MAM
Schbang owns up to its mistakes on Mental Health Day
NEW DELHI: As the world celebrates Mental Health Day, marketing solutions agency Schbang acknowledged the negative feedback it has received on its work culture and vowed to make changes through proactive initiatives.
The agency put up a carousel post on Instagram with the first slide reading, “We F**ked Up”. On the next slide, one can read some of the negative testimonials the company has received for its demanding work culture, long working hours, and less work-life balance.
The post also had a personal message from the agency: “Mental Health > Everything else. Time to acknowledge and be the change, start a conversation, because we all deserve better.”
Admitting its mistakes, the agency elaborated on five solutions that they have devised to make Schbang a more positive and mental-health friendly place. These include: ramped up hiring (they had hired 150+ new employees during the lockdown); getting an in-house therapist for employees; additional two mental health wellness leaves; enabling managers to have honest conversations with clients on work-load, briefs, and deliverables; and training managers to get full clarity on briefs before they start the work.
The two-day mental health leaves can be availed during a calendar year, and are carried forward, like other leaves, for three years in case one doesn’t take them.
The post was met with mixed reactions in the comments section. While many lauded the agency for making the bold move of owning up to its mistakes and taking serious corrective measures, other questioned whether this was just a marketing gimmick. One commenter also suggested that the agency should set some rules and guidelines for clients too, for the initiative to work.
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Maharashtra panel orders Lodha to refund Rs 5 crore to homebuyers
Consumer court flags unfair practices in long-running property dispute case
MUMBAI: In a sharp rebuke to one of India’s biggest real estate players, the Maharashtra State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission has directed Macrotech Developers to refund nearly Rs 5 crore to a senior citizen couple, Uttam and Anindita Chatterjee. The ruling, delivered on March 13, 2026, calls out the developer for “deficiency in service” and “unfair trade practices”, bringing closure to a dispute that has stretched over a decade.
The case traces back to 2015, when the couple booked a 3-BHK flat at World Towers in Lower Parel for Rs 12.22 crore, with possession promised within a year. What followed was a series of changes that complicated matters. After deciding to exit the project, they were persuaded to shift to a 4-BHK in another development priced at Rs 8 crore, with delivery scheduled for 2018. However, within months, the price was allegedly increased to Rs 10 crore. After demonetisation reshaped the market, similar flats were reportedly being offered at lower prices, but the couple were not given the benefit.
Despite paying over Rs 2.83 crore, the couple neither received possession nor clarity. Instead, in 2018, the developer unilaterally cancelled the booking, retained part of the amount as earnest money, and argued that the buyers were investors rather than consumers. The commission rejected this claim, observing that casual references to “investment” do not take away consumer rights when the purchase intent is residential.
The bench also held that the developer could not penalise buyers for payment delays while failing to meet its own delivery commitments. It noted the lack of formal documentation for revised terms and termed the prolonged retention of funds without delivering a home as exploitative.
As part of its order, the commission directed the developer to refund Rs 2.83 crore paid by the couple, along with interest at 10 per cent per annum, amounting to around Rs 2.12 crore. In addition, Rs 1 lakh has been awarded for mental agony and Rs 50,000 towards litigation costs, taking the total payout to over Rs 5 crore. The developer has been asked to comply within two months.
For now, the ruling serves as a reminder that in real estate, shifting terms and delayed promises can carry a significant cost.
