MAM
After Graf, hubby Andre Agassi inks deal with adidas
MUMBAI: Tennis superstar Andre Agassi and adidas have entered into a long-term partnership starting with the Mercedes-Benz Cup in Los Angeles on 25 July.
This agreement also offers a wide range of marketing opportunities as the world’s most famous sports couple, Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf, are now part of the adidas family. Graf, who has been with adidas throughout her career, has just like Andre been one of the most successful and admired athletes in the world.
From now on, Agassi will be exclusively wearing adidas footwear and apparel.
“I’m excited about my new partnership with adidas. Our relationship not only means that I will be working with one of the best brands in the world but, more importantly, also provides support to my foundation. Together, we will be able to give more at-risk kids a chance to succeed,” said Agassi.
“We are very much looking forward to what this new partnership will mean beyond our business in the traditional sense, especially in the US, for many years to come. Andre is indisputably one of the biggest athletes of the 21st century and we are excited to support Andre not only with the best product on court, but also through his foundation. We will be working closely with him on various initiatives well beyond the sport of tennis,” said adidas-Salomon AG executive board member responsible for Global Marketing Erich Stamminger.
In tennis, top athletes such as recently signed Andre Agassi, Justine Henin-Hardenne, Marat Safin and Guillermo Coria as well as adidas ambassadors such as Steffi Graf, Stan Smith, Ilie Nastase and Martina Hingis wear state-of-the art adidas tennis products.
Brands
Uidai partners with Google to help users locate Aadhaar centres
Verified Aadhaar centres to appear on Maps with services and access info
MUMBAI: Finding an Aadhaar centre may soon be as easy as finding your favourite café. In a move aimed at making public services more accessible, the Unique Identification Authority of India has partnered with Google to display authorised Aadhaar centres on Google Maps. The feature, expected to roll out in the coming months, will allow residents to locate verified centres quickly and confidently.
More than 60,000 Aadhaar centres, including state of the art Aadhaar Seva Kendras, will be mapped. When users search on Google Maps, they will be directed to authorised facilities rather than unverified listings, helping curb misinformation and confusion.
The listings will do more than drop a pin. Users will be able to see the nature of services offered at each centre, whether it is adult enrolment, child enrolment, or limited to address and mobile number updates. Details such as operating hours, parking availability and divyang friendly infrastructure will also be shown wherever applicable.
Uidai CEO Bhuvnesh Kumar, said the collaboration is part of the authority’s continued effort to improve ease of living for Aadhaar holders by making authorised centres simpler and faster to navigate.
The partnership will deepen in its next phase, with Uidai using Google Business Profile to manage information and respond directly to public feedback. Looking ahead, the two organisations are also exploring the option of enabling appointment bookings through the Google Maps interface, potentially allowing residents to plan their visits with greater efficiency.
Google India country head, strategic partnerships Roli Agarwal, said integrating verified Aadhaar centres would help millions access trusted services with confidence, bringing essential government infrastructure closer to the people who need it most.
If all goes to plan, a routine Aadhaar update may soon begin not with a queue, but with a search bar.
