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Indore, August 25, 2026:

Madhya Pradesh’s trusted cooperative dairy brand Sanchi unveiled its new brand identity and redesigned packaging in Indore, giving its 45-year legacy of consumer trust a contemporary look. The rebranding ceremony was held at the College of Agriculture, Indore, with Mr. Purushottam Patidar, Joint Commissioner, as the Chief Guest. Dr. Sanjay Govani, Former Managing Director, MPCDF; Mr. Vishal Mishra, CEO, Indore Dugdh Sangh; and Mr. Swapnil Sinha, Group Head (Marketing), NDDB, along with other senior officials, distributors and retailers, attended the event.

The refreshed Sanchi identity features contemporary colours, a unified layout and attractive design elements, while also highlighting the cultural heritage of Madhya Pradesh. The new packaging incorporates a Gond-art-inspired design, featuring elements such as the cow, rural life, milk and the woman dairy farmer. The initiative aims to give Sanchi, a brand trusted by consumers for 45 years, a contemporary identity aligned with changing times and evolving consumer expectations.

Mr. Purushottam Patidar, Joint Commissioner, said, “Sanchi is a brand deeply connected with Madhya Pradesh’s cooperative movement and the hard work of millions of dairy-producing families. Consumer trust built over 45 years is its greatest strength. The new brand identity will give Sanchi fresh energy to respond to the requirements of the modern market. I am particularly pleased to see the art and rural life of Madhya Pradesh reflected in the new packaging. Remaining rooted in its heritage while adopting a modern identity is one of Sanchi’s greatest strengths. I am confident that the new identity will further strengthen Sanchi’s connect with consumers and give fresh momentum to the cooperative dairy system benefiting farmers.”

Dr. Sanjay Govani, Former Managing Director, MPCDF, said, “Consumer trust and the contribution of dairy farmers have been the defining strengths of Sanchi’s 45-year journey. The new identity is an effort to carry this legacy forward. Sanchi has consistently adapted with changing times while keeping quality and reliability at the heart of its promise. The refreshed packaging will help communicate that enduring trust more effectively to a new generation of consumers. At the same time, the modern packaging will help strengthen the visibility and sales of Sanchi products in the market.”

Mr. Swapnil Sinha, Group Head (Marketing), NDDB, said, “The new Sanchi brand identity is an important step towards connecting the cooperative dairy sector with the changing needs of modern consumers. A strong and unified brand identity will make it easier for consumers to identify the products and help present Sanchi’s diverse dairy portfolio more effectively in the market. The initiative seeks to build on Sanchi’s longstanding credibility while strengthening its connect with a new generation of consumers.”

Mr. Vishal Mishra, CEO, Indore Dugdh Sangh, said, “Indore Dugdh Sangh is committed to continuously strengthening the entire cooperative ecosystem, from dairy farmers to consumers. The new Sanchi brand identity and modern packaging will give the products better visibility in the market and strengthen their connect with consumers. Our objective is to provide dairy farmers with better market opportunities while further expanding the reach and sales of Sanchi products.”

Indore Cooperative Milk Union is an important unit of the Madhya Pradesh Cooperative Dairy Federation (MPCDF), Bhopal, and is currently being managed by the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB). Its primary objective is to procure milk from rural dairy producers at a fair price at the village level, process it at its modern dairy facilities, and manufacture milk and dairy products meeting prescribed quality standards for distribution to consumers under the Sanchi brand.

The Indore Dugdh Sangh currently collects around 3 lakh litres of milk per day. The milk is processed at the main dairy plant in Indore as well as four mini dairy plants located at Khandwa, Jhabua, Sendhwa and Khargone. The Union is connected with 1,687 Dairy Cooperative Societies and approximately 59,197 dairy farmers. Sanchi milk and dairy products are distributed across the Union’s area through 148 distributors and around 1,300 retailers.

According to the Union, 323 new Dairy Cooperative Societies have been established since April 2025, while 109 societies have been revived. During financial year 2025-26, the Indore Dugdh Sangh recorded average daily milk collection of 2,91,776 litres.

