Visit of kids of the Jidd Special School run by Thane Municipal Corporation to Mumbai Maiden Cruise ship

~ A memorable day for the kids of Jidd Special school who visited Mumbai Maiden Cruise ship as part of a fun day planned by the Thane Municipal Corporation and Mumbai Maiden.

~ Wave of laughter and gaiety fill the air as kids accompanied by their guardians explore the ship anchored at Bandra - Worli Sealink. 

November 30, 2019 :  Mumbai :  A group of kids accompanied by their guardians arrived onboard the Mumbai Maiden cruise ship, at the Bandra jetty today morning.  The kids from Jidd Special School run by the Thane Municipal Corporation were visiting the ship for a fun day trip onboard.

Some apprehensive but awed by the sea looked around with wonder, holding the hands of their respective guardians, and slowly as they were lead around the various decks of the ship, they let their guard down - dancing, clapping, singing and making merry. 

“It is an absolutely wonderful feeling to see the joy on the faces of these kids, the laughter and shout out of thank you overwhelmed me and we feel more determined to make the experience for our visitors a one of a kind unique one.” Said Sanjeev Agarwal, CEO Mumbai Maiden Cruise.

"I am also  grateful to  Mr Sanjiv Jaiswal, Honourable Commissioner of Thane Municipal Corporation, Mr Rajdekar and Mr Joshi for their continuous support and guidance to make this event as reality." continued Sanjeev Agarwal.

“The experience of the ship is meant to offer a wholesome family experience and seeing the kids enjoy themselves and let their guard down, reinstates Mumbai Maiden’s objective for being the most unique and holistic experience in leisure and entertainment”, added Twinkle Sehgal, Brand Ambassador of Mumbai Maiden who was seen interacting with the kids and the members of the corporation.

The kids strolled around the decks of the ship, even the beating sun did not deter their spirits as they danced their feet off to their favourite music. Laughing, making merry and just having the time of their life.

The kids surrounded the Captain as he explained the workings of the ship and narrated the importance of safety and other measures available onboard to the kids. 

The fact that soon SSR Marine Services, the company behind Mumbai Maiden will be starting their services in Thane Gaimukh Creek was received with loud shouts of appreciation.

About Mumbai Maiden Cruise Ship : 

The ship has two levels and the upper deck. It has a restaurant/Club at the ground level of the ship to handle any F&B requirement.   Besides this the ship has a VIP Lounge/ banquet hall at the second level which is available for hosting events.  The Upper deck offers a spectacular view of the city’s horizon and the iconic Bandra Worli sealink in the backdrop.     

It has all the amenities for the comfort of a passenger with well trained staff and equipment to oversee the safety and security onboard.  

For more information, you can log onto www.mumbaimaiden.in

Additional office space of around 100 mn sq ft expected to be listed in REITs

 The evolution of REIT-linked investment options in India reflects the maturity of the office market

Ramesh Nair, CEO & Country Head – India, JLL

·        The success of the first REIT by the Blackstone-Embassy JV has bolstered the confidence of other developers and investors to come up with similar listings

·        Developers with a commercial asset portfolio can use this option to reduce their debt

·         The growth of REIT listings in India will ensure more transparency

The success of the first REIT in India, Embassy Office Parks, has created the possibility that around 100 mn sq ft office space could be listed under REIT in the short to medium term out of the total REIT-worthy assets of 302 mn sq ft. The total REIT-worthy assets, which includes Embassy Office Park REIT, would translate to a potential investment of USD 38.6 billion.

As per JLL Research, India’s top six cities, Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Pune, Bengaluru, Chennai and Hyderabad, account for a majority of the share of Grade-A office space assets. Marquee clients occupy these offices. And India’s leading commercial office space developers are exploring REIT listings.

The strong demand for office space in 2019 adds to the market of REIT-worthy assets.

The success story of India’s first REIT

Embassy Office Parks launched in April 2019 and heralded a new investment journey and has redefined the growth of the sector. Its performance has put to rest all apprehensions and it is likely to lead to the more REIT listing in the country. It has bolstered the confidence of other developers and investors (primarily with commercial office asset portfolio) to list their assets under REIT platform.

The Embassy Office Parks REIT has seven office parks and four office buildings in Bengaluru, Pune and Noida with two completed and two under-construction hotels totaling 1,096 keys. The total portfolio is of 32.6 mn sq ft comprising 24.2 mn sq ft completed and 2.9 mn sq ft under-construction office space and proposed development area of 5.5 mn sq ft.

