India, 03rd July,2025: For nearly three decades, Springwel Mattresses have been leading India’s sleep revolution. As a new milestone, they launched their Bamboo Charcoal Mattress Range, a revolutionary product that incorporates wellness into the sleeping routine.

While natural bamboo fiber has been around for a while, Springwel has taken innovation a step further. By carefully infusing bamboo charcoal directly into the natural bamboo yarn of the mattress’s top fabric layer, Springwel ensures consumers experience the natural wellness benefits directly on their skin. This thoughtful, fabric-based approach establishes a fresh standard in comfort and hygiene, perfectly suited to the demands of today’s Indian homes. Charcoal helps dissipate static electricity and studies have shown that reducing static electricity can decrease feelings of fatigue, pain, and overall stress, potentially improving work efficiency and well-being.

The Bamboo Charcoal range is specifically designed to enhance the user’s sleep experience through different features, like the anti-fungal, anti-microbial, and odour-resistant properties that keep the mattress fresh and clean. The hypoallergenic surface is ideal for people with sensitive skin and respiratory health issues. Also, the enhanced moisture and temperature regulation improves sleep quality across all climates.

With these features, the brand new range facilitates better sleep hygiene and long-term wellbeing, two of the most important pillars of today’s home environment. It’s a strategic response to both consumer lifestyle shifts and global wellness trends.

The launch is backed by Springwel’s fully integrated manufacturing and R&D infrastructure, ensuring total control over quality, design, and material innovation. Unlike many brands, Springwel has a wide range of flat-pack mattresses. Because these mattresses are never compressed or roll-packed, it preserves structural integrity and extends product lifespan.

The product portfolio ranges from the ultra-supportive OrthoAlign with high density bonded foam layer for spinal alignment to the naturally adaptive BioSleep 100% Organic Latex Mattress. Springwel’s Bamboo Charcoal range reflects a new era of wellness-focused sleep. Crafted for everyday comfort across all sleeping styles, Dualis, with dual firmness for evolving needs, or Essential, which combines natural resilience with bamboo charcoal’s antimicrobial power, each mattress in the collection is thoughtfully engineered. For couples, Harmony combines motion isolation with hotel-like plushness, making sleep undisturbed and luxurious. This is much more than just a range; it’s more like a complete ecosystem designed to address hygiene, comfort, and evolving lifestyle demands for every kind of consumer.

Springwel also provides a 150-night risk-free trial, giving customers complete peace of mind as they explore this new standard in wellness-led sleep.

“This is more than a product launch for us; the Bamboo Charcoal range was introduced to address growing consumer demand for natural, hygienic, and wellness-centric sleep solutions, especially in a post-COVID world where hygiene and health are non-negotiable,” said Mayank Jha, CEO & Head – Digital Transformation, Springwel Mattresses

In just a short time since its launch, the Bamboo Charcoal mattress has quickly become the preferred choice for 3 out of every 4 Springwel customers, reflecting just how deeply this new range resonates with Indian consumers seeking healthier, more hygienic sleep.

Notably in a short period, the Springwel Essential mattress has emerged as one of the top-trending products in Flipkart’s mattress category, reflecting strong consumer interest in bamboo charcoal innovation and wellness-driven sleep solutions.

Beyond mattresses, Springwel is also expanding into thoughtfully designed sleep and lifestyle essentials: pillows, protectors, and an upcoming line of home furniture, each created to enhance the everyday life of the modern Indian consumer.

– by Akash Pharande, Managing Director – Pharande Spaces

Recent headlines from leading real estate consultancies, as well as commentary from self-styled experts, seem to indicate that Indian housing sales are slowing down alarmingly. They mention double-digit drops in sales volumes in all the major cities. Not surprisingly, though perhaps not intentionally, these agencies and agents have caused concern among hopeful homebuyers – is the market in bad shape? Is now not a good time to buy a home?

Let’s take a closer look at the data and market dynamics behind it and see if these fears are justified or misplaced for genuine end-users.

