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Category: Business

  • Trust Meets Colour: Dulux Assurance Evolves into Full-Fledged Warranty Across India

    The ‘Lage Shaandaar, Chale Shaandaar’ campaign highlights Dulux’s dual promise: premium performance and warranty-backed trust

    Five years after pioneering India’s first consumer-facing paint promise, AkzoNobel India has now transformed its Dulux Assurance program into a full-scale pan-India warranty initiative, supported by a new multi-media campaign titled “Lage Shaandaar, Chale Shaandaar.” The campaign, conceptualised by Lowe Lintas and directed by the acclaimed Prasoon Pandey, captures the emotional and practical value of trust one brushstroke at a time.
    The Dulux Assurance program, originally launched to guarantee colour accuracy, uniform finish, and coverage across premium products like Dulux Velvet Touch, Dulux Weathershield Max, and Dulux Promise, has now evolved to offer a written, accessible warranty across both interior and exterior paints.
    This transformation is particularly significant in India’s fragmented paint landscape, where consumers often hesitate to trust premium products due to lack of post-purchase assurance. With Dulux Assurance, AkzoNobel has created a category-defining proposition: if Dulux paints fail to deliver on the promised quality parameters, the consumer is eligible for a product replacement.

    Building Trust in Every Corner of the Country
    What sets the current rollout apart is its grassroots activation strategy. Dulux Assurance’s new leg reaches beyond metros into peri-urban towns and rural clusters like Vellikulangara (Kerala), Merta (Rajasthan), Darrang (Assam), and Halvad (Gujarat). These are regions where word-of-mouth, generational loyalty, and painter trust still play dominant roles in brand selection.
    “Our customers don’t just paint their homes they express emotion, identity, and aspiration,” said Rajiv Rajgopal, Managing Director of AkzoNobel India. “With Dulux Assurance, we are delivering more than a paint product. We’re delivering a commitment one that holds across geography, weather, and wear.”
    According to Rajgopal, the expansion into a formalised warranty system also reflects the evolving expectations of Indian home owners who now see their home aesthetics as an extension of personal and social identity while still expecting product dependability.

    A Campaign That Paints Emotions, Not Just Walls
    The “Lage Shaandaar, Chale Shaandaar” campaign doesn’t focus on celebrities or glitz, it leans into realism. Shot by legendary filmmaker Prasoon Pandey, the TVC focuses on slice-of-life moments where colour and finish become symbolic of pride, celebration, and familial milestones.
    Through relatable characters like a newly married couple painting their first home or a grandmother overseeing a festive renovation the film explores how visual perfection enhances emotional satisfaction. The campaign will roll out in seven Indian languages across TV, digital platforms, and cinema halls, aiming to reach consumers across demographic and linguistic divides.
    The phrase “Lage Shaandaar, Chale Shaandaar” does double duty—it reaffirms Dulux’s visual excellence while anchoring the long-term reliability promised by the warranty.

    The Brand Behind the Brush
    As part of AkzoNobel, a global leader in coatings and paints with brands like Dulux, International, Sikkens, and Interpon, the India business has steadily positioned itself as a consumer-first entity that blends European R&D standards with Indian lifestyle aesthetics. Dulux Assurance, in many ways, is an articulation of this strategy local relevance backed by global reliability.
    The warranty program covers three key areas:
    • Colour Accuracy: The shade chosen is the shade delivered
    • Uniform Finish: No patchiness, streaks, or unexpected texture
    • Coverage Promise: The amount of paint covers the declared area

    Each product under Dulux Assurance is tagged with an easy-to-activate warranty code that allows the consumer to register their purchase. Should a defect arise, an inspection is arranged and product replacement initiated without the ambiguity that often surrounds service claims in the home improvement sector.