To enhance storage capacity for milk and dairy products, a new 1–2 metric tonne cold storage facility has been established at the Union’s main plant in Indore. The milk collection process has also been digitised through the AMCS mobile application developed by NDDB, enabling real-time access to milk collection information.

The Union has also recorded notable growth in sales of milk and dairy products. On the occasion of Independence Day 2026, 8,316 kg of Sanchi Peda was sold. In addition, 1,21,000 packets containing two pieces of Sanchi Peda each were supplied for flag-hoisting programmes at various government, semi-government schools and institutions.

During the flush season, the Indore Dugdh Sangh also produced 40 metric tonnes of high-quality standard milk powder from surplus milk received from other milk unions in the state as well as its own surplus milk.

Under the new brand identity, Sanchi’s milk variants as well as curd, paneer, chhach, buttermilk and other dairy products have been given a unified contemporary packaging design. The refreshed packaging aims to make the products easier to identify in the market and further strengthen Sanchi as a modern, trusted and consumer-focused cooperative dairy brand.

The cooperative dairy system is aimed not only at providing quality milk and dairy products but also at empowering women in the dairy sector, strengthening farmer prosperity and improving nutrition in society. The Union supports dairy farmers by procuring milk directly at fair prices, ensuring timely payments, and conducting veterinary camps, providing information on balanced cattle feed and offering free training in scientific dairy management to help increase milk production.

Ensuring that Sanchi products such as pasteurised and packed milk, curd and ghee reach consumers safely, in accordance with food safety standards, remains among the Union’s key priorities.

With its enduring promise of “Swad, Sehat, Sanchi” (Taste, Health, Sanchi), the new brand identity marks an important step in connecting Sanchi’s 45-year legacy with the expectations of the modern consumer.

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The new Slavia was unveiled in Mumbai on August 18, alongside the two returning nameplates. Pre-bookings for the Slavia and Octavia RS have opened, while Škoda has invited expressions of interest for the new Superb.

The Slavia, which has crossed 80,000 units in cumulative sales in India, receives a series of design, technology, comfort and powertrain updates. The company is positioning the updated model as a continuation of its India-specific sedan strategy.

New Slavia gets powertrain and technology upgrades

One of the key changes is the introduction of an eight-speed torque-converter automatic transmission with the 1.0 TSI engine. Škoda says this makes the Slavia the first sedan in its segment to offer this combination.

The 1.0 TSI engine will also continue with a six-speed manual transmission, while the 1.5 TSI engine will remain available with a seven-speed DSG automatic transmission. The 1.5 TSI variants now also receive rear disc brakes.

The updated Slavia gets redesigned LED headlamps and taillamps with sequential rear turn indicators, revised front and rear styling and new alloy wheel designs. For the first time, the Monte Carlo variant will be available from launch.

The car will be offered in Classic, Classic+, Signature, Sportline, Prestige and Monte Carlo variants. Škoda has also added Arctic Silver and Cappuccino Beige to the colour palette.

Pre-bookings for the new Slavia have opened at ₹15,000.

More technology and comfort features

The updated Slavia brings several features aimed at improving convenience and cabin comfort. These include a segment-first rear-seat massage function and a 360-degree Area View camera system.

The car also gets Park Pilot with front parking sensors and a 10.25-inch digital cockpit.

Its infotainment system features a 10.1-inch display with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. A new voice-assistance system, powered by Google Cloud’s Automotive AI Agent, incorporates Gemini-based capabilities and is designed to provide hands-free access to information and vehicle functions.

Safety remains a key selling point

The new Slavia continues with its 5-star Global NCAP safety credentials for adult and child occupant protection.

Škoda says more than 25 active and passive safety features, including six airbags, are standard across the range, while higher variants offer more than 40 safety features.

The safety and convenience package also includes features such as rain-sensing wipers, automatic headlamps, an auto-dimming inside rear-view mirror and anti-glare outside rear-view mirrors.

Octavia RS returns to India

Alongside the Slavia, Škoda showcased the new Octavia RS, marking the return of its performance-focused sedan to the Indian market.

The Octavia RS is powered by a 2.0 TSI engine producing 195 kW, or 265 PS, and is paired with a seven-speed DSG transmission. Other features include sports front seats with heating and massage functions, a Head-Up Display, ADAS and progressive dynamic steering.

