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Apr 21: Strengthening its operational leadership as it expands across the Eastern Himalayan region, Summit Hotels & Resorts has appointed Deepak Bothra as Corporate General Manager. With close to three decades of experience in hospitality, Deepak Bothra brings deep expertise across hotel operations, pre-opening projects, quality control, and revenue management. Over the years, he has worked with leading international and regional brands, holding senior leadership roles and contributing to the successful launch and turnaround of multiple properties.

In his new role, Deepak Bothra will oversee operational strategy, service standards, and performance optimisation across Summit’s growing portfolio. His focus will be on strengthening quality benchmarks, streamlining systems, and ensuring consistency across properties as the brand continues to scale its presence in Sikkim, Darjeeling, and the wider Northeast.

Commenting on the appointment, Sumit Mitruka, CEO, Summit Hotels & Resorts, said, “Deepak brings a rare combination of operational depth and quality-driven thinking. As we continue to expand our network across the Northeast, strengthening internal systems and service standards becomes critical. His experience in building and refining hotel operations will play a key role in driving consistency and long-term performance across our portfolio.”

New Delhi, Apr 21(BNP): Maya Academy of Advanced Creativity (MAAC), a premier institute for high-end training in 3D animation, gaming, VFX, and digital content creation, has announced the launch of its new creative training centre in Sector 56, Gurugram. The new facility aims to strengthen the AVGC-XR skilling ecosystem by offering industry-aligned infrastructure and hands-on learning experiences for aspiring artists across Haryana.

Spread across 1,500 sq. ft., the centre is equipped with modern infrastructure designed to foster creativity and innovation. It features a high-performance lab with industry-standard tools and software, enabling students to gain practical, real-world experience. A key highlight is the dedicated chroma room, providing exposure to green screen shoots, VFX compositing, and live production techniques that replicate professional studio environments.

With a strong emphasis on experiential learning, the centre offers access to expert faculty, collaborative learning spaces, and the latest technologies. The curriculum is aligned with evolving industry demands and integrates project-based learning, portfolio development, and exposure to real-world production workflows, ensuring students are industry-ready.

Speaking on the launch, Sandip Weling, Chief Business Officer, Global Retail at Aptech Limited and Brand Custodian at MAAC, said,

“Our focus has always been on nurturing creative talent and equipping students with the skills required to excel in the rapidly evolving AVGC-XR industry. This new centre in Gurugram is a step towards making high-quality creative education more accessible while empowering the next generation of creative professionals.”

Preeti Nawani and Varun Nawani, Directors of MAAC Gurugram Sector 56, added,

“This centre is designed as a space where creativity meets opportunity. Our goal is to provide an environment that encourages innovation, practical learning, and industry exposure, helping students build successful careers in the creative sector.”

The centre will offer structured learning pathways that combine technical expertise with creative problem-solving, preparing students for roles across studios, production houses, gaming companies, and digital content platforms.

With the AVGC-XR sector witnessing significant growth in India, the Gurugram centre is well-positioned to contribute to the region’s emergence as a hub for creative talent. The launch reinforces MAAC’s commitment to expanding its footprint and strengthening access to quality education in the Media & Entertainment sector.

Apr 21: The traditional foundations of legal training are being dismantled by automation, leaving the industry’s elite firms facing a radical ‘capabilities gap’ in their future talent pipeline. This is according to a new study from leadership consultancy firm The Positive Group, which highlights how the rapid adoption of GenAI is transforming the centuries-old apprenticeship model that underpins how trainee lawyers develop legal judgement, expertise and the skills needed to become a partner.

 The report, titled The AI Leadership Challenge in Law, was produced in collaboration with researchers from Harvard Business School, RSGI, and Hubel Labs. It draws on insights from 16 of the industry’s most influential decision-makers -including Managing Partners, Chief AI Officers, and heads of professional standards from firms including Orrick, Herbert Smith Freehills, Baker McKenzie, Bird & Bird, A&O Shearman, White & Case, and Gilbert + Tobin.

 The end of ‘learning by doing’

For generations, junior lawyers built their “legal muscle” through repetition: document review, due diligence, and exhaustive research. The report argues that this “volume work” was not merely a revenue driver, but a psychological necessity for building the cognitive foundations of professional reasoning and judgement.