    Setting a New Benchmark in the Paint Industry
    In India’s ₹70,000 crore decorative paint market, where brands are increasingly competing on price, branding, and visual appeal, AkzoNobel’s Dulux Assurance is a standout in the ‘guaranteed outcome’ space—especially in premium emulsions and weatherproofing segments.
    This strategy reflects an important market shift. Indian homeowners, particularly in Tier 2 and 3 cities, are moving from short-term repainting cycles to more value-conscious decisions. The warranty-backed promise now positions Dulux as a lifestyle essential rather than a seasonal expense.
    Looking Ahead
    As climate resilience, smart home design, and material longevity become critical consumer considerations, paint as a category will continue to evolve. For AkzoNobel India, this means focusing not just on colour palettes, but on trust as a product feature.
    With “Lage Shaandaar, Chale Shaandaar”, Dulux Assurance is no longer just a marketing promise. It is a nationwide standard. One that tells Indian consumers: we see your walls, we see your aspirations, and we’re here to stand by them.
    At Prittle Prattle News, we honor your dedication and inventiveness led by showcasing you in a positive light. Under the direction of Editor-in-Chief Smruti Bhalerao, our platform is committed to disseminating powerful narratives that raise awareness and motivate change. For more important stories, follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube.

  • Escape Plan Recruits Expertise from Myntra, Samsonite, Wipro, and More to Drive Brand Growth

    Team enhancements include CFO, CBO, sourcing and commercial heads to sharpen travel gear execution

    In a decisive step toward scaling its travel gear ecosystem, Escape Plan has announced a series of high-calibre leadership appointments across finance, business, sourcing, and operations. The newly inducted team includes professionals from some of India’s most trusted and design-driven brands, including Samsonite, Myntra, Wipro, Porter, Aditya Birla Group, and Blissclub. This move signals the company’s ambitions to not only compete but lead in India’s growing lifestyle-travel segment.
    Sitting at the heart of this revamp is Pankaj Shroff, who takes over as Chief Financial Officer. With past tenures at KPMG, Ernst & Young, and most recently Porter, where he was CFO, Shroff brings over two decades of finance and compliance expertise. He will be responsible for charting Escape Plan’s financial roadmap, strengthening investor relations, and embedding fiscal discipline as the brand moves into its next phase of growth.

    Also joining the core team is Soumen Samanta, who has been named Chief Business Officer and Founding Member. A graduate of XLRI Jamshedpur, Samanta has previously held pivotal roles at Swiggy, Myntra, Meesho, Aditya Birla Group, and was most recently part of the CXO team at Blissclub. At Escape Plan, he will lead business expansion, growth strategy, and execution across retail channels, both online and offline.
    On the sourcing and vendor management front, Anuj Singh brings a wealth of experience from his tenure at Samsonite South Asia, where he served as Director of Sourcing. He now leads the end-to-end supply chain for Escape Plan, ensuring that the brand’s design language is matched by material quality and scalable manufacturing partnerships.

    Rounding out the leadership slate is Rohit Rungta, who has joined as Chief Commercial Officer and a Founding Member. With a background that includes roles at Wipro and Cuemath, Rungta is tasked with overseeing cross-functional strategy, commercial planning, and operational delivery.
    This collective shift in leadership comes at a time when Escape Plan is quickly gaining traction for its stylish, durable, and thoughtfully designed travel gear. Launched with a mission to make travel products that are as aesthetic as they are functional, the brand currently offers a range of luggage, backpacks, and accessories distributed across marketplaces and retail kiosks with an omnichannel app in the pipeline.

    Co-founded by Abhinav Pathak, previously co-founder at Perpule (acquired by Amazon), and Abhinav Zutshi, a former retail head at Splash and Forever 21 India, Escape Plan has set its sights on becoming a consumer-first lifestyle brand. In just one quarter of operations, the company has already crossed an ARR of ₹100 crore, backed by strategic investments from Fireside Ventures and Jungle Ventures.
    Speaking on the appointments, Pathak said:
    “What we’re building isn’t just a luggage brand, it’s a platform where travel meets identity. Each member of this team brings a unique lens on scale, sustainability, and user experience.”

