Monday, October 26, 2026
Home Blog Page 32

Seré Resort Goa expands private villa stays in Vagator

0

Seré Resort Goa has expanded its private villa offering in Vagator, Goa, strengthening its focus on private stays, personalized service, and group travel. The resort’s expanded offering caters to travellers seeking greater privacy and flexibility during their stays.

Spread across one acre, the property comprises eight fully serviced villas, each equipped with a private pool, living spaces, and dedicated butler service. Together, the villas can accommodate up to 52 guests, making the resort suitable for family holidays, group travel, destination weddings, and private events.

The resort has built its accommodation concept around in-villa experiences. Guests can enjoy dining, spa treatments, and floating breakfasts within the villas, along with curated culinary experiences designed specifically for private groups.

In addition, the property gives guests the flexibility to arrange dining and other services within their villas instead of depending exclusively on shared resort facilities. This approach is designed to support travellers who prioritise personalised experiences and private spaces.

The resort’s offering comes as villa-led accommodation gains relevance among travellers looking for alternatives to conventional hotel stays. Seré Resort Goa has positioned its private villa model around the demand for greater privacy, flexibility, and customised services, particularly for longer stays and group travel.

The property also incorporates eco-conscious elements into its design while maintaining a private setting for longer and group stays. This combination supports the resort’s focus on creating a more personalized accommodation experience.

Seré Resort Goa said its positioning reflects changing travel preferences in Goa, where private accommodation and personalized experiences are becoming increasingly relevant to travellers seeking alternatives to conventional hotel stays.

With its eight-villa offering and capacity for up to 52 guests, Seré Resort Goa is expanding its presence in the private-stay segment in Vagator. The resort’s focus on in-villa services, personalized hospitality, and group accommodation places it among properties responding to the evolving demand for private and flexible travel experiences in Goa.

CGH Earth expands into Eastern Himalayas with Kurseong debut

0

CGH Earth has entered the Eastern Himalayas after more than four decades of operations in Southern India, marking a new phase in the hospitality group’s expansion. The Singell Tea Estate in Kurseong, West Bengal, represents its first venture beyond Southern India, while the group is also preparing a property in Kalimpong.

Located within the Singell Tea Estate, established in 1871, the Kurseong property combines a restored heritage bungalow with a contemporary wing. The retreat features 11 rooms and is designed around experiences that connect guests with the surrounding landscape and local culture.

Guests can take part in plantation walks, tea factory tours, village trails, riverside picnics, tea tastings, and storytelling sessions. These experiences provide an opportunity to explore the heritage and natural setting of the tea estate.

“At CGH Earth, we have always believed that travel is most meaningful when it is deeply connected to the spirit of a place. Our expansion into the Eastern Himalayas is a natural evolution of this philosophy. The region’s remarkable ecological diversity, cultural richness, and heritage offer an incredible opportunity to create experiences that are immersive, authentic, and rooted in the landscape,” said Michael Dominic, CEO & MD, CGH Earth Experience Hotels.

The property’s culinary offering also draws from the food traditions of the Darjeeling hills. Local ingredients such as gundruk, kinema, Himalayan nettles, silam, and buckwheat feature in the cuisine, with dishes prepared using techniques including foraging, fermentation, smoking, and slow-cooking.

Meanwhile, CGH Earth is extending the same approach to its planned Kalimpong property. The group’s expansion into the Eastern Himalayas places conservation, cultural heritage, and local communities at the centre of its hospitality strategy.

“For over three decades, CGH Earth has shaped hospitality around the belief that every destination should be left richer than it was found. Rooted in conservation, cultural heritage, and community partnerships, this philosophy will define both our Kurseong and Kalimpong properties,” said George Joseph, Vice President, Operations, CGH Earth.

With its Kurseong debut and upcoming Kalimpong property, CGH Earth is taking its destination-focused hospitality model into the Eastern Himalayas. The move expands the group’s geographic presence while maintaining its emphasis on landscape, heritage, local cuisine, conservation, and community-led experiences.

Allana Consumer Products eyes Rs 4,000-Cr revenue in 3 years

0
Manish Bandlish, Managing Director, Allana Consumer Products

Allana Consumer Products (ACPL) is preparing to invest Rs 500-600 crore over the next 2-3 years as the company accelerates expansion across pet food, bakery, coffee, and fruits and vegetables while increasing its focus on consumer-facing brands.

The company, which currently generates around Rs 2,300 crore in revenue, is targeting Rs 4,000 crore over the next 2-3 years through a combination of organic growth and acquisitions. Newly appointed Managing Director Manish Bandlish is leading the expansion strategy.

