US Delegation Lays Thrust on Trade, Technology & Investment to Boost India–US Trade Deal Momentum

We are proud to host this delegation as it comes at an opportune time. Our economic and trade partnership through such delegations after the India-US deal will lead to meaningful gains for MSMEs, startups and exporters integrating us into resilient supply chains complementing with our goal of Viksit Bharat by 2047: Dr. Vijay Kalantri, Chairman, World Trade Center Mumbai and President, All India Association of Industries

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In the picture(L to R): Ms. Priya Pansare, Director, Trade and Investment Promotion, World Trade Center Mumbai; Hon. Angela Birney, Mayor, City of Redmond, Washington; Mr. Dave Somers, County Executive, Snohomish County; Dr. Vijay Kalantri, Chairman, World Trade Center Mumbai and President, All India Association of Industries ; Mr. Sam Cho, Commissioner, Port of Seattle

Mumbai, 5th February 2026: Just days after India-US relations broke the ice by announcing a trade deal, World Trade Center Mumbai, in association with the All-India Association of Industries (AIAI), organized a high-level business delegation from Seattle today. This is the first India-focused leadership mission of its kind from the state of Washington, organized by the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Greater Seattle Partners, comprising more than 35 senior leaders from business, real estate, technology, aviation, and the creative economy covering entire gamut of trade ties.

Sharing insights on the Seattle region’s economic strengths, innovation ecosystem, and opportunities for Indian companies, Mr. Dave Somers, County Executive, Snohomish County, Seattle Region said, “The county of Snohomish hosts the historic Boeing Factory positioning the city of Seattle as an aerospace hub. We at Seattle value international cooperation in trade and investment. With an experience in being a hub for high value manufacturing, we wish to collaborate in areas such as aerospace, advanced manufacturing and telecom technology, green energy, and infrastructure development. In the coming months we will develop a sustainable hub for aviation fuel in line with international standards thereby providing a window of opportunity for international players. Being heavily dependent on international trade, we are always open for trade and development in Snohomish County in Seattle”.

Speaking at the event, Mr. Sam Cho, Commissioner, Port of Seattle, said, “The Port of Seattle is one of the most diversified ports in the United States and a major international gateway. We are deeply committed to global connectivity, with the largest cruise business on the U.S. West Coast and a strong maritime presence through the Northwest Seaport Alliance formed in 2015. Despite ongoing geopolitical tensions, our trade volumes have remained steady”.

“The Seattle metropolitan region is home to global leaders such as Boeing, Amazon, Microsoft, and Starbucks. We see significant opportunities to expand air cargo and passenger services with India, which is currently our 13th-largest air cargo trade partner. With over 277,000 passengers traveling between Seattle and India, we also remain focused on strengthening trade, services, and connectivity. We highly value the role of the World Trade Center and admire the spirit of innovation and service demonstrated by Indian enterprises.” added Mr. Sam Cho

Hon. Angela Birney, Mayor, City of Redmond, Seattle Region, said, “Redmond is a global hub for innovation built on talent, diversity, and international collaboration. Nearly 45% of our residents were born outside the United States, and 75% of adults hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. The Indian community and Indian entrepreneurs play a vital role in our economy and cultural fabric”.

“Redmond hosts a growing startup ecosystem in artificial intelligence, fusion energy, implant computers, and clean technology, and is home to several global Indian companies such as HCL, Tata Group, and Tech Mahindra, strengthening two-way economic ties. India is a strategic partner in education, innovation, culture, and long-term growth. By investing in relationships with India, we invest in shared prosperity. US is seriously looking at India as a preferred investment destination” added Ms. Birney.

In his welcome address, Dr. Vijay Kalantri, Chairman, World Trade Center Mumbai and President, All India Association of Industries, said “the recent India–US trade deal, aims to scale bilateral trade in goods and services to USD 500 billion by 2030, similarly we should aim to scale capital flows from US to India from the current mark of 50 Billion dollars. This will lead to improved market access to US markets helping exporters and driving investment flows”.

