MAM
ASN joins hand with SportzPower for South Asian region
MUMBAI: ASN (formerly Asia Sponsorship News) has entered into a strategic business partnership with SportzPower for the South Asian market, which includes Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and India.
ASN is an independent intelligence service for non-traditional media that has been tracking and analysing over 10,000 ‘sponsorship’ deals for almost a decade over a varied fields including sports, branded content, native advertising, movie partnerships and celebrity endorsements.
Shedding light upon what this alliance means for India, ASN founder and CEO Ben Heyhoe Flint says, “Our data shows India as the second biggest market for sponsorship and branded content in Asia, next to China, so our partnership with Sportz Network Pvt Ltd is pivotal in enabling us to get under the skin of this enormous marketplace. With them, we look forward to unlocking even more insights into this seemingly complex trading environment.”
This is backed by the fact that ASN’s India Index, ASN’s tracker of all non-traditional investment in India alone reached $740 million in 2014, representing a 9.2 per cent YoY gain and a 15 per cent share of the entire ASN Index.
Sportz Network co-founder Thomas Abraham stresses upon India’s fast growing sponsorship market and ASN’s potential in the local markets where brands need the right information and analysis to buy, sell or plan their sponsorship activity.
Brands
Maharashtra panel orders Lodha to refund Rs 5 crore to homebuyers
Consumer court flags unfair practices in long-running property dispute case
MUMBAI: In a sharp rebuke to one of India’s biggest real estate players, the Maharashtra State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission has directed Macrotech Developers to refund nearly Rs 5 crore to a senior citizen couple, Uttam and Anindita Chatterjee. The ruling, delivered on March 13, 2026, calls out the developer for “deficiency in service” and “unfair trade practices”, bringing closure to a dispute that has stretched over a decade.
The case traces back to 2015, when the couple booked a 3-BHK flat at World Towers in Lower Parel for Rs 12.22 crore, with possession promised within a year. What followed was a series of changes that complicated matters. After deciding to exit the project, they were persuaded to shift to a 4-BHK in another development priced at Rs 8 crore, with delivery scheduled for 2018. However, within months, the price was allegedly increased to Rs 10 crore. After demonetisation reshaped the market, similar flats were reportedly being offered at lower prices, but the couple were not given the benefit.
Despite paying over Rs 2.83 crore, the couple neither received possession nor clarity. Instead, in 2018, the developer unilaterally cancelled the booking, retained part of the amount as earnest money, and argued that the buyers were investors rather than consumers. The commission rejected this claim, observing that casual references to “investment” do not take away consumer rights when the purchase intent is residential.
The bench also held that the developer could not penalise buyers for payment delays while failing to meet its own delivery commitments. It noted the lack of formal documentation for revised terms and termed the prolonged retention of funds without delivering a home as exploitative.
As part of its order, the commission directed the developer to refund Rs 2.83 crore paid by the couple, along with interest at 10 per cent per annum, amounting to around Rs 2.12 crore. In addition, Rs 1 lakh has been awarded for mental agony and Rs 50,000 towards litigation costs, taking the total payout to over Rs 5 crore. The developer has been asked to comply within two months.
For now, the ruling serves as a reminder that in real estate, shifting terms and delayed promises can carry a significant cost.
