India, 17th April 2025, Navyug Global Ventures, the investment platform founded by serial investor Nikhil Chandan, has announced a strategic investment of INR 160 Million and another INR 100 Million in the first quarter FY 25-26 in Shrinithi Capital Private Limited, a Chennai-based NBFC focused on commercial vehicle finance and EV Segment. With this new investment, Shrinithi Capital Private Limited will accelerate its efforts in expanding financial access, deepening its presence in underserved regions, and driving impact-driven lending initiatives.

Shrinithi Capital, with its 50 plus branches and 600 plus on-field manpower, has been enabling access to credit for rural entrepreneurs, commercial fleet operators, and small business owners in the Used Vehicle Auto Segment through its grassroots network and sector-specific financial products. The new funding will support its geographic expansion, tech-driven lending models, and targeted financing for electric mobility. Known for backing high-impact, future-forward enterprises, Nikhil Chandan has built a track record of identifying early-stage financial and clean-tech opportunities that drive both economic and social outcomes. This latest investment into Shrinithi Capital reinforces Navyug’s commitment to fostering inclusive, sustainable growth in India’s lending ecosystem.

Commenting on the investment, Mr Nikhil Chandan, MD & CEO of Navyug Global Ventures, said “We back teams that understand the ground realities and build for scale. Shrinithi Capital stood out not just for its numbers but for its mission. Their disciplined approach to rural lending and growing focus on EV finance reflects where the future is headed. This investment, much like our earlier bet on Taxi’na in the shared mobility space, reinforces our commitment to backing sunrise segments that blend innovation, inclusion, and long-term sustainability. We’re excited to partner with them at this pivotal stage and contribute to a more financially inclusive India.”

Mr Sellamani Srinivasan, CEO & Director- Shrinithi Capital said  “From our first discussions with Nikhil and the team at Navyug, it was clear that this partnership extends far beyond capital. Navyug brings a wealth of experience and strategic synergies that will help Shrinithi Capital scale efficiently. This collaboration will empower us to penetrate deeper markets, access technology, and acquire new business in Green Mobility, Ride hailing Auto & Taxis, and other new markets.”

New Delhi, 17^th April 2025: Statiq, India’s largest EV charging network, has rolled out an ambitious city-level marketing campaign across Chandigarh, Kerala, and Bengaluru to boost local awareness, drive app adoption, and reinforce its leadership as the most accessible and trusted EV charging solution in the country. This hyperlocal initiative marks a significant step in Statiq’s mission to accelerate India’s transition to sustainable mobility, taking the EV conversation closer to people’s homes, streets, and neighborhoods.

With a growing network of over 8000 chargers, Statiq is powering India’s evolving EV ecosystem by enabling seamless charging access through its app and infrastructure. Through this campaign, the company is focusing on deeper city-level engagement—blending on-ground activations, regional influencer collaborations, high-impact OOH, digital promotions, and print and radio outreach to reach EV users in a meaningful, localized way.

Speaking on the campaign, Mr. Akshit Bansal, Founder & CEO, Statiq, said: “EV adoption in India is no longer restricted to Tier-1 metros. Real change is happening at the hyperlocal level—in residential neighborhoods, on highways, and in community hubs. With this campaign, we want to build lasting relationships with our users by being visible, trustworthy, and accessible at every touchpoint. Chandigarh, Kerala, and Bengaluru are just the beginning—we’re excited to take this momentum to more cities in the coming months.”

Each of the three campaign cities has been chosen for its emerging EV user base and growing infrastructure. In Kerala and Bengaluru alone, Statiq’s public charger footprint has already surpassed 400 and 600 chargers, respectively. These numbers are being brought to the forefront of local storytelling, combined with the promotion of city-specific offers through the app installs and promo codes such as KRL200, CHD150, and BLR100—designed to incentivize first-time downloads and usage. The campaign also includes real-time digital advertising on platforms like Meta and Google, complemented by WhatsApp broadcasts and push notifications targeted at lapsed users.

