Brands
Continental Coffee brews a summer twist with lemon iced tea debut
MUMBAI: Continental Coffee, best known for its hot brews, is diving headfirst into chilled territory with the launch of Continental This lemon iced tea premix—marking its first consumer-facing foray into tea.
Part of the CCL Products (India) Ltd portfolio, the new iced tea aims to tap into India’s rising thirst for at-home refreshment. While Continental’s tea blends were earlier reserved for institutional buyers under the Continental Chaay banner, this lemony twist is now hitting shelves nationwide in two formats: a 400g pouch and a handy 140g stick pack (10g x 14).
The product will brew its presence across general trade, modern retail and e-commerce players like Big Basket, Blinkit, Swiggy, Zepto and Amazon—serving up café vibes straight from the kitchen counter.
Continental Coffee chief marketing officer Raja Chakraborty said: “Today’s generation is exploring a wide range of beverage options when they step out—seeking variety, refreshment, and new experiences. Naturally, they want to recreate that same excitement and convenience when they’re back home. With our Lemon Iced Tea premix, we’re bringing that out-of-home experience indoors—offering a refreshing, easy-to-make option that’s both familiar and contemporary. Perfect for the Indian summer, this launch reflects our ongoing commitment to meeting evolving consumer needs with locally inspired innovations.”
Head of marketing Preetam Patnaik added: “Today’s generation is exploring a wide range of beverage options when they step out—seeking variety, refreshment, and new experiences. Naturally, they want to recreate that same excitement and convenience when they’re back home. With our Lemon Iced Tea premix, we’re bringing that out-of-home experience indoors—offering a refreshing, easy-to-make option that’s both familiar and contemporary. Perfect for the Indian summer, this launch reflects our ongoing commitment to meeting evolving consumer needs with locally inspired innovations.”
With Indian summers stretching longer and hotter, Continental’s pivot to iced tea could be just the cool-headed move it needs to expand beyond its coffee comfort zone.
Brands
33 per cent of women believe the salary scale is rigged: Naukri report
Voices @ Work study finds rising calls for equal pay audits and lingering bias
MUMBAI: Progress may be visible in India’s workplaces, but many women still feel the need to tread carefully. A new report by Naukri reveals that one in two women hesitate to disclose marriage or maternity plans during job interviews, worried that such information could influence hiring decisions.
The findings come from the second edition of Naukri’s annual Voices @ Work International Women’s Day report, titled “What Women Professionals Want.” Drawing insights from more than 50,000 women across over 50 industries, the survey sheds light on evolving workplace aspirations alongside the biases that continue to hold women back.
One of the report’s most striking insights is the growing demand for equal pay audits. The share of women calling for regular pay parity checks has climbed to 27 per cent this year, up from 19 per cent a year ago. The demand now stands alongside menstrual leave as the most sought after workplace policy.
Interestingly, the call for pay transparency grows louder higher up the income ladder. Nearly half of women earning between Rs 50 lakh and Rs 1 crore annually say equal pay audits are a priority, suggesting that pay gaps become more visible as women move up the career ladder.
At the same time, confidence and ambition appear to be rising. About 83 per cent of women say they feel encouraged to pursue leadership roles, a significant jump from 66 per cent last year. Cities in southern India appear particularly supportive, with Hyderabad leading the way as 86 per cent of respondents there reported encouragement to step into leadership positions. The education sector recorded the highest sense of encouragement at 87 per cent.
Yet the report also highlights a growing trust deficit around pay equity. Nearly one in three women, or 33 per cent, say they do not believe men and women are paid equally at their workplace. That figure has risen from 25 per cent last year, pointing to widening perceptions of disparity as careers progress.
Bias in hiring and promotions continues to be the biggest hurdle. About 42 per cent of respondents say workplace bias is the main challenge for women from diverse backgrounds. The concern is consistent across major metros, with Chennai and Delhi NCR reporting similar levels.
Reluctance to discuss personal milestones during hiring processes is also widespread. While 34 per cent overall said they hesitate to share marriage or maternity plans in interviews, the anxiety increases with experience. Among professionals with 10 to 15 years of work experience, the figure rises to 40 per cent.
Info Edge group CMO Sumeet Singh, said the data reflects both progress and unfinished work. “Behind every data point in this report is a woman who is ambitious. The fact that 83 per cent feel encouraged to lead is something to celebrate. However, the fact that one in two still hide their marriage or maternity plans in interviews tells us the work is far from done. As India’s leading career platform, it felt not just important but necessary for us to shine a light on these gaps through the second edition of our report,” he said.
The report suggests that while ambition among women professionals is growing, structural changes around pay transparency, fair hiring and supportive policies will be key if workplaces hope to keep pace.
