MR.DIY Signs Rajkummar Rao for Bold New Campaign ‘Milega Kya, Mat Pooch’ as Brand Crosses 110 Cities & 15,000 Products

July 7, 2025

Image of mr.diy — MR.DIY Signs Rajkummar Rao for Bold New Campaign ‘Milega Kya, Mat Pooch’ as Brand Crosses 110 Cities & 15,000 Products

MR.DIY, the largest home improvement and lifestyle retailer in Asia, has roped in acclaimed actor Rajkummar Rao as its new brand ambassador. The collaboration kicks off with a quirky and high-energy campaign rolling out across India, built around the catchy slogan: “Milega Kya, Mat Pooch – MR.DIY Has SABKUCH.”

Known for its rapid growth and massive footprint, MR.DIY has quickly made its way into the hearts of Indian shoppers. With stores spread across more than 110 cities and over 2 million sq. ft. of retail space already in place, the brand is aiming even higher—with plans to more than double its footprint to 5 million sq. ft. in the next five years.

Step into any MR.DIY store, and you’ll find over 15,000 items carefully chosen across 10 diverse categories—from household goods and home decor to toys, tools, fashion accessories, tech gear, and festive must-haves. Whether you’re picking up everyday basics or stumbling across an unexpected gem, the experience is designed to be both fun and easy on the pocket.

What truly sets MR.DIY apart is its commitment to making value-driven shopping accessible to all. With prices starting at just ₹19, the brand proves that good quality doesn’t have to come with a hefty price tag. ‘Always Low Prices’ isn’t just a slogan—it’s a belief system that drives everything they do.

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In the launch film, Rajkummar Rao takes on the role of a cheeky, inquisitive reporter on a mission to uncover the secret behind MR.DIY’s vast product range and shockingly low prices. His natural charm, humour, and down-to-earth vibe bring the campaign to life, making it easy for viewers to relate to the thrill of discovering a place that truly has it all.

From essentials to surprises, MR.DIY is more than just a store—it’s a treasure trove for every member of the household. And with Rajkummar Rao now part of the family, the brand is set to connect with a wider audience than ever before.

Lenskart Eyes the Future: Invests in Ajna Lens to Tap Into ₹30,000 Crore Smart Glasses Market

INVESTMENTS

Online Desk

July 7, 2025

Image of ajna lens. — Lenskart Eyes the Future: Invests in Ajna Lens to Tap Into ₹30,000 Crore Smart Glasses Market

Eyewear giant Lenskart is diving headfirst into the smart wearables space with a fresh investment in Ajna Lens, a Mumbai-based tech company known for building cutting-edge smart glasses. While the size of the deal hasn’t been revealed, the move signals Lenskart’s growing interest in blending fashion with futuristic tech.

Ajna Lens, launched in 2014 and operating out of Thane, has been making waves in the deep-tech scene. The company focuses on spatial computing, AI-powered vision systems, and extended reality (XR), crafting smart glasses that go beyond just correcting vision—they aim to transform it.

With this partnership, Lenskart wants to bring its strength in stylish yet functional eyewear to the table. The goal? To co-create smart glasses that aren’t just cool gadgets for the elite, but practical and affordable tools for everyday use.

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“This is more than just an investment—it’s a long-term vision to make smart eyewear part of daily life,” the company said in its announcement.

Badshah Brings Fire to India’s Pizza Scene: Launches ‘Badboy Pizza’ with Ghost Kitchens, Sets ₹150 Cr Target

Hotels & Restaurants

Online Desk

July 7, 2025

Image of Badboy Pizza. — Badshah Brings Fire to India’s Pizza Scene: Launches ‘Badboy Pizza’ with Ghost Kitchens, Sets ₹150 Cr Target

Rapper, hitmaker, and now pizza-preneur — Badshah is jumping into India’s food business with a bang. The music icon is launching his own QSR brand, Badboy Pizza, a desi-meets-premium pizza joint that promises big flavour with even bigger personality.

Teaming up with Ghost Kitchens India — one of the country’s cloud kitchen powerhouses led by entrepreneur Karan Tanna — Badshah is setting the table for a bold new food experience that’s as loud and proud as his beats.

Ahead of the official launch, Badshah pulled off a stunt that had social media buzzing: a cheeky promo where he gets slapped in the face by a pizza. The clip, built around the brand’s tagline “Pizza That Slaps”, racked up over 8 million views, instantly making Badboy Pizza one of the most talked-about F&B debuts of the year.

