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  • First Phase of Odisha Census Begins April 16, Self-Enumeration from April 1

    Bhubaneswar, March 19: Odisha is set to launch the first phase of its census exercise from April 16, marking a significant step in updating the state’s demographic data. The process will continue until May 15, covering households across the state through a structured and coordinated effort.

    During this phase, trained enumerators and supervisors will visit homes to collect detailed information. Officials have emphasized that the exercise will be carried out systematically to ensure accuracy and comprehensive coverage.

    Ahead of the field survey, residents will have the option to participate through a self-enumeration process from April 1 to April 15. Using a dedicated online portal, individuals can submit their own details, making the process more convenient and reducing the workload during the physical enumeration phase.

    According to Nikhil Pavan Kalyan, Director of the Census Directorate, the initiative combines technology with on-ground efforts to make the census more efficient and accessible. Speaking at a press briefing, he also highlighted efforts to raise public awareness, noting that internationally acclaimed sand artist and Padma Shri awardee Sudarshan Pattnaik has agreed to serve as the brand ambassador for the campaign.

    The census operation will be conducted under a well-defined administrative framework. District Collectors and Municipal Commissioners will serve as Principal Census Officers, while Additional District Collectors will take on the role of District Census Officers. At the grassroots level, tahsildars and executive officers of urban local bodies will function as charge officers, overseeing implementation in their respective areas.

    The Revenue and Disaster Management Department has been designated as the nodal department for the exercise. In a notable move, primary school teachers will be deployed as enumerators, while high school teachers will act as supervisors, ensuring both manpower availability and accountability.

    Enumerators will collect information by asking household heads a set of 33 questions, covering key socio-economic indicators. Officials believe this data will play a crucial role in shaping future policy decisions and development planning.

    Looking ahead, authorities have indicated that the second phase of the census is scheduled for February 2027, which will further build on the data collected during this initial phase.

    With preparations in full swing, the state administration is calling on citizens to actively participate—either digitally or in person—to ensure the success of this important exercise.

  • Odisha’s Investment Surge Powers Jobs, Growth, and a Brighter Economic Future

     

    With fresh approvals worth over ₹4,500 crore and a strong policy push, Odisha is turning industrial investment into real opportunities for its people

    Odisha is quietly but confidently reshaping its economic narrative. What was once seen primarily as a resource-rich state is now evolving into a dynamic investment hub—where policy intent is translating into real progress on the ground.

    This shift is not accidental. It reflects sustained efforts by the state government to create an environment where businesses can invest with ease and confidence. The results are now visible. In a recent development, the Single Window Clearance Authority approved 23 new projects, bringing in investments exceeding ₹4,500 crore. More importantly, these projects are expected to create employment opportunities for over 10,000 people—an outcome that directly impacts families, communities, and local economies.

    Behind these numbers lies a deeper story of governance and reform. Odisha’s focus on simplifying procedures and improving transparency has made a tangible difference. The Single Window system, designed to reduce delays and eliminate complexity, signals a shift toward a more responsive and efficient administration. For investors, this means fewer hurdles; for the state, it means faster execution and stronger industrial momentum.

    The Odisha Budget reinforces this direction. By prioritizing infrastructure, industrial growth, and skill development, the government is not just encouraging investment—it is preparing the state to sustain it. Roads, logistics networks, and industrial corridors are being strengthened, while parallel investments in education and training aim to ensure that the workforce is ready for new opportunities.

    What makes this growth story particularly meaningful is its human dimension. Industrial expansion is often discussed in terms of capital and output, but in Odisha, it is increasingly about livelihoods. Each new project carries the promise of jobs, stability, and upward mobility for thousands of individuals. The emphasis on skill development further ensures that these opportunities are accessible to the local population, creating a more inclusive growth model.

    Odisha’s journey is still unfolding, but the direction is clear. The convergence of investment, policy reform, and employment generation is laying the groundwork for a more resilient and diversified economy. As these projects move from approval to implementation, they will not only strengthen industrial capacity but also deepen the state’s social and economic impact.

