September 2, 2026

International investor Nicole Junkermann has said the rapid growth of women’s volleyball in Italy strengthens the investment case for women’s sport in India, after the digital ecosystem surrounding Italy’s leading women’s volleyball competitions passed 2 billion views during the 2025-26 season.   Nicole Junkermann The milestone was recorded across the digital ecosystem surrounding Lega Pallavolo Serie A Femminile, working with Gameday by NJF Holdings through their Spike Media partnership. Content generated approximately 61.5 million interactions across digital platforms as the league expanded its audience well beyond traditional television and match-going fans. For Nicole Junkermann, founder of NJF Holdings and the investor behind Gameday, the figures are significant beyond Italy. Junkermann has previously identified India as an important long-term market for sports investment, technology and digital media, including the infrastructure that can help professional leagues build larger audiences. “Two billion views changes the conversation,” said Nicole Junkermann. “When we first talked about what the Italian experience might mean for India, the season had already produced extraordinary numbers. The final result is stronger still. It shows that women’s volleyball can build a very large digital audience when the sport is given the right distribution, content and commercial infrastructure.” Earlier this year, Nicole Junkermann identified India as a market where lessons from the growth of Italian women’s volleyball could have wider relevance. At the time, Italy’s top women’s league had generated more than 1.4 billion digital views during the season, alongside more than 45 million social media interactions. The completed season has substantially exceeded those figures. From 1.4 billion to more than 2 billion views The growth reflects a strategy that treats digital distribution as part of the sporting product rather than simply as a way to promote matches. Gameday by NJF Holdings and Lega Volley Femminile created Spike Media to focus on media, distribution, audience development and the commercial infrastructure surrounding Italian women’s volleyball. The approach has expanded the volume and reach of content around matches, clubs and athletes, allowing fans to encounter the sport across a much wider range of digital channels. Gameday by NJF Holdings is the sports and media platform backed by international investor Nicole Junkermann. Its work combines professional sport with digital sports media, audience development, technology and commercial infrastructure. For Junkermann, the Italian experience challenges the assumption that women’s leagues need to wait for traditional broadcast audiences to develop before they can become significant media properties. “Women’s sport is still too often assessed using the economics and distribution models of the past,” said Nicole Junkermann. “Digital platforms give leagues the chance to build audiences differently. You can create interest around the athletes, the clubs and the competition every day, rather than relying on a few hours of television each week.” That distinction could be particularly relevant to the development of women’s sport in India, where sport and digital media already have an unusually close relationship. Why Nicole Junkermann sees an opportunity in Indian women’s sport India’s sporting economy remains dominated by cricket, but Nicole Junkermann believes its success demonstrates something broader: the country’s ability to turn sport into entertainment, media, technology and culture at enormous scale. The question is where that experience could travel next. Indian women’s sport offers one such opportunity. India has a large young digital audience and a sophisticated sports industry, while athletes and competitions outside men’s cricket have more opportunities than ever to reach supporters directly through digital platforms. Nicole Junkermann believes digital distribution, sports technology and better commercial infrastructure can play an important role in accelerating that development. “India is particularly interesting because many of the ingredients are already there: a young digital audience, a huge appetite for sport and increasingly ambitious female athletes,” said Nicole Junkermann. “Cricket has shown what India can build around a sport. I don’t think we should assume that only cricket can benefit from that imagination.” The Italian experience is relevant because it demonstrates how investment around a league can create value beyond the competition itself. Media distribution, short-form content, athlete channels, data, sponsorship and sports technology can all become part of the infrastructure supporting a modern sports property. For investors looking at women’s sport in India, that broadens the opportunity. Investment doesn’t have to mean buying a team or competing for a headline sponsorship. It can include the technology, media and digital infrastructure that helps leagues and athletes reach audiences, understand supporters and build sustainable revenue. Nicole Junkermann’s investment thesis for sports infrastructure in India Nicole Junkermann has previously argued that some of the most interesting sports investment opportunities in India will be found beneath the headline valuations, particularly in sports technology, media, digital distribution and league infrastructure. The