iWorld
Rock and proposal as natural diamond steals the spotlight at Bengaluru gig
MUMBAI: Love took centre stage before the encore could, as a Bengaluru concert turned into an unforgettable mix of music, magic and a moment cut straight from a timeless romance. While thousands swayed to an iconic track, one man dropped to a knee and a natural diamond quietly became the night’s brightest spotlight.
For Tarun, the proposal to Smita had to unfold during their song, the melody that had scored their years together. But long before the crowd roared, he went looking for a diamond that would feel as enduring as the promise he was about to make. When the Natural Diamond Council (NDC) heard of his quest, they stepped in not with a campaign, but with guidance helping him pick a marquise-cut natural diamond, chosen for its elegance, rarity and emotional permanence.
It was a rare brand moment that unfolded far from polished boardrooms and scripted marketing. This was NDC meeting a consumer not via an ad, but at the heart of his life’s most personal milestone.
“What moved us was the intention,” said NDC managing director (India & Middle East) Richa Singh. “Millennials and Gen Z choose with purpose. A natural diamond isn’t fast-fashion, it carries meaning across lifetimes. Supporting Tarun wasn’t a campaign, it was simply being present where the consumer truly needed us.”
At A S Motiwala Fine Jewellery, where Tarun explored his options, the marquise stood out instantly. “He spent time understanding clarity, cut and symbolism,” said A S Motiwala Fine Jewellery managing director Ashraf Motiwala. “The elongated silhouette and amplified sparkle felt right for a proposal rooted in meaning.”
For Tarun, the choice was instinctive. “I wanted something from the earth’s core, something that grows over time yet stays like new,” he said. With Mr Motiwala’s guidance, the ring became even more personal, a perfect fit for a moment that would be replayed for a lifetime.
Concert proposals are fast becoming India’s newest cultural stage, big lights, loud hearts, shared emotion. But this one lingered long after the final note because of the stone at its centre: a natural diamond chosen not for trend, but for its promise of forever.
e-commerce
ONDC names Vibhor Jain MD and CEO; Rohit Lohia joins as CBO, Manoj Thakur as CTO
Leadership formalised as open commerce network sharpens focus on scale and user value
The Open Network for Digital Commerce has formalised Vibhor Jain as managing director and chief executive officer, cementing a leadership transition at India’s ambitious open commerce platform as it pushes for scale and relevance.
Jain, who had been serving as acting chief executive officer since April last year following the exit of Thampy Koshy, steps into the role with effect from 7th April , according to a report by The Economic Times. He previously served as chief operating officer at the government-backed network, which enables buyers and sellers to transact across applications through an open, interoperable system.
Setting out his strategy, Jain underscored the network’s differentiated architecture. “Going forward, we are concentrating on what open, interoperable infrastructure can uniquely enable, things that no single platform has the incentive or the architecture to do,” he said.
He added that the immediate priority is to widen ONDC’s impact across user cohorts often underserved by platform-led commerce. “My priority is to deepen the value ONDC creates for the people it exists to serve: kisaans, karigars, kiranas, gig workers, first-time investors, and daily commuters across India,” he said.
Jain also flagged leadership reinforcement within the organisation, noting that ONDC has “a strong and exciting leadership team in place”, with Rohit Lohia joining as chief business officer and Manoj Thakur as chief technology officer.
With over 18 years of experience spanning entrepreneurship and consulting, Jain brings a track record in technology-led, large-scale transformation programmes and internet businesses. At ONDC, he has been closely involved in shaping strategy and operations as the network seeks to move digital commerce away from platform-centric models towards an open network approach.
Before ONDC, Jain worked with JUMO, where he helped set up the fintech firm’s India operations, and led the India launch of Mobike, handling regulatory, policy and operational aspects of its market entry. Earlier, he co-founded Atlanta Healthcare, an air quality management company, and spent more than a decade in consulting roles at Andersen and EY, advising governments on public policy and technology-driven reforms, including work on the Aadhaar programme and tax systems.
The mandate is clear but the path is complex. As ONDC attempts to rewrite the rules of digital commerce, Jain now carries the burden of turning open architecture into mass adoption, in a market still dominated by platform power.