What the Headlines Say

– A recent report by one real estate consultancy states that there has been a 20% drop in housing sales across the country’s top seven metropolitan cities in Q2 2025 when compared to the same period last year. The Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) saw a 25% decline.
– Another real estate agency estimates that there was a 23% annual sales decline in Q1 2025 across nine major cities and says that this drop is because of high prices and worries about India’s economic growth.
– Yet another agency found a 19% year-on-year decline in housing sales in Q1 2025, and that there was also a 10% decline in new launches.
– The consensus, if there is one at all, seems to be that premium and luxury housing has been most affected and that unsold stock in these segments is now high and may increase further.

While most of these agencies don’t say so, the impression these figures seem to signal is that the Indian housing market is now entering a downturn phase. Others seem to imply that perhaps, aspiring homebuyers should hold put off purchases for now.

What the Data Really Means

1. This is a correction, not a crash

– We should remember that the recent slowdown comes on the heels of three years of record-breaking sales and supply infusions after the Covid-19 pandemic. These levels were in any case not sustainable, and everybody knew it.
– The current decline is the kind of market correction which always follows a massive boom. It is not a sign of systemic weakness.

2. Investors are withdrawing, not end-users

– A major part of the current drop in sales is in the premium and luxury segments, which are heavily investor-driven segments. Very simply, speculative buying has caused prices to go too high in these segments and in some areas.
– One of the real estate consultancies referred to above clearly mentions that investors make up less than 10% of housing buyers now, and that the market is primarily served by end-users — people who buy homes to live in them, not rent out or to flip for quick profits.
– The pain that these experts infer is clearly in the premium and luxury segments while it is the affordable and mid-segment housing segments that most Indian end-users focus on. In these segments, there is less supply now because most big developers started focusing on the higher-margin categories – but demand and therefore sales in them remains robust

3. End-users now enjoy much better affordability

– Home loan interest rates are on the decline – the RBI has cut the repo rate by 100 basis points this year to date, so EMIs have become much more manageable.
– There are still Government schemes such as PMAY and various state-level incentives for first-time and affordable housing buyers in any part of the country.
– In most major cities, the affordability of housing has improved to its best levels since the Covid-19 pandemic.

For example, Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad (PCMC) housing affordability has improved significantly with Pune’s affordability ratio now at 22% – making it the 2nd-most affordable major Indian city after Ahmedabad. PCMC has seen an 80% rise in housing sales and a 155% increase in property values since 2020, and it remains very affordable.

In Ahmedabad, homebuyers now have to spend only 18% of their annual household income on EMIs, which is very much under the 40% affordability threshold.

Even Mumbai, notoriously the least affordable city of India, has seen its affordability ratio drop below 50% for the very first time.

Why Genuine Homebuyers Should Ignore the Headlines

1. End-users buy homes to live in them, not to turn profits

– Most homebuyers in India buy homes to live in them, not as speculative assets. The security, stability, and long-term wealth creation potential of ownership housing remains intact, regardless of what the short-term sales trends are.
– End-users are not concerned with the volatility that upsets investors – who are far more concerned about price cycles and liquidity issues.

2. End-users benefit from the current market conditions

– Many builders are now offering attractive deals, including discounts, flexible payment plans, and various add-ons, to attract end-users.
– Rental values are rising constantly in most major Indian cities, often making owning a home a lot more financially viable than continuing to live in rented homes – especially given the current interest rates and tax benefits.

3. India’s long-term fundamentals remain strong

– Our GDP growth is still very robust, and household incomes are going up. This strongly supports long-term housing demand.
– The real estate sector is growing at a CAGR of over 24%, and housing remains – by far – the most incentivized asset class in India. No other asset class offers comparable tax breaks and other financial benefits.
– Homeownership remains the most aspirational goal for most Indians, and India’s rapid urbanization, the constant increase in nuclear families, and ever-rising migration into our cities will always guarantee steady end-user demand for housing.

Buying a Home Makes More Sense Than Ever

No doubt, the market slowdown that these consultancies and experts report is real. But its implications need to be understood better. We are looking at data which shows that speculative activity, especially in the luxury segments, is cooling off after an unsustainable boom. This is not a collapse in end-user demand, or a crisis in the system. For genuine homebuyers, the fundamentals remain as strong as ever.

