Brands
Luis Garcia & Sunil Chhetri grace Champions League Tour today
MUMBAI: Football fans in Mumbai rejoiced as they won the honour of hosting the UEFA Champions League Trophy Tour presented by Heineken® in India. Heineken® continued its Champion the Trophy campaign in India by giving local football fans a chance of a lifetime to host and unveil European club football competition’s most coveted prize – the UEFA Champions League Trophy in their city for the first time in the programme’s 11-year history.
The UEFA Champions League Trophy, known as the Holy Grail of club football, will be unveiled by former UCL winner and Liverpool FC player Luis Garcia in the presence of Indian football superstar Sunil Chhetri at the Mahalaxami racecourse on 10 April, 2017. Post the unveiling, eight lucky fans chosen from a Twitter contest will get a chance of a lifetime to play a match with Luis Garcia and Sunil Chhetri, in a five-a-side football game at the Turf Club. Players will be assigned to team Garcia and team Chhetri, as they will go head-to-head in a clash of legends.
Mumbaikars could get a chance to be a part of the unveiling and witness the match. For details, log on to @Heineken _IN on Twitter and @Heineken on Facebook.
United Breweries senior VP (marketing) Samar Singh Sheikhawat said: “For true football fans the iconic UEFA Champions League Trophy is the holy grail of the footballing world. Only the best football players in the world get to hold this symbol of the highest level of accomplishment in the sport. Heineken® is bringing the excitement of one of the most celebrated global sporting prizes for fans in India, through the UEFA Champions League Trophy Tour and creating engaging fan experiences that go beyond the 90 minutes of the match”.
The UEFA Champions League Trophy Tour presented by Heineken® will make its way across the bustling city of Mumbai, giving fans a chance to witness the glorious trophy. The trophy will make its first pit stop at Shivaji Park, followed by Carter road, moving to BKC (Bandra Kurla Complex). Fans can be part of the Heineken® Trophy Tour experience by participating in a variety of engaging activities at the pit stops, where they stand a chance to win exclusive Heineken® merchandise.
The tour will end at its final destination at the Taj Lands End, Bandra. This will be followed by the Trophy Tour Party, an evening of glamour and sports which embodies the Heineken® spirit of opening new worlds.
Mumbai was chosen for the UEFA Champions League Trophy Tour through a Twitter contest by Heineken® across four cities (Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Kolkata). The contest encouraged fans from each city to tweet, vote and compete for their chance to host the trophy. Each city was given a specific hashtag, for example: #ChampionTheTrophyBLR – for Bangalore, #ChampionTheTrophyMUM – for Mumbai, and fans battled it out online with the maximum tweets to win the rights to unveil the trophy in their city. The competition was close, but after days of continuous voting and tweeting, the city of Mumbai emerged victorious.
Brands
Nykaa eyes majority stake in Deepika Padukone’s 82°E brand
Deal could help scale premium label as Nykaa sharpens its beauty play
MUMBAI: Nykaa is in advanced discussions to acquire a majority stake in 82°E, the premium skincare label founded by Deepika Padukone, according to media reports.
The proposed deal signals Nykaa’s intent to deepen its House of Nykaa portfolio while giving 82°E the scale it has struggled to achieve independently. Padukone is expected to retain a minority stake if the transaction goes through.
For Nykaa, the play is both strategic and timely. With a customer base of over 42 million, the company is betting on its strong distribution, logistics, and repeat purchase ecosystem to revive the brand’s momentum. The two sides already share a working relationship, with Padukone serving as Nykaa’s global brand ambassador since September 2025.
Launched in late 2022, 82°E entered the market with a premium positioning but has faced headwinds. The brand reported revenue of Rs 14.7 crore in FY25, down 30 per cent year on year, alongside losses of Rs 12.26 crore. Industry observers have pointed to steep pricing, a somewhat diffused brand identity, and intense competition from digital-first labels as key challenges.
The potential acquisition also reflects a broader shift in India’s beauty and lifestyle space, where celebrity-led brands are increasingly partnering with larger corporates to unlock scale. Alia Bhatt’s Ed-a-Mamma, for instance, sold a majority stake to Reliance Retail, while Katrina Kaif’s Kay Beauty has emerged as a standout success within Nykaa’s portfolio, clocking Rs 132.4 crore in FY25 revenue.
Nykaa itself has been on a strong growth trajectory. Its parent, FSN E-Commerce Ventures, reported a 156 per cent jump in net profit to Rs 68 crore in the December 2025 quarter, with revenue reaching Rs 2,873 crore.
Nykaa has been steadily building its portfolio through acquisitions such as Dot & Key, Earth Rhythm and Nudge Wellness, signalling a clear push to own and scale homegrown brands.
If the 82°E deal materialises, it could mark a fresh chapter for the label, blending celebrity appeal with corporate muscle. For Nykaa, it is another calculated step in staying ahead in an increasingly crowded beauty aisle.
