Filmy Funda

2011-04-20T01:28:00.001-07:00

Is Ramya's Twitter rant against media right?

2011-03-19T12:11:00.000-07:00

Actress Ramya a.k.a. Divya Spandana has been often making it to the headlines in recent years and that too for all wrong reasons. These days many news papers, tabloids, TV channels and online portals refer her as the controversial queen of Sandalwood. This may not be 100% correct on all occasion because many a times she was ill treated and pulled her legs by her own industry people. On many incidents, it seems the reason behind almost all her controversies is her haughty behaviour and communication gap.

Before going to put my points, let me be little personal and tell you my feelings about the once No. 1 actress of Kannada film industry because, as a media man, I am disturbed and disgusted by her latest Twitter tirade/rant against media. I have met her personally and interviewed her exactly a year ago during Ugadi in 2010. She is really good human being at heart. She was so cordial and spoke to me so nicely and sweetly that I was left wondering whether this was the girl, who was branded controversial queen by the media. For few days, I was disgusted with the media after seeing her personally, but soon all my anger against media vanished after I did not get response from her when I called her on many occasion.

Let me come back to my point. A couple of days ago, Ramya had hurled her anger against media for supporting producer A Ganesh of Dhandam Dhashagunam. She tweeted, "Ganesh should thank me for the publicity he got cos of me not attending. Would it be the same if I did? Channels for their TRP> more money! and for people who don't make movies anymore get free time on tv to talk about me:o)."

The main moto of each person is to earn his livelihood irrespective of whether he/she is a journalist, artist, teacher, police, politician or any other professional. Ramya should understand one fact that she is also earning her bread by acting in films. She is not donating the amount that she is earning from acting to any charity home. She should also understand that this media has got her daily bread before it earned its livelihood. It has made her number one actress and given her livelihood for lifelong. She should stop looking down upon median and should thank and start respecting journalists.

Media has been the bridge that fills the gap between her and movie buffs for all these years. It is this media that introduced Ramya to the movie buffs before she first appeared on the big screen. It brought her into limelight and got her more offers. Ultimately, it got her permanent life settlement with enough of money in her hands. Now, she talks about feeding media with her by become news item. She should understand her position and stop making stupid statement against media.

In her another post, Ramya has spoken very lightly about the media. She tweeted, "Its all hogwash, anybody can go to the media and say anything they'll write it without getting their facts or doing their homework." I understand and accept the mistakes of media on some occasions. But the two important intentions of media are to fight against injustice and providing information to common man. Media will always stand up for these two reasons without caring for day/night. There is no need for anyone to influence it. It will always weigh the thoughts of both just and unjust people before taking the information about them to the common man. But it is individual's responsibility to make his/her stand clear when they are communicated by the media.

Here I would not like to hide another fact. I am not telling every report/editor is just and will not hesitate to hide the facts for money. Of course! there are, but a very few people, who are busy earning money in the name of journalism and reporting and only god can save such bullshit people. But maximum number of journalists are not like that and they hardly work for money. They always raise their voice against injustice.

Let me come back to Ramya's issue. Ultimately, she posted another comment on Twitter to condemn media for carrying wrong information about her personal life. The actress wrote, "This is todays journalism. I'm quitting because I'm getting married?! Lol! I was on a world tour with a influential personality's son and he proposed to me?! Hahahahaha!" Her statement clearly says that some section of media published false information. It is completely wrong on the side of that particular news paper or portal. But again the responsibility falls on the actress' shoulders.

The 21st century is an age of information and the world is moving at the speed of nanosecond. One must learn to flow the current. Here speculations and rumours play an important role especially about celebrities in this world (Kaliyuga). If one fails to communicate the media properly or provides half information like "In Love", 'seated next to my love of live', then media will be definitely misled and wrongly speculation will bound to emerge in the media. Then there is no right for that person to condemn media. It is his/her folly.

However, the row between Ramya and producer A Ganesh seems to have seen a temporary solution. The reason for this is that firstly Ramya had a strong reason to skip the DD audio release and secondly Kannada Artistes Association, headed by Rebel star Ambareesh, who is fondly called Ambi mama most of the sandalwood stars, supported her. But the solution may not be the happy ending for the controversy because both the parties are still planning to hatch a plot against each other.

Anyway that does not matter here in this discussion. What appears major issue in this whole episode is the foolishness of Ramya. She could avoided this publicity drama if she had avoided her two biggest follies of her life. Firstly, she could have asked for the support of Kannada Artistes Association immediately after her plea was not taken into consideration by the KFCC (Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce). Secondly, she could have responded to the reporters' calls that she got immediately after Ganesh made critical remarks against her at DD press event.

Finally, I would like to conclude my discussion with a request to Ramya as a biggest fan of hers. Dear Ramya madam, Please!!! Please!!! Please!!! Don't commit third biggest folly of your life that is quitting industry. Recently, you have announced on your Twitter account that you are going to retire from the industry. How can you do that when you are the best Sandalwood actress and we (millions of fans) have so many expectation from you? If you stick on to you decision, then you are cheating us. We consider that you are trying to escape from your responsibilities. I hope my sweet and cute dream girl will not do this mistake.

Statutory Warning: The ideas expressed in this article are strictly my personal views about Ramya. They are not meant to force or impress reader to revolt against the actress. They are not meant to insult or spoil her image. They can be considered suggestions from a die-hard fan of hers, if she wants. My humble request to readers of this article please do not drag Ramya into another controversy by making this article a big issue. If you want you can leave your comments about your opinions and suggestions. Anyway thanks for spending your precious time on reading this Stupid (Stupid's) article.

Visit Oneindia.in for more updates on Ramya

Robin Hood - Review

2010-06-20T09:18:00.001-07:00

Ridley Scott’s Robin Hood is an attempt to tell a significantly different version of events and is much darker and more serious-minded than anything we have seen in the past.

Like Casino Royale or the last Star Trek adventure this Robin Hood is all about going back to ground zero and rebuilding a legend. The thrust of the film is the events leading up to Robin being branded as an outlaw and what inspired his pursuit of justice for all.

2010-06-20T09:10:00.000-07:00

Celebrate IPL season III with Hard Rock Café

2010-03-15T05:36:00.000-07:00

Hard Rock Cafe, the leading American restaurant chain is all set to join the cricket fervor through this summer. HRC will screen the Indian Premier League III matches across its outlets in India, starting March 12, 2010 till April 25, 2010. The city’s premiere dining and entertainment destination will also spread the cricket fever and will offer the most smashing off the field menus with screening the matches on projectors to ensure a spectacular experience.

Speaking on the occasion Mr. Amit Keswani, VP Sales and Marketing, JSM Corp Pvt Ltd said, “Last year we received a positive response while screening the IPL matches at Hard Rock Café Mumbai, Bangalore and Pune and this year we plan to extend the experience to our new outlets in New Delhi and Hyderabad,. For the IPL season we are offering our home bound customers the experience of cheering their favourite players while sipping chilled beer and digging into a delectable menu.”

The fun and excitement at HRC will be amplified with contests like – predicting the man of the match, winning team, winning total, earning HRC merchandise for the winners. Upholding the tempo will be cricket based trivia and games. Also, guest cheering their personal favorite team by sporting team jersey would be entitled to a shot on the house. The Hard Rock Café would be done up with opposing flags for that extra power packed cricket experience.

Mr. Keswani added “The offer will be the right mix of cricket, fun, american fare and beer during the IPL cricketing hours. Hard Rock Café is a destination for family fun and we want to focus on delighting each customer who visits our outlet”.

So, come and rock to your favourite game with our Happy Menu offerings for the 4pm matches and specially priced combos for the 8 pm matches.

About JSM Corporation Pvt. Ltd. (JSM): A partnership between noted restaurateurs Jay Singh and Sanjay Mahtani, the JSM portfolio includes a repertoire of twelve outlets including some of India’s most successful and well known independent restaurants. From the super premium lux- lounge Shiro, with its signature high ceilings, grand statues and award winning Asian cuisine to the world renowned Hard Rock Café, JSM restaurants are known for their unique designs and uncompromising standards. JSM has also recently signed an exclusive development agreement with California Pizza Kitchen (CPK) for India with the first outlet opening in July 2010. Plans for 2010 also include the addition of two more Hard Rock Cafes and a Shiro in New Delhi. JSM, through its subsidiaries, is the exclusive master franchisee for Hard Rock Café and California Pizza Kitchen across India, and remains committed to its vision –– Let Us Entertain You! For more information on JSM, visit www.jsmcorp.in

KAMAZ Vectra launch their first truck model in India

2010-02-25T03:37:00.000-08:00

The Indo-Russian joint venture announced by India’s Vectra Group and the Russian KAMAZ Inc. has launched the KAMAZ 6540 tipper model of GVW 31 T, an 8x4 dump truck in India. This is the first launch since the signing of a joint venture agreement between KAMAZ Inc. and Vectra Group in Bangalore, in April 2009.

The KAMAZ 6540 tipper model of GVW 31 T is built on a multi axle of 8X4 configuration with horsepower of 260 and torque of 1060 NM. The high power V Type arranged overhead cam engine boosted by twin turbochargers offers extra tonnage and longevity. The special 8X4 integrated axle design lends high level of stability coupled with maneuverability, even weight distribution on the wheels that effectuates high road grip and low stress on tires. The low CG body is balanced on all specified speed operations. The truck is inexpensive to maintain and repair due to its simple design and easy handling by any trained technician.

KAMAZ 6540 GVW 31 T model is ideal for use in construction of roads & bridges, irrigation canals and infrastructure projects that demand continues and tough duty cycles. The trucks have been competitively priced and promise to grab a major share in the market.

In 2007, KAMAZ decided to enter India’s automobile market, one of the largest and fastest developing markets not only in Asia but also in the world. After studying the market positions and resources of its potential partners, KAMAZ partnered with the Vectra Group of Companies due to its production base, broad experience in India’s automobile market, and adequate financial resources for the planned investments under the joint venture. In March 2009, the partners signed the memorandum of understanding and for the creation of the KAMAZ VECTRA MOTORS LIMITED JV, with a capacity of 5,000 vehicles per year.

Under the JV, the partners established a production and engineering centre for KAMAZ’s business development in the left-hand traffic countries of Asia Pacific and Africa. This centre will develop a new products taking into account the needs and preferences of local customers and will localize vehicle production. In the initial stage of the JV, it planned to assemble several models of vehicles equipped with side platforms and construction dumpers based on the KAMAZ-6540 chassis with right-hand steering wheels, as well as the production of KAMAZ-5460 long-haul tractors.

Thus, in close cooperation with Vectra Group of Companies, KAMAZ has entered the dynamically developing segments of India’s automobile market.

About KAMAZ Inc: KAMAZ Inc. is one of the largest truck manufacturers in Europe and leader in the cargo vehicle market in Russia and the CIS countries, such as Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Belarus. KAMAZ Inc. manufactures a wide range of cargo vehicles, including tractors, side-board trucks, and tippers. The vehicles come with wheel arrangements in different sizes and dimensions: 4x2, 4x4, 6x4, 6x6, 8x4, and 8x8, and with gross weights up to 120 tons. The superstructures rest on the KAMAZ chassis. The combination of technical expertise, innovative design, and competitive pricing allows KAMAZ to offer customers excellent products. Another advantage of KAMAZ trucks is that they require simple and easy maintenance and repair.

KAMAZ trucks are recognized all over the world for their reliability and sturdiness. The company works hard to provide customers with the widest range of services possible, including supply of vehicles and spare parts and maintenance. KAMAZ pays a great deal of attention to the service arrangements in each country where it has operations by engaging local personnel and experts.

About Vectra Group: Vectra Group consists of diverse companies operating in various business domains across the world. The core businesses of the group are aviation, engineering, material handling and construction equipment, automotive, real estate, information technology, and the services sector. The operations of Vectra Group are primarily in India and Eastern Europe, spanning more than 18 companies, with eight manufacturing facilities in four countries (India, UK, Czech Republic, and Slovakia). In addition, Vectra Group has offices and/or investments in France, Russia, Singapore, and Hungary.

Today, the Vectra team comprises more than 4,500 people around the globe, led by a dynamic and entrepreneurial management. The policy of Vectra Group is to forge, strengthen, and expand strategic alliances with partners—wherever they may be. Thanks to its long-standing relationships, Vectra has been able to expand its operations through partnerships with other global leaders such as Eurocopter of France, Orad of Israel, and Kamaz Inc. of Russia.

Spring fashion 2010 hits Max stores

2010-02-22T04:18:00.000-08:00

Max, the value fashion brand from the Dubai based Landmark Group, maximizes the Spring Fashion fervour with the launch of its new ‘Spring Collection 2010’. The latest spring collection exudes a dash of fun and style with refreshing colours and patterns.

Beautiful tones of pink, coral, jewel and rich purple are the colours of the season. Men’s wear collection boasts of uber cool graphics, crisp yarn dyes and smart formals. The women's wear range consists of exclusive funky silhouettes and exotic prints in flattering shapes.

The little boys can plug in some fun and adventure with interesting graphics, prints, cool detailing of cars, badges and animated characters. The little dolly girls can glam up this season with beautiful floral prints and delightful pets and imaginary fairies.

The range is predominantly priced between Rs. 199 to Rs. 599 and perfect for those who want to look fashionable without burning a hole in their pocket. The collection is available across all Max stores in the city at Commercial Street, Indiranagar, Oasis Centre in Koramangala and Spar Hypermarket, Bannerghatta Road.

About Max: Max is the leading fashion retail chain offering customers one stop shop for clothing, accessories and footwear needs for the entire family.

Max - a division of Lifestyle International (P) Ltd. - has pioneered the concept of ‘value fashion retailing’ in the country, thereby offering the value conscious customer a choice of variety without compromising on the quality. It offers merchandise which is fashionable & competitively priced in the range of Rs. 199 to Rs. 599, making it quite affordable. The store ambience offers global shopping experience with imported fixtures and customer friendly layouts. In India, it has 23 stores across 11 cities including Indore, Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Bangalore, Delhi, Agra, Hyderabad, Lucknow, Calicut, Mumbai and Nanded. It has plans to open 60 stores by 2011-12.

Nabi Saleh of Gloria Jean's Coffees receives “Retail Leadership Award”

2010-02-22T04:11:00.000-08:00

Nabi Saleh, Executive Chairman of Gloria Jean’s Coffees, has been accorded the “Retail Leadership Award” at the prestigious ‘Asia Retail Congress Award 2010’. The award was presented to him by Ms.Anjali Kasliwal, Director, S Kumar Group in a glittering ceremony at Taj Land End in Mumbai. Eminent members of retail fraternity including David Roth, CEO (EMEA and Asia)-The Store(A WPP Group Company), Rajiv Agarwal, CEO and Director-The Mobile Store Limited; Brenda Sternquist, Professor International Retailing-Michigan State University etc. were present during the ceremony.

The Award is voted for by Asia Retail Congress members and recognises the performance and achievements of the individual’s business, as well as their credibility, integrity and values.

Mr Saleh said he felt honoured by the recognition, which he dedicated to the efforts of the whole Gloria Jean’s Coffees family including the company’s international regional support teams and enthusiastic Master Franchise Partners.

“Being recognised by our esteemed peers as a ‘Retail Leader’ is very humbling and a testament to the hard work of our dedicated team. Our growth throughout Asia has been an exciting journey and we plan to build on the momentum of the last two years,” Mr Saleh said.

The Award follows a significant period of growth and success for Gloria Jean’s Coffees International, which has enjoyed 25% global sales increase for the year ending June 2009 and entered 10 new markets in the last two years including China and India taking the company’s global presence to 917 coffee houses in 38 markets worldwide.

In April 2009, Gloria Jean’s Coffees International also acquired Gloria Jean’s Coffees USA, comprising 102 locations in 24 states making the brand now Australian-owned and operated in all global markets. The acquisition also included a separate US coffee house brand, the ‘It’s a Grind’ specialty coffee franchise, incorporating a further 103 stores across 14 states, taking the total to 1020.

Gloria Jean’s Coffees, in association with Master Franchise Partner, Citymax Hospitality India Pvt. Ltd, has opened 10 coffee houses in India, with a vision to open 100 more by 2013.

As makers of quality handmade coffee, from bean to cup, Gloria Jean’s Coffees is committed to building a unified family, consistently serving the highest quality coffee and providing outstanding personalized service in a vibrant store atmosphere.

About Gloria Jean’s Coffees: Gloria Jean's Coffees, is a leading international specialty coffee retailer and one of the fastest growing franchise organisations in the world.

Through 917 stores in 38 markets worldwide, Gloria Jean’s Coffees sells hand crafted signature hot and cold coffee drinks, traditional espresso drinks, a range of single origin, blends and estate whole bean coffees and specialty teas, along with pastries and coffee accessories.

For more information visit www.gloriajeanscoffees.com

About Citymax India: Citymax India is part of the Dubai based retail giant, Landmark Group, one of the largest & most respected retailers in India and the Middle East & well known for its Lifestyle chain of retail stores in India. Citymax’s vision in India is to become an integrated hospitality company in the country by blending luxury with superlative value in all its endeavors.

The company currently operates in the following business verticals:
Ø Specialty Restaurants and Coffee chains
Ø Family Entertainment Centers
Ø Food Courts

About Asia Retail Congress: Asia’s single most important global platform to promote world-class retail practices, in its 6th edition with over 250 delegates from 30 nationalities. The focus of the two day Asia Retail congress is to discuss and influence the issues for change. The Asia Retail Congress is to discuss and influence the issues for change. The Asia Retail Congress is aimed at company chairs, Presidents and CEO’s from leading international and national retailers, directors of international and national retailers, directors of international brands who believe in making change.

About Nabi Saleh Nabi Saleh is the Executive Chairman of Gloria Jean’s Coffees, one of the fastest growing specialty coffee franchises in the world with 917 coffee houses in 38 international markets.

As one of the foremost coffee, tea and cocoa commodities experts in Australia, Nabi’s extensive involvement in the coffee industry extends across more than 30 years. This includes his establishment of Columbia Coffee and Tea in 1983, Tea and Coffee Traders in 1986, Maranatha Imports Exports in 1989, Praise International in 1994 and Gloria Jean’s Coffees in 1995.

Pantaloons Femina Miss India East 2010 ends with Grand Finale

2010-02-22T04:00:00.000-08:00

The City of Joy raised its curtains on yet another glamorous culmination to the most sought after beauty contest of India. The eagerly awaited Grand Finale of the most prestigious and credible beauty pageant Pantaloons Femina Miss India East (PFMIE) 2010 was received amidst with much fanfare. ‘Who would win the prestigious title this year’ was the question playing on everyone’s mind as a bevy of beauties displayed their best on the ramp. The announcement of the winners came amidst a glittering star-studded ceremony at the Nicco Park Lawns.

Of the 12 stunning beauties who made it to the Finale stage, Ms. Unnati Darava was crowned the Winner of the PFMI East 2010 and Ms. Rohini
Mukherje and Ms. Eram Karim were crowned the First and Second Runner-Ups respectively. The winner gets a direct entry in top 10 of Pantaloons Femina Miss India 2010.

The Second runner up was crowned by Tulip Bhattacharya (Second runner-up, PFMI East 2009), first runner up by Karishma Karnik (First runner-up, PFMI East 2009) and the Winner by Pooja Chopra (PFMI East Winner 2009 and PFMI World 2009 ‘Beauty with a Purpose’ title winner).

The esteemed panel of judges who decided the fate of the 12 lovely finalists comprised of popular Bengali actress Arpita Chatterjee, Reshmi Ghosh and Koena Mitra, renowned fashion designer Anamika Khanna and Mr. G.K. Suresh – Head of Brands and Business Development with the Personal Care Products Business of ITC Limited.

The gala evening started with the contestants walking the ramp in spectacular creations by Pantaloons from their contemporary indo western fusion wear brand Akkriti. This ‘precious meets glam’ collection created a chic and sleek look with its rich, bright and vibrant colours. With a blend of ethnic and modern fashions, this feminine collection represented the spirit and aspiration of the contestants. With the most beautiful women from the East walking the ramp, this stunning Pantaloons collection complemented and completed their look with panache!

The second round saw the girls attired in beautiful gowns by Agnimitra Paul which had unusual cuts and vibrant colours. This collection saw an elegant mix of bright and pastel shades. Added was a touch of embroidery with patchwork of net and beads. Apt for the Femina Miss India Woman – who is a woman of substance, independent next door girl, intelligent with a touch of elegance and sexiness. They are like flowers - here to bring a fresh breeze of new ideas and adding a new spirit and zeal to society.

Anvesha for Palki presented an extraordinary collection for the finale round. The collection, primarily an indo-ethnic one, consisted of saris for parties and other dressy occasions. The designs were an amalgamation of age old crafts and contemporary cuts. The fabric comprised of traditional benarasis, brocades, silks amongst other heritage fabrics, texturized with fancy dyeing and embellished with state-of-the-art workmanship using mukaish, dabka, zardosi. The designs were crafted by Mrs. Lata & Mrs. Anvesha Harlalka along with a team of in-house designers most of them graduates from prestigious design institutes.

Each of the rounds was accessorized with exquisite jewellery by Senco Gold Limited. This grand event witnessed some of the most breathtaking performances by Deepak Adhikari (Dev), Koel Mallik, Subhashree Ganguly and Monami Ghosh which left the audience asking for more!

The contestant choreography for the show was done by none other than Mr. Marc Robinson, Fashion Director and Contestant Director for PFMIE 2010. The magnificent performances were choreographed by Debraj Ghosal and the show was hosted by Mir and June Maliah. The event was put together and managed by 360 Degrees Experience.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Marc Robinson, Fashion Director and Contestant Director said, “Over the years Indian Fashion and Beauty has evolved dramatically and most of our ex-Femina Miss India’s are sought after globally. Femina Miss India is a lethal cocktail of beauty and brains. We are extremely delighted with the tremendous enthusiasm we have received for the second edition Femina Miss India East pageant. Amidst the close competition the three girls who were successful in impressing the judges with their beauty and brains were declared the ultimate winners. I would like to congratulate each of the winners for whom the journey has just commenced and wish them the very best in life!”

Mr. Zahid Shaikh Head Marketing, Pantaloons said, “Pantaloons Femina Miss India East is a unique pageant that scouts for beauty and talent in East and Pantaloons with its significant presence across East India is proud to be associated with the pageant once again this year. Being a leading name in fashion, it is but natural that Pantaloons is instrumental in grooming the contestants during the run up to the pageant. We are sure Pantaloons Femina Miss India East will bring forth fresh talent this year too.”

Apart from the names of pageant winners, the names of sub-title winners were also announced:

PANTALOONS FEMINA MISS INDIA EAST 2010 – SUB-TITLE WINNERS
No. Sub-title Name Winner
1 Pantaloons Femina Miss East Fresh Face 2010 Rohini Mukherjee
2 Pantaloons Femina Miss East Perfect 10 2010 Vijaya Dey
3 Streax Femina Miss East Glamorous Hair 2010 Eram Karim
4 Femina Miss East Talented 2010 Sushrii Shreya Mishraa/Eram Karim
5 Senco Gold Femina Miss Golden Personality 2010 Eram Karim
6 Femina Miss East Beautiful Smile 2010 Unnati Davara
7 Gorgeous Femina Miss East Elegant 2010 Unnati Davara
8 Femina Miss East Beautiful Skin 2010 Eram Karim
9 Femina Miss East Beautiful Eyes 2010 Rohini Mukherjee
10 Femina Miss East Catwalk 2010 Sushrii Shreya Mishraa
11 Femina Miss East Photogenic 2010 Unnati Davara

In the nine days that went by, the Pantaloons Femina Miss India East 2010 finalists were thoroughly trained at ITC Sonar Bangla. The daunting task of preparing these 12 young women to achieve their aspirations was accomplished by a list of experts each renowned in their field, viz. Marc Robinson - Fashion Director & Contestant Director, Alecia Raut - Ramp walk trainer, Sabira Merchant - Diction Expert, Dr. Jamuna Pai - Cosmetic Physician, Dr. Poornima Mhatre - Wellness Expert, Mickey Mehta - Fitness Expert and Johny Francis – Fashion Photographer.

The Femina Miss India team also thanked everyone who was responsible to make the Pantaloons Femina Miss India East 2010 Pageant a grand success: Title Sponsor - Pantaloons, Hair Colouring and Styling Partner - Streax, Telecast Partner ETV Bangla, Wellness Expert - Gorgeous Skincare Clinic, Radio Partner - Radio Mirchi, Crown & Jewellery partner – Senco Gold Limited, Outdoor Partner – TOOH (Times Out Of Home), Beverage Partner - White & Mackay, Airline Partner – Kingfisher Airlines and Bridgette Jones – Hair & Make up for Photoshoot and Unveiling events.

About Pantaloons:
With the first store in Gariahat in Calcutta 11 years back to being the largest chain of fashion retail store with 45 stores across 25 cities Pantaloons has come a long way. Pantaloons is India’s leading Fashion Retail store and has 7 stores in South with stores in Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai and Mangalore. Not only does Pantaloons has a large presence in Metros like Delhi - stores; Mumbai - stores; Calcutta stores; Bangalore stores, Pantaloons has also established a significant presence in non metros like Lucknow, Indore, Mangalore, Bhubaneshwar and Guwahati. Today Pantaloons is a brand synonymous with Fashion. Whether you are gearing up for a outdoor trip or for a formal family gathering, choose from a wide range of brands like John Miller, Lombard, Annabelle, Honey, BARE, Ajile, RIG, UMM, F Factor, Akkriti, Trisha, Rang Manch, Chalk which are available exclusively at Pantaloons. Pantaloons caters to the fashion need of the entire family with a wide range in apparel and fashion accessories for men, women and kids. With a large reach in terms of sheer presence, Pantaloons is taking fashion to newer heights and to a larger customer base.

DKNY’s Valentine special in crystal and white

2010-02-15T04:29:00.000-08:00

The color of Valentine this season is pure white with brilliant crystals, brought to you by DKNY

DKNY launches an all new range of timepieces which promises to bring a slice of New York on to your wrist. Available in rich textures of gold and silver these timepieces are basically designed for women who a lead modern lifestyle and want to dress with a sense of casual sophistication.

Polished stainless steel bracelet, with white enamel or embedded with clear crystals in etched logo letters lends a sophisticated look to these timepieces. Priced between Rs. 6495/- and Rs.7995/ - these timepieces make for a great gifting option for your valentine.

The watches are available across all Lifestyle, Shoppers Stop and leading watch retail stores

About Fossil India Pvt. Ltd: Fossil is a global design, marketing and distribution company that specializes in consumer fashion accessories. The Company's principal offerings include an extensive line of men's and women's fashion watches and jewelry sold under proprietary and licensed brands, handbags, small leather goods, belts, sunglasses, cold weather products, footwear and apparel. In the watch and jewelry product category, the Company's offerings include a diverse portfolio of globally recognized proprietary and licensed brand names under which its products are marketed.

The Company's extensive range of accessory products, brands, distribution channels and price points allows it to target style-conscious consumers across a wide age spectrum on a global basis. The Company's products are sold to department stores, specialty retail stores, and specialty watch and jewelry stores in the U.S. and in over 90 countries worldwide through 23 company-owned foreign sales subsidiaries and a network of approximately 58 independent distributors. The Company also distributes its products in over 320 company owned and operated retail stores and through international e-commerce websites and the Company's U.S. e-commerce website at www.fossil.com, where certain product, press release and SEC filing information concerning the Company is also available.

Valentine's Day watches from Fossil

2010-02-11T04:31:00.000-08:00

Valentine’s Day - an occasion to celebrate love, togetherness & happiness; and what better way than gifting your loved one. This Valentine’s Day , Fossil called upon its vintage-inspired heritage to create a gift of time for her – the Fossil signature collection of watches.

The Fossil Valentine watches 2010 are a set of three exquisitely designed watches, with white and black leather bracelets, intricate inlays of metal, enamel dials, mosaic-styled hearts, bold display of the season’s hottest color along with shining clear crystals etc. all guaranteed to ensure the lady is swept off her feet!

