New Delhi, February 24, 2025 — International travel will be redefined for India’s elite globetrotters. Times Black ICICI Bank Credit Card is transforming international travel by partnering with Atlys, a cutting-edge visa processing platform that eliminates the complexity of visa applications with guaranteed on-time approvals.

The partnership marks a first in India’s credit card industry, offering cardholders complete visa fee waivers for select countries and an AI-powered application process that guarantees on-time visa delivery. Times Black ICICI Bank cardholders will now have their visa applications fast-tracked through Atlys’s automated system, which has already successfully processed over 2 million visas across 150 countries.

“International travellers spend countless hours struggling with visa paperwork. We’re changing that,” says Mohak Nahta, Founder of Atlys. “Times Black ICICI Bank cardholders can now secure visas with the same ease as booking a flight.”

This launch comes at a crucial time, as outbound travel from India continues to surge. Cardholders will receive real-time updates on their applications, eliminating the uncertainty of traditional visa processing.

The Times Black ICICI Bank Card, which features metal crafted from historic Times of India printing plates, has been pushing boundaries in the premium credit card space since its launch. This partnership with Atlys adds to its travel benefits, including access to exclusive business events and significant savings on international transactions.

Delhi 24 February 2025 Toprankers, India’s leading ed-tech company, is gearing up for an extensive expansion in 2025 with the launch of multiple new centers across the country. Known for its diverse house of brands—LegalEdge, SuperGrads, Judiciary Gold, CreativeEdge, Udaan, LegalEdge After College by Toprankers these brands together cater to management, law & design careers from UG to PG to professional level competitive exams preparation.

Toprankers continues to redefine education for careers beyond engineering and medicine. With its growing offline and online presence, the platform is now set to bring its world-class learning ecosystem to more cities.

CreativeEdge, by Toprankers’ premier brand for design and architecture entrance exam preparation, is making significant strides in 2025. It recently launched its latest franchise center in Navi Mumbai and opened its company-owned center in Lucknow. With plans to establish more centers in buzzing cities, 2025 is set to be a transformative year for CreativEdge. They are also expanding their LegalEdge and SuperGrads brands, with new centers in Noida, Ghaziabad, Hyderabad and Trivandrum. ⁠These centers will serve as a next level of service for students given that Toprankers will now be helping students from North to South with its quality preparation.

These centers will serve as a hub for students preparing for competitive exams in law, management, and design, further strengthening Toprankers’ commitment to making quality education accessible across regions. With this expansion, Toprankers’ total center count is expected to reach 50 by end of 2025-26, with more announcements anticipated in the coming months.

As per Mr. Gaurav Goel CEO & Co-Founder, Toprankers “⁠Both offline and online divisions are on track to achieve their projected targets for FY25, delivering enhanced efficiency and outstanding results for students nationwide.

Speaking about the expansion, Mr. Karan Mehta Co-Founder, Toprankers – “2025 is going to be a landmark year for Toprankers as we expand our footprint across India. Our goal has always been to empower students with the best resources, mentorship, and technology to help them achieve their dreams. These new centers will bring us closer to students, enabling us to make a greater impact.”

⁠Toprankers Co-founder Mr. Harsh Gagrani exuberated confidence in the path breaking learning model of toprankers given it has clocked AIR 1,2,3 in 4 out of last 5 years.

With this strategic expansion, Toprankers continues to solidify its position as a leader in the ed-tech space, delivering excellence in education and shaping the future of India’s youth.

New Delhi, 21st February 2025: Brand Talkeez, an emerging name in strategic public relations, proudly announces its collaboration with Ramagya Group as its official PR partner. This partnership marks a significant step towards amplifying Ramagya Group’s vision and achievements across education, sports and philanthropy.

Known for its trailblazing innovation and commitment to quality, Ramagya Group has consistently redefined excellence across various sectors. With its prestigious educational institutions and world-class sports academies, the group has been instrumental in shaping the future of young minds and nurturing champions on a global stage.

Speaking on this collaboration, Mr. Utkarsh Gupta, Managing Director, Ramagya Group, said “At Ramagya, we believe in the power of vision, and every vision needs a voice. Brand Talkeez team brings the perfect synergy of creativity and strategy to amplify our story, ensuring that our impact resonates far and wide. “

We are thrilled to be the voice behind a brand that transforms lives in education. This partnership with the Ramagya Group is more than just PR—it’s about storytelling that inspires action,” said Saloni Sood Mehra, Founder, Brand Talkeez.

