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Showcasing its global breadth, the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment (CISI) is delighted to confirm Manchester based Depledge Strategic Wealth Management, Jersey and Guernsey based Titan Wealth (CI) and Dubai based Abacus Financial Consultants LLC have all achieved CISI Chartered Firm™ status.

CISI Chartered Firm™ status is awarded when a financial services firm demonstrates commitment to the highest levels of professionalism. Firms must meet rigorous criteria to achieve the prestigious accreditation, including having a professional development programme that aligns with the CISI’s continuing professional development (CPD) requirements.

 

Chartered status plays a powerful role in fostering high standards of professionalism and trust. Helping firms and professionals adapt and firms grow in financial services is vital, particularly as opportunities in the sector increasingly become trans-national.

Andrew Day CFP™ Chartered FCSI, founder of Depledge Strategic Wealth Management (left) said: “Achieving CISI Chartered Firm™ status is a significant part of our journey to build a firm that is synonymous with high level financial planning advice and service. This is the accumulation of many years of hard work and the result of all the team at Depledge believing in our ethos to strive to be the best and to do so with our clients at the very centre of our endeavours. Four of our team have qualified at the CFP™ level and two others are working on the qualification which exceeds the minimum qualification level to be a CISI Chartered Firm™. This is important to us as we all feel that obtaining CISI qualifications has made us better financial planners which benefits our existing and new clients.”

Mark Bousfield Chartered FCSI, Managing Director, Titan Wealth (CI) (left) said: “Becoming a CISI Chartered Firm™ marks an important achievement for Titan Wealth in the Channel Islands and reflects the sustained effort our team has made over many years to uphold the highest professional standards.

“This recognition demonstrates our commitment to acting in the best interests of our clients and reinforces our dedication to delivering expert advice, integrity, and exceptional client service. It provides clients with the reassurance that they are supported by a firm committed to excellence throughout their financial journey.”

Con Lillis Chartered MCSI, Chief Executive Officer (right) of Abacus Financial Consultants, said: “Being recognised as a CISI Chartered Firm™ by the CISI is a proud moment for our entire team. It reflects the culture we have built at Abacus – one centred on professionalism, transparency, and putting clients first. Our advisers are committed to maintaining the highest standards in the industry, and this recognition demonstrates the strength of that commitment.

“As we continue to grow, maintaining these standards will remain central to our strategy, ensuring our clients benefit from trusted expertise and forward-thinking financial guidance.”

Tracy Vegro OBE, CISI chief executive, said: “We are delighted to welcome Depledge Strategic Wealth Management, Titan Wealth and Abacus Financial Consultants to our select group of organisations holding CISI Chartered Firm™ status. We are delighted to welcome each of them to our global CISI community.”

Bengaluru, Mar 16th:  Elior India, a subsidiary of the EUR 6.05 billion France-based Elior Group and one of the world’s leading providers of institutional food services, has partnered with the Robin Hood Army (RHA), a volunteer-driven organisation that redistributes surplus food to underserved communities, to launch a food redistribution initiative focused on responsible surplus management.

The program enables safe, eligible surplus food from Elior’s kitchens and sites to be redistributed through RHA’s volunteer network, aligning with Elior India’s commitment to sustainability and responsible food management.

The initiative was launched as a pilot from Elior’s GK1 kitchen in Bengaluru on 13 March in the presence of Boris Derichebourg, Chairman and CEO of Elior Group, who is currently visiting India, and Ashwani Vohra, Managing Director, Elior India, along with the Elior India leadership team. The flag-off ceremony included brief remarks from Elior India leadership and representatives from the Robin Hood Army, followed by the first redistribution pickup by the RHA team to mark the start of the initiative.

The program will initially operate from Elior’s Bengaluru kitchens, with potential expansion to other cities where Elior India operates based on operational learnings.

