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Bengaluru, Mar 24: TimBuckDo Innovations Pvt. Ltd. has transformed a standout moment from the business reality show Ideabaaz into a strategic collaboration by appointing actor Pratik Gandhi as its brand ambassador. What began as a compelling on-screen interaction has now evolved into a high-intent partnership, anchored not just in visibility, but in shared perspective and ecosystem building.

 This association reflects TimBuckDo’s approach of converting moments of relevance into long-term strategic value. The initial interaction, where Pratik Gandhi highlighted the lack of structured early work opportunities, created a strong alignment with the platform’s core mission. That alignment now extends beyond communication into contribution.

While Pratik Gandhi comes on board as the face of the brand, the collaboration is designed to go deeper. Within TimBuckDo’s communication and campaigns, he is positioned as a Chief Bro Officer (CBO), a symbolic role that reflects guidance, relatability, and trust.

The intent is to move beyond traditional celebrity endorsement and build a voice that feels closer to students. Through this lens, Pratik Gandhi emerges as a “big brother” figure, someone who brings lived experience, shares perspective, and helps students navigate their early journeys in the gig economy with more clarity and confidence. The collaboration also extends beyond communication, with Pratik Gandhi bringing in his perspectives to support broader ecosystem and strategic thinking. His journey through multiple early gigs before finding stability lends authenticity to this positioning, making the messaging both aspirational and grounded.

As a two-sided platform, TimBuckDo operates at the intersection of demand and talent supply, guided by a 60-30-10 execution framework focusing on employer acquisition, student onboarding, and brand-building. This collaboration is designed to strengthen all three levers by enhancing trust, relatability, and ecosystem engagement.

The move is backed by data-led validation across digital campaigns, campus activations, and interactions with 1,000+ students, which showed a clear lift in engagement, recall, and platform trust with Pratik Gandhi, making this a performance-driven decision, not just an endorsement.

Commenting on the announcement, the founders of TimBuckDo, Mythri Kumar and Apoorv Sharma, said, “We are excited to welcome Pratik Gandhi as we enter our next phase of growth. This is not a conventional brand ambassador partnership. Today’s generation engages with brands very differently; they value authenticity, relatability, and real stories. This collaboration is built on that shift, where influence comes from lived experience, not just visibility. We see this as a strong lever to deepen trust, drive participation, and strengthen the ecosystem.”

Sharing his perspective, Pratik Gandhi said, “I come from a phase where every early opportunity was a learning curve, but there was no guidance to navigate it. What TimBuckDo is building changes that. If today I can contribute to a platform that not only creates opportunities but also brings direction and confidence to students, that’s something I truly believe in. This is not just an association, it’s something I want to actively be part of.”

With this move, TimBuckDo aims to strengthen its positioning as a structured and scalable bridge between students and employers, while also building a more insight-led, guidance-driven ecosystem for early work opportunities in India.

New Delhi, Mar 24: ETBrandEquity.com, in partnership with Protean eGov Technologies, has officially announced the winners of the inaugural Protean Digital Disruptors 2026. The initiative recognises the trailblazing leaders who are architecting India’s next-generation financial landscape through DPI, embedded finance, and regulatory innovation, redefining what it means to build at the intersection of trust, scale, and technology.

As India’s financial sector enters a transformative phase anchored in scale, trust, and inclusion, these Digital Disruptors are moving decisively beyond incremental digitisation. They are building resilient, technology-led systems that serve as the backbone of the nation’s economic growth—connecting underserved citizens to formal financial services, enabling frictionless payment infrastructure, and embedding compliance into digital architecture at a population scale.

The evaluation process was conducted by a distinguished jury of industry veterans, including senior leaders from Bandhan Bank, India Post Payments Bank, IndusInd Bank, DCB Bank, EY, and Protean eGov Technologies. 

Nominees were rigorously assessed against four core criteria: demonstrable impact on end-users and the broader economy; scalability of digital architecture; depth of innovation relative to existing industry benchmarks; and measurable contribution to strengthening India’s digital financial infrastructure.

The 2026 cohort of disruptors features executives from India’s leading banking, insurance, and fintech institutions who have successfully modernised legacy frameworks, enabled secure digital identities, and built platforms that support the country’s broader financial inclusion agenda. 

