Sohna Road has changed considerably over the past two decades. What was once seen as an emerging commercial corridor has gradually become one of Gurugram’s most established business addresses. Residential projects came up; offices followed; schools and hospitals added to the catchment; and, over the years, much of the available land was occupied. Today, sizeable land parcels for organised commercial developments are increasingly difficult to come by. In that sense, Aura Vantaje arrives at a time when Sohna Road is offering one of its last opportunities to own organised commercial real estate.

Aura Vantaje to redefine what commercial investment looks like on Sohna Road

Located in Sector 48, Aura Vantaje is a two-acre luxury commercial development that combines organised retail and office spaces within a single address. Planned with retail across the ground floor to the fourth floor and office spaces from the fifth to the eleventh floor, the project has been designed around the way commercial developments are increasingly expected to function. The investment in the project’s construction stands at around Rs. 125 crores, while the estimated topline is pegged at Rs. 527 crores. Commercial units are priced from Rs. 50,00,000 onwards.

The timing is difficult to ignore. Commercial real estate in Gurugram has continued to remain resilient, supported by sustained office leasing, a growing presence of Global Capability Centres and a mature residential base that drives demand for organised retail. According to Colliers, India’s Grade A office leasing reached a record 71.5 million sq. ft. in 2025, with Delhi NCR remaining one of the country’s most active office markets. That demand has also changed the way commercial projects are planned. Location still matters, but it is no longer the only consideration.

Retailers today look beyond visibility alone. They evaluate the strength of the surrounding catchment, customer demographics and the ability of a project to sustain footfall throughout the day. They want to know what the surrounding catchment looks like, how people move through the building, whether offices are part of the development and if the project can remain active beyond shopping hours. Office occupiers ask similar questions. They look for workplaces that offer cafes, convenience retail, banking facilities and everyday services without employees having to step out every time they need something. Those conversations have become increasingly common over the past few years.

Aura Vantaje appears to respond to those expectations through its planning. Rather than treating retail and offices as two independent products, the project attempts to let one support the other. Retail occupies the lower floors where visibility and customer movement matter the most. The office component rises above, creating a steady weekday population that can support businesses operating within the development. It is a straightforward planning approach, but one that helps create a more balanced commercial environment by bringing together steady office demand and organised retail.

Shyamrup Roy Choudhury, Founder & Managing Director, Aura World, said, “Sohna Road has evolved into one of Gurugram’s most established commercial corridors, and the availability of sizeable land parcels for organised developments is now extremely limited. With Aura Vantaje, our focus is on creating a future-ready commercial address that integrates retail and office spaces within a strong residential and corporate catchment. We believe projects in mature, supply-constrained micro-markets are increasingly being evaluated for their long-term relevance, occupier demand and ability to remain active throughout the day, and Aura Vantaje has been planned with exactly those priorities in mind.”

Its location strengthens that proposition further. Sector 48 enjoys seamless connectivity to Golf Course Extension Road, Southern Peripheral Road and NH-48, allowing businesses to draw customers, employees and visitors from multiple parts of Gurugram. As commercial activity continues to spread across the city, this accessibility has become an increasingly important competitive advantage.

Scarcity is now becoming part of the Sohna Road story as well. Unlike a decade ago, when new commercial projects were announced with regularity, opportunities to launch developments of meaningful scale have become increasingly limited because much of the corridor has already been developed. That changes the conversation for both occupiers and investors. The emphasis gradually shifts from simply acquiring commercial space to choosing locations that are likely to remain relevant over the long term. The existing retail developments along Sohna Road are relatively older and no longer fully align with the evolving expectations of today’s consumers. While the corridor continues to attract strong footfall, Aura Vantaje introduces a contemporary retail destination that reflects changing consumer preferences and retail formats.

Sohna Road is no longer defining itself through new infrastructure or fresh land releases. It is beginning to be defined by the quality of developments that still find a place here. Aura Vantaje enters the market at a point when that distinction is becoming increasingly important.

Netrack India, part of the Legrand Group, has expanded its outdoor cabinet range with the FMOD Series floor-mount electrical enclosures — a line built specifically for field deployments where standard indoor racks simply won’t hold up.

Built for demanding environments, Netrack India’s FMOD Series Electrical Enclosures offer reliable weather protection, durability, and consistent outdoor performance

The move adds depth to Netrack’s already broad product catalogue and further establishes the company’s reputation as one of the more credible Outdoor Cabinets Manufacturers operating in India today. The timing is practical rather than coincidental. Telecom rollouts, edge nodes, utility control panels, and outdoor IT installations have all picked up pace across the country, and the requirement for weatherproof enclosures that can handle Indian field conditions — dust, rain, humidity, temperature swings — has grown alongside them.

What the FMOD Series Actually Does

The enclosures are made from galvanized steel, fully welded rather than bolted together, which matters when the cabinet is going to sit outdoors for years. The finish is a dual-coat powder coating over seven-tank pretreatment process meeting ASTM standards — primer first, then pure polyester powder on top. That’s what allows the units to hold up against corrosion and surface degradation over time.