    Zutshi added:
    “Retail is a high-stakes category, especially in travel. Execution matters as much as design. This team understands the mechanics behind high-growth consumer brands and they’re here to help Escape Plan become one of them.”
    The addition of experienced leaders across verticals enables the company to manage rapid scale without compromising on user experience or operational maturity. It also reflects a broader trend in India’s D2C ecosystem, where challenger brands are drawing top talent from legacy and unicorn organisations.
    As the company doubles down on product innovation, tech-backed retail, and brand identity, Escape Plan’s newest hires are expected to play a pivotal role in making the brand synonymous with modern travel essentials in India and eventually, global markets.
    At Prittle Prattle News, we honor your dedication and inventiveness led by showcasing you in a positive light. Under the direction of Editor-in-Chief Smruti Bhalerao, our platform is committed to disseminating powerful narratives that raise awareness and motivate change. For more important stories, follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube.

  • Automation Meets Storage: Honeywell’s New System Targets Grid-Ready Factories

    With storage sizes from 250 kWh to 5 MWh, the unit is built for large sites facing energy load challenges and automation needs.

    In a move aimed at addressing the rising energy demands of modern industries, Honeywell has introduced a compact, integrated battery energy storage system named Ionic™ Modular All-in-One. Designed for both commercial and industrial use, this newly launched platform combines lithium-ion storage, a built-in energy management system, and industrial-grade cybersecurity into a single modular unit.
    The Honeywell Ionic system enables businesses to monitor, store, and optimize energy consumption in real time crucial for facilities where power stability is non-negotiable. With modular configurations starting from 250 kilowatt-hours and scaling up to 5 megawatt-hours, the system supports a wide spectrum of energy needs, from mid-sized commercial buildings to large-scale operational plants.

    Unlike conventional battery banks that often require external control systems and fragmented integration, Ionic includes a native control and energy management layer. This allows operators to automate energy decisions, regulate load balancing, and respond to fluctuations in supply and demand with minimal manual intervention. Its embedded ISA Secure 2-compliant cybersecurity architecture ensures that all energy operations remain protected from external threats, offering resilience in an increasingly digital energy landscape.
    What sets the solution apart is its ability to operate either independently or under Honeywell’s Remote Operations Center, giving users the option to manage the system on-site or let Honeywell oversee its performance remotely. This flexibility is particularly valuable for industries operating in regions with grid instability, or for enterprises scaling toward more autonomous energy operations.

    Jim Masso, President of Honeywell Process Solutions, noted that industrial customers are increasingly looking for compact, secure systems that offer visibility and control. “Honeywell Ionic addresses a clear market need. It’s an energy automation platform engineered to help users stabilize costs, improve uptime, and reduce dependency on grid reliability,” he said in the official announcement.
    While large battery energy storage systems have traditionally been seen in utility-scale deployments, the Ionic system is engineered for use in high-consumption private sector facilities. These could include logistics hubs, data centers, production lines, and even campuses seeking to balance renewable input with operational demand.

    The launch of the Ionic platform also reflects Honeywell’s broader shift toward solutions that support global sustainability goals. As part of its “Energy and Sustainability Solutions” business unit, the company is positioning this new product at the intersection of clean energy use and industrial continuity.
    Available globally starting September 2025, the Ionic Modular All-in-One unit is expected to see early adoption in markets like India, where industrial energy consumption is growing rapidly and grid conditions remain variable in several regions.

    Honeywell’s approach with Ionic is not to disrupt but to reinforce. By embedding storage, automation, analytics, and cybersecurity into a single hardware-software product, the company aims to redefine how industries interact with power: not just as consumers, but as active managers of their own grid resilience.
    At Prittle Prattle News, we honor your dedication and inventiveness led by showcasing you in a positive light. Under the direction of Editor-in-Chief Smruti Bhalerao, our platform is committed to disseminating powerful narratives that raise awareness and motivate change. For more important stories, follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube.

  • OutSpark Crosses ₹30 Cr ARR with 200K Users, Reshaping Career-Tech for India’s Digital Workforce

    With AI resume packs, LinkedIn branding tools, and engagement automation, the platform gives jobseekers access to the same tech advantage as modern recruiters now expanding beyond India.