Prices between Rs. 3995/- and Rs. 6495/- these products are available across all Lifestyle, Shoppers Stops and leading watch retail stores.

About Fossil India Pvt. Ltd: Fossil is a global design, marketing and distribution company that specializes in consumer fashion accessories. The Company's principal offerings include an extensive line of men's and women's fashion watches and jewelry sold under proprietary and licensed brands, handbags, small leather goods, belts, sunglasses, cold weather products, footwear and apparel. In the watch and jewelry product category, the Company's offerings include a diverse portfolio of globally recognized proprietary and licensed brand names under which its products are marketed.

The Company's extensive range of accessory products, brands, distribution channels and price points allows it to target style-conscious consumers across a wide age spectrum on a global basis. The Company's products are sold to department stores, specialty retail stores, and

specialty watch and jewelry stores in the U.S. and in over 90 countries worldwide through 23 company-owned foreign sales subsidiaries and a network of approximately 58 independent distributors. The Company also distributes its products in over 320 company owned and operated retail stores and through international e-commerce websites and the Company's U.S. e-commerce website at www.fossil.com, where certain product, press release and SEC filing information concerning the Company is also available.

Strawberry festival at Gelato Italiano

2010-02-11T04:27:00.000-08:00

Revel in the Strawberry festival in this month of Love with Gelato Italiano

~Spread the Strawberry Love to one and all~

Treat your loved one this Valentine to the smooth and creamy flavour of Strawberry as Gelato Italiano presents the ‘Strawberry Festival’ this month. Give in to the seductive flavour of Fresh Strawberries with 8 different exciting trawberry flavours that will surely take your taste buds by storm!!!

Choose from an array of delicious flavours like the densely layered Yoghurt, the unmistakable Strawberry Cheese Cake- Strawberry Quark or the marvellous mixture of Strawberry and Chocolate Gelato – Strawberry Berritta.

To make your Valentine Weekend extra special Gelato Italiano presents a special offer - choose any 2 Strawberry Flavours (to be served in the waffle cup) for just Rs.49 across Bangalore from the 12th-14th February 2010.

Gelatos at Gelato Italiano are made fresh daily and served fresh. Gelato Italiano comes in exciting flavours that include Chocolate, Bacio (chocolate and hazelnut), Kiwi, Chocolate with mint, Lemon, Strawberry, Blueberry, Stracciatella (vanilla and chocolate), Wine Grape and much more. These healthier and tastier Italian dessert options contain no added flavours or preservatives. That’s not all, 98% diet lite sugar free options and 99.9% fat free sorbettos are also available at Gelato Italiano for all those trying to keep a watch on their diet.

So come along and experience a mouthful of romance bite after very bite….

Valentine’s shopping at Lifestyle & Home Centre

2010-02-11T04:21:00.000-08:00

Celebrate the time of togetherness with unbelievable offers

Love is in the air & so is shopping…

With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, the ‘Big Gifting Confusion’ begins! Lifestyle and Home Centre hopes to vanish all the gifting worries as it offers an opportunity for a startling Valentine shopping extravaganza starting from January 21st, 2010.

Taking the lady love on a shopping expedition which could be the best gift one can offer this Valentine’s. Lifestyle & Home Centre by Lifestyle have added an extra incentive to your valentine shopping by announcing up to 50% discount across all product categories. Meander across the store in the comfort as you select that perfect gift for your Valentine from over 250 national and international brands. You can pick from a wide range of products ranging from trendy dresses, cosmetics, scented candles, soft toys, jewellery, watches, perfumes etc at unbelievable prices.

Offer available across all Lifestyle and Home Centre by Lifestyle stores in Bangaluru, till February 21, 2010.

Lifestyle International (P) Ltd. Lifestyle International (P) Ltd. opened its first Lifestyle store in India in 1999 and in a little over a decade has come to be recognized amongst leading retail companies in the country. It is a part of the prestigious USD 3 billion Landmark Group (Dubai). Positioned as a trendy, young, colorful and vibrant store, Lifestyle offers consumers not just the ease of shopping but also provides for an enjoyable shopping experience. Each Lifestyle store brings together five concepts under one roof – Apparel, Footwear, Children Wear & Toys, Household & Furniture and Health & Beauty; offering a convenient one-stop shop and a choice of over 250 national & international brands.

In the year 2005, Lifestyle launched its first specialized, stand-alone home improvement store – ‘Home Centre by Lifestyle’ – providing a one stop destination for furniture, home décor and soft furnishing that truly represents style, comfort and individuality.

Colorbar introduces the Valentine’s Day gift hamper

2010-02-11T04:19:00.000-08:00

It’s that time of the year again, where romance takes precedence over every thing else. It’s the time to share love, show people you care and shower them with gifts!

Colorbar has introduced, especially for this occasion, a Valentine’s Day gift pack. It is in romantic colors of pink and red, the hamper comprises of the Juicy Candy lip gloss, Diva lipstick, Metallic lip gloss and two lovely shades of nail paint.

The Juicy Candy lip gloss is easy to use and comes in a lip smacking “applicious” flavor. The Diva lipstick is a rich creamy format that gives your lips an easy pout and looks fabulous. Metallic lip gloss has a beautiful shine, long lasting and gives the perfect gorgeous look for any social outing. The hamper also includes two nail enamels which are long lasting, chip-free and quick dry. The complete hamper is your beauty treasure to make you look trendy, attractive and sizzling all year round!

The hamper is priced at Rs 800 for all five items.

About Colorbar Colorbar is a leading brand of color cosmetics. Our exclusive, high-end formulations and product lines are manufactured in Greece, Italy, France and Germany to glam up our clients’ avant garde fashion needs. As a color expert, we consider every woman as unique. Her personality, style and selection of colors express her individuality. This is the inspiration for our interesting and contemporary color palette that fuels the fashion desires of today’s woman. Colorbar designs its repertoire to re-define the chic & sensual woman, with its range of make-up. Our forecasts for trends capture the changing hues on the international runway & this has transformed us from a mere cosmetic company to the most sought after color brand for our customers.

Good Health & nutrition with Prestige’s Centrifugal Juicer

2010-02-03T04:42:00.000-08:00

Scientifically said, raw vegetable juices and fruit juices have no equal as far as human diet is concerned…

With a view of offering the best of health & nutrition for today’s health conscious consumers, TTK Prestige, India’s largest & the most trusted kitchen appliances brand has introduced a range of Centrifugal Juicers called “Prestige Juicee”.

Prestige Centrifugal Juicer comes with features like advanced design sieve, thermal over load protector that protects against over heating & over loading, interlocking safety system, a transparent lid to help you monitor, removable squeezer and strainer for ease of cleaning etc… To enhance kitchen glamour, Centrifugal has been designed aesthetically too!

The products are available in three varieties and are priced at Rs. 1895/-, Rs.2295 and Rs.2695.

Commenting on this introduction, Chandru Kalro, Executive VP Marketing said, “Health has been our prime focus while designing our products which has been proven time and again with our introduction of Pressure cookers, residue free non-stick cookware etc. Prestige Juicee is one such attempt in that direction. We hope the product will be appreciated by our consumers and pave the way towards a healthy family.”

Prestige Centrifugal Juicers are available across all Prestige Smart Kitchens & dealer outlets in the country.

About TTK Prestige:

TTK Prestige Limited is a part of the 1200 crore TTK Group and is the largest Kitchen Appliances Company in the country. The brand has a varied product portfolio ranging from pressure cookers, non-stick cookware, and gas stoves to electrical appliances and kitchen tools. The company also has a series of exclusive retail showrooms called Prestige Smart Kitchens across the country.

Prestige cookers also reach countries in West Asia and the African continent, as per a licensing arrangement with Meyer Prestige, U.K. The company presently has manufacturing set-ups in Hosur, Coimbatore and Roorkee and 22 sales branches located across the country to cater to the needs of specific markets. TTK Prestige is the first kitchenware company in India to receive the ISO 9001 certification and the PED / CE certification by TUV, Germany.

Gelato Italiano’s Chocolate Ripple Flavour

2010-02-01T04:12:00.000-08:00

Gelato Italiano’s “Chocolate Ripple” Flavour of the month for February 2010 For just Rs. 9/-ONLY ON February 1, 2010

The season to indulge in the fantasy of love is upon us now and Gelato Italiano makes you feel closer to your loved one with its new scrumptious new Flavour of the month – Chocolate Ripple. Enjoy the incredible taste of chocolate and mouth-watering cherries in this new flavour that will be available all through the month. The flavour will be available at a special price of Rs. 9 only on February 1, 2010.

Dive into an indulgent chocolate fantasy with dollops of Italian vanilla with a generous downpour of chocolate sauce and hints of crispies and cherries that will surely pep up your deepest of desires.

Chocolate Ripple, the flavour of the month of February is available at a special offer of just Rs. 9/- (including taxes) only on February 1, 2010

The best Gelato is freshly made and served and comes in endless exciting flavours such as Chocolate, Bacio (chocolate and hazelnut), Kiwi, Chocolate with Mint, Lemon, Strawberry, Blueberry, Stracciatella (vanilla and chocolate), Wine Grape and much more.

Gelatos are the healthier and tastier Italian dessert options, as they contain no added flavours or preservatives. Gelato Italiano goes a step further to look after those who have a sweet tooth yet want to be healthy too by offering 98 per cent diet lite sugar free options and 99.9 per cent fat free sorbettos.

So hurry to your nearest Gelato Italiano and grab one …remember, it’s just for Rs. 9/- on February 1, 2009.

*Available at all Gelato Italiano outlets in Bangalore, Mumbai & New Delhi.

HomeShop18: 50 % Value Back Offer on all products

2010-02-01T04:06:00.000-08:00

· Gift certificates worth 50 % value free with every purchase
· Offer valid from Feb 1 to Feb 28, 2010 on all products from mobiles and electronics to Home Appliances to Jewellery to Home & Kitchen products to Toys and more
· Buy & Get 50% Value Back with every purchase

HomeShop18, India’s first 24-hour home shopping channel from the Network18 Group, announces the special annual scheme for its customers called ‘50% Value Back Offer’. Specially designed for consumers seeking maximum value with every purchase they make, this promotional offer promises a smart shopping experience for all current and new viewers of HomeShop18.

This offer is valid for a month starting from February 1st till February 28th, 2010. For every item purchased during this period, customers get Gift Certificates worth 50% of the purchase value back. The gift certificates will be sent in Rs 500, Rs 200 and Rs 100 denominations & would be valid on their next purchase.

Talking about this value driven promotion offer, Mr. Sundeep Malhotra, CEO, HomeShop18 said, “With a very difficult year gone by, our consumers have become extremely price conscious and are constantly looking out for offers and deals which provide value for money. The desire to splurge without looking at the ‘price tag’ has yet not caught the fancy of Indians. Keeping that fact in mind, we thought that this would be an ideal way to give them an incentive to shop and get a complete and fulfilling shopping experience. Great brands, exciting products combined with this super value proposition is sure to invite new and existing shoppers on our channel for a shopping joyride”

HomeShop18, India’s 1st and only 24 Hour Shopping Channel, has gained tremendous popularity for its promotions and is clearly emerging as a preferred retail destination for many Indian consumers. Currently, there is one new customer who transacts with HomeShop18 every 8 seconds. With a nationwide logistics reach of 2750 towns and a 24 x 7 call centre, HomeShop18 has brought products at affordable prices to customers’ door step. For further details on “50% Value Back Offer” customers can call 18001800918 or they can log on to www.homeshop18.com and pick the great deals.

About HomeShop18 HomeShop18 is India’s first comprehensive virtual retail business, selling credible brands to customers nationally, operating in a multimedia environment including television, web, catalogue and other media. As a pioneering player in the space and within a year of launch, HomeShop18 has achieved an impressive scale with 20000 products across multiple categories, a logistical reach of over 2750 cities and a strong loyal customer base. HomeShop18 is committed to providing superlative quality, exceptional value and unmatched convenience. From the stage of product selection, to placing the order & all the way to the final delivery at your doorstep – an experience that you can depend upon! HomeShop18 makes shopping fun and easy. Great products & established brands, multiple payment options, time bound delivery and a 15 day ‘no questions’ asked replacement guarantee. HomeShop18 is committed to building a credible proposition for both the consumer & its partners. For more, log onto www.homeshop18.com (Winner of PC World’s “Best shopping site” award).

About Network18 Network18[BSE: 532798,NSE: Network18] is one of India's leading full play media conglomerates with interests in television, print, internet, filmed entertainment, mobile content and allied businesses. Through its holding in Television Eighteen India Ltd (TV18) [BSE: 532299, NSE: TV-18], Network18 operates India’s leading business news television channels, CNBC-TV18 and CNBC Awaaz. It also runs one of India’s largest Internet players - Web18, as well as one of India’s leading real time financial information and news terminals - Newswire18. TV18 has recently expanded into print with the acquisition of Infomedia, India's leading player in the B2B publishing and printing operations space, and announced collaboration with Forbes media for the launch of a business magazine in India and is in process of launching a Hindi business daily for the Indian market via a 50:50 JV with Jagran Prakashan. Through its holding in ibn18 Broadcast Ltd (ibn18) [BSE: 532800,NSE: ibn18], Network18 operates in the general news and entertainment space with leading general news channels CNN-IBN and IBN7 and has launched IBN Lokmat, a Marathi news channel in partnership with the Lokmat group. ibn18 also operates a joint venture with Viacom, called Viacom18 which houses the MTV, VH1 and Nickelodeon channels in India - as also Studio18, the Group’s filmed entertainment operation and has launched ‘Colors’, a Hindi general entertainment channel. Additionally, Network18 holds the Group’s online & on-air home shopping venture, Homeshop18 and its full spectrum events management venture, E18. For more information, log on to www.network18online.com

Myntra ushers in 2010 on a “Green”note

2010-01-29T20:12:00.001-08:00

~ Specifically launches a new range of Eco – Friendly products for Corporate Houses ~

Myntra.com - India’s largest on-demand consumer products personalization brand – has launched an all new range of eco-friendly products for companies and colleges. These 'green' products include t-shirts, hand bags, Jute laptop bags, wall hangings, coasters, solar powered lanterns, office stationery made out of recycled paper such as pen stands, pens, folders, memo pads and many more.

Made from 100% natural substances, Myntra has in the offering 90 exciting and unique products across categories - Biodegradable, Sustainable, Efficient, Organic, and Recycled giving corporates a wide range to choose from. These products cater to the growing conscience of the corporate world to stand up & contribute towards positive environmental change.

While going green is the need of the hour, these products make for a great gifting option be it clients, employees, consumers or other stake holders.

Enquiries for these products can be placed through the Myntra website – www.myntra.com or by calling on their toll free number 1800 102 9696. The website offers an easy to use and user friendly ordering platform for ordering products.

About Myntra: (www.myntra.com):

Myntra.com is India’s largest on demand personalization platform for products, gifts and cool merchandise. Myntra enables individuals and corporates to create their own products by adding content of their choice – photos, graphics, designs, slogans etc. - on a wide range of consumer products. Currently Myntra offers personalized products across 33 product categories and has a Designer Community with over 4000 designers who have contributed to over 30000 designs to the Myntra Design Library.

A first to Myntra's credit is powering the Yuvraj Singh Brand Store which is India's first Online Celebrity Merchandise store. Myntra also has India's largest collection of Corporate Gifting & Promotional Products catalogues catering to the Corporate & Institutional clients. Another Myntra innovation is designing and setting up exclusive Brand Shops for large corporates like Tech Mahindra, ING Vysya, Birlasoft and Headstrong. Myntra was started by a group of IIT / IIM graduates in late 2006 and is headquartered in Bangalore with regional offices in New Delhi & Mumbai. Myntra has been funded by top tier Venture Capital funds like NEA, IDG & Accel Partners.

Shopping extravaganza at Lifestyle & Home Centre

2010-01-29T20:05:00.000-08:00

It’s a happy season for all shopaholics as Lifestyle, leading fashion retail chain from the Dubai based Landmark Group, has announced the much awaited Off-Sale offering discounts upto 50% across apparel, Cosmetics, Furniture, Furnishings, Footwear, Toys & Children Wear. Customers will have more than 250 national and international brands to choose from at unbelievable prices.

The Off-Sale starts from January 21, 2010 and is on till February 21, 2010 for Lifestyle and from January 21, 2010 till February 28, 2010 for Home Centre by Lifestyle. The offer is available at Lifestyle and Home Centre by Lifestyle stores situated at Adarsh Opus, Richmond Road (Victoria Junction) and at Oasis Centre, Koramangala.

This sale is a perfect opportunity to upgrade your wardrobe with trendiest clothes and accessories as well as give that dream make over to your homes without burning a hole in your pocket. So unleash the shopper in you and get your hands on the finest of apparel, children’s wear, cosmetics, footwear and home furnishing, furniture and home décor at incredible prices.

Adds Mr. Shankar Suryanarayan, Chief Marketing Officer, Landmark Group” The Lifestyle and Home Centre by Lifestyle off sale is enthusiastically awaited by our customers who see it as a wonderful opportunity to splurge and avail huge discounts on their favourite brands across categories.“

Lifestyle International (P) Ltd. Lifestyle International (P) Ltd. opened its first Lifestyle store in India in 1999 and in a little over a decade has come to be recognized amongst leading retail companies in the country. It is a part of the prestigious USD 3 billion Landmark Group (Dubai). Positioned as a trendy, young, colorful and vibrant store, Lifestyle offers consumers not just the ease of shopping but also provides for an enjoyable shopping experience. Each Lifestyle store brings together five concepts under one roof – Apparel, Footwear, Children Wear & Toys, Household & Furniture and Health & Beauty; offering a convenient one-stop shop and a choice of over 250 national & international brands.

In the year 2005, Lifestyle launched its first specialized, stand-alone home improvement store – ‘Home Centre by Lifestyle’ – providing a one stop destination for furniture, home décor and soft furnishing that truly represents style, comfort and individuality.

Free Grammy nominated video compilation

2010-01-29T20:00:00.000-08:00

Bangalore, January, 2010: Gloria Jean’s Coffees, one of the world’s leading global specialty coffee company in association with Citymax Hospitality India Pvt. Ltd has announced an exclusive tie-up with Universal Music to bring to its customers the best of Grammy’s 2010.

Spend Rs.349/- on your favourite coffee/ snack at Gloria Jean’s Coffees and take away a special video compilation of Grammy Nominated songs (VCD). That’s not all! Customer can avail a cool discount of 15% on albums (audio CDs) of select Grammy nominated artists such as Akon, Lady Gaga, Metallica, BonJovi, Black Eye Peas etc only at Gloria Jean’s Coffees.

The offer is valid upto February 14th or 2010 till stocks last, whichever comes first. In Bangalore, the offer is available across Gloria Jean’s Coffees outlets at the Oasis Center, Sony Junction, Koramangala; St. Mark’s Road and 100ft Road Indira Nagar.

About Gloria Jean’s Coffees: Originally established 30 years ago, Gloria Jean's Coffees has today become a global coffee brand, committed to delivering the ultimate specialty coffee experience. Through 925 stores across 37 countries worldwide, Gloria Jean's Coffees is a leading specialty coffee retailer and one of the fastest growing franchise organizations in the world. Gloria Jean’s Coffees entered in the India market in 2008 and is expanding across key cities. There are now 10 Gloria Jean’s outlets across Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai and Hyderabad more planned over the next 12-18 months.

Australian owned and operated global brand, Gloria Jean's Coffees, is a leading specialty coffee retailer and one of the fastest growing franchise organisations in the world.

Through 925 plus stores in 37 markets worldwide, Gloria Jean’s Coffees sells hand crafted signature hot and cold coffee drinks, traditional espresso drinks, a range of single origins, blends and estate whole bean coffees and specialty teas, along with pastries and coffee accessories.

Gloria Jean’s Coffees has also been conferred the MYOB Excellence in Franchising Award for Innovation for two consecutive years – 2008 and 2009.

About Citymax India: Citymax India, a part of the Dubai based retail giant, Landmark Group, one of the largest & most respected retailers in India and the Middle East well known for its Lifestyle chain of retail stores in India. Bringing customers a gamut of choices, Citymax operates Food Courts (Polynation), Coffee Outlets (Gloria Jean's Coffees), Specialty Restaurants (Sanjeev Kapoor's The Yellow Chilli) and Fun & Entertainment Centers (Fun City) across India.

Citymax was awarded the best developer in the GJC IMEA Region(Indian Subcontinent , Middle East & Africa) for developing outlets within an effective Market Growth Strategy with measured alignment to Gloria Jean’s Coffees’s New Outlet Operating Process.

For more information, please visit www.gloriajeanscoffees.com

Dignity Donor Privilege Programme for elderly citizens

2010-01-29T19:56:00.000-08:00

The elder citizens of Bangalore get a fresh lease of life with over 24 services to avail from and contribute to the cause of senior citizens.

Bangalore, January 25: Dignity Foundation, an NGO working for the cause and care of elderly citizens, launched a set of unique services and privileges for the 50+ citizens through the Dignity Donor Privilege Programme (DDPP) yesterday.

To mark the occasion, an exhilarating fusion concert led by Dr. Suma Sudhindra on Veena and Pravin Godkhindi on flute along with their troupe enthralled the jam packed audience at the Chowdiah Memorial Hall.

Renowned film Director-Actor Ramesh Aravind who is the brand ambassador of DDPP made an eloquent speech appreciating the Foundation. He felt that it was a step forward to elevate the status of senior citizens by enabling them to lead a productive second innings.

Through this launch and revamped programme, Dignity Foundation plans to reach out with its services to the 91 million senior citizens of our country. Every member of the DDPP becomes a donor to support the social cause of elder citizens in India while enjoying the benefits of their association with the Dignity Foundation.

Under the renewed Dignity Donor Privilege Programme, Dignity Foundation would be providing the members the following benefits – Dignity Dialogue Magazine, Dignity Second Careers, 24 x 7 Helpline, Networking with peers, Dignity Discounts, Dignity Special Events, Trusted Information on call, Volunteer at Will, Professional Counsel and Security with Dignity in addition to several other benefits.

The Director, Dignity Foundation, Bangalore Chapter, Mr. N B Jayaprakash commenting on the launch said “We are excited and very proud about the launch of the Dignity Donour Privilege Programme. Through this revamped launch of our service, we are aiming to make a difference in the lives of elderly citizens over 50 years of age across cities like Mumbai, Pune, Kolkata, Bangalore and Chennai. Additionally, we are also launching the colored version of our magazine Dignity Dialogue on-stands in English and Hindi. Through the magazine, we plan to lobby for retirement and senior citizen policies. The magazine would also serve as a platform to mobilize senior citizens’ participation through articulation of ideas to build a more caring society.”

Among others who graced the occasion included former chief secretary of Karnataka, Mr. B. R. Prabhakara, veteran dramatist Yamuna Murthy, and TV celebrity Vidhya Murthy among others.

India’s First Ever Hunt for the Most Talented Transgender Begins

2010-01-25T04:31:00.000-08:00

- Indian Super Queen comes to Bangalore on January 18, 2010
- Rigorous training and grooming sessions by industry experts for the contestants

Show Highlights

· Celina Jaitley is the official endorser
· Zeenat Aman and other celebrities to be judges for the grand finale

Twelve Noon Entertainment, an initiative of Laxmi Narayan Tripathi catering to the entertainment industry along with VCare, a diversified business conglomerate, today announced the launch of ‘Indian Super Queen’ – The first ever beauty pageant for the transgender community in India. The launch ceremony witnessed the presence and support of bollywood actors Celina Jaitley and Seema Biswas.

Auditions in Bangalore took place yesterday at Hotel Infantry, Shivaji Nagar. The winners were Zara, Monisha, Tanushree and Natasha. The 4 candidates selected from Bangalore will compete for the semi-finals in Mumbai on February 6, 2010.

Speaking about beauty paegent, Laxmi Narayan Tripathi, CEO, Twelve Noon Entertainment, said, “Indian Super Queen” would bring the community of transgender to unite and give a positive vibe about who and what they are. It is not about who is the best and most aesthetically beautiful, it's about who is willing to proudly display their character, take pride in who they are and to prove that they are just as "human" as all of us.”

She further added, “All transgenders, want to blend in with society and be seen nothing less than a female, but whatever they do, no matter how much they alter ourselves, they will always be who they are and should celebrate and be thankful to have the opportunity to live life, possess the natural gift to give love and be loved. Admittedly a beauty pageant is not the only way to celebrate but it's a beginning.”

“As human being my duty is to help another human being and I am strong beliver in god. I believe that we always think that Hijras /TG should be given a chance but never take the initiative ourselves, I met Laxmi and felt that something should be done for them and when we discussed this idea came up and felt this was the chance and went ahead with it” said, Mr. Sunil Saldanha, Managing Director, Vcare Group of Companies.

Celina Jaitley added, “India proves itself yet again to be the world’s largest democracy. It’s a pleasure to live in a country where human rights and equality amongst all is appreciated. Its time for the much oppressed "kinnar" community to come up on the stage and show the world that beauty exists in all human beings. Gender has nothing to do with it.”

The contest will begin with auditions in ten cities - Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bhopal, Bhubaneshwar, Ahmedabad, Jaipur and Kolkata. The contestants would be judged on the basis of their creativity, special skill sets and confidence. Three contestants chosen from each city would then compete for semi-finals. 12 chosen semi finalists would undergo rigorous grooming and traning sessions by the best in the industry. One lucky contestant would be crowned as the ‘Indian Super Queen’ during the grand finale on February 21, 2010.

About Twelve Noon Entertainments Pvt. Ltd:

Twelve Noon Entertainments Pvt. Ltd. is a company which caters to the entire gamut of entertainment industry viz. events, production, corporate films and documentaries. The company is promoted by senior professionals from the entertainment industry having wide knowledge from conceptualisation to execution. The significance of Twelve Noon is that the sun is right on the head at noon and showers maximum blessings on us which also signifies growth. The sun god being the most powerful force will always shine on us thereby taking us to new dimensions coupled with our hard work and dedication.

About Vcare International:

Vcare Group of Companies is a diversified business conglomerate making a worldwide presence by changing lives of people & touching the nations. It has a vast variety of products & services that will cater to almost every needs of human race. Its business culture is categorized in Social Activity & Commercial Activity. Wide range of services like Vcare 24x7 Utility Services, Agro Products, Healthcare, Hospitals, International Schools, FM Radio, TV Channel, Vcare Mart, Ads & Events, IT Solutions, Tours & Travels, Airline Services, Energy, Steel, Special Economic Zone & many more projects. Its board of directors, staff, suppliers, customers & all those who wish to associate with us are not just people – they are Visionaries.

About Laxminarayan Tripathi:

Laxminarayan Tripathi popularly known as Laxmi, is the first transgender to represent Asia Pacific in the UN General Assembly Presidents office as a Civil Society Task Force member. She is a founder member of the APTN – Asia Pacific Transgender Network and also a founder member of the first Hijra / Transgenders organisation in India & whole of South East Asia. Laxmi is also instrumental in starting and successfully running a CBO ‘Astitva’ – An Organisation for the Support & development of Sexual Minorities which is a community based organization which works with Sexual Minorities including Hijra / Transgender population in India. She also took a troupe of Ten Hijras from India to Amsterdam to perform at the Amsterdam India Festival.

Indulge, Shop, Splurge…. @ Max Stores

2010-01-25T04:27:00.000-08:00

Max, the value fashion brand from the Dubai based Landmark Group has announced its much awaited end of season sale and will be offering consumers discounts up to 50% across apparel, accessories & footwear for men, women and kids.

Apart from this Max will also be giving away gift vouchers worth Rs. 99/- for purchases above Rs. 1499/- & Rs. 249/- worth gift voucher for purchases worth Rs. 2499/- & above.

Adds Mr. Shankar Suryanarayan, Chief Marketing Officer, Landmark Group, “Max caters to the young aspiring adult who is fashion conscious and is exposed to latest international fashion trends. Our customers will find Off sale an ideal opportunity to update their wardrobes with latest fashion without burning a hole in their pocket”.

The offer is on till January 26th, 2010 in Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Calicut, Ahmedabad, and Mumbai.

