India’s coastal regions are facing an imminent climate crisis that will reshape lives, livelihoods, and ecosystems within the next couple of years, according to the ‘Indian Coastal Region: Climate Projections 2021–2040’ report released by Azim Premji University, Bengaluru. 
 

Santonu Goswami, Professor, School of Climate Change and Sustainability, Azim Premji University, Bengaluru

Focusing on near-term projections (2021-2040) the study provides actionable insights for policymakers and local communities, using CMIP6* model projections corrected for regional bias to improve accuracy. The report warns that the window for adaptation is rapidly narrowing as the 1.5°C warming threshold is expected to be reached across India’s administrative regions in the near future. 

“Climate change is not some distant future challenge—it is the reality of today. 2040 is just 14 years away,” said Anurag Behar, CEO, Azim Premji Foundation. “This dataset brings to life the impacts of climate change with much greater immediacy, highlighting how we must restructure our infrastructure and governance to ensure we collectively address this crisis.”
 

The report traces how specific changes—from rising wet-bulb temperatures in Kerala to intensifying monsoons in Maharashtra—are already rendering traditional knowledge systems, like the Nakaih wind calendar, unreliable. It aims to provide the foundational data necessary for local authorities to build district-level resilience.

“The data in this report is a mirror that reflects a reality we can no longer afford to ignore. For decades, we treated climate change as a global abstraction — a problem of polar ice caps and distant centuries. But our findings show that for the Indian coastline, the crisis is hyper-local and immediate. Whether it is the heat stress in Ernakulam or the rising salinity in the Sundarbans, our vulnerability is visible in all aspects of our daily lives. We have a short window of time to move from reactive mitigation to proactive adaptation — we need to craft a future that acknowledges the ecological challenges faced by our nation,” said Harini Nagendra, Director, School of Climate Change and Sustainability, Azim Premji University.

Maharashtra and Gujarat’s coastal regions are entering a period of significant environmental transition, with Suburban Mumbai projected to see summer maximum temperatures rise by 1.3°C, highlighting the growing need for heat-resilient urban planning. This warming is accompanied by a marked intensification of seasonal rainfall; Suburban Mumbai is expected to face almost an additional week (+6 days) of heavy rain, while districts like Surat and Bhavnagar are preparing for Southwest monsoon surges of 23% and 24%, respectively. These shifts are already impacting local livelihoods: for instance, the Koli community in Mumbai reports business losses when unpredictable rain spells disrupt the traditional drying of prawns. By focusing on the immediate 2040 window, the report provides the granular data necessary for the West Coast to safeguard its infrastructure and unique coastal heritage.

Key Findings

• Rising Temperatures: India’s average temperatures are projected to increase by 1.5°C, with approximately 40 coastal districts likely to see summer temperatures rise by over 1°C.

• Dangerous “Wet-Bulb” Heat: Coastal Kerala and Tamil Nadu will experience high summer wet-bulb temperatures, nearing the 31°C- levels considered dangerous for humans.

• Ernakulam Heat Spike: Ernakulam is projected to record the highest increase in maximum summer temperatures projected at +1.3°C among all coastal districts.

• Intensified West Coast Monsoons: Coastal Maharashtra and Gujarat will receive significantly higher rainfall with suburban Mumbai likely to experience nearly an additional week of heavy rain.

• Surat’s Monsoon Surge: Surat is projected to see a substantial 23% increase in Southwest Monsoon compared to historical levels.

• Sea-Level Rise and Erosion: Under moderate emission scenarios (SSP2-4.5)**, global sea levels are projected to rise by 15 cm by 2050, accelerating coastal erosion and creating “ghost villages” in regions like Ganjam, Odisha.

• Cyclone Risk: Rapid acceleration in sea surface temperatures (0.27°C per decade) is increasing the likelihood of intense tropical cyclones.

