1st April, 2024: BenQ, leading DLP Projector Company has introduced their World’s First AI home cinema projector – W2720i equipped with a “revolutionary’ AI Cinema Mode, redefining home entertainment for AV enthusiasts.

BenQ’s W2720i’s Cinema Mode is engineered with in-built camera sensors to provide a seamless setup and superior picture quality by combining features such as real-time ambient brightness adjustment and scene-specific enhancements to provide an experience that’s tailored to every user.

The W2720i projector comes with In-built Android TV, delivering a premium streaming experience on a stunning big screen up to 200” and utilizing an efficient 4LED light source (RGBB), which has life time up to 30,000 hours.

BenQ’s exclusive CinematicColor™ technology (90% DCI P3) ensures that users see colours exactly as filmmakers intended, bringing their favourite content to life with incredible accuracy, while BenQ’s advanced HDR-PRO™ technology intelligently enhances contrast to reveal subtle details in both bright and dark scenes. W2720i has Local Contrast Enhancer for enhanced dynamic contrast in HDR10+ and HLG modes. It also offers customizable picture modes such as Filmmaker Mode and Cinema Mode.

The W2720i also offers a flexible projection setup that can project a 120” screen from just 2.7 meters away, and can go up to 200” diagonal.  With features like 1.3x zoom, Auto Screen Fit, 8-point Corner Fit, and Vertical Lens Shift, it can be installed conveniently. It also supports comprehensive entertainment options with Built-in Android TV with 4K streaming services such as Netflix and Disney+. The projector includes one HDMI 2.1 (4K 120 Hz), & two HDMI 2.0b, SPDIF, and eARC for 7.1 channel sound with Dolby Atmos pass-through, making it easy to connect to soundbars or speakers.

 Mr. Rajeev Singh, Managing Director, BenQ India & South Asia, commented on the launch, “The W2720i represents a significant contribution towards making premium AI-powered home cinema experiences accessible to more Indian consumers. Its innovative AI Cinema Mode and superior colour performance demonstrate our commitment to bringing cutting-edge technology to every home.”

April 1, 2025:Imagine a world where your dog enjoys a relaxing oil massage, your cat dozes in a sunlit nook after a play session with carefully chosen companions, and you receive adorable real-time updates while sipping coffee, knowing your furry friend is in expert hands. That’s not a dream — it’s Barker and Meowsky.

Redefining the way pet parents experience boarding and daycare, Barker and Meowsky (BnM) introduces boutique pet care that fuses luxury, love, and loyalty into every detail. With state-of-the-art, temperament-based groupings, and emotionally attuned staff, BnM ensures that pets aren’t just accommodated — they’re celebrated.

“Boarding shouldn’t feel like a compromise. At Barker and Meowsky, we’ve created a space where pets feel like they’re on vacation too,” says Pratik Sheth, Co-Founder of Barker and Meowsky. “From curated activities to one-on-one cuddles, every moment is designed with intention and care.”

More than just a facility, Barker and Meowsky feels like a second home — complete with spa-style grooming, calming aroma therapies, and premium nutrition options. Whether it’s a senior dog needing extra attention or an energetic pup eager for structured play, every pet’s stay is tailored to their unique personality and needs.

But it doesn’t stop at the pets. BnM caters to pet parents with concierge-like transparency — think personalized consultations, behavior tracking, and constant updates to keep them connected throughout their pet’s stay.

Beyond the walls of its plush facility, Barker and Meowsky is building a community of conscious pet lovers through events, workshops, and social gatherings, making it a lifestyle brand in the pet care space.

For those who believe their pets deserve more than the ordinary, Barker and Meowsky offer a luxury escape — a boutique boarding experience where wagging tails and purring hearts say it all.

1st April 2025: The Haryana Chapter of CREDAI NCR proudly announces the appointment of its new Executive Committee for the term 2025-2027, following the successful elections held at 5th Floor of PHD House, New Delhi. The newly elected team is poised to bring transformative leadership, foster industry growth, and drive positive policy changes to create a robust and sustainable real estate ecosystem in Haryana.

The new Executive Committee is as follows:

• President: Shri Manish Agarwal.
• Vice Presidents: Shri Lalit Jain, Shri Pankaj Goel, Shri Pankaj Singla.
• Secretary: Shri Arpit Goel.
• Joint Secretary: Shri Anubhav Jain.
• Treasurer: Shri R.C. Gupta.

Visionary Leadership for a Progressive Future

The newly elected leadership is committed to bolstering the real estate sector in Haryana with a vision focused on transparency, innovation, and sustainable development. The team aims to actively engage with government authorities, industry stakeholders, and homebuyers to streamline processes, encourage ethical practices, and address key challenges in real estate development.