Trust-building and local relevance are at the heart of this campaign. Statiq is partnering with regional influencers to share EV stories in local languages, contextualized to the daily lives and mobility patterns of each city. Radio and newspaper collaborations are also helping reach non-digital audiences, particularly older users and potential EV adopters who may be new to charging networks.

Additionally, on-ground activations include community events and promotional stalls to showcase Statiq’s charging ease and app features. New users are being offered instant wallet credits and cashback promotions to encourage trial and repeat use, while the app itself continues to serve as a one-stop platform to access multiple public and partner charging networks.

By combining tech innovation, local storytelling, and user-centric incentives, Statiq is not only promoting EV adoption but also creating a sense of familiarity and confidence in India’s green mobility journey. The campaign aims to set a benchmark for how EV infrastructure brands can connect with users on the ground—where the real shift toward electric begins. Statiq has been proactively addressing the challenges around EV charging through similar initiatives. It had recently launched the ‘One Country, One App, All EV Chargers’ campaign—bringing charging stations from multiple networks onto a single platform to create a seamless experience for all EV users.

Bangalore – ParamNetwork today announced the global launch of ⦃param⦄ ai/studio, India’s first enterprise-grade Agentic AI platform designed to meet the complex requirements of modern enterprises. Developed entirely in India, ai/studio allows organizations to build, deploy, and manage sophisticated Agentic AI workflows with enterprise-level security, governance, and scalability.

Mr. Vaideeswaran Sethuraman, Founder of ParamNetworks 

Unlike platforms that evolved from consumer applications and were later repurposed for business use, ai/studio has been engineered from the ground up with a distributed architecture that includes redundancy, advanced security controls, and full-spectrum governance. The platform is built to integrate seamlessly into existing enterprise environments.

“Enterprise AI adoption requires more than just powerful algorithms—it demands reliability, explainability, and alignment with existing architecture,” said Vaideeswaran Sethuraman, Founder of ParamNetwork. “Our ai/studio addresses these needs through a composable system built to work across enterprise tools, workflows, and compliance frameworks.”

The platform is powered by three proprietary technologies developed by ParamNetwork: L⚡RAG, a next-generation retrieval augmented generation engine that processes structured, semi-structured, and unstructured data for faster and more accurate insights. Quantum Minds, a low-code prompt programming tool equipped with pre-built agentic operators; and MCP Streams, a model-agnostic integration layer based on Model Context Protocol, capable of connecting to multiple data sources and compatible with any large language model of the user’s choice.

With this architecture, ai/studio offers complete model flexibility, secure enterprise data integration without duplication, responsible AI features including explainability and audit trails, and deployment options across public cloud, VPC, or on-premises environments. Internal benchmarks indicate a 40 to 60 percent reduction in computational resource consumption compared to traditional approaches, delivering significant cost efficiencies while meeting enterprise-grade performance standards.

ai/studio has already been deployed in production across multiple industries. Among the early adopters is the Aditya Birla Group. Rahul Chopade, Head of Digital at UltraTech Cement, noted, “ai/studio is transforming how we analyze operational data. Its ability to connect patterns across structured and unstructured sources helped us identify specific fuel quality variations affecting production efficiency. Most importantly, it puts powerful analytics directly into the hands of our operations team, enabling faster decisions and a culture of data-driven operations.”

Dr. Gokul Dharani, CEO of 3Analytics, a Silicon Valley-based startup, highlighted its impact on regulated sectors, stating, “Leveraging ParamNetwork’s ai/studio enables pharmaceutical and medical device companies to reduce the time and cost associated with compliance. We are also seeing its potential to transform clinical operations by accelerating time-to-market and reducing the cost of clinical trials.”

Built around a collaborative intelligence framework, ai/studio ensures that AI systems work alongside human expertise in defined workflows. This human-in-the-loop design prioritizes accountability and oversight, positioning the platform not just as a tool for automation, but as an engine for decision intelligence.