    At a time when hiring is becoming increasingly algorithmic and digital-first, OutSpark has quietly emerged as one of India’s most disruptive career-tech platforms. The company recently crossed a ₹30 crore annual recurring revenue (ARR) milestone and now serves more than 200,000 paying users figures that place it at the forefront of the country’s growing professional enablement ecosystem. This rapid scale, achieved in just over a year, is fueled by a sharp understanding of what job seekers actually need to succeed in an AI-filtered job market: visibility, credibility, and automation.
    Founded by Kumar Apoorv, OutSpark aims to make modern hiring intelligence accessible to individuals, not just enterprises. In traditional hiring ecosystems, most advanced tools such as AI resume parsing, engagement sequencing, and profile optimization have historically been the domain of recruiters, hiring firms, and internal HR departments. Job seekers, on the other hand, have relied on static resumes, outdated PDFs, and generic application portals that offer little real-time feedback or guidance. OutSpark reverses that dynamic. It arms candidates with technology that’s as sharp, precise, and strategic as the systems used to evaluate them.

    The platform’s central promise is to transform any user’s job search from passive to programmatic. Its most-used product is a pack of hyper-personalized resumes tailored to individual job descriptions. Users input their target roles, and the system generates up to ten resume variants that are keyword-optimized to bypass applicant tracking systems. For job seekers competing with thousands of applicants per listing, these nuances matter especially as more companies rely on AI filters to shortlist talent before human review even begins.
    Another popular feature is the LinkedIn makeover suite, which includes everything from profile rewrites to studio-grade AI headshots. This is not cosmetic. In modern hiring, a LinkedIn profile is often the first (and sometimes only) artifact viewed by recruiters. A polished headline, clear summary, and aligned skills can directly impact a candidate’s visibility in recruiter search results. OutSpark’s automation engine also generates daily post suggestions and comment prompts to keep user profiles active and visible, a crucial advantage in a platform that rewards consistent engagement.

    In numbers alone, OutSpark’s impact is significant. The platform has reviewed more than two million resumes and LinkedIn profiles to date. It has helped generate over 300,000 customized resumes and has completed more than 20,000 LinkedIn transformations. Its proprietary LinkedIn Co-Pilot is used by mid-career professionals, fresh graduates, and even returning women professionals looking to reboot stalled careers. The company’s retention metrics are equally notable more than 50% of its revenue comes from existing users upgrading to higher-value plans, which include one-on-one consultations and job strategy workshops.
    OutSpark also serves recruiters, albeit in a different capacity. The company operates a growing talent intelligence ecosystem that helps hiring partners access profiles from a pool of over 30 million passive and one million active job seekers. This ecosystem is not a conventional job board. It is layered with AI models that continuously score and update candidate profiles, ensuring that the talent pipeline remains current and relevant. Recruiters can search by skills, engagement patterns, geography, and even predicted mobility creating a more fluid match between openings and applicants.

    A key part of OutSpark’s thesis is that job readiness should not be dependent on access to expensive consultants or networks. Instead, the platform is positioned as a self-serve, affordable career operating system one that can be used by a software engineer in Bangalore, a marketing associate in Pune, or a student from a Tier 2 city applying to roles across borders. By democratizing tools that were previously gatekept, the platform builds not just individual careers but a new model of market-ready talent.
    The company’s growth trajectory over the last seven months has been steep. Revenue has multiplied 4x during this period, with the platform consistently expanding both user volume and ticket size. Part of this growth has come from word-of-mouth within job search communities and alumni networks, where successful placements often prompt referrals. Another reason is that job seekers are increasingly seeking control over their narratives — and are willing to invest in tools that deliver measurable outcomes.

