HONG KONG, 17-04-25: This week, the World Phygital Community (WPC) announced the 2025/2026 ranking tournament season for athletes and clubs aiming to qualify for the Games of the Future in Kazakhstan next year. Running from August 1st to December 15th, 2025, the tournaments hosted by WPC members worldwide, will provide the opportunity for clubs and athletes to show their prowess in phygital sports and qualify to compete at the largest global phygital sport’s event next year.

During the season, phygital competitors will participate in a round of regional tournaments within each participating country called Phygital Origins, followed by national tournaments, which are called Phygital Rivals.

Dan Merkley, Chairperson of the WPC, said, “This new season will be the biggest ever. With 96 World Phygital Community members across 92 countries, this is the chance for anyone who wants to be part of this fast-growing phenomenon to step up and prove themselves. Phygital sport is for everyone, and we are eager to see which phygital superstars emerge this season.”

Tournaments can feature the following core disciplines: Phygital Football, Phygital Basketball, Phygital Shooter and Phygital Dancing. The first three consist of two stages—a digital round, where athletes compete in a video game version of the discipline, followed by a physical round, where they face off in a real-world version of the discipline. Phygital Dancing tournaments use well-known dancing video games to deliver the phygital experience in a single stage.

Following conclusion of these tournaments in December, rankings are calculated and the top two clubs and athletes in each discipline will go straight through to the Games of the Future 2026, while clubs and athletes placed 3^rd – 26^th will go through to the Phygital Contenders tournament to fight for their place at the event.

Prior to the season starting, all WPC members can apply to host Phygital Origins and Phygital Rivals tournaments from May 1st till July 31st, 2025.

New Delhi, April 17, 2025 – TechChefz Digital, a leading digital transformation agency, has announced the launch of its newly incubated business unit, TechChefz Talent, a specialized staffing solutions provider designed to address the pressing workforce challenges faced by organizations worldwide. Talent acquisition remains a major hurdle for businesses, with 93% of companies struggling to attract and retain skilled professionals. TechChefz Talent is positioned as a strategic partner for organizations looking to scale efficiently, access niche skills, and overcome talent scarcity with ease.

TechChefz Talent offers a robust suite of services that empower businesses to manage workforce demands, ensuring they stay agile and competitive. Whether an organization is dealing with high attrition rates, struggling to hire niche talent, or aiming to set up new practices, TechChefz Talent provides tailored solutions to meet diverse business needs.

TechChefz Talent delivers a broad range of services to help businesses seamlessly build, scale, and optimize their teams. Its Talent Augmentation Services provide skilled professionals to augment existing teams, ensuring agility and efficiency in project execution. The Hiring Services streamline the recruitment process through talent sourcing, pre-screening, and background verification. Upskill helps bridge skill gaps by identifying training needs and providing targeted learning opportunities. Talent Consulting & Intelligence offers strategic workforce consulting, market analysis, and salary benchmarking.

“Talent is the cornerstone of any successful business, yet finding the right talent remains a significant challenge, with our deep expertise and flexible staffing models, TechChefz Talent is set to transform the way organizations build their teams, ensuring they have the right people in place to drive growth and innovation,” said Mayank Maggon, Founder, CEO & CTO, TechChefz Digital.

In addition, TechChefz Talent provides Build Operate & Transfer services to establish and manage operational teams before seamlessly transferring them back to businesses. Turnkey Services enable organizations to set up offshore development centers with end-to-end payroll and operational management. Global Talent Mobility facilitates seamless international hiring and manages immigration formalities for businesses expanding globally.

While TechChefz Digital continues to focus on digital transformation and technology-driven solutions, TechChefz Talent operates as an independent entity, dedicated exclusively to providing workforce solutions. By maintaining separate brand identities, both units can focus on their core expertise while delivering the highest value to their respective clients.

Gurugram, 17th April 2025; Artemis Hospitals and Government Institute of Medical Sciences (GIMS), has announced a significant partnership aimed at accelerating medical research and enhancing patient care. This agreement will see the two institutions collaborate closely on a range of clinical trials and research initiatives.

