Takewadi Andhali village wins the Satyamev Jayate Water Cup 2018

 

Paani Foundation today announced the winners of the Satyamev Jayate Water Cup 2018 at an award ceremony hosted by Mr. Aamir Khan and Ms. Kiran Rao, Founders of Paani foundation, and Mr. Satyajit Bhatkal, CEO of Paani Foundation.

The event was held at the Balewadi Sports Complex, Pune in the presence of more than 6,000 villagers from all over Maharashtra. The Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Shri Devendra Fadnavis was the Chief Guest at the Award Function which witnessed an all-party galaxy of political leaders, notably Shri Ajit Pawar, Shri Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil, Shri Uddhav Thackeray, Shri Raj Thackeray, and the Hon. Minister for Water Conservation Shri. Ram Shinde. Leading lights from the world of film, television, media and business were also present to celebrate the stellar work done by lakhs of villagers to make their villages’ drought free. 

The first prize of Rs. 75 lakhs was given to Takewadi Andhali village from Maan taluka of Satara district. Second prize of Rs. 50 Lakhs was given jointly to villages from Bhandvali (Maan taluka) and Sindkhed from districts Satara and Buldhana respectively.  The third prize of Rs. 40 Lakhs was given jointly to villages of Anandwadi (Ashti taluka) and Umatha (Narkhed taluka) from districts Beef and Nagpur respectively.

“Paani Foundation has brought together people from all strata. The foundation should include 100 talukas next year and government will extend all help for the same. We can achieve new Maharashtra with each other's cooperation," said Maharashtra's Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday. The trophy was handed over by CM & Mrs. Amruta Fadnavis.

Along with CM, Minister of State for Water Resources Vijay Shivtare, Minister of State for Home, Ram Shinde, and Leader of Opposition in Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, former CM Ashok Chavan, former Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and CEO of Paani Foundation Satyajit Bhatkal were present at the occasion. In its third edition, Water Cup 2018 saw participation of 75 talukas where capacity to store 22,269crore liter of water was stored through rainwater harvesting works done over a period of 45 days.

Speaking as the chief guest of the function, Fadnavis said, "Paani Foundation realized that Maharashtra could not be water-abundant unless people are brought together. Maharashtra will have abundant water only when water conservation will become a mass movement. There can be no change in the lives of people or villages by external forces, any change whatsoever has to be brought by ourselves. Paani Foundation has underlined this fact and worked in that direction".

While appreciating that water table level in Maharashtra has gone up because of Water Cup competition works, he said that water has to be judiciously. "We have known the science, now it is our duty to follow it up. Otherwise we may well head towards drought again. There must be continuity in our efforts," he warned.

He appealed to Aamir Khan to include 100 talukas in the Water Cup League next year and promised to provide all assistance for the same at the government level.

Outlining his vision, Aamir Khan said, "Paani Foundation was born three years ago with a dream and this dream is of not one or two but 11 crore people. We want this dream to realize in our lifetime and happily, we are seeing it coming into reality. It is our dream to see Maharashtra water-abundant one day. I love every moment of this journey to realise. I do not know whether I will be successful in this effort but I enjoy this journey".

Satyaji Bhatkal said, "Paani Foundation was started just 30 months ago with the conviction that villages will be replete with water if entire village contributes in the effort. Water Cup was born out of this effort. Collective manual labour is important even in the age of machines. Some wise men said it wouldn't succeed but people of Maharashtra proved them wrong. This was kind of a craziness that would fill heart of every Marathi era on with pride".

Vijay Shivtare said, "Six commissions were appointed for eradicating drought from the state. Aamir Khan has achieved heart-conservation with water-conservation".

Ashok Chavan said, "We have come together here to salute Aamir Khan's work. He has shown that nothing is impossible when people join hands. Maharashtra had to face man-made drought in Maharashtra. But Aamir and his team has created a charged atmosphere in the state. He has lead the way by example. All political parties are with him in his endeavor".

