Archive: January 3, 2026

What India Ordered on Instamart this New Year’s Eve: Grapes, IPhones, Gold Coins, and Everything In Between

Jan 03rd:  As India rang in the New Year, Instamart witnessed a sharp spike in last-minute shopping, driven by a mix of tradition, celebration, and inevitable New Year’s Eve forgetfulness. 

Earlier this week, a grape-costumed Instamart reminder playfully nudged people about the popular 12 grapes at midnight ritual. Coincidence or not, the reminder appears to have struck a chord. On New Year’s Eve, Instamart and Phani Kishan Addepalli – Co – Founder at Swiggy shared real time updates on what India is ordering. One post recorded 235,000 searches for grapes in the first half of the day, with searches starting as early as 5 AM. As the evening progressed, grape searches surged 78x, underlining how even well-known traditions need timely reminders when celebrations take over.

As the night unfolded, Instamart’s real-time data reflected classic NYE panic buying patterns. Searches and orders surged across ice, snacks, mixers, beverages, and party essentials, confirming that some things are never stocked enough.

 Beyond Metros, Momentum Builds 

While metros continued to lead demand, New Year’s Eve shopping momentum expanded rapidly beyond them. Cities such as Lonavla, Karimnagar, Saharanpur, Davanagere, Patiala, and Meerut emerged as high-growth pockets during the evening.

Patiala stood out with one customer placing 200+ items in a single day, including 108 packs of Kurkure, while another user from the city ordered gold coins worth ₹6 lakh, signalling celebratory shopping at scale. 

Big Baskets, Bigger Celebrations 

High-value purchases also marked the final hours of 2025. In Bengaluru, a shopper placed a single order worth ₹1.8 lakh, purchasing two iPhones, while another customer ordered protein supplements worth ₹41,000. Meanwhile, a Mumbai user received gold worth ₹1.45 lakh from a loved one via Instamart highlighting a growing trend of gifting through quick commerce. 

Notably, nearly 1 in 9 New Year’s Eve orders on Instamart were placed for friends and family, reinforcing the platform’s role in facilitating last-minute celebrations and thoughtful surprises. 

What India Stocked Up On

In the final hour of the year, Phani shared that Instamart saw dramatic category spikes:

Grapes: 15x
Cakes: 7x
BBQ-related items: 6x
Beverages: 3.5x
Party glasses: 2.5x
Pizza bases: 1.8x
Calendars & planners: 1.5x

Demand trends also revealed regional preferences, skewers and coal saw strong traction in Pune and Kolkata, while tonic water emerged as the most trending beverage nationwide. Card games recorded a 3x spike in searches, as party plans stretched well into the night. 

A Year of Loyalty 

Closing the year on a high note, Instamart also celebrated its most loyal customers. One standout user placed 4,548 orders in 2025, including 15 orders on New Year’s Eve alone, earning the title of Instamart’s MVP customer of the year. 

As the countdown ended, Instamart’s New Year’s Eve data painted a familiar but telling picture of last-minute needs, evolving traditions, generous gifting, and celebrations that refuse to slow down. 

”2025 was a defining year for Instamart and for Quick Commerce in India. As we head into New Year’s Eve, we are seeing strong momentum nationwide. What began as a Tier-1 convenience is becoming urban utility infrastructure, with strong growth coming from Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities. New Year’s Eve once again surprises us with orders beyond essentials as Indian consumers turn to quick commerce platforms for every kind of need. Categories such as party supplies, gifting essentials, snacks and beverages, beauty, personal care, and grooming, and viral items such as grapes are seeing high growth on the platform.

This year, we saw Quick Commerce move beyond groceries and emergency top-ups to become part of daily life. From milk and fresh produce to electronics, gifting, and even gold, consumers ordered it all from Quick Commerce. This shift reinforces our belief that reliability, selection, and trust will continue to shape how India shops. As India steps into 2026, we are positive that quick commerce will continue to grow as a reliable, everyday app in people’s lives, powering spontaneous moments, fulfilling planned needs, and offering unparalleled convenience.”- Amitesh Jha, CEO, Instamart

Santoor reaches 2850 CR sales, becomes India’s largest Soap Brand

Hyderabad, Jan 03rd: Santoor from Wipro Consumer Care & Lighting, has emerged as the country’s largest soap brand, marking a defining milestone in its nearly four-decade-long journey.

