MAM
Lokmat MahaGames crowns young champions at Pune finale
PUNE: The cheers were loud, the smiles wider and the ambitions unmistakable as Lokmat MahaGames wrapped up its state-level finale in Pune, celebrating the sporting spark of schoolchildren from across Maharashtra.
Held at The Ritz-Carlton, the awards ceremony brought together students, educators and sporting mentors to honour the champions of Maharashtra’s largest inter-school multi-sport competition. Padma bhushan awardee and Olympic medallist Saina Nehwal, brand ambassador of Lokmat MahaGames, led the celebrations by presenting gold medals and trophies to the young winners.
Organised by Lokmat Campus Club and presented by the Abhay Bhutada Foundation, Lokmat MahaGames has steadily grown into a flagship platform for identifying and nurturing sporting talent at the grassroots. This season saw over 50,000 students from more than 2,500 schools compete across 12 regions, before the tournament culminated in Pune and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.
The evening also saw the presence of Vijay Darda, chairman of Lokmat Media Group and former Rajya Sabha MP; Ruchira Darda, director of Lokmat Campus Club and founder of MahaGames; and Trupti Abhay Bhutada, co-founder of the Abhay Bhutada Foundation. RJ Mantra kept the mood lively, hosting the ceremony and steering an engaging conversation with the dignitaries.
Addressing the gathering, Vijay Darda said the young athletes represented the future of Indian sport. He underlined the need to keep sports focused on talent, discipline and dedication, free from distractions, and described MahaGames as Lokmat’s continued commitment to nurturing the next generation of champions.
Ruchira Darda highlighted how MahaGames has encouraged children to step onto the field and discover their potential. She said the initiative aims to give future Olympic hopefuls the chance to test their skills early and build confidence through competition.
Trupti Abhay Bhutada spoke about the wider impact of sport, calling it an investment in a healthier and more disciplined generation. She said the foundation was proud to support a platform that allows children from across Maharashtra to compete, grow and dream big.
Saina Nehwal, interacting warmly with the students, stressed the importance of discipline and consistency, both in sport and in life. She also spoke about the role parents play in helping children stay focused and balanced in an age of constant digital distraction.
Beyond medals and speeches, the event had its share of memorable moments. Nehwal signed autographs, posed for photographs and even rallied with a few gold medallists on court, leaving the young athletes visibly inspired.
The tournament featured 12 sports disciplines, including badminton, football, athletics, swimming, chess, table tennis, kho-kho, fencing and archery. Schools with the highest medal tallies were rewarded with cash prizes, with the top three schools receiving Rs 5 lakh, Rs 3 lakh and Rs 2 lakh respectively.
As the curtains fell on this year’s edition, Lokmat MahaGames once again proved that when opportunity meets enthusiasm, the results can be both powerful and promising.
MAM
Bharat Vedica launches ‘From Beehives to Bottle’ campaign
Honey brand uses honeycomb-inspired hexagon bottle and reels to celebrate nature’s craft.
MUMBAI: Bharat Vedica just bottled nature’s buzz because when bees build the perfect shape, the smartest thing a brand can do is copy the homework. Bharat Vedica, the wellness-focused organic brand under A Patel Venture, has rolled out a digital-first campaign titled ‘From Beehives to Bottle’ that traces honey’s journey from blossom to breakfast table. The storytelling series of Instagram reels follows bees collecting nectar, the transformation inside the hive, and the final bottling turning a quiet natural process into engaging short-form content.
At the centre of the narrative is the brand’s new hexagon-shaped honey bottle, directly inspired by the honeycomb’s geometry widely regarded as one of nature’s most efficient designs. The shape serves as both packaging innovation and visual metaphor for precision, balance and harmony in every drop.
Nutritionist Kiran Kukreja (Nutty Over Nutrition) appears in the campaign content, explaining raw honey’s everyday benefits and its role in modern wellness routines.
The reels have driven strong performance on Instagram, with the brand recording a high double-digit month-on-month increase in follower acquisition and impressions reaching multiples of the existing base significantly boosting top-of-funnel visibility and discovery among premium consumers.
Bharat Vedica MD Arvind Patel said, “Bees build honeycombs with remarkable precision, creating a structure that represents efficiency, balance, and harmony. The hexagon bottle draws inspiration from that natural design, translating the beauty of the hive into something people can experience in their everyday kitchens.”
The refreshed raw honey range includes Ajwain Flower Honey, Rose Petal Honey, Forest Honey and Saffron (Kesar) Honey, available in 250 g and 500 g sizes. It is currently sold on the brand’s website and Amazon, with wider retail availability planned soon.
In a wellness world full of loud promises, Bharat Vedica quietly lets the bees do the talking proving that sometimes the sweetest story isn’t invented in a boardroom, it’s already humming away in a hive.
