Stride School of Business has concluded ASCENT ’26, its flagship orientation, formally welcoming the inaugural Class of 2029 across its four campuses in Delhi NCR, Bangalore, Pune and Jaipur. Over three days, students and their families met the founders, faculty and industry practitioners, and got their first taste of the AI-first approach that runs through the three-year undergraduate programme.

Welcoming the inaugural Class of 2029

Two things anchored the orientation: a hands-on AI session that ran identically at all four campuses, and a guest programme of senior industry practitioners built city by city. Students at every campus began their degree having done the same practical work, with the same tools, in the same week.

The hands-on session was led by Priteesh Joshi, Associate Director, AI Learning, Stride School of Business, and put students to work across NotebookLM, Gamma and Gemini Canvas. They researched a topic and turned the output into images, mind maps, a video, a podcast and a set of quizzes. Then came the real test: building a presentation on the same brief across Claude, Gemini and Gamma, presenting it to the class, and arguing out which tool suited which task. At Delhi NCR, students also built a working website inside the session. In Jaipur, students built an app, then shot, edited and presented vlogs about their first days at the school. Priteesh Joshi also walked each batch through the three-year academic plan, laying out what each year covers and how AI threads through it.

On the ground, the guest programme ran campus by campus. At Delhi NCR, Mayank Agarwal, VP/Head of Marketing at The Man Company (a part of Emami Group), spoke in a fireside conversation on building a D2C brand from scratch, including which parts of brand-building AI has already taken over. Aditya Malhotra, DGM Product at Airtel Digital, ran a masterclass on how product teams decide whether to pursue or kill an idea.

Pune’s fireside conversation, “The Face of Business and Entrepreneurship Changing with the Evolution of AI,” featured Sudarshan Mahabal, AI and Technology Leader at Xoriant, and Prayag Dwivedi, Community Manager at Emergent. Girish Chhabra, VP and Global Practice Head for Data and AI at Atos, led a masterclass on agentic AI and set students an assignment to complete afterward. Jayesh Atal, Strategy, Marketing and Operations at KPIT, made the case for why AI won’t replace them, and walked through the practical reasoning behind it.

Bangalore brought together Aastha Shree, Vice President at Goldman Sachs, and Laveena Lobo, Partner at Insist Consulting, for a fireside chat on AI, careers, leadership and the changing nature of work in a world of AI. Uttaran Nayak, Co-Founder & CEO of Alchemyst AI, led a masterclass asking “What does a business look like when AI is built into everything?” And Gaurav Ranjan, Principal at Prime Venture Partners, joined a fireside chat on entrepreneurship and why investors and venture capital matter to the companies students may one day build.

At Jaipur, Radhesh Sirohiya, Co-Founder of Shyle, joined a fireside conversation on entrepreneurship and e-commerce, fielding questions on the practical challenges of building a business.

The four campuses sit at HiTech Group of Institutions (Delhi NCR), Rathinam School of Business (Bangalore), Ajeenkya DY Patil University (Pune) and Jagannath University (Jaipur). Students earn their BBA from the partner institution at each campus, while the programme, curriculum and learning model belong to Stride School of Business.

Every student received a personal Apple MacBook in their welcome kit on day one. Each campus carries an identical set of spaces: AI Launchpad, Collab Zone, Podcast Studio, Pitch Tank, AI Forum and Smart Classrooms, used for classes, project work, presentations and collaboration.

Piyush Nangru, Founder, Stride School of Business, said, “A school’s first batch usually takes years to build. Ours came together in four cities at the same time, around a straightforward argument: business education should now be taught with AI inside the work, not alongside it. The appetite for that has moved faster than the sector has. ASCENT ’26 was built to match it, which is why the same programme ran in all four cities in the same week rather than as four separate welcomes.”

Anmol Jain, Founding Director, Stride School of Business, said, “We could have spent three days telling this batch what Stride School of Business is. We decided to show them instead. They sat with people whose own jobs are being changed by AI and then we put them in front of the same tools and asked them to make something. By the third day every student had built something of their own. For a first batch, in a first week, that is exactly the beginning we wanted them to have.”

With ASCENT ’26 behind them, the Class of 2029 begins a three-year programme where AI runs alongside business fundamentals, practical projects and industry exposure, as part of how students learn concepts, develop ideas and solve problems, not a layer on top of it.