Commenting on the initiative, Ashwani Vohra, Managing Director, Elior India, said: “At Elior, responsible food management is an integral part of how we operate our kitchens. Our partnership with the Robin Hood Army enables us to ensure that safe surplus food is redistributed where it can make a meaningful difference, while reinforcing responsible and sustainable kitchen practices across our operations. We value the work the Robin Hood Army is doing to bring surplus food to communities that need it.”

Through this initiative, Elior India is strengthening its approach to responsible surplus management by ensuring that safe, excess food from its kitchens is redistributed in a structured and meaningful way.

Mohali, India, Mar 16th:  Spray Engineering Devices Limited (SED), a global leader in energy-efficient industrial technologies, has received a significant repeat order from Dalmia Bharat Sugar & Industries Ltd. (DBSIL) to modernise its Jawaharpur sugar unit in Uttar Pradesh. Designed for a crushing capacity of 9,000 TCD, the project aims to reduce steam consumption to approximately 30.9% on cane, drastically lowering operating costs, cutting carbon emissions, and enhancing thermal efficiency in sugar manufacturing.

This latest order underscores a long-standing partnership. SED has previously modernised Dalmia Bharat’s Ramgarh unit (reducing steam usage from 48% to 33%) and Nigohi unit (from 38% to 30%). By extending these industrial-scale breakthroughs to Jawaharpur, the two companies are setting a new benchmark for profitability and sustainability in India’s sugar sector amid rising fuel costs.

Vivek Verma, Managing Director, Spray Engineering Devices Limited said “Repeat orders are the ultimate proof of performance in our industry, and we are delighted to deepen our association with the Dalmia Bharat Group. At Jawaharpur, we are not just installing equipment, we are engineering a more sustainable future. With advanced heat-recovery and evaporation systems, we expect to deliver significant fuel savings annually, demonstrating that large-scale sugar manufacturing can be both efficient and environmentally responsible.”

Pankaj Rastogi, Business Head-Sugar Division, (DBSIL) added “Energy efficiency has become central to competitiveness in the sugar industry. By partnering with SED, we have consistently achieved reductions in steam consumption across our units. This latest upgrade at Jawaharpur is another step toward sustainable, cost-effective operations. Beyond the immediate reduction in energy waste, the modernisation will strengthen our regional presence, support the local economy, and generate direct and indirect livelihoods in Uttar Pradesh.”

Under the new order, SED will deliver complete design, supply, and automation of critical systems, including proprietary Spray Continuous Pans, high-efficiency juice heaters, and integrated falling film evaporators. The configuration will enable the plant to operate at approximately 375 TCH cane crushing rate, with flexibility for syrup diversion to distillery and refined sugar production.

Industry observers note that repeat orders in the sugar sector are typically driven by proven savings in steam consumption and process stability, especially as energy costs remain one of the largest components of sugar manufacturing.

SED has also supplied MVR-based boiler-free evaporation systems for distillery operations at Jawaharpur, enabling low-energy operation and water recovery. With installations across multiple countries in sugar, ethanol, water, and process industries, the company continues to expand its footprint with proprietary evaporation and heat-recovery technologies.

Glasgow, Mar 16th: A ‘smart pillow’ which enables people to access digital content at bedtime without looking at screens could help cut down on problematic evening smartphone use, its inventors say.\A ‘smart pillow’ which enables people to access digital content at bedtime without looking at screens could help cut down on problematic evening smartphone use, its inventors say.

Computing scientists at the University of Glasgow have built the prototype device, which builds a speaker and tactile sensors into an ordinary pillow.

Instead of scrolling on their phone screens before bed, users can touch, press and even hug the pillow to control music, podcasts or audiobooks streamed from their device using a purpose-built app.

The pillow aims to help make digital consumption more compatible with the onset of sleep, a delicate physiological process which can be easily disrupted by the distractions late-night screen use can create.

By enabling people to enjoy content with their eyes closed instead, the pillow is designed to help users drop off to sleep more easily while still enjoying the wind-down time that late-night smartphone use provides.

