Thursday, October 31, 2019

Keppel Land invests in Smartworks, a leading pan-India flexible space solutions provider


Keppel Land Limited (Keppel Land) has invested US $25 million in Smartworks Coworking Space Pvt. Ltd (Smartworks), a leading pan-India flexible space solutions provider with a presence in nine major Indian cities, namely, Delhi, Noida, Gurgaon, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai and Pune.

Founded by Neetish Sarda and co-founded by Harsh Binani in April 2016, Smartworks has grown rapidly to become India’s market-leading provider of quality flexible spaces for enterprise companies. Presently, Smartworks has 23 operational centres in nine cities offering a total of about 43,000 workstations spread over 2.3 million sf. Its centres currently cater to over 400 organisations, comprising mainly large enterprises and high-growth startups such as Amazon Web Services, Bacardi Limited, DHL, Ernst & Young, Hitachi, Jaguar Land Rover Automotive PLC, Microsoft Corporation, Petronash, Red Hat, Ricoh and Samsung. Over the next five years, Smartworks plans to grow its footprint to 20 million sf and provide office solutions for over 200,000 working professionals.

Mr. Tan Swee Yiow, CEO of Keppel Land, said, “Smartworks’ innovative business model, coupled with its strong knowledge of the Indian enterprise office segment and execution abilities, is highly scalable and relevant, particularly in India’s growing market for commercial office spaces. This investment allows Keppel Land to enter one of the world’s fastest-growing flexible office markets, opening doors for further growth through this collaboration.

“There are also many opportunities for cross-learning and collaboration between Smartworks and Keppel Land’s smart serviced co-office platform, KLOUD, which currently has a presence in Singapore, Vietnam and Myanmar.”

Mr Neetish Sarda, Founder of Smartworks, said, “We are delighted to partner with Keppel Land, Asia’s premier real estate developer and multi-faceted property company. We are excited to continue driving our exponential growth in our mission to deliver lasting and affordable office experiences with state-of-the-art office infrastructure and recreational facilities for India’s leading enterprises in partnership with Keppel Land.

“The flexible space segment in India has been growing rapidly, and Smartworks has been an active participant in this business over the past three years, with a large and widespread network across nine cities. Smartworks is also already cash flow positive and is profitable at a consolidated level. With this strategic investment by Keppel Land, we will be able to scale up even more rapidly across India’s Tier 1 and Tier 2 cities and further invest in building up our next generation product, improving client experiences, as well as boosting our talent and technology.”

Smartworks provides office spaces which can be rapidly configured and customised in just four to six weeks according to the needs of their enterprise clients, offering a full suite of solutions at a value price point without upfront capital expenditure. All of its centres include common amenities such as cafeterias, meeting spaces, training rooms, crèches, gymnasiums and first aid clinics, which have been well-received by clients. Smartworks was also the first agile space provider in India to use a humanoid robot for operational duties.

Strong economic fundamentals, growing urbanisation and the government’s pro-business policies have led to India attracting an influx of foreign investment across all sectors, in particular, the property market. Leasing activity in the commercial real estate segment rose by 40% year-on-year (y-o-y), crossing 30 million sf in the first half of 2019, the highest recorded, and is poised to reach 50 million sf by end-2019. Within this segment, the flexible space market has risen by 52%[1] y-o-y in the first half of 2019.

The above transaction is not expected to have a material impact on the net tangible assets or earnings per share of Keppel Corporation Limited for the current financial year.

About Keppel Land Limited

Keppel Land is the property arm of Keppel Corporation, a multi-business company providing solutions for sustainable urbanisation, with key businesses in offshore and marine, property, infrastructure and investments.

As a multi-faceted property company, Keppel Land provides innovative real estate solutions with its sterling portfolio of award-winning residential developments, investment-grade commercial properties and integrated townships.

Keppel Land is geographically diversified in Asia, with Singapore, China and Vietnam as its key markets, while it continues to scale up in other markets such as Indonesia and India.

Keppel Land is Asia's premier home developer, with a pipeline of about 46,000 homes in Singapore and overseas. It is also a leading prime office developer in Singapore and is committed to grow its commercial portfolio in key Asian cities including Shanghai, Beijing and Tianjin in China, Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam, Jakarta in Indonesia, Manila in the Philippines and Yangon in Myanmar.


About Smartworks

Smartworks is a leading pan-India flexible space solutions provider, with a footprint of more than 2.3 million sf across 23 locations in 9 cities, namely, Delhi, Noida, Gurgaon, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai and Pune, catering to more than 400 organisations across large enterprises and fast growing start-ups. Founded in April 2016 by Neetish Sarda and Harsh Binani, Smartworks is redefining the Indian office experience by focusing on design, hospitality, technology and customer delight experiences. Within a short span of three years, Smartworks is profitable at a consolidated level.

Central to this ambition is the company’s motto, ‘Workspaces that work for you’, with the vision of creating the perfect environment by just not building communities, but also ensuring their member employees are productive in the workplace.

For more information, log in to www.smartworksoffice.com

For the first time in India, 125 industry leaders partner with ABBF to run as allies with PwDs at the Tata Mumbai Marathon 2020




Approximately 200 million Persons with Disability (PwDs) live in India—yet, we don't see them around us due to several social and attitudinal barriers. Additionally, less than 1 percent of PwDs are employed by companies in India–and these numbers have barely risen in the last 10 years. How do we then break the stigma around disability and make inclusion the norm in corporates and the society at large? An inclusive marathon might just have the answer to that.

