January 31 2016, 08.55 AM IST || Pocket News Alert
Ashwin Dani, vice-chairman of Asian Paints, has been selected as Business India’s, Businessman of the Year 2015. Dani, who will shortly be completing 50 years in the paint industry, was the unanimous choice of a prestigious panel of eminent persons, presided over by A.M. Naik of Larsen & Toubro.
Dani’s efforts in R&D and innovations, which have helped the company scale unprecedented highs, were appreciated by the panel, which also lauded the promoters’ families in professionalising the management. The honesty of the promoters, transparency and good governance were big factors that helped Asian Paints transform itself into an Indian multinational. The total income of the company was higher than the combined income of other paint companies. The strong affinity with investors and high expectations have seen the company’s market cap soar to Rs80,000 crore. The panel also appreciated the good work done by Ashwin Dani on the social front – in particular his contribution to education.
The other members of the panel included A. Vellayan, executive chairman, Murugappa group; Ranjit Shahani, VC & MD, Novartis India; N. Venkatram, CEO, Deloitte India; Ajay Srinivasan, CE, Birla Financial Services, Aditya Birla group; Ranu Vohra, MD & co-founder, Avendus group; Raamdeo Agrawal, co-founder & Jt MD, Motilal Oswal Securities; and Naushir Kaka, CEO, McKinsey.
Business India, India’s most respected magazine started by Ashok H. Advani, had instituted the much-coveted award 35 years ago, to recognise worthy Indian businessmen. The selection was done by an independent jury, none of its members are repeated in the panels. Naik, who chaired the panel discussion, was selected as Business India’s Businessman of the Year in 2014.
Sachin Tendulkar unveils Monarch’s luxurious Cricket and Bollywood cruise
dia’s cricketing legend announces bookings open for Monarch’s ultimate travel experience
Mumbai, January 27, 2016: At a glittering ceremony in Mumbai today, India’s legendary cricket star Sachin Tendulkar launched the first ever luxury Monarch Cruise featuring the best of Cricket and Bollywood. Tendulkar was joined on-stage by other Bollywood artists and personalities such as Badshah, Stand-up comedian Papa CJ, and celebrated Chef Sanjeev Kapoor. Monarch Cruise CEO, Somesh Jagga, and Vice-Chairman, Josh Hill, introduced the unique concept to everyone present at the launch ceremony. The glitterati, along with the Monarch Cruise personnel, announced cabin sales now open (http://ift.tt/1nz2khZ).
The glamorous cruise offers seven different itineraries with four 7-day legs, two 13-day legs, and one 26-day experience for the cruise enthusiasts. The journey will include destinations in India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore. As per the initial reports, ticket sales will be in high demand, with cabins expected to sell-out fast.
Elaborating on the concept of Monarch’s cruise, Somesh Jagga said, “Through this cruise, we want to bring to Indian travellers the ultimate travel experience in a way that is truly unique. The Monarch Experience positions travellers up close and personal with their most beloved Bollywood stars and Cricketing legends.”
Speaking on the occasion, Indian cricketing legend Sachin Tendulkar said, “The Indian sub continent is passionate about Cricket and Bollywood and this cruise promises to be a thrilling experience with some of the best from these fields on board. I am sure that patrons will enjoy the experience of cruising with fellow cricketers along with famous Bollywood stars, musicians and brilliant chefs.”
Apart from Sachin Tendulkar, Monarch also named Aussie cricket greats Shane Warne and Brett Lee as brand ambassadors. They will join Sri Lankan cricket star Kumar Sangakkara and other cricketing names. The cricketing stars will be joined by stand-up comic Vir Das, DJ Khushi, singers Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and Neha Kakkar, actress Neha Dhupia, rapper Badshah, famed chef Sanjeev Kapoor and a host of other illustrious personalities on the cruise.