 However, the study warns that as AI takes over these foundational tasks, the ‘repetition loop’ is breaking. Junior lawyers are being catapulted into higher-level advisory work much earlier in their careers—often before they have developed the instinctive ‘gut feel’ for risk that only comes from years of interrogating primary sources.

 Anna Sutherland, Executive Partner at Herbert Smith Freehills, a contributor to the research, highlights the scale of the challenge: “Traditionally, juniors learned by repetition through drafting, due diligence, and volume work. AI is changing that, so the challenge is to ensure they still build solid foundations while acquiring new skills.”

 A Scrutiny Gap is emerging:

The report identifies a burgeoning risk within the firm hierarchy: a decline in critical scrutiny. One participant noted that with AI-generated drafts, there is now “less requirement to go and interrogate sources”, creating a dangerous psychological bias where outputs are accepted at face value.

 “We are heading toward a potential crisis of potential skills deficit in critical thinking and appraisal,” says Will Marien, Director at The Positive Group. “If a junior lawyer hasn’t spent years digging through the ‘why’ behind a contract clause because a machine produced it in seconds, they lose the ability to spot the nuance where the real risk lives. The apprenticeship model wasn’t just about learning the law; it was about learning how to think under pressure. By removing the repetitive, routine work, we are inadvertently removing the training ground for work that involves judgement, appraisal and interrogation of sources.”

 Marien continues: “Law firm leaders must recognise that AI doesn’t just change the workflow; it changes the cognitive development of their most valuable asset: their people. We are seeing the end of the stable strategy; firms must now move to a model of ‘Adaptive Apprenticeship’ where critical thinking is taught as a primary skill, not an accidental byproduct of volume work.”

 From information generators to curators of meaning

The research suggests that the role of the junior lawyer is being redefined in real-time. Rather than acting purely as generators of information, they are increasingly becoming “curators of meaning” and “challengers of logic”. This shift is not only changing the skills required, but is reshaping where expertise sits within firms.

 Junior lawyers are often more fluent in emerging AI tools and are playing a growing role in driving innovation from the ground up. As Christian Bartsch, CEO of Bird & Bird, notes: “Some of our best ideas don’t come from senior leaders, but from next-gen talent. We’ve built innovation channels to capture these ideas so they aren’t lost in our wider organisation. As part of our journey, we’ve become braver about calling time on what doesn’t work.” In this environment, curiosity, adaptability, and the ability to interrogate AI outputs are becoming core capabilities at every level of the firm.

 However, the report warns that this transition must be managed carefully. Rather than relying solely on traditional repetition-based learning, leaders are being encouraged to take a more active role in shaping how junior lawyers engage with AI through clear narratives, role-modelling, and creating environments where questioning and critical thinking are actively encouraged.

 By fostering trust and openness around both the potential and limitations of AI, firms can ensure that junior lawyers build the confidence and nuance needed to apply these tools effectively. In this way, the transition becomes less about managing risk, and more about intentionally developing the next generation of lawyers to combine technological fluency with strong professional judgement.

 The Leadership Mandate: devising adaptive apprenticeships

For the law firm C-suite, the findings reinforce the need for a radical departure from traditional talent management. The report concludes that AI maturity is not about how many licences a firm buys, but how it re-engineers the path to expertise.

Marien concluded: “The task for leading law firms is no longer to protect the old ways of working, but to find new pathways for developing “depth” in an automated environment. This means placing an unprecedented premium on “soft” cognitive skills—curiosity, the ability to challenge automated reasoning, and ethical interpretation—that were previously assumed to develop over time.

 “In a world where the commodity – the legal output – is increasingly free, the ‘Psychology of AI Maturity’ proves that the only remaining value is the human at the keyboard. If firms fail to fix the apprenticeship model now, they aren’t just losing their juniors; they are losing their future partnership.

Pune(S.N), Apr 21(BNP): Bharti Airtel deployed more than 3,400 new 5G sites across Maharashtra & Goa over the last 12 months, delivering faster speeds, wider coverage and a significantly improved network experience for customers.