Adventures Beyond Barriers Foundation (ABBF) is proud to announce the inclusive 10K marathon at the Tata Mumbai Marathon (TMM) 2020 that will see 125 industry leaders running together with PwDs. This event is pegged to be one of the largest inclusive marathons in India and will witness some of the biggest leaders endorsing disability inclusion in the corporate world. Also, this is the first time in the history of TMM that the 10K run has been opened to PwDs.

op corporate and social sector heads such as Anurag Mehrotra (Co-founder & CEO—Charcoal Eats), Ashok Alexander (Founder-Director—The Antara Foundation), Dhanpal Jhaveri (Managing Partner—Everstone Capital and CEO—EverSource Capital), Pratima Salunkhe (Head HR—Raychem RPG, Head D&I—RPG Group), Sudhir Shenoy (Country President & CEO—Dow Chemical International Private Ltd. India), GPK Raju (Executive Director, ECOBOARD Industries ltd), and many more have already signed up as allies, signalling how corporate India is ready to embrace inclusion like never before. Additionally, companies have extended generous support to ABBF for this cause—Dow Chemical International Private Ltd. India has offered financial support of INR 20 lakh while Charcoal Eats has offered to be the food and beverage partner for ABBF participants on the day of the event.


ABBF came up with this initiative to encourage dialogue through play between corporates and PwDs. The idea is when people play together, dialogue and empathy are bound to take over. Speaking on this collaboration with TMM, Divyanshu Ganatra, Founder and Chairman of ABBF said, “This inclusive run is of landmark importance for corporate India and the country at large not just because of its scale but also because of what it is trying to achieve through play. Corporates play a big role in solving the larger issue of inclusion. If more companies are inclusive of PwDs, then their employment, education, socialization and public infrastructure will become priorities across India. Also, at ABBF, we believe in the transformative power of play and that’s why we’re so excited about collaborating with TMM to make this inclusive run happen.”


Speaking about his participation as an ally in this 10K inclusive run, Sudhir Shenoy (Country President & CEO—Dow Chemical International Private Ltd. India), said, “Running has inspired me in different ways. All the marathons that I have participated in have led me to different journeys and this time, it feels like a whole new one. We always talk about running as an equalizer for the society and this inclusive run will chart a new way ahead for inclusion.”


Anurag Mehrotra (Co-founder & CEO—Charcoal Eats), also a participating ally in this run, said, “We don’t talk much about the social and attitudinal barriers that stop PwDs from living a full life. This initiative by ABBF is an eye opener for all of us as it will break the misconceptions that come with disability. I am excited to participate as an ally in this run, and I think it will be a great experience to cross the finish line with my running partner.”


The marathon is scheduled to take place on 19 January 2020. If you would like to serve as a volunteer for this inclusive run, please write to nalanda@abbf.in. The last day for registration is November 25, 2019.


About ABBF:ABBF (www.abbf.in) is a not for profit, based out of Pune, India, that promotes inclusion. Through adaptive adventure and outdoor sport initiatives and collaborations, ABBF provides visibility for PwDs.
Our work is based on the belief that adventure and the outdoors have the power to positively transform people. Each of our inclusive adventures have shaken up social biases, sparked off empathy, and above all, inspired inclusion. Because of ABBF’s work so far, PwDs have begun to take up adventure sports. and have gained more supporters and employment than ever before. Since our inception in 2014, we have organized over 70 inclusive adventures in India with 5,785 PwDs and over 2 lakh able-bodied people.


ABBF was founded by Divyanshu Ganatra—India’s first solo blind pilot, trekker, mountaineer, scuba diver, marathoner, and the first blind pillion cyclist to ride from Manali to Khardung La (the highest motorable road in the world). Oh, he is also a clinical psychologist, two-time entrepreneur, IT guy and public speaker.


About TMM:Mumbai Marathon’s journey for the past 15 years has been transformational—from starting a fitness revolution that has spanned over 1,000 road races in the country, to creating a springboard for Indian long and middle-distance runners and people coming together beyond politics, religion, race, colour—the marathon has become a beacon of humanity and compassion for the nation and the world.
Today, the Tata Mumbai Marathon is amongst the top 10 marathons in the world and has truly put India on the global map of distance running. The USD 405,000 event has six different race categories—Full Marathon (42.195 kms), Half Marathon (21.097 kms), Dream Run (6.6 km), Senior Citizens Race (4.7 km), Champions with Disability category (2.1 km) and a newly added Open 10K run. Over 46,000 participants including amateurs, fitness enthusiasts and the world’s best distance runners take to the streets of Mumbai on the third Sunday of January every year.

Ganesh Kelagina Beedu Shenoy includes in India Book of Records for mini paintings


Ganesh Kelagina Beedu Shenoy who is from Mangalore, Karnataka has entered the prestigious India book of Records for his artwork “Maximum miniature paintings on a single A4 sized sheet”.  He created 1029 miniature paintings, with 775 miniature paintings sized 1cm × 0.5cm and remaining 254 paintings sized 1cm ×1cm, drawn on a single A4 paper card using color pencils and acrylic colors.
He is the son of veteran artist and Lalit Kala Academy award winner Late K.Pundalik Shenoy. His mother Late Padmini Shenoy was also a noted artist.

Right from his childhood he is interested in painting and has secured many prizes / recognitions. He has painted and exhibited hundreds of paintings on Lord Jesus Christ.  Last year one of his paintings on Lord Jesus Christ was featured in “L’Osservatore Romano” – newspaper of Vatican City. Entering the Guinness book of World Records is his dream and goal.

Ganesh uses many mediums and styles while painting. His favorite styles are pointillism, mosaic and expressionism. Ganesh Shenoy has never sold his paintings for personal gain. He always donates his paintings to philanthropic organizations so that they can sell and utilize the proceedings for charity work.

