Bengaluru, 25 August 2026: India’s premier performance helmet brand, SMK Helmets, has achieved a significant milestone in helmet safety, with its top selling full-face helmet Typhoon receiving a 4-Star safety rating from SHARP (Safety Helmet Assessment and Rating Programme), the UK’s independent, government-funded helmet safety body. The achievement makes SMK the first Indian helmet manufacturer to secure a 4-Star SHARP rating.  

Run by the UK’s Department for Transport since 2007, SHARP was created to give riders safety information that goes beyond the pass/fail minimum required under regulatory certification such as ECE 22.05/22.06. Helmets are bought directly from UK retailers rather than supplied by manufacturers, so the models tested are the same ones available to riders. For every model, SHARP runs 32 impact tests across seven helmet samples of varying sizes, striking each helmet at five head zones under three linear impact speeds –  6, 7.5 and 8.5 metres per second, to measure the force transmitted to the head. And then, the helmet is rated out of a maximum 5 stars. The resulting star rating is one of the most closely watched independent safety benchmarks in the global helmet industry, and the Typhoon’s 4-Star score sits alongside ratings earned by decades-old global helmet brands tested under the same protocol. 

Commenting on the achievement, Mr. Sidhartha Bhushan Khurana, Managing Director & CEO at SMK said, “SMK has engineered helmets around top protection for years – The SHARP rating is simply independent, public validation of that approach. The Typhoon’s score reflects a standard we’ve held ourselves to well before any external test came along to measure it: materials, construction and design built to perform, not just to pass. Indian riders deserve helmets tested to the same yardstick as the world’s best-known brands, and this is a step toward making that the norm rather than the exception.” 

The full-face SMK Typhoon is built of Energy-Impact-Resistant Thermoplastic (EIRT) shell weighing ~ 1.6kg, and features a quick-release buckle, drop-down sun visor, Pinlock 30® Lens, anti-scratch visor coatings, and multi-point ventilation. It is certified to the ECE 22.06 standard set by the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), and is sold in seven sizes from XS to XXXL. The model is available across SMK’s authorized dealer network and online channels in India, starting from ₹5,200 (MRP). 

The Typhoon’s SHARP rating and this year’s entry into international motorsport, as technical helmet sponsor of the Moto4 Latin Cup, are two sides of the same effort –  years of engineering work behind a brand that’s begun to compete globally, not just sell globally. Across its helmet range, that shows up as a consistent emphasis on materials, construction and testing that goes beyond what regulation requires.

SMK helmets are already sold in more than 40 countries. The SHARP rating is a testament to the fact that Indian helmet engineering can now compete with long-established international brands on measured safety performance, not price alone. 

Link to the SHARP SMK Typhoon Helmet Safety Rating: https://sharp.dft.gov.uk/helmets/smk-typhoon/

Delhi, August 24, 2026: College Rivals Season 4, India’s premier collegiate gaming and youth culture movement, today announced EA SPORTS as its Official Game Partner for the upcoming season, bringing EA SPORTS FC Mobile to campuses across India.

With an estimated 300 million football fans, India is one of the world’s largest football audiences. The collaboration reflects the growing intersection of football, gaming and youth culture, bringing one of the world’s leading football gaming experiences closer to the country’s next generation of gamers.

The partnership aims to bring its games closer to India’s next generation of gaming enthusiasts by making it a core part of the College Rivals experience. Across 80+ colleges in 35+ cities, students will engage through on-campus activations, competitive esports formats, creator-led experiences and community initiatives, also leveraging College Rivals’ nationwide student ambassador network.

As India’s largest collegiate gaming and youth culture movement, College Rivals continues to expand across multiple gaming platforms, spanning mobile, PC and console experiences. The partnership further reinforces this vision, bringing one of the world’s biggest football gaming franchises into the College Rivals ecosystem. It expands opportunities for students to connect, play, and compete, while celebrating the passion, creativity and competitive spirit of young gamers across the country.

The collaboration will also explore campaigns aligned with key gaming and entertainment moments throughout the season, including opportunities around the highly anticipated launch of EA SPORTS FC 27, further strengthening the connection between football gaming, youth culture and campus communities.

Season 4 marks College Rivals’ most ambitious edition yet, featuring a season-long calendar of campus activations, online competitions and community-led experiences across 100+ colleges in 40+ cities.  Built for India’s Gen Z audience, the platform merges gaming, pop culture, music, and dance through immersive experiences. GamingCon Bharat will serve as one of several marquee on-ground moments during the season, alongside digital experiences and campus engagement across the country.

