iWorld
Ranbir Kapoor now a creative collaborator
MUMBAI: Bollywood heartthrob Ranbir Kapoor has now joined hands with Saavn (South Asia Audio Video Network), a US-based digital music company as its creative collaborator. The association was announced at the online music streaming press conference, which was attended by India’s top music industry executives and influencers.
The superstar, as part of the association will work with the Saavn team on consumer marketing ideation and production, business development and content.
Talking about the partnership Kapoor said, “I’ve been using Saavn for years now, so it’s exciting to be working with the team on a deeper level. I’ll be helping to guide the brand, influence programming, connect with the next generation of music listeners and ultimately help build the best music product in India and potentially the world.”
“I look forward to being involved in a more business-centric capacity in the near future,” he added.
The partnership has initially materialised in the form of a new commercial campaign featuring a 30 second television spot. Kapoor provided a significant amount of input on the creative for the campaign. The TV commercial was written by Vasan Bala, who is the screenwriter for Kapoor’s new film, Bombay Velvet, alongside Sneha Mehta and Teddy Stern of Saavn and has been produced by Golden Gaddi Films, the ad production house of Guneet Monga who is the producer of The Lunchbox.
Saavn released a sneak-peek of its alliance with Kapoor in its “Here’s to the Music” campaign that went live earlier this year.
Saavn executive chairman Paramdeep Singh said, “It felt right from the beginning. Our collaboration with Ranbir represents an evolution in the way technology companies and artists work together in India. And that bridge between art and digital is at the very heart of what we want to accomplish at Saavn.”
The digital music company, which claims a catalog of almost two million tracks from both Indian and US record labels, will be rolling out a suite of new consumer-facing products and partnerships over the next couple of months.
iWorld
Tech firms tweak office operations amid LPG shortage concerns
Infosys, HCLTech and Cognizant adjust cafeteria services and work policies.
MUMBAI: When geopolitics turns up the heat, even office cafeterias start feeling the burn. Several technology companies in India are adjusting workplace operations and food services as concerns over a nationwide shortage of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) grow following escalating tensions in West Asia. Major IT firms including Cognizant, Infosys and HCLTech have begun rolling out contingency measures to reduce dependence on office cafeterias that rely heavily on commercial LPG.
The disruption stems from rising geopolitical tensions involving Iran after military action by the United States and Israel reportedly led to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global shipping route for oil and gas supplies. The closure has disrupted the movement of LPG and liquefied natural gas across international markets, triggering concerns about supply constraints and price volatility.
According to a report by The Times of India, Cognizant has advised employees to bring their own meals to office where possible to reduce reliance on office cafeterias dependent on LPG based cooking.
The company has reportedly told staff that it is preparing for potential disruptions driven by supply prioritisation, price fluctuations and pressure on vendor networks.
As part of contingency planning, Cognizant is identifying alternative food vendors that do not rely on LPG. These include kitchens using induction based or solar powered cooking systems.
The company is also exploring partnerships with cloud kitchens that operate on electric or solar power to ensure uninterrupted food supply in case conventional cooking gas availability worsens.
Additionally, Cognizant is evaluating the possibility of expanding work from home or hybrid arrangements for non critical roles, partly to reduce commuting exposure if fuel prices rise sharply due to global energy disruptions.
Meanwhile, HCLTech allowed employees at its Chennai office to work from home on March 12 and March 13 after cafeteria vendors were unable to operate because of the LPG shortage.
Several food service vendors at the campus reportedly suspended operations as they struggled to secure cooking gas supplies, prompting the company to permit staff to work remotely for the two days.
Infosys has also issued internal advisories across multiple locations, including its campuses in Bengaluru and Chennai.
The company informed employees in Bengaluru that cafeteria services would continue but with reduced menu options due to concerns around commercial LPG availability.
As part of the temporary adjustments, live food counters have been suspended, and employees have been encouraged to bring home cooked food while the situation evolves.
While LPG shortages in India remain a developing situation, the measures taken by these technology firms highlight how global geopolitical disruptions can ripple through unexpected corners of the economy, even the humble office lunch.
For companies with large campuses and thousands of employees relying on daily cafeteria services, cooking fuel shortages can quickly turn into an operational challenge. Until global supply chains stabilise, many workplaces may find themselves rethinking everything from food sourcing to flexible work policies.