Ganesh Shenoy is working as a HR Manager in Sodexo at Qatar. He is living with his wife Arti Shenoy in Doha - Qatar since from the past 12 years. His daughter Anisha Shenoy is pursuing her MBBS in KVG Medical college, Sullia, Karnataka.

Wednesday, October 30, 2019

International investors eye Indian technical textile market through Techtextil India 2019

In a bid to attract the booming Indian market, international contingents have booked exhibition space at Techtextil India 2019 in full force. The show with over 160 exhibitors will showcase exclusive international pavilions, an exclusive area for the composite industry and knowledge focussed forum - Techtextil India Symposium.

The 7th edition of Techtextil India 2019 will witness strong participation from major international countries and regions, indicating the booming dynamics of the Indian technical textiles industry. Companies like Andritz Küsters GmbH, Europlasma, Hardick Bv, Protechnic S.A.; Laroche SA, Andritz Perfojet Sas, Bombi Meccanica, Sicam, Zimmer, Morchem S.P.A Bookwang Tech, Jr Corporation, KSG Co Ltd and Samwha Machinery are some of the international names presenting on the show floor.

Techtextil India is the leading international trade fair for technical textile and non-woven offering complete solutions of the entire value chain of 12 application areas from Agrotech to Sporttech which address all visitors’ target groups. Attracting investors from all over the country, the show will prove to be a lucrative platform for international companies that will facilitate growth by enabling businesses and professionals to build trade relations, evaluate market trends and share technical expertise.

The sunrise sector of the Indian technical textile industry possesses great potential due to its cost-effectiveness, durability, and versatility within the market. Effective strides taken by the government of India to boost growth and development has also played a major role to entice international companies to view India as a strong market for trade.
With over 160 exhibitors, the international trade fair is a trusted platform organised by well-known B2B exhibition organisers, Meese Frankfurt Trade Fairs India Pvt Ltd and a string of successful previous editions has led international companies to choose Techtextil India 2019 as their preferred choice.

Enthusiastic visitors and exhibitors, unique textile innovations, inspiring conversations will experience the progressive atmosphere of Techtextil India 2019 in their retrospective film. At the fair, suppliers and manufacturers of functional apparel fabrics and technical textiles, nonwovens, fibres and yarns, which are used in sports, industrial areas, and outdoor clothing, will be represented from countries like India, Austria, Belgium, China, France, Germany, Italy, Korea, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Spain, and Taiwan. 

Other prominent names from the industry like Aditya Birla Yarns (P T Elegant), Archroma, Coated Sales, Far Eastern New Century Corporation, Ginni Filaments, Groz Beckert, Lenzing Ag India, Lucky International, SIOEN Industries Montex Glass Fiber, Oerlikon Nonwovon, Park Non Woven Pvt Ltd, Piotex Textech Pvt. Ltd, PyroTex Industries GmbH, Saint Gobain Adfors, Grindwell Norton Ltd, Sarex Chemicals, Shreenath Adhesives, Suntech Geotextile Pvt. Ltd, Supreme Nonwoven and the Filament Factory GmbH will also be present to showcase advanced technologies and solutions to cater various application areas of the industry.

Encouraging the composite industry within technical textiles, the trade fair will also see participation from composite companies that will bring a range of material at “World of Composites”. This platform will host leading companies offering raw materials, metal composites; nano composites; and other composite based industrial products. Some of the companies presenting at the show include Essen International, Jiangyin Desel Environmental Protection Equipment Co., Ltd., Jushi India, Madhu Glasstex Pvt Ltd, Saint Gobain Adfors, Grindwell Norton Ltd., SPG Glass Fibre Pvt. Ltd. and Supertech Fabrics Pvt Ltd.

Additionally, Techtextil India Symposium will also be conducted, which is the premier forum for the technical textiles industry (including nonwovens and composites) bringing together top-level speakers, technical specialists and highly qualified professionals across the industry.

The conference will attract speakers and delegates representing the entire cross-section and stakeholders at a common platform, including the leading machinery manufacturers, raw material suppliers, fabric suppliers, the end-product manufacturers, consultants, startups/new entrepreneurs, investors, research and development companies, testing, and certification authorities and industry associations, major textile institutions, etc.

Poised to be an integral part amidst Indian and international traders for the technical textile market in the country, the show will open an array of opportunities during its schedule from 20 – 22 November 2019 at Bombay Exhibition Center, Mumbai.

For more information, please visit our website at www.messefrankfurt.com


Mr. Michael Dehn is the General Manager - Sales & Marketing at Messe Frankfurt Trade Fairs India, a subsidiary of Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH, one of the world’s largest event organisers. He brings over two decades of experience in the exhibition industry and international trade relations. Today, he is responsible for the full exhibition portfolio in India where he is mandated with the strategic development of exhibitions as well as inspiring ideas and avenues to maximize sustainable growth, oversee sales strategy and drive business development by identifying opportunities. Michael holds a Diploma in Business Management from the University of Cooperative Education Ravensburg. He is bi-lingual in German and English and is also fluent in oral French.


Mr. Rajul Manek is a Board Member and the Executive Director of Messe Frankfurt Asia Holding Ltd, a subsidiary of Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH, one of the world’s largest event organizers. He has over 20 years of experience in the exhibition industry covering Europe, Eastern Europe including Russia and CIS as well as Asia including over 10 years in India. Raj’s expertise covers the whole spectrum of the exhibition organization business – from launching events in various different markets and industry sectors to identifying, establishing and managing profitable business partnerships with another exhibition number of countries. In the past 5 years, he has managed to grow the company’s turnover from 1.5 million Euros to 10 million Euros. An ardent football fan and a fitness enthusiast who never misses his workout, Raj has managed to turn his passion into a business vision with the recent acquisition of the country's biggest Fitness exhibition and was featured as “NRI Achiever” and “Business Men in the News” and leading publications in recent years.