About Max: Max is the leading fashion retail chain offering customers one stop shop for clothing, accessories and footwear needs for the entire family.

Max - a division of Lifestyle International (P) Ltd. - has pioneered the concept of ‘value fashion retailing’ in the country, thereby offering the value conscious customer a choice of variety without compromising on the quality. It offers merchandise which is fashionable & competitively priced in the range of Rs. 199 to Rs. 599, making it quite affordable. The store ambience offers global shopping experience with imported fixtures and customer friendly layouts. In India, it has 20 stores across 9 cities including Indore, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Delhi, Agra, Hyderabad, Lucknow, Calicut and Mumbai. It has plans to open 60 stores by 2011-12.

Gelato Italiano presents ‘Flavours of Freedom’

2010-01-25T04:25:00.000-08:00

This Republic Day, Gelato Italiano provides you the prefect reason to celebrate and indulge your tastebuds with some delicious mouth-watering flavours of Gelato. Celebrate India’s freedom with three most exclusive flavours representing the patriotic colours of India – Honey Dew Melon, Mix Berry Cheesecake and Choco Orange priced at just Rs.15/- from January 23-26 across all Gelato Italiano Kiosks in Bangalore, Mumbai & New Delhi.

Gelato tempts you to rejoice with your choice of flavours on the occasion of India’s Republic Day. Dig into the Mix Berry Cheesecake, revel in the smooth Honey Dew Melon and indulge in the ever-exotic Choco Orange.

Gelato is made and served fresh daily every day. Gelato comes in endless exciting flavours such as Chocolate, Bacio (chocolate and hazelnut), Kiwi, Chocolate with Mint, Lemon, Strawberry, Blueberry, Stracciatella (vanilla and chocolate), Wine Grape and many more.

Gelatos are the healthier and tastier Italian dessert options, as they contain no added flavours or preservatives. Gelato Italiano goes a step further to look after those who have a sweet tooth yet want to be healthy too by offering 98 per cent diet lite sugar free options and 99.9 per cent fat free sorbettos.

India Post and Thomas Cook Ltd. to provide Foreign Exchange

2010-01-15T04:10:00.000-08:00

Bangalore, January 12: India Post, the world's largest Postal network and Thomas Cook (India) Limited (TCIL), India's largest integrated travel and travel related financial services company, have entered into a mutually beneficial and long term relationship to provide Foreign Exchange and travel related services through the Post Offices. Under the Memorandum of Understanding that was signed on 12 January, 2010 in the presence of Hon'ble Thiru A Raja, Union Minister for Communications and IT, Foreign Exchange and Travel Bureaux will be established within the Post Offices to offer on-site Foreign Exchange, Insurance and Travel Products support to India Post customers.

This remarkable achievement has been possible primarily because Thomas Cook India is an established Foreign Exchange Organisation, which has been in the business for over 129 years in India. This partnership will ensure availability of two strong brands to the customer, especially tourists, and provide them with a legitimate source for undertaking foreign exchange and travel related transactions. Moreover, TCIL would be able to extend its services to locations where India Post is present, thus reaching out to a higher number of customers. This in turn, would make available easy access to customers for Foreign Exchange Services.

Roll-Out Mechanism - In the initial phase, FX and Travel bureaux will be established in the following five Post Offices of Delhi:

Connaught Place (A Block)
Chanakya Puri
Greater Kailash Part-II
Karol Bagh
Vasant Vihar

Services and Product Portfolio -

ï‚· Purchase and Sale of foreign exchange in accordance with RBI rules and regulations:

ï‚· Foreign Currency Bank Notes in all major currencies

ï‚· Travellers Cheques in all major currencies.

ï‚· Pre-Paid Cards

ï‚· Foreign Currency Drafts

ï‚· Wire Transfers

Additionally, TCIL would also provide the following products/services:

ï‚· Cash Advances against international credit cards.

ï‚· Leisure Travel, Inbound and Outbound packages

ï‚· Travel Insurance

ï‚· Visa, Passport Service

ï‚· Domestic and International Tickets

The tie-up between India Post and Thomas Cook (India) Ltd. was launched by Hon'ble Thiru A Raja, Union Minister for Communications and IT. Speaking on the occasion, the Minister described the tieup as a path-breaking initiative taken by Delhi Circle. The Minister highlighted that this enterprise brings together the strengths of India Post, the largest postal network in the world and Thomas Cook, one of the most recognized and internationally known Companies in the travel and foreign exchange sector the world over. This would be a meaningful value- addition to the portfolio of services offered by the Department of Post because it is based on the perception and recognition of a felt need for provision of this kind of service. On the other hand, it would enable Thomas Cook to widen their reach by leveraging the India Post network.

The Minister stated that Delhi being one of the most prominent commercial and tourist hubs of the country is particularly well-suited for the launch of this service. With the Commonwealth games being hosted by Delhi in October this year, a huge influx of tourists is expected from all parts of the world and this tie-up will cater to the needs of the floating population in a befitting manner.

Ms. Radhika Doraiswamy, Secretary, Department of Post who was present at the occasion, lauded the effort and said that through this MoU with Thomas Cook, Delhi Circle has translated a realisation into tangible action: the realisation that it was important to fill up a gap in the bouquet of services offered by India Post. The Secretary further added that the Department of Post has been taking several measures in the direction of sagacious business diversification while at the same time concentrating on its core mail operations. These initiatives include launch of an International remittance service in collaboration with Eurogiro, introduction of flat rate boxes for international parcels, partnership with the Registrar General of India for the 2011 Census Operations â€“ all of them having the common element of improvement in the quality of service rendered to customers. Behind these initiatives is a re-dedication to basic service parameters viz despatch and delivery, sorting and transmission that is driving the work force of India Post with a new zeal and assiduity towards achieving excellence. In fact, as a result of these initiatives, India Post has been recently categorised as one among forty nation builders.

On this significant partnership, Mr. Ludger Heuberg, Chairman, TCIL, expressed that, â€œIt is for the first time in the history of TCILâ€™s presence in India that such a partnership has emerged with the India Post and TCIL. India Post has the largest postal network in the world with over 1.55 lakh post offices. It is a matter of pride and a noteworthy milestone for us, towards creating an enriching experience for as many customers as possible. It has been our constant endeavour to provide our expertise in forex and travel related services, to our potential customers, in an easy and hassle free manner.â€

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Madhavan Menon, Managing Director, TCIL, said â€œIndia Post has pioneered in innovation and delivery of postal services to the Indian masses. Thomas Cook also is a customer focused travel company of international repute. The partnership is synergized to add more value across all our centers and offer an advanced product portfolio. With associations of such magnitude comes great responsibility and we are confident that with India Post as our partner we shall have more satisfied customers.â€

About Thomas Cook (India) Limited: Thomas Cook (India) Ltd. is the largest integrated Travel and Travel related Financial Services Company in the country offering a broad spectrum of services that include Foreign Exchange, Corporate Travel, Leisure Travel, and Insurance. The Company has been into Indian operations since 129 years of world-class travel service. Thomas Cook India is renowned for operating in the following areas of business, namely: Leisure Travel, Corporate Travel Management, MICE, Foreign Exchange, SWIFT Network, Travel Insurance, Credit Cards, Pre-Paid Cards, Life Insurance and E-Business. For more information please visit

www.thomascook.in/corporate

About Thomas Cook Group plc: Thomas Cook Group plc, UK, is one of the worldâ€™s leading leisure travel groups with sales of Â£8.8 billion, 22.3million customers, 31,000 employees, a fleet of 93 aircraft and a network of over 3,400 owned and franchised travel stores and interests in 86 hotels and resort properties. It operates under five geographic segments in 21 countries, and is number one or two in all its core markets.

Myntra launches brand new range of t-shirts

2010-01-13T04:05:00.000-08:00

Myntra - India’s largest on-demand consumer products personalization brand - has launched the largest online apparel store in India. The brand has launched an extensive and trendy collection of t-shirts for men, women and kids in varied styles such as Collared, Active wear, Raglan, Polo, Eco friendly and more. These T-shirts are available in innumerable hues of Yellows, Blues, Reds, Pinks, Greens and many more. This great selection of exquisitely crafted T-shirts offer ultimate experience in style and comfort.

What’s more exciting is that the t-shirt can be personalized according to your favourite colour, photos, text, designs etc, and is priced starting from Rs. 399/-. Myntra has a thriving designer community that continuously creates new designs on a wide variety of topics and themes. Myntra's design library offers over 35000 designs that can be selected by Myntra customers. “We are proud to launch most comprehensive personalized Apparel collection in India. This is yet another effort from Myntra to keep pushing the boundaries of personalization and offer better choices to our customer” said Mukesh Bansal, CEO of Myntra Designs Pvt. Ltd.

These t-shirts can be ordered through the Myntra website – www.myntra.com. The website offers an easy to use and user friendly ordering interface for order products. Payments can be made on the website through convenient payment options like credit card, debit card and Net Banking. International card payments are also accepted. The website also gives consumers an option of making payments through cheques.

About Myntra: (www.myntra.com): Myntra.com is India’s largest on demand personalization platform for products, gifts and cool merchandise. Myntra enables individuals and corporates to create their own products by adding content of their choice – photos, graphics, designs, slogans etc. - on a wide range of consumer products. Currently Myntra offers personalized products across 33 product categories and has a Designer Community with over 3500 designers who have contributed to over 30000 designs to the Myntra Design Library. A first to Myntra's credit is powering the Yuvraj Singh Brand Store which is India's first Online Celebrity Merchandise store. Myntra also has India's largest collection of Corporate Gifting & Promotional Products catalogues catering to the Corporate & Institutional clients. Another Myntra innovation is designing and setting up exclusive Brand Shops for large corporates like Tech Mahindra, ING Vysya, Birlasoft and Headstrong. Myntra was started by a group of IIT / IIM graduates in late 2006 and is headquartered in Bangalore with regional offices in New Delhi & Mumbai. Myntra has been funded by top tier Venture Capital funds like NEA, IDG & Accel Partners.

Now a virtual Peter England store only on HomeShop18

2010-01-12T04:33:00.000-08:00

·A special “Peter England Show” offering amazing combo deals
·Show to feature different Peter England combos at the price range of Rs.1399/-
·Special “Peter England Show” starting December 30, 2009

Do you think fashion is digging a deep hole in your pocket? If yes, HomeShop18 and Peter England will prove you wrong. HomeShop18, India’s first 24-hour home shopping channel, has joined hands with Peter England, the largest selling shirt brand in the country to launch a new exclusive “Peter England Show”. The show will feature exclusive Peter England products ranging from shirts, trousers, suits to denims. Peter England has given formals a new definition and has created a niche for itself in the clothing market. The exclusive show will be aired for half an hour starting December 30, 2009.

Asked about the show, Aloke Malik, President, Peter England Fashions & Retail Ltd said, “Peter England offers the best when it comes to formal. It is India’s most trusted ready to wear apparel brand. HomeShop18 will help us reach a wider audience through its distribution network. Our brand has always been appreciated for its superior product quality and value for money. Our association with HomeShop18 will make it more convenient for our customers to reach us. Homeshop18 is a perfect platform for us to showcase our designs and demonstrate our products”

Announcing the launch of the show, Sundeep Malhotra, CEO, HomeShop18, said, “HomeShop18 is an ideal platform for Peter England to showcase its range. The channel features experts, innovations, solutions, demonstrations, tips and ideas, all in an engaging & entertaining fashion, to provide an entirely unique shopping experience for its customers.”

The show will feature different Peter England products. Combos of shirts would be sold at a price of Rs.899/- & Rs.1399/-. Homeshop18 experts will provide detailed information about the brand and the products. All details including price, texture, cuts, styling, sizes will be given on the show.

HomeShop18, India’s 1st and only 24 hour Shopping Channel, has built tremendous popularity for its demonstration led shows. With exceptional on-call service backed by a 24 hour call centre, nationwide logistics reach of 2750 cities, and demonstration led channel messaging, HomeShop18 clearly emerges as a platform for brands to show case their edge.

For further details about “Peter England” customers can call 1860-1800-918 or they can log on to www.homeshop18.com and pick the great deals.

Radio Mirchi listener goes on an auto rickshaw ride with Yash

2009-12-29T04:48:00.001-08:00

The activity was organized as part of the promotion of his latest flick - Kallara Santhe

Bengaluru, December, 2009: Radio Mirchi never fails to fulfill the wishes of its ardent listeners! Three lucky girls won themselves a chance to meet their favorite Sandalwood actor Yash through an on-air contest conducted on Radio Mirchi. Yash was present at the Hotel Bells on saturday to promote his latest flick – Kallara Santhe which is making waves with its unusual storyline.

As per the contest rules, One lucky winner had the opportunity to get a ride in auto rickshaw by the Actor himself. But the generous Actor, Yash did not want to dishearten the other 2 girls and took all 3 for an auto rickshaw ride at an event.

Yash who plays an auto rickshaw driver in the movie was happy enough to take the excited fans for a round in the auto. Talking of his experience of being the auto driver in real, Yash said, “Auto Rickshaw is one of the cultural symbols of Bengaluru and I am proud to have become a part of the city’s culture! It feels good to make someone happy, even it means driving an auto. I dint know that I had such a huge female following, until Radio Mirchi revealed it to me. I heard there was a big queue of girls, wanting to go on a ride with me!”

One of the winners, excitedly said, “I have been a great fan of Yash since his TV days, I used watch Preethi Illade Mele just to get a glimpse of him. It’s like a dream come true to have met Yash, would like thank Radio Mirchi for giving me this opportunity!”

With the glee of success on lingering on his face, Yash spoke about the movie and said, “It is an absolutely a rewarding experience to have been a part of Kallara Santhe, this certainly the most meaningful movie I have done till date. The movie is yet to gain the required attention but gradually I see audiences are coming forward to watch and appreciate the movie.”

As the year ends, Kallara Santhe comes as a welcome break to the Kannada audiences who have received an overdose of love and rowdyism movies in 2009. The movie directed by Suman Kittur with story from Agni Sridhar portrays a sharp political satire and has faired well among the critics.

ಈ ವರ್ಷದ ಚಿತ್ರರಂಗದಲ್ಲಿ ವಿವಾದಕ್ಕೆ ಸಿಲುಕಿದ ಪ್ರಕರಣಗಳು

2009-12-25T23:26:00.000-08:00

ತಮ್ಮ ನಿಜ ಜೀವನದಲ್ಲಿ ತಂದೆ-ಮಗಳಾಗಿದ್ದವರು, ಬಿ.ಪಿ.ಶ್ರೀನಿವಾಸ ಹಾಗೂ ಶಾಲಿನಿ ಮುಸಂಜೆಯ ಗೆಳತಿ ಎಂಬ ಚಿತ್ರದಲ್ಲಿ ನಾಯಕ-ನಾಯಕಿಯಾಗಿ ನಟಿಸಿದ್ದು.

ಕಬಡ್ಡಿ ಚಿತ್ರತಂಡದ ಕಿಶೋರ್ ಹಾಗು ನಿರ್ದೇಶಕ ನರೇಂದ್ರ ಬಾಬ ನಡುವಿನ ಮುನಿಸು ಕಳೆದ ವರ್ಷದಿಂದ ಈ ವರ್ಷವು ಕೂಡ ಮುಂದುವರೆಯಿತು.

ಚಮ್ಕಾಯಿಸಿ ಚಿಂದಿ ಉಡಾಯಿಸಿ ಎಂಬ ಚಿತ್ರದಲ್ಲಿ ನಾಯಕಿ ಬ್ಯಾಕಾಂಕನಲ್ಲಿ ನೀರಿನಿಂದ ಮೇಲೆ ಬಂದ ಮೇಲೆ ತನಗೆ ಯಾರೂ ಟವಲ್ ತಂದು ಕೊಡಲಿಲ್ಲವೆಂದು, ತಮ್ಮ ಮಾನ ಹೋಯಿತು ಅಂತ ನಟಿ ನಿಧಿಯವರು ಚಿತ್ರತಂಡವನ್ನು ದೂರಿದರು.

ಅಮೃತ ಮಹೋತ್ಸವದ ಸಂದರ್ಭದಲ್ಲಿ ತಂದಿದ್ದ ಪುಸ್ತಕಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ತಮ್ಮ ತಂದೆಯ ಪುಸ್ತಕವಿಲ್ಲವೆಂದು ದರ್ಶನ ತೂಗುದೀಪ ಸಿಟಿಗೆದ್ದು, ತಾವೇ ತಮ್ಮ ತಂದೆಯ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಪುಸ್ತಕ ಬರೆಯುವದಾಗಿ ಹೇಳಿದರು.

ಗುಲಾಬಿ ಟಾಕೀಜ್ ಚಿತ್ರಕ್ಕೆ ರಾಜ್ಯ ಪ್ರಶ್ಶಸ್ತಿ ಸಿಕ್ಕಾಗ ಆದಿನಗಳು ರೂವಾರಿ ಅಗ್ನಿ ಶ್ರೀಧರ್ ಜನ ನೊಡದ ಸಿನಿಮಾಗೆ ಯಾಕೆ ಪ್ರಶಸ್ತಿ ಕೊಡಬೇಕೆಂದು ಎಂದು ದನಿ ಏರಿಸಿದರು.

ವಿದೇಶಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ರಾಜ್ ಚಿತ್ರವನ್ನು ಬಿಡುಗಡೆ ಮಾಡುವುದಾಗಿ ಹೇಳಿ ಕಿಮ್ಸ್ ಆಸ್ಪತ್ರೆಯ ವೈದ್ಯರಾದ ಕಿರಣ್ ತಮಗೆ ಮೋಸಮಾಡಿದ್ದಾರೆಂದು ನಿರ್ದೇಶಕ ಪ್ರೆಮ ಪೊಲಿಸ ಠಾಣೆಗೆ ದೂರು ದಾಖಲಿಸಿದರು.

ಬಳ್ಳಾರಿ ನಾಗ ಚಿತ್ರ ಹಿಟ್ ಆಗದೇ ಇರುವುದಕ್ಕೆ ನಿರ್ದೇಶಕ ದಿನೆಶ್ ಬಾಬು ನಿರ್ಲಕ್ಷವೇ ಕಾರಣವೆಂದು ನಿರ್ಮಾಪಕ ಕೆ.ಮಂಜು ದೂರಿದರೆ, ನಿರ್ಮಾಪಕರಿಗೆ ಕಥೆ ಆಯ್ಕೆ ಮಾಡುವುದು ಗೊತ್ತಿಲ್ಲವೆಂದು ದಿನೇಶ್ ಬಾಬು ಹೇಳಿದರು.

ಹೊಡಿಮಗ ಶೀರ್ಷಿಕೆಗೆ ಶಿವರಾಜ್ ಕುಮಾರ ಸಿಡಿಮಿಡಿ, ನ್ನ್ಯಾಟ್ರಿಕ್ ಹೊಡಿಮಗ ಆ?ತು.

ವೀರ ಮದಕರಿ ಎಂಬ ಚಿತ್ರಕ್ಕೆ ಇತಿಹಾಸಕ್ಕೆ ಅ\ಚಾರವೆಂದು ಬಿ.ಎಲ್.ವೇಣು ದನಿ ಎತ್ತಿದರೆ, ಈ ಶತಮಾ?ದ ವೀರ ಮದಕರಿ ಎಂದು ಸೆ?ರ್ ಮಂಡಳಿ ಬದಲು ಮಾಡಲು ಹೇಳಿತು.

ಜಸ್ಟ ಮಾತಮಾತಲ್ಲಿ ಎಂಬ ಚಿತ್ರದಲ್ಲಿ ರಮ್ಯಾ, ?ತ್ಯ ನಿರ್ದೇಶಕರ ಜೊತೆ ಜಗಳ ಹಾಗು ನಿರ್ದೇಶಕ ಸು?\ರವರ ಕಿಡಿ.

?ರು ಜ?ಕು ಎಂಬ ಚಿತ್ರೀಕರಣ ಸಂದಂರ್ಭದಲ್ಲಿ ?ಟಿ ಆಂ?ಕಾ ರೈಗೆ ಖ್ಯಾತಿ ನಿರ್ದೇಶಕ ?ಗತಿಹಳ್ಳಿ ಚಂದ್ರಶೇಖರ್ ರವರು ಕ\ಳಮೋಕ್ಷವ? ಮಾಡಿದರು. ಇದರಿಂದ ಐಂ?ತಾ ರೈ ಅವರಿಗೆ ವುಮ?ಸರ್ ಎಂದು ಆರೋಪಿಸಿದರು. ?ಂತರ ವಾಣಿಜ್ಯ ಮಂಡಳಿ ವಿಚಾರಣೆ ಮಾಡಿ, ಜಗಳವ? ಮುಕ್ತಾಯಗೊಳಿಸಿದರು.

Converse 3 Idiots collection available at HomeShop18

2009-12-24T04:16:00.000-08:00

· Get special 3 Idiots collection’ designed by Aamir khan at HomeShop18

· Show to feature converse shoes at the price range of Rs.999/-

HomeShop18 brings another special – launches the “3 Idiots” merchandise by converge. HomeShop18 will be selling Converse shoes, worn by Aamir Khan, R Madhavan and Sharman Joshi in the movie exclusively on the virtual platform through the special show, ‘Converse 3 Idiots collection’. The Converse shoes are exclusively designed by Aamir khan. The design is popularly known as the doodle designs. No other star has personally designed any film merchandise before. The 3 Idiots Converse Collection shoes that have Aamir's doodles on them reflect the personality of todays’ Indian youth who are funky in attitude, cool and outspoken.

On the special show, HomeShop18 experts/anchors will be selling the exclusive merchandise from 3 Idiots giving out all details like material, design and other features. The shoes come in Resin Rubber and non-marking sole. The in-sole is made of Latex foam cushion insole, a unique feature of the Converse Canvas shoes that gives additional cushioning comfort and bounce back to the wearer. The shoes are available in red and black colour with Multi-color laces.

Announcing the launch of the Show, Sundeep Malhotra, CEO, HomeShop18, said, ‘Every youngster today gets inspired from what their favourite actors are wearing in the movies. They also want to make their own style statement by sporting the same. HomeShop18 has always been offering its consumers the best in fashion, therefore this time it has got merchandise from one of the most awaited movies of the year. “3 Idiots” movie merchandise is a rage right now and everyone can shop conveniently sitting at home through HomeShop18”.

HomeShop18, India’s 1st and only 24 hour Shopping Channel, has built tremendous popularity for its demonstration led shows with a new customer every 8 seconds. With exceptional on-call service backed by a 24 hour call centre, nationwide logistics reach of 2750 cities, and demonstration led channel messaging, HomeShop18 clearly emerges as a platform for brands to show case their edge.

For further details about the show customers can call 1860-1800-918 or they can log on to www.homeshop18.com and pick the great deals.

Hard Rock Café's Christmas event - Angel Tree

2009-12-23T03:53:00.000-08:00

Hard Rock Café celebrated Christmas today with an event called “Angel Tree”. Present were 200 kids from NGOs like Shishu Mandir, (near Garden City College) & Starting Point, from both their centres in Kammanahalli & Bommanahalli, Bengaluru. The kids were treated with entertainment and fun activities followed by a gala Christmas lunch at Hard Rock Café.

On the occassion, Mr. Amit Keswani, VP Sales & Marketing, JSM Corp Pvt Ltd said, " Hard Rock Cafe's core value is 'Love all Serve all', that we try to follow throughout the world. Holiday season is the best time to give something back to our community. And we hope to continue doing this throughout the year."

EADS opens Research and Technology Branch in Bangalore

2009-12-22T04:12:00.000-08:00

Start of EADS Innovation Works operations in India Joint projects in the areas of engineering and information technology Cooperation with Indian research institutions

EADS Innovation Works, the European aerospace and defence group’s research and development network, is opening a branch in Bangalore. Dr. Jean Botti, EADS Chief Technical Officer (CTO), Yann Barbaux, Head of EADS Innovation Works, Yves Guillaume, CEO of EADS India, and Eugen Welte, CEO of Airbus Engineering Centre India, inaugurated the research facility on Friday. It is located within the Airbus Engineering Centre India's premises.

“The opening of EADS Innovation Works India is a part of our global Research and Technology strategy,” said EADS CTO Jean Botti. “EADS is developing international R&T capabilities in order to access new technologies and engineering resources efficiently close to our strategic markets. India is an important part of our vision for research and technology growth and India has highly educated people that will offer tremendous value to our R & T capabilities'.”

Yann Barbaux, head of EADS Innovation Works, added: “Bangalore is India’s aerospace and IT hub, it was important for us to be present. The opening of this new branch of EADS Innovation Works, the third one outside of Europe, will again put some fresh ideas in our innovation process “

EADS Innovation Works India will manage and broker R&T projects for the EADS Business Units and the Corporate R&T Organisation. Some of the projects carried out by EADS Innovation Works India will be performed in collaboration with Indian partners such as the Indian Institute of Science and the Indian Institutes of Technology. EADS Innovation Works India will also run its own projects using internal resources at its own facilities.

The projects will capitalise on Indian capabilities identified by EADS in various fields: numerical simulation of complex physical systems, multi-disciplinary optimisation, high-performance computing and radar technology.

The Airbus Engineering Centre India has been operational since 2007 and currently employs some 120 local engineers. By 2012 the Airbus Engineering Centre India will grow to 400 engineers.

EADS is a global leader in aerospace, defence and related services. In 2008, EADS generated revenues of € 43.3 billion and employed a workforce of about 118,000. The Group includes Airbus as the leading manufacturer of commercial aircraft, with Airbus Military covering tanker, transport and mission aircraft, Eurocopter as the world's largest helicopter supplier and EADS Astrium, the European leader in space programmes from Ariane to Galileo. Its Defence & Security Division is a provider of comprehensive systems solutions and makes EADS the major partner in the Eurofighter consortium as well as a stakeholder in the missile systems provider MBDA.

CIBER Global IT Services Firm selects Zscaler SaaS Security

2009-12-22T04:06:00.000-08:00

Zscaler, Inc., the market leader in cloud-delivered, multi-tenant Security-as-a-Service (SaaS), today announced that CIBER India, the Bangalore-based division of CIBER, Inc. (NYSE: CBR), has selected Zscaler’s service to secure the web traffic of its facility in India and distributed workforce across the country.

CIBER India has a strong presence in India where it has seen substantial growth. Over time different divisions and locations had introduced different point products for web security. Zscaler was deployed to establish a unified policy, provide richer functionality, and real-time consolidated reporting at an attractive Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). In addition, Zscaler enforced corporate policy for employees using air cards – something that traditional appliances were unable to do.

“Multiple and different point products at each location required significant cost and overhead to deploy and manage,” said Rajiv Dodderi, IT Systems Manager & CISO at CIBER India – Global Solution Center. “Zscaler’s cloud security service was able to protect us no matter what network access equipment was being used at each location. Unified policy, comprehensive functionality and mobile user coverage at a cost effective price was the primary reason why we switched to Zscaler.”

Zscaler’s security-as-a-service (SaaS) model allows companies to secure employees from newer Web threats that require more sophisticated protection than signature-based anti-virus. These ever-changing threats include botnets, malicious active content, phishing and Cross-site Scripting (XSS) attacks.

“Rapid growth often can create a complex security infrastructure.” said N Sridhar, Country Manager, Zscaler India. “By moving to the cloud, security becomes agnostic to the corporate network. Zscaler allows for seamless consistency of security and reporting, irrespective of an ever expanding user base. We are proud to provide on-demand, scalable and flexible security services for CIBER India as they expand globally and in India.”

About Zscaler

Through a multi-tenant, globally-deployed infrastructure, Zscaler enforces business policy, mitigates risk, and provides twice the functionality at a fraction of the cost of current solutions. It enables organizations to provide the right access to the right users, from any place and on any device—while empowering the end-user with a rich Internet experience. For more information, visit us at www.zscaler.com

Zscaler™ and the Zscaler Logo are trademarks of Zscaler, Inc. in the United States. All other trademarks, trade names or service marks used or mentioned herein belong to their respective owners.