The first outlet is already live in Mumbai’s Andheri West, styled as a boutique dine-in space with cloud kitchen capabilities baked in. But Badshah isn’t stopping there — the roadmap includes expanding to 50 outlets across India’s top five metros in the next three years, with a sharp goal of hitting Rs 150 crore in annual recurring revenue.

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The brand is positioning itself as mass-premium: stylish but not snobbish, cool yet rooted in Indian street culture. Much like the rapper himself, Badboy Pizza is aiming to be desi, slick, and unapologetically original — a pizza place where flavor, culture, and swagger collide.

“Blinkit Horror in Delhi: Woman Details Creepy Late-Night Encounter With Delivery Agent Who ‘Roamed Around’ Her Floor Before Staring Her Down”

Quick Commerce

Online Desk

July 5, 2025

Image of blinkit. — “Blinkit Horror in Delhi: Woman Details Creepy Late-Night Encounter With Delivery Agent Who ‘Roamed Around’ Her Floor Before Staring Her Down”

What was supposed to be a quick late-night ice cream delivery turned into a genuinely unsettling experience for two sisters in Delhi — one that left them shaken and disturbed.

Sharing the ordeal on Reddit, the woman recounted how she had placed a Blinkit order to satisfy a midnight craving. She asked her sister to collect it at the door, expecting the usual handover. But what happened next was anything but normal.

According to her post, the delivery agent exited the lift but didn’t approach their door immediately. Instead, he loitered around the corridor, glancing about in a way that felt off. “My sister was already waiting at the door. She called out to him, but he kept wandering like he was looking for something — or someone,” the woman wrote.

When he finally approached, things escalated. “She told me his eyes were blood-red and unnervingly wide. He stared at her, head to toe, in a way that gave her chills,” she said. Alarmed, her sister called her over.

“I came out mid-call with my boyfriend, wondering what the fuss was about — and then I saw him,” she continued. “There was something wrong. I’ve never seen someone look like that — his eyes were glassy, fixed, and full of something I can only describe as threatening. He didn’t say a word. Just stood there, staring at me.”

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Realizing the danger, she asked him to leave the order on the ground. He did so silently and left, still not speaking. The moment the door was shut, she immediately locked it and woke her father — not because she needed help, but to make sure the man didn’t think they were alone.

“Maybe he was high. Maybe it was something else. But in that moment, I didn’t care — I just wanted him gone,” she ended her post.

India’s First Dessert-Led Café Chain FES Raises ₹3 Cr, Expanding From Gurgaon to Jaipur With Backing From Aakash Anand

INVESTMENTS

Online Desk

July 5, 2025

Image of FES — India’s First Dessert-Led Café Chain FES Raises ₹3 Cr, Expanding From Gurgaon to Jaipur With Backing From Aakash Anand

FES Café, a quirky new player in the food space, just bagged ₹3 crore in seed funding from entrepreneur Aakash Anand and his venture studio, Wolfpack Labs. With the cash infusion, the brand is gearing up to take its dessert-driven café experience beyond NCR and into the national spotlight. The plan? Cross 100 outlets by FY2027.

Helmed by founder Vidur Mayor, FES Café isn’t trying to be your average coffee shop. Instead, it’s rewriting the rules of the café scene by putting desserts front and center. From warm, gooey cookies to eggless cakes, nostalgia-heavy puddings, and unconventional bakes, FES is about indulgence first, caffeine second. The spaces themselves are designed for younger crowds—think Gen Z and millennials looking for something between a sugar rush and a creative hangout.

The funding will go toward launching FES’s first outlet in Delhi this July, with a second café in Gurgaon’s business district arriving in September. A Jaipur launch is already in the pipeline for December. Beyond cafés, FES is also testing dessert delivery hubs and packaged formats, aiming to bring their creations to customers who may never step foot inside one of their stores.

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To scale faster, the brand is going hybrid—with a mix of company-owned and franchise-supported outlets under a COCO-FICO model. This approach is expected to help them expand without losing brand control or diluting the experience.

“This whole thing started because we felt desserts weren’t getting the love they deserve,” said Vidur Mayor. “People go out for coffee or dinner—but why not just for a damn good cookie or pudding? We wanted to build places that celebrate sweetness, joy, and community. With Wolfpack behind us, we’re just getting started.”

And it’s not just talk. FES says it’s seen 3x revenue growth in its first three months, reached store-level EBITDA of nearly 30% by month four, and posted a 347% jump in delivery sales over a 90-day window. By June 2025, they were handling more than 10,000 orders a month—and were already EBITDA-positive at the company level.

In a space saturated by coffee chains and cookie-cutter cafés, FES is making a bold bet: that India’s next big café chain will be built not on lattes, but on lava cakes and creamy puddings.