“This delegation comes at an opportune time as we press the reset button to our ties. Seattle is the tech city of the US and as we march towards the 10 trillion-dollar economy by 2030, this relationship with Seattle will work both ways harnessing capital and required technology for the growth of our economy. With this delegation at World Trade Center, Mumbai, I would like to pass on the message through you that India is eager to grow with mutual support. Let temporary hiccups not be a long aberration for our consequential ties”, stressed Dr. Kalantri. 

Dr. Kalantri stated, “The Seattle region represents key opportunities for Indian businesses, particularly in sectors such as technology, logistics, real estate, clean energy, advanced manufacturing, and start-ups. Home to global leaders in aerospace, quantum computing, and innovation including Boeing, Microsoft and several other major companies, Seattle offers strong potential for collaboration with Indian industry. Complement with the trade deal, this will lead to meaningful gains for Indian MSMEs creating job opportunities”.

The event witnessed participation from over 1000 representatives from industry, entrepreneurs, and MSMEs, with structured and positive B2B meetings harnessing the full potential of the visit. The Seattle business delegation’s visit to World Trade Center Mumbai underscored the shared commitment of India and the United States to deepen economic engagement, foster innovation-led growth, and build resilient global partnerships.

Ms. Priya Pansare, Director, Trade and Investment Promotion, World Trade Centre, Mumbai expressed vote of thanks to the dignitaries present and the visiting delegation for the high-level business meet.

LIBF Expo 2026 Draws 35,000+ Visitors, Highlights India’s Expanding Role in Cross-Border Trade Platforms

18+ Global Conventions | 25+ Countries | 30+ Industries | 246 Exhibitors

Platform blends business, knowledge exchange, social inclusion, and community impact.

MUMBAI, FEBRUARY 05, 2026 LIBF Expo 2026 – Mumbai Calling, a multi-sector international trade and business networking event held in Mumbai, attracted more than 35,000 visitors over three days, reflecting growing demand for sector-driven platforms connecting Indian enterprises with global markets.

The event hosted 18+ global conferences, participation from 25+ countries, representation across 30+ industries, and featured 246 exhibitors across sectors including financial services, healthcare, legal services, logistics, manufacturing, infrastructure, and emerging technologies.

The Expo was held at the Jio World Convention Centre and brought together business leaders, institutional representatives, investors, policymakers, and sector specialists. Organisers positioned the platform as a connector between enterprise ecosystems across India, the Gulf region, Africa, Europe, the UK, North America, and Asia-Pacific markets.

More than 10,000 curated business and professional participants attended sector conventions, industry roundtables, and trade-focused sessions. Participants discussed cross-border expansion strategies, supply chain diversification, regulatory compliance frameworks, and capital access across emerging and developed markets.

Industry participants highlighted increasing interest in India as both a manufacturing base and services export hub, alongside growing outbound expansion by Indian small and mid-sized enterprises.

The event also saw participation from national industry and governance-linked institutions including the IMC Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IMC), the Institute of Directors (IOD), and the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC).

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Education, Social Responsibility and Community Initiatives

Alongside its trade and business focus, LIBF Expo 2026 integrated multiple social responsibility and community-impact initiatives into the platform. These included complimentary stalls for women-led Gruh Udyog enterprises, education and training institutions, and community-focused organisations; facilitation of UAE-focused business advisory and overseas expansion support; recognition of individuals and organizations through international awards; and a structured education initiative supporting capacity enhancement across 100 Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) municipal schools.

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Dignitaries and Recognition

The Expo and associated ceremonies witnessed the presence of senior policymakers, institutional leaders, defence officials, jurists, industry veterans, and elected representatives.

The Inaugural Ceremony was blessed by a special video message from Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, inspiring participants towards responsible business, ethical growth, and service-driven leadership, and was graced by the presence of distinguished dignitaries including Vice Admiral Atul Anand, AVSM, VSM, Additional Secretary, Department of Military Affairs, Ministry of Defence, Government of India; Mr. Ashish Kumar Chauhan, Managing Director and CEO, National Stock Exchange of India (NSE); and Mr. Motilal Oswal, Co-Founder, CMD, Motilal Oswal Financial Services Ltd.

Smt. Amruta Devendra Fadnavis, was the Guest of Honour at the International Awards Ceremony, added prestige and meaningful value to the platform, celebrating excellence, leadership, and global collaboration.