• Impact on Traditional Livelihoods: In Goa, unseasonal rains are destroying entire salt harvests within hours, while warming seas are pushing fish further offshore, leading to “empty nets” for small-scale fishermen.

• Health and Salinity: In the Sundarbans, rising salinity from frequent embankment breaches is linked to increased skin diseases and menstrual health challenges among women.

About Azim Premji University

Azim Premji University, Bengaluru, was established under the Azim Premji University Act 2010 of the Government of Karnataka. Azim Premji University, Bhopal, was established under the provisions of Madhya Pradesh Niji Vishwa Vidyalaya (Sthapana Avam Sanchalan) Dwitiya Sanshodhan Adhiniyam, 2022. Azim Premji University in Ranchi is being established under the Azim Premji University Act, 2022, enacted by the Government of Jharkhand.
 

Azim Premji Foundation, the sponsoring body, set up all three Universities as fully philanthropic entities, with a clear social purpose of contributing to the realisation of a just, equitable, humane, and sustainable society.
 

Note to Editors:
*CMIP6 (Climate Modeling) CMIP6 is the latest global framework for climate forecasting, combining data from over 30 international laboratories to create the world’s most accurate climate simulations. It allows scientists to “zoom in” on specific districts with much higher resolutions than ever before.
 

** SSP2-4.5 is the “Middle of the Road” scenario that projects climate impacts based on the world’s current trajectory. It is used here to provide a realistic baseline, showing the immediate risks India’s coastline faces if global development and carbon emissions continue at their present pace without drastic changes.

National Institute of Securities Markets (NISM), an institution established by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), has entered into a collaboration with Galgotias University to strengthen professional learning opportunities in securities markets, financial services, derivatives, investment ecosystems, fintech, and risk management.
 

SEBI’s NISM and Galgotias University join hands to strengthen fintech, capital markets, and industry-aligned financial learning for students
 

Finance, technology, artificial intelligence, analytics, digital payments, and investment platforms are increasingly intersecting across industries and startup ecosystems. Companies today require graduates who understand markets, regulation, financial instruments, investment behaviour, and capital flows alongside technology and business fundamentals.
 

Galgotias University has been strengthening its business, entrepreneurship, and fintech-oriented academic ecosystem through industry-linked programmes, startup engagement, interdisciplinary learning, and applied training initiatives. The University’s School of Business and the Centre for Capital Market Simulation contribute to this focus by creating stronger exposure to financial systems, market behaviour, and investment ecosystems among students. Housed within the School of Finance and Commerce, the Centre features the NSE SMART Lab established in collaboration with NSE Academy, where students engage with capital market concepts, trading environments, and simulation-based financial learning on the NSMART platform through exposure to real-time market scenarios in a risk-free academic setting.
 

The collaboration is expected to benefit students across multiple disciplines including business, commerce, economics, management, engineering, computer science, artificial intelligence, and analytics domains. Students building startups or technology-led ventures can particularly benefit from stronger exposure to financial systems, investment structures, market dynamics, and regulatory frameworks that influence scalability, fundraising, and long-term business growth.
 

Under the collaboration, students will gain access to NISM certifications, e-learning modules, certification-linked learning pathways, and academic support in areas including securities markets, mutual funds, equity derivatives, investment advisory, merchant banking, portfolio management services, research analysis, securities operations, and risk management.
 

Speaking on the collaboration, Dr. Dhruv Galgotia, Chief Executive Officer, Galgotias University, said, “Technology and finance are increasingly converging across sectors, whether in digital payments, fintech platforms, investment ecosystems, analytics, or startup environments. Students today require a stronger understanding of financial systems and market structures irrespective of their discipline. A technology founder, for example, may build a strong product but still require deeper understanding of capital markets, investment behaviour, regulatory systems, and financial strategy to scale effectively. Our collaboration with NISM will help students build this exposure through structured certifications, applied learning, and engagement with the financial sector.”
 