Background information on Messe Frankfurt
Messe Frankfurt is the world’s largest trade fair, congress and event organiser with its own exhibition grounds. With more than 2,500 employees at 30 locations, the company generates annual sales of around €718 million. We have close ties with our industry sectors and serve our customers’ business interests efficiently within the framework of our Fairs & Events, Locations and Services business fields. One of the Group’s key USPs is its closely knit global sales network, which extends throughout the world. Our comprehensive range of services – both onsite and online – ensures that customers worldwide enjoy consistently high quality and flexibility when planning, organising and running their events. The wide range of services includes renting exhibition grounds, trade fair construction and marketing, personnel and food services. Headquartered in Frankfurt am Main, the company is owned by the City of Frankfurt (60 percent) and the State of Hesse (40 percent).

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

EsselWorld reveals their citywide #MyFunKeyHunt campaign with a big Diwali Bang


·         Building on the #ChaabiMiliKya curiosity, EsselWorld brought in the Diwali festivities with Dharavi Rocks and Sneha Sadan Orphanage by unlocking their happiness
·         With the unveiling of #MyFunKeyHunt, the campaign’s final leg will lead to EsselWorld’s biggest annual attraction – City of Carnivals 2019, which kickstarts on 29th October 2019


EsselWorld, India’s leading entertainment destination unveiled their citywide consumer campaign #MyFunKeyHunt on the eve of Diwali today. The curiosity of #ChaabiMiliKya that had taken over the streets of Mumbai, social media, radio and other digital mediums was revealed to be an EsselWorld initiative at a suburban mall. The presence of Dharavi Rocks and the children of Sneha Sadan Orphanage honoured the unveiling event. Dharavi Rocks, a talented 30-member band team put up an amazingly high energy show with engaging performances that set the festive mood for the mall’s shoppers and visitors. EsselWorld also hosted the children of Sneha Sadan Orphanage and celebrated Diwali with them with some creative and festive workshops like diya & pot painting and rangoli making.

#MyFunKeyHunt campaign distributed more than 2 lakh physical keys across Mumbai. The digital keys are still available to all Mumbaikars through the microsite link and social media pages created for the ultimate treasure hunt game that will unlock the “Key to Happiness”. The physical keys, divided as per the 4 Carnivals happening at the Park- Cultural, Wild, Sci-Fi and Art & Craft are aimed to unlock happiness and give a well deserved break of excitement to Mumbaikars. This EsselWorld initiative has opened doors of happiness with these keys and will lead the citizens to one of Mumbai’s biggest treasure hunts at EsselWorld’s City of Carnival 2019. On reaching to the Park with the key, the participant will be handed over a task sheet as per the theme pertaining to the key he or she has received. The treasure hunt is anticipated to see participation from thousands of visitors, spanning over 13 days from 29th October to 10th of November 2019, eventually leading the final participants to win the mega jackpot prize.

Mr. Shirish Deshpande, Chief Executive Officer, EsseWorld Leisure Private Limited, shared, “#MyFunKeyHunt is a unique consumer initiative by EsselWorld that was designed to break the monotony of a regular Mumbaikar’s life. EsselWorld has entertained over millions of people over three decades and will continue to do so. However, this year, we are enhancing their experience by means of a treasure hunt which they can seek out only at City of Carnivals, the ultimate destination to find your happiness.”

While indulging yourself in the treasure hunt and enjoying the ride, check out the host of activities, events, DIYs and workshops planned just for you at the City of Carnivals! Find your ultimate happiness from four different themed Carnivals- Cultural, Sci-Fi, Wild and Art & Craft only at Mumbai’s most loved entertainment destination, EsselWorld.

1.      Culture Carnival:
Rich with the cultural background, this Carnival will offer jaw dropping acts like Ariel Silk by renowned Mallakhamb artist Sagar Ovhalkar and his team, Gatka Martial Art by the famous International Khalsa Gatka Group, Punjab along with Bollywood and Periodic Warriors Costume Play activities that will make an amazing photo and video opportunities for your Instagram and FB stories, posts and Boomerangs!

2.      Sci- Fi Carnival:
Get ready to witness never seen before 7-8 feet tall Robos joining in and shaking their legs to grooving music only at EsselWorld! If you are a nerd and love science, you will be thrilled to see some crazy experiments by 2 insane Russian Scientists at the Frozen Show with none other than the coldest liquid on Earth, the Nitrogen Liquid. What’s more! Your dream of wearing a Robo- Cop or Astronaut suit ends here as the Sci- Fi Carnival has it all.

3.      Wild Carnival:

If you are a Jungle person and like everything tribal, then join Drum Circle which is a unique group activity by the internationally renowned Music Tribe Drum Circle group. The BMX Cycle stunts along with Football, skateboard and freestyle acts by international artists are mind-blowing! Don’t miss out on the Animal Parade, along with EsselWorld’s signature and most prestigious Magical Parade, led by the Fab5 characters. Joining them would be Giraffe, Zebra, Chimpanzee, Ostrich and more along with dancers and drummers that will further enhance the wild world experience for its visitors. Since you are in the Wild themed carnival, you could dress up as a Hunter! Pick your bow and arrow or just shoot with a gun.

4.      Art & Craft Carnival

Over and above the above mentioned entertaining activities, engaging workshops like painting, clay modeling, origami, puppet show, pottery, wire art, bioscope show and more will be undertaken at Art & Craft Carnival which is oh so creative!