Prominent dignitaries and eminent personalities who graced the Expo included Padma Shri Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, Secretary, Ministry of AYUSH, Government of India; Shri R. Venkataramani, Attorney General of India; Mr. Bhushan Gagrani, IAS, Municipal Commissioner of Greater Mumbai; Mr. Raamdeo Agrawal, Chairman, Motilal Oswal Group; Ms. Radhika Gupta, Managing Director and CEO, Edelweiss Mutual Fund; Justice M. R. Shah, Former Judge, Supreme Court of India; Mr. Nitin Thakker, Senior Advocate, Bombay High Court and President, Bombay Bar Association; and Mr. Mihir Kotecha, MLA, Mulund Constituency.

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Leadership Statement

In a joint statement, Mr. Satish D. Vithalani, Chairman, LIBF, and Mr. Vijay P. Karia, Director, LIBF, said the Expo reflects the growing need for structured, sector-driven platforms that enable Indian enterprises to engage confidently with global markets.

They noted that LIBF Expo 2026 demonstrated how trade, professional knowledge exchange, institutional collaboration, and community initiatives can converge on a single platform to support sustainable cross-border growth and long-term economic engagement.

Ananya Birla Launches Birla Studios

 

 

Date, Mumbai, India - 4th February, 2026. Birla Studios has been created with the intent to create high concept, prestige-driven, commercial cinema. It will focus on stories that seamlessly balance broad audience reach with artistic distinction, championing culturally relevant narratives and storytelling.

 

Rooted in Ananya Birla’s belief in cinema as a medium of expression, the studio is committed to curating cinema that creates immediate emotional connection while leaving an indelible mark. With a strong emphasis on creative ambition and commercial viability, Birla Studios aims to shape films that are both meaningful and widely engaging.

 

“We are all stories. Cinema is one of the most powerful mediums through which those stories are told. At its most powerful, cinema creates an immediate connection while leaving a lasting resonance. At Birla Studios, our focus is on curating a slate of films that balance cultural significance with strong entertainment value and a conscious stand to nurture new talent, while exploring genres, amplifying fresh voices and diverse perspectives. As we put this slate together, we’ve been deeply encouraged by the kindness and receptiveness of everyone across the industry. It would be a privilege to play even a small part in taking Indian cinema forward,” said Ananya Birla.

 

Birla Studios is shaping a multi-language slate that spans stories in Hindi, Gujarati, Malayalam amongst other regional languages and international English language cinema, reflecting its ambition to engage audiences across borders and cultures.

Stay tuned for further announcements as the studio reveals its upcoming projects.

 

 

About Birla Studios

Launched in 2026, Birla Studios is a film studio focused on building high-concept, commercial cinema. The studio is driven by a belief in stories that endure, prioritizing depth, craft, and long-term relevance. Genre-agnostic in approach, Birla Studios backs films with strong commercial appeal while nurturing promising talent, emerging voices and bold ideas. With an emphasis on scale, storytelling ambition, and thoughtful execution, the studio aims to create cinema that balances cultural specificity with universal reach.

 

 

About Ananya Birla

Ananya Birla is an entrepreneur and business leader with a strong track record of building institutions defined by scale, governance, measurable impact and profitability. She combines hands-on operational leadership with a long-term vision across financial services, real estate, global trading, consumer brands, and scalable impact.

 

 

As Founder and Chairperson of Svatantra Microfin, she has steered the company as India’s second largest and best performing microfinance institution.

In 2025, she launched Contraband and LOVETC under the banner of Birla Cosmetics, where she is building highly aspirational brands anchored in differentiated consumer insights and product excellence.

 

With Birla Studios, she brings the same strategic rigour, creative sensitivity and future-forward thinking to the movie business, positioning the studio as a meaningful new force in the evolving entertainment landscape.

Ms. Birla also plays an active strategic role within the Aditya Birla Group, serving on its apex strategic body, ABMCPL, and on the boards of Hindalco, Grasim, and Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail.

 

Beyond business, she is the first Indian artist to have multiple English-language multi platinum selling singles in India, the first Indian artist featured on an American national Top 40 chart, and an MTV Europe Music Awards nominee.