    Looking ahead, OutSpark has announced plans to expand beyond India. The roadmap includes a localized rollout in the United States, Europe, and Southeast Asia, along with partnerships with international recruitment platforms. New features are also in development, including a job application co-pilot that automates end-to-end job search actions, hyper-personalized alerts based on company hiring cycles, and voice-based resume generation for blue- and grey-collar sectors. Each of these product moves aligns with the company’s broader vision of building the world’s largest AI-first talent platform.
    Even in a market saturated with edtech pivots and career platforms, OutSpark’s positioning remains distinct. It is not a job board, a resume builder, or a coaching hub. It is a layered digital engine that understands the algorithms behind modern hiring and builds its tools to help users beat those very systems. The idea is not to gamify hiring, but to level the playing field in a process that increasingly favors those with digital visibility.

    Kumar Apoorv, the platform’s founder and CEO, has often spoken about how the future of hiring is being shaped by software, but the future of employability will still be shaped by people. “OutSpark is about restoring control to the candidate,” he said at a recent career-tech summit. “We believe job seekers deserve the same level of technical sophistication that recruiters have always enjoyed. And that’s what we’re building not a tool, but an equalizer.”
    As India’s workforce becomes younger, more mobile, and increasingly remote, platforms like OutSpark will likely define how careers are built, sustained, and scaled. For now, the numbers speak clearly: in an ecosystem crowded with promises, this is one that’s delivering results user by user, resume by resume.
    At Prittle Prattle News, we honor your dedication and inventiveness led by showcasing you in a positive light. Under the direction of Editor-in-Chief Smruti Bhalerao, our platform is committed to disseminating powerful narratives that raise awareness and motivate change. For more important stories, follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube.

  • ADP India celebrates 26 years of Excellence in Hyderabad; charts India’s strategic role for the Decade Ahead

    Over 3,800 associates in Hyderabad came together to celebrate with a vibrant showcase of talent and team spirit

     ADP India, a leading provider of Human Resources Management Software & Services, celebrated its 26th Company Anniversary with great enthusiasm at HICC, Novotel Hyderabad. The commemorative event witnessed a spirited gathering of over 3,800 ADP associates, joined by members of ADP’s global leadership, to mark the company’s remarkable journey and continued growth.
    As part of the festivities themed “Think Beyond for a New Era,” ADP associates showcased their creativity and talent through a series of engaging performances. The evening featured live music and high-energy dance sequences. The celebrations reflected ADP’s people-first culture and the values that have been central to its success for more than two decades in India.

    Over the last 26 years, ADP India has grown from 102 associates to over 13,000 associates. What started as a back-office operation has transformed into a hub for high-value, innovation-driven work. Today, ADP India is recognized as the backbone of ADP’s innovation and business process improvement efforts. From solving complex global challenges to developing scalable solutions, ADP’s India teams are at the center of new technology deployments, process advancements, and service excellence.

    The company continues to invest in emerging technologies such as AI and Generative AI, while at the same time focusing on empowering associates with the right skills to thrive in a changing workplace. This dual focus on technology and people ensures that ADP remains ready to shape the future of Human Capital Management (HCM) worldwide. With the global HCM market valued at $120 billion and ADP contributing $20 billion today, the organization sees tremendous headroom for growth, where India is set to play a defining role in the next decade and beyond.

    Speaking at the event, Mr. Vijay Vemulapalli, Managing Director and General Manager, ADP Pvt. Ltd., said, “Commemorating 26 years of ADP India is a significant milestone for us. This journey has been shaped by the dedication, innovation, and perseverance of our associates – our ADPeers. They have played a vital role in our growth across Technology and Services. This celebration reflects our culture, our people, and the values that drive us. As we celebrate under the theme ‘Think Beyond for a New Era,’ we’re not only looking back at what we’ve achieved but also forward to what’s possible. We are extremely committed to fostering an inclusive, future-ready workplace that remains stronger than ever.”