This Master Service Agreement (MSA) marks a significant step forward in our dedication to enhancing patient care and advancing medical knowledge,” stated Dr. (Brig.) Anil Khetarpal, Spokesperson for Artemis Hospitals. “By collaborating with GIMS, we aim to accelerate the development of innovative treatments and make a tangible difference in the lives of our patients. We are enthusiastic about this partnership and its potential for significant progress.”

Dr. (Brig.) Rakesh Gupta, Spokesperson for GIMS, added, “Our collaboration will prioritize patient well-being through ethical practices and the highest quality standards in clinical trials, adhering to all necessary regulations. Furthermore, we are eager to support the emergence of new ideas and foster the growth of healthcare startups.

 At the heart of this collaboration is a dedication to providing the best possible care while driving medical progress. Our key objectives are;

• Advancing Medical Knowledge Responsibly: Encouraging new ideas and upholding the highest ethical standards in medical research, ensuring the safety and rights of all clinical trial participants.
• Developing Innovative Treatments with Patient Safety in Mind: Creating and implementing the latest medical treatments and technologies through carefully designed clinical trials that prioritize patient safety, minimize risks, and maximize potential benefits.
• Improving Patient Outcomes Through Informed and Ethical Practices: Focusing on enhancing the care and results for patients by using the most current medical evidence. Our clinical trials are conducted with transparency, providing patients with complete information and ensuring their voluntary participation and well-being are paramount.

Attendees from Artemis included Dr. (Brig) Anil Khetarpal, Dr. Uday Harley, Mr. Virendra Singh, and Dr. Garima Srivastava. Representing GIMS were Dr. (Brig) Rakesh Gupta, Dr. Saurabh Srivastava, Dr. Vivek Gupta, Dr. Ekta Arora, Dr. Ravi, and Mr. Mukesh. We both believe that Artemis Hospitals and GIMS will become leaders in finding new medical solutions and taking great care of patients. By working together, we hope to discover new things that will make medicine better. We also hope to help people live longer and have a better quality of life, and help everyone in healthcare work better together and strive for the highest quality.

New Delhi, April 17 2025 – In a strategic move to strengthen its leadership team and accelerate business growth, KAFF Appliances, one of India’s leading premium kitchen appliance brands, is pleased to announce the appointment of Nalin Kumar as its new Chief Operating Officer (COO).

Nalin-Kumar

With over two decades of leadership experience in the consumer durables and appliances sector, Nalin Kumar brings with him a proven track record in operations management, strategic planning, channel expansion, and business transformation. In his new role, he will be responsible for overseeing end-to-end operations, driving organizational efficiency, and enhancing customer and partner experiences across India.

“We are delighted to welcome Nalin Kumar to the KAFF leadership team. His deep industry knowledge and sharp operational acumen make him an ideal fit to lead our business into its next phase of growth,”

Prior to joining KAFF, Nalin held senior leadership roles at reputed brands in the home appliances and consumer electronics space, where he led large-scale operations and spearheaded go-to-market strategies with notable success. His appointment comes at a time when KAFF is actively expanding its product portfolio and deepening its footprint across both urban and emerging markets.

“I’m excited to be part of KAFF’s journey at such a pivotal time. The brand has a strong legacy in the Indian kitchen appliance market, and I look forward to working with the team to build on that momentum and deliver meaningful value to our customers and partners,” said Nalin Kumar, COO, KAFF Appliances.

KAFF continues to focus on design innovation, product quality, and customer-centricity—values that align closely with Nalin’s leadership philosophy. His onboarding is expected to bring sharper focus to operational excellence and cross-functional alignment across the organization.

MUMBAI, India– April 17 2025: The battle heats up on Realme Hip Hop India Season 2 and is about to turn up the intensity like never before on Amazon MX Player, Amazon’s free video streaming service. With judges Remo D’Souza and Malaika Arora setting tough benchmarks each week, the pressure on contestants has never been higher or fiercer. As dancers push their limits, the show is set to take a dramatic turn!

