Category: Business

Business

Swiggy Dineout Taps Bhuvan Bam for GIRF 2026; ‘Bill Half. Party Full.’ Takes Over India

Tanisha Cardozo

Swiggy Dineout has officially announced the return of its flagship dining celebration, the Great Indian Restaurant Festival (GIRF) 2026, bringing with it bigger offers, wider reach, and a strong cultural connect. Spearheaded by Swiggy Limited, this year’s edition promises to transform how India dines out, making it more accessible, affordable, and enjoyable.

At the heart of GIRF 2026 is its collaboration with digital creator Bhuvan Bam, who joins as the official ambassador. Known for his iconic work through BB Ki Vines, Bhuvan brings a unique storytelling element to the campaign. Popular characters like Babloo, Babli, and Sameer are woven into the narrative, representing relatable dining personalities seen across India.

The campaign revolves around the simple yet impactful theme: “Bill Half. Party Full.” It captures a universal truth—while dining out is a joyful experience, the cost often becomes a limiting factor. By addressing this barrier, GIRF 2026 aims to encourage consumers to step out more often, celebrate freely, and explore diverse culinary experiences.

Starting February 15, 2026, and running for two months, the festival offers up to 50% discounts across more than 40,000 restaurants in over 60 cities. The offers span across cafés, pubs, bars, fine-dining establishments, and family restaurants, ensuring something for every kind of diner.

In addition to the headline discounts, users can avail extra benefits including a 10% instant discount on HDFC Bank cards and 10% cashback as Dinecash on bookings. These added incentives further enhance the value proposition, making dining out both rewarding and economical.

GIRF 2026 also introduces engaging elements like “Crazzzy Deals of the Day,” complimentary cocktails and mocktails at select venues, and extended happy hours—designed to elevate the overall dining experience.

The festival is not limited to metro cities alone. While major hubs like Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kolkata, and Chennai remain key markets, GIRF also extends to emerging food destinations such as Goa, Jaipur, Indore, Chandigarh, Lucknow, Coimbatore, and Udaipur. This widespread reach highlights Swiggy’s ambition to democratize dining experiences across India.

With participation from leading brands including Cafe Coffee Day, Barista, Punjab Grill, YouMee, and Good Flippin Burgers, GIRF 2026 stands as one of the largest and most inclusive dining festivals in the country.

Blending food, culture, and digital storytelling, GIRF 2026 is more than just a discount event—it is a celebration of India’s evolving dining culture, where affordability meets experience, and every meal becomes an occasion.

Business

AI-Powered Leap: Projects Today Unveils Smarter Business Opportunity Platform

Tanisha Cardozo

India’s project ecosystem is entering a smarter, more connected phase as Projects Today unveils its AI-driven business opportunity platform, designed to bring clarity, speed, and intelligence into how organisations engage with projects. At a time when timing, data, and coordination can define success, this upgraded platform aims to simplify complexity and turn information into actionable insight.

The platform integrates project lifecycle context, tenders, L1/order updates, and stakeholder intelligence into a single streamlined workflow. Instead of navigating fragmented data points, users can now access a unified view that helps them understand not just what is happening, but what actions to take next. This shift from passive tracking to proactive decision-making marks a significant evolution in project intelligence.

At its core, the platform introduces a suite of AI-enabled capabilities focused on real-world outcomes. From BOQ search and sub-project tracking to tender-to-order journey visibility, users gain a deeper understanding of each opportunity’s stage and scope. Enhanced bidder insights, participation analytics, and opportunity estimation tools further strengthen the decision-making process, while credibility dashboards and stakeholder mapping add a new layer of strategic intelligence.

With over 25 years of research-led expertise, Projects Today continues to build on its strong foundation. The platform currently tracks more than 50,000 active projects across various stages, from early planning to execution. Each month, it adds over 1,500 new projects, monitors 10,000+ tenders, and captures more than 1,200 L1/order updates—creating a dynamic and constantly evolving database that supports businesses across sectors.

However, the vision goes beyond data aggregation. The intent is to create a seamless flow of opportunity between those who conceptualise projects and those who bring them to life. By connecting promoters, contractors, consultants, suppliers, service providers, and financiers, the platform fosters collaboration and ensures that opportunities move efficiently from idea to execution.

This launch also reinforces a guiding philosophy that has remained constant: Client First. Nation Always. As India’s infrastructure and industrial landscape continues to expand, the need for timely insights and coordinated action becomes more critical than ever. Through this AI-powered transformation, Projects Today is positioning itself not just as an information provider, but as an enabler of growth, partnerships, and progress.

In a rapidly evolving economy, where speed and precision are key, this platform represents more than just a technological upgrade. It signals a shift towards smarter engagement, better alignment, and faster execution—ensuring that opportunities don’t just exist, but are effectively realised.

Business

Radisson & MBD Join Forces to Expand Luxury Hospitality in India

Tanisha Cardozo

In a major boost to India’s evolving hospitality landscape, Radisson Hotel Group has announced a long-term strategic partnership with MBD Group under a Master Franchise Agreement, aimed at expanding its luxury and lifestyle portfolio across the country. The collaboration will primarily focus on scaling two of Radisson’s premium brands—Radisson Collection and Radisson RED—at key locations nationwide.

Anchored in global brand standards and governance, the partnership combines Radisson’s international hospitality expertise with MBD Group’s strong foothold in development and operations. While Radisson Hotel Group continues its independent expansion strategy in India, this alliance adds a powerful channel to accelerate growth in one of its most important markets.

As part of this collaboration, the well-known Radisson Blu MBD Hotel in Noida will undergo a significant transformation and be repositioned as Radisson Collection MBD following a comprehensive upgrade. The property, already among the top-performing hotels in Radisson’s India portfolio, will be elevated to align with the luxury standards of the Radisson Collection brand, reinforcing the group’s strategy of upgrading landmark assets alongside developing new properties.

