MAM
Bharti announces roadmap for retail venture
MUMBAI: Bharti Retail (Pvt.) Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Bharti Enterprises announced the strategic roadmap for its retail operations.
The Company has planned an investment of $ US 2 to 2.5 billion by 2015. Bharti Retail has pan-India operational plans and is looking at approximately 10 million square feet of retail experience across cities.
The company also plans to employ 60,000 including ex-servicemen, women and youth.
Bharti Retail plans to launch its retail outlets in two formats- hypermarkets and supermarkets. It is also looking at partnering with existing local store owners across India through a franchise model for the small store format.
Bharti Retail will store all food and grocery categories, fresh fruits and vegetables, meat and poultry, dairy products, staples, FMCG and processed foods, electronics and appliances, clothing and footwear, furniture and furnishing, and other household articles.
Bharti Enterprises joint managing director Rajan Bharti Mittal said, “After revolutionizing the Indian telecom sector, retail will be the next big focus area for Bharti. Organised retail, which currently accounts for only 3% of the total market, has tremendous growth potential in the fast expanding Indian economy. The sector will also offer enormous direct and indirect employment opportunities while attracting huge investments.”
Bharti’s retail chain also promises to provide ready outlets to the relatively ‘unknown’ brands of small manufacturers, which are sold as private labels. A significant percentage of the overall volumes are expected to be sourced from the small-scale sector.
The company is currently looking at approximately 10 million square feet of retail experience.
Bharti Enterprises has interests in telecom, agri business, insurance and retail. Its recent foray into retail business is under a company called Bharti Retail Pvt. Ltd formed in an MoU with Wal-Mart for the cash & carry business.
MAM
Lego brings Messi, Ronaldo, Mbappé, Vinicius together
Campaign clocks 314 million views ahead of FIFA World Cup 2026 buzz.
MUMBAI: Four legends, one frame and not a single tackle in sight. Lego has pulled off a crossover few thought possible, uniting Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior in a single campaign ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026 only this time, they’re building dreams brick by brick.
Titled “Everyone wants a piece”, the campaign features the quartet assembling a Lego version of the World Cup trophy, before placing miniature versions of themselves atop it, a playful nod to football’s ultimate prize. Shared widely across social media, the ad carries a pointed disclaimer: it is not AI-generated, a subtle but telling signal in an era where even reality is often questioned.
The numbers tell their own story. The campaign has already crossed 314 million views on Instagram across the players’ accounts, with fans hailing it as a rare, almost nostalgic moment particularly for the reunion of Messi and Ronaldo, whose last shared campaign ahead of the 2022 World Cup became one of the platform’s most-liked posts.
Beyond the film, Lego is extending the play with exclusive, player-themed sets tied to each of the four stars, part of a broader football-led programme designed to ride the global momentum building towards 2026. The idea, as echoed by the players themselves, leans into the parallels between football and play experimentation, creativity, failure, and triumph.
Messi described the sets as a way to bring on-pitch moments into an imaginative, hands-on world, while Ronaldo called the transformation into a Lego figure a rare honour, blending sport with storytelling. Vinícius, meanwhile, struck a more personal note, recalling childhood moments of building with Lego and framing creativity as a universal language that transcends borders.
The timing is no accident. With the 2026 World Cup set to run from June 11 to July 19 across the United States, Canada and Mexico, and featuring an expanded 48-team format, global anticipation is already building. Argentina, led by Messi, will enter as defending champions, adding another layer of intrigue.
For Lego, the campaign does more than celebrate football, it taps into its mythology. Because when icons become figurines and rivalries turn into play, the beautiful game finds a new kind of pitch. one built, quite literally, by hand.
