Mantralayam: As part of the 355th Aradhana Mahotsava of Sri Guru Raghavendra Swamy, an invitation to the Aradhana celebrations organised at Jayanagar Math was formally presented to His Holiness Sri 108 Sri Subudhendra Theertha Sripadangalavaru during the ongoing Chaturmasya period at Mantralayam.
R.K. Vadindra Acharya, Senior Administrator of Jayanagar Math, personally offered the invitation to the revered pontiff and sought his blessings for the successful conduct of the Aradhana Mahotsava.
Bengaluru, August 10, 2026: Homegrown ice cream and dessert brand Polar Bear has reached a major expansion milestone by opening its 200th outlet in India. The achievement is particularly significant for Bengaluru, where the brand has now completed 100 outlets, marking the city as its largest and most important market since its inception.
Founded in 2008 by entrepreneur Kishore Rai, Polar Bear began its journey with a single outlet near Bengaluru’s ITPL. Nearly two decades later, the self-funded, 100 per cent Indian-owned company has expanded its presence to more than 35 cities across the country.
The brand has built its business around dine-in sundae parlours, offering a range of ice cream sundaes, shakes, sorbets and ice cream cakes. Its focus on creating an experience around desserts, rather than simply serving ice cream, has helped it develop a strong customer base and an extensive franchise network.
Speaking about the milestone, Kishore Rai, Founder, Polar Bear, said the brand was established with the aim of creating memorable sundae experiences for customers. He said the company identified significant potential in the sundae segment at a time when the market was largely centred on conventional ice cream scoops.
According to Rai, Polar Bear focused on developing distinctive sundae recipes using carefully selected ingredients and quality dairy products. The objective was to offer customers an indulgent and engaging dessert experience beyond traditional ice cream.
Prashant Prakash, Senior Vice President – Commercial & Operations, Polar Bear, said quality has remained central to the company’s growth. He said the brand maintains stringent standards across its outlets, from ingredient sourcing to preparation and service.
He added that Polar Bear continues to refresh its menu with new flavours, generous portions and innovative combinations in response to changing consumer preferences.
With 200 outlets now operational across India, Polar Bear said it will continue to focus on sustainable expansion while strengthening its presence in existing markets and delivering consistent quality and customer experience.
Bengaluru, August 10, 2026: Airtel Business, the enterprise arm of Bharti Airtel, and ITI Limited, India’s first post-independence Public Sector Undertaking and a leading telecom and technology manufacturer, have entered into a strategic partnership to help enterprises across the country accelerate digital transformation.
The collaboration will combine the technological capabilities, engineering expertise and market strengths of both organisations to help businesses modernise legacy systems, enhance operational efficiency, strengthen cybersecurity and scale their digital operations.
Under the partnership, Airtel Business and ITI Limited will work together to offer a range of digital and telecom solutions spanning enterprise connectivity, data centres, sovereign cloud services, Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI)-powered solutions, cybersecurity and Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite services.
The initiative is aimed at addressing the growing technology requirements of enterprises as businesses across sectors increasingly adopt digital platforms and infrastructure. The partnership is expected to help organisations overcome fragmented legacy systems, manage rising data requirements, strengthen digital resilience and respond more quickly to changing business needs.
The combined offering will include nationwide digital and telecom infrastructure, with enterprise connectivity solutions such as optical fibre connectivity, GPON, SD-WAN and private 4G and 5G networks. It will also provide secure data centre and sovereign cloud capabilities, particularly for highly regulated sectors such as banking and public sector undertakings.
The partnership will further integrate industrial IoT solutions for asset tracking, AI-enabled analytics and end-to-end cybersecurity services. The two organisations also intend to explore solutions supporting the defence and national security ecosystem, with a focus on innovation, Make in India and the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative.
Rajesh Rai, Chairman and Managing Director of ITI Limited, said the partnership would bring together the complementary strengths of both organisations to address the evolving digital requirements of customers.
He said the collaboration would enable joint identification and fulfilment of customer needs in areas including digital transformation, faster and ubiquitous connectivity, hyperscale data centres, cybersecurity and IoT, while leveraging Airtel’s business and customer reach and ITI’s manufacturing capabilities.
