MAM
Ford Models to host first India casting call in Mumbai this May
Global agency opens doors for Indian talent with rare open scouting event
MUMBAI: Ford Models, one of the most influential names in the global fashion industry, is making its India debut with an open casting call in Mumbai, offering aspiring models a direct shot at international recognition.
Scheduled for May 16, 2026, at Jio World Drive in Bandra Kurla Complex, the casting marks the agency’s first official scouting initiative in the country. For many, it could be a rare chance to step onto the global fashion stage without leaving home turf.
Founded in 1946 in New York by Eileen Ford, the agency has spent over eight decades discovering and shaping some of the most recognisable faces in fashion. Its expansion into India reflects the growing importance of the country as both a fashion market and a talent hub.
The open call invites applicants aged between 15 and 25 from across India. Eligibility criteria include a minimum height of 170 cm for women and 180 cm for men, with parental consent required for those under 18. Registrations are currently open, with shortlisted candidates getting the opportunity to be evaluated directly by Ford’s global scouting team.
Unlike conventional auditions, this initiative is positioned as a gateway to international exposure. Selected talent could gain access to runway shows, global campaigns and representation across major fashion capitals, placing them firmly on the industry’s radar.
The move also signals a broader shift, with global agencies increasingly looking beyond traditional markets to discover diverse, fresh faces. India, with its expanding fashion ecosystem and rising global influence, is fast becoming a key stop on that scouting map.
For aspiring models, the message is simple: sometimes, all it takes is being in the right place at the right time. This May, Mumbai could be exactly that place.
Brands
Kaspersky and KidZania want Indian children to fight hackers before they hit their teens
Kaspersky and KidZania open a cyber investigation centre in Mumbai to teach children how to outsmart hackers
MUMBAI: India’s children are growing up online faster than anyone can protect them. Kaspersky, the global cybersecurity firm, is betting that the best way to fix that is to make six-year-olds feel like detectives.
The company has opened a Cyber Investigation Centre inside KidZania Mumbai at R City Mall, Ghatkopar, in what it is calling a first-of-its-kind cybersecurity role-play experience for children. Kids suit up in Kaspersky uniforms, sit down at dedicated workstations loaded with security software, and spend 20 minutes cracking simulated cases of phishing, identity theft and cyberbullying. Up to six children can play investigator at a time. Those who crack the case walk away with a personalised Kaspersky Cyber Investigator card — and a healthy suspicion of dodgy links.
The timing is not accidental. In India, 82.2 per cent of children have access to a mobile device by the age of 14. They use it to stream, game, chat and study. Most of them have never heard the word “phishing.”
“The earlier we equip children with the awareness and skills to navigate the digital world safely, the stronger our collective digital future becomes,” said Jaydeep Singh, general manager for India at Kaspersky. Tarandeep Singh Sekhon, chief business officer of KidZania India, put it more plainly: “Every parent today is thinking about how to prepare their child for a digital-first future.”
The partnership comes with commercial sweeteners. Visitors buying KidZania tickets get a complimentary two-month Kaspersky trial subscription. Annual pass holders get a full year’s subscription thrown in. Discount vouchers go out at the exit gates.
The launch ceremony leaned into KidZania’s theatrical DNA — a diya lighting, a dance performance, a key handover, a parade through the miniature city, and a ribbon-cutting at the new centre.
Cybercriminals, it turns out, do not discriminate by age. Kaspersky and KidZania are hoping that neither will the next generation of people trying to stop them.
