SPIRIT OF MUMBAI

ICEX ( Indian Commodity Exchange ) commences operations with the launch of diamond futures contracts.   ICEX will provide fair price discovery and price hedging platform for the diamond industry. Nationwide trade participation shall lead to efficient price discovery based on demand and supply fundamentals.  ICEX is powered by technology from MillenniumIT ( MIT ) , part of the London Stock Exchange group.  INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE OF DIAMOND GRADING & RESEARCH ( IIDGR ), part of DE BEERS Group , to certify diamonds for the exchange delivery . MALCA-AMIT , a Global vaulting agency for diamonds shall handle vaulting and logistics.   Adding a new leaf to the history of India’s commodity markets, Indian Commodity Exchange Limited (ICEX), a screen-based online derivatives exchange for commodities, went live today. ICEX commenced operations with the launch of Diamond Futures, which will be the world’s first derivatives contracts in diamonds. The ex...

Malhar ... just the sound of this lyrical word transports us into the heavenly bliss of nature's green bounty. Malhar is all about Rains , the serene scenery , rapturous nature and creative splendor. Legendary classical raga Malhar is so powerful that when sung passionately , it can induce rainfall. Well this rainfall may be metaphorical of the state of mind brought about by the recital of raga . No wonder then that St. Xavier's college named their annual cultural extravaganza as ' Malhar'. Malhar is hosted annually by the students of St. Xavier's college , Mumbai with numerous activities full of Fun , Talent and Creativity galore. The mascot for Malhar is a frog, aptly named as Puddles.                                                           Malhar began in 1979. Malhar includes various cultural contests in Literary performing a...

Arpita Khan's Ganpati Celebrations are all about the flowers Ganpati , the God of Wisdom is the most popular and famous god all over India in general and Maharashtra in particular.  Shah Rukh Khan's 'Fan' actress Waluscha D'Souza has aced her fashion game in the past few years and has been looking incredible with all of her fashion outings. For the ongoing Ganpati festivities, she was clicked posing with the Ganesh idol at Salman Khan's sister Arpita Khan's house, against a stunning white rose and red rose over chandeliers decor that made her the image the most beautiful celebrity spotting for the festival so far. She was seen wearing a blush pink cold shoulder Anj Kreations floor length dress. It had an ethnic modest vibe to it yet looked very stylish. A touch of modernity to a traditional look is what one would adore with this avatar of hers. Furthermore, the work on the outfit is an intricate hand detailing with thread and mirror pla...

 Mehernosh Pithawalla, Global Head - Marketing, Sales & Innovation, Godrej Security Solutions Division, Godrej & Boyce Mfg. Co. Ltd; Lata Dattatray Sutar, DIG; Sandhya Shetty, model, actor, TV presenter and karate champion; Sunil Mehta, Senior Vice President & Area Systems Director - Central Asia, JWT; Harshada Patil, legal expert on cases pertaining to sexual harassment; Sachin Patil, Senior IPS officer. Lakshmibai, the Jhansi  ki Rani, who valiantly fought the mighty British empire for the sovereignty of her Jhansi  is just the historical figure in modern India. Now a days, we dress up our daughters like Rani Lakshmibai and feel blessed when they win the fancy dress contest. Naturally , majority of our newspapers' headlines scream of rapes , abuses, theft, domestic violence cases for women Generally , we send our sons to Judo , Karate classes and our daughters to Bharatnatyam , Kathak classes. Nothing wrong in learning performing arts like singing...

           Just the thought of claiming Insurance drives us crazy. We buy the Insurance policy to safeguard our pet asset, our favorite vehicle. We keep on paying the premiums to ensure its long life. One fine day, I mean horrible day , if we meet with an accident , all hell breaks loose as we are suffering from the loss / damage to our pet car. Instead of nursing our wounds , we have to run from pillar to post to raise the claim. We keep on phoning the agent to arrange for inspection of the damaged vehicle , ascertaining the cost of repairs, loads of documents in quadruplicates to be submitted , final approval of the claim and most importantly excruciating stress. These are some of the most important reasons, which make us wary while taking Vehicle insurance. Which company will be worthy to invest in for our favorite vehicles's safety ?  So friends, now REST ... and Invest in a company which fulfills what it promises instantly. Here's...

All the stalwarts of the Hospitality industry as well as the TV stars added glamour to the " The Hospitality Convention 2017 " event managed by Paramus Education at St. Andrews auditorium at Bandra ( Mumbai ). Hospitality celebrities , Chefs, hoteliers, bartenders and more addressed hospitality students in this unique and house packed " The Hospitality convention 2017 on August 12, 2017.   It  was a memorable day in the hospitality industry, as the who's who of the industry came together to address the aspiring hospitality stars of  tomorrow . The event was graced by chief guest Abhishek Verma. Ever so charming, the TV star lit the lamp and set the event off to a great start, and soon had the students jumping off their chairs in excitement.  The show then featured noted baker & entreprenuer Kainaz Messman ( Theobroma  )addressing the students about the importance of adding their heart to their food.  We then saw notab...

Majestic Treat for Eyes as well as for Taste buds  # MaharajaBhog  at  # LowerParel We Indians have a Desi wisdom about gauging the fame of family. We measure it by the lots of foot-wares in the front-yard of a home. More the foot-wares, means the family is more Famous for it's Hospitality. Based on this same principle, How to judge the popularity of any restaurant or of any business?. More crowded the restaurant then it must be authentic, excellent & Magnificent.   I am sure the above photograph clicked candidly by me depicts the immense popularity of brand ' Maharaja Bhog ' in it's full glory. Believe me this scene greets you whenever you visit it either at Lunch or Dinner time. I was pleasantly surprised , when I received the special invite by newly launched 'Maharaja Bhog'  ( Lower Parel ) , to indulge in a scrumptious meal. The prime location of majestic ' Maharaja Bhog ', being bang on the Senapati Bapat Road,...

 Handloom is the Richest, Loveliest and most Swadeshi Tradition of India. Handloom lost it's Royal patronage in the British Raj due to industrialization.  Now it's our responsibility to revive our cultural heritage and embrace the Handlooms gloriously. The budding fashion designers should learn the aesthetic nuances of Handloom in it's various forms , designs and adaptability.  “HANDLOOM IS AN ART AND IT SHOULD NOT BE CAGED IN MUSEUMS”, SAID DESIGNER BHAMINI SUBRAMANIAM ON NATIONAL HANDLOOM DAY AT WHISTLING WOODS INTERNATIONAL ~ The well-known handloom expert Bhamini Subramanium , conducted an interactive session as part of the National  Handloom day celebration and shared her experiences and insights about the handloom industry in  detail~                                                           ...

VLCC expands reach with beauty services at home,  acquits Vanity Cube, extends to the on-demand services segment VLCC, a globally renowned brand in beauty and wellness industry, announced its acquisition of Vanity Cube, one of the earliest entrants in the beauty-services- at-home segment, signaling its foray into the fast growing ‘On-Demand Services’ sector. To be rebranded VLCC Vanity Cube, the company currently offers beauty services at home to its customers in Delhi-NCR and Mumbai. Commenting on the acquisition, Mrs. Vandana Luthra, Founder, VLCC, said, “On-demand beauty services have a huge growth potential and will define the next level of disruption in the beauty and wellness industry. There is no clear market leader in the nascent on-demand beauty services space. VLCC, with its presence of over 250 wellness centers and salons in 120 cities across 11 countries as well as 76 skill development academies, through whose portals over 10,000 students pass out annually, ...