Wednesday, March 28, 2018

MG Motor reinforces India commitment; pursues channel partners


MG Motor further reinforces strong India commitment; pursues channel partners with the right synergy through dealership experience event


 MG Motor India today further reiterated its commitment to the Indian market through the first-ever dealership experience event in the country. The event was aimed at selecting the right partners for its operations in India. With over 2,000 registrations received from prospective dealers on its website since entries began on March 11, 2018, MG Motor India also shared its business plans with the selected prospects from Western India at an event in Mumbai.

In order to find dealers who can complement the MG Motor brand synergy, the company will conduct an extensive evaluation process. The key selection parameters will include good market credibility, local market knowledge, financial background, digital savviness, excellent operational efficiency and the capability to deliver a differentiated service commitment that surpasses the industry standard and sets new benchmarks.

“Like our strong focus on employees and diversity, we have laid out a core philosophy for our dealers as well, for they will be the face of the MG brand for customers. Revolving around the umbrella theme: ‘Together we grow’, our dealer policy inculcates complete transparency and mutual respect while focusing on bringing a practical approach to business,” said Rajeev Chaba, President & Managing Director, MG Motor India.

“With a high degree of emphasis on digitisation and business analytics, we will offer a strong support system to our dealer partners, helping them run their operations effectively and profitably. The overarching goal of this endeavour is to provide a heightened customer experience. We are also looking at engaging diversified partners from the non-automotive business with proven experience across organized customer-oriented retail industry,” added Chaba.

As part of the ‘Make in India’ initiative, MG Motor India recently announced that its first vehicle will be launched in Q2 2019, followed by the introduction of one new product to the Indian market every subsequent year. Led by strong R&D efforts of its parent company SAIC, the carmaker is also actively considering offering new energy vehicles and is keenly looking to work with all stakeholders involved to implement the technology commercially.

With the rebuilding of its Halol plant progressing at a fast pace, including the construction of a new press shop, the company is in the process of concluding talks with various suppliers to achieve high levels of localisation in its vehicles.

MG Motor India is also looking to build a future-ready organization that sets the industry benchmarks not only in terms of a young & smart work culture, but also in terms of diversity; female employees already account for 22 percent of the company’s total workforce and it plans to further increase the number of female hires in the future.

Those interested in partnering with MG for a dealership can submit their details on the company website: http://partner.mgmotor.co.in/

 Morris Garages : Founded in the UK in 1924, MG (Morris Garages) was world famous for its sports cars/cabriolet series, sought after by many celebrities including British Prime Ministers and even the Royal Family. MG has a long and storied history as an iconic British racing brand, having dominated championships the world over. Since then, MG has evolved into a modern day innovative brand and has continued to be a style icon through the last 93 years. China’s largest automaker SAIC Motor Corporation purchased the MG brand and its businesses in the year 2007. MG Motor India is a fully-owned subsidiary of SAIC Motor Corporation.

Shri Siddhivinayak Ganapati Temple Trust contributes 10 cr. to Maharashtra Village Social Transformation Foundation(MVSTF)

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Maharashtra Village Social Transformation Foundation (MVSTF), an initiative with a mission to transform 1,000 villages across the state, today joined hands with Shri Siddhivinayak Ganpati Temple Trust in a bid to empower and push development in rural part of the state as one of the Mumbai's biggest charitable trust handed over a cheque of Rs. 10 crore to Hon'ble Chief Minister Shri Devendra Fadnavis. On the occasion the cheque was handed over by Shri. Aadesh Bandekar, Chairman, Shri. Siddhivinayak Ganapati Temple Trust in presence of dignitaries and members of the Trust and MVSTF.

To converge the developmental efforts between the Government of Maharashtra and Corporate India, MVSTF enables a public-private partnership at grass root level. The partners provide financial resources along with domain knowledge and expertise to bring about lasting change in key development areas.Under the guidance and mentorship of Additional Chief Secretary to CM Shri. Praveen Pardeshi, MVSTF is gaining rapid momentum with presence in 584 villages from 19 districts of the state. 

