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Chennai's Youth Are Finding New Ways to Connect
Chennai's Youth Are Finding New Ways to Connect

Time of India

time5 days ago

  • Entertainment
  • Time of India

Chennai's Youth Are Finding New Ways to Connect

Girls in lehengas and boys in sherwanis dance to traditional dhols with the baraat. Some are getting mehendi done in a corner, while the others are gorging on pav bhaji, biryani and pani puri. But something is missing — a bride and groom! Because this is a ' fake sangeet ' party. Whether it's watching the sunrise from a rooftop restaurant while being serenaded by soft music or dancing at a 'fake sangeet' with no bride or groom, Chennai is crafting new experiences for youngsters to make new friends and a space where they can find people whose interests align. Khushi Lunkar and her friends Thavina and Misha Jain of Vivah Viral say they missed the dazzle of weddings during the off-season. 'That's when we decided to host a fake sangeet, which had food, live music, baarat, DJ, free mehendi and glitter makeup booths, and return gifts with a priced entry,' says Khushi. Tradition al Tamil weddings don't have the concept of a sangeet, but it's slowly being adopted by the uber-rich, she says. Viral Vivah is gearing up for its upcoming fake sangeet event on July 18. Sruthii B, a fashion stylist, moved to Chennai from Madurai three years ago, but making friends was still a task. 'I began working immediately after college initially and so never had the opportunity,' she says. That changed the day she attended a party hosted by Private Society, a venture that organises close-knit private sober parties with coffee, sunrise and Afro-house music. 'The event not only made my day but also introduced me to some incredible friends. We now keep in touch through texting. I don't feel so lonely anymore,' says Sruthii. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Don't Pay Full Price for 2025's Top Games! Shop Now Undo Richard Noel, founder of Private Society and intellectual property producer, says that having travelled all over the world, he found Chennai to have the most beautiful sunrises and wanted to create an experience around that. 'The idea is to make people connect over coffee, food, and some good music on Sundays,' he says. Having begun in March, Private Society has organised six such events with 100 participants per event, priced at about Rs 700 per person. True to its name, participants are selected by the organisers after completing a form with details about themselves. If selected, they are informed of the location via email. As walk-ins ruin the experience, they never disclose the location. The guest list is also carefully chosen to include a blend of people from various professions, backgrounds and interests. Offering quality time for a small group of strangers, Meet, Mingle, Play is a group that invites strangers to meet, become friends, and do activities together, such as beach visits, road trips, and café hopping, priced at Rs 150 per person. 'People come to Chennai from different places to work. I wanted to create a platform where they can be themselves and connect with like-minded people. So far, we have had sessions at beaches, cafés, a house, and even went on a trip to Tada as a group,' says Rajeswari P, founder of Meet, Mingle, Play, launched in Oct 2024. 'Those who join the event mostly have work-from-home jobs. They want to meet new people and are solely looking for friendship . We are not a dating platform,' she says. For those who prefer one-on-one interaction with people, Unar Studio's art workshops offer this option. Participants are paired through emoji matching games here. 'We tell the participants to talk to everyone at the session and find one thing in common. If it matches, they are paired for the rest of the session. Meeting people can be scary, and our idea is to allow people to explore new connections while still being in their comfort zone,' says Kevin Beno, co-founder of Unar Studio.

Godrej Consumer shares surge 5% post Q1FY26 business update
Godrej Consumer shares surge 5% post Q1FY26 business update

Economic Times

time07-07-2025

  • Business
  • Economic Times

Godrej Consumer shares surge 5% post Q1FY26 business update

Godrej Consumer Products (GCPL) shares rose 5% to Rs 1,253 on Monday after the company released a positive business update for Q1FY26. ADVERTISEMENT The FMCG major said it expects its standalone business to deliver high single-digit value growth, supported by mid-single-digit volume growth (UVG). The performance reflects improving demand trends and operational momentum, particularly in its Home Care and GAUM (Godrej Africa, USA, and Middle East) businesses. The Home Care segment has maintained a strong, broad-based growth trajectory, with the company projecting double-digit value and volume growth. While the Personal Care segment saw subdued growth due to pricing pressures in the soaps category, performance excluding soaps remained strong, also registering double-digit UVG. The company reiterated its full-year outlook from the May 2025 Investor Meet, stating it remains on track to achieve: Mid to high single-digit UVG for the Standalone business, High single-digit consolidated INR revenue growth, and Double-digit consolidated EBITDA growth for FY26. However, GCPL flagged margin pressure in Q1FY26, with Standalone EBITDA margins expected to be below the normative range, though sequential improvement is anticipated in the coming quarters. The company noted that the benefits of moderating palm oil prices will likely be visible in the second half of the fiscal international markets, the GAUM business is poised to deliver double-digit value and volume growth for the second consecutive quarter, while the Indonesia business continues to face challenges from aggressive pricing competition, which may result in flattish volume growth. ADVERTISEMENT At the consolidated level, GCPL expects double-digit INR revenue growth, driven by high single-digit volume growth, signaling broad-based strength across key markets and categories. According to a research report by Nomura, Godrej Consumer Products' Q1FY26 business update better than expectations, with double-digit consolidated revenue growth and mid-single-digit volume growth in India. Nomura has reiterated its 'Buy' rating on the stock with a target price of Rs 1,485, noting that GCPL is currently trading at 46.9x its FY27F earnings per share. The brokerage continues to value GCPL on a Sum-of-the-Parts (SoTP) basis for June FY27, assigning an EV/EBITDA multiple of 40x for the India business and 36x for international operations. The target price implies a forward P/E of 56x, which remains unchanged. (You can now subscribe to our ETMarkets WhatsApp channel)

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