iWorld
Havells launches Myousic talent platform with WPP Media
Multi city programme targets 25 songs yearly with 250 plus Delhi and 200 plus Indore entries.
MUMBAI: If talent had a switch, Havells seems keen on turning it on and turning it up. Havells India has partnered with WPP Media to roll out Havells Myousic, a long-term talent development platform designed to discover and nurture grassroots musical talent across the country. Positioned as more than a traditional talent hunt, the initiative aims to build a sustainable music ecosystem centred on mentorship, creative ownership and original content creation.
The programme plans to identify emerging artists across singing, lyric writing, composition and music direction, with a target of producing 25 original songs within a single calendar year, an ambitious push to convert raw talent into tangible intellectual property.
The first leg of the initiative in Delhi has already wrapped up, clocking over 250 on-ground entries alongside more than 100 online submissions. Riding on this early momentum, the platform expanded to Indore, where an audition at Sage University on 5 April 2026 saw participation from over 200 artists across Madhya Pradesh and neighbouring regions.
What sets the programme apart is its emphasis on what happens after discovery. Shortlisted participants will enter an immersive bootcamp covering not just creative development but also copyright, publishing and industry frameworks areas often overlooked but critical for long-term sustainability in music careers.
The move comes against the backdrop of India’s vast but fragmented music talent pool, where access to mentorship, rights awareness and structured platforms remains limited. By integrating these elements, Havells Myousic is attempting to bridge a long-standing gap between talent and opportunity.
The initiative will continue its multi-city rollout in the coming months, with more locations expected to be announced soon.
For Havells, the pitch is clear, this isn’t just about amplifying voices, but about ensuring those voices own what they create.
e-commerce
Instamart report maps India’s summer shopping habits in 2026
Ice cream peaks at 9 pm, dahi tops orders as categories surge up to 300 per cent WoW.
MUMBAI: When the heat rises, India doesn’t just sweat, it shops with muscle memory. Instamart’s Summer Trends 2026 report paints a vivid picture of how the country navigates rising temperatures, revealing a pattern less about experimentation and more about ritual. From curd with every meal to a near-universal 9 pm ice cream habit, summer consumption appears deeply predictable and sharply responsive to heat.
As temperatures climbed through March and April, orders across key categories surged by as much as 300 per cent week-on-week. Mangoes, cold coffee, fizzy drinks and fruit popsicles led the charge, while cooling appliances such as fans and air coolers saw demand jump over 280 per cent. Summer accessories clocked the highest spike, with sunglasses soaring 650 per cent year-on-year.
At the centre of India’s summer basket sits a familiar hero, dahi. The dairy staple emerged as the most-ordered item overall, with six of the top ten products being curd-based. Fresh produce is also gaining ground, with watermelon and muskmelon seeing steady traction signalling a shift towards simple, cooling foods rooted in everyday habits.
Then comes the nightly ritual. Across cities, 9 pm stands out as the peak hour for ice cream orders, with demand between 6 pm and 9 pm more than doubling. Family-sized tubs dominate, suggesting planned indulgence rather than impulse buys. Chocolate remains the undisputed favourite, accounting for nearly one in four ice cream orders, ahead of vanilla, butterscotch and even seasonal mango.
Spending patterns reveal just how seriously India takes its summers. In Guntur, one user spent Rs 15,005 on energy drinks and mini fans, while carts in Goa, Bengaluru and Hyderabad crossed Rs 11,000, filled with everything from coconut water to cold coffee and ice cream. Kolkata followed closely with spends exceeding Rs 10,600.
While metros continue to drive volume, smaller cities are quietly outpacing them in intensity. Locations such as Central Goa, Thrissur, Thiruvalla, Nagercoil and Manipal recorded higher orders per user, suggesting that India’s summer cravings are as strong beyond big cities as within them.
Mango season, meanwhile, is off to an early start. Sindhu mango currently leads orders, followed by Banganapalli and raw mangoes, with Alphonso yet to peak. Bengaluru tops the charts in mango demand, outpacing Hyderabad and Chennai combined, while cities like Thanjavur, Pondicherry and Mangaluru are emerging as strong contributors.
Even beverages are getting an upgrade. Jeera masala soda surged 900 per cent in March, while cold coffee grew nearly 700 per cent, alongside rising demand for coconut water, buttermilk, lassi and milkshakes. Like ice cream, drink consumption peaks in the evening, reinforcing the rhythm of India’s summer routine.
Regionally, preferences vary but patterns align. Ahmedabad and Rajkot favour buttermilk and soft drinks, Chandigarh leans on lassi, while Bengaluru and Mumbai skew fruit-heavy. Chennai and Kochi opt for melons, and Delhi and Lucknow double down on buttermilk.
The takeaway is simple: India’s summer isn’t chaotic, it’s choreographed. And as the mercury climbs, so does a nation’s instinct to order exactly what it knows will cool it down.