While appreciating that Aamir Khan has done an exemplary work, Ajit Pawar advised Aamir Khan not to share platform of any political party. He also emphasized that we would have to rethink of the crop pattern in view of availability of water.

Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil said, "It requires immense strength to bring together so many people.” We will extend all support to eliminate drought from Maharashtra". Raj Thackeray said, "It is most unfortunate that water crisis has become severe in the state. Water is beyond caste, creed and religion which gives life to everyone".

In 2018, the competition witnessed the participation of 4025 villages from 75 talukas   from 24 districts of Maharashtra.  Over 20,000 villagers were trained in watershed management by Paani Foundation. Over half a million people participated in the shramdaan during the Water Cup. The water storage capacity created by this year’s competition is approximately 26,000 crore liters. 

Hey Deedee® forays into an all-women cargo logistics for the first time in India to do last mile and mid mile deliveries

The first set of five women drivers of the four-wheeler cargo vehicles flagged off by well-known women personalities

Hey Deedee®, India’s only all-women last mile logistic services company announced its foray into an all-women cargo logistics for the first time in India to do last mile and mid mile deliveries. Hey Deedee® has taken a step towards entering the bulk and bigger parcels delivery and mid mile delivery segment by adding their Hey Deedee® women drivers towards the cargo services. The company has been growing by leaps and bounds providing solution to the e-commerce companies for their last mile delivery. Recently, Hey Deedee successfully raised pre-seed funding of $ 500,000 from Metaform Ventures LLC of an undisclosed sum of valuation. The funds are going to be utilized for expansion of footprint, further gaining bandwidth and build technology. They intend to grow from current four cities to 10 cities in this calendar year 2018 and launch their four-wheeler warehouse to hub deliveries with an all women drivers team.

Ms. Revathi Roy, Serial Entrepreneur, Pioneer of Asia’s 1st Taxi service for women and Co-Founder of Hey Deedee® said, “At the end of 2017, the logistics market in India was valued at 160 billion USD. According to the Economic Survey 2017-18 tabled in the Parliament, with the implementation of GST, the Indian logistics market is expected to reach about USD 215 billion in 2020 growing at a CAGR of 10.5 per cent. Despite the fact that the logistics industry is a growing one and has opportunities for advancement, the glass ceiling for women is yet to be broken. Female representation in this industry is abysmal, being less than 5%. The demand for qualified personnel exceeds the supply in the logistics and supply chain sector and it has become imperative to attract and include women, especially since they are good in multitasking, an ability that enables them to handle a myriad of tasks such as planning, implementing and controlling the efficient flow and storage of goods. Research has also shown that the presence of women raises the standards of ethical behavior, lower corruption, production and economic growth. Recognizing this untouched potential and hoping to capture 20% of the market share by 2020 and increase the number of women in the workforce, Hey Deedee® is launching its four-wheeler cargo service. We are seeking to change the way India delivers.”

The occasion was graced by Dr. Sonia Sethi, IAS – Ex Transport Commissioner (Govt of Maharashtra), Mrs. Shweta Shalini, Spokesperson, CM office, Ms. Avani Davda, CEO, Godrej Nature’s Basket and Ms. Sapna Bhavnani, famous hair stylist, Mad-O-Wat. The first five women drivers of the four-wheeler cargo vehicles were flagged off by the dignitaries.

To ensure that the women drivers are ready, women undergo an extensive 60-day training. By building and engaging a community of trained and certified women riders and drivers, the desired goal of this intervention is to positively impact the employability of women in relatively high paying services, the safety of women customers when using transport other than their own; working in alignment with our PM’s vision of transforming India into a safe haven for women, and also road safety in India. With a mission to train and employ 10,000 women by 2018, Hey Deedee aims to become the largest solution provider for hyperlocals and offers last mile delivery services within the city through its hub and spoke model.

Dr. Sonia Sethi, IAS – Ex Transport Commissioner (Govt of Maharashtra) said, “We need women at all levels contributing to change the dynamics on reshaping of our economy. An empowered woman is powerful beyond measure and capable beyond description. I chose to back Revathi Roy for her enduring ledership on empowering women in logistics, a fast growing, untapped (women powered) sector with much needed diversity. HeyDeeDee continues to break down walls and defy stereotypes; creating a sector for women empowered logistics, not just logistics but heavy logistics.”

