Category: Business

Speaking on the launch, Varun Satia, Founder and CEO, Kraftshala, said, “Over the last nine years, Kraftshala has grown because students, parents and employers have trusted the outcomes we deliver. The launch of Kraftshala School of Business is a natural next step in that journey and responds directly to what many students have been asking for a physical campus with the same focus on strong learning and strong placements.”

“We were clear that the offline experience had to be much more than classroom delivery. It has been designed around how students learn best by doing, discussing, receiving feedback and applying concepts repeatedly in real business contexts,” said Eshu Sharma, Co-Founder and Head of Academics, Kraftshala. “AI is built into the curriculum from the ground up, and the campus adds the peer energy and collaboration that make learning more immersive.”

“CoreIgnite provides fintech infrastructure for financial institutions looking to innovate faster, scale more flexibly, and compete more effectively in the digital banking economy. With our secure, composable, API‑first platform, banks can connect new capabilities, orchestrate financial workflows, and activate digital financial services without disrupting the core systems they rely on every day. By decoupling innovation from the core, institutions can reduce integration complexity, move faster, and unlock new revenue opportunities at scale.” – Sandeep Bhanote, Global Head and General Manager of GrowthX, DXC Technology.

New Delhi, June 3: The manufacturing sector in India is shifting to increase automation, digital monitoring, and process-based production. Through this transition, Shankar Glasses India acknowledges how critical smart manufacturing will become in enhancing performance, quality, and scale.

In response to a growing focus on productivity, cost control, and quality assurance, manufacturers are increasingly leveraging “smart” manufacturing methods. Many manufacturers now use technologies like automation (robots), predictive maintenance  Lean production (minimizing waste), and digital workflows  to decrease their operational downtime, maximize their resources (people/machinery), and enhance their production capacity. As India pushes to become a global manufacturing destination, businesses that are investing in efficient operations and emerging technologies, as well as developing a well-skilled workforce, will have a competitive advantage going forward.

According to Dinesh Chandra Pandey, Founder of Shankar Fenestrations & Glasses,

“Traditional manufacturing methods have already evolved at a drastically fast pace. As a result, manufacturers are now focusing on smarter production systems, efficient operational models, and consistent high quality across all their products. To maintain their competitiveness and increase productivity in today’s rapidly changing industrial environment, manufacturers will need to move towards the use of automation and other technology as part of their manufacturing processes rather than as an afterthought.”

Smart manufacturing is transforming the entire industrial ecosystem of India due to a focus on innovations, optimizing processes, and developing long-term resilience within operations as priorities for sustainable growth in the manufacturing sector.

India, June 03: Boba Bhai, India’s largest omnichannel bubble tea and Korean street food brand, yesterday launched its 100th store at Whiteland Urban Cubes 71, Sector 71, Gurugram, on 1 June 2026. The launch marks a major milestone in the brand’s rapid expansion journey and further strengthens its footprint in North India.

The new outlet will also become Boba Bhai’s 28th store in the Delhi-NCR market and 8th outlet in Gurugram, reinforcing the region’s importance in the company’s growth strategy. The launch is part of Boba Bhai’s broader expansion plans focused on deeper penetration across existing metro markets while accelerating growth in emerging Tier-2 cities across India.

To celebrate the 100-store milestone, Boba Bhai introduced a special launch-day offer with select menu items priced at ₹100. Customers visiting the outlet on opening day got access to the brand’s signature range of bubble teas, Korean-inspired burgers, fried chicken, ramen bowls, loaded fries, momos, and fusion street-food offerings. 

“Reaching 100 stores is a defining moment for Boba Bhai and a reflection of how strongly consumers across India have connected with our brand. Gurugram has been an important market for us, and this launch represents not just another store opening but the next phase of our expansion journey. While we continue strengthening our presence in metro cities, we are equally focused on taking Boba Bhai to newer Tier-2 markets where demand for global flavours and accessible QSR experiences is growing rapidly,” said Dhruv Kohli, Founder, Boba Bhai.

The new outlet featured an expanded menu including popular beverages such as Taro Lava Bubble Tea, Tender Coconut Bubble Tea, Japanese Matcha Bubble Tea, Mango Matcha Bubble Tea, and a all new range of Cheese foam Cloudy Drinks, alongside food offerings including Korean Corndogs, Korean Fried Chicken, Honey Sriracha Burgers, Loaded Fries, Ramen bowls, and all-day snacking options. 

