| | JUNE 20269Manam Chocolate, a premium craft choco-late brand, has raised $9 million in a Series A funding round led by Omnivore, with participation from the Turner Morrison consortium. The fresh capital will support the compa-ny's expansion plans, including the launch of new retail outlets in the Delhi NCR region over the next year. Central to its sourcing network is the Distinct Origins Cacao Fermentery in Tadikalapudi, West Godavari, which the company describes as one of the world's largest cacao fermentation facilities.The unit uses specialised fer-mentation processes to improve the quality and consistency of Indian cacao. Manam Chocolate currently operates experien-Indian conglomerates Reliance, Vedanta, and Adani have report-edly expressed interest in devel-oping facilities to process Andhra Pradesh's substantial rare-earth min-eral reserves, as India seeks to reduce its dependence on China for critical minerals. The companies are among around 10 firms that have shown interest in establishing rare-earth processing operations in the state.The move aligns with New Delhi's efforts to strengthen domestic capa-bilities across the rare-earth value chain, including mining, processing, and magnet manufacturing. Andhra Pradesh aims to attract investments worth Rs.500 billion in rare earth and titanium projects over the next decade. The state was also identified in the Union Budget as one of four locations for developing rare-earth corridors, supporting India's long-term strategic and industrial objec-tives and growth. The Government of Chhattis-garh has secured investment proposals worth Rs.9,580 crore across high-growth sectors during the State Investors Con-nect, reinforcing confidence in the state's industrial ecosystem and policy framework. Seven major companies submitted proposals expected to generate around 7,800 direct jobs.The largest commitment came from Hypernext Data Centre, which plans to invest Rs.4,200 crore in establishing a modern data centre in the state, creating an estimated 250 jobs. State leaders highlighted Chhattisgarh's prog-ress in sectors such as information technology, manufacturing, and services, drawing parallels with Hyderabad's transformation into a global technology hub. The state is also emerging as a leader in green steel production and has attracted investment proposals worth Rs.3.5 lakh crore in the energy sector to date. MANAM CHOCOLATE SECURES $9 MILLION FUNDING FOR RETAIL FOOTPRINTRELIANCE, VEDANTA, ADANI TO CUT CHINA RARE EARTH DEPENDENCECHHATTISGARH GAINS RS.9,580 CRORE INVESTMENT PROPOSALSSTARTUPS & FUNDING MINING & CRITICAL MINERALS INVESTMENTS & INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT "Sustainable development is not merely an economic imperative; it is a moral one"Anand Mahindra, Non-Executive Chairman, Mahindra & Mahindra Limited and Chairman, Mahindra Group ata, bringing together regulators, portfolio managers, distributors, family offices, and wealth man-agement experts.The event focused on op-portunities and priorities shap-ing the next phase of industry growth. India's PMS sector, managing assets worth over Rs.42 lakh crore, serves more than 210,000 investor accounts, reflecting the rising demand for professionally managed and customised investment solu-tions. The conclave highlighted the industry's expanding role in meeting the evolving wealth management needs of Indian investors and supporting broader participation nationwide. tial retail stores in New Delhi and Hyderabad and serves customers na-tionwide through direct-to-consumer channels and platforms, supporting continued business growth.
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