In the latest promo, ace choreographer Punit J Pathak drops a bombshell— three eliminations are coming this week, leaving everyone on the edge of their seats! As if that wasn’t enough, a fresh batch of challengers will enter the arena to compete directly with the current top 7 contestants. With every position under threat, it’s anyone’s game—and not everyone will survive this round.

Commenting on the game-changing twist, Malaika Arora shared, “Punit has really taken everyone by surprise and with introduction of challengers and eliminations looming on, it is going to be incredibly exciting to see who can handle the pressure and keep their spot. This is the challenge that will truly test the contestants and has made the competition even more exciting!”

With the battle intensifying and eliminations around the corner, Realme Hip Hop India Season 2 is now streaming exclusively only on Amazon MX Player, available Amazon shopping app, Prime Video, Fire TV, and Connected TVs.

Aniruddh Kumar, Vice President of Development, India & South Asia at Accor, stated, “Indore is rapidly emerging as a dynamic hub for business, technology, and lifestyle, making it a perfect location for Accor’s continued growth in the country. The signing of Novotel and ibis Styles Indore Super Corridor aligns with our strategic vision to bring world-class hospitality to key urban hubs. With its well-connected metro and road infrastructure, the new hotels will redefine Indore’s hospitality landscape. These properties will seamlessly blend comfort, efficiency, and quality service to meet the evolving needs of modern travellers.”

Parth Shukla, Director, Pitraparvat Developers Private Limited, added, “This partnership marks a significant step in our commitment to shaping Indore’s hospitality landscape. With Accor’s global expertise and our deep-rooted presence in the region, we are confident that these hotels will set new standards in service and guest experience.”

Bengaluru – April 17, 2025 – Silicon Valley headquartered Operant AI,  has  launched AI Gatekeeper™, a real-time security application for live AI applications, agents and Agentic AI workflows—across Kubernetes, private, hybrid, and edge environments.

As organizations rapidly adopt autonomous AI agents and complex multi-agent workflows, especially in high-growth markets like India, security challenges have escalated. According to Deloitte’s State of GenAI report, over 80% of Indian organizations are exploring autonomous agents, with 50% focused on multi-agent setups that require minimal human oversight.

AI Gatekeeper™ goes beyond Operant’s existing 3D Defense capabilities, offering industry-first protections against rogue agents—such as trust scoring, agentic access controls, and threat blocking for Model Context Protocols (MCPs) and Non-Human Identities (NHIs).

Dependence on third-party vendors increases risks

Operant’s recent engagements with Indian enterprises and cybersecurity leaders highlight a strong interest in deploying AI agents but also significant reliance on third-party vendors for AI deployment, complicating data governance and security. Key concerns include data leakage, model poisoning, and rogue agent behavior. AI Gatekeeper directly addresses these issues, empowering enterprises to secure their agentic AI deployments at runtime across all platforms.

“The AI that we are now securing is a completely new beast compared to even two years ago,” said Vrajesh Bhavsar, Operant AI’s CEO and co-founder. He added that  today RAG applications to AI Agents to AI Inference systems operate at a completely new scale, because of which AI can’t be secured in isolation. AI Gatekeeper can bring Operant’s unique defensive capabilities to everywhere customers are deploying AI, alongside critical new capabilities for protecting sensitive data and the rest of the application environment from the new attack surface that is being fueled by rapid Agentic AI adoption.”

Gatekeeper creates space for faster AI innovation

“We are seeing three trends happening right now: First, incredibly fast deployment of AI models and AI Agents for novel use cases; second, adoption of new platforms beyond the traditional cloud providers; and lastly, the requirements and responsibilities for security, infrastructure, data infosec and AI converging,” said Raj Yavatkar, CTO of Juniper Networks. Operant has built a solution that helps teams protect their most business-critical transformations, while AI Gatekeeper makes it possible for AI-native teams to innovate securely at a completely new pace

AI Applications and agents are not only being built on cloud hyperscalers like Amazon EKS, Fargate, Bedrock, and similar services from Azure and Google Cloud, they are now expanding onto non-traditional platforms like Databricks, Snowflake, and Salesforce. The AI ecosystem – and the threats that come with it – are shifting closer to where the data that fuels AI actually lives.

