Category: News

 Mumbai, Mar 5 : The Advertising Agencies Association of India  and The Advertising Club  today announced that the 19th edition of Goafest will be held in Goa during May 20 to May 22, 2026.

Goafest, started in 2006, has long been the marquee event for the advertising, media, and marketing industries, celebrating creativity, innovation, and excellence. The festival will also witness the prestigious ABBY Awards Powered by One Show 2026, the region’s most coveted creative accolades, honouring outstanding achievements across advertising and media.

Announcing the dates of Goafest 2026, Srinivasan K Swamy, President of the Advertising Agencies Association of India said,

“Goafest has always been a melting pot of ideas, creativity, and camaraderie. We aim to spark new conversations, fresh perspectives, and fuel the future of advertising and marketing. It is an occasion for the industry to come together, celebrate excellence, and engage in meaningful conversations about the future of our craft.”

Highlighting the evolution of Goafest and the ABBY Awards Powered by One Club, Dheeraj Sinha, President of The Advertising Club said,

“Goafest has always been synonymous with creativity, collaboration, and industry excellence. The ABBY Awards Powered by One Clubcontinue to push boundaries, setting new creative benchmarks year after year. Abby Awards being in its 57th year continue to raise the bar, and this year’s edition will be even more inspiring, bringing together the brightest minds in the industry.”

Jaideep Gandhi, Vice President, AAAI and Chairman of the Goafest 2026 Organising Committee and Founder of Another Idea, said,

 “In its 19th year, Goafest is no longer just an event  it is a legacy we are privileged to carry forward. It is a unifying force that brings together the various industry associations across advertising and marketing under one roof. I am deeply grateful to the stalwarts who envisioned this remarkable property and am especially heartened that some of them continue to be actively involved in its journey.”

Mohit Joshi, Co-Chair of the Goafest 2026 Organising Committee and Chief Executive Officer of Havas Media India, said,

“Over the past 18 editions, Goafest has evolved into a premier platform that celebrates creativity, innovation, and the dynamic transformation of our industry. This year Goafest will be more impactful than ever before. Goafest 2026 will introduce new formats, immersive engagements, and high-calibre discussions that have never been done before. With a larger scale, an inspiring line-up of speakers, and a focus on cutting-edge ideas, we are set to redefine the way our industry comes together to learn, collaborate, and celebrate.”

Drawing over 2000 industry professionals each year, South Asia’s premiere festival, Goafest 2026, is co-hosted by The Advertising Agencies Association of India and The Advertising Club.

Bristol, UK, Mar 4:

Dynisma Ltd.® confirms that its DMG-1 driving simulator is now fully operational at Rodin Motorsport’s newly announced Driver Performance Centre, unveiled this week near the team’s Surrey headquarters.

The purpose-built facility represents a significant investment in driver development infrastructure. Located close to Rodin Motorsport’s main race workshop in Farnham, the Driver Performance Centre integrates the Dynisma DMG-1 full-motion simulator alongside five static simulators, a dedicated driver training gym, and a professional simulation control room with pit wall-style operations and integrated data analysis suites. The centre supports Rodin’s multi-series programme across FIA Formula 2, FIA Formula 3, F1 Academy, Formula Regional European Championship (FREC), GB3 and British F4.

The DMG-1 is already supporting preparation for the opening rounds of the 2026 FIA Formula 2 and FIA Formula 3 seasons, with integration into the team’s F1 Academy programme forming part of its wider driver development structure.

Rodin Motorsport operates across multiple levels of the international single-seater ladder, and the Driver Performance Centre has been established to provide a consistent, high-performance training environment for drivers progressing through those categories.

The Dynisma DMG-1 enables detailed vehicle setup exploration, qualifying simulations, circuit familiarisation, race scenario rehearsal and performance optimisation before a car hits the track. With ultra-low latency motion response of 3–5 ms and primary motion bandwidth exceeding 100 Hz, the platform delivers the fidelity required for highly accurate Driver-in-the-loop correlation work.

