Lifestyle
Samsung Becomes the First Brand to Get 5-Star Rating

Samsung Becomes the First Brand to Get 5-Star Rating for Side-by-Side Refrigerator; Enables Lower CO2 Emission & Energy Savings
- The 5-Star rating suggests that Samsung Side-by-Side refrigerator emits 359kg less carbon every year as opposed to the 1-Star model
- The 5-Star rating also implies that consumers can save 444 kWh of electricity annually
GURUGRAM, India – August 25, 2023: Samsung, India’s No. 1 refrigerator brand, today announced that it became the first brand in India to receive a 5-Star rating by Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) for its 653L Convertible 5-in-1 Side-by-Side refrigerator. The 5-Star rating indicates that consumers can save 444 kWh (Kilowatt-hour) electricity annually and the refrigerator emits 359 kg lesser carbon as compared to 1-Star rated models.
Besides the 5-Star rated Side-by-Side refrigerator, Samsung has received 3-Star rating for rest of the Convertible 5in1 Side-by-Side refrigerator models, making it India’s first complete star rated Side-by-Side refrigerator range in the category. The 3-Star rated refrigerators will help consumers save up to 259 kWh electricity annually while bringing down the carbon emissions by 210 kg per year as compared to 1-Star rated models.

The ‘Made in India’ Side-by-Side refrigerator range is Wi-Fi enabled and equipped with Smart Things app functionality. It comes with Convertible 5-in-1 mode for customizable storage space, Samsung’s Twin Cooling Plus™ technology for precise cooling and Curd Maestro™ that allows users to make curd at home in a healthy and hygienic way. To allow better space utilization, consumers can now detach the curd-making compartment, when it is not in use. This range also features IoT-enabled Family Hub 7.0 to offer unlimited entertainment and a connected living experience.
This range comes in stylish and classy BESPOKE Glass Finish colour options – Glam Deep Charcoal, Clean Navy, Clean White and Clean Pink – that go perfectly with the modern design taste of Indians.
“As the No. 1 refrigerator brand in India, we make continuous efforts to promote sustainability and energy efficiency while reducing carbon footprint for a better future. The energy efficiency ratings by BEE for our Side-by-Side refrigerator range is a testament to our commitment. Our Side-by-Side refrigerators have found great resonance among Indian consumers due to its outstanding aesthetic appeal. With the BEE ratings, we are confident that these refrigerators will interest more individuals who seek high-performing products that add value to their lives in more than one way,” said Saurabh Baishakhia, Senior Director, Digital Appliance Business, Samsung India
Price & Availability
Priced at INR 110,890 onwards, the line-up is available across offline and online retailers, in 653L net capacity.
Warranty
The new line-up comes with a 20-year compressor warranty on its compressor, thereby offering promising durability of the product and in turn, providing consumers with complete peace of mind.
Key Features of Side-by-Side refrigerators
Convertible 5-in-1 mode
The feature offers consumers more storage space and convenience by allowing them to choose from the five modes – Normal, Seasonal, Extra Fridge, Vacation and Home Alone. In the normal mode, the refrigerator will have both fridge and freezer mode, in both Home Alone and Vacation modes, the refrigerator will only have the freezer running while the fridge will be turned off. On days, when one wants more storage space, the feature allows consumers to convert their freezer into fridge, thus giving more storage space.
The Twin Cooling Plus™ technology in this feature works with two separate evaporators for fridge and freezer to minimise temperature fluctuation. This innovation adds a new level of convenience, making it possible to control optimal humidity and temperature that prevents odour mixing and ensures freshness of food for a longer duration.
Family Hub 7.0
The Family Hub 7.0 feature provides efficient food management by suggesting meal ideas to its users and giving a view of what’s stored inside the refrigerator, among others. Consumers can also play their favourite music using Spotify, TuneIn and can simply enjoy their favourite web services without other devices. To ensure unlimited family fun, the feature also offers an analogue bulletin-board that curates precious family moments by video, photos, and memos. For users to enjoy seamless connected living and turn their home smarter, this feature lets them control their smart appliances and IoT enabled devices via SmartThings App.
AI Energy Savings mode
With this mode activated, consumers can easily meet their monthly electricity cost target by optimising fridge and freezer temperatures. The feature uses artificial intelligence to understand the usage pattern and set the temperature accordingly, thus ensuring energy efficiency in the process.
Curd Maestro+
The Side-by-Side refrigerator range comes with Samsung’s patented Curd Maestro™ technology that allows users to make curd at home in a healthy and hygienic way. However, taking the experience, the 2023 range comes with a detachable Curd Maestro+ that users can remove as per their convenience.
BESPOKE & Auto Open Door
From a design perspective, the line-up comes with BESPOKE’s Glass Finish panels, thus making the range of products glamorous. Keeping in mind the challenges in Indian cooking, the 2023 range comes with another interesting feature — Auto Open Door that uses ‘touch sensor’ and opens the door. Therefore, in case of dirty hands, consumers can simply keep their hand on the door sensor and it will open.
Non-plumbing Dispenser
The refrigerator comes with a 4.5L water tank for its non-plumbing ice and water dispenser. This feature makes the refrigerator easy to install at any location without being connected to a water supply. Consumers simply need to add mineral or fresh water to enjoy chilled drinks or ice or crushed ice without installing a separate water filter.
Wi-Fi Enabled
To help consumers enjoy a seamless and superior connected living experience, the Side-by-Side Refrigerator range facilitates control using SmartThings app, thanks to being Wi-Fi enabled.
About Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
Samsung inspires the world and shapes the future with transformative ideas and technologies. The company is redefining the worlds of TVs, smartphones, wearable devices, tablets, digital appliances, network systems and memory, system LSI, foundry, and LED solutions. For latest news on Samsung India, please visit Samsung India Newsroom at http://news.samsung.com/in. For Hindi, log on to Samsung Newsroom Bharat at https://news.samsung.com/bharat. You can also follow us on Twitter @SamsungNewsIN
Lifestyle
Jeep® India emerges as India’s Most Trusted SUV Manufacturer in TRA’s Brand Trust Report 2025