The REIT has registered robust numbers since inception. Revenue from operations for 2Q FY2020 grew y-o-y by 15 percent to Rs 5,206 mn and cumulatively grew y-o-y by 17 percent for 1H FY2020. Net operating income for 2Q FY2020 grew y-o-y by 16 percent to Rs 4,384 mn and cumulatively grew y-o-y by 18 percent for 1H FY2020. Net operating income margin for 2Q FY2020 and 1H FY2020 stood at 84 percent.

For the reasons above, Embassy Office Parks’ REIT is currently trading at a premium of 37 per cent to its allotted price as on November 25, 2019. This performance, during adverse market conditions, is likely to attract more retail and global investors.

Embassy Office parks REIT: 37% returns since listing on April 1, 2019

Source: NSE

What we may witness in future?

For instance, Bengaluru-based Prestige Group has 11 million sq ft of rent yielding assets and nearly 15 million sq ft of under-construction office assets. As per market reports, there are strong indications of Blackstone Group and K Raheja Corp listing their jointly-owned 20 million sq ft commercial portfolio through REIT. Together, these players would account for almost 50 percent of the potentially upcoming REIT universe. As per publically available news reports, other players who are also considering REIT listings include Bengaluru-based RMZ Corp, Mumbai-based Godrej Properties and Pune-based Panchshil Realty.  

Key trends that will guide the growth of REIT in India

The success of Embassy REIT brings to the forefront some of the key trends that will influence the growth of REITs in India.

With the success of the first REIT, subsequent listings are expected to make a gradual start in India in line with global trends. Several positive factors such as progressive policies, smaller lot size, tax efficiency, strong investor interest and presence of global investors will work in favour of REIT listings in India.

A strong demand-supply condition in the office market would also drive the return of REITs. However, any impediment to the supply pipeline will impact the REIT listings too.

Some challenges

Limited knowledge and awareness of the new product are one of the biggest hurdles in front of fund managers. Moreover, investors have not even seen a full year of the run for the first REIT. Compared to this, they already have multiple alternate investment options across other asset class to look at within the ambit of the capital markets.

Since REITs are listed on the NSE and BSE, trends in the equity markets will influence the return expectations of retail investors looking at REITs market. As a result, like any other market-linked investment option, retail investors have to be told about the risks.

The outlook

India’s commercial office space is expected to dominate the REITs market due to its robust growth, resulting in rising rental yields and steady rise in capital values. Despite certain challenges in terms of investor awareness about the product currently, interest is expected to increase over the years.

The growth of REIT listings in India will ensure more transparency and maturity due to the mandatory regulation over property valuation, regular updates, research coverage and disclosures relating to assets managed by REIT.

Developers with a commercial asset portfolio can use this option to reduce their debt from proceeds received by listing their assets through REIT. Though the growth in the REIT market in India has been gradual, we can expect it to pick up significantly going forward.

Shapoorji Pallonji Oil & Gas Awarded 'Sword of Honour'

The British Safety Council, UK, Sword of Honour Award was received by Mr. Pramod Sapra, President, Shapoorji Pallonji Bumi Armada on behalf of the Company, from Mr. Mike Robinson, Chief Executive of the British Safety Council.

The only Indian organization to win the British Safety Council Sword of Honour 2019 in Process Safety.

Shapoorji Pallonji Oil & Gas Pvt Ltd (SP O&G) was commemorated with the Sword of Honour Award in Process Safety, from the British Safety Council, UK on 22^nd November 2019, in London. This pinnacle award in Process Safety from the British Safety Council, was conferred to the FPSO Armada Sterling and FPSO Armada Sterling II. The FPSOs are moored in the western Offshore Oil & Gas fields of India, are operating safely with 100% uptime and without LTI for over 11 concurrent years. Both FPSOs also received the Sword of Honour Award in Occupational Health Safety & Wellbeing in 2018.

“On behalf of the Board of Directors, I congratulate our team and the leadership for their colossal commitment to keeping their workplaces safe and healthy and minimising risks to the environment from the FPSOs’ day-to-day activities, continuing to provide LTI free 100% uptime. By achieving 5 Stars in stringent British Safety Council Audit Specifications in process safety and being the 1st such organization in India, winning the Sword of Honour in Process Safety, we have demonstrated our commitment and resolve to achieve the highest standards of health and safety management, " said Ravi Shankar, Chief Executive Officer  of SP O&G.