Mumbai, June 3: In a move highlighting improved fiscal health and credit profile, robust capital structure, and strengthening stakeholder confidence, the promoters of Capacit’e Infraprojects Limited have successfully released 35,50,000 pledged shares, representing approximately 13.2% of the promoter & promoter group shareholding in the Company.

The release comprises 25,50,000 shares released from pledge in June 2026 by promoter & promoter group, followed by the release of an additional 10,00,000 shares in May 2026 by another promoter group entity.

This development marks a significant milestone in the Company’s ongoing efforts to enhance its capital structure and reduce promoter share encumbrances. The promoter group has outlined a clear roadmap for further deleveraging and intends to progressively release the balance pledged shares, with a target of reducing the remaining 50 lakh pledged shares by the end of FY27, subject to business and financing conditions.

Commenting on the development, Mr. Rohit Katyal, Founder & Chairman, Capacit’e Infraprojects Limited, said,

“Over the past few quarters, we have remained focused on strengthening our balance sheet, enhancing financial flexibility, and improving the quality of promoter shareholding. The release of 35.50 lakh pledged shares represents a significant step in that journey and reflects the steady progress we are making towards reducing promoter share encumbrances. While a portion of these pledges was linked to project-specific non-fund-based facilities, we have been systematically working towards their release as the business continues to strengthen.”

The reduction in promoter share encumbrances reflects the Company’s improving financial position, prudent capital management practices, and sustained focus on long-term value creation. Backed by a strong order book, execution capabilities, and a healthy growth outlook, Capacit’e Infraprojects remains well-positioned to capitalize on opportunities arising from India’s expanding infrastructure and construction sector.

By Tongyue Zhang

 A new Rutgers initiative aims to fill decades of critical research gaps and deliver science-backed resources to support women’s unique brain health needs throughout every life stage.

Women experience distinct biological transitions throughout life – including puberty, pregnancy, motherhood, menopause and aging – that profoundly shape brain health. For generations, medical research and clinical trials have systematically excluded females, creating widespread gaps in scientific understanding of women’s brain function, disease vulnerability and neurological resilience, according to historical records from the NIH Office of Research on Women’s Health.

To correct this longstanding oversight, the Rutgers Brain Health Institute has launched the Women’s Brain Health Initiative, a new program dedicated to advancing targeted research and public education for women’s brain health.

As a flagship effort, the initiative leverages the institute’s expansive research mission spanning neurodevelopment, neurodegeneration,  and mental health disorders.

“Women’s brain health has been ignored for decades — that time is coming to an end,” said Gary Aston-Jones, director of the Brain Health Institute.

He said the institute and other research organizations “are extending efforts to reverse this oversight.”

Aston-Jones added that this focus by the institute “represents incredible opportunities not only for women’s brain health, but for all brain health. By focusing on women’s specific issues, we are confident that we will discover new insights into brain mechanisms in general. These new findings will benefit brain health for everyone.”

Women represent half of the global population and have longer average lifespans than men, yet they bear a disproportionate burden of neurological and mental health conditions. Women face higher prevalence rates for Alzheimer’s disease, depression, migraines, anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress disorders, eating disorders and chronic pain conditions. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, women account for nearly two-thirds of all Americans living with Alzheimer’s disease. Notably, females also demonstrate greater resilience against certain neurological conditions, including stroke, traumatic brain injury and Parkinson’s disease. Researchers say uncovering the biological foundations of these unique vulnerabilities and resilience will advance brain health research for all people.

Dedicated to transforming women’s brain health research and outreach, the Women’s Brain Health Initiative will center core missions of understanding, empowering and improving long-term brain health outcomes for women across the lifespan. The initiative encompasses basic cellular and animal research alongside clinical studies of human patients living with female-specific brain health challenges, while translating rigorous research into clear, trustworthy, actionable resources for women and their families.

The initiative is guided by four foundational goals: support cutting-edge research to solve women’s most pressing brain health challenges; translate groundbreaking lab research into accessible community resources; equip women with research-backed knowledge to make proactive, informed brain health decisions; and drive public awareness of how unique female biological transitions impact lifelong brain function.

Moving forward, the Women’s Brain Health Initiative will highlight Rutgers faculty leading female brain health research, host distinguished global speakers advancing the field and publish research-vetted toolkits and public resources for women’s brain health. This month, the Initiative is proud to highlight the work of Tracey Shors, Distinguished Professor in the Department of Psychology at Rutgers-New Brunswick, with a powerful and hopeful message: the female brain is not defined by stress or trauma — it is dynamic, resilient and capable of remarkable recovery.