Sixth Overall Win and Unprecedented Four-Year Streak Solidify Jeep’s Legacy in India
Pune, May 13, 2025 – Jeep® India has once again been recognized as the Most Trusted Brand in the SUV Manufacturer category in the 15th edition of TRA’s Brand Trust Report, India Study 2025. This prestigious accolade marks Jeep’s fifth overall win, including an unprecedented four consecutive years at the top (2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025) and previously in 2019 & 2020.

The Brand Trust Report 2025 is based on a comprehensive study conducted by TRA Research Pvt. Ltd., encompassing insights from over 2,500 consumer-influencers across 16 cities in India. The study evaluates brands on proprietary matrices of Brand Trust and Brand Desire, with over 90,000 respondent interviews conducted over the past 13 years.
Shailesh Hazela, Managing Director & CEO, Stellantis India, stated, “This recognition is a testament to our unwavering commitment to quality and innovation. Our manufacturing facilities in Ranjangaon, Hosur, and Thiruvallur, along with our R&D centers in Chennai and Pune, embody the Stellantis Production Way, ensuring excellence at every step. India stands unique as the only country outside North America to locally produce four Jeep nameplates—Wrangler, Compass, Meridian, and Grand Cherokee—underscoring our dedication to the ‘Make in India’ initiative.”
Commenting on the report, Kumar Priyesh, Business Head & Director- Automotive Brands, highlighted the brand’s storied heritage said,“Jeep is not just a brand; it’s the originator of the SUV category. Our lineage is built on a legacy of adventure, freedom, and innovation. Being recognized as India’s Most Trusted SUV Brand reinforces our commitment to delivering unparalleled experiences to our customers.”
N. Chandramouli, CEO of TRA Research, applauded the company on the significance of this recognition, “Jeep’s consistent top ranking in our Brand Trust Report reflects its deep-rooted connection with Indian consumers. Our rigorous methodology ensures that such accolades are a true reflection of public sentiment, and Jeep’s prominence is well-deserved.”
Trust has been foundational to Jeep’s success for over 75 years. From its origins in World War II, where the Go-Anywhere, Do-Anything® Jeep® 4×4 emerged as a trusted ally for Allied soldiers, to its evolution as a peacetime workhorse, the brand has become synonymous with reliability, adventure, and strength. Jeep’s legendary capability has continued to inspire confidence, whether on rescue missions during calamities or daily adventures. In India, the brand has fostered a community driven by adventure and trust. In 2019, Jeep was recognized as India’s most trusted automobile brand in TRA’s Brand Trust Report—a recognition of the bond the brand has cultivated.
Lifestyle
Innovative collaboration for Poltrona Frau: Draga & Aurel create impact with the Parka seating collection.