“On behalf of the Board of Trustees and staff of the British Safety Council I would like to congratulate Shapoorji Pallonji Bumi Armada Offshore Pvt Ltd & SP Armada Oil Exploration Pvt Ltd on achieving the very highest standards of health, safety and environmental management.  Excellence at this level is very hard to win. We are proud to have supported you in your achievements, and I am delighted that you have chosen to celebrate it with us today,” said Lawrence Waterman, Chairman of the British Safety Council.

 “I would like to congratulate the Shapoorji Pallonji Bumi Armada Offshore Pvt Ltd & SP Armada Oil Exploration Pvt Ltd and its staff for their huge commitment to keeping their workplace safe and healthy and minimising risks to the environment from their organisations’ day-to-day activities,” said Mike Robinson, Chief Executive of the British Safety Council, adding, “All of the Sword and Globe-winning organisations share a commitment and resolve to achieve the highest standards of health, safety management. We are delighted that they are partners in helping achieve our vision that no-one should be injured or made ill through their work.”

The British Safety Council UK is a non-profit organization working to promote safety at workplaces from the past 62 years and has structured very stringent selection criteria for Sword of Honour award. In order to compete for the Sword of Honour, an organisation first had to achieve the maximum five stars in the British Safety Council’s Process Safety audit scheme in the period of August 2018 and July 2019. It has also demonstrated to an independent panel of experts that it has achieved excellence in their Process safety management throughout the business, from the shop floor to the boardroom.

About Shapoorji Pallonji Oil & Gas

Shapoorji Pallonji Oil & Gas Private Limited ('SPOGL') is established as a wholly owned subsidiary of the globally diversified Shapoorji Pallonji And Company Private Limited. SPOGL aims to be a premier global company in the oil & gas value chain encompassing floating solutions and regasification to help meet world energy demands. The focus is on creating global benchmarks in design & engineering, EPCIC and delivering excellence in operations and maintenance of floating assets using innovative technologies with high standards and strict compliance to Health, Safety and Environment. To know more, please visit: www.sp-oilandgas.com

About Shapoorji Pallonji And Company Pvt Ltd

Shapoorji Pallonji And Company Pvt Ltd, established in 1865 in India, is a global diversified institution, with a leading presence in the sectors of Engineering & Construction, Infrastructure, Real Estate, Water, Energy and Financial Services. A strong employee base of over 70,000 people, deliver end-to-end solutions across 70 nations. We build mega-structures, develop multifaceted iconic landmarks, drive innovative technologies in water management, renewable energy, oil & gas and power, with a focus on good governance and sustainable development, to engineer a better planet. To know more, please visit: www.shapoorjipallonji.com  

OSH India 2019 : 57 percent of labour days are lost due anxiety, depression

The inaugural ceremony of OSH India, 2019 took place in the presence of Key Dignitaries - Mr. Lalit Gabhane, Director General, National Safety Council, Mr. Santosh Warick, Chief Fire Officer & Fire Advisor, Govt. of Maharashtra, Mr. Mike Robinson, Chief Executive, British Safety Council, Dr. Sidram K. Raut, National President, Indian Association of Occupational Health and Mr. Hemant Sapra, President, Safety Appliances Manufacturers’ Association, Mr. Yogesh Mudras, Managing Director, for Informa Markets in India and Mr. Pankaj Jain, Group Director, Informa Markets in India amidst an august industry gathering.

" The response time in India during a fire is much more than the developed nation ", said Chief Fire officer and the Fire Advisor, Government of Maharashtra at an Occupation safety and health event.

57 per cent of labour days are lost due anxiety, depression.

Santosh Warick, Chief Fire Officer and Fire Advisor, Government of Maharashtra at an event in Mumbai said, “The response time here in India during a fire is much more than a developed nation. The response time in developed country is 8 to 10 minutes, whereas due to traffic and other issues, the response time in Mumbai and Delhi goes to 20 to 30 minutes.”

Warick along with other dignitaries spoke at a two day expo called Occupation safety and health organised by Informa markets in India. He added, “The Gap of fire services in  terms of number of fire stations, trained person is more than 80 per cent in India. In Mumbai also, the Gap is around 30per cent. There are over 50,000 industries in Maharashtra and it is very difficult to tackle the issue from grass root level. The commitment from top management is necessary as it will also help in inculcating safe culture and business continuity.”

Warick said, “Health and safety are responsibility of owner and occupier only. The negligence is the major cause of several incidents. It is necessary to be alert and avoid all violations as it could lead to a major one. The training of a worker should be a continuous process.”