Protection ratings are IP56 with fan cooling installed, and IP66 without fans. For most outdoor deployments, that covers the range of what’s needed. Fan mounting can go on the sides or at the top through a canopy and filter arrangement, which keeps the IP56 rating intact while allowing active thermal management.

The range runs from 6RU to 27RU, with 600mm and 800mm width options and depths between 600mm and 800mm. Front and rear doors come with a 3-point lock and key. There’s also a toughened glass front door option for applications where visibility into the cabinet matters. All units are designed for floor mounting on a plinth, and the static load capacity is 750 kg uniformly distributed — sufficient for most field equipment loads.

The 19″ mounting angles follow DIN 41494 and IEC 60529 equivalent standards, so compatibility with standard rack-mount equipment is not something operators need second-guess.

Manufacturing and Quality

Every FMOD unit comes out of a manufacturing setup certified under ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 27001, and ISO 45001. That’s quality management, environmental management, information security, and occupational health — all covered. For buyers who need to clear procurement requirements or satisfy audit checklists, the certifications are already in place.

Netrack’s position as an established name among Outdoor Cabinets Manufacturers in India is partly a product of this manufacturing discipline. The company has been supplying racks and enclosures to data centers, enterprises, and telecom operators long enough that the product development process has become genuinely iterative — field feedback goes back into design.

Accessories and Configuration Support

The FMOD Series works with a full set of accessories: fixed shelves, cantilever shelves, sliding shelves, keyboard shelves, angle pairs, PDUs, cable organizers, fan modules, rack ground kits, and plinths. Operators can spec out a complete, ready-to-deploy outdoor cabinet from a single source rather than piecing together components from multiple vendors.

About Netrack India

Netrack India is a Legrand Group company and one of India’s established manufacturers of server racks, network cabinets, and physical IT infrastructure. The company serves data center, enterprise, telecom, and edge computing customers across India and international markets, backed by multi-standard ISO certification and an extensive distribution network.

Media Contact: Netrack India (Legrand Group) www.netrackindia.com.

Babu Banarasi Das University (BBDU), one of North India’s leading multidisciplinary universities, has further strengthened its position as one of Lucknow’s hubs for career-focused higher education, with students securing promising placement opportunities with leading global technology and business services companies, including Infosys and Wipro.
 

BBDU Strengthens Its Position as Lucknow’s Leading Placement Destination with Offers from Infosys and Wipro

In the latest placement drive, Wipro selected BBDU students for the role of Customer Service Representative, Human Resource Outsourcing. Meanwhile, students secured placements with Infosys at packages of Rs. 9.50 lakh per annum and Rs. 6.25 lakh per annum.
 

The students selected at Rs. 9.50 lakh per annum have been offered the role of Specialist Programmer L1 (Trainee), while those receiving Rs. 6.25 lakh per annum have been selected as Digital Specialist Engineer (Trainee). These placements reflect the University’s continued focus on equipping students with industry-relevant knowledge, technical expertise and the professional competencies required to succeed in a rapidly evolving employment landscape.
 

Commenting on the placements, Viraj Sagar Das, Pro-Chancellor, Babu Banarasi Das University, said, “At BBDU, our focus has always been to ensure that education translates into meaningful career opportunities. These placements with leading organizations such as Infosys and Wipro reflect the strength of our academic ecosystem, industry engagement and continued efforts to prepare students for the future of work. We are proud to see our students take confident steps towards successful professional careers and contribute to the growing talent ecosystem of Lucknow and Uttar Pradesh.”
 

BBDU’s strong placement ecosystem is supported by its industry-aligned curriculum, experiential learning opportunities, advanced academic infrastructure, career mentoring and structured corporate engagement. Through its robust Corporate Connect Programme, the University enables students to engage with industry experts, participate in internships and live projects, and gain exposure to evolving workplace expectations.
 

With a legacy of nearly three decades in education, BBDU continues to build a strong bridge between academia and industry. The University’s multidisciplinary approach, emphasis on emerging technologies, innovation-led learning, and extensive corporate engagement enable students to develop both domain expertise and workplace readiness.
 

To date, more than 1,200 companies have recruited from BBDU, resulting in over 12,500 placement offers, with the highest package reaching Rs. 48 lakh per annum. The latest placements further reinforce BBDU’s commitment to creating strong career pathways for its students and strengthening Lucknow’s position as a growing hub for skilled, future-ready talent.

About Babu Banarasi Das University (BBDU), Lucknow
Babu Banarasi Das (BBD) University, Lucknow, is a premier multidisciplinary institution committed to academic excellence, innovation and holistic education. Since its establishment in 2010, the University has built a strong reputation for delivering quality education across diverse disciplines, including engineering, management, law, pharmacy, architecture, dental sciences, applied sciences, humanities and social sciences. By integrating academic rigour with research, industry collaboration and experiential learning, BBD University equips students with the knowledge, skills and values needed to excel in an evolving global environment. Through its emphasis on scholarship, leadership and community engagement, the University continues to prepare graduates who contribute meaningfully to society and the nation’s progress.

