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By Manu Vardhan Kannan
Published on March 30, 2026
The rise of Gurugram remains one of India’s most defining urban growth stories. Built on its proximity to Delhi’s airport and driven by private sector momentum, the city transformed into a corporate powerhouse over two decades.
Now, as the Noida International Airport at Jewar nears operationalisation, comparisons are inevitable. But the bigger question is not whether Jewar can replicate Gurugram, it is whether it is creating something entirely different.
Industry experts believe that while the scale of opportunity may be similar, the structure of growth is fundamentally different. What is taking shape along the Yamuna Expressway is not a repeat of Gurugram’s journey, but a more integrated and multi-layered urban evolution.
Unlike earlier developments in NCR that mainly unlocked residential corridors, Jewar is emerging as a larger economic catalyst.
Manoj Gaur, CMD, Gaurs Group, explains, “The Noida International Airport is set to emerge as a powerful gateway for the state, significantly enhancing global connectivity and attracting investments across sectors. We anticipate a strong ripple effect on the real estate market, with property values witnessing a steady upward trajectory in the coming years.
The development of this world-class airport will not be limited to Noida or Greater Noida but will serve as a strong gateway for the entire state of Uttar Pradesh. As a result, the region will evolve into a major hub for industrial and logistics activities. This will generate large-scale employment opportunities, leading to increased demand for quality housing and planned urban developments.
As jobs grow, so will the need for residential ecosystems, making this region one of the most promising destinations for both end-users and investors. Noida International Airport is truly a catalyst that will redefine the economic landscape of Uttar Pradesh.”
Recent developments support this outlook. The airport is set to become operational soon, positioning itself as a major alternative aviation hub for NCR.
At the same time, the state has already attracted investment commitments of nearly Rs 19,877 crore across data centres, logistics, and township projects, with the potential to create over 20,000 jobs.
This combination of infrastructure and investment is what sets Jewar apart from earlier growth corridors.
The Yamuna Expressway belt is already seeing strong traction, but the nature of growth is changing.
Between 2020 and 2025, apartment prices in the region rose by around 158 percent, while plot values surged by over 500 percent, reflecting the early stage of price discovery.
More recently, industrial activity has picked up pace. In the past year alone, 54 new industrial plots were added, over 700 lease deeds were executed, and the number of operational industrial units increased significantly.
These are not just speculative trends. They indicate that a functioning ecosystem is beginning to take shape.
Sahil Agarwal, CEO, Nimbus Group, says, “The Yamuna Expressway region is ready to take a new flight. The convergence of key growth drivers that includes the imminent operationalisation of the Noida International Airport, rapid progress in industrial and logistics hubs, the upcoming Film City, and the emergence of data centre clusters, is creating a more stable and diversified demand ecosystem.
At present, the market is no longer driven purely by early investors, but there is an increase in participation from end-users and long-term stakeholders. Formats such as low-rise projects and integrated townships are gaining traction. At the same time, as industries and institutions begin to operationalise, they have added to the demand for well-planned residential projects. Affordability also continues to be a strong advantage for the Yamuna Expressway when compared to established micro-markets like Noida and Gurugram. In short, the region is on the path to becoming a self-sustaining city, with residential, commercial, and industrial growth complementing each other.”
This shift from investor-driven demand to end-user participation is often seen as a key sign of long-term stability.
In its early phase, the corridor was largely driven by land investors and plotted developments. That is now changing.
Yukti Nagpal, Director, Gulshan Group, says, “Every new corridor sees that initial excitement where prices move faster than the ecosystem. But what sustains a market is how it evolves as a place to live, not just invest. We’re already seeing a shift where buyers are looking beyond land appreciation to lifestyle, quality of living and future-ready infrastructure.”
She adds, “As the airport-led ecosystem develops, this region will start attracting a more premium buyer profile. That’s when you see the transition from plotted growth to more curated, lifestyle-driven developments, and that’s where long-term value really builds.”
Adding to this, Salil Kumar, Director – Marketing & Business Management, CRC Group, says, “What we are witnessing is the evolution of a corridor from an investment destination to a planned urban ecosystem. As infrastructure and economic activity pick up pace, there is a clear shift towards organised, well-designed developments. Buyers today are more discerning, and demand is increasingly moving towards projects that offer not just connectivity, but a complete living environment.”
This reflects a larger trend across NCR, where housing demand is now shaped by lifestyle, planning, and long-term liveability rather than just price growth.
