Brands
Puma Urban Stampede across 8 cities; ropes in partners; media plans on the anvil
BENGALURU: Sports lifestyle brand Puma India is targeting about 10000 participants in this year’s edition of Urban Stampede from eight cities in the country. Last year’s edition of the event saw 3000 participants.
With the philosophy of introducing running to people who were fitness-focused but leading busy lifestyles, the idea of a corporate relay race ‘Puma Urban Stampede’ was born. Started in Bengaluru in 2008, Puma Urban Stampede has enjoyed unprecedented growth – prompting Runners for Life and Puma to take it to other cities says the company.
Flipkart has come on board as an associate sponsor, thereby increasing the scale and reach of the event. This year the event will travel to Pune, Chandigarh, Kolkata and Chennai in addition to the existing races in Mumbai, Bangalore, Delhi and Hyderabad.
Puma India MD Raji Mehta says, “Starting June 2014, the first Sunday of almost every month will see a Puma Urban Stampede taking place in one part of the country. This is the only national running event in India, and we’ve opened up the categories to allow more runners to participate – with the 4x5k Corporate Relay still taking pride of place in the overall event. This year, Puma will also fly down the national corporate relay winners to South Africa to participate in the renowned Safari Half-Marathon”.
Further, The Puma Urban Stampede will now feature a 2x10k Open Challenge as well as an individual 5k competition in addition to the 4X5k Corporate Relay.
Also, this year, Puma India has roped in Fortis as Medical Partners; Ginger as Hospitality Partners; Red FM as Radio Partners and Give India as Charity Partners.
“Our media plans for promotion of the event include online, social media as well radio through our radio partners Red FM. We will be doing outdoor and are planning to work out a media plan with a print partner across the 8 cities in which the event will be held. Creative work as well as media buying will be in-house,” revealed Mehta to www.indiantelevision.com.
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.
