Pepe Jeans London elevates its denim portfolio with the launch of Shiruku, a premium denim line inspired by the refined touch of Japanese silk, celebrated for its exceptional softness and smoothness.
 

Shiruku Denim by Pepe Jeans London
 

Crafted for consumers who value comfort as much as style, Shiruku introduces the innovative features of fine textile engineering with sophisticated design to provide superior comfort, soft feel, and style.
 

Inspired by the sensorial elegance of Japanese silk, Shiruku Denim delivers an elevated wearing experience, light against the skin yet structured in silhouette, making it a versatile choice for all-day wear.
 

Prices starting from Rs. 4,999, Shiruku Denim is now available pan-India, across exclusive retail outlets, leading departmental stores, multi-brand outlets and leading e-commerce portals.
 

The launch of Shiruku further reinforces Pepe Jeans London’s position as a brand that continues to evolve with modern lifestyles while remaining rooted in its denim-first philosophy.

You can watch the campaign here www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8QI4tOuqCA

About Pepe Jeans London
Pepe Jeans London was born on London’s iconic Portobello Road in 1973. Today, over 50 years later, the brand remains devoted to its initial mantra and pledge to create the world’s most exciting denim-led fashion. The diversity and mix of cultures that define the city of London also define the Pepe Jeans personality, providing a constant source of inspiration for the women’s, men’s, and junior collections. Music, Culture, Fashion, London, and Denim, that’s what Pepe Jeans is all about.

VinFast received a double honor at the Auto9 Awards 2026, with the “New Entrant of the Year” award and the “Value for Money Car of the Year” award for the VF 6. The award, which honors the best automotive and motorcycle brands and products in the Indian market, recognizes VinFast’s strong progress since entering the market, its long-term direction in the electric vehicle (EV) sector, and its consumer-centric approach to building a product portfolio aligned with local preferences.

Mr. Arunodoy Das, Deputy CEO of VinFast India – Sales received the award from Mr. Nitin Gadkari, Hon. Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Govt. of India

The Auto9 Awards is an annual awards program organized by TV9 Network to honor outstanding achievements in the automotive and mobility industry in India, as well as vehicles launched in 2025. With an evaluation process based on real world testing, technical data, and insights from a multidisciplinary panel of experts, the awards provide a comprehensive perspective on product quality, usability, and market impact.

This year, the “New Entrant of the Year” award at the Auto9 Awards 2026 was presented to a brand that demonstrated a clear market presence and created a strong impression within a short period after entering the market, through its product strategy, execution capabilities, and alignment with local consumer needs. In addition, the “Value for Money Car of the Year” award recognized the outstanding value proposition of the all-electric B-SUV VF 6, highlighting its balance between price, features, and cost of ownership, and reflecting VinFast’s role and contribution at both brand and product levels in the overall development of India’s EV industry.

The recognition at the Auto9 Awards 2026 further adds to the list of accolades VinFast has received in the Indian market, reflecting the positive attention and evaluation from industry experts toward the company’s product development direction and long-term investment strategy.

Mr. Tapan Ghosh, Chief Executive Officer of VinFast India, stated, “The double honor at the Auto9 Awards 2026 is a meaningful recognition of our efforts in India. This award reflects VinFast’s long-term approach to the market, combined with a strong focus on real world consumer needs, while reinforcing our commitment to sustainable investment in India.”

Mr. Nand Kumar, Editor – Auto, TV9 Network, said, “VinFast’s product strategy reflects a clear intent to address different segments of the EV market. The VF 6 stood out for offering a well-balanced package strong on features, sensible on pricing, and practical for everyday use which made it a natural choice for our Value for Money Award. At the same time, VinFast’s entry as a new brand has been both credible and promising, earning it the New Entrant Award. These awards reflect the strength of VinFast’s early product lineup for the Indian market.”

After just one year of presence, VinFast has gradually established its footprint in India’s electric vehicle market through a long-term development strategy and a premium product portfolio. The company is building a comprehensive electric vehicle ecosystem that integrates manufacturing, retail, financial solutions, charging infrastructure, and after-sales services, ensuring a seamless customer experience through close collaboration with local partners.