“The agenda for me is to drive all the categories we have in India. Depending on the business model and the business case, I envisage anywhere between Rs 500-600 crore of overall capital investment in the country over the next 2-3 years,” Bandlish told.

A significant portion of the planned investment will go toward new capacity in coffee and bakery. ACPL is considering a Rs 300-400 crore greenfield project for value-added coffee, while another Rs 50-100 crore investment is planned for a bakery.

“We are number two in exports of green coffee from India, but we want to move into value-added products. Freeze-dried coffee is one area we are exploring, and that will require a greenfield investment of Rs 300-400 crore,” Bandlish said.

ACPL currently operates three coffee plants in South India. Its bakery facility near Mumbai has a capacity of 20,000 tonnes and is currently operating at 60-70 percent utilization.

Pet food is also expected to become an important contributor to the company’s growth. The segment currently generates around Rs 180 crore, with ACPL aiming to increase this to Rs 250-300 crore in 2-3 years.

“We have one of the largest pet food manufacturing plants in India near Hyderabad. We launched our domestic brands Bowlers and Purrfeto over the last 1.5-2 years, and now we want to take these brands forward with larger, more aspirational product lines,” Bandlish said.

Meanwhile, ACPL is expanding its consumer presence in frozen foods through Home Fresh. The company is reviving the brand in India, with a launch planned by mid-September across frozen food categories, including vegetables and other convenience products.

“Frozen is another category booming in India. The younger generation is very conducive to processed and convenience foods,” Bandlish said.

The company is also evaluating acquisitions in the fruits and vegetables segment. At the same time, ACPL plans to create greater synergies among its pet food, bakery, and coffee businesses through shared research and development and product development capabilities.

ACPL currently generates around one-third of its revenue from India, while two-thirds comes from exports. Over the next 2-3 years, the company aims to increase the domestic contribution to 40 percent before potential additions to capacity push exports higher again.

“We are very strong in sourcing and manufacturing. The next step is becoming more consumer-centric and developing brands that deliver value directly to consumers,” Bandlish said.

The company’s consumer portfolio is set to expand further in the coming months. Alongside Home Fresh, ACPL plans to introduce value-added coffee products, high-protein ranges, new pet food products, and bakery categories in India over the next 3-6 months.

The planned investments and product launches mark a broader shift in ACPL’s strategy, combining its existing strengths in sourcing and manufacturing with greater emphasis on domestic consumption and branded products. With a target of Rs 4,000 crore in revenue over the next 2-3 years, the company is positioning its coffee, bakery, pet food, frozen foods, and fruit and vegetable businesses as key pillars of its next phase of growth.

Silver Lake in talks to acquire Workday in potential $43B deal

0

Private equity firm Silver Lake is in discussions to acquire Workday, the human resources and financial management software company, in a potential transaction that could rank among the largest software buyouts in history, according to people familiar with the matter.

Workday has a market value of about $43 billion. Silver Lake and the company have held discussions about a possible acquisition in recent months, the people said.

The talks remain ongoing, although there is no assurance that they will result in a transaction. The sources spoke on condition of anonymity because the discussions are confidential.

Workday’s stock has come under pressure this year as investors assess the resilience of traditional software businesses amid the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence. The company’s shares have declined about 15% this year and remain more than 40% below their 2024 peak.

The potential transaction comes as the software industry faces increasing scrutiny over how AI could reshape demand for established enterprise applications. For Workday, the market’s concerns have contributed to a significant decline in its share price from its 2024 high.

If completed at a valuation around its current market value, a Silver Lake acquisition of Workday would represent a major private equity transaction and rank among the largest software buyouts in history. However, the discussions remain preliminary, and the parties may ultimately decide not to proceed with a deal.

For now, Silver Lake and Workday continue to evaluate a potential transaction, with no final agreement announced.

Silver Lake and Workday remain in discussions over a potential acquisition involving the software company, which has a market value of about $43 billion. While the transaction could become one of the largest software buyouts in history, no deal has been finalised and the talks could still end without an agreement.

Kaara Hotels targets 120 properties, 15,000 jobs across North India

0

Kaara Hotels, a technology-enabled, asset-light hospitality company, plans to invest INR 1,000 crore over the next five years as it expands its presence across North India. The investment represents the first phase of the company’s broader national growth strategy, with Kaara Hotels targeting 120 properties across the region before entering other parts of the country.

The expansion will cover Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and NCR, Rajasthan, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh. Kaara Hotels expects these markets to benefit from demand across destination weddings, MICE travel, domestic tourism and the growing requirement for midscale hospitality options.

