Brands
Asics steals the spotlight at New Delhi Marathon’s historic 10 edition
MUMBAI: Asics took centre stage at the Apollo Tyres New Delhi Marathon, marking a grand celebration of its 10 edition with an overwhelming turnout of over 25,000 runners. As the official sports goods partner, Asics reinforced its commitment to fostering a thriving running culture and elevating the experience for elite athletes and fitness enthusiasts alike.
Asics athlete Harmanjot Singh dominated the Half Marathon, securing a remarkable victory and further solidifying Asics’ legacy in long-distance running. His triumph highlighted the brand’s dedication to performance, endurance, and innovation, underscoring the transformative power of running.
The 2025 marathon edition underscored Asics’ mission to redefine the running experience with cutting-edge footwear, apparel, and accessories. Designed for maximum endurance, Asics’ gear played a crucial role in helping runners push beyond their limits. As thousands crossed the finish line, they carried forward a legacy of resilience and fitness culture in Delhi.
Speaking on the partnership, Asics India managing director Rajat Khurana, expressed pride in Asics’ continued association with the marathon, “We are delighted to continue this association with the Apollo Tyres New Delhi Marathon for the second consecutive year. This association reinforces Asics’ vision of promoting wellness and active lifestyle through running. At Asics, we believe in the transformative power of running and its ability to inspire people to achieve their individual fitness goals. The overwhelming participation and spirit showcased by Singh, who claimed victory in the Half Marathon, truly embody our philosophy of a sound mind in a sound body. We remain committed to supporting the running community in India and providing world-class performance gear to help athletes achieve their best.”
Echoing this sentiment, NEB Sports chairman & managing director Nagraj Adiga, praised Asics’ impact on the event, “The partnership between Asics and the Apollo Tyres New Delhi Marathon is a perfect synergy of performance, endurance, and dedication. Asics’ commitment to providing world-class running gear elevates the race experience for participants and further strengthens India’s growing marathon culture. It’s truly humbling to witness participants from across India and beyond coming together in Delhi to be a part of this marathon event.”
Asics continues to dominate the global running space, earning the trust of professional athletes and fitness enthusiasts worldwide. With technologically advanced running products and initiatives such as the Asics Running Club, the brand remains steadfast in fostering an inclusive and supportive running ecosystem across India.
As the marathon concluded, one thing was clear Asics isn’t just about selling shoes. It’s about building a movement, one stride at a time.
Brands
Samsung certifies 1,000 Maharashtra students in AI and coding
The South Korean electronics giant marks its first large-scale skilling push in the state, with women making up nearly half the national programme’s enrolment
PUNE: Samsung has put 1,000 students in Maharashtra through a certified training programme in artificial intelligence and coding, the largest such drive the South Korean electronics company has run in the state and a signal that corporate India’s skilling ambitions are moving well beyond the boardroom brochure.
The certifications were awarded under Samsung Innovation Campus (SIC), the company’s flagship corporate social responsibility programme, which launched in India in 2022 with the stated aim of democratising access to future-technology education. The 1,000 graduates were drawn from four institutions: 127 from Savitribai Phule Pune University, 373 from Pimpri Chinchwad University, 250 from D.Y. Patil University’s Ramrao Adik Institute of Technology and 250 from Anjuman-I-Islam’s Kalsekar Technical Campus. All completed training in either AI or coding and programming, the two disciplines Samsung has identified as the critical pillars of the digital economy.
The programme does not stop at technical training. Soft-skills development and career-readiness modules are baked into the curriculum, a deliberate attempt to close the gap between what universities teach and what employers actually want.
“India’s digital growth story will ultimately be shaped by the quality of its talent pipeline,” said Shubham Mukherjee, head of CSR and corporate communications at Samsung Southwest Asia. “As technologies like AI move from the periphery to the core of industries, skilling must evolve from basic training to building real-world capability. This milestone in Maharashtra reflects how industry and academia can come together to create a future-ready workforce that is both globally competitive and locally relevant.”
The Maharashtra drive sits within a rapidly scaling national effort. Samsung Innovation Campus trained 20,000 young people across India in 2025, hitting its stated target for the year. Women account for 48 per cent of national enrolments, a figure the company cites as evidence of its push for an inclusive technology ecosystem. The programme is implemented in partnership with the Electronics Sector Skills Council of India and the Telecom Sector Skill Council.
Samsung, which is marking 30 years in India this year, runs SIC alongside two other initiatives, Samsung Solve for Tomorrow and Samsung DOST, as part of a broader effort to build what it calls a generation of innovators with both the technical depth and the problem-solving mindset to thrive in a fast-moving digital world.
A thousand certified students is a tidy headline. Whether they find jobs that match their new skills is the harder question, and the one that will ultimately determine whether corporate skilling programmes like this one are genuine pipelines or well-photographed gestures.