The two day event that commenced on Thursday with over 150 exhibitors presence displaying various safety and health products to educate was attended by Lalit Gabhane, Director General, National Safety Council, Santosh Warick, Chief Fire Officer and Fire Advisor, Government of Maharashtra,  Mike Robinson, Chief Executive, British Safety Council, Dr Sidram K Raut, National President, Indian Association of Occupational Health and  Hemant Sapra, President, Safety Appliances Manufacturers’ Associate, Yogesh Mudras, Managing Director, for Informa Markets in India and Pankaj Jain, Group Director, Informa Markets.

Mike Robinson, Chief Executive, British Safety Council during the inaugural event said,“Globally, 57 per cent of working days are lost due to anxiety, depression or stress. There is a really very important link from Health to Safety. A research has cleared that poor mental health increases the risk of accidents on work. As the saying goes you cannot be a safe worker if you are not a healthy worker. So it’s going to be an examplar in the management of health and safety and it’s going to necessary be an exemplar in the management of health and well being. The research is already showing that managing health, safety and well being in an integrated way is going to be more effectively then managing them separately.” 

To control the number of on job accidents by promoting the use of safety equipments as well as creating awareness to inculcate the safe working culture, government officials, industrialists  and other important presented their views during OSH India 2019.  

This year, the expo is well supported by associations such as -- National Small Industries Corporation (NSIC), International Powered Access Federation (IPAF), Indian Society of Ergonomics (ISE), Indian Technical Textiles Association, Safety Appliances Manufacturers Association (SAMA), Air India Engineering Services Ltd (AIESL), National Accreditation Board of Certifying Bodies (NABCB), Board of Certified Safety Professionals (BCSP), MRO Association, Safety Training institutes and more. 

Lalit Gabhane, Director General, National Safety Council said, “In comparison of last two three decades, the Indian industry has come a long way. But the road is very long, to create awareness in  employees, citizens and industrialists, OSH is working towards it and the state run bodies such as Maharashtra Fire Services are also coming up with various campaigns and programmes to create awareness across India.”

Speaking on the 8^th edition of OSH India in Mumbai, Mr. Yogesh Mudras, Managing Director,for Informa Markets in India said, “On average, 4.75 million people join the labour force in India per year. In a strong corporate safety culture, organisations need to look at the safety and health along with emotional well-being of these employees on priority to retain the best of talent and ensure good productivity. Informa Markets in India through OSH India resonates industry’s advocacy of ensuring the safety and health of the growing workforce in our country and is geared up to filling this vital gap with innovation and knowledge through its exhibits and conference.”

  

To promote safety among the Indian workforce, a SAFETY FASHION WALK along with the prestigious OSH India AWARDS 2019. The Awards catered to Indian operating businesses, organizations, alliance and individuals in the public or private sector with a workplace health and safety initiative. This year, OSH Awards received a total of 220 from across industry.

Postal Pension Adalat 20th February 2020

The Chief Postmaster General, Maharashtra Circle, Mumbai will be holding the 46th
Postal Pension Adalat for pensioners/family pensioners of Postal Department on Thursday 20th
February,2020 at 11 Hrs. in the Office of the Chief Postmaster General, Maharashtra Circle,
Mumbai-400 001.

Grievances regarding pensionary benefits pertaining to those who retired/died while in
service from Department of Posts, Pensioners of Postal Department Maharashtra and Goa States,
which have not been settled within 3 months, will be entertained in the Postal Pension Adalat.

Cases involving purely legal points i.e. succession etc. and Grievances involving policy
matters will not be considered in Pension Adalat. Pensioner can apply in the Proforma given
below to Shri S.U.Pantawne, Sr. Accounts Officer/Secretary, Pension Adalat, O/o Chief
Postmaster General, Maharashtra Circle, Mumbai GPO Bldg., 2 nd Floor, Mumbai-400 001 on or
before 10 th January 2020. The applications received after 10 th January 2020 will not be
considered in the Pension Adalat.

DEPARTMENT OF POSTS APPLICATION FORM OF POSTAL PENSION ADALAT

 SUBJECT DETAILS TO BE FILLED IN BY THE INDIVIDUAL/PENSIONER

1. Name of the pensioner /Family pensioner with Designation at the time of retirement/death

2. Name of Post Office from where retired etc. and date of retirement

3 PPO No.

4 Name of the Post Office from where Pension is being drawn

5 Postal address of the pensioner with phone no.

6 Complaint in brief (Attach application containing details if required)

7 Date & signature of the Individual/Pensioner.

NAEMD JOSH 2019 Salutes Mumbai Police

NAEMD’s JOSH 2019 – the intercollegiate festival ends on a high note and becomes the only college festival that goes beyond festivities to celebrate and contribute towards a better society

JOSH 2019 – Mumbai’s one of the most popular intercollegiate festivals held the grand finale of its 14th edition of the festival on today at the Shanmukhananda Auditorium, Mumbai. The month long festival was organized by the students of Garware Institute of Career Education and Development (GICED) & NAEMD Academy of Event Management and Development (NAEMD). The various competitions that students competed in were: Fashion Show, Dance of India (Bollywood Group Dance), Let’s tap around the world (Western Number Group Dance), Body Tattooing,
Face Painting, Mr. & Ms. Academia (Beauty & Personality Pageant) and Student Idol (Talent Hunt).