Cura plans to integrate SAP BusinessObjects Edge BI software

2009-12-22T03:57:00.000-08:00

Cura announces new OEM agreement with SAP BusinessObjects™ Edge Business Intelligence software. With next-generation Cura solutions to deliver customers governance, risk and compliance reporting.

Global governance, risk and compliance vendor Cura Software Solutions, a subsidiary of SoftPro Systems Limited (NSE/BSE:SOFTPRO) today announced an OEM agreement with SAP AG, through which users of Cura’s next-generation solutions will benefit from integration with best-of-breed, on-demand reports from SAP. Cura plans to integrate SAP® BusinessObjects™ Edge Business Intelligence (BI), Crystal Reports® and Xcelsius® software with the forthcoming release of Cura Audit and Cura v3 Dashboards governance, risk and compliance (GRC) solutions starting April 2010.

”This agreement is a vital step for Cura, since it allows us to focus more deeply on the logic and intellectual property that lies within our suite of GRC solutions, while knowing that the reporting and dashboarding end of the equation is being handled by one of the most trusted names in the market,” said Avi Eyal, CEO, Cura Software. “As an SAP BusinessObjects OEM partner, we will also have access to functionality we weren’t able to offer our customers before. We’re looking forward to offering our customers reporting and dashboarding functionality that not only looks more visually appealing, but is compiled within much shorter timeframes and is more customizable and granular in nature. We believe the integration of SAP BusinessObjects Edge BI, Crystal Reports and Xcelsius software with our suite will bring us numerous benefits in the long-term evolution of our solution functionality and customer acceptance.”

Prior to entering into the agreement with SAP BusinessObjects, Cura had a proprietary reporting engine, which required substantial development and upkeep to stay abreast of technology and product changes. Cura’s customers required new methods of interaction with reporting and dashboarding data. After a detailed review of solutions, Cura chose SAP BusinessObjects BI software due to its comprehensive functionality available using Java in the web browser environment. The incorporation of the SAP reporting and dashboarding solutions will reduce time to market and cost of development for customers, further helping to increase Cura’s competitive advantage in the marketplace.

SAP BusinessObjects Edge BI software is a powerful business intelligence choice for companies that want to improve business processes, discover new opportunities, and gain a competitive advantage. This comprehensive, versatile suite delivers solutions that address business intelligence requirements – from flexible ad-hoc reporting and analysis, to dashboards and visualization, to powerful data integration and quality as well as prepackaged data mart solutions.

“SAP BusinessObjects Edge BI software delivers comprehensive, flexible and affordable solutions for customers and provides the intelligence to help keep companies ahead of ever-shifting business conditions,” said Wyatt Mullin, vice president, Global ISV Channel, SAP BusinessObjects Division. “The software, integrated with offerings from Cura, will help deliver to customers an easy-to-use, proven, affordable solution that promotes cost efficiencies and delivers measurable impact on business performance. Our partnership with Cura will empower Cura’s customers with the right combination of solutions and expertise to make data intuitively accessible.”

Cura’s new agreement with SAP is also a vital step in the interoperability stakes, since the data extracted from Cura’s suite of solutions will immediately become usable and complementary to other systems and business intelligence tools.

About Cura Software Solutions
Cura Software Solutions enables businesses around the world to quickly achieve the bottom line benefits of governance, enterprise wide risk management and compliance (GRC), coupled with performance management. Cura does this through fast implementation, easier configurability and true enterprise architecture.

Established in 2001, Cura solutions are used by over 250 customers such as GlaxoSmithKline, Kellogg’s, Westfield, Allianz, Old Mutual plc, Standard Bank, Virgin Blue, Vodacom, AngloGold Ashanti as well as governments and consulting firms world-wide. Cura has offices in New York, Boston, London, Sydney, Melbourne, Singapore, Hyderabad and Johannesburg, and has distributors in 10 countries (South America, Middle East and Asia). Cura is a subsidiary of SoftPro Systems Limited, publicly traded on the NSE and BSE in India.

For more in information, visit http://www.curasoftware.com, or contact info@curasoftware.com.

SAP and all SAP logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of SAP AG in Germany and in several other countries.

Business Objects, BusinessObjects, the Business Objects logo , Crystal Reports and Xcelsius are trademarks or registered trademarks of Business Objects in the United States and/or other countries. Business Objects is an SAP company.

All other product and service names mentioned are the trademarks of their respective companies.

SAP Forward-looking Statement

Any statements contained in this document that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “forecast,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “project,” “predict,” “should” and “will” and similar expressions as they relate to SAP are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. SAP undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations The factors that could affect SAP's future financial results are discussed more fully in SAP's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), including SAP's most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the SEC. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of their dates.

Jayanthi voted as the hottest star of Sandalwood

2009-12-21T04:54:00.000-08:00

If Bollywood star Katrina Kaif is the hottest woman of Asia! Ever wondered, who is the hottest star of Sandalwood?

Well, Radio Mirchi listeners have given their verdict! Our very own ‘Miss Leelavathi’, ‘Abhinaya Shaaradhe Jayanthi’ has been voted the hottest star ever in history of 75 years of Sandalwood’s existence. 99% of the listeners have voted the veteran actress over the current glamorous new comers of Sandalwood.

Informing her of the new found status, Jayanthi was taken live on Radio Mirchi’s Rewind Raaga show hosted by RJ Pallavi. Jayanthi was taken by surprise on the 99% votes and humbly thanked all her fans for their support. Still young at heart, the sportive senior artist was seen questioning about that one percent that was missed.

Sharing the secret of her beauty, Jayanthi exclaimed, “I keep myself cheerful all the time and that is mirrored on my face. I love myself and that is the biggest secret of youthfulness!”

Some of the listeners were also heard voicing their opinion on the show. For instance:

One of the naughty senior citizen fans said, “Jayanthi was my hot favourite during my college days, I had her paper cut outs all over my room. We guys would go nuts to watch the 1st day, 1st show of Jayanthi’s new release”.

Speaking highly about the actor, one of the female fans said, “Jayanthi has done some commendable performances in movies like Edakallu Guddda Mele, Bahadur Gandu etc. At one point of time she was a fashion icon, one should never miss watching the movie Miss Leelavathi where Jayanthi carried out the character with such attitude and oomph”.

The poll was conducted in the Rewind Raaga show on Radio Mirchi which is on-air from Monday to Friday between 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

About Radio Mirchi:

ENIL launched its first radio station in the city of Indore in October 2001 and after that in the next one and half years (by May 2003) ENIL launched six other stations. A leader in the private FM radio industry, at present Radio Mirchi is operational in 32 cities i.e. Mumbai (Bombay), Delhi, Kolkata (Calcutta), Chennai (Madras), Indore, Ahmedabad, Pune, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Jaipur, Patna, Jalandhar, Goa, Baroda, Bhopal, Kanpur, Rajkot, Nashik, Varanasi, Aurangabad, Lucknow, Surat, Kolhapur, Madurai, Nagpur, Vishakapatanam, Coimbatore, Mangalore, Vijayawada, Raipur, Thiruvananthapuram and Jabalpur.

HomeShop18 brings back its mega sale “Year End Maha Sale”

2009-12-21T04:52:00.000-08:00

·Round the clock the “Year End Maha Sale” is launched again
·Flat discounts with no conditions; discounts on all categories; assured freebies
·Special programs like “Flat 50% Off” and “Bachat Time”

HomeShop18, India’s first 24 hour home shopping channel, has launched “Year End Maha Sale” once again after the resounding success last year. Television viewers can participate in this unprecedented “Year End Maha Sale”, all round the clock. During the sale, big discounts will be available across all categories such as consumer electronics, mobiles, jewellery, home appliances, toys, beauty products, kitchen utensils and more.

For the Year End Maha Sale, HomeShop18 has launched a completely new program schedule. HomeShop18 has brought new propositions and a variety of offers under one roof and also relaunched its popular show “Flat 50% off”. Each show has a range of highly exciting products available at great discounts. For example in “Flat 50% off” every product is available at a minimum 50% discount to its MRP. In the “Jewellery Special” show the “Offer of the Day” proposition will have an assured diamond pendant or accessories kit absolutely free. In Gadget Bazaar, there is 50% off along with an assured GC worth Rs.500 every day. So far, products like Reebok combo, Samsung digicam and Demonte dinner sets have received an overwhelming response from the customers.

This time, HomeShop18 has ensured that a lot of fresh new merchandise across categories is available. This is something new to look out for, since retailers usually offer old merchandise at a discount and keep fresh merchandise at standard rates.

Announcing the launch of the promotion, Sundeep Malhotra, CEO, HomeShop18 said, “HomeShop18 is clearly emerging as a destination where value meets quality. This innovative format of round the clock sale got accolades last year so we have launched it again with better offers. The idea is to create the best shopping opportunity for our customers during Christmas and New Year.”

HomeShop18, India’s 1st and only 24 hour Shopping Channel, has built tremendous popularity among the Indian consumers. With exceptional on-call service backed by a 24 hour call centre, nationwide logistic reach of 2750 cities, and demonstration led channel programming; HomeShop18 has become a preferred shopping destination.

For further details about the sale customers can call 1860-1800-918, 0120-4444918 or they can log on to www.homeshop18.com and pick the great deals.

Hard Rock Café's Christmas celebrations titled “Angel Tree”.

2009-12-21T04:46:00.000-08:00

Hard Rock Café has lined up their Christmas celebrations for this year, called “Angel Tree”. This celebration is a part of an initiative where 1700 children from orphanages across Bengaluru are given a smile this festive season.

Each child is associated with a MNC in the city that will sponsor Christmas gifts and spread the joy. Two hundred out of the 1700 kids are to visit Hard Rock Café tomorrow ( Dec 22nd, 09 ) for Christmas celebrations, that includes various fun games and art followed by lunch.

The event starts at 11 AM and lunch is scheduled at 12 noon. These kids are aged between 3 – 13 years, from 4 different orphanages in the city. To take part in the event contact the following address.

Raksha R
Avian Media
9591253201

What’s your Zodiac Stone?

2009-12-14T04:18:00.000-08:00

Watch Rashi Gems, an exclusive show on authentic gemstones, only on HomeShop18

• Gems stones for all zodiac signs to be available in the form of pendants and rings
• Gems stones along with 100% authenticity certificate
• Expert on the show, explaining the significance of the stones
• All the stones available on the show are made of ‘Panchdhatu’

Indians find wearing zodiac gem stones to be extremely supportive in achieving their goals. However, we are often confused and puzzled when it comes to knowing or wearing the correct gem stone that matches our zodiac sign. The confusion is because there are many gem stones like planetary stone, birth stone, lucky charm etc associated with each zodiac sign. There are also concerns regarding the authenticity of the stones that are being sold. HomeShop18, India’s first 24 hour home shopping channel, now brings a solution to all these queries through their new show, Rashi Gems.

Rashi Gems is an exclusive show that will only feature gem stones based on Zodiac signs. The stones are designed in the form of beautiful pendants and rings, so that customers can choose as per their preference. During the show, Pankaj Verma, doctorate in gems and alternate medicine, shares exclusive information on gems therapy and alternative medicines. All the stones available on the show will be made of the ‘Panchdhatu’ which is a mixture of 5 metals (gold, silver, zinc, copper, iron) and will have a beautiful gold plating, weighing 5.25 ratti, done on them. Also, all the stones come with a 100% authenticity certificate.

The show is aired from Monday to Friday at 12:30 AM and 12:30 PM. The offers are priced at an affordable range starting from Rs. 1800/-.

Talking about the show, Sundeep Malhotra, CEO, HomeShop18 said, “The popularity of gemstones in India is unparalleled compared to any other country in the world, and to cater to this burgeoning market we have introduced this dedicated show.” He further added “This unique show will help customers across the country understand the significance of gem stones, and will help them buy authentic gemstones at affordable prices.”

HomeShop18, India’s 1st and only 24 Hour Shopping Channel, has gained tremendous popularity for its unique theme based shows. Shows like Rashi Gems, Art of Living, Navratan Special, etc have made HomeShop18 a preferred shopping destination. Currently, there is one new customer who transacts with HomeShop18 every 8 seconds. With a nationwide logistics reach of 2750 cities and a 24 x 7 call centre, HomeShop18 has brought great products at affordable prices to customers’ door step.

Sex and the City 2 bites out of The Big Apple

2009-12-14T04:13:00.000-08:00

Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte and Miranda take another bite out of The Big Apple

Sex and the City 2, the sequel to the 2008 summer blockbuster, has begun principal photography in—where else?—New York City. Returning in their starring roles as the four great friends are Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis and Cynthia Nixon. “It’s a great privilege to be spending time again with this beloved cast and crew and to be filming in New York City,” says Parker. “We look forward to the next few months of this adventure.”

Of course, where would these women be without their men? Also back for the much-anticipated sequel are Chris Noth as Mr. Big, David Eigenberg as Steve, Evan Handler as Harry, Jason Lewis as Smith, Mario Cantone as Anthony and Willie Garson as Stanford Blatch.

Sex and the City 2 also reunites the original creative team from the series and the first feature. Michael Patrick King is once again directing from his own screenplay. States King, “We are thrilled to have the luxury to continue to tell the story of these four iconic women characters: Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte and Samantha. We will do our best to entertain the loyal fans who were so supportive of the first movie.”

King is also producing with John Melfi, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Darren Star. The executive producers are Toby Emmerich, Richard Brener and Marcus Viscidi. Also returning will be director of photography John Thomas, production designer Jeremy Conway, composer Aaron Zigman and costume designer Patricia Field.

Set to be released in theaters next Memorial Day weekend, “Sex and the City 2” is the follow-up to the first film, which pulled in more than $415 million worldwide. The original film was inspired by the phenomenally popular, award-winning HBO series based on the writings of Candace Bushnell.

The majority of filming will take place in and around the city of New York. New Line Cinema presents Sex and the City 2. The film will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

Max spreads Christmas cheer with “Merry max mas”

2009-12-14T04:10:00.000-08:00

Max spreads Christmas cheer with “Merry max mas” - Shop upto Rs. 3000/- and get complimentary giveaways worth Rs. 699/-

Max Retail Stores - the leading value fashion brand & one stop family shop for clothing, accessories and footwear presents “Merry max mas” - a compelling reason to indulge in shopping. Shopaholics can shop at Max between 27 November and 27 December 2009 for Rs. 3000/- and avail a complimentary set of 3 winter warmers (a muffler, a pair of gloves & a winter skull cap) worth Rs. 699/- absolutely free.

Max offers the latest winter fashion at pocket friendly prices, predominantly ranging between Rs. 199 to 599. Fashionista’s can head to Max Retail Stores for a perfect Christmas shopping this winter and take your pick from an eclectic winter wear range consisting of stoles, scarves, mufflers, leggings, chic woolen tops, jackets etc in the hottest colours and trendiest styles of the season.

Commenting on this promotion, Mr. Vasanth Kumar, Executive Director, Max Retail said, “Adding to the cheer of the festive season, the Merry max mas offer presents an opportunity to our customers to get more value from their shopping for less money. We wish Max consumers a very happy shopping spree this Christmas.”

The offer is available at Max stores in Hyderabad in City Centre Mall - Banjara Hills, Inorbit Mall – Hi Tech City and at Oasis Centre, near Somajiguda Circle, Green Lands.

About Max Retail: Max Retail is the leading fashion retail chain offering customers one stop shop for clothing, accessories and footwear needs for the entire family.

Max Retail - a division of Lifestyle International (P) Ltd. - has pioneered the concept of ‘value fashion retailing’ in the country, thereby offering the value conscious customer a choice of variety without compromising on the quality. The store ambience offers global shopping experience with imported fixtures and customer friendly layouts. In India, it has 20 stores across 9 cities including Indore, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Delhi NCR, Agra, Hyderabad, Lucknow, Calicut and Mumbai.

Yatra.com wins the Red Herring Top 100 Asia awards

2009-12-03T03:56:00.000-08:00

Yatra.com becomes the only online travel company from India to make it to the list

Yatra.com, India’s leading online travel company, has won the coveted Red Herring Asia 2009 awards under the category of ‘100 Most Innovative Private Technologies Companies in Asia’. This is a prestigious award which recognizes companies that will lead the next wave with innovative and potentially disruptive technologies.

The Red Herring editorial board diligently surveyed the entrepreneurial scene throughout Asia and identified the top 100 out of more than 1,000 closely evaluated companies that are leading the next wave of innovation.

Established in August 2006, Yatra.com has grown fast to become India’s leading travel company, serving over 1 million customers per annum. Yatra.com believes in providing the best in class services to its customers and reaches out to them through its website, 24x7 call centre and 11 Premium Retail Holiday Lounges spread across the country. Yatra.com has an employee base of more than 700.

Speaking on being awarded, Dhruv Shringi, Co founder & CEO, Yatra.com, said, "We are truly honored to be awarded by Red Herring second year in a row. Being the only Indian travel company to be awarded endorses our position as a leading player in the online travel space.”

Last year Yatra.com was announced as a winner of the ‘2008 Red Herring Top 100 Start-ups’ in Asia. In the past, Yatra.com has received a lot of prestigious awards and recognitions. It has been recognized as the ‘most used travel website’ by Juxt Consult in their India Online Survey 2008. It has also been declared to have the ‘best brand recall’ in the travel segment and the ‘most user friendly website’ according to the recent studies conducted by Juxt Consult and Phocus Wright, which are independent research organizations. Yatra.com has also been awarded for ‘Excellence’ in August-07 by TTF-OTM (India’s biggest travel show). Yatra.com has also won ‘Best online travel agency’ Award for the Year 2008 By Galileo Express Travel World.

About Yatra.com

Yatra.com, rated as India’s No. 1 travel website by Juxt Consult - India Online Survey 2008 is a one-stop-shop for all travel needs. From air tickets to hotel rooms to holiday packages to car rentals, yatra.com has everything to service today's traveller. With yatra.com, you can book air tickets over the internet, through their 24x7 customer care centre, Yatra.com Holiday Lounges or by simply using your mobile phone. Yatra.com gives you an access to the best travel deals across a myriad of national and international destinations. It is one of the largest consolidators of hotels in India. Yatra.com provides reservation for 3,000 hotels across 250 destinations in India. Yatra.com also has international tie-ups with all the major international airlines and provides real time access to over 90,000 hotels across the world. All products at yatra.com come with a best price guarantee and an assurance of instant bookings.

BAE Systems and Mahindra sign joint venture agreement

2009-12-03T03:48:00.000-08:00

Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. and BAE Systems have signed an agreement to create a land systems focused, joint venture defence company, based in India.

Approved by the Foreign Investment Promotion Board of the Government of India (GoI) earlier this year, the parent companies' initial investment will be US$21.25 million. The company’s equity split will be 74% Mahindra and 26% BAE Systems, in accordance with the current defence sector Foreign Direct Investment regulations of the GoI.

Anand Mahindra, Vice Chairman and Managing Director, Mahindra Group, said: “BAE Systems is the global number one land systems defence company and we couldn’t have a better partner for this venture. We are already working together and the benefits for all parties, including the Indian defence and security forces, are clear. We look forward to making a major contribution both to the security and economy of India.”

Guy Griffiths, Group Managing Director International, BAE Systems, said: “As winner of the 2009 Frost and Sullivan Award for Customer Value Enhancement, which recognises excellence in customer service, customer retention and ultimately customer base expansion, Mahindra Defence Systems is a great choice to be our land systems partner in India.

“The skills and knowledge of the two companies are an excellent fit, and the values and vision which we share will allow this venture to prosper and innovate. India recently became BAE Systems’ seventh home market; this new company is a central part of that strategy.”

The joint venture company, whose name is currently going through the official certification process, will be headquartered in New Delhi with manufacturing at a purpose built facility nearby in Faridabad..

Initially there will be about 100 employees and existing projects include the Axe high mobility vehicle as well as up-armoured and bulletproof Scorpios, Boleros, Rakshak, Rapid Intervention Vehicles and the Marksman light armoured vehicle.

In anticipation of the new company, the two shareholders have been progressing a major new project to develop a mine protected vehicle specifically designed to meet the needs of the Indian armed and paramilitary forces.

The companies have worked in partnership to produce a prototype vehicle using the proven mine defeating technologies of the BAE Systems South Africa RG series of vehicles and Mahindra's expert knowledge of Indian requirements and conditions.

This development process has resulted in a brand new mine protected vehicle currently named MPVI (Mine Protected Vehicle India). A prototype MPVI has been produced and will eventually be manufactured at the JV facility in Faridabad using indigenously produced materials.

It is also intended that the JV company will be involved in a number of future artillery programmes including the M777 light weight howitzer and the FH77B 155mm howitzer. It is envisaged that the JV will become a centre of excellence for Indian artillery programmes.

In due course there will be announcements of further details, such as when the company goes operational, as well as the company’s name and its senior leadership.

About BAE Systems BAE Systems is the premier global defence, security and aerospace company delivering a full range of products and services for air, land and naval forces, as well as advanced electronics, security, information technology solutions and customer support services. With approximately 105,000 employees worldwide, BAE Systems' sales exceeded £18.5 billion (US $34.4 billion) in 2008.

About The Mahindra Group The US $6.3 billion Mahindra Group is among the top 10 industrial houses in India. Mahindra is the market leader in multi-utility vehicles in India. It made a milestone entry into the passenger car segment with the Logan. Mahindra & Mahindra is the only Indian company among the top tractor brands in the world.

The Group has a leading presence in key sectors of the Indian economy, including the financial services, trade, retail and logistics, automotive components, after-market, information technology and infrastructure development. Mahindra has made an entry in the two-wheeler segment which will see the company emerge as a full-range player with a presence in almost every segment of the automobile industry.

The Mahindra Group recently expanded its IT portfolio when Tech Mahindra acquired the leading global business and information technology services company, Satyam Computer Services. The company is now known as Mahindra Satyam.

Mahindra's Farm Equipment Sector is the proud recipient of the Japan Quality Medal, the only tractor company worldwide to be bestowed this honour. It also holds the distinction of being the only tractor company worldwide to win the Deming Prize. The US based Reputation Institute recently ranked Mahindra among the top 10 Indian companies in its Global 200: The World's Best Corporate Reputations list.

Mahindra is also one of the few Indian companies to receive an A+ GRI checked rating for its first Sustainability Report for the year 2007-08.

Two Years of Lost Growth-Slow improvement trend

2009-12-03T03:45:00.000-08:00

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) reported international scheduled traffic results for October 2009 showing improving conditions. Passenger demand was up 0.5% compared to October 2008. Demand for international cargo rose to 0.5% below previous year levels. This is significantly better than the 5.4% decline recorded in September. Load factors for passenger and cargo continue at pre-recession levels of 78.0% and 54.1% respectively.

The improvement trend that has emerged since passenger traffic hit bottom in March is similar to the pace of growth in 2006 and 2007. Without an exaggerated rebound from pent-up demand, there will be no rapid catch-up to the growth trend established in the 2005 to early-2008 period. “The crisis has cost the industry two years of growth. Adjusting costs and capacity to meet that reality will be challenging,” said Giovanni Bisignani, IATA’s Director General and CEO.

The improvement in load factors to pre-recession levels is largely the result of careful capacity management. Compared to October 2008, overall passenger capacity was down 3.3%. Stripping out seasonal fluctuations, passenger capacity has been essentially flat throughout 2009. Responding to the precipitous fall in cargo demand, October cargo capacity was 7.4% below the previous year’s levels.

Cargo capacity adjustments have come with many freighters being put into storage or retired, resulting in a fleet reduction of 4.9%. In contrast, the passenger fleet continues to expand by 1.8% as new deliveries more than offset those being stored or retired. Aircraft utilization for both wide and narrow-body aircraft is now 6% below early 2008 levels. This low asset utilization is increasing operating costs.

Yields remain under severe pressure. Although there has been a modest rise in air fares since mid-year, it remains around 20% less expensive to fly in real terms today than it was a year ago.

International Scheduled Passenger Demand

* Passenger demand is now 6% better than the low point reached in March 2009, but 5% below the peak recorded in early 2008.
* Compared to September, seasonally adjusted passenger volumes rose by 0.8%. Carriers in all regions except the Asia-Pacific, Middle East and North America saw improved demand in October compared to September.
* Asia-Pacific carriers saw demand grow 0.9%, lower than the 2.1% recorded in September. The carriers in this region, together with the European carriers, have seen demand rise the most from their low points.
* While European carriers saw a demand decline of 3% in October, it is an improvement from the -4.2% in September. European carriers demand is still below the levels from last year due to weakness across the Atlantic and within Europe.
* North American carriers saw significant growth in international traffic through the middle of 2009. Very significant capacity cuts across both the Atlantic and Pacific have reduced traffic carried in October to -2.6% below 2008 levels.
* Middle Eastern carriers saw demand grow 14.3% (compared to 18.2% in September), the highest among the regions. The region’s carriers continue to add capacity, increasing 15.3% in October and outpacing the growth in demand.
* Latin American carriers saw significant increases in the demand for air travel, growing 9% compared to 3.4% in September. The region’s carriers continue to add capacity, growing 3.7% compared to 2008
* African carriers saw the demand decline 2.6% in October, an improvement from September’s -4.2%.

International Scheduled Cargo Demand

* Cargo traffic is 14% above the December 2008 low point, but remains 15% below the early 2008 peak.
* Compared to September 2009, seasonally adjusted cargo volumes rose by 2.5%. Carriers in all regions experienced improved demand conditions in October compared to September.
* European carriers saw the biggest weakness in demand with a fall of 11.3% compared to October 2008—relatively unchanged from the 13% drop in September. The region’s carriers were also the most aggressive in adjusting capacity with a 12.4% cut compared to previous year levels.
* Middle Eastern carriers saw demand growth of 18.4%. This is significantly better than the 3.6% growth experienced in September and outpaced a capacity increase of 11.2%.
* North American carriers saw a 0.5% growth in demand against a 12% fall in capacity.
* Latin American carriers recorded a 6.7% growth, significantly higher than the 1.8% in September.
* Carriers in Asia-Pacific saw demand grow 1.9% compared to -3.1% in September. The region’s carriers have benefited from the air freight generated by the earlier and stronger economic revival in the region, with industrial production now rising strongly in a number of economies.
* African carriers saw demand decline 3.8%, an improvement from the -6.9% in September.

“This recession is re-emphasizing a structural weakness in the industry. The inability to merge across political borders has created a hyper-fragmented industry. The industry is financially sick, and the medicine of cross-border consolidation is off limits due to an archaic regulatory structure. Market forces should guide our commercial operations. Instead the bilateral system, established in the 1940’s, puts governments in control of which markets can be served and limits access to global capital with ownership restrictions. No other industry faces such regulatory manacles,” said Bisignani.

Earlier this month, Chile, Malaysia, Panama, Singapore, Switzerland, the US, the UAE, with the endorsement of the European Commission, signed a multilateral statement of policy principles focused on aviation liberalization. These principles aim to promote normal commercial freedoms for market access, access to capital (ownership) and pricing on a level playing field. The economic impact of such liberalization could add 0.86% to national GDPs according to studies by InterVISTAS.

“Managing through this crisis will require all commercial tools that every other industry takes for granted. The principles have been developed by governments covering 60% of global aviation. Now the challenge is two-fold. States that signed need to apply the principles themselves while bringing more states on board. The statement of policy principles is not a panacea, but it is a historic step in the right direction at a critical time. A financially sustainable aviation industry is a necessary catalyst for the global economy,” said Bisignani.

‘Solid wood Fest’ @ Home Centre by Lifestyle

2009-12-02T04:36:00.000-08:00

Home Center by Lifestyle, a part of the Dubai based Landmark Group, announces ‘Solid Wood Fest’ . Offering an additional incentive to revamp your homes in style, ‘Solid Wood Fest’ allows customers to avail a cool 20% discount on the entire range of furniture. On till November 29th 2009, the fest allows you to extend your personality to your home without burning a hole in your pocket.