Leading the initiative is Ioana Carcea, associate professor in the Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School and a core faculty member at the Brain Health Institute. Carcea heads a systems neuroscience laboratory exploring the intersections of social behavior, physiology and health, with a focus on how biological states shape maternal and social behaviors and how life experiences alter brain function and long-term health.

“Women’s physiology poses unique challenges to brain function and behavior. Across puberty, pregnancy and menopause, the female brain undergoes extraordinary biological transitions that shape vulnerability and resilience to mental and neurological disorders,” Carcea said. “Now we have the tools, the knowledge and the will to understand how the female brain navigates multiple profound transitions across the lifespan. I am excited for the WBHI to be at the forefront of this emerging area of research.”

New Delhi, June 03: Prem Singh Tamang attended the First Foundation Day celebration of the Chief Minister’s Model School at Assam Lingzey on Saturday and extended his heartfelt congratulations to the Director of the institution, Col. Ujjwal Khatiwada, along with the students, teachers, parents, and staff members.

Addressing the gathering, the Chief Minister expressed his happiness at being part of the occasion and highlighted the vision behind establishing the Chief Minister’s Model School as a centre of academic excellence, innovation, character development, and holistic learning.

He stated that as the institution marks this important milestone, it is equally vital to move forward with a clear vision and renewed determination. Reaffirming the Government’s commitment to strengthening education in the state, he shared the aspiration of transforming Sikkim’s education system into a world-class model by the year 2047, in line with the vision of a developed India and the aspirations of the younger generation.

The Chief Minister emphasised that the goal of education extends beyond examination success and must ensure that every student receives the support, guidance, and opportunities necessary for academic achievement and personal growth. He underscored that no child should be left behind in the pursuit of excellence.

Calling for collective responsibility, Shri Tamang urged students, teachers, parents, administrators, and the wider community to work together with dedication and purpose. He said the school should emerge as a model institution promoting quality education, modern teaching methodologies, digital learning, scientific temper, environmental awareness, and strong moral values.

Highlighting the school’s commitment to providing quality education and equal opportunities, particularly to children from humble backgrounds, the Chief Minister encouraged students to value the platform they have been given and make the most of it through hard work, discipline, and determination.

Concluding his address, Shri Tamang conveyed his best wishes to the school community and encouraged the students to strive for excellence and continue bringing pride to their families, the institution, and the state of Sikkim. “Shine on,” he said.

June 3 : MAATI – The Crafts School, an initiative by Kadam India supported by the Tata Trusts, is bringing an immersive two-day showcase to Bengaluru. The exhibition celebrates the living traditions of hand-painted Madhubani art alongside contemporary Bihar craftsmanship. This curated exhibit is designed for textile connoisseurs, art and culture tastemakers, conscious textile retailers, architects, interior designers, collectors, and anyone drawn to authentic legacy artistry.

The heart of the showcase is four women artisans traveling from MAATI’s clusters in Madhubani and Darbhanga. This is a rare opportunity to meet the makers and engage directly with their creative processes and explore handcrafted textile collections that bridge generations of visual memory with contemporary living.

Beyond design, the exhibition carries a real-world urgency. MAATI works in regions of Bihar where recurring climate and environmental challenges threaten traditional ways of life year after year. By creating direct market access and nurturing independent creative enterprises, the initiative supports artisan communities in building long-term, climate-resilient livelihoods.

We invite you to experience the work, meet the artisans, and join the conversation around handmade futures.

Exhibition Details & RSVP:

• Dates: 5–6 June 2026
• Venue: Flat Roof Building, SABHA, Bengaluru

LOMÉ, Togo, June 2, 2026/ – Ecobank Group (www.Ecobank.com) has launched the world’s first ICMA commercial bank-issued Nature Bond on the London Stock Exchange, creating a new route for international and African capital to protect Africa’s biodiversity. Moody’s awarded the transaction its highest possible sustainability quality score, SQS1 Excellent. The bond will support African farmers, sustainable agriculture businesses and water systems, protecting some of the planet’s most important ecosystems.

Impact on the ground in Africa

Africa is home to some of the world’s most important natural capital, including arable land, tropical forests, freshwater systems and biodiversity across hundreds of millions of hectares. But, until now, private nature capital has not flowed to Africa at the scale the continent’s ecological significance warrants in global ecological resilience. Despite hosting 25% of global biodiversity, Africa receives less than 3% of nature finance.

Ecobank’s Nature Bond is a direct response to this gap. It will support smallholder farmers adopting sustainable agricultural practices, agri-processors with verified deforestation-free supply chains, and water infrastructure protecting freshwater ecosystems relied upon by millions of people. Unlike many conservation-focused financing vehicles, Ecobank’s Nature Bond channels capital directly through Africa’s real economy — financing businesses and communities whose day-to-day activities shape environmental outcomes at scale.

