Archives April 2026

A Musical Tribute Dedicated to Guru Late Suramani Bauri Bandhu Sethi

Bhubaneswar, Odisha | Apr 21: Swaranjali Delhi proudly presents Shraddhanjali 2026, a heartfelt evening dedicated to the revered Guru Late Suramani Bauri Bandhu Sethi, in association with Shreyas WebMedia Solutions.

The event will take place on Saturday, June 20, 2026, at 5:00 PM at Gita Govinda Sadan, Jayadev Bhawan, Ashok Nagar, Bhubaneswar.

Shraddhanjali 2026 will celebrate the timeless beauty of Indian Classical Music, featuring captivating vocal and instrumental performances by distinguished artists and emerging talents. The program aims to honour the immense contribution of Guru Late Suramani Bauri Bandhu Sethi to Indian classical music and inspire future generations to preserve this rich heritage.

Speaking on the occasion, the organisers shared that the event is envisioned as a tribute filled with devotion, artistry, and gratitude, bringing together music lovers, cultural enthusiasts, and disciples under one roof.

The evening promises to be a soulful experience showcasing tradition, excellence, and the enduring legacy of Indian classical music.

The organisers cordially invite all music patrons, members of the cultural fraternity, and the public to attend this special event.

Event Details:

• Event: Shraddhanjali 2026
• Date: June 20, 2026
• Time: 5:00 PM onwards
• Venue: Gita Govinda Sadan, Jayadev Bhawan

Program Details:

Group – Indian Classical Music

• Sitar & Sarod Duet: Shri Jeeban Prakash Das & Shri Sandeep Rout
• Vocal: Smt. Bilambita Banisudha
• Sitar: Shri Subrata De

RSVP:

9910300319 | 8447507053 | 99370 01349

Apr 21: Leading global travel app Skyscanner extended cricket fandom beyond stadium stands and into the travel choices fans make around IPL fixtures with ‘Hotline to SKY’, a first‑of‑its‑kind travel helpline featuring pre‑recorded tips voiced by cricketer and brand ambassador Suryakumar ‘SKY’ Yadav. Designed to help fans navigate match‑day travel during the ongoing IPL season, the hotline invited callers to access quick, practical guidance on planning their journeys.

In just eight days, the activation logged over 3,000 calls, underlining how live sport is increasingly shaping domestic travel decisions. By blending cricket culture with everyday travel dilemmas, the hotline delivered concise advice on flying smarter, staying flexible and finding better value as fixtures unfold across India.

SKY‑led social reels extended the hotline’s impact, translating match‑day curiosity into practical travel considerations for fans.

What cricket fans were calling about

Call data highlights how closely fans are thinking about travel alongside the tournament:

• 35% of callers tuned in specifically for last‑minute travel planning tips, navigating sudden schedule changes and high‑demand routes
• 31% of callers were interested to learn about longer itinerary planning and budget friendly ways to travel
• Nearly 1 in 7 callers dialed in for a quick “vibe check” with SKY, adding a personal, mood‑driven layer to the experience

Beyond the hotline, the campaign reached nearly 20 million people via outdoor billboards across Delhi and Mumbai, and over 1 million through social engagements across channels.

What Fans Discovered on the Hotline

As IPL 2026 runs from 28 March to 31 May, bringing new venues, packed weekends and shifting fixtures, fans tapped into the hotline to simplify common match‑day travel challenges, including:

A new gateway into Mumbai’s match action

With Navi Mumbai International Airport opening ahead of this season, SKY pointed fans to Skyscanner’s Nearby Airports feature, helping them spot alternate routes into host cities. Skyscanner search data shows a 10x month‑on‑month spike in searches[1] for Navi Mumbai International Airport over the 10–12 April match weekend, underlining growing awareness and intent.

Following the tournament, not just one team

For fans undecided on which matches to attend, the hotline spotlighted Skyscanner’s Explore Everywhere feature, enabling open‑ended discovery of where the best‑value matches are taking place. From high‑altitude fixtures in Dharamshala to classic rivalries at Eden Gardens, the feature encourages fans to build travel plans around experiences, not just locations.

Staying flexible when fixtures move

Recent schedule changes, such as the Gujarat Titans vs Chennai Super Kings match shifting from Ahmedabad to Chennai on 26 April, highlighted how dynamic the IPL calendar can be. SKY guided callers through Skyscanner’s Flexible Dates feature, helping them identify cost‑effective travel windows even when plans change late.

Tracking fares before the big games sell out

Ahead of blockbuster clashes like MI vs CSK on 23 April and its reverse fixture on 2 May, fans were encouraged to set up Price Alerts, allowing them to monitor fare movements and book at the right moment, before both flights and seats fill up.

