Indicus Paints today announced the launch of Indicus Neote Luxury Interior Emulsion, a first-of-its-kind luxury paint brand in India inspired by the rich artistic and cultural heritage of Tamil Nadu. Blending cutting-edge paint technology with tradition-led design, Neote introduces a fresh vision of Indian luxury that is expressive, rooted and globally contemporary.
 

Indicus Launches Heritage-Inspired Luxury Paint Brand

Cultural Celebration
The Neote packaging strikes a balance between heritage and modernity. Anchored in a rich purple that exudes confidence and contemporary elegance, the design incorporates visual elements that serve as cultural touchstones from Tamil Nadu and broader South India, each rendered in traditional, vivid colours.
 

The packaging features Bharatanatyam—rooted in the Natya Shastra—alongside iconic instruments such as the Veena, Nadaswaram, and Mridangam. Artistic traditions like Thanjavur dolls, Kolam, and the martial art Silambattam showcase the region’s creativity, while architectural landmarks including Madurai’s Meenakshi Temple and the University of Madras anchor its built heritage. Living traditions such as boat races and Jallikattu, the Pongal event that safeguards native cattle breeds, keep Tamil identity vibrant and enduring.
 

Speaking at the launch, Gokul Basker, Brand Founder, Indicus & Partner, VNC Group, said, “With Neote, we wanted to do more than create a luxury paint—we wanted to honour the richness of Tamil Nadu’s cultural heritage. Bringing these timeless arts into our packaging is our way of showing that modernity doesn’t replace tradition—it reimagines it with confidence.”
 

Logo Design

The Neote sub-brand logo draws typographical inspiration from Tamil script, incorporating a fluid viscosity reminiscent of wet paint.
 

“The logo evokes the same sensibility as Indo-Western fusion music—old and new blending into something distinct that exudes fresh and confident sophistication,” explains Gautam Patil, Co-Founder and Design Head at Plus One, who designed the logo and packaging. “These elements travel from the Indicus parent brand into Neote, and ultimately into the homes whose walls it will grace—young, contemporary, confident, yet grounded in a rich past.”
 

Design Language

Neote’s launch aligns with a cultural shift redefining India’s design language—one that favours authenticity, regional identity, and inherited wisdom over borrowed minimalism. The emerging “India Modern” aesthetic embraces maximalist warmth through textures like wicker, terracotta, brass, and handloom. Indic typography has become central to this movement, with local scripts serving as markers of identity—embodied in Neote’s Tamil-inspired logo. Designers are also moving away from a monolithic “Pan-Indian” style, drawing instead from hyper-local references like Chettinad architecture and Warli art.
 

About VNC Group

Headquartered in Karur, Tamil Nadu, VNC Group is a diversified enterprise with strong market leadership across welding consumables, steel wires, and fencing solutions. With over 40 years of commitment to creating lasting value, VNC launched Indicus Paints & Geco brands in 2021 and has been rapidly expanding product offerings across both categories. VNC is also a leading distributor for Tata Steel, managing a wide portfolio of their retail products across Tamil Nadu.
 

About Indicus Paints
Indicus Paints is a performance‑driven paints and coatings brand from VNC Group, backed by the Group’s four‑decade legacy. Designed for Indian homes and conditions, the brand celebrates cultural identity while blending tradition with modern creativity. Through initiatives like Crossections and Neote, Indicus delivers durability, innovation, and cultural resonance. Committed to sustainability, cost efficiency, and aesthetic excellence, it is redefining modern living and stands as a distinctive voice in India’s premium paints segment.

Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), a Fortune Global 500 company and a Maharatna PSU, in the demanding terrain of the Himalayas—where altitude, weather, and limited infrastructure often turn medical emergencies into life-threatening situations—a new healthcare facility is quietly reshaping outcomes for thousands of pilgrims and locals each year.
 

BPCL Strengthens Critical Care Access in Kedarnath with Advanced Hospital
 

Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) has supported the development of a 50-bedded advanced high-altitude hospital at Shri Kedarnath Dham, in partnership with the Swami Vivekanand Health Mission Society (SVHMS), strengthening critical care access at one of India’s most challenging pilgrimage destinations.

