Archive: September 1, 2026

Over 90 Ganjam folk artists meet President Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan

Chhatrapur, Sept. 1 (UDN): More than 90 folk and tribal artists from Ganjam district received a special opportunity to meet President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on Tuesday, in recognition of the district’s vibrant cultural heritage.

The delegation, led by Ganjam Collector V. Keerthi Vasan, comprised members of five cultural groups representing different folk and tribal traditions of the district.

President praises Ganjam’s cultural heritage

The artists were warmly received at Rashtrapati Bhavan and spent more than 30 minutes interacting with the President.

During the meeting, Murmu enquired about the artists’ experiences and well-being and stressed the importance of preserving and promoting India’s traditional art forms for future generations.

She encouraged young artists to remain committed to their education while pursuing excellence in their respective fields. The President also urged them to become self-reliant and work towards bringing greater recognition to their families and communities.

Murmu specifically appreciated the distinctive cultural traditions of the Saura tribal community of Ganjam.

Invitation followed cultural performance

The visit was organised following the President’s recent visit to Ganjam, where folk and tribal performers presented traditional music and dance at Taptapani during a cultural programme organised by the district administration.

Impressed by the performances, the President had invited the participating artists to visit Rashtrapati Bhavan.

The invitation was subsequently accepted by five cultural groups:

Maa Dandakali Group, Subarnagad, Sanakhemundi
Sanrachana Group, Berhampur
Tulasi Group, Sorada
Gouranga Basudev Nama Sankirtan Mandali, Katapalli, Sanakhemundi
Saura Traditional Cultural Natya Sangha, Khemundikhole
A memorable experience for the artists

For the visiting performers, the interaction with the President and the visit to Rashtrapati Bhavan marked a memorable milestone in their artistic journey.

The delegation also visited several historical and tourist attractions in the national capital during its stay.

Jagannath Nayak, a member of the Saura Traditional Cultural Natya Sangha, described the opportunity to meet the President as an unforgettable experience.

The artists thanked the Ganjam district administration for facilitating their visit and providing them with an opportunity to showcase and celebrate the region’s rich cultural identity at the national level.

The delegation was accompanied by Additional Sub-Collector, Chhatrapur Partha Sarathi Hansda, District Culture Officer Aditi Acharya, Manoj Kumar Pradhan and other officials.

CM Mohan Majhi to lead UAE investment outreach as Odisha steps up global pitch

Bhubaneswar, Sept. 1: Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi will lead a state delegation to the United Arab Emirates from September 8 to 11 as the government intensifies its efforts to attract fresh investments and showcase the state’s growing industrial potential to international investors.

Industries Minister Sampad Chandra Swain said the delegation will engage with business leaders, prospective investors and the Odia diaspora during its Dubai visit as part of Odisha’s ongoing investment outreach programme.

Roadshows to showcase Odisha’s investment potential

The delegation is expected to organise roadshows and investor interactions in Dubai, highlighting Odisha’s industrial ecosystem, business-friendly policies and opportunities across a range of sectors.

The government intends to use the visit to build new partnerships and encourage investors based in the UAE to explore projects in Odisha.

Swain said previous investment roadshows conducted by the state have helped attract several proposals, with a number of them already receiving approval and moving towards implementation.

Focus on the Odia diaspora

A special programme for the Odia diaspora in Dubai is also planned during the visit. The interaction is aimed at strengthening ties with Non-Resident Odias and encouraging greater participation in Odisha’s economic and industrial development.

The state government expects the diaspora outreach to complement its broader investor engagement efforts.

Government cites improving investment climate

The Industries Minister said Odisha’s performance in recent economic assessments reflects the state’s growing ability to attract investors.

According to Swain, Odisha has been ranked fifth among top-performing states in a NITI Aayog report and secured second position in a CMI report.

The government believes the UAE visit will provide another opportunity to strengthen Odisha’s investment pipeline, attract new projects and generate additional employment opportunities.

The overseas outreach is part of the state’s wider strategy to position Odisha as a competitive destination for domestic and international investment.

Susanta Kumar Purohit Takes Additional Charge as Paradip Port Authority Chairperson

Bhubaneswar, Sept. 1 (UDN): Senior Indian Railway Service of Electrical Engineers (IRSEE) officer Susanta Kumar Purohit on Tuesday assumed additional charge as the Chairperson of Paradip Port Authority (PPA) following an order from the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways.