Commenting on the partnership, Ashutosh Sharma, Head of Publishing for India and SEA, EA SPORTS said, “India is an incredibly exciting market for gaming, with a young, connected audience and a deep passion for football. Our partnership with College Rivals gives us an opportunity to bring EA SPORTS FC Mobile closer to students in an authentic, community-led way, creating more opportunities for players to connect, compete and share their love of the world’s game. We are excited to work with College Rivals to build meaningful experiences across campuses and strengthen our connection with the next generation of players in India.”

Charlie Baillie, CEO Ampverse Group, said, “College Rivals has always been about building communities and creating meaningful opportunities for young audiences to engage with gaming and entertainment. Our partnership with EA SPORTS strengthens this vision by bringing one of the world’s most recognised football gaming experiences closer to India’s college ecosystem. Together, we aim to create experiences that go beyond competition and help foster a deeper connection between students, gaming and youth culture.”

Through this partnership, College Rivals and EA SPORTS FC Mobile Season Update aim to further strengthen the gaming ecosystem in India by creating accessible and engaging experiences for students while celebrating the passion, creativity and competitive spirit of young gamers across the country.

The appointments bring seasoned banking, treasury and governance experience to slice as it enters its next phase of growth. Samir Sawhney brings over three decades of banking experience in India and abroad, spanning treasury and investment management, retail operations, marketing and human resources. Until recently, he served as chief executive of RMBS Development Company, set up by the National Housing Bank to develop India’s residential mortgage-backed securities market. Before that, he spent over 34 years at State Bank of India. As Chief General Manager, Global Markets, he headed the bank’s treasury, managing a domestic portfolio of over Rs. 16.5 lakh crore and foreign assets of over $10 billion. He also served as Chairman of FEDAI, representing banks on foreign exchange matters in their engagement with the Reserve Bank of India.

Commenting on his appointment, Samir Sawhney, Executive Director, slice, said: “slice is building a bank for a new India, one where technology brings banking to more people at a fraction of the traditional cost. I have spent my career in banking and treasury across cycles and am excited to bring that experience to a young institution that is thinking about banking in a fresh way. I look forward to working with Rajan and the team as slice builds for the long term.”

Ramesh Kumar brings more than 30 years of leadership experience across banking, financial services, technology and digital innovation. He spent two decades at ICICI Bank as Head of Technology Management Group and Software Development, where he led technology strategy, infrastructure and mobile and digital banking platforms serving millions of customers. Earlier, he led core banking implementation at State Bank of India. His focus areas include technology governance, cybersecurity, operational resilience and digital transformation. Mr Kumar has previously worked closely with slice as an advisor during its integration and merger with North East Small Finance Bank.

Ramesh Kumar, Independent Director, slice, said: “I have watched slice closely, including during its merger with North East Small Finance Bank, and how it is using technology to reimagine banking. Strong technology governance and operational resilience are the foundation of trust in banking, and I look forward to contributing to slice’s journey as it builds a modern, safe and customer-first bank.”

Rajan Bajaj, MD & CEO, slice, said: “To have two board members of this experience, and rarer still to find it together, means a great deal to us.

We are a young bank earning its place among the best-run institutions in India. Having people on our board who have seen banking across cycles, and who believe in what technology can do for the customer, makes us stronger. We are very early in what is possible, and I am glad to have them with us for the journey ahead.”

The bank will continue to combine steady growth with responsible underwriting while investing in technology that keeps banking simple and intuitive.

Mumbai: Within India’s expanding professional learning market, a distinct pattern is beginning to emerge. Women are choosing structured, credential-backed programmes across healthcare, human resources, leadership, finance, technology and project management. TimesPro’s application data shows that women account for 28% of all programme applications on the platform. Their presence is particularly pronounced in disciplines centred on people, organisations and care, while participation is also visible across finance, technology and strategy, areas where female representation has traditionally been more uneven.

India’s ambition to bring more women into economic activity has become increasingly explicit. The Union Budget 2025–26 placed women-led development within the wider Viksit Bharat vision, with an ambition of having 70% of women engaged in economic activities by 2047. Translating that ambition into meaningful workforce participation will depend not only on women entering employment, but also on their ability to remain, progress and take on greater responsibility across sectors. Against this backdrop, professional learning assumes particular relevance. Structured programmes with recognised credentials can help women deepen domain knowledge, build capabilities for changing roles and strengthen their professional standing as they navigate different stages of their careers.