Commenting on this Shri Sanjay Khanna, Chairman & Managing Director, BPCL, with additional charge of Director (Refineries), said, “At BPCL, our commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility goes beyond the creation of infrastructure, it is about creating meaningful and lasting impact in people’s lives. Improving access to quality, inclusive, and timely healthcare continues to be a key focus area for us. The Kedarnath region, revered as one of the holiest pilgrim destinations in the country and set amidst some of its most challenging terrains, holds deep spiritual significance for millions. It is in this sacred and demanding landscape that this project takes shape, reflecting our resolve to strengthen healthcare access where it is needed the most. Equipped with modern medical facilities, the hospital will play a critical role in addressing health emergencies and ensuring that both pilgrims and local communities have access to dependable, quality healthcare services, delivered with compassion, care, and timeliness.”

Situated at an altitude of nearly 12,000 feet, the hospital marks a significant upgrade from the existing temporary 8-bed facility, which has long struggled to meet the surge in medical needs during peak yatra seasons. The new facility is designed to handle a wide spectrum of health emergencies—ranging from respiratory and cardiac distress to trauma and neurological conditions—common in high-altitude environments.
 

Shri Pushkar Singh Dhami, Chief Minister, Uttarakhand, inaugurated the BPCL Hospital
 

With round-the-clock services, the hospital is equipped with ICU support, ventilators, diagnostic laboratories, and trained medical professionals experienced in high-altitude medicine, backed by a referral linkage with AIIMS Rishikesh for critical care. Each year, lakhs of pilgrims undertaking the Kedarnath yatra face health risks due to extreme weather, low oxygen levels, and pre-existing conditions. The facility is expected to serve over one lakh patients annually, including nearly 30,000 emergency cases, strengthening timely medical response in a high-risk environment.
 

Implemented in partnership with the Swami Vivekanand Health Mission Society (SVHMS), which has been working in Uttarakhand’s remote regions since 2012, the initiative builds on proven on-ground healthcare delivery in high-altitude circuits. The project underscores the importance of accessible medical infrastructure in underserved geographies, where preparedness and rapid response are critical to improving patient outcomes during peak pilgrimage seasons.
 

About Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd. (BPCL)

Fortune Global 500 Company, Bharat Petroleum is the second largest Indian Oil Marketing Company and one of the integrated energy companies in India, engaged in refining of crude oil and marketing of petroleum products, with presence in the upstream and downstream sectors of the oil and gas industry. The company attained the coveted Maharatna status, joining the club of companies having greater operational & financial autonomy.

Bharat Petroleum’s Refineries at Mumbai, Kochi and Bina have a combined refining capacity of around 35.3 MMTPA. Its marketing infrastructure includes a network of installations, depots, fuel stations, aviation service stations and LPG distributors. Its distribution network comprises over 25,300+ Fuel Stations, over 1000+ CNG stations, over 6,250+ LPG distributorships, 440+ Lubes distributorships, 81 POL storage locations, 56 LPG Bottling Plants, 81 Aviation Service Stations, 5 Lube blending plants and 6 cross-country pipelines.
 

Bharat Petroleum is integrating its strategy, investments, environmental and social ambitions to move towards a sustainable planet. The company has Electric vehicle charging stations at 6800+ Fuel Stations. With a focus on sustainable solutions, the company is developing an ecosystem and a road-map to become a Net Zero Energy Company by 2040, in Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions. Bharat Petroleum has been partnering communities by supporting several initiatives connected primarily in the areas of education, water conservation, skill development, health, community development, capacity building and employee volunteering. With ‘Energising Lives’ as its core purpose, Bharat Petroleum’s vision is to be an admired global energy company leveraging talent, innovation & technology.
 

About Swami Vivekanand Health Mission Society (SVHMS)

Established in 2012, Swami Vivekanand Health Mission Society (SVHMS) provides charitable, high-quality healthcare to underserved communities and pilgrims in remote regions. The organisation operates 12 hospitals across Uttarakhand, including key high-altitude facilities at Shri Badri Dham, Shri Kedarnath Dham and Gangotri Dham, equipped with critical care infrastructure. Its sustained efforts have contributed to a significant reduction in morbidity and mortality among pilgrims, alongside community outreach through medical camps in remote areas.