With a consistent focus on innovation, sustainable development, and a user-centric approach, VinFast continues to advance its mission of accelerating the transition to green mobility while making a positive contribution to the long-term development of India’s automotive industry.

About VinFast

VinFast (NASDAQ: VFS), a subsidiary of Vingroup JSC, one of Vietnam’s largest conglomerates, is a pure-play electric vehicle (“EV”) manufacturer with the mission of making EVs accessible to everyone. VinFast’s product lineup today includes a wide range of electric SUVs, e-scooters, and e-buses.

VinFast is currently embarking on its next growth phase through rapid expansion of its distribution and dealership network globally and increasing its manufacturing capacities with a focus on key markets across North America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia.

Learn more at: vinfastauto.in.  

MATTER today unveiled India’s first AI-Defined vehicles (AIDV) platform at Technology Day 3.0, marking a tech forward defining milestone and a decisive inflection point in the evolution of electric two-wheelers. The unveiling establishes the company’s intent to lead the next phase of the two-wheeler industry, while signalling a structural shift in how vehicles are engineered, built, and experienced.

MATTER – TechUp3.0 – The New Continuum

With this announcement, MATTER positions intelligence not hardware alone as the defining layer of the next generation of two-wheelers. The AIDV platform establishes a scalable technology and product roadmap spanning multiple products over the next 36–48 months, while establishing MATTER as a proven long-term leader in performance, efficiency, safety, and lifecycle value, with alternate materials as a complementary key initiative in building sustainable, future-ready vehicles.

A Defining Moment for Indian Two-Wheelers

With Technology Day 3.0, MATTER positioned itself not merely as an EV manufacturer, but as a deep-technology company redefining how two-wheelers are conceived, engineered, and evolved ahead of time. The unveiling of the AIDV platform marks a decisive inflection point, signalling a structural shift in how electric two-wheelers are built, experienced, and taken into the future.

AIDV: Redefining the Architecture of Two-Wheelers

MATTER emphasised that AIDVs are not incremental upgrades over existing electric architectures. They represent a fundamental re-architecture ahead of field where intelligence actively governs how materials, energy, power, and control systems behave in real-world conditions.

Unlike mechanically defined vehicles (MDVs), where performance and behaviour are fixed at the time of production, or electronically defined vehicles (EDVs), where control improves through electronics, and software-defined vehicles (SDVs)—such as MATTER AERA, which represents an SDV architecture with vehicle functions and behaviours defined and upgraded through software—AIDVs continuously evolve across the entire vehicle lifecycle.

Intelligence sits at the core, enabling consistent real-world performance and energy efficiency, predictive reliability with lower lifetime ownership costs, continuous capability expansion through software, and deep personalisation with adaptive ride behaviour tech forward by design.

As vehicles transition from Mechanical → Electronic → Software → Intelligence-Driven, MATTER aims to set the benchmark for the next generation, ahead of time where materials, machines, and intelligence operate as a single, adaptive system.

This approach enables electric two-wheelers to move beyond traditional constraints of energy density, thermal management, and power delivery—positioning them not merely as alternatives to fossil-fuel vehicles, but as a new reference point for the category, ahead of field.

Innovation That Already Matters: AERA as SDV 1.0

MATTER highlighted that this transition did not begin today. With AERA, the company has already delivered multiple industry-first paradigm shifts:

• Hypershift™ gearbox, redefining rider control and engagement in EVs,

• Liquid-cooled motor and battery, breaking long-standing thermal ceilings in E2Ws

• Deeply embedded control systems, integrating FOC into CLA

• Cell and pack innovations, enabling improved repairability, laser-welded integrity, and higher power density

• MATTER reiterated that AERA is already an SDV 1.0 platform, proven, with every OTA release enhancing vehicle character and capability on unchanged hardware.

From Software-Defined to AI-Defined Vehicles

While Software-Defined Vehicles digitised vehicles through connectivity and updates, MATTER’s AIDV architecture introduces a deeper shift, tech forward intelligence embedded directly into control and decision layers.