Notable winners across categories include:

• Banking & Fintech: Anurag Chottani (Bajaj Finance), Sameer Shetty (Axis Bank), Neeraj Singh (Groww), Rahul Chari (PhonePe), and Ramesh Lakshminarayanan (HDFC Bank).
• Insurance: Pradeep Pandey (LIC), Ganessan Soundiram (ICICI Prudential Life), Girish Nayak (ICICI Lombard), and Vishal Bhatia (SBI Life).
• Digital Transformation: Senior leaders from Bank of Maharashtra, Tata Capital, Federal Bank, and Digit Insurance were also honoured for their pivotal roles in driving systemic change across India’s financial services landscape.

“At Protean, we are evolving into an AI-first organisation, focused on enabling population-scale digital systems. The Protean Digital Disruptors Awards recognise leaders who are architecting the next phase of India’s digital economy, where scale, trust, and innovation come together to drive systemic impact,” said Rakesh Dosi, chief business & product officer, Protean eGov Technologies.

The Protean Digital Disruptors 2026 initiative reflects a broader shift underway in India’s financial ecosystem—from managing IT departments to architecting future-ready platforms. By integrating artificial intelligence with DPI, these leaders are creating a more adaptive and intelligent financial environment. Their work is directly contributing to the democratisation of financial access for over a billion Indians, bridging the gap between urban sophistication and rural financial inclusion, and ensuring that India’s digital dividend is shared equitably across its diverse population.

Bengaluru, Mar 24: 42 Estates has announced their new project launch of “In the Wake of Light”, an upcoming thoughtfully designed residential development in JP Nagar that places light, space, and privacy at the center of urban living. Located in JP Nagar 9th Phase, South Bengaluru, the project is surrounded by established residential pockets and parks, offering a balanced mix of connectivity and green surroundings. Designed as two staggered 14-storey towers rising above a landscaped podium as an ‘elevated living’.

 Project Highlights

• Two staggered 14-storey towers to enhance privacy with 3 BHK and 4 BHK residences

• Large vehicle-free landscaped podium with clubhouse, pool and leisure zones

• Central green spine with layered gardens, sky terrace concept and Green planter bands designs.

• Spread across approximately 2.2 lakh sq ft of built area.

The ‘In Wake of Light’ project is offering spacious 3 BHK and 4 BHK residences that are thoughtfully designed for modern families. The high ceilings, efficient layouts and clearly defined living zones ensure comfort without any compromise. The planning focuses on spatial breathing, intentional gaps, greenery and visual openness so that the homes feel expansive, calm and future-ready. The residential areas are pedestrian-friendly with only four units per floor, the development maintains a low-density environment.

The two towers are positioned away from each other and prioritize privacy and calm. This configuration enhances personal space while ensuring abundant daylight, ventilation and uninterrupted views. A thoughtfully designed central void between the towers forms a layered green spine featuring shaded gardens below and interactive terraces above bringing light, air and nature into the heart of the development. Each apartment opens onto a well-oriented balcony, creating a seamless connection between indoor comfort and outdoor breathing space. Looking ahead, the company also holds additional land nearby with plans to develop approximately  2.2 lakh sq ft in future phases. 

Commenting on the launch, Ajith Alex George, Director of 42 Estates said, “In the Wake of Light project is our answer to what modern homeowners truly seek: privacy, natural light and meaningful open spaces. We wanted to create homes that feel elevated not just in structure, but with the experience. By bringing the community life to a landscaped podium and carefully positioning our towers, we have designed a development that balances serenity with connectivity. This project reflects our commitment to building homes that breathe, connect and endure with greenery & luxury designs that last long.”

LONDON/HOUSTON/SINGAPORE, 24 March 2026 – Southeast Asia’s power markets are showing resilience to the ongoing Middle East conflict, but the crisis is reinforcing energy security as a central pillar of long-term power planning across the region. While regulated pricing and long-term LNG contracts are expected to shield most markets from severe near-term price shocks, the disruption is likely to accelerate a reassessment of generation strategies, according to the latest analysis from Wood Mackenzie. 