In line with the visionary academic initiatives of Manipal University Jaipur, spearheaded by President Prof. Niti Nipun Sharma to strengthen teaching excellence and foster continuous pedagogical innovation, the Teacher Empowerment Centre (TEC) successfully concluded a five-day Faculty Development Programme (FDP) titled “Foundations of Inspired Teaching.”

Participants of the Faculty Development Program organised by Manipal University Jaipur

The programme was designed to equip educators with innovative pedagogical approaches, learner-centric teaching practices, and transformative strategies for higher education in an increasingly technology-driven academic landscape.

The FDP brought together faculty members from diverse disciplines for an enriching and engaging learning experience focused on reimagining higher education teaching in a dynamic, interdisciplinary, and technology-driven environment.

A key driving force behind the conceptualisation and design of the programme was Prof. Aravind Chinchure, whose academic vision and insights, in collaboration with the leadership of Manipal University Jaipur, played a significant role in shaping the FDP into a meaningful initiative centred on teaching excellence, innovation, and transformative learning.

The programme commenced with an inspiring inaugural address by Prof. Rajan Saxena, Former Vice Chancellor of SVKM’s NMIMS, Mumbai. Speaking on transformational leadership in higher education, he emphasised the evolving role of educators in nurturing critical thinking, multidisciplinary learning, innovation, and technology-enabled education to prepare students for future challenges.

On the second day, Prof. Arun Sreekumar from the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad conducted an interactive session on the Case Method of Teaching. Through engaging discussions and practical illustrations, he demonstrated how real-world scenarios and case-based pedagogy can enhance classroom learning while strengthening students’ analytical thinking, decision-making, and problem-solving capabilities.

Day three featured a session by Prof. Veena Vohra, Professor at the School of Business Management, NMIMS Mumbai, on Experiential Learning. She highlighted the importance of active participation, reflective learning, and immersive educational experiences in fostering deeper student engagement and conceptual understanding.

The fourth day focused on emerging dimensions of education, including the neuroscience of learning and the growing impact of Artificial Intelligence in academia. Prof. Sophia Gaikwad, Head of the Symbiosis Teaching Learning Resource Centre at Symbiosis International University, Pune, shared valuable learner-centric teaching insights based on how students process, retain, and apply knowledge effectively. The sessions also featured Prof. Shailesh Kumar, Chief Data Scientist at Jio and Dean at Jio Institute, who explored the transformative role of Artificial Intelligence in education and discussed how AI-driven innovations are reshaping teaching methodologies, academic research, and institutional practices.

The FDP concluded with an insightful session by Prof. N. Jayasankaran, Former Vice-Chancellor of Kanchi University and Director General of Bharathidasan Institute of Management, on “How to Become a Masterful Teacher.” Drawing from his extensive academic and leadership experience, he shared perspectives on reflective practice, continuous professional growth, effective communication, and meaningful student engagement.

The valedictory ceremony included certificate distribution, reflective learning activities, the launch of Faculty Learning Circles, and the TEC Teaching Pledge Ceremony, reaffirming Manipal University Jaipur’s commitment to continuous teaching excellence and collaborative faculty development.

The Faculty Development Programme successfully created a vibrant platform for dialogue, innovation, reflection, and peer learning, leaving participants with renewed purpose and actionable strategies to transform classrooms into spaces of inspired, meaningful, and future-ready learning.

Dr. Nitu Bhatnagar, Provost, MUJ and Dr. Vijaylaxmi Sharma, Director, MUJ Teacher Empowerment Centre played a pivotal role in organising and successfully executing the Faculty Development Programme.

About Manipal University Jaipur

Manipal University Jaipur (MUJ) is a NAAC A+ accredited leading institution of higher education known for its commitment to quality teaching, research, and innovation. With a strong focus on holistic development and global exposure, MUJ continues to be a preferred choice for students across the country and beyond.