Here, intelligence governs how motors adapt torque and efficiency in real time, how batteries age and protect themselves, how thermal systems manage stress rather than derate performance, and how vehicles predict faults, adapt behaviour, and improve over time.

This allows MATTER to manage rising system complexity without slowing development—turning engineering depth into a proven long-term competitive advantage.

Materials, Reimagined—and Governed by Intelligence

MATTER underscored that the next decade will be defined not only by AI, but equally by new materials—and by intelligence that understands and governs those materials, ahead of time.

Key breakthroughs include rare-earth-free motor architectures, adaptive variable flux drives, advanced semiconductor and sensor strategies, and cell-level intelligence unlocking industry-leading battery life and consistency.

By embedding intelligence into how materials behave—not just how they are selected—MATTER unlocks new benchmarks in efficiency, longevity, and customer experience, ahead of field.

Domain-Integrated Compute & Intelligence at Scale

MATTER detailed its domain and zonal integration strategy, optimising compute across the vehicle rather than distributing intelligence across isolated controllers—tech forward in execution. This balances edge and cloud intelligence, enabling higher performance, lower latency, and scalable complexity without hardware sprawl.

Speaking at the event, Mohal Lalbhai, Founder and Group CEO, MATTER, said: “Two-wheelers have been mechanically defined for decades. Intelligence-Driven Vehicles change that permanently. When intelligence governs materials, energy, and control—not just software—we unlock vehicles that continuously outperform their own starting point. This is not an EV transition. This is a category reset.”

Kumar Prasad Tellikepalli, Founder and Group CTO, MATTER, added, “Intelligence is the only way to scale complexity without slowing innovation. AIDVs allow us to compress development cycles, improve first-time-right outcomes, and build vehicles that learn from every kilometre ridden—while introducing a new approach to materials, where intelligence governs how materials behave, age, and perform in real-world conditions. This is how engineering depth becomes a proven compounding advantage.”

The future of two-wheelers is not electric alone.
It is intelligent.

Five-Segment Product Expansion Strategy (36–48 Months)

MATTER announced a five-segment expansion roadmap, all built on a common AI-defined hardware, software, compute, and data backbone:

• Naked Street Motorcycles

• Street Fighter Motorcycles

• Adventure (ADV) Motorcycles

• Youth-Focused Commuter Motorcycles

• Electric Scooters

This strategy enables MATTER to address the majority of India’s two-wheeler demand spectrum through a core, scalable technology platform.

Long-Term Technology Leadership

MATTER reported 400+ technology innovations supported by 97 granted patents, reinforcing the company’s proven long-term intellectual property defensibility and deep-technology foundation.

With the AIDV platform, MATTER has laid out a clear direction: to lead the transition from mechanically defined motorcycles to AI-defined electric motorcycles, ahead of time, setting new benchmarks for performance, reliability, and ownership experience.

For more information, please visit: www.matter.in.

Viceroy Properties has unveiled Versova, Once Upon A Shoreline, a thoughtfully curated coffee table book that documents the layered history, lived-in culture and creative spirit of Versova, one of Mumbai’s most evocative coastal neighbourhoods.

From L to R Mr. Noel D’souza, Mr. Rajhans Tapke, Mr. Samrat Mukherji, Mr Bhagwan Bhanji, Ms. Maria Goretti, Mr. Sunhil Sippy & Mr. Cyrus Mody

More than a geographical chronicle, the book captures Versova as a living cultural ecosystem shaped by its fishing communities, heritage homes, artists, filmmakers, cuisines and everyday rhythms that have defined the area for generations.

Conceptualised as an act of cultural documentation rather than a brand exercise, the book brings together photographers, filmmakers, writers and long-time residents to preserve stories that often remain undocumented, even as the city around them rapidly transforms.

Speaking about the intent behind the book, Cyrus Mody, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Viceroy Properties, said, “As a real estate developer, Viceroy’s role is not just that of building structures. Our ambition is to become a part of each neighbourhood we operate in and that means understanding and respecting what came before us.