    In many ways, Odisha today represents a model of steady, purposeful progress—where ambition is matched by execution, and growth is measured not just in numbers, but in the lives it touches.

     

  • AAEON to Showcase Innovative Platforms for Edge AI Security at ISC West 2026

    Join AAEON at Booth #33074 at The Venetian Expo, Las Vegas from March 23 – 27, 2026

    Taipei, Taiwan – Mar 19:  AAEON, a leading provider of edge AI platforms, will hold product showcases of upcoming products from across multiple platforms at the International Security Conference & Exposition – also known as ISC West.

    ISC West is the leading comprehensive and converged security trade event in the United States, expected to host thousands of security and public safety professionals who will have access to over 750 exhibitors and 140 sessions throughout the show. AAEON will present a broad selection of products conducive to bringing edge AI functionality to security applications in areas including road safety, access control, and smart surveillance.

    Date: March 23 – 27, 2026

    Booth: #33074

    Venue: Venetian Expo, 201 Sands Ave, Las Vegas, NV 89169.

    AAEON’s live demonstration for the show will be a versatile AI vision monitoring application powered by the UP Xtreme i14. Utilizing the Intel® Core™ Ultra processor platform’s integrated CPU, GPU, and NPU in conjunction with the board’s MIPI camera support, this demonstration illustrates how power-efficient, fully embedded platforms can be used for applications such as access control.

    Static displays of AAEON products catering to security applications across multiple vertical markets will also be on show at Booth #33074. Products such as the BOXER-8658AI, powered by NVIDIA Jetson Orin NX and E-Mark compliant for use in vehicles, will be on show to demonstrate how embedded in-vehicle technology can improve road safety through hazard detection. Also on show will be the upcoming BOXER-8741AI, built on NVIDIA Jetson T5000 module, which is positioned for the humanoid robotics market.   

    Meanwhile, the new MEX-BTS, featuring Intel® Core™ Series 2 processors (formerly Bartlett Lake), will be on show. Compatible with both MXM 3.1 Type A and Type B GPU cards and able to perform simultaneous inference on up to eight video streams, the System Box PC is a particularly interesting offering from AAEON for smart surveillance and industrial safety monitoring applications.

    AAEON will present a variety of new and upcoming products from across its diverse product ranges. Particular highlights include the EPIC-BTS7 from its Embedded Single Board Computers series, the UP Xtreme PTL Edge from its UP Edge System product line, and three new Mini-ITX Motherboards, each equipped with the newest Intel® Core™ Ultra platforms.

     

  • IICT Signs MoU with Gativedhi Technologies to Introduce Production Intelligence Platforms for AVGC-XR Training

    The Indian Institute of Creative Technologies (IICT) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Gativedhi Technologies Pvt. Ltd. to integrate AI-based production intelligence tools into academic training and research environments. The collaboration focuses on introducing modern production pipeline systems to support India’s AVGC-XR (Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, Comics and Extended Reality) ecosystem.

    IICT Signs MoU with Gativedhi Technologies to Introduce Production Intelligence Platforms for AVGC-XR Training

     Under the agreement, IICT will introduce Gativedhi’s production intelligence platform, Shotrack, into its academic programmes. Faculty, students and researchers will engage with the platform through beta programs, academic evaluations and pilot deployments in simulated studio production environments. The initiative is designed to provide hands-on exposure to production tracking systems used in animation, VFX and digital media studios.

    Shotrack is designed to manage production pipelines by enabling tracking of shots, assets, tasks and workflows, while supporting approvals, version histories and scheduling across departments. It supports on-premise, cloud and hybrid deployments, allowing studios to maintain control over production data. The platform also incorporates production intelligence capabilities, using structured data to generate operational insights such as identifying bottlenecks, optimizing resource allocation, forecasting schedule risks and analyzing production costs.