For more details, please visit the official website of Manipal University Jaipur: jaipur.manipal.edu

Leo Digital, part of NxG World, a leading digital and technology-led marketing agency, has been awarded the digital mandate for Olectra Greentech Limited, one of India’s foremost electric mobility and clean transportation companies.

Leo Digital wins digital mandate for Olectra Greentech Limited

This partnership marks a strategic milestone in Leo Digital’s continued expansion across the electrification and sustainability ecosystem — spanning energy infrastructure, distribution, and now, electric mobility.

Olectra, led by Managing Director, Mahesh Babu has been at the forefront of India’s transition to sustainable public transportation, with a strong focus on electric buses and large-scale mobility solutions. Through this collaboration, Leo Digital will lead the brand’s digital strategy, communication, and platform presence — with a clear focus on strengthening leadership positioning, enhancing stakeholder engagement, and building a future-ready digital ecosystem.

Both organizations share a common vision of accelerating India’s clean mobility narrative through the convergence of technology, storytelling, and digital innovation.

Commenting on the partnership, Suhas Shankarappa, Group Head, NxG World said, “At Leo Digital, we’ve always believed in partnering with brands that are driven by purpose and long-term impact. Our vision is to enable the next generation of growth – sustainably – by bringing together technology, data, and meaningful storytelling. Olectra represents exactly that intersection, leading India’s transition towards clean mobility at scale.”

Leo Digital would work closely with Anand Kumar, Head of Brand, Marketing, Digital & Communications in strengthening the brand presence across Markets. The partnership will focus on building an integrated and future-ready communication ecosystem spanning brand strategy, community management, and market-facing campaigns – further reinforcing Olectra’s positioning as a leader in India’s rapidly evolving electric mobility sector.

With a shared commitment to innovation and sustainability, the partnership is set to drive meaningful impact — shaping the future of mobility while reinforcing Olectra’s position as a category leader.

About Leo Digital

Leo Digital is part of NxG World – a global consulting and innovation-led firm focused on enabling next-generation, sustainable growth for enterprises across industries.

With deep expertise across digital strategy, performance marketing, and platform development, Leo Digital partners with large enterprises in building scalable, future-ready digital ecosystems that drive measurable business impact.

Mothers have long been the backbone of families, often placing everyone else’s needs before their own. However, new findings from a Habuild survey reveal a growing shift—today’s mothers are increasingly aware of the need to prioritise their health, yet lack the support systems to do so effectively.

The survey, conducted by Habuild among over 5,000 respondents, the majority of whom were women, highlights a critical gap between intent and action when it comes to maternal health and well-being.

Key findings from the Habuild survey include:

• Over 60% of respondents are aged 45 and above, indicating that many women begin prioritising their health only later in life

• Nearly 59% of mothers said structured health programs would motivate them to take their health more seriously

• A significant proportion also highlighted the need for expert guidance and community support to stay consistent with their health goals

These insights underline a crucial reality: while awareness around health is increasing, mothers often delay prioritising their own well-being due to years of focusing on family responsibilities.

This also highlights a larger systemic gap—while mothers are expected to be primary caregivers, there is limited access to structured, credible, and sustained health support tailored to their needs.

Saurabh Bothra, Co-founder, Habuild

Commenting on the findings, Saurabh Bothra, Co-founder, Habuild, said, “For far too long, mothers have been conditioned to put their own well-being on the backseat while caring for everyone else. What we’re witnessing now is a powerful shift—mothers want to prioritise their health, but they need the right structure, guidance, and community to make that sustainable. At Habuild, we believe that when you empower a mother to take care of herself, you’re strengthening the entire family ecosystem. It’s time we move from simply acknowledging mothers to actively enabling their well-being.”

As preventive healthcare gains importance, the findings call for a shift in how maternal well-being is approached—not just as an individual responsibility, but as a shared priority for families, communities, and healthcare providers.

For more information, please visit habuild.in.

