Brands
Love meets lunges: Puma, Bumble and Hyrox launch singles event
Valentine’s Day workout-meets-dating format for India’s sporty singles
BENGALURU: This Valentine’s Day, love may begin with lunges. Sports brand Puma India has teamed up with dating app Bumble and global fitness race Hyrox to launch a new singles-only fitness event that blends sweat, sport and socialising into one lively format.
The one-day experience will be held on 14 February at Phoenix Marketcity in Bengaluru, bringing together singles aged 21 to 35 for a beginner-friendly Hyrox challenge, followed by a social mixer. The idea is simple: work out first, warm up the conversation later.
Participants will take on a specially designed mini Hyrox course featuring short runs and functional workout stations. The format is meant to be accessible, inclusive and fun, even for those who are new to structured fitness events. The venue will double up as a social playground, where post-workout chats are as important as the finish line.
The collaboration builds on the Puma and Bumble partnership in India that began in 2024, which has focused on creating community-led sporting experiences. By bringing Hyrox into the mix, the brands aim to tap into a growing culture of fitness-driven social connections among young Indians.
For Puma India, the initiative fits neatly into its playbook of using sport as a cultural connector. The brand says Hyrox participation in India has been growing rapidly, with event entries doubling from one race to the next.
Bumble’s internal research also points to a shift in dating habits. Nearly half of singles in India now look for fitness or wellness activities as part of their dating lives, and most say sporty first dates feel more natural and less pressured.
Puma India head of marketing Shreya Sachdev, said the event builds on the brand’s approach of creating culture-led platforms through sport. She added that the collaboration is designed to bring fun, fitness and “matching wavelengths” together in one space.
Bumble chief marketing officer Neela Pal, said people are increasingly looking for real-life connections built around shared interests, with fitness offering easy common ground. She noted that the partnership aims to help singles meet in a way that feels natural, confident and pressure-free.
Hyrox India country head Deepak Raj, said the sport’s appeal lies in its strong sense of community. He added that shared effort often proves to be the best ice-breaker, and the beginner-friendly format is meant to open the doors to a wider audience.
Puma is the official apparel and footwear partner for Hyrox races worldwide, and the two have been working together to grow the sport in India. Since 2024, Puma and Bumble have also hosted several running and fitness-led community events designed to spark social connections beyond the screen.
If this Valentine’s Day experiment works, the path to romance in India may increasingly begin on a running track rather than a dinner table.
Brands
Tata Sons defers decision on chairman N Chandrasekaran’s third term
Term runs till 2027, but board differences are stalling extension talks
MUMBAI: Tata Sons has deferred a decision on whether to extend the tenure of its chairman, N Chandrasekaran, injecting fresh uncertainty into the leadership timeline of India’s largest conglomerate.
The board had last year cleared a third executive term for Chandrasekaran running until February 2027, when he turned 65. However, deliberations on any further extension were put on hold this week after differences emerged during a board meeting, CNBC-TV18 reported, citing people familiar with the matter.
The pause underscores internal strains as the group pushes through an aggressive investment cycle while grappling with uneven financial returns. The Economic Times reported that Chandrasekaran himself asked for discussions on his reappointment to be deferred after some directors raised concerns about mounting losses at several newer businesses.
Those concerns were led by Tata Trusts chairman Noel Tata, the principal shareholder of Tata Sons. Other board members countered that losses were expected in early-stage, capital-intensive ventures designed to secure the group’s long-term position.
Since taking charge in 2017, following the ouster of Cyrus Mistry, Chandrasekaran has driven a phase of expansion and consolidation. Over the past five years, the tata group has nearly doubled revenue and more than tripled net profit and market capitalisation, while committing about Rs 5.5 lakh crore to investments aimed at making the conglomerate “future fit”, according to its latest annual report.
Recent numbers, however, present a more mixed picture. Tata Sons reported a 24 per cent rise in revenue to Rs 5.92 lakh crore in fiscal 2025, while net profit fell 17 per cent to Rs 28,898 crore.
In its annual report, the company said the year opened with expectations of macroeconomic stability and easing inflation. That optimism faded as uncertainty over global trade policy intensified, complicating the operating environment.
For now, the question of leadership continuity at the apex of the Tata Group remains unresolved and closely watched by investors assessing the cost and conviction behind the conglomerate’s long-term bets.
