GECs
Exide gets Superbrand status
NEW DELHI: The Superbrands Council comprising eminent professionals from the corporate world has recently listed Exide among the top brands in India.
According to an official statement, Exide was selected out of 711 leading Indian brands across 98 categories. Exide will be featured in the Superbrands volume as being one of the strongest brands in India.
In an official statement, Exide Industries Limited chairman S.B. Ganguly said, “The Superbrands status for Exide clearly reflects the brand identity, its value and its association with the consumers in India. On this occasion, we wish to reiterate once again our commitment to provide world class batteries and associated services to all our customers.”
Considered to be the Oscars of branding, the Superbrand status is conferred after exhaustive research in each category. The research aims to identify those brands in each category, which offer significant emotional and/or physical advantages over its competitors, which customers want, recognise and are willing to pay a premium for.
The Superbrand Council, composed of doyens of business, industry, advertising, marketing and media – then reviews each of these brands and pronounce judgment.
As is apparent, the entire process circumvents any ranking by market shares but focuses on the more permanent but harder to achieve criteria of brand image and perception. Hence the brands’ mind dominance; goodwill, consumer loyalty, trust and emotional bonding are the factors, which influenced the selection.
Participation is strictly by invitation. If the Council has not
selected a brand (and there were only 134 selected in all), a brand just cannot participate. Hence Superbrands has proved to be extremely aspirational in every country it exists.
Superbrands is a concept that started 10 years ago in the UK to chronicle case studies of exceptional brands. It now has a presence in 26 countries including USA, Australia, Denmark, France, Italy, Spain and Singapore and now in India.
GECs
Asianet Television Awards 2026 celebrates women power in Malayalam TV
“She is the Colour” theme honours icons as ceremony airs on March 14 and 15 at 7 PM.
MUMBAI: If television lights up living rooms, this year Asianet decided to let women provide the colour. The Asianet Television Awards 2026 turned the spotlight firmly on women empowerment with the theme “She is the Colour”, celebrating the strength, resilience and achievements of women who continue to shape society and the Malayalam entertainment industry.
The ceremony honoured several distinguished personalities whose journeys have left a lasting cultural imprint. Among them was legendary playback singer Vimala Varma, widely recognised as the first Malayalam playback singer. The evening also paid tribute to Padma Shri awardees Devaki Amma and Vimala Menon for their exceptional contributions in their respective fields.
Leading women from the Malayalam film industry were also recognised during the event, including actor Shweta Menon, who currently serves as president of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists, and National Award winning actor Surabhi Lakshmi.
The awards ceremony brought together a glittering lineup of actors and industry figures, including Jayasurya, Vijay Babu, Asha Sarath, Lena, Esther Anil, Anumol, Akhila Bhargavan, Sarayu Mohan, Prajod Kalabhavan, Gayathri Suresh, Sabumon Abdusamad, Swasika, Tini Tom, Sijoy Varghese, Kailash, Veena Nandakumar, Sabareesh Varma, Ansiba Hassan and Dinesh Prabhakar. Kishan Kumar, executive vice president Malayalam at JioStar, was also present at the event.
Beyond individual recognitions, the awards celebrated excellence across Malayalam television, acknowledging artists and technicians whose work continues to drive the industry forward.
The evening also offered plenty of spectacle, with elaborate dance performances, stunt acts and comedy skits performed by popular television and film personalities, turning the ceremony into a full fledged entertainment showcase.
Viewers will get to watch the celebrations when the Asianet Television Awards 2026 air on Asianet on March 14 and 15, Saturday and Sunday, from 7 pm onwards, bringing the star studded tribute to homes across Kerala and beyond.