Hey Deedee® is an all women logistics firm based in India. It provides a platform to mobilize, assess and train women to become riders and drivers and gain employability. It is India′s first all–women instant parcel delivery service and cargo service. The all–women fleet is a group specially trained by Hey Deedee® (a unit of Zaffiro Learning Pvt Ltd [ZLPL]), which aims to empower underprivileged women by skilling them in two-wheeler or four-wheeler riding or driving and soft skills and guaranteeing them a job on its Hey Deedee® platform. All these women belong to families, which are below the poverty line that earn only Rs 1 lakh, annually. Empowering the women by employing them, doubles the entire family’s yearly income and removes the unfortunate ‘below poverty line’ stigma. Hey Deedee® also aims to provide employers with quick and efficient access to well trained and dependable delivery agents.

Ms. Roy further added that, “With a mission to train and employ 10,000 women by 2020, Hey Deedee aims to become thelargest solution provider for hyperlocals by offering last mile delivery services and parcel movement within the city through its hub and spoke model. Hey Deedee® hinges on the empowerment of women. The ladies come from economically challenged backgrounds where Hey Deedee® empowers them with a skill so that they can become financially independent and earn respect. Assistance is also provided to them for procurement of loan to purchase the vehicles which offers them skilling and sustainable livelihood. The USP of Hey Deedee is the buildup of the pool of human resources to do this job by skilling the girls in a 30—45 day program. It is also solving a huge problem of urban women unemployment. We currently have 2000+ women registered, all under different stages of training, and have 62 riders on the job, in Mumbai, Bangalore, Nagpur and Pune. We currently take both a per delivery model (with Amazon) and a management percentage model (with E-comm Express) and fixed income model in the current growth stage.”

Hey Deedee® delivered record 250,000 parcels till date for alliance partners Amazon, The Curry Brothers, The Bohri Kitchen, Subway, Herbivore, Shophop, Brijwasi, Pizza Hut, Ecomm Express, Ziptown, Spicebox, Everyday Gourmet kitchen, Pitaburg, Birdy’s, Snackboxwallah, Godrej Nature's Basket, Fresh India Organics. Some of the past clients include Pizza Hut, Subway, Heribvore, ZipTown, Brijwasi, ShopHop and thousands of retail customers. 

 

SKF India appoints Manish Bhatnagar as Managing Director

                                                                               

 The Board of Directors of SKF India Limited at their meeting held today, appointed Mr. Manish Bhatnagar as Managing Director for a period of 5 years effective 16th August 2018. The Board also accepted the resignation of Mr. Carl Orstadius as Managing Director and Director effective from the same date.

Commenting on the occasion, Mr. Rakesh Makhija, Chairman of the Board of SKF India Limited
said, “I am delighted to welcome Manish to SKF India Limited as Managing Director. His rich
experience with companies like Danaher Corporation, Underwriters Laboratories Inc. and General
Electric will be an asset for SKF. I wish him every success. I also take this opportunity to thank
Carl Orstadius for his valuable contributions to SKF India during this transition phase. Carl has
done an outstanding job during his brief tenure here and we wish him a great future ahead with
the SKF Group”.

SKF India is part of AB SKF , a leading global supplier of bearings, seals, mechatronics, lubrication systems, and services which include technical support, maintenance and reliability services, engineering consulting and training. SKF is represented in 130 countries with 108 manufacturing units. ® SKF is a registered trademark of the SKF Group.

Reliance Entertainment ; Series about Rakesh Maria, former commissioner of Police Mumbai

RELIANCE ENTERTAINMENT’S PHANTOM FILMS AND MEGHNA GULZAR

TO PRODUCE ORIGINAL SERIES ON THE LIFE AND CASE FILES OF RAKESH MARIA
FORMER COMMISSIONER OF POLICE, MUMBAI

Anil D. Ambani owned Reliance Entertainment’s Phantom Films and noted young director, Meghna Gulzar have signed up to produce a series on the life and case files of the highly regarded top cop, and former Commissioner of Police, Mumbai, Rakesh Maria.

