Category: Business

 

~A birthday cake that turns every slice into a beauty giveaway~

 

 

Mumbai, Apr 20: This April, Nykaa turned its birthday celebration into an unmissable on-ground experience at Bandstand Promenade. Bringing its signature playfulness and consumer-first approach to life, Nykaa unveiled a giant birthday cake installation from April 18 to 19, 2026, inviting Mumbai to quite literally take home a slice of beauty.

Set against the iconic seafront, the installation transformed the promenade into a beauty-first celebration zone. Engineered as an interactive, gamified experience, the cake went beyond a visual stunt. Beauty lovers could pull out a slice of the cake, each designed as a gift box filled with curated beauty goodies, with the surprise element built into every slice. This playful “pick your slice” mechanic brought alive Nykaa’s core proposition of discovery, surprise and delight, in a format that was both experiential and shareable. In true birthday spirit, Nykaa flipped the script: “It was Nykaa’s birthday, but the gifts were for you!”

More than just a visual spectacle, the activation was designed to spark organic conversations both on-ground and online. With its picture-perfect design and interactive mechanic, the cake doubled up as a social-first moment, encouraging consumers to celebrate, share and engage with the brand in a fun, memorable way.

Conceptualised as a phygital extension of Nykaa’s birthday campaign, the installation acted as a powerful bridge between offline engagement and online commerce. While consumers could show up and claim their slice of beauty in person, the celebration did not stop there.

For those who could not make it to Bandstand, Nykaa’s Birthday Sale is also live till April 21 across the app and website, bringing exclusive deals, offers and surprises directly to consumers nationwide.

With this activation, Nykaa continued to push the envelope on experience-led marketing, turning a brand milestone into a high-energy, consumer-centric celebration that blended content, community and commerce seamlessly.

 

 

By:- Prerna Khurana, Director at Khurana Jewellery House

“Akshay Tritiya is more than just a buying occasion, it is an emotion deeply rooted in tradition, prosperity and timeless belief” says Prerna Khurana, Director, Khurana Jewellery house. “While today’s consumer is evolving towards lightweight, wearable, and design-led gold jewellery, the intrinsic value of gold as a lasting investment continues to inspire strong demand.”

She added, “On this auspicious occasion, we at Khurana Jewellery House are delighted to celebrate our patrons with specially curated gifts, as they join us in embracing the spirit of new beginnings and enduring prosperity.”

Mumbai, Apr 20 (BNP): Indian equity markets witnessed a choppy session on Monday, with early gains quickly fading as caution gripped investors.

The BSE Sensex opened on a firm note, rising over 200 points in initial trade, while the Nifty 50 also advanced, reflecting a positive start to the day.

However, the upward momentum proved short-lived. As trading progressed, both indices turned volatile and slipped into negative territory. The Sensex erased its gains to trade lower, while the Nifty also dipped, indicating a shift in market sentiment.

The volatility comes amid rising geopolitical tensions in West Asia and increasing crude oil prices, factors that tend to weigh heavily on investor confidence. Elevated oil prices can fuel inflation concerns and impact corporate profitability, prompting a more cautious approach in the markets.

Overall, the session reflected a fragile balance between optimism and uncertainty, as investors remained sensitive to global developments influencing domestic market trends.

Kolkata, April 20: The Kolkata Ladies League a unique all-women collective, was officially launched in a warm and celebratory gathering that marked the beginning of a one-of-a-kind initiative dedicated to empowering women through cross-support of resources and collaborative growth. The newly formed league, comprising 60+ members from diverse professional and entrepreneurial backgrounds, aims to create a dynamic platform for networking, knowledge-sharing, and mutual advancement, with a strong focus on nurturing businesses across all scales. The event was graced by the esteemed presence of Aditi Dutta, Founding Member & Owner, Akar;  Swati Chakraborty Das, Kolkata Ladies League & Owner, Mishti Bahar; Nandini Bhattacharya, Founding Member & founder of All Bengal Men’s forum, Moumita Mukherjee, Founding Member & founder of Sristi Boutique, Soma Chakraborty, Founding Member, Kolkata Ladies League, and Co-Founder & Managing Director, Goodace Hospital and others.

Envisioned as a collaborative platform, the Kolkata Ladies League seeks to encourage innovation, resource-sharing, and collective progress by bringing together women from varied industries and professional domains. The initiative aims to empower members to grow together, scale their ventures, and contribute meaningfully to the broader entrepreneurial landscape.

The launch was commemorated with a special Baishakhi Adda, upholding the spirit of the Bengali New Year and promoting meaningful connections among members and guests. The event also witnessed heartfelt intergenerational bonding with the elders of “Tomar Tikhana,” adding a socially inclusive dimension to the celebration. The gathering provided an engaging space for dialogue, exchange of ideas, and the generation of new business opportunities, reinforcing the league’s vision of building a supportive ecosystem for women-led enterprises.