The investments will be made in 24 markets, with significant deployment in biodiversity-priority countries such as Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso and Ghana. Importantly, 81% of the eligible lending pool is allocated to countries where agricultural land-use change is the primary driver of biodiversity loss, helping direct capital to the areas where it can have the greatest environmental impact.

The framework also incorporates independent monitoring and verification mechanisms, including deforestation screening and supply chain traceability requirements, helping ensure that financed activities deliver measurable nature-positive outcomes. Every eligible loan carries seven independently verified sustainability conditions.

The launch of this bond also comes as governments and investors worldwide face mounting pressure to mobilise private capital for biodiversity protection and sustainable land use.

What is a Nature Bond?

A Nature Bond, under the ICMA secondary designation, requires proceeds to actively contribute to nature-positive outcomes, including transforming economic activities to reduce the drivers of nature loss at scale.

The Nature Bond was designed to reach those that conservation-focused instruments were not designed to serve – farmers, agri-processors and water operators whose daily activities collectively determine ecosystem outcomes.

While green bonds typically finance a broad range of environmental objectives, the Nature Bond designation focuses the use of proceeds specifically on nature-related outcomes, including biodiversity, sustainable agriculture, land use and water infrastructure.

The transaction

The USD 450 million bond was priced following strong investor demand with the final orderbook exceeding USD 1.36 billion – 3.9x the original target size. The strength of demand enabled Ecobank to increase the transaction by USD 100 million and tighten pricing by 50 basis points.

The transaction attracted support from both international and African investors, demonstrating Ecobank’s unique ability to mobilise capital across global and African markets.

For the first time, international and African capital markets have a credible, scalable mechanism for financing the protection of African natural capital through the communities who depend on it.

Jeremy Awori, Group Chief Executive Office, Ecobank Transnational Incorporated, commented:

“This transaction is a defining moment for African sustainable finance. Investors did not just support this bond. They demanded more of it, allowing us to increase the size and tighten pricing.

We are not a bank that simply labels bonds. We have spent four years building the systems, governance and accountability needed to make nature finance credible and scalable in Africa.

This bond is ultimately about the farmers, cooperatives and communities whose livelihoods depend on healthy ecosystems.”

Rachael Antwi, Group Head of Sustainability and ESRM, Ecobank Transnational Incorporated, added:

“Nature finance will only scale in Africa if it is practical, measurable and connected to the real economy. This bond is designed to do that by linking international capital to eligible lending for sustainable agriculture and water infrastructure across 24 countries. It reflects the systems and standards Ecobank has built to ensure nature finance supports both environmental resilience and the communities whose livelihoods depend on healthy ecosystems.”

São Paulo, Brazil, and Abu Dhabi, UAE – 2^nd June 2026: AD Ports Group (ADX: ADPORTS), a leading global enabler of trade, industry, and logistics solutions, today acquired Corredor Logística e Infraestrutura (CLI), Brazil’s leading independent agri-bulk port terminal operator, entering the South American market with a strategically major expansion transaction.

São Paulo-based CLI operates two of Brazil’s most important agri-bulk export terminals under long-term concessions: CLI Sul, Brazil’s leading sugar export terminal and key export terminal for corn and soybeans, located in the Port of Santos; and CLI Norte, another key grains gateway at the Port of Itaqui, which is part of the Brazilian ‘Arc of the North’, an essential geographical region encompassing the Amazon basin that is a pivotal logistics hub and significant emerging corridor for agriculture exports.

In 2025, ports and terminals in northern Brazil recorded the fastest growth in the country, reinforcing the strategic role of the “Arc of the North’ corridor in reshaping the nation’s logistics map.

The two terminals play a key role in connecting the producing regions of Brazil, the world’s leading sugar exporter and one of the largest grain exporters, to the world.

AD Ports Group agreed to acquire CLI from joint owners Macquarie Asset Management, and IG4 Capital. CLI owns 100% of CLI Norte, which operates a terminal at the Port of Itaqui, and 80% of CLI Sul, which operates a terminal at the Port of Santos.

The transaction, which is expected to be completed in the second half of the year subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory and antitrust approval, was conducted at an enterprise value of AED 3.1 billion (USD 835 million).

It has also been agreed that CLI’s existing senior management team will remain in place to continue running the company.

The CLI acquisition represents a transformative step for AD Ports Group, positioning it as one of South America’s leading independent agri-bulk terminal operators, with strategic access to a vast new number of opportunities for the Group’s associated businesses of maritime and shipping, logistics, economic cities, and digital services.