The series will be based on his experiences and various case files of his accomplished career, and will be directed by MeghnaGulzar.

Rakesh Maria, an IPS officer, cleared his Civil Service Examination from the 1981 batch. As Deputy Commissioner Police (Traffic) in 1993, he cracked the Bombay serial blasts case, and later moved to DCP (Crime) and then Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime), of the Mumbai Police. Maria solved the 2003 Gateway of India and Zaveri Bazaar twin blasts case.  Maria was also given the responsibility of investigating the 26/11 Mumbai attacks in 2008 and interrogated AjmalKasab, the only terrorist captured alive, and successfully investigated the case.

Rakesh Maria commented, “It is exciting to re-live the journey, especially when piloted by a brilliant and sensitive director like MeghnaGulzar, and a production house of the caliber of Reliance Entertainment’s Phantom Films. More than the nostalgia, it’s also a valuable opportunity to place before the people the extraordinary work of the Mumbai Police when facing tough challenges and working against all odds.”

Amitabh Jhunjhunwala, Vice Chairman, Reliance Entertainment, said “We are delighted to partner with one of the most distinguished law enforcement officers of our times, Rakesh Maria, to present the courageous accomplishments of his career, and the unacknowledged contributions of thousands of members of the Mumbai Police, safeguarding the security of our city 24x7x365. We are also pleased that MeghnaGulzar, one of the country’s most talented young directors, is collaborating with us to present and direct the series.”

Meghna’s 2015 film Talvar released to rave reviews and tremendous audience appreciation. This was followed by her latest feature film Raazi, released in May, 2018, which also received critical acclaim and was a huge commercial success, earning big numbers at the box office.

Talking about the announcement, Meghna Gulzar said, “Mr Rakesh Maria’s life-experiences and his prolific career in law-enforcement are a powerful lens to explore the chronology of crime and terror, in our society - as a city, as well as, as a country and a geographical region. The potential of this content is limitless, and that is supremely exciting for me. The collaboration with Reliance Entertainment’s Phantom Films and MadhuMantena-both synonymous with cutting-edge narratives and vision- is a first I’m looking forward to greatly.”

Commenting on the collaboration for the series, MadhuMantena of Phantom Films said “Phantom Films has always been a director’s company. We are very excited about our collaboration with Meghna to produce the series on the illustrious career of MrRakesh Maria.”

The series is being packaged by KWAN.

OnePlus emerges as the No.1 premium smartphone brand in India with 40% market share

According to Counterpoint Research Q2 2018, OnePlus 6 became the best-selling premium smartphone in Q2 2018, surpassing both Samsung and Apple OnePlus enjoys a 40% market share while Samsung and Apple stand at 34% and 14% respectively OnePlus announces new exclusive offers for community members including 6 month no-cost EMI, easy exchange offers and exciting cashbacks

 According to the latest research from Counterpoint Market Monitor service, OnePlus (284%) has emerged as the fastest growing smartphone brand during the quarter, leading the premium (>INR30,000) segment for the first time ever. OnePlus 6 was the best-selling model in the premium segment, making it the leader for the full quarter, surpassing Samsung and Apple. Currently, OnePlus enjoys a 40% market share while Samsung and Apple stand at 34% and 14% respectively.

Pete Lau, Founder and CEO, OnePlus captures his thoughts on the Indian market in a forum post. He speaks extensively about OnePlus’ journey in India and where the company is headed. “I am truly humbled by the passion exhibited by our community and the trust that our partners have placed in us.

India is our benchmark for creating successful global products. This young market is now set to become our second homeground and a centre for product innovation."