Pic credit: x.com/paradipport

Purohit, a 1996-batch IRSEE officer, is currently serving as the Chairperson of the V.O. Chidambaranar Port Authority. He will now oversee the affairs of Paradip Port in addition to his existing responsibilities.

Extensive administrative and infrastructure experience

Purohit brings considerable experience in administration, engineering, infrastructure development, policy formulation and public-sector management.

Before taking charge of the V.O. Chidambaranar Port Authority, he served as Joint Secretary in the Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals under the Government of India, where he was involved in policy matters and the development of the sector.

His extensive experience in infrastructure and public administration is expected to support the port’s ongoing operational and developmental priorities.

Paradip’s strategic maritime role

The appointment comes as Paradip Port continues to remain a key component of India’s maritime and logistics network. One of the country’s major ports, it handles large volumes of cargo, including coal, iron ore, crude oil and other commodities.

Welcoming Purohit’s appointment, the Paradip Port Authority expressed confidence that his leadership and experience would contribute to strengthening port operations and advancing India’s maritime growth.

The authority said it looks forward to his guidance in further developing the port and enhancing its contribution to the country’s maritime sector.

Capt. BVJK Sharma Honored with Logistics Legend – Hall of Fame Award at CargoNXT Recognitions 2026

New Delhi, Sep 01: Capt. BVJK Sharma, CEO of Navi Mumbai International Airport, was honored with the Logistics Legend – Hall of Fame Award at the CargoNXT Recognitions 2026 North India Edition, held at the Radisson Blu Plaza, New Delhi Airport. The recognition celebrates his three decades of distinguished contribution to India’s shipping, ports and aviation infrastructure.

The ceremony was held alongside the CargoNXT Logistics and SCM Summit 2026, themed Resilient India: Empowering Trade Through Connected Logistics and Supply Chain, where Capt. Sharma also delivered a keynote address. His address focused on the critical role of connected, multimodal infrastructure in strengthening India’s trade competitiveness and advancing the nation’s Viksit Bharat 2047 vision.

The Logistics Legend – Hall of Fame Award places Capt. Sharma among the most respected figures in Indian logistics. A Master Mariner by training, he built his career across three decades in shipping, ports and aviation infrastructure. He served as Vice President at Adani Ports, then spent sixteen years as Joint Managing Director  and CEO of JSW Infrastructure, before leading Mumbai International Airport. He now steers Navi Mumbai International Airport, one of India’s most significant greenfield airport projects.

The evening brought together an illustrious gathering of industry leaders, policymakers and innovators from across the logistics value chain. The ceremony was inaugurated by Chief Guest Lieutenant General Manoj Kumar Mago, AVSM, YSM, SM, Senior Advisor at the BRICS Chamber of Commerce, alongside senior representatives from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the Federation of Aviation Industry in India and international trade bodies.

The CargoNXT Recognitions 2026 honored excellence across three categories covering individual logistics leadership, supply chain leadership and logistics company excellence. Capt. Sharma’s Hall of Fame recognition stood as the defining moment of the Individual Logistics Leadership Awards, celebrating a career that has shaped India’s trade infrastructure across sea, land and air.

Zinnov Advises Akkodis on its acquisition of 51% stake in AXISCADES Aerospace Engineering Services Business

BENGALURU, India, Sept. 1, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Zinnov served as sole financial advisor to Akkodis, a global digital engineering consulting company, on its acquisition of a controlling interest in the aerospace engineering services business from AXISCADES Technologies Limited. The transaction comprises a 51% stake in the aerospace engineering services division, with the remaining 49% to be acquired over a 24 to 30-month period, structured as a joint venture during transition.

The aerospace business employs over 1,000 engineers across multiple geographies in North America, Europe, and Asia, providing design, engineering analysis, certification support, and lifecycle engineering services to major aerospace OEMs. The acquisition provides Akkodis with scaled delivery capacity in India, complementary engineering capabilities, and strengthened relationships with marquee customers.

Zinnov’s mandate encompassed capability evaluation, deal valuation and structuring, advisory across complex multi-geography carve-out, transaction execution support across multiple regulatory environments, coordinate due diligence, and negotiate terms to a successful outcome.

To read more about the deal click here. 

About Zinnov

Zinnov is a global management and strategy consulting firm that helps organizations build, scale, and transform businesses through technology, AI, globalization, and innovation.  

For over two decades, Zinnov has partnered with Fortune 500 enterprises, technology platforms, hyperscalers, Global Capability Centers (GCCs), technology service providers, and Private Equity firms to solve complex growth and transformation challenges. The firm has advised 250+ Fortune 500 companies, helped establish and transform 220+ Global Capability Centers, and supported 100+ Private Equity firms on technology investments, M&A, and value creation.  