As a comprehensive generative AI environment for ETL, business intelligence, and intelligent automation, ai/studio delivers real-world solutions—not experimental capabilities. It features stakeholder-specific interfaces to support business users, data scientists, compliance teams, and executives, providing appropriate control and visibility across the AI lifecycle.

ParamNetwork’s latest offering is a natural extension of its broader mission. The company has spent six years perfecting secure, decentralized data solutions that support seamless collaboration across organizational boundaries. With ai/studio, ParamNetwork turns static data ecosystems into dynamic intelligence engines, enabling businesses to extract strategic value from previously siloed information.

By combining scalable architecture, secure data handling, and AI innovation, ParamNetwork enables organizations to deploy intelligent solutions with complete confidence in data governance and sovereignty. Through ai/studio, the company is delivering TCO-driven transformation and redefining how enterprises use data to create sustainable competitive advantage.

Chandigarh, APRIL 16, 2025: Indian Hotels Company (IHCL), India’s largest hospitality company, increases its footprint with 100 new locations, with 74 signings and 26 openings in FY2025, taking its portfolio to 380 hotels.

Ms. Suma Venkatesh, Executive Vice President – Real Estate & Development, IHCL said, “IHCL in the last fiscal year has clocked a record 74 signings with over 95% of these signings being capital light and resulted in an industry leading pipeline of 137 hotels. This was enabled by IHCL’s strong brand presence across market segments coupled with the sustained demand buoyancy. In alignment with our strategic roadmap Accelerate 2030, a significant share of the signings were in Gateway and Ginger brands, reflective of the fast growing Upscale and Midscale segments in India.  This year, we continued to build scale in each of the brands with Ginger crossing a 100-hotel portfolio and Vivanta reaching the 50+ hotel mark.”

 She added, “In line with our strategy of growing with the Taj brand in key international markets, we forayed in the cities of Bahrain and Ras Al Khaimah in the Middle East with over 800 keys, strengthening our footprint in the region.”

IHCL’S PORTFOLIO AS ON  31^st MARCH 2025

Ms. Deepika Rao, Executive Vice President – Hotel Openings & New Businesses, IHCL added, “IHCL opened 26 new hotels in FY25, with Ginger leading the way with 9 hotels across diverse markets including commercial centres of Nagpur and Coimbatore, industrial townships like Jamshedpur, leisure destinations like Srinagar, Udaipur and Diu as well as in state capitals of New Delhi and Goa.

She added, “Building on its legacy, IHCL pioneered new tourism destinations with SeleQtions and Gateway hotels in Diu and expanded its presence in spiritual destinations with a Taj resort in Puri. Undertaking select investments, we opened a 111 key Taj hotel at Cochin International Airport and forayed with Taj brand in state capitals of Dehradun and Patna. Across these 26 new hotel openings, IHCL created over 2,500 direct jobs contributing to local economies and livelihoods.”

New Delhi, April 16, 2025: MAPIC India Shopping Centre Summit, the Maha Kumbh of Retail, witnessed leaders, innovators, and changemakers from the retail and retail real estate sectors to celebrate the spirit of collaboration and drive the industry forward. The one-day event held on 15 April 2025 at JW  Marriott Aerocity, New Delhi, brought together more than 1000 delegates, 60 speakers and over 150  brands under one roof, to share insights on major growth sectors and ever evolving consumer mindsets, providing a deep dive into the future of luxury and retail in India.

The Cushman & Wakefield report, launched at Mapic India Shopping Centre Summit 2025, highlights that India’s retail real estate is undergoing a premiumisation shift, with 70% of the upcoming 12.3 MSF Grade A mall supply by 2026 being Superior Grade. These malls, already 63% of India’s 61.5 MSF stock, are driving 29% rent growth since 2019 and reshaping brand mix with F&B, beauty, and athleisure.