• Introduces three commercials to drive awareness for Gold Loan offerings with the tagline ‘Koi Bhi Sapna Hold Mat Karo, L&T Finance Gold Loan Karo’

• Launches an Integrated Marketing Campaign in key markets in eight states and one union territory

L&T Finance Ltd. (LTF), one of the leading retail financiers in the country, introduced three new TV commercials (TVC) with the tagline, ‘Koi Bhi Sapna Hold Mat Karo, L&T Finance Gold Loan Karo,’ featuring its brand ambassador, Jasprit Bumrah. Through this campaign, LTF will drive awareness for its Gold Loan offerings and empower individuals, micro-entrepreneurs, and households to unlock the value of their idle gold to fuel their growth, aspirations, and dreams.

 L&T Finance launches an Integrated Marketing Campaign in key markets in eight states and one union territory in the country

The TVC will be launched during the upcoming India vs Sri Lanka test series to be held from August 15, 2026 onwards. As the ‘Co-presenting’ partner for the series, LTF will be amplifying the campaign across on-ground and TV channels during the matches. The TVC will be aired on Sony TV Broadcast Network across its nine Linear TV channels. 

The newly launched commercials are a light-hearted three-film series, effortlessly blending humour with the realities of modern financial aspirations. Cricketer Jasprit Bumrah features as a trusted problem solver. In the first film, he advises a struggling farmer to leverage a gold loan and expand his livestock to boost his income. In the second scenario, he encourages a nosy homemaker to stop putting her dreams on hold and use Gold Loan to bring home the consumer durables she has always wished for. And, in the third film, he guides a Kirana store owner to restock his depleting inventory and scale up operations.

Mr. Raju Dodti, Chief Operating Officer and Whole-time Director at LTF, said “As L&T Finance continues its transformation into a Risk-first, Tech-first, AI-native retail financial institution under our Lakshya 2031 strategy, Gold Finance serves as one of the key drivers of our growth agenda. Reflecting this momentum, our high-yielding, secured gold loan portfolio grew by an impressive 182% YoY to Rs. 3,829 Crore in Q1FY27, up from Rs. 1,360 Crore in Q1FY26, backed by 343 active Gold Finance branches, with a plan to take total Gold Finance branches to over 800 in this financial year. This campaign allows us to tap into emerging markets, deepen customer connection, and ensure a sustained upward trajectory in the coming years.”

Ms. Kavita Jagtiani, Chief Marketing Officer at LTF, said, “Today’s consumers are aspirational, yet increasingly value-conscious in how they approach credit. Gold Loans sit perfectly at this intersection- offering a safe and smart way to achieve the goals using an asset they already trust. India holds a vast amount of idle household gold; there is immense opportunity to turn these savings into active growth. With the ‘Koi Bhi Sapna Hold Mat Karo, L&T Finance Gold Loan Karo’ campaign, we want to showcase gold as a source of real financial utility that helps individuals move forward with confidence. We are confident this campaign will meaningfully resonate with audiences across the country, reinforcing our position as a trusted financial partner.”

The Company has launched an integrated marketing campaign to cover key markets in eight states and a union territory, reaching consumers through approximately 150 branches of LTF. For its on-ground and experiential engagement, LTF is rolling out branded vehicles as the ‘Sapno ki Sunehri Gaadi’ across high-footfall areas to spark curiosity. This experiential branding creates a tangible touchpoint for rural audiences. Complementing this is the transit media branding across buses and autorickshaws, extending the brand’s footprint deep into local markets.

Taking the narrative to the streets, LTF also plans to deploy street props such as park benches as gold-branded canvases, creating hyperlocal visibility. LTF is also spotlighting high-footfall branches across all zones with immersive, 360-degree branding designed for maximum recall. 

To boost its digital presence and reach local audiences, LTF is using real-time shopping signals by playing custom promotional jingles at checkout counters of local shops during live payment transactions. The overall media strategy blends high-reach video platforms with deep-rooted integration across Tier 2 and Tier 3 vernacular channels, enlisting regional creators to bring relatable, real-life financial moments to life in the languages audiences are most comfortable with.

To watch the TV commercials, click here: 

• Kheti Badhane Ka Sapna | Koi Bhi Sapna Hold Mat Karo

• Bada TV Ho Ya Bada Fridge | Koi Bhi Sapna Hold Mat Karo

• Business Badhana Hai? Koi Bhi Sapna Hold Mat Karo

To apply for ‘L&T Finance Gold Loan’, please give missed call on +91 7045180180 or visit our website www.ltfinance.com.

