MAM
Fabcoins hit the fast lane as loyalty points book electric SUVs
MUMBAI: Loyalty points are no longer just window dressing at the checkout. In a move that pushes rewards out of the shopping bag and into the fast lane, Fabindia has teamed up with Mahindra Electric Origin SUVs to let Fabfamily members book premium electric SUVs using loyalty currency alone.
Under the partnership, customers can secure bookings for Mahindra’s Electric Origin models, the BE 6 and the XEV 9e, by redeeming just 1,000 Fabcoins. Those points translate into a booking value of Rs 21,000, turning everyday purchases into a gateway to electric mobility rather than another percentage off the bill.
The collaboration brings together two Indian brands that have long positioned sustainability at the heart of their businesses. This time, the focus is not on limited period discounts but on stretching the idea of loyalty into real world utility, where points can unlock high value experiences and products.
For Fabfamily members, the offer also introduces flexibility. Customers can lock in an eSUV booking with as few as 400 Fabcoins and complete the balance over time. Once the 1,000 Fabcoin threshold is reached, the booking is automatically processed, removing the pressure of a one shot redemption.
Fabfamily itself has been steadily evolving into a broader lifestyle ecosystem. Members earn up to 10 percent back in Fabcoins on Fabindia purchases, with additional multipliers through brand partnerships that offer redemptions of up to 30 times value. The programme also allows Fabcoins to be donated to organisations such as WWF India and the Centre for Science and Environment, adding a cause led layer to spending habits.
Beyond points, the programme includes concierge services under FabONE and a gentler tier migration system that limits downgrades, making status retention less punitive than traditional loyalty structures.
The Mahindra Electric Origin SUV reward goes live on 19 December 2025. More than a festive hook, the tie up signals a shift in how loyalty programmes are being reimagined, moving from transactional perks to high impact rewards that blend lifestyle, sustainability and mobility into a single proposition.
MAM
Sameer Nair shares heartfelt note as he exits Applause Entertainment
After nine years building the streamer’s content engine, one of India’s best-known TV men is moving on
MUMBAI: Sameer Nair is out. The chief executive of Applause Entertainment, the content studio backed by Kumar Mangalam Birla’s media empire, has announced his departure after nearly nine years at the helm, closing the chapter on one of Indian entertainment’s more quietly consequential careers.
Nair, who built Applause from the ground up in its current avatar, oversaw a slate that spanned Indian originals and international adaptations, threading together a hub-and-spoke business model that partnered with streaming platforms, broadcasters and production houses alike. The results were uneven, as they always are in content, but the ambition was not.
In a post on LinkedIn, Nair was generous to his outgoing patron. He thanked Birla for being an “inspirational boss and a great patron of the arts,” and signed off with a cheerful “Au Revoir” and a promise to remain Applause’s biggest cheerleader. Whether that sentiment survives the next chapter remains to be seen.
No successor has been named. Applause Entertainment did not immediately comment.
Nair built the machine. Now someone else has to run it — and in a streaming market that is simultaneously consolidating and convulsing, that is no small ask.