    The platform addresses challenges in multi-studio collaborations, where differing internal systems can impact workflow continuity, asset sharing and progress tracking. By providing a unified production environment, Shotrack aims to improve coordination and transparency across distributed production pipelines.

    Gativedhi is also developing an integrated ecosystem of tools including StudioTrack, focused on studio operations such as budgeting, recruitment and infrastructure management, and WorkTrack, a productivity platform for tracking workflow efficiency and team performance. Together, these platforms are intended to support end-to-end operations of creative organizations.

    As part of the collaboration, IICT will integrate these tools into courses related to animation, VFX, gaming and media production management. The partnership will include guest lectures, workshops, internships and research initiatives, with a focus on production pipeline optimization, AI-assisted scheduling and data-driven production management.

    Dr. Vishwas Deoskar, CEO, IICT, said,

    “Academic institutions can play an important role as experimentation grounds for emerging technologies. Through this collaboration with Gativedhi Technologies, IICT will provide an environment where production pipeline tools can be explored, tested and refined while students gain insight into how large-scale animation and VFX productions are organized and managed.”

    Senthil Kumar, Founder & CEO, Gativedhi Technologies Pvt. Ltd., said,

    “Partnering with IICT allows us to introduce our production intelligence platform, Shotrack, to an academic environment where students can engage with real-world studio management tools. The collaboration will also enable valuable feedback that can support the continued development of production pipeline solutions for the AVGC industry.”

    Dr. Ashish Kulkarni, Co-Founder, Gativedhi Technologies Pvt. Ltd., added,

    “Over the years, while working with and mentoring animation and VFX studios, I have seen how challenging it becomes when multiple studios collaborate on a project while operating on different pipeline systems. The industry has long needed a unified and practical solution that simplifies collaboration across teams and studios. Shotrack is designed to bring greater transparency, efficiency and coordination to modern production workflows.”

     

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  • Flex Stock Reaches Around 9 Mn sq ft in Tier-2 Cities, Accounting for 9 percent of Pan-India: Vestian

    New Delhi, Mar 19th:  India’s urban economy has undergone a significant transformation over the past decade, driving the growth of office markets in major metropolitan cities. However, the soaring demand for both commercial and residential assets has intensified pressure on urban capacity in these cities. As a result, Tier–2 cities are rapidly emerging as the next frontier for scalable growth, offering businesses the opportunity to expand operations while maintaining efficiency and sustainability.

    Flex Spaces Expand to Emerging High-Growth Urban Corridors

    Capitalising on the growing allure of Tier–2 cities, flex operators are consistently expanding. As per Vestian’s latest report, Tier 2 cities accounted for over 575 centres and 8.8 Mn sq ft of flex stock, representing nearly 29% of the nation’s total flex centers and over 9% of pan–India flex stock.

    Flex Spaces in Non-metro Cities Provide Cost Arbitrage, Attracting GCCs 

    Beyond offering agile and scalable workspace solutions, flex spaces in Tier–2 cities deliver cost arbitrage of up to 50% compared to the metropolitan cities. Driven primarily by the IT-ITeS sector, followed by Consulting Services, BFSI, and Engineering & Manufacturing sectors, more than 200 companies have already established over 300 GCC bases across major Tier–2 cities.

    Furthermore, the report also stated that nearly 9% of flex centres in Tier–2 cities cater to GCC-led operations, while 16% of GCC bases in these markets operate from flexible workspaces, indicating that even though GCCs are not the major demand driver for flex spaces, flex spaces have emerged as a preferred workspace option for several GCC companies. 

    Demand for Enterprise-Grade, Sustainable Office Spaces to Increase in Tier–2 Cities 

    Unlike metro cities, only 60% of flex centres in Tier–2 cities are located in dedicated office buildings, with just 26% situated in Grade-A assets. Over 53% of flex centres occupied by GCCs in these cities are situated within Grade-A buildings, and 19% operate from green-certified spaces. This reflects higher-quality and ESG-aligned real estate assets is now the primary catalyst for Tier–2 office market growth.