Under the understanding, NISM will support participating students and faculty through learning resources, e-learning programmes, faculty development modules, assessment support, and expert engagement opportunities. Faculty development programmes, expert-led sessions, and academic integration support will also form part of the engagement.
 

The collaboration further strengthens Galgotias University’s focus on industry-linked learning, interdisciplinary capability building, and preparing students for opportunities emerging across financial services, fintech, analytics, consulting, investment research, and capital markets.

fischer India is proud to be Certified by Great Place To Work for the 4th year in a row. The prestigious award is based entirely on what current employees say about their experience working at fischer India. This year, 83% of employees said it’s a great place To Work.

fischer India is GPTW certified 4th time in a row

Great Place To Work is the global authority on workplace culture, employee experience, and the leadership behaviors proven to deliver market-leading revenue, employee retention and increased innovation.

“At Great Place To Work, we believe a great workplace is built through trust, purpose, and a people-first approach. By earning this Certification, fischer India has demonstrated its commitment to prioritizing employee experience and cultivating a culture where people thrive. This milestone celebrates your team’s dedication to creating a workplace that inspires excellence,” Balbir Singh, CEO, Great Place To Work, India.

Reflecting on this achievement, Mr. Mayank Kalra, Managing Director of fischer India, shared, “We are extremely proud to be recognized as a Great Place To Work Certified organization for the fourth consecutive year. This achievement is far more than a certification — it is a reflection of the strong culture of trust, respect, collaboration, and belonging that our people have built together at fischer India.

At fischer, we believe that sustainable success begins with empowered people. Through initiatives such as the Talent Assessment Centre (TAC), Talent Development Centre (TDC), Product Competence Trainings, and Leadership Development Programs under the fischer India Academy, we continue to invest in creating opportunities for learning, growth, and leadership development across the organization.

This recognition reaffirms our commitment to building a workplace where every employee feels valued, heard, inspired, and proud to contribute. It also strongly reflects the global vision of the fischer Group to nurture people, strengthen leadership, and create a culture of continuous improvement and innovation.

As our owner, Prof. Klaus Fischer rightly says, ‘Our greatest assets are not our facilities and buildings, but our employees.’ This belief continues to guide us in everything we do.

I sincerely thank our employees, leadership team, Board members, customers, and partners for their trust and support. This achievement belongs to every individual who contributes with passion, dedication, and heart every single day. Together, we are not only building a successful business — we are building a workplace and culture that people are proud to be part of.”

According to Great Place To Work research, job seekers are 4.5 times more likely to find a great boss at a Certified great workplace. Additionally, employees at Certified workplaces are 93% more likely to look forward to coming to work, and are twice as likely to be paid fairly, earn a fair share of the company’s profits and have a fair chance at promotion.

fischer Group of Companies
The fischer Group of Companies, headquartered in Waldachtal in Germany’s northern Black Forest, generated sales of 1.05 billion euros in 2025 with a worldwide staff of 4,800 employees. The family-owned company runs 51 operational companies worldwide and exports to about 120 countries. It includes the four divisions fischer fixing systems, fischertechnik, fischer Consulting and fischer Electronic Solutions. 

fischer fixing systems is the technological market leader in key areas of fixing technology. fischer offers products that deliver technical perfection to a wide range of customers, from do-it-yourselfers to tradespeople to key account partners.

With its construction kits, fischertechnik operates across both the toy market and the education sector. As one of the few toy manufacturers, fischertechnik develops and manufactures its products primarily in Germany.

fischer Consulting evolved from the competence developed in the company itself, which includes the fischer ProcessSystem with its central aim of permanent improvement for the ultimate benefit of the customer. fischer Consulting advises small and medium-sized businesses, government agencies and major companies on their path towards lean and efficient processes.

fischer Electronic Solutions develops and manufactures custom electronic solutions for the industrial and medical sectors, with a focus on long-term partnerships and tailor-made, high-quality solutions. As a partner in innovation, fischer Electronic Solutions is breaking new ground together with its customers to build a successful future. Online: www.fischer.group.