Captain Mohamed Juma Al Shamisi, Managing Director & Group CEO of AD Ports Group, said: “The purchase of CLI is a game changer for AD Ports Group. The transaction extends our Group’s international reach for the first time into Latin America, and deepens our growing agrifoods activities, one of our core verticals. Under the wise guidance of our leadership in the United Arab Emirates, AD Ports Group is committed to enabling trade in one of the world’s most-important, fastest-growing agricultural commodities markets, which will not only benefit the Group’s global clients, including those in Brazil, but also strengthen the AD Ports Group global network.”

Brazil supports AD Ports Group’s geographic expansion as well as the Group’s plan to develop a major new East-West trade spoke linking South America’s largest economy to the Indian Subcontinent, East Africa and Southeast Asia. The UAE is in advanced negotiations with Mercosur, the South American trading bloc that includes Brazil, to establish a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement. Emirati investments in Brazil are estimated to be approximately USD 5 billion in total, according to the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The two countries maintain a highly active strategic partnership, having signed a Double Taxation Agreement and eliminated various tax and investment barriers to boost bilateral business.

Fernando Lohmann, Head of Macquarie Asset Management in Brazil, said: “Brazil’s agricultural export sector continues to demonstrate remarkable resilience, reinforcing the country’s position as one of the world’s leading suppliers of agricultural commodities. As a long-term investor in the country, Macquarie remains committed to acting as a responsible custodian of essential infrastructure assets that help drive economic development, improve connectivity and support Brazil’s role in global trade and we believe AD Ports Group is ideally positioned to support CLI’s next phase of growth.”

Paulo Todescan L. Mattos, Co-Founder, Managing Partner, and CEO of IG4 Capital, said: Since becoming shareholders in CLI, our focus has been on strengthening the company’s operational capabilities, expanding its strategic footprint, and positioning the platform to capture the long-term growth of Brazil’s agri-bulk export sector. We believe AD Ports Group is the right strategic owner to build on this foundation, bringing global trade expertise, infrastructure capabilities, and a long-term vision that will support CLI’s continued growth and development.”

The purchase of CLI gives AD Ports Group an entry point into Latin America, and a platform for further regional expansion. Moreover, the agrifood sector is a priority vertical in the Group’s intelligent internationalisation expansion strategy, with several key investments made in that space recently.

In December 2025, the Group’s Karachi Gateway Multipurpose Terminal Ltd. (KGTML) and the Pakistan unit of global merchant and agricultural goods processor Louis Dreyfus Company signed a long-term agreement to develop a clean bulk handling and storage facility for agricultural goods at Karachi Port. In January 2025, the Group agreed to invest about USD 30 million in the greenfield Sarzha Grain Terminal on the Caspian Sea at Kuryk Port in Kazakhstan and earlier this year, the Group secured a 30-year concession to operate the Aqaba multipurpose port in Jordan, which is a key player in agri-bulk in the Middle East with over 3 million tonnes of grains handled annually. Moreover, Noatum Ports’ Spanish operations are already significantly involved in agri-bulk with the Tarragona and Sagunto terminals handling around 2 million tonnes of grain imports annually and with an additional investment of AED 90 million (EUR 21 million) announced recently for modernising existing facilities at the Tarragona terminal.

In 2025, CLI handled a combined 17 million tonnes of agri-bulk cargo and delivered a revenue of AED 654 million (USD 178 million), generating an EBITDA of AED 360 million (USD 98 million).

CLI operates one of Brazil’s few large-scale, agri-bulk port platforms, strategically located along export corridors and ports. The ports of Santos and Itaqui are structurally constrained, particularly in Santos, where limited expansion capacity and chronic congestion are expected to underpin long-term utilisation and pricing resilience.

Long-term demand for the Group’s Brazilian terminals is also supported by Brazil’s global leadership and the strategic importance of the country’s grain and sugar exports. Brazil is the world’s largest sugar exporters, accounting for 40-50% of total global sugar exports, according to industry figures, and a leader in soybeans, coffee, and corn.

The purchase of CLI is AD Ports Group’s largest acquisition to date following the Group’s AED 2.65 billion (USD 720 million) purchase of Spain’s Noatum in 2023, and its AED 1.9 billion (USD 510 million) purchase of a 51% stake in Dubai-based Global Feeder Shipping (GFS) in early 2024.

For the transaction, AD Ports Group was advised by BTG Pactual, while IG4 and Macquarie Asset Management were advised by Citi.