                   

                                  
On this occasion Hon'ble Maharashtra, Shri Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis expressed his gratitude towards the trust for this noble deed. He said, "Maharashtra Village Social Transformation Foundation is a unique platform where Government and Corporate work together for development of rural Maharashtra. Shree Siddhivinayak Ganpati Trust is the first Charitable Trust to Partner with MVSTF. I thank the trust for their generous contribution”
                                                                                                                                                                                           
Shri. Aadesh Bandekar, Chairman of Shri Vinayak Trust appreciated the effort of Honorable CM."On behalf of Shri. Siddhivinayak Ganapati Temple Trust I wish the best to the Hon'ble Chief Minister and MVSTF. With the divine blessings of Shree Siddhivinayak Ganpati, public donations are going to be channelized for the noble cause of development of rural Maharashtra”.

Speaking about the development Shri. Ramnath Subramanian, CEO, MVSTF thanked the Chairman and Trustees of Siddhivinayak Trust. He said, “Under the leadership of Hon CM, MVSTF is targeting to create Model villages which will be demonstrative of convergence of development schemes ably supported by Corporate interventions. MVSTF is looking forward to participation and support of reputed and responsible social organization like Shri. Siddhivinayak Trusts.”

Rolling Nicks Sports Foundation Presents "Indian Premier Squash League, 2018"

Squash Ace Ali Farag wishes RNSF and IPSL the very best
Gul Panag and Masters Champion Rishad Pandole join Pro Abhinav Sinha at the launch 
After organizing several major squash events very successfully, across the country, Rolling Nicks Sports Foundation (RNSF) proudly brings the Indian Premier Squash League, 2018 (IPSL 2018) to Mumbai.  The event is being curated by the founder of the Rolling Nicks Sports Foundation, Abhinav Sinha, a renowned professional squash player turned coach, and will take place in May 2018, at the very prestigious Cricket Club of India (CCI). This is the first time that international squash will be presented in an exciting league format with teams that include India’s most promising Junior National champions, like Yash Fadte, Yoshna Singh, Parth Ambani, etc. who will compete alongside international pros such as Elvinn Keo (Malaysia best rank 5; PSA ranking 165) as well as seasoned masters such as Manish Chotrani, Dalip Triptahi, etc. Several other top junior players from India have shown interest in the league including Aryan Parekh, Advait Adik, Devay Mehta, Amita Gondi, Amira Singh, Shreyas Mehta.
Fitness icon Gul Panag, joined Abhinav Sinha and squash veteran Rishad Pandole (who has held the India No. 1 titles in the Under-19 and Over-35 category) at the announcement event of the IPSL today, along with Mr. Nawal Pandole, Vice Chairman of the CCI & Head of the CCI Squash Committee. The event also kicked off a match series against South African Players in different age categories organized by Rolling Nicks, to encourage international exposure for Indian players.
With the formal announcement of the IPSL, teams are now available for purchase, and are being quickly bought by supporters of the elite sport. The President of the Women’s Chapter of the YPO, Ami Ambani and Gaurav Motwane have already placed their bids for teams.
Gul Panag, a well-known advocate of healthy living adds, “Tournaments like the IPSL encourage a culture of fitness and excellence in India and offer exposure to international excellence. Sport builds character and offers lessons for life, such as perseverance, discipline, dealing with failure and success and so much more. These are essential for
all-round individual development.  I am happy to support the Rolling Nicks Foundation and congratulate Abhinav Sinha on this initiative.”

“The IPSL is truly exciting. It is the first competitive, franchise based championship in Indian squash to go beyond geographical borders and include international players. Having played the game all my life, I am happy to see the game growing and the scope of promoting it getting higher. We hope this league format with international players creates never-seen-before exhilaration for the game.”
“India has an abundance of sporting talent. One of the main inspirations behind the IPSL is to present an engaging format along with an international level of play that offers excellent, hands on learning for our best athletes to excel even further. We hope IPSL will encourage growth of the game from the grass roots with teams comprised of various age groups,” adds Abhinav Sinha, in keeping with the original vision of the Rolling Nicks Squash Foundation to nurture and grow national talent.
In its very first edition, the IPSL has also drawn vocal support from the international squash community. Top ranking PSA player, Ali Farag, who has served as the Men’s President for the PSA, said in a recent statement, “I remember playing my very first game after university in Mumbai - it was by Rolling Nicks and was a great event; I’m sure this will be even better. Good luck for the Indian Premier Squash League organized by Rolling Nicks, I’m sure it’s going to be a great success.”

