Brands
Stay fit come rain as playR launches monsoon-ready workout gear
MUMBAI: Rain, rain, don’t go away, just bring the gym indoors today. As the monsoon hits with all its splash and swagger, fitness routines often find themselves washed away in puddles of procrastination. But playR, India’s top performance sportswear brand, is refusing to let weather rain on anyone’s gains.
Best known for its bold, performance-first approach and official IPL merch cred, playR has launched a monsoon-focused activewear range that’s designed to help urban Indians keep sweating even when the skies won’t stop. Their latest offering includes anti-odour socks, ultra-breathable jerseys, quick-dry shorts, and best-in-class no-slip yoga mats, engineered to make home workouts safer and slicker.
Because let’s face it: the commute from sofa to squat mat is the only kind of cardio most of us can guarantee during a downpour.
“Monsoons can often be a reason to skip workouts—not because you lack motivation, but because the weather can be so unpredictable,” shares Ravi Kukreja, the Founder of playR and Director at iCOREts Private Limited. “That’s why we’ve created a range of indoor-friendly workout gear to help you stay on track and feel great about moving your body, no matter what the weather throws at you.”
The brand’s moisture-wicking fabrics and grip-enhanced accessories aim to make living room workouts just as effective as a gym session. Whether you’re flowing through a morning yoga practice, smashing an HIIT circuit, or sweating it out on a virtual Zumba class, playR’s performance-led designs promise to keep you dry, balanced and stylish.
And it’s all built with India in mind both in terms of climate resilience and affordability. Unlike premium international brands that don’t always get Indian weather (or wallet sizes), playR is leaning into local insights. Its products combine high-tech features like odour control and sweat management with street-smart design.
The monsoon-ready line is already available on playR’s website and partner platforms, with prices starting from Rs 499 for accessories and Rs 999 for apparel making it a solid investment for those looking to weatherproof their willpower.
So this season, forget soggy excuses and slippery starts. Whether it’s yoga at dawn or burpees before bed, playR’s got you covered, literally.
Brands
Oracle layoffs affect up to 30,000 employees globally
Job cuts span US, India and more, staff cite abrupt emails, uncertainty.
MUMBAI: April began with an inbox shock and for thousands, it ended with an exit. Oracle has carried out a sweeping round of layoffs, impacting an estimated 20,000 to 30,000 employees across its global operations, even as the company continues to report strong business performance. The job cuts were communicated via emails sent early on April 1, affecting staff across multiple regions including the United States, India, Canada and parts of Latin America. The reduction spans a wide range of roles and functions, though the company has not disclosed specific criteria behind the decisions.
In the days following the layoffs, employees have taken to platforms such as LinkedIn to share their experiences, many describing the process as abrupt and unsettling. Several posts pointed to a lack of prior indication, with notifications arriving suddenly in early-morning messages.
A recurring concern has been the impact on long-tenured staff. Users reported that employees with decades of experience were among those let go, raising broader questions about job security even for seasoned professionals within large technology firms.
The layoffs have also sparked anxiety about the wider direction of the sector. As companies continue to invest heavily in automation and artificial intelligence, workforce recalibration is becoming more common often accompanied by uncertainty around future roles and skills.
For many affected employees, the immediate challenge lies in navigating career transitions in an increasingly competitive job market, with posts reflecting concerns about stability and next steps.
The development comes against a backdrop of strong financial performance at Oracle, which recently reported a 22 percent year-on-year increase in revenue, alongside continued growth in its cloud infrastructure business. The company has also been committing significant capital towards artificial intelligence and data centre expansion.
The contrast between growth and job cuts has added to the unease, underscoring a broader shift in how large technology firms balance expansion with efficiency sometimes at the cost of the very workforce that helped build that growth.