In categories such as Formula 2 and Formula 3, where physical testing is limited to just a handful of days before the season, high-accuracy simulation plays a central role in reducing unknowns prior to race weekends. The DMG-1 allows Rodin’s engineers to iterate vehicle model changes rapidly, validate setup direction and refine driver feedback loops within a controlled environment. The dedicated simulator control room ensures that vehicle models and analysis workflows mirror those used trackside, strengthening correlation and supporting more informed engineering decisions. For drivers, the fidelity of the motion platform helps build confidence and develop technical understanding ahead of each Grand Prix.

David Dicker, Owner, Rodin Motorsport, said:“The better the simulator, the better our potential results will be. I feel we are getting the best equipment available to us. If you are not moving forward, you are going backwards. Investing in this level of technology reflects our commitment to building a world-class environment for our drivers and engineers.”

Benn Huntingford, Sporting Director, Rodin Motorsport, said:“The simulation technology helps us to shorten the development cycles of everything that we do, so that we can prepare more in advance before we get to a circuit. Using a simulator like Dynisma’s allows us to arrive better prepared and more competitive by the time a race begins. That’s a big part of driver development and overall team performance. Initially we’ll focus on our F3 and F2 programmes, before integrating it further into F1 Academy. Dynisma is founded by people who understand motorsport, and the technology puts us right at the cutting edge of what is possible.”

Alex Dunne, FIA Formula 2 Driver, Rodin Motorsport, said:“This week we’ve been getting ready for Round 1 of the F2 Championship and running through many different programs on the simulator. At F2 level and above, you do very few laps on a race weekend, so you rely heavily on what you’ve learned in the simulator. We’ve replicated the car model well and it’s very similar to the real car. The feeling over kerbs, lock-ups, understeer and oversteer is very impressive.”

Tom Edwardes, Head of Driver-in-the-Loop Simulation, Rodin Motorsport, said:“This is Rodin’s first full-motion platform, so it was critical that we integrated it properly into our engineering process. We’re using the same vehicle models, data processing and analysis workflows that we use both online and offline, so correlation is consistent and we can iterate through setup changes and gather driver feedback within minutes. For many of our junior drivers, this is their first experience of a platform like this, so part of our role is helping them adapt to the motion, build confidence and strengthen their communication with race engineers.”

Ash Warne, Founder and CTO, Dynisma, said:“Rodin Motorsport has made a clear investment in building a structured driver development ecosystem with its new Driver Performance Centre. The DMG-1 sits at the heart of that environment, providing a high-correlation platform where engineers and drivers can explore setup direction, validate vehicle models and refine performance before race weekends. In championships with limited testing, that level of fidelity and responsiveness becomes a critical competitive tool. We are pleased to support Rodin Motorsport as they integrate advanced motion simulation into their long-term performance strategy.”

Developed and manufactured by a specialist team focused on high-performance motion generation, Dynisma supplies driving simulators to motorsport teams and automotive OEMs worldwide. Dynisma systems are available as turnkey solutions or can be customised to integrate with a wide range of chassis and visualisation environments for both competition and vehicle development applications.

F1® Authentics is back with a colossal online auction to celebrate the start of the 2026 F1® campaign. The Season Lauch Auction features a plethora of rare and authenticated items, all boasting provenance from specific time periods in motorsport history. 

One of the most unique items at this auction is a piece sure to excite Manga fans worldwide, a flag featuring Dragon Ball characters from the 90s alongside the McLarenMP4/5B.Only a small number of items bearing this design are believed to have ever been printed and what makes this version so special is that it has been signed by the creator of Dragon Ball, Akira Toriyama, who as well as being an iconic storytellerwas an F1® enthusiast.

Why Did Dragon Ball have presence in F1®? 

In 1989, because of Honda’s interest in Formula 1® and the popularity of Ayrton Senna, there was a surge of attention on motorsport in Japan. Capitalizing on this newfound passion, Shueisha, one of the largest publishers in the country, decided to sponsor McLaren’s Formula 1 racing team. Their logo could be seen for the first time on the nosecone of the 1990 McLaren. 

Shueishawere the publishers of Weekly Shonen Jump, the best-selling weekly manga anthology publication, which included the Dragon Ball series. Multiple tie-ins to the sponsorship would follow including GP Boy, a two-volume manga created to commemorate the partnership, and even a manga that starred Ayrton Senna, focusing on his personal driving story and rivalries.

