainable profitability.”

Through Starup Shield, ICICI Lombard reinforced its commitment to supporting entrepreneurship, innovation, and sustainable business growth in India. The initiative forms part of the company’s broader efforts to engage with the startup ecosystem and enable founders to build resilient businesses that are prepared not just to grow, but to withstand uncertainty.

About ICICI Lombard General Insurance Company Limited

ICICI Lombard is the leading private general insurance company in the country. The Company offers a comprehensive and well-diversified range of products through multiple distribution channels, including motor, health, crop, fire, personal accident, marine, engineering, and liability insurance. With a legacy of over 2 decades, ICICI Lombard is committed to customer centricity with its brand philosophy of ‘Nibhaye Vaade’. The company has issued over 37.6 million policies, over 3.2 million claims processed and has a Gross Written Premium (GWP) of ₹ 282.58 billion for the year ended March 31, 2025. ICICI Lombard has 328 branches and 15,123 employees, as on March 31, 2025.

ICICI Lombard has been a pioneer in the industry, being the first large-scale insurance company in India to migrate its entire core systems to the cloud. With a strong focus on being digitally-led and agile, the company has introduced multiple AI-powered insurance solutions. The company’s flagship insurance and wellness app, IL TakeCare, which has received over 18.4 million downloads, also offers the industry’s first Face Scan feature. The company has won several prestigious awards- including the Insurance Asia, ICC Emerging Asia Insurance, ET BFSI Exceller, ET Corporate Excellence, Golden Peacock, FICCI Insurance, Assocham, Stevie Asia Pacific, and National CSR in recognition of its various initiatives.

For more details log on to www.icicilombard.com.