    Shrinivas Rao, FRICS, CEO, Vestian, said: “The rise of Tier–2 cities is a defining shift in India‘s expansion strategy. As infrastructure improves and flex ecosystems mature, the decentralization of GCCs will become a cornerstone of the Viksit Bharat 2047 vision.”

     

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  • US University Boosts Sustainability with 21 Philips ePaper Displays for Energy & Paper Savings

    US University Boosts Sustainability with 21 Philips ePaper Displays for Energy & Paper Savings

    Leading US university reinforces commitment to sustainability with installation of 21 Philips Tableaux ePaper displays for instant energy and waste paper reductions 

    Creating a more sustainable campus: Pittsburgh-based Duquesne University – one of the nation’s top Catholic colleges – turned to PPDS to seize the sustainable and financial benefits of its groundbreaking ‘zero power’ Philips Tableaux ePaper displays, eliminating paper waste while enhancing communications to its 8,000 students. 

    Amsterdam, March 2026: PPDS, the exclusive global provider of Philips Professional Displays and complementary solutions, is excited to announce the successful installation of 21 Philips Tableaux ePaper signage displays at Duquesne University, with the range bringing instant energy savings and waste cutting benefits, as well as delivering on a more informed and sustainable campus. 

    Founded in 1887, Duquesne is among the top 15% educational institutions in the United States. A top ranked private Catholic university in Pittsburgh, it caters for 8,000 students from 80 countries and over 3,000 faculty and staff. 

    As the university continues to experience exponential growth, both in appeal and in size, its scenic 49 acre (198,300 m2) campus overlooking downtown Pittsburgh continues to evolve, with the university placing a growing focus on enabling students with the latest technologies both in and outside of the classrooms. 

    Aligned with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals and with a commitment to sustainable ecologies – which saw them recently named on the Princeton Review List of Green Colleges – the team researched the global ePaper market and turned to PPDS to seize the opportunities of the technology to replace the tired paper directories used around its campus. 

    Concluding the in depth analysis, Philips Tableaux ePaper displays were selected as the standout choice to achieve the team’s ambitions, with a fleet of 21x 32” 5150 and 25” 4050 Philips Tableaux installed in classrooms, study areas, and hallways. 

    As with other installations of Philips Tableaux ePaper displays – most recently inside the Institut Pasteur’s HQ in Paris – the Philips Tableaux range provides Duquesne University with incredible levels of flexibility and adaptability, interchangeable for a wide range of uses – from wayfinding and safety notices, cafeteria menus and event information, and many more. This includes in areas with limited power sources. 

    Light in weight and fully portable, Philips Tableaux models used on campus are capable of displaying full colour imagery for days, weeks, months, or even years without using a single kilowatt of energy, only requiring a small amount of electricity (0.0025 kWh for the 25” model) during content changes. 

    Instant benefits

    Running on an Android SoC, Philips Tableaux displays can be managed and updated remotely via a content management or remote display management system such as Philips Wave or as chosen by the team at Duquesne, content can be updated manually via a USB drive. 

    The project has been deemed a major success, and a second rollout phase is set to include Philips Tableaux displays in other buildings around the campus, including the School of Nursing, the School of Liberal Arts, and the College of Medicine. 

    Lauren Turin, Director of Classroom Technologies, Duquesne University, commented: “We have eliminated the need for complicated installation, and we are saving on the cost of paper, printing, and time. So, the cost per department is more economical in the long run. When our directories need an update, we use a USB drive with the content and an extension cord for power. The time it takes to update the directory is quicker than the time it takes to walk to the building.” 

    PPDS Director of Education, Patrick VanTreese, added: “With sustainability now an important focus for businesses and in education, ePaper has become a real game changer, opening new opportunities to reduce wastage, save on costs, and create new opportunities to communicate. We’re delighted to have supported Duquesne University, delivering on their ambitions with our Philips Tableaux range.” 

    To learn more about PPDS, please visit the website here, or contact your local PPDS sales manager.

