CHENNAI PLUS

BLS International Services Limited, a leading global AI-driven technology and trusted digital services partner for governments and citizens, announces the appointment of Toomas Hendrik Ilves, Former President of Estonia, as its Global Strategic Advisor. The appointment of Mr. Toomas Hendrik Ilves follows the recent appointment of former Prime Minister of Australia, Mr. Scott Morrison, as Global Strategic Advisor, further strengthening BLS International’s Global Advisory Board. A renowned statesman and technology advocate, Mr. Ilves served as President of Estonia from 2006 to 2016 across two terms, following a distinguished career spanning diplomacy, government, international institutions and technology policy. He is widely recognized for championing Estonia's advanced digital development and e-governance, turning his country into one of the world's most advanced digital societies during his term in office. His longstanding engagement with e-government, cybersecurity and dig...

HCLFoundation  which drives the corporate social responsibility agenda of HCLTech  in India, today announced the successful completion of cleanup campaign across 50 coastal areas across Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha. The campaign was launched on August 11 in collaboration with M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation, People's Action for Development, Development Research Communication and Services Centre, SPANDAN, ReefWatch Marine Conservation, Plan@Earth, Animal Warriors Conservation Society and Plan Foundation to mark HCL Group's 50th anniversary. As part of the campaign, on the International Coastal Cleanup Day, HCLFoundation also organized awareness initiatives, including street plays, sand sculptures and marine debris exhibitions, bringing together employees, local communities and environmental partners in Kundapura (Karnataka), Kochi (Kerala), Ramanathapuram & Thoothukudi (Tamil Nadu), Ongole (Andhra Pradesh), South & North 24 P...

Lava International Limited, India’s leading homegrown smartphone brand, announced the launch of the Virat Curve 5G, designed to elevate premium experience in the 20k segment for the true tech enthusiasts. Envisioned, designed and developed in India, the smartphone brings together a striking 3D Curved AMOLED Display, premium vegan leather finish, distinctive Rear Mini Screen, powerful imaging capabilities, Vayu AI and enduring battery life in a compact, premium footprint. Designed to make a statement while delivering meaningful everyday functionality, the Virat Curve 5G brings together design, intelligence and performance in a distinctly sophisticated smartphone experience.   The Virat Curve 5G, available in a 6GB + 128GB variant, will go on sale on Flipkart starting 28th September at 7 PM. The smartphone will be available in Heritage Indigo, Makrana Ivory, and Ellora Slate colour options. Commenting on the launch, Mr. Sumit Singh, Senior Vice President and Head of Product, La...

Biocon Biologics Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Biocon Limited (BSE code: 532523, NSE: BIOCON) announced that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has issued a positive opinion recommending the granting of a marketing authorisation to its Pertuzumab biosimilar as 420 mg concentrate solution for infusion, under the brand name Pebrilzo®, for the treatment of HER2‑positive breast cancer across multiple disease stages. The positive opinion follows the review of the marketing authorization application submitted by Biocon Biologics Ireland Limited (formerly Biosimilar Collaborations Ireland Limited), an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Biocon Biologics Limited. Shreehas Tambe, CEO & Managing Director, Biocon, said: “The positive CHMP opinion for our Pertuzumab biosimilar marks an important step toward expanding access to biologic therapies for patients with HER2-positive breast cancer in Europe. As the first monocl...

Service Civil International (SCI) Invites Volunteers to Join Its Peace and Voluntary Service Programmes. Having its head office in Antwerp in Belgium it has consultative status at the United Nations organisation Service Civil International (SCI) is a volunteer organisation dedicated to promoting a culture of peace through international voluntary service projects for people of all ages and backgrounds. SCI is open to everyone and has no political or religious affiliation. What is SCI? Service Civil International believes that international voluntary service can help build understanding, friendship and cooperation among people from different countries and communities. Through voluntary service, SCI provides opportunities for people to work together, learn from one another and contribute to peaceful communities it has its presence in 9 states in India SCI conducts various programmes, including: -             Youth exchange pr...

