Business
Disney’s ‘Zootopia 2’ to hit $1 billion box office, only the second Hollywood film to do so this year
In Disney’s “Zootopia 2,” detectives Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde find themselves on the twisting trail of a mysterious reptile who turns the mammal metropolis of Zootopia upside down.
Disney
The Walt Disney Co. tallied its second billion-dollar film of 2025 with the help of a determined bunny and mischievous fox.
“Zootopia 2” is set to top $1 billion at the global box office on Friday, according to company estimates, joining the live-action remake of “Lilo & Stitch” as the only Hollywood-made films to cross the benchmark this year. Heading into the weekend, the film had tallied $232.7 million domestically and $753.4 million from international markets.
“This milestone means the world to us, because more than anything, it means audiences are coming to theaters for a shared experience of watching this movie on the big screen, everyone together, from all walks of life around the world — and that is a Zootopia dream come true,” Jared Bush, chief creative officer at Walt Disney Animation Studios, wrote in a statement Friday.
The only other film to cross the billion-dollar threshold this year is China’s “Ne Zha 2,” which has collected $2.2 billion since its release in January, according to data from Comscore.
“With the evolution of global market trends in recent years, reaching $1 billion has become a little more of a novelty again,” Shawn Robbins, director of analytics at Fandango and founder of Box Office Theory, told CNBC.
He also noted the importance of the film’s “staggering success in China.” Nearly $450 million of the global haul for “Zootopia 2” has come from the region so far — a massive figure considering China has decreased the number of American films it permits to play in its theaters and has threatened to restrict even more because of escalated tariffs.
“Zootopia 2” had the highest animated opening of all time for a non-local title in China and broke the record for highest-grossing non-local animated film of all time within five days of its release in the country, Disney reported.
The film’s billion-dollar haul also highlights a transition in the domestic theatrical marketplace. PG-rated family films have outperformed PG-13 and R-rated films at the box office in 2025. So far, PG films released this year have generated $2.7 billion in the U.S. and Canada, while PG-13 films have tallied $2.5 billion and R-rated films have collected $2.4 billion.
This shift started in 2024, when PG-rated films sold more tickets domestically than any other rated film for the first time ever. PG-13 films had dominated the space for decades, according to data from Comscore.
“With PG-rated films, it is often the kids who make the decision as to whether to hit the multiplex, and their influence can be seen directly in the numbers for the category that have hit all-time highs over the past couple of years,” said Paul Dergarabedian, head of marketplace trends at Comscore. “Equally impressive is that most PG movie tickets sold are at a child-friendly lower price point and therefore reaching these huge box-office milestones is made even more impressive.”
Disclosure: Comcast is the parent company of Fandango and NBCUniversal, which owns CNBC. Versant would become the new parent company of Fandango and CNBC upon Comcast’s planned spinoff of Versant.
Business
Work-life balance push: Right to Disconnect Bill sparks corporate debate; firms say boundaries help but flexibility key – The Times of India
The Right to Disconnect Bill, 2025 — a private member’s bill introduced in Parliament last week — has reopened the conversation on work-life boundaries, even though experts say it is unlikely to become law anytime soon. The legislation, moved by NCP MP Supriya Sule, proposes giving employees the legal right to ignore work-related communication outside designated working hours. While private member’s bills seldom translate into statutes, they often succeed in spotlighting issues of public concern — and this one has already triggered strong reactions across India Inc, according to an ET report.Executives at Mercedes-Benz India, RPG Group, Bombay Realty (Wadia Group), Grant Thornton Bharat, TeamLease Services and Randstad India said the move underlines a growing cultural shift toward employee well-being. Several countries including France, Belgium, Ireland and Australia have already enacted similar rights, experts noted. “Its stated intent is broadly aligned with our approach to employee well-being in a holistic manner,” an RPG Group spokesperson told ET. The conglomerate has implemented flexible hours, hybrid models and firm boundaries such as CEAT’s 8 pm–8 am no-work window, no-work weekends and silent lunch hours. “We believe a happy work environment leads to happy employees, who in turn will deliver their best,” the spokesperson said, ET quoted.Mercedes-Benz India MD and CEO Santosh Iyer said the company’s hybrid working model — allowing employees to work from home twice a week — supports “quality time with family members” while maintaining accountability. “There is higher trust in hybrid culture,” he added. Randstad India CEO Viswanath PS described the proposed law as a “coming of age” moment for the Indian workforce. “This invites us to dismantle the ‘always-on’ habit,” he said, arguing that leadership must shift focus from “input metrics” like hours worked to “impact metrics”.Grant Thornton Bharat partner Priyanka Gulati said conversations with about 20 client organisations across sectors show broad support for clearer boundaries. “Self-accountability is more powerful in mature organisations where employees measure their energy, not just their hours,” she said. At the same time, she noted that companies expect employees to stretch when business demands it. TeamLease Digital CEO Neeti Sharma said defined hours — 9 am to 6 pm, Monday to Friday — act as a helpful baseline, particularly for dispersed teams. “Companies also need flexibility for global collaboration, time zones and project-based work,” she said.Experts stressed that young professionals often hesitate to say no, which makes clearer norms important. Lydia Naik, Group CHRO at Bombay Realty (Wadia Group), said there is “no one-size-fits-all” for work hours. “What truly matters is the quality of work, personal balance and ensuring workloads are realistic,” she said. Despite the bill’s uncertain legislative future, the renewed debate suggests a shift in how Indian workplaces view well-being, productivity and boundaries — with corporate India acknowledging that the era of being perpetually “online” may be nearing its end.
