MAM
Chanderi’s loom goes boom as MP kicks off three-month cultural fest
MUMBAI: Chanderi lit up in a riot of colour and craft on Thursday, as the three-month ‘Chanderi Eco Retreat and Fest’ spun into action, stitching together fashion, heritage, music and adventure at one of Madhya Pradesh’s most storied destinations. Organised by the Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board with the district administration and Sunset Desert Camp, the festival aims to position Chanderi as a premier cultural and textile hub with global appeal.
Inaugurated via video message by chief minister Mohan Yadav, the opening ceremony brought heavyweight presence to the tent city. union minister of communication and DoNER, Jyotiraditya Scindia, attended as chief guest, alongside Ashoknagar collector Aditya Singh, MP tourism deputy director Yuvraj Padole, Fabindia MD William Bissell, and Tata Taneira CEO Ambuj Narayan.
To mark the launch, Madhya Pradesh Tourism rolled out a high-energy fashion show headlined by Fabindia, the opening brand of the evening. Along with Taneira, Itokri, Noize Jeans and Zee’s by Tajwar, the showcase celebrated Chanderi’s legendary handloom tradition, turning centuries-old weaving mastery into a contemporary runway spectacle.
Speaking at the event, Jyotiraditya Scindia called Chanderi “a true marvel of our heritage,” noting its unique place in Sanskrit texts and India’s living craft culture. “It is essential that this profound cultural legacy reaches every corner of the globe,” he said, praising Fabindia’s role in amplifying Chanderi artistry worldwide.
The evening then transitioned into ‘Threads of Time: The Chanderi Saga’, an immersive fashion-and-music ceremony dedicated to the region’s weaving lineage. Fabindia unveiled a specially curated collection inspired by Chanderi’s textures, motifs and iconic weave, reinforcing its long-standing partnership with the artisan community.
“For over twenty-five years, our association has been built on respect, collaboration and a shared love for the loom,” said Fabindia Ltd managing director, William N. Bissell. He added that the younger generation’s growing involvement will carry Chanderi’s legacy “to new heights with every weave.”
Beyond fashion and culture, the tent city offers a burst of adventure for visitors, Hot Air Balloon Glow Shows, ATV rides, ziplines, air-gun shooting, and a line-up of DJ nights, live bands, and a light-and-sound show narrating Chanderi’s historic past.
The festival also promises a packed five-day opening celebration, featuring naturopathy sessions, weaving workshops, buyer–seller meets, heritage walks, yoga sessions, sound meditation, laser shows, and carefully curated experiences that immerse travellers in Chanderi’s craft-rich ecosystem.
Calling Chanderi “one of Madhya Pradesh’s proudest cultural treasures,” MP Tourism Board additional chief secretary (Tourism, Culture, Home, Religious Trusts & Endowments) and MD Sheo Shekhar Shukla, said the festival is an invitation to discover a world where “history, craftsmanship and living tradition come together in the most extraordinary way.”
With its creative confluence of loom, legacy and local experiences, the Chanderi Eco Retreat and Fest sets out to transform the town into a world-class cultural destination and for the next three months, all roads lead to Chanderi.
MUMBAI: In India’s fast-moving payments race, Visa has just swiped in a new leader. The company has named Suresh Sethi as its India country head, marking a key leadership shift as it sharpens its focus on digital payments growth in the market. Sethi steps into the role following his recent exit from Protean eGov Technologies, where he served as chief executive officer. He succeeds Sandeep Ghosh, who has moved on after more than four years at Visa to pursue an external opportunity.
The appointment comes at a time when Visa is doubling down on its expansion strategy across India and the wider region, deepening partnerships and accelerating adoption in an increasingly competitive digital payments ecosystem.
Sethi brings with him a broad, cross-market perspective shaped by decades of experience across corporate banking, retail financial services, mobile money and large-scale government technology initiatives. He began his career at Citigroup, where he spent 14 years working across India, Africa, South America and the United States, focusing on transaction banking services within the corporate bank.
His appointment signals a blend of institutional experience and market familiarity qualities that could prove critical as Visa navigates a landscape where fintech innovation, regulatory evolution and consumer adoption are all accelerating at once.
As digital payments in India continue to scale rapidly, the leadership change underscores a simple reality, in a market where every tap, scan and swipe counts, who leads the charge can matter just as much as the technology itself.
