MUMBAI, India–April 21, 2025: The Battleground House witnessed another week of intense drama and fierce competition, streaming exclusively on Amazon MX Player, Amazon’s free video streaming service. With Shikhar Dhawan as the Supermentor and team leaders Asim Riaz, Rajat Dalal, Rubina Dilaik, and Abhishek Malhan in charge, the heat inside the Battleground House has reached an all-time high! Over the past week, the competition intensified like never before, and fans were served a potent mix of drama, determination, and the unexpected.

The week kicked off with the introduction of masked wildcards, handpicked by Supermentor Shikhar Dhawan. These newcomers engaged in one-on-one battles to steal credits and secure their spots, notably shaking up the trio of Mehak, Dev, and Shiva. The captaincy playoffs saw Haryana Bulls clinch victory, earning the right to steal credits, while Mumbai Strikers also gained an advantage. Tensions flared with confrontations between Rathi and Shiva, and Rounak and Nisha over stolen credits. A brutal team powerplay led to injuries for Namrata and Rekha, Raja’s disqualification after a clash with Parth, and Rounak’s redemption with a win over Aashika, propelling Delhi Dominators over Haryana Bulls. Shiva’s triumph against Adnan secured UP Dabang’s win over Mumbai Strikers.

The drama intensified with an Acro yoga powerplay, where contestants paired up, leaving Mehak unchosen by both Shiva and Parth, leading her to team with Rathi. The Campus Beats cast: Shantanu Maheshwari, Shruti Sinha and Tanvi Gadkari, paid a surprise visit and added flair with a flirty game of Knife, Kiss, and Dil. Mehak offered her ‘dil’ to Shiva, but he chose Rounak, deepening Mehak’s disappointment. Acro yoga performances highlighted the episode, with Bhawish and Nisha impressing both judges and the Campus Beats cast. Ishaan and Rihanna’s display of chemistry during their routine stood out. In another explosive Fight Club episode, Mehak faced off against Dev and Rounak in high-stakes jackpot fights. A trio match among Adnan, Dev, and Parth ended with Parth injured. Among the girls, Anjali felt sidelined as Asim Riaz supported Chandni, leading to a verbal duel with Abhishek Malhan, aka Fukra Insaan. The week concluded emotionally as injuries forced Namrata and Rekha to exit the show.

As rivalries escalate, alliances shift, and mentors clash, one thing is certain, the storm has only just begun. Battleground is now streaming exclusively on Amazon MX Player, available on Amazon’s shopping app, Prime Video, Fire TV, and Connected TVs.

Study abroad is a life-changing experience, but one that is accompanied with a multitude of complications—applications, financing, accommodation, travel, and the challenge of adapting to a new culture. Fortunately, several digital platforms are simplifying the experience for Indian students to a great extent and with increased confidence. From financial services and accommodation assistance to application guidance and community networks, the platforms are thoughtfully designed to tackle the actual issues that students face when they are moving abroad. Here are the leading digital platforms that are truly making a difference:

1. Beacon: The All-in-One Super App for Students & Immigrants

Beacon is a purpose-built financial platform designed to simplify every step of the relocation journey for immigrants and students moving to Canada. From pre-arrival to post-settlement, Beacon acts as a comprehensive support system through its all-in-one Super App. Students can open and use a fully digital bank account up to six months before landing, get access to a global debit card, manage tuition payments, transfer money, and even pay Indian bills in CAD—all without hidden fees or credit checks. Beyond the financial services, Beacon also offers curated pre-arrival checklists, housing support with rent discounts, telecom services with cashback, and a real-time WhatsApp concierge to answer everyday questions about life in Canada. Whether it’s navigating your first winter, finding student-friendly areas to live, or budgeting for your expenses, Beacon is more than a fintech tool—it’s a trusted companion helping students transition from survival mode to long-term financial planning with clarity and confidence.

2. Leap Scholar – End-to-End Study Abroad Solution

Leap Scholar is among the most trusted study abroad preparation platforms that offers the full gamut of services from counselling to IELTS coaching, university application, and visa assistance. Leap is unique because its technology-facilitated, one-on-one counselling is designed to allow students to choose the right programs that match their academic profile, career aspirations, and financial constraints. The platform also curates great content—success stories, blogs, and webinars—to assist students at every step of the journey. Harnessing its expanding network of partner institutions and its commitment to accessibility, Leap Scholar has facilitated thousands of students to move abroad confidently for studies to countries such as Canada, the UK, and Australia.

3. UniCreds – Easier Education Loans for Indian Students

Financing studies abroad can be one of the biggest pain points for students and families. UniCreds is a one-stop shop for education loans with Indian banks, NBFCs, and international lenders, where you can compare and apply. With no-collateral loan options, competitive interest rates, and financial counselling, UniCreds is designed to make the mundane, complicated, and sometimes painful education loan process easy to navigate. Students can also receive advice about forex disbursement, insurance, and repayment terms—all according to their destination and course. It is just the tool they need to help with accessing capital, so they can concentrate on their academic journey, rather than merely the cost of it.