The brand with its distinctive sandalwood-and-turmeric proposition saw a modest test launch in Bangalore in 1985, followed by a national roll-out in 1986. Santoor has today grown into a ₹2850 crore personal wash behemoth – in terms of company invoiced sales (INDAS) for last 12 months, now becoming the largest Soap brand.

Santoor championed the relatable promise of “younger-looking skin” for the everyday Indian woman. This positioning came to life through the iconic ‘Santoor Mom’ which has been used consistently, but the portrayal changed over the years keeping pace with the changing aspirations of women and celebrating the multiple roles women balance – something that deeply resonated with consumers. The brand has worked hard to continuously enhance the product performance and packaging over the years and make Santoor synonymous with its vibrant orange colour. Santoor’s journey has been built on strong operational execution and an intense focus to win the top spot across key markets.

Reflecting on the incredible milestone, Vineet Agrawal, CEO, Wipro Consumer Care & Lighting and Managing Director, Wipro Enterprises, said, “Becoming India’s largest soap brand is a moment of quiet pride for all of us at Wipro Consumer Care & Lighting. Santoor’s journey has been shaped by deep consumer understanding, disciplined execution, and the belief that consistent value creation wins over time. We have worked assiduously to give great quality to the consumer, by constantly upgrading the product, be it in perfume, superior sensorial or performance in hard water, which combined with exciting advertising – have all helped shape the brand’s success.”

Neeraj Khatri, Chief Executive, Wipro Consumer Care, said, “This milestone fills us with immense pride and is a testament to the extraordinary dedication and passion of our factory teams, frontline colleagues, and business teams across geographies. The teams had a deep conviction on Santoor and an unwavering zeal to become the leader, which was backed with relentless hard work and a steadfast commitment to quality and operational excellence. We are deeply grateful for the unwavering trust and collaboration of our distributors and partners whose support has been integral to this journey, and we sincerely thank them for their continued partnership, that has helped build lasting consumer confidence and market leadership.”

In 1986 – a clearly defined brand positioning enabled Santoor to establish itself – generating revenues of just ₹60 crore in its first decade. By the late 1990s, Wipro Consumer Care & Lighting made a decisive strategic shift to focus on growing high potential states, one state at a time. Starting from Andhra Pradesh (later AP and Telangana) the brand gained immensely in Maharashtra, Karnataka and Gujarat, becoming the top brand in South & West India by 2009. This strategy prioritised depth over breadth, concentrating investment and visibility. By 2018, Santoor crossed ₹2,000 crore milestone, beating Lux to become India’s second-largest soap brand by value. Today with an annual revenue of approximately ₹2,850 crore, the brand has surpassed Lifebuoy to become India’s largest soap brand.

This achievement reflects the enduring trust of millions of Indian households who have made Santoor a part of their daily lives. Built on relevance, accessibility, and consistency, the brand’s growth emphasizes the power of understanding consumers deeply and delivering value over time.

Karthikeyan Manickam is the New Chairman of ESAF Small Finance Bank

Thrissur: ESAF Small Finance Bank has appointed Mr. Karthikeyan Manickam as the Chairman of the Bank. He is a former Executive Director of Bank of India and brings with him over 36 years of rich experience in public sector banking.

Mr. Karthikeyan possesses deep expertise across key areas, including banking operations, risk management, regulatory compliance, human resources management, credit monitoring and recovery, financial inclusion, and customer-centric banking. His appointment is expected to further strengthen ESAF Bank’s corporate governance framework, enhance strategic oversight, and reinforce long-term institutional resilience, while also adding value to the Bank’s pursuit of excellence in customer service.

As Chairman, Mr. Karthikeyan will provide strategic guidance and independent oversight to the Board, supporting the Bank’s continued focus on inclusive banking, improving asset quality, regulatory compliance, sustainable growth, and consistently high standards of customer service, thereby reinforcing stakeholder confidence in an increasingly dynamic financial environment.

During his tenure as Executive Director at Bank of India, Mr. Karthikeyan was part of the top management team and played a pivotal role in shaping policies and strategies across multiple portfolios, including risk management, inspection and audit, stressed asset resolution, retail banking, agriculture and MSME financing, government business, CSR, marketing, and financial inclusion.

Earlier in his career, he held several senior leadership positions at Indian Bank. He has also served on the boards of Tamil Nadu Grama Bank and BOI STAR Investment Managers Pvt. Ltd., and was the Chairman of Star Union Dai-ichi Life Insurance Company Limited (SUD Life).