Sharat Sinha, CEO, Airtel Business, said India’s next phase of digital growth would require infrastructure that is resilient, secure, sovereign and compliant with regulatory requirements.
He said Airtel Business had been working with enterprises to simplify technology complexity, modernise legacy environments and enable digital transformation at scale. The partnership with ITI Limited, he added, would focus on developing future-ready solutions aimed at strengthening business continuity, driving innovation and supporting India’s digital ambitions.
Airtel Business is the enterprise business division of Bharti Airtel and provides solutions across secure connectivity, cloud and data centre services, cybersecurity, IoT and cloud-based communications.
Bharti Airtel has more than 650 million customers across 15 countries in India and Africa and provides a broad portfolio of telecom and digital services. Its enterprise business offers connectivity, cloud and data centre solutions, cybersecurity, IoT and cloud-based communications.
Through the partnership, Airtel Business and ITI Limited aim to create an integrated technology ecosystem that can support enterprises in their transition towards secure, scalable and future-ready digital operations.
Bengaluru, August 10, 2026: Belagavi-based technology startup Anthropic Softwares Pvt Ltd has urged the Karnataka Government to exercise caution before entering into strategic collaborations with Anthropic PBC and its Indian subsidiary, Anthropic India Pvt Ltd, citing an ongoing legal dispute over the use of the Anthropic brand and concerns over alleged email misrouting between the two organisations.
Established in 2017, Anthropic Softwares says it has developed several software products and currently has nearly 10 applications available on the Google Play Store. The company also claims to hold three patents and has been recognised under the Startup India and Startup Karnataka initiatives.
In 2023, the company was selected under the Karnataka Government’s Elevate Programme, implemented by the Department of Electronics, Information Technology, Biotechnology and Science & Technology (ITBT), for its driving-safety application, which it describes as a “life-saving solution”.
The company has operated its website under the domain anthropic.in since 2017 and maintains social media accounts under the Anthropic brand across platforms including LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Products and expansion plans
Anthropic Softwares said its educational platform, TrueGuide, is being used by a large number of students in India and overseas.
The company is also preparing to launch DopaNet, a Wi-Fi monetisation platform aimed at reducing internet data costs across mobile and television ecosystems. According to the company, the platform has been tested at several universities and is currently seeking investment for a large-scale rollout targeting up to five million users in India and international markets.
Trademark dispute
The dispute comes after Anthropic PBC announced its entry into the Indian market and plans to establish its Asia-Pacific regional office in Bengaluru in September 2025.
Anthropic Softwares subsequently initiated legal proceedings before the Belagavi District Commercial Court in January 2026. The company said Anthropic PBC and Anthropic India Pvt Ltd have appeared before the court and that issues concerning brand ownership and trademark rights are currently under adjudication.
Separately, Anthropic Softwares has initiated trademark rectification proceedings before the Indian Trademark Authority, seeking cancellation of the trademark registration granted to Anthropic PBC. The company said notices have been issued in connection with the proceedings.
Anthropic Softwares has also approached the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), requesting disclosure of what it describes as material risks associated with the ongoing litigation, brand dispute and possible confusion arising from the similarity in the names of the two entities.
Email misrouting raises data privacy concerns
The Belagavi-based company has also raised concerns over alleged email misrouting between the domains anthropic.in and anthropic.com.
According to Anthropic Softwares, more than 700 emails have been mistakenly exchanged between the two organisations in recent months. The company said an examination of its email logs indicated that some of the messages may have contained sensitive communications relating to government departments, judicial authorities, cybercrime units, legal proceedings and other confidential matters.
Anthropic Softwares said it has developed and deployed an automated system to identify emails that appear to have been misdirected and redirect them to the intended recipients, including designated leadership teams and data protection officers.
The company said emails received by it in error have been redirected to their intended recipients through the system, with minimal human intervention.
It has, however, raised concerns over what it describes as the absence of comparable measures by the other organisation to address the issue.