Giving a complete experience of the Carnival you will also witness, magicians, stilt walkers, balloons and firkis on the cycle all of which will be floating across the Carnivals and hence the Park giving you a holistic experience and happiness.

So head to EsselWorld to find #MyFunkeyHunt, at the City of Carnivals, the key to you happiness!

About EsselWorld
EsselWorld is the largest amusement park in the country. For the past 30 years, EsselWorld has been responsible for setting a benchmark in the amusement park industry in India.  It boasts of over 71 attractions designed for entertainment of all age groups- perfectly justifying the title of India’s largest amusement park. EsselWorld recently launched two mega attractions - India's craziest ride Top Spin & India's tallest tower ride - Shot N Drop.
With time, EsselWorld has evolved and added fantastic rides such as Monsters in the Mist, Ice skating rink, Bowling alley to name a few. With all the fun & frolic it is ensured that the safety of the visitors is not compromised. An amalgamation of thrill, fun, entertainment and pure happiness - EsselWorld offers it all. The park has a choice of eating options including Southern Treat, Domino’s, Taipan, Ohh! Mumbai and MORE! 

Bubble Communication makes this Diwali special for kids of Divyaprabha NGO, celebrates Diwali with a Mission - 9 years in a row


Ms. Aarti Notiyal – Director, Bubble Communication played fun games with the girls & all then had fun with sparklers.

Diwali is the most important and much loved festival of India. People celebrate this festival with friends, family, relatives, however there are few who don't have family or any dear ones or a financial backing to celebrate the festival Of lights and sweets, This Diwali  Director of Bubble Communication Aarti Notiyal celebrates with the kids of Divyaprabha NGO who provide shelter to orphan children.

Aarti Notiyal – Director, bubble communication who took the entire initiative with team bubble as part of the every year practice of reaching out to different NGO’s says, “ Diwali is the time which we love to spend with our family but not all our as fortunate and are forced to live a life which is full of challenges...the girls at Divya Prabha have come from different regions of Maharashtra and do not have parents but at bubble its all about fun and happiness and this is definitely the best way when by just few small gestures, we could make the girls feel special and help them create memories that they will cherish forever and get inspired  to be live good lives themselves.”




Saturday, October 26, 2019

Airtel launches #NetworkOfCare campaign

Displays personalized video messages from family and supporters to runners on LED screens during Airtel Delhi Half Marathon 2019

Bharti Airtel (Airtel), India’s leading telecommunications service provider today rolled out an innovative campaign on the theme, #NetworkOfCare to mark the completion of the 2019 year edition of the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon (ADHM).

Highlighting brand Airtel’s customer obsession and the resultant ambition to be the network that cares for its customers, the campaign details Airtel’s innovative initiative that motivated runners at the marathon this year.

With encouraging personalized messages from loved ones and supporters, Airtel installed large screens on the racing track which automatically played these video messages to select runners as they came closer to the screen. This was executed with the help of RFID reading of the runner’s bibs.

The runners were pleasantly surprised as they unexpectedly saw their loved ones cheer them on the racing track. Designed to give runners an additional moral support while they were running, the initiative aimed at encouraging the spirit of running and the need for supporting running at the most relevant time so that runners can achieve greater success while they set out to reach their running goals. Watch the film here  https://youtu.be/-bB8bCYAyP4.

Vani Venkatesh, CEO – Delhi/NCR, Bharti Airtel said, ““At Airtel, we are always obsessed with delighting our customers and making them feel special. The #NetworkOfCare campaign is an expression of the role of support and care in people’s lives to stretch that extra mile. This years ADHM pleasantly surprised runners midway into their run with heartwarming messages from their family and friends cheering them to complete the marathon. As the network that cares, we feel privileged to bring people closer to each other and ensure seamless connectivity for our customers at all times.”

The Airtel Delhi Half Marathon that concluded on October 20, 2019 witnessed yet another landmark year with 40,000+ runners coming together from all walks of life to run for a cause close to their heart.

In 2018, Airtel has rolled out the #PassTheTorch campaign with an aim to provide digital education to the children in backward and rural segments of the country. Over 10K people in rural areas benefitted from the campaign and were empowered with digital literacy as they learnt the power of internet for the first time through the initiative.

Friday, October 25, 2019

World famous Pt. Ronu Majumdar celebrated Diwali with visually challenged beneficiaries of NAB


National Association for the Blind (India) arranged an unique Diwali Celebration on Friday,  25th October,  2019 at NAB Dept. of Rehabilitation,  C/o: Anand Niketan,  King George V Memorial Infirmary,  Mumbai. World renowned flautist Pt. Ronu Majumdar celebrated Diwali with the Visually Challenged beneficiaries of NAB, India.  



विश्व प्रसिद्ध बाँसुरी वादक पण्डित रोनू मजूमदार जी ,का नाम विश्व की ,वर्तमान युवा पीढ़ी के बीच बाँसुरीवादन को प्रचलित करने के लिए ,सँगीत के इतिहास में ,स्वर्णाक्षरों से अंकित है। पण्डित जी नाम किसी भी परिचय का मोहताज नहीं है,लगभग चार दशकों से बाँसुरी वादन को ही  अपनी पूजा, अपना कर्म ,अपना धर्म  अपना मंदिर ,मानने वाले पण्डित रोनू मजूमदार जी की अनूठी शैली का ,समूचा विश्व क़ायल है,और हो भी क्यों नही,पण्डित जी के वादन में लयकारी और विलक्षण ध्रुपद गायकी का सुंदर मिश्रण इसे अद्वितीय जो बनाता है।
मात्र  आठ या नौ साल की उम्र जब बालक को ठीक तरह से वाक्य रचना का भी ज्ञान नहीं होता,रोनू मजूमदार जी सुंदर राग रचनाएं बजाने लगे थे। ऐसी असाधारण प्रतिभा के ऐसे धनी कलाकार के लिए राय कुडर ने सत्य ही कहा है कि रोनू जी बाँसुरी के फीलगुड हैं।
पण्डित रोनू मजूमदार जी उर्फ रणेंद्र मजूमदार शास्त्रीय सँगीत के विद्वान विचारक ,यशस्वी कलाकार और बेहद ज़हीन शिक्षक हैं।