Additionally, fans didn’t just call for logistics, many stayed on to hear SKY’s personal reflections on match‑day energy, pressure and preparation, making the experience feel as entertaining as it was useful. When asked about his favourite travel memory, SKY said “My favourite memories are when you see fans coming from another city, wearing their team’s jersey, full of belief. As a player, that energy hits different. That’s when you realise cricket is more than a game — it’s pure emotion.”

Cricket Travel Demand Accelerates

Skyscanner data indicates that interest in IPL‑linked travel continues to build across key host cities as marquee fixtures approach. Commenting on the campaign’s success, Neel Ghose, Skyscanner Travel Trends and Destinations Expert, said,

“With cricket‑led travel now firmly established, we wanted to focus on making the planning itself simpler and smarter. By bringing Skyscanner’s tools — like Nearby Airports and Explore Everywhere into an easy, conversational format through SKY, we’ve helped fans move quickly from curiosity to action. The response shows that people aren’t just asking ‘Should I go?’ but ‘How do I make this trip work?’ — and that’s exactly the gap this campaign set out to address.”

Designed as a quick, intuitive experience, the hotline followed a familiar behaviour: reaching for the phone when you need fast answers. Strong call‑completion rates across the activation further reflected how relevant the content felt during peak match weeks.

With key fixtures still ahead, Skyscanner expects momentum around match‑related travel to continue building through the remainder of the IPL season, as fans look for flexible, value‑driven ways to follow the action.

New Delhi, Apr 21 — It was an evening where music dissolved borders and emotion spoke a shared language. At The Piano Man, Eldeco Centre, celebrated Polish vocalist Michał Rudaś delivered a spellbinding performance that left audiences captivated, reaffirming his rare ability to build a living, breathing bridge between India and Poland through song.

Michał Rudaś performing at the Pianoman New Delhi

Rudaś, known for his deep engagement with Indian music, curated a repertoire that was as diverse as it was immersive. Moving effortlessly from Bollywood chartbusters—rendered with remarkable sensitivity and linguistic finesse—to the velvet elegance of Frank Sinatra classics, and the poignant lyricism of Polish romantic compositions, he created an atmosphere that felt both intimate and expansive. Each piece was not merely performed, but inhabited—infused with a sincerity that resonated deeply with listeners.

The evening was elevated by a rich spirit of collaboration. Piotr Malec on the tabla brought rhythmic depth and a distinctly Indian pulse, seamlessly complementing Rudaś’s cross-cultural explorations. At the piano, Shomudra Ghosh anchored the performance with grace and fluidity, his playing adding both structure and spontaneity to the unfolding musical narrative. Together, the trio crafted a soundscape where traditions met, conversed, and ultimately merged.

What set the concert apart was not just its musical range, but its emotional intelligence. Rudaś’s connection with the audience was immediate and profound—his interpretations of Hindi songs drawing spontaneous applause, his Polish renditions offering moments of quiet introspection, and his Western selections bridging familiarity with finesse. It was a rare artistic experience where every note felt intentional, every pause meaningful.

More than a concert, the evening stood as a testament to the growing cultural dialogue between India and Poland. In Michał Rudaś, one finds not only a vocalist of exceptional calibre, but a true cultural ambassador—an artist who understands that music, at its finest, is an act of empathy and exchange.

As the final notes faded into a standing ovation, the sentiment in the room was unmistakable: this was not just a performance, but a moment—one that will linger in memory as a celebration of music’s boundless ability to connect worlds.

Foreign exchange and currency risk management Lumon Corporate has agreed to acquire the business and assets of Fiscal FX, marking a major milestone for Lumon as it continues to expand its breadth and quality of service.

Fiscal FX represents the seventh acquisition by Pollen Street Capital-backed Lumon since 2018. The acquisition is expected to be completed later this spring and will help accelerate growth in Lumon’s corporate division both internationally and in the UK.

Vic Darvey, CEO of Lumon, says: “Acquiring Fiscal FX marks another significant step forward as we continue to expand Lumon’s global footprint; uniting expertise, enhancing our capabilities and ultimately, delivering more value to our clients.”

Fiscal FX, a London-based foreign exchange and international payments specialist, has built an exceptional reputation since it’s foundation in 2019, particularly focusing on SMEs and owner-managed businesses.

Over the past six years, Fiscal FX has seen consistent, organic growth, developing a loyal client base of more than 600 corporate accounts across the globe. The company has handled almost £1 billion worth of transactions since it’s inception thanks to outstanding client retention and reliable, recurring revenue.

Archie Scarborough, CEO of Fiscal FX, says: “Joining Lumon is a hugely exciting step for our team and our clients. We’ve built something special over the past six years – a business that genuinely puts its clients first – and I’m proud of what we’ve achieved. Lumon shares those values, and I’m looking forward to what we can build together.”