As a result, security and threat exposure are expanding while enterprises continue to add Agentic AI workflows that need to be controlled and secured by default to prevent new catastrophic failure modes. The adoption of new frameworks like MCP exposes enterprises to additional risks of breaches, like the tool poisoning vulnerability just reported last week, that require a fundamentally different security approach from traditional methods.

“Securing AI Agents is a critical priority for AI-native companies because you can’t hand off that level of autonomy at scale to these systems without appropriate controls in place,” said Martin Choluj, CISO of Clickhouse.

Operant’s AI Gatekeeper launch comes on the heels of Operant being named as a representative vendor in Gartner’s Market Guide for AI Trust, Risk, and Security Management (AI TRiSM), and mentioned in Gartner’s recent research note, “How to Secure Custom-Built AI Agents.”

Bangalore, April 17, 2025: Bodycraft Clinic, one of India’s premier destinations for clinically driven beauty and wellness treatments, officially unveiled YouthXNext on April 12, 2025, at its flagship clinic in Bengaluru, in association with Leader Medical Systems Pvt Ltd, the official partners for ExoCoBio Inc. Korea, in India. This revolutionary aesthetic offering is based on the ASCEplus range of exosome products developed by ExoCoBio Inc. in Korea using proprietary ExoSCRT®️ technology and derived from Damask Rose stem cells. This patented technology enables the extraction of high-purity exosomes that work at a cellular level to trigger deep repair, reduce inflammation, and enhance natural regeneration.

The YouthXNext is based on two breakthrough products: ASCEplus SRLV, a high-efficacy skin rejuvenation treatment that improves hydration, elasticity, and overall tone; and ASCEplus HRLV,  an exosome-based scalp therapy formulated to calm inflammation, strengthen follicles, and promote fuller, healthier hair. Together, they represent a new frontier in personalized, regenerative aesthetics for Indian consumers.

With this launch, Bodycraft becomes amongst the first few Indian chain clinics to offer exosome-based skin and scalp rejuvenation, which is available at all their clinics PAN India. YouthXNext combines the power of ASCEplus products with Bodycraft’s clinical expertise to deliver minimally invasive, science-backed solutions for skin and scalp rejuvenation.

Dr.Mikki Singh, Dermatologist, Cosmetologist, and Founder of Bodycraft Clinic, stated, “YouthXNext is more than a treatment—it’s a leap forward in how we approach beauty and wellness in India. For me, it’s deeply personal because it reflects everything I believe modern aesthetics should embody: clinically grounded, globally inspired, and truly transformative. This protocol isn’t just about looking better; it’s about healing from within, restoring balance, and empowering people to feel confident in their own skin.”

Our partnership with ExoCoBio has allowed us to bring the regenerative power of exosome treatment science to India that’s never been seen before. Their advanced exosome technology, backed by rigorous clinical research, delivers real results that go beyond surface-level change. At Bodycraft, we’ve always been committed to bridging innovation with care, and YouthXNext is the next chapter in that journey. It represents our vision for the future, where beauty meets biotechnology and where every client receives a solution tailored not just to how they look but also to how they live. Today, Bodycraft operates in 25 clinics across India, with a presence in Bangalore, Chennai, Gurgaon, Dehradun, and Mumbai.

Mumbai, 17 April 2025 – After the successful launch of the Škoda Kylaq range, Škoda Auto India is now announcing a new car at the other end of the spectrum – with the launch of the all-new generation of its luxury 4×4 SUV, the Kodiaq. Into its second generation in India and internationally, the brand-new Kodiaq arrives in India with its signature blend of luxury, refinement, off-road ability, on-road dynamics and seven-seat versatility.