The TimesPro data makes these choices more visible. In human resource management, women constitute 62% of programme applicants, making them a clear majority in a field that has itself evolved from a largely administrative function into one with significant influence over talent, culture and organisational strategy. In healthcare management, women represent 47% of applicants, reflecting their substantial presence in a sector undergoing rapid professionalisation. Women also account for 32% of applicants to leadership and strategy programmes and 28% across finance and technology, disciplines in which representation has historically been less balanced. Significantly, the application-to-enrolment conversion rate for women is 28%, the same as for men, suggesting no discernible difference in follow-through once the decision to apply has been made. 

Dr. Brillian S.K., Chief People Officer and Head – Places & Processes, TimesPro, said “What interests me most is not only where women are applying, but the seriousness with which they are making those choices. We are seeing women invest in capabilities that can broaden the scope of their careers, from people leadership and healthcare to finance, AI-led technology and strategy. It tells us that professional learning is becoming an important part of how women prepare themselves for greater responsibility and longer-term career progression.”

Taken together, the data points to something larger than participation in individual programmes. Women are increasingly using professional learning as the medium to strengthen their position in the labour market and prepare for roles with greater complexity and responsibility. Learning alone cannot close the gender gap, but access to credible, relevant professional education can become an important part of that progression. As India works towards its workforce participation ambitions and a more inclusive economy, the demand for such pathways is likely to assume greater significance. For TimesPro, the pattern emerging from the data is clear: women are approaching professional learning not as a peripheral credential, but as a considered investment in where they want their careers to go.

Moving beyond the conventional brother-sister narrative, the campaign explores a broader and more relatable idea of bhaichara, the unspoken bond of support, affection, and loyalty shared across relationships. Through six episodes, ‘Makeup Ka Bhaichara’ brings these moments to life through a mix of humour, emotion, and everyday relatability. The campaign captures the little fights, inside jokes, shared chaos, and quiet gestures of care that make relationships special, offering a contemporary take on what Rakhi can mean to today’s consumers.

Commenting on the campaign, Mihir Jain, Director, Insight Cosmetics, said, “This Rakhi, we wanted to celebrate the feeling behind Rakhi, the people who have your back, in big ways and small. That’s what led to ‘Makeup Ka Bhaichara.’ Our collaboration with Zepto and Smoor allowed us to take that idea beyond content and turn it into an experience. From the nostalgia of Rakhi ka meetha to getting your beauty favourites delivered through Zepto, we wanted the entire experience to feel surprising, relevant, and genuinely fun.”

Taking the campaign from screen to doorstep, Insight Cosmetics has collaborated exclusively with Zepto to introduce the ‘Makeup Ka Bhaichara’ Celebration Edit, bringing together beauty and festive indulgence in one curated box. The limited-edition edit pairs Insight Cosmetics’ beauty offerings with Smoor Chocolates, adding a premium take to the traditional Rakhi custom of sharing something sweet.

Kuch meetha chahiye? Mil jayega.
Kuch makeup chahiye? Woh bhi Zepto pe mil jayega.
Bhaichara celebrate karna hai? Ab woh bhi with Insight X Zepto.

Insight cosmetics X Zepto Special : https://www.instagram.com/p/DcLnWvXoSfY/

Episode 1 Bhaichara Campaign  : https://www.instagram.com/p/DcQweY1NcsB/

Episode 2 Bhaichara Campaign : https://www.instagram.com/p/DcV6DG8tE_v/

INDIA — Aug. 20, 2026 — Nutanix (NASDAQ: NTNX), a hybrid cloud leader and AI innovator, and ChronoScale Holdings Corporation (NASDAQ: CHRN), an accelerated compute platform purpose-built to support demanding artificial intelligence workloads, today announced a strategic partnership to jointly deliver enterprise-ready AI infrastructure and help accelerate adoption of AI services across global markets.

The partnership brings together complementary capabilities enterprise customers have historically had to assemble themselves — combining Nutanix’s full portfolio of agentic AI solutions with ChronoScale’s accelerated compute, enterprise AI foundry, and outcome-driven delivery model.

