MAM
Grapes Digital expands footprint; strengthens team in Bangalore market
Mumbai: Marketing agency Grapes Digital has announced its expansion by strengthening its first-ever team in Bangalore. In the last few months, the company has been on an expansion phase and has added new members in both the offices, Delhi and Mumbai.
After witnessing a significant growth in its business revenue owing to the exponential rise in the digital landscape, the agency is planning to increase its headcount by hiring over 150+ employees across various roles this year, making a total count of 350, said the statement. “With the Bangalore expansion, the agency will expand its horizon into new and emerging business areas by creating newer possibilities to serve the ever-evolving need of clients. The agency has currently closed in on a couple of key leadership roles at the Bangalore office,” it said.
“In the last few months, there has been a considerable increase in spending on digital marketing by brands, and we expect a 2x increase in our revenue by the end of the current financial year,” said Grapes Digital founder & CEO, Himanshu Arya.”With this expansion, our objective is to expand our client base and offer the best and innovative solutions to our clients. We have managed to build a strong presence in Delhi and Mumbai. Hence, the next crucial step to expand the company’s base is to have our presence in Bangalore, the market caters to a host of start-ups and businesses in India. With this expansion, we will serve as a hub for the southern region as well.”
MAM
Sukhpal Singh Ahluwalia deepens philanthropic push in India ahead of retirement
Entrepreneur backs gurdwara project and education for slum children as he expands charitable footprint in the country
LONDON: Sukhpal Singh Ahluwalia is ramping up his philanthropic footprint in India. On a recent visit to the country, the UK-based entrepreneur stepped up support for religious and educational causes, signalling a deeper long-term commitment as he prepares to spend more time in India ahead of retirement.
Ahluwalia reaffirmed support for key social initiatives, including a donation to Sri Guru Singh Sabha Gurdwara Kalgidhar Sahib in Gurugram and continued backing for a school in Faridabad for which he had earlier purchased the land.
The donation will fund the construction of the gurdwara, expected to be completed by mid-2028. Run largely by volunteers, the site will serve as a community hub and continue the Sikh tradition of langar — a community kitchen that provides free meals to all, regardless of faith.
Parallelly, the Faridabad school continues to deliver free, multi-year education to children living in extreme poverty in surrounding slums. The institution is part of the 12 educational facilities run by the Jagriti Sewa Trust, where Ahluwalia serves as chairman. The trust provides underprivileged students with free education as well as skill-development opportunities.
The latest support adds to Ahluwalia’s long record of charitable giving in India. In recent years, it included a £100,000 donation to the Kailash Satyarthi Children’s Foundation’s Justice for Every Child campaign, which provides legal and psychological support to vulnerable children and their families.
Through the Ahluwalia Foundation, the businessman regularly backs charities and non-profits in both India and the United Kingdom. The foundation focuses on projects linked to education, migration and the rights of children and women.
Ahluwalia’s philanthropic drive is rooted in personal history. Having fled to the UK as a refugee at the age of 13, he has long supported migrant-focused organisations, including the London-based Migration Museum, while also funding educational initiatives in India such as free schooling programmes in Hyderabad.
Now, as he gradually shifts more of his time to India, Ahluwalia’s charitable ambitions are expanding. Future plans include launching a classic car rally across the country to raise funds for causes he supports.
“Education and faith are very close to my heart,” Ahluwalia said. “For so many Indians, whether they live in India or abroad, a gurdwara or any place of worship is more than somewhere to practise faith. They are places of community and identity.”
Reflecting on the Faridabad visit, Ahluwalia added: “It was very special seeing the work of the Jagriti Sewa Trust firsthand. Knowing that disadvantaged children are receiving a free education — and that I had a small part to play in that — is deeply meaningful. Social status and economic background should not determine a person’s chances of success.”