This year MAPIC set new benchmarks by expanding the participation of global brands, Indian startups, D2C pioneers, and retail enthusiasts-creating a gathering that reflects the sheer dynamism of India’s retail sector. The key speakers who shared their insights were Pushpa Bector, Senior Executive Director and Business Head, DLF Retail; Bijit Nair, Senior Director – Direct to Consumer (DTC), Adidas; Arjun Singh Gehlot, Director, Ambience Group; Shibu Philips, Director, Shopping Malls LULU Group; Pramod Arora, CEO, PVR INOX Limited; Harsh Bansal, Co-Founder, Unity Group and Vegas Mall; Dr Ananta Singh Raghuvanshi, Founder & Chairperson, NAREDCO Mahi (Under the aegis of Ministry of Housing and Urban affairs); Samim Sekh, Deputy Chief Architect, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC); Abbas Jabalpurwala, CEO, Timezone India; Abhishek Bansal, Executive Director, Pacific Malls and more.

Talking about the Summit, Mr. Umang Gupta, Country General Manager of RX India said, “India’s economic momentum is increasingly evident in the dynamic growth of our retail and real estate sectors. From major metros to the heartlands, consumers are driving a consumption-led economy, embracing both domestic and international retail brands. MAPIC has always been more than just an event—it’s the Mahakumbh of the industry, where brands, developers, and stakeholders unite to shape the future. This year’s MAPIC Shopping Centre gathering saw an inspiring mix of retail and D2C brands come together, creating valuable conversations and collaborations. With MAPIC INDIA just around the corner in September, I’m looking forward to an even larger celebration of progress and partnership in Mumbai”.

Speaking during the MAPIC Shopping Centre Summit, Ms. Ashna Gemini Sharan, Portfolio Director of MAPIC India, said “MAPIC India has been the trusted hub for retail and real estate leaders, and this year marks the 21st edition of MAPIC in India, continuing a legacy of over two decades connecting shopping centres and retailers. We kicked things off with our Shopping Centre Roadshow, uniting top mall owners—DLF, Brigade, Prestige, Rahejas, and more—from every region of the country. Over 100 retailers joined the day-long event packed with sessions on retail disruption, D2C brand growth, funding trends, and innovation. The day concluded with awards celebrating excellence in retail. It’s only the beginning. All of this builds momentum toward our flagship event—MAPIC India 2025—on 16–17 September at Jio, where 200+ brands and 2000 delegates will converge to shape the next era of retail. ”

The one day event served as a dynamic think tank, bringing together industry leaders for a powerful exchange of insights and ideas. It featured a series of thought-provoking panel discussions with prominent voices from the worlds of retail, real estate, fashion, and startups. The day kicked off with an inspiring keynote address by Pushpa Bector, setting the tone for meaningful dialogue and collaboration. Panels like Disrupt or Be Disrupted, featuring V-Mart, SNITCH, and Chaayos discussing AI, innovation, and Tier 2/3 expansion. What’s Thriving, What’s Failing with Ambience Group, Cinépolis, and Adidas analyzed shifting retail trends. Spiritual Tourism with LULU Group, PVR INOX, and Madame examined retail growth in spiritual hubs. Connecting Brands, Malls, and Mobility Hubs with DMRC, Wow Momo, and Vegas Mall focused on retail in transit hubs. DTC discussions featured The Souled Store, SNITCH, and Pacific Malls, while entertainment and Women Rule Retail panels included DLF, Timezone, Fablestreet, and Clovia.

An Advisory board meeting with leading retail and real estate stakeholders like PVR INOX, Anarock, Lacoste, WOW Momos, Infinity Malls, Pacific Malls, Accenture, JLL, NIFT, NAREDCO, The Nut Lounge, to name a few, was held at MAPIC India Shopping Centre Summit, which was the curtain raiser for the September event, which is scheduled for 16th & 17th September 2025 at Jio World Convention Centre, Mumbai.

The one-day event was concluded with the MAPIC India Shopping Centre Awards for the 27 awards categories.