Gucci Beauty Unveils Its First-Ever Exclusive Store in India at Delhi’s Select Citywalk

Retail & Ecommerce

Online Desk

July 5, 2025

Image of gucc — Gucci Beauty Opens Its First-Ever Standalone Store in India at Delhi’s Select Citywalk—Full Product Line, Custom Engraving & Luxe Interiors Unveiled

Gucci Beauty has officially arrived in New Delhi in a big way—opening the doors to its first independent store in India. Nestled in the bustling Select Citywalk Mall in Saket, the boutique signals the brand’s deeper foray into the Indian market, one of the fastest-growing destinations for luxury beauty.

This isn’t just another store—it’s a visual treat. Pale pink furnishings meet glossy black floors, and every inch of the space has been designed to feel high-end without being intimidating. The beauty counters invite you in rather than overwhelm, striking a balance between elegance and ease.

Step inside, and you’ll find Gucci’s full range of makeup and fragrances on display. From cult favorites like Rouge à Lèvres Liquide Mat and Blush de Beauté to the velvety Éternité de Beauté foundation, the store offers the kind of hands-on access Indian shoppers haven’t had before. On the fragrance front, it’s a perfume lover’s dream—Gucci Bloom, Flora, Guilty, and the opulent Alchemist’s Garden collection are all available to explore and sample.

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Adding an extra touch of flair, the boutique offers in-store engraving on select products, letting customers personalize their Gucci finds for gifting or keepsakes.

The store is now open daily from 10 AM to 10 PM on the ground floor of Select Citywalk. Whether you’re a longtime fan of the brand or just stepping into the Gucci universe, this new space offers an up-close experience of the Italian label’s beauty philosophy—where style meets self-expression.

FitFeast Ropes in Shane Watson as Investor & Brand Face; Bags ₹5.5 Cr in Seed Funding Led by IPV

Online Desk

July 5, 2025

Image of fitfeast. — FitFeast Ropes in Shane Watson as Investor & Brand Face; Bags ₹5.5 Cr in Seed Funding Led by IPV

FitFeast, the rising homegrown protein snack brand that puts taste on par with nutrition, has announced two major wins: a ₹5.5 crore seed funding round led by Inflection Point Ventures (IPV), and the onboarding of former Australian cricket legend Shane Watson as both investor and brand ambassador.

The seed round also saw backing from Raghav Singhal (founder of Swasthum Wellness) and Santosh Govindaraju, a known name in the sustainability and investment ecosystem. FitFeast plans to put this capital to work by building a stronger D2C footprint, expanding into marketplaces and quick commerce, scaling up marketing, strengthening its leadership team, launching new India-focused high-protein products, and improving its metro and tier 1 distribution reach.

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Watson’s role is more hands-on than symbolic. Apart from lending credibility through his public presence, he brings sharp business acumen and deep insights from the world of sports nutrition. Joining him in supporting the brand is Indian cricketer Axar Patel, who’s also an investor and ambassador.

Speaking about his decision to come onboard, Watson shared, “When I first tasted FitFeast’s Protein Chips and the Malai Kulfi Protein Shake, I didn’t expect to be this impressed. I kept coming back to them, and after a few months, I realised this was more than a passing interest. I believe in what FitFeast is building, and I’m here for the long haul.”

Founded in 2021, FitFeast was born out of a simple yet audacious goal: to make protein-rich food a regular part of Indian diets without compromising on flavour. Think dessert bars, smoothie shakes, or crunchy chips—all infused with meaningful protein content but made for Indian palates.

At the heart of this venture is Aditya Poddar, a young founder whose personal transformation fuels his business vision. With a B.Tech in IT from JIIT and an early career stint at AXA in analytics, Aditya had already started two ventures during his college years. But FitFeast came from a deeper place: a 20kg weight loss journey that made him rethink what healthy eating could taste like. In its very first year, Aditya bootstrapped the company to ₹1 crore in ARR—no external capital, just hustle and insight.

FitFeast isn’t chasing fads. It’s reshaping everyday snacking with products that feel indulgent but fuel the body—and now, with backing from investors who understand both performance and taste, the startup seems poised for a strong run.

Facial Workouts Are Coming to India! Reliance Backs UK’s FaceGym in Latest Beauty Power Move

Health & Wellness

Online Desk

July 4, 2025

Image-of-FaceGym. — Facial Workouts Are Coming to India! Reliance Backs UK’s FaceGym in Latest Beauty Power Move

Reliance Retail has taken another bold step into the wellness and beauty space by acquiring a minority stake in UK-based FaceGym, a brand known for its non-invasive facial fitness techniques. With this investment, Reliance plans to bring FaceGym’s unique facial workout studios to India, leveraging its homegrown beauty platform, Tira, as the launchpad.