    A highlight of the evening was the awards segment, recognizing extraordinary contributions by associates across technology, services, and innovation. The event concluded with an electrifying DJ set and gala dinner, bringing together ADP associates and leadership in a memorable evening of pride, enthusiasm and camaraderie.
    About ADP
    ADP has been shaping the world of work with innovation and expertise for more than 75 years. As a global leader in HR and payroll solutions, ADP continuously aims to solve complex business challenges for our clients and their workers. Always Designing for People means ADP focuses on people, leveraging our unparalleled data insights and innovative technology to elevate human potential. More than 1.1 million clients across 140+ countries trust ADP’s unique expertise and exceptional service to support their people and drive their businesses forward.For more information on ADP, please visit: in.adp.com
    At Prittle Prattle News, we honor your dedication and inventiveness led by showcasing you in a positive light. Under the direction of Editor-in-Chief Smruti Bhalerao, our platform is committed to disseminating powerful narratives that raise awareness and motivate change. For more important stories, follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube.

  • Why board directors need legal retainers after training

    Niranjan Gidwani argues that annual retainer partnerships with ethical legal firms can help directors and CXOs manage rising governance risks, avoid liabilities, and focus on strategic oversight

    In today’s business environment, the responsibilities of independent directors and CXOs extend far beyond quarterly reviews and strategy discussions. As Niranjan Gidwani, industry veteran and former CEO of Eros Digital, points out, directors are now personally accountable for decisions that fall under an expanding web of compliance, governance and shareholder scrutiny.
    While director training programmes and certifications have grown in recent years, Gidwani suggests that education alone is no longer enough. He highlights the growing case for annual legal retainer ships structured arrangements where boards and senior leaders partner with reputable law firms to provide continuous oversight, preventive advice and crisis management.

    “Training gives directors awareness of duties. But when facing complex disputes, regulatory filings, or whistle-blower cases, directors cannot rely solely on memory or intent. A standing retainer with an ethical legal partner ensures timely access to expert counsel and reduces the risk of personal liability,” Gidwani notes.
    He adds that such retainerships help directors focus on strategy while delegating the interpretation of evolving statutes to professionals. For listed companies, this could mean fewer surprises in regulatory inspections. For startups, it could protect founders-turned-directors from avoidable litigation.

    The argument also comes at a time when Indian courts are increasingly holding directors accountable for lapses ranging from ESG disclosures to cybersecurity oversight. With SEBI, RBI and other regulators tightening compliance frameworks, Gidwani says a retainer is no longer a luxury but a governance necessity.

    For companies, the value goes beyond risk mitigation. Properly structured retainers also build credibility with investors, demonstrating that the board is proactive in protecting shareholder interests. “It signals that directors want to focus on creating value while ensuring checks and balances are in place,” he adds. He also adds ” Maybe such services are available already, but not marketed well and no one seems to have taken prime space in this area. Like chartered accounts do for their clients, there should be firms handling the entire file of a director once he or she gets on board. All documentation submissions, meeting deadlines etc”.
    Analysts in the corporate governance space agree that the idea of board-level retainerships is still under-discussed in India but may soon become standard practice, especially as director liabilities expand under new laws.
    At Prittle Prattle News, we honor your dedication and inventiveness led by showcasing you in a positive light. Under the direction of Editor-in-Chief Smruti Bhalerao, our platform is committed to disseminating powerful narratives that raise awareness and motivate change. For more important stories, follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube.

  • India’s push for greener pharmaceuticals gains momentum with Granules India and NIPER Mohali research centre

    Dr. Chigurupati Centre of Excellence will advance eco-friendly drug development, green technology IP, and training of future scientists, combining Granules India’s industry expertise with NIPER Mohali’s academic leadership.

    India’s effort to build a sustainable pharmaceutical ecosystem has received a significant boost with the establishment of the Dr. Chigurupati Centre of Excellence at NIPER Mohali, created in partnership with Granules India.
    The facility is dedicated to advancing green pharmaceutical research, with a focus on developing eco-friendly drug manufacturing methods, building intellectual property around green technologies, and equipping future scientists with skills in sustainable drug design.