The finale event also brought to a culmination the two-month long activity of JanBaaz Supercops – a
thanksgiving to the police force - an activity in which students of NAEMD visited more than 100 police stations across Mumbai and Navi Mumbai, tied a ‘Suraksha’ thread to police officials of all ranks and said ‘Thanks’ for keeping Mumbai safe. More than 2500 police personnel were reached out in this activity.

Shri. Harish Baijal, Deputy Commissioner of Police – Mumbai was tied a ‘Suraksha’ thread during the celebrations by students of NAEMD and families of policemen who died on duty were felicitated for their sacrifice and contribution towards Mumbai. Speaking at the function Shri Baijal said, “It is sad that some policemen have to give away their life because of antisocial upbringing. It’s heartwarming to see students of NAEMD appreciating the sacrifices of us policemen. I hope they do more such activities and contribute towards society. ”

Also, this year, as part of the JOSH celebrations, students of NAEMD associated with Saksham
(Samadrishti, Kshamata Vikas Evam Anusandhan Mandal), an NGO working in the space of development
of specially-abled (divyang) children and adults organized Enable-a-thon for the betterment &
empowerment of the Divyangjans.
Talking about JOSH, Mr. Vipul Solanki, Director, NAEMD Academy of Event Management and
Development said, “Every year, our intercollegiate festival – Josh – is celebrated with a unique theme of
celebrating the spirit of Mumbai. Apart from the high octane competitions that the students
participated in and organized, we also encourage students to come with up ideas on contributing to the
society. This year, the students came with two ideas: a) To visit maximum number of police stations and
tying a ‘Suraksha’ thread to police officers of all ranks and b) Contributing to the welfare of the
divyangjans of our society and intended to spend a day with them for which NAEMD associated with
Saksham.”
About NAEMD:
NAEMD Academy of Event Management and Development (NAEMD), is the first institute in India to
collaborate with Universities, colleges, and institutions that offer courses in Event Management. The
institute has its name etched in the Limca Book of Records as Asia’s First & Best Event Management
Institute for it identifies the need of the industry and instills basic and advanced theories and techniques

in the discipline of management, marketing, public relations, finance, tourism, law, etc. related to the
field of events. NAEMD has also been ranked 1st in India in the private higher education category for its
Vocational and Skills Education by Education World India in 2019.

Mahatma Gandhi’s timeless ideologies at Textile Artist Shelly Jyoti's latest Travelling exhibition titled-‘Bound by Duty: An Idea of Swaraj and Collectiveness’

“Buy five meters of Khadi once a year to uplift the livelihood ofrural weavers” – Textile Artist Shelly Jyoti appeals masses through latest art show in Mumbai

·         The Print: Hind Swaraj, the work seeks to reach out to masses with a text that was written 100 years ago 

·         Khadi as her canvas, Ajrakh printing, dyeing as palette and intricate needlework her brush strokes with motif of fish, the show is a must-watch for all art lovers!!

·         30 new Ajrakh art scrolls on khadi, multimedia spoken word poetry and a short film on making of Swaraj and collectiveness on display!!

·         Jehangir Art Gallery, Nov 26 to Dec 2, 2019

 Mahatma Gandhi’s timeless ideologies have been at the core of Delhi-based visual artist Shelly Jyoti’s art practice for more than a decade now. Using Khadi as her canvas, Ajrakh printing and dyeing as her palette and intricate needlework her brush strokes, Jyoti continues her exploration of Bapu’s concept of Swaraj in a solo show titled Bound by Duty: An Idea of Swaraj and Collectiveness was inauguratedby HH Rajmata Shubhangin iRaje Gaekwad of Baroda (Queen of Baroda) and Mr. Michio Harada, Consulate- General of Japan, Mumbai at Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbaion November 26 2019.

