Mumbai, 16th September 2025: Uttara Talapatra, Founder of Magical Blends and a certified Skincare Coach, has been honoured with the Best Entrepreneur Award at the prestigious Her Rising Awards 2025, held on 13th September at Four Seasons, Mumbai.

The Her Rising Awards celebrate women achievers across industries who have demonstrated excellence, risen as leaders in their fields, and inspired countless others on their career journeys. Organised by HerKey, India’s largest AI-powered platform for women’s career growth, the initiative provides women with a safe and supportive community to pursue their aspirations and return to work after career breaks.

A trailblazer in the beauty and personal care space, Uttara has turned vision into action by building impactful businesses and shaping the ecosystem with innovation and purpose. With nearly two decades of experience across leading organisations such as L’Oréal, Unilever, and Raymond Consumer Care, she brought deep expertise in beauty and D2C business when she launched Magical Blends in 2024. In just a year, the brand has already secured a patented skincare regime, setting new benchmarks in a highly competitive industry.

Highlighting her win as just the beginning of a larger journey, Uttara shares, “My association with HerKey has been an extremely positive one over the last six months. What started as a small conversation about how to best care for one’s skin, quickly morphed into a much larger discussion about self-care, building confidence and making one’s mark in the workforce as well as starting as an entrepreneur.”

She further added, “It has been a pleasure to interact with the diverse members on the panel, and of course with the HerKey team itself, which is unreservedly supportive. I hope we can continue to collaborate on this diverse platform and continue to help other women reach their career aspirations. Thank you so much to the HerKey team for this award, it has been an absolute honour!”

Uttara’s recognition at the Her Rising Awards 2025 underscores her leadership, creativity, and determination to build a brand rooted in authenticity, efficacy, and expertise — inspiring the next generation of women entrepreneurs.

As the fragrance of fresh marigolds lingers in the air and sweet boxes line store shelves, a As the fragrance of fresh marigolds lingers in the air and sweet boxes line store shelves, a familiar warmth returns with Rakshabandhan—a festival that may appear simple on the surface, but carries centuries of emotion, memory, and sibling love in its essence.

In this feature, we explore the spirit of Rakhi not through rituals or shopping guides, but through a personal lens—a heartfelt letter that echoes the feelings of countless sisters across India and beyond.

✉️ A Letter to My Brother

Dear Brother,

Rakhi is almost here. And as I carefully pick a Rakhi thread from a dozen designs, I realize this isn’t just a thread—it’s our story, tied year after year.

This thread holds more than a promise of protection. It holds your laughter when I cried over silly things. It holds your silent encouragement during my exams, your confidence in me when I doubted myself. It holds the little fights, the midnight snacks we shared, the childhood games we never really grew out of.

When we were younger, Rakhi meant sweets, gifts, and photos. But growing up has taught me that it’s much more—it’s an anchor that reminds me we’re never alone, even in the chaos of adulthood.

I still remember the first Rakhi I made by hand, and how you wore it proudly, even when the glitter kept falling off. Today, life is faster, distances longer, and time shorter—but every Rakhi brings us back home, even if just in spirit.

This Rakshabandhan, I want to say thank you—not just for the big gestures, but for the little things: for being my first friend, my rival, my protector, and sometimes, even my secret keeper.

More than tradition, Rakhi is a celebration of the unspoken love, the shared memories, and the quiet strength that siblings give each other without ever needing to ask.

So when I tie that thread this year, know that I’m tying our entire journey, one loop at a time.

With all my love,

Your Sister

🎀 Beyond the Thread: What Rakhi Represents Today

In modern times, Rakshabandhan has evolved beyond gender roles and rituals. It is now a celebration of siblinghood in its truest form—built on equality, understanding, and mutual support. Sisters are protectors, too, and brothers are emotionally open. The festival is no longer about who protects whom, but how we stand by each other.

As families become global, Rakhi has become a beautiful way to reconnect, even across borders—whether through a digital letter, a video call, or a couriered thread carrying love across oceans.

🧵 Conclusion: A Bond That Time Cannot Unravel

Rakhi is, and always will be, more than just a thread. It’s tradition, yes—but it’s also transformation. It’s a memory, but also a promise for the future. It’s childhood, and it’s growth.

In every letter, every thread, and every smile exchanged on Rakshabandhan, lives the most timeless bond of all—a sibling’s love.

• Inaugurates Mobile Medical Units across 4 metropolitan construction sites and slums to benefit over 1 lakh urban workers

19^th May 2025: PNB Housing Finance, one of India’s leading housing finance companies, through its CSR arm Pehel Foundation, announced the launch of the second phase of its Mobile Medical Unit (MMU) Program in partnership with Wockhardt Foundation. The program is aimed at improving primary healthcare access for construction workers and underprivileged communities across key regions of Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Ahmedabad, providing doorstep medical services to them.

The program is designed to address the lack of accessible and affordable healthcare services near construction sites and slum areas. Construction workers and their families often forego basic medical treatment due to high commute costs, long queues at hospitals, or fear of wage loss from time away. PNB Housing Finance and Wockhardt Foundation have joined hands to bridge this gap and offer a sustainable solution by bringing primary and preventive care directly to them.

Speaking on the launch, Mr. Girish Kousgi, MD & CEO of PNB Housing Finance said, “Healthcare is a basic right, yet access remains a privilege for many. At PNB Housing Finance, we believe that development must be inclusive, and that means addressing real needs where they exist – on the ground, at construction sites, in underserved neighborhoods. Our Mobile Medical Unit Program in association with Wockhardt Foundation aims to reduce the financial and physical barriers that prevent thousands of underserved families from seeking primary medical care. This is not just about treatment – it’s about creating awareness and promoting long-term well-being amongst the masses.”

Mr. Denis Varghese, Director- Wockhardt Foundation, added, “This collaboration with PNB Housing Finance gives us an opportunity to bring healthcare to those who need it the most – right inside the communities. With over 93,000 lives touched in Phase 1, this next chapter will further expand our reach to over one lakh individuals—a meaningful step toward bridging the healthcare gap. By bringing healthcare to the underserved, we will continue to empower communities to take charge of their health.”

Each mobile unit is staffed with 3 members – an MBBS doctor, pharmacist and licensed driver. The medical vans will offer essential services including general check-ups, treatment for common ailments, diabetes and hypertension management, and referrals for advanced treatment. In addition, the MMUs will continue to conduct health education and hygiene awareness sessions, and promote access to government healthcare schemes, further empowering these communities with knowledge and preventive practices.

The initiative builds on the success of Phase 1, where four MMUs served thousands of beneficiaries, majority of whom were from the construction worker community. With this second phase, PNB Housing Finance reaffirms its commitment to inclusive community development and sustainable urban progress – where nobody is left behind in the journey towards better health and well-being.

About PNB Housing Finance Limited

PNB Housing Finance Limited (NSE: PNBHOUSING, BSE: 540173) is promoted by Punjab National Bank and is a registered Housing Finance Company with National Housing Bank (NHB). The Company was listed on the Indian stock exchanges on 07 November 2016. The Company’s asset base comprises retail loans and corporate loans. The retail business focuses on organized mass housing segment financing for the acquisition or construction of houses. In addition, it also provides loans against properties and loans for the purchase & construction of non-residential premises. Corporate loans are mainly to developers for the construction of residential/commercial properties, corporate term loans and lease rental discounting. PNB Housing Finance is a deposit-taking Housing Finance Company.