This collaboration aims to elevate Ramagya Group’s presence and brand awareness, highlighting its contributions and pioneering initiatives in education. As both organizations embark on this journey, the focus remains steadfast: building a legacy of excellence, innovation, and positive change.

Every year, nearly two lakh newborns in India are affected by this condition, with its prevalence observed in 8 out of every 1,000 births in North India. Among various types, Ventricular Septal Defect (VSD) is the most common. Experts from Fortis Hospital, Greater Noida, highlighted the significance of timely diagnosis and treatment.

Dr. Shantanu Singhal, a cardiologist at Fortis, Greater Noida, stated that many congenital heart diseases go undetected in infancy due to mild symptoms. He said, “Signs such as fatigue, difficulty breathing, and swelling in the body are often overlooked. Regular echocardiography and neonatal screening enable early diagnosis. If detected within the first year and treated appropriately, the child can lead a healthy life.” He also emphasized that timely diagnosis during pregnancy and referrals to specialized heart centers can significantly reduce CHD-related mortality and disability rates.

Certain factors during pregnancy can increase the risk of CHD in newborns, including smoking, alcohol consumption, exposure to harmful chemicals, uncontrolled diabetes, and folic acid deficiency. Additionally, a family history of CHD, genetic disorders, and Down syndrome can further elevate the risk. Experts advise pregnant women to maintain a balanced diet, stay up to date with vaccinations, manage conditions like diabetes, avoid tobacco and alcohol, and consume 400 micrograms of folic acid during the first trimester.

India has made significant advancements in CHD treatment through both government and private healthcare facilities. Fortis, Greater Noida, offers device-based treatments for ASD, VSD, and PDA, balloon procedures for narrowed valves, complex heart surgeries, and conduit reconstructions. In recent years, pediatric interventional cardiology has also seen major developments, including three-dimensional (3D) imaging, advanced cardiopulmonary bypass techniques, and modern post-surgical cardiac care.

With timely screening and proper treatment, children affected by congenital heart disease can lead normal lives. Fortis Hospital, Greater Noida, is committed to raising awareness and ensuring a healthier future for children. If a child exhibits symptoms of CHD, consulting a specialist at the earliest is crucial.

New Delhi, February 21st,2025 – Aza Fashions, India’s premier luxury fashion retailer, has launched its latest flagship store in the exclusive Dhan Mill area of Chattarpur, New Delhi. Spanning an expansive 12,000 sq. ft. across two beautifully designed floors, this new store is set to redefine the luxury shopping experience in the capital. With this launch, Aza now proudly operates eleven stores across the country, underscoring its commitment to expanding its footprint in India’s luxury fashion landscape.

The store brings together a meticulously curated selection of over 100 iconic and emerging designer labels, including Amit Aggarwal, Anamika Khanna, Anand Kabra, Anushree Reddy, Aseem Kapoor, Jayanti Reddy, Mayyur Girotra, Mishru, Nupur Kanoi, Rimple & Harpreet Narula, Tarun Tahiliani, TIL, 431-88, and many more. From wedding wear to contemporary prêt, the store offers a comprehensive selection of designer apparel, accessories, and statement pieces, ensuring every client finds their perfect style.

Dhan Mill has evolved into a thriving cultural and luxury retail hub in New Delhi, attracting artists, designers, and high-end clientele. Known for its unique mix of creativity and exclusivity, this prime location perfectly aligns with Aza’s ethos of delivering premium experiences. The store’s strategic placement allows Aza to cater to New Delhi’s affluent shoppers while contributing to the cultural vibrancy of the area.

To mark the launch in style, a glamorous celebration set the stage as Neha Dhupia and Angad Singh inaugurated the store with a traditional lamp lighting ceremony. The evening came alive with an engaging and interactive session featuring Devangi Parekh (Managing Director of Aza Fashions), where the couple shared their passion for all things fashion. The event was attended by Delhi’s elite, including prominent socialites, making it an unforgettable affair.

Dr. Alka Nishar, Founder & Chairperson of Aza Fashions, expressed her excitement about the new opening “Since our inception, Aza has been committed to elevating Indian fashion and offering clients the best shopping experience. This new store at Dhan Mill is not just a retail space but a celebration of craftsmanship and innovation. We are thrilled to bring the finest in Indian couture to this exquisite location.”