fischer Building Materials India Private Limited
Ward No. 76, Unit 101, First Level, No. 3 (Old 4 Prestige Sigma, Vittal Mallya Rd, Richmond Town, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560001

Vegas Mall, Dwarka’s largest integrated shopping and lifestyle destination, hosted the 6th edition of its annual Retailers Reward and Recognition ceremony at 5th Deck Imperfecto. The event was aimed at bringing together its community of retailers in order to celebrate outstanding performance from the brands, collaboration, and milestones achieved during the year. This event celebrated the retailers on several levels of achievements, where brands were celebrated for their considerable contribution to the mall’s retail success.
 

Vegas Mall Celebrates Sixth Edition of Retailers Reward and Recognition

The event was attended by Vegas Mall’s senior leadership, including Directors Kanwal Kumar, Suresh Anand,  Shresth Bansal, Anmol Anand, and Sambhav Chhadha, alongside Harsh Vardhan Bansal, Co-Founder and Director, Unity One and Vegas. Their presence made it clear that Vegas Mall is committed to building bridges that go way beyond mere commercial agreements. It involved assembling the finest brands across the verticals within an environment that blended gratitude and warmth. The brands were appreciated not only for their sales figures but also for their ability to provide an excellent shopping experience to their customers.

Ravinder Choudhary, Vice President, Vegas Mall, says, “Hosting the 6th edition of Retailers Reward and Recognition is a reflection of the relationships we have built and the shared commitment that defines the Vegas Mall community. Our retail partners are not just occupants of space but they are co-creators of the experience that brings shoppers back every week. This evening is our way of pausing to acknowledge that contribution and to reaffirm that their growth and ours are inseparable. As we look ahead, we remain committed to creating an environment where exceptional retail can thrive and where the partnerships we celebrate tonight continue to define what a mall community can achieve together.”

The 6th Retailers Reward and Recognition strengthened the bonds within the Vegas Mall retail community, creating an evening of shared pride and renewed momentum. These conversations that have persisted long after the official proceedings have concluded speak volumes about the level of involvement that Vegas Mall has achieved through its relationship with the retailers, one that is founded on mutual respect and shared vision for success.

In universities across India, students frequently talk about IT firms while discussing future career plans. These companies are often associated with strong career growth. What many students do not realize, however, is that behind the world’s leading businesses lies a common technology foundation: SAP.
 

SAP Learning Hub

To help students gain exposure to this global ecosystem early in their careers, SAP is now offering free access to SAP Learning Hub, student edition for students in India. The platform gives students a great opportunity to explore technology skills that are sought by organizations around the world.
 

In industries such as manufacturing, healthcare, and logistics, AI-powered SAP software is being used for insights to drive improvement in operations. Several leading IT and consulting firms in India like TCS, Infosys, Wipro, and Tech Mahindra also work extensively with SAP systems.
 

With global investments growing in AI, automation, analytics, and cloud technologies, talent demand is also growing for those familiar with enterprise platforms and processes.
 

“Students often associate technology careers only with coding or software development,” said Tine Vandenbreeden, Global VP SIX Partner Solution Enablement, SAP. “But businesses today need talent that understands digital operations across functions like finance, supply chain, HR, analytics, and customer experience. SAP Learning Hub, student edition gives students an opportunity to explore these business technologies early in their academic journey.”
 

The India-specific student access to SAP Learning Hub is intended to remove financial barriers and connect academic experience to in-demand digital jobs.
 

The platform offers a mix of learning resources, access to a community, real SAP practice systems, expert sessions, and two free SAP Certification exam attempts to support career readiness among learners. Built for students from various streams like commerce, engineering, and management, it introduces how SAP technology is used within business environments.
 

Students have access to role-based SAP Learning Journeys that add practical business context to classroom learning.
 