“Our primary goal is to make Haryana a benchmark state for real estate development by fostering a transparent, efficient, and investment-friendly environment. With policy advocacy, infrastructure enhancement, and sustainable development at our core, we will work towards making housing and commercial projects more accessible and affordable for all,” said Shri Manish Agarwal, President, CREDAI Haryana.

CREDAI Haryana remains dedicated to ensuring ease of doing business, accelerating approvals, and promoting technological advancements in real estate. The new leadership also plans to focus on environmentally responsible urbanization, ensuring that future developments align with the principles of green and smart infrastructure.

Commitment to Stakeholders and Industry Growth – The new Executive Committee will undertake key initiatives to boost investor confidence and champion regulatory reforms that benefit Real Estate Developers and Home-Buyers alike. With a focus on Collaboration and Innovation, the team aims to reinforce CREDAI Haryana’s position as a leading voice in the Real Estate Industry of Haryana.

Dr. Dhruv Galgotia, CEO of Galgotias University said, “The rapid technological advancements defining Industry 4.0 require an education system that is agile, interdisciplinary, and deeply integrated with real-world applications. For India to realize the Viksit Bharat 2047 vision, institutions must focus on equipping students with a combination of critical thinking, technological proficiency, and entrepreneurial mindsets. The future of education lies in creating adaptive, skill-based learning frameworks that prepare students not just for existing jobs, but for careers that will emerge in the next decade. Galgotias University is committed to developing a curriculum that bridges the gap between academia and industry, ensuring that our students become industry leaders and innovators.”

1^st April, 2025: CareEdge Ratings’ Credit Ratio, which measures the ratio of upgrades to downgrades, strengthened to 2.35 times in H2 FY25, up from 1.62 times in H1 FY25. During this period, there were 386 upgrades and 164 downgrades.

 The upgrade rate increased to 14% from 12% in the first half, driven by sectors that benefited from strong domestic consumption and government spending. Meanwhile, the downgrade rate dropped 200 bps to 6%, driven by asset quality concerns in NBFCs catering to microfinance and unsecured business loans, alongside pricing pressures faced by small-sized entities in the Chemical and Iron & Steel sectors, as well as export-focused Cut and Polished Diamond players.

 Sachin Gupta, Executive Director and Chief Rating Officer, CareEdge Ratings, shared his insights on the evolving economic landscape, stating, “Despite global headwinds, the credit ratio for CareEdge Ratings’ portfolio strengthened in the second half of FY25—a testament to the resilience of India Inc. However, the journey ahead is far from smooth. The imposition of US tariffs could disrupt momentum for export-driven sectors, particularly those reliant on discretionary spending, while also sparking intense price competition from other affected economies. This uncertainty could keep private sector capital expenditure on the sidelines until clearer signals emerge. That said, not all is bleak—trade agreements and rupee depreciation could offer much-needed relief to exporters. At the same time, Corporate India’s strong, deleveraged balance sheets act as a sturdy shield against external volatility.”

 CareEdge Ratings’ credit ratio for the manufacturing and services sector has seen a notable rebound, with its credit ratio rising from 1.21 in H1 FY25 to 2.06 in H2 FY25. The uptick reflects improving business fundamentals, particularly among mid-sized, domestic-focused entities, even as global headwinds persist. Ranjan Sharma, Senior Director, CareEdge Ratings (Corporate Ratings), noted the broad-based nature of this recovery, stating, “The improvement in credit ratio was evenly spread across both investment grade and sub-investment grade rating categories, driven by mid-corporate players leveraging strong domestic demand. Large corporates, too, maintained a healthy credit ratio, continuing their stable performance from previous periods. The sectors leading the upgrade wave included capital goods, automotive and automotive components, and real estate, all of which benefited from rising consumption and momentum in infrastructure. The services sector also witnessed sustained improvement, with hospitality and healthcare continuing their strong upward trajectory, while pharmaceuticals remained a consistent performer, reinforcing its long-standing resilience.”

 However, not all industries rode the wave of optimism. Basic and commodity chemicals, smaller iron & steel players, and export-focused CPD entities faced credit downgrades. The chemicals sector struggled with pricing pressures, while smaller steel manufacturers faced heightened competition from Chinese imports. Meanwhile, some trading and distribution entities also found themselves grappling with market volatility.

