Brands
Sunfeast Marie Light brings cool comfort to Rath Yatra with ‘Surya Vardaan’ caps
MUMBAI: In a heartfelt tribute to faith and fortitude, Sunfeast Marie Light stepped into the spiritual fervour of Rath Yatra 2025 with a campaign that was equal parts thoughtful and innovative. Dubbed Surya Vardaan, the biscuit brand offered cooling caps to thousands of devotees walking miles under the scorching sun.
Crafted with sandalwood and a unique menthol layer that activates on exposure to sunlight, the Surya Vardaan caps turned harsh rays into waves of soothing relief. As pilgrims followed the chariots of Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra, and Subhadra through Puri’s sweltering streets, the caps delivered more than just physical comfort, they became wearable symbols of care and community.
ITC Ltd. chief operating officer, biscuits & cakes cluster, foods division, Ali Harris Shere commented “The sun, which symbolizes energy, vitality, and life, is central to our brand. At Sunfeast Marie Light, our biscuits are made from sun-kissed wheat, and we carry that spirit of warmth and care into everything we do. The Surya Vardaan cap is our way of honouring tradition while offering thoughtful comfort to the Puri Rath Yatra devotees”
The experience zones set up along the route saw thousands gratefully donning the caps, embracing the blend of spiritual symbolism and smart design. Lending star power to the initiative was popular Odia actress Archita Sahu, who participated in the festivities and distributed caps to devotees with folded hands and a beaming smile.
This quiet act of brand devotion, as much rooted in empathy as engagement, offered a timely reminder: sometimes, the smallest gestures like staying cool on a sun-drenched pilgrimage can carry the most divine intent.
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Brands
UK’s OnlyFans seeks US investor at $3bn valuation after owner’s death
The adult video platform is seeking stability after the death of its billionaire owner
LONDON: OnlyFans is looking for a new partner. The London-based adult video platform is in advanced talks to sell a minority stake of less than 20 per cent to Architect Capital, a San Francisco-based investment firm, in a deal that would value the business at more than $3bn (£2.2bn).
The move is driven by an urgent need for stability. Leonid Radvinsky, the Ukrainian-American billionaire who owned OnlyFans, died of cancer last month at the age of 43, leaving the future of one of Britain’s most profitable privately held businesses suddenly uncertain.
The choice of Architect Capital is not arbitrary. The firm has deep expertise in financial services, which aligns neatly with OnlyFans’ ambitions to offer banking products to its creators, many of whom have long struggled to access basic financial services because of the nature of their work.
The numbers behind OnlyFans are, by any measure, staggering. The platform posted revenues of $1.4bn in the year to 30th November 2024, with a pre-tax profit of $684m, up four per cent on the prior year. Payments to creators totalled $7.2bn over the same period, a rise of nearly ten per cent. Radvinsky personally collected $701m in dividends from the business in 2024 alone, on top of more than $1bn in such payments he had already received. The platform, run through its parent company Felix International, hosts 4.6m creator accounts, with performers keeping 80 per cent of subscription proceeds and the platform pocketing the remaining 20 per cent. It has 377m fan accounts in total.
The current minority stake talks represent a notable scaling back of ambitions. In January, OnlyFans was reported to be in discussions with Architect about selling a majority stake of 60 per cent. Before that, the company had explored a sale to a consortium led by Forest Road Company, a Los Angeles-based investment firm. Neither deal materialised.
OnlyFans has built an enormously lucrative business on content that mainstream finance has long refused to touch. Now, with its owner gone and a $3bn valuation on the table, it is looking for the kind of respectable institutional backing that might finally persuade the banks to take its calls.
