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New Delhi, Apr 27 (BNP): Crystal Crop Protection Limited, a research-led agri-input company, has appointed actor Akshay Kumar as its brand ambassador. The company made the announcement on Sunday, highlighting its focus on strengthening engagement with India’s farming community.

Alongside the announcement, the company also launched its new national campaign titled “Desh Ka Kisan, Desh Ka Asli Hero”, aimed at recognising the contribution and resilience of Indian farmers.

The campaign seeks to highlight the role of farmers in nation-building while promoting awareness about modern agricultural solutions and improved farming practices.

Company representatives said the collaboration aligns with Crystal Crop Protection’s long-standing commitment of over three decades to supporting Indian agriculture and enhancing farm productivity.

The partnership is expected to further strengthen the company’s outreach among farmers and encourage the adoption of advanced agri-input solutions.

Jakarta/Bandung, Apr 27 (BNP): The India ITME Society has successfully concluded its first-ever Textile Engineering Industry Business Delegation to Indonesia, aimed at strengthening trade ties and fostering collaboration between Indian textile machinery manufacturers and the Indonesian textile industry.

The initiative was designed to create a structured platform for dialogue and partnership opportunities between stakeholders from both countries, focusing on technology exchange, trade expansion, and long-term industrial cooperation.

The delegation included representatives from key textile machinery segments such as spinning, weaving, processing, dyestuff and chemicals, as well as handling and packaging. In total, 18 companies and 23 delegates participated in the four-day visit, held from April 12 to 16, 2026.

During the visit, the team explored major industrial hubs in Bandung and Jakarta. The engagements focused on identifying business opportunities, understanding market requirements, and building stronger industry connections in Indonesia’s growing textile sector.

The initiative also provided a platform for interaction with industry leaders and stakeholders, paving the way for future collaborations between the two countries in textile engineering and manufacturing.

Mumbai, Apr 27: Eco Path Innovations, a climate-tech infrastructure company focused on low-carbon construction technologies, has achieved two significant infrastructure milestones in Bengaluru developing India’s first cement-free cast-in-situ concrete road and delivering India’s first carbon-negative bituminous road reinforcing the commercial viability of sustainable infrastructure solutions in India.

The company’s first major milestone was the construction of India’s first cement-free cast-in-situ concrete road at the Army School of Bengaluru. Built using 100% cement-free concrete along with fiberglass composite rebars instead of conventional steel reinforcement, the project eliminated the need for traditional cement while significantly reducing embodied carbon. The road resulted in an estimated saving of 34 tonnes of CO₂ emissions and continues to perform successfully more than a year after completion.

In another industry-first achievement, Eco Path developed India’s first carbon-negative bituminous road at American Air Filters in Bengaluru. While conventional road construction typically adds to emissions, Eco Path’s proprietary material mix and engineering process enabled the project to sequester more carbon than it emitted during execution, resulting in a net carbon-negative footprint of approximately 3 tonnes of CO₂.

These projects come at a time when India is accelerating infrastructure development while simultaneously pursuing sustainability and net-zero commitments. Eco Path’s work demonstrates that roads and urban infrastructure can be delivered at scale without relying solely on traditional cement-heavy construction methods.

Beyond roads, the company has implemented a wide range of cement-free infrastructure applications including pavers, kerbstones, saucer drains, U-drains and external development works across residential communities, educational campuses, farmland projects and lake rejuvenation initiatives. These solutions help lower emissions, eliminate curing water requirements and conserve virgin raw materials.

Speaking on the development, Sourabh Kumar, Founder, Eco Path Innovations, said, “India’s infrastructure growth story must also be a sustainability story. Through these live projects, we have proven that low-carbon infrastructure is not just possible, but practical and scalable. Our mission is to help developers and institutions build with lower carbon emissions, lower water consumption and smarter use of natural resources.”

With a long-term vision to help reduce 10 million tonnes of carbon emissions by 2030, Eco Path aims to play a key role in shaping future-ready, environmentally responsible infrastructure across India.

Hyderabad Apr 27: SOCIAL, one of India’s most influential youth culture hubs, has launched “Voices from the Hood,” a first-of-its-kind cultural report capturing the attitudes, lifestyles, and aspirations shaping young India today. Based on insights gathered from over 10,000 respondents across multiple Indian cities, the report offers a data-backed look at how young Indians are navigating social life, digital culture, entertainment, travel, relationships, and career aspirations in a rapidly evolving cultural landscape.

The findings point to a generation that is experience-driven, digitally connected, and culturally fluid balancing ambition with lifestyle, tradition with modernity, and online identity with real-world community. The report highlights how shared experiences, social spaces, and digital platforms continue to shape the everyday lives of young Indians.

For over a decade, SOCIAL has functioned as a melting pot for communities, creators, students, professionals, and entrepreneurs, offering a front-row seat to the evolving behaviours and conversations shaping urban youth culture. With Voices from the Hood, the brand extends this role by documenting the voices, aspirations, and habits of India’s next generation.