History encapsulated in print and ink 

Consigned to this auction from a private seller,this flag was originally personally gifted to the former Head of Marketing at McLaren F1® Team andhas been kept in flawless condition for well over three decades.The characters featured include Goku, Bulma, Master Roshi, Kid Goku and Krillin.The authentic signature of the late Akira Toriyama is clearly visible and is perfectly placed next to the illustrations without covering any of the designs.

For fans of F1® and Dragon Ball or Japanese Manga and Anime, this is a rare opportunity to own anillustration celebrating a unique cross-over and signed by one the most revered names in modern storytelling. 

As well as this unique Dragon Ball Flag, the Season Launch auction features highly sought after pieces of racing memorabilia including a Lewis Hamilton suit from his record-breaking first season in 2007 and a Max Verstappen suit from 2023, the peak of a Red Bull dominant era. 

The auction is live from Thursday March 5th2026, and collectors and fans can head to the F1® Authentics auction now to preview exclusive items for sale and register their interest to bid.

BLACK MOUNTAIN, N.C., March 4, 2026 — Burnout, uncertainty, and a growing sense of disconnection have fueled a surge in spiritual curiosity — particularly practices that promise inner alignment rather than external fixes. In The Akashic Way: Living Through the Lens of the Akashic Records, three-time Emmy Award-winning director and advanced Akashic Records practitioner Mary Madeiras explores why so many people are searching inward for clarity, affirmation, and healing.

After decades spent shaping stories for millions of viewers, Madeiras now invites readers into a different kind of narrative — one rooted in the Akashic Records, a quantum divine field believed to contain the energetic imprint of every soul’s journey through time. Rather than offering another roadmap for self-improvement, The Akashic Way reframes healing as an act of remembering and reconnecting with the deeper truth of who we are and why we are here.

“We can actually access our own journey — our own soul’s imprint — for every incarnation,” Madeiras explained.

Drawing from her own Akashic experiences and client sessions, Madeiras shows how working within the Records consistently creates alignment — emotionally, spiritually, and energetically. “It’s like having a conversation with the higher, divine aspect of yourself,” she said. “And when we’re aligned, the world becomes more aligned.” The result, she believes, is clarity, affirmation, and self-empowerment — tools urgently needed in a fragmented, fast-moving world.

The Akashic Way touches upon the many challenges that pull people away from connecting with their intuition and inner love — relationship struggles, traumas, unresolved patterns, and health issues. Madeiras shows how anyone can access this deeper guidance to create meaningful change and awaken that inner love. Her personal Akashic exchanges — woven with messages for humanity — offer readers the opportunity to reflect on their life’s purpose. The wisdom from the Akashic Realm is a profound tool for rediscovering purpose, trusting intuition, and learning to live through love and intention.

As Madeiras writes, “I titled this book The Akashic Way because I believe that living life through the Akashic Records is a path back to ourselves — a way to remember who we are, why we chose to come here, and what we are here to do. When we view our life through our own Akashic lens, we experience self-empowerment in the most profound way.”

The Akashic Way: Living Through the Lens of the Akashic Records

Publisher: Precocity Press

Urban India’s Holi celebrations are witnessing a steady rise in expenses, reflecting broader shifts in consumption patterns among salaried households. Traditionally a community-driven festival marked by modest spending, Holi is now increasingly associated with travel plans, social gatherings, lifestyle purchases, and experiential celebrations — placing short-term pressure on monthly budgets.

Financial platforms tracking salaried consumer behaviour suggest that the core challenge is not necessarily rising costs, but timing mismatches between fixed income cycles and festive spending.

According to Rupee112, festivals such as Holi often coincide with existing financial commitments including rent payments, EMIs, insurance premiums, and routine household expenses. This overlap can create temporary liquidity gaps for working professionals operating within fixed income structures.

“Salaried individuals typically operate within fixed income structures. Festivals introduce additional discretionary spending within the same cycle, which often requires better cash-flow management rather than large-scale borrowing,” said Kuldeep Yudhuvanshi, Business Head, Rupee112.

The company has observed a visible shift in borrowing behaviour during festive periods. Instead of turning to informal credit channels or withdrawing long-term savings, salaried consumers are increasingly opting for short-term personal loans tailored to manage planned expenses. This trend reflects a gradual normalisation of digital credit as a budgeting tool rather than an emergency fallback.