The company’s network expansion across 36 districts now brings dependable, high‑speed coverage to 22 million+ customers in bustling cities, fast‑growing towns and even remote rural villages. Thus, customers in emerging and underserved districts like Gadchiroli, Nandurbar, and Sindhudurg are seeing the benefits with the site additions effectively bridging connectivity gaps, fostering digital inclusion, and enabling reliable access.

With more than nine new sites going live every day, customers across districts of Maharashtra and Goa now can count on smoother streaming, faster downloads, uninterrupted online work and learning, and more reliable digital payments—no matter where they live or travel. This enhanced 5G footprint has enabled seamless access to high-speed services that power the everyday digital needs of citizens, students, micro-businesses, tourists, and government institutions, among others. 

“Data demand across Maharashtra and Goa continues to grow rapidly, and our focus is to stay ahead by consistently strengthening our network. With the addition of 3,400+ new 5G sites, we are delivering faster speeds, wider coverage and a more reliable experience for over 22 million customers. Our continued investments, especially in underserved districts, reflect Airtel’s commitment to bridging connectivity gaps and powering the region’s digital growth with a future-ready network.” said Rabi Shankar Mishra, CEO Maharashtra & Goa, Bharti Airtel.

Additionally, to empower customers with uninterrupted digital access across Maharashtra & Goa, Airtel now offers a fully unlimited data plan in its ₹399 recharge pack for smartphone users – designed for seamless streaming, studying, working, and staying connected, without worrying about data limits. Backed by sustained investments in network density across rural, semi-urban villages, highways, boarder areas, and key economic and cultural corridors, Airtel ensures robust, future ready connectivity even in high mobility and high usage zones.

GENEVA – 21 April 2026 — Phu Quoc International Airport is set to become a next-generation, fully self-service aviation hub ahead of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) 2027 Forum. Sun Group, one of Vietnam’s largest private conglomerates, has partnered with SITA to lead this transformation. To support Vietnam’s rapidly growing air travel demand, the parties have also signed a Memorandum of Understanding establishing a framework for broader collaboration across Sun Group’s future airport developments in Vietnam.

Phu Quoc International Airport is projected to handle 24 million passengers annually once the new Terminal 2 opens, with long-term capacity designed to scale to 50 million. The development comes at a pivotal moment and will place Phu Quoc in the global spotlight as a rising destination in the Asia Pacific region.

Under the Phu Quoc project, SITA will deploy an end-to-end suite of airport technologies across the new terminal, delivering a fully self-service passenger experience. Travelers will be able to check in, select seats, print boarding passes and bag tags, drop their luggage, and board their flights through automated touchpoints.

The new terminal will feature SITA Flex Hybrid, supporting 204 common-use workstations for passenger processing. To secure operational resilience, SITA Local Departure Control System (DCS) will be deployed as a backup.

Passengers will use 150 SITA Smart Path kiosks for check-in, seat selection, boarding pass printing, and tagging check-in bags, 100 SITA Smart Path Bag Drop (Scan & Go) units for selfservice baggage drop, and 38 dual-lane SITA Smart Path Gates for automated boarding. All systems are seamlessly coordinated through the SITA Smart Path Hub biometric technology.

Real-time baggage tracking and reconciliation will be delivered through SITA Bag Manager Lite, supporting four baggage workstations and 20 handheld terminals. Airport operations will be powered by SITA Airport Operational Database (AODB), while passenger information will be managed by SITA AirportVision Evolved, covering 397 displays. Overall airport operations will be overseen by SITA Airport Management, supporting ten operational workstations.

The project, which began development in March 2026, is scheduled to open in July 2027.

“We are pleased to partner with SITA on this strategic collaboration to support the transformation of our airport portfolio. As we continue to invest in world-class aviation infrastructure, SITA’s proven expertise and end-to-end technology capabilities will play a key role in helping us deliver smarter, more efficient, and seamless passenger experiences,” said Mr. Nguyen Chi Thanh, President, Sun Group. “This partnership reflects our shared vision of elevating Vietnam’s aviation sector, and we look forward to working closely with SITA to bring innovative, future-ready solutions to Phu Quoc and our upcoming airport developments.”

