Brands
Damac unveils tropical dream with Islands 2 launch
MUMBAI: Dubai is getting a taste of paradise with Damac Properties’ latest splash, Damac Islands 2, a master community inspired by the world’s most scenic islands. Following the record-breaking success of Damac Islands 1, this new project promises a tropical escape right in the heart of the city.
Damac Islands 2 draws inspiration from eight dream destinations, Antigua, Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, Cuba, Maui, Mauritius, and Tahiti. The community blends lush landscapes, crystal lagoons, and wellness-focused design to create a luxury retreat where calm and sophistication meet.
Damac Properties managing director Amira Sajwani said, “DAMAC Islands 2 captures the energy of the tropics and the ambition of Dubai. It is more than a place to live; it is an invitation to experience paradise in the heart of our city.”
The launch event at the Coca-Cola Arena was star-studded, with Hindi cinema actors Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt gracing the occasion alongside Arab music sensation Majid Al Mohandis.
Residents will enjoy wellness pavilions, floating decks, open-air spas, and nature-inspired retreats, providing a rare sense of calm in Dubai’s fast-paced urban environment. The project’s horizontal design makes it stand out in a city dominated by vertical developments.
Property sales in Dubai are booming. In the first 290 days of 2025, sales reached AED 525.87 billion, surpassing 2024’s record-breaking figures. In Q3 alone, there were 59,228 transactions worth AED 170.7 billion. Damac Islands led villa and townhouse sales in H1 2025 with 4,185 transactions, while Damac Hills 2 recorded 1,942.
Damac Islands 2 offers a range of luxury homes: six-bedroom villas of around 583 square metres, five-bedroom twin villas of 324 square metres, five-bedroom townhouses of 293 and 263 square metres, and four-bedroom townhouses of 203 square metres. Prices start at AED 2.7 million.
Adding a playful twist, Damac has launched a global competition to find the ultimate islander. The winner will enjoy an all-expenses-paid trip and live as an employee on one of the eight islands.
Damac’s past launches have shown strong investor confidence, with price growth from launch at Damac Hills 1 townhouses up 86 per cent, Damac Hills 1 villas 72 per cent, Damac Hills 2 townhouses 60 per cent, and Damac Islands villas 29 per cent.
With Damac Islands 2, Dubai residents can now sip a virtual cocktail under swaying palms without ever leaving the city, proving that paradise can come with a postcode.
Brands
Hocco crosses Rs 530cr revenue in two years
Sauce.vc-led Rs 100cr raise values ice cream brand at Rs 2,500cr pre-money as quick commerce hits 20 per cent of sales.
MUMBAI: Hocco has just scooped a seriously sweet milestone crossing the Rs 530 crore revenue mark in just two full years of operations. The fast-growing Indian ice cream and indulgence brand announced it has raised Rs 100 crore in fresh capital led by Sauce.vc. The round values the company at Rs 2,500 crore pre-money and underscores investor confidence in its rapid scale and distinctive India-first approach.
Founder Ankit Chona said the brand’s success stems from solving real Indian challenges extreme summer heat, fragmented cold chains and culturally rooted tastes. “In India, product development doesn’t end in the lab. It only ends when it survives the street,” he noted. This philosophy has produced viral hits such as Aamchi mango ice cream, BIX cake-sponge sandwiches, the Oh cone and culturally relevant collaborations like Haldiram’s Barfi and festive Modak specials.
Hocco currently operates manufacturing facilities in Ahmedabad and Panipat with a production capacity of approximately 3 lakh litres per day, running near full capacity in peak season. The fresh capital will help expand this to around 4.5 lakh litres per day.
Quick commerce has emerged as a major growth engine, now contributing ~20 per cent of overall business and growing nearly 2x year-on-year. The channel has boosted product discovery, increased consumption frequency and helped extend ice cream beyond its traditional seasonal limits.
Sauce.vc founder Manu Chandra said, “At Sauce, we believe that when you chance upon an outlier business, you double down with stronger conviction. We see Hocco as just that.”
With a strong innovation pipeline, deeper distribution and continued focus on cultural relevance, Hocco is entering its third year aiming to capture even more mind space and market share. In a category long dominated by legacy players, this young brand is proving that the coolest way to win is to build for India’s realities, one scoop, one street and one satisfied craving at a time.