Ujjivan Small Finance Bank Limited (Ujjivan SFB), serving over 1 crore customers through 800+ branches across 26 States and Union Territories, announced the launch of its new brand campaign ‘Nothing Small About Us’, featuring acclaimed actor and Padma Shri awardee R. Madhavan as its Brand Ambassador. The campaign is rooted in a key customer insight: the word ‘Small’ can sometimes create a perception that the Bank caters primarily to small-ticket financial needs, has a limited range of banking products and offerings, or operates at a smaller scale. ‘Nothing Small About Us’ seeks to address this perception by showcasing the Ujjivan Small Finance Bank of today. Ujjivan offers a comprehensive range of banking solutions across savings, deposits, lending and business banking, forex and NRI services, as well as investment and wealth solutions. Its loan offerings range from ₹6,000 to ₹250 crore, catering to customers with diverse financial needs. Commenting on the campaign, Lakshman Vela...

Bharat Forge Ltd. and Pratt & Whitney Canada announced that they will work together to evaluate the integration of advanced turboprop engines into a high-altitude, long-endurance (HALE) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) program designed and developed by India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). Pratt & Whitney is an RTX business. The collaboration supports India’s indigenous unmanned aerial systems efforts under the government’s Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative. Pratt & Whitney Canada will evaluate engine compatibility, performance and installation requirements. Bharat Forge will lead engine-airframe integration, including installation design and systems interfaces, drawing on its advanced engineering, manufacturing and aerospace systems capabilities.  "Bharat Forge Aerospace business is proud to collaborate with Pratt & Whitney Canada to advance India’s indigenous aerospace and defense manufacturing capabilities,” said Amit Kalyani, Vice Chairman...

HCLTech a leading global technology company, launched The Silicon Shift: When Every Industry Becomes a Chip Industry , a global research report on evolving semiconductor requirements across automotive, medical devices, network equipment and industrial automation verticals. The survey included 300 senior leaders across engineering, R&D, semiconductor/hardware, product, innovation and technology strategy in the United States, Europe and Asia.  As AI accelerates demand for computing power, semiconductors are becoming increasingly central to business strategy. As per the report, 98% enterprises are more dependent on semiconductors than three years ago and 99% expect that dependency to increase over the next five years, while 71% say AI is increasing the importance of semiconductor architecture as a strategic business decision. The dependency is most acute in industrial automation, where 75% report being much more dependent on semiconductors than three years ago, the strongest acc...

  Chicago Pneumatic India has announced the launch of its new CPS 950-300 portable air compressor, engineered to meet the evolving demands of waterwell, mining and solar foundation drilling applications. Combining high-performance air delivery, fuel efficiency and operational versatility, the compressor is designed to help contractors drill deeper, complete projects faster and improve operating profitability. The drilling industry is witnessing growing operational pressures as contractors contend with deeper drilling requirements, difficult and varying ground conditions, declining groundwater tables, rising operating costs, and increasingly stringent project deadlines. At the same time, the surge in solar infrastructure development is fuelling demand for high-volume foundation drilling, making productivity, precision, and reliability more important than ever. Engineered for Drilling Performance The CPS 950-300 delivers 950 cfm at 300 psig, providing the airflow and pressure r...

The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) unveiled its Vision 2032 at its 40th Annual General Meeting (AGM), outlining its roadmap for the period 2027-2032 with a focus on building the trust infrastructure across India’s advertising ecosystem.  The advertising ecosystem is moving faster than traditional safeguards, whether it’s through shrinking review times or formats to monitor or creators changing the control mechanism. Being able to defend, explain and sustain trust at speed and scale is now the key. Brand risk sits inside a wider trust problem with bad actors sometimes hijacking the narrative and consumers seeking evidence and specific explanations. Advertising is also being drawn into larger societal debates around public health, online safety and children’s well-being. The advertising ecosystem, therefore, must be prepared for these changes. Vision 2032 recognises this as a time of great evolution for advertising, which is witnessing disruptions such as artific...