This Mother’s Day, Tupperware, the pioneer of kitchen organization and food storage, steps into the world of instant convenience through its collaboration with Instamart, India’s pioneering quick commerce platform. Rooted in a simple cultural truth that no kitchen staple is more trusted than the one your mom swears by, the partnership brings one of India’s most iconic kitchen brands straight to consumers’ doorsteps. Joining this celebration are two of India’s most loved real-life moms, Soha Ali Khan and Neha Dhupia- who, as mothers themselves, trust Tupperware to show up every single day, from packing their kids’ lunches to organizing their kitchens, because for them, it’s never just a brand but an everyday essential.

Tupperware x Instamart celebrates Mother’s Day with trusted essentials delivered to your doorstep

For over 30 years in India, Tupperware has been synonymous with Indian kitchens, trusted across generations for its innovation, durability, and commitment to food safety. Often regarded as the OG of Indian Kitchens, the brand has shaped how households store, carry, and experience food. With this collaboration, Tupperware enters the fast-growing quick commerce space, enabling consumers to access its products seamlessly through Instamart and have them delivered on demand.

Manender Kaushik, AVP – Category, Instamart, said, “Few brands have been as consistently present in Indian kitchens as Tupperware, stacked in cupboards, packed into school bags, and trusted across generations. With Instamart, we’re bringing that familiarity into a new, on-demand context. This partnership is about making thoughtfully designed, high-quality storage solutions instantly accessible, helping consumers upgrade everyday living with products they already know and trust.”

Shweta Kumar – APAC Digital, Tupperware, said, “This collaboration reflects how Tupperware continues to evolve with changing lifestyles. While our roots are in bringing people together through shared experiences, today we’re meeting consumers wherever they are, while staying true to our legacy of quality and trust.”

Founded by inventor Earl Tupper, the brand revolutionized food storage with its signature airtight seal technology, designed to lock in freshness and reduce food waste. Today, that legacy continues with a range of food-grade, toxin-free, reusable products built for modern lifestyles.

As Indian consumers increasingly seek speed without compromising on quality, this collaboration aims to simplify daily routines, making trusted kitchen solutions available exactly when they’re needed.

About Instamart
Launched in August 2020, Instamart is India’s pioneering quick commerce platform. Present in 131+ cities, Instamart has superior technology and a dedicated delivery fleet to bring groceries and other daily essentials to the doorsteps of Indians.

• Third edition of the clean-tech innovation platform offers upto $100,000 in technical assistance grant

• Backed by DPIIT’s Startup India, ENTICE 3.0 offers deployment opportunities with BRPL and JVVNL
   

The Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet, in partnership with DPIIT’s Startup India initiative, invites applications for ENTICE 3.0 (Energy Transitions Innovation Challenge) from clean-tech innovators to tackle two pressing grid-level challenges. The Global Energy Alliance’s flagship program in India, ENTICE, enables innovators to test solutions within real utility environments, alongside providing mentorship, technical support and ecosystem partnerships.
 

ENTICE 3.0
 

ENTICE has evolved from an innovation challenge into a platform focused on translating promising technologies into deployable solutions within regulated energy systems. It helps generate the evidence and institutional alignment needed for adoption. Its first edition in 2023-24 drew over 400 applications, engaged 20 investors, and built 30+ ecosystem partnerships. ENTICE 2.0 represented a shift from an innovation challenge to an ecosystem builder: two utility partners (Delhi & Jaipur), an MoU with DPIIT, 5 MoUs with VC partners, and DISCOM pilots with Delhi and Jaipur for the four winners.
 

Building on the success of the first two editions, ENTICE 3.0 takes a systems-level approach, targeting two specific problem statements:

• Non-lithium energy storage systems deployable at the distribution transformer (DT) voltage level for local peak demand management

• Hyperlocal, AI-driven forecasting platforms that enable DISCOMs to accurately predict net grid demand by modelling distributed renewable energy generation alongside weather-sensitive consumption patterns.
   

These problem statements have been carefully crafted after deliberation with ecosystem partners to encourage clean-tech innovation and entrepreneurship in the energy sector. Winners stand to receive up to $100,000 in technical assistance grants, real-world deployment opportunities with BSES Rajdhani Power Limited (BRPL) and Jaipur Vidyut Vitran Nigam Limited (JVVNL), funding consideration from investment partners, and mentorship from leading sector experts.