Speaking at the event HH Rajmata Shubhangini Raje Gaekwad of Baroda (Queen of Baroda) shared, “I am fortunate to be part of Shelly's journey as a visual artist from Baroda to world renowned textile artist. Since last 20 years, she has been making beautiful panels of Ajrakh painting, khaadi installations with Gandhian messages. Also she is playing a very important part in creating global awareness on art, textiles and Ajrakh painting”.

Mr. Michio Harada, Consulate- General of Japan further added, “This art form resonates with me as Japan as a similar art form with Japanese Motifs. In certain paintings she has used fish as a medium to project her thoughts, that reminded me of my homeland where we also use fish as a motif as it is a valuable part of Japanese culture. I wish Shelly Jyoti all the best for her future endeavors”

Artist Shelly Jyoti has used 5 meter long Khadi cloth to create her some intricate masterpieces with the idea being using indigenous cloth to paint as well as create a market for the rural weavers who are keeping the dying art of handspun khadi cloth alive.  She says, “"In 2016, I created a show titled The Khadi March: Just Five Meters. I was exploring the idea as how contemporary society might engage in swadharma(my duty) towards the nation in order to create a better society. I was examining the idea of buying five meters of khadi once a year by India’s thirty crore urban population. This effortless way could transform the lives of rural spinners, weavers enriching their livelihood. So, I feel if each one of us can buy just 5 meters of Khadi once a year, that will itself create a revolution."

Artist Shelly Jyoti has on display 80-feet-long site-specific installation of four panels, 30 new Ajrakh art scrolls on khadi, multimedia spoken word poetry and also a short film on making of Swaraj and collectiveness, Civilization and Collective Forces. She has specialized in works based on Gandhi’s ideology of nation building for creating moral and peaceful societies, relevant even in the 21st century. Inspired by the idea of social responsibility, she tries to understand the meaning and importance of the relationship between self, societies and social transformation in our fast-paced technology driven world.

Using the motif of fish, both as individual entity and as a collective force, Jyoti explores the biggest challenge that faces mankind today – the disconnection between economic development and ecological well-being. “Ecology is understood both as man’s outer and inner environment. Economic progress of the kind being pursued in India and elsewhere in the world has become an end in itself", shares Artist Shelly Jyoti. The exhibition includes 80-feet-long site-specific installation of four panels, 30 new Ajrakh art scrolls on khadi, multimedia spoken word poetry and a short film on making of Swaraj and collectiveness. Another site specific work in paper titled The print: Hind swaraj seeks to reach out to masses with a text that was written 100 years ago and exploring its relevance 100 years later.

Jyoti, hence, uses the imagery of micro-organisms in water, such as trillions of tiny fishes collaborating together, displacing water to create oceanic currents, waves and turbulence in an undersea environment. She examines the idea of ‘collectiveness’ and ‘collective impact’ that can bring about social change with evolved and spiritually self-aware communities.Artist Shelly Jyoti explains, “These works are inspired by Gandhi’s seminal anti-imperialist text Hind Swaraj written in 1909. To bring social revolutions, for creating peaceful societies, the idea of self-rule or self-control needs to be experienced uniquely by each individual, and ultimately achieve self-transformation”

What: ‘Bound by Duty: An Idea of Swaraj and Collectiveness’ by Artist Shelly Jyoti When: From 26th Nov to 2th Dec 2019 at 11am to 7pm Where: Jehangir Art Gallery, Fort

Over 20 Million Users in India Log on to 11.11 UC Shopping Festival - Over 1 Billion Viewable Impressions Generated Globally for Content related to 11.11 UC Shopping Festival

Over 1 Billion Viewable Impressions Generated Globally for Content related to11.11 UC Shopping Festival

Over 20 Million Indians logged on to UC Browser to take part in the recently concluded 11.11 UC Shopping Festival, part of Alibaba’s 11.11 Global Shopping Festival. The 11.11 UC Shopping Festival, jointly presented by UC Browser, Paytm Mall, Paytm First, Lazada and AliExpress simultaneously ran across 5 key markets of India, Indonesia, Russia, Thailand and Vietnam. The partnership brought forth exclusive deals, huge discounts and multiple offers across different categories. Delivering on its commitment of a localisation plan, the festival was available in 14 popular languages - English，Hindi，Tamil，Telugu，Marathi，Gujarati，Kannada，Malayalam，Bengali，Punjabi，Bahasa，Thai，Vietnamese and Russian.

