CHENNAI PLUS

For Indian travellers, planning a trip means carefully weighing when to book: tracking fares, calculating whether to book or wait, and often second-guessing if the fare might drop after the booking is confirmed. Addressing this fare anxiety, MakeMyTrip’s Price Drop Protection, a newly launched feature, refunds the difference if the flight fare drops after a traveller books. With this feature, travellers can book early with confidence, knowing they will benefit if a lower fare becomes available before departure. The pattern of careful deliberation amongst Indian travellers shows up in their booking behaviour. They search for the same flights multiple times before finally booking. And when they eventually book, it often comes close to the date of travel. Travellers recheck fares so often because travel plans are still taking shape; personal and work commitments can shift, and there is a constant keenness to secure the best possible fare. This is what drives the pattern of prolonged s...

The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI)  released its Guidelines for Responsible Labelling of Synthetically Generated Content in Advertising, setting out when advertisers need to disclose the use of synthetically generated content (SGC) and what uses are not allowed. The guidelines follow stakeholder consultations on the draft guidelines released in May.   As brands increasingly use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to create and enhance advertising content, the guidelines focus on how such content can affect consumers. SGC can be misleading or harmful when it creates unrealistic expectations, takes advantage of vulnerable populations, shows unsafe situations, uses a person’s likeness without their consent, or presents false or misleading information. All advertisements using SGC must comply with the ASCI Code.   The guidelines will come into effect three months from the date of publication. The guidelines set out four key areas to help advertisers determine when...

Lava International Limited, India’s leading homegrown smartphone brand, announced the launch of the Shark 2 Pro 5G, bringing together powerful performance, long-lasting battery life, a smooth 120Hz display, Lava’s intelligent AI companion, Vayu AI and a versatile camera experience for consumers. Designed to deliver a strong everyday smartphone experience, the Shark 2 Pro 5G combines high-performance hardware with a clean software experience and durable build, making it an ideal choice for consumers seeking an all-round smartphone. Design and Display The Shark 2 Pro features a 17.13 cm (6.75") HD+ display with a fast 120Hz refresh rate, delivering an ultra-smooth visual experience for gaming, multimedia, and daily scrolling. Designed to look sleek and modern, the smartphone is available in two premium color options - Akash Blue and Nanda Silver. Performance and Memory Powered by the Octa-Core Unisoc T8200 built on a 6nm architecture and delivering a 500K+ AnTuTu score, th...

Tamil Nadu has built one of India's largest skilled talent pools, with the state's TNSkill Registry comprising more than 17.56 lakh professionals. Yet the challenge extends beyond building this pool; it lies in preparing people for the specific jobs employers need, with the right skills, in the right locations. This was the central theme at a CHRO Roundtable in Chennai, convened by Skills Development Network (SDN) Trust, supported by Wadhwani Foundation, as part of the American Management Association (AMA) South Asia CHRO Forum held at ITC Grand Chola, Chennai. Over 20 senior HR and talent leaders including those from top organisations like ESAB, Savista, Hinduja Leyland Finance, RBL Bank, Yubi, Infosun Technologies, Greif and Rane Group discussed how a hyper-local, demand-led approach to skilling and hiring could address persistent mismatches between talent supply and employer demand. Hiring demand is not uniform as the skills required by an employer in Chennai can differ ...

Godrej Industries Group hosted a high-level Malaysian delegation led by YB Datuk Seri Dr Noraini Ahmad, Minister of Plantation and Commodities, Malaysia. The delegation included representatives from the Ministry of Plantation and Commodities, the Consul General of Malaysia in Chennai, the Malaysian Palm Oil Council, the Malaysian Palm Oil Board and Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil. Discussions covered areas of mutual interest across the Group’s businesses, particularly oil palm innovation and the household insecticides sector. During discussions with Godrej Agrovet, both sides explored opportunities in oil palm upstream sector. They also exchanged views on the use of advanced research and scientific tools to develop high-performing oil palm varieties suited to India’s diverse agro-climatic conditions. Closer cooperation in these areas could support the development of locally adapted planting materials, improve productivity and resilience, and contribute to India’s long-term edibl...

Lava International Limited, India’s leading homegrown smartphone brand, today announced that the Virat Curve 5G will go on sale on Flipkart starting today at 7:00 PM.   The Virat Curve 5G brings a striking 6.67" FHD+ 3D Curved AMOLED Display with 120Hz refresh rate and 1100 nits peak brightness, MediaTek Dimensity 7100 processor, premium vegan leather finish, a Rear Mini Screen, Vayu AI, a 50MP Sony IMX752 primary rear camera with EIS, and a 6000mAh battery with 45W fast charging support. The smartphone also features MIL-STD-810H military-grade certification for added resilience.   Available in three striking colourways – Heritage Indigo, Makrana Ivory, and Ellora Slate, the smartphone combines premium design with reliable everyday performance. It runs on Android 16 with no bloatware and no ads and comes with 2 Years of OS Upgrades and 3 Years of Security Updates, offering a clean and long-term software experience.