Soma Chakraborty, Founding Member, Kolkata Ladies League, and Co-Founder & Managing Director, Goodace Hospital, said,

“Today, more than ever, initiatives like the Kolkata Ladies League are the need of the hour. Women across sectors are building ideas, businesses, and communities, yet many of them still lack a strong support system. This collective was envisioned as a space where women can come together, share resources, exchange experiences, and uplift one another irrespective of the scale of their ventures. The response we witnessed reaffirmed our belief that collaboration, not competition, will drive meaningful growth.”

New Delhi: The Development Commissioner (Handlooms), is organizing a Special Handloom Expo- “Vastra Sanskriti- The Timeless Weave”  at the Handloom Haat, Janpath. Scheduled from 21st to 30th April 2026. The ten-day exhibition will showcase the rich heritage, colors, and craftsmanship of India’s traditional handlooms.

Open daily from 11:00 am to 8:00 pm, the expo will feature 75 handloom weavers, self-help groups (SHGs), and cooperatives from across the country, offering a vibrant display of India’s textile traditions.

The event aims to promote traditional handlooms while connecting weavers directly with buyers, exporters, and wholesalers, providing them with better market access and recognition.

The expo celebrates the skill and dedication of Indian weavers, featuring handloom products and cultural stories from various states, making it a perfect opportunity for festival shopping. Visitors can explore a wide range of real handloom silks, cotton sarees, suit-dupatta sets, shawls, stoles, bedsheets, home furnishings, dhotis, kurtas, and rugs, all under one roof.

The exhibition underscores the Development Commissioner (Handlooms) and National Design Centre’s joint efforts to empower weavers, preserve India’s weaving legacy, and promote sustainable growth of the handloom sector.

Event Details:

What: Special Handloom Expo: “Vastra Sanskriti- The Timeless Weaves”

When: April 21st to 30th, 2026

Time: 11AM- 8PM

Where: Handloom Haat, Janpath, Connaught Place, New Delhi

Access to Venue : Nearest Metro: Janpath Metro Station (Gate No. 2), nearby Janpath market area

Bhubaneswar, April 19 (BNP): In a major step towards strengthening India’s semiconductor ecosystem, the foundation stone for the country’s first advanced 3D semiconductor packaging unit was laid at Info Valley in Bhubaneswar on Saturday.

The project, promoted by 3D Glass Solutions, marks a significant milestone in India’s push for self-reliance in high-end electronics manufacturing under the vision of Narendra Modi.

The ceremony was attended by Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.

 

Speaking on the occasion, Majhi described the project as a “historic milestone,” noting that Odisha would host one of the world’s most sophisticated chip packaging technologies. He added that global technology players such as Intel, Lockheed Martin, and Applied Materials have shown interest in advanced packaging technologies, reflecting growing investor confidence in the state.

The facility, with an investment of nearly ₹2,000 crore, is expected to manufacture 70,000 glass panels annually along with 50 million assembled units and 13,000 advanced 3D modules. It will cater to emerging sectors such as artificial intelligence, high-performance computing, 5G/6G communications, defence electronics, and aerospace applications.

Vaishnaw said the project would significantly strengthen India’s semiconductor value chain and highlighted that the country’s electronics manufacturing sector has expanded rapidly over the past decade. He added that Odisha is evolving from a minerals-based economy into a hub for advanced technology sectors, including semiconductors and IT.

The project is being implemented through the Indian arm of 3D Glass Solutions and is expected to begin commercial production by August 2028, with full-scale operations targeted by 2030.

Officials said the initiative would generate large-scale employment for engineering graduates, diploma holders, and skilled workers, while positioning Odisha as a key player in India’s semiconductor and electronics manufacturing landscape.

CHICAGO, Apr 18: Geminii, Inc., a company developing bioelectronic medicines, today announced that it will present new data at the AACR Annual Meeting 2026 in San Diego highlighting its non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) program. The poster, titled “Bioelectromagnetic reprogramming of tumor-immune metabolism to selectively destroy NSCLC,” will be presented on April 22, 2026.

The data to be presented show that Geminii’s bioelectronic therapy slowed tumor growth, extended survival, and enhanced the activity of chemoradiation in multiple preclinical NSCLC models without toxicity to healthy tissue. The studies also show increased markers consistent with tumor-cell damage and evidence of increased immune activation in the tumor microenvironment.

Geminii is developing a non-invasive bioelectronic therapy designed to work alongside existing cancer treatments. The company believes these findings support the potential of its platform to address cancer through a differentiated mechanism, expand the reach of its platform beyond metabolic disease into oncology, and potentially open a new avenue for home-based cancer treatment delivered during sleep.

“These findings are exciting not only because they highlight a differentiated approach in NSCLC, but also because they suggest our platform may extend beyond metabolic disease into oncology,” said Calvin Carter, PhD, CEO of Geminii. “We believe this work supports the broader potential of bioelectronic medicine and may help open a new avenue for at-home, sleep-compatible cancer therapy. These data support the advancement of our bioelectronic platform toward clinical development.”