OnePlus was also the fastest growing brand in the premium segment (+446%) while shipments for Apple and Samsung declined YoY. OnePlus is now increasing its points of sale by launching its offline and exclusive stores across key cities. This will enable the brand to reach out to a larger user base going forward, as the premium segment market is estimated to grow faster than the overall smartphone market in India for CY 2018 and beyond.

“The steady focus on high-end flagship smartphones and unprecedented community connect helped OnePlus earn user trust and spread brand awareness through word of mouth. OnePlus became a strong, No. 1 brand in premium segment with 40% share within just 14 quarters of entering India as well that also catapulted it into the coveted group of the 5 biggest smartphone brands with over 4% revenue share for the first time ever,” said Neil Shah, Partner & Research Director, IoT, Mobile & Ecosystems, Counterpoint Research.

 Additionally, the OnePlus 6 has been OnePlus’ fastest selling smartphone till date, selling over 1 million units within just 22 days of its global launch. The brand has successfully maintained its position amongst the top 3 premium smartphone makers in India for the last three quarters. OnePlus takes pride in the fact that it is leading in a competitive market like India based on their one flagship a year strategy and relying only on word of mouth policy to drive it, instead of resorting to heavily funded marketing campaigns. Overall, the smartphone market returned to double digit growth (19%) YoY after flat first quarter growth.

In terms of best-selling models, OnePlus 6 was the best-selling model in premium segment followed by Samsung S9 Plus and OnePlus 5T.

In a display of gratitude to the community that was at the forefront of OnePlus’ journey from the beginning, the company has announced exclusive offers for anyone purchasing the flagship OnePlus 6 starting 1^st August 2018. On the purchase of OnePlus 6, customers are eligible for INR 1500 cashback on ICICI Bank credit card EMI transactions across all online and offline channels. OnePlus has also introduced 6 months no-cost EMI on all popular bank debit and credit cards on all amazon.in and all offline channels. Starting 3^rd August 2018, consumers can avail INR 1500 extra off on exchange of old smartphone on Amazon.in. For more information, please visit official website – oneplus.in or follow OnePlus on Facebook and Twitter.

Celebrating time at #NextGenTimezone Inorbit

Time is Money ?. No, never for me. Time is the most important aspect and fantastic feature of life. How we spend, rather invest Time speaks volumes about the quality of our life. Our one & only life is so precious that every moment should be celebrated in the company of loved ones. But ..but .. but, the reality is not so glorious. We have our jobs, duties to perform to earn money, to live life, to maintain our lifestyles as per our wishes. Our assignments, projects, responsibilities, to-do lists occupy major portion of our life-time.  

You must be wondering, why am I being so philosophical ?. Well, we deserve some quality time, rather an entertaining #Timezone to enjoy with family. 25th July was my niece, Adi's birthday and we had planned a super-duper Birthday party for her at #NextGenTimezone ( Inorbit Mall, Malad ). It’s a super-cool entertainment zone for all - family, parents, kids, couples, youth gang. 



An evening before, I received a Whatsapp message stating ' Tomorrow will be Mumbai Bandh - Strike '.  All of us Mumbaikars have immense faith in Democracy. We believe in 'Spirit Of Mumbai' which always inspires us to soar high and never let's us down. 



Guess what? We had a rollicking time starting from the word Go, as the streets were almost empty, no traffic jams to hamper our mood. We (my sister, nephew & niece) reached before time and had light brunch at the Inorbit's food-court. Thanks to our foresight of light snacks, we enjoyed all energizing games like volley ball, Table-Tennis, Bowling etc. The best of all #krazeewhirlscars 



WE have enjoyed other Dodgem, bumper cars, etc. but these #krazeewhirlscars  have dual joystick with attractive LED illumination in the base of the chassis , this further brightens the experience with enclosed glass room setup. The fun-combo for both youth and kids to have Krazee joy-ride.



The first look of #NextGenTimezone is Five star-spacious with Open party area to celebrate birthday and corporate parties. You may check out the picture bellow, where a little girl is playing the bowling without any family-member. That's the super-secure and friendly vibe, we all can experience at Timezone. 