Imported LNG demand for power sector in Southeast Aisa and exposure to spot LNG in 2025 

“While Southeast Asia is relatively insulated from immediate price shocks, the current crisis is a clear reminder of the region’s structural exposure to global fuel markets,” said Yanqi Cao, senior analyst, Asia Pacific power and renewable research at Wood Mackenzie. “Energy security is moving back to the top of the agenda, and this will have lasting implications for how power systems evolve in the region.” 

Short-term impacts manageable, with uneven exposure 

Rising gas and LNG prices are expected to feed into Southeast Asian power prices through Q2 2026, though impacts will remain manageable and vary significantly across markets. 

Singapore and the Philippines are likely to experience the earliest effects. Singapore’s wholesale electricity prices have increased by around 20% in the third week of March compared to pre-conflict levels, while prices in the Philippines are following similar trend over the same period. In both markets, price caps are expected to limit the impact on end consumers. 

Elsewhere, regulatory mechanisms and subsidies will delay or dampen price increases. According to Wood Mackenzie, Thailand’s fuel tariff adjustment is not expected until May, while in Peninsular Malaysia, the impact is estimated at around a 1% increase in total power bills. Vietnam’s exposure remains limited, with gas accounting for just 9% of its power mix, and Indonesia’s fully subsidised tariff structure is expected to shield consumers from near-term changes. 

Limited flexibility constrains fuel switching 

If elevated fuel prices persist, most Southeast Asian markets will have limited ability to switch away from gas and LNG. 

Vietnam and Indonesia may partially offset higher gas costs through increased coal generation and power imports. However, Singapore and Thailand where gas and LNG account for approximately 85% and 65% of generation capacity, respectively have more limited short-term alternatives. Malaysia and the Philippines also retain coal capacity, but plants are already operating near maximum utilisation levels. 

Energy security concerns to accelerate structural shifts 

Prolonged market disruption is likely to accelerate policy and investment shifts across the region, particularly in nuclear power and firmed renewable energy. 

All six markets analysed have announced nuclear ambitions for 2030 – 2037, ranging from 1.2 GW in the Philippines to 4.0 – 6.4 GW in Vietnam. While these targets face execution challenges, heightened energy security concerns could drive renewed policy focus. 

Firmed renewables combining wind and solar with battery storage are also emerging as a more scalable near-term solution. Policy momentum is building across the region, including higher tariff caps for hybrid projects in Vietnam, battery requirements for new renewables in the Philippines, storage auctions in Malaysia, and ambitious solar-plus-storage targets in Indonesia. Singapore is also advancing plans to import up to 6 GW of low-carbon electricity by 2035. 

“Southeast Asia’s power markets are relatively well insulated from immediate shocks due to existing contractual and regulatory structures,” concluded Cao. “However, sustained volatility in global energy markets is likely to sharpen the region’s focus on energy security, accelerating investment in nuclear and firmed renewable capacity as alternatives to gas-fired generation.” 

Responding to growing disruptions in global trade, the Indian government has reinstated tax incentives for exporters to help them cope with the fallout of the ongoing tensions in West Asia.

The crisis has begun to strain key shipping corridors, forcing rerouting of vessels, increasing transit time, and driving up freight and insurance costs. Exporters across sectors are feeling the pressure, particularly those dependent on time-sensitive deliveries and cost efficiency.

By restoring tax relief measures, the government aims to ease financial stress on exporters and maintain the competitiveness of Indian goods in international markets. The move is expected to improve cash flow for businesses at a time when margins are being squeezed by rising logistics expenses.

Sectors such as textiles, engineering goods, and marine exports are likely to benefit significantly, as they rely heavily on stable and cost-effective supply chains. Smaller exporters, who are more vulnerable to sudden cost spikes, may find the relief especially crucial.

Industry representatives have welcomed the decision, calling it timely and necessary. They note that without such support, prolonged geopolitical instability could slow export momentum and affect order volumes.

Officials indicated that the situation remains under close watch, with the possibility of additional measures if global conditions worsen. The government’s immediate focus, however, is to ensure that exporters remain resilient and trade flows continue despite external challenges.