The partnership extends beyond a single terminal. Sun Group has designated SITA as a key strategic technology partner for its broader airport transformation initiative in Vietnam. The operating model established at Phu Quoc will serve as a template for future developments, including Phan Thiet Airport and planned projects in Con Dao and Rach Gia. Over the next five years, Sun Group aims to expand its airport footprint to at least five locations across Vietnam, with each targeting the 5-Star Skytrax standard.

“Vietnam is one of the fastest-growing aviation markets in the region, and this partnership with Sun Group marks a key milestone in supporting that growth with future-ready infrastructure. By bringing together SITA’s end-to-end airport technologies, we are delivering smarter, more efficient, and scalable airport operations,” added Sumesh Patel, President, Asia Pacific at SITA. “As Phu Quoc evolves into a key aviation hub ahead of APEC 2027, we are proud to support Sun Group’s vision of delivering world-class passenger experiences while strengthening connectivity across Vietnam.”

Phu Quoc International Airport will be operated in partnership with Singapore’s Changi Airports International, bringing internationally recognized standards to what is fast becoming a major leisure destination. The airport upgrade forms part of a broader effort to integrate aviation with Sun Group’s tourism and hospitality ecosystem on the island, which includes luxury resorts, entertainment destinations, and Sun Phu Quoc Airways, launched in November 2025.

SITA and Sun Group have worked together since 2019, when SITA first delivered airport technology solutions at Van Don Airport. This new agreement deepens that relationship and reflects a shared commitment to advancing air travel infrastructure in Vietnam.

Mumbai, Apr 21 (BNP): Welspun One and Indev Infra have entered into a strategic partnership, with the allotment of 2.10 lakh sq. ft. of Grade A+ space at WTC Nhava Sheva (JNPA SEZ). The space will be utilised for warehousing and allied logistics operations within a Special Economic Zone (SEZ), strengthening the project’s focus as a future-ready, port-linked trade and logistics hub.

This development marks an early occupier milestone at WTC Nhava Sheva, Welspun One’s largest development in India, and reflects early traction at the project as demand shifts toward integrated, port-based infrastructure that can support trade, warehousing and value added operations within a single ecosystem.

Indev Infra will leverage the facility as a strategic hub to scale its Free Trade Warehousing Zone (FTWZ) capabilities, drawing on its pioneering expertise in developing and operating FTWZ units. The facility will deliver end-to-end integrated logistics & warehousing solutions supported by best-in-class global practices. The development will offer a comprehensive suite of value-added services, including cold chain/temperature-controlled storage, vendor-managed inventory (VMI), and EXIM cargo handling. This partnership reinforces Indev Infra’s footprint at a critical trade gateway, enhancing its ability to deliver seamless, port-linked supply chain solutions and support growing international trade flows across key markets.

With a project outlay of ₹2,700 crore, WTC Nhava Sheva is being developed as an integrated ecosystem for warehousing, manufacturing and commercial operations, supported by NaBFID backed financing and designed to enable large scale, trade led activity.

Commenting on the partnership Neeraj Balani, Chief Customer Officer, Welspun One, said

“This milestone reflects strong occupier validation for our Gateway platform at JNPA SEZ. Spread across 55 acres with a development potential of 4.45 million sq. ft., the project is designed as an integrated, port-linked ecosystem. For Indev Infra, this provides a high-quality operating base with SEZ advantages such as duty efficiencies, faster clearances and operational flexibility, enabling them to scale efficiently.”

“WTC Nhava Sheva offers a strong platform for our next phase of growth in SEZ and FTWZ-led logistics. The SEZ framework enhances efficiency across import-export operations, while Welspun One’s leasing-led model provides a dedicated, non-compete environment that allows us to operate with greater independence and control. This partnership strengthens our ability to manage trade flows more effectively and deliver integrated, value added logistics solutions to our customers.” said Dr. S. Xavier Britto, Chairman, Indev Infra Pvt Ltd.

JNPA, which handles approximately one-third of India’s container traffic and is scaling toward a capacity of 10 million TEUs, continues to play a critical role in the country’s trade infrastructure. In this context, WTC Nhava Sheva (JNPA SEZ) is positioned to support the next phase of India’s EXIM growth through integrated, high-quality logistics and industrial infrastructure.