About Stride School of Business
Stride School of Business is an AI-first undergraduate business school with campuses in Delhi NCR, Bangalore, Pune and Jaipur. Its three-year programme is built around a learning-by-doing model combining business fundamentals, AI, practical projects and industry exposure. Students earn an AICTE-approved and UGC-recognised BBA degree from the partner institution at their campus.

In-Solutions Global (ISG), a Mumbai-headquartered payment technology company serving banks and financial institutions across India, the Middle East, Africa, Australia, APAC and Europe, in collaboration with Visa, a global leader in digital payments, recently announced at Global Fintech Fest (GFF) 2026 the launch of Visa Payment Passkey, enabling cardholders to authenticate online and in-app payments using device biometrics or a device PIN instead of one-time passwords (OTPs).. ISG and Visa presented the capability live on the ISG stage at the Jio World Convention Centre, Mumbai.

Representatives from In-Solutions Global Ltd, Visa, Indian Bank, Union Bank of India, and Indian Overseas bank

With Visa Payment Passkey, banks and merchants on ISG’s payments platform can offer FIDO-based, phishing-resistant authentication for card-not-present transactions — replacing SMS OTPs with a faster sign-in built directly into the checkout flow. The approach is designed to reduce fraud and cart abandonment while aligning with card-network and regulatory direction on strong customer authentication. 

“Visa Payment Passkey gives control of the payment back in the cardholder’s hands with additional benefits of higher success ratios and stronger security. That’s what builds trust and trust is what drives inclusion. It’s the first step into agentic AI in payments, enabling a truly seamless digital payments journey,” said Mrs. Adelia Castelino, Co-Founder & Managing Director, In-Solutions Global (ISG).

“Visa is proud to partner with ISG to enable Visa Payment Passkey for leading issuers in India, advancing a more secure, seamless and trusted digital payments experience. As commerce evolves, this collaboration reflects our shared commitment to embedding trust at the core of every transaction and helping issuers, merchants and consumers embrace the next generation of digital payments with confidence,” said Rishi Chhabra, Country Manager, India, Visa.

The launch reflects a broader industry shift away from OTPs toward passkey — a FIDO Alliance and W3C WebAuthn-based standard already adopted across major platforms — as networks and regulators push for stronger, more usable authentication in digital commerce. For a payments technology provider operating switches, gateways, issuing and acquiring platforms under standards such as PCI DSS and ISO 27001, embedding passkey support directly into the checkout journey lets issuing banks modernise authentication without rebuilding their existing infrastructure.

For ISG, Visa Payment Passkey builds on capabilities already embedded across its issuing and acquiring platforms — including tokenisation and existing authentication tooling — extending that foundation to FIDO Alliance-based passkey standards. The shift is designed to lift authentication success ratios and ease adoption for cardholders and merchants alike, while laying the groundwork for the next phase of digital commerce, in which software agents may initiate payments on a customer’s behalf within secure, verifiable authentication frameworks. ISG and Visa see passkey as an early step toward safe, secure agentic payments — pairing Visa’s network capabilities with ISG’s payments infrastructure to advance security and customer experience together, as complementary priorities rather than a trade-off.

ISG and Visa intend to share further detail on rollout timelines and participating issuers. Consistent with ISG’s practice, the companies are highlighting capabilities that are live or in confirmed delivery. Participating issuers include Union Bank of India, Central Bank of India, Bank of Maharashtra, Indian Overseas Bank and Indian Bank.

About In-Solutions Global (ISG)
In-Solutions Global (ISG) is a global payments technology and infrastructure company, founded in 2004 and headquartered in Mumbai, India. ISG enables banks, fintechs, merchants, corporates and governments with secure, scalable solutions across the payments value chain, spanning issuing, acquiring, reconciliation, payment orchestration, fraud and risk management, card management, digital payments and cross-border payments. With a growing presence across India, the Middle East, Africa, Australia, APAC and Europe, ISG combines deep payments expertise with regulatory capabilities and technology innovation. In India, ISG is authorised by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) as a Payment Aggregator for Online, Physical/Offline and Cross-Border payments, and also holds a Prepaid Payment Instrument (PPI) authorisation. Through its presence in GIFT City, Gujarat, and its IFSCA licence, ISG is also building capabilities to serve international and cross-border payment requirements. ISG is a recognised Technology Service Provider for RuPay, Visa and Mastercard and is certified to PCI DSS, PCI SSF, ISO 27001 and ISO 27701. Learn more at www.insolutionsglobal.com.

Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), an Institution of Eminence Deemed to be University, has announced a new social welfare initiative to construct and donate houses for economically disadvantaged families, whose children study in government Kannada-medium schools across Udupi district. The initiative was launched on 17 September 2026 to mark the 91st birthday of Dr Ramdas M. Pai, Padma Bhushan Awardee, the esteemed Chancellor of MAHE.

Dr Ranjan R. Pai, President, MAHE Trust, with the beneficiary family at the launch of the housing initiative for families of economically weaker students in Manipal

MAHE has joined hands with Yakshagana Kalaranga to construct 50 affordable homes for economically disadvantaged families of deserving students across Udupi district in next five years.

The project reflects MAHE’s commitment to extending its charitable activities beyond education and to supporting the well-being of deserving members of the community. The initiative will identify eligible beneficiaries based on defined criteria, with priority given to economically weaker families of deserving students. MAHE will oversee the construction of the houses and hand over the completed homes to the selected beneficiaries without any financial burden on them.

Launching the initiative, Dr. Ranjan R. Pai, President of MAHE Trust, reaffirmed MAHE’s commitment to inclusive community development through social impact initiatives. To mark the launch, house construction confirmation letters were handed over to two families on Thursday.

Speaking on the initiative, Dr H S Ballal, Pro Chancellor, MAHE, said, “Education can transform lives, but meaningful social development also requires us to address the basic needs that enable families to live with dignity and security. Through this initiative, the MAHE seeks to extend its commitment to social responsibility by providing deserving families with a safe, permanent home.”

The initiative reflects the MAHE’s continuing commitment to community welfare and inclusive development, extending its charitable efforts beyond education to address the essential needs of economically disadvantaged families.

About Manipal Academy of Higher Education

Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE) is an Institution of Eminence Deemed to be University. MAHE offers over 400 specialisations across the Health Sciences (HS), Management, Law, Humanities & Social Sciences (MLHS), and Technology & Science (T&S) streams through its constituent units at campuses in Manipal, Mangalore, Bengaluru, Jamshedpur, and Dubai. With a remarkable track record in academics, state-of-the-art infrastructure, and significant contributions to research, MAHE has earned recognition and acclaim both nationally and internationally. In 2020, the Ministry of Education, Government of India, awarded MAHE the prestigious Institution of Eminence status. Currently ranked 3^rd in the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) 2025 rankings, MAHE is the preferred choice for students seeking a transformative learning experience and enriching campus life, as well as for national and multinational corporations seeking top talent.

Smile Train, the world’s largest cleft-focused organization, today announced the Cleft and Craniofacial Centre, Sree Balaji Medical College Hospital & Dr Rela Medical Centre, Chennai as the Comprehensive Cleft Care Reference Centre (CCRC) strengthening its efforts to advance access to high-quality, multidisciplinary cleft care while building clinical capacity through training, research and knowledge sharing.

Smile Train India Launches Comprehensive Cleft Care Reference Centre at Dr. Rela Institute, Chennai

The CCRC builds on one of the earliest multidisciplinary cleft care programs established in 2001 with Smile Train partnership in India. This program, led by Dr Syed Altaf Hussain, has been functioning in the new state-of-the-art facility at the Sree Balaji Medical College Hospital & Dr Rela Medical Centre since 2022 with a highly experienced multidisciplinary team which provides care across different stages of a patient’s cleft journey.

The program brings together expertise across cleft surgery, including complex procedures such as orthognathic surgery (OGS), velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI) surgery and alveolar bone grafting (ABG), as well as nutrition, oral health, orthodontics, speech and ENT care. These clinical services support both patient care and the development of cleft care professionals.

Through the CCRC, Dr Rela Institute and Medical Centre will further strengthen its focus on sharing clinical expertise, strengthening multidisciplinary practices and building capacity among healthcare professionals. The academic/ university affiliation to Bharath Institute of Higher Education and Research further strengthens its role as a referral, research and resource hub for cleft care professionals from India and abroad.

The inauguration comes as Smile Train marks 25+ years of supporting cleft care in India. Through its partnerships with hospitals and local medical professionals, Smile Train has worked to expand access to free, safe and quality cleft care while strengthening the capacity of healthcare professionals to provide treatment within their own communities.

