MAM
Camlin, Bisleri to sponsor Designer Hunt 2003
MUMBAI: Several brands seem to have been bitten by the fashion bug and are using youth specific events to communicate their features, advantages and benefits.
In a one-of-its-kind fashion show in India, students of fashion designing institutes and the fashion industry will come together at the Designer Hunt 2003 to be held on 13 August at Mikanos in Mumbai. Camlin, Sab Miller, Bisleri, Baba Awards are some of the brands that are sponsoring this creative talent hunt event conceptualised and organised by ITEAM Events.
A press release says that Designer Hunt 2003 is also being supported by garment associations like the Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI) and the Cloth Manufacturers’ Association of India (CMAI). Bharattextile.com is the official online partner for the event.
The release quotes Yusuf Dohadwala of ITEAM Events as saying, “Designer Hunt 2003 is a sincere attempt to support young talent, providing them with a platform to unleash their creative streak and showcase their collections. The event is an opportunity to create a concrete connection between fashion schools and the fashion industry.”
The release states that for the first time, an event will mark the convergence of students, teachers, designers, garment exporters, boutique owners, retailers and celebrities, all assembled to witness liberation of creativity from its golden cage. The jury for the fashion show will include connoisseurs like Anita Dongre, Payal Singhal and Jaswinder Sachdev.
Dohadwala says, “We have chosen the theme of the fashion show as ‘Freedom-speak your mind’, as the event provides the young designers a world of creative independence to unfurl their imagination.”
Thirty finalists have been short listed from over 160 entries received from fashion designing students in Mumbai, Pune and Gujarat. Finalists from institutes like Nirmala Niketan, Rachna Sansad, JD Institute, Arena Multimedia, National Academy, Fashion Institute and Rai Foundation, amongst others, will display their collections through a fashion show choreographed by ace fashion choreographer Shaikh Shakir.
Brands
Airtel, Jio, Vi quietly raise tariffs with tweaks ahead of major hike
Airtel, Jio and Vi test subscriber response with subtle plan changes
NEW DELHI: India’s top telecom operators, including Bharti Airtel, Reliance Jio and Vodafone Idea, are quietly reworking their prepaid plans in what appears to be a calculated run-up to a broader tariff hike expected later this year.
Rather than announcing headline-grabbing price increases, the operators are opting for subtle tweaks that are less likely to trigger immediate consumer backlash. Industry observers describe this as a “testing the waters” approach, where small changes help gauge subscriber sensitivity while gradually improving revenues.
Among the most visible moves is plan pruning. Airtel has discontinued its popular Rs 799 pack, widely seen as a high-value offering, while nudging up the price of its Rs 859 plan to Rs 899. The changes may seem marginal, but across millions of users, they translate into meaningful revenue gains.
Reliance Jio, on its part, has taken a sharper route by slashing the validity of its Rs 195 plan from 90 days to just 30 days. The price remains unchanged, but the value per day has dropped steeply, effectively raising costs for consumers without altering headline tariffs.
Meanwhile, Vodafone Idea is restructuring its “NonStopHero” packs, limiting unlimited data benefits to night hours in several circles. The move trims usage flexibility while keeping plan positioning largely intact.
Another common tactic is bundling. Operators are increasingly pairing plans with OTT subscriptions such as streaming services, framing price adjustments as value additions even when the core offering remains largely unchanged.
The broader goal behind these moves is to lift ARPU (Average Revenue Per User), a key profitability metric in the telecom business. Airtel is targeting an ARPU of around Rs 300, up from roughly Rs 250, while Jio is under pressure to demonstrate stronger revenue growth ahead of a potential IPO. For Vodafone Idea, the urgency is more immediate as it seeks higher cash flows to fund 5G expansion and manage outstanding dues.
Industry estimates suggest that these incremental changes are a precursor to a larger, industry-wide tariff hike of 15 to 20 per cent, likely towards the end of 2026. The delay in announcing a full-scale increase is partly due to macroeconomic concerns, including inflation and volatile fuel prices, which could dampen consumer sentiment.
The push to monetise 5G is also gathering pace. After investing more than Rs 3 lakh crore in next-generation networks, operators are expected to gradually phase out free 5G data and reposition it as a premium service.
For consumers, the impact is already visible in small but steady increases in monthly bills. For telcos, however, this is a carefully choreographed build-up, easing users into higher spending before the bigger pricing reset arrives.