latest results from Italian women’s volleyball strengthen that thesis. A digital audience measured in billions doesn’t mean that every view has the same commercial value, nor does it make Italy and India directly comparable. But the scale demonstrates how quickly the audience around a women’s competition can grow when distribution is designed around the way people now consume sport. For Gameday by NJF Holdings, India remains a market of long-term interest as the country’s professional sports economy develops beyond its established strengths. “India doesn’t need to copy the Italian model,” said Nicole Junkermann. “That would miss the point. The interesting question is what India can build for itself, using its own athletes, audiences and sporting culture. The numbers from Italy simply show how much can happen when a women’s league is given the infrastructure and ambition to grow.” For Nicole Junkermann, the 2 billion milestone is therefore less an end point than evidence of what can happen when investment follows changing audience behaviour. As women’s sport attracts greater attention from broadcasters, sponsors and investors around the world, Junkermann believes India has the audience, sporting culture and digital scale to develop a model distinctly its own. About Nicole Junkermann and NJF Holdings Nicole Junkermann is an international investor and the founder of NJF Holdings, a privately held international investment group operating across Europe, the United States, the

The Association of Radio Operators for India (AROI), the apex body of India’s private FM radio industry, has elected Mr. Vijay Garg, Chief Financial Officer of MY FM — the radio division of the Dainik Bhaskar Group (D B Corp Ltd.) — as its new President. Mr. Garg takes over from Ms. Anurradha Prasad, Chairperson and Managing Director of BAG Network (Radio Dhamaal), who led AROI through a defining period of policy advocacy for the sector for the last fifteen years and resigned at the AGM held on 10 August 2026.   Mr. Vijay Garg, Chief Financial Officer of MY FM   Mr. Garg assumes the Presidency at a pivotal moment for private radio. The industry, which reaches more than 200 million listeners every week as a free, trusted and deeply vernacular medium, is seeking decisive policy action on four fronts: parity with other media through permission to broadcast independent news and current affairs; extension of Phase III licences on the 4% Adjusted Gross Revenue model already approved by the Union Cabinet for new cities; rationalisation of GST on radio from 18% to 5%, at par with print; and conversion of the 2023 MEITY advisory into a mandatory directive activating FM receiver chips in every mobile phone sold in India.   A finance leader with three decades in media A cost and Management accountant (ICMA) by training and a graduate of the University of Delhi, Mr. Garg brings close to thirty years of financial and business leadership, of which more than two decades have been in radio. He began his career in corporate finance with Oberoi Hotels & Resorts, moved into broadcasting as Chief Financial Officer of Red FM, and joined the Dainik Bhaskar Group’s radio business in 2007. Today he serves as CFO for the Group’s radio and some other businesses and has been closely associated with MY FM’s expansion from a regional network into one of the country’s largest FM footprints, now moving towards 44 stations 3 across Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Haryana, Punjab and Chandigarh.   Within the industry, Mr. Garg is regarded as one of radio’s most respected voices on the economics of the business — licence fees, spectrum costs, tax structures and the unit economics of small-town broadcasting — and has contributed to AROI’s submissions to the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting and the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India.   On his election, Mr. Vijay Garg said, “I am deeply honoured by the confidence the industry has placed in me. Radio is India’s most local, most inclusive and most cost-efficient mass medium — it speaks to the country in its own languages, free of cost, and it stays on air when every other network goes down. Yet the sector today carries a cost structure built for a very different era. My focus as President will be simple and unrelenting: secure media parity for radio, make the economics of the licence sustainable, correct the tax anomaly, and get FM chips switched on in every phone sold in this country. If we get these right, radio will not merely survive — it will power the local economies of Tier 2 and Tier 3 India for the next decade.”   Appreciating his predecessor’s leadership, Mr. Garg said that Ms. Anurradha Prasad’s tenure had “given the industry a united voice and put radio’s case squarely before the Government,” and said the incoming leadership would build on that foundation.   About AROI The Association of Radio Operators for India (AROI) is the official body representing private commercial FM radio broadcasters across the country. Its members operate hundreds of stations spanning metros and Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, reaching over 200 million listeners every week in more than a dozen languages. AROI engages with the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, TRAI and other authorities on policy, regulation and the long-term growth of the radio and audio industry in India.