Offering a comprehensive and enriching shopping experience, UC launched a slew of in-app activities. About 15 million Indian users took part in various in-app interactive activities on the UC Browser platform, including Treasure Hunt, “Invite Friends, Win free prize”, and Lucky Stars. UC distributed cashback and gifts of value in excess of Rs. 200 million, a jump of over 15x from the gifts and coupons distributed last year. Over 25 lakh Indian users took part in the popular Lucky Stars Game with over 700,000 users winning free prizes. UC also launched a “Mol, Tol” Challenge which became increasingly popular with the users during the course of the festival. The videos around the challenge generated over 10 million impressions.

With its commitment to create a comprehensive content ecosystem across multiple categories, UC Browser generated over 40 million-page views for content related to the Shopping Festival. More than 3000 pieces of GIFs and memes were generated during the shopping period and more than 70,000 articles were created on UC’s highly popular Shopping Channel, helping users understand various products and deals to make informed purchase choices.

“We are delighted at the overwhelming response to yet another edition of UC 11.11 Shopping Fest. The strong user participation has exceeded all our expectations and we are thrilled to announce that UC Browser generated over 1 billion viewable impressions for shopping fest-related content with over 700 million coming from Indian market alone”, said Mr Huaiyuan Yang, Vice President, UC Web Global Business.

UC Browser is the world’s No.1 third-party mobile browser and a content platform from Alibaba Innovation Initiatives Business Group. UC Browser has clocked in over 1.1 billion user downloads worldwide (excluding China) with half of its global installs from India.

About UC

UC, a business within Alibaba Innovation Initiatives Business Group, is a leading provider of mobile internet software and services. The international product portfolio of UC includes content distribution platform UC Browser, UC Browser Turbo, UC Browser Mini, and UC Ads for mobile marketing. UC Browser is the No. 1 third-party mobile browser in the world, as per StatCounter. It has reached 430 million Monthly Active Users globally. Additional information about UC and its products, can be found at www.ucweb.com

7 MUST GO TO WEDDING FAIRS ACROSS INDIA

Indian Weddings continue to become bigger and fatter. Rising disposable income and better
standard of living and among the prime key reasons in making them grander than they have
ever been.
Increasing fashion consciousness and being in their presentable best takes bride-to-be and
groom-to-be to nooks and corners of multiple retail markets across any city. What if all those
markets come under one roof to offer you right from a wrist watch, cufflinks, jewellery,
apparels to even wedding photographers, pandit, bridal make-up artists, honeymoon planners
and wedding cakes.
Well! That would certainly save a lot of time and energy. We are trying to help you to zero
down on the wedding fairs and festivals that are either ongoing or coming up soon, to help you
save your time and efforts.
The list below will help you to wrap up your wedding purchases in a single day, all under one
roof.

1. Viviana Mall, Thane
November 25 th - December 10 th
Viviana Mall, one of the largest malls in India, is hosting wedding themed decorations and
exclusive stalls aiming to be a one stop shop for wedding planning over the winter festive
season. Along with wedding attire, catering and decorations available to shop and order, there
are a number of events planned during the course of this Wedding Fair. A “couples-to-be”
contest is currently underway and the winners will win a grand and luxurious bedroom set.
2. Riwaazz Wedding & Winter Shopping Fest, Bhopal
Nov 29-30
Sayaji Hotel, Bhopal
Riwaazz is a Fashion & Lifestyle Exhibition company, which will bring India’s premium wedding
collection of fashion and lifestyle products to the visitors. Riwaazz Winter & Wedding Shopping
Fest will come up with latest fashion trends and new styles.

3. NRI & Wedding Show
Nov 29-30
Seema Hall, Ahmedabad
The Grand Jalsa Wedding show will unveil its NRI and Wedding Lifestyle Exhibition in
Ahmedabad. Over 71 designers across India will showcase their fashion accessories to match
with your outfits. Large range of different luxury and lifestyle products such as home decor,

designer jewellery, apparel, designer wear, handicrafts and many more different kinds of
products will also be available.

4. Fashionista, Nashik
December 2-4
Hotel Emerald Park, Nashik
Fashionista - Nashik operates with the goal to bridge the gap between Metros and 'B-cities' in
Fashion & Designer Lifestyle Products, to give a Big & Glamorous platform to 'Entrepreneurs,
Traders, Professional & Young Designers and to give the opportunity to 'Regional Handicrafts
and Designer Products' of different states on a national level. Designer outfits and apparels and
accessories for all age groups, in different shades, will be displayed.

5. Fashionista, Coimbatore
December 13-15
Taj Vivanta, Coimbatore
The Fashionista Exhibition Coimbatore gives a Big & Glamorous platform to 'Entrepreneurs,
Traders, Professional & Young Designers'. This event exhibits products like Jewellery, Clothing,
Accessories, Home Furnishing, Interiors, Handicrafts and much more in variety of hues, styles,
trends and designs and much more.