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Stanbik operates seven retail stores in Gujarat, all run from leased premises including its registered office, godowns and agricultural lands.
Stanbik Agro IPO.
Stanbik Agro IPO: Ahmedabad-based fresh fruits and vegetables supplier Stanbik Agro Ltd, led by father-son duo Ashok and Chirag Prajapati, has launched a Rs 12.28-crore SME IPO to fuel a major retail push across Gujarat. The issue opened on December 12 and will close on December 16.
Incorporated in 2021, the company plans to use the proceeds to open 20 new outlets and strengthen working capital as it scales its farm-to-market model. Currently, Stanbik operates seven retail stores — one in Gandhinagar and six in Ahmedabad’s Chandranagar, Odhav, Narol, Vejalpur and Vasna areas — all run from leased premises, including its registered office, godowns and agricultural lands.
Managing director Ashok Prajapati, 48, said the listing marks a key step in professionalising the business. “With time, one need to change and set up new systems if one needs to expand the business. The listing will enhance our company’s corporate image, brand name and create a public market for its Equity Shares in India. It will also make future financing easier and affordable in case of expansion or diversification of the business. Further, listing attracts interest from institutional investors as well as foreign institutional investors,” he said, according to businessline.
Post-issue, promoter holding will fall from 98.92 per cent to 68.54 per cent.
20 New Outlets, All Within 30 Km of Ahmedabad
Stanbik plans to open 20 new retail stores — 15 in Ahmedabad and five across other parts of Gujarat — each with a built-up area of about 900 to 1,000 sq.ft. Prajapati said the expansion will remain geographically tight to protect product quality and logistics efficiency.
“We plan to set up the new retail outlets within a 30 kilometer radius of Ahmedabad. Fruits and vegetables being perishable items, we want to restrict ourselves to a network which is closer to our supply chain in Ahmedabad. We source fruits and vegetables from farmers and APMCs in Gujarat, Rajasthan and Maharashtra,” he said.
Nearly 100% Revenue Growth in FY25
Stanbik Agro posted Rs 52.5 crore in revenue from operations in FY 2025, a sharp 98 per cent jump from Rs 26.5 crore in FY 2024. Net profit stood at Rs 3.74 crore for the year.
Beyond retail customers, the company supplies fruits and vegetables to wholesalers, traders and institutional buyers, and also services bulk orders on major B2B e-commerce platforms. It has additionally entered into arrangements with farmers for contract farming of crops such as sesame, cumin and cotton.
As of November 30, 2025, its order book stood at Rs 16 crore, consisting of confirmed purchase orders expected to be fulfilled within the current financial year.
Competition Remains Tough
Despite strong growth, the company acknowledges the competitive pressures it faces. In its prospectus, Stanbik notes that it competes with large agribusinesses and multinational supply-chain players equipped with advanced logistics, cold-storage infrastructure and expansive distribution networks.
Click here to add News18 as your preferred news source on Google. December 14, 2025, 15:16 IST
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Implemented in 2016, the 10-year term of the 7th Pay Commission will end in January 2026.
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The 7th Pay Commission resulted in a 14–26% salary hike for railway employees. Implemented in 2016, its 10-year term will end in January 2026. According to an Economic Times report, Officials say Indian Railways is now focusing on cost-cutting and operational efficiency to ensure future pay revisions do not strain its finances.
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Work-life balance push: Right to Disconnect Bill sparks corporate debate; firms say boundaries help but flexibility key – The Times of India
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