The rise of the Jewar corridor is also reshaping NCR’s urban structure.
For years, development was concentrated in key hubs like Gurugram and parts of Noida. The growth of the Yamuna Expressway belt signals a shift towards a more distributed model.
Mohit Batra, Regional Director, Realistic Realtors, says, “NCR is no longer a single-centre market. What we are seeing now is the emergence of multiple growth nodes. Jewar has the potential to become an independent economic centre rather than just an extension of Noida.”
This transition is important for a region that has long faced challenges of congestion and uneven development.
There are clear similarities with Gurugram’s growth, especially in terms of airport-led development. But the differences are more important.
Gurugram grew gradually, often responding to demand. In contrast, the Jewar corridor is being shaped with a more integrated vision, where infrastructure, industry, and urban planning are developing together.
This gives it the potential to build a more balanced and sustainable ecosystem from the start.
Infrastructure-led markets typically evolve in stages, from early speculation to price discovery, and finally to demand driven by jobs and population growth.
The Yamuna Expressway region appears to be entering that final phase.
For developers, investors, and homebuyers, the opportunity now lies in aligning with this long-term growth story rather than just early gains.
The comparison with Gurugram will continue. But the more relevant question is not whether Jewar can replicate it, but whether it can redefine how NCR grows next.
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Published on November 6, 2026
French fashion house Lacoste has introduced its festive campaign, 'Step Into The Light', celebrating Indian festive traditions through a collection of gifting options and contemporary occasion wear. Blending the brand's signature French elegance with modern style, the campaign focuses on meaningful gatherings, thoughtful gifting and moments of celebration.
Built around the idea that style is a form of self-expression, the campaign encourages people to celebrate their individuality and create lasting memories with loved ones. Its festive collection brings together versatility, sophistication and effortless style for different occasions.
As gifting takes centre stage during the festive season, Lacoste presents a curated selection of pieces, including its iconic polos, elevated essentials, accessories and occasion-ready styles. Each offering reflects the brand's focus on quality, craftsmanship and contemporary elegance, with options designed to make festive gifting more personal and memorable.
The collection also introduces contemporary interpretations of occasion wear, combining relaxed sophistication with modern versatility. Timeless silhouettes, premium fabrics and understated details create styles suited to both intimate gatherings and larger celebrations, while retaining the brand's distinctive identity.
Through 'Step Into The Light', Lacoste celebrates individuality, confidence and the joy of coming together. The campaign brings the brand's approach to festive fashion and gifting to a new generation, encouraging everyone to express their personal style during the season.
Published on October 30, 2026
Twenty-five years after graduating from IIT Kanpur, Rajnish Kumar, Co-founder & Group Co-CEO of ixigo and author of Made in Fire, has launched the ₹1 crore Made in Fire Fund to support students from his alma mater as they begin their entrepreneurial journeys.
The initiative was announced following Kumar's return to IIT Kanpur, where he addressed the graduating Class of 2026 as Guest of Honour. Built on the belief that every great company begins with one believer, the fund aims to support young founders who have the confidence to build new businesses and solve meaningful problems.
Starting with the Class of 2026, the fund will support 10 technology-led startups from each graduating batch. Every selected startup will receive INR 10 lakh in non-dilutive prototype funding, allowing founders to develop and test their ideas without giving up equity in return for the funding.
Beyond financial support, selected founders will receive mentorship from Rajnish Kumar, ixigo's leadership team and the ixigo Mafia, a network of entrepreneurs and companies founded by former ixigo team members. The support will include product reviews, guidance on reaching customers, hiring assistance and investor introductions where appropriate.
The initiative will also give founders an opportunity to present their progress at a Demo Day held after 6 to 12 months, helping them showcase their work and the progress made since receiving support.
Unlike programmes that place greater emphasis on pitch decks, the Made in Fire Fund will follow a founder-first approach. The selection process will focus on the founders' conviction, understanding of customer needs, originality of ideas, ability to execute, long-term thinking and willingness to learn.
The fund is open to graduating IIT Kanpur students applying individually or as founding teams. It will focus on technology-led businesses working across areas such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), SaaS, Consumer Internet, Deep Tech, Climate, Mobility, HealthTech, Enterprise Software and other emerging technology domains.