Offer Details:

* The range in Solid Wood beds starts from as low as Rs 14,950*. Consumers now have a choice to pick from more than 10 designs of Solid Wood bedroom sets. A must buy Bed Room style - Kline & Hampton Bedroom sets

* The dining range starts from as low as Rs. 9,950* and goes upto Rs. 1,00,000*. An attractive range of Hutch and Buffet units are also available. Must buy styles - Butterfly breakfast table, Cherry, Amy & Madison dining table sets

* Sofa Set (3+1+1) with two side tables and centre table are available for Rs. 49,950*. The ‘Living Room’ sets are also available with a combination of solid wood furniture and fabric upholsteries. Must buy styles including Hawa, Leda Prowood & Redang are made from solid wood and fabric

(* MRP. Exclusive of discounts)

Apart from these Home Centre by Lifestyle is also offering a 20% discount on the entire range of furniture made from MDF and particle wood.

Mr. Shankar Suryanarayan, Chief Marketing Officer, Landmark Group said, “The Solid Wood Furniture has always been popular amongst Indian customers for its beauty and elegance. Solid Wood Fest has been launched keeping in mind the Indian sentiments towards Solid Wood. Home Centre by Lifestyle has a great selection of Solid Wood furniture which complements every single room in the house and promises to suit every style and budget requirements.”

About Home Centre by Lifestyle: With an average store size of 20,000 square feet, Home Centre by Lifestyle is a one stop destination for furniture, home décor and soft furnishing that truly represents style, comfort and individuality. The stores use unique ‘concept’ rooms as the display model, to give consumers a practical idea of how each piece of furniture would look in a particular room. Home Centre by Lifestyle is currently present in Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad, Chennai and Bangalore.

About Lifestyle International (P) Ltd:
Lifestyle is part of the Landmark Group, a Dubai-based retail chain. With over 35 years experience in retailing, the Group has become one of the foremost retailers in the Gulf. Positioned as a trendy, youthful and vibrant brand that offers customers a wide variety of merchandise at an exceptional value for money, Lifestyle India began operations in 1999 with its first store in Chennai. Currently there are 16 Lifestyle stores, 10 Home Centre and 4 Splash stores across Ahmedabad, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Pune, Jaipur, New Delhi, Noida and Gurgaon.

Today Lifestyle offers a truly international shopping experience, a fact borne out by numerous accolades. Business World – IMRB Most Respected Company Awards Survey rated Lifestyle as the Most Respected Company in the Retail Sector in 2003 and 2004. Lifestyle has also been awarded the ICICI – KSA Technopak Award for Retail Excellence in 2005, the Reid & Taylor Retailer of the Year Award in 2006, the Lycra Images Fashion Award for the Most Admired Large Format Retailer of the Year in 2006 and The Most Admired Retailer of the Year – Department Store at the Images Retail Awards 2008.

Atithi Tum Kab Jaaoge? - based on a short story

2009-11-27T04:57:00.001-08:00

Contrary to the recent news reports of Ajay Devgn’s ‘Atithi Tum Kab Jaaoge?’ being inspired by a Hollywood flick, the film is neither a remake of any Indian or International film but is actually based on ‘Tum Kab Jaaoge Atithi’, a short story penned by noted satirist Late Sharad Joshi for which the rights have been purchased.

Amita Mangat, producer of Atithi Tum Kab Jaaoge? refutes the allegation, "We haven’t yet revealed any First Look or Poster of the film, but only a working still of the film. It may look similar to the poster of a Hollywood film but beyond that, there aren't any other similarities."

“What interested us most was the originality of the script. Based on a short story by Sharad Joshi, it is a refreshing and humorous take on something we have always faced in our lives – a guest that never leaves!” says Denzil Dias, Deputy Managing Director (Theatrical), Warner Bros. Picture India.

Atithi Tum Kab Jaaoge? is the story about an unwanted guest who enters the household of a married couple and lives for a long duration by continuously extending his stay. So much so, that the couple is exasperated and starts praying for his exit. While Ajay Devgn and Konkona Sen play the part of a married couple, Paresh Rawal is the uninvited guest.

The film is produced by Warner Bros. Pictures India and Amita Pathak under her banner Wide Frame Films and is directed by Ashwni Dhir.

The Music for the film will be composed by Pritam with choreography by Raju Khan, while the lyrics have been penned by Irshad Kamil.

The screenplay for the film is by Robin Bhatt, Ashwni Dhir & Tushar Hiranandani, and the film is edited by Dharmendra Sharma.

The Cinematographer of the film is Aseem Bajaj, Sound recordist Shubhash Sahu while production designs will be by Sabu Cyril.

To be shot over 50 days at Yashraj Studios and other locales in Mumbai, the film is slated to release on 26th February 2010.

Norwest Venture Partners Closes $1.2 Billion Fund

2009-11-26T04:17:00.001-08:00

Norwest Venture Partners (NVP), a leading global venture and growth equity investment firm, today announced the formation of its most recent fund, Norwest Venture Partners XI, LP. The $1.2 billion fund will target early to late stage venture and growth equity investments across a wide range of sectors and geographies. The addition of this new fund, the largest fund the firm has closed to date, brings NVP's total capital and commitments to more than $3.7 billion. NVP XI follows the $650 million NVP X Fund, which closed in 2006.

NVP has more than 48 years of success backing companies with significant long-term growth opportunities. The firm has funded over 450 companies since inception and has demonstrated a strong track record producing premier investment returns during differing capital market environments. NVP focuses on the following investment areas: information technology, business services, financial services, infrastructure, technology enabled services and consumer.

“The closing of NVP XI will enable us to further expand our growth by stage, region and sector. NVP is a global, multi-stage firm dedicated to both domestic and international investments, and we believe that raising one global fund is a distinct advantage for our portfolio companies,” said Promod Haque, managing partner, NVP. “NVP partners are committed to each investment in the portfolio, regardless of the location or stage, and they all have a vested interest in making each NVP company successful. This philosophy is extended to the firm’s global offices, and we plan to continue this philosophy as we invest out of NVP XI.”

Since the closing of the last NVP fund, the firm added three investment professionals to its U.S. venture team and began bolstering its domestic growth equity practice. NVP hired three U.S. growth equity investment professionals this past year and continues to expand aggressively in this area.

Globally, NVP India hired five investment professionals to focus on venture and growth equity investments and opened offices in Mumbai and Bangalore. In Israel, NVP brought on two investment professionals and opened an office in Herzelia.

Recent NVP exits and transactions include the initial public offering of Rackspace (NYSE: RAX), one of the few technology IPOs in 2008 with a market capitalization today of $2.2 billion, and LifeSize Communications, which was recently acquired by Logitech (NASDAQ: LOGI). Other notable exits over the past few years include Qumranet (acquired by Red Hat), Yipes (acquired by Reliance/Flag Telecom), Open-Silicon (acquired by Unicorn Investment Bank) and SideStep (acquired by Kayak).

“We believe now is a great time to invest, and we are seeing significant opportunities amidst a challenging economic environment – particularly in growth equity and in emerging markets such as India and China,” added Haque. “The growing significance of globalization, cloud computing, consumer driven technology and mobility are some of the key mega trends that are converging and creating a promising investment climate. We will continue to partner with leading entrepreneurs to build great businesses and we’re eager to fuel the growth of several companies in the years ahead.”

About Norwest Venture Partners Norwest Venture Partners (NVP) is a global venture and growth equity investment firm that manages more than $3.7 billion in capital. It has offices in Palo Alto, California, Mumbai and Bangalore, India and Herzelia, Israel. NVP makes early to late stage venture and growth equity investments in U.S. and global companies across a wide range of sectors including: information technology, business services, financial services, infrastructure, technology enabled services and consumer. NVP has actively partnered with entrepreneurs to build great businesses for more than 48 years and has funded over 450 companies since inception.

Notable investments include Actel Corporation, Airespace (acquired by Cisco Systems), Brocade, Cerent (acquired by Cisco Systems), Corio (acquired by IBM), Cray Research, Documentum (acquired by EMC), Extreme Networks, Forte Software (acquired by Sun Microsystems), NSE (National Stock Exchange of India), OnMobile (NSE: OnMobile), Open-Silicon (acquired by Unicorn Investment Bank), PeopleSoft (acquired by Oracle), Polycom, Qumranet (acquired by Red Hat), Rackspace (NYSE:RAX), Shriram City Union Finance, Siara Systems (acquired by Redback Networks), SideStep (acquired by Kayak), Spinnaker Networks (acquired by Network Appliance), SPSS (acquired by IBM), Tivoli Systems (acquired by IBM), Transaction Systems Architects (Nasdaq: ACIW), Verio (acquired by NTT), Winphoria Networks (acquired by Motorola) and Yipes (acquired by Reliance/Flag Telecom).

For more information, please visit www.nvp.com.

Governments Sign Principles for Liberalization

2009-11-26T04:14:00.001-08:00

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) today announced the signing of a Multilateral Statement of Policy Principles regarding the Implementation of Bilateral Air Service Agreements by seven states and the European Commission.

The signing took place at the conclusion of the IATA-hosted second Agenda for Freedom Summit in Montebello, Canada.

The states that signed the document are Chile, Malaysia, Panama, Singapore, Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates, the United States of America, as well as the European Commission. In total they represent some 60% of global aviation.

“This is an historic achievement that will help set the foundation for a financially sustainable global aviation industry. I congratulate the seven governments and the European Commission for their visionary leadership. One agreement will not change the world. But this is a strong signal that this industry’s future must be realized in a much more liberal environment. Today’s signing is the beginning of a process of change. Our shared task now is to bring even more countries on board,” said Giovanni Bisignani, IATA’s Director General and CEO.

“Greater economic freedom is a critical element for aviation and I commend IATA’s Agenda for Freedom initiative. Today’s Statement of Policy Principles is perfectly in line with ICAO’s vision for liberalization as articulated at the fifth Worldwide Air Transport Conference in 2003. While safeguarding safety, security and environmental responsibility, governments and industry must also find a platform for financial sustainability in civil aviation,” said Roberto Kobeh Gonzalez, President of the Council of ICAO who witnessed the signing.

The 65 year-old bilateral system of air service agreements places restrictions on how airlines can do business in ways that no other industry faces. National ownership requirements do not allow airlines to merge across borders, precluding the development of global players that has been seen in other previously regulated industries such as telecommunications. Airlines are also restricted in market access, until government negotiators conclude agreements to allow cross-border services.

“Sixty-five years ago, when airlines were divisions of the state apparatus, the bilateral system and its restrictions made sense. The world has changed. Airlines are real businesses. Their bottom lines are subject to the harsh discipline of the market that has seen the industry lose a net of US$53 billion since 2001. Airlines made global business possible, but they remain a highly fragmented industry unable to cover their cost of capital. We don’t want government handouts. What is important is that we have a level playing field and the freedom to do business that every other industry takes for granted. Today’s signing is a major step towards that goal,” said Bisignani.

The policy principles address three main areas:

Freedom to access capital markets: States agreed on principles that would open the possibility for airlines to access global capital markets. This would be achieved with an agreement not to exercise bilateral rights that could allow them to block international services from airlines with non-national ownership structures. States also agreed to consider the possibility of a multilateral agreement to waive ownership restrictions.

Freedom to do business: States agreed on principles that seek to reduce restrictions on market access and to expedite the further opening of markets in future bilateral negotiations.

Freedom to price services: States agreed on principles that would allow greater freedom to price airline services in line with market realities.

While these policy principles are non-binding, they are an important statement of common government intention among the most active countries driving global aviation policy. The document notes specifically that the signatories “recognize the importance of promoting compatible regulatory approaches and reducing the potential for conflicts” and the intention to use the policy principles to guide “implementation of existing air service agreements and our approach to the negotiation of new or amended air services agreements in the future”.

Suryakaanthi music album launched at Radio Mirchi 98.3

2009-11-25T04:32:00.000-08:00

The music of Suryakaanthi – the most awaited movie of the year was launched for the first time on Radio Mirchi 98.3 FM in the presence of the handsome hunk - Chetan & Chaitanya – Director of the movie. Mirchi listeners were the lucky one’s who got to hear the songs of Suryakaanthi for the first ever time on Radio Mirchi.

With the melodious music composition of Ilayaraja, Suryakaanthi is all set to entertain the Kannada music lovers. Sharing their views on the music Chaitanya & Chetan said, “Suryakaanthi has some melodious songs that is sure to win the hearts of Kannada music lovers, one of the songs is inspired by sixties Broadway musical. The romantic number sung by Shreya Ghoshal and Kunal Ganjawala, picturised on the pristine beaches of Goa & serene mountains of Uttaranchal happens to be our personal favourite"

Sharing some interesting glimpses about the movie Chaitanya said, “The movie is extensively shot in Uzbekistan. Some of the dance and fight sequences are shot in the cities of Tashkent, Bukhara, Samarkhand and in the snow capped mountains of Chemgan. We used dancers and stuntmen from Uzbekistan, incidentally among the fighters, there were kick boxing champions who have represented Uzbekistan in the Olympics!"

Chetan & Chaitanya also added, “This is the first ever time that the music of a movie is launched on-air, it’s amazing to receive such encouraging words from the audience instantaneously! Thanks to Radio Mirchi for facilitating this”

The successful duo of Chetan & Chaitanya who created a buzz with their maiden movie – Aa Dingalu are back again to create another record with Suryakaanthi. The movie is written by Agni Sridhar who was the writer for Aa Dinagalu too.

About Radio Mirchi: ENIL launched its first radio station in the city of Indore in October 2001 and after that in the next one and half years (by May 2003) ENIL launched six other stations. A leader in the private FM radio industry, at present Radio Mirchi is operational in 32 cities i.e. Mumbai (Bombay), Delhi, Kolkata (Calcutta), Chennai (Madras), Indore, Ahmedabad, Pune, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Jaipur, Patna, Jalandhar, Goa, Baroda, Bhopal, Kanpur, Rajkot, Nashik, Varanasi, Aurangabad, Lucknow, Surat, Kolhapur, Madurai, Nagpur, Vishakapatanam, Coimbatore, Mangalore, Vijayawada, Raipur, Thiruvananthapuram and Jabalpur.

Cura Software launches Cura Quants

2009-11-24T04:44:00.000-08:00

Global GRC solutions provider Cura Software has launched Cura Quants, its updated quantitative modeling solution designed to integrate with its existing Enterprise GRC Platform. Cura Quants enables customers to quickly and easily quantify the impact of capital and project related risks as well as the effects of accompanying treatment strategies. Cura is a subsidiary of SoftPro Systems Limited, publicly traded on the NSE and BSE in India.

On the occasion of the launch Mr. K. Vijay Rao, Vice Chairman, Softpro Systems said, “The availability of Cura Quants supports the effort to quantify risks for facilitating people to make more educated decisions. Cura has been known for having the most innovative integrated risk management solutions and this is another step in the right direction. We are committed to help companies to effectively deal with risks in today’s dynamic business environment.”

Avi Eyal, CEO at Cura Software Solutions, says this is a vital step for companies striving towards developing a risk-aware culture, since it allows them to put tangible measures such as value at risk, to risks and projects and determine with various confidence levels and treatment strategies what exposures in time and value they face.

“Prior to the Cura Quants, customers wanting to do sophisticated quantitative and scenario analysis would have needed access to specialist skills and expensive disparate toolsets and applications,” Eyal says.

“Cura Quants removes these obstacles by giving users access to the familiar Cura Enterprise GRC interface and an intuitive wizard-driven environment that substantially speeds up the modeling process – even for relatively unskilled users,” Eyal explains.

“Cura Quants is shipped with a number of quantitative reports that can be easily understood thus making it easier to interpret the business relevance of quantitative outputs.” he says.

“We’re confident that by continuing to focus on new solutions such as these we can maintain the lead we have achieved in the market and possibly even widen the gap that exists between us and our competitors,” concludes Eyal.

About Cura Software Solutions Cura Software Solutions enables businesses around the world to quickly achieve the bottom line benefits of governance, enterprise wide risk management and compliance (GRC), coupled with performance management. Cura does this through fast implementation, easier configurability and true enterprise architecture.

Established in 2001, Cura is used by over 250 customers such as GlaxoSmithKline, Kellogg’s, Westfield, Allianz, Old Mutual plc, Standard Bank, Virgin Blue, Vodacom, AngloGold Ashanti as well as governments and consulting firms world-wide. Cura has offices in New York, Boston, London, Sydney, Melbourne, Singapore, Hyderabad and Johannesburg, and has distributors in 10 countries (South America, Middle East and Asia). Cura is a subsidiary of SoftPro Systems Limited, publicly traded on the NSE and BSE in India.

Enjoy upto 30% Cash Back on Domestic Hotels this Christmas

2009-11-24T04:41:00.000-08:00

Yatra.com, India's leading online travel company, today announced yet another exciting scheme for the customers booking domestic hotels on Yatra.com. Under this offer, a customer can avail up to 30% cash back on booking any domestic hotel of his choice around Christmas & New Year. Cash back can be availed only on hotel bookings made before November 30, 2009. The offer gets even more exciting with first 50 callers getting 50% discount on their booking.

Speaking on this promotional offer, Dhruv Shringi, CEO and Co founder, Yatra,com said, "With our competitive pricing and user-friendly features, we try to provide the best in class services to our customers. Yatra.com has always been a one-stop complete tour planner for travelers and the 30% cash back scheme on the domestic hotel bookings is reiteration of our commitment. We are hopeful that this offer will be very popular amongst the families, which are planning their Christmas & New Year holidays."

Yatra.com assures that the cash back amount on the hotel bookings would be processed within 14 days of the booking in the same credit card account. The offer would be open to all who make the full payment in advance only through credit cards.

Yatra.com has been a pioneer in introducing innovative offers like this for its customers. In the past Yatra.com has dolled out unique offers such as cash-on-delivery of domestic and international flight tickets, compensation to the customers for flight delay, partial payment options for hotel bookings and international flight bookings and many more.

Along with easing the booking process for customers, Yatra.com through its retail arm, Yatra Holiday Lounges, develops ideas for customers who would like to personalize and customize their travel. These holiday lounges allow customers to book a holiday best suited to their needs in consultation with a Yatra Travel Expert. Currently, Yatra.com, has eleven premium Lounges spanning across the country, located in Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Baroda, Mumbai, Delhi, Gurgaon (Delhi NCR), Noida (Delhi NCR), , Chennai, Chandigarh, , Ludhiana, & Pune.

Eurocontrol Unit Rate Proposals Unacceptable

2009-11-24T04:38:00.000-08:00

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) reacted sharply to proposals from 19 of 34 Eurocontrol states to increase overflight route charges in 2010. The proposals by the 19 states will result in a 2.7% net increase in average unit rates in 2010 or US$360 million. These proposals were made in advance of the 25 November meeting of the Eurocontrol Enlarged Committee for Route Charges that will be attended by states representing air navigation service providers (ANSPs) and airlines in the region.

“I applaud the 15 states who plan to reduce or freeze their en route air navigation charges. But the savings they delivered were wiped out by the out-of-control monopolists completely divorced from reality, proposing increases in the middle of an unprecedented industry crisis. The impact of the 2.7% increase in unit rates is equal to adding US$360 million to airline costs. That is not acceptable,” said Giovanni Bisignani, IATA’s Director General and CEO.

IATA, with the full endorsement of the European Commission, urged all providers of air navigation services in Eurocontrol to freeze or reduce unit rates in 2010. The response breaks down as follows:

· Eight states proposed to freeze unit rates at 2009 levels: Belgium, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Cyprus, Norway, Spain, Switzerland, Slovenia and Slovakia

· Seven states proposed reductions below 2009 levels: Portugal, Greece, Croatia, Moldova, Malta, Bulgaria and Finland

· 19 states proposed increases over 2009 levels: Armenia, Serbia-Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Hungary, Austria, Turkey, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sweden, France, Albania, the United Kingdom, Italy, Ireland, Denmark, Czech Republic, Germany, the Netherlands, and Lithuania

The highest increase was proposed by Armenia at 32%. Adjusting for the amount of traffic handled, the greatest impact of the increases will be felt by proposals for increases in Poland (+18%), Romania (+17%), Austria (+14%), France (+6%), the United Kingdom (+5%) and Italy (+4%).

“To survive we need to cut costs. That burden must be shared across the value chain—including our ANSPs partners. The unacceptable and out of touch proposals from 19 Eurocontrol states and their ANSPs demonstrate beyond doubt that we must urgently implement a robust performance framework under the Single European Sky regulations,” said Bisignani.

Notes for Editors:

· IATA (International Air Transport Association) represents some 230 airlines comprising 93% of scheduled international air traffic.

· The 2.7% increase unit rate increase is the net result after having taken into consideration:

* Charges freeze by eight air navigation service providers (ANSPs)

* Charges reductions by seven ANSPs

* Charges increases by 19 ANSPs

· The total industry cost will decrease 3.8% in 2010 despite the 2.7% increase in the unit rate. This is due to the significant 6.3% decrease in traffic projected for 2010.

· The cost to an airline for a given number of overflight service units in 2010 is 2.7% higher than it was in 2009, or US$360 million. An overflight service unit is a function of the aircraft weight and the distance flown within the state’s airspace.

Shikha Puri impresses Hollywood director Reynold Baines

2009-11-23T04:06:00.002-08:00

By Ashwin Salian – Futurisitic Media Network

Actress Shikha Puri who will be seen playing Parveen Babi in a film titled “The Three Kings” has impressed her Hollywood director Reynold Baines so much that the latter even offered her a role in a new English film that he is planning to do.

Baines who was visiting India last week caught up with Shikha Puri as she was not keeping too well. The celebrated director of short films and blockbusters alike, dropped in to say ‘Hello’. Shika apparently put her best foot forward and so impressed the man that he immediately offered her another project.

Shikha has already signed on a Reynold Baines directed movie The Three Kings that features characters that bear some resemblance to Mahesh Bhat, Parveen Babi, Zeenat Aman and Amitabh Bachchan. While the film is supposedly based on Parveen Babi’s life, it is a partly fictionalised version of Parveen Babi’s fast love life. The film is produced jointly by Spectra Multimedia Films (I) and White Tulip Films of Canada. The film is in Hinglish and is primarily targeted at an international audience, but will also be screened in India, Flynn Remedios, the script writer of the film said.

Shikha Puri was last seen in a Reality Show , Sarkar Ki Duniya on Real, Cash Cab on UTV and Exhausted on Channel V is the new babe to watch out for. She has done several ad films and print ads in less than six months of entering Bollywood.

WILLS LIFESTYLE’S AUTUMN-WINTER 2009 COLLECTION

2009-11-23T04:00:00.000-08:00

ITC’s Wills Lifestyle announces the launch of their Autumn-Winter 2009 Collection.

The nationwide chain of specialty stores offers a complete fashion wardrobe comprising Wills Signature Designer wear, Wills Classic formal wear, Wills Sport relaxed wear, Wills Clublife evening wear and fashion accessories for both men and women.

Celebrating Luxury Wills Lifestyle is proud to celebrate the noble game of Polo and high life associated with it. The Autumn Winter collection in luxurious fabrics, vibrant colors and meticulous craftsmanship is presented against a backdrop of this regal game.

WILLS CLASSIC Wills Classic collection for men has been inspired by English legacy and reflects fine woven structures. Taking from the international runway, mix and match styling detail is a predominant theme in the collection. The range has clean corporate stitch and finish, with intricate detailing to add a twist of fashion. The focus is on fabric sheen brought about by the usage of various subtle textured fabrics and superfine structures

Wills Lifestyle has introduced the Nanotex Neutraliser Shirts for the first time in India. These shirts manage moisture and odour effectively, thus keeping you feeling comfortable and fresh like never before. The concept has been exclusively launched for the Indian men for the Wills Lifestyle Classic line.

This season Wills Lifestyle also introduces LUXURIA, an exclusive range of shirts crafted from fine count European fabric. Soak in the luxury of meticulous craftsmanship with full tape detailing, mock fell seam with gussets and shell buttons, truly exceptional.

The Wills Classic collection for women offers classic black and whites along with a splatter of metallic hues. Color palettes include violet, cobalt blue etc. The collection flaunts oodles of style, luxury and refinement in fabrics, colors and silhouettes. Checks are the big thing this season and will be seen in the Wills Lifestyle assortment as well. Ranging form graph checks to bigger one’s the collection is chick, contemporary and international in its look and feel. The silhouettes, inspired by the international runway trends, would have emphasis on out of body structure. Color breaking styling used to add glamour and uniqueness to each pieces of clothing along with paisley prints enthused from the traditional heritage theme. The range will encompass executive dresses, tailored jackets, pant suit, shirts etc

WILLS SPORT Wills Sport Spring–Summer line for men brings bright colors with focus on checks, mix & match, gradation print and street dandy clothing. The graph paper check in small predominant colors is the spotlight of the collection with neat fitted silhouettes enhanced by trim details, grain play and metallic. The bottoms can be found in dark washes with the introduction of yarn dyes. Checkered trousers are also an addition with pigment coating for steadier fabric. Jackets are offered in denims, twills and woolen, with zipper details, exaggerated plaids and layering for a rugged country look.

Wills Sport women’s collection is reliving the 60s and 70s era with free mix of colors and patterns giving it a bohemian folk look. Violet and cobalt being statement colors for the season are blended with red, terracotta, orange, green etc for this autumn winter, the collection will sport from checks to paisleys, layering also used extensively for styling. The silhouettes are out of body, long and comfortable fits with a mix of slim fits. The collection will sport long and short shirts, print dresses, slim denims etc

WILLS CLUBLIFE Wills Clublife for men is a glamorous and exciting collection full of energy and spunk. Reversible fabrics have been used this season for shirts to add style and uniqueness to each garment. The color stories range from red, burgundy, olive, purple and grey’s with a touch of shine. Superior high count fabrics have been used along with jacquards and cotton silks. Mix and match offer a fusion of patterns, structures and knit. The cuts are structured and classy with distinct use of ombre print. Dark denims with contrast stitches, pocket leather trims

Wills Clublife women collection is ultra elegant and luxury chic. The collection is bright with reds, cobalt blue, mettalics etc. The perfect way of dressing up for the evenings, pick up any pieces from the Wills Clublife collection, keeping in mind the international trend forecast the range has stylish waist emphasis silhouettes, harems, dresses, flared lower with lace being used extensively in the garments.

WILLS SIGNATURE Treat yourself to an exquisite collection brought to you from India’s biggest fashion celebration - Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week. This Fall-Winter features ensembles by some of India’s leading designers like JJ Valaya, Rohit Bal, Satya Paul, Rina Dhaka, Ranna Gill, Shantanu-Nikhil, Rajesh Pratap Singh and Rohit Gandhi-Rahul Khanna.

Wills Lifestyle also offers accessories complementing the range such as premium belts, wallets, mufflers and tie’s in various designs and colors further accentuating the complete autumn winter look.

Wills Signature ensembles are priced between Rs. 2999 - 14999 and available exclusively at leading Wills Lifestyle stores

About Wills Lifestyle: ITC’s Wills Lifestyle has been established as a vibrant fashion brand for the premium consumer. Wills Lifestyle offers a complete lifestyle wardrobe for the premium consumer, incorporating the latest fashion trends, comprising - Wills Classic work wear, Wills Sport relaxed wear, Wills Clublife evening wear, Wills Signature Designer wear, Essenza di Wills range of fine fragrances, bath & body care products and fashion accessories for both men and women. A nationwide chain of exclusive specialty stores provides the Indian consumer a truly 'International Shopping Experience' through world-class ambience, customer facilitation and clearly differentiated product presentation. Currently there are 50 Wills Lifestyle stores in 30 cities across the country, and the brand is making rapid strides in terms of expansion – doubling the number of stores over the next three years. Wills Lifestyle has received wide recognition within the fashion industry including “Most Admired Exclusive Retail Chain of the Year”.

For details visit www.willslifestyle.com

Modicare introduces Well Protein Nourisher and Well Joint Ease

2009-11-19T03:51:00.000-08:00

To take care of the complete family needs, Modicare Limited, the leading direct selling company, has introduced Well Protein Nourisher - a high quality “Complete Protein” supplement and Well Joint-Ease - a triple Action Sci-vedic™ formula for Healthy Joints.