Susannah Schaefer, President & CEO, Smile Train, said, “The launch of the Comprehensive Cleft Care Reference Centre at Dr Rela Institute and Medical Centre reflects our commitment to building sustainable models of care that extend beyond individual treatment. By bringing comprehensive clinical expertise together with training, research and knowledge sharing, centres such as this can strengthen the broader cleft care ecosystem. This is another important step by Smile Train towards ensuring that people with clefts have access to quality care throughout their treatment journey.”

Mamta Carroll, Senior Vice President & Regional Director, Asia, Smile Train, said, “Cleft care has evolved significantly in India, with greater recognition that surgery is only one part of a much longer care journey. The CCRC at Dr Rela Institute and Medical Centre brings together surgery, nutrition, speech, orthodontics, oral health and ENT care, alongside training and research. By building on an already strong programme, the centre can serve as an important platform for strengthening referral networks, developing cleft professionals and advancing comprehensive cleft care across the region.”

Dr Syed Altaf Hussain, Plastic Surgeon and Director, Dr Rela Institute and Medical Centre, said, “Every person with a cleft has a different care journey, often requiring multiple interventions and specialists at different stages of growth and development. Over the years, we have built a multidisciplinary programme that allows these specialists to work together around the patient’s needs, including managing complex cleft conditions. The inauguration of the CCRC will enable us to build further on this work, strengthen referral care and expand our contribution to training, research and knowledge sharing.”

The Comprehensive Cleft Care Reference Centre will serve as a platform for high-quality multidisciplinary cleft care while extending its expertise through referrals, professional training, research and knowledge exchange. By combining comprehensive patient care with capacity building, the centre aims to strengthen cleft care beyond the institution itself.

Smile Train’s sustainable model empowers local medical professionals with training, funding and resources to provide free cleft surgery and comprehensive cleft care within their communities. Over the past 25 years, Smile Train has supported more than 800,000 cleft surgeries in India, working with a network of partner hospitals and medical professionals across the country.

About Smile Train India

For cleft treatment-related queries or support, please call our toll-free helpline number: 1800 103 8301.

For more information, please visit www.smiletrainindia.org.

Great Lakes Institute of Management, Gurgaon, through its Center of Excellence for Sustainable Development, hosted the Data, Governance & the SDGs: A Sustainability Symposium at India Habitat Centre, New Delhi, bringing together senior government leaders, industry executives, global institutions, researchers and policymakers to explore how data and artificial intelligence can accelerate India’s sustainable development agenda. The symposium marked the launch of three major knowledge initiatives the book Data Science for Sustainable Development Goals: Indian Case Studies, an ESG whitepaper developed with Development Alternatives and Pierag Consulting, and an open-source Sustainability Index developed by the institute’s Data Lab using satellite nightlight data, GHG emissions data and soil moisture data to map economic activity and regional development.

Great Lakes Institute of Management, Gurgaon hosts the Data, Governance & the SDGs: A Sustainability Symposium in New Delhi

The symposium was inaugurated by Dr. Saurabh Garg, Secretary, Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, Government of India; Ms. Eunsong Kim, Programme Specialist and Chief of Sector for Social and Human Sciences, UNESCO; and Ms. Anna Roy, Senior Advisor & Head, Women Entrepreneurship Programme, NITI Aayog.

Opening the symposium, Dr. Saurabh Garg emphasised the importance of making data more timely, granular and interoperable for effective policymaking. “If data is too dated, no one wants to use it. It’s fresh data that everyone wants to use,” he said, adding that better data systems would be critical to making development decisions more targeted and effective as India works towards Viksit Bharat 2047.

Ms. Eunsong Kim emphasised the need to ensure that technological progress contributes to inclusive and sustainable development. “The question before us is not simply how much AI we can develop, but whether and how AI can accelerate progress towards the SDGs without reproducing and deepening existing inequalities,” she said.

The symposium also marked the launch of Data Science for Sustainable Development Goals: Indian Case Studies, edited by Dr. Bappaditya Mukhopadhyay, Professor, Analytics, Great Lakes Gurgaon, and Dr. Avik Sarkar, Visiting Faculty & Senior Researcher, ISB. The book brings together Indian case studies demonstrating how data science can be applied to address development challenges and support evidence-based decision-making.