ChronoScale and Nutanix Platform Integration

ChronoScale plans to leverage Nutanix software within its AI infrastructure platform to help deliver a broad portfolio of accelerated compute and AI services. The parties expect Nutanix software to help support customer onboarding, tenant management, service automation, virtualized infrastructure, managed Kubernetes environments, and advanced AI service offerings. ChronoScale’s platform is designed to support a broad ecosystem of technology partners. The companies also intend to jointly maintain demonstration and proof-of-concept environments to support customer evaluations and accelerate adoption of agentic AI solutions in the enterprise.

Extended GPU capacity, on-premises and beyond

ChronoScale plans to extend the Nutanix on-premises cloud footprint with elastic access to modern GPU capacity. Customers are expected to be able to procure reserved capacity through ChronoScale GPU-as-a-Service (GPUaaS) for predictable workloads, or draw on ChronoScale Token Factory — pre-paid inference tokens backed by leading open-source models — for burst and experimental workloads. The parties intend to integrate both offerings with the Nutanix enterprise AI offerings, including Agent Gateway and Private Inferencing, with the goal of providing customers a single control plane across their on-premises environment and ChronoScale capacity.

ChronoScale Foundry, delivered through Nutanix

Nutanix will enable the deployment of ChronoScale Foundry, an enterprise AI foundry, inside the customer’s own environment, giving enterprises a managed platform to build, run, and govern agentic workflows locally. Agents, enterprise data, and workflow state remain within the customer’s boundary. Enterprise customers are expected to be able to deploy Foundry directly through the Nutanix Kubernetes Platform Catalog, extending Nutanix’s AI portfolio into managed agentic workloads.

The partnership is designed to help enterprises globally deploy production-scale AI environments faster, with greater operational simplicity, sovereignty, security, and scalability.

The partnership being announced today is underpinned by the strategic relationship and technology partnership that both ChronoScale and Nutanix have with NVIDIA. Chronoscale is an NVIDIA Cloud Partner (NCP), delivering an accelerated computing platform, built and optimized using NVIDIA-validated reference designs to deliver consistent performance at scale. Nutanix is an NVIDIA technology partner and ISV that has a suite of NVIDIA validated software to operate enterprise AI factories.

Together, ChronoScale and Nutanix intend to deliver an integrated platform built on NVIDIA AI economics that is designed to reduce operational complexity and accelerate time-to-value for enterprises adopting AI at scale. ChronoScale plans to deploy NVIDIA HGX B300 systems interconnected via NVIDIA Spectrum-X networking and NVIDIA AI Enterprise software, including NVIDIA NIM microservices and NVIDIA NeMo to deliver a production-ready stack.

Executive Commentary

“The next phase of AI is about making enterprise-grade infrastructure easier to consume and faster to deploy. This partnership with Nutanix brings together two complementary strengths — Nutanix’s proven cloud platform and ChronoScale’s accelerated compute, AI services, and Enterprise AI Foundry — to give customers a shorter, more sovereign path to production AI. It is an important milestone in our mission to become the platform where the global AI ecosystem converges.”

— Cenly Chen, Chief Executive Officer, ChronoScale

“Organizations are looking for a simpler path to deploying AI at scale. ChronoScale is building an impressive global AI infrastructure platform designed for the demands of modern AI workloads. Together, we will help enterprises accelerate their AI transformation by combining high-performance infrastructure with the operational simplicity, flexibility, and security that Nutanix delivers.”

— Tarkan Maner, President and Chief Commercial Officer, Nutanix

The partnership also establishes a framework that includes joint marketing activities, sales enablement, technical collaboration, joint solution development, and customer engagement programs. Nutanix and ChronoScale intend to work together to target Global 2000 organizations and other enterprise customers seeking scalable AI infrastructure and sovereign AI services. The companies intend to jointly maintain demonstration and proof-of-concept environments to support customer evaluations and accelerate enterprise adoption of Agentic AI solutions. The partnership is expected to be implemented through one or more definitive agreements.

New Delhi, August 19, 2026: The PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s Research Bureau has released its report “West Bengal: Mapping Agriculture and Industrial Investment Opportunities”, which assesses the State’s economic structure, factor endowments, agriculture, infrastructure, industrial ecosystem, export potential and sector-specific investment opportunities.