पण्डित रोनू मजूमदार जी ने अपने पिता डॉ भानु मजूमदार से बाल्यकाल में ही तालीम लेना शुरू किया तत्पश्चात पण्डित लक्ष्मण प्रसाद जी जयपुर वाले ,पण्डित विजय राघव राव, फिर पण्डित रविशंकर जी से भी मार्गदर्शन लेने का सौभाग्य प्राप्त किया।
मैहर घराने  का गौरवशाली परचम दुनियाँ भर में लहराने वाले पण्डित रोनू मजूमदार जी ने अपने अविष्कारों से हमेशा ही सँगीत प्रेमियों को चकित और आल्हादित किया है।

रोनू मजूमदार जी को अनेक पुरस्कारों से नवाज़ा गया है। सर्वप्रथम 1996 में ग्रेमी अवार्ड के लिए नामांकित हुए। भारत की पहली आई मैक्स फ़िल्म ,मिस्टिक इंडिया के लिए सँगीत बनाया। आर्ट ऑफ लिविंग के अंतर्गत वेणु नाद नामक कार्यक्रम का संचालन व मार्गदर्शन पण्डित जी ने किया  इस कार्यक्रम  के अंतर्गत  नासिक में 5378 बाँसुरी वादकों ने एक मंच पर बाँसुरी वादन कर गिनीज़ बुक ऑफ वर्ल्ड रेकॉर्ड में नाम दर्ज़ कराया,जिसके मार्गदर्शक पण्डित जी थे।
हिंदुस्तानी सँगीत में बाँसुरी वादन के लिए,2014 में पण्डित जी को सँगीत नाटक अकादमी पुरस्कार प्रदान किया गया।
भारतीय फिल्म डिवीज़न ने पण्डित जी पर " बाँसुरी वाला" नामक वृतचित्र बनाया है।सँगीत प्रेमियों के लिए ,pt. Ronu Majumdar Flute, नामक एंड्रॉइड एप,निःशुल्क उपलब्ध है।

पण्डित जी अनेक गौरवशाली पुरस्कारों से सम्मानित किया गया जैसे-
1-ऑल इंडिया रेडियो पुरस्कार 1981
2-आदित्य विक्रम बिड़ला पुरस्कार 1996
3-राष्ट्रीय कुमार गन्धर्व पुरस्कार 2006
4-पण्डित जसराज गौरव पुरस्कार 2008
5-सँगीत नाटक अकादमी पुरस्कार 2014-15
6-महाराष्ट्र के माननीय मुख्यमंत्री श्री देवेंद्र फड़नवीस जी के करकमलों  से नवभारत टाइम्स द्वारा ,जीवन गौरव पुरस्कार प्राप्त हुआ।

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Over 81,300 Unsold Homes are Ready for Possession in Top 7 Cities


·         As on Q3 2019 end, 6.56 lakh units were unsold across the top 7 cities - nearly 12% are ready-to-move-in
·         MMR has maximum ready homes with approx. 21,000 units, followed by NCR with 16,800 units & Pune with 14,260 units
·         In Chennai, nearly 32% of total unsold inventory is ready-to-move-in; 17% in Bangalore; NCR & MMR have just 9% each of unsold ready homes in their overall unsold stock
·         Of total 81,300 ready homes, 35% are in the affordable segment while 13% (approx. 10,000 units) in premium segment priced >INR 1.5 Crore

Homebuyers seeking ready-to-move-in properties in the ongoing festive quarter are spoiled for choice. ANAROCK research indicates that nearly 81,300 unsold homes are currently ready-to-move-in across the top 7 cities. As on Q3 2019 end, approx. 6.56 lakh units were lying unsold across the top 7 cities and out of this nearly 12% are ready to be occupied.

Anuj Puri, Chairman - ANAROCK Property Consultants says, "Among the top 7 cities, MMR has the maximum ready unsold stock equalling nearly 21,000 units, followed by NCR which has nearly 16,800 unsold ready units and Pune with 14,260 ready units. In the South, Bangalore and Chennai have an almost equal number of ready unsold supply with 10,640 units and 10,160 units respectively. Kolkata has 5,620 ready unsold homes, and Hyderabad has the least ready stock with about 2,520 unsold units. Hyderabad also has the least overall unsold stock (of 23,890 units) among the top 7 cities."

Interestingly, on studying the overall share of the ready units out of the total unsold stock in each of these cities, Chennai tops out - of the total 31,380 unsold units in the city (as on September 2019) 32% is ready-to-move-in (approx. 10,160 units). Bangalore follows with nearly 10,640 units ready for possession out of a total 63,540 units - a 17% share. In Pune, nearly 15% of the total unsold stock - nearly 14,260 units of 92,560 unsold units - are ready-to-move. In Hyderabad and Kolkata, the share of ready stock among total unsold stock is 11% and 13% respectively.

Ready Homes: Budget Analysis

The data of current ready unsold inventory across top 7 cities reveals that the maximum ready stock is in the affordable segment priced

Nearly 35% (approx. 28,830 units) of the total 81,300 unsold ready units are in the affordable bracket (priced < INR 40 lakhs). MMR and Pune have the maximum ready affordable stock with 9,730 units and 5,990 units respectively.