Industry observers note that fully digital lending processes, minimal documentation requirements, and faster approval timelines are driving this transition. The appeal lies in accessing unsecured credit aligned with predictable salary inflows, enabling borrowers to distribute festive expenses across manageable repayment cycles without disrupting savings or long-term investments.

Rupee112 highlights that younger professionals and first-time credit users are at the forefront of this shift.

“There is growing financial awareness among salaried borrowers. The objective is to preserve liquidity while maintaining financial discipline, especially during lifestyle-heavy spending periods like festivals,” Yudhuvanshi added.

The evolving borrowing behaviour also mirrors India’s expanding consumption economy, where celebrations are becoming more experience-led, while financial decisions are increasingly structured and technology-enabled.

As inflationary pressures continue to influence discretionary spending, Holi may remain vibrant and celebratory. However, for many salaried Indians, the real transformation lies in how festivities are financed. Managing cash flow — rather than scaling back celebrations — is emerging as the preferred and more sustainable approach.

New Delhi, Mar 02: Metropolis by Reliance MET City, Haryana, has today become India’s first project to receive LEED Platinum Pre-Certification under the LEED for Cities: Plan and Design rating system, as confirmed by Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI). This unique and prestigious distinction places Metropolis amongst a handful of globally planned developments to achieve this recognition.

LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), is the world’s most widely recognised green building and community certification framework. The LEED for Cities and Communities: Plan and Design program evaluates large-scale developments at the planning stage, ensuring sustainability principles are embedded across infrastructure, energy, water, mobility, ecology, and livability, from the design stage itself.

Mr. Shrivallabh Goyal, CEO & Whole Time Director, Reliance MET City, said:

 “Achieving LEED Platinum pre-certification for Metropolis by MET City is a testament to our vision and is an integral part of our journey towards building a world-class, future-ready urban ecosystem in India. Embedding sustainability, resilience, and quality of life at the very foundation of planning and design, has always been our priority. We envision that Metropolis will not only meet global benchmarks, but by itself set new standards for responsible urban development, economic opportunity, and livability for generations to come.”

Through the LEED framework, projects are assessed across key areas including natural systems and ecology, transportation and land use, energy and greenhouse gas emissions, water efficiency, materials and resources, and quality of life indicators. Securing the highest level of pre-certification demonstrates the project’s alignment with global best practices in sustainable urban planning.

Pre-certification under the Plan and Design framework provides a structured roadmap to guide implementation and continuous performance improvement as the development progresses and is in line with Metropolis by MET City’s commitment to measurable outcomes including reduced environmental impact, resource efficiency and climate resilience for future residents, businesses, and visitors.

Located in Village Daryapur on MDR 123, Metropolis enjoys a highly distinct location advantage. Situated 0 Km from Delhi and 5 minutes from the KMP Expressway, there is also close proximity to AIIMS Badsa, the upcoming Haryana Orbital Corridor and the proposed BCCI international cricket stadium. The residents and businesses also enjoy the benefit from the larger Reliance MET City ecosystem, which includes social, healthcare and education infrastructure.

Mar 02: This International Women’s Day, IntrCity SmartBus introduced proactive safety confirmation calls for solo women travellers and early boarding passengers. These calls help verify boarding details, support smoother onboarding, and provide an additional layer of reassurance during the intercity travel. The initiative forms part of the company’s broader focus on safety-led operational features aimed at improving journey confidence. Reflecting this shift, the average number of women travellers on the IntrCity SmartBus network has grown from 75,000 per month to nearly 1 lakh per month, indicating increasing adoption of safer and more structured intercity travel experiences.

The increase represents a 38% year-on-year growth and a 43% rise over the past year, indicating growing confidence in safer and more predictable long-distance travel experiences. 

Safety measures continue throughout the journey. Every trip is supported by trained bus captains responsible for passenger assistance end-to-end, alongside live GPS tracking and continuous CCTV monitoring, enabling real-time oversight during travel. Dedicated seating zones for women passengers add an additional layer of comfort on long-distance routes, while clearly defined operational protocols help standardise travel experiences across cities.