Vegas Mall, Dwarka Hosts Soulful Bhajan Sandhya to Begin the New Year

Vegas Mall, Dwarka marked the beginning of the New Year with a spiritually enriching Bhajan Sandhya, titled “A Divine Beginning”, held on 1st January at the Central Piazza. The evening featured a live devotional performance by Amala Krishna Das from ISKCON Temple, Dwarka, creating an atmosphere of peace, reflection, and collective devotion.

The event witnessed an overwhelming response, with over thousands visitors in attendance, including families, senior citizens, and devotees, who gathered to immerse themselves in soulful bhajans and kirtans. The resonating chants and serene melodies offered a refreshing pause from the usual festivities, encouraging attendees to welcome the year with calmness and positivity.

Speaking on the occasion, Ravinder Choudhary, Vice President, Vegas Mall, said, “We were truly encouraged by the response from our visitors. As a community-centric destination, our intent was to offer a meaningful way to begin the New Year—one rooted in peace, devotion, and togetherness. The Bhajan Sandhya beautifully reflected our commitment to curating experiences that emotionally connect with our audiences.”

With this successful spiritual gathering, Vegas Mall continues to strengthen its position as a holistic lifestyle destination that seamlessly blends shopping, culture, entertainment, and community engagement.

NSE Conducts Investor Awareness Programme in Rajkot to Promote Financial Literacy, Investor Awareness and Informed & Safe Investing Practices

Chandigarh, Jan 03rd: The National Stock Exchange of India (NSE) today conducted an Investor Awareness Programme (IAP) in Rajkot, Gujarat, with the objective of enhancing financial literacy, promoting responsible investing, and strengthening investor awareness across the region.

The programme witnessed enthusiastic participation from new and existing investors, professionals and students. The initiative forms part of NSE’s nationwide efforts to build a financially informed and resilient investor ecosystem for investors financial wellbeing.

Empowering Investors Through Awareness

The new year symbolises new beginnings and smarter financial choices. The session started with understanding financial and securities markets, highlighting the importance of choosing suitable financial products based on individual goals and risk appetite, rights and responsibilities of investors, grievance redressal mechanisms, fraud and scam prevention, etc. The session emphasized the importance of awareness, caution, and informed decision-making in today’s rapidly evolving financial markets.

Recently, SEBI has introduced the ‘SEBI Check’ mechanism where investors can either scan a QR code or manually enter the bank details of any SEBI registered intermediary to check if the UPI ID or bank account is authentic. Investors are requested to check details before making payment to any SEBI registered intermediary.

Gujarat’s Growing Investor Base

Gujarat has a very strong participation in the markets, with ~1.1 crore registered investors, making it the third-largest state by investor base, an 8.7% share of India’s total investors with the 10-year CAGR of over 17% in investor growth. About 11 lakh new investors have been added in 2025 alone. Rajkot is among the top five districts, contributing over 55% of new investor registrations in the state. 28% of investors from Gujarat are women, higher than the national average of 25%.

Shri Ashishkumar Chauhan, MD & CEO, NSE, said: “Given Gujarat’s growing investor base, investor awareness is the strongest foundation. At NSE, we believe that informed investors make better decisions which contribute to long-term economic wealth creation. Through initiatives like this Investor Awareness Programme, we aim to empower citizens with the right knowledge, caution them against frauds, and help them participate safely in India’s growth story.”

Robust Investor Awareness and Protection Framework

NSE’s Investor Protection Fund Trust (IPFT) corpus stands at approximately ₹2,754 crore, among the strongest such mechanisms globally.

NSE has conducted over 16,000 Investor Awareness Programmes in FY25-26, so far reaching 8.3 lakh participants across the country. These initiatives span students, women entrepreneurs, rural investors, armed forces personnel, and first-time investors.

The Exchange has also led nationwide campaigns such as #SEBIvsSCAM, aired investor awareness messages across television, print, and digital platforms, and partnered with popular programmes like Kaun Banega Crorepati to spread financial awareness. 

Key Investor Safety Messages Highlighted 

Participants were advised to:

• Beware of fake trading apps and unregistered entities. Refer –  https://investor.sebi.gov.in/Investor-support.html
• Avoid schemes promising guaranteed or unusually high returns
• Exercise caution while trading in derivatives
• Verify intermediaries using SEBI’s “Check Before You Invest” facility. Link – https://siportal.sebi.gov.in/intermediary/sebi-check

Rely only on SEBI-registered entities and official sources.

L&T wins Orders (Major) for Minerals & Metals Business

Chandigarh, Jan 03rd: The Minerals & Metals (M&M) business vertical of L&T has secured major orders from the Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) and other customers, for EPC projects and products in the domestic metals sector. 

