Brands
Ola lights up homes with ‘Shakti’ energy storage system
MUMBAI: Ola has flipped the switch on a new kind of power. With Ola Shakti, the company is charging into the fast-growing Rs 1 lakh crore Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) market, bringing clean, home-grown energy straight to Indian households.
Launched in Bengaluru, Ola Shakti marks Ola Electric’s first step beyond electric mobility into energy storage for homes, farms and small businesses. It uses the company’s indigenous 4680 bharat cells and is fully designed, engineered and manufactured in India.
“India doesn’t face an energy shortage; it faces an energy storage opportunity,” said Ola Electric CMD Bhavish Aggarwal. “With Ola Shakti, we are turning that opportunity into energy independence.”
Available in four configurations of 1.5 kwh, 3 kwh, 5.2 kwh and 9.1 kwh, Ola Shakti starts at an introductory Rs 29,999 for the first 10,000 units. Reservations are open at Rs 999, and deliveries will begin on Makar Sankranti 2026.
Compact, stackable and built to last, Ola Shakti offers efficiency of up to 98 percent and zero maintenance costs. It promises instant power during outages, protection from voltage fluctuations and weatherproof reliability tested for monsoon conditions.
The system can also think for itself. Through real-time insights, intelligent scheduling and remote updates, Ola Shakti helps users manage power smarter, reduce bills and make the switch to clean energy effortless.
Brands
Devyani International Ltd plans three-subsidiary merger to streamline operations
QSR operator moves to streamline structure and unlock operational synergies
Devyani International is tightening its corporate kitchen. The quick-service restaurant operator has approved a scheme to merge three subsidiaries—Sky Gate Hospitality, Blackvelvet Hospitality and Say Chefs Eatery—into the parent company in a bid to simplify its structure and sharpen operational efficiency.
The decision was cleared at a board meeting on March 10 and disclosed in a regulatory filing to the stock exchanges. The merger will take effect from April 1, 2025, subject to statutory approvals.
All three transferor companies are direct or indirect wholly owned subsidiaries, meaning no fresh shares will be issued and the shareholding pattern of Devyani International will remain unchanged once the scheme is completed.
The subsidiaries together operate more than 100 outlets—including dine-in restaurants and cloud kitchens, spread across over 40 cities such as Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Kolkata and Bengaluru.
Devyani International, the largest franchisee of Yum Brands in India, said the consolidation is aimed at generating operational synergies, optimising resource utilisation and reducing layers within the corporate structure.
Financially, the move brings together businesses of varying scale. As of March 31, 2025, Devyani International reported a net worth of Rs 10,381.02 million and turnover of Rs 33,493.33 million. Sky Gate Hospitality posted a net worth of Rs 761.14 million with turnover of Rs 2,657.57 million, while Blackvelvet Hospitality and Say Chefs Eatery reported smaller operations and negative net worth.
The merger will consolidate these operations under a single corporate umbrella as the company sharpens its focus on scale and efficiency.
Devyani International currently runs more than 2,000 outlets across over 280 cities in India, Nigeria, Nepal and Thailand. Its portfolio includes franchise rights for brands such as Pizza Hut, KFC, Costa Coffee, Tea Live, New York Fries and Sanook Kitchen, alongside its own food brands.
With the paperwork underway and approvals pending, Devyani is essentially clearing the corporate clutter—turning three subsidiaries into one tighter, leaner operation. In the QSR world, even the back office needs a spring clean.