New Delhi, 16th Apr 2025: Socomec India in collaboration with Indo-French Chamber of Commerce & Industry (IFCCI) has launched a game-changing CSR initiative – Project EMPOWERPATH – to uplift unserved communities. This innovative project will focus on Digital Literacy Training, Technical Skills Development, Health & Management Awareness for High-Risk Groups (FSW/HRG) and After-School Academic Support for Children of HRG & Female Sex Workers (FSW).

As part of the three-year collaboration with IFCCI, Socomec has pledged to refurbish and renovate school buildings in Noida and Gurugram. These efforts created physical infrastructures that foster a positive and conducive learning atmosphere.

On its latest CSR initiative, Meenu Singhal, Regional Managing Director of Socomec Greater India, said, “We are happy to collaborate with IFCCI for project EMPOWERPATH – an initiative that aligns with our mission of manufacturing of UPS and energy management solutions while ensuring that our skill development programs create a workforce that meets industry demands. By providing access to these initiatives, we are not just creating job opportunities—we are transforming lives and empowering individuals to take charge of their future. Together with IFCCI, we are helping marginalized communities unlock their potential and thrive in tomorrow’s workforce.”

This project will empower 120 individuals with essential digital skills and 120 others with industry relevant technical skills to enhance employability and financial independence. EMPOWERPATH will promote well-being through behaviour change sessions, counselling, hygiene education and mental health support to 500 individuals belonging to High-Risk Groups. After school academic support will be given to 80 children of High-Risk Groups and Female Sex Workers, strengthening their educational foundations.

“At Socomec, we are deeply committed to building stronger, more inclusive communities,” said Nida Khanam, Head of Human Resources at Socomec Greater India. “Through our partnership with IFCCI, the EMPOWERPATH initiative focuses on equipping individuals with the tools they need to thrive—whether it’s through digital literacy, technical skill development, or academic support for children from high-risk groups. We’re also prioritizing the health and well-being of High-Risk Groups by addressing mental health, hygiene, and behavior change. With over 800 individuals set to be impacted in Dwarka and Najafgarh, this is a meaningful step towards sustainable, community-led progress—and we look forward to expanding this initiative to other regions in the near future.”

Ms. Payal S. Kanwar, Director General, Indo-French Chamber of Commerce & Industry (IFCCI), said:

“We are delighted to partner with Socomec on the EMPOWERPATH project, supporting education for children of High-Risk Groups, promoting health awareness, and fostering youth skill development with our NGO partner, Indian Society for Applied Research & Development (ISARD). Aligned with key UN SDGs, this initiative empowers underserved communities, creating opportunities for a brighter future.”

Together, Socomec and IFCCI are equipping individuals with essential skills, health awareness, and educational support, bridging critical gaps and preparing them for sustainable careers in an evolving job market.

New Delhi, April 16, 2025: Sterling Accuris Diagnostics, one of the fastest growing chains of NABL accredited pathology laboratory in India with a leading presence in Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh announces the acquisition of Gujarat & Maha Gujarat Pathology Laboratories, a leading pathology service provider in Ahmedabad. This acquisition is poised to significantly increase the footprints of Sterling Accuris across the length and breadth of Ahmedabad and add value to service excellence across the diagnostics landscape.

Sterling Accuris is a strong, customer-centric brand known for providing ethical and market-appropriate pathology diagnostic services. It offers reliable, accurate, and dependable solutions to individual patients, hospitals, and corporates. Gujarat Pathology Laboratory has been serving Ahmedabad since 1998 and offering a comprehensive range of diagnostic services from Hematology, Biochemistry, and Immunology to Molecular Biology. With a network of 8 laboratories and more than 20 collection centres across Ahmedabad, it has served nearly 20 lakh patients so far.