While students prepare for interviews, placements, and technical skills, they don’t usually get to see business systems used inside large organizations. Through SAP Learning Hub, student edition, SAP is making that experience available to students all over India at zero cost. For many students, this may be their first direct exposure to how large businesses operate behind the scenes.
 

To register for the free SAP Learning Hub, student edition, visit learning.sap.com/free-student-edition.

EC-Council, the global credentialing body responsible for the internationally recognized Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) certification and one of the world’s leading authorities in cybersecurity education, workforce development, and standards-based training, has today announced the launch of its proprietary Adopt. Defend. Govern. (ADG) AI Framework and a free AI Readiness Self-Assessment Tool to help organizations securely adopt, operationalize, and govern artificial intelligence at scale.

EC-Council’s ADG Framework enables secure, governed AI design through structured controls and accountability

Developed with input from practitioners and advisory board members across organizations including Citi, JPMorgan Chase, Microsoft, KPMG, Deloitte, NTT Data, GE Healthcare, GlobalLogic, Prudential and Salesforce, the ADG Framework gives enterprises a unified operating model; three pillars, 12 minimum controls, and nine governance surfaces. The framework is designed to align with the EU AI Act, ISO/IEC 42001, and the NIST AI RMF.

The urgency around AI governance is rising as organizations and enterprises accelerate AI adoption across business operations. Global AI spending is projected to reach $2.5 trillion in 2026, reflecting the speed and scale of enterprise deployment. Yet governance maturity remains critically low: industry findings show that only 1% of leaders believe their AI governance capabilities have reached maturity, while 78% of executives say they would not feel confident in passing an AI governance audit within the next 90 days.

The widening gap between AI acceleration and AI accountability is increasing pressure on organizations to address technical, societal, operational, and systemic AI risk at the same time. Many are deploying increasingly autonomous AI systems while still relying on fragmented policies, outdated security models, and governance structures that struggle under real-world operating pressure.

The ADG Framework has been developed to close this gap. More than a theoretical governance model, ADG is a practitioner-led execution framework engineered for real-world deployment. Designed by professionals actively managing AI risk in some of the world’s most complex operating environments, the framework establishes enforceable minimum controls, operational validation standards, governance surfaces, implementation overlays, and accountability mechanisms that organizations can apply across AI systems, agentic AI environments, multi-model architectures, and large language model ecosystems.

“Most organizations approached AI with a deploy-first mindset, prioritizing speed while governance and security struggled to keep pace,” said Jay Bavisi, Group President, EC-Council. “The result is that organizations are now scaling AI systems faster than they can securely govern them. The ADG Framework was developed to restore operational discipline, establish accountability, and help organizations operationalize AI responsibly before governance failures become systemic business liabilities.”

AI Without Guardrails Is a Business Risk

The ADG Framework is organized around three deeply integrated operational functions designed to create a complete governance life cycle for modern AI systems:

Adopt

Helps organizations align AI deployment with business objectives, operational readiness, workforce capability, and implementation accountability.

Defend

Focuses on securing AI systems against evolving threats including prompt injection, adversarial manipulation, model exploitation, data poisoning, and AI supply chain compromise.

Govern

Embeds oversight, auditability, governance accountability, and risk management into AI systems from deployment through enterprise-scale operations.

Together, the framework introduces 12 minimum controls, nine governance surfaces, nine deployment overlays, and three autonomy tiers covering technical, societal, operational, and systemic AI risk domains. Every control references major global standards and frameworks including the EU AI Act, ISO/IEC 42001, NIST AI RMF, OWASP Top 10 for LLM and Agentic AI, and MITRE ATLAS, helping organizations strengthen governance maturity while reducing compliance fragmentation.

AI Readiness Self-Assessment Tool Introduces Operational Visibility

Alongside the framework, EC-Council has launched a free AI Readiness Self-Assessment Tool to help organizations evaluate their governance posture before vulnerabilities emerge at scale.