Let’s be honest, by this time of the year, many of us are starting to slack on our health-focused resolutions. However, September is National Nutrition Month, so it’s the perfect time to re-focus on those nutrition goals we may have let fall away.   Feel a little overwhelmed by the idea of adding “nutrition” to your diet? You’re not alone. We’re here to help guide you with five easy steps to make that goal more achievable.   1. Eat More Plants You don’t have to cut out animal products from your diet to be healthy, but the Dietary Guidelines recommend filling at least half your plate with fruits and vegetables and also working in whole grains and plant-based protein. Incorporating plant-based foods into meals is an easy way to add essential nutrients and vitamins to your diet! This includes eating walnuts, increasing your intake of omega-3 ALA (2.5g per 28g serving). Blend veggies and walnuts into sauces like this versatile Walnut Romesco Sauce, or swap half the meat in dishes like tacos and lasagna with beans or walnuts.   Walnut Romesco Sauce   Ingredients 1 cup well-drained roasted red peppers 1⁄2 cup California walnuts 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar 1 teaspoon paprika 1/2 to 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper 3 cloves garlic 1 bunch fresh parsley Salt and pepper to taste   Preparation 1. Place all ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. 2. Serve over grilled summer vegetables or grilled steak.   California Walnut Romesco Sauce   2. Drink More Water Drinking at least eight glasses a day can help curb your cravings and help you from confusing thirst with hunger. Not to mention, staying hydrated is important, especially for those who are active.   3. Make Your Snacks Count Don’t count your snacks—make your snacks count. Make sure your snacks offer a combination of protein, fiber and good fats. A handful of walnuts, seasoned to your liking is a well-rounded snack that can hold you over until your next meal. This is a great way to meet a craving for sweet or savory with satisfying crunch. You can make a simple trail mix with other nutrient-rich ingredients to really stack your snacks!   Tropical Trail Mix   Ingredients ½ cup low-sugar dried papaya chunks ½ cup unsweetened dried goji berries ½ cup unsweetened shaved coconut 1 cup unsweetened dried pineapple, cut into chunks 1 cup unsweetened dried kiwi 2 cups California walnuts 1 cup toasted, salted pepitas 1 cup bittersweet cacao chips   Preparation 1.Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. 2. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dark, dry spot to keep it fresh for about one month.   California Walnut Tropical Trail Mix   4. Make Mealtime an Occasion Most people tend to move through life very quickly and don’t stop to enjoy simple pleasures. Things like sitting down to eat a meal can be good for you both mentally and physically, as it encourages you to eat more slowly, allowing your body to process and digest food more appropriately. Physical benefits aside, this can also provide the mental benefit of taking a break and unplugging from your busy life, while enjoying a meal and time with loved ones.   5. Understand Nutrition Labels While eating whole, unprocessed foods as often as possible is great, it’s not always realistic with our busy lifestyles. Pay attention to the ingredient lists on packaged products, and look out for things like saturated fats, sodium, and added sugars. To avoid being in the situation of not knowing what you’re going to grab as an on-the-go alternative, plan ahead by meal prepping or packing your own snacks to fit in with your diet and nutrition goals. For simple grab-and-go snacks you can make in bulk, try this No-Bake Walnut Cocoa Cherry Bars.   No-Bake Walnut, Cocoa, Cherry Bars   Ingredients 1/2 cup old-fashioned oats 1 cup pitted Medjool dates 1/2 cup shelled California walnuts 1/2 cup unsweetened dried cherries 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder 1/2 teaspoon salt   Preparation 1. In a large food processor bowl, combine oats, dates, walnuts, cherries, cocoa powder and salt. Process 1-2 minutes, or until mixture resembles a crumbly dough. 2. Turn mixture onto wax paper and shape evenly into a 1/2-inch-thick rectangle. 3. Chill at least 1 hour and cut into 9 bars. Bars do not need to be stored in the refrigerator.   No Bake California Walnut Cocoa Cherry Bars   There’s not just one simple way to elevate your nutrition levels for National Nutrition Month, but there are a lot of steps you can take to work towards a more nutritious lifestyle. Setting a goal of what you want to achieve this month and prioritizing a nutritious diet through the previous suggestions are wonderful ways to start!