    The centre is named after Dr. Krishna Prasad Chigurupati, Chairman and Managing Director of Granules India, in recognition of his contributions to the pharmaceutical sector and his advocacy for sustainable practices. The academic direction will be led by Dr. Arvind K. Bansal, with overall guidance from Prof. Dulal Panda, Director of NIPER Mohali.
    Executives from Granules India said the initiative reflects the company’s vision of aligning business growth with environmental responsibility. They added that the collaboration with NIPER brings together the strengths of industry and academia to address global calls for greener healthcare supply chains.

    For NIPER Mohali, the centre is an opportunity to strengthen its research ecosystem and provide students with direct exposure to challenges at the intersection of science, business, and sustainability. Faculty members highlighted that such collaborations can help Indian scientists lead the way in eco-friendly pharmaceuticals, at a time when global regulators are pushing for lower carbon footprints across drug lifecycles.

    Observers in the pharmaceutical sector noted that partnerships like this are vital as India aims to maintain its position as the “pharmacy of the world” while also meeting sustainability benchmarks set by global markets. By fostering innovation in green chemistry and drug design, the centre is expected to play a role in shaping the next generation of pharmaceutical practices.

    At Prittle Prattle News, we honor your dedication and inventiveness led by showcasing you in a positive light. Under the direction of Editor-in-Chief Smruti Bhalerao, our platform is committed to disseminating powerful narratives that raise awareness and motivate change. For more important stories, follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube.

  • Coromandel scales up farm retail with 1000 Gromor outlets, adds new store in Maharashtra

    The company says its agri-retail network now reaches 3 million farmers, with the latest Apla Gromor outlet at Kashti village in Ahilyanagar serving 25 villages with inputs, advisory and digital tools

    Coromandel International, the agriculture solutions company of the Murugappa Group, has taken its organised retail network for farmers past the 1,000-store mark with the opening of a new Apla Gromor outlet in Kashti village, Ahilyanagar, Maharashtra.
    The store will cater to around 25 neighbouring villages, offering a combination of crop inputs, soil health services, agri-advisory, credit access, and digital farming solutions. With this addition, Coromandel said its Gromor network now serves about 3 million farmers across Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka and Maharashtra.

    The Apla Gromor chain was first launched in 2007 as one of India’s earliest attempts at organised agri-retail. Over time, the format has expanded from providing seeds, fertilisers and crop protection products to delivering a full-service model that includes soil testing, information on best practices, and digital tools for precision farming.
    Speaking at the launch, Arun Alagappan, Executive Chairman of Coromandel International, said the milestone reflects the company’s long-term commitment to supporting rural communities. He noted that Coromandel plans to double the size of the network in the next two years as part of its strategy to expand farmer services and strengthen rural ecosystems.

    The company added that Gromor outlets have also become important for introducing sustainable farming practices, such as integrated pest management and balanced crop nutrition, to smaller farmers who often lack access to formal agronomic guidance.

    Analysts see Coromandel’s push as part of a broader trend of corporates investing in rural retail to improve supply chains and provide farmers with reliable access to products and advice. With state-run co-operatives and unorganised dealers still dominating the market, organised players like Coromandel are positioning themselves as trusted one-stop shops.
    At Prittle Prattle News, we honor your dedication and inventiveness led by showcasing you in a positive light. Under the direction of Editor-in-Chief Smruti Bhalerao, our platform is committed to disseminating powerful narratives that raise awareness and motivate change. For more important stories, follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube.

  • AbhiBus adds seven SRTC integrations and now covers 17 state services across India

    The ixigo Group platform has onboarded ASTC, SBSTC, TSRTC, PRTC, KSRTC, SNT and UTC, joining GSRTC, BSRTC, RSRTC, HRTC, UPSRTC, JKSRTC, APSRTC, KTCL and WBTC for nationwide public bus booking; COO Rohit Sharma said the move expands reliable, affordable options for travellers

    Online bus booking platform AbhiBus, part of the ixigo Group, has announced a significant expansion of its public transport network. With the integration of seven new State Road Transport Corporations (SRTCs), the platform now provides access to 17 state services across India.
    The newly added SRTCs are the Assam State Transport Corporation (ASTC), South Bengal State Transport Corporation (SBSTC), Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC), Punjab Road Transport Corporation (PRTC), Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC), Sikkim Nationalised Transport (SNT) and the Uttarakhand Transport Corporation (UTC).