About L&T Finance Ltd. (LTF)
L&T Finance Ltd. (LTF) ( www.LTFINANCE.com ), is a leading Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC), offering a range of financial products and services. Headquartered in Mumbai, the Company has been rated ‘AAA’ — the highest credit rating — by four leading domestic rating agencies. In August 2025, S&P Global Ratings upgraded LTF long-term Issuer Credit Rating to “BBB/Stable” from “BBB-/Positive” and short-term issuer credit rating to “A-2” from “A-3”. Fitch Ratings has affirmed LTF Long-Term Foreign and Local-Currency Issuer Default Ratings of “BBB-” with a Stable outlook. It has also received leadership scores and ratings by global and national Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) rating providers for its sustainability performance. The Company has been certified as a Great Place To Work® and has also won many prestigious awards for its flagship CSR project – “Digital Sakhi”- which focuses on women’s empowerment and digital and financial inclusion. Under Right to Win, being in the ‘right businesses’ has helped the Company become one of the leading financiers in key Retail products. The Company is focused on transforming into a Risk-first, Technology-first, AI-native Retail financial services institution as part of the Lakshya 2031 strategic plan. The Company has over 2.9 Crore customer database, which is being leveraged to cross-sell, up-sell, and identify new customers.

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/lntfinance
Instagram: www.instagram.com/lntfinance
YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/ltfinance
X: x.com/LnTFinance
Facebook: www.facebook.com/LnTFS

In a unique tribute to India’s unity in diversity this Independence Day, The World at Jubilee Hills – Hyderabad’s ultra-luxury development – presents a novel musical campaign that brings together 50 sounds from across the country to create a beautiful melody to the tune of Jana Gana Mana.

Celebrating 80 years of India’s freedom, Hyderabad’s ultra-luxury real estate developer reimagines the national anthem through a symphony of more than 50 sounds captured from across the nation

Conceptualised and created by Chennai-based ‘Be Positive 24 Innovation Design, the new campaign uses more than 50 distinct sounds captured from across the country, the sound of a rocket launching, a passing train, birds, school bells, temple bells, streets, people, musical instruments, nature and movement, to together become one song in the tune of the national anthem.

“India is our home, and this is a musical tribute to our beautiful home, on her birthday. As a developer, we have always tried to create delight through innovation. We wanted to do something that was simple in thought, but powerful in emotion. We know that the world is listening to India,” said Sidharth Reddy Indukuri, CEO, The World at Jubilee Hills.

“We recorded over 100 sounds and spent weeks experimenting with them, selecting the ones that could come together musically and meaningfully. The sound and film went through more than 35 iterations. It took us nearly 100 days and multiple partners to put everything together. It was painstaking, sometimes maddening, but incredibly rewarding,” said Abhishek D Shah, Founder, Be Positive 24 Innovation Design.

The campaign film will go live on August 12, 2026, on The World at Jubilee Hills’ YouTube channel and will be amplified across the brand’s social media platforms. From August 13 onwards, the campaign will be further extended through an influencer-led activation, bringing relevant creators and pages into the conversation and taking this musical tribute to India’s unity and diversity to a wider audience.

Website: theworldjh.com

Youtube Campaign Video – www.youtube.com/watch?v=byuG2ST7P3s&feature=youtu.be

Mumbai witnessed an impressive display of automotive passion this Friendship Day as more than 100 Porsche cars across Porsche SUVs, Sports cars and EVs came together for an exclusive drive organised by Porsche Centre Mumbai – Infinity Cars for its customers. Bringing together Porsche owners and their families, the drive celebrated friendship, camaraderie and the shared passion for driving that connects the Porsche community.
 

More than 100 Porsche cars came together in Mumbai for a special Friendship Day drive, celebrating community and the passion for driving
 

The convoy made its way through some of Mumbai’s most iconic roads, including the Coastal Road and Marine Drive, creating a striking sight across the city. With more than 100 Porsche cars travelling together, the drive offered owners an opportunity to experience the city from behind the wheel while connecting with fellow members of the Porsche community.
 

Speaking about the initiative Pooja Choudary, Director Porsche Centre Mumbai – Infinity Cars, said, “Friendship Day provided us with a wonderful opportunity to bring our Porsche community together and celebrate the shared passion that connects our customers. Seeing more than 100 Porsche cars come together across Mumbai was a testament to the strong sense of camaraderie within our community. At Porsche Centre Mumbai – Infinity Cars, we remain committed to creating memorable experiences that extend beyond the automobile and foster meaningful connections among our customers and their families.”
 

The drive concluded with an exclusive breakfast for Porsche owners and their families, providing an opportunity for members of the community to interact, exchange experiences and celebrate their shared connection with the marque in a relaxed setting.
 

The strong participation reflected the enthusiasm and sense of community among Porsche owners in Mumbai, while highlighting Porsche Centre Mumbai – Infinity Cars’ continued focus on creating meaningful customer experiences that extend beyond the automobile. Through curated drives and community-led initiatives, the centre continues to foster stronger connections among customers who share an appreciation for the Porsche brand and the experience of driving.
 