FaceGym, founded by Inge Theron, has built a cult following globally for its science-backed approach to skincare, combining facial muscle stimulation with cutting-edge beauty technology. The brand’s offerings range from high-performance skincare products to facial workouts that promise sculpted, glowing skin — without surgery or needles.

Reliance aims to tap into the growing Indian appetite for science-driven beauty innovations and the rising popularity of preventive self-care treatments. The rollout of FaceGym studios will help the conglomerate strengthen its presence in the rapidly expanding wellness sector.

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This move follows Reliance Retail’s ongoing strategy of investing in premium international brands to elevate India’s beauty and lifestyle experience. While the financial terms remain undisclosed, industry experts estimate the stake acquisition to be in the multi-million-dollar range.

Ananya Panday Just Put Her Name Behind a Snack Brand Aiming to Knock Maggi Off Its Throne!

Online Desk

July 4, 2025

Image of Ananya Panday — Ananya Panday Just Put Her Name Behind a Snack Brand Aiming to Knock Maggi Off Its Throne!

Too Yumm! is turning up the heat in the instant noodles space with a fresh campaign for its bold sub-brand, K-Bomb. And guess who’s joining the party? Bollywood’s Gen-Z favorite, Ananya Panday. The brand is betting big on her youthful vibe and widespread appeal to strengthen its foothold in the premium noodle market it entered just last year.

“Ananya’s got that unfiltered, youthful energy that mirrors what K-Bomb stands for — bold flavours, playful personality, and zero fuss,” said Yogesh Tewari, Chief Marketing Officer at Too Yumm!. “She’s got the kind of connect with young India that you can’t fake. She’s real, she’s fun, and she gets it.”

At the heart of the campaign is a snappy, fast-paced podcast series featuring Panday, built to feel more like binge-worthy content than a commercial. It’s aimed squarely at the social media generation — the kind that skips ads but rewatches memes.

To take things offline, the brand is rolling out quirky Manga-inspired billboards and QR-activated installations in metro cities — adding a layer of street-style cool to the campaign. “Let’s face it — the usual ad formats aren’t cutting it anymore. We’re playing in the space where attention is earned, not bought,” Tewari added.

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The campaign is also making its way across Instagram meme pages, fan accounts, and digital communities where young people actually hang out — ditching the stale approach of pushing products, and instead building curiosity and culture around K-Bomb.

In short: Too Yumm! is not just selling noodles — it’s building a vibe.

FitFeast Raises ₹5.5 Cr Led by IPV; Shane Watson & Axar Patel Back Protein Snack Brand Targeting India’s Fitness Boom

INVESTMENTS

Online Desk

July 4, 2025

FitFeast, the homegrown food startup that wants to make protein-packed snacks taste like actual food (not cardboard), has just raised ₹5.5 crore in seed funding. The round was led by Gurugram-based Inflection Point Ventures (IPV), with backing from wellness investor Raghav Singhal (Swasthum Wellness) and Santosh Govindaraju.

Started in 2021 by Aditya Poddar—an ex-analytics guy who dropped the spreadsheets for smoothies—FitFeast has been quietly building a cult following among health-conscious Indians who love their masala as much as their macros.

Their lineup? Think peri peri protein chips, malai kulfi-flavored shakes, dessert bars that don’t taste like regret, and nut butters that actually pack a punch. It’s a menu built for those who want to hit their protein goals without giving up taste (or their Indian cravings).

The startup plans to use the fresh funding to grow across multiple channels—direct-to-consumer (D2C), marketplaces, and quick commerce platforms—while also ramping up its marketing and leadership hires. A big part of their next move involves creating more India-specific, high-protein snacks that don’t compromise on flavor or quality.

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“Protein is finally having its moment in India,” said Vinay Bansal, founder of IPV. “FitFeast is showing that you don’t need to suffer through bland food to eat healthy.”

The brand’s big break came earlier this year, when Poddar pitched FitFeast on Shark Tank India in March 2025. He didn’t walk away with a deal, but he did leave a mark—with viewers and investors alike. Sharing his own 20 kg weight-loss journey on national TV turned out to be the spark that caught attention, especially among athletes.

Now, FitFeast has cricketing firepower behind it. Former Australian all-rounder Shane Watson and India’s own Axar Patel have come on board as both investors and brand ambassadors.

With more people waking up to the importance of protein, and a strong flavor-first strategy, FitFeast is betting that the future of fitness in India might just be snackable.

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