 The credit ratio of the infrastructure sector witnessed a continued uptrend in H2FY25 to 3.94, with the Transport Infrastructure and Power sectors leading the upgrades. Rajashree Murkute, Senior Director at CareEdge Ratings (Infrastructure Ratings), highlighted, “Key factors driving these upgrades include the successful commissioning of projects, particularly in the road Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM) segment and solar power generation. Additionally, timely payments from most state distribution utilities have accelerated deleveraging for power producers and transmission infrastructure providers. A shift in ownership to financially strong sponsors or Infrastructure Investment Trusts (InvITs) has also played a pivotal role in enhancing credit quality for both, project assets as well as developers. However, challenges persist. Delays in receipt of requisite approvals, project execution and weak order books have increased working capital pressures for some mid-sized EPC players, compromising their credit profile. Besides, increased leverage due to top-up debt has weakened the financial flexibility of certain project assets, posing additional risks.”

 The Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance (BFSI) sector experienced a sharp moderation in its credit ratio, declining from 2.75 in H1 FY25 to 1.07 in H2 FY25, reflecting emerging stress in select lending segments. While the sector remains fundamentally strong, challenges in asset quality and profitability have affected certain areas. Sanjay Agarwal, Senior Director at CareEdge Ratings (BFSI Ratings), attributed the decline to pressures in the microfinance and unsecured business loan segments, stating, “The increase in loan sizes, coupled with rising debt levels per borrower, has heightened the financial strain on MFI borrowers, leading to asset quality concerns for NBFCs in this space. Consequently, NBFCs catering to microfinance and unsecured business loans are expected to witness elevated credit costs at least until H1FY26.” Despite these headwinds, the overall credit outlook for the BFSI sector remains stable, supported by healthy capitalisation levels among NBFCs and banks, which continue to provide a strong buffer against potential stress.”

 In summary, while Corporate India continues to hold its ground, CareEdge Ratings expects the credit ratio to remain range-bound in the near term, navigating the crosscurrents of global headwinds. The resilience of Indian corporates is reinforced by strong and deleveraged balance sheets, providing a crucial buffer against external shocks. While the strength of domestic demand will serve as a key anchor, the unfolding global tariff war and geopolitical uncertainties will shape the road ahead.

1st April 2025 — Arya.ag, India’s largest and only profitable grain commerce platform, today announced that its Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC) arm has crossed the landmark figure of ₹2000 crore in commodity finance, becoming the first in the country to achieve this scale in agri-based lending of this kind.

This achievement marks a significant advancement in rural finance, challenging conventional wisdom that commodity finance at the farmgate level is too risky, fragmented, and unscalable. Unlike traditional lending models, Arya.ag’s approach is anchored in financing against actual grain stored across India’s heartland, supported by its robust technology infrastructure and decentralised storage network.

Anand Chandra, Co-founder of Arya.ag, commented: “Reaching ₹2000 crore in commodity finance through our NBFC validates our integrated approach to post-harvest solutions. This milestone positions us as the largest NBFC in India’s commodity collateral funding space, effectively doubling the scale of other players in this segment. We’ve developed a model where farmers receive loans in under 30 minutes based solely on KYC, changing the dynamics of rural finance. The virtually nil NPAs we’ve maintained while serving approximately 8 lakh farmers shows that when financial products align with real commodities and farmer needs, scale and sustainability naturally follow. Beyond our NBFC’s direct lending, we’ve facilitated an additional ₹10,000 crore through partner banks against our warehouse receipts, bringing the total financing enabled this year to ₹12,000 crore.”

The company reports that its NBFC has become the largest in India in the commodity collateral funding space, effectively doubling the scale of other players in this segment. This achievement is part of a larger financing ecosystem, where partner banks have additionally disbursed over ₹10,000 crore against warehouse receipts issued by Arya.ag, bringing the total facilitated financing to ₹12,000 crore this financial year.

This achievement follows Arya.ag’s recent recognition with the 2025 Forward Faster Sustainability Award in the Climate Action category by the UN Global Compact Network India, and its securing of an INR 2.5 billion loan facility backed by GuarantCo and HSBC India.

Operating across 21 states and covering 60% of Indian districts, Arya.ag manages over 4 million metric tons of commodities across 3,500+ warehouses with a total value exceeding ₹10,000 crore. Its success in commodity finance demonstrates that post-harvest solutions may be the key to unlocking the next frontier in agricultural financial inclusion.