PepsiCo released its 2025 ESG Performance Update , highlighting measurable progress against its PepsiCo Positive (pep+) ambition and demonstrating how sustainability is increasingly embedded in the way the company operates and grows. Globally, PepsiCo has expanded regenerative, restorative and protective farming practices to 4.7 million acres across more than 60 countries, achieved 100% water replenishment at company-owned facilities in high-water-risk areas and reduced virgin plastic use in primary packaging by 6%. In India, PepsiCo continues to make strong progress across these priorities "We're excited by the momentum we're building as pep+ continues to transform our business end to end," said Jim Andrew, PepsiCo Chief Sustainability Officer . "We're making significant progress- from expanding regenerative, restorative and protective practices to 4.7 million acres, reducing emissions of our operations, to evolving our product portfolio to offer more cho...

ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India (AM/NS India) has strengthened its leadership in advanced steel manufacturing by securing Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) licences under two significant new standards. The achievements reinforce the company's commitment to innovation, quality, and the Government of India’s Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat initiatives while opening new pathways in infrastructure and heavy engineering sectors. AM/NS India has become the first steel manufacturer in India to receive the All India First BIS Licence for IS 2062 (Part 2):2026 , a newly introduced standard for Hot Rolled Quenched & Tempered (Q&T) Steel Plates, Sheets, Strips, and Wide Flats. Concurrently, the company secured a BIS licence under IS 19210:2025 for Pre-Painted Zinc-Aluminium-Magnesium (Zn-Al-Mg) Alloy Coated Steel Strip and Sheet, marking another major milestone in bringing globally advanced steel solutions to the Indian market. Operational and Commercial Implications of th...

HCLTech a leading global technology company, announced the launch of HCLTech Pulse, a dedicated business unit focused on helping enterprises with annual revenues between $500 million and $5 billion safely scale AI, modernize their technology foundations and accelerate growth. HCLTech Pulse is designed for organizations with enterprise-scale ambitions that have historically had to stitch together niche providers across strategy, platforms, implementation and operations. It helps clients move beyond isolated AI initiatives by connecting AI strategy, data, cyber, platforms, engineering and business-process transformation into a single, integrated transformation agenda. "This segment represents an approximately $400 billion global technology-services opportunity and is growing at 7–9% annually," said Peter Bendor-Samuel, Founder and Executive Chairman, Everest Group. "As these organizations move from AI experimentation to scaled deployment, the market will reward provide...

Swiggy, India’s pioneering on-demand convenience platform, announced the roll out of “Early Cashout” feature for its Food Marketplace delivery partners. With this feature, Swiggy delivery partners across the country can request their payout anytime using the Swiggy Partner app via a simple 3 step process, instead of waiting for it to be credited at the end of the week. The payout will be credited instantly (within an hour) from placing the request. To avail “Early Cashout” as per their needs, Swiggy delivery partners can visit the ‘Easy Cashout’ section on their ‘Earnings’ page of the Swiggy Partner app. They can check their available cashout balance based on their earnings. They can enter the amount they would like to withdraw and click on ‘Cashout Now’. This feature will help facilitate enhanced financial liquidity for our delivery partners towards their day- to-day needs, personal expenses or emergencies. Speaking on the roll-out of the feature, Saurav Goyal, Chief Operating Off...

Cognizant, a leading AI builder and technology services provider, and Axis Bank, one of the largest private sector banks in India, today announced the successful implementation and go-live of Cognizant’s Application Management Services (AMS) under Axis Bank’s AMS 2.0 initiative for the Bank’s stakeholders. AMS 2.0 is a structured, jointly driven program designed to strengthen delivery governance, improve operational consistency and accelerate the adoption of automation across application support services. Built on automation-led practices, the model aims to enhance service reliability and cost efficiency while enabling productivity, scalability, and standardized processes, with a strong emphasis on governance, compliance and operational discipline.  Spearheaded by Axis Bank, the AMS 2.0 initiative forms a key pillar of the Bank’s broader technology transformation journey. The collaboration underscores Axis Bank’s strategic focus on building a scalable, resilient, and futur...

