Brands
Chhota Bheem leaps from screen to snack bar
HYDERABAD: India’s most popular animated character is hoping to strike gold by jumping off the telly and into the kitchen. Green Gold Animation, creator of Chhota Bheem, has partnered with EBG Group to launch India’s first Chhota Bheem-themed cafes—a Rs 200 crore bet that children’s entertainment can translate into family dining gold.
The first two outlets will open in Hyderabad’s Hitech City by December 2025, with an ambitious rollout of 50 cafes planned for 2026 and 300 across India thereafter. The venture could eventually expand globally, say the partners.
The cafes will come in two formats: a compact 25 x 40 ft express model and a larger 50 x 40 ft full-scale version. Franchise partners will stump up the capital whilst EBG manages operations, branding and training under a company-owned, company-operated model. The expansion is expected to create over 250 jobs, from chefs to merchandising staff.
Far from being mere eateries, these venues promise interactive play zones, storytelling corners, licensed merchandise and activities featuring Chhota Bheem, Chutki, Mighty Raju and other characters from Green Gold’s stable. The aim is to create what the partners call a “360-degree family entertainment ecosystem” where dining meets play.
Green Gold Animation founder & chief executive Rajiv Chilaka said: “Over the last 17 years, Chhota Bheem has grown beyond being just an animated character to becoming a cultural phenomenon loved by millions of children and families across India and beyond. This partnership allows us to extend this universe into a unique, real-world experience.”
Added EBG group founder & chief executive Irfan Khan: “This is not just about food, but about creating joyful experiences that families will cherish.”
Green Gold Animation, founded in 2001, has produced over 30,000 minutes of content across television, film and digital platforms. Its shows reach viewers in more than 100 countries through partnerships with Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Warner Bros Discovery. EBG Group is a multi-sector conglomerate spanning mobility, health, property, lifestyle, food, services, technology and education.
Brands
Ekart expands IKEA partnership with EV deliveries in Chennai
3PL to handle 600 plus products with 48 hour delivery via EV fleet.
MUMBAI: Flatpacks are going electric and your sofa might now arrive with a smaller carbon footprint. Ekart has expanded its partnership with IKEA to power last-mile deliveries in Chennai, doubling down on speed, scale and sustainability in one of India’s key urban markets. Under the collaboration, Ekart will manage end-to-end large-format deliveries for IKEA across the city using a 100 per cent dedicated electric vehicle fleet. The move makes Chennai the second major market after NCR-Delhi where Ekart handles IKEA’s last-mile logistics, signalling a broader rollout of EV-led supply chains.
The mandate is no small load. Ekart will oversee deliveries for over 600 products from IKEA’s catalogue, ranging from furniture to home décor—categories that demand specialised handling and precision logistics.
Backed by its technology-driven fulfilment network, Ekart is targeting deliveries within a 48-hour window, offering real-time tracking and end-to-end visibility from warehouse to doorstep. The focus is clear: faster turnarounds without compromising on control or customer experience.
The EV-first model also aligns with both companies’ sustainability goals, as urban logistics increasingly shifts towards zero-emission solutions. For IKEA, which continues to expand its omnichannel presence in India, reliable and eco-conscious last-mile delivery is becoming central to scale.
For Ekart, the partnership reinforces its positioning as an enterprise-grade logistics player in large-format commerce. The company already supports over 1,800 retail, D2C and enterprise brands, spanning last-mile delivery, part-truckload services and warehousing.
As India’s logistics ecosystem evolves, this collaboration highlights a growing trend: delivery is no longer just about distance, it’s about efficiency, experience and increasingly, emissions.
