All posts by Neel Achary

Hyderabad, March 20, 2023: CII-Southern Region organized its Annual Regional Meeting for the year 2022-23 and a conference on South India@100 with the theme “GOING BEYOND BOUNDARIES” today in Hyderabad

During the Session on ‘Creating a Healthier World in 2047 – Role of India’

Ms Shobana Kamineni, Past President, CII & Executive Vice Chairperson, Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Ltd while moderating the session mentioned about how India has emerged as a leader in life sciences sector in the recent years specially during the pandemic times. Ayushman Bharat scheme is bringing a strong positive change across the country. We have witnessed solidarity in global action while fighting the pandemic and we need better co-ordination in future she said.

Dr Roger Glass, Director, Fogarty International Center, National Institute of Health, USA said that there is a need to improve the human health through compassion and service. He mentioned that there is a need to be strengthen primary healthcare and scale up the healthcare reach which could create massive positive impact.

Dr Soumya Swaminathan, Former Chief Scientist, WHO & Chairperson, M S Swaminathan Research Foundation said that healthcare sector contributes about 5% global CO2 emissions and all healthcare providers should commit to go green. All possible measures should be taken to become Net zero within a stipulated time period. India as a country need to work on disease prevention and health preparedness Pandemic has taught us this lesson. There is a huge inequity in diagnostics and patients need to be treated for the right disease. There is a need for Global Alliance in this area and we need to work on a mission mode in PPP model. India has proved that scale could be achieved in a short span and we need simpler short term treatments. As responsible leaders, we need to have better strategies to channelize credible communication with all stakeholders.

Kolkata, 20 March 2023: The Bengal Chamber of Commerce and Industry, in association with Guru Nanak Institute of Technology under the JIS Group, successfully organized the 12th edition of The Bengal Chamber’s Technology Quiz-Inter College Quiz Fest on Saturday, March 18, 2023, at the GNIT Campus. The event was hosted by two Quiz Masters, Mr. Auritro Chowdhury and Mr. Kinshuk Biswas, who are well-known names in the quizzing circuit.

A few Eastern India Colleges like Assam University, Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra, National Institute of Technology, Jamshedpur, National Institute of Technology, Durgapur, KiiT University, Bhubaneswar, IIT Kharagpur have participated in this quiz competition for the very first time. After a tough competition, Subhayan Chakraborty and Mihir Srivastava from IIT Kharagpur emerged as the winner of the quiz fest. Animesh Jha and Ayush Sharma from IIT Kharagpur secured the position of first runner-up, and Tarun Anand and Diyanshu Kumar from NIT Jamshedpur were announced as the second runner-up. The Quiz Fest witnessed the participation of 100 teams, which is approximately 200 students from various colleges in Bengal and Eastern India. The participants competed against each other in an intellectually stimulating and exciting contest. The primary objective of the event was to encourage and reinvigorate the youth’s passion for quizzing, who are the future of business, the economy, and society in India. The event provided an opportunity for the participants to showcase their knowledge, intelligence, and quick thinking skills.

Commenting on the event, Sardar Simarpreet Singh, Director, of JIS Group, said, “The Bengal Chamber’s Technology Quiz -Inter College Quiz Fest was a grand success, and it achieved its aim of promoting quizzing as a healthy and competitive activity among the youth. We aim to continue such initiatives to encourage the youth to develop their skills and knowledge in different fields.”

Prof. (Dr.) Santanu Kr. Sen, Principal, Guru Nanak Institute of Technology, said, “We are delighted by the active participation of Students across India in the 12th Edition of The Bengal Chamber Technology Quiz 2023. More than 200 participants from premier institutions across India and industry leaders made the event a grand success. The Quality of Quizzing was of a high standard and the performance of the students was remarkable and the Quiz has emerged as one of the best signature Quiz in this part of the country. My best wishes to all the winners and participants.”

Ms. Angana Guha Roy Chowdhury, Assistant Director General, The Bengal Chamber said, “This is a youth focussed endeavor of The Bengal Chamber. Participation is exclusively for students to connect with each other on a knowledge-driven platform. The Quiz has now crossed the borders of Eastern India and has brought in students from North India as well.”