Dr Xianghua ‘Sharon’ Ding, of the University of Glasgow’s School of Computing Science, led the team which developed the device. She is the corresponding author of a paper on the pillow which will be presented at a conference this week.

Dr Ding said: “Screen time before bed can have negative impacts on the quality of people’s sleep. Research has shown that it can delay the onset of sleep, making people more tired the next day and raising their chances of developing physical and mental health problems.

“However, digital consumption before bed can also allow people to meet important emotional needs. Smartphone content can help users decompress, relax, and enjoy personal time before sleep.

“In the past, technology aimed at improving sleep has focused on tracking habits, interventions to encourage regular bedtimes, or promoting relaxation though scent or sounds. In developing our device, we wanted to explore whether it was possible to use the very familiar and comforting form of a pillow to harness the positive benefits of night-time smartphone use while cutting out the potential harms.”

The team began the design process by building of the pillow’s companion app, which allows users to choose what they want to listen to at bedtime from a selection including music, news and audiobooks.

At the same time, they built a simple prototype pillow which which streamed content to the speaker using the app. The pillow’s initial design featured two functions based on hugging. A sensor in the pillow allowed users to turn the pillow’s speaker on with a hug, and turn it off again with the same motion.

Based on the team’s own feedback on the initial design, they refined it further to give it more personality. They embroidered a simple cat face design to the front of the pillow to enable users to more easily find their way around the pillow without opening their eyes. They also added two additional sensors into fabric ‘ears’ to enable track skipping, and another sensor in the cat’s forehead to add another option for pause and play. Finally, they added pressure sensitivity to the controls to prevent accidental use during sleep.

Then, they invited 16 volunteers to take part in co-design sessions to evaluate the prototype and make their own suggestions of how the design could be refined or improved. The study participants enjoyed the tactile nature of the pillow, which some users said reminded them of childhood toys or pets, and others said would be likely to help relieve bedtime stress and increase their comfort through hugging.

The participants suggested a range of potential tweaks to the design, including animalshaped variants, gradual audio fade-out, haptic feedback instead of lights, and long-format body pillows for back sleepers.

While the study did not directly measure sleep outcomes, participants felt the smart pillow design could reduce distractions and better support their natural sleep routines.

Dr Ding added: “We’ve shown that there is real potential for a device like this to help people experience improved sleep onset without missing out on the benefits of smartphone use. The design we’ve co-created with study participants could enable people control digital content through a familiar, comforting object without opening their eyes, which in turn could support the delicate transition from wakefulness to sleep.

“What we’re keen to do from here is work our way to turning this research into a product that people can buy and use for themselves. We’re seeking partners to help bring this product to market in the future.”

Weiyun Wang, Kejin Yu and Dr Ilyena Hirskyj-Douglas of the University of Glasgow’s School of Computing Science contributed to the research and are co-authors of the paper.

The team’s paper, titled ‘”I Want to Keep My Phone Away From the Bed”: Designing a Smart Pillow for Sleep Onset, will be presented at the TEI’26 conference in Chicago on Tuesday 9 March 2026.

India’s digital lending ecosystem continues to evolve consistently, and SalaryOnTime, one of the leading Fintech platforms, is taking a significant step toward making emergency credit more accessible with its unique 10-minute digital personal loan approval process. The platform is majorly popular among salaried professionals and self-employed individuals, as it enables them to quickly apply for personal loans through a simple, fully digital platform for urgent financial needs. 

SalaryOnTime allows users to complete the entire loan process, from application and verification to approval and disbursal, within a span of 10 minutes. As the process excludes lengthy paperwork and branch visits, customers can easily apply from anywhere with a smart device and access to the internet. The brand has a simplified digital system that enables borrowers to access personal loans of up to ₹1,20,000, transferred directly to their bank accounts once approved.

With a technology-driven approach, the platform combined AI-based credit assessment with an effective backend infrastructure to ensure faster decision-making while maintaining strong compliance and security standards. The platform focuses on speed, transparency, and easy usage, while addressing the growing demand for quick financial support during unexpected expenses or short-term cash needs.