Tuesday, March 27, 2018

India’s First Luxury SUV Convertible – The Range Rover Evoque Convertible


LAND ROVER LAUNCHES INDIA’S FIRST LUXURY SUV CONVERTIBLE – THE RANGE ROVER EVOQUE CONVERTIBLE


  • The Range Rover Evoque Convertible is synonymous with style and contemporary city life, with its highly-desirable and award winning design
  • Powered by Land Rover’s next-generation 2.0 l Si4 4-cylinder Ingenium Petrol 177 kW engine
  • Available in the HSE Dynamic trim, the Range Rover Evoque Convertible is priced at ₹ 69.53 Lakh (ex-showroom, India)
  • Mr. Rohit Suri, President & Managing Director, Jaguar Land Rover India at the launch of India’s first luxury SUV convertible – The Range Rover Evoque Convertible.  
Jaguar Land Rover India today announced the launch of the Range Rover Evoque Convertible at ₹ 69.53 Lakh ex-showroom, India. The Range Rover Evoque Convertible is India’s first luxury convertible SUV and delivers an extremely high level of design, capability and driving comfort. Available in the HSE Dynamic variant, the Range Rover Evoque Convertible is powered by the latest 2.0 l Si4 Ingenium petrol engine producing 177 kW.
                    



DESIGN
The convertible takes the Range Rover Evoque’s inherent capabilities and superb looks to the next level. The vehicle utilises a fabric Z-folding Convertible Roof System that lays flush with the rear bodywork for a sleek, uncluttered appearance when lowered.

The configurable ambient interior lighting and the perforated Windsor leather seats ensure comfort and personalisation. Adaptive full LED headlights complement the vehicle’s design cues by combining a distinctive look with enhanced light output for better visibility and safety at night.


CAPABILITY & PERFORMANCE

The ‘Torque Vectoring by Braking’ system enhances the vehicle’s agility and stability during cornering. The All-Terrain Progress Control (ATPC) is a state-of the-art system that enables drivers to set and maintain a steady speed in challenging conditions. The lightweight, compact 9speed Automatic Transmission is extremely robust and perfectly complements the vehicle’s allterrain capabilities while delivering exemplary levels of refinement and efficiency.


TECHNOLOGY
The Range Rover Evoque Convertible has a host of advanced technologies and innovative solutions that cater to the comfort and convenience of passengers. Head-up Display presents key vehicle data such as vehicle speed, gear position and navigation directions on the windscreen, without the need for the driver to take their eyes off the road.
The Wi-Fi Hotspot uses a customer sourced SIM to provide in car access to a hotspot for up to eight devices. This allows passengers to simultaneously stay connected, work or be entertained throughout the journey.
A range of additional services that further enhance the vehicle’s infotainment capabilities have been included under ‘InControl – Pro Services’ to deliver an even richer and more connected experience. Advanced InControl technologies ensure seamless connectivity between the vehicle, your smartphone and the rest of the world. The Surround Camera System uses cameras placed around the vehicle to offer a near-360° view.


Land Rover Product Portfolio in India : The Land Rover range in India includes the Discovery Sport (starting at ₹ 42.48 Lakh), Range Rover Evoque (starting at ₹ 50.20 Lakh)Range Rover Evoque Convertible (starting at ₹ 69.53 Lakh), New Range Rover Velar (starting at ₹ 78.83 Lakh), All-New Discovery (starting at ₹ 71.38 Lakh), Range Rover Sport (starting at ₹ 93.82 Lakh), and Range Rover (starting at ₹ 166.42 Lakh), and All prices mentioned are ex-showroom prices in India.

Land Rover Retailer Network in India : Land Rover vehicles are available in India through 27 authorised outlets in Ahmedabad, Aurangabad, Bengaluru, Bhubaneswar, Chandigarh, Chennai, Coimbatore, Delhi, Gurgaon, Hyderabad, Indore, Jaipur, Kolkata, Kochi, Karnal, Lucknow, Ludhiana, Mangalore, Mumbai, Nagpur, Noida, Pune, Raipur, Surat and Vijayawada. 