 

Recognised as Fortune’s Most Powerful Women (2025), The Economic Times’ 40 Under 40, Business Today’s Most Powerful Women and among the most promising voices at World Economic Forum, Davos 2026, she consistently pursues value creation and excellence across both enterprise and creative expression.

Hyderabad-based Marri Retail Limited files DRHP for IPO

Hyderabad-based Marri Retail Limited has filed its Draft Red Herring Prospectus (DRHP) with capital markets regulator, Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) for its Initial Public Offering (IPO).

The IPO, with a face value of ₹2, is a mix of fresh issue of shares aggregating up to Rs 522 crore and offer-for-sale of 27,000,000 equity shares by promoter - Marri Venkat Reddy.

The proceeds from its fresh issuance worth Rs 115.6 crore will be utilised for repayment/ prepayment, in full or part, of all or certain outstanding borrowings availed by the company, Rs 250.5 crore for capital expenditure to be incurred towards opening of 10 new apparel stores, one new apparel store with jewellery SIS (Integrated Retail Store) and two new standalone jewellery stores (the Jewellery Stores), Rs 35.8 crore expenditure for lease/sub lease rent payments for certain of the company's existing stores and warehouse, and general corporate purposes.

The company, in consultation with the book-running lead managers, may consider a pre-IPO Placement for up to Rs 104.4 crore. The pre-IPO placement if completed, the fresh issue size will be reduced.

The Offer is being made through the book-building process, wherein not more than 50% of the net offer is allocated to qualified institutional buyers, and not more than 15% and 35% of the net offer is assigned to non-institutional bidders and retail individual bidders respectively.

Marri Retail is an apparel and jewellery retailer operating stores under multiple brands, offering a comprehensive and well-diversified product portfolio across a wide range of price points, including premium, mid-premium and value. 

The company commenced apparel retail business as a proprietorship under the brand name ‘Jeans Corner’ in 1999 and entered the large-format retail segment by launching the first shopping mall under the “The Chennai Shopping Mall” brand in Hyderabad in 2013.

The company has 34 stores with an aggregate retail space of 0.98 million square feet across 26 districts in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Maharashtra. The company operate its stores under multiple brands, including, The Chennai Shopping Mall, JC Mall, J.C. Brothers and Jeans Corner in the apparel category, and The Chennai Shopping Mall Jewellers in the jewellery category.

The company's differentiated business model, supported by a diversified product portfolio, strategic store expansion, technology-driven supply chain, and targeted marketing, the company believe positions it to capitalize on industry growth and strengthen its position in organized retail in the states it operates.

As of September 30, 2025, the company had 522 apparel articles (including 129 articles under our private label brands) and 259 jewellery articles, positioning it as a one-stop destination for family shopping, driving footfalls and repeat purchases.

The company’s revenue from operations was Rs 1,301.42 crore during the six-months ended September 30, 2025, and net profit was Rs 83.52 crore

Its revenue from operations was Rs 2,456.27 crore during FY25 vis-a-vis Rs 1,900.84 crore during FY23.

Mumbai based Four Bridge Capital (FBC) has assisted Marri Retail Ltd on its IPO journey and FBC Team has supported throughout the DRHP filing process.

Nuvama Wealth Management Limited, IIFL Capital Services Limited and Motilal Oswal Investment Advisors Limited are the book-running lead managers.

The equity shares are proposed to be listed on BSE and NSE.

Shelter is a solid watch ⭐⭐⭐

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Shelter – Movie Review 

Overall, Shelter is a solid watch for action lovers who enjoy powerful performances and smart direction. 

Realistic, Brutal Combat,as expected with a Jason Statham lead, the action leans into hand-to-hand combat, tactical fights, and physical confrontation rather than flashy superhero antics. Statham’s characters are typically tough, efficient fighters and here he delivers that signature gritty intensity. 

Jason Statham as a central figure carries most of the narrative weight. His performance combines stoic resilience with physical ferocity, especially in the action sequences. 

Bodhi Rae Breathnach: Plays the young girl whose presence catalyzes the core conflict. Her interactions with Mason add emotional stakes to the otherwise tough-guy narrative.

