MAM
Vodafone ends sponsorship of Australian cricket team
MUMBAI: Telecom major Vodafone has backed out of its sponsorship of Australian Test team, thereby bringing to an end its 11-year-old partnership with Cricket Australia.
The next summer‘s Test series against South Africa and Sri Lanka will be the last of Vodafone‘s sponsorship of Australian cricket team.
CA executive GM commercial Mike McKenna said the high-profile partnership was one of the most successful and long-running in Australian elite sport. But like all sports‘ sponsorships, there comes a time when the sponsor achieves its partnership objectives and moves on with new strategic priorities.
“We understand that Test cricket has helped Orange, 3 and Vodafone become Australian household names and we look forward to continuing to work with Vodafone next summer in what will be the final season of our successful relationship,” he added.
McKenna noted that the Vodafone partnership, which had progressively profiled the Orange, 3 and Vodafone brands, had always had particular meaning for Australian cricket after the Orange brand of that time leapt in to fill the breach when Test cricket sponsor, Ansett, crashed on the eve of the 2001 Test season, leaving cricket without a Test partner just weeks before the start of that summer.
“Our partner, via these brands, has helped us promote Test cricket and the sport is better for their long-term support,” he said.
CA will, meanwhile, go to market for a new home-market Australian Test cricket team sponsor from 2013-14 with an Ashes summer as the launching pad for the new relationship. CA adds that it believes the Australian team playing Test cricket at home is possibly the most valuable sports‘ sponsorship asset in Australia.
“Our research shows the Australian public loves Test cricket, regards cricket as the sound of summer and that interest in cricket goes through the roof when the traditional enemy, England, tours this country,” McKenna said.
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.