More information on the Range Rover Evoque Convertible can be found on www.landrover.in

                                                               

Friday, March 23, 2018

PAANI FOUNDATION LAUNCHES ' JALMITRA'

PAANI FOUNDATION LAUNCHES STATEWIDE
 ' JALMITRA' CAMPAIGN ON THE OCCASION OF WORLD WATER DAY

-Jalmitra campaign to be a unique statewide volunteer drive for a drought free Maharashtra
 Underlining its commitment towards making Maharashtra drought-free through a people’s movement, Paani Foundation launched its statewide campaign - 'JalMitra' on the occasion of  ' World Water Day'.   The initiative was announced by Kiran Rao, Founder Paani Foundation along with Satyajit Bhatkal, CEO, Paani Foundation.

The 'JalMitra'  initiative is a platform that enables anyone who wishes to participate in the movement for a drought free Maharashtra to register as a 'JalMitra' (water friend) via a weblink https://jalmitra.paanifoundation.in.  The form gives volunteers three kinds of activities they can participate in:  Shramdan (voluntary manual labour) on 1st May to build watershed structures; donations to Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana which is providing machinery support to villages and a more detailed volunteer engagement.  The flagship activity of 'JalMitra' is the Shramdaan on 1st May, Maharashtra Divas,  which will be held both in the morning and in the evening in hundreds of villages all over Maharashtra.

The 'JalMitra'  initiative is being launched on the eve of the Satyamev Jayate Water Cup 2018. The competition which begins on 8thApril 2018 is a contest between villages for watershed management and water conservation. 2018 marks the third edition of the Water Cup and has seen record breaking participation by nearly 6,000 villages from 75 talukas in 24 districts all over Maharashtra. The top three villages at the state level will be given cash prizes of Rs. 75 lakh, Rs. 50 lakh and Rs. 40 lakh respectively.  In addition the top village in each taluka will get a prize of Rs. 10 lakh.

The Satyamev Jayate Water Cup 2016 and 2017 together saw the creation of water storage capacity of nearly 10,000 crore litres of water!
Paani Foundation also unveiled its new website www.paanifoundation.in. The website has access to a large number of Do It Yourself films on watershed management.

On this occasion Kiran Rao, Co-founder, Paani foundation said, “Paani Foundation's journey has been one of a collaborative effort with people from every walk of life. In particular, the support of the Government of Maharashtra, led by the Chief Minister, Shri Devendra Fadnavis has been vital in the success of the Water Cup.
Speaking on the campaign, Satyajit Bhatkal, CEO, Paani Foundation said, “The thought behind launching the JalMitra campaign is to provide a platform to bridge the huge gap between city and village and to provide a simple, positive way for people in towns and cities to show their commitment to drought hit villages.

The duo also spoke about 'Toofan Aalaya’ a show on Zee Marathi featuring Paani Foundation Co-Founder, Shri Aamir Khan and acclaimed actors Jitendra Joshi and Gitanjali Kulkarni. The show will highlight the story and struggles of heroic men, women and children in villages competing in the Water Cup.

Thursday, March 22, 2018

Rang De Maharashtra campaign on the occasion of ‘International Colour Day’

Maharashtra Village Social Transformation Foundation, Kansai Nerolac Paints and Tata Trusts announce Rang De Maharashtra campaign on the occasion of ‘International Colour Day’

·         #RangDeMaharashtra to be a first-of-its-kind, state wide campaign to paint 350 institution buildings, including Schools, Anganwadis and Gram Panchayat buildings with social themes and messages
·         Kansai Nerolac Paints to join hands with Maharashtra Village Social Transformation Foundation and Tata Trusts under the ambit of its Corporate Social Responsibility efforts to celebrate ‘International Colour Day’
·         120 Gram Panchayats from 11 districts to be part of this unique program - leading schools and colleges from neighboring villages and towns to volunteer and participate.
·         Hon. Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Shri Devendra Fadnavis lauds the initiative and its impact on community development.