The Friendship Day drive served as a celebration not only of the cars, but also of the people and relationships that make the Porsche ownership community distinctive.
 

About Porsche Centre Mumbai – Infinity Cars

Porsche Centre Mumbai – Infinity Cars is committed to delivering an exceptional Porsche experience to customers across Mumbai, extending beyond the purchase and ownership of a vehicle. Through curated customer experiences, drives and community-led initiatives, the centre creates opportunities for Porsche owners to connect, engage and celebrate their shared passion for the marque.

As the monsoon creates a crucial window for plantation and ecological regeneration, M3M Foundation is stepping up its green action across Gurugram, with its flagship environmental programme Sankalp set to commence a large-scale plantation drive tomorrow under the “Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam” campaign.

M3M Foundation planting over 1 lakh trees this monsoon taking forward ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’

The Foundation aims to plant 1 lakh+ trees, engaging 11 Panchayats across identified areas of Gurugram and Tauru Block with local communities, including locations in and around the Aravalli landscape.

The initiative will begin across Ghata, Kadarpur, Ullawas, Ramgarh, Bahrampur and Bailyawas, bringing local communities together around a shared vision for greener and more sustainable villages. Local leaders Govardhan from Ghata, Satbir from Ullawas, Sanjeet from Kadarpur and Giriraj from Bahrampur are supporting the initiative and helping mobilise residents to participate in the plantation and take collective responsibility for the trees. Their involvement reflects Sankalp’s belief that lasting environmental change is strongest when it is led and nurtured at the community level.

The initiative is designed to make the most of the monsoon season while ensuring that plantation translates into sustained environmental action. Communities and Panchayats will be mobilised not only to participate in planting but also to take responsibility for the subsequent care, protection and nurturing of the trees, creating a stronger foundation for their long-term survival.

The campaign builds on M3M Foundation’s experience of connecting environmental conservation with an emotional sense of responsibility. Inspired by the Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s “Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam” campaign, Sankalp introduced “Ek Ped Ghar Ke Bachche Ya Bachchi Ke Naam” across villages of Tauru Block in Nuh, Haryana. The initiative encourages families to dedicate a tree to every son or daughter, creating an emotional bond between the family and the tree and encouraging them to nurture it as it grows.

Taking this philosophy forward, the new plantation drive will bring 11 Panchayats and communities together in a wider stewardship effort, extending responsibility beyond the day of plantation and making local participation central to sustaining the green cover created through the campaign.

Dr. Payal Kanodia, Chairperson & Trustee, M3M Foundation, said, “The monsoon gives us the opportunity to put thousands of saplings into the ground, but the real responsibility begins once they are planted. A tree needs more than soil and rain, it needs people who are willing to care for it. ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ has shown us the power of connecting environmental action with emotion, and through Sankalp we are turning that connection into community stewardship. With 1 lakh+ trees being planted across 11 Panchayats in Gurugram, we want every sapling to have a story, a community behind it and the opportunity to grow into a lasting green legacy. Our aim is not simply to plant more trees, but to inspire more people to take ownership of the environment around them.”

The initiative adds to the significant environmental footprint of Sankalp, which has facilitated the plantation of more than 6.7 lakh trees across six states, including over 1.70 lakh trees across 54 Panchayats. The programme has also undertaken Miyawaki forests, orchard-based agroforestry, restoration of degraded landscapes, biodiversity enhancement and groundwater recharge, reflecting an integrated approach to ecological restoration.

The latest campaign will contribute to strengthening green cover across Gurugram while supporting the ecological landscape around the Aravallis. By involving communities directly, it also seeks to foster everyday environmental stewardship and reinforce the principles of Mission LiFE and the broader vision of Viksit Bharat 2047.

With the monsoon planting season underway, 1 lakh+ trees targeted and 11 Panchayats across identified areas of Gurugram and coming together, M3M Foundation aims to turn a seasonal opportunity into a lasting environmental commitment, creating greener spaces today and communities that continue to nurture them tomorrow.

Through Sankalp, M3M Foundation believes that the strongest green legacy is one that communities plant, protect and pass on.

About M3M Foundation

M3M Foundation is the philanthropic arm of the M3M Group, working across education, health, livelihoods, sports, and environment. With a reach across 22 states and over 1,300 villages, the Foundation has positively impacted more than 5 million lives, driven by a vision of inclusive, sustainable, and transformative nation-building.

HiLITE Group, leading real estate and infrastructure developer, has officially launched ‘Mandara Women’s Wellness, (www.mandarawellness.in/) India’s first AI-integrated holistic wellness retreat created exclusively for women. Building on over three decades of innovative developments across commercial, retail, and residential sectors, including India’s largest World Trade Center development, WTC Kozhikode, HiLITE Group first expanded into healthcare with Elanine Women’s Hospital. Mandara represents the next evolutionary phase of this vision, establishing a dedicated nurturing destination designed to complement traditional clinical care with hyper-personalized wellness solutions tailored for optimal vitality.