  • CDSL–KPMG in India Report Calls for Data-Led Transformation of India’s Securities Market, Proposes ‘3C’ Framework

    Mumbai, Mar 19th: Central Depository Services (India) Limited (“CDSL”), Asia’s first listed depository, in collaboration with KPMG in India, has released the third edition of its Reimagine Thought Leadership report titled “Reimagine: Securities Market through Data Synergy”, following its third annual Reimagine Symposium held earlier this year. The report proposes a Creation–Control–Culture (3C) framework to guide data–led transformation across India’s securities market ecosystem.

    The report highlights that “data risk is market risk,” and outlines how a structured data governance approach can strengthen resilience, transparency, and innovation across India’s securities market ecosystem. It proposes a 3C framework that enables market institutions to build shared data infrastructure, embed robust governance and cyber safeguards, and foster responsible data practices across the ecosystem. The report also presents the concept of a central regulatory operating model within market institutions, helping align regulatory expectations, improve interoperability across market participants, and enable more effective risk management and investor protection in an increasingly data-driven market. 

    Shri. Nehal Vora, MD & CEO, CDSL, said: “Data synergy is the force that brings Creation, Control and Culture together – enabling innovation while strengthening trust. When data becomes intelligent and interoperable, it powers a market that is resilient by design and trust-enabled at its core. Such an ecosystem goes beyond facilitating transactions; it empowers the Atmanirbhar investor and supports India’s journey towards a truly Viksit Bharat.”

    India’s securities market is witnessing rapid expansion in investor participation. While household participation is currently estimated at around 20%, leaving significant headroom for future growth compared with more mature markets such as the United States, the expanding investor base presents a strong opportunity to deepen financial inclusion and strengthen investor awareness across the country.

    Further, the report highlights four key opportunity areas where data can transform the ecosystem: stronger price discovery and curated products, personalised investor experience at scale, improved risk intelligence and fraud prevention, and more agile supervision through Regulatory Technology (RegTech) and Supervisory Technology (SupTech).

    Commenting on the report, Shri. Akhilesh Tuteja, Partner and National Leader, Clients & Markets, KPMG in India, said: “Human intelligence has driven modern economies; the next phase of growth will depend on how well we harness intelligent data. As this report suggests, data risk is market risk. Treating data as core market infrastructure is critical for India to sustain market leadership and investor confidence”

    The proposed 3C framework outlines a structured path for building a trusted data ecosystem:

    • Creation celebrates India’s capacity to build shared utilities including market data dictionaries, machine-readable disclosures, secure API pipelines, and privacy-preserving simulation environments that unlock research and product innovation across the ecosystem.
    • Control strengthens the system with smart guardrails including privacy-by-design, standardized lineage, cyber resilience programs (including post-quantum readiness), and responsible AI governance (including the vision of an industry-wide AI model registry). These controls accelerate progress by making it sustainable and trusted.
    • Culture makes the transformation durable by tying incentives to data quality, explainability, responsiveness, and investor outcomes; and by scaling multilingual investor education that converts awareness into confident participation.

    The report also draws on insights from the Reimagine: Securities Market through Data Synergy symposium, which was attended by Shri Tuhin Kanta Pandey, Chairman, SEBI, as Chief Guest, and Shri Sandip Pradhan, Whole-Time Member, SEBI, and Shri Keki Mistry, Former Vice Chairman & CEO, HDFC, as Guests of Honour. The symposium brought together leaders from across the securities market, financial services, and technology ecosystem, with panel discussions exploring themes such as “Data’s Superpower – Driving Innovation at Scale,” “Data is Capital – Trust is the Currency,” and “Data as DNA – A Cultural Shift.”

    As data becomes the backbone of financial markets, the report underscores the need for coordinated action across regulators, market infrastructure institutions, intermediaries and investors to build a resilient and trusted data ecosystem that can support India’s vision of a Viksit Bharat.