India’s premium hospitality sector is witnessing strong momentum, driven by rising demand for high-end, design-focused experiences. This partnership directly responds to that shift, with both companies aiming to deliver hotels that blend aesthetic refinement with immersive guest experiences. The vision is not just expansion, but the creation of distinctive spaces that reflect both global standards and local cultural narratives.

Over the next decade, the partnership targets the development of 50 co-branded hotels across Radisson Collection MBD and Radisson RED MBD. The strategy will largely follow an asset-light model, with approximately 80 percent of the portfolio comprising managed and franchised properties, while the remaining 20 percent will be owned assets. This approach allows for scalable growth while maintaining operational efficiency and long-term brand value.

The positioning of the two brands within the partnership is clearly defined. Radisson Collection MBD will cater to the luxury segment with a focus on curated, timeless experiences, while Radisson RED MBD will take a more dynamic and aggressive approach, targeting the lifestyle segment with bold, design-driven concepts. Together, they aim to redefine how luxury and lifestyle hospitality is perceived in India.

The partnership also builds on a longstanding relationship between the two groups, spanning over two decades. Rooted in trust, shared values, and a commitment to excellence, the collaboration reflects a deeper vision of shaping India’s hospitality future. With a combined focus on innovation, cultural storytelling, and operational excellence, both organizations are positioning themselves to meet the expectations of modern travellers.

As India continues to emerge as a key global travel destination, initiatives like this are expected to play a crucial role in strengthening the country’s hospitality ecosystem. By integrating global expertise with local insight, the partnership between Radisson Hotel Group and MBD Group sets the stage for a new generation of luxury and lifestyle destinations, designed to deliver meaningful experiences while contributing to sustainable, long-term growth in the sector.

Business

MSMEs Backbone of Economy, Key to Viksit Bharat: CMD IREDA at 22nd Stakeholders’ Meet

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Written by Intern Rency Gomes || Team Allycaral 

New Delhi, February 23, 2026: Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Ltd. (IREDA) organised its 22nd Stakeholders’ Interaction Meet at the India International Centre, New Delhi, under the chairmanship of  Pradip Kumar Das, Chairman & Managing Director. The event saw participation from nearly 100 borrowers and business partners representing various segments of the renewable energy value chain.


The meeting commenced with a detailed presentation outlining IREDA’s recent achievements, financial performance, major initiatives and an Action Taken Report addressing issues raised during the previous interaction. Stakeholders engaged with the management on sector-specific concerns, policy developments and financing norms.

Addressing the gathering, Das stressed the importance of maintaining strong asset quality and adhering to the highest standards of corporate governance to ensure IREDA’s long-term sustainability. On queries regarding interest rates, he explained that the organisation focuses on mobilising funds from the lowest possible cost sources and passing on the benefits to renewable energy developers. He noted that this approach aligns with RBI and other regulatory guidelines while supporting accelerated growth in the renewable energy sector in line with the Government of India’s vision.

Highlighting the importance of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), Das described them as the backbone of the economy and essential contributors to the Viksit Bharat vision by 2047. He added that MSMEs must uphold strong and qualitative corporate governance standards to enable lenders to extend financing at competitive rates.

The CMD further informed stakeholders that IREDA has strengthened its manpower across entry-level, middle and senior management positions by recruiting professionals from CPSEs, banks and private organisations, along with Executive Trainees from leading campuses, to enhance leadership capacity and operational efficiency.

The interaction concluded with a vote of thanks delivered by Dr. Bijay Kumar Mohanty, Director (Finance), IREDA.

Business

Alcobev Industry Urges Goa Govt to Delay DRS Rollout Amid Supply Chain Concerns

Tanisha Cardozo

The alcoholic beverage industry has urged the Goa government to defer the implementation of the proposed Deposit Refund System (DRS), citing serious operational, logistical, and economic concerns. The current rollout date of April 2, 2026, has been described by industry leaders as unrealistic and potentially disruptive.

Key industry bodies, including the Brewers Association of India, International Spirits and Wines Association of India, and Confederation of Indian Alcoholic Beverage Companies, jointly met officials from the Goa DRS Administration Committee, along with excise authorities and the appointed system operator, to discuss the framework.

While supporting the environmental intent behind the DRS, the industry has highlighted multiple gaps in the current proposal. One of the primary concerns is the lack of clarity around the Unique Serial Identifier (USI) specifications, which are critical for tracking and managing bottle returns. Without these guidelines, manufacturers are unable to begin essential preparations such as inventory buildup for the peak season.

The industry has also warned that existing production lines would require significant modifications, potentially reducing efficiency by 25–30 percent. This could lead to a shortfall of 10–15 lakh cases during the high-demand summer months. Additionally, high-speed technological alternatives would require up to five months for installation and validation—time that is not available under the current schedule.

Financial implications are equally concerning. Industry estimates suggest that disruptions could result in losses of hundreds of crores, including a projected ₹100 crore decline in excise revenue for the state.

Concerns have also been raised about the preparedness of the appointed system operator. With only 300 proposed return vending machines, the infrastructure is seen as inadequate to handle the volume of bottles recycled monthly. Furthermore, the proposal to impose a flat ₹10 deposit across all products—regardless of price—has been questioned as impractical.

Industry leaders have welcomed the formation of a joint taskforce to address these issues but emphasized that meaningful consultation requires adequate time. They have recommended deferring the rollout to post-October 2026 to ensure smoother implementation and avoid unintended economic consequences.

The development sets the stage for further discussions between policymakers and industry stakeholders, as Goa attempts to balance environmental responsibility with economic sustainability.