Brands
Cumin Co rises to the occasion with new bakeware and Pooja Dhingra
MUMBAI: Baking in India just got its biggest rise yet and this time, it’s not coming out of an oven but from a homegrown brand betting big on design, science and a dash of star power. Cumin Co, India’s first patented, 100 per cent toxin-free enamel cast iron kitchenware brand, has officially stepped into the bakeware arena, whisking in Pooja Dhingra as the face of its porcelain-grade ceramic and enamel cast iron collection.
For a country where home baking has exploded into a full-blown cultural movement, the category has long lacked products built specifically for Indian kitchens. Cumin Co’s new launch attempts to plug that gap and power a major growth leap. The company is targeting a Rs 100 crore ARR by next year, backed by material innovation, category expansion and rising consumer demand for toxin-free, high-performance kitchenware. With India’s bakeware market currently pegged at $100 million, the brand is aiming to capture 10 per cent of the segment within 2–3 years.
At the heart of the launch is a collection engineered for the pressures and peculiarities of Indian cooking. The porcelain-grade ceramic bakeware promises exceptional heat distribution, easy release, and resistance to stains, oils and lingering aromas, all pain points for Indian bakers battling compact ovens and flavour-heavy recipes. Meanwhile, the four-layer enamel cast iron range, which includes a Braiser and Bread Oven, is crafted for superior heat retention, even crusts and consistent baking outcomes, whether you’re tackling gratins or trying your hand at artisanal sourdough.
But the most flavourful ingredient in the mix is Pooja Dhingra. As India’s most influential baking voice, her presence lends emotional heft and industry credibility to a category that is equal parts technical craft and nostalgic comfort. For millions who learnt to bake with her recipes, reels or cafés, she represents both aspiration and authenticity, a cultural shorthand for everything warm, sweet and home-made.
Co-founders Niharika Joshi and Udit Lekhi say the expansion was born out of necessity. “Indian homes have embraced baking like never before, yet the tools have not kept pace. Most bakeware today isn’t designed for Indian ovens, Indian ingredients or the intensity of Indian cooking routines,” they said. “This collection is our answer to that gap. And having Pooja on board deepens this mission, she embodies the emotional connection, creativity and cultural evolution that baking now holds in Indian households.”
With its patented materials, toxin-free promise and design built around real Indian cooking behaviour, Cumin Co is positioning itself not just as a bakeware challenger but as a full-stack, innovation-led kitchenware ecosystem. If all goes to plan, the brand won’t just rise, it might help India’s entire baking culture rise along with it.
Brands
Uber launches hotel bookings feature in partnership with Expedia
From hotel bookings to room service at your door, the ride-hailing giant is making its boldest push yet into everyday life
CALIFORNIA: Uber is done being just a taxi app. At its annual GO-GET product event, the world’s leading mobility and delivery platform unveiled a sweeping set of new features designed to plant itself at the centre of how people travel, eat and shop, hotel bookings included.
The headline move is a partnership with Expedia Group that lets Uber users in the United States book hotels directly within the Uber app, with access to a catalogue that will eventually grow to more than 700,000 properties worldwide. Uber One members get 10 per cent back in Uber One credits on all hotel bookings and savings of at least 20 per cent on a rolling list of more than 10,000 hotels globally. Vacation rentals from Vrbo, Expedia Group’s home-rental brand, will be added later this year. The partnership is expected to expand beyond the United States. From June, Uber rides will also be integrated directly into the Expedia app, with push notifications sent to travellers ahead of hotel check-in to book discounted Uber rides for the duration of their stay.
Dara Khosrowshahi, chief executive of Uber, framed the expansion in terms of the modern condition. “Uber is becoming an app for everything, helping people go, get, and now travel all in one place,” he said. “We’re all living through a moment of real cognitive overload: too many apps, too many decisions, too much noise. At the end of the day, our job is to help people reclaim their time, spending less of it managing the logistics of life and more of it actually living.”
Ariane Gorin, chief executive of Expedia Group, struck a similarly ambitious note. “Travel should feel effortless, and this partnership gets us one step closer to offering a seamless traveller experience,” she said. “By connecting our two-sided marketplace with Uber, we’re bringing Uber rides directly into the Expedia app and Expedia Group’s lodging inventory into the Uber app through our Rapid API technology. Together, we’re helping travellers spend less time planning and more time enjoying the journey.”
Beyond hotels, the product announcements come thick and fast. Travel Mode, available within both the Uber and Uber Eats apps, offers curated recommendations on local favourites, tourist destinations, OpenTable restaurant reservations and on-demand delivery to hotel rooms. Uber One International means the membership programme now works globally, allowing members to earn credits on rides abroad that can be redeemed once back home. A new Shop for Me feature lets users request items from any store, even those not listed on the app. Eats for the Way allows riders in select cities booking an Uber Black or Uber Black SUV to have a drink or snack waiting for them in the car. Voice Bookings, powered by artificial intelligence, lets users book a ride conversationally, without touching their phone. And a redesigned One Search bar consolidates results for places, food and items across the entire Uber platform in a single query.
Uber has now logged more than 72 billion trips since it launched in 2010. The question it is now answering is what comes after the ride. The answer, apparently, is everything else. Whether users want a hotel in Paris, a coffee in the back of a car or a snake plant from the local garden centre, Uber would very much like to be the one to provide it. The app economy’s land grab has a new front-runner.
NOTE: The image used is AI generated and only for representational purposes.
