Handicraft products made from marble and stone in Agra are admired for their refined inlay work, balanced forms, and long-lasting finish. Marble idols, decorative artefacts, and artistic replicas—often embellished with coloured stones and, at times, gold wire inlay—are the hallmark of this enduring craft tradition.The origins of Agra’s marble craftsmanship date back nearly 400–500 years, when stone carving and inlay techniques began to flourish as specialised artisan practices in the region. Over centuries, these skills have been preserved and refined through family lineages and workshop-based learning systems. Even today, artisans continue to carry forward this knowledge, maintaining both technique and aesthetic discipline.Globally recognised for its marble heritage, Agra is also home to a strong craft-based local economy. Stone sculptures depicting figures such as Buddha, Shiva, and Krishna are among the most sought-after forms. Buyers value sculptures that are instantly recognisable, with artisans paying close attention to facial expressions, proportions, and a finish that endures over time. These products reach temples, home prayer spaces, hotels, and curated showrooms across India and overseas.Behind each finished piece lies a closely linked ecosystem of stone traders, cutting units, tool makers, polishing workshops, and artisans—working together through a shared supply chain that sustains livelihoods across…  ​Read More​YourStory RSS Feed

Flipkart-owned fashion ecommerce major Myntra has appointed Pramod Adiddam as its chief technology officer (CTO). Adiddam will report to CEO Nandita Sinha and oversee the company’s overall technology strategy, focussing on innovation and building long-term technology capabilities. Adiddam previously served as the vice president and head of engineering at American grocery delivery platform Instacart. Prior to his five year stint at Instacart, he served Google for over 11 years, his last role being the head of engineering. “As Myntra continues to grow in scale and depth of offerings, Pramod’s expertise in building and operating large, global platforms and his ability to combine deep technical understanding with disciplined execution will be key as we continue to strengthen our technology foundations at scale,” Sinha said. This comes after Myntra’s previous chief technology and product officer Raghu Krishnananda stepped down from the role in April last year after a five year stint. This is the second top-level appointment undertaken by Myntra this year, after hiring Ritesh Mishra as senior VP and head of category and revenue last month. The announcement came a day after it was reported that Myntra is undertaking a consolidation exercise as part of moving its Gurugram-based satellite operations to…  ​Read MoreInc42 Media

Fashion ecommerce platform Myntra has appointed Pramod Adiddam as its chief technology officer. Adiddam will oversee Myntra’s technology strategy, with a focus on innovation and long-term platform elasticity and technical capability to support the organisation’s scale and momentum, the company said in a statement. He will report to CEO Nandita Sinha. Adiddam brings more than 20 years of experience in building consumer-facing platforms. Before joining Myntra, he held senior leadership roles at Google and Instacart, where he led global engineering teams across marketplace expansion, product innovation and platform development.Commenting on the appointment, Sinha said technology plays a central role in Myntra’s customer experience, and Adiddam’s expertise in building and operating large global platforms would help strengthen the company’s technology foundations. Adiddam said Myntra has built a strong technology platform and that he looks forward to working closely with teams across the organisation to drive innovation and deepen the platform’s overall tech capabilities. Also ReadMyntra waives commissions for new D2C brands across categories to woo emerging labelsThe appointment follows Myntra’s recent hiring of Ritesh Mishra as senior vice president and the head of category and revenue. Mishra has over 25 years of experience across buying and merchandising, supply chain, business development, and P&L…  ​Read More​YourStory RSS Feed

Calling India’s beauty and personal care (BPC) market crowded would be an understatement — it is a red-ocean battlefield. For decades, the category has been dominated by large FMCG giants, such as Marico and Hindustan Unilever, and global beauty majors like Garnier, L’Oreal, and Maybelline.  Structurally, the market is split along clear price lines — domestic FMCG brands focused on value-conscious mass consumers and international brands, which cater to the affluent or aspirational class. This price and positioning gap began to narrow around 2016, when a new wave of D2C beauty brands entered the market, promising global-grade formulations at affordable prices. These startups leveraged digital distribution, influencer-led marketing, and contract manufacturing to scale rapidly.    By 2026, however, the D2C narrative has begun to fray. Several beauty brands, including Sugar Cosmetics, Wow Skin Care, and Juicy Chemistry, just to name a few, are grappling with a slowdown in revenues. While Sugar Cosmetics saw its operating revenue slip 21% YoY in FY25 to ₹398 Cr, Juicy Chemistry saw its revenue plummet to INR 19 Cr in FY25 from INR 20 Cr the previous year. WOW Skin Science, which is yet to file its FY25 numbers, saw its revenue decline 9% YOY in…  ​Read MoreInc42 Media

India’s education and skilling ecosystem is at an inflexion point. As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes deeply embedded in how companies operate, the focus is shifting from digitising classrooms to building an AI-ready workforce. According to an Inc42 survey of over 200 founders, 60% reported integrating AI into customer or product workflows. This signals that AI is quietly compressing hiring across support, operations, basic coding, and content roles. However, demand for AI operations specialists, data stewards, and domain-led experts who can work alongside intelligent systems is rising. The traditional education-to-employment model is being tested, as skills now change faster than curricula can keep up. For edtech startups, employers, and policymakers alike, the question is no longer about access to education, but about continuous employability in an AI-driven job market. Against this backdrop, let’s understand how AI is redefining the education-to-employment equation. What ‘Education-To-Employment’ Means In An AI Job Market According to Nipun Sharma, CEO of TeamLease (degree apprenticeship), in an AI-driven job market, what the education-to-employment model must do is to address the growing gap between academic timelines and fast-changing technology cycles. “Most curricula refresh every 3 to 5 years, while AI tools, models, and workflows now evolve every 6 to…  ​Read MoreInc42 Media

Alphabet reported a standout earnings period, with quarterly revenue rising 18 percent compared to the same period last year and full-year revenue crossing the $400 billion mark for the first time since the company was founded in 1998 by Larry Page and Sergey Brin. Alphabet Crosses $400B in Annual Revenue as Quarterly Sales Jump 18% The company’s strong performance was driven largely by continued investment in cloud services and artificial intelligence, which helped push revenues higher across multiple business segments. Alongside these gains, Alphabet announced plans to sharply increase spending as competition in AI intensifies across Silicon Valley. The company said it expects capital expenditure in 2026 to fall between $175 billion and $185 billion, nearly double what it spent in 2025, as it scales infrastructure to meet growing demand for AI-related products. Even with aggressive infrastructure expansion, Alphabet says customer demand is still exceeding its current capacity, particularly in AI computing. Chief executive Sundar Pichai acknowledged the imbalance during the earnings call, saying, “We’ve been supply constrained even as we’ve been ramping up our capacity.” Despite the strong financial results, Alphabet’s stock slipped a little over one percent in after-hours trading following the announcement. Google’s Gemini artificial intelligence platform…  ​Read MoreBusiness Archives – Trak.in – Indian Business of Tech, Mobile & Startups