    These services join an already extensive network of existing partners including Gujarat (GSRTC), Bihar (BSRTC), Rajasthan (RSRTC), Himachal Pradesh (HRTC), Uttar Pradesh (UPSRTC), Jammu & Kashmir (JKSRTC), Andhra Pradesh (APSRTC), Kadamba Transport Corporation, Goa (KTCL) and the West Bengal Transport Corporation (WBTC).
    With the expansion, travellers can now book intercity and interstate routes across nearly all regions of the country on AbhiBus, as well as on its group platforms ixigo and ConfirmTkt. The platform said this integration makes it easier for passengers to compare schedules, access dependable timetables and book affordable fares.

    Rohit Sharma, COO of AbhiBus, said the wider SRTC coverage reflects the company’s mission to make public bus travel more reliable and accessible. “Our goal is to ensure travellers across India have a single, trusted platform to book government-operated buses with the same ease and transparency they expect from private operators,” he noted.
    Industry analysts view this as part of a larger push by aggregators to bring India’s vast public bus ecosystem online. While private bus operators have long been listed on booking apps, the inclusion of multiple SRTCs helps formalise the state-run network for digital-first users.

    For passengers, the benefit lies in one-stop access. Routes from Assam to Sikkim, Telangana to Kerala, or Punjab to Uttarakhand can now be searched and booked in the same way as private buses. For the SRTCs, the tie-up offers broader distribution and a chance to reach millions of users who already book through ixigo’s travel apps.
    The move positions AbhiBus as one of the few platforms with near-national coverage of state-run bus services, a key differentiator in India’s competitive mobility market.
    At Prittle Prattle News, we honor your dedication and inventiveness led by showcasing you in a positive light. Under the direction of Editor-in-Chief Smruti Bhalerao, our platform is committed to disseminating powerful narratives that raise awareness and motivate change. For more important stories, follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube.

  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Japan visit sees TruAlt Bioenergy and Sumitomo sign bioenergy agreement in Tokyo

    The agreement includes new biogas plants in Karnataka and Maharashtra, future plans in ethanol and aviation fuel, and collaboration under Japan’s Joint Crediting Mechanism

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s official visit to Japan this week witnessed the signing of a significant clean energy agreement between TruAlt Bioenergy Limited of India and Sumitomo Corporation of Japan.
    The agreement was formalised at the Japan–India Next-Generation Economic Forum in Tokyo, held in the presence of Prime Minister Modi and his Japanese counterpart Shigeru Ishiba. It marks a new chapter in India–Japan cooperation on renewable energy and climate-focused technologies.

    The first phase of the agreement covers the construction of four compressed biogas (CBG) plants in Karnataka and Maharashtra. The projects are expected to generate about 700 jobs and support up to 1,000 additional rural livelihoods through feedstock supply and related services.
    Beyond the initial plants, the two companies said they plan to expand their cooperation to ethanol production and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), both seen as critical for India’s clean energy goals and global decarbonisation efforts.

    The joint venture will be structured with TruAlt holding 51 percent and Sumitomo 49 percent. The collaboration will operate under the Joint Crediting Mechanism (JCM), Japan’s framework that links international investment with measurable greenhouse gas reductions.
    Speaking at the event, Vijay Nirani, Founder and Managing Director of TruAlt Bioenergy, said the agreement reflects the shared vision of India and Japan to accelerate clean energy adoption while empowering farmers and rural communities. He added that biofuels are central to India’s path to energy independence.

    The agreement underscores how India and Japan are aligning national policy goals with private-sector collaboration. For Japan, it strengthens the reach of the JCM framework in South Asia. For India, it demonstrates how international technology and investment can support domestic targets under the Paris Agreement and the country’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
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