In fact, end-users are now firmly in control of the housing market and face far less competition from investors. They have more bargaining power than ever before. For those who are looking to buy a home to live in, the current market environment is, in many ways, more favourable than ever. Let the headlines spook investors – for end-users, this is the right time to make the most important investment of their lifetimes.

Akash Pharande is Managing Director – Pharande Spaces, a leading real estate construction and development firm famous for its township projects in Greater Pune and beyond. Pharande Promoters & Builders, the flagship company of Pharande Spaces and an ISO 9001-2000 certified company, is a pioneer of townships in the region. With the recent inclusion of Puneville Commercial into one of its most iconic townships, Pharande Spaces taken a major step towards addressing Pune’s current and future requirements for fully integrated residential-commercial convenience

Gurgaon, 03 July 2025: After a steady start in the first quarter, institutional investments in the Indian real estate witnessed a notable uptick during Q2 2025, at USD 1.7 billion, a 29% rise on a sequential basis. This mopped-up total investments in H1 2025 to USD 3.0 billion, reinforcing the sector’s resilience amidst ongoing global uncertainties. Although this marked a 15% decline compared to H1 2024, the investment volume remained above the half-yearly average of about USD 2.6 billion since 2021, reflecting sustained investor interest.

While foreign investments saw a 39% YoY decline, domestic capital surged by 53% to USD 1.4 billion, accounting for 48% of the total inflows in H1 2025. The growing share of domestic investments marks an ongoing shift in the capital investment landscape, with Indian institutional investors playing a more prominent role in driving real estate activity across core asset classes.

“Domestic capital has emerged as a key driver in India’s real estate investments, with its share in total investments rising steadily from 16% in 2021 to 34% in 2024. In H1 2025, domestic investments accounted for 48% of the total inflows, surging by 53% compared to H1 2024. Their growing dominance has helped cushion the impact of global uncertainties and push total investments to the USD 3.0 billion mark. Over 60% of domestic investments during H1 2025 were directed towards residential and office assets, reflecting sustained confidence in core segments. As domestic capital deepens and diversifies, it is poised to bring greater stability and long-term confidence to India’s maturing real estate ecosystem,” said Badal Yagnik, Chief Executive Officer, Colliers India.

Foreign institutional investments dropped 39% YoY in H1 2025 to USD 1.6 billion, as global investors remained cautious amidst evolving macroeconomic scenario, flow of credit and inflationary pressures. Despite the slowdown, foreign capital still accounted for over half of total inflows, with growing interest in mixed-use and retail assets. Both these segments together comprised about 55% of foreign investments during H1 2025.

Residential & office assets together attract over half of the investments in H1 2025

Residential assets saw USD 0.8 billion of investments, driving 27% of the inflows during H1 2025, followed by office assets, at 24% share. Investments in mixed-use assets too witnessed a significant surge, accounting for more than 20% share in the total inflows during H1 2025, up from 7% share during the corresponding period in 2024. Retail and alternative assets too saw a notable rise in investment inflows, cumulatively accounting for USD 0.5 billion, led by select large deals in H1 2025.

“The USD 1.7 billion of investments recorded in Q2 2025 underscores the resilience of India’s real estate sector, with both core and emerging segments attracting sustained interest. The residential segment continued its strong run, accounting for 31% of quarterly investments, driven by healthy end-user demand, improved affordability, and renewed confidence from institutional investors. The retail sector is also witnessing a steady revival, backed by rising consumption, rapid urbanisation, and evolving consumer lifestyle & spending patterns. With REITs and other institutional players actively scouting for quality retail assets across key markets, investment activity in this segment is expected to gain further traction in the coming quarters,” said Vimal Nadar, National Director & Head of Research, Colliers India.