The event featured a session on data-driven governance, with experts from government, academia, philanthropy and civil society examining how data can improve public policy and service delivery. Ms. Anna Roy highlighted the need to make public data more accessible and usable, saying, “Data is a whole ecosystem. We get enamoured by the platforms and the nice tools, but we forget the tragedy of data collection and the drudgery of maintaining quality.”

The newly launched ESG whitepaper is based on a closed-door CXO roundtable held on May 22, 2026, on International Biodiversity Day, in collaboration with Development Alternatives and knowledge partner Pierag Consulting. The subsequent ESG fireside chat, moderated by Dr. Sanghamitra Bhattacharyya, Great Lakes Gurgaon, brought together Kunwar Himmat Singh, Director – Corporate Affairs, ESG & CSR, Nestle India, and E. Nagachandran, Deputy Director, Ministry of Corporate Affairs. The discussion examined the evolution of ESG beyond compliance and disclosure, with a focus on business resilience, responsible governance, sector-specific approaches and long-term value creation.

Kunwar Himmat Singh highlighted the growing business relevance of ESG, saying, “ESG is no longer a gesture of compliance. It is a business resilience agenda, it is about the very survival of an organization.” E. Nagachandran emphasised the need for a calibrated regulatory approach, noting, “You cannot have the same set of guidelines governing a company that manufactures plastic and one that mines coal.”

Dr. Sanghamitra Bhattacharyya, Great Lakes Gurgaon, said: “The discussion reinforces the need for multiple actors to work in partnership national and civil society organisations, ministries and corporates so that we can work together in synergy to achieve these outcomes.”

The Sustainability Index, developed by the Great Lakes Gurgaon Data Lab, uses satellite data to map three indicators – nightlight, GHG emissions and soil moisture – with economic activity and regional development across India. The underlying datasets and code have been made publicly available, enabling researchers and users to analyse other environmental indicators and contribute to the repository.

The symposium concluded with a panel on “Importance of Data in Driving Sustainability,” bringing together experts from academia, industry, government affairs and the energy and climate sector to discuss how reliable data can strengthen sustainability measurement and decision-making.

Through the symposium and its research initiatives, Great Lakes Gurgaon continues to build collaboration between academia, government and industry to apply data and technology to real-world sustainability and development challenges.

About Great Lakes Institute of Management, Gurgaon
Established in 2010, Great Lakes Institute of Management, Gurgaon is a premier business school dedicated to shaping business-ready leaders for the dynamic corporate landscape. In 2019, Great Lakes Gurgaon received the AMBA UK accreditation and in 2026 it received the AACSB US accreditation – making it the youngest B-school in India to receive this ‘double crown’ of global accreditations. The institute has swiftly risen to prominence by being the first in India to introduce full-time specializations in Analytics, AI, and Machine Learning, preparing professionals to lead effectively in today’s evolving global business environment.

Learn more at www.greatlakes.edu.in./gurgaon.

Six models alone account for nearly one in every five used cars sold through one of India’s largest organised resale platforms. The Maruti Suzuki Swift, Wagon R 1.0, Honda City, Hyundai i10, Grand i10 and Swift Dzire together take 20.3% of sales, and the Swift alone accounts for 4.8%, the largest share of any single model.
 

Best-Selling Used Cars In India (2026)
 

India’s used car market has kept growing faster than its new car counterpart for a few years running now. CRISIL Ratings expects volumes to grow 8% to 10% this fiscal to about 6 million units, more than twice the pace of new cars. The reasons aren’t hard to guess. City buyers want a reliable set of wheels without stretching their budget, and a well-kept second-hand car does that job better than most new options in the same price range. What’s more interesting than the market’s overall size, though, is how consistent the list of favourites has stayed. 
 

A handful of models keep showing up near the top of resale volumes year after year, and looking at which ones, and why, says a lot about what Indian buyers actually value once the new-car sheen wears off.
 

These figures come from Cars24’s internal transaction data till July 2026, covering the best-selling used cars in India. Within that dataset, Maruti Suzuki accounts for roughly a third of every car sold, at 33%, with Hyundai a distant but clear second at 22%. Everything else splits the remaining share.

Which used cars sell the most, and why?

Maruti Suzuki Swift
Topping the list is the Maruti Suzuki Swift, which alone accounts for 4.8% of that total, the single largest share of any model. It’s been a strong seller in new-car showrooms for two decades, and that popularity has simply carried over into resale, especially among younger, first-time buyers who grew up seeing it on the road.
 