“The report concludes that West Bengal has a substantial base for accelerating industrialization and investment. It identifies the key opportunity as converting the State’s existing natural, human, industrial and logistical advantages into integrated, investment-ready manufacturing and export clusters said Mr. Rajeev Juneja, President, PHDCCI”.

Economic base provides scope for deeper manufacturing

According to the report, West Bengal’s GSDP increased from ₹6.10 lakh crore in FY2015-16 to ₹9.42 lakh crore in FY2024-25, representing a CAGR of about 4.95%, while GSVA grew at approximately 5.26% CAGR.

The report notes that services accounted for an average of about 42% of GSVA, while industry contributed about 23% during FY2015-16 to FY2024-25. It therefore identifies scope to deepen manufacturing while leveraging the State’s expanding services, knowledge and human-capital base.

Human capital is a major comparative advantage

West Bengal has a substantial educational and technical ecosystem, including IIT Kharagpur, ISI Kolkata, IIM Calcutta, IIEST Shibpur and Jadavpur University, along with a broad network of higher-education institutions. The report notes that literacy was about 85% in 2024-25.

However, the report also identifies a skills–industry mismatch. Unemployment among diploma holders and graduates remained relatively high, while employment growth in professional, scientific and technical activities was slower. It suggests that expansion in precision engineering, electronics, advanced manufacturing, R&D and technical services could strengthen employment absorption and labour productivity.

Investment-ready industrial land emerges as a critical priority

The report emphasises that the challenge is not simply the aggregate availability of industrial land, but the availability of large, contiguous, legally clear and infrastructure-ready parcels. It proposes a 5,000–10,000 acre rolling investment-ready industrial land pipeline, including 2,000–4,000 acres for anchor industries and 3,000–6,000 acres for MSMEs and supporting industries, along with dedicated parcels ranging from 50 acres to more than 500 acres.

The report proposes a Mega Industrial Parcel Programme targeting 32–47 large parcels and a Land Readiness/IRIP Score covering title clarity, land size, land use, roads, power, water, logistics, environmental suitability and development cost he said.

Infrastructure creates a platform for industrial expansion

The report highlights significant ongoing Central Government infrastructure investment in West Bengal. As of April 2026, 82 ongoing central-sector infrastructure projects in the State had a revised cost of approximately ₹1.47 lakh crore.

These projects span railways, roads, power, ports and inland waterways, coal, oil and gas and related infrastructure. The report identifies an opportunity to integrate infrastructure development with industrial policy, particularly around the Kolkata–Haldia–Durgapur–Kharagpur–Howrah industrial belt and connectivity to eastern, northeastern and neighbouring markets.

Value-chain deepening is central to the industrial strategy

The report identifies opportunities across automotive and components, chemicals, engineering, foundry, leather, power and energy, mining, maritime, rubber, solar, tea and textiles, alongside PLI-linked ecosystems covering electronics, pharmaceuticals, specialty steel, PV modules/ACCs, food processing and textiles.

The report’s common strategic theme is value-chain deepening rather than simply increasing production capacity. The report proposes a West Bengal Precision Manufacturing Mission focused on technology upgrading, common facilities, international certification, OEM–MSME supplier development, machinery finance and export development.

Howrah–Durgapur–Kharagpur identified as an advanced engineering corridor

The State’s traditional engineering base is identified as an important starting advantage. The report notes the substantial foundry ecosystem in Howrah and complementary capabilities in Durgapur, Kharagpur and Kalyani covering heavy engineering, machinery, research, precision manufacturing and industrial infrastructure.

The recommended focus includes precision components, railway components, automotive components, industrial machinery, aerospace and defence components, rather than immediately attempting to attract large OEMs across every segment.

Electronics and ESDM offer an opportunity to establish an Eastern India hub

The report proposes positioning West Bengal as “Eastern India’s Integrated Electronics & ESDM Hub”, building on Kolkata’s engineering and knowledge ecosystem, existing electronics manufacturing clusters at Naihati and Falta, technical institutions, ports and access to eastern and northeastern markets. The objective is to integrate West Bengal into national and global electronics value chains rather than focusing solely on assembly.

Renewable energy can support both energy transition and manufacturing

The report identifies substantial underutilised renewable-energy potential. Solar installed capacity increased from about 180 MW in 2023 to 321 MW in 2025, while estimated wind potential at a 150-metre hub height is about 1,281 MW, despite no installed wind capacity reported in the assessment.