The company sees North India as the starting point for scaling its asset-light model, technology-driven operations and multi-brand hospitality portfolio. Furthermore, it plans to leverage the experience gained in the region, including its operational capabilities, partnerships and brand strength, as the foundation for its subsequent expansion across India.

Kaara Hotels will drive the expansion through a portfolio of five hospitality brands. Currently, Kaara, which caters to leisure travel, weddings, banquets and MICE events, and Aayra, an urban boutique midscale brand, are already operational. Meanwhile, three additional formats are under development to cater to varied traveller preferences and market segments.

The planned investment will be directed towards technology, sustainable infrastructure and brand development. In addition, Kaara Hotels will continue investing in HOSPINS, its proprietary AI-powered hospitality platform, which integrates property management, revenue optimisation and guest experience management across its properties.

The company also plans to incorporate sustainable construction practices and resource-efficient operations into its properties. Across the planned 120-property network, the expansion expects to generate up to 15,000 direct and indirect jobs.

Kaara Hotels intends to prioritise state-specific hiring, creating employment opportunities across hotel operations, food and beverage, events, facility management, transportation and local vendor ecosystems. This approach will strengthen the company’s engagement with local communities as it expands.

Kaara Hotels will fund the ₹1,000-crore investment through a combination of internal accruals, institutional debt, equity capital and strategic partner coinvestments in selected markets.

Commenting on the announcement, Puneet Sethi, Managing Director of Kaara Hotels, said, “North India offers the ideal foundation for the next chapter of Kaara Hotels. This investment is not simply about adding properties; it is about building a hospitality ecosystem powered by technology, sustainability and strong local partnerships. Our vision is to create brands that are relevant across different travel occasions while remaining rooted in our ‘Apna Sa’ philosophy of warm, personalised hospitality. By combining an asset-light expansion model with proprietary technology and disciplined execution, we believe we can scale responsibly, generate meaningful employment and create long-term value for our partners, guests and the communities in which we operate. The experience, operational excellence and brand equity we build across North India will serve as the blueprint for our future expansion across the country.”

The North India expansion marks the first stage of Kaara Hotels’ wider plan to establish a scalable, technology-enabled hospitality platform across India. By combining an asset-light model with multiple brands, proprietary technology and a focus on sustainable operations, the company aims to build consistent guest experiences while supporting long-term growth across the country’s travel and tourism markets.

Pride Hotels & Resorts signs 40-key resort in Sasan Gir

0

Pride Hotels & Resorts has expanded its presence in Gujarat with the signing of a new 40-key resort in the Sasan Gir Forest Area. The property will target leisure travellers, families and groups visiting the region for wildlife and nature-focused experiences.

The upcoming resort will feature 40 rooms along with a swimming pool, party plot, children’s play area and restaurant. Its location in Sasan Gir will also provide guests with access to the area’s wildlife and leisure attractions.

The property is planned to serve a broad range of travellers, including families and groups, as well as guests looking for weekend getaways or venues for destination events.

The signing comes as Sasan Gir continues to develop its hospitality infrastructure. The destination is known for wildlife tourism and its proximity to Gir National Park, making it a key location for travellers seeking nature and wildlife experiences.

The agreement between the property owners and Pride Hotels & Resorts forms part of the continuing development of accommodation options in the region. The new resort is expected to add to the range of stays available to visitors exploring Sasan Gir and its surrounding attractions.

With its 40-room inventory and leisure-oriented facilities, the property will strengthen the accommodation offering in Sasan Gir while catering to multiple traveller segments. The development further reflects the ongoing expansion of hospitality infrastructure around one of Gujarat’s prominent wildlife tourism destinations.

Home-cleaning products startup Scrubsy raises Rs 27-Cr to accelerate product innovation

0
Kartik Sibal, Ishan Suri, Nitin Jain and Aditya Bhasin, co-founders, Scrubsy

D2C home cleaning brand Scrubsy has raised ₹27 crore in a seed funding round led by V3 Ventures, as the Gurugram-based company looks to expand its product portfolio and scale its manufacturing capabilities. The company, operated by BoldChem Science, said it is now targeting more than ₹100 crore in annual recurring revenue by FY28.

It has been bootstrapped and says it is EBITDA-positive since inception. The fresh capital will be used to accelerate product innovation, expand manufacturing capacity and enter new categories, including car cleaners, laundry care and other home cleaning products.