Zinnov’s expertise spans four strategic areas:  

• Global Capability Centers (GCCs): End-to-end advisory and implementation across the GCC lifecycle, including strategy, location and workspace selection, setup, scaling, operating model design, AI-led transformation, and global enterprise integration.   
  
  Through its GCC-as- a -Service model, Zinnov combines consulting, execution, and the industry’s largest proprietary GCC intelligence platforms to help enterprises make data-driven decisions across talent, innovation, operating models, and AI while accelerating business outcomes through productivity, cost optimization, and revenue growth. 
  
  
  
  
• Enterprise AI & Technology Transformation: Helping organizations build AI-first operating models, modernize technology organizations, accelerate engineering innovation, and unlock business value through digital transformation.  
  
  
  
  
• Growth Strategy for Technology Companies: Advising technology service providers, software platforms, and hyperscalers on market expansion, go-to-market strategy, partnership ecosystems, AI-led offerings, and competitive positioning.  
  
  
  
  
• Private Equity & M&A Advisory: Supporting investors and portfolio companies through technology due diligence, commercial diligence, post-merger integration, operating model transformation, and long-term value creation.  

Combining research-led insights with execution capabilities, Zinnov helps organizations accelerate growth, unlock innovation, optimize technology investments, and build enduring competitive advantage. With a presence across North America, Europe, and Asia, the firm continues to advise many of the world’s leading enterprises on the future of business and technology. For more information, visit http://www.zinnov.com.  

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THE WORLD’S 50 BEST HOTELS 2026 ANNOUNCES THE EXTENDED 51-100 LIST

LONDON, Sept. 1, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — 50 Best has unveiled its extended list of hotels ranked from No.51 to No.100, underscoring 50 Best’s commitment to recognising a broader spectrum of outstanding hospitality experiences. The list spans 23 different territories, 40 cities and includes 10 independent hotels.

These hotels set the stage for the unveiling of The World’s 50 Best Hotels 2026 ranking in Paris on Tuesday 15 September.

The full list can be viewed here.

Asia tops the list with 20 hotels ranked, including seven in Japan such as: Park Hyatt Tokyo (No.53), Hotel The Mitsui (No.79) in Kyoto and Waldorf Astoria Osaka (No.89). Two hotels in Mainland China have entered the list: Mandarin Oriental Shenzhen (No.90) and The Peninsula Shanghai (No.99).

La Réserve Paris tops the extended list at No.51 with 16 properties in Europe ranked. France is home to three other properties, including new entries Ritz Paris (No.72) and Carlton Cannes (No.80).

Italy dominates Europe’s rankings, with nine hotels including: Il San Pietro di Positano (No.58), Castiglion del Bosco in Montalcino (No.62), Orient Express La Minerva in Rome (No.66) and Forestis Dolomites (No.68). Elsewhere, the UK features two hotels and Turkey has one.

New York dominates North America’s rankings, with three hotels including: The Fifth Avenue Hotel (No.78), which is also this year’s winner of the American Express Travel One To Watch Award, along with Aman New York (No.87) and The Greenwich Hotel (No.92). Three properties in Mexico feature including Hotel Esencia (No.64), Montage Los Cabos (No.67) and Four Seasons Tamarindo (No.74).

South America is home to two properties: Palacio Nazarenas (No.54) in Cusco, Peru and Hotel das Cataratas in Brazil’s Iguassu Falls (No.77).

Oceania claims two hotels, New Zealand’s Huka Lodge (No.82) in Taupō and The Calile (No.83) in Brisbane, Australia, while La Mamounia (No.75) in Morocco represents Africa with one hotel included.

Faye Huggett, Director of Community for The World’s 50 Best Hotels, comments: “This extended 51-100 list broadens the spotlight to a remarkable community of properties and the passionate people who bring them to life – each one defining what great hospitality means today.”

The World’s 50 Best Hotels 2026 will be livestreamed on the 50 Best YouTube channel here at 20:00 Paris time on 15 September.