The report links renewable-energy development with manufacturing opportunities in solar PV modules, battery materials and cells, battery packs and storage systems, solar mounting structures, electrical equipment and renewable-energy components, with differentiated clusters proposed at Haldia, Kharagpur, Durgapur and Howrah.

Maritime and shipbuilding could create a new industrial ecosystem

The report identifies West Bengal’s ports, inland waterways and engineering capabilities as a basis for developing a larger maritime manufacturing ecosystem encompassing shipbuilding, ship repair, marine equipment, steel fabrication, engineering suppliers, logistics and maritime services.

The report estimates an indicative investment requirement of ₹20,800–34,500 crore, with potential long-term annual shipbuilding output of ₹25,000–40,000 crore, 50,000–70,000 direct jobs and 150,000–250,000 indirect jobs.

Agriculture needs to be integrated with processing and logistics

The report identifies West Bengal’s agricultural diversity, multiple agro-climatic zones, fertile soils, water availability and broad crop base as an industrial input advantage.

It identifies opportunities beyond primary agricultural production in food processing, cold chains, warehousing, packaging, value-added agricultural products and export-oriented agro-processing, with particular relevance to connecting agricultural districts with industrial parks and logistics centres.

The report also identifies significant potential in rice-fallow utilisation for pulses, including lentil, chickpea, field pea, lathyrus and green gram. Investment opportunities include seed production, dal milling, pulse processing, contract farming, warehousing, food processing and export logistics.

Eastern gateway strategy can strengthen exports

The report notes that around 50% of West Bengal’s industrial exports go to Asian countries, with East Asia and ASEAN accounting for approximately 39% of total exports.

It therefore supports using West Bengal’s geographic position as an eastern gateway for exports to Bangladesh, ASEAN, East Asia and the wider Indian Ocean region, particularly for engineering products, processed agricultural goods, textiles, chemicals, electronics and maritime products.

Strategic direction

The report’s central proposition is that West Bengal should shift from an investment strategy based primarily on individual projects and existing industrial estates towards an integrated, cluster-based manufacturing strategy.

It identifies the State’s competitive proposition as the combination of human capital, engineering heritage, industrial MSMEs, ports and multimodal connectivity, eastern India market access, research institutions and agricultural resources.

The principal policy task identified by the report is to convert these endowments into investment-ready land, common industrial infrastructure, globally compliant suppliers, skilled manpower, technology-upgraded MSMEs and export-oriented value chains.

The report identifies the most important near-to-medium-term opportunities as precision engineering and components, electronics/ESDM, chemicals and specialty manufacturing, renewable-energy equipment and storage, food processing, automotive/railway components and maritime manufacturing, supported by infrastructure, industrial land and export facilitation said Dr. Ranjeet Mehta, SG &CEO, PHDCCI.

Hyderabad: 19^th August, 2026: The Hyderabad Public School, Ramanthapur successfully hosted the sixth edition of HPSR Youngpreneurs 2026, its annual intra-school Business Plan Pitch Competition. Designed in alignment with the entrepreneurship curriculum for students of Classes XI and XII, the initiative provides students with a platform to transform ideas into viable business concepts and develop the skills required to become future entrepreneurs.

With the guidance and encouragement of Dr. S. Narasimha Reddy, Principal, The Hyderabad Public School, Ramanthapur, Youngpreneurs has evolved into an important platform for nurturing entrepreneurial thinking, innovation and leadership among students.

The sixth edition brought together students from Classes X, XI and XII, who worked in cross-grade teams to develop innovative business ideas through months of market research, ideation and feasibility analysis. The competition culminated in five finalist teams – FinZe, Kriti-Fi, Astera, Nudge and Skia, pitching their business concepts before an expert jury.

The ideas presented by the teams addressed diverse areas, including financial literacy, Indian mythology-based comics, student well-being, career guidance and youth-led brand building, reflecting the students’ ability to identify real-world challenges and develop creative solutions.

The final round was judged by Mr. Vineel Nalla, Founder, 50K Ventures, and Mr. Sharath Anand, Managing Director, Shivam Medisoft Services Pvt. Ltd. The jury appreciated the students for their creativity, confidence, clarity of thought and understanding of business fundamentals.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. S. Narasimha Reddy, Principal, The Hyderabad Public School, Ramanthapur, said, “Youngpreneurs is an important part of our effort to move entrepreneurship education beyond the classroom and into real-world application. What stands out is the students’ willingness to research, question, collaborate and take ownership of their ideas. Through this platform, we want our students to understand that entrepreneurship is not merely about starting a business; it is about identifying opportunities, solving problems and creating meaningful value for society. The confidence and maturity demonstrated by this year’s participants are truly encouraging.”