Founded in 2025 by Kartik Sibal, Ishan Suri, Nitin Jain and Aditya Bhasin, Scrubsy develops foam-based cleaning products for kitchens, bathrooms and footwear. Its portfolio includes a kitchen cleaner that combines cleaning and disinfection, a multi-surface bathroom cleaner and a foam-based shoe cleaner. “This investment is a strong validation of our belief that home care deserves the same level of product innovation that we have seen across beauty, food and personal care,” said Sibal. “We own the entire process from formulation to manufacturing; we have been able to create solutions to ‘everyday’ cleaning challenges.”

The company has built its business around in-house research and development, formulation and manufacturing rather than white labelling. It also uses AI to analyse customer reviews and identify recurring cleaning problems, with the insights feeding into new product development and subsequent product iterations.

The company currently sells through its own D2C website and major marketplaces. “Home cleaning always felt like a hard category for us to invest in. But we’re always looking to back founders who are building differentiated brands with the potential to be category-defining. So, this is an exception. Scrubsy stood out because of the performance-first product and the team’s commitment to build everything in-house. But most of all, the exceptional execution. Building a profitable business at this scale, bootstrapped within a year in this category, is rare,” said Arjun Vaidya, cofounder, V3 Ventures.

Anthropic eyes $6 Billion acquisition of AI startup Decart

0

Anthropic PBC is negotiating a potential acquisition of artificial intelligence startup Decart AI for approximately $6 billion, according to people familiar with the discussions.

The transaction has not been finalised and could still fall through, the people said. If completed, the deal would become Anthropic’s largest known acquisition as the AI company approaches a highly anticipated initial public offering.

Decart develops software designed to improve chip efficiency and lower the cost of training artificial intelligence models. The technology could help Anthropic’s existing infrastructure handle increasing demand, according to a person familiar with the matter.

Anthropic has been making significant investments in computing capacity as it develops new AI products and serves a growing customer base. The company is known for making relatively few large acquisitions.

Under the proposed transaction, Decart’s team would become part of Anthropic’s inference and performance organisation, one of the people said.

Decart also works on generative video and develops so-called world models that can modify live video feeds instantly. That work reflects the startup’s high-quality infrastructure talent, the person said.

Representatives for Anthropic and Decart declined to comment.

Decart announced in May that it had raised $300 million in a funding round led by Radical Ventures. Nvidia Corp., Atreides Management, Valor Equity Partners and Adobe Ventures also participated, while existing investors Sequoia Capital, Benchmark and Zeev Ventures joined the round.

The funding valued Decart at almost $4 billion, according to the sources, up from $3.1 billion in August 2025. A potential $6 billion acquisition would therefore represent a substantial increase over the startup’s latest reported valuation.

Three Israeli engineers—brothers Dean and Orian Leitersdorf and Moshe Shalev—founded Decart in 2023.

The potential acquisition comes as leading AI companies face rapidly rising computing requirements. OpenAI and Anthropic have each committed to spending tens, if not hundreds, of billions of dollars on data centres equipped with expensive chips.

Both companies are increasingly turning to hardware from multiple providers to address their expanding computing needs. The substantial infrastructure costs, which the companies argue are essential to developing and supporting cutting-edge AI models, could also place pressure on the businesses as they prepare for Wall Street debuts in the coming months.

If completed, the Decart transaction would give Anthropic access to technology aimed at improving computing efficiency while bringing Decart’s infrastructure expertise into its broader AI development operations. The discussions remain ongoing, however, and no final agreement has been announced.

V Escapes launches Villa Moira, a luxury retreat in Goa

0

V Escapes has expanded its portfolio of curated private villa experiences with the launch of Villa Moira, a six-bedroom private residence in Moira, Goa. Set across an acre of untouched land, the property combines French-influenced contemporary design, natural surroundings and personalised luxury hospitality.

Villa Moira occupies a 4,200-square-metre site and preserves all 62 existing mature trees, including large mango and banyan trees that carbon dating has shown to be more than 200 years old. The design follows the site’s existing contours, allowing the architecture to adapt to the natural topography rather than significantly altering the landscape.

Designed by Alan Abraham of Abraham John Architects, the villa features a discreet entrance from a private road before opening into a residence arranged across multiple split levels. A central courtyard forms the core of the property, while the spaces follow the natural slope of the site.

The design gives each room framed views of the sky, treetops, or the verdant field and stream beyond. The muted material palette strengthens the connection with the outdoors, while a monolithic micro-concrete finish flows seamlessly from the floor to the walls and ceiling.

Local laterite stone, timber decks and Sukabumi tiles add tactile contrast to the understated interiors. The design approach, described as “material quietude”, places the landscape, natural light and changing shadows at the centre of the experience.

A floating roof unifies the villa, while pitched roofs above the bedrooms and common areas respond to Goa’s monsoon conditions. These sloping structures also draw from local vernacular architecture, combining practical functionality with a distinctive visual character.