The tool enables organizations to measure AI maturity across governance readiness, implementation discipline, operational resilience, security posture, and accountability structures while mapping findings into a prioritized implementation roadmap. For boards, regulators, and executive leadership teams facing growing scrutiny around AI governance, the tool provides an evidence-based view of organizational AI exposure and governance preparedness.

“The framework’s three pillars reflect the cross-functional model that leading AI organizations like Salesforce have used to scale AI responsibly. It establishes a solid, replicable blueprint across any industry, deployment model, or regulatory environment.” said Kathy Baxter, Principal Architect, VP of Responsible AI & Tech at Salesforce, AI Advisory Board Member, and Contributor to the ADG Framework.

New AI Certifications Aligned to the ADG Framework

To support implementation of the framework, EC-Council has also introduced three new AI certifications aligned with the ADG operating model. The certifications are designed to help organizations build workforce capabilities around AI governance, offensive AI security, and responsible AI implementation.

The certifications include:

• Certified AI Program Manager (CAIPM)

• Certified Offensive AI Security Professional (COASP)

• Certified Responsible AI Governance and Ethics Professional (CRAGE)

The programs help practitioners evaluate, test, secure, and govern AI systems across modern operating environments.

“The ADG Framework is the operating model that enterprise AI has been missing. It turns abstract standards into auditable practices and resolves the real tension between delivery speed and safety. For a board, that is the difference between scaling a fleet of agents with confidence and taking a leap of faith.” said Lewis V. Adams, VP, Enterprise AI & Capital Productivity Transformation at Citi, AI Advisory Board Member, and Contributor to the ADG Framework.

Open, Community-Driven, and Built to Scale

The ADG Framework is designed as an open, community-driven initiative that organizations can adopt freely, without licensing fees or vendor lock-in. It is structured to evolve alongside AI technologies while enabling practitioners, enterprises, governance leaders, and security teams to contribute to the continued development of operational AI governance standards.

“The industry doesn’t lack AI frameworks; it lacks operational clarity. The ADG framework places a strong emphasis on AI security, particularly in addressing adversarial risks and model vulnerabilities, while also mapping broader governance and regulatory expectations. What’s especially valuable is its inclusion of measurable indicators, which helps organizations move from high-level principles to more actionable and trackable AI risk management as they transition into real-world deployment.” said ShanShan Pa, Global Head of AI & Data Governance at GlobalLogic, AI Advisory Board Member, and Contributor to the ADG Framework.

The ADG AI Framework, AI Readiness Self-Assessment Tool, implementation guidance, and supporting certification programs are now available through EC-Council Official Website.

About EC-Council

EC-Council is the creator of the Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) program and a leader in cybersecurity education. Founded in 2001, EC-Council’s mission is to provide high-quality training and certifications for cybersecurity professionals to keep organizations safe from cyber threats.

EC-Council offers over 200 certifications and degrees in various cybersecurity domains, including forensics, security analysis, threat intelligence, and information security.

An ISO/IEC 17024-accredited organization, EC-Council has certified over 400,000 professionals worldwide and serves clients ranging from government agencies to Fortune 100 companies. EC-Council is the gold standard in cybersecurity certification, trusted by the U.S. Department of Defense, the Army, Navy, Air Force, and leading global corporations.

H-SMART, a premium home automation company in Chennai, has introduced a comprehensive suite of smart living solutions for homeowners who want intelligent, beautifully designed homes — without the disruption of re-cabling their properties. Founded by Mathew Easow of Hoop Pine Interior Concepts, H-SMART brings over a decade of interior design expertise to the home automation industry across Chennai, Bengaluru, and South India.

 H-SMART touch panel in matte black with rose-gold trim — six-point capacitive controls, universal socket, and scene access for elegant, intuitive home automation

A Design-Led Approach to Home Automation in Chennai
H-SMART is a complete smart home solutions provider that designs intelligent living experiences tailored to how each homeowner lives. The company works with homeowners across Chennai’s most sought-after neighbourhoods Anna Nagar, Adyar, T. Nagar, Besant Nagar, Velachery, and ECR integrating custom glass touch panels, scene-based automation, motorised curtains, mood lighting, and smart security into a single elegant ecosystem controlled through one intuitive app.