Bill Nighy, Naomi Ackie and Daniel Mays round out the cast, bringing depth and tension in both supportive and antagonistic roles. Their inclusion hints at strong character interplay beyond the physical action

Ric Roman Waugh has a track record of grounded action thrillers that blend character urgency with physical spectacle. In Shelter the narrative rhythm tends toward both survival drama and bursts of action, using quieter moments to deepen character stakes before intense sequences.

Asian Paints Where The Heart Is returns with five exquisite home tours in Season 9,

 showcasing how celebs are redefining homes through colour, emotion, identity and design

Introduces the ‘Asian Paints Where The Heart Is’ Lookbook to help consumers decode colour and décor inspiration for their own homes

Mumbai, January 23, 2026: Asian Paints, India’s leading paint and décor company, returns with the 9th  season of its much-loved home décor and storytelling property, Asian Paints Where The Heart Is. Over the years, the series has become a cultural touchstone, celebrating homes that are deeply personal reflections of the people who inhabit them. Season 9 continues this legacy, bringing to life stories that go beyond walls and colours to uncover the emotions, memories and values that truly make a house a home.

This season opens the doors to five distinctive homes of some of India’s most admired personalities, Sonakshi Sinha and Zaheer Iqbal, Gautam Gambhir, Keerthy Suresh and Antony Thattil, Archana Puran Singh and Parmeet Sethi, and Aman and Priya Gupta. While each home is different in style, geography and personality, they are united by a shared sense of warmth, authenticity and emotional depth. Across the season, viewers witness how homes become living canvases, shaped by relationships, routines, memories and the everyday moments that make life meaningful.

Viewers step into spaces that feel deeply lived-in and personal, each shaped by the lives lived within them. Archana and Parmeet invite audiences into their Anglo-Spanish inspired home in Madh, that has grown gently over time, rooted in family, nature and shared memories. Keerthy and Antony’s vibrant Kochi apartment reflects her instinctive relationship with colour and emotion, layered with playful details and spaces designed for everyday joy. Sonakshi and Zaheer open the doors to their penthouse ‘Saada’, a home that holds many moods, from lively conversations in the sunken pit to quieter, memory-filled corners.

Speaking on the launch, Amit Syngle, MD & CEO, Asian Paints said “With the ninth season of Asian Paints Where The Heart Is, we are proud to continue a journey that Asian Paints has been committed to for decades, helping Indians see their homes not just as places they live in, but as personal reflections of who they are. With over 1 billion views & counting, Asian Paints Where the Heart Is continues to be India’s most loved & watched home décor shows. Over the years, this series has evolved into a meaningful platform through which we have guided consumers on colour, décor and design — simplifying choices, demystifying trends, and showing how thoughtful design decisions can elevate everyday living. As a brand that has long stood for colour and design authority, this responsibility lies at the heart of everything we do.

MHADA lifts stop work from a project stalled for 17 years

A stop work notice which brought a project spread over 9 acres in Jogeshwari to a grinding halt,

crashing dreams of 576 occupant families and 350 home buyers, has recently been lifted by

MHADA’s building permission cell. This is after Pune based Mantra Group was asked to take the

over the project by National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT).

The saga revolved around redevelopment of MHADA colony which had 576 houses under the

banner of Majaswadi Sarvodayanagar Co-operative Housing Society. Back in 2008, the residents

decided to undertake the redevelopment of the colony, as a composite redevelopment scheme.

They appointed Acme Realities Pvt Ltd to execute the project. The project involved rehousing all

the occupant families and using the remaining land parcel for constructing sale towers. Acme

started construction of three towers for 171 of the 576 original occupants, and also launched two

sale towers. They sold houses to 350 home buyers in the two towers.

In order to finance the scheme, they raised substantial funds, which by the time the matter came

to NCLT had reached Rs 4,326.72 crores. When Acme could not complete the project, home

buyers moved NCLT. In August last year, NCLT entrusted Mantra to complete the project. Total

of 14 developers were in the fray for the project.

