Brands
New York wine bar welcomes AI dates for Valentine’s dinner
Same Same Wine Bar’s experiment mirrors rising interest in AI companionship
NEW YORK: As Valentine’s Day approaches, a wine bar in New York City has offered an unconventional seating option: a place at the table for artificial intelligence.
At Same Same Wine Bar, diners are invited to bring their AI chatbots along for what organisers describe as “AI-assisted dinners”. Phones and tablets are placed opposite wine glasses, allowing guests to converse with virtual companions while eating and drinking.
The initiative is backed by EvaAI, a service that offers AI-generated characters for text and video interaction. Users can choose from pre-built avatars or customise digital partners, shaping personalities, appearance and conversational style.
On the opening night, patrons largely dined alone, their attention fixed on animated faces flickering on screens. The audience included technology enthusiasts, media observers and long-time users of AI companion apps, suggesting curiosity rather than novelty-seeking alone.
EvaAI positions its products as tools for the single, the curious or those seeking to practise communication skills. Yet the timing is telling. Surveys and online forums point to growing interest in AI companionship, particularly among younger adults navigating loneliness, dating fatigue and digital-first lives.
As AI seeps from screens into social spaces, experiments like this one suggest that artificial relationships are no longer confined to private chats. They are edging, cautiously, into the public square.
Brands
Raj Cooling Systems launches Agreyas appliances brand
Emraan Hashmi named brand ambassador for consumer appliance push.
MUMBAI: A company known for cooling solutions is now heating up its ambitions in the home appliances market. Raj Cooling Systems Pvt. Ltd. has launched a new consumer appliances brand, Agreyas, marking its entry into India’s rapidly expanding home appliances sector valued at more than Rs 1.5 lakh crore. The move represents a strategic diversification for the company, which has traditionally focused on cooling solutions for residential, commercial and industrial applications. Through Agreyas, the firm plans to tap into growing consumer demand for energy efficient and technology driven household appliances.
To build brand visibility, Agreyas has appointed Emraan Hashmi as its brand ambassador. The campaign has been developed under the banner of Zoommantra Productions, with actor and filmmaker Rohit Roy contributing to the creative direction.
The brand’s initial portfolio will include mid premium air conditioners, washing machines, geysers and other white goods designed to cater to modern Indian households seeking efficient and reliable appliances.
Raj Cooling Systems, founder and chairman Kalpesh Ramoliya said the launch aligns with the company’s broader expansion plans.
“The launch of Agreyas is in line with our vision to build a strong presence in India’s consumer electronics and home appliances market. The brand has been developed as a standalone identity to meet the evolving needs of Indian consumers,” he said.
Hashmi said the collaboration comes at a time when Indian buyers are increasingly looking for innovative and functional home solutions.
“I’m looking forward to working with Agreyas at a time when consumers are seeking more innovative and efficient home products. The brand reflects changing consumer behaviour around functionality, innovation and ease of use,” he said.
Raj Cooling Systems plans to invest around 10 million dollars in developing the brand, with an additional 5 million dollars earmarked over the next three to five years for product development and distribution expansion.
Agreyas will follow a multi channel distribution approach, selling through online platforms, retail outlets and dealer networks aimed at both urban and semi urban markets across India.
With the launch, the company is positioning Agreyas as a standalone consumer facing brand while continuing to leverage its existing manufacturing, engineering and research capabilities built through its core cooling solutions business.