Well Protein Nourisher is a high quality “Complete Protein” source that contains more than 80% protein and supplies all the nine essential amino acids necessary for the growth and maintenance of the body. A 100 percent vegetarian product with no added flavors, preservatives, sweeteners or colours, Well Protein Nourisher is cholesterol-free, low on has added benefits of naturally occurring soy isoflavones, calcium, iron and phosphorus. Being neutral in taste it can easily blend with almost all food and beverage items, like chapatti, gravy, juices or milk without altering their taste and nutritive value. Suitable for all age groups, Well Protein Nourisher is available at Rs 719/-(200gm pack) and Rs 1556/- (500gm pack)

Well Joint-Ease, a Triple Action Sci-vedic™ formula for Healthy Joints offers the rich herbal wisdom of Ayurveda and the best of modern science. The unique blend of Glucosamine, Boswellia and Curcumin helps to re-boost cartilage health, joint structure and promote healthy joints for comfortable movement. These ingredients are delivered through unique “Bio-Enhancer” technology for a lasting effect. The Triple Action Sci-vedic™ formula with natural herbs and accessory nutrients supports Healthy joints, Mobility & Flexibility and Immune system by providing “Bioprotectant” shield. The product is idea for athletes and people suffering from joint problems and is available at Rs 1799/- (120 tablets pack)

About Modicare Limited

Modicare is one of India’s leading Direct Selling Companies and is a major player in an industry dominated by multinational giants. The Company has 34 centers across the country that supplies products to over 2,600 cities. Modicare offers products in the categories of Personal Care, Colour Cosmetics & Skin Care, Home Care, Laundry Care, Agriculture, Auto Care, Nutrition, Health & Wellness. Modicare products are developed by the Company’s own highly experienced technical staff at its R&D center. All products are formulated according to international standards and developed in accordance with Indian tastes.

Copper Chimney’s Lunch Buffet in town for Rs 229/-

2009-11-19T03:48:00.001-08:00

Copper Chimney brings good news to your palette & wallet as it introduces ‘The best Buffet in town’ for all food enthusiasts. The buffet is available at a reasonable price of only Rs 229/- . This offer is valid only between 12:30 pm – 3:30 pm Monday to Friday.

The Lunch Buffet is sure to delight Bangaloreans with authentic North Indian food and lip-smacking starters to savour from an elaborate main course available at Copper Chimney. This lunch buffet will surely enrich your senses with delectable spreads in live counters and an ideal ambience.

The buffet will consist of two varieties of soups, three vegetarian kebabs, two non vegetarian kebabs, three non vegetarian main courses, four vegetarian main courses, salad bar with dressings and toppings, six variety of desserts (three Indian and three Western), ice cream with nuts and exquisite accompaniments, toppings and dessert sauces.

Copper Chimney, one of the first restaurants to introduce open kitchens in India is the epicenter of North Indian culinary expertise and brings an impeccable array of exquisite menu for the food lovers with their Lunch Buffet. Declared as the undisputed capital of authentic north Indian cuisine by food lovers, Copper Chimney has been Bangalore’s foremost culinary landmark. It houses a formal yet relaxing ambience with mouthwatering and rare delicacies from the interiors of Punjab and North-West Frontier.

For reservations, kindly contact 66111800/9009342159354

Copper Chimney’s Lunch Buffet in town for Rs 229/-

Incorporated in September 2000, Blue foods commenced its operations in Mumbai and fast expanded its orbit covering 15 cities across India. Defined as the sole frontrunner in the organized retail – food business in India, Blue Foods currently has more than 250,000 sqft of food & beverage operations. The company’s expansion map has an aggressive strategic roll out plan, which aims to initiate many more restaurants and food courts across India, adding a total of 150, 000 sqft in the next 12 – 18 months.

The company has inked successful alliances with leading retail conglomerates like Shopper Stop, Indivision, DLF, Future Group and EMMAR MGF. In a short span of 4 years, Blue Foods is operational in over 100 locations across India and serves more than 1 million customers daily.

Warner Bros release Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge on Feb 26

2009-11-18T04:02:00.001-08:00

Warner Bros. Pictures India and Wide Frame Films join hands for their next Bollywood film ‘Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge?’ starring Ajay Devgn, Konkona Sen Sharma & Paresh Rawal under the direction of Ashwani Dheer. Amita Pathak, daughter of Kumar Mangat will take on the reins of a Producer for the first time with this project.

“The script of Atithi… itself is a non stop laugh riot and you add the comical talents of Ajay Devgn, Paresh Rawal & Konkona Sen, we have a winner at the box office” says Denzil Dias, Deputy Managing Director (Theatrical) , Warner Bros. Pictures India

Says the debutant producer Amita Pathak, “When my director (Ashwani Dheer) narrated the script to me, I could completely relate to it as we have also faced a similar scenario at home leading to a lot of funny and frustrating situations. We felt it made the perfect premise for a rip-roaring comedy. And that is how ‘Athithi Tum Kab Jaoge’ was born.”

This is the first time 3 National award winners likes Ajay, Konkona and Paresh have been cast together for a light hearted comedy.

Says the main lead, Ajay Devgn, “I liked the script because it is very real and has some slice-of-life comic situations. It is also very cleverly written and the humour in the dialogue makes it very likeable. I’m sure people from all walks of life will identify with this because every home must have had a guest who has been the bane of their lives.”

To be shot over 50 days at Yashraj Studios and other locales in Mumbai, the film is slated to release on 26th February 2010.

The Music for the film will be composed by Pritam while the lyrics have been penned by Irshad Kamil.

The Cinematographer of the film is Aseem Bajaj, Sound recordist Shubhash Sahu while production designs will be by Sabu Cyril.

About Warner Bros:

Warner Bros., a fully integrated, broad-based entertainment company, is the global leader in the creation, production, distribution, licensing and marketing of all forms of entertainment and their related businesses. Warner Bros., a Time Warner Company, stands at the forefront of every aspect of the entertainment industry, from feature films to television, home video/DVD, animation, comic books, interactive entertainment and games, product and brand licensing, international cinemas and broadcasting.

Warner Bros. Pictures has been at the forefront of the motion picture industry since its inception and continues as a worldwide box office leader today. With some 30 offices around the world, Warner Bros. Pictures is also the leader in the distribution and marketing of feature films to the worldwide theatrical marketplace, releasing films to more than 175 territories. Warner Bros. Pictures is home to such recent world-renowned hit films as Harry Potter and The Half Blood Prince, The Dark Knight & The Hangover

SMS-based location search and direction finding service

2009-11-16T04:38:00.000-08:00

This is useful/Authentic information for people, who travel by Auto, and we will be able to know the rate, route and the distance too, 9008890088 is an SMS-based location search and direction finding service that provides directions to people with or without Smart phones to any location in Bangalore.

The SMS service is available free of charge and all you pay is the standard SMS rate according to your plan. It needs no subscription. The service is reliable and involves very little waiting time. The reply back time varies from 3 seconds to 1 minute depending on the mobile operator's message traffic congestion and availability of signals.

Only you need to do is SMS to 9008890088. The example usages are:
Example 1: FROM Mekri circle TO ESI Hospital
Example 2: SBI atm NEAR M G Road

You will get a reply SMS with the exact location and shortest directions to reach place from a prominent landmark.And also with total distance in Kilometers and approximate Auto fare.

ACP Praveen Sood imparts traffic discipline on Radio Mirchi 98.3 FM

2009-11-16T04:31:00.001-08:00

'Unjamming Bengaluru' - Additional commissioner of Police - Praveen Sood imparts traffic discipline on Radio Mirchi 98.3 FM as part of the Jamaluru initiative undertaken by Bangalore Mirror.

Its jam and jam all over in Bengaluru! Well its not the delectable mixed fruit jam but the horrid obnoxious “TRAFFIC JAM” that every Bengalurean has been enduring in last few years…..

Radio Mirchi 98.3 FM along with Bangalore launched a campaign to bring out the various issues and solutions related to traffic on the city roads. As a prelude to the initiative, Radio Mirchi 98.3 – the sakkath hot radio station facilitated a grievance redressal cum solution seeking session on-air with Additional commissioner of Police, Mr. Praveen Sood who was on the morning drive time show – Hi Bangalore hosted by RJ Rachna.

Talking to Radio Mirchi Additional commissioner of Police, Mr. Praveen Sood said, “Traffic violations are rampant in the city, more so in the weekends. In fact, the Traffic Police collects about 10 lakhs per day amounting to 3 crores collections in a month.”

Mr. Sood also enlightened Mirchi listeners of certain measures that has been undertaken for the ease of aam janta like soft skill training for cops to avoid unpleasant brush ups with general public, traffic offenders now have the luxury to make their fine payments online with a promise not to violate traffic in future, BTP system has been implemented to alert general public on traffic jams through SMSes. He also notified that all number plates should have English denominations apart from Kannada.

Jamaluru is a three-week campaign undertaken by Bangalore Mirror to seek solutions to Bengaluru's ever increasing traffic woes. Aiming at involving the citizens' participation into the initiative, Radio Mirchi & Bangalore Mirror are spearheading this initiative.

About Radio Mirchi: ENIL launched its first radio station in the city of Indore in October 2001 and after that in the next one and half years (by May 2003) ENIL launched six other stations. A leader in the private FM radio industry, at present Radio Mirchi is operational in 32 cities i.e. Mumbai (Bombay), Delhi, Kolkata (Calcutta), Chennai (Madras), Indore, Ahmedabad, Pune, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Jaipur, Patna, Jalandhar, Goa, Baroda, Bhopal, Kanpur, Rajkot, Nashik, Varanasi, Aurangabad, Lucknow, Surat, Kolhapur, Madurai, Nagpur, Vishakapatanam, Coimbatore, Mangalore, Vijayawada, Raipur, Thiruvananthapuram and Jabalpur.

Time Out India launching Anjum Hassan's new book "Neti,Neti"

2009-11-13T04:42:00.000-08:00

It's our pleasure to invite you to the launch of Time Out Bookmark series - a Time Out India Initiative with Anjum Hassan's new book "Neti,Neti" today- 13th November 2009 at Crossword, Residency Road at 6.30 pm.

Anjum Hasan, the author of Neti, Neti will be in discussion about her second novel with Time Out Bangalore’s Dance Editor, Joshua Muyiwa and Jaideep Sen - Editor of Time Out Bangalore.

Please find attached your copy of e-invite for the launch.

About the novel:

Twenty-five-year-old Sophie Das has moved from Shillong to Bangalore in search of work, fun and liberty. Neti, Neti follows Sophie and her free-spirited friends through offices, pubs, call centers, night streets, shopping malls, rock concerts, and the homes of Bangalore’s newly rich, as Sophie starts to feel more and more alienated in the money-mad city. A horrific murder sends her back to her hometown, where her Hamlet-quoting father and increasingly religious mother are chasing their separate dreams. Will Sophie be able to pull back from the brink and find herself a home?

Lifestyle’s AW 09 collection mirrors ‘Global Fashion’

2009-11-12T04:47:00.000-08:00

This season, set out on a journey of rediscovery as Lifestyle launches its AW 09 collection which promises to have fun and youthful elements like Edgy fashion, chic designs, bold hues and more. On offer are six exciting ranges of diverse fashion to choose from:

Collection Highlights:

Ginger: Calls out to the young, sprightly & flirty women with super cool fashion that says ‘I belong’. Hot, seductive and bold, best describe this collection which has specs of modern, retro, floral and artistic graphics in its line of tops, denims, leggings, jackets & footwear. Priced between Rs.199/- to Rs.899/- the collection is sure going to be a hot favourite amongst the girls who like to flaunt their attitude with style.

The brand has also introduced a diverse, eclectic, and trendy array of accessories complimenting the apparel line. The range offers bracelets, ear rings, Necklace, Hair accessories, Rings and Baby accessories and is priced upto Rs. 500/-

Code: Presents the cosmopolitan Indian male or female the choice of dressing offering a definitive edge in the corporate jungle. The collection comprises of an exciting range of Formal & Casual wear, inspired by colour stories, unique styling and global trends, in vibrant and youthful colours with a dash of class to it. The women wear line comprises evening dresses, night wear and fashion accessories while the men’s wear comprises shirts, trousers, jackets, footwear, belts, ties. The collection is priced between Rs.299/- to Rs.1199/-

Club Hoppers: Specially designed for urban males who believe in working hard and partying harder! This rich & super stylish collection has just the perfect touch of bling which can be worn all through the day and works perfectly for the night as well. Reinforced with impeccable club styling and tailored construction, the collection is dominated by winter colours. Comprising of ties, shirt, trousers, t-shirts, waist coats, Belts & Shoes; the collection is priced between Rs.399/- to Rs.1899/-

Fame Forever: Super cool and super hip, Fame Forever has a youthful spirit to it and consist of trendy, colourful and funky casual clothes for men and woman. Offering clothes in a vibrant and kaleidoscopic range of colours, the AW09 collection has a feel of fun and frolic to it. Comprising of t-shirts and Denims, the collection is priced between Rs.250/- to Rs.1500/-

Forca: Once you adorn a Forca, edginess & irreverence takes over. The cool denim brand is perfect for men who are youthful while being evolved & self assured. The collection is inspired from new technologies, alternate sports and music and a well defined adaptation of the latest in street fashion, comfortable, easy to wear and in touch with their surroundings. The collection comprises of t-shirts, shirts, denims, footwear, belts & fashion accessories and is priced between Rs.299/- to Rs.1299/-

Melange: Offers a mix & match contemporary ethnic adornment for women, to dazzle the evenings. This collection comprises of an exclusive line of ethnic wear for women with a modern and contemporary look. The collection entails a combination of hand block printing and exquisite hand embroideries with the use of pure fabrics like silks, chiffons, georgettes etc in vibrant-to-soothing shades. The brand has also recently launched ‘Melange Sarees’ across select stores in cotton, silk, chiffons and georgettes. The collection comprises Salwar Kamiz, Dupatta & Kurtis and is priced between Rs.199/- to Rs.5799/-

About Landmark Group:

The Landmark Group, founded in 1973 with a single store in Bahrain, has grown into one of the largest retail conglomerates in the Middle East and is expanding rapidly in India.

The Group currently operates over 900 stores encompassing a retail presence of over 13.4 million square feet across 15 countries and employs around 31,000 employees world over. In addition to retail sector, the Group has also diversified into leisure, food, hotels and electronics and has created a comprehensive infrastructure including its own logistics and distribution division, to support its retail operations and other businesses.

In 1999, Landmark Group entered India, to revolutionize retailing in the country with the introduction of Lifestyle Stores. Currently in its 10 years of retailing in India, Landmark Group has launched several of its core retail concepts in the country including Lifestyle, Home Centre, Splash, Bossini, Max and hospitality concepts, Spar supermarkets and hypermarkets, Fun City, Citymax and Gloria Jean’s Coffees. It currently has 16 Lifestyle, 10 exclusive Home Centre by Lifestyle, 18 Max and 4 Splash stores across India.

Colorbar introduces lustrous lip glosses for this winter

2009-11-11T03:49:00.000-08:00

The new JUICY CANDY lip gloss from Colorbar. Go ahead…treat your lips!

Colorbar has launched lip smacking Juicy Candy lip glosses in 8 exciting flavors! In the coming fall-winter season, keep your lips hydrated and moist as it consists of a skin conditioning agent that will leave your lips moist, soft and deliciously irresistible.

Juicy Candy lip gloss comes in an easy squeeze tube with a slanted tip for smooth application and gives a creamy luscious touch so incredible and long lasting; it will be hard to keep away from it for too long! For added brilliance you can even mix and match it with lip liners or lip colors.

The Juicy Candy lip gloss is priced at Rs. 199/- in 8 different mouth watering fruity flavors of Minty Fresh, Guava Crush, Orange Jus, Caramel Toffee, Raspberry Swirl, Strawberry Twist, Applicious and Just Berry

Usage – Line the lips with a suitable lip liner. Press the bullet to the lips using even pressure to apply gloss on both upper and lower lips: To refresh and even out, press lips together. Using a lip brush gives a richer and more precise colour application.

Availability: Colorbar has launched its first flagship store at G-07; Select Citywalk, Saket, New Delhi. Colorbar is also present across 400 plus major retail outlets such as Twenty Four Seven, Pantaloon, and Central etc. along with top beauty product stores across the country.

About Colorbar

Colorbar is a leading brand of color cosmetics. Our exclusive, high-end formulations and product lines are manufactured in Greece, Italy, France and Germany to glam up our clients’ avant garde fashion needs. As a color expert, we consider every woman as unique. Her personality, style and selection of colors express her individuality. This is the inspiration for our interesting and contemporary color palette that fuels the fashion desires of today’s woman. Colorbar designs its repertoire to re-define the chic & sensual woman, with its range of make-up. Our forecasts for trends capture the changing hues on the international runway & this has transformed us from a mere cosmetic company to the most sought after color brand for our customers.

Fun time for kids at Myntra.com

2009-11-10T04:48:00.001-08:00

A range of t-shirts, sippers, piggy banks, chocolate wrappers and jigsaw puzzles that can be personalized with pictures and designs of children ~

Kids = Gifts = Excitement = Myntra.com, this November

Myntra.com - India’s largest on-demand consumer products personalization brand –has in the offering a ‘delightful’ and ‘unique’ range of products that promises to thrill your kids this month. Parents have the option of choosing from a range of kids t-shirts, sippers, piggy banks, chocolate wrappers and jigsaw puzzles for their children. These products can be given that special touch by personalizing them with your children's photos and designs making it a gift they can cherish.

These products priced between Rs. 99/- to Rs.499/- is apt for kids in the age group of 2-12.

These gifts can be ordered by logging onto www.myntra.com which is a user friendly ordering platform. Payments can be made on the website through convenient and safe payment options like credit card, debit card and Net Banking. International card payments are also accepted. The website also gives consumers an option of making payments through cheques. Myntra ships products to all locations in India and many countries across the world.

Children factory Contest:

On this occasion, Myntra.com has also launched a design contest titled “Children's Factory” for its 4000 strong designer community. They can register with Myntra.com & submit their creative’s. These will be made available to consumers who can personalize products of their choice with these designs.

Unleash the creativity of your child by getting them to be a part of this exciting contest, get their designs published on the website and also win a change for some great gifts.

About Myntra: (www.myntra.com):

Myntra.com is India’s largest on demand personalization platform for products, gifts and cool merchandise. Myntra enables individuals and corporates to create their own products by adding content of their choice – photos, graphics, designs, slogans etc. - on a wide range of consumer products. Currently Myntra offers personalized products across 33 product categories and has a Designer Community with over 4000 designers who have contributed to over 30000 designs to the Myntra Design Library.

A first to Myntra's credit is powering the Yuvraj Singh Brand Store which is India's first Online Celebrity Merchandise store. Myntra also has India's largest collection of Corporate Gifting & Promotional Products catalogues catering to the Corporate & Institutional clients. Another Myntra innovation is designing and setting up exclusive Brand Shops for large corporates like Tech Mahindra, ING Vysya, Birlasoft and Headstrong. Myntra was started by a group of IIT / IIM graduates in late 2006 and is headquartered in Bangalore with regional offices in New Delhi & Mumbai. Myntra has been funded by top tier Venture Capital funds like NEA, IDG & Accel Partners.

HomeShop18 launches a new promotion “Har Ghante Kamaal”

2009-11-09T03:10:00.000-08:00

HomeShop18, India’s 1st and only 24 Hour Shopping Channel, has launched an exciting new promotion, from 3rd November: “Har Ghante Kamaal”. Shoppers at HomeShop18 will get a chance to win fabulous prizes every hour. This one of a kind promotion is a first on Indian television and is part of HomeShop18’s “More for Consumer” strategy.

“Har Ghante Kamaal” promotion runs between 3rd and 27th November. There will be live winner announcements based on lucky draws every hour. The lucky shoppers will win prizes that include products like Videocon microwaves, washing machines, food processors, LCD TVs, Reebok watches & sunglasses, Inalsa vacuum cleaner, Samsung Cameras and many more. What makes this promotion truly exciting is that each purchase offers a fresh new entry into the promotion, which means the more you buy the more chances you would have of winning.

While announcing the launch of “Har Ghante Kamaal” promotion, Sundeep Malhotra,
CEO, HomeShop18, said, “At HomeShop18, we want to keep the excitement rolling for our customers. So whether it is exciting new products and innovations, or super value propositions, it’s all there at HomeShop18. But we also want to offer the customers a complete and fulfilling shopping experience, and that is how we go about creating these magnificent promotions that you would not find elsewhere… “Har Ghante Kamaal” is the next level… it is about non-stop excitement”.

HomeShop18, India’s 1st and only 24 Hour Shopping Channel, has gained tremendous popularity for its promotions and is clearly emerging as a preferred retail destination for many Indian consumers. Currently, there is one new customer who transacts with HomeShop18 every 8 seconds. With a nationwide logistics reach of 2700+ cities and a 24 x 7 call centre, HomeShop18 has brought products at affordable prices to customers’ door step. For further details on “Har Ghante Kamaal”, customers can call 18001800918 or they can log on to www.homeshop18.com and pick the great deals.

About HomeShop18

HomeShop18 is India’s first comprehensive virtual retail business, selling credible brands to customers nationally, operating in a multimedia environment including television, web, catalogue and other media. As a pioneering player in the space and within a year of launch, HomeShop18 has achieved an impressive scale with 20000 products across multiple categories, a logistical reach of over 2700 cities and a strong loyal customer base. HomeShop18 is committed to providing superlative quality, exceptional value and unmatched convenience. From the stage of product selection, to placing the order & all the way to the final delivery at your doorstep – an experience that you can depend upon! HomeShop18 makes shopping fun and easy. Great products & established brands, multiple payment options, time bound delivery and a 15 day ‘no questions’ asked replacement guarantee. HomeShop18 is committed to building a credible proposition for both the consumer & its partners. For more, log onto www.homeshop18.com (Winner of PC World’s “Best shopping site” award).

About Network18

Network18[BSE: 532798,NSE: Network18] is one of India's leading full play media conglomerates with interests in television, print, internet, filmed entertainment, mobile content and allied businesses. Through its holding in Television Eighteen India Ltd (TV18) BSE: 532299, NSE: TV-18], Network18 operates India’s leading business news television channels, CNBC-TV18 and CNBC Awaaz. It also runs one of India’s largest Internet layers Web18, as well as one of India’s leading real time financial information and news terminals Newswire18. TV18 has recently expanded into print with the acquisition of Infomedia, India's leading player in the B2B publishing and printing operations space, and announced collaboration with Forbes media for the launch of a business magazine in India and is in process of launching a Hindi business daily for the Indian market via a 50:50 JV with Jagran Prakashan. Through its holding in ibn18 Broadcast Limited (IBN18) BSE: 532800,NSE: IBN18], Network18 operates in the general news and entertainment pace with leading general news channels CNN-IBN and IBN7 and has launched IBN Lokmat, a Marathi news channel in partnership with the Lokmat group. IBN18 also operates a joint venture with Viacom, called Viacom18 which houses the MTV, VH1 and Nickelodeon channels in India -as also Studio18, the Group’s filmed entertainment operation has launched ‘Colors’, a Hindi general entertainment channel on 21st July,08. Additionally, Network18 holds the Group’s online & on-air home shopping venture, omeshop18 and its full spectrum events management venture, E18. For more formation, log on to www.network18online.com.

Estee Lauder's night repair Synchronised Recovery Complex

2009-11-05T03:07:00.000-08:00

A Technological Breakthrough Leads to Continuous Synchronized Skin Repair

In 1982, Estée Lauder was the first cosmetics company to bring night-time repair to the anti-aging category by introducing a product that revolutionized the way women thought about their skin and cared for it. Night Repair was an innovative, award-winning formula that targeted damaged skin and helped visibly repair it during the restorative hours of sleep. Estée Lauder was also among the first skincare companies to understand the fundamental link between DNA damage and skin aging, and the importance of skin’s ability to repair its own DNA.

Today, Estée Lauder’s pivotal research in genetic aging has provided a new discovery and technology that will again revolutionize night-time repair. New Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Recovery Complex provides continuous, comprehensive and optimized night-time repair with revolutionary Chronolux™ Technology to support the natural synchronization of skin’s repair and protection processes at exactly the right time. Additionally, a new patented technology encapsulating Alkyl Guanine Transferase (AGT) helps repair visible damage from smoke and pollution, in particular toxins and chemicals, putting this new serum at the forefront of visible damage repair from all known major environmental assaults.

NEW DISCOVERY – CLOCK GENES AND SKIN CELLS:

Healthy skin cells maximize repair functioning at night through a symphony of precisely timed repair responses based on the body’s natural circadian cycle. The sequencing and timing of these responses is so critically important that they are synchronized by a specific family of genes called clock genes. Until recently, it was thought all cellular synchronization occurred through one “master clock.” New research now shows that each skin cell contains its own clock genes which help each cell maximize its own DNA repair. With age and repeated exposure to environmental stresses, these clock genes can become out of sync, causing cellular repair and protective process to slow down, thus compromising DNA repair.

NEW TOTAL SYNCHRONIZED REPAIR – CHRONOLUX™ TECHNOLOGY:

Estée Lauder scientists are among the first in skincare to understand the role of clock gene activation and synchronization to enhance skin’s natural repair activity. Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Recovery Complex has now harnessed the knowledge of clock genes with exclusive Chronolux™ Technology, which supports the natural synchronization of skin’s repair and protective mechanisms. The result is comprehensive skin repair at exactly the right time.

NEW DISCOVERIES IN DNA DAMAGE:

Every day, skin is assaulted by environmental stresses, all of which can cause damage to skin cells and their DNA. Estée Lauder Research & Development has now identified a new type of damage our skin has not yet been able to adapt to. Alkylation Damage is caused by smoke and pollution, in particular, toxins and chemicals. If this damage is not repaired quickly enough by a repair enzyme known as Alkyl Guanine Transferase (AGT) found naturally in our skin, the damage becomes permanent. However, as AGT repairs, it gets “used up,” thus needing to be continually replenished.

NEW REPAIR TECHNOLOGY:

Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Recovery Complex includes a new, cutting edge technology to address Alkylation Damage. Estée Lauder Research & Development has exclusively encapsulated AGT in a unique and patented delivery technology, designed to support skin’s natural repair enzyme to help effectively “clean up” the damaging effects of Alkylation before it becomes permanent.

EXTRAORDINARY RESULTS:

Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Recovery Complex helps skin continuously repair its appearance in three advanced ways:

Continuous Synchronized Repair:

The new formula heightens skin’s natural repair process – critical for its well being. Exclusive Chronolux™ Technology supports the natural synchronization of skin’s repair and protection processes to help skin look younger. Over time, you will see a dramatic reduction in the visible signs of aging, including lines, dehydration and discoloration.

Enhanced Environmental Repair:

When used every night, the new formula helps skin continuously repair the appearance of past damage caused by every major environmental assault – UV light, smoke, pollution, ozone, and even emotional stress – before they become permanent.

Prevention & Hydration:

A proprietary blend of anti-oxidants plus high levels of proven Hyaluronic Acid – nature’s “moisture magnet” – work together to help create the ideal environment for skin’s natural protection and repair. The new formula helps safeguard skin’s future by neutralizing up to 90%* of environmentally-generated free radicals before they can affect skin’s appearance.

USAGE:

Use Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Recovery Complex every night to help continuously repair the appearance of past damage, and help prevent future damage to skin cells and their DNA. Apply a few drops of serum evenly onto cleansed skin every night. Follow with moisturizer as needed by your skin type.

Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Recovery Complex is Dermatologist-tested, Ophthalmologist-tested, Non-Acnegenic, Fragrance Free, and can be used on All Skin Types. Patented until 2017.

Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Recovery Complex will be on counters October 2009

Suggested Retail Price: 30ml Rs 3100 50ml Rs 4355

Available at Estee Lauder stores-Select CityWalk, Saket, New Delhi and Collection,UB City, Bangalore

* In vitro testing

Seventymm appoints Mudit Khosla as the new CEO

2009-11-04T03:32:00.000-08:00

Bangalore, November 3, 2009: Seventymm.com, India’s largest movie rental company today announced the appointment of Mudit Khosla as the new Chief Executive Officer. In his new role, Mudit, former founding GM and Business Head of Yatra.com, will be reporting to the board of directors of Seventymm.com. He will be responsible for developing and executing Company’s long term growth strategies, launching new initiatives and developing new earning opportunities, thereby capitalizing on the Rs 100 Crores fund raised from Matrix Partners India, Draper Fisher Jurvetson and NEA Indo-US Ventures.

