Business

Vodafone Idea Limited (Vi) on September 25 announced the introduction of free international roaming on select postpaid, prepaid and enterprise plans, extending the benefit to customers travelling across more than 170 countries. The company said the new proposition, aligned with its “Vi Pe Sab Hain VIP” brand promise, enables eligible customers and family members to access international roaming for up to three trips a year. Depending on the plan, customers will receive international data quotas and outgoing minutes, with potential savings of up to Rs 9,000 annually. The offering covers postpaid plans starting at Rs 501, annual prepaid unlimited data plans and corporate plans starting at Rs 451 for enterprise customers. Customers can activate the international Roam-Free plans through ...

Swedish beauty and wellbeing company Oriflame is looking to make India its largest market globally by 2030, with the country expected to contribute one in every four euros of its global revenue, compared with around one in 10 today. The company’s ambitious expansion plan will focus on people as much as products. From its current presence across 517 towns and cities, Oriflame plans to reach another 500 locations, particularly in Tier 2 and Tier 3 markets, while adding 10 lakh new Beauty Entrepreneurs by 2030. In Shillong, the strategy could bring greater access to beauty, personal care and wellbeing products through Oriflame’s social-selling network, while opening avenues for local entrepreneurs to build additional sources of income. The company’s emphasis on personal recommendation,...

Groww, India’s largest investment platform by active users, accounted for 32 per cent of the NSE’s active investor base in Meghalaya as of June 2026, indicating that one in every three investors in the state invests through the platform. The data comes as digital investing gains momentum across the Northeast, supported by rising smartphone adoption, increasing internet penetration and easier access to financial products. Groww users account for nearly 24 per cent of the NSE investor base of 36.31 lakh across the eight northeastern states. Sikkim recorded the highest share at 41 per cent, followed by Arunachal Pradesh at 40 per cent and Tripura at 37 per cent. In Meghalaya, around 27 per cent of Groww investors are below 25 years of age, while close to one-third are aged between 25 a...

ICICI Prudential Life Insurance reported a claim settlement ratio of 99.31% for Q1-FY2027, the highest among leading life insurance companies in India based on public disclosures through Form L-39 and L-40. The company settled individual death claims worth Rs.414.08 crore during the quarter, while the average value per claim stood at around Rs.15 lakh, which it said was the highest among leading life insurers during the period. The insurer also reported an average settlement turnaround time of one day for non-investigated claims, measured from the date of receipt of the last document. Mr. Sarang Gokhale, Chief - Underwriting and Retail Claims, ICICI Prudential Life Insurance, said, “At ICICI Prudential Life, we are committed to making the claims process simple, seamless and timely f...

Siemens Limited has launched the 14th edition of its Siemens Scholarship Program and invited applications from meritorious first-year engineering students from government engineering colleges across India. The initiative provides financial assistance to deserving students who lack adequate economic resources and supports them throughout the four years of their engineering graduation. Based on the German Dual Education model, the programme combines academic learning with industry exposure to help students develop into industry-ready technicians and engineers and build careers in engineering, research and development or manufacturing. The programme also focuses on holistic development, while 50% of the scholarships are reserved for girls to promote equal opportunity in technical educatio...

Tata Starbucks is expanding its presence in Northeast India with the opening of its first Meghalaya outlet in Shillong’s Police Bazar on September 19. The store, which will operate from 8 am to 11 pm, adds Meghalaya to the company’s growing India network of 519 stores across 80 cities. The Shillong outlet has been designed with elements reflecting the city’s character, including natural materials, warm timber, woven detailing, earthy tones, patterned textiles, deep green tiles and greenery. The layout includes a central lounge and intimate seating areas aimed at creating a space for customers to meet and spend time. On the product side, the store will offer signature beverages such as Java Chip Frappuccino and Zesty Orange Cold Brew, alongside Strawberry Açaí and Mango Dragonfruit R...

National Stock Exchange of India Limited (NSE) has fixed the price band for its initial public offering (IPO) at Rs 1,700-Rs 1,785 per equity share, setting the stage for one of the country's most closely watched market offerings. The IPO will open on September 17 and close on September 21, 2026, with anchor investor bidding scheduled for September 16. The minimum bid is eight shares and in multiples of eight thereafter. The offer comprises up to 126.44 million equity shares through an offer for sale by existing shareholders, including State Bank of India, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, Aranda Investments (Mauritius), New India Assurance and other financial institutions. At the upper price band, the offer represents a potential value of about Rs 2.26 lakh crore. The issue will f...

Croma, the Tata Group’s omni-channel electronics retailer, has opened nationwide pre-bookings for Apple’s iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, combining the new launch with aggressive pricing and exchange incentives on the iPhone 17 Pro range. The new iPhone Pro models can be pre-booked across more than 560 Croma stores in over 200 cities for ₹5,000, while croma.com, the Tata Neu app and BigBasket require full payment. Customers can also avail an exchange bonus of up to ₹12,000. The lineup features Apple’s A20 Pro chip, C2 wireless modem and a 48MP Fusion main camera with a physical variable aperture. At the same time, Croma is positioning the previous-generation Pro models as a value proposition. The iPhone 17 Pro is available in stores at ₹69,990 for 256GB and ₹88,490 for 512GB, w...

HYBE India is expanding its nationwide talent search with an on-ground audition in Shillong on September 25, 2026, as part of its HYBE India Audition: Final Call initiative. The move comes after an overwhelming response to the initial audition round and forms part of an expanded search across eight additional cities. The Shillong audition will target female participants born between 2005 and 2011, with opportunities spanning vocals, rap, dance, acting and modelling. Pre-registration is open from September 11-14 through HYBE India’s official audition website, with shortlisted candidates to receive individual notifications on September 18 containing their time slots and venue details. Only invited candidates can attend the on-ground audition. In Shillong, the initiative positions the ...

A new wave of fintech innovation is targeting one of India’s biggest financial inclusion challenges — making banking, credit and cash services available faster and closer to customers. At Global Fintech Fest 2026, Department of Financial Services Secretary Sanjay Lohiya launched three technology-led solutions, in the presence of UIDAI CEO Saurabh Vijay. The first is an open-source Android ATM that can instantly issue personalised RuPay debit, credit and NCMC cards and merchant UPI QR codes, potentially reducing turnaround time from weeks to minutes. It can also support cheque deposits, account opening and loan applications. Banks are exploring the machines as Digital Banking Units in rural and semi-urban areas, as well as at airports, metro stations, educational campuses and corpora...