Villa Moira’s layout plans to balance privacy with opportunities for social interaction. The mid-level entrance opens into a panoramic courtyard, while the living and dining areas connect directly to a deck and infinity pool overlooking the expansive field.

The bedrooms occupy quieter lower levels, while the gym, spa, gazebo and bar are positioned within landscaped pockets. The upper floor accommodates four bedrooms and a shaded passage leading to a raised deck with sweeping views.

Courtyards, water bodies and reflecting pools further contribute to the property’s calm atmosphere and environmental responsiveness. Rather than relying on rigid block architecture, the residence adopts a layered flow shaped by the site’s natural contours.

The six-bedroom villa includes nine bathrooms, expansive living and dining spaces, a 58-foot infinity pool, a heated Jacuzzi, a pickleball court, a spa, a gym, a gazebo and multiple outdoor gathering areas.

Guests will also receive V Escapes’ signature fully serviced hospitality. The offering includes 3 chauffeur-driven Mercedes cars for guest use, daily housekeeping, 24/7 security and concierge-led personalised services tailored to individual guest preferences.

Speaking on the launch, Vedant Gupta, founder of V Escapes, said, “Villa Moira represents everything we believe luxury hospitality should be today. It is not only about beautiful spaces but also about creating homes that feel deeply connected to their surroundings while offering guests exceptional comfort, privacy and personalised experiences. Every decision, from preserving every existing tree to designing spaces that flow naturally with the land, reflects our belief that great hospitality begins with thoughtful design.”

With Villa Moira, V Escapes is strengthening its presence in Goa’s luxury private-villa segment through a property that places environmental sensitivity, architecture and personalised service at the heart of the guest experience. The residence combines a carefully preserved natural setting with extensive leisure amenities and fully serviced hospitality, positioning it as a distinctive private retreat in Moira.

CYSEC GLOBAL returns with Indonesia’s biggest cybersecurity summit of the year, CYSEC INDONESIA 2026

0

August 2026: Indonesia’s premier cybersecurity summit, CYSEC INDONESIA 2026, the 21st Global Edition of CYSEC GLOBAL, is taking place on 20th August, 2026, at the Four Seasons Hotel, Jakarta.

Cyber governance leaders, CISOs, CIOs, cybersecurity VPs, and IT/OT Security Heads will be in attendance to discuss Indonesia’s most pressing cybersecurity issues.

The closed-door cybersecurity summit spotlights themes such as zero trust architecture and identity modernization, critical infrastructure and OT/ICS security, AI-powered security and autonomous threat defence among others.

CYSEC INDONESIA 2026 is honored to feature the Indonesia Industrial Cybersecurity Society (ID-ICS), Academic Computer Security Incident Response Team (ACAD CSIRT), The Indonesian Digitalization and Cybersecurity Association (ADIGSI), and ISC2 Jakarta Chapter as its supporting partners.

The flagship summit features eminent cybersecurity leaders from leading organizations like Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs (KOMDIGI), Ministry of Health, National Agency for Research and Innovation (BRIN), KADIN, Pusat Pelaporan dan Analisis Transaksi Keuangan (PPATK), Toyota Astra Motor, PT Pertamina Bina Medika IHC, and PT. Tiki Jalur Nugraha Ekakurir (JNE).

CYSEC INDONESIA 2026 is supported by leading global cybersecurity and technology companies, including Bitdefender, Exabeam, Ampcus, Sechard, Manage Engine, Checkmarx, agiva and promon.

We have an esteemed group of leading publications joining us as our media partners, including TekAfrika, Capital Bay News, NEN Digital, News Patrolling, IT Knowledge Partner, My Security Marketplace, MY Security Media, Business Review Live, ZEX PR Wire, Tech Revolt, World Business Outlook, Gazet International and Security Fire Africa.

CYSEC GLOBAL invites cybersecurity professionals, industry leaders, technology innovators, and decision-makers to join CYSEC INDONESIA 2026 and be part of the conversation shaping Indonesia’s cybersecurity future.

For more details about CYSEC INDONESIA 2026, please visit: https://indonesia.cysecglobal.com/

About CYSEC GLOBAL

CYSEC GLOBAL is a leading organizer of international technology and cybersecurity conferences and summits, dedicated to advancing dialogue, innovation, and collaboration across emerging digital domains. With a portfolio spanning AI, Cybersecurity, Cloud, and Digital Transformation events, CYSEC GLOBAL connects global visionaries, industry leaders, and solution providers to accelerate innovation and drive real-world impact.