On his appointment Mudit Khosla, said, “I feel privileged to join this exciting and dynamic team and look forward to working closely with the staff, management and board during the next phase of Seventymm’s growth. I am extremely pleased to take on this new role. I am confident about the potential that exists in online movie rental business. I look forward to the challenges and opportunities that lie in the business”

“Mudit’s track record in building online businesses will be an asset to Seventymm.com. With him leading Seventymm, I am confident of getting closer to our vision of delivering any movie anytime anywhere in India,” said Raghav Kher, Founder and Director of Seventymm.

Speaking on the occasion, Rishi Navani, Managing Director, Matrix India, said, "We are excited to have Mudit Khosla join as CEO and look forward to his leadership in an important growth phase for the company. I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the significant contributions of Raghav Kher and look forward to his continued involvement on the board of Seventymm."

Mudit brings a wealth of experience in the e commerce business. Being a founding member of Yatra.com, Mudit played a vital role in creating some path breaking strategies for the company. In just three years since its inception, Yatra has become one of India’s biggest travel companies. Prior to joining Yatra, he headed online shopping channel of Indiatimes.com. He holds a Master’s degree in Management and undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering. He is also an avid traveler.

About Seventymm (seventymm.com):

Seventymm is India’s largest movie rental service. With over 20,000 original movies in 18 different languages and in every genre that movie is made, Seventymm is currently operational in Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore

London Dreams and Kurbaan ties up with NEO Cricket- India-Australia Series

2009-11-03T04:32:00.000-08:00

The cricketing action on NEO Cricket is just getting hotter. NEO Cricket today announced its association with the much awaited movie - “Kurbaan” starring Saif Ali Khan , Kareena Kapoor, produced by Karan Johar, directed by Rensil D'Silva and this year’s hit “London Dreams” starring Salman Khan, Ajay Devgan and Asin , directed and produced by Vipul Amrutlal Shah with the ongoing India – Australia series, currently being aired on the channel.

As a part of promotional activities the movie stars are expected to be a part of NEO Cricket’s in studio show – “Extra Cover” anchored by Radhakrishnan Sreenivasan, better known as RK in presence of two guests’ panelists. Apart from this, a series of SMS driven contests will be run on NEO Cricket giving its viewers a chance to win loads of prizes, and meet the movie stars.

Speaking about the alliance, Mr. Abhishek Verma, Head – Marketing & Communications, Neo Sports Broadcast Pvt. Ltd., said, “Alliances with films are integral to our strategy of building better viewer engagement and films that have mega star casts always have a better appeal.”

In line with promoting the series, Neo Cricket has invited legendary cricketers like Mohinder Amarnath and Michael Bevan as guest speakers for the Extra Cover. The Commentators for the India – Australia series are: Sunil Gavaskar, Ravi Shastri, Michael Kasprowicz, L Sivaramakrishnan, Bruce Yardley and Robin Jackman.

ABOUT NEO Sports Broadcast Pvt. Ltd.

NEO Sports Broadcast Pvt. Ltd owns and operates two channels i.e. NEO Cricket – the No. 1 sports channel in India by annual Gross rating points (Source- TAM 2008) and NEO Sports – the premium all sports channel.

NEO Cricket is the world’s first cricket centric TV channel and currently broadcasts to more than 30 countries across Asia. Amongst its range of cricket centric programming is all Indian International Cricket matches played in India including ODI’s, T20 and Test matches

NEO Sports offers premium quality global sports including top drawer Football, Tennis, Golf, Motoracing, Badminton to the Indian sports lovers. This includes German Bundesliga, Italian Serie A, US PGA TOUR Golf, Davis Cup and Fed Cup, WTA Tour Women’s Tennis, NASCAR & MotoGP among others.

Radio Mirchi's celebration of Kannada Rajyotsava

2009-11-03T04:29:00.000-08:00

This Kannada Rajyotsava, Radio Mirchi 98.3 FM – the sakkath hot radio station is all set to highlight all the good things that Karnataka stands/is known for….be it cuisine, culture, music, clothes, travel etc….

In short, Radio Mirchi listeners will have a treat of the best of Karnataka by embarking on a “Karnataka Darshini” (journey through the heart of Karnataka).

Wanna know where to get the best of Hubli Jolada Rotti - ucch yallu chutney (Jowar ki roti & chutney) or Mangalooru neer dose (watery dosa) or Davangere benne masale dose (butter dosa) right here in Bengaluru? Then sail through the streets of Bengaluru with Radio Mirchi’s Beat Raja Raaj who will take the listeners on a gastronomic journey in search the authentic tastes and flavours of Karnataka available well within the limits of the city.

“One State Many Worlds” – just as the tagline of Karnataka Tourism Board suggests, Radio Mirchi will play the travel guide by providing first hand information on the best travel destinations within the state ….be it Hill stations, beaches, temples, nature, water falls, forests etc…

Not just this, Bengalureans can also catch up on lesser known facts & trivia about Karnataka like the art, culture, music, Sandalwood movies etc…

About Radio Mirchi:

ENIL launched its first radio station in the city of Indore in October 2001 and after that in the next one and half years (by May 2003) ENIL launched six other stations. A leader in the private FM radio industry, at present Radio Mirchi is operational in 32 cities i.e. Mumbai (Bombay), Delhi, Kolkata (Calcutta), Chennai (Madras), Indore, Ahmedabad, Pune, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Jaipur, Patna, Jalandhar, Goa, Baroda, Bhopal, Kanpur, Rajkot, Nashik, Varanasi, Aurangabad, Lucknow, Surat, Kolhapur, Madurai, Nagpur, Vishakapatanam, Coimbatore, Mangalore, Vijayawada, Raipur, Thiruvananthapuram and Jabalpur.

Eros International India appoints Ram Mirchandani as CCO

2009-10-29T05:24:00.000-07:00

Eros International Media Private Limited ("Eros India") today announced the appointment of Ram Mirchandani as Chief Creative Officer. Ram Mirchandani recently stepped down from UTV Motion Pictures (“UTV”), where he held the position of Chief Creative Officer. Ram Mirchandani is due to join Eros India on 1st November 2009.

Welcoming Ram Mirchandani to Eros India, Mr. A.P. Parigi, Group CEO- India said: “We at Eros are indeed delighted to welcome Ram Mirchandani to the leadership team at Eros India. We are in the process of strengthening our leadership team; in line with our corporate growth plans. Ram Mirchandani’s expertise in the area of entertainment, particularly filmed entertainment, I believe will be an asset to the Eros brand. Further, Ram’s penchant for entrepreneurship in the creative domain is well acknowledged by his peers.”

Speaking about his decision, Ram Mirchandani said: “For me this is a step in the right direction and I am proud and very excited to be part of an entertainment corporation that has such a rich heritage.”

Ram Mirchandani has held number of key positions in the Media and Entertainment sector. He is acknowledged as one of the key members of the startup team of the Motion Pictures Production venture of UTV.

Ram Mirchandani is credited with having played an influential role in the making of Rang De Basanti, Metro and Fashion. Ram Mirchandani spent approximately seven years with UTV. He has worked with Fashion TV, Modi Entertainment, MAA Bozzell and Magna Publishing, spanning a 21-year tenure in the Media and Entertainment sector.

Eros International Media Private Limited

Following a genesis of sourcing Indian film content exports since the 1970’s; Eros India commenced its strategy of acquiring world rights with Waqt in 2005. Since then, Eros India has aggregated a rich variety of content with films like Om Shanti Om, Partner, Omkara, Cheeni Kum, Love Aaj Kal. With forthcoming films like Aladin and De Dhana Dhan, Eros India enriches its repertoire. Eros India today enjoys a network across India of theatrical distribution, overseas network, a growing presence in music and video, monetizing of complementary revenue streams and a presence in regional language films. In 2007, Eros acquired a controlling stake in Ayngaran International (India) Limited which has been active in the distribution of Tamil language films for over two decades.

Aladin will showcase the visual effects capabilities of Eyeqube Studios Private Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Eros India.

Eros International PLC, "Eros PLC"

Eros PLC is a global player in the expanding Indian media and entertainment arena. Eros PLC not only produces and commissions film projects but also distributes and exploits films across formats globally including cinemas, home entertainment, television syndication and digital new media.

Established in 1977, Eros PLC has over three decades of experience in creating a global platform for Indian cinema. Eros PLC has a distribution network that spans across approximately 50 countries and has offices in India, UK, USA, Dubai, Australia, Fiji, Isle of Man and Singapore.

Eros PLC was the first Indian entertainment company to list on the AIM of the London Stock Exchange in 2006. Their recent releases included Kambakkht Ishq and Love Aaj Kal.

ESTÉE LAUDER INTRODUCES NEW ADVANCED NIGHT REPAIR SYNCHRONIZED RECOVERY COMPLEX

2009-10-28T04:31:00.000-07:00

Dita Von Teese had boob job after drug abuse

2009-10-28T04:18:00.000-07:00

The burlesque queen Dita Von Teese had a boob job at the age of 21. The she said that years of drug abuse had damaged her body, which led her to boob job. However, she admitted that she began experimenting with illegal substances when she was a teenager and her habit slowly grew out of control during the 1990s.

Von Teese went on to say that her drug addiction took a major toll on her figure and she eventually opted to undergo surgery to repair the damage."I was a bit of a party girl in the early ''90s and used LSD and Ecstasy. Eventually my weight dropped to 6st 7lbs and I looked terrible, so I gave up drugs,” the Daily Star quoted her as saying.

“My breasts never recovered, so when I was 21 I had 32D implants. Now I''m a healthy 8st 2lbs," she added.

WrestleMania Makes Close to $50 Million for Host City

2009-10-27T05:04:00.001-07:00

World Wrestling Entertainment announced today that The 25th Anniversary of
WrestleMania generated a $49.8 million dollar economic windfall for the greater
Houston area, according to a study conducted by the Enigma Research Corporation.
Despite one of the biggest economic downturns in recent history, local and state
governments collected $5.7 million in taxes. This follows the $51.5 million of
economic impact WrestleMania XXIV brought to Orlando.

"Having the opportunity to host The 25th Anniversary of WrestleMania was a huge
honor and success," said Greg Ortale, President and CEO of the Greater Houston
Convention & Visitor`s Bureau. "The direct expenditure demonstrates that
WrestleMania is indeed economically on par with the world`s greatest sports and
entertainment offerings."

"Our overarching goal with our public and private sector partners is to
consistently provide positive economic impact for WrestleMania`s host
communities and establish a lasting pro-social legacy, "said John P. Saboor,
Senior Vice President of Special Events for World Wrestling Entertainment.

A capacitycrowd of72,744from all 50 states, 24 countries and seven Canadian
provinces attended the pop culture extravaganza. Key highlights from the study
included:

* $49.8 million of direct, indirect and induced impact derived from spending by
non-locals visiting specifically for The 25th Anniversary of WrestleMania,
equating to 600 full time jobs for the area.
* During WrestleMania Week, 86% of out of state, overnight visitors who came in
for the festivities,stayed in local Houston area hotels. 67% stayed for three
nights or more.
* Nearly 75% of fans that came to The 25th Anniversary of WrestleMania from
outside of Houston traveled by air.
* 23% of the fans that came from out of state were from California and New York.

* Nearly 65% of the fans that attended were between the ages of 10 and 34.

Next year, WrestleMania XXVI will take place March 28, 2010 from University of
Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, AZ. Tickets go on sale Saturday, November 7 at 10
AM MT through the University of Phoenix Stadium box office, all Ticketmaster
outlets, www.ticketmaster.com, or charge by phone at 1-800-745-3000. The event
will be broadcast live on pay-per-view, and viewed in more than 100 countries.

Enigma Research Corporation is an international consulting firm which
specializes in measuring the economic impact of special events. Enigma`s
economists developed a customized model which converted expenditures into
economic impact, employment created and taxes generated as a result of the
event.

World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., a publicly traded company (NYSE: WWE), is
an integrated media company and recognized leader in global entertainment. With
programming broadcast in more than 145 countries and 30 languages, WWE provides
22 hours of weekly PG-rated programming domestically, in addition to 14
pay-per-views a year. Each week, 16 million people tune-in domestically to see
WWE Superstars and Divas on Monday Night Raw, Friday Night SmackDown, ECW, and
WWE Superstars` with millions more internationally. WWE holds more than 300 live
events, entertaining over two million fans a year. The company`s brand extends
across multiple platforms including: WWE Studios; WWE.com and WWEKids.com; WWE
Magazine and WWE Kids Magazine; licensed merchandise; music and home
entertainment. In addition, WWE "In Your Corner" is WWE`s charitable arm that
focuses on literacy programs, civic engagement, military support and a 20+ year
partnership with the Make-A-Wish Foundation. More information on World Wrestling
Entertainment can be found at http://corporate.wwe.com/

Trademarks: All WWE programming, talent names, images, likenesses, slogans,
wrestling moves, trademarks, copyrights and logos are the exclusive property of
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. and its subsidiaries. All other trademarks,
logos and copyrights are the property of their respective owners.

Forward-Looking Statements: This news release contains forward-looking
statements pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Securities Litigation
Reform Act of 1995, which are subject to various risks and uncertainties. These
risks and uncertainties include the conditions of the markets for live events,
broadcast television, cable television, pay-per-view, Internet, feature films,
entertainment, professional sports, and licensed merchandise; acceptance of the
Company's brands, media and merchandise within those markets; uncertainties
relating to litigation; risks associated with producing live events both
domestically and internationally; uncertainties associated with international
markets; risks relating to maintaining and renewing key agreements, including
television distribution agreements; and other risks and factors set forth from
time to time in Company filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Actual results could differ materially from those currently expected or
anticipated. In addition to these risks and uncertainties, our dividend is based
on a number of factors, including our liquidity and historical and projected
cash flow, strategic plan, our financial results and condition, contractual and
legal restrictions on the payment of dividends and such other factors as our
board of directors may consider relevant.

Home Center by Lifestyle wins Most Admired Retailer

2009-10-27T04:41:00.000-07:00

Home Center by Lifestyle, a part of the Dubai based Landmark Group, has received top honors as the ‘Most Admired Retailer – Home and Office Improvement’ of the year at Images Retail Awards 2009 – one of the most coveted awards of the organized retail industry in India. The other nominees in the category were @Home, Home Stop and Home Town.

With an average store size of 20,000 square feet, Home Centre by Lifestyle is a one stop destination for furniture, home décor and soft furnishing that truly represents style, comfort and individuality. The stores use unique ‘concept’ rooms as the display model, to give consumers a practical idea of how each piece of furniture would look in a particular room. Home Centre by Lifestyle is currently present in Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad, Chennai and Bangalore.

Commenting on the occasion, Mr. Kabir Lumba, Executive Director, Lifestyle International (P) Ltd said “Getting an award at a platform of such stature is very motivating and indicates our leadership in the segment. This is a very prestigious award and we are really happy to have bagged this amidst tough competition. This victory gives us that added incentive to perform better and grow bigger with each passing year”.

The Images Retail Awards followed strict international benchmarks in deciding the top honors in retail sector with IRIS Retail Intelligence as Knowledge Partner and global consulting firm AT Kearney as the Process Approver. The selection process involved self-nominations as well as a countrywide poll to short-list the nominees.

About Landmark Group: The Landmark Group, founded in 1973 with a single store in Bahrain, has grown into one of the largest retail conglomerates in the Middle East and is expanding rapidly in India.

The Group currently operates over 900 stores encompassing a retail presence of over 13.4 million square feet across 15 countries and employs around 31,000 employees world over. In addition to retail sector, the Group has also diversified into leisure, food, hotels and electronics and has created a comprehensive infrastructure including its own logistics and distribution division, to support its retail operations and other businesses.

In 1999, Landmark Group entered India, to revolutionize retailing in the country with the introduction of Lifestyle Stores. Currently in its 10 years of retailing in India, Landmark Group has launched several of its core retail concepts in the country including Lifestyle, Home Centre, Splash, Bossini, Max and hospitality concepts, Spar supermarkets and hypermarkets, Fun City, Citymax and Gloria Jean’s Coffees. It currently has 16 Lifestyle, 10 exclusive Home Centre by Lifestyle and 4 Splash stores across India.

Amy Winehouse's boobs pop out of top

2009-10-27T04:33:00.000-07:00

Amy Winehouse's boobs were popped out of her top. The Back to Black singer, who recently splashed £35,000 on a boob job, gave fans an eyeful as her new 32D chest slipped out of her flowery corset.

And the wardrobe malfunction almost mirrored the naked-lady tattoo on the star's arm. The slip-up was Amy's second boob of the night - after she failed to show up on time at an awards bash earlier. Amy, 26, was meant to present a gong to THE SPECIALS at the Q Awards at London's Grosvenor House Hotel.

Theeratha Villayatu Pillai is an extremely commercial film

2009-10-26T05:34:00.000-07:00

Theeratha Villaiyatu Pillai, starring Vishal and directed by debutant director Thiru, also stars Neetu Chandra, Sarah Jane and Tanushree Dutta. Prakash Raj, winner of National Award for Best Actor, is playing a pivotal role in this film.

Neetu Chandra is a well know actress, who began her career with director Priyadharshan's Garam Masala. After he performance in Madhur Bhandakar's "Traffic" and the recent hit thriller film 13B & Yaavarum Nalam, Neetu Chandra has become one of the most sought after actress not only in Hindi but in Tamil too.

Sarah Jane, a former Miss India 2007 Winner, is being introduced into the film industry through this film. She has worked in many advertisements, the famous one being the Airtel Ad with Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor, before entering the film industry. Theeratha Villaiyatu Pillai is her debut film.

Tanushree Dutta is a very well known actress and a former Miss India 2004 Winner. She has acted in many Hindi films, her hits being Aashiq Banaaya Aapne and Bhagam Bhag. This is her first Tamil Film.

This film is not the regular love story genre, and surely not a remake of the Hindi film Bachna Aye Hassino. This is an extremely commercial film retaining the mass hero personality of Vishal, which is always a huge hit among his fans.

Theeratha Villaiyatu Pillai will bring together, the successful combo of Vishal and Yuvan; after giving hits like Sandakozhi, Thamirabarani and Thimiru. With this film their combination is sure to achieve greater success.

Ever since the scripting of this film, both Vishal and director Thiru have worked on projecting a new look and style of Vishal in Theeratha Villaiyatu Pillai. Vishal has not only worked on his body but also his looks; his hair style, his costumes-right from his shoes till his accessories, he has projected himself in an extremely stylish way. With this film, Vishal is sure spread his kind of trend and style.

After Sandai Kozhi, this film will bring together the combo of choreographer Raju Sundaram and Vishal. Raju Sundaram will be choreographing 4 songs in this film.

A separate song has been shot in Mumbai and choreographed by the famous Bosco-Ceasar. They have together choreographed some of the super hit dance numbers in the Hindi Film Industry, having worked with actors like Abhishek Bachan in Bluffmaster, Salman Khan in Partner and many more. Till date they have choreographed around 300 songs. Incidentally, Theeratha Villaiyatu Pillai will be their first ever Tamil movie.

The duo have choreographed the title song of this film for which the entire cast and crew had flown to Mumbai. This song is sure to become a huge hit as it has music by Yuvan. The speciality of the song is that not only have they used laser beems, Vishal and the three girls have been given a whole new look. The highlight of the song is that there is a shot where we can see Neetu Chandra in tub full of red hot chilles, which left her skin burning for quite a long time.

The film's shooting is near completion with just the shooting of a few songs is to be done in Australia and New Zealand. The cast and crew will be leaving for the shoot by the end of October.

The man behind the camera is Arvind Krishna, whose camera work is something which we must look forward to. His camera work is the main highlight and USP of this film.

Produced by Vikram Krishna of G.K.Films and directed by debutant Thiru, the film is sure to pour out success in all aspects. Director Thiru, right from his script to his direction has shown and continues to show complete determination throughout the shooting of this film. He is sure to create his mark in our Tamil Industry as one of the most creative director.

NEO Sports' exclusive deal with PGA TOUR for 6 years

2009-10-22T05:36:00.000-07:00

Mumbai, October 22, 2009: NEO Sports, the all Sports Channel that is a part of the NEO Sports Broadcast Pvt. Ltd, today announced an agreement with PGA TOUR Inc, USA for the exclusive broadcasting rights of the PGA TOUR in the Indian Subcontinent for the next 6 years starting January 2010.

Commenting on the deal Mr. Prasana Krishnan, COO, NEO Sports Broadcast Pvt Ltd stated, “The PGA TOUR is the premier Golf tour in the world. Our renewal of broadcasting rights for 6 years is an indication of our interest and commitment in bringing high quality Golf to Indian audiences.”

NEO Sports has been associated with the PGA TOUR since 2008 and has been showcasing TOUR tournaments live since then. This revised agreement for live and exclusive rights for 6 years reaffirms the commitment to quality Golf broadcast in India. This is an exclusive deal where Indian Golfing enthusiasts will be treated to high quality Golf action featuring players like Tiger Woods, Jeev Milkha Singh, Phil Mickelson & Vijay Singh among others who will be playing. The PGA TOUR season is divided into two parts – the FedExCup, which includes the PGA TOUR Regular Season and the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup, followed by the PGA TOUR Fall Series.

The PGA TOUR Playoffs consists of The Barclays, the Deutsche Bank Championship, the BMW Championship and the culminating TOUR Championship presented by Coca-Cola.

"The PGA TOUR is extremely pleased to be associated with NEO Sports, the leading sports network in the country to broadcast the world’s best golf to the Indian sub-continent and to Indian fans of the sport,” said Tim Leisure, PGA TOUR Senior Vice President, International Television. “Golf enjoys a significant and growing fan base in India and our association with the channel will help us reach the ever-growing Indian golf audience and fulfill its expectations of access to top quality golf."

In addition to broadcasting the live events, NEO Sports will also present two shows every week: The PGA TOUR Highlights, a show that focuses on the highlights of the previous weeks PGA TOUR action, and Inside the PGA TOUR, which is a peek into the PGA TOUR events of the week ahead.

About NEO Sports Broadcast Pvt. Ltd. NEO Sports Broadcast Pvt. Ltd owns and operates two channels i.e. NEO Cricket – the No. 1 sports channel in India by annual Gross rating points (Source- TAM 2008) and NEO Sports – the premium all sports channel.

NEO Sports offers premium quality global sports including top drawer Football, Tennis, Golf, Motoracing, Badminton to the Indian sports lovers. This includes German Bundesliga, Italian Serie A, US PGA TOUR Golf, Davis Cup and Fed Cup, WTA Tour Women’s Tennis, NASCAR & MotoGP among others.

NEO Cricket is the world’s first cricket centric TV channel and currently broadcasts to more than 30 countries across Asia. Amongst its range of cricket centric programming is all Indian International Cricket matches played in India including ODI’s, T20 and Test matches.

About PGA TOUR The PGA TOUR is a tax-exempt membership organization of professional golfers. The mission of the PGA TOUR is to expand domestically and internationally to substantially increase player financial benefits while maintaining its commitment to the integrity of the game. The PGA TOUR events are also committed to generating revenue for charitable causes in their communities.

Emporio Armani launches its Fall Winter 09 collection

2009-10-21T05:27:00.000-07:00

Emporio Armani, the undisputed king of fashion and a name synonymous with luxury has launched its Fall Winter 2009 watch collection in India. An effervescence mix of elegance & the latest in styles these timepieces focus on the look and feel of crocodile skin.

Women’s collection: The women’s collection is audacious and graphic, elegant yet playful with a vast range of colored calf leather right from the classic black to taupe. The dials are either oval or rectangle and fitted into a stainless steel case with textured finish. The collection varies from bold and striking to soft and feminine.

Classic Collection: The classic Emporio Armani styling and design details have new additions to the collection of classic watches, which epitomize nostalgic design balanced with modern styling. Calf leather straps in brown, black and amber, coloured crystals and the traditional “tonneau” case-shape are the highlights of this array of watches. To add to the zing, these watches have silver, black and champagne-coloured dials. The stainless steel bracelets in this collection come in both chronograph and non-chronograph versions.

Sport Collection: The Emporio Armani FW0910 sport watch collection focuses on black ion-plated finishes and black rubber straps. Quasi-futuristic in its design, the dials have silver hour markers covered in superluminova which make them glow in the dark. The exquisite detailing in this range creates a strong, graphic appeal while the textured finish on the case lends a ruggedly masculine touch.

Meccanico Collection: A treat for all the gadget lovers, Emporio Armani’s range of automatic watches continues to focus on skeleton movements – a design feature that allows a full view to the inner workings of the watch. The watches from this collection features a standard 3-hand movement that is fully visible both through the coloured crystals and clear dial on the face of the watch as well as through the clear crystal case back. A key design distinction is the stylized roman-numeral hour markings applied to the skeleton dial. This also includes the original best selling rectangular case shape in stainless steel and features a highly decorative and graphic dial with brushed “côtes de Genève” finishes.

With calf-leather straps embossed to resemble crocodile skin and the amber-coloured crystals, these watches are signature Emporio Armani.

About Fossil India Pvt. Ltd: Fossil is a global design, marketing and distribution company that specializes in consumer fashion accessories. The Company's principal offerings include an extensive line of men's and women's fashion watches and jewelry sold under proprietary and licensed brands, handbags, small leather goods, belts, sunglasses,cold weather products, footwear and apparel. In the watch and jewelry product category, the Company's offerings include a diverse portfolio of globally recognized proprietary and licensed brand names under which its products are marketed.

The Company's extensive range of accessory products, brands, distribution channels and price points allows it to target style-conscious consumers across a wide age spectrum on a global basis. The Company's products are sold to department stores, specialty retail stores, and specialty watch and jewelry stores in the U.S. and in over 90 countries worldwide through 23 company-owned foreign sales subsidiaries and a network of approximately 58 independent distributors. The Company also distributes its products in over320 company owned and operated retail stores and through international e-commerce websites and the Company's U.S. e-commerce website at www.fossil.com, where certain product, press release and SEC filing information concerning the Company is also available.

Radio Mirchi to cheer Bengaluru with ‘Nage Pataki’

2009-10-20T06:01:00.000-07:00

This ‘Deepawali’ will prove to be sakkath maja with Radio Mirchi – 98.3 FM as it celebrates the spirit of festivities by adding smiles to its listeners with ‘Nage Pataki’. Nage Pataki involves a host fun filled humourous on-air contests & games like Tus Pataki, Batthi Idu, Deepawali jingle, complete a joke etc….

Tus Pataki – spot the fake among the 3 facts put forth by the RJ, Batthi Idu – play a prank on your near and dear one’s by fixing them on Radio Mirchi, create a Deepawali jingle & complete jokes to win goodies from Mirchi RJs. ‘Nage Pataki’ is on Radio Mirchi between October 16th to 19th, 2009.

All in all its gone be a cheerful Deepwali on Radio Mirchi - 98.3 - the sakkath hot radio station of Bengaluru.

About Radio Mirchi: Radio Mirchi is India's largest private radio network and is owned by Entertainment Network (India) Limited (ENIL). ENIL is India's first pure play radio broadcasting company to be listed. ENIL launched its first radio station in the city of Indore on October 2001. At present Radio Mirchi is operational in 22 cities i.e. Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Jaipur, Indore, Ahmedabad, Jalandhar, Patna, Pune, Rajkot, Vadodra, Bhopal, Lucknow, Kanpur, Varanasi, Nasik, Goa, Aurangabad and Surat. Radio Mirchi is considered to be the leader in the private FM radio industry and will shortly be operational in ten additional cities.

Mix & Grind in Style with Prestige’s Stylo Mixer Grinders

2009-10-20T05:44:00.000-07:00

TTK Prestige (India’s largest kitchen appliances brand) has launched new range of stylish mixer grinders called “Stylo” that is sure add a dash of style quotient in the kitchen.

