MAM
Painting Pongal with Heart Birla Opus colours festive togetherness
MUMBAI: When Pongal comes knocking, it’s not just the pots that get stirred homes, hearts and habits do too. Tapping into that festive reset, Birla Opus Paints, under Grasim Industries of the Aditya Birla Group, has rolled out a new Tamil Nadu–focused campaign that puts colour at the centre of celebration.
Timed around Pongal, the film spotlights the brand’s Style Colour Smart interior emulsion range, using a warm, slice-of-life narrative rather than sales talk. Set in a traditional joint family home, the story follows a young newlywed couple preparing for the festival navigating kolams, colour choices and family dynamics along the way.
As walls are refreshed and rooms come alive, the film quietly draws a parallel between new interiors and new beginnings. The emotional pivot arrives when the daughter-in-law, missing her own family’s Pongal rituals, is surprised by her husband, who invites her parents to join the celebrations. Two families, one freshly painted home and a festival that feels complete.
The campaign closes with a simple message, to start a new tradition, positioning colour not as décor alone, but as a catalyst for togetherness and change.
Commenting on the launch, Birla Opus Paints head of marketing Inderpreet Singh said the brand wanted to reflect the cultural warmth of Tamil Nadu while showing how refreshed interiors can elevate festive moments, especially during a festival rooted in renewal and gratitude.
By rooting its festive communication in familiar household rituals rather than spectacle, Birla Opus Paints aims to connect with consumers at a moment when homes and relationships are both getting a fresh coat.
MAM
Time brings TIME100 Next franchise to India with Reliance
List to spotlight 100 emerging leaders, gala set for December 2026 in Mumbai.
MUMBAI: It’s about time India’s next wave got a global spotlight and now, it’s on the list. New York-headquartered Time is expanding its TIME100 Next franchise to India, partnering with Reliance Industries Limited to launch TIME100 Next India, its first international extension of the rising leaders platform. The announcement was made at the Time100 Gala in New York by Jessica Sibley and Nita Mukesh Ambani, signalling a strategic push to tap into India’s growing influence across sectors.
The India edition will recognise 100 emerging leaders from the country and the global Indian diaspora, spanning business, science, sports, arts and social impact. The list will be curated by Time’s editorial team and published online, continuing the franchise’s focus on identifying individuals shaping the future.
The initiative will culminate in a gala event scheduled for December 2026 at the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre, anchoring the platform within India’s cultural and business ecosystem.
TIME’s broader Time100 franchise has steadily expanded its global footprint since 2021 through events and impact-led initiatives. Executives noted that India’s growing pool of influential voices and innovators made it a natural next step for the platform’s international ambitions.
For Reliance, the partnership aligns with its broader push to support emerging talent and ideas on a global stage. For Time, it marks a timely bet on India not just as a market, but as a talent engine shaping the next chapter of global leadership.