Website: https://www.theworlds50best.com/hotels/

Media Centre: https://mediacentre.theworlds50best.com/

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KuCoin Upgrades Institutional Lending to Improve Capital Infrastructure and Efficiency

PROVIDENCIALES, Turks and Caicos Islands, Sept. 1, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — KuCoin, a leading global crypto platform built on trust, today announced an upgrade to its Institutional Interest-Free Lending Program, adding support for its Unified Trading Account (UTA). The upgraded program reduces the qualifying external 30-day trading-volume requirement for newly registered API clients from 30 million to 10 million USDT and offers 0% interest for the first two months without a volume requirement. Eligible clients may borrow up to 3 million USDT for use across Spot, Margin and Futures.

As institutions operate across more products and strategies, capital can become fragmented between accounts, increasing costs and operational friction. Integrating lending with a unified account brings financing closer to execution, helping professional teams use collateral and deploy capital more efficiently.

UTA is an account framework that enables eligible users to manage capital across supported trading products through a single account structure. With Institutional Lending integrated, borrowed funds can be deployed across Spot, Margin and Futures without transfers between separate trading accounts. Borrowing is available in USDT, USDC, BTC and ETH.

KuCoin introduced targeted interest-free credit in 2024, offering eligible API traders and quantitative teams up to 500,000 USDT alongside fee benefits, enhanced connectivity, higher API limits and technical support. In 2025, borrowing increased to 3 million USDT, with support for multiple borrowing assets and the ability to combine funds from sub-accounts as margin across eligible products. The 2026 upgrade marks the next stage of that development, moving the program from targeted credit support toward more integrated institutional capital infrastructure.

“Professional market participants need timely, flexible and capital-efficient access to liquidity. Effective institutional lending infrastructure must combine financing at scale, tailored terms and competitive pricing so clients can execute sophisticated strategies with confidence,” said Alison Qin, Head of KuCoin Institutional & VIP. “By integrating lending with UTA, we are bringing capital closer to the accounts and products behind those strategies, making it easier to deploy while helping clients maintain control over execution and risk.”

The upgrade reflects KuCoin’s broader approach to product innovation: building around how users access, manage, deploy and use digital assets. By connecting financing, account infrastructure and execution, KuCoin aims to provide institutions with practical tools for participating in the evolving digital asset economy.

About KuCoin

Founded in 2017, KuCoin is a leading global crypto platform built on trust and security, serving over 45 million users across 200+ countries and regions. Known for its reliability and user-first approach, the platform combines advanced technology, deep liquidity, and strong security safeguards to deliver a seamless trading experience. KuCoin provides access to 1,500+ digital assets through a broad product suite and remains committed to building transparent, compliant, and user-centric digital asset infrastructure for the future of finance, backed by SOC 2 Type II, ISO/IEC 27001:2022, ISO/IEC 27701:2019, ISO 22301:2019 and ISO/IEC 42001:2023 certifications. In recent years, we have built a strong global compliance foundation, marked by key milestones including AUSTRAC registration in Australia, a MiCA license in Europe, and regulatory progress in other markets.

Learn more at www.kucoin.com.

Disclaimer

The information is for corporate PR purposes only and does not constitute endorsement or investment advice.

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Bank Unions Plan Nationwide Strikes Over Five-Day Week, PLI Concerns

New Delhi, Sep 1: Bank employees’ unions are preparing for nationwide strikes over long-pending demands, including the implementation of a five-day banking week and changes to the government’s Performance Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme.

The United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) has announced a one-day strike on September 11, followed by another strike from September 28 to 30. The unions have warned that an indefinite strike could begin from October 26 if the issues remain unresolved.

The five-day banking week remains one of the main concerns. Bank unions say the Indian Banks’ Association had agreed to the proposal under the 2024 wage settlement, with employees expected to work slightly longer hours from Monday to Friday to compensate for the additional weekly holiday. However, the proposal has been awaiting final implementation.

Another major point of disagreement is the revised PLI scheme. The unions have raised concerns over differences in incentives across employee and officer categories and are seeking withdrawal or modification of the scheme through discussions with the unions.

The unions are also seeking the resolution of other pending service-related matters, including issues concerning pensions and employee benefits.

The proposed strikes could affect banking operations, particularly at physical branches, if employees participate on a large scale. Customers may therefore face delays in routine branch-based services on strike days, while digital banking facilities may continue to operate depending on individual banks and services.

The unions have indicated that they want the outstanding issues to be resolved through dialogue. The response from the government, bank management and the Indian Banks’ Association in the coming weeks will determine whether the planned strikes are carried out or further industrial action is avoided.

The dispute comes at a time when banks are playing an increasingly important role in India’s growing economy, making a negotiated settlement important for both employees and customers.