Devangi Parekh, Managing Director of Aza Fashions, highlighted the importance of this new milestone “Delhi has always been a key market for us, and the Dhan Mill store is a testament to our commitment to expanding Aza’s footprint in India’s fashion landscape. With its thoughtfully curated collection and immersive design, this store promises to deliver an unmatched luxury shopping experience for our clients.”

The two floors of Aza’s new store offer a seamless blend of contemporary elegance and traditional elements, creating a luxurious yet welcoming atmosphere. From expansive display areas and private consultation zones to dedicated sections for bridal trousseau shopping, the store is designed to cater to every need of its elite clientele. Personalized service by trained fashion consultants further elevates the customer experience, ensuring each visit is memorable.

New Delhi, 21st February 2025: WoCO (World of Cool Offices), a boutique workspace development company, has launched a luxurious commercial space for setting a new benchmark in workspace leasing. The launch marks the venture of the company into the real estate sector, where it aspires to become the ultimate destination for businesses seeking a premium and prestigious office environment.

Guided by its core philosophy of Smart, Suave, and Sustainable Design, WoCO creates workspaces that blend cutting-edge technology, refined aesthetics, and environmental consciousness. Its latest development, WoCO One, is a testament to this vision—an iconic Grade A commercial building that seamlessly integrates world-class amenities with sustainable solutions. Designed to inspire productivity and well-being, it prioritizes comfort, convenience, and efficiency, setting a new paradigm for modern office environments.

Situated at the prime NH-8 intersection in Gurugram, WoCO One enjoys excellent connectivity to renowned hotels, transit hubs, and commercial centers, making it a highly strategic location for businesses. Built with a commitment to sustainability, the building has been awarded the prestigious IGBC Platinum rating. It incorporates smart building technologies and eco-friendly design principles, including optimal natural lighting, energy-efficient ventilation, and high-performance VRVs. With a robust 45 KW solar power capacity, provision for zero liquid discharge and dedicated EV charging stations, WoCO One significantly reduces its environmental footprint while enhancing
operational efficiency.

Speaking on the occasion, Angad Singh Pasricha, Founder of WoCO, said, “The opening up of a new facility marks a new beginning for WoCO. Working towards elevating the offering of luxury workspaces, we are committed to bringing about the confluence of elegance, innovation,
functionality, and sustainability in one place. At WoCO we harbour the vision to create a niche for distinctive architectural structures exhibiting grandiose in the real estate market and the launch of the new building is a testament to our commitment.”

Elaborating on the same, Anand Sharma, Design Director of WoCO, said, “As architects, our vision is to create workspaces that embody the ‘spirit of design panache.’ In the quest, we seek sophistication that resonates with the diverse needs of workspace environments and solutions that convey sustainability as the cornerstone of the design approach. Beyond architects, we are also recognized as developers, who pride ourselves on ‘walking the talk’ that brings about the confluence of silent satisfaction and creative contentment.”

Adding to this, Goonmeet Singh Chauhan, Design Director of WoCO, stated, “We were keen to create an iconic showstopper and therefore chose to design the whole building like a giant white picture frame. Endless research helped us to zero in on the white terrazzo stone, which we’ve employed as a cladding material. The result is a stunning white edifice, standing crisply like a sovereign in white! The horizontal plane is entirely comprised of shades of grey with resplendent greenery jumping out of all corners and crevices along the perimeter. It has turned out to be a very refreshing building—luxury with delight!”

The development of the premium building was done under the guidance of leading industry players such as Design Forum International, Bobby Mukherjee Architects, Avante Facades, BMSF Designs, and Bikramjiet Kukreja, who all came together to create this grand architectural
landmark.

New Delhi, 21 Feb 2025: Signature Global (India) Ltd., one of India’s leading real estate companies, today announced that its affordable housing project, Signature Global Prime, located in Sector 63A, Gurugram at Golf Course Extension Road has received the prestigious Platinum certification from the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC). It is among the few affordable housing projects in the country to achieve this recognition.

With this milestone, Signature Global Prime becomes the company’s first-ever project to receive Platinum-level certification, further cementing Signature Global’s commitment to sustainable development. The IGBC Platinum certification is awarded to projects that meet the highest standards of sustainability and environmental performance, focusing on energy efficiency, water conservation, waste management, the use of eco-friendly materials, and overall environmental impact.

