Brands
Callebaut partners with Chef Arvind for the second consecutive year in India
Mumbai: Callebaut, renowned for its authentic Belgian chocolates with a 100-year legacy, is thrilled to announce its continued collaboration with acclaimed chef Arvind Prasad as their brand ambassador in India for the second consecutive year. This partnership holds significant importance for Callebaut as it aims to fortify its connections with partners and showcase the diverse applications of its products.
Over the past year, Chef Arvind has represented the brand across several platforms. Some key highlights of last year are representing Callebaut at prominent events like India’s largest trade show, Aahar in Delhi, engaging with the chef community and influencers in the food industry, and participating in the CIBUS Parma trade show in Italy representing India.
Chef Arvind shared, reflecting on his collaboration with Callebaut, “In my culinary journey, I’ve worked with numerous renowned chocolate brands, but it’s with Callebaut that I’ve found a truly reliable partner. What excites me most about Callebaut chocolates is its workability, versatility, and unique Belgian Chocolate taste, enabling me to craft my best creations.”
For Diwali this year, Chef Arvind has conceptualized an exciting entremet, ‘Diya,’ an egg-free creation that pairs the richness of dark chocolate with saffron and a blend of nuts. He noted, “For this creation, I really wanted to create an indulgent dessert, pairing Belgian Chocolate with ingredients synonymous with Indian festivities, in this case, a blend of pistachios, almonds, and cashews, which are used extensively for Diwali gifting.”
Discussing the brand’s growth and the ongoing partnership with Chef Arvind, Barry Callebaut India MD Dhruva Sanyal the company that produces the Callebaut brand, stated, “Our focus is on expanding our reach among the chef’s community and promoting the Finest Belgian Chocolate across India. The collaboration with Chef Arvind has been incredibly fruitful, drawing attention to our Callebaut brand and integrating its products into well-known hospitality brands across India. We eagerly anticipate Chef Arvind’s extensive pastry expertise and reputation to elevate Callebaut’s brand awareness and market share.”
This year, Chef Arvind is scheduled to conduct several masterclasses, with the first interaction scheduled at the Bakery Biz in Mumbai on 29 November 2023. He will also continue creating, sharing, and inspiring his best creations via Callebaut’s digital platforms and be involved in Callebaut’s pan-India competition, which is aimed at providing an opportunity for the chef community to showcase their talent and compete for the title of ‘Callebaut Patissier of the Year.’
Brands
Uidai partners with Google to help users locate Aadhaar centres
Verified Aadhaar centres to appear on Maps with services and access info
MUMBAI: Finding an Aadhaar centre may soon be as easy as finding your favourite café. In a move aimed at making public services more accessible, the Unique Identification Authority of India has partnered with Google to display authorised Aadhaar centres on Google Maps. The feature, expected to roll out in the coming months, will allow residents to locate verified centres quickly and confidently.
More than 60,000 Aadhaar centres, including state of the art Aadhaar Seva Kendras, will be mapped. When users search on Google Maps, they will be directed to authorised facilities rather than unverified listings, helping curb misinformation and confusion.
The listings will do more than drop a pin. Users will be able to see the nature of services offered at each centre, whether it is adult enrolment, child enrolment, or limited to address and mobile number updates. Details such as operating hours, parking availability and divyang friendly infrastructure will also be shown wherever applicable.
Uidai CEO Bhuvnesh Kumar, said the collaboration is part of the authority’s continued effort to improve ease of living for Aadhaar holders by making authorised centres simpler and faster to navigate.
The partnership will deepen in its next phase, with Uidai using Google Business Profile to manage information and respond directly to public feedback. Looking ahead, the two organisations are also exploring the option of enabling appointment bookings through the Google Maps interface, potentially allowing residents to plan their visits with greater efficiency.
Google India country head, strategic partnerships Roli Agarwal, said integrating verified Aadhaar centres would help millions access trusted services with confidence, bringing essential government infrastructure closer to the people who need it most.
If all goes to plan, a routine Aadhaar update may soon begin not with a queue, but with a search bar.