 

A significant technical pain point in the Text-to-SQL task is the inherent bias in large language models (LLMs) that leads to logical errors or execution failures when handling complex queries. Current correction methods primarily rely on manually analyzing error cases to craft complex prompt rules or depend heavily on GPT-4 with few-shot learning, which incurs high computational costs. Furthermore, the lack of robust execution verification mechanisms often prevents models from correcting structural inconsistencies or semantic mismatches in unseen database schemas, limiting the practical deployment of these systems in enterprise environments.

In response to these challenges, the research team from Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications developed the SEA-SQL framework. This innovation moves beyond expensive prompt engineering, focusing instead on a cost-efficient zero-shot refinement strategy. The architecture features two core mechanisms: Adaptive Bias Elimination (ABE), which identifies and corrects systematic model errors based on schema-linking logic, and Dynamic Execution Adjustment (DEA). DEA introduces an execution-feedback loop that captures runtime errors or empty results, allowing the model to adaptively refine the SQL structure until a valid and semantically aligned query is produced.

Research indicates that in experiments conducted on the Spider and Spider-Realistic benchmarks, SEA-SQL provides superior accuracy and robustness compared to standard zero-shot baselines. Data suggests that when utilizing open-source models like Llama-3, the framework achieves performance gains that rival much larger proprietary models while keeping latency and costs at a minimum. This work provides a reliable and flexible paradigm for natural language database interfaces, offering a robust technical roadmap for developing cost-effective, self-correcting AI systems capable of handling sophisticated data analysis tasks in real-world settings.

 

New Delhi, Apr 18 (BNP): The Government of India has taken a series of targeted reforms to improve trade facilitation and strengthen the functioning of Norms Committees under the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), in line with its broader commitment to Ease of Doing Business for exporters.

Pic Credit: Pexel 

The reforms aim to make decision-making faster, more transparent, and more efficient for export-related processes. By improving the functioning of Norms Committees, the government seeks to reduce delays in approvals and simplify procedural requirements faced by exporters.

These committees play a key role in setting and reviewing input-output norms, which determine the quantity of raw materials required for producing export goods. Streamlining their functioning is expected to help exporters receive quicker clarifications and approvals, thereby improving operational efficiency.

The initiative is also intended to strengthen India’s export ecosystem by reducing compliance burden and improving predictability in trade procedures. This is expected to benefit businesses, especially small and medium exporters, by making processes more responsive and business-friendly.

Overall, the reforms reflect the government’s continued focus on improving trade facilitation, enhancing administrative efficiency, and supporting exporters in accessing global markets more effectively.

New Delhi, Apr 18 (BNP): The Government of India has announced that more than 55,200 startups were recognised in FY2025–26, marking the highest annual figure since the launch of the Startup India initiative in 2016.

Launched on 16 January 2016, the Startup India programme was designed to build a strong ecosystem for innovation, encourage private investment, and support entrepreneurs through targeted policy measures and financial incentives.

Strong expansion in jobs and ecosystem growth

Since its inception, the initiative has supported the creation of over 2.23 lakh recognised startups as of March 2026, which together have generated more than 23.36 lakh direct jobs across the country.

The latest data shows a sharp year-on-year rise, with startup recognitions increasing by 51.6% compared to FY2024–25. During the same period, direct employment generated by startups rose by 36.1%, reflecting their growing contribution to India’s job market.

Startups are now present across all States and Union Territories, with major hubs including Maharashtra, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, and Gujarat leading in both startup numbers and employment generation.

Women-led participation and inclusivity

The ecosystem has also become more inclusive, with over 1.07 lakh startups having at least one woman director or partner, accounting for nearly 48% of all recognised startups, highlighting increasing participation of women in entrepreneurship.

State-wise startup distribution highlights

Leading states continue to dominate the startup landscape:

• Maharashtra leads with over 38,000 startups
• Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh each have over 21,000 startups
• Delhi and Gujarat also remain key innovation hubs

These states also account for a large share of employment generated by startups, reinforcing regional centres of innovation.

Government support and funding push

The government continues to strengthen the ecosystem through flagship schemes such as:

• Fund of Funds for Startups (FFS)
• Startup India Seed Fund Scheme (SISFS)
• Credit Guarantee Scheme for Startups (CGSS)

Under FFS, over ₹7,000 crore has been disbursed to Alternative Investment Funds, which have further invested in more than 1,420 startups. A new expanded fund with a corpus of ₹10,000 crore has also been introduced to sustain long-term startup financing.

Under SISFS, over ₹605 crore has been approved for more than 3,400 startups, while CGSS has facilitated loans worth over ₹1,250 crore to improve access to credit for emerging businesses.

Innovation and intellectual property growth

Startup-led innovation has also accelerated significantly, with more than 19,400 patent applications filed. Patent filings have seen strong growth, rising sharply in FY2025–26 compared to the previous year, reflecting increasing focus on technology and intellectual property creation.

Outlook

The rapid expansion of India’s startup ecosystem underscores its growing role as a key driver of economic growth, innovation, and employment generation. With continued policy support and rising entrepreneurial activity, startups are increasingly shaping India’s transition toward a knowledge-driven and innovation-led economy.