6. Wedding Asia, Mumbai
December 14-15
St. Regis, Mumbai
The Wedding Asia Mumbai provides the attendees with the opportunity to meet with wedding
professionals who will provide them with the information regarding everything needed to plan
a perfect wedding starting from cakes to catering, photographers, DJs, dresses, venues, tuxes,
and much more.

7. Wedding Syrup, Delhi
December 15
The Leela, Delhi (East)
This is the largest interactive platform for all Fashion, Jewellery & Lifestyle brands to promote
their brand visibility. There will be discounts, exclusive collections, gift hampers, lucky draws,
etc. too.
Having gone through the list, there’s a lot left for you to do before your D-Day. A day long visit
might provide you with all the solutions that you are looking for. Hurry Up. Better Get Going.

EsselWorld to host more than 60,000 children from MCGM schools from 25th November onwards

EsselWorld, India’s ultimate entertainment destination hosted 3500 children from MCGM schools today. Students from grade 4 and 7 will be visiting the amusement park until 20^th December 2019 as a part of an edutainment trip, which is an initiative in collaboration with the Education Department of The Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai.  

The daylong visit schedule will cover an educational as well as recreational itinerary for the students' outing at the amusement Park. Not only will they enjoy the thrilling rides and relish on to some delicious food for breakfast, lunch and evening snacks, but they will also experience an educational nature and conservation tour.  They will be given a firsthand experience of EsselWorld’s rainwater harvesting process and will also get an opportunity to get acquainted with the horticulture and vermiculture activities practiced at the Park through the educational segment planned as a part of the tour.

Over the course of next 25 days, more than 60,000 students are expected to visit EsselWorld and enjoy fun-filled rides spread across the Park while also learning about nature science as a part of Environmental Studies. 

Wynk Music is now India’s #1 music app by Daily Active Users

Industry leading personalization and content library drive user preference for Wynk Music

·        Regional music a key growth driver and now accounts for 26% of the over 3 billion monthly streams. Bhojpuri, Marathi, Kanadda, Telugu, Gujarati and Odiya songs see growth of over 150%


Wynk Music, the OTT music streaming app from Airtel, continues to see a surge in its popularity amongst smartphone users in India.

Airtel today said that, based on Oct 2019 data from App Annie, Wynk Music is now the #1 music streaming app in India in terms of Daily Active Users. The performance metric underlines the massive user preference for Wynk Music when it comes to consuming music on smartphone.

Says Adarsh Nair, Chief Product Officer, Bharti Airtel: “The team is focused on building the most personalised music experience for our customers. Wynk’s deep catalogue of songs combined with a holistic understanding of our customer’s preferences allows us to build an incredible product. And Airtel users get a free subscription to millions of songs in Wynk through the Thanks program.”

Regional music emerging as the next powerhouse

While Bollywood and International music continue to be the biggest categories on Wynk Music, it is Indian regional music that is witnessing the fastest growth. Overall, there has been 75% surge in number of users streaming regional music.

With increasing smartphone adoption in Tier 2 and 3 towns and rural areas, the demand for regional language songs and local artists is seeing massive surge. More and more users in these markets are getting online for entertainment and discovering music on apps vs pirated music loaded on their devices.   

Wynk offers music in 14 Indian languages and regional songs now account for 26% of the overall 3 billion plus monthly streams on the app. Songs in Oriya, Gujarati, Assamese, Marathi, Telugu and Bhojpuri have seen 150%+ growth and are also popular outside the home states as well. Interestingly, Bhojpuri music is also seeing strong uptake amongst urban youth in metros like Delhi.   

“Regional content is clearly the new HERO as more users come online and look for content that is relevant to them. We aim to invest disproportionately for further expanding our regional content library and work with local artists to bring them to the online world of music.” added Adarsh Nair.    

The Wynk Music journey:

·        Sept 2014: Launched in India; crosses 1 lakh downloads in 4 days  

·        Feb 2015: Crosses 5 million app downloads

·        June 2015: Launches Data Save Mode

·        Nov 2015: Crosses 12 million installs

·        Jan 2016: Introduces MP3 Player Function- Plays Local MP3 files

·        Mar 2017: Crosses 50 million installs

·        Jan 2018: Crosses 75 million installs

·        Dec 2018: Voted India’s most entertaining app on Playstore

·        Jan 2019: Crosses 100 million installs