Announcing the initiative, Rajnish Kumar, Co-founder & Group Co-CEO, ixigo, said, "Every great company begins with one believer. Twenty-five years ago, IIT Kanpur gave me the confidence to build before I knew where that journey would lead. The Made in Fire Fund is my way of paying that belief forward. We want to back builders early, not because they have the perfect pitch deck, but because they have conviction, understand a real problem deeply and have the ability to build. My hope is that some of these founders will return years from now and become the first believers in the generation after them.”
Sharing his views on the initiative, Prof. Manindra Agrawal, Director, IIT Kanpur, stated, “Entrepreneurship fuels national development by creating jobs, driving innovation, and generating economic growth. While our students possess technical capabilities, the journey from idea to impact depends on early encouragement, mentorship, and access to experienced entrepreneurs. The launch of the Made in Fire Fund by our distinguished alumnus, Rajnish Kumar, demonstrates how giving back can support and sustain an entrepreneurial mindset among our students. I hope this motivates more graduating students to pursue entrepreneurship with confidence and creates a cycle where each generation of founders helps the next build new ventures."
Applications for the Made in Fire Fund are now open to graduating students from the IIT Kanpur Class of 2026. Interested students can find more details and apply through the official fund website.
Application link: https://madeinfire.co/fund/apply/
Rajnish Kumar is the Co-founder and Group Co-CEO of ixigo (Le Travenues Technology Ltd., listed on NSE & BSE). An IIT Kanpur alumnus in Computer Science, he began his career as a software engineer at Amadeus before co-founding ixigo in 2007.
He has led the company's product, technology, growth and AI strategy as it grew from a bootstrapped travel search engine into India's leading OTA for the 'next billion users', serving over 540 million annual active users in FY25. Kumar received the 2023 Distinguished Alumnus Award from IIT Kanpur and was recognised in the 'Comeback Kid' category at the Economic Times Startup Awards 2021.
An active mentor and investor in India's startup ecosystem, Kumar is also the author of Made in Fire, a book that explores entrepreneurship, resilience and the journey of building enduring companies.
By Hariharan U
Published on October 29, 2026
Bombay Brasserie Singapore, the Indian dining brand from Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL), welcomed actor and filmmaker Aamir Khan for a special lunch, marking the 25th anniversary of his acclaimed film Lagaan with a commemorative tribute.
The visit brought together Indian cinema and culinary hospitality, with the restaurant's team preparing a menu of Indian favourites under the direction of Executive Chef Areeb Rehman. Attention was given to the selection of dishes and the overall dining experience, reflecting the restaurant's emphasis on detail and personalised hospitality.
A highlight of the afternoon was a specially designed commemorative show plate created to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Lagaan. Released in 2001, the film remains a significant milestone in Khan's career as an actor and filmmaker. During his visit, Khan signed the plate, leaving the restaurant with a personal memento of the occasion.
The tribute connected the restaurant's hospitality experience with a landmark in Indian cinema, recognising the film's enduring place in popular culture and Khan's contribution to the industry.
Bombay Brasserie Singapore has also hosted prominent figures from Indian sport. In August 2026, Kapil Dev, Sunil Gavaskar and fellow members of India's 1983 Cricket World Cup-winning team gathered at the restaurant for a celebratory lunch.
These visits add to the restaurant's profile as a dining destination for Indian personalities travelling to Singapore, while reinforcing its connection with India's cultural and sporting heritage.
First established in Kensington, London, in 1982, Bombay Brasserie has built its identity around India's diverse regional cuisines, presented through a contemporary dining experience. The brand has expanded internationally, with restaurants in destinations including Cape Town, Dubai, Singapore and Frankfurt.
The Singapore restaurant, located at South Beach, draws inspiration from Bombay's varied food culture, including Parsi cafés, seafood restaurants, chaat stalls and Continental influences. Its beverage programme also takes inspiration from colonial-era Bombay, with drinks reflecting the character of the city's neighbourhoods.
The interiors combine elements associated with Bombay's Parsi and Anglo-Indian communities, creating a setting that blends regional references with an international dining environment.
More than four decades after its London debut, Bombay Brasserie continues to introduce international audiences to India's culinary diversity. The Singapore restaurant's tribute to Lagaan added a cinematic dimension to this approach, bringing together food, film and a shared appreciation of Indian cultural heritage.
Bombay Brasserie is a dining brand of The Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL), established in London in 1982. The restaurant celebrates India's regional cuisines through a contemporary interpretation of Indian dining.
Address: 26 Beach Road, #B1-23/24/25, South Beach Avenue, Singapore 189768
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