Trendy and elegantly designed ‘Stylo mixer grinder’s’ promises not just stunning looks but also a power packed performance with its super efficient blades, powerful motor and sturdy handles. Compactly built and enhanced with chic looks, Stylo comes with three stainless steel jars to cater to specific grinding needs.

The blades are made of superior quality stainless steel for efficient grinding of food ingredients. Assuring durability and a powerful motor, Stylo has been impeccably engineered to grind ingredients of different textures yet maintaining absolute consistency with quick and super fine grinding. The specially designed sturdy handles provide better grip and durability.

The product is available across all Prestige Smart Kitchens & dealer/multi branded outlets in the country and is priced at 2495/-

Commenting on the introduction Mr. Chandru Kalro, Executive Vice President - Marketing, TTK Prestige Ltd. said, “Kitchens are getting stylish day by day, and it is important to adorn the kitchen with products that add to the aesthetics. Stylo is one such attempt to cater to the requirement and we hope that the product is received well by our consumers”

About TTK Prestige:

TTK Prestige Limited is a part of the 1100 crore TTK Group. The company is the largest provider of kitchen appliances in the country and has a varied product portfolio ranging from pressure cookers, non-stick cookware, and gas stoves to electrical appliances and kitchen tools. The company also has a series of exclusive retail showrooms called Prestige Smart Kitchens across the country.

Overseas, Prestige products are sold under the Manttra brand name. Manttra is available in the US in major retail chains like Fred Meyer, Wal-Mart, K. Mart, Target, Sears & Roebuck, Macy’s, JC Penny, Ames, Dillard’s and Saks. Prestige cookers also reach countries in West Asia and the African continent, as per a licensing arrangement with Meyer Prestige, U.K. The company presently has manufacturing set-ups in Hosur, Coimbatore and Bangalore and 19 sales branches located across the country to cater to the needs of specific markets. TTK Prestige is the first kitchenware company in India to receive the ISO 9001 certification and the PED / CE certification by TUV, Germany.

TTK Prestige Ltd is listed on both BSE & NSE.

John Mullins joins Myntra Board as Independent Director

2009-10-20T05:40:00.000-07:00

Myntra - www.myntra.com – India’s largest on demand Personalization Company has announced the appointment of eminent professor, author and entrepreneurship Guru – John Mullins - to the company’s board of directors effective September 01, 2009. John will join in the capacity of an Independent Director on the Myntra Board. This development is significant as Myntra is the first company in India that John has decided to get involved with at the Board level.

Commenting on this appointment, Mukesh Bansal, CEO - Myntra said, “Myntra has steadily worked towards creating a personalization culture in India. The faith reposed by visionaries like John in Myntra strengthens our belief in the concept and it’s potential. This is a great addition to our Board and will bring a new level of strategic thinking, global benchmarking and international exposure.”

An alumnus of Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business, John is currently serving as Associate Professor of Management Practice at London Business School. He is also a regular visiting professor at the Indian School of Business, where he teaches executive education courses on venture capital and private equity investing in India. He is considered an authority on entrepreneurship and is actively involved in a number of start-ups as mentor and advisor. Speaking on this John said, “I am particularly excited about joining the Myntra board and helping Myntra’s world-class management team achieve their very ambitious objectives.”

John has authored two books on the subject of entrepreneurship – The New Business Road Test - the definitive work on assessing entrepreneurial opportunities and his newest, just launched book in India - Getting to Plan B: Breaking Through to a Better Business Model - with noted venture capitalist Randy Komisar. John has written more than 50 articles and case studies in prestigious global journals including Harvard Business Review and MIT Sloan Management Review. He was recently named one of 2009’s top ten rising business gurus by Thinkers 50 which profiles the world’s top business thinkers.

About Myntra: (www.myntra.com)

Myntra.com is India’s largest on demand personalization platform for products, gifts and cool merchandise. Myntra enables individuals and corporates to create their own products by adding content of their choice – photos, graphics, designs, slogans etc. - on a wide range of consumer products. Currently Myntra offers personalized products across 33 product categories and has a Designer Community with over 3500 designers who have contributed to over 30000 designs to the Myntra Design Library. A first to Myntra's credit is powering the Yuvraj Singh Brand Store which is India's first Online Celebrity Merchandise store. Myntra also has India's largest collection of Corporate Gifting & Promotional Products catalogues catering to the corporate & Institutional clients. Another Myntra innovation is designing and setting up exclusive Brand Shops for large corporates like Tech Mahindra, ING Vysya, Birlasoft and Headstrong. Myntra was started by a group of IIT / IIM graduates in late 2006 and is headquartered in Bangalore with regional offices in New Delhi & Mumbai. Myntra has been funded by top tier Venture Capital funds including NEA, IDG & Accel Partners.

Malayalam Movie Review - Pazhassi Raja

2009-10-17T00:27:00.000-07:00

Producer: Gokulam Gopalan
Director: Hariharan
Cast: Mammootty, Sarath Kumar, Thilakan, Nedumudi Venu, Jagathy Sreekumar, Captain Raju, Lalu Alex, Manoj K Jayan, Biju Menon, Kalabhavan Mani, Suresh Krishna, Subair, Siddique, Roshan, Manikuttan, Kanika, Padmapriya, Urmila Unni, Valsala Menon, Nikhila.
Music: Ilayaraja

Malayalam movie Pazhassi Raja, which started shooting two and a half years back, has finally hit the theatres after facing lots of hurdles. It is a historical movie, which deals with Varma Pazhassi Raja, who revolted against British rule in India when East India Company came out with new revenue policy in Malabar.

Superstar Mammootty, writer Vasudevan Nair and director Hariharan had done a movie Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha 20 years ago. The movie was superhit and it had got National Award for Mammootty. Now the trio has has teamed again for the movie Pazhassi Raja. The trio has tried to bring onscreen the untold true story of the great king Pazhassi Raja, who lived in the 18th century.

The The movie has been dubbed in three other languages, Hindi, Telegu and Tamil and it opens with the prologue of kamal Hassan in Tamil, Shahrukh Khan in Hindi and Chiranjeevi in Telugu. The highlights of the movie Mommootty and Sarathkumar's rocking performance, Ramanath Shetty’s cinematography, Ravi Dewan’s action, Resul Pookkutty’s background score.

MT Vasudevan Nair's script has lots of cinematic moments that give scope to use Mamootty's megastar image. But the film is not thoroughly entertaining. It does not bring the spirit of fighting. Even the story of original king seems to have been manipulated history.

British East India Company came as traders and started collecting tax and governing the country. The amount fixed as tax by the Company was unreasonable and the people of the region could not have afforded the amount. Kerala Varma Pazhazzi Raja questioned their logic and fought against them to withdraw the Company’s power and army from the state of Kottayam.

The film starts with Veeravarma (Thilakan) making a letter to company that he will collect taxes on their behalf. In the latter part Thilakan disappears from the film and Pazhayamveedan Chandhu (Suman) gains prominence. Pazhassi (Mammootty), who does guerilla warfare, provides great defense and creates atrocity to British. So the Company makes a treaty with Kerala Varma, which is later not followed by the former. This irks Kerala Varma to start war.

Superstar Mammooty has once gain proved his undying spirit of acting with his energetic performance. Sarath Kumar as Edachena Kunkan, the right hand of Kerala Varma, is a delight to watch. As Pazhassi Raja’s wife Makkam, Kaniha shows her glamour. She does not have much space to show her elementary guts. Manoj K. Jayan, Suresh Krishna, Suman, Jagathy, Lalu Alex, Peter Evans, Harry Key have also given a commendable performance.

This film has very rich production values. It is technically several notches above the standard fare offered in Malayalam cinema. Ramanath Shetty has given the best visual dimension to the film with his cinematography. Especially, his camera work in the song ‘Aadi ushas sandya...’ which features Pazhassi Raja coming through water on white horse, is one of the most beautiful shots in Malayalam cinema.

Ravi Dewan’s action, Resul Pookkutty’s background score and Sreekar Prasad’s editing have also contributed a lot in making the movie interesting. There is nothing special about Ilayaraj's music.

The movie should be watched at least once.

Dhwani Mittal’s international debut in The Three Kings

2009-10-16T05:43:00.001-07:00

By Frank Franklyn – Futuristic Media Network

The gorgeous and sexy Dhwani Mittal is all set to start in her debut international film titled “The Three Kings”. The film is loosely based on the life of Parveen Babi and also has characters resembling noted film personality Mahesh Bhatt and Madhur Bhandarkar.

The film also stars sexy bombshell Shikha Puri who will play the role of Parveen Babi. While Dhwani Mittal refused to comment on her role in the film saying that she has yet to finalise things, her publicist Flynn Remedios confirmed that she was doing the film.

Dhwani who is a veteran model has done shoots for Seasons, HSBC, Crossroads, Spykar Jeans, Oriflame and has appeared on the cover of magazines like New Woman, Digit, besides featuring in commercials for L'Oreal, Wellas Hair Color, Exile jeans, The Mobile store, Gold gym, GABANNA, Sudarshan Silk House, Jealous, Hypercity to name a few.

She has also done remix music videos for T-Series and Tips as a model. Her ramp and fashion assignments include Hong Kong Fashion Week, Lakme Fashion Week, Blackberry, Gucci, Armaani, Lee, Pacco Rabane, Emilo Pucci, Wrangler, Hutch, L’Oreal, Contolono Espadila, VIP Luggage, Airtel, Zara and various other international brands. In short, Dhwani Mittal has walked the ramp for most of the international labels, which is a feat in itself.

Dhwani is also doing a movie with Vinay Pathak and has acted in several south films.

Baskin Robbins teams up with Eros International’s ‘Aladin’

2009-10-16T05:38:00.000-07:00

Riteish Deshmukh and Jacqueline Fernandez launch three exclusive and mouth-watering Baskin Robbins Aladin Ice Cream flavors. Exciting promotion announced where consumers could win Baskin Robbins & Aladin merchandise and a golden chance to meet the stars of ‘Aladin’

Mumbai, October 5, 2009: It’s time to spin some magic this festive season! Baskin Robbins, the world’s largest chain of specialty ice cream shops, today announced a tie-up with Eros International, the leading London-listed Indian media and entertainment studio, for its upcoming family entertainment extravaganza film ‘Aladin’, at Mayfair Rooms, Mumbai. Actors from the movie - the very witty Riteish Deshmukh and the gorgeous Jacqueline Fernandez launched three delectable Baskin Robbins Aladin Ice Cream Flavors, linked to their characters in the film.

The three Aladin flavors, available at all Baskin Robbins outlets across India this October, are aptly named Choco 'aladin (Malt flavored ice cream swirled with a chocolate fudge ribbon and chocolate bits) linked to Riteish Deshmukh’s character of Aladin, Princess' Delite (Creamy Vanilla ice cream loaded with chocolate coated nuts and swirled with a chocolate ribbon), linked to Jacqueline Fernandez’ character of Jasmine and Ringmaster's Whip (Devilicious chocolate ribbon and chocolate chips whipped into a sinful chocolate ice cream), linked to Sanjay Dutt’s character of Ring Master in the film.

The Ice Cream Major also announced a special consumer-focused promotion where any consumer who buys a Value Scoop from Aladin’s new range of ice creams stands to win exciting merchandise such as tattoos inspired on characters from Aladin and music CDs of the film. What’s more, the luckiest 200 consumers will win movie tickets for Aladin. Lucky winners will get a golden chance to mingle with Aladin & his lady love Jasmine.

Commenting on this association, Mr. Pankaj Chaturvedi, Executive Director - Foods Division, Graviss Foods Pvt. Ltd. said, “It gives us immense pleasure in partnering with Eros International to promote ‘Aladin’. We feel that launching ice creams named after film characters is a unique way to connect with our consumers who are largely youngsters. An association with a family entertainer expands our audience to children as well. This alliance is keeping with our strategy to associate with popular films and television programs as means to connect and interact with our wide target audience and offer continuous excitement and innovation at out outlets, all of which is required to build the Baskin Robbins ice cream brand and take it to newer heights.”

Sunil A. Lulla, President – Eros International, India, said “Aladin being a wholesome family entertainer, we are delighted to partner with a leading consumer brand like Baskin Robbins, which lends an opportunity for the film to reach out to its target audience in an innovative and fun-filled manner.”

So come and indulge in the best ice cream flavors in town this festive season, with friends and family.

About Baskin Robbins: Baskin Robbins, the world’s largest chain of ice cream specialty shops, creates and markets innovative, high quality ice cream, specialty frozen desserts and beverages in more than 5,400 retail shops around the globe.

Baskin Robbins has introduced consumers to the wonderful world of quality and tastes delivered in an unending variety of flavours. The brand offers customers a mouthwatering range of sundaes, smoothies, blasts, shakes, ice cream cakes, ice cream scoops and cones through a wide spread chain of over 350 outlets in India. Baskin Robbins has created more than 1,000 ice cream flavours and a wide variety of delicious treats.

About Eros International PLC: Eros International is a leading integrated studio in the rapidly growing Indian media and entertainment sector, involved in the production, acquisition and distribution of filmed entertainment content across current and emerging formats including cinemas, home entertainment, television and new media. Established in 1977 with a vision to become the gateway for Indian content worldwide and Hollywood content in India, Eros has over three decades of market leadership in creating a global platform for Indian cinema. Strong globally recognized brand, extensive distribution network and an unrivalled library of over 1,900 films render Eros a steadfast market positioning today. In 2006 Eros became the first Indian media company to get listed on AIM, LSE. Eros operates in 5 continents and over 50 countries with diversified assets and worldwide offices throughout India, the United Kingdom, USA, UAE, Singapore, Australia, Fiji and the Isle of Man.

For further information, please contact:
Vaishnavi Corporate Communications, Mumbai
Chinmay Shah | 9867554173 | cshah@vccpl.com
Jashoda Madhavji | 9987274025 | jashoda.madhavji@vccpl.com

For Eros International:
Amita Naidu 9820438754 | amita.naidu@erosintl.com

Wills Lifestyle Grand Finale designer is Rohit Bal

2009-10-16T05:35:00.000-07:00

The premium fashion brand partners once again with the master of fabric & fantasy to present an enthralling finale

Bangalore, October 09, 2009: Wills Lifestyle, ITC’s premium fashion brand, today announced that Rohit Bal will be the designer for the Wills Lifestyle Grand Finale at the forthcoming Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week, India’s only and the foremost fashion and trade event.

Wills Lifestyle further strengthens its association with the internationally acclaimed designer as this will be the second time that Rohit Bal is the Wills Lifestyle Grand Finale Designer. This season the two pioneers in fashion and luxury once again come together to set new benchmarks in creativity.

The grand finale collection is called ‘Ya[as’ that is inspired by the resplendent glory of India’s rich cultural heritage. The designer is set to bring alive his unique individual interpretation of splendour and grandeur of the Golden Peacock , a name once India was known by, the glamour and inherent luxury that India once was a part of. Rohit Bal will also create an exclusive collection for Wills Lifestyle that will be retailed from Wills Lifestyle stores across the country.

Announcing this at the Wills Lifestyle store, South Extension, Atul Chand, Divisional Chief Executive - ITC’s Lifestyle Retailing Business Divison, said, “Wills Lifestyle Grand Finale has always set new benchmarks in creativity and has been a great mix of fashion and entertainment. This season one of India’s most distinguished and celebrated fashion designers, Rohit Bal, will be taking the same tradition forward and will create magic on the ramp in his signature style.

He further added, “At Wills Lifestyle, we have embarked on the single largest corporate initiative of partnering with India’s leading designers to retail their exclusive collections at our stores and making designer-wear accessible to our customers and thus furthering the agenda of promoting the business of fashion. This coming season, Rohit Bal will be designing an exclusive collection for Wills Lifestyle stores across the country.”

Mr. Sunil Sethi, President, FDCI said, “We are delighted to have Rohit Bal as the Wills Lifestyle Grand Finale designer at the upcoming edition of the Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week. Rohit has aptly been christened by Time magazine as the Master of Fabric and Fantasy. Style is his mantra and he is known for his sophisticated cuts and fabrics. Rohit is one of the most sought after designers in India and his creative mind gives a true bent of spirit in his work as well. WIFW SS 2010 will end on a high note with his selection as the Grand Finale designer.”

Speaking on the occasion, Rohit Bal said, “It is wonderful to be back and in fact a great honor to be doing the grand finale at the Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week once again. It is a perfect platform for me to show uninhibited creativity and express myself through a collection that transcends all seasons and reflects my sense of aesthetics without any constraints. It is really fashion for fashion sake. Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week has always played an important role in India’s creative fashion success stories and I’m delighted to close the week once again.”

The collection is based on craft and a blend of the old and the new and how the ancient Indian techniques can be a given a modern and contemporary feel. The embroideries are all hand done and each piece has taken months to create. There is a unique mix of fabrics which is unpredictable and whimsical. It embraces soft, unpretentious muslins with rich velvets and brocades, gentle and fluid shapes, free spirited and feminine. Going back and digging deep into the archives of ancient Indian costumes, pre Mughal and Mughal, the textiles, the colors and the embroideries are in fact a journey into the past of this magnificent culture. There is a serene purity in this collection; purity and tranquility of the handspun Mulmul and chanderi. The yards of fabric representing the sheer luxury of exquisite drapes and cascades of rich brocades are a definitive statement of a strong and intense Indian sensibility.

The Wills Lifestyle Grand Finale will take place on Wednesday, 28 October 2009 in New Delhi at Pragati Maidan.

About Wills Lifestyle:

ITC’s Wills Lifestyle has been established as a vibrant fashion brand for the premium consumer. Wills Lifestyle offers a complete lifestyle wardrobe for the premium consumer, incorporating the latest fashion trends for both men and women. A nationwide chain of exclusive specialty stores provides the Indian consumer a truly 'International Shopping Experience'. Currently there are 50 Wills Lifestyle stores in 30 cities across the country, and the brand is making rapid strides in terms of expansion – doubling the number of stores over the next three years. For details visit www.willslifestyle.com

Fashion Design Council of India – A Decade in the Business of Fashion

In the last 11 years FDCI has taken the Indian Fashion industry global and secured national pride for the business of fashion. It has been instrumental in promoting the business of fashion and creating new opportunities for all stakeholders. Over the years FDCI has used various marketing platforms, seminars and workshops to promote fashion. FDCI, a not for profit organization, is the apex industry body in the field of fashion in India. Its primary objective is to provide a cohesive platform for Indian designers and act as the mouthpiece of the industry at all relevant platforms, in a bid to promote Indian fashion - at home and abroad. FDCI is actively involved in promoting the 'business of fashion' and working towards corporatisation of fashion labels in India. FDCI is instrumental in facilitating designer-corporate tie-ups, aimed at expanding the fashion market in the country. To mark its 10th anniversary FDCI introduced India’s first couture week in September 2008 and now in its 11th year the India Mens Week. For details visit www.fdci.org

About Fiama Di Wills:

For the new, empowered woman, we introduce the world of Fiama Di Wills. A premium range of personal care products that effectively combine the goodness of nature and the benefits of science. This combination of exotic naturals and science is the culmination of four years of extensive R&D at ITC Research Centre and at international research labs. Exotic naturals such as Juniper, Thyme, Babassu, Macadamia nut, Watercress, Rosemary and Sage extracts combine effectively with advanced technologies such as Cuticle Restore Technology and Hydro Restorative System to offer consumers gentle and effective hair and skin care. The range from Fiama Di Wills includes Shampoos, Shower Gels, Conditioners and Soaps.

DKNY JEANS makes its debut in India

2009-10-16T05:33:00.000-07:00

DLF Brands Ltd. brings to India one of the most popular denim brands, capitalizing on the success of the DKNY brand in this market

October 12, 2009, India: DLF Brands Ltd., the leading fashion and lifestyle brand retailer today announced the company's agreement with Christina Ong’s Club 21 Group, the international licensee for DKNY Jeans, to launch the brand following the successful introduction of the DKNY brand in the Indian market earlier this year. The first two DKNY JEANS stores will be launched in New Delhi in October 2009 at DLF Place, Saket and the DLF Promenade, Vasant Kunj. Both the DKNY and DKNY JEANS brands are owned by Donna Karan International, Inc. and are sold in India under license.

DKNY JEANS is all about attitude and a New York-infused energy. More than just denim; it constructs a lifestyle that taps into the mindset of the world’s most diverse and iconic city, where ambition and intelligence are the essential elements of success. DKNY JEANS is a New York state of mind experienced with global relevance.

Announcing the agreement, Timmy Sarna, CEO, DLF Brands Ltd. said "We are extremely happy to be associated with DKNY JEANS. The DKNY ready-to-wear and accessories collections have received an overwhelming response in India. We are positive that the DKNY JEANS brand will receive a tremendous response from the Indian market. DLF Brands Ltd. has been successful in launching four DKNY stores in India, and we strive to provide our discerning customers a greater choice and an innovative and creative mix of product offerings from the Donna Karan brand family."

Debra Langley, President, DKNY JEANS International, said "We look forward to a successful partnership with DLF Brands Ltd. India is a key market for DKNY JEANS, and we anticipate a positive response and rapid growth in the territory.”
Cathy Volker, Executive Vice President of Global Licensing at Donna Karan International added, “We look forward to capitalizing on the strong appeal of the DKNY name to support the success of DKNY JEANS in this vibrant market.”

About Club 21 Group: Club 21 owns the license to design, manufacture, retail and distribute DKNY JEANS in the international market including Asia, Europe and Middle East. The company operates and distributes to about 80 DKNY JEANS free-standing and shop-in-shop outlets around the world.

About DLF Brands Ltd: Headed by Mr. Timmy Sarna, CEO, DLF Brands Ltd. was formed in 2008, the company's strategic intent is to develop successful partnerships with international brands considered "Best in their category". DLF Brands Ltd. is committed to quality, trust and customer sensitivity, and deliver on promises with agility, financial prudence and in tune with the highest global standards.

About Donna Karan International: Donna Karan International is one of the world’s leading fashion design houses. It designs, markets and distributes collections of apparel, sportswear, accessories and shoes under the Donna Karan and DKNY brand names. The Company has selectively granted licenses for the manufacture and distribution of beauty and beauty related products, jeanswear, activewear, men’s sportswear and furnishings, men’s tailored clothing, hosiery, intimate apparel, coats, children’s apparel, watches, eyewear and home. Since November 2001, Donna Karan International has been part of LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, the world’s leading luxury goods group.

For further details please contact:

Nicky Singh/ Neha Bajaj/ Anjali Gupta
+91 9810834483/ +91 9811320201/ +91 9873987009

Bossini’s Crackling Diwali Celebrations

2009-10-16T05:24:00.000-07:00

Bossini, the international casual wear brand for men, women and kids, is offering a host of exciting deals echoing the spirit of Diwali. Spreading cheer on the occasion, Bossini is presenting to its consumers a plethora of offers which include family shopping Gift Vouchers (GVs), free movie tickets, discount dining vouchers and much more.

Customers shopping at Bossini between 4th October to 1st November 2009 for Rs. 2500 and above will receive an assured ‘gift voucher booklet’ which will allow them to avail benefits and deals worth Rs.2500/- as elaborated below :

§ A gift voucher worth Rs. 250/- which can be redeemed on purchase of Bossini merchandise at any of the Lifestyle, Bossini and Splash stores until 30th November 2009

§ A Bossini Family gift voucher Rs. 250/- which can be redeemed on purchasing one single apparel unit each from men’s, women’s and kids’ apparel. This voucher can be redeemed at any of the Lifestyle, Bossini and Splash stores until 30th November 2009

§ Two Movie Vouchers, each of which entitles bearer to get a second ticket free on purchase of one ticket from the participating multiplexes

§ Two Dining Vouchers each of which entitles customers to get a 50% off on their bill value at leading food joints and restaurants.

Commenting on the offer, Mr. Shankar Suryanarayan, Chief Marketing Officer, Landmark Group said, “Diwali is a time when everyone is looking to deck up their wardrobes with the latest styles and trendiest of clothes. Adding to the cheer of the festive season, we are offering a gamut of benefits and deals to our customers. We are confident that these exciting festive offers will ensure that customers have a great a shopping experience at Bossini.”

Offer is available at all exclusive Bossini stores, Splash Hyderabad and Splash at MG Road, Bangalore.

About Landmark Group:

The Landmark Group, founded in 1973 with a single store in Bahrain, has grown into one of the largest retail conglomerates in the Middle East and is expanding rapidly in India.

The Group currently operates over 900 stores encompassing a retail presence of over 13.4 million square feet across 15 countries and employs around 31,000 employees world over. In

addition to retail sector, the Group has also diversified into leisure, food, hotels and electronics and has created a comprehensive infrastructure including its own logistics and distribution division, to support its retail operations and other businesses.

In 1999, Landmark Group entered India, to revolutionize retailing in the country with the introduction of Lifestyle Stores. Currently in its 10 years of retailing in India, Landmark Group has launched several of its core retail concepts in the country including Lifestyle, Home Centre, Splash, Bossini, Max and hospitality concepts, Spar supermarkets and hypermarkets, Fun City, Citymax and Gloria Jean’s Coffees.

For further information, please visit www.cplmg.com

Diwali Dhamaka @ Myntra.com

2009-10-16T05:18:00.000-07:00

Diwali, the festival of lights, hope and happiness is finally here and promises to add that extra spunk to all the festivities. What with scrumptious sweets, exhilarating fireworks, news clothes and the excitement of gifting your loved ones this festival is a sure favourite amongst most.

Echoing the spirit of Diwali, Myntra.com India’s largest on demand personalization platform for products, has a breathtaking range of products that will make gifting a truly special experience this season. The portal has in the offering over 180 products across 13 categories such as - dry fruits, chocolates, pens, watches, home linen, crockery & glassware, electronics, gift hampers, personalized gifts and much more. The width and depth of the Diwali collection gives every consumer a plethora of choice to choose from while adding that personal touch to the gifts. Every product in the catalogue promises the best in quality and will make for a delightful gifting experience.

The range which starts at Rs 60/- goes on till Rs 4525/-

Myntra.com has also announced its Diwali offer wherein all consumers who shop for Rs. 499 and above on a single order would stand to get Myntra Gift Vouchers worth Rs. 200. This Gift Voucher would be redeemable on the next purchase on Myntra.com and has to redeemed by the 30th of November 2009.

About Myntra: Myntra.com is India’s largest on demand personalization platform for products, gifts and cool merchandise. Myntra enables individuals and corporates to create their own products by adding content of their choice – photos, graphics, designs, slogans etc. - on a wide range of consumer products. Currently Myntra offers personalized products across 33 product categories and has a Designer Community with over 3500 designers who have contributed to over 30000 designs to the Myntra Design Library.

A first to Myntra's credit is powering the Yuvraj Singh Brand Store which is India's first Online Celebrity Merchandise store. Myntra also has India's largest collection of Corporate Gifting & Promotional Products catalogues catering to the Corporate & Institutional clients. Another Myntra innovation is designing and setting up exclusive Brand Shops for large corporates like Tech Mahindra, ING Vysya, Birlasoft and Headstrong. Myntra was started by a group of IIT / IIM graduates in late 2006 and is headquartered in Bangalore with regional offices in New Delhi & Mumbai. Myntra has been funded by top tier Venture Capital funds like NEA, IDG & Accel Partners.

Details of the products -

Category: Diya

1. Diyas In Circular Base: These earthen diyas are handcrafted and decorated. They come in a circular base and with candle.
Price: Rs 240

2. Pillar Diya: These earthen diyas are handcrafted and decorated. They come in raised pillar.
Price: Rs 150

3. Perforated Dome Diya: These earthen diyas are handcrafted and decorated. They come in the shape of a perforated dome and
with candle.
Price: Rs 250

Category: Aroma Candles

1. Iris Lily-Candle Set: This Iris Lily candle set has two floating aroma candle.Perfect for Diwali Gift.
Price: Rs 50

2. Iris Frangance Gift Set: This Iris Fragnance Gift Set contains a kit of aroma candle, dhoop, potpourri and incense stick with
stand.
Price: Rs 95