Brands
Crossbeats onboards Suryakumar Yadav as brand ambassador for its smartwatch segment
Mumbai: Crossbeats, India’s leading consumer technology brand has roped in cricketer Suryakumar Yadav as the brand ambassador for its smartwatch category. This is the first time Crossbeats has signed a brand ambassador since its inception.
Yadav will be the face of the brand’s existing and upcoming range of smartwatches SKY’s fearless approach to the game aligns perfectly with Crossbeats commitment to pushing the boundaries of technology. This collaboration would resonate with a wide audience, great dependability and high performance. The collaboration promises to be a game changer for Crossbeats as it will open doors for the brand to penetrate the new market.
Crossbeats co-founder Archit Agarwal said, “We are thrilled to collaborate with SKY and extend a warm welcome to him into the Crossbeats family. His consistency as a match-winner reflects Crossbeats’ energetic and dependable persona”.
On this association with Crossbeats- Yadav, who is exclusively managed by RISE Worldwide, said, “I have always believed in innovation, style and walking the extra mile for excellence. I am excited to partner with Crossbeats for their smartwatches category, which also pushes boundaries to strive for performance, design, aesthetics and technology.”
Crossbeats has always been the industry leader, however, this collaboration promises to be a game changer as it will open doors to penetrate the new market. With this new development, the brand is looking at redefining the smartwatch experience for the new generation and rigorously pushing its smartwatch segment in India. It is set to tap into new audiences and take the world of smartwatches by storm.
Brands
AI becomes key tool for Indian travellers, Agoda report finds
68 per cent plan to use AI for trips as 33 per cent already rely on it.
MUMBAI: Holiday planning is getting a software upgrade less “Where should we go?” and more “What does the algorithm say?” Indian travellers are increasingly turning to artificial intelligence to map their journeys, with new data from Agoda’s 2026 Travel Outlook Report suggesting that AI is fast becoming central to how trips are imagined, planned and booked.
While 33 per cent of respondents said they already use AI tools for travel planning, a far larger 68 per cent indicated they are likely to rely on it for their next trip pointing to a sharp acceleration in adoption in a market already comfortable with digital-first travel.
What travellers want from AI, however, goes well beyond basic search. The report shows 38 per cent are looking for recommendations on local attractions and activities, while 37 per cent expect personalised itineraries. Destination discovery remains a key use case at 29 per cent, with dining suggestions (23 per cent) and budget management (22 per cent) also emerging as practical applications.
The shift reflects a broader change in expectations AI is no longer a novelty but a planning companion expected to work across every stage of the journey, from inspiration to execution.
Trust levels appear to be keeping pace. Nearly 88 per cent of respondents said they either trust or feel neutral about AI-generated recommendations, including 53 per cent who expressed clear confidence. This builds on earlier trends, with Agoda’s 2025 survey showing nine in ten Indian travellers already using apps to book travel suggesting AI adoption is more evolution than disruption.
The company has been testing this appetite through initiatives such as its 2025 AI-powered Vacation Planner campaign, which generated customised itineraries and visuals based on user inputs, delivered with a layer of celebrity-led engagement.
For platforms like Agoda, which aggregates more than 6 million properties, over 130,000 flight routes and 300,000 travel activities, AI offers a way to navigate scale without overwhelming users turning abundance into relevance.
As AI continues to embed itself into everyday decision-making, India is emerging as a market where travel planning is not just going digital, but decisively intelligent.