Mr. Rajiv Sharma, Managing Director of Sterling Accuris said, “Gujarat Pathology Laboratory has been serving Ahmedabad for the past 27 years, with a strong presence and reputation in the market. Our acquisition of Gujarat Pathology Laboratory will enable us to serve a larger patient base in Ahmedabad by leveraging their strengths in the B2C segment. This collaboration will not only strengthen our service network but also enhance the reach and quality of diagnostic services we offer across Ahmedabad & Gujarat.”

Mr. Ankush Gupta, CEO of Sterling Accuris said, “The diagnostic market in India is growing rapidly. According to recent research, the pathology segment is projected to grow at a CAGR of 14% between 2025 and 2030. Gujarat Pathology Laboratory is our fourth acquisition in the last two years. Acquiring Gujarat Pathology Laboratory is a strategic move that aligns with our growth vision, and I am confident this will elevate Sterling Accuris to new heights.”

Dr. Niraj Kothari, Founder, and Vishnubhai Patel, Co-Founder of Gujarat Pathology Laboratory, along with Mr. Navinbhai Patel, Founder of Maha Gujarat Pathology Laboratory, welcomed the acquisition, stating: Sterling Accuris brings a strong and established presence in the diagnostics market, and we see this partnership as a valuable opportunity to scale our services. Gujarat Pathology has a solid foundation in Ahmedabad, and with this acquisition, we will be able to leverage the high-end technology available with Sterling Accuris. This collaboration will enable us to offer a wide range of diagnostic tests, helping us expand our reach and improve accessibility.

Since its inception in 2015, Sterling Accuris has grown exponentially, establishing a strong presence with 75+ laboratories and over 300+ collection centres across India. To maintain its patient centric approach and be more customer friendly, Sterling has incorporated various platforms including multilingual chatbots, interactive and user friendly mobile apps, highly informative and easily accessible websites as well as a state of the art customer care centre with a dedicated single point contact to make our varied range of services accessible to the end user. It is noteworthy that Morgan Stanley Private Equity Asia is an investor in Sterling Accuris Wellness Private Limited.

Bengaluru, April 16, 2025: Amazon India today announced the expansion of its Smartchoice program to tablets, following strong success in the laptop category. The program simplifies device selection through expert-curated recommendations based on specific customer needs and usage preferences. Tablets represent a high-growth category for Amazon India, with 26% year-over-year growth in 2024.

“The Smartchoice program, designed by working backward from customer needs, has significantly elevated the purchasing experience, earning exceptional feedback for its clarity and precision,” said Zeba Khan, Director, Consumer Electronics, Amazon India. “Customer insights reveal that buyers often feel overwhelmed by the variety of options available across consumer electronics and technical specifications. This program addresses this challenge by transforming how customers shop for laptops and tablets. Instead of comparing complex specifications, customers can now select devices based on their intended use, ensuring they choose the ideal device for their specific needs—validated by experts and delivered at exceptional value.”

Key Benefits of Smartchoice:

• Curated Selection for Every Use Case: Devices matched to your needs
• Top-Rated Performance: Highest rated devices in their category
• Expert Recommended: Validated by third party experts
• Excellent Value: Competitive prices with added benefits such as No Cost EMI, Bank discount, and more

The Smartchoice program categorizes devices based on distinct consumer needs—from everyday use and education to entertainment, professional applications, and gaming. For each category, an independent technical agency establishes performance benchmarks that products must meet. The curated selection features top-rated tablets from leading brands including Samsung, Lenovo, Asus, Honor, Acer and HP.

