All posts by Neel Achary

14th March 2023, New Delhi: Vedica Foundation, a non-profit organization committed to empowering urban women (known for its flagship Vedica Scholars Programme for Women), and Nori Narrative, a young women-led architecture and design firm, have launched the ‘City of Women’ campaign in collaboration to celebrate, encourage and extend women’s freedom to go anywhere anytime.

Aligning this campaign with ongoing International Women’s Day activities by DMRC, the City of Women team curated a mural on the theme ‘Delhi-NCR as a City of Women’ for the Dwarka Sec-14 Metro Station. The powerful mural on women empowerment has been conceptualized and designed by the women-led team at Nori Narrative along with Swati Kharbanda and executed by an all-women team of 12 talented muralists from across the country. It shows women of different age groups and backgrounds confidently claiming public spaces throughout the city.

With an overarching mission and vision of enabling women to have a life of independence and dignity, the ‘City for Women’ campaign endeavors to change the negative narrative of Delhi-NCR being unsafe for women by encouraging women to venture out freely, fearlessly and claim their space as equal members of the city. This novel campaign by Vedica Foundation intrinsically ties itself to the Delhi Metro and celebrates the role of the expansive public transport system in empowering the women of Delhi by giving them safe mobility, access, and freedom throughout the city.

‘City of Women’ campaign is inspired by Rebecca Solnit’s City of Women Project, an international initiative that has its footprints in New York, London, and Belgium.

“The ‘City of Women, Delhi’ campaign intends to change the narrative around women’s freedom and build a tribe of fearless and independent women who claim the city and inspire others to do so. The Dwarka sec-14 metro station is today a canvas of hope, resilience, and empowerment. “This project is a testament to the power of art and women’s collective action in creating a safer, more inclusive world for all.”, said, Anuradha Das Mathur, Founder & Dean, Vedica Foundation.

The mural was inaugurated on March 6 by Sh. Vikas Kumar, Managing Director, DMRC, and Dr. Shalini Singh, DMRC’s first lady with the team of muralists, and representatives from Vedica and the Nori Narrative.

Spearheading the digital side of City of Women, Delhi, the campaign mascot ‘Mast Mauli’ conceptualized by the team at Nori Narrative is a vivacious young woman who brings a much-needed change in the narrative. Oozing sass in her bright red saree and white sneakers, Mast Mauli fearlessly personifies the women of Delhi. She is free-spirited and fearless, and as she travels through her beloved city, she transforms into a bold food critic in the lanes of old Delhi, a fearless negotiator at Sarojini market, the life of the part at Hauz Khas, and an inquisitive heritage enthusiast strolling in Mehrauli.

A social media campaign titled #WomenOfDelhiMetro has also been launched, which highlights the inspiring stories of everyday women commuters of the Delhi Metro. In addition, #GoAnywhereAnytime, #MaiBhiMastMauli, and #Chalein social media campaigns are making a buzz among Delhi-NCR women as they express their will to fearlessly claim the city with #AbMeriBhiDilli.

New Delhi, March 2023: Crosshairs Communication, an award-winning Public Relations (PR) and Social Media Agency is set to manage the strategic communication for the 20th India Today Conclave. Crosshairs Communication has been associated with this annual intelligence exchange platform for a decade now.

India Today Conclave has established its legacy as the most sought-after platform for cutting-edge discussions and debates on a wide range of subjects. With a speaker profile that is unparalleled, India Today Conclave is the epitome of a powerful forum dedicated to evolving a discourse for the betterment of India and mankind across the globe. It has cemented its place as the leading summit and continues to break barriers with each edition. Over the two decades, not only have there been annual events, there have also been regional editions of India Today Conclave, propelled by its immense national success.

Scheduled on 17th and 18th March 2023 at Taj Palace Hotel, New Delhi. This year, it is proud to celebrate its 20th edition with the theme ‘India Moment’, bringing together some of the most thought-provoking speakers from across the globe to this prestigious platform. The impact of this “India Moment” goes beyond just statistics, as India’s stewardship of the G20 presents a significant opportunity for it to influence geopolitics, energy transition, technology, and the international conversation on development, equitable growth, justice and more.

Stuti Jalan, Founder of Crosshairs Communication, said, “It has been an honor and pleasure to be part of The India Today Conclave for the past 10 years. India Today is set to celebrate the 20th anniversary of its Conclave bringing to light how amid global challenges such as wars, recessions, polarized politics, and the climate crisis, India has emerged as a beacon of hope. We will be carrying forward this hope to expand their horizons with our team’s experience and knowledge in this industry.”

14th March 2023, New Delhi: Vedica Foundation, a non-profit organization committed to empowering urban women (known for its flagship Vedica Scholars Programme for Women), and Nori Narrative, a young women-led architecture and design firm, have launched the ‘City of Women’ campaign in collaboration to celebrate, encourage and extend women’s freedom to go anywhere anytime.

Aligning this campaign with ongoing International Women’s Day activities by DMRC, the City of Women team curated a mural on the theme ‘Delhi-NCR as a City of Women’ for the Dwarka Sec-14 Metro Station. The powerful mural on women empowerment has been conceptualized and designed by the women-led team at Nori Narrative along with Swati Kharbanda and executed by an all-women team of 12 talented muralists from across the country. It shows women of different age groups and backgrounds confidently claiming public spaces throughout the city.

With an overarching mission and vision of enabling women to have a life of independence and dignity, the ‘City for Women’ campaign endeavors to change the negative narrative of Delhi-NCR being unsafe for women by encouraging women to venture out freely, fearlessly and claim their space as equal members of the city. This novel campaign by Vedica Foundation intrinsically ties itself to the Delhi Metro and celebrates the role of the expansive public transport system in empowering the women of Delhi by giving them safe mobility, access, and freedom throughout the city.

‘City of Women’ campaign is inspired by Rebecca Solnit’s City of Women Project, an international initiative that has its footprints in New York, London, and Belgium.

“The ‘City of Women, Delhi’ campaign intends to change the narrative around women’s freedom and build a tribe of fearless and independent women who