In a bid to create awareness on social issues and to further involve people in community development at the grassroots level, Maharashtra Village Social Transformation Foundation (MVSTF) in association with Kansai Nerolac Paints and Tata Trusts today launched first of its kind state wide campaign – Rang De Maharashtra (#RangDeMaharashtra) on the occasion of ‘International Colour Day’.
International Colour Day is celebrated on the 21st March every year and it is for the first time that it will be celebrated in India.  Both the organizations decided that there cannot be a better way to celebrate it than to leverage the power of paints to transform the lives of those who are disconnected from the mainstream and represent it with vibrant colours. 
The initiative is part of Maharashtra Village Social Transformation Foundation’s (MVSTF) mission to transform 1000 villages of the state. The mission is to converge the developmental efforts between the Government of Maharashtra and Corporate India. As a part of the mission, partners provide financial resources to MVSTF, along with domain knowledge and expertise to bring about sustainable change in key development areas. 
 Rang De Maharashtra’ initiative will kick-off from March 21st and will go on to paint 350 schools, anganwadis and gram panchayats. 
The project will have 120 Gram panchayats from 11 districts – Amravati, Yavatmal, Wardha, Gadchiroli, Chandrapur, Beed, Aurangabad, Nanded, Parbhani, Raigad and Nandurbar – as a part of the initiative. The initiative is aimed at community mobilisation and enabling better cohesion in village activities. The main aim is to create awareness about the mission and focus on crucial aspects like - education, sanitation, health & nutrition, gender equality.
Through the initiative MVSTF and Nerolac Paints, intend to refurbish and repaint the village walls with social messages for community development. Various artists, CM Rural Development fellows, government officials,
  
Corporate volunteers will take part in this unique initiative, thus, striking a dialogue with their rural peers via creative interventions.  Leading schools and colleges from various districts of the region are expected to take part in the initiative.
Speaking about the initiative, the Honorable Chief Minister of Maharashtra Shri Devendra Fadnavis said “Rang De Maharashtra is a unique initiative as it aims at painting 350 institutions from 11 districts and 120 gram panchayats with social themes and messages. I congratulate Kensai Nerolac Paints Ltd. and Tata Trusts to join hands with Maharashtra Social Village Transformation Foundation to implement this campaign in letter and spirit. It will not only make the schools, Anganwadis and Gram Panchayats building colourful but it will lead the community towards increased awareness, better learning facilities and sense of ownership for village and its surroundings besides greater community participation. I wish the campaign all the success.”
Peeyush Bachlaus, GM - Marketing, Kansai Nerolac Paints Ltd., said “Nerolac Paints has a strong belief in the role played by painting in bringing alive a transformation, both visual and societal and we are glad to join hands with MVSTF on their journey to transform villages across of Maharashtra. It is a very noble initiative being supported by the Govt. Of Maharashtra and it is a significant step up from our recent village transformation work at Sarheta, near Alwar, Rajasthan. There could not have been a better way to commemorate the International Colour Day”
Sharing his perspective, Ramnath Subramaniam, CEO, MVSTF said, “At the outset, I would like to thank Kansai Nerolac Paints for partnering with us for such a noble and innovative cause.  Such kind of joint interventions are needed to transform the rural landscape of Maharashtra." He further added, "This initiative to paint schools, anganwadis and gram panchayats will be a huge step towards improving educational outcomes by creating a better learning environment for the students in these areas".  
Said Abhishek Poduri, Head- Special Projects, Tata Trusts, “For Tata Trusts, the community has always been central to everything we do. We have often found that the best course of action to affect change can be generated through community involvement. Through ‘Rang De Maharashtra’, we aim to bring to life the tenets of community-driven engagement, cohesion and development that we regard highly at the Trusts.

Tuesday, March 20, 2018

APASL Announces Hepatology: The Next Genre at its 27th Annual Conference


·         Attended by Best Liver Experts in the World with over 3000 Doctors
·         Sharing latest Technological Innovations in the field of medical science pertaining to  LIVER

 Asia Pacific Association for Study of Liver, and Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences, organized its 27th Annual Conference of Asian-Pacific Association for the Study of the Liver (APASL). With around 3000 delegates from over 50 countries are participating in the five days event.The conference hasprovided New dimensions and approaches in the treatment of liver diseases.


The inaugural function of APASL 2018 was held today, which was presided by Shri J P Nadda, Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Govt. of India along with Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, Deputy Director General of Programs, WHO as the Guest of Honor.

The Hon’ble Health Minister, Govt of India, Shri J P Nadda, announced for free vaccination against hepatitis B for all health care workers across India. He spoke about active implementation of the Hepatitis-C program all over India and said that availability of free drugs against hepatitis Chas been finalized and would be launched very soon across the country. He also mentioned that a full program on Hepatitis-B will be soon developed with availability of free drugs against this deadly virus. He agreed with the view that the Liver diseases should be given greater significance and gave a green flag that these will included in the Non-Communicable diseases program in the near future. Seeing the huge attendance at the event and the lead taken by the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS), he declared to provide support to the International fellows and students, if they want to study at ILBS.