Mandara Women’s Wellness by HiLITE Group

Speaking on the launch, P. Sulaiman, Chairman, HiLITE Group, said “Mandara represents a meaningful step for HiLITE Group as we extend our commitment into healthcare and wellness. This launch strengthens our long-term vision of scaling women-centric healthcare infrastructure in India, and Mandara is just the beginning of that journey.” 

“Mandara is a reflection of our belief that true progress must include the health and well-being of women at every stage of life. Mandara, more than an expansion of our portfolio, it is an extension of our purpose. We are taking a meaningful step into women’s health,” said Ajil Muhammed, CEO of HiLITE Group.

Situated near Calicut University, the property features 20 independent, IoT-enabled private cottages categorized into Signature Private, Executive, and Wellness options. These serene living spaces incorporate integrated environmental and health sensors designed to support focused, unhurried recovery in complete privacy and complete comfort. Under the leadership of Dr. Azhar Mubarak, CEO of the Healthcare Wing at HiLITE Group, Mandara is structured to transform postnatal recovery and long-term restorative health for women across every stage of life.

“The way a society cares for its women says everything about the future it is building,” said Dr. Azhar Mubarak, CEO of the Healthcare Wing at HiLITE Group. “Mandara Women’s Wellness became a reality when we asked why women in India shouldn’t have access to world-class, dedicated wellness experiences right here at home. Every detail the space, the therapies, the conversations are intentionally crafted around women so they can heal and rejuvenate,” he added.

Mandara structures its clinical and wellness programming around six primary life stages to provide complete continuity of care. The retreat offers foundational Women’s Wellness for everyday vitality, Prenatal Wellness for guided physiological support during pregnancy, and specialized Postnatal Wellness for mother and newborn recovery. Additionally, the retreat provides Menopausal Wellness to assist with hormonal transitions, Preventive Women’s Wellness focused on early intervention and health optimization, and dedicated Geriatric Care designed to support healthy aging and mobility.

Therapeutically, Mandara pairs advanced medical recovery technology with traditional healing modalities to ensure comprehensive healing. Its modern infrastructure features Hyperbaric Oxygen Chambers for cellular recovery, HiFEM Pelvic Strength Chairs for non-invasive core rehabilitation, Infrared Therapy Beds, and Terahertz Bioresonance Energy Therapy. These technologies operate alongside classical Ayurvedic treatments, all customized using personalized herbal formulations. The retreat integrates an AI-driven clinical spa, naturopathic detox pathways, postpartum-safe Pilates, aquatherapy, and dietitian-guided therapeutic culinary menus prepared specifically to boost immunity. 

Postnatal care forms the core operational priority at Mandara, offering a dedicated framework that serves mother and baby simultaneously in a safe environment. A 24/7 baby nursery and infant spa, fully staffed by qualified medical professionals, allows new mothers dedicated time for recovery, therapy, and restful sleep with full reassurance. Complementing this is a specialized Mother’s Lounge featuring zero-gravity recliners and a supportive community space, alongside daily educational workshops covering lactation guidance, infant CPR training, newborn care, and postpartum mental wellbeing to build lasting confidence.

For booking inquiries, clinical consultations, or further details regarding residential retreat programs, visit www.mandarawellness.in/contact or call +91 99612 00055.

Launched on August 12, 2012, World Elephant Day is an international annual event dedicated to the preservation and protection of the world’s elephants. The initiative brings together conservation organisations and citizens from all backgrounds to voice support for better protection measures and to combat illegal poaching, habitat loss, and the mistreatment of elephants in captivity. On the occasion of World Elephant Day, World Animal Protection has appealed to the Government of Rajasthan to end elephant rides in Amer Fort in Jaipur by writing to the Chief Minister Of Rajasthan. World Animal Protection seeks a phased out but permanent cessation of elephant rides at the historic Amer Fort in Jaipur. This campaign highlights the severe physical and psychological trauma inflicted on these endangered animals. It proposes a swift transition toward a sustainable, cruelty free model of Indian heritage tourism that highlights the historical and cultural artifacts of Rajasthan, excluding elephant rides in Jaipur that abuse people and endangers safety of humans. On this occasion, more than seventy five individuals expressed their opposition to elephant rides in Amer Fort and raised their voice for keeping elephants free in the wild.
 

Citizens raising awareness on wild elephants and captive Amer Fort elephants in Jaipur at Patrika Gate Photograph: Shubhobroto Ghosh
 

Amer Fort remains one of India’s most iconic tourist destinations. Yet, its global reputation faces significant risks due to the practice of using captive elephants for daily tourist entertainment. Decades of scientific research, veterinary assessments, and investigative wildlife reports reveal a grim reality. The elephants suffer from chronic foot infections, painful arthritis, and severe psychological distress. These conditions stem directly from walking on hard concrete surfaces under scorching heat while carrying heavy iron howdahs and multiple tourists.
 