Former NASA scientist, and aerospace entrepreneur, Dr. Anita Sengupta was at the India Today Conclave 20223 in Delhi.

Speaking at the India Today Conclave, former Nasa scientist Dr. Anita Sengupta said that the nature of humanity is to explore and the next phase is exploring space and Mars is the closest one we want to go to.

“The nature of humanity is to explore. In the past, we explored continents, next phase is to explore space, and its natural for us to expand as a species and one of the easiest places to get to and set up a colony is Mars. It’s in the nature of humanity to explore and push the envelope,” Dr. Sengupta said.

Dr. Anita Sengupta was at the India Today Conclave 2023 in Delhi. She discussed Mars landings and inventing electric planes on Earth. She was part of the Curiosity mission which landed on Mars in 2012 and was responsible for developing the crane, which landed the rover on the Red Planet.

She led a team of scientists that were part of creating the coldest lab in the universe, which is currently on the International Space Station and being used for cutting-edge research.

Speaking on the chances of finding life beyond Earth, Dr. Sengupta said, “I believe we are not alone in the universe.”

She added that she was working on a cryo explorer for Jupiter’s moon Europa, which has a liquid water ocean, and “I think when we send something to nail through the ice, we will find some form of lifeform. It will not be intelligent like us, but it will be an organism and that will change our perspective. It is not just about Earth that life exists, it could be in many other places beyond our solar system and other galaxies.”

Speaking on space missions headed to outer space, she said that there are plumes that have been seen on one of Saturn’s moons Enceladus, and it is very likely “we could find organic or single-celled organisms in those oceans.”

Talking about her work around hydroplanes researching hydrogen fuel cells for light helicopters that are emission-free, she said that hydrogen fuel cell technology was developed for the space program and is an efficient form of energy storage. “We are going to have our first flight this year and it not only supports aircraft and helicopters but also vehicles operating on diesel. It has the ability to decarbonize ground transport,” Dr. Sengupta said.

Talking about scaling up the hydrogen fuel cell technology, Dr. Sengupta said, “We are starting small to get the product sooner into the market.” Smaller aircraft flying at 10,000-20,000 feet altitude could see the technology being used first.

By  Dr. Arvind G Kulkarni, ‘Head of Mumbai Spine Scoliosis & Disc Replacement Centre, Bombay Hospital, Mumbai

Patients who are overweight or obese and suffer from back pain or spinal problems may not be aware that it’s their excess weight that is actually contributing to their spine problems. Little do they realize that obesity is like a “vicious circle” because if they exercise, they might experience fatigue, shortness of breath, etc., and if they don’t; then it may cause chronic conditions of the back and spine as lack of exercise contributes to more weight which exerts more stress on the spine.

Basically, for people who are overweight, every extra inch adds strain to the muscles and ligaments in the back as due to obesity the spine tends to become tilted and stressed unevenly to an extent that over time, the back may lose its proper support. Some of the most common obesity-related problems include musculoskeletal and joint-related pains like arthritis of the spine, sciatica, and low back pain from a herniated disc, problems of a degenerative disc, etc.

Obesity aggravates back pain and problems in particular because the extra weight around the stomach pulls the pelvis forward which in return strains the lower back, thus causing pain. Also, the vertebral disc of an obese individual gets weak or damaged much faster causing a variety of problems. So, if we put it in layman’s language, it’s our spine that supports much of the body’s weight. Extra weight means extra pressure and stress on the spine which causes degenerative changes in the vertebral column. And, for those who are morbidly obese, chances of potential injury to the spine is even greater. Excess weight can even worsen pre-existing spinal issues too.

Obesity and Back Surgery

When it comes to obese patients (especially the ones whose BMIs are higher than 30), are certainly at a higher risk for complications and infections during spine surgery as compared to patients who are not obese. They are even at the risk of developing perioperative complications. Though paying attention to shed a few kilos before undergoing back surgery may improve the healing process post-surgery, still it may pose a tremendous risk as the positioning of obese patients so as to obtain adequate surgical exposure during conventional spine surgery gets challenging. Besides, it’s difficult to gain access to a blood vessel to start an intravenous (IV) line in such overweight cases.