Maruti Suzuki Wagon R 1.0
The Maruti Suzuki Wagon R 1.0 holds a 3.4% share. Its tall-boy design and low running costs make it an easy recommendation for anyone looking for a used Maruti car with enough space without paying extra for it in fuel bills, which likely explains why it keeps outselling flashier hatchbacks in the used segment.
 

Honda City
The Honda City also takes 3.4% and is the best-selling sedan on the list, ahead of the Swift Dzire. It tends to draw a different kind of buyer: someone trading up from a hatchback who wants more cabin room and is willing to pay a bit more for it, without jumping all the way to an SUV.
 

Hyundai i10
Hyundai holds two spots on the list, starting with the i10 at 3.3%. It’s a nameplate Hyundai stopped selling new years ago, yet it still finds buyers who want something compact, cheap to maintain, and easy to park in cities that weren’t built with wide roads in mind. 

Hyundai Grand i10
The Hyundai Grand i10, the original i10’s successor, takes 2.7%. It offers a slightly roomier cabin and a few more features than its predecessor, which explains why buyers stepping up from an even older car often land here instead of jumping straight to a newer model. It was also offered with both petrol and diesel engines, unlike the i10, which widens its appeal to buyers who drive longer distances and want the better mileage a diesel typically brings.
 

Hyundai’s presence at two spots on this list isn’t really an accident. Parts availability and familiarity among local mechanics matter more to a used car buyer than they do to someone buying new, and Hyundai’s older small cars score well on both counts. Anyone weighing those models against each other will find that browsing the full range of used Hyundai cars side by side makes the comparison easier.

Maruti Suzuki Swift Dzire
The Maruti Suzuki Swift Dzire also holds 2.7%. It is a compact sedan that borrows the Swift’s reliability and adds a boot, aimed at buyers who want sedan practicality without sedan pricing.
 

What do these six cars have in common?
Looking at all six together, a clear pattern emerges: five of the six are hatchbacks or compact sedans, and every one of them is known more for low running costs than for outright features. That’s a fairly consistent signal about what used car buyers in India are actually optimising for. It also suggests these preferences won’t shift quickly. Buyers here aren’t chasing the newest option on sale; they’re chasing the option that’s proven, over years of real-world use, that it won’t cost much to keep running.

• 170+ exhibitors and 10,000+ trade visitors expected at the fourth edition of the event

• 30+ countries to be represented, bringing Indian and international hardware businesses together

• India’s hand and power tools sector has a potential export opportunity of over US$25 billion over the next decade, according to NITI Aayog
   

The hardware industry is getting ready to come together at International Hardware Fair India (IHF India) 2026, powered by EISENWARENMESSE. The fourth edition of the event will take place from 23–25 October 2026 at Bharat Mandapam (Pragati Maidan), New Delhi.
 

International Hardware Fair India 2026 to Bring the Tools and Hardware Industry Together from 23–25 October in New Delhi
 

Organised by Koelnmesse in association with the Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO), IHF India 2026 is expected to bring together 170+ exhibitors and more than 10,000 trade visitors, with participation from 30+ countries. The event will bring manufacturers, brands, distributors, retailers, importers, exporters and buyers together under one roof, creating opportunities to discover new products, connect with business partners and explore new markets.

India’s Tools and Hardware Market Offers Strong Growth Potential
India’s hand and power tools industry has a growing opportunity in the global market. According to a 2025 report by NITI Aayog, the global trade market for hand and power tools is worth around US$100 billion and is expected to reach around US$190 billion by 2035.

The report also estimates that India currently exports around US$600 million worth of hand tools and US$425–470 million worth of power tools. It identifies a potential opportunity for India to generate more than US$25 billion in additional exports over the next 10 years by increasing its presence in the global market.

This growth opportunity makes platforms such as IHF India important for Indian manufacturers, international brands and buyers looking to explore new products, suppliers and markets.

A Wide Range of Hardware Solutions

IHF India 2026 will showcase products from across the tools and hardware industry, including hand tools, power tools, industrial hardware, safety equipment, fasteners, fittings and building materials.