ENTICE 3.0 will be evaluated by an eminent jury panel including Govind Iyer (Distinguished Patron for ENTICE 3.0, Independent Director, Infosys & Member of the Board of Trustees, The Rockefeller Foundation), Alok Kumar (Jury Chair, President, All India DISCOMs Association), Ashish Khanna (Jury Co-Chair, Director General, International Solar Alliance), Abhishek Ranjan (CEO, BRPL), and senior leaders from Vena Energy, India Energy Storage Alliance, Transition VC, RMI Energy Solutions India Foundation, Green Marble, Networks for Humanity, Hero Future Energies, and Spectrum Impact.
 

Underlining the importance of a platform such as ENTICE, Ashish Khanna, Director General, International Solar Alliance (ISA), commented, “The energy transition is powered by innovators who turn bold ideas into real-world solutions. ENTICE is designed to enable this journey, connecting deep-tech innovators with the realities of energy systems and creating the confidence needed for solutions to scale. At a time when the urgency of accelerating innovation has become an essential enabler for energy independence, by bridging innovation and deployment, the programme empowers the next generation to build smarter, cleaner, and more resilient energy systems. Through strong innovation ecosystems and deployment partnerships, solutions can emerge that respond to real-world needs and offer valuable pathways for the Global South. We are proud to support these innovators as they help shape the future of the global energy transition.”
 

Highlighting the need for investments in the clean-tech sector, Seema Chaturvedi, Founder & Managing Partner, AWE Funds, stated, “The climate imperative is no longer a conversation about the future; it demands capital allocation today. Clean technology has moved from a niche interest to an essential investment frontier, offering both the returns and the impact that define smart capital. ENTICE, which de-risks deep-tech solutions by embedding them within real utility environments, is exactly what bridges the gap between promising ideas and investable enterprises. We look forward to partnering with ENTICE 3.0, and are proud to back the next generation of entrepreneurs who will power India’s grid.”

The application for ENTICE 3.0 is currently open. Shortlisted solutions will participate in an immersive 3-day bootcamp. Founders will receive hands-on guidance to refine their pitches before presenting to an eminent jury, engage with mentors and sector experts, and get the opportunity to engage directly with investors through the Investor Marketplace. From interactive workshops to real-time feedback, the bootcamp will offer actionable insights, networking opportunities, and pathways to scale, equipping startups to turn bold ideas into impactful solutions.
 

Commenting on the application launch, Woochong Um, CEO, Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet, said, “At the Global Energy Alliance, we believe that the path to a sustainable and inclusive future lies in accelerating the transition to renewable energy, particularly in emerging markets that are poised to drive global change. Through ENTICE 3.0, we deepen our commitment to finding and scaling the deep-tech innovations that can make India’s grid smarter, more resilient, and ready for a clean energy future. Central to this is our conviction that the most durable solutions are built on local knowledge, local expertise, and local ownership, because what works must be rooted in the context it serves. India’s example offers both inspiration and practical models for emerging and developing economies to accelerate an equitable and inclusive energy transition.”
 

With ENTICE 3.0, the Global Energy Alliance intends to foster an ecosystem to solve real-life energy sector challenges and scale innovative solutions that will accelerate the energy transition. Please click here to access the ENTICE application form.
 

About the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet

The Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet Inc. (‘Global Energy Alliance’) builds transformative public, private, philanthropic partnerships to end energy poverty and accelerate green economic opportunity. Founded in 2021 by The Rockefeller Foundation, IKEA Foundation and Bezos Earth Fund, we work to unlock finance, strengthen institutions and transform markets, delivering progress that goes beyond individual projects to drive lasting systems change. Through our two interconnected global pillars, Grids of the Future – focused on innovation and infrastructure – and Powering Opportunity – with a focus on jobs and livelihoods – we work toward our vision: a world where everyone has access to affordable, reliable, clean electricity and the means to use it to improve their lives.
 

With work in more than 30 countries across Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, our alliance aims to reach 1 billion people with clean electricity, prevent 4 billion tons of carbon emissions and create or improve 150 million jobs.

For more information please check out our website energyalliance.org.