e-commerce
India’s entrepreneurial arena touches new horizons with the Myntra Fashion Incubator programme
MUMBAI: In a development that is expected to boost the growth of the thriving fashion industry in India, Myntra.com, today created history in the world of fashion by announcing the shortlisted candidates for the Myntra Fashion Incubator (MFI) program. Renowned designers from the fashion industry, experts in the retail industry along with Myntra’s leadership team revealed the shortlisted names after a rigorous selection process held at Crowne Plaza, Bangalore.
Close to 30 promising applicants were asked to present their creative and scalable business ideas to the jury explaining their strategy on how their designs and ideas can be transformed into a sustainable business venture through the MFI platform. Live demonstrations of sample designs were displayed by the applicants for the benefit of the judges and audience. The judges–Wendell Rodricks, Rina Dhaka, Rohit Gandhi & Rahul Khanna and Paras Bairoliya–analyzed each participant’s design concept and announced the best applicants in the evening. Industry officials like Anant Daga, CEO,TCNS Clothing company, Sandeep Mukim, CEO, Proline India Ltd, Simeran Bhasin, CMO, Wildcraft were also part of the jury.
As part of the one year Designer In Residence (DIR) Program, Myntra will provide the selected candidates necessary design and work infrastructure, capital support and mentorship from a team of acclaimed designers. The DIR Program would cover essentials like branding, consumer behaviour, product design & development, pricing, inventory planning, retailing and financial planning among others.
The first batch of the incubator program will occupy the design space inside the Myntra campus by 15th January 2015 and work full-time on their brand. MFI will also provide these candidates an opportunity to showcase their brands in various platforms as well as to be retailed on Myntra.com. After completing one season, they can also pitch their fashion designs to MFI advisory board for investments to scale their business.
Abhishek Verma, Sr. VP, Myntra Fashion Brands said, “We have been excited about this initiative since day one, and now as this program is brought to life with these finalists, we believe it is going to revolutionise the fashion industry and set a new hallmark.” He further added, “At Myntra, we value and encourage the entrepreneurial spirit and therefore with initiatives like MFI, we aim to provide support to young talent and empower them to create sizeable indigenous fashion brands in the long-run. Through this initiative, we will also strengthen our commitment of building original, aspirational brands designed to be at par with latest global trends.”
Myntra, of late, has strengthened its private brands portfolio and entered into exclusive tie-ups with designer and international brands. The company has furthered its vision to create great fashion experiences for consumers and help them look good with services like the Style Helpline, ‘LookGood’ blog and the ‘Customer Wow’ initiative to name a few.
e-commerce
Instamart and Duolingo launch street spell check campaign for Instaprint
Duo the owl fixes signboard typos across cities to showcase instant printing.
MUMBAI: If spelling mistakes had a sworn enemy, it might just be a bright green owl with a printer. Instamart has teamed up with language learning platform Duolingo for a quirky nationwide campaign that turns everyday spelling errors into a public spectacle while promoting its instant printing service, InstaPrint. The playful activation takes aim at the many misspelled shop boards and public signs scattered across Indian streets. From “saloons” that promise haircuts rather than drinks to menus and posters peppered with punctuation mishaps, the campaign sends Duolingo’s mascot Duo on a mission to restore linguistic order.
Armed with Instamart’s instant printing feature, Duo prints corrected versions of the mistakes on the spot and pastes them over the originals. The result is a series of humorous street interventions that have quickly begun circulating on social media.
Photos and videos of the grammar correcting owl have been widely shared online, with amused users reacting to the unexpected spell check patrol. One user joked, “Ab ayega na maza bhidu,” capturing the internet’s delight at the unusual campaign.
Behind the humour lies a practical message. The activation is designed to showcase the capabilities of Instaprint, Instamart’s printing service that allows users to print documents and posters almost instantly.
The company says the feature is meant for everyday needs such as printing resumes, visa documents or last minute posters without the usual scramble to locate a print shop.
Instamart introduced Instaprint in 2025 across select metropolitan cities including Bengaluru, Mumbai and Delhi. The service allows users to order printed materials directly through the platform, extending the quick commerce model beyond groceries and household essentials.
By combining Duolingo’s famously persistent owl with India’s street level spelling quirks, the campaign taps into the internet’s long running fascination with grammar mistakes while demonstrating a real world use case for instant printing.
After all, in a world full of typos, sometimes what you really need is a quick printer and a very determined language teacher.