4. Yocket – A Community & Planning Tool

Yocket is more than a study abroad platform, it is an ecosystem and community where students planning to go abroad can meet, connect, cooperate, and share insights. Yocket has everything from university and course discovery, to a SOP writing tool, a visa tracking tool, and a document management tool. However, the standout feature of Yocket is the Yocket Connect community that allows students to connect with peers attending the same university or program. This peer-to-peer support makes a huge difference during the preparation phase and helps reduce uncertainty. Yocket also has a premium counseling service for more personalized support.

5. Amber Student – Your Hassle-Free Student Housing Partner Worldwide

Finding student housing in a foreign country is often the biggest worry for students. Amber Student is making it easier by offering verified student housing options, near the best universities in multiple countries, including the UK, US, Canada, and Australia, to name a few. With customer support, flexible leases, and no brokerage fees, Amber limits the guesswork of renting as a student. Students can view properties virtually, compare prices, and book their accommodation in advance, all while still in their home country. Even for first-time renters, Amber’s platform enables full security, convenience, and transparency.

Mumbai, 21 April 2025: The rise of Alternate Investment Funds (AIFs) has significantly transformed real estate financing in India, offering a crucial lifeline to projects struggling with lack of funding and unlocking new opportunities for developers. AIFs – privately pooled funds that invest in non-traditional assets like private equity, hedge funds, and real estate – offer niche, high-risk, high-reward opportunities suited for experienced investors.

In its AIFs Research Report 2025, ANAROCK Research has compiled SEBI data which indicates that till 9M FY25, the real estate sector accounted for the largest share (15%) of cumulative net AIF investments, with INR 73,903 crore invested in real estate out of an all-sectors total of INR 5,06,196 crore. Other sectors benefiting from AIF investments include IT/ITeS, Financial Services, NBFCs, Banks, Pharma, FMCG, Retail, Renewable Energy, and others.

 By the end of 9M FY25, AIF investments in real estate rose from INR 68,540 Cr by FY 2024-end to INR 73,903 Cr – an appreciable 8% growth in first three quarters of fiscal year 2025. This pace is expected to sustain and pick up.

Prashant Thakur, Regional Director & Head – Research, ANAROCK Group, says, “Amidst increasing constraints on traditional funding sources, AIFs are an agile and innovative financing mechanism to address capital gaps at various stages of real estate development. Since they pool capital from domestic and foreign investors, AIFs are a sustainable and scalable funding ecosystem. Going forward, the adoption of blended finance models, AI-driven risk assessments, and streamlined regulatory frameworks maximize the impact of AIFs further.“

Commitments Surge

The number of AIF active in the market has grown 36-fold over the past decade – from 42 by 31st March 2013 to a 1,524 AIFs as of 5th March 2025, with commitment raised increasing five-fold since 2019. Between FY2013 and FY2025, the commitment raised in AIFs has seen an impressive 83.4% compounded annual growth rate (CAGR). This is a strong testimony to their growing importance in the broader investment landscape.

This surge in commitments is mainly fuelled by Category II AIF, which is contributing almost 80% over the last five fiscal years. Domestic investors continue to hold the majority share in AIF fundraising activities; however, Category II AIFs exhibit a notable balance with foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) having an almost equal participation.

Investment into the real estate sector play a significant role in growth of category II AIFs. Regulatory reforms, a surge in startups, and a greater influx of seasoned investors are key growth drivers.

SWAMIH Sets the Pace

“The SWAMIH Fund, India’s flagship AIF and arguably the most prominent, has helped revive numerous stalled projects with liquidity infusions of over INR 35,000 crore to date,” says Anuj Puri, Chairman – ANAROCK Group. “By facilitating the completion of many thousands of housing units, SWAMIH Fund has been an unmitigated boon for homebuyers across the country and helped bring considerable stability to the real estate market. That said, the SWAMIH Fund fights a constant uphill battle against various impediments.”

SWAMIH – The Challenges:

• Though substantial, the INR 15,000 crore corpus through SWAMIH II is not enough to revive India’s close to 2,000 stalled projects
• Regulatory hurdles, including insolvency cases under NCLT, further complicate the projects revival process
• Existing lenders often resist ceding the first charge on stressed assets, delaying financing
• Approval bottlenecks, such as expired RERA registrations and environmental clearances, add to implementation delays
• Homebuyer litigations and withheld payments due to past delays create cash flow constraints, making execution more complex

“The SWAMIH Fund’s encumbered journey underscores that addressing India’s stalled housing crisis requires more than just capital — it demands systemic reform,” says Puri. “Overcoming entrenched bottlenecks like regulatory delays, lender resistance, and cash flow constraints is key to unlocking its full potential. If these challenges are tackled head-on, the Fund can truly bridge the gap between promise and execution on its mission to rescue homebuyers who have no other recourse.”