L&T and SAIL share a long-standing relationship spanning several decades, marked by the successful execution of numerous metallurgical projects across India. This partnership continues to play a pivotal role in advancing India’s steel manufacturing ecosystem through innovation, capacity augmentation and sustainable development.

Under its ambitious modernisation and expansion programme, SAIL plans to increase the crude steel capacity of the IISCO Steel Plant at Burnpur, West Bengal, from 2.5 MTPA to 6.5 MTPA. As part of this expansion, M&M has been awarded the complete engineering, procurement and installation package for critical process plants, including the Coke Oven Battery, By-Product Plant, Basic Oxygen Furnace and a specialised equipment package for material handling, which together form the core of the new steel complex.

Simultaneously, SAIL’s Bokaro Steel Plant (BSL) in Jharkhand is undergoing a major upstream expansion, for which L&T has been awarded a package to establish Sinter Plant #2, reinforcing its strong presence in the steel sector. 

In addition, the M&M business has secured multiple orders for specialised material handling equipment, including Stacker Reclaimers and Wagon Tipplers, from various clients across India, reflecting its capability to deliver technologically advanced and reliable solutions across the minerals and metals value chain.

Commenting on these achievements, D K Sen, Advisor to CMD, Development Projects & Minerals & Metals, L&T, said: “L&T has been a major contributor to India’s industrial growth story in the metals sector, and our association with SAIL is a proud chapter in our journey. These orders underscore L&T’s ability to deliver world-class metallurgical infrastructure with engineering precision, safety and sustainability at the core. We are privileged to contribute to SAIL’s expansion vision, which is vital to strengthening India’s self-reliance in steel production”.

T Kumaresan, Senior Vice President & Head – Minerals & Metals, L&T, added: “The trust placed in L&T by SAIL once again validates our expertise in delivering complex, technology-intensive projects under challenging schedules. These wins reaffirm our commitment to delivering projects on time, demonstrate our technical capabilities and adherence to project timelines. This also brings out our capabilities in end-to-end execution of complex process packages”.

SVC Bank Enters Landmark 120th Year: Blending a Century of Cooperative Trust with Future-Ready Digital Innovation

Mumbai, Jan 03rd: SVC Bank, formerly known as The Shamrao Vithal Co-operative Bank Ltd, a multi-state scheduled bank in India, commemorated its Foundation Day, marking the milestone of entering its 120th year of commitment to ethical banking, customer centricity, and inclusive financial growth. Founded in 1906, the Bank has consistently upheld the cooperative spirit while evolving with changing times to meet the financial needs of individuals, businesses, and communities.

On this occasion, the Bank reflected on its history of service while reaffirming its focus on governance, digital initiatives, and customer experience. Over the years, SVC Bank has expanded its footprint and diversified its offerings to support MSMEs, retail customers, and financial inclusion.

Speaking on the occasion, SVC Bank’s Chairman, Shri. Durgesh Chandavarkar, said, “Our journey into the 120th year reflects the confidence and trust reposed in us by our customers, members, and stakeholders across generations. This long-standing association has shaped our values and guided our approach to cooperative banking. As we honour and reflect on this legacy, we remain firmly focused on strengthening governance, deepening transparency, and responsibly leveraging technology to enhance efficiency and customer experience. Guided by these principles, we are committed to building a resilient, future-ready cooperative bank that continues to support sustainable growth and meet the evolving expectations of our stakeholders.”

SVC Bank launched several digital initiatives to streamline banking and investment processes. The Bank has steadily strengthened its digital footprint over the past few years, launching a range of products to address diverse banking needs.

The Bank continues to align its operations with regulatory best practices while steadily advancing its digital capabilities to deliver efficient, secure, and future-ready banking services. As SVC Bank enters its 120th year, it remains committed to its vision of being a leading co-operative bank that provides a comprehensive banking experience through innovation, quality, and commitment.

As part of the 119th anniversary celebrations, SVC Bank held an event for employees to mark their contribution. The event included activities that encouraged participation among employees. It also featured an Employee Award Distribution Ceremony, where the Bank recognised employees for performance, effort and leadership in FY 2024-25 across bank functions.

V.P Nandakumar Honoured at FICCI Kerala Policy Conclave

Kochi: FICCI Kerala Chairman and Manappuram Finance Chairman and Managing Director V P Nandakumar, who was recently elected as the Acting Chairman of IIM Kozhikode, was honoured at a FICCI Kerala policy conclave.