Leading companies such as Best One Tools Pvt. Ltd., Birla Precision Technologies Limited, Dee Neers Tools Limited, DN Safety Products Pvt. Ltd., Gardex India Pvt Ltd, H.R. International, India International House Ltd, JK Maini Precision Technology Limited, Jhalani Forge Pvt. Ltd., Pilot Pneumatics Pvt. Ltd., Proxima Steel Forge Pvt. Ltd., Shiv Forgings (BAUM), Taparia Tools Ltd., Varindera Tools Pvt. Ltd., Victor Forgings, Vidhi Exports, Vishal Tools & Forgings Pvt. Ltd., Electrospark, Dayton Tools, Mech Choice Tools and RL Jain Power Tools LLP are set to participate in the 2026 edition.
 

Visitors will be able to discover products from different brands, meet manufacturers and suppliers, compare products and explore new sourcing opportunities.

Bringing Global Buyers and Suppliers Together

A key highlight of IHF India 2026 will be the Reverse Buyer-Seller Meet (RBSM), organised with the support of Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO), bringing 120 Hosted Buyers to the event.

The programme will facilitate direct meetings between international buyers and Indian manufacturers and suppliers, creating opportunities to showcase products, understand buyer requirements and explore new export markets.

A Key Meeting Point for the Hardware Industry

“With India’s tools and hardware industry looking to expand both within the country and in international markets, IHF India 2026 will provide a place for the industry to meet, learn about new products and build global business connections. The event will also give Indian manufacturers an opportunity to showcase their products to buyers, while international companies can explore the most innovative solutions” – Mr. Milind Dixit, Managing Director, Koelnmesse India
 

With 170+ exhibitors, more than 10,000 expected trade visitors and participation from 30+ countries, International Hardware Fair India 2026 is set to bring together a wide cross-section of the tools and hardware industry.
 

The event will take place from 23-25 October 2026 at Bharat Mandapam (Pragati Maidan), New Delhi.
 

About the Organisers

Koelnmesse – industry trade fairs for the hardware sector: Koelnmesse is a leading international trade fair organiser with a strong global portfolio in the tools and hardware sector. Its flagship event, EISENWARENMESSE – International Hardware Fair in Cologne, Germany, is one of the world’s leading trade fairs for the hardware industry.

Koelnmesse’s international hardware portfolio also includes events in key markets such as Italy, China, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Colombia and Central Asia creating platforms that connect regional markets with the global hardware industry.
 

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Manipal University Jaipur (MUJ) celebrated its culture of excellence and institutional achievement with the Excellence Award Ceremony 2026, honouring its dedicated faculty members, researchers, non-teaching employees and support staff for their outstanding contributions to the University. The ceremony assumed special significance as it is celebrated on the 91st birthday of MUJ Founder Chancellor Dr. Ramdas M. Pai, Padma Bhushan Awardee.

MUJ Excellence Awards 2026 – Dignitaries inaugurating the ceremony

A total of 376 awards were presented across nine categories, recognising individuals for their academic contributions, research achievements, professional excellence, long-standing service and exceptional commitment to the University. Of these, 123 employees were honoured with the prestigious Dr. Ramdas M. Pai Award for Professional Excellence (9 Box).

The other award categories included the Academic Excellence Award, Research Excellence Award, Young Researcher Award, Young Teacher Award, Standing Ovation Award for Longest Serving Employees, Key Enabler Award, Incredible Service Award, and Research Track Faculty Award.

The ceremony was graced by President, Manipal University Jaipur, Dr. N. N. Sharma; Pro-President Cdr. (Dr.) Anil Rana; Registrar Dr. Amit Soni; Provost Dr. Nitu Bhatnagar; Head HR Ms. Kananjeet Kaur, Ms. Manju Sharma and Ms. Sikha Rana along with the University’s Deans, Directors and Heads of Departments. Their presence reflected the University’s collective appreciation of the people whose sustained efforts contribute to its academic, research, administrative and operational excellence.

The day marked another significant milestone for the University as Manipal University Jaipur received the prestigious QS 5-Star Rating, adding a global dimension to the celebrations. The University community welcomed the recognition with enthusiasm, spirit and jubilation. The achievement marked an important moment in MUJ’s continuing journey towards global academic excellence and institutional recognition.

This recognition reflects excellence across the breadth of the university experience, with every dimension measured against global benchmarks — from Teaching and Research to Online Learning, Employability, Facilities, Good Governance, Environment Impact, Innovation and Knowledge Transfer, Academic Development and Global Engagement.