Ankit Modi, Managing Director of SalaryOnTime, commenting on the brand’s unique 10-minute digital approval process, said, “We established this company with an understanding that financial emergencies require immediate attention. This knowledge made us determined to create a 10-minute digital approval process to ensure that individuals can access funds quickly without worrying about lengthy paperwork or complex procedures. Our platform allows customers to apply, verify and receive loan approvals in minutes. The advanced technology and paperless processes ensure ease in the loan-taking process. With dedication and continuous efforts, we are pacing towards a faster, more transparent and reliable lending experience for our customers.”

The brand commenced with a clear purpose of becoming ‘Aapka Emergency Financial Friend,’ which enabled the organisation to rapidly gain popularity among working professionals seeking transparent, reliable, and convenient lending alternatives. SalaryOnTime currently serves over 40-50 lakh active customers across major cities in India. It is one of the top trusted emergency loan platforms in the country, committed to transparency, customer protection, and compliance. SalaryOnTime promotes a paperless lending system and ensures data security through encrypted processes while offering borrowers a clear eligibility criteria and a simple repayment system. 

For the future, the company has plans to strengthen its technology infrastructure and expand its services for a broader range of borrower demographics. With a 90% repeat customer rate, SalaryOnTime is augmenting its mission of making digital lending faster, safer, and more inclusive.

Marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan, Eid-ul-Fitr is a time of gratitude, reflection and joyous celebration with family and friends. The festival symbolises compassion, generosity and togetherness, as communities come together to share festive meals and extend goodwill. Bringing alive this spirit of togetherness and celebration, Anise at the iconic Taj Coromandel, Chennai presents a specially curated Eid dinner that showcases an array of traditional and contemporary delicacies.

Guests can begin their evening with refreshing festive beverages such as Rooh Afza Lemonade, Pomegranate Sharbat and an aromatic Orange Blossom Cooler, setting the tone for the celebration. The elaborate spread features salads such as Moonlight Chickpea and Pomegranate Chaat; Eid Harvest Fattoush with Sumac; Spiced Beef and Roasted Pepper Salad;  Grilled Prawn and Citrus Crescent Salad; and Chicken Shawarma Garden Bowl.

The main course reflects the richness of Eid traditions with highlights such as Dum Gosht Biryani, Murgh Dum Biryani, Malabar Coconut Fish Curry, Gosht Rogan Josh and Chicken Awadhi Qorma, complemented by specialties like Pathar Ka Gosht and Tandoori Jhinga with Lemon Butter. A live Haleem counter featuring both vegetarian and non-vegetarian options adds an authentic festive touch to the experience. Vegetarian delicacies such as Bagara Baingan, Vegetable Nizami Korma, Eid Special Paneer Pasanda, Nawabi Dal Makhani and Saffron Paneer Crescent Tikka ensure there is something for every palate, along with global selections like Eid Garden Pistachio Pesto Gnocchi and Royal Eid Vegetable Wellington. The meal concludes on a sweet note with an assortment of bakery confections and traditional Indian desserts, completing a truly indulgent festive experience.

Join us at Anise, Taj Coromandel, Chennai with your loved ones and create cherished memories as we celebrate the spirit of Eid-ul-Fitr with a feast of tradition and flavour.

Anise, Taj Coromandel, Chennai | 20 March, 2026  

Dinner: 07:30 hrs – 23:00 hrs 

Mumbai, Mar 16: Ethical lab grown diamond brand Lukson has unveiled its latest Mixed Metal Collection, a contemporary jewellery line that celebrates contrast, versatility and modern styling. Designed for the new generation of jewellery lovers, the collection blends white and yellow tones to create pieces that move effortlessly between everyday wear and statement fashion.