Speaking on the achievement, Co-founder & CEO Suhas Ashok, OMG AI, said, “Securing a spot in the grand finale of the Future Tech World Cup is a monumental achievement for OMG AI and a testament to the hard work, innovation, and vision of our team. We are incredibly excited to represent India on the global stage, where we can showcase our platform and its potential to transform industries worldwide. This recognition is not just a win for us, but for the entire AI community in India, and we look forward to collaborating with like-minded innovators at the Dubai AI Festival as we continue to push the boundaries of what’s possible in AI.“

April 1, 2025:The Old Sanawarian Society, the Alumni Association of The Lawrence School, Sanawar, one of India’s oldest and most respected boarding schools, hosted the much anticipated OSS Inter-House Golf Tournament 2025, bringing together golf enthusiasts and distinguished guests for a day of spirited competition at the prestigious ITC Classic Golf & Country Club, Manesar on March 27, 2025.

The Tournament was the ideal platform to foster closer bonds of camaraderie, friendship and goodwill amongst members of the alumni fraternity, while preserving the legacy, tradition and values of their alma mater.

13 teams teed-off to a ShotGun Start, on a Stableford scoring format with handicaps determined on the Double Preoria System. The lush greens provided the perfect backdrop as players showcased their skills, competing with passion and precision. Seasoned veterans and promising amateurs participated, including a four-ball from Bharat Petroleum (C&MD, G Krishna Kumar missing out due to exigencies at work) and distinguished Sanawar alumni – single handicappers Mayank Oberoi, Viren Ghumman, and Mivaan Singh; Member of Parliament (Gurugram), Rao Inderjit Singh; Corporate honchos Vipin Sondhi (former MD & CEO, Ashok Leyland & JCB India and on the Board of Governors, Sanawar), Gaurav Bhagat (MD, GB Academy) and Prabhjot Cheema (Founding Partner, Nexedge Capital); former Asian Squash Semi-finalist Lalit Varma; and Defence Analyst Col. Ajai Shukla among others – representing their House – Himalaya, Nilagiri, Siwalik and Vindhya, to compete for the coveted Championship Trophy.

As the sun began to set, a lively sundowner provided an opportunity for all to unwind and share their experiences from the game. The event concluded with a grand prize distribution ceremony, recognizing outstanding performances and celebrating the spirit of the game. The Presentation Party was made up of President OSS, Pankaj Sapru, Board Member, Vipin Sondhi, representatives of Bharat Petroleum and Exotic Group, Brig. Adarsh Butail, President Elect OSS and Kewal S Virk, Vice President OSS.

The Championship Trophy was won by Himalaya House (defending Champions), ahead of the Runners Up Vindhya House. The Individual Prize winners were Viren Ghumman (Best Gross Score – 70), Uday Talwar (Longest Drive – 285 yards), Yogesh Kapoor (Closest to the Pin – 3’7”), while Ajai Sukhla, Vaibhav Soni, Sunil Khorana bagged the Best Net Score in the three Handicap groupings, 0-9, 10-17 and 18-24 respectively.

Manish Jain, Country Managing Director, Experian in India, said, “India is at the forefront of digital transformation, and our ongoing investment here reflects our long-term commitment to this dynamic and fast-evolving market. Experian’s Global Innovation Centre is not just a technology hub; it is a strategic enabler that allows us to unlock new possibilities, develop cutting-edge solutions, and scale innovation globally.”

“This expansion strengthens our foundation for the future—enabling us to move faster, think bigger, and solve complex challenges with greater agility. As we chart this next growth phase, our focus remains on driving impact through innovation, empowering our teams, and creating meaningful and future-ready solutions.” He added

Alexander Lintner, CEO, Technology Software Services & Innovation (TSSI), Experian said, ” Growth isn’t just about numbers; it’s about the ideas we nurture, the innovations we ignite, and the transformative impact we create—shaping the world with every breakthrough. This expansion aligns with our overall strategic vision to strengthen our position as an innovation powerhouse while emphasising continuous improvement and inspiring disruptive innovation across the business. Serving all Experian regions globally, the GIC is focused on building world-class products, delivering them at scale through integrated, value-added solutions and sophisticated platforms that combine advanced capabilities. The centre provides a world-class workspace that inspires transformation and customer excellence, reinforcing our commitment to a people-first culture and our customers while expanding into areas that can provide growth.”

Vinu Kurien, Site Lead, VP, Experian Technology & Innovation (T&I) said, “The Experian GIC has grown exponentially, reflecting our vision to enhance capabilities and deliver exceptional services to our consumers, clients, and colleagues. Leveraging Hyderabad’s engineering and tech talent, the GIC offers a full stack of competencies to provide global support for product and platform solutions, data science and analytics, system architecture, and intelligent automation. The new office fosters collaboration, innovation, and creativity, enabling us to deliver transformative solutions. This expansion marks a key chapter in our growth and creates more career opportunities for local talent, fostering a thriving professional community.”