“The growth from 75,000 to 1 lakh women travellers each month reflects the confidence women place in a system designed around their real needs,” said Aparajita Mukhopadhyay, Chief Operating Officer, IntrCity SmartBus. “Our focus has been to address uncertainty at every stage – from pre-boarding reassurance to monitored journeys and verified stops — so that women can plan intercity travel with greater confidence and independence.”

The impact of these safety-led measures is visible in travel behaviour. Strong adoption has been observed across high-frequency corridors including Chennai–Bangalore, Delhi–Lucknow, Chennai–Madurai, Hyderabad–Bangalore, and Nagpur–Pune, where overnight services see rising participation from women travellers.

The 26–35 age group has emerged as the fastest-growing segment, registering a 3–4% year-on-year increase, indicating higher adoption among young working professionals using intercity buses for a mix of work and leisure travel.

Customer loyalty trends further reinforce growing trust, with 40% repeat bookings among women travellers recorded across the platform — suggesting sustained confidence in structured and safety-enabled mobility.

Tata Technologies and WITTENSTEIN High Integrity Systems announce strategic partnership to advance Software-Defined Vehicle development

Bengaluru,  Mar 02: Tata Technologies Limited, a leading global product engineering and digital services company, today announced a strategic partnership with WITTENSTEIN High Integrity Systems (WHIS), a global leader in safety-critical embedded software. The collaboration aims to accelerate innovation in Software-Defined Vehicles (SDVs) by integrating WHIS’s flagship product, SAFE RTOS®, into Tata Technologies’ advanced automotive software stack.

 Through this partnership, SAFE RTOS®, renowned for its certifiable safety, reliability, and real-time performance, will become a core component of Tata Technologies’ SDV platform. The integration will enable automotive OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers to meet stringent functional safety standards, including ISO 26262, while accelerating the development and deployment of next-generation software-defined mobility solutions.

The automotive industry is undergoing a profound transformation driven by electrification, autonomy, connectivity, and the increasing centrality of software. By combining Tata Technologies’ deep expertise in automotive software development with WHIS’s proven safety solutions, the partnership addresses the growing need for scalable, safety-certified software architectures that can support complex SDV ecosystems.

Andrew Longhurst, Managing Director, WITTENSTEIN High Integrity Systems, said:

“Software is at the heart of the automotive industry’s evolution. Our partnership with Tata Technologies ensures that OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers can leverage SAFE RTOS® to achieve the highest levels of safety and performance in their software-defined vehicle architectures.”

Speaking on the collaboration, Tata Technologies’ President – Automotive Sales Mr. Nachiket Paranjpe noted:

 “By combining Tata Technologies’ expertise in automotive software development with WHIS’s proven safety solutions, we are empowering our customers to accelerate SDV adoption and deliver cutting-edge mobility experiences.”

This partnership underscores the shared commitment of Tata Technologies and WITTENSTEIN High Integrity Systems to driving innovation, safety, and reliability in the automotive sector, helping customers navigate the transition toward software-defined, connected, autonomous, and electrified vehicles.

Bengaluru, Mar 2: Justdial Limited, India’s No. 1 local search engine, has reported a notable year-on-year increase in consumer searches related to Holi celebrations across India, based on an analysis comparing search volumes between January–February 2025 and January–February 2026. The data reflects early festive planning trends, with users actively exploring event experiences and colour suppliers ahead of the festival.

At a national level, the category “Events for Holi” recorded a robust 37% growth, indicating rising interest in organised celebrations, community gatherings and curated festive experiences. Delhi emerged as the frontrunner with a significant 90% surge, underscoring heightened demand for larg ne-scale and themed Holi events in the capital. Mumbai followed with a 43% increase, signalling strong traction for ticketed and social celebrations in the city.

Parallelly, searches for “Holi Colour Dealers” rose 30% pan-India, pointing to increased consumer readiness for traditional festivities. Mumbai led this category with a 57% spike, suggesting strong retail and bulk demand, while Delhi registered a steady 27% growth, reflecting sustained purchasing activity in the region.

The year-on-year rise across both categories reflects stronger Holi-related search activity compared to the previous year, highlighting heightened pre-festival search behaviour.

APPENDIX

Events for Holi 

Pan-India – 37% increase

• Delhi – 90% increase
• Mumbai – 43% increase

Holi Colour Dealers

• Pan-India – 30% increase
• Mumbai – 57% increase
• Delhi – 27% increase