Since its introduction for laptops, the Smartchoice program has grown threefold in sales and contributed to 30% growth in premium laptop purchases in 2024. Some of the popular devices available under the Smartchoice program on Amazon.in:

• Lenovo Tab Plus: Dive into the visual luxury with Lenovo Tab Plus, featuring a flexible and durable design for extended usage. This device offers features such as Octa JBL Hi-Fi speakers, an 11.5-inch display, an 8.0 MP front camera with face unlock, an 8.0 MP rear camera with autofocus, and much more. Get this on Amazon.in for INR 20,998
• Acer Swift Go 14 Built-in AI PC Premium Laptop: With refined design, Acer Swift Go 14 comes equipped with next gen Intel Core Ultra 7 Processor, 1440p QHD webcam, privacy shutter and a 44% larger multi-control touchpad and more, making this device a perfect fit for your daily use. Get this on Amazon.in for INR 92,990
• Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE: Experience smooth picture quality with an adjustable screen to make every motion feel true to life. This device comes with features such as an 8 MP Rear Camera, a 12 MP ultra-wide front Camera, Dual Speakers by AKG, a Weatherproof & Durable Tablet, an S Pen with IP68, and more. Get this on Amazon.in for INR 34,999
• Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5: This device comes with features such as 12th Gen Intel Core i5-1235U processor, 9 hours battery life, 16GB RAM, 1.74 cm thin display and more. Get this on Amazon.in for INR 63,990
• HP Victus, 13th Gen Intel Core i7: Enhance your gaming and visual content creation experience with HP Victus. It comes with a 15.6” FHD display with a micro-edge bezel, 16GB DDR4 RAM, temporal noise reduction, 70W battery ensuring extended hours of unplugged gaming. Get this on Amazon.in for INR 90,990
• ASUS Vivobook 15: Experience the powerful performance with Asus Vivobook 15, equipped with features such as Intel Core i5-13420H Processor 2.1 GHz, a 15.6-inch display, DDR4 16GB RAM and more.

India, April 16, 2025: The 3^rd edition of the ASEAN-India Artists’ Camp (AIAC) concluded in Shillong with an exhibition at Tripura Castle, where paintings created by 21 artists from ASEAN Member States, Timor-Leste, and India were displayed. Over ten days, these artists engaged in collaborative work, drawing inspiration from Shillong’s landscapes, cultural interactions, and artistic exchanges.

Organized by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Government of India, in collaboration with Seher, AIAC has been a key initiative under India’s Act East Policy. The camp facilitated artistic dialogue across borders, fostering an environment where diverse styles, traditions, and techniques converged to create original works of art.

Shri Pabitra Margherita, Minister of State for External Affairs of India said “It’s a privilege to host the ASEAN-India Artists Camp in Shillong, Meghalaya. This reflects PM Narendra Modi’s people-first approach in the Act East Policy. With 2025 as the ASEAN-India Year of Tourism, the camp shows our focus on bringing people together. Meghalaya, with its traditions and landscapes, is India’s gateway to ASEAN and a key part of the Northeast’s role in our growth. The 21 artists from ASEAN nations and India have captured the Ramayana’s spirit, linking our shared heritage. On behalf of the Ministry of External Affairs, I thank the Meghalaya government, the Seher team, and all participants for making this third edition a success. As an Assamese, I’m proud to see the Northeast strengthen India’s ties with ASEAN through culture and shared goals.”

During the camp, artists participated in a series of immersive experiences, including interactive workshops on classical dance, indigenous music, and traditional handicrafts. They engaged in discussions on creative techniques, explored Meghalaya’s artistic heritage, and conducted interactive sessions with local schoolchildren, offering them a rare opportunity to observe and learn from distinguished artists. These exchanges not only enriched the creative process but also deepened cultural understanding.

Reflecting on the camp’s success, Sanjeev Bhargava, Founder-Director of Seher, said, “As the one who dreamed up this camp, I’ve watched it evolve into something extraordinary. Over ten days, I saw these artists from across borders dive into Shillong’s culture, challenge each other’s ideas, and produce works that pulse with life. This exhibition is the result of raw creativity, late-night debates, and a shared passion that’s now tangible on every canvas. I couldn’t be prouder of what we’ve built together.”

With the conclusion of the camp, the artworks showcased in Shillong will next be exhibited in New Delhi and Malaysia, further extending this cultural exchange beyond borders. The artists return to their home countries with new perspectives, experiences and memories, reinforcing India’s engagement with ASEAN nations through the arts.