MAM
Tata Digital acquires majority stake in 1mg
Mumbai: Tata Digital, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Tata Group, said it is acquiring a majority stake in online pharmacy 1mg, making this the second majority acquisition in the digital economy, after the e-grocery BigBasket equity purchase.
The investment is in line with Tata group’s vision of creating a digital ecosystem that addresses consumer needs across categories in a unified manner, it said in a statement.
Earlier this week, Tata Group also said it had entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with fitness startup Curefit and will invest $75 million in the Bengaluru-based startup. Curefit founder Mukesh Bansal is also joining Tata Digital as its president, as part of the deal.
In May, Tata Digital announced the purchase of a 64 per cent stake in online grocer BigBasket.
The Tata-1mg deal comes when Reliance has entered the online pharmacy space by acquiring Netmeds, while PharmEasy also merged with smaller rival Medlife.
Incorporated in 2015, 1mg provides online delivery of medicines, health and wellness products, diagnostics services and teleconsultation.
“We are delighted to join hands with one of India’s most iconic and respected conglomerates. This marks a significant milestone in 1mg’s journey to make high-quality healthcare products and services accessible to customers across India,” said 1mg co-founder and chief executive Prashant Tandon
MAM
Happy Pawdcast launches merchandise with The Souled Store
Season 2 success leads to co-branded line celebrating pet-parent bond.
MUMBAI: The Happy Pawdcast just gave fans something to wag their tails about because when your favourite pet show gets merch, even the couch starts feeling like a runway. Building on the momentum of Season 2 which reached over 14 million pet lovers, clocked more than 20,000 hours of content consumption and engaged over 23,000 users, The Happy Pawdcast has teamed up with The Souled Store for an exclusive co-branded merchandise collection. The line translates the podcast’s emotional core into wearable designs that celebrate the everyday bond between pets and their parents.
Hosted by Sonali Bendre and Icy Behl, Season 2 featured candid conversations with celebrity pet parents including Remo D’Souza, Diana Penty, Kubbra Sait, Rohan Joshi, Karan Wahi, Tusshar Kapoor and Amala Akkineni. The episodes tackled responsible adoption, stray welfare, pet emotional well-being and debunked common care myths, earning strong resonance across digital platforms.
Sonali Bendre said, “Season 2 reaffirmed how deeply people connect with stories around pets, responsibility, and companionship. This collaboration with The Souled Store is a natural extension of that bond, taking the conversations beyond the screen and turning shared emotions into something tangible for pet parents.”
Rose Audio Visuals head of marketing & branded content Megha H Desai added, “With Season 2, The Happy Pawdcast evolved from a content property into a strong, community-led IP. The collaboration with The Souled Store reflects our approach to building meaningful extensions around our shows where audience insight, brand alignment, and scale come together.”
The Souled Store co-founder Vedang Patel noted, “Pet parenting today is as much about identity and expression as it is about care and responsibility. This collaboration allowed us to tap into a deeply engaged, emotionally invested community and co-create designs that feel authentic and accessible.”
Produced by Rosepod (the podcasting division of Rose Audio Visuals), the merchandise marks the podcast’s shift from audio-video content into a broader lifestyle IP, while aligning with The Souled Store’s focus on pop-culture-led, community-first products and its animal welfare initiatives through World For All.
In a pet-parent world where love often comes with a leash and a hoodie, The Happy Pawdcast isn’t just telling stories anymore, it’s letting fans wear them, proving the bond between humans and their fur-babies deserves more than likes, it deserves to be flaunted.
