Brands
Culture Circle unveils Hyderabad’s ultimate luxury fashion hub
MUMBAI: Culture Circle, made a spectacular entrance into Hyderabad with an exclusive launch event at Broadway, Banjara Hills. The two-day affair combined high-fashion, celebrity presence, and record-breaking auctions, marking a significant moment for the city’s style-conscious community.
Following its successful debut in Delhi, Culture Circle’s expansion into south India reinforces its position as a trusted marketplace for authentic sneakers and premium streetwear. The store offers direct access to coveted global brands such as Nike, Yeezy, Jordan, Dunk Low, Jacquemus, Gucci, Prada, Fendi, and Dior at competitive prices.
The red-carpet gathering saw the presence of noted personalities, including entrepreneurs Rana Daggubati and Naga Chaitanya, actress Sobhita Dhulipala, media personality Rhea Chakraborty, and movie star Sreeleela, further establishing Hyderabad as a prime destination for high-end fashion.
A major highlight of the event was a high-energy auction featuring rare collectibles, resulting in intense bidding wars,
– Lost & Found Dunks acquired for Rs 50,000 by Vivek.
– Louis Vuitton city of dreams collection secured by investor Aditya for Rs 2 lakh.
– Rolex Hulk sold for Rs 22 lakh to entrepreneur and actress Parul Gulati.
– Limited Edition Stanley x Messi collaboration fetched Rs 17,000.
– Nike Air Jordan 1 Pine Greens added to the collection of Nasher Miles founder Abhishek.
– Tiffany Pendant purchased at Rs 85,000 by Broadway CEO Sankalp.
– Patek Philippe watch valued at Rs 1.2 crore, acquired by an undisclosed celebrity.
Culture Circle distinguishes itself through AI-powered authentication and KYC-verified sellers, ensuring all items are genuine and available at the best prices in India.
Culture Circle co-founder & CEO Devansh Jain Nawal stated, “Hyderabad has long been a hub of culture, cinema, and luxury, making it an ideal location for our expansion. Our goal is to offer the finest luxury and streetwear at the most competitive prices.”
Culture Circle co-founder & COO Ackshay Jain, added, “This is more than just a store; it’s a space for sneaker and fashion enthusiasts. With Hyderabad now home to our second store, we are thrilled to bring authentic and exclusive products to a wider audience.”
Celebrity guests also shared their excitement,
Culture Circle, entrepreneur, Rana Daggubati, said, “I’ve been looking for Lebron UK13 for so long, and it’s finally available on their app!”
Culture Circle, entrepreneur and actress, Gulati, remarked, “I was searching for this exact Rolex piece this morning, and I found it at Culture Circle’s auction!”
Culture Circle, media personality, Rhea Chakraborty, commented, “Everyone must check out Culture Circle it has everything in luxury fashion!”
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.