Monday, March 19, 2018

MSCDA Collaborates with Medipta Solutions as a Technology Partner in Maharashtra


The Maharashtra State Chemists & Druggists Association (MSCDA) & Medipta a medical services aggregator announced their collaboration in the city today. The MSCDA is encouraging & assisting the drug trade industry to promote the development of pharmaceutical sector. Medipta is India’s first such innovative app which connects patients, Doctors, Diagnostic labs and Chemists and every entity in healthcare industry.

Minister of State Food & Drug Administration Mr. Madan Yerawar officially launched Medipta in Mumbai today. Mr. Jagannath Shinde President of MSCDA was present during the moment & announced Medipta as a Technology Partner for all Chemists and Druggists around Maharashtra. While addressing media he said, ‘MSCDA intends to channelize the entire pharma logistics into organized manner which will minimize wastage, optimize operating cost and working capital. In collaboration with Medipta all chemists & druggists will become as organized force to strengthen present pharmacy retail chain. Through Medipta they will get opportunity to increase business by connecting people in the same field.’ Online drug supply system is a major threat to all Retailers, Distributors & all allied Medical Services. Medipta will be aggregating all retailers to reach patients in 20 minutes over digital prescription and delivery management software, he added.

                                                                  

Through this collaboration, not only Stockists can supply medicines to chemists as per necessity, but Chemists/Pharmacists can also supply medicines to patients, doctors & maintain records of prescription. Chemists & Druggists can get advantage of stock inventory information on this app. Chemists can get reminder if medicines not delivered to patients on time.  One app for 16 entities covering over 150 features in just 15mb space makes Medipta innovative. Another major benefits of Medipta app are –

·         Patients in need of any kind of medical guidance or treatment right from medicine reminder system with a pregnancy app too.
·         Doctors/ Hospitals/ Clinics can get access to patients information and guide them accordingly
·         Test labs/radiologist/diagnostic centres can provide lab tests and diagnostic facilities to patients and upload reports online 
·         All the allied medical services like Labs, Blood Bank, PHCs, Ambulance and Insurance also can be availed through this platform.  

Mr. Rahul Bojalwar, Founder and CEO of Medipta said, “Medipta Solutions is a health care hub where anyone can come for e- health services. It’s the only app in India which connects every entity on one platform. It is connecting people with health experts to live a healthy life. By creating and perfecting a comprehensive healthcare platform we are setting up a new era in Healthcare. One important aspect of this app is its absolutely free for patients, doctors, ambulance and blood bank.’’

Srija Mallipudi : India’s spelling champ of Classmate Spell Bee


Soha Ali Khan announces Srija Mallipudi as India’s spelling champ of Classmate Spell Bee Season 10

 Classmate, India's No.1 Notebook Brand by ITC and Radio Mirchi’s spelling extravaganza Classmate Spell Bee Season 10 culminated today with an exhilarating finish as Soha Ali Khan announced Srija Mallipudi of Narayana IIT Olympiad School, Vijayawada as the National Champion of India’s largest spelling competition. Preetham R of Ryan International School, Kundalahalli, Bangalore was the first runner up. The theme for the contest this year is ‘Be Better than Yourself’ that encourages everyone to strive for continuous improvement. . The competition this year was conducted across India and engaged with more than 3 lac students across 1000 schools in 30 cities by testing their mettle in English spellings.

In the initial phase, an on-ground exercise in schools received massive participation. The top 15 spellers from each school then competed in the online city finals round. The top performers from the city finals then competed in the Semi Final stage of the competition. From there only the top 16 students from across India went on to battle it out in the televised National Finals.

The National Finals of Classmate Spell Bee Season 10 saw a grueling competition between the top 16 spellers of India in the search for the National Spell Bee Champion. The National Finals will be simulcast on The Discovery Channel, Discovery Kids and Discovery Tamil.

Mr. R Ravinarayanan, Head of Sales & Marketing, Education & Stationery Products Business (ESPB), ITC Ltd. said, "Classmate has always endeavored to recognize, nurture & celebrate the uniqueness of every child. Classmate Spell Bee Season 10 takes Classmate’s brand thought of celebrating uniqueness further as it gives students yet another opportunity to identify and showcase their distinctive talents and skills on a nationwide platform. Classmate Spell Bee season 10 builds on the scale we achieved last year with the aim of reaching out to even larger number students across schools and cities in India, through a school contact program coupled with a novel mobile app and a dedicated website to engage students. The brand promises to support a child’s dreams with an equally unique & world class set of stationery products like notebooks, writing, drawing, art and math instruments."