But, unlike traditional or conventional spine surgery, minimally invasive spine surgery (MIS) with navigation technique aids in adequate exposure without resorting to larger incisions which means minimal soft-tissue dissection, hence causing a short recovery period and therefore, short hospital stay. Also, pain and blood loss following an MIS procedure is greatly minimized, which allows patients to resume their activities more quickly.

Another advantage of using navigation technology is that it has reduced radiation exposure- both in the case of the patient and surgical team has been tremendously reduced. Such computer-based navigation technology helps in complex procedures of spinal surgery by guiding accurate screw/implant placement, especially where visualization is limited. Thus, the use of spinal navigation has reduced operative time, thereby, making spine surgery safer, more accurate, less invasive and the preferred choice of both surgeons and patients these days.

Stay Tuned With Spine Health

The best way to avoid weight related spine issues is to start off with a weight loss program. In addition to keeping regular track of BMI scale, patients should chart their weight and waist measurement on regular basis. They should eat nutritious and healthy diet, avoid junk food and restrict emotional binging. Exercising daily can help to shed a few kilos, but as a general rule, obese people should avoid high-impact exercises to protect the spine and joints. With the help of an instructor they can focus on exercises that help in strengthening of muscles. Weight loss surgery is an option for extreme cases. Keep in mind: healthy weight is a way to a healthy spine!

New Delhi, 20 March 2023: Mata Bhagwanti Chadha Niketan (MBCN), a charitable school for special children working under the aegis of Ponty Chadha Foundation (PCF) successfully organised its 24th Annual Day Function. With the theme – “Atrangi Pathshala”, the event extensively focused on ensuring participation of every child as per their abilities.

With dance performances and other cultural programmes highlighting the theme- “Atrangi Pathshala”, the students enthralled the parents and guests with their scintillating performances.

The event commenced with a welcome address by Dr Vandana Sharma, Director and Principal of MBCN School where she expressed her gratitude while welcoming the honourable guest of honour Mrs Lovely Chadha – Trustee Ponty Chadha Foundation. The same was followed by an annual award ceremony where various dignitaries were felicitated for their remarkable contribution to the organization.

There was also an annual award distribution ceremony wherein the school felicitated the teachers for their contributions and students for their achievements in arts and studies. The event witnessed the participation of over 200+ students.

While Ms Amreen Naseem bagged the award for the Teacher of the Year, Mr and Mrs Sandeep and Nandini Tiwari won the Parents of the Year award and Shivam Verma was recognised as the Student of the Year. Other awards such as Attendant of the Year, Trainee of the Year, Dancer of the Year and award for excellence in creativity were also presented to the respective winners during the felicitation ceremony.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr Vandana Sharma, Director and Principal, of MBCN School, said” Social inclusion, independence and acceptance have always been at the forefront of our school and we strive to provide our kids an environment where they can learn, grow and build a life of dignity and pride. We also strive to empower and make our students independent. Our 24th Annual Function – Atrangi Pathshala, is one such initiative where we have ensured that every child gets an opportunity to express and perform as per his/her abilities. We will continue to work towards channelizing our efforts in order to empower the kids in future as well”.

MBCN is an educational cornerstone of providing holistic ground for the well-rounded development of children with special needs. The school provides rehabilitation services and support towards mental health, academic education, life skill development, and behaviour management. The rehabilitation services include early intervention, Speech therapy, Special education, Sports training, Physiotherapy, Yoga Therapy, Occupational therapy, Counselling, and Vocational training.

Since its inception, thousands of children with various disabilities have been rehabilitated in the community and family after achieving their full potential towards self-dependency.

Hyderabad, India, March 20, 2023 – WE Hub, India’s first and only state-led incubator, by the Government of Telangana, in partnership with SAFA Society, has today launched Project Ujaagar, a new initiative to formalise and improve financial literacy for minority women-led businesses in Telangana. The programme aims to improve the socio-economic conditions of the minority community’s infrastructure and promote entrepreneurship among minority women by providing various programmes and amenities to improve their quality of life.

