MAM
Ace Creative Learning forays into retail education
BENGALURU: Indian integrated learning player, Ace Creative Learning (ACL) has forayed into the retail segment with its flagship product – DeekshaTAB.
With a Rs 5 crore investment into the development of the software for this product, the company is targeting revenue of Rs 15 crore with a customer reach of 5000 until the end of this fiscal. And has an ambitious of crossing revenues of Rs 100 crore over the next three years. ACL says that DeekshaTAB is a one stop shop for CET/COMED-K aspirants across the country.
The DeekshaTAB , manufactured by Lenovo weighs around 400 grams, has an 8 inch display, and will be available at a price of Rs.34,999. ACL says that the DeekshaTAB is among a series of products that it plans to line up in the coming months that will be targeted at spirants for other competitive exams such as JEE, NEET, GATE and UPSC. By 2020, ACL is looking to reach out to 50000 students that will use the DeekshaTAB and eyeing a 20 per cent stake of the education tablet business.
ACL has planned a Rs 50 lakh print and digital campaign over the next 45 days to push DeekshaTAB. At present, the ACL has planned to sell the product directly to students, but is looking at channel partners. Overall, the company expects to close this fiscal with revenue of Rs 50 crore. It marketing spends are around Rs 3.5 crore reveals ACL VP of sales and marketing Venkatesan E. ACL’s creative and media buying is generally inhouse, with a part of the media buying being looked after by Torque Communications.
ACL had introduced the integrated learning programs in colleges to combine preparation for board exam and competitive exams through the Deeksha System in 2004. In 2008, ACL had raised investments of Rs 41 crore, from Accel Partners, Catamaran and Kaizen Private Equity.
Brands
From mega bills to spontaneous dates: Swiggy Dineout Valentine’s report
From mega bills to last-minute plans, India celebrated love with flair
MUMBAI: Valentine’s Day 2026 was a feast for the senses and wallets alike, according to Swiggy Dineout. India’s on-demand dining platform revealed how the nation celebrated romance with big gestures, lively nights out, and plenty of spontaneous bookings.
Metropolitan hubs continued to rule the roost with Bengaluru, Delhi, and Hyderabad seeing the most reservations. Emerging cities aren’t far behind, with Ahmedabad, Jaipur, and Chandigarh joining the party. Growth was particularly striking in Surat (up 180 per cent), Vadodara (155 per cent) and Bhubaneswar (145.5 per cent) compared with the previous Saturday.
Mumbai stole the headlines with a single customer splashing out Rs 130,155 – the highest bill in the country. The city also hosted the largest single group booking, with 30 diners coming together to celebrate in style. Most Valentine’s transactions took place between 10pm and 11pm, proving love, and hunger, strike late.
Mumbai stole the spotlight with a mega-spender whose bill made everyone else blush, while savvy diners were cashing in on discounts, including a Pune customer saving 60% and another in Bengaluru saving 50 per cent. Fine dining was on fire, with bookings up 121 per cent year-on-year, though pubs, bars, and lounges remained the crowd favourites, accounting for 30.6 per cent of all reservations. Last-minute romance was the order of the day, with 66 per cent of diners booking within two hours of heading out. Together, India saved over Rs 6 crore, proving that love can be grand, yet thrifty.
Bengaluru, Mumbai, and Delhi led the premium dining rush, showing a growing appetite for curated, high-end experiences. Meanwhile, spontaneous bookings reinforced modern lifestyles, where convenience and instant gratification rule the day.
Whether it was big spends, huge groups, or a last-minute romantic dash, Valentine’s Day 2026 proved love and dining go hand in hand – and sometimes, they go all out.