Some icons never fade, they evolve. This season, VERO MODA, one of India’s leading fashion brands, celebrates the 100-year legacy of global icon Marilyn Monroe through an exclusive capsule collection that reimagines one of fashion and pop culture’s most legendary figures for the modern woman. The collection launches on 1st September 2026.   Vero Moda x Marilyn Monroe Decades after she first captivated the world, Marilyn Monroe remains a symbol of confidence, individuality and effortless glamour. Long before the age of social media, she defined what it meant to be an icon with magnetic presence and fearless femininity continuing to inspire generations across fashion, film and culture today. VERO MODA translates Marilyn’s iconic spirit into a fashion-forward yet nostalgic collection designed for today’s woman, one who embraces authenticity and confidence in every moment. The collection seamlessly blends VERO MODA’s signature aesthetic with Marilyn Monroe’s unmistakable visual identity. Her legendary portraits, iconic signature and instantly recognisable kiss mark are thoughtfully woven throughout the collection, creating pieces that feel nostalgic yet unmistakably modern. At its heart are statement dresses, graphic t-shirts and relaxed sweatshirts showcasing Marilyn’s most celebrated imagery through bold portrait graphics and pop-art inspired artwork. Playful polka dots, delicate pearl embellishments, sparkling rhinestone details and expressive graphics pay homage to the glamour Marilyn defined, reinterpreted with a contemporary outlook.  A standout highlight is the denim capsule, where vintage-inspired washes meet feminine ruffles, modern silhouettes and elevated detailing, offering a modern take on one of fashion’s most enduring essentials.  The collaboration also extends into accessories with statement caps featuring Marilyn’s kiss mark and autograph, an easy way to carry a touch of the icon into everyday style. The VERO MODA x Marilyn Monroe capsule collection will be available exclusively on the VERO MODA App for the first 48 hours from launch, beginning 1st September 2026, before rolling out across VERO MODA retail stores nationwide, online at www.veromoda.in, and on Myntra. About VERO MODA Launched in 1987 as BESTSELLER’s first fashion label, VERO MODA has grown to become one of Europe’s most recognised high-street fashion brands. Built on the belief that everyday style should feel effortless, elevated and empowering; the brand creates versatile collections that celebrate individuality and inspire confidence. With an authentic expression of style and a constant focus on evolution, VERO MODA continues to redefine modern fashion for women who embrace self-expression and effortless dressing. In India, VERO MODA has established itself as one of the leading destinations for women’s western wear, offering trend-led collections designed for every facet of a woman’s lifestyle. The brand reaches customers through its exclusive brand outlets and shop-in-shops across the country, the VERO MODA App, www.veromoda.in and leading online marketplaces. About Marilyn Monroe Marilyn Monroe is one of the most influential pop culture icons of all time. A true trailblazer, Monroe forged her own path, embracing her individuality and pursuing her passions in an era when paths for women were few. She appeared in 29 films over the course of her career, became a Golden Globe winner for Some Like It Hot, and continued to set a new standard for women in film. As part of her quest for control, she launched her own production company, Marilyn Monroe Productions, affording her control over her image, while pushing back on the Hollywood system to ensure her voice and others were heard. Her pioneering spirit, independence and confidence, along with her incomparable star power, continue to inspire modern generations and transcend cultures and backgrounds. Partnerships with both luxury and mass-consumer brands, in addition to an extensive merchandising program, reinforce her status as a global icon.