Congratulating the University community on the occasion, Dr. N. N. Sharma, President, Manipal University Jaipur, appreciated the collective efforts of the faculty members, researchers, staff, students and University leadership. He congratulated the entire MUJ community for their tireless efforts and commitment that have contributed to the University’s continued growth and its global recognition.

The celebration also featured vibrant cultural performances by faculty members and students, adding colour and spirit to the occasion. The performances reflected the creative energy and strong sense of community that characterises campus life at MUJ.

The Excellence Award Ceremony thus became a celebration of both people and progress—honouring the individuals who drive the University’s success while commemorating a major global achievement. The convergence of the Founder Chancellor’s 91st birthday, the recognition of 376 members of the MUJ family and the University’s QS 5-Star Rating made the occasion a memorable celebration of excellence, dedication and collective achievement.

To know more about Manipal University Jaipur please visit – jaipur.manipal.edu.

Kapiva, one of India’s most trusted science-backed Ayurvedic brands, has entered into a strategic technology transfer and commercialisation alliance with the Central Council of Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS), an apex research body under the Ministry of AYUSH, Government of India, to bring clinically evaluated Ayurvedic technologies and formulations to a wider consumer base.
 

L-R: Dr. Narayanam Srikanth, Dy DG, CCRAS; Dr. Ajay Kumar Meena, Asst. Director, CCRAS; Prof. Vaidya Rabinarayn Acharya, DG, CCRAS; Ameve Sharma, Founder, Kapiva; Dr. R. Govindarajan, CIO, Kapiva
 

Under the agreement, CCRAS will provide Kapiva with access to its proprietary Ayurvedic formulations, scientific intellectual property, standardisation and manufacturing protocols, and supporting pre-clinical and clinical data. The partnership will initially cover 10 products across health areas including pain, stress, metabolic health, sleep, liver health and respiratory health.
 

Kapiva will lead the next stage of product development and commercialisation, including adaptation into modern consumer-friendly formats, manufacturing at scale, branding and nationwide distribution. The brand will undertake formulation adaptation and product optimization across areas such as taste, shelf-life, delivery formats, and consumer convenience. Where a dosage form is changed, appropriate dose-equivalence studies will be conducted.
 

The strategic alliance connects public sector research with commercial distribution, translating CCRAS’s clinical formulations into daily consumer use. Kapiva intends to take formulations and technologies that have already undergone scientific and clinical evaluation through CCRAS and its research ecosystem and make them available to consumers in formats that are easier to adopt in everyday life.
 

Ameve Sharma, Founder & CEO, Kapiva, said, “There is a tremendous body of Ayurvedic research that has already been developed and clinically evaluated within India’s public research ecosystem. Our role is to take that science to more people. Through this partnership with CCRAS, we want to bring scientifically studied Ayurvedic formulations to consumers in modern, convenient formats without compromising the core formulation or evidence behind them. It is an important step towards making credible, research-led Ayurveda more accessible at scale.”
 

Prof. Vaidya Rabinarayan Acharya, Director General, CCRAS said, “The partnership reflects CCRAS’ larger objective of enabling the transfer and commercialisation of validated Ayurvedic technologies so that research developed within the public system can translate into products that benefit a wider population. Collaboration with industry partners such as Kapiva can help take these technologies from research to large-scale consumer access while maintaining the scientific and quality standards established by CCRAS.”
 

The collaboration is in line with the Ministry of AYUSH’s broader approach towards technology transfer and commercialisation of Ayurvedic research and demonstrates how public research institutions and private-sector brands can work together to bring scientifically backed Ayurvedic solutions to consumers at scale.
 

Earlier this year, Kapiva launched the Kapiva Innovation Fund to support research and innovation in Ayurveda. The brand also launched Kapiva Ayurveda Clinics in Bengaluru to bring structured, evidence-led Ayurvedic care closer to consumers. Together with the CCRAS partnership, these initiatives reflect Kapiva’s broader focus on combining authentic Ayurveda with modern science, research and clinically informed product development.
 

About Kapiva

Kapiva is a homegrown science-backed Ayurveda 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. One of India’s most trusted Ayurveda brands.

For more information, please visit website www.kapiva.in.

About Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS)

The Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS) is an autonomous body of the Ministry of Ayush, Government of India. It is an apex body in India for the formulation, coordination, development, and promotion of research on scientific lines in the Ayurveda  of medicine.

For more information, please visit website ccras.nic.in.