Within weeks of taking over, mantra cleared back rent of 316 tenants and paid them rent for the

current year. The 92 tenants on site were paid 1 year rent in advance and next year's pdc was

handed over along with hardship charges. Mantra has started work on homebuyer towers and is

now pushing towards completion

To add to this, Mantra has recently received funding of Rs 340 crores from ASK Property Fund,

the real estate arm of the Blackstone-backed ASK Asset & Wealth Management Group. The

funding will enable Mantra to put the development of Jogeshwari project in fast track.

Mantra Properties has established itself in Pune market. Over the past 18 years, the developer has

completed 16 large projects spanning housing 7,500 plus families.

Amit Bhagat, Co-founder, MD & CEO, ASK Property Fund, stated“ We remain committed to

providing growth capital for land acquisition of residential projects linked to approvals and

requiring financial closure of up to INR 500 crore.”

Rohit Gupta, CEO, Mantra Group, said, “The collaboration between ASK Property Fund and

Mantra Group is coming at a very opportune time. Of the three projects that are being invested

into, two of them have been stuck for a significant time, leaving many homebuyers in a lurch. In

the Mumbai project, Mantra’s acquisition and ASK Property Fund’s investment will impact lives of

576 families residing on the land parcel and another 350 families who had bought homes in the

erstwhile proposed development. As a group, we are committed to delivering quality homes and

fulfilling long-pending wishes of homebuyers.”

Bank of India reports Operating Profit for Q3FY26 grew by 13% YoY to ₹4,193 crores

Mumbai, 21 January 2026: Bank of India announced its results for the Q3 FY26. Operating Profit for Q3FY26 increased by 13% YoY and stood at ₹ 4,193 crores, while Operating Profit for 9M-FY26 increased by 4% YoY and stood at ₹ 12,023 crores.

 

Net Profit for 9M-FY26 increased by 14% YoY at ₹7,511 crores. Net Profit for Q3FY26 grew by 7% YoY to ₹2,705 crores Bank’s ROA and ROE for Q3-FY26 increased to 0.96% and 15.34% respectively. ROA and ROE for 9M-FY26 stood at 0.90% and 14.49% respectively. Bank’s Global and Domestic NIM for Q3FY26 stood at 2.57% and 2.80% respectively. Net Interest Margin (NIM) of Global and Domestic for 9M-FY26 stood at 2.51% and 2.76% respectively.

 

Bank’s Domestic Advances registered a growth of 15.16% YoY and Global Advances registered a growth of 13.63% YoY. Bank’s Global Business crossed ₹ 16 Lakh crores milestone. Retail Advances grew by 20.64% YoY, Agriculture Advances grew by 16.69% YoY followed by MSME Advances which grew by 15.77% YoY and Corporate Advances grew by 11.32% YoY. RAM % share in Advances increased to 58.54%. Bank’s Deposits grew by 11.64% YoY with Domestic Deposits grew by 12.80% YoY. CASA Deposit grew by 4.48% YoY and CASA ratio stands at 37.97% as on 31st December, 2025

 

Net Interest Income (NII) for 9M-FY26 stood at ₹ 18,442 crores and for Q3-FY26 stood at ₹ 6,461 crores. Non-Interest Income for Q3-FY26 grew by 30% YoY at 2,279 crores and increased in 9M-FY26 by 20% YoY at ₹ 6,665 crores

Gross NPA ratio at 2.26% improved by 143 bps YoY. Net NPA ratio at 0.60% improved by 25 bps YoY. PCR improved by 112 bps YoY and stands at 93.60%. Slippage Ratio for Q3FY26 improved by 3 bps YoY and stands at 0.16%. Credit Cost for 9M-FY26 improved by 30 bps YoY to 0.42% and for Q3FY26 improved by 5 bps YoY to 0.34%.

 

Capital Adequacy Ratio stands at 17.09%

 

On the digital and alternate channels front, 7 Lakh+ customers added during Q3-FY26, taking total UPI customers to 242 Lakh+. The share of alternate channels in total transactions increased to ~96% in Q3-FY26.

 

9th Edition of Penang Roadshow to India Drives Business Events and TourismMomentum for Visit Malaysia Year 2026

19th January 2025

India: Guided by the theme ‘Simply Penang’, the Penang Convention & Exhibition

Bureau (PCEB) leads the 9th edition of the Penang Roadshow to India 2026, reaffirming

Penang’s long-standing commitment to the Indian market and strengthening bilateral

ties in tourism and business events.