At the heart of the experience are custom-designed glass touch panels — precision-crafted, minimal interfaces that replace conventional switchboards and become a design element in the home. Combined with personalised scenes, motorised curtain control, RGBW mood lighting, and smart locks, H-SMART transforms everyday routines into effortless, curated moments.

Intelligent Scenes That Adapt to Your Lifestyle
Scene-based automation is at the core of H-SMART’s home automation system in Chennai. Homeowners create personalised scenes that orchestrate multiple actions simultaneously:

• “Good Morning”: Lights brighten gradually, curtains open to natural light, geyser switches on — triggered by schedule or a single tap.

• “Movie Night”: Living room dims to warm amber, curtains close, non-essential lights turn off automatically.

• “Leaving Home”: All lights off, curtains close, smart locks engage, system enters energy-saving mode with a confirmation to your phone.

• “Guest Welcome”: Pathway lights brighten, living room sets to a warm ambience, front door unlocks for a scheduled arrival.

Smart Homes Without the Rewiring

Traditional home automation systems require dedicated communication cabling routed from a central hub to every switchboard — a process that means opening finished walls in lived-in homes. H-SMART’s entire ecosystem communicates over Wi-Fi, eliminating the need for any additional cabling. Retrofit smart switches and glass touch panels connect to existing electrical points and communicate wirelessly. A fully furnished home in Chennai can become an intelligent living space in a single day, without a single wall being touched.
From the Founder

“At Hoop Pine, we spent years creating beautiful interiors for discerning homeowners across Chennai and Bengaluru. The conversation always turned to smart home features — and the answer was always major rewiring. H-SMART was built to resolve that. We are a home automation solutions provider that brings the same design sensibility to smart living that we bring to interiors — solutions that are elegant, intuitive, and completely non-invasive,” – Mathew Easow, Founder, H-SMART Home Automation & Hoop Pine Interior Concepts.

A Growing Partner Network Across South India
H-SMART is also building a curated network of architects, interior designers, and premium home studios across South India. The partnership model enables design professionals to offer H-SMART’s smart living solutions — including custom touch panel configurations and scene design — as a seamless extension of their project scope. H-SMART currently serves Chennai and Bengaluru, with plans to expand through experience centres and B2B partnerships across South India.

Availability
H-SMART’s premium smart home solutions are available for residential and commercial properties in Chennai, Bengaluru, and across South India. Homeowners and design professionals can request a complimentary consultation at www.hsmartliving.com or by calling +91 91764 27000. Office: 1st Floor, 6th Street, Anna Nagar East, Chennai 600102.

 About H-SMART
H-SMART is a leading home automation company in Chennai founded by Mathew Easow, specialising in design-led smart living solutions for residential and commercial properties. H-SMART designs complete home automation systems integrating custom glass touch panels, scene-based automation, motorised curtain and blinds control, RGBW mood lighting, smart locks, motion sensors, energy monitoring, and smart fans — all unified through the H-SMART app and compatible with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa. H-SMART serves homeowners, architects, and interior designers across Chennai, Bengaluru, and South India. Visit www.hsmartliving.com.

An inspiring seminar was organized at the auditorium of Chaudhary Sarwan Kumar Himachal Pradesh Krishi Vishvavidyalaya (CSKHPKV) on the theme “Healthy Farming, Healthy Nation – The Road Ahead in India.”

During the event, Chairman of the Niche Group, Harisharan Devgan, stated that chemical-based farming is gradually destroying soil fertility, and the only sustainable path forward is to return to organic and natural farming practices. He urged students to feel proud of calling themselves farmers and encouraged them to adopt Artificial Intelligence (AI) to make agriculture self-reliant and future-ready.