 The Mixed Metal Collection reflects a growing global trend where jewellery is no longer restricted to one metal tone. Instead, it embraces contrast and fluid styling. Lukson’s new designs combine 18K Gold Vermeil with sterling silver and IGI certified lab grown diamonds, creating a refined balance of warm and cool tones that elevate minimalist jewellery into modern statement pieces.

Featuring 18 distinct designs, the collection includes rings, earrings, bracelets, pendants and stackable pieces, including styles such as contemporary huggies, diamond stud earrings, sculptural rings, stack bands and versatile bracelets. With prices starting from ₹4,749 and going up to ₹61,749, the collection continues Lukson’s mission of making fine diamond jewellery more accessible without compromising on craftsmanship or ethics.

Founded in 2024, Lukson is the direct-to-consumer jewellery venture of the JK Star Group, a vertically integrated diamond conglomerate with over 34 years of industry legacy across natural diamonds, lab grown diamonds and luxury jewellery.

Speaking on the launch, Anand Lukhi, Founder and CEO of Lukson said:

 “The Mixed Metal Collection reflects how jewellery styling is evolving today. Modern consumers no longer want to follow traditional rules of wearing one metal tone. They want pieces that feel versatile, expressive and contemporary. With this collection, we wanted to create designs that celebrate contrast while maintaining the elegance and craftsmanship that Lukson stands for.”

Vedant Lukhi, Co-founder of Lukson added:

 “This collection is about confidence in personal style. Mixed metal jewellery allows people to experiment without worrying about matching everything perfectly. By combining lab grown diamonds with dual metal tones, we are offering jewellery that is both fashion forward and responsibly made.”

True to the brand’s philosophy of clean, conscious luxury, every Lukson piece is crafted using ethically grown lab diamonds that are chemically and visually identical to mined diamonds, while being significantly more sustainable.

With a strong direct to consumer presence, Lukson has quickly gained traction in the Indian jewellery market, crossing ₹50 lakh in D2C sales within its first three months and partnering with leading retail platforms including Nykaa Fashion, Ajio, Amazon and Phoenix Group retail locations.

India, Mar 16th: EBG Group, a progressive player in innovative consumer and lifestyle solutions under the EBG Group umbrella, has announced a strategic brand licensing partnership with Hard Rock International to introduce a premium range of Hard Rock–branded coffee machines and small kitchen appliances in India. As part of its India market entry strategy, the partnership is backed by a planned investment of 100 Cr, with a projected revenue target of 500 Cr over 5 years. The collaboration aims to capitalise on India’s rapidly expanding premium home appliance segment, currently valued at 29,000 Cr and growing at an estimated 9% CAGR.

Globally, Hard Rock spans hospitality, entertainment, retail, and licensed lifestyle categories, reinforcing its position as one of the world’s most recognisable music-led brands. The collaboration marks Hard Rock’s entry into India’s premium home appliance segment, bringing its distinctive design language and cultural identity into modern kitchens. The companies aim to capture approximately 5% market share within the first few years of operations.

Under the licensing agreement, EBG Group will design, develop, manufacture, and distribute a curated portfolio of products aligned with Hard Rock’s bold and contemporary brand ethos. The first phase of launch will be across key metropolitan markets, followed by a phased expansion into other major cities.

Commenting on the partnership, Dr. Irfan Khan, Founder and CEO of EBG Group said, “Partnering with Hard Rock is a significant milestone for us. Hard Rock represents energy, authenticity, and a globally aspirational lifestyle. Through this licensing collaboration, we aim to bring a differentiated portfolio of premium coffee machines and small kitchen appliances to Indian consumers who value both performance and brand experience. Our focus is on creating products that are emotionally resonant while delivering world-class quality and reliability.”

The upcoming range will combine distinctive Hard Rock aesthetics with high-performance technology, premium materials, and a contemporary, music-inspired lifestyle appeal. The products are expected to be launched through leading retail chains, major e-commerce platforms, and select premium distribution channels, targeting aspirational urban consumers seeking performance-driven appliances with strong lifestyle positioning.