Taking place from 19 to 27 January 2026, the roadshow covers four major Indian cities

— Mumbai (19 January), New Delhi (21 January), Kochi (23 January) and Chennai (27

January). The programme engages more than 800 qualified buyers and over 100 media

representatives across the four cities, connecting Penang directly with decision-makers

across the leisure, corporate, incentive and meetings sectors.

Now in its ninth edition, the Penang Roadshow to India stands as a strategic platform

for sustained market engagement, business matching and destination promotion. India

remains one of Penang’s most important and resilient source markets, with strong

demand across leisure travel, business events and incentive travel.

As of November 2025, Penang had received over 42,367 visitors from India, marking a

significant rise that has propelled India from outside the top 10 in 2024 to become one

of Penang’s top six international source markets. This underscores India’s strategic

importance as Penang intensifies its global outreach efforts ahead of Visit Malaysia

Year 2026 (VM2026).

The continued visa exemption for Indian nationals until 31 December 2026 further

enhances accessibility and travel convenience, reinforcing Malaysia and Penang’s

competitiveness as preferred destinations for both tourism and business events.

Penang’s strong performance extends beyond leisure tourism. Up to November 2025,

the destination hosts more than 2,900 business events, generating an estimated

economic impact of RM1.3 billion, with final figures for December currently being

consolidated. These outcomes reflect Penang’s mature business events ecosystem,

robust infrastructure, professional services and its ability to deliver high-value,

high-impact events across multiple sectors.

No. 14A & 16A (First Floor), The Whiteaways Arcade, Lebuh Pantai, George Town,10300 Penang, MALAYSIA

T/ +604 261 6161 F/ +604 261 6171 E/ info@pceb.my W/ www.pceb.m

Live Times Expands its Global Footprint; Reaches 70 Million People in USA and Canada

National, January 17, 2026 :  India’s first Global Multicast News Hub, Live Times, today announced a major expansion of its international footprint with its launch across North America, making the channel accessible throughout the United States and Canada via UVOtv, a FAST platform serving global diaspora audiences.

With this strategic expansion, Live Times’ accurate and authentic news coverage from India is now available to an addressable audience of over 70 million people across North America who speak languages other than English. The development significantly amplifies India’s voice within the global information ecosystem and marks an important milestone in Live Times’ international growth journey—reinforcing its commitment to credible, truth-driven journalism that transcends borders.

North America remains a priority market for Live Times, owing to its large, influential, and deeply connected Indian diaspora. Building on its strong presence in the Middle East, Australia and Oceania, this expansion aligns seamlessly with the channel’s mission to connect meaningfully with overseas audiences, while ensuring that India’s perspective is presented globally with clarity, responsibility, and integrity.

Live Times’ availability on UVOtv enables the network to engage a diverse international viewership while remaining firmly anchored to its editorial ethos—delivering journalism that is factual, fearless, and uncompromising in its pursuit of truth.

Commenting on the expansion, Dilip Singh, Founder, Live Times, said: “Live Times was founded with a singular mission: to amplify India’s voice on the global stage, and contribute towards ‘Truth Based World Information Order’. In building a meaningful and enduring connection with the Indian diaspora, this expansion across the United States and Canada—directly aligns with our mission and vision. This strategic arrangement accelerates our ability to achieve the global footprints and audience simultaneously, while extending our reach to a remarkable and big 70 million people in North America, thereby strengthening India’s voice, perspective, and also adding to the credible global information ecosystem. We also plan to expand our deeper coverage beyond Indian boundaries.”

Lionel Dreshaj, Founder and CEO of UVOtv, added:  “UVOtv is proud to welcome Live Times to the platform as we continue to expand access to trusted international news for diaspora audiences across North America. Live Times brings a credible, fact-driven news voice to our growing portfolio of global channels, enabling Indian audiences in the U.S. and Canada to stay connected to news from home.”

Now available on UVOtv, Live Times continues to broaden its global reach while remaining steadfastly anchored to its core promise of delivering accurate, authentic, and impactful journalism—without compromise.