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  • Rubrik & Rackspace Launch UK Sovereign Cyber Recovery Cloud

     

    Enterprises empowered to detect threats early and recover in significantly faster timelines, in a fully sovereign environment

    LONDON, UK — Mar 19 — Rackspace Technology® (NASDAQ: RXT), a leading end-to-end hybrid cloud and AI solutions company, and Rubrik, (NYSE: RBRK), the Security and AI Operations Company, today announced UK Sovereign Cyber Recovery Cloud, a new ransomware cyber recovery solution engineered to protect and restore UK public sector and regulated workloads within hours of an attack.

    As the UK enters a pivotal year for digital sovereignty, new legislation mandates higher standards for organisations’ resilience and recovery. To meet these demands, UK Sovereign Cyber Recovery Cloud provides a dedicated, automated “clean room” recovery environment that remains entirely within UK borders and features pre-built runbooks ready for immediate activation.

    The collaboration integrates Rubrik Security Cloud with Rackspace UK Sovereign Services to provide a secure, isolated recovery environment. All sensitive data, critical metadata, and support are strictly confined to the UK jurisdiction and remain offline from the outside world. An isolated cyber recovery cloud environment is activated and brought online only when a specific ransomware recovery event occurs.

     

    Key Features of the UK Sovereign Cyber Recovery Cloud:

    • True Digital Sovereignty: providing operational and data sovereignty by maintaining all hardware, data, and administrative access within the UK; this strict jurisdictional control isolates organisations from foreign influence.
    • Rapid Cyber Recovery: Leverages advanced automation to reduce recovery times from days or weeks to hours.
    • Regulatory Alignment: Designed to support alignment with the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC)’s Cyber Assessment Framework (CAF) and mandatory 24-hour breach reporting requirements.
    • Continuous Operations: The Rackspace security operations centre leverages Rubrik technology to monitor SaaS Cloud and on-premises applications around the clock, ensuring anomalies are detected and addressed at speed.

    “2026 is the year where control becomes the new foundation of trust and truly having control over where our data is accessed and located,” said Rick Martire, General Manager, Sovereign Services at Rackspace UK.” By partnering with Rubrik, we are providing UK enterprises with the autonomy they need to recover from cyber threats while meeting the highest standards of digital sovereignty.”

    “Our joint solution isn’t just about where data is stored – it’s about who has the authority to protect and restore it,” added David Kosman, Vice President, Global Managed Service Providers at Rubrik. “For UK public sector bodies and regulated enterprises, today’s announcement is a major leap forward in national cyber resilience. The evolution of our close partnership with Rackspace – which began with our strategic collaboration to deliver isolated recovery environments – continues to support enterprises that need strong security and compliance.”

    In 2025, Rackspace and Rubrik announced Rackspace Cyber Recovery Cloud, to help enterprises achieve true cyber resilience and ensure business continuity in the event of a cyber-attack. Learn more here. Rubrik and Rackspace Technology are Platinum Sponsors of the CSO ThreatScape Manchester event, March 19th at the Hyatt Regency Manchester. Learn more about our presentations here.

     

  • 8Bit Creatives expands into lifestyle creator economy; onboards popular creator Nishu Tiwari

    8Bit Creatives expands into lifestyle creator economy; onboards popular creator Nishu Tiwari

    Mumbai, Mar 19th: India’s leading gaming talent management agency, 8Bit Creatives, has announced its strategic expansion into the lifestyle creator economy with the onboarding of popular content creator Nishu Tiwari. This move marks a significant milestone for the agency as it evolves from a category leader in gaming to building a more holistic creator ecosystem, in line with the rapid growth of lifestyle content in India.

    Over the years, 8Bit Creatives has built a formidable roster of India’s top gaming creators, including Naman Mathur (Mortal), Payal Dhare (Payal Gaming), Raj Varma (Snax), Parv Singh (Regaltos), Krutika Ojha (Krutika Plays), and Gulrez Khan (Joker Ki Haveli), among others. With a proven track record of executing campaigns for over 100 brands across more than 20 industries, including apparel, FMCG, personal care, HORECA, and entertainment, the agency has consistently set new benchmarks in influencer marketing by crafting customized, high-impact campaign experiences.

