Broadband
Hughes to use Intelsat for Direcway broadband service
MUMBAI: Global communications provider Intelsat has announced that Hughes Network Systems (HNS) which provides satellite broadband products and services, will use Intelsat’s newly launched IA-8 satellite to support its Direcway broadband satellite service across the US.
HNS will use multiple Ku-band transponders on IA-8 to support its enterprise, SOHO and consumer offerings, and will begin serving new customers using IA-8 capacity now that the satellite is operational.
IA-8 was successfully launched in June and offers high-powered Ku-Band coverage of all 50 states, relieving some of the current capacity constraints facing all operators serving the U.S. market.
HNS executive VP Paul Gaske says, “Intelsat has a deserved reputation for operational and technical excellence. We want to leverage the performance of its newest and most powerful satellite to continue to provide our customers with the high-quality Direcway broadband service they have come to expect. IA-8 offers us powerful Ku-band capacity that leaves room for growth and expansion. We have been an Intelsat customer for many years and chose to expand our business because of our positive experience working with them.”
Intelsat COO Ramu Potarazu said, “Prior to the successful launch of IA-8 there were significant Ku-band capacity constraints in the U.S. In order to secure capacity for its growing DIRECWAY broadband service, Hughes Network Systems committed to taking several IA-8 transponders before the satellite was launched. A pre-launch commitment such as that demonstrates an underlying faith in Intelsat’s reliability, technical excellence and dedication to impeccable customer service. We are pleased to contribute to the growth of HNS’ industry-leading DIRECWAY satellite broadband service in years to come.”
Intelsat offers services to customers in over 220 countries and territories. Intelsat claims to have maintained a leadership position for over 40 years by distributing video, voice, and data for television and content providers, government and military entities, major corporations, telecommunications carriers, and Internet service providers.
Broadband
Zoff Foods extends Shilpa Shetty partnership into ninth year
Spice brand reinforces trust-led positioning amid growth and funding push.
MUMBAI: Nine years, one flavour and the recipe clearly still works. Zoff Foods has extended its long-running association with Shilpa Shetty, marking nine consecutive years of her as brand ambassador as the company scales its presence across Indian households. What began as a digital-first collaboration has gradually evolved into a defining element of the brand’s identity. Over nearly a decade, the partnership has mirrored Zoff’s own journey from an emerging challenger to a fast-growing FMCG player with a widening footprint across e-commerce, quick commerce and offline retail channels.
The logic behind the continuity is straightforward. In a category where trust and familiarity drive purchase decisions, particularly in spices and ready-to-cook segments, long-term associations tend to carry more weight than short bursts of visibility. Shetty’s positioning as a fitness-conscious, health-aware public figure aligns with the brand’s emphasis on purity and quality factors that are increasingly shaping consumer choices in modern Indian kitchens.
The extension also comes at a time when Zoff Foods is entering a more aggressive growth phase. The company recently raised $2 million in a Pre-Series B funding round led by JM Financial Private Equity, with participation from Aman Gupta, signalling a push towards expanding distribution, product innovation and market reach.
Company executives have positioned the continued partnership as a strategic anchor amid this expansion, reinforcing brand recall while entering new markets. For Shetty, the association remains rooted in shared values around authenticity and ingredient integrity attributes that resonate strongly with increasingly mindful consumers.
In a market crowded with new-age brands and shifting loyalties, Zoff’s approach suggests a different playbook: build slowly, stay consistent, and let familiarity do the heavy lifting. Because sometimes, in both branding and cooking, it’s not about reinventing the dish, it’s about perfecting it over time.