Odyssey Energy Solutions Raises $74 Million to Accelerate Distributed Renewable Energy Financing in Emerging Markets

Funding will scale Odyssey’s platform in regions including Asia, Africa, and Latin America

BOULDER, Colo., Sept. 1, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Odyssey Energy Solutions, the leading platform for financing distributed renewable energy (DRE) projects in emerging markets, today announced $74 million in new financing. The funding consists of a $27 million equity round and $47 million in debt. New equity investors include Broadscale Group, FMO, and Al Mada Ventures, with continued participation from existing investors including Union Square Ventures, Equal Ventures, Abstract Ventures, Twelve Below, FJ Labs, MCJ, and Transition Ventures. Debt financiers include British International Investment, BIO, the Facility for Energy Inclusion represented by Cygnum Capital and the Energy Entrepreneurs Growth Fund represented by TripleJump.

The financing will support continued expansion of Odyssey’s platform, which connects more than 6,000 solar installers and engineering, procurement, and construction companies (EPCs) with financiers and equipment suppliers in more than 50 countries across Africa, Asia, and Latin America, facilitating access to $3.6 billion in capital for distributed energy projects. Odyssey’s procurement platform, launched in 2024, aggregates equipment procurement across its large network of EPCs, offering these small-to-medium sized companies access to volume pricing with embedded supply chain credit. The platform has unlocked 1.5 GW of projects to date.

“The focus of financing for distributed renewable energy has historically been on post-construction capital—funding that flows once a project is built,” said Emily McAteer, co-founder and CEO of Odyssey Energy Solutions. “That has left a significant gap upstream, where thousands of small and medium EPCs and installers lack the working capital needed to procure equipment, complete construction, and unlock customer payments. Odyssey bridges this gap directly, providing companies with the equipment pricing and financing they need to accelerate project delivery.”

The announcement comes at a moment of accelerating demand for distributed renewable energy across Odyssey’s core markets. Falling solar and battery costs, rising oil prices, and evolving government policy have converged to make the unit economics of distributed solar materially stronger than fossil-fuel alternatives. In Nigeria, where diesel backup generators supply more electricity than grid-connected power plants, according to the International Finance Corporation, diesel prices rose more than 93% between February and April 2026 following supply disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz. In India, where Odyssey’s platform has grown 205% over the past 12 months, new domestic manufacturing requirements for solar components are reshaping supply chains and driving demand for the procurement and financing infrastructure that Odyssey provides. Rapid data center construction across India, driven by rising AI compute demand, is further increasing electricity demand at a pace grid infrastructure is struggling to meet, adding urgency to distributed solar and storage as a complement to centralized power supply.

“Distributed solar in emerging markets has reached a watershed moment,” said Andrew Shapiro, founder and Managing Partner at Broadscale Group. “The demand is there, the economics work, and the remaining constraint to deployment at massive scale is access to capital and procurement infrastructure for installers. That is exactly what Odyssey provides and why we’re thrilled to support the company as they enable this critically important growth.”

“Having worked across distributed energy finance in India and emerging markets, I’ve seen firsthand both the scale of the opportunity and the barriers that have held the sector back,” said Piyush Mathur, co-founder and Managing Director of Odyssey Energy Solutions. “Today, the conditions for rapid deployment of clean energy have never been stronger. EPCs and distributed energy developers are growing at unprecedented rates, creating an urgent need for the procurement, financing, and technology infrastructure that can enable them to scale. That is the gap Odyssey is uniquely filling.”

The new capital will allow for expansion of Odyssey’s procurement platform, which aggregates equipment orders across smaller buyers to improve supplier terms and offers embedded supply chain credit. Given high demand from commercial and industrial customers for solar and storage solutions, installers typically have a much larger order book than they can supply at a given time due to working capital constraints. Procuring through Odyssey allows these companies to procure and construct more projects at once, accelerating project deployment.

The recent funding follows Odyssey’s $15M Series A, announced in May 2023, bringing the total capital raised by the company to $94M. The company is also among the inaugural portfolio partners of Multiplier, an advisory firm co-founded by Jigar Shah and Jonathan Silver, both former directors of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Loan Programs Office.

About Odyssey Energy Solutions

Odyssey Energy Solutions is accelerating the clean energy transition in emerging markets. The platform connects more than 6,000 distributed energy companies with financiers and equipment suppliers across India, Africa, Latin America, and more than 50 countries worldwide, facilitating access to $3.6 billion in capital. Learn more at odysseyenergysolutions.com.

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