Investment inflows were limited for Retail assets in Q2 2024 and Q1 2025; Investment inflows were limited for Industrial & warehousing segment in Q2 2025; Investment inflows were limited for alternate assets in Q2 2024

1-Includes investments in mixed-use projects as well as deals involving investments across multiple assets in various locations

The institutional flow of funds includes investments by family offices, foreign corporate groups, foreign banks, proprietary books, pension funds, private equity, real estate fund-cum-developers, foreign-funded NBFCs, listed REITs and sovereign wealth funds. The data has been compiled as per available information in the public domain.

Mumbai & Bengaluru together drive 39% of the investment inflows in H1 2025

Mumbai drove 22% of the total investments during H1 2025, led by select deals in office assets. Bengaluru attracted USD 0.5 billion investments during H1 2025, contributing nearly 17% to the total inflows. Office and residential assets together made up 57% of the city’s investment share. Interestingly, select large deal in retail segment in Kolkata, resulted in 13% share in total investments by the city during H1 2025.

Yamaha Motor India Group Recognized as a Great Place To Work®; Celebrating 40 Years of Empowering People & Building a Thriving Workplace Culture

Chennai, July 2, 2025: Yamaha Motor India is proud to announce that it has been awarded the prestigious Great Place To Work® Certification™ for the year 2025-2026. This recognition reflects the organization’s continued efforts to foster a positive, inclusive, and high trust work environment across the Yamaha Motor India Group of Companies.

This milestone comes at a special time as Yamaha celebrates 40 years in India. Over the past four decades, Yamaha has not only built a strong presence in the two-wheeler market but has also nurtured a workplace where people feel empowered, respected, and inspired. India has emerged as a strategic hub for Yamaha’s global operations – spanning technology, manufacturing, R&D, innovation, and talent development. At the heart of this growth story lies a diverse and inclusive environment that enables employees to thrive and contribute meaningfully.

The certification is based entirely on employee feedback and a comprehensive culture audit that assesses key dimensions like trust, respect, fairness, pride, and camaraderie. These results stand as a testament to Yamaha Motor India Group’s ongoing commitment to creating a workplace where positivity, inclusivity, and trust thrive—empowering employees and driving excellence at every level.

Speaking on the achievement Mr. Atsushi Nagashima, Director, Yamaha Motor India said, “Yamaha is a Kando Creating Company – our mission is to deliver exceptional value and excitement, not just to customers and partners, but also to our employees. This certification reiterates our belief that a motivated and valued workforce is the foundation of sustainable success. We are deeply thankful to our employees for their trust, feedback, and commitment. We will continue to invest in a culture where everyone grows together, driven by shared purpose and mutual respect.”

As Yamaha marks 40 years in India, this recognition holds special significance. It is a celebration of every individual who has shaped Yamaha’s journey — past and present. Whether on the road or within the workplace, Yamaha remains committed to creating meaningful experiences, empowering its people, and moving forward together. The Great Place To Work® Certification™ also reinforces Yamaha’s position as an employer of choice — helping attract, engage, and retain the right talent while continuing to build a high-performance culture for the future.

02 July 2025, Mumbai: Mahanagar Gas Limited, one of the largest City Gas Distribution companies in India, makes gas billing convenient by introducing a more user-friendly option of PNG meter reading submission through WhatsApp in an effort to simplify consumer engagement.

Domestic customers can now send a photograph of their PNG meter showing ‘meter reading (8 digits) and meter number’ against request received from MGL’s official WhatsApp account to ensure timely and accurate billing

In addition to WhatsApp, customers can continue to submit their meter reading through multiple digital and traditional platforms:

MGL Connect App – Uploading meter photograph on the app
SMS SPACE <5 digits (in black)> to 9223555557
Email at support@mahanagargas.com with the meter photograph & reading
Website – Login to www.mahanagargas.com and enter their meter reading
Customer Care – Call on (022) 6867 4500 / (022) 6156 4500

Customers are requested to register their mobile number & email ID against their BP/CA no. by calling customer care on (022) 6867 4500/ (022) 6156 4500 to help us serve them better through our digital initiatives.

Customers are advised to verify the presence of blue tick badge on MGL’s official WhatsApp account before sharing any details.

The initiative is a part of MGL’s ongoing efforts to make clean energy and processes accessible and convenient to the customers.