In the mid-segment (homes priced within INR 40-80 lakhs) approx. 26,180 units - or 32% - of unsold stock is ready-to-move-in. BangalorePune and NCR have the maximum ready units in the mid-segment with approx. 5,300 units, 5,140 units and 5,060 units respectively.
Nearly 20% of around 16,290 ready unsold units in the top 7 cities are priced within INR 80 lakhs to INR 1.5 CroreMMRNCR and Pune collectively have more than 10,170 ready units in this budget range.

Nearly 10,000 units across top 7 cities are in the luxury and ultra-luxury segments priced > INR 1.5 Crore. Not surprisingly, MMR and NCR have maximum ready unsold stock in the luxury and ultra-luxury segments. Together, they account for nearly 66% of the total 10,000 available ready units.

Top Micro-markets with Ready Supply

The prominent micro-markets with generous ready unsold stock in the top 7 cities are:

·         MMR - Badlapur, Palghar and Virar have nearly 3,060 ready unsold units
·         NCR - Central Noida, Greater Noida West and Yamuna Expressway have more than 7,270 units that are ready-to-move-in.
·         Bangalore - the prominent IT hubs of Whitefield, Electronic City and Sarjapur Road collectively have more than 2,810 unsold ready units
·         Pune - Balewadi, Talegaon Dabhade and Wagholi have ready unsold inventory of nearly 2,830 units.
·         Hyderabad - Gachibowli, Kondapur and Narsingi have approx. 1,040 units that are ready-to-move-in.
·         Chennai - Iyyappanthangal, OMR and Perambur have around 4,450 unsold ready units.
·         Kolkata - Maheshtala, Rajarhat and Rajpur Sonarpur have more than 2,290 ready unsold units.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

GARWARE EXPANDS PRODUCT PORTFOLIO WITH THE LAUNCH OF PAINT PROTECTION FILMS

Garware Polyester Ltd. (BSE: 500655 | NSE: GARWARPOLY), one of the pioneers and leading producers of polyester films, today announced the launch of Paint Protection Films in India. Expertly designed to deliver the highest level of protection, this innovation will offer the highest level of impact resistance in clear, self-healing paint protection films. Made in India using advanced film technologies and the company’s in-house technology Garware Paint Protection film is a great product that is suitable for Indian weather and road conditions.

Expertly designed to deliver the highest level of protection, Garware Paint Protection Film is
manufactured using a specially formulated Thermoplastic Polyurethane film (TPU). With
proven reliability and consistent performance, the film when applied to vehicles protects from
scratches and dents, the damages made by road debris and rocks, in addition to the elements
of the environment. The product has excellent hydrophobic, self-healing capabilities. The film can be easily installed and removed without damage to the paint finish while retaining the vehicle’s resale value.

Speaking at the occasion, Mr. S Krishnan, Director – Sales, Garware Polyester Ltd. said,
“Garware has been the pioneers in polyester film manufacturing since 1982. The latest version of Paint Protection Film is yet another innovative product providing an unparalleled high-gloss finish and an impact protection for maximum durability protecting vehicles from abrasions, bird droppings, door dings, and scratches, thus making it the most advanced vehicle paint protection film on the market”.

Garware’s Paint Protection Films will be available through dealerships across all metros.

About Garware
Garware Polyester Ltd. (the Company) was co-promoted by the Chairman and Managing Director Mr. S.B. Garware in the year 1957 along with the Founder Chairman Late Dr. Bhalchandra (Abasaheb) Garware. The Company has developed in-house Technology for Polyester Films in India and put its first State-of-the-Art plant to manufacture Polyester Films in the year 1976 at Aurangabad in Maharashtra State, India which was the first plant of its kind in South-East Asia. The Company manufactures Polyester Films for a variety of industrial
applications and also for making world class solar window films for automobile and architectural applications.

Garware Suncontrol films are thus manufactured in a state-of-the-art, ISO-9001:2008 certified facility that makes just about everything that goes into their window films, from the base petrochemical intermediate right down to the finished products. Garware Polyester Limited has a sophisticated and state-of-the art window film production and lamination lines with a finished product capacity of 22 million sq.ft.

Garware Polyesters are now available in over 80 countries around the world with Sales offices in India, USA , UK and Representative Sales persons based in UAE, Russia, China, Brazil, Australia and Malaysia

Club Factory is the Most Downloaded Shopping App Worldwide for September 2019 on Google Play Store: Sensor Tower

-          Club Factory retains spot for 3rd most popular shopping apps in India, according to data from analytics platform App Annie

Leading e-commerce player Club Factory was the most installed app worldwide on Google Play Store in the Shopping Category in September 2019 with close to 13.8 million installs, according to app download estimates from Sensor Tower’s Store Intelligence platform. The estimates include downloads for the Google Play Store worldwide between September 1, 2018 and September 30, 2019 and takes into account unique app installs. Club Factory has recently surpassed Snapdeal to become the 3rd largest shopping app (in terms of MAUs) in India since June 2019 after retaining #1 rank in Google Play Shopping App category, according to data from analytics platform App Annie.





https://sensortower.com/blog/top-shopping-apps-worldwide-september-2019


According to Vincent Lou, Founder and CEO, Club Factory, “Club Factory continues to witness rapid growth and popularity in India and is now the 3rd most popular shopping app in the country. Our rapid adoption in India has also made Club Factory the most downloaded shopping app on the Android platform globally. This success is a testimony to our vision, where we are looking forward to an era of FAC (Flipkart, Amazon, Club Factory) to be the future of India's e-commerce market. Our strategy to waive off commission fees for the sellers offers a fair marketplace where both sellers and buyers are benefitted. We are also witnessing strong volume growth during the on-going Diwali sale this year.”