    With Nishu’s addition, 8Bit Creatives takes a significant step toward diversifying into mainstream lifestyle content, further strengthening its ability to deliver integrated, cross-category campaigns powered by some of the country’s most influential digital creators.

    Speaking about the expansion, Animesh Agarwal, Founder & CEO, 8Bit Creatives said, “Gaming has been the foundation of what we’ve built at 8Bit Creatives, and over time we’ve seen how deeply it connects with broader youth culture, including lifestyle, fashion, food and travel. Today’s audiences do not consume content in silos. They follow creators for their personality and storytelling across formats, and that shift is also influencing how brands approach collaborations. Our expansion into lifestyle is a strategic step in that direction, and Nishu coming on board strongly reflects this vision. As we continue to grow and expand across industries, our focus remains on creating long-term value for both creators and brands by enabling meaningful collaborations rooted in culture, community and creativity.”

    Known for her engaging and relatable content, Nishu brings with her a strong and loyal digital community of over 4.37 million subscribers on YouTube and 1.6 million followers on Instagram. She creates high-engagement, concept-driven lifestyle content spanning challenges, food explorations, travel, and social experiments, combining relatable storytelling with mass appeal for a young, digitally native audience.

    The Delhi-based creator has collaborated with leading brands such as Nykaa Fashion, Duolingo, realme, Himalaya Facecare, Red Label Tea, and Samsung, making her a strong addition to the agency’s growing portfolio. Her versatility across formats and categories allows brands to tap into a wide spectrum of audiences, complementing 8Bit Creatives’ deep-rooted expertise in gaming and youth culture.

    “I’m really excited to join 8Bit Creatives. What stood out to me is their approach to working closely with creators while building impactful brand collaborations. I’m looking forward to exploring new formats, working with a wider set of brands, and creating content that continues to connect with my audience in a meaningful way,” commented Nishu Tiwari.

    The expansion comes at a time when India’s influencer ecosystem is witnessing exponential growth. According to a report by Qoruz, the country is now home to over 4 million influencers, with the lifestyle category emerging as the largest and fastest-growing segment, growing from 1.28 lakh influencers in 2023 to 2.95 lakh in 2024. At the same time, gaming continues its strong upward trajectory, scaling from just over 1 lakh influencers in 2020 to 4.67 lakh by the end of 2024, reinforcing the convergence of gaming and mainstream digital content.

    By expanding into lifestyle, 8Bit Creatives is strategically positioned to bridge these two high-growth ecosystems, enabling brands to unlock deeper and more diverse audience engagement.

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  • Govt Approves Rs.472 Crore Road Over Bridge to Boost Tuna-Tekra Port Connectivity

    New Delhi, March 19: The government has approved a ₹472 crore project for construction of a Road Over Bridge (ROB) and associated infrastructure at Tuna-Tekra to strengthen port connectivity and improve cargo evacuation, the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways said.

    Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal approved the project, which includes viaduct structures, a bridge over a creek, and provisions for maintenance over a 10-year period.

    The ROB is expected to serve as a key connectivity link for the upcoming mega container terminal and multipurpose cargo berth at Tuna-Tekra. The container terminal is planned with a capacity of 2.19 million TEUs, while the cargo berth will handle up to 18.33 million metric tonnes per annum.

    Officials said the project will help reduce logistics turnaround time, ease congestion, and improve overall supply chain efficiency in the region.

    The execution of the ROB will be aligned with the commissioning of the Tuna-Tekra container terminal, which is currently about 45% complete. This is aimed at ensuring that supporting infrastructure is ready alongside port operations.

    The project is expected to ease rail-road congestion and facilitate smoother movement of heavy cargo traffic to and from the port, strengthening last-mile connectivity.

    The development is part of the government’s broader maritime strategy under Maritime India Vision 2030 and Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047, aimed at enhancing port-led development and positioning India as a global maritime hub.