Apr 20 (BNP): In a symbolic moment highlighting growing India–South Korea business ties, Lee Jae-yong took a selfie with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung during a state luncheon at Samsung’s Noida facility on Monday.

The interaction underscored the importance of India as a major global manufacturing hub for Samsung, particularly in the electronics and smartphone segment. The Noida facility has been a key production base for the company since 1996, manufacturing a wide range of devices, including budget smartphones and premium foldable models.

The luncheon followed high-level bilateral discussions and brought together business leaders from both countries, serving as a platform to deepen economic engagement and explore future investment opportunities.

As part of the broader engagement, industry leaders from major Korean conglomerates also participated in the Korea–India Business Forum, which saw attendance from around 250 business representatives, including top executives from leading Korean corporations.

The South Korean President is currently on a state visit to India and Vietnam, accompanied by a high-level business delegation, aimed at strengthening trade, technology, and investment cooperation between the countries.

During his visit, the President also paid tribute at Raj Ghat, honouring Mahatma Gandhi and reaffirming commitment to global peace and cooperation.

The visit reflects a growing strategic and economic partnership between India and South Korea, with a strong focus on manufacturing, technology collaboration, and supply chain integration.

New Delhi, April 19, 2026: 

The Indian Trust for Rural Heritage and Development (ITRHD) celebrated World Heritage Day with a special programme in New Delhi, bringing together policymakers, scholars and cultural voices to deliberate on the preservation of India’s rural heritage, aligned with this year’s theme — “Emergency Response for Living Heritage in Contexts of Conflicts and Disasters.” The occasion also marked 15 years of ITRHD’s work in the field of heritage conservation.

The event was graced by Manish Tewari, Member of Parliament, as the Chief Guest, in the presence of Padma Bhushan Shri S. K. Misra, Chairman, ITRHD.

The programme featured addresses by distinguished speakers including Dasho Sonam Kinga (Former Chairman of the National Council of Bhutan), Geshe Dorji Damdul (Head of Tibet House, New Delhi), and Kartikeya Vajpai (Author). The event was also attended by Archana Capoor (Member Secretary, ITRHD) and members and representatives of ITRHD.

Addressing the gathering, Manish Tewari highlighted the urgent need to prioritise heritage conservation in the context of ongoing global conflicts. “Given the scale of ongoing international conflicts since 2022, the conservation of historical sites and heritage places, especially in conflict zones, must become a priority—even though, when such crises unfold, it is often the last thing on anyone’s mind,” he said.

He further pointed to the gap between policy and implementation in India, adding, “While India has a fairly robust legal architecture for heritage conservation, there remains a clear lack of consciousness and sensitivity when it comes to preserving, protecting and promoting our heritage, particularly in rural areas.”

Speaking on the occasion, Padma Bhushan Shri S.K. Misra emphasised the broader responsibility associated with heritage preservation. “World Heritage Day is not just a symbolic observance; it is an occasion to renew our collective responsibility to preserve our heritage for future generations, especially in a country like India where such immense cultural wealth cannot be allowed to remain unattended,” he said.

Highlighting ITRHD’s approach, he added, “We see rural heritage as a catalyst for rural development. Our effort is to identify neglected heritage sites, particularly those linked to Buddhist traditions, and reintegrate them into community life by building awareness and local participation.”

Dasho Sonam Kinga said that in Bhutan, the preservation of Buddhism has been sustained through the close integration of community life, cultural practices and state support, particularly in rural areas. He pointed out that heritage continues as a living tradition because communities actively practice and pass it on across generations.

Geshe Dorji Damdul said that heritage goes beyond physical structures and carries deeper human values such as compassion, wisdom and harmony. He explained that preserving heritage is important not only for protecting history but also for sustaining the values that shape human society.

Kartikeya Vajpai, author of The Unbecoming, said that preservation should begin with safeguarding the philosophical and spiritual essence of heritage. He said that when people, especially the youth, engage with this wisdom through experience and introspection, cultural continuity follows naturally.

The discussions explored the intersection of heritage, identity and its contemporary relevance, with a particular focus on rural ecosystems and traditional knowledge systems. Speakers highlighted how India’s rural heritage, spanning monuments, agricultural practices, crafts, languages, performing arts and indigenous knowledge, remains a largely underutilised resource in the country’s development narrative.

With nearly 70% of India’s population residing in rural areas, many of which continue to face economic challenges, the need to recognise heritage as a valuable economic and social asset was strongly underscored.

Observed globally on April 18 under the aegis of the International Council on Monuments and Sites and UNESCO, World Heritage Day underscores the importance of protecting cultural and natural heritage.