On this development, Mr. Lalit Aggarwal, Co-founder & Vice Chairman, of Signature Global (India) Ltd., said, “This recognition is a testament to our commitment to sustainable and responsible development. By integrating eco-friendly and energy-efficient practices, we aim to set new benchmarks in green real estate. At Signature Global, our focus remains on creating environmentally responsible homes that enhance the quality of life while contributing to a greener, healthier, and more sustainable future. We will continue to adopt innovative green building solutions that align with global sustainability standards and redefine sustainable housing in India.”

Spread over 5.7 acres, Signature Global Prime comprises 817 residential units and 118 high-street retail units. Signature Global Prime has elevated its sustainability benchmark from Gold to Platinum certification, recognizing its best-in-class green practices and environmental stewardship. This certification recognizes buildings that are leaders in sustainable design and construction and serves as a globally recognized benchmark. The evaluation parameters included an eco-design approach, water conservation, energy efficiency, green interior materials, indoor environmental quality, and innovation in interior design.

The IGBC Platinum certification highlights the growing importance of sustainability in the real estate sector, especially in affordable housing. Projects that meet high environmental standards contribute to resource efficiency by reducing energy and water consumption and lowering operational costs over time.

Thrissur, 21-February-2025 –As Kerala reels from a string of horrifying elephant-related tragedies, Voices for Asian Elephants (VFAE) is stepping up with an urgent, revolutionary solution. The organization, committed to ending elephant captivity and safeguarding endangered Asian elephants, has announced the launch of Shiva Shakthi—a life-sized robotic elephant—at Chakkamparambu Sree Bhagavathi Temple near Mala, Thrissur. This bold initiative aims to transform temple traditions, offering an ethical and cruelty-free alternative while preserving India’s rich cultural heritage. This launch follows a successful pilot project at Sree Sankaran Kovil, a Malayali temple on the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border, where VFAE introduced Tamil Nadu’s first robotic elephant.

“Science has proven that elephants are highly intelligent, social creatures who belong in the wild with their families—not in captivity where they suffer unimaginable torment,” said Sangita Iyer, Founding Executive Director of Voices for Asian Elephants and award-winning filmmaker of the UN-nominated documentary Gods in Shackles, which exposed the brutal exploitation of festival elephants. “Robotic elephants provide a groundbreaking alternative that allows us to honor sacred traditions without perpetuating unimaginable cruelty. Ahimsa—non-violence—is deeply woven into our culture, and it is our moral responsibility to uphold it.”

Temple authorities are embracing this change. “With their lifelike appearance, robotic elephants ensure that traditions thrive without causing pain and suffering to sentient beings. More temples are realizing that live elephants pose ethical concerns and serious safety risks. We are grateful to Voices for Asian Elephants for generously sponsoring Shiva Shakthi and look forward to welcoming our own life-sized robotic elephant,” said C.D. Sreenath, President of Vijnanadayini Sabha, the public trust managing the temple.

The urgency of this initiative cannot be overstated. In just the first two months of 2025, six people have lost their lives due to captive elephant-related incidents. Most recently, on February 13th, a temple festival in Koyilandi, Calicut district, turned into a nightmare when two elephants, spooked by fireworks, deprivation, exhaustion, and relentless abuse, attacked each other. The resulting chaos left three people dead and around 50 injured. Earlier in the month, a captive elephant at a festival in Elavalli, Thrissur, gored two people, including his mahout, who later died. In a desperate bid for freedom, the elephant ran 14 kilometers before being recaptured.

The numbers paint a grim picture. In 2024 alone, 24 captive elephants in Kerala perished due to neglect, brutal mistreatment, and fatal diseases such as foot rot and severe digestive disorders. Over the past six years, a staggering 154 captive elephants have died in Kerala. Mahouts, too, suffer, facing dangerous and often deadly encounters with stressed, enslaved elephants pushed beyond their limits.

Beyond temple traditions, VFAE is making a tangible impact on wild elephant conservation. The organization recently donated a 4.00-acre private plantation to the Kerala Forest Department, securing a vital corridor for approximately 340 wild elephants in South Nilambur. Their efforts have also prevented over 1,139 train-elephant collisions in West Bengal between January 2023 and November 2024, thanks to the implementation of the cutting-edge AI-based EleSense technology. The organization has also planted 50,300 elephant-friendly saplings across the Pallahara and Balasore ranges of Odisha, employing around 200 tribal individuals and creating eight large waterholes to support elephant populations.