Apr 21: New research* from Carne Group (Carne), Europe’s largest third-party management company (ManCo), reveals that both wealth managers and private markets fund managers expect assets under management (AUM) held in semi-liquid vehicles to exceed $3 trillion by 2030.  The semi-liquid market has already demonstrated explosive momentum, with AUM nearly tripling between 2020 and 2024 to approximately $349 billion**.

 Nearly eight out of 10 (78%) private market fund managers surveyed expect the sector to surpass $3 trillion by 2030. Wealth managers are equally bullish: 54% expect AUM to reach between $3 trillion and $3.5 trillion, while 18% believe the figure will climb even higher.

 Semi-liquid funds operate as open-ended investment vehicles, providing sophisticated and mass-affluent retail investors with access to typically illiquid assets like private equity, with periodic redemption windows.

 Wealth managers and IFAs increase their focus on the semi-liquid wrapper

Carne’s research reveals 72% of wealth managers surveyed already use semi-liquid funds for their clients. The remaining 28% are preparing to follow suit almost immediately – 75% of those not currently offering these funds expect to start within the next 12 months, and the remaining 25% within the next two years.

 The speed of adoption is reflected in the anticipated weightings within client portfolios. Nearly a third (32%) of wealth managers surveyed expect to have 5% of their clients’ total investible assets in semi-liquid funds within three to four years. This conviction strengthens over a slightly longer horizon, with 66% expecting to hit that 5% allocation within four to five years.

 Commenting on the growing focus wealth managers are placing on semi-liquid funds, Des Fullam

Chief Regulatory and Client Solutions Officer, Carne Group, said: “The democratisation of private markets must be met with a rigorous commitment to retail investor education. For this ‘retailisation’ trend to be sustainable, investors must fully grasp the mechanics of periodic redemptions and the long-term nature of the underlying assets. Empowering wealth managers with the right educational tools is as critical as the digital infrastructure itself in ensuring that mass-affluent investors can build truly diversified, resilient portfolios.”

 The manager pipeline: A Massive Supply Shift

While the demand from wealth managers is clear, the supply side is also moving quickly. Currently, only 2% of the private market fund managers surveyed have launched a semi-liquid fund. However, the survey reveals a massive potential pipeline of new entrants:

• 19% of private market fund managers surveyed are considering launching a semi-liquid fund within the next 12 months
• 42% plan to launch within 12 to 18 months
• 29% are targeting a launch within 18 to 24 months

In total, over 90% of the managers surveyed intend to have a semi-liquid offering in market within the next two years, signalling a fierce competitive landscape as firms vie for retail market share.

 Des Fullam added: “We are seeing a historic pivot in how private capital is raised and deployed. Wealth managers are no longer viewing private markets as an optional ‘extra’ but as a core component of a modern, diversified portfolio. For fund managers, this represents a golden opportunity to tap into a massive, relatively untapped pool of retail capital.

 “However, the operational complexity of managing semi-liquid vehicles – balancing daily or monthly subscriptions with illiquid underlying assets – requires a level of digital sophistication and governance that many firms are only now beginning to implement.

 “As the industry moves toward the potential 2030 $3 trillion milestone, the distinction between “institutional” and “retail” investment strategies is blurring. The next decade of growth in private markets will not be driven solely by pension funds and other institutional investors, but also by the democratisation of access via the semi-liquid wrapper.”

 Regulatory tailwinds: The ELTIF and LTAF Boom

The expansion of the market is being underpinned by significant regulatory progress in Europe and the UK. The European Long-Term Investment Fund (ELTIF) 2.0 and the UK’s Long-Term Asset Fund (LTAF) have become the primary vehicles for this “retailisation” wave.

 Private market managers are overwhelmingly optimistic about these structures:

• LTAFs: 84% of managers surveyed expect flows into LTAFs to increase over the next 12 months, with 44% predicting a “dramatic” increase
• ELTIFs: 77% expect flows into ELTIFs to rise over the same period, with 34% anticipating dramatic growth