Chairman of Niche Group, Shri Harisharan Devgan, answered life-changing questions from agriculture students

RateGain Travel Technologies Limited ((BSE: 543417, NSE: RATEGAIN), a global leader in AI-powered SaaS solutions for the travel and hospitality industry, today released The Direct Booking Friction Report 2026, a first-of-its-kind audit revealing that hotels across APMEA are not losing direct revenue to poor demand or weak pricing. They are losing it to friction inside their own digital experience.

The APMEA Direct Booking Friction Report 2026

The report maps, for the first time, exactly where and why hotels across APMEA are losing direct bookings before a guest ever reaches checkout, uncovering friction across visibility, pricing, booking experience, and guest trust. The findings also reveal sharp regional differences in digital maturity, pricing discipline, and booking experience readiness across APMEA markets.

What the Audit Found

• Before the journey begins: Visibility: 42% of hotels don’t appear on Page 1 for unbranded search queries. Nearly half the market is invisible to high-intent travelers before consideration even starts.

• At the comparison stage: Reputation and rates: 63% of properties list higher rates on their own website than on OTAs, actively losing guests to third-party platforms on price.

• At the booking stage: Speed and experience: 72% of hotel websites fail the 3-second load benchmark. Average mobile load times reach 4.1 seconds. When a guest does persist, they face an average of 4 clicks to confirm a reservation against a global benchmark of 3. Every additional second and every additional click is a door left open for abandonment.

• At the commitment stage: Trust and transparency: 44% of hotels withhold taxes and fees until the final payment screen, the single largest checkout abandonment trigger in the study. And 1 in 3 properties expose guests to a URL or domain disconnect between their website and booking engine, introducing security anxiety at the precise moment trust is most fragile. 

“The findings of this report highlight a growing gap between where guests are actually being lost. The direct booking journey has become too fragmented across search, pricing, booking engine, and guest experience, while travelers increasingly expect a seamless experience across every touchpoint. What makes this moment urgent is that AI search is changing the rules of visibility faster than most hotels realize. Brands moving to unified platforms to fix these systematic gaps are already seeing up to 5X growth in direct revenue within 90 days, while hotels operating disconnected systems risk becoming invisible before the booking journey even begins,” said Ashish Sikka, Business Head – UNO Platforms, RateGain. 

The report also found significant regional variation across APMEA markets. Singapore and Thailand set the regional benchmark with average load times of 2.9 seconds and the strongest direct price parity discipline. The Maldives recorded the highest friction scores across speed, OTA bundle dominance, and pricing opacity.

The Direct Booking Friction Report 2026 is available for free download at www.uno.rategain.com/direct-booking-friction-report-apmea-2026. Benchmark your property against other hotels and identify which friction points are costing you the most.

Report Methodology
The Direct Booking Friction Report 2026 evaluated booking journeys across 65 hotel properties in India, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and the Maldives, analyzing visibility, pricing parity, website performance, booking flow efficiency, and checkout transparency benchmarks across the direct booking journey.

About RateGain
RateGain Travel Technologies Limited is a global provider of AI-powered SaaS solutions for travel and hospitality, working with 13,000+ customers and 700+ partners across 160+ countries. RateGain helps travel and hospitality businesses accelerate revenue generation through acquisition, retention, and wallet share expansion.

Today, RateGain is one of the world’s largest processors of electronic transactions, price points, and travel intent data, enabling revenue management, distribution, and marketing teams across hotels, airlines, destination marketing organizations, online travel agents, metasearch companies, package providers, car rentals, travel management companies, cruises, and ferries to drive better business outcomes.

Founded in 2004 and headquartered in India, RateGain works with 33 of the Top 40 Hotel Chains, 4 of the Top 5 Airlines, 7 of the Top 10 Car Rental companies, and all leading DMOs, OTAs, and metasearch platforms, including 25 Global Fortune 500 companies, unlocking new revenue every day.