Hospitality Leadership: SM Hotels and Conventions Corporation (SMHCC) named Melissa J. Carlos as Vice President for Commercial, tapping more than three decades of revenue, sales and brand-building experience to support portfolio expansion. E-commerce Expansion: Flipkart said it will deepen long-term investment in West Bengal by expanding its supply chain, seller ecosystem and skilling, citing the state’s role as home to its largest fulfilment centre. City Infrastructure & Mobility: Pune Municipal Corporation plans to fast-track the High Capacity Mass Transit Route (HCMTR) as its first major mobility project, with an elevated 36-km corridor and a dedicated cell to push approvals and land discussions. Public Safety & Compliance: Seattle firefighters extinguished a blaze at a three-story commercial building in the Central District; cause is under investigation. Local Governance & Accountability: Thane Municipal Corporation drafted a ₹43.36 lakh fire-safety upgrade for its own HQ after a fatal market fire sparked outrage. Food Safety Crackdown: Hyderabad’s Cyberabad Municipal Corporation removed Shree Dwaraka Grand from Zomato after a raid found hygiene and license compliance issues. AI Commerce Tools: TheoryNXT launched KASPER, an agentic commerce graph meant to show CPG brands how they appear on the “AI shelf” and what to fix to win recommendations. Trade Finance Growth: Surecomp said its RIVO platform enabled a $30bn increase in trade transactions in 2025.