Parka… think snuggly, soft, enveloping design with attitude.
On the occasion of Milan Design Week, Poltrona Frau presents its new Parka series of sectional and modular sofas. A collection that inaugurates an exciting collaboration with the creative duo Draga & Aurel.

This year, the 2024 Imagine Collection by Poltrona Frau invites our Imagination to emerge as a creative force that can manifest our dream interiors, shaping them to create a more relatable and personal space. With this in mind, and to give voice to the numerous and possible declinations of the theme, the luxury furniture brand has further expanded its roster of ‘in-house design consultants’, commissioning exciting new names to join forces on the various projects.

The renowned design duo Draga & Aurel has been invited to collaborate on the Imagine Softness theme. The Serbian/German design partners have been based in Como Italy for many years, and have a particularly impressive professional path which works across the spectrum of various artistic and cultural fields. Lovers of fashion, bespoke vintage and enveloping shapes, Draga & Aurel have always been particularly sensitive to the culture of textile recycling and upcycling.
In this first project for Poltrona Frau, they hone their exceptional talent with Parka, a modular seating system that pays homage to the iconic jacket. From pop stars to streetwear: in the ’90s the Oasis frontman (who was highly influenced by Mod’s ’60s fashion) managed to take an everyday garment and make it cool. The Parka jacket became the epitome of street style, a versatile, protective garment but soft and comfortable at the same time. Much like the iconic jacket, the Parka sofa coordinates effortlessly with all types of interiors and is extremely versatile, despite (or even because of) its strong personality. The soft lines and generously padded upholstery that skims the floor hint at comfort and relaxation. The unusual elliptical shape of the backrest, which inclines to become an armrest and then a seamless seat, creates a concave or convex space that is both audacious and welcoming, seamlessly coordinating with different styles of interiors.
“Not many companies are capable of embracing so many different external visions whilst still upholding a furnishing philosophy consistent with its identity.” states Nicola Coropulis, CEO of Poltrona Frau, “Over the years, in the various collaborations with new designers, Poltrona Frau has always sought and upheld that sense of contemporary luxury which is able to respond in an aesthetic, conceptual and, above all, ethical way – to modern requisites.”
The Parka collection comprises modular elements: a concave or convex armchair without armrests or with a terminal armrest, the latter also in a maxi version, either right-side or left-side. It can be upholstered either entirely in Pelle FrauR, in the various types of leather present in the catalogue, or in a leather + fabric combination. In this case the leather is applied to the external structure, while the fabric is applied to the seat, backrest and armrest. Tone-on-tone top stitching completes the aesthetic.
Lifestyle
Cricket Star Pat Cummins Visits GKB Opticals Store in Hyderabad

Carrera’s Global Ambassador Unveiled His Favourite Styles at India’s Leading Eyewear Destination
Hyderabad, May 8, 2025 — In a thrilling mix of global sport and fashion, GKB Opticals, a leading eyewear brand with over 60 years of legacy, hosted global cricket icon Pat Cummins at its store in Sarath City Capital Mall, Hyderabad.
Carrera Eyewear’s global brand ambassador, Pat Cummins, recently visited the GKB Opticals store along with Safilo, the official distributor of Carrera. During his visit, Cummins officially launched his Carrera Signature Collection and spoke about the inspiration behind the designs. He also explored Carrera’s new eyewear collections, highlighting his personal style choices that reflect the brand’s dynamic and cutting-edge spirit.
“It was a sheer pleasure to have Pat Cummins at our Hyderabad outlet,” said Ms. Priyanka Gupta, Director of Brands, GKB Opticals. “His association with Carrera embodies individuality, self-confidence, and performance — all of which we at GKB strongly identify with. All such initiatives are yet another reinforcement of our intent to bring the world’s best eyewear to Indian consumers.”
The exercise was another milestone in GKB Opticals’ never-ending quest for providing top-quality, fashion-driven eyewear experiences. With a reputation built over a period of six decades, the brand continues to be at the forefront of providing glob
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