The project was launched by Dr Jayesh Ranjan, IAS, Principal Secretary, ITE&C Department, Government of Telangana, during an event held at WE Hub. The event included a welcome address by Ms. Deepthi Ravula, CEO, of WE Hub, and addresses by Chief Guest Dr Jayesh Ranjan, IAS, and Guest of Honour Shri. Amir Ullah Khan, IAS (Retd.), among others.

The 1.5-month-long intervention programme, consisting of four fundamental tracks conducted weekly, will cover topics such as statutory compliances, business models, marketing and sales, legal and finances, and upskilling. It will also provide tailored programmes at no cost to participants, introduce essential guidance and facilities to promote business, build a strong community of founders, and induce skill development through building a business.

During the launch event, Dr Jayesh Ranjan, IAS, Principal Secretary, ITE&C Department, Government of Telangana, said, “WE Hub will validate and support women to scale their current businesses and encourage new ones. The only ask from entrepreneurs is to stay consistent, make use of the opportunities, and advance further in terms of socio-economic status.”

Deepthi Ravula, the CEO, of WE Hub, said, “We’ve observed over the past five years that businesses led by women often lack proper registration, financial literacy, accounting skills, and tools to enhance their operations. Our partnership project, Ujaagar, with SAFA Society and WE Hub aims to tackle these challenges faced by women-led businesses in Telangana. By offering this programme, we aspire to create a robust community of founders who can learn from each other and grow together.”

The programme will target 150 aspiring women entrepreneurs or existing businesses per year and aim to formalise 50% of them. In addition, WE Hub will also be hosting WE Talks monthly or bimonthly, providing further opportunities for learning and growth.

Rubina Mazhar, founder and CEO of SAFA Society, said, “Partnerships help to align goals and complement each other. “The collaboration between WE HUB and SAFA will help SAFA’s micro-entrepreneurs explore business deeper, and WE HUB will attract a new demographic and dimension to its model.”

Over the past 5 years, WE HUB has incubated 3194 start-ups by women founders and successfully engaged with over 5,000 women entrepreneurs, 1247 students, 986 social impact entrepreneurs, and 609 urban entrepreneurs. The incubator has been actively working towards enabling Women-led start-ups across sectors to scale and accelerate through global market access.

Bengaluru, 20 March 2023 – KISNA Diamond and Gold Jewellery from Hari Krishna Group hosted a Karnataka cluster meet for its key retailers in Karnataka. The main objective of this cluster meeting was to offer a platform for an insightful discussion on industry trends and to collaborate with its loyal and long-standing business partners for the successful roll out of KISNA franchise stores.

Kisna from Hari Krishna Group is a reputed jewellery brand since 2005, with a wide distribution to 3,500+ retailers across the country making it the largest distributed diamond jewellery brand in India. KISNA has been growing exponentially by driving business growth through a retailer-enabled franchise model. In 2022, KISNA began its expansion by launching its first store in Siliguri followed by Hyderabad, Hisar, Ayodhya and Bareilly.

The business cluster was graced by Mr Ghanshyam Dholakia, Founder & Managing Director, Hari Krishna Group and Mr Parag Shah, Director, of Kisna Gold & Diamond Jewellery. Engaging discussions took place on the industry overview and KISNA’s product offerings, services and business development. A jewellery exhibition was also organized to showcase a new range of impeccable and unique designs by KISNA for the retailers of Karnataka with an intent to make certified and affordable diamond jewellery accessible to their consumers in the state. Through this meeting, various retailers in Karnataka have expressed interest in creating KISNA brand corners in their stores.

Mr Ghanshyam Dholakia, Founder and Managing Director, Hari Krishna Group. said, “Karnataka possess huge potential for the growth of the Indian economy and it was a privilege to host a cluster meeting for our valued retailers in this region. We are optimistic that the business synergies discussed during the meeting will lead to the expansion and development of the company and the retailers.’’