The Octavia RS will be offered in Mamba Green, Velvet Red and Magic Black.

Bookings opened on August 18 at ₹2.5 lakh and are limited to 50 units. Customers who had reservations during the previous Octavia RS launch but could not secure a vehicle because of limited availability have been given priority access during the initial booking window.

Superb TDI to mark diesel’s return

Škoda is also preparing to bring the Superb back to India, this time with a TDI diesel powertrain.

The new Superb features LED Matrix headlamps, Cognac leather interiors, electrically adjustable heated, ventilated and massage-enabled front seats, a Rear Sleep Package, Dynamic Chassis Control and a comprehensive ADAS package.

The company has opened expressions of interest for the model, with deliveries planned for the end of the second quarter of 2027.

The return of the Superb and Octavia RS alongside the updated Slavia gives Škoda a broader sedan portfolio spanning mainstream premium, performance and executive luxury segments.

Focus on ownership costs

Škoda is also extending its Super Care ownership package across the new sedan range. The package includes a standard four-year or 100,000-kilometre warranty, four years of roadside assistance and four labour-free services for up to two years or 30,000 kilometres.

Customers can extend the warranty by another two years, taking total coverage to six years. The package also includes a six-year corrosion warranty and a three-year paint warranty.

The expanded sedan line-up comes as Škoda seeks to build on the Slavia’s established position in India while bringing two of its globally recognised sedan nameplates back to the market.

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India’s healthcare industry is entering a period of rapid expansion, with investments in hospitals, medical infrastructure, technology and insurance coverage creating new opportunities for providers. But as hospitals add beds, departments and technologies, another challenge is becoming increasingly important: how quickly can they build and continuously upgrade the workforce needed to deliver consistent quality care?

The challenge is not simply about recruiting doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals. Hospitals also need to ensure that their existing workforce can keep pace with changing clinical protocols, new technologies, digital systems, accreditation requirements and evolving expectations around patient experience.

For hospital operators, therefore, workforce training is increasingly becoming an operational issue rather than merely an HR function.

Scaling hospitals means scaling skills

As healthcare organisations expand, they bring more employees, processes and technologies into an increasingly complex operating environment. New staff have to be familiarised with institutional protocols, while existing employees need regular updates as procedures, technologies and standards change.

According to Deepak Sharma, Co-Founder & CEO, MedLern, continuous training needs to become part of the way hospitals operate rather than being treated as an occasional compliance exercise.

“Continuous training is not only about meeting mandatory CME or CNE requirements. It is also about helping hospital teams respond when routines change, protocols are updated or new technology enters daily practice,” Sharma said.

The issue becomes particularly significant during periods of rapid expansion, when hospitals may have to onboard large numbers of employees while simultaneously maintaining their existing standards of patient care.

Training is moving beyond the classroom

Traditionally, hospital training has often been associated with classroom sessions, workshops and mandatory programmes. But the growing complexity of healthcare operations is pushing hospitals towards more continuous and accessible forms of learning.

Digital platforms can allow employees to access training material more regularly and provide hospital administrators with a clearer picture of participation and assessment.

This is particularly relevant for large hospital chains and institutions operating across multiple locations, where maintaining consistency in training can be difficult.

The objective is not simply to ensure that employees have completed a course. Hospitals increasingly need to understand whether training is translating into better compliance, improved processes and safer patient care.

The data behind training

This is where data is beginning to change the way hospitals look at workforce development.

Training records can be linked with assessments, audit findings, patient feedback and other operational indicators to help hospital managers understand where gaps exist and whether interventions are making a difference.

Sharma believes this shift is important because training should increasingly be assessed on outcomes rather than participation alone.

“Digital learning is not just about participation. It is about whether the hospital is running more safely, smoothly and with fewer gaps in daily care,” he said.

For hospital managements, such data can potentially provide insights into areas such as compliance, employee readiness, patient experience and accreditation preparedness.

NABH and the quality imperative

The growing emphasis on hospital accreditation is another factor increasing the importance of structured and continuous training.

Quality standards require hospitals to establish systems and processes that are followed consistently. That makes workforce awareness and competency an important part of maintaining institutional standards.