Versova is more than a micro-market. It is a living, breathing cultural ecosystem shaped by generations of artists, filmmakers, fishing communities and families with stories that often go undocumented. Before adding a new silhouette to Versova’s skyline, we felt it was important to understand and honour these chapters. This book is dedicated to them.

For us, this is not about marketing a project. It is about being a responsible, respectful participant in the fabric of the city. By documenting Versova’s storytellers and spaces, we hope to contribute something meaningful to this unique community.”

The visual language of the book is anchored by renowned photographer Sunhil Sippy, whose images capture Versova beyond the postcard view. “Versova reveals itself in moments. The early mornings at the Koliwada, the quiet lanes behind the beach, the homes that carry decades of memories. This book allowed us to slow down and observe Versova as it truly exists, intimate, layered and deeply human.”

TV presenter, Chef and Author Maria Goretti, who has long shared a personal connection with Versova, reflected on the emotional resonance of the project. “Versova has always had a soul that quietly draws people in. Being part of this book felt like revisiting memories and sharing stories that deserve to be remembered. It is a love letter to a neighbourhood that has given so much to the city’s creative and cultural life.”

Filmmaker and owner of Filmalaya, Samrat Mukherji, added, “Versova has played a silent yet significant role in shaping Mumbai’s independent cinema and artistic communities. Collaborating with Viceroy Properties to document its stories is important because places like this influence creative thought in ways that are not always visible. This book captures that influence beautifully.”

Singer and member of India’s first boy band, Sherrin Varghese highlighted the importance of preserving lived narratives. “While I am a resident of Madh, few people realise the deep historical relationship it shares with Versova, from shared communities and coastal traditions to even the same pin code. The book brings this overlooked connection to the forefront, offering a fuller understanding of Versova beyond its familiar image. Documenting these layered relationships was important, and it is what made this initiative by Viceroy meaningful enough for me to be a part of.”

The book was unveiled at an intimate gathering at Kino’s Cottage, Versova, a space deeply embedded in the neighbourhood’s cultural and cinematic history. The event brought together contributors, members of the local community, artists and creative voices who have shaped Versova over the years. Set against the backdrop of Versova beach, the evening served as a meaningful culmination of the collaborative journey behind the book, celebrating shared memories, conversations and the spirit of the neighbourhood that inspired it.

The unveiling also marked one of the initiatives under The Good Neighbour, Viceroy Properties’ ongoing commitment to engaging thoughtfully with the communities and cultural ecosystems of the neighbourhoods it operates in, beyond the act of building alone.

Versova, Once Upon A Shoreline stands as a cultural archive and a tribute to a neighbourhood at the intersection of memory and modernity. Through stories and visuals, the book seeks to preserve Versova’s identity at a time when urban change often outpaces remembrance.

About Viceroy Properties

Viceroy Properties was founded in 2017 to redefine Luxury Real Estate Development in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. With a strong focus on Meticulous Planning, Aesthetic Design and Impeccable Craftsmanship, the firm’s first two projects have won 13 International Awards across Design, Construction and Sustainability. As of mid-2024, Viceroy Properties has delivered over 1.2 mm sq. ft. in Thakur Village, Kandivali (E) with another 3.3 mm sq. ft. under various stages of planning/development.

About ‘The Good Neighbour’ – An Initiative by Viceroy Properties

The Good Neighbour is a long-term initiative by Viceroy Properties that seeks to engage meaningfully with the neighbourhoods it operates in, beyond the act of development. Rooted in the belief that responsible building begins with understanding place, people and history, the initiative focuses on celebrating local culture, preserving lived narratives and fostering community participation. Its first initiative was a curated heritage walk through Versova, designed to highlight the area’s lesser-known histories, cultural intersections and everyday stories that have shaped the neighbourhood over generations. Through projects such as the heritage walk and the coffee table book Versova, Once Upon A Shoreline, The Good Neighbour reflects Viceroy’s commitment to being a thoughtful, respectful presence within the urban fabric of the city.

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.