Ultraviolette Automotive announced the launch of a new UV Space Station in Porur, marking a significant milestone in the company's expanding retail footprint across emerging mobility markets in India. The expansion comes at a pivotal phase in Ultraviolette's growth journey, following the announcement of the company's BIGGA (Big Global Ambition) Factory, the introduction of the Battery Flex (BaaS) platform, and the launch of the X-47 Crossover. With this addition, the company strengthens customer access to its performance-oriented vehicles in Tamil Nadu while further reinforcing its growing national presence as it scales its manufacturing, product, and customer ecosystem across the country. The newly established UV Space Station, in partnership with M/s. Savirro Motors LLP, will provide customers with a comprehensive experience to explore Ultraviolette's performance motorcycles, including the X-47 Crossover and F77s. Designed as an immersive brand destination, the faci...

Interio by Godrej, one of India’s leading furniture brands under the Godrej Enterprises Group, has unveiled its latest campaign for sofas category, highlighting the power of personalisation through a fun and relatable family narrative. The campaign showcases an idea that every family member has their own needs when it comes to a sofa, and personalisation is what brings everyone's needs together. Shot in the style of a melodramatic family drama, the film follows a family shopping for a new sofa at an Interio store, where a playful game of persuasion unfolds. Each family member has their eye on a sofa they secretly want for themselves and tries to convince the others by pitching its feature as a benefit for someone else. The teenage son suggests a sofa with an extended chaise, framing it as ideal for his father's knees. The father counters with a sofa that has a charging port, insisting it is perfect for his wife's work-from-home routine. The wife then makes a case for a so...

This Ganesh Chaturthi, India put a little more thought into what it brought home for Bappa. Eco-friendly clay idols saw the biggest jump (176%) in demand, mawa emerged as the most-ordered modak flavour (145%) YoY, and on the morning of the festival, everything from flowers to modaks arrived in an order that looked remarkably like the puja itself. Bengaluru led the festive basket, followed by Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai, Delhi, Pune, Kolkata, Gurgaon, and Kochi, among others. The eco-Ganpati is finding its way into more homes Ready-to-place clay idols accounted for 90% of demand, followed by paint-your-own eco idols The biggest jumps came from cities beyond the traditional heartlands of Ganesh Chaturthi. Delhi saw eco-Ganpati orders grow 1,718%, followed by Kolkata at 1,305%, Noida at 1,136% and Bhubaneswar at 1,132%. The Mawa Modak Moment Mawa modaks led the festive mithai demand, followed closely by classic, kesar, kaju, assorted and amba (Mango) modaks. The flavour map loo...

Swiggy, India’s pioneering on-demand convenience platform announced the return of Swiggy Dineout’s flagship dining property, the Great Indian Restaurant Festival (GIRF) but with a twist. This year, GIRF has been reimagined as The Great Indian Ravi Festival, built entirely around the internet's current obsession, Ravi Kishan. The campaign is anchored by the line "Discount Followsss My Brothaaaar", a twist on one of Ravi Kishan's most viral dialogues, tying the internet's favourite movement directly to GIRF's core promise: unbeatable dining discounts. This edition of GIRF will be live from September 14, 2026 to October 24, 2026. Customers can enjoy up to 50% off across 57,000+ restaurants in 84+ cities across India, including a range of cafés, pubs, bars, luxury dining and family restaurants. Diners can also get an additional 10% instant discount on all HDFC Bank cards, along with 10% back as DineCash on every booking made through Dineout. The renaming of GIRF...

Olympian Pranati Nayak, who trains at the Odisha AM/NS India Gymnastics High Performance Centre (Odisha AM/NS GHPC) in Bhubaneswar, has been selected to represent India at the 20th Asian Games 2026, scheduled to be held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, from September 19 to October 4. Pranati is the only Indian gymnast selected for the Asian Games and will compete in the Women’s Vault and Women’s All-Around events in Artistic Gymnastics. Her selection follows a strong run of performances, including a silver medal in the Women’s Vault at the FIG World Challenge Cup 2026 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.   Ashutosh Telang, Director & Vice President – HR & Administration, AM/NS India, said, “Pranati’s selection as India’s sole gymnast for the Asian Games is a significant achievement and reflects her consistency, discipline and determination. At the Odisha AM/NS India Gymnastics High Performance Centre, our focus is on providing athletes with the training and support required to compete at the ...