Mr Parag Shah, Director, of Kisna Gold & Diamond Jewellery said, “With this business conclave, we aim to bring together our retailers of Karnataka under one platform to interact, learn, grow and explore more business opportunities with KISNA. The company is focusing towards the rapid expansion of its franchise operations and to have the widest KISNA Franchised Retail Chain across the country. We take this opportunity to invite our business partner to become a franchise partner of KISNA Diamond & Gold Jewellery’’

India, 20 march 2023: In a unique and disruptive Sustainability initiative, PVR INOX Limited, the largest and the most premium cinema exhibition company in India (after the merger with INOX Leisure Limited), has joined hands with Bollywood star and passionate Climate Warrior Bhumi Pednekar, to spread awareness among its patrons about the harmful effects of climate change, inspiring them to make sustainable lifestyle choices to help conserve the environment.

The brand has rolled out 6 versions of a multi-media consumer campaign, each featuring one initiative undertaken by PVR, with Bhumi Pednekar giving a “call to action” through the Campaign’s handle #YourTurnToAct. The campaign was unveiled today at PVR Plaza, New Delhi by Ms. Bhumi Pednekar and Mr. Sanjeev Kumar Bijli, Executive Director, PVR INOX Limited. PVR will be contributing valuable screen time towards this campaign at its pan India theatres reaching every part of the country to promote sustainable behavior among cinegoers.

Commenting on the announcement, Mr. Sanjeev Kumar Bijli, Executive Director, PVR INOX Limited said, “We are happy to partner with one of the finest actresses of Indian film industry and climate warrior, Ms. Bhumi Pednekar, for the noble cause of creating awareness around climate change. As a responsible Corporate Citizen, PVR is committed to making tangible progress towards reducing the ecological footprint by pursuing sustainable activities in its operations, engaging in partnerships that facilitate progress towards decarbonisation of our operations.”

Adding, he said, “In addition, PVR has decided to leverage its position as the leading cinema company to inspire our audiences to make sustainable choices that will reduce the carbon footprint at an individual level to help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).”

The company is making conscious choices as part of its business practices ensuring that it minimizes harmful effects on the environment across its operations. These include a number of initiatives around energy and water conservation like IOT based Centralized Energy Pressure and Temperature Monitoring, Variable frequency Drives in AHUs, Occupancy Sensors in washrooms besides water flow restrictors in wash basin taps to conserve tap water. Xenon lamp Digital Projectors are being replaced with Laser Projectors that consume lesser power. Single-use plastic in F&B served to customers has been replaced by sugarcane bagasse food containers, coated Paper straws made of biodegradable polymers, in addition to paperless ticketing and QR code entry to gain access to its cinemas.

Ms. Bhumi Pednekar, Actress and Climate Warrior who is featured in the film said, “I am thrilled to be a part of a focused sustainability campaign by PVR Cinemas. As leaders in the multiplex exhibition space, their initiatives to reduce power consumption and usage of green measures like sugarcane bagasse containers emphasizes on the need to move towards sustainable living. #YourTurnToAct is progressive and easy to follow. I will always support determined moves to raise awareness around climate change in India and this one touched my heart. There is no Planet B – so the turn to act is now before it’s too late.”

Among various initiatives being undertaken by PVR, one of the recent ones is the introduction of uniforms made from fabric woven out of yarn from recycled PET bottles. In a span of just 9 months, PVR has been instrumental in recycling 38,000 PET bottles on account of enabling 1000 of its staff to wear sustainable uniforms made out of this fabric (65% recycled polyester and 35% cotton). At an all India level, 25 cinemas across 20 cities have completely switched to uniforms made from this fabric. Going forward, all mainstream cinema uniforms will be replaced by these uniforms.

The campaign also showcases various initiatives the company is taking as a responsible corporate citizen to mitigate the impact of climate change and leverage its unique position to reach out to its extensive audience to make them aware of the problem and inspire them to make behavioral changes by adopting sustainable life choices. People are encouraged to use #YourTurnToAct to share how the campaign has inspired them to make sustainable choices.

India, March 2023 – SportsBuzz11, a leading fantasy sports platform in India, has announced that Nitish Rana, the prolific left-handed batsman, will be joining the platform as its newest brand ambassador. Nitish Rana, known for his impressive performance in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and domestic cricket, will be the official face of SportsBuzz11.

