MAM
Power-exclusive brand outlets make a powerful entry into India
Mumbai: Bata India is set to redefine the sports shoes and activewear landscape with the relaunch of Exclusive Brand Outlets for sportswear and lifestyle brand ‘Power’. Headquartered in Canada, Power is known worldwide for its high-performance sports shoes and apparel. This pivotal shift is a strategic business decision, driven by the increasing popularity of athleisure and the adoption of an active lifestyle by modern Indian consumers.
Speaking on the occasion, Bata India managing director & chief executive officer Gunjan Shah said, “Power is a globally admired brand with a strong international presence. Recognizing the increased demand for athleisure in India, we decided to open Exclusive Brand Outlets for Power to offer a world-class shopping experience to our fitness-conscious consumers. With these new stores, we are making international technology-led footwear and apparel accessible to all. We aim to open 50 Power EBOs by the end of 2025.”
Bata Group Pietro Schira, chief brand officer, said, “The entry of Power EBOs in India marks an exciting chapter for Power, strengthening its global presence. The outlets will provide Indian consumers unparalleled access to our innovative products, satisfying local demand for international technology with high-quality performance shoes and apparel.”
The new store boasts of the latest and the most innovative products that offer high rebound, shock absorption, extended comfort and stability for various fitness activities like running, walking or training. The flagship offering under running, Power XO Rise+ features a unique technology in the midsole formulation that provides 25 per cent more rebound and also gives shock absorption through tunnel technology.
The Power Exclusive Brand Outlet is designed to create an immersive shopping experience, allowing customers to explore and indulge in the brand’s innovative offerings. To elevate customer experience, it offers global tech experience with digital receipts, Lift & Learn, and Omni-channel deliveries.
Visit your nearest Power store or shop the entire collection at bata.com.
Brands
Zscaler, Airtel launch India AI Cyber Research Centre
New hub to boost cyber resilience and trusted AI use
NEW DELHI: As India’s digital engine roars ahead, so do the risks riding shotgun. In response, Zscaler, Inc. and Bharti Airtel have joined hands to launch the AI and Cyber Threat Research Center – India, a national initiative aimed at strengthening the country’s cyber defences and accelerating responsible AI adoption.
The centre is designed as a multi stakeholder platform that brings together industry, government and academia. Its mission is clear: protect critical sectors such as telecom, banking and energy, shield everyday digital users, and future proof India’s fast expanding online ecosystem.
India has long been a major innovation hub for Zscaler, with a substantial portion of its cyber research talent based here. With this new centre, that footprint evolves into a national collaboration engine. The idea is simple but ambitious, build in India, for India, and help power the country’s journey towards a secure and digitally self reliant future.
The timing is telling. India is building digital systems at population scale, not just enterprise scale. That scale has widened the attack surface dramatically. At the same time, cyber criminals and nation state actors are deploying AI to scan, probe and exploit vulnerabilities in minutes.
Zscaler’s research arm, ThreatLabz India, reports millions of infiltration attempts every month. These include espionage campaigns linked to regional geopolitical tensions, 1.2 million intrusion attempts from 20,000 sources targeting 58 Indian digital entities, and a rise in zero day exploit attempts across multiple industries.
In such an environment, perimeter based security models are struggling to keep pace. The new centre aims to push a shift towards secure by design systems and Zero Trust architecture.
Its strategy rests on four pillars: protect through real time intelligence, remediate by working directly with government agencies, facilitate adoption of AI driven security and Zero Trust frameworks, and build a stronger cybersecurity talent pipeline through specialised certifications.
As founding members, Zscaler and Airtel will combine global threat intelligence with local network visibility. Zscaler will deploy a dedicated India focused research team and draw insights from its Zero Trust Exchange platform, which processes over 500 billion daily transactions worldwide. Airtel, meanwhile, will contribute deep visibility into IoT and mobile traffic, helping detect suspicious activity faster and coordinate response across the ecosystem.
Bharti Airtel executive vice chairman Gopal Vittal, said the partnership extends Airtel’s commitment to safeguarding customers and the nation’s digital fabric. He added that the collaboration would address challenges unique to the Indian market and encourage secure and confident digital engagement.
Zscaler chief executive, chairman and founder Jay Chaudhry, said India’s digital ambition cannot be secured with legacy firewalls and VPNs. He noted that a modern Zero Trust architecture is essential for a hyper connected world and that the new centre would harness the scale of Zscaler’s global security cloud while empowering a new generation of Indian cyber defenders.
Additional members from critical public and private sectors are expected to join the initiative in the coming months, expanding its scope and deepening collaboration.
In a world where threats travel at machine speed, India’s answer is to think faster, collaborate wider and build smarter.