Mr. Mahesh Shetty, C.O.O., Entertainment Network (India) Limited said, “Every year Spell Bee is connecting more integrally with students, parents and teachers. Having started off as a spelling competition, it is today a landmark event that propagates the education of the English language at the highest level. It brings together some of the brightest children from across the country on one of the most credible edutainment based platforms. This year the competition has garnered participation from across 30 cities through our on-ground efforts to add to robust participation online. Like every year, the competition will be televised to encourage students to showcase their skills on a national platform and prepare for the upcoming season. What makes the competition special is the pride that participants take in participating in it and in making it what it has become today.”

Season 10 saw Classmate Spell Bee actively engaged with its consumers through a dedicated website. Classmate provided the Students with learning modules, tests, interactive blogs and contests to prepare for the event The focus this year has been to create a holistic educative experience for participants using a versatile mobile app and web based learning and practice solutions. Classmate believes in encouraging children to excel in the field of their choice by striving to continuously improve by competing with themselves and not with others and to be better than themselves.

Classmate Spell Bee serves to build the brand thought on ground, inspiring school students to identify and showcase their spelling skills by providing them with a unique platform to hone and showcase their language and spelling skills
The National Champion of Classmate Spell Bee Season 10 won a grand prize of Rs. 2,00,000/- apart from the opportunity to witness the prestigious Scripps National Spelling Bee 2018 with a parent in Washington D.C., U.S.A. in an all expenses paid trip. The 4 semi finalists won a cash prize of Rs. 50,000 each. The grand prize for the winner of Classmate Spell Bee and those for the semi-finalists have been specifically designed and sponsored by Classmate to help encourage and enable students to follow their hearts true calling.
The competition this year is powered by The Times of India, Times NIE is the education partner, Discovery Kids is the television partner and Victor Tango is the event partner for the property.

ITC made its entry to the education and stationery business with its Paperkraft brand in the office stationery segment in 2002; and later expanded into the popular student notebook segment with its Classmate brand in 2003. By 2007, Classmate became the largest Student Notebook brand in the country. Together, Classmate and Paperkraft offer a range of products in the Education & Stationery space to the quality seeking discerning consumer, providing unrivalled value in terms of product construction & price.

Classmate and Paperkraft have become a natural extension of consumers. Meticulous understanding of consumer needs helped create a relevant and comprehensive portfolio of stationery products created to the highest exacting standards of performance and safety satisfying the needs of different consumer sets.
Classmate’s portfolio today comprises of offerings spanning across notebooks, writing instruments including pens and pencils, scholastic products such as geometry boxes, scales, erasers and sharpeners, as well as Art Stationery such as Wax Crayons, Plastic Crayons, Sketch pens and Oil Pastels.

ITC is the manufacturer of India's first Ozone treated environment friendly Elemental Chlorine Free (ECF) pulp, paper and paperboard. It blends its knowledge of image processing, printing and conversion garnered from Packaging & Printing Business with its brand building and trade marketing & distribution strengths resident in its FMCG business to offer superior value products to consumers.

Entertainment Network India Limited (ENIL), popularly known as Mirchi, owns 73 frequencies and is advertising partner for another 3, across 63 cities, making it India’s largest private FM radio broadcaster. Launched in 2001, Mirchi now operates across the country with 3 distinct brands- Mirchi, Mirchi Love & Ishq (advertising partner of TV today network). With the highest listenership across the country and a track record of developing innovative content, Mirchi has been expanding and retaining its audiences and advertisers through the years.
Mirchi has delighted listeners and the industry with its exciting properties such as Mirchi Music Awards (in 8 languages) & Mirchi Top 20. Mirchi is also the biggest concert player in the country. Mirchi’s initial foray into digital space has helped it gain a strong position- 21 online radio stations, biggest radio website & biggest on Facebook, Twitter & Youtube. Mirchi was also the 1st Indian brand to go international with the launch of the brand in the UAE. Mirchi can also be heard at T3 international airport, Delhi and for the 1st time on Indian railways on Kalka Shatabdi. With such a wide presence, on -air, on-ground & on digital, Mirchi is truly everywhere.