“At SOCIAL, we’ve always believed that culture is shaped in the spaces where people come together to connect, collaborate and celebrate,” said Riyaaz Amlani, Founder & Managing Director, Impresario Entertainment & Hospitality Pvt. Ltd. “Voices from the Hood is our attempt to capture the spirit of young India, their ambitions, their anxieties, their everyday rituals and the cultural moments that define this generation.”

 “Voices from the Hood is rooted in something very simple: listening to young India at scale. What emerges is a generation that is deeply expressive, highly aware and constantly shaping culture through everyday choices; from how they socialise and spend, to what they aspire to do and how they discover the world. For us, the report is both a cultural lens and a strategic tool for staying meaningfully connected to the realities of youth today,” said, Divya Aggarwal, Chief Growth Officer, Impresario Entertainment & Hospitality Pvt. Ltd. 

Speaking about the visual language and design of the report, Santanu Hazarika said, “Building on SOCIAL’s attempt to document the voice of young India, I wanted this report to feel like a cultural artifact, almost like a modern-day consumer bible. Something that captures the chaos, ambition and contradictions that define youth today, not just through data, but through a living visual language. The design is intentionally layered, each page feels like a fragment of a generation, blending energy, symbolism and nostalgia in a way that mirrors how young India experiences the world today. It’s a form of controlled chaos, where every visual invites interaction, reflection and a deeper connection with the culture it represents.” 

Key Insights from Voices from the Hood

Lifestyle & Entertainment

For young India, leisure is no longer passive, it is participatory, social and deeply digital.
Entertainment today spans multiple worlds simultaneously: streaming platforms, social media, gaming ecosystems, live experiences and travel. Youth move fluidly between screens and shared experiences, balancing digital entertainment with real-world recreation.

Highlights

• Movies remain the most popular recreational outing at 65%, making cinema the top activity outside cafés, bars or restaurants.
• Adventure and activity-based outings follow closely at 63%, reflecting the growing appeal of experiences such as trekking, paintball and go-karting among late Gen Z and early Millennials.
• Cultural experiences continue to attract youth audiences, with stand-up comedy (26%) and theatre (21%) emerging as popular urban activities.
• Live entertainment is firmly embedded in youth culture: 17% attend gigs or concerts weekly, while 16% attend monthly, showing sustained engagement with music and live performance scenes.
• Mobile behaviour underpins daily routines, with 35% spending 1–3 hours on apps each day and 28% spending 3–5 hours, highlighting how digital platforms shape communication, entertainment and discovery.
• Streaming platforms dominate home entertainment, with Netflix leading subscriptions at 77%, followed by Amazon Prime Video (54%) and JioHotstar (42%).
•  Travel preferences reflect a shift toward experience-driven exploration, with 55% preferring adventure-based travel, followed by relaxation-focused trips at 37%.

Together, these patterns show a generation that sees entertainment as both identity and experience, where digital culture and real-world exploration coexist.

Aspirations & Beliefs

Young India is both ambitious and reflective; pursuing financial independence while negotiating identity, relationships and values. The report highlights a generation that places strong emphasis on career success while simultaneously redefining traditional markers of adulthood such as marriage, cultural belonging and personal fulfilment. 

Highlights

• Cultural roots remain deeply embedded in youth identity, with 46% saying traditions are very important to their lifestyle and values.
• At the same time, perspectives on relationships are evolving: 43% favour marriage, while 31% express openness to modern relationship structures.
• Youth ambition remains strong, with 67% saying financial success is very important and for 15% somewhat important in their lives.
• When asked about the biggest challenges facing their generation, respondents identified education (28%), mental health (26%) and employment opportunities (24%) as the most pressing concerns.
• Entrepreneurship continues to attract youth imagination, with 42% naming business ownership as their dream career path.
• Dating is a regular part of youth life, with 19% saying they go on dates thrice a week and 21% saying they do so once or twice a week.

These insights reflect a generation that is goal-driven yet introspective, balancing ambition with evolving social values. 

Dining

Dining out has evolved into a core social ritual for young consumers. Restaurants today function as gathering spaces where youth celebrate milestones, connect with friends and unwind from daily routines. Food culture is deeply tied to social identity, discovery and shared experiences.

Highlights

• Dining out is a frequent activity, with 28% going out for a meal once or twice a week and 21% dining out three to four times weekly.
• 19% report eating out almost daily, particularly among urban professionals and students in metro cities.
• Spending patterns reflect a balance between accessibility and indulgence, with ₹1,000–₹2,000 emerging as the most common dining-out budget (34%).
• Discovery of new restaurants increasingly happens online: word of mouth leads at 53%, followed by social media ads (36%) and influencers (25%).
• ·Food discovery apps play a central role, with Zomato/ District used by 54% of respondents.

