Chennai, India – April 17, 2025 – ZF Commercial Vehicle Solutions, a division of ZF Group and a leader in mobility solutions, recently secured a multi-year business nomination from one of India’s leading CV OEMs for the supply of its AxTrax 2 Electric Axles. This significant deal marks a critical milestone in the country’s shift towards electric mobility. This also underlines ZF’s commitment to electric and sustainable solutions for the future of mobility.

ZF will supply its AxTrax 2, an integrated and modular electric axle for medium duty buses, providing a more efficient, high-performance solution. The contract covers a supply of several thousand units over multiple years, further deepening the presence of ZF CVS in India’s commercial vehicle electrification sector.

Innovative Technology for Future Mobility

Building on ZF’s powertrain, e-mobility and CV experience, the AxTrax 2 electric axle is designed to replace the engine, transmission and conventional axle to electrify a commercial vehicle. Part of ZF’s modular e-mobility kit, the AxTrax 2 integrates in-house developed components into an innovative axle-based solution that is highly efficient, compact and lightweight in design. Furthermore, the minimized space requirements enable OEMs to reimagine the design of CV platforms.

Pioneering the Future of Commercial Vehicle Electrification

With this strategic business nomination, ZF’s commercial vehicles division in India further cements its market leadership in electric mobility by pioneering technologies that set new benchmarks in performance and sustainability.

Akash Passey, President ZF Group in India noted, “ZF Group has an established presence in India’s commercial vehicle sector, consistently leading the charge in pioneering advanced technology solutions that enhance safety, efficiency, and sustainability in mobility. This business nomination highlights our pivotal role in delivering innovative mobility solutions tailored to meet the evolving needs of our OEM partners.”.

In announcing this strategic achievement, P Kaniappan, Sr. Vice President – CVS Division (India), ZF Group, stated, “AxTrax 2 represents evolution of our journey towards market leadership and sustainability for the next generation of mobility in India. This milestone reinforces ZF Group’s position as the industry leader in e-mobility while delivering significant advancements for both our customers and the Indian market.”

Commitment to Sustainable Innovation

As India’s No. 1 supplier of driveline and transmission systems, ZF knows the market requirements for eCVs.  ZF’s broadest range of commercial vehicle solutions in domains like Automated Driving, Electric Mobility, Shared Transportation and Digitalization technologies.

ZF Group in India partners with customers to introduce integrated and innovative solutions that positively impact the commercial vehicle’s lifecycle, from cradle to grave.

mobility. This also underlines ZF’s commitment to electric and sustainable solutions for the future of mobility.

ZF will supply its AxTrax 2, an integrated and modular electric axle for medium duty buses, providing a more efficient, high-performance solution. The contract covers a supply of several thousand units over multiple years, further deepening the presence of ZF CVS in India’s commercial vehicle electrification sector.

Innovative Technology for Future Mobility

Building on ZF’s powertrain, e-mobility and CV experience, the AxTrax 2 electric axle is designed to replace the engine, transmission and conventional axle to electrify a commercial vehicle. Part of ZF’s modular e-mobility kit, the AxTrax 2 integrates in-house developed components into an innovative axle-based solution that is highly efficient, compact and lightweight in design. Furthermore, the minimized space requirements enable OEMs to reimagine the design of CV platforms.

Pioneering the Future of Commercial Vehicle Electrification

With this strategic business nomination, ZF’s commercial vehicles division in India further cements its market leadership in electric mobility by pioneering technologies that set new benchmarks in performance and sustainability.

Akash Passey, President ZF Group in India noted, “ZF Group has an established presence in India’s commercial vehicle sector, consistently leading the charge in pioneering advanced technology solutions that enhance safety, efficiency, and sustainability in mobility. This business nomination highlights our pivotal role in delivering innovative mobility solutions tailored to meet the evolving needs of our OEM partners.”.

In announcing this strategic achievement, P Kaniappan, Sr. Vice President – CVS Division (India), ZF Group, stated, “AxTrax 2 represents evolution of our journey towards market leadership and sustainability for the next generation of mobility in India. This milestone reinforces ZF Group’s position as the industry leader in e-mobility while delivering significant advancements for both our customers and the Indian market.”

Commitment to Sustainable Innovation

As India’s No. 1 supplier of driveline and transmission systems, ZF knows the market requirements for eCVs.  ZF’s broadest range of commercial vehicle solutions in domains like Automated Driving, Electric Mobility, Shared Transportation and Digitalization technologies.

ZF Group in India partners with customers to introduce integrated and innovative solutions that positively impact the commercial vehicle’s lifecycle, from cradle to grave.

New Delhi, April 18, 2025 – Litmus World, a leading enterprise SaaS platform, and RepUp, a Gurgaon-based AI-driven CX platform have signed a binding agreement to merge and unify their business operations, creating an AI-native Customer Experience (CX) platform for enterprises. This strategic merger combines the complementary strengths of both companies to deliver an integrated, data-driven solution that empowers businesses to transform stakeholder experiences through advanced AI automation and actionable insights.

The combined entity will operate under the Litmus World brand and will leverage advanced AI, Natural Language Processing (NLP), and automation to enhance customer engagement and sentiment analysis.

“Our vision is to redefine enterprise CX by leveraging AI and automation to create intelligent, proactive, and personalized interactions, By joining forces with RepUp, we are combining deep domain expertise with cutting-edge AI capabilities to build a truly transformative platform that addresses the evolving needs of modern enterprises.” said Sandip Sen, CEO at Litmus World.

“This merger marks a defining moment for enterprise CX transformation, By integrating with LitmusWorld, we are uniquely positioned to expand our AI-native social listening capabilities to enterprises across key sectors enabling them to deliver exceptional experiences at every touchpoint” said Pranjal Prashar, Founder at RepUp.

The new unified platform will enable enterprises to unlock deeper customer insights, optimize engagement strategies, and drive customer-centric transformations at scale. As enterprises increasingly prioritize customer-centricity as a competitive differentiator, this merger represents a significant milestone in advancing AI-driven CX solutions.

The completion of the merger is subject to necessary regulatory approvals, including sanction from the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT). Until approval, both companies will align and intend to unify operations.

The merger brings together Litmus World’s robust enterprise SaaS platform with RepUp’s cutting-edge expertise in AI-powered reputation management, customer analytics, and omnichannel engagement, resulting in a unified solution designed to elevate customer experience and brand reputation. The integrated platform will empower businesses with real-time AI-powered sentiment analysis and predictive insights, intelligent response automation and engagement orchestration, seamless integration with enterprise CRM and marketing automation systems, and proactive reputation management with advanced social listening capabilities.

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.