GoCredit today launched a free loan app checker that tells any borrower in seconds whether the lending app on their phone is real, fake, or operated by an RBI-registered lender. The tool is live at gocredit.money/loan-app and answers a question millions of Indians currently settle by guesswork: is this loan app safe to use?   GoCredit’s free Loan App Checker names the RBI-regulated lender behind any lending app, from RBI’s official directory of 1,024 digital lending apps   A borrower types the app’s name. The free loan app safety checker searches it against the Reserve Bank of India’s public directory of Digital Lending Apps deployed by Regulated Entities – 1,024 apps as of 1 September 2026 — and against more than 9,200 RBI-registered entities. Where there is a match, the borrower sees the regulated entity behind the app, that entity’s grievance redressal officer, and the escalation route to the RBI Ombudsman. Where there is no match, the tool does not accuse: it hands the borrower a verification checklist and the official reporting channels.   Why the “not found” answer matters most Google Play’s India policy requires personal loan apps to appear in the RBI’s DLA directory before they can be distributed. An app absent from that directory is therefore an app that should not be offering personal loans on the store at all.   That distinction is the tool’s core design decision. Lists of banned loan apps circulate widely on Indian social media, but no official public list of banned apps exists: blocking orders issued under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act are confidential by law. In a written reply to Parliament in July 2026, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology stated that 87 illegal loan lending applications have been blocked to date; the names in those orders are not published.   “Every viral ‘fake loan app list’ is somebody’s guess, and borrowers are making decisions about their money based on those guesses. The verifiable question isn’t which apps are banned — it’s which regulated entity is behind the app in front of you. RBI publishes that. We made it searchable,” Anupam Acharya, Co-founder and CEO, GoCredit.   How to check if a loan app is RBI registered The company outlined the verification sequence any borrower can follow, with or without the tool: Search the app name in RBI’s DLA directory. Every legitimate digital lending app in India is reported to the RBI by the bank, NBFC or housing finance company that deploys it. Open the app’s About or Compliance screen. RBI rules require a lending app to name the regulated entity behind it. If no lender is named anywhere, treat that as the first red flag. Read the loan agreement or sanction letter. The legal lender is named at the top; it is frequently different from the app’s brand name. Never pay an advance “processing fee”. Registered lenders deduct charges from the disbursed amount; they do not collect fees by UPI before disbursal. Report what does not check out. Unauthorised lending apps can be reported to the RBI at sachet.rbi.org.in, or to the national cybercrime portal at cybercrime.gov.in and helpline 1930. What the tool deliberately does not claim The checker never describes an app as “RBI-approved”. The RBI compiles its DLA directory from information submitted by regulated entities on its CIMS portal and publishes it, in the regulator’s own words, without further validation. A listing is a disclosure by a regulated entity, not an endorsement by the RBI — and the tool’s language reflects that distinction on every verdict it returns.   Built on regulatory architecture, not around it The tool is a consequence of the RBI’s Digital Lending Directions, under which regulated entities must report the apps they deploy. That reporting requirement is what makes an app-level public check possible at all. GoCredit renders the resulting directory in the form a borrower can act on: searchable by the name on their phone screen, with the grievance contact attached.   Alongside the checker, GoCredit has published the complete list of RBI-registered loan apps in India, with a dedicated safety page for each app naming the regulated entity or entities that deploy it.   The company operates an AI Loan Agent that matches borrowers to lenders through a single consent-based application, rather than repeated applications across multiple instant loan apps that each trigger a credit bureau inquiry. The safety checker extends the same premise to the step before borrowing: establishing who the lender actually is.   Availability The loan app safety checker is free, requires no signup, and is available now at gocredit.money/loan-app. The underlying directory data is refreshed from the RBI’s published source.   About GoCredit GoCredit is a personal loan platform operated by Vijayalakshmi Technology Infinity NKB Private Limited, offering an AI Loan Agent that matches borrowers with RBI-registered lending partners through a single consent-based application.   Website: gocredit.money   Sources Referenced Reserve Bank of India – public directory of Digital Lending Apps deployed by Regulated Entities (rbi.org.in, Citizen’s Corner), accessed 1 September 2026. Press Information Bureau – Release ID 2287195, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology reply to the Rajya Sabha, 21 July 2026. Google Play Developer Policy – personal loan app requirements for India.