These trends show that for youth today, restaurants function as modern social living rooms, where food, friends and experiences converge. 

Nightlife

Nightlife for young Indians is increasingly about experiences, music and social energy rather than just drinking. Going out after hours has become a space for self-expression, community and entertainment, shaped by digital discovery and evolving drinking preferences. 

Highlights

• 56% say they enjoy drinking alcohol when they go out partying, while 18% drink occasionally, showing flexible drinking behaviour across audiences.
• 26% report not drinking alcohol, highlighting the diversity of nightlife preferences.
• Frequency of nightlife engagement remains steady, with 23% going out once or twice a week for parties or social outings.
• Night-out spending reflects mainstream affordability, with ₹1,000–₹2,000 emerging as the most common spend bracket (33%).
• Discovery of nightlife experiences is largely digital, led by social media (34%), influencers (19%) and aggregator platforms (16%).
• Premium alcohol preferences are rising, with 50% choosing premium labels, signalling a shift toward quality-driven consumption.

Nightlife today reflects community and cultural participation, where experiences, music and social interaction drive engagement. 

Delivery

Food delivery has become a routine lifestyle behaviour driven by convenience, variety and digital access. 

Highlights

• Delivery platforms are deeply embedded in youth consumption patterns.
• Zomato leads usage at 44%, followed by Swiggy at 25%, while 27% of users actively switch between both platforms.
• Delivery behaviour is often driven by convenience, variety and time constraints rather than occasional indulgence.

Beyond statistics, Voices from the Hood serves as a cultural snapshot of contemporary youth capturing their ambitions, anxieties, digital lives, and the social spaces where culture unfolds.

As India’s youth population continues to shape cultural and economic trends, the report aims to provide brands, creators, and cultural observers with a deeper understanding of what motivates and inspires this generation.

 

Bengaluru, April, 2026: In a move that could influence how brokerage transactions are structured in India’s real estate sector, Bengaluru-based developer SJR Primecorp has placed ₹2 crore in an escrow account to secure commission payouts for realtors associated with the Confederation of Real Estate Associates (India) (CREA (I)).The announcement was made on at an industry event held at Taj MG Road, Bengaluru, in the presence of senior leadership from CREA (I) and the National Association of Realtors India.

Under the arrangement, the escrow account will be jointly operated by SJR Primecorp and CREA (I). The funds are earmarked exclusively for brokerage payouts to CREA (I) members closing transactions on the developer’s projects. The amount will be replenished before depletion, ensuring continuity of payouts.

The development comes against the backdrop of a long-standing industry concern around delayed or uncertain broker commissions. By securing funds upfront, the model introduces a level of predictability and financial discipline that is not widely practiced in the sector.

Industry observers note that brokerage transactions in India have largely operated through informal arrangements, with limited safeguards. The use of escrow mechanisms—common in other financial transactions—could signal a shift toward more formal and auditable practices in real estate.

The initiative was formalised through an MoU signed between Samir Arora and Vijay Reddy, CMD of SJR Primecorp. The concept was initiated by Pradeep Joe, Chairman Emeritus, CREA (I).

More than 300 CREA (I) realtors were present at the event, along with senior NAR India leadership including Ravi Varma, Tarun Bhatia, Chandresh Vithalani, Ashish Mehta, Chetan Chopra, Ramkumar, Sivalingam, Rahul Koparwar and Ekta Jain.

“This initiative was conceived to address a long-standing gap in our industry. By securing commissions upfront, we are not just solving a payment issue — we are laying the foundation for a more disciplined, transparent, and future-ready real estate ecosystem,” said Mr. Pradeep Joe – Chairman Emeritus CREA (I).

Mr. Samir Arora, Chairman, CREA (I) and CEO, NAR India, said the move reflects evolving alignment between developers and organised realtor bodies. “When commissions are secured upfront under a jointly governed structure, it changes the nature of engagement. It moves from transactional to institutional.”

“This is a structural intervention, not a symbolic one,” said Mr. Sumanth Reddy, Chairman, NAR India. “For years, commission uncertainty has been a friction point. Locking funds in escrow brings accountability into the system and sets a benchmark others can evaluate.”

Mr. Chandresh Vithalani, President, NAR India, said the model could have wider implications if adopted more broadly. “The industry has been working toward greater transparency and professionalism. Mechanisms like escrow-backed commissions create a framework where trust is supported by process, not assumption.”

The Bengaluru market, which has seen increasing institutional participation in recent years, may provide a testing ground for such models. Whether this approach sees wider adoption across cities and developers remains to be seen.

For CREA (I), whose members are also part of NAR India, the development underscores growing institutional influence in shaping industry practices. For developers, it raises a strategic question: whether upfront financial commitments can improve channel partner confidence and sales velocity.

As the sector continues to evolve, the escrow-backed commission model may emerge as a reference point in discussions around standardising broker-developer relationships in India’s real estate market.