With red carpet gala events, world class DJs, deliciously prepared gourmet meals and indulgent spa treatments onboard, Monarch will bring to Indian globetrotters an unforgettable experience in March 2017. Exceptional care will be taken to ensure that the 2,200 passengers will have the best of food, music and entertainment.
Bookings for the cruise are now open; cabins starting from 79,990 per person may be purchased at http://ift.tt/1nz2khZ.
Full Contact Entertainment unveiled FCC – The League unifying 7 states for the Beat-down
Did you feel the cage roar with Full Contact Championship?
Mumbai, 29th January 2016. Full Contact Entertainment, India’s first pro-MMA fight network, in order to promote MMA, the full combat sport, announced Full Contact Championship -The League followed by one of the biggest fight nights on 29th January at Famous Studios, Mahalaxmi, Mumbai. The 9 bouts had 17 Indian contenders of which 15 were male and 2 were female. The cage was brought alive with the major International contender, ‘Wali-“The Warrior”’ and the Indian brawler, ‘Furious Farhan’ Siddique, while the occasion was curated under the leadership of Mr. Prashant Kumar, Mr. Binoy Khimji and Mr. Joy Kapur, all Directors of Full Contact Championship.
Full Contact Championship – The League, will bring 14 fighters in each team who will contend from 7 states including Mumbai, Chandigarh, Jammu, Delhi, Lucknow, Kolkata, and Guwahati and host 24 of the biggest fight nights in the history of India’s MMA scene, including 2 semifinals and 1 mega-final in 2016. The rules are simple, knockout or submission. The fighters will get the opportunity to battle it out with each team in their respective home and away cages. The event will be spiced up with a DJ streaming house music pumping up the night with energy. The fight night which was followed by the announcement was a premier to the larger affair. The ultimate effort of Full Contact Championship is to take the combat sport to the global level.FCC plans to take the sport at a Pan India Level where a fight night will soon become a part of entertainment for Indian Audiences giving the much deserved limelight to the MMA fighter.
Speaking at the mighty occasion, Mr. Prashant Kumar, Director, Full Contact Championship said, “MMA which is one of the world’s fastest growing sport, has gained immense popularity in the last few years in India. Bring FCC – The League to the forefront, we hope to establish many young fighters as international brawlers, who could one day fight in the Holy Grail, UFC. In order to breed the talent of an international caliber, we hope to take young lads from states which have been overseen and tap into the untapped sector of sports history in India.”
With the entry of IPL, ISL, Pro-Kabaddi and other such leagues, Full Contact Championship, which is India’s longest running Pro-MMA fight network, introduced its exquisite fight night for the 4th year. Promoting the high entertainment full contact combat sport of MMA, the event appealed primarily to the youth of the country. MMA is the fastest growing sport in the world and India is just beginning to seize the glory and understanding of the sport.
Anita Dongre invited to speak at Harvard's India Conference 2016
For the past couple of years, Harvard Business School and Harvard Kennedy School, have been hosting the India Conference, and have had distinct speakers such as Prithvi Raj Chavan, Sajjan Jindal, Kiran Bedi etc.
The 2016 edition of the conference, which talks about India In Transition - Opportunities and Challenges, will see an assemblage of people like Shashi Tharoor, Dr.Kamal Haasan, Chanda Kochhar, Karan Johar to name a few.
Also appearing at this conference, one of the very firsts representing the Indian fashion industry, will be Ms.Anita Dongre. She will be talking about her initiative Grassroot.
Grassroot is the diary of India's craft history. It chronicles and restores heirloom traditions from the heart of our villages and fashions them into contemporary tales. Collaborating closely with artisans and helping create better livelihoods, Grassroot is a tribute to the handcrafted traditions of India. It revives and sustains dying and forgotten crafts and weaving traditions by providing a consistent platform for artisans across India.
It is a cause very close to Anita's heart. She says "Grassroot has been a long cherished dream for me. I have always wanted to create a bridge between the crafts of India from our remotest villages and the global consumer. And I am glad that we have created a sustainable platform for the artisans”.