The company said it has brought the matter to the attention of various regulatory, cybersecurity and law-enforcement authorities, including the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), CERT-In, NCIIPC, the US SEC, Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), seeking guidance and appropriate intervention.
Appeal to Karnataka Government
Against this backdrop, Anthropic Softwares has appealed to the Karnataka Government to temporarily defer any proposed strategic agreements, collaborations or partnerships with Anthropic PBC and Anthropic India Pvt Ltd until the pending legal proceedings are resolved.
The appeal follows recent discussions and announcements concerning possible cooperation in areas such as artificial intelligence training, cybersecurity, prevention of examination paper leaks and support for the startup ecosystem.
The company said its request was not intended to oppose technological cooperation but was based on what it described as the need for caution in view of the pending litigation and concerns over potential data privacy and security risks.
Company’s position
Anthropic Softwares said it has operated under the Anthropic brand since 2017 and remains committed to protecting its intellectual property, customer trust and data privacy.
The company said it would continue to pursue all lawful remedies available to it and expressed confidence that the ongoing legal proceedings would ultimately establish the respective rights of the parties and provide clarity to the market.
It has also urged policymakers and other stakeholders to take the pending legal and data privacy issues into consideration before entering into formal engagements with Anthropic PBC or Anthropic India Pvt Ltd.
The allegations and claims concerning trademark rights, email misrouting and data privacy are matters raised by Anthropic Softwares Pvt Ltd and remain subject to the outcome of the relevant legal and regulatory proceedings.
Bengaluru, August 8, 2026: Lions International, District 317F, hosted “Sankalpa”, the installation ceremony of its district leadership for the Lions Year 2026–27, held on Sunday, August 9, at 5 pm at the NIMHANS Convention Centre in Bengaluru.
The ceremony is presided over by District Governor Lion Raju Chandrashekar, PMJF. International Director Lion Srinivasan T is the Chief Guest, along with senior Lions leaders and other distinguished guests.
The event marks the formal installation of First Vice District Governor Lion A. Vijaya Kumar, Second Vice District Governor Lion Ajit Babu, and the newly appointed District Cabinet Members. The ceremony is also signalled the beginning of a new year of leadership, service and community initiatives across District 317F.
₹1.78 Crore Grant for Cancer Care
A major highlight of “Sankalpa” is the announcement of a ₹1.78 crore grant to Sri Shankara Cancer Hospital & Research Centre. The grant is being provided by the Lions District 317F Service Foundation, the charitable arm of Lions International, District 317F.
The significant contribution underlines the district’s continued commitment to strengthening cancer care and supporting patients who require quality treatment and financial assistance.
₹20 Lakh for Community Service Initiatives
Alongside the cancer-care grant, Lions District 317F have announced a series of need-based service initiatives amounting to ₹20 lakh. The programmes are aimed at supporting students, children, cancer patients, persons with disabilities and environmental initiatives.
The initiatives include:
Education scholarships for 48 students – ₹9.70 lakh
Distribution of laptops to deserving students – ₹4.40 lakh
Support for cancer treatment – ₹3.40 lakh
Support to a child adoption centre – ₹1 lakh
Support to Narayana Seva Sansthan for artificial limbs – ₹1 lakh
Environment-related service activity – ₹50,000
Total community service initiatives: ₹20 lakh
With the ₹1.78 crore grant to Sri Shankara Cancer Hospital & Research Centre, the programmes announced at “Sankalpa” represent a total service commitment of ₹1.98 crore.
Focus on Need-Based Service
The initiatives reflects District 317F’s continued focus on identifying genuine community needs and delivering direct, measurable and meaningful support to beneficiaries.
Over the years, Lions District 317F has undertaken several service programmes covering areas such as education, healthcare, hunger relief, humanitarian assistance, youth development, vision care, diabetes awareness, childhood cancer and environmental protection.
“Sankalpa” brings together Lions leaders, members, District Cabinet Members, representatives of Lions Clubs across District 317F and distinguished guests to mark the beginning of the new Lions year.
The installation ceremony have serves as a renewed commitment by the district leadership to service, compassion and sustained community impact, with a focus on initiatives that address pressing social needs.
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