 Petr Janeba, Brand Director, Škoda Auto India shares, “In March, we recorded our biggest ever monthly sales in India, driven by the Kylaq launch, and supported by the Kushaq and Slavia. This is one of many new records we aim to set this year. In line with our product offensive strategy, the launch of the all-new Kodiaq showcases the other end of our product spectrum with Škoda’s luxury and technology prowess. The Kodiaq has now grown to be an important legacy name for us like the Octavia and Superb. The Kodiaq offers the ultimate luxury and handling for city roads and also packs in versatile all-terrain capabilities.”

 Škoda Auto’s premier 4×4 is powered by a 2.0 TSI engine making 150kW and 320Nm of torque. This power and torque is distributed to both axles through a seven-speed dual clutch DSG automatic. It is based on the MQB37 Evo platform and is available in the Sportline and Selection L&K variants with both offering seven seats. Assembled in India at the brand’s facility in Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar, the Kodiaq has been rated to provide fuel efficiency of 14.86 km/l by ARAI.

The all-new generation of the Kodiaq is 59mm longer than its previous generation. It has a length of 4,758mm and height of 1,679mm. It is 1,864mm wide and has a wheelbase of 2,791mm. Fully laden, the all-new Kodiaq stands 155mm off the ground. The three-row luxury 4×4, like before, offers a lot of luggage capacity in its versatile interior. With all three seats up, the Kodiaq offers 281 litres of luggage space. With the third-row seats folded to the floor, this luxury SUV can carry 786 litres of luggage, and with both the rear rows down, the Kodiaq affords a cavernous carrying capacity of 1,976 litres.

The new Škoda Kodiaq continues its tradition of refined luxury with two distinct interior themes, an all-black sporty décor for the Sportline variant and premium Cognac leather upholstery in the Selection L&K trim. Elevating the cabin’s technology and convenience, it now features a 32.77-cm infotainment system, along with multi-function Smart Dials equipped with tactile rotary knobs and touchscreens allowing seamless control over HVAC, seat ventilation, audio settings and drive modes. Ergonomic enhancements include a newly positioned gear-selector behind the steering wheel for improved accessibility and a tablet holder for rear-seat passengers, adding to their convenience.

The luxury quotient is further amplified with Ergo front seats that offer advanced pneumatic massage function, ensuring superior comfort and spine support. The inclusion of acoustic package with acoustic side windows helps in reducing exterior noise, creating a serene and premium driving experience. Safety and comfort are paramount, with 9 airbags, a sliding panoramic sunroof, and a 725W Canton sound system with 13 speakers and a sub-woofer for an immersive audio experience. Additionally, rolling sunblinds in the rear windows further enhance privacy and passenger comfort.

The Škoda Kodiaq stands out with its all-new design and premium styling elements. The LED Beam Crystallinium headlamps now feature a Welcome Effect, adding a touch of sophistication upon unlocking this luxury 4×4. The Selection L&K trim exudes elegance with Dark Chrome accents, while the Sportline variant embraces a sportier persona with Glossy Black highlights. Enhancing its road presence, the Kodiaq sports a front grille with an integrated horizontal light strip, creating a striking visual identity, while a red strip connecting the tail lamps further accentuates the SUV’s width, ensuring a distinctive and commanding presence on the road.

The all-new Kodiaq is available in six colour options: Moon White, Magic Black, Graphite Grey, Velvet Red, Race Blue. The Selection L&K gets an exclusive Bronx Gold and the Sportline gets an exclusive Steel Grey.

Škoda Auto India will also be offering some delectable ownership and maintenance solutions for Kodiaq owners. This Škoda flagship will offer a standard warranty of 5-year/125,000 kms – whichever earlier. There is also a 10-year complimentary Road-Side Assistance on offer with this luxury 4×4. Bringing service costs down further is Škoda Supercare, a standard maintenance package, which is available at no cost to the customer for the first year.