Brands
Eveready lights up the dark with India’s first hybrid torch
MUMBAI: Eveready Industries, the household name in batteries and torches, has just sparked up the flashlight game. The company has rolled out India’s first hybrid torch, a slick, dual-powered device that runs on both a rechargeable battery and AA cells. Whether you’re stuck in a blackout or off-grid in the wild, Eveready’s new innovation ensures you’re never out of light.
The rugged-yet-lightweight hybrid torch packs a 1W super-bright front LED, a 1W side light, and a fast-charging USB Type-C port that juices it up in 2.5 hours. But the real kicker? When the juice runs dry, it seamlessly flips to battery-operated mode with 3 AA batteries. That’s right—this light won’t ghost you when you need it most.
Speaking on the launch, Eveready Industries India Ltd CEO Anirban Banerjee said, “Innovation is at the helm of all undertakings at Eveready. Over the years, this ideology has paved the way for us to consistently introduce unique and pioneering products that empower consumers. The latest offering from the house of Eveready reflects the brand’s legacy of innovation and trust, giving consumers uninterrupted lighting with modern convenience. Our Hybrid Torch, a new-age innovative solution, promises quality, convenience, and reliability to users while ensuring that they never run out of power. Going forward, Eveready will remain committed to delivering smarter, practical, and dependable solutions for consumers across Indian households.”
For a pop-culture punch, Eveready has teamed up with the upcoming supernatural thriller Nikita Roy, starring Sonakshi Sinha. The actress, who plays a woman grappling with literal and metaphorical darkness, features in the brand campaign to spotlight the torch’s 2-in-1 power feature. The torch, like Sonakshi’s character, is all about facing the dark head-on with resilience, and a good backup plan.
This marks Eveready’s second big flashlight drop in two years. Last year, the brand launched the Siren Torch, a rechargeable safety light with a 100-decibel alarm meant to protect women on the go. Both launches reinforce the company’s shift towards smart, design-forward, utility-first products.
“Our association with Sonakshi Sinha’s film Nikita Roy is more than just a product integration. It symbolizes resilience and the will to keep going, even in the darkest of times,” Banerjee added.
The hybrid torch is priced at Rs 399, comes in bold red and green, and is now available across major retail outlets and e-commerce platforms. Designed for travel, trekking, power cuts, or late-night fridge raids, this one’s got your back when the lights go out.
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.