The welfare issues inherent in the Amer Fort elephant rides are systemic and deep rooted. Captive elephants are wild animals by nature. They undergo a brutal training process known as ‘the crush’ to break their spirit and make them submissive to human commands. At Amer Fort, many elephants are forced to work despite advanced age and serious medical ailments. Investigative audits have consistently found that a vast majority of these elephants suffer from compromised vision, permanent limb deformities, and severe nutritional deficiencies from poor diets.
 

Furthermore, the public safety risks associated with this practice are escalating rapidly. Elephants are highly intelligent, social, and emotional animals. When subjected to prolonged stress, isolation, and physical abuse, they can experience sudden bouts of psychosis, that results them in running amok. Over the years, multiple incidents at Amer Fort have seen stressed elephants turn aggressive, endangering international tourists, handlers, and local people. In an era where global travellers actively seek responsible tourism experiences, the continuation of animal exploitation severely damages Jaipur’s tourism brand. An elephant named Chanchal was painted pink by the Russian artist Julia Buruleva for a photoshoot in 2025 and this elephant died earlier this year.
 

World Animal Protection is not merely demanding an end to the rides but presenting a viable solution. Under the phase out plan there lies a new framework whereby tourists can observe elephants in a natural sanctuary setting. This model promotes educational tourism, allowing visitors to watch elephants walk, bathe, forage, and socialise safely from a respectful distance.
 

Crucially, this proposed transition protects local livelihoods. The plan will propose that the current elephant handlers, known as mahouts, receive specialized training to transition into sanctuary guides, educational instructors, and caretakers. Financial models demonstrate that global tourists are willing to pay a premium for ethical wildlife encounters. This shift will secure stable, long term revenue for local communities while elevating Jaipur as a global pioneer in sustainable heritage tourism.
 

“As the international community celebrates World Elephant Day 2026, the eyes of the world are on Rajasthan. Progressive travel agencies worldwide are removing elephant rides from their itineraries. Global travel platforms are refusing to promote venues that exploit captive wildlife. Thirty companies have undertaken the wildlife friendly pledge of World Animal Protection in India to not offer elephant rides in their itineraries. World Animal Protection urges the Chief Minister of Rajasthan to act decisively and end elephant rides in Amer Fort and retire the elephants. Ending the Amer Fort elephant rides will honour India’s wildlife protection laws and secure a humane future for these gentle giants which are India’s National Heritage Animal,” says Gajender Kumar Sharma, Country Director, World Animal Protection in India.
 

For more information, please contact:
Gajender Kumar Sharma, Country Director, World Animal Protection in India
Email: gajenderksharma@worldanimalprotection.org.in
Phone Number : 9313333283

• India’s lithium-ion battery demand is expected to roughly quintuple to over 115 GWh by 2030, while the country remains heavily dependent on imported battery cells and critical materials.

• As India pushes toward 500 GW of non-fossil power capacity, batteries have become one of the country’s most important manufacturing and energy-security challenges.

Lithium batteries keep catching fire. Why do they keep failing – and is there a safer alternative already on the production line? Can a country build a battery industry without depending on China for rare earths? And what would it actually take to build a battery company in India today?

Henning Rath, CEO of EnerVenue and Kun Tang, Executive Chairman of HiNa Battery on WTF is, with Nikhil Kamath

In the latest episode of People by WTF, Nikhil Kamath, who has been investing in energy-transition companies through his private-equity fund, sits down with Henning Rath, CEO of EnerVenue, and Kun Tang, Executive Chairman of HiNa Battery, to understand what the next battery industry could look like and whether India should build it. The conversation moves from battery chemistry to industrial policy, manufacturing, AI infrastructure, and the economics of building a battery company from scratch in India.

One of the episode’s sharpest moments comes when Kamath presses on lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) batteries – the chemistry powering most electric vehicles globally, including many Teslas and BYDs. Rath explains “thermal runaway”: once a battery reaches a certain temperature, its internal reaction becomes self-accelerating and cannot be stopped. Tang then offers a number that visibly stops Kamath – the world recorded over 14,000 LFP battery fires in 2025 alone. “The higher the energy, the more safety issues,” Tang says. “The energy is like water in a pump, but the tube is thin. That’s easy to break.” Neither guest treats this as purely a chemistry problem: Tang notes that safety incidents cluster heavily among smaller, tier-two Chinese manufacturers. At the same time, leaders like CATL and BYD charge a premium precisely because of tighter production quality.