India witnessed the largest number of Club Factory installs. E-commerce is the fastest-growing sector in the world and the Indian market is currently one of the key drivers for e-commerce globally.  Club Factory aims to make India’s e-commerce market a thriving industry where sellers and buyers can be equally benefitted. The platform provides a level-playing field to all sellers by not charging any commission fees so that they get to increase their earnings while transferring the cost-benefit to buyers.

Government of Maharashtra has initiated a program of healthy eating at schools and colleges


This was after a survey by Indian Diabetic federation that found 30% of School  and College Children suffering from Obesity, diabetes and Hypertension.

Dr.Pallavi Darade FDA Commissioner of Maharashtra during a FI India and HI and Propak India exhibition event at Goregaon made a shocking statement about a survey carried by the Government of Maharashtra through Indian Diabetic association. Darade while speaking a program initiated on about healthy eating and healthy living in schools and colleges said, the survey conducted in 20 schools found over 30 percent of students in the age group of 11-13 were suffering from diabetes, hypertension, obesity. With obesity being a major cause of worry. She said it was then that “Government initiated a project on healthy eating in schools and Colleges and the program has received positive response. On talking about measures taken by FDA and FSSAI on food safety acts she said that  FFSAI  and FDA Maharashtra has emphasized on the training aspects of the various right from the street food vendors  up to the 5 star hotels. All other sectors even for that matter implementing the various GMPGHP practices that are very much mandatory for the food safety act so the emphasize has always been that whatever is produced and whatever is served should always be complied as per the food safety act and we across Maharashtra and  India are getting very positive response from the food Industry.  At the event about food processing and packaging Industry, she spoke on various aspects related to food. Informa Markets in India is hosting the 14th edition of Fi India and Hi and 2nd edition of ProPak India in Mumbai this year from October 22 to October 24, one of the most comprehensive B2B shows for food, health and packaging.
  
While Fi India and Hi was inaugurated by Dr. Pallavi Darade - FDA Commissioner of Maharashtra, Dr. Yogesh Kamat – Director FFSAI (Western Region), Dr. Prabodh Halde – immediate Past President AFSTI & Mr. Piruz Khambatta – Rasna International. ProPak India was marked by the presence of Mr. C. K. Raganathan – Founder, CavinKare India Pvt Ltd , Mr. Samir Limaye, President, Institute of Packaging Machinery Manufacturers of India ( IPMMI ), Mr. Yogesh Mudras, Managing Director for Informa Markets in India and Mr. Rahul Deshpande, Group Director for Informa Markets in India in an industry gathering.
  
The co-located expos optimally provided industry players an entire array of products and solutions pertaining to food ingredients, processing technology and packaging under one giant umbrella. While Fi India & Hi offered the industry an opportunity to source high quality ingredients, ProPak India brought within its domain, packaging solutions pertaining to products from medicines, cosmetics, appliances, industrial systems and machinery, among others. 
                                                            
Speaking at the inauguration of Fi India and Hi and ProPak India in Mumbai, Mr. Yogesh Mudras, Managing Director for Informa Markets in India said, “The food ingredients and processing industry in India has witnessed rapid augmentation owing to the changing socio- economic demographics such as urbanization and the ever growing Indian gourmet market which is growing at a CAGR of 20%. An increased awareness for quality standards of food products has amplified the focus on the superiority of ingredients that goes into the making of these finished products. There is also an increased awareness within the industry with regards to active and intelligent packaging which is vital in the preservation of food.  Enhanced packaging techniques need to be developed that not only boost the shelf life of the product but also sustain the nutritive value of the processed food. This is where our shows Fi India and Hi and ProPak both play a crucial role in helping the industry offer an international showcase of such food processing and packaging technology and food ingredients and in turn, help leverage India’s wide ranging and large raw material base for food processing industries.” The co-located expos rotate annually between India’s two promising food hubs i.e Mumbai and the Delhi region.


Fi India and Hi

With a rich legacy of 14 years, Fi India in this edition brought in several novel features such as a) a Live Master Class with celebrity chef and television show host Rakhee Vaswani on delectable creations that will be based on fusion & molecular, b) A Trending Zone -  that will highlight the global trends and innovative ingredients in Health & Food Ingredients, c) A Self Guided Tour – a tour that will highlight the Innovation & Discovery in Beverage Ingredients, Alternative Proteins, Traditional Regional Ingredients and Healthy Ageing, d) Technical Seminars by Association of Food Scientist & Technologist (AFSTI  Mumbai Chapter)   & Health & Dietary Supplements Association ( HADSA ) on  ‘Product Development: Science and Technology’ highlighting the regulatory requirement and principles & importance of testing in new product development and ‘Emerging Scenario of Lifestyle, Food & Health Ingredients’ highlighting the latest applications of functional foods like Carrageenan & Bilberry extract respectively and e ) Innovative launches by some brands that will provide the audience a wholesome, sensory experience and newer ideas and tips on food products.

Propak india 
ProPak India , which is catering to India's ever growing processing and packaging industries, has been geo-adapted from ProPak Asia , Asia's largest platform in its domain, and is comprehensively tailored to Indian requirements. In its second edition, it is well-supported by key associations such as -  Indian Flexible Packaging & Folding Carton Manufacturers Association (IFCA); Association of Food Scientists and Technologists (India) (AFSTI) ;  Authentication Solution Providers' Association (ASPA) and  SIES school of packaging.