Speaking about the association, Mr. Dashmeet Kawatra, Managing Director of SportsBuzz11, said, “We are delighted to have Nitish Rana as our brand ambassador. Nitish is a talented cricketer who embodies the values of sportsmanship, and we are confident that his association with SportsBuzz11 will take our platform to greater heights. We look forward to a long and successful partnership with Nitish.”

As part of the partnership, Nitish Rana will feature in multi-channel marketing campaigns and brand engagement activities with SportsBuzz11. He will also be a part of various online and offline events. SportsBuzz11 is gearing up to launch several exciting contests and promotions in the upcoming weeks, offering users a chance to win big while enjoying their favorite sports.

Nitish Rana’s appointment as brand ambassador reflects SportsBuzz11’s commitment to providing users with an immersive and engaging fantasy sports experience. With Nitish Rana on board, SportsBuzz11 users will have an excellent role model to inspire them to showcase competitive strength and skills similar to what Nitish showcases on the field. SportsBuzz11 is excited about its partnership with Nitish Rana and looks forward to achieving new heights together.

The fourth season of Bollywoodlife.com Awards 2023 – A One-of-its-kind Digital Awards, organised by IndiaDotcom Digital Private Limited (formerly Zee Digital) looks forward to celebrating the Stars of the Entertainment Industry on 24th March 2023. The upcoming digital event will recognize and felicitate actors, filmmakers, content creators and properties in digital space in an unconventional manner.

The previous three successful seasons of BollywoodLife.com Awards witnessed some of the known names like Vidya Balan, Ranvir Singh, Kartik Aryan, etc. winning these prestigious awards. This year’s Bollywoodlife.com Awards looks forward at appreciating the outstanding talent spread across the Entertainment Industry – Be it TV, OTT, South, Bhojpuri, and Social Media. The esteemed team of Jury members not only includes dignitaries from the Indian film and TV fraternity, but also a special panel of ardent entertainment enthusiasts selected through a contest on BollywoodLife.com social media.

Highlighting the key objective of BollywoodLife.com Awards, Mr. Devadas Krishnan, CEO, IndiaDotcom Private Digital Limited, said “BollywoodLife.com Awards 2023 is not just an ordinary award, but a celebration of all aspects of the Entertainment industry – involving the ones who make content, the ones who consume it, and the ones who want to be a part of it. The active participation of fans across the globe has encouraged us to make every season a much bigger and more exciting one. ”

The list of celebrity nominees has been Live on BollywoodLife.com’s microsite, since 17th February and the floor for voting is open from 20th February to 20th March 2023. Champions from each of these industries will be rewarded based on the highest number of votes received for their creativity under the umbrella of six major award categories, including 50 versatile winning titles.

The celebration just doesn’t stop at this. The 2023 edition of Bollywoodlife.com Awards will also be clubbed with a Conclave, laced with an interesting series of panel discussions primarily focusing on ‘What it takes to be a prime-time TV show star?’ and ‘Content shift post-pandemic – on the Big screen and OTT’. Some of the known names from the TV and Film industry- Abhishek Banerjee, Saiyami Kher, Vijay Varma, Ulka Gupta, Rahul Sudhir, Sneha Wagh, Dipti Kalwani, Simba Nagpal, etc. will be seen on screen discussing the ongoing trends and what the future holds for the industry.

Mr. Shridhar Mishra, CRO, IndiaDotCom Private Digital Limited, further added, “BollywoodLife.com is one of its kind awards which not only limits itself to Bollywood but takes into consideration various talent that works in the field of entertainment relentlessly. We, at IDPL, look forward to making the fourth edition of BollywoodLife.com awards a great success.”

BollywoodLife.com Awards 2023 will be sponsored by P.C. Chandra Jewellers (Jewellery Partner), Amazon Pay (Associate Partner), Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India (Special Partner), Amazon Pay & Llyod A Havells (Associate Partners), Canara HSBC (Insurance Partner) and IndusInd Bank (Banking Partner). This digital-only awards will be hosted Live across the Facebook page & Youtube channels of Bollywoodlife.com and India.com.