After a closely contested finale, Team FinZe won the Best Elevator Pitch Award, while Team Nudge emerged as the Winner of Youngpreneurs 2026 for the Best Business Plan Pitch.

The event reaffirmed The Hyderabad Public School, Ramanthapur’s commitment to creating experiential learning opportunities that equip students with entrepreneurial mindsets, innovative thinking, problem-solving abilities and future-ready leadership skills.

Designed as a substantial contribution to a greener tomorrow, the initiative will see the planting of 6450 saplings over the next three months. The meticulously selected species comprise 4300 Bougainvillea (Thimma) and 2150 Nerium Oleander plants. These varieties were specifically chosen for their robust ecological value, resilience and long-term capability to enrich the surrounding landscape.

This drive exemplifies Jai Raj Ispat Limited’s steadfast dedication to sustainable development and responsible corporate citizenship. By significantly expanding the green cover within and around the manufacturing premises, the company proactively supports local biodiversity, enhances air quality and fosters a broader culture of environmental awareness.

Shri SK Goenka, Founder and Managing Director, Jai Raj Ispat Limited, stated, “For us, sustainability must be demonstrated through concrete action and not remain limited to intent. The Mega Plantation Drive is a vital component of our broader strategy to integrate environmental responsibility into our core operations. As an organisation we are determined to build an industrial ecosystem where business growth and ecological stewardship progress together. We will continue to champion initiatives that reinforce this vision over the long term.”

Mr Siddharth Jain, Executive Director, Jai Raj Ispat Limited, remarked, “The significance of this drive lies not only in the scale of the 6450 saplings proposed over the next three months but also in our structured approach to expanding the green cover across our plant premises. We firmly believe that the consistent execution of such targeted environmental programs will deliver a measurable and positive ecological impact over time.”

Mrs Rajshree Jain, Executive Director, Jai Raj Ispat Limited, added, “A plantation drive reaches its highest potential when it empowers individuals to take ownership of their natural surroundings. We view this initiative as a prime opportunity to engage our workforce and cultivate a profound awareness regarding the preservation of nature. By embedding these sustainable practices into our daily operations, we aim to nurture a culture of care that extends far beyond this campaign and inspires future generations.”

The collaboration brings together Garuda Aerospace’s expertise in drone manufacturing and drone-based solutions with Timed Automation Solutions’ strengths in autonomous aerial operations and enterprise drone platforms, including drone-in-a-box orchestration, fleet and site control, AI-assisted image review, and enterprise integrations. Under the MoU, both companies will evaluate non-exclusive opportunities in product distribution, joint development of drone technologies, and participation in domestic and international projects. By leveraging their complementary capabilities, the collaboration aims to support innovation across applications such as agriculture, infrastructure inspection, and remote operations.

Speaking on the collaboration, Agnishwar Jayaprakash, Founder and CEO, Garuda Aerospace Limited, said: “As autonomous technologies continue to redefine industries worldwide, building strong international relationships is essential to shaping the future of the drone ecosystem. Our association with Timed Automation Solutions reflects our commitment to expanding Garuda Aerospace’s global reach while developing solutions that address evolving industry requirements. We remain focused on driving technological excellence and delivering long-term value through strategic collaborations.”

“This collaboration with Garuda Aerospace reflects TAS’s vision to build a scalable, software driven UAV ecosystem in Australia. By combining Garuda’s manufacturing capabilities with our SkyStream platform, we aim to deliver flexible, cost effective, and scalable solutions for industries transitioning towards autonomous operations.” Shakil Mansoor, Founder and Director from Timed Automation Solutions added.

The collaboration will also explore pilot deployments across Australia and New Zealand, supporting the evaluation of real-world use cases and operational workflows. This MoU marks another step in Garuda Aerospace’s broader strategy of driving innovation through strategic collaborations. Building on its existing partnerships across the aerospace, defence, and technology ecosystem, the company continues to expand its capabilities while creating new opportunities in autonomous drone technologies and global markets. In 2025, Garuda Aerospace also secured export licence approvals, supporting potential expansion into the Australian market.