This ever-refreshing Timezone is 14 years old, I mean NEW cause it has revamped its look and that’s why we call it #NextGenTimezone. All kinds of Refreshing & Rejuvenating, cool & funky games as well as activities welcome you in this sprawling Timezone arena.

My nephew was on-toes at stimulating games like #ultimateVR ( Virtual Rabbids ) #familybowling, Superman Hammer etc. Really #FunUnimited

Many games are at pocket friendly prices. We can win loads of merchandise and gifts to take home as lovely souvenirs. 

My niece Adi was magnetised towards the games such as Jersey Wheel, Derby Champions, Paw Patrol, Gum Drop which are presented in the arcade avatar where players also win tickets. ‘Sweetland 5’ where one can win gems and crystals which is worth luring, has been the huge draw for customers.Willy Wonka Chocolate Factory , which were bursting with paper-tickets 

 Paper Ticket experience : Many kiosk-Games spout out paper tickets which gives the player a tangible factor in terms of gratification. There is one lucky winner who gets ‘Golden Ticket’. Value of 1 Golden Ticket is worth 500 power tickets. Customers redeem their tickets won at games against the merchandise at the prize shop. My niece Adi kept on chanting Timezone's mantra: #PlayMoreWinMore

                       

​"I've shared my experience at the revamped Timezone Inorbit Malad​   in association with BlogAdda"  

'What does Timezone mean to you?' 

Check out the giveaways here . Timezone will give three cards worth Rs. 500 each for three winners to go and experience Timezone  ​Inorbit ​Malad. ​​

More details about Timezone can be found at  Website , Facebook  , Instagram 

Indian Army’s ‘Shwet Ashw’ team successfully concludes the expedition to Dras to commemorate Kargil War Heroes

The 5 member team covered 8 states in 20 days astride the TVS Apache RTR 200 FI 4V Race Edition 2.0

Dras, July 27, 2018: ‘Ride to Kargil’ a motorcycle expedition, organised by the Indian Army and supported by TVS Motor Company, successfully concluded in Dras, with five-member team of ‘Shwet Ashw’ reaching their final destination – Kargil War Memorial. ‘Shwet Ashw’ is the elite Motorcycle Display Team of the Corps of Military Police.

Lt. Gen Ranbir Singh, AVSM, YSM, SM, Goc-in-c, Northern Command flagged in the expedition on 25^th July 2018 at Dras. The team then celebrated Kargil Vijay Diwas at the Kargil War Memorial with the families of martyrs and Kargil war heroes on 26^th July 2018. The 20-day expedition from Bengaluru to Dras saw the riders cover a distance of 4250 kilometres across 8 states astride the TVS Apache RTR 200 FI 4V Race Edition 2.0.

Speaking on the expedition, Mr. Arun Siddharth, Vice President (Marketing), Premium Two-Wheelers, International Business & TVS Racing, said, “We are honoured that TVS Apache RTR 200 FI 4V Race Edition 2.0 was an integral part of this noble initiative by the Indian Army.  We want to thank them for giving us this opportunity to pay a tribute to the brave hearts on the special occasion of Kargil Vijay Diwas. The iconic ‘Shwet Ashw’ team has undergone tremendous challenges to reach Dras, battling torrid monsoons and difficult mountainous terrain.  It makes us proud that the TVS Apache RTR 200 FI 4V Race Edition 2.0 supported them across this and helped them reach the destination as planned.”

The ‘Shwet Ashw’ squad includes team leader Lt. Col Vikram Rajebhosale, Havaldar Jangar Ananda, Naik Shiva Krishna CH, Lance Naik Santosh MK and Lance Naik D Sashikant B. The team covered 11 cities on the way including Belgaum, Pune, Mumbai, Vadodara, Udaipur, Nasirabad, New Delhi, Chandigarh, Manali, Sarchu & Leh. The aim of the expedition was to strengthen the brotherhood, pay homage to the supreme sacrifices made by our martyrs during the Kargil War and enhance the image of the Indian Army to motivate the youth to join this elite organization.