Training, therefore, increasingly sits at the intersection of quality management, patient safety, risk management and operational efficiency.

For hospitals, the challenge is to ensure that training does not become another box-ticking exercise. The real value lies in embedding learning into everyday operations.

The next competitive advantage may be workforce readiness

India’s hospital sector is likely to remain a major investment area as healthcare demand expands and more patients seek organised medical care.

But physical infrastructure alone cannot determine the quality of a hospital.

Two institutions may have similar facilities and medical equipment but deliver very different patient experiences depending on how well their teams understand processes, communicate with patients and respond to changing clinical and operational requirements.

That makes workforce readiness an increasingly important part of hospital competitiveness.

For hospital companies expanding rapidly, the ability to recruit, train, assess and continuously upgrade employees could ultimately become as important as adding beds and acquiring new technology.

The next phase of India’s hospital growth, therefore, may not be defined only by how many hospitals are built or how many beds are added, but also by how effectively healthcare organisations can ensure that their people are prepared to operate them.

And that could make continuous workforce learning one of the less visible — but increasingly important — infrastructure investments in India’s healthcare industry.

The post India Is Building More Hospitals. But Who Will Train the People to Run Them? appeared first on Businessfortnight.

New Delhi, August 20, 2026: What if the next time you choose a hospital, one of the questions is not which doctor? or how much will it cost? but simply: “Can I get an appointment on Sunday?”

Apollo Hospitals may be about to make that question more relevant.

Its new “Always Open. Always Here.” initiative extends routine consultations, diagnostics, preventive health checks, follow-ups and scheduled procedures to Sundays, subject to hospital-specific availability. Emergency, critical care and inpatient services were already available round the clock.

On the surface, it is a convenience initiative. Look deeper, however, and it arrives at an interesting moment for India’s private hospital industry.

The sector is not struggling for patients. It is growing rapidly. The bigger challenge is winning a larger share of the growth.

India’s private hospitals are thriving — so why the race?

CRISIL Ratings expects India’s private hospital sector to grow 14–15% in FY27, marking the fifth consecutive year of double-digit revenue growth. Healthy occupancy, rising revenue per occupied bed and the addition of new beds are expected to support the expansion.

The latest numbers from the major listed hospital chains tell a similar story.

Apollo reported ₹7,043 crore in consolidated Q1 FY27 revenue, up about 21% year-on-year, while profit attributable to owners rose to ₹581 crore. EBITDA increased 28% to ₹1,092 crore.

Max Healthcare reported Q1 revenue of ₹2,982 crore, up 16%, with network operating EBITDA rising 15% to ₹704 crore and PAT reaching ₹357 crore.

Fortis reported consolidated revenue of ₹2,545 crore, up 17.5%, while operating EBITDA rose 15.8% to ₹568 crore. Its hospital business revenue increased 19%.

Even Narayana Health reported a 78% increase in Q1 FY27 revenue to ₹2,684 crore and a 40% rise in EBITDA, although its EBITDA margin fell sharply from 23.9% to 18.8%.

So this isn’t a story about hospital giants fighting to survive.

It is a story about what happens when an attractive, profitable market gets crowded with ambitious players.

More beds. More hospitals. More competition.

The next clue is coming from the industry’s expansion plans.

Apollo plans to add more than 5,800 beds over the next five years.

Manipal Health, meanwhile, entered the public markets this year with an IPO that attracted strong institutional demand. The company has more than 13,000 beds across 49 hospitals and plans to add another 2,400 beds over the next three to four years.

Max is expanding through new hospitals and acquisitions, including a planned 450-bed facility in Pune and its entry into Bhubaneswar through the acquisition of a 250-bed hospital.

Fortis is also expanding its network, while its Q1 results show that occupied beds increased 16.7% year-on-year even as overall occupancy remained around 69%.

Put these moves together and a bigger question emerges:

If India’s leading hospital chains are all adding beds and facilities, where will the next wave of patients come from?

That is where the competition gets interesting.

The battle is no longer just about building hospitals

For years, the organised hospital story was relatively straightforward: build capacity, attract doctors, invest in technology and capture the growing demand for complex medical treatment.