The conversation turns to what comes after lithium. Tang, whose company has already supplied what it describes as the world’s first 100-megawatt-hour sodium-ion storage project, argues sodium costs roughly a tenth of lithium, resists thermal runaway at current energy densities, and is built from materials – sodium, iron, phosphate – that almost any country can source domestically. Its trade-off is energy density, which for now limits it to grid storage and short-range vehicles like scooters and three-wheelers rather than long-range cars. Rath’s EnerVenue bets on a different route entirely: a nickel-based, water-electrolyte battery adapted from technology NASA once used, designed to sharply reduce fire risk by removing the higher-risk components that trigger thermal runaway, and rated for 30,000 charge cycles, though it currently works only for stationary storage, not vehicles. Both are skeptical that solid-state batteries, often billed as lithium’s true successor, are close to market, citing an industry readiness scale of one to nine, Tang places the technology at around level four, strong in research papers but far from commercial production.

Looking further out, Rath frames the next decade around three converging “super cycles” – electrification, manufacturing and AI – all running ahead of supply, and argues that any country serious about competing will need genuine energy independence rather than dependence on imported lithium and rare earths, a dependency he expects to grow more contested as globalisation gives way to regional blocs. He points to 2023 as the year renewable power paired with batteries quietly became cheaper than fossil fuels across much of the world, a shift he expects AI data centres to accelerate as they move away from diesel backup power toward safer battery storage.

The discussion turns directly to India, where Kamath is weighing an entry into the energy transition himself. “After my trip in China, I want to go back to India and start a business,” Kamath says, asking his guests point blank whether he should build an electric car company or a battery company. Rath’s answer is unambiguous: skip the car company. Build a battery company decoupled from lithium and rare earths altogether, pointing to India’s scooter and three-wheeler market as a natural first customer for sodium-ion technology. The two also unpack how BYD went from a phone-battery maker to a fully vertically integrated EV and battery giant within roughly a decade, backed by what Rath calls China’s “government venture capital” model: funding dozens of companies in a sector and expecting only a handful, BYD and CATL among them, to ultimately survive and dominate.

The episode closes on China’s relationship with AI, which both guests describe as defined more by curiosity than anxiety – spanning three generations in Tang’s own family, from his 90-year-old grandfather ordering drone food delivery to his six-year-old daughter. “The excitement is outpacing the anxiety,” Rath says, calling it a marked contrast to the mood he encounters in the United States.

“No single technology will solve our problem,” Tang offers as a closing thought. “We need more different chemistry to meet different demands.” It’s a fitting close to a conversation that treats the search for the next great battery less as a single breakthrough than an unglamorous, ongoing race, measured in charge cycles, safety margins and cost curves rather than headlines.

The episode is available now on YouTube.

About People by WTF

People by WTF is a global podcast platform hosted by Nikhil Kamath, featuring in-depth conversations with leaders across business, policy, technology, culture and academia. The show explores long-term institutional, technological and economic questions shaping global society through candid, high-signal dialogue. Past guests include Elon Musk, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Bill Gates, Rishi Sunak, Akshata Murty, Martin Escobari, Bryan Armstrong and Ranbir Kapoor.

Notes to the Editor

Guests

Henning Rath – CEO of EnerVenue, a California-based energy storage company commercializing nickel-hydrogen battery technology originally developed by NASA and refined at Stanford University. EnerVenue closed a USD 300 million Series B extension in 2026 and is scaling manufacturing in Changzhou, China. Rath previously served as Managing Director and Chief Supply Chain Officer at German renewable energy company Enpal.

Kun Tang – Executive Chairman of HiNa Battery, a Beijing-headquartered sodium-ion battery company spun out of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2017. HiNa has supplied what it describes as the world’s first 100MWh sodium-ion energy storage project and holds over 30 patents across sodium-ion cathode, anode and electrolyte technology.

Key Themes Discussed:

• Why LFP batteries dominate EVs and why they catch fire

• Sodium-ion and nickel-hydrogen batteries as alternatives to lithium

• China’s industrial-policy playbook for building battery and EV giants

• Energy independence amid deglobalisation

• Data centres, diesel backup power and the case for safer batteries

• Solid-state batteries: hype versus technological readiness

• Advice for building a battery company in India

• AI adoption in China across generations

Related Episode – WTF is Happening In EV?:

• Punit Goyal (Blusmart):

• Explores why electric mobility is fundamentally an energy and infrastructure business, arguing that charging networks, renewable power procurement and fleet financing must be built together for EVs to scale.

• Discusses the economics of battery ownership, including battery life cycles, second-life battery use and how battery costs shape the long-term economics of EV businesses.

• Explores how EVs become more environmentally and economically compelling as India’s renewable energy share rises, linking battery demand directly to the country’s evolving power mix and energy security.

• Chetan Maini (SUN Mobility): Examines battery swapping as an alternative to larger batteries, discussing how swapping can lower vehicle costs, reduce downtime and make electric mobility more viable for scooters, commercial vehicles and logistics fleets.

• Tarun Mehta (Ather Energy): Examines India’s battery and EV manufacturing opportunity, highlighting GST structures, PLI incentives and supply-chain challenges that could determine whether India builds a globally competitive battery and electric mobility ecosystem.