That model is still working.

But as the major chains become larger, capacity alone becomes less of a differentiator.

A new hospital needs patients.

A new bed needs to be occupied.

A new diagnostic facility needs tests.

And a new specialist clinic needs appointments.

That shifts the competitive question from:

“How many hospitals do you have?”

to:

“How effectively can you attract and retain patients?”

Apollo’s Sunday move fits neatly into that equation.

Apollo may be competing for something more valuable than a bed

Consider a working professional who has been postponing a health check.

Monday to Saturday may be difficult. Sunday is free.

If Apollo is available on Sunday while another hospital isn’t, the decision suddenly becomes easier.

And the value of that Sunday appointment may not end with the consultation.

A preventive check can lead to diagnostics. Diagnostics can lead to a specialist consultation. A consultation can lead to treatment and follow-up.

For an integrated healthcare chain, the first patient interaction can become the beginning of a much longer relationship.

That makes access itself a competitive tool.

Apollo has not disclosed how much additional revenue it expects from Sunday operations, so it would be premature to describe the initiative as a proven revenue strategy.

But the strategic possibility is difficult to ignore:

more availability can create more opportunities to enter the patient’s healthcare journey.

And this is where the margins matter

The industry may be growing rapidly, but growth does not automatically translate into proportionately higher profits.

Fortis is a good example.

Its Q1 FY27 revenue grew 17.5% and operating EBITDA rose 15.8%, but PAT increased only 2.3% to ₹273 crore. Hospital EBITDA margin was 21.5%, compared with 22.1% a year earlier.

Narayana’s Q1 EBITDA rose 40%, but its EBITDA margin fell from 23.9% to 18.8%.

This doesn’t indicate a sector in distress. Rather, it shows the other side of rapid expansion: new facilities, acquisitions, staffing and ramp-up costs can affect margins even when demand is strong.

For hospital chains, therefore, the challenge is increasingly twofold:

grow — and grow efficiently.

The new hospital race may have four parts

The competitive game now appears to be moving towards a combination of:

Build — add new hospitals and beds.

Buy — acquire established hospitals and patient bases.

Optimise — improve occupancy and utilisation of existing infrastructure.

Differentiate — give patients another reason to choose one network over another.

Apollo’s Sunday initiative sits in the fourth and third categories.

It potentially differentiates the network while also creating another operating window for its existing infrastructure.

That may be why a seemingly simple scheduling decision deserves attention.

Could Sunday become a new competitive battleground?

Weekend healthcare itself is not new globally, and Sunday outpatient services already exist in different forms in various healthcare systems.

Apollo’s more significant move is to turn seven-day access to routine healthcare into a large, branded network-wide proposition.

If patients begin to value that convenience, competitors could face an uncomfortable question:

If Apollo is available on Sunday, can we afford not to be?

That could trigger a new form of competition.

Not necessarily a race to keep every department open every Sunday, but greater investment in:

• weekend specialist clinics
• diagnostics
• preventive health packages
• follow-up services
• digital appointment systems
• extended operating hours

And the consequences could extend beyond the large chains.

A large hospital network has more ability to spread the cost of weekend operations across a broad patient base. Smaller hospitals may find it harder to do so.

So greater competition on convenience could potentially become another advantage for scale.

The patient may ultimately be the winner

There is an important caveat.

Seven-day healthcare only works if patients actually use it.

Doctors, nurses, technicians and support teams have to be available. Hospitals have to generate enough demand to justify the additional operating cost.

Apollo’s own announcement says Sunday services will depend on hospital-specific schedules and readiness.

So the success of the strategy will not be determined by the announcement itself.

It will be determined by patient behaviour.

Will people who postponed healthcare because of time actually turn up on Sundays?

If they do, Apollo may have discovered a relatively simple way to make its healthcare network more accessible while deepening patient engagement.

If competitors follow, the impact could be much larger.

The bigger healthcare war

India’s private hospital industry is entering an unusual phase.

It is growing, profitable and attracting capital — but precisely because the opportunity is so large, the fight for the next share of the market is becoming more intense.

The battle is no longer simply about who can build the biggest hospital.

It is increasingly about who can offer the right doctor, at the right location, at the right price, at the right time — and then keep the patient within its healthcare ecosystem.

Apollo’s Sunday initiative may therefore prove to be more than a change in hospital timings.

It could be an early sign of where the next phase of India’s private healthcare competition is heading:

from competing for beds to competing for patients’ time.

The post Apollo Opens on Sunday. Is India’s Hospital War Moving to the Weekend? appeared first on Businessfortnight.

The new measure follows a recent incident and is intended to reinforce the airline’s existing safety framework, which already includes medical certifications, recurrent training, random testing programmes, pre-flight compliance checks, and crew fitness assessments.

Details of enhanced safety steps

MAG clarified that, in the recent incident, the pilot in question was not operating the aircraft at the time, and the flight was safely managed by two qualified pilots. The company said the introduction of mandatory drug screening is aimed at maintaining high standards of safety, accountability, and passenger confidence.

Existing safety framework

Malaysia Airlines’ safety protocols include medical certifications for pilots, regular training, random drug and alcohol testing, pre-flight compliance procedures, and ongoing assessments of crew fitness for duty.

Malaysia Aviation Group is the parent company of Malaysia Airlines, headquartered in Kuala Lumpur.

Disclaimer: This article is based on a press release provided by the concerned organisation and has been edited for style and clarity with the assistance of AI tools. BusinessFortnight does not verify, endorse, or take responsibility for the claims, figures, or statements made in the original release.

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Kabra, who brings nearly 20 years of experience in commercial real estate, will oversee JLL’s operations across all business lines in Bengaluru. He will also continue in his current position as Managing Director – Investment Sales and Debt Advisory for JLL’s Capital Markets business in India.

Bengaluru’s office market scale

Bengaluru accounts for 27% of India’s office leasing over the past decade and is home to more than 800 Global Capability Centres (GCCs), the highest concentration in the country. The city recorded 43.4 million sq. ft. of leasing activity by GCCs between 2022 and the first half of 2026, representing 38% of all GCC space take-up nationally, according to JLL.

The market has 243.7 million sq. ft. of Grade A office stock, making it the largest such inventory in India and among the biggest in the Asia-Pacific region. Between 2022 and H1 2026, Bengaluru registered cumulative gross leasing of 82 million sq. ft., capturing 31.6% of all leasing by foreign occupiers in Q2 2026. Net absorption reached 8.3 million sq. ft. in H1 2026, a 24.2% year-on-year increase, accounting for 30.9% of pan-India absorption.

Supply pipeline and investment trends

The city delivered 66.2 million sq. ft. of new office supply between 2022 and H1 2026, with an additional 18–19 million sq. ft. expected by the end of 2026. REIT-owned office space in Bengaluru now accounts for over 40% of India’s total REIT-owned office market, reflecting strong institutional investor confidence.

JLL noted that the market is seeing a “flight to quality” as occupiers seek premium assets, a trend accelerated by AI-driven transformation. Vacancy rates in core submarkets have fallen to single digits.

Leadership comments

Radha Dhir, Chief Executive Officer, India, JLL, said Kabra’s appointment aligns with the firm’s Accelerate 2030 strategy and will strengthen its institutional investor connections in Bengaluru. “His proven success leading our Capital Markets business is a key asset that will strengthen our institutional investor connect, aligning with our Accelerate 2030 strategy to empower our people and drive integrated success for clients,” Dhir said.

Nishant Kabra said, “Bengaluru stands at an inflection point where unprecedented demand from global firms meets a maturing, quality-focused market. I am excited to lead JLL’s efforts in helping clients make strategic decisions, whether securing premium space in supply-constrained submarkets or optimising portfolios for AI-driven transformation.”

About JLL

JLL is a global real estate services firm with operations across India, including significant presence in Bengaluru’s commercial property sector.

Disclaimer: This article is based on a press release provided by the concerned organisation and has been edited for style and clarity with the assistance of AI tools. BusinessFortnight does not verify, endorse, or take responsibility for the claims, figures, or statements made in the original release.

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Sindwani’s appearance for House of Masaba was particularly notable, as it echoed her portrayal of a plus-size model in the series ‘Masaba Masaba’, where her character navigated challenges within the fashion industry. Her participation at the event marked a real-life parallel to her on-screen role, underscoring the growing acceptance of diverse body types in Indian fashion.

Representation and inclusivity on the runway

Walking for three designers—House of Masaba, Aisha Rao, and Dolly J—Sindwani showcased the evolving standards of Indian couture, where individuality and authenticity are increasingly celebrated alongside traditional craftsmanship. Her presence was seen as part of a broader shift towards embracing diverse voices and silhouettes on the runway.

Industry shift towards diversity

Sindwani, known for her advocacy of size inclusivity and body confidence, has used her platform to promote self-expression and inclusive fashion. Her participation at India Couture Week 2026 was viewed as a symbol of progress, reflecting a movement within the industry to move beyond rigid beauty ideals and make representation a core value in luxury fashion.

Designers at India Couture Week 2026

The collections presented by House of Masaba, Aisha Rao, and Dolly J featured Sindwani as a model, reinforcing the event’s focus on both craftsmanship and representation. The designers’ showcases highlighted contemporary storytelling, modern romanticism, and timeless glamour, respectively.

Disclaimer: This article is based on a press release provided by the concerned organisation and has been edited for style and clarity with the assistance of AI tools. BusinessFortnight does not verify, endorse, or take responsibility for the claims, figures, or statements made in the original release.

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The company posted an EBITDA of ₹156.2 crore, up 12.1% from the same period last year, while net profit rose 12.9% year-on-year to ₹75.3 crore.

Product business drives growth

PGEL said its product business accounted for 80.2% of total revenues in the quarter, with robust growth recorded in Air Conditioners, Washing Machines, and Electronics segments.

New Greater Noida facility commissioned

The company commissioned its flagship washing machine manufacturing facility at DMIC, Greater Noida, with a capacity of 1.8 million units per annum during the quarter.

Strategic expansion and future plans

PG Electroplast stated it remains focused on enhancing capabilities and expanding capacity, with several projects progressing towards commercialization in FY27.

Disclaimer: This article is based on a press release provided by the concerned organisation and has been edited for style and clarity with the assistance of AI tools. BusinessFortnight does not verify, endorse, or take responsibility for the claims, figures, or statements made in the original release.

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The collaboration embeds PayU’s payment infrastructure directly into Marg ERP’s workflows, enabling features such as Dynamic QR codes for retailers and payment links for distributors. This integration allows for automatic bill-by-bill reconciliation, faster collections, same-day settlements, and improved operational efficiency, according to the companies.

Integrated payment and reconciliation features

With the new solution, MSME retailers can generate Dynamic QR codes for each invoice, enabling instant digital payments that are automatically reconciled within Marg ERP. Distributors will be able to generate payment links for individual invoices, with payments reconciled bill-by-bill and posted directly into the ERP system.

The companies said these features are designed to address longstanding challenges in manual payment reconciliation, which has been slow and error-prone for pharma distributors and MSME retailers, often leading to working capital risk and revenue loss.

Statements from company leaders

Vineet Sethi, Chief Growth and Marketing Officer at PayU, said the partnership aims to simplify financial administration and bring more predictability to the cash flow of Indian pharma distributors and retailers, while expanding PayU’s role as an embedded finance aggregator.

Thakur Anup Singh, Chairman and Managing Director of Marg ERP Ltd., said the collaboration strengthens the Marg Pay ecosystem, enabling distributors, retailers, and MSMEs to accept payments securely and benefit from automatic reconciliation for their accounts.

Extension to eRetail application

The partnership will also extend to Marg’s eRetail application, which supports B2B ordering, payments, and reconciliation, the companies said.

PayU is a fintech platform with Prosus as an investor, providing payment gateway solutions to over 4.5 lakh businesses in India. Marg ERP is a business management platform serving more than 10 lakh retailers, distributors, manufacturers, and MSMEs, with a significant presence in the pharma and FMCG sectors.

Disclaimer: This article is based on a press release provided by the concerned organisation and has been edited for style and clarity with the assistance of AI tools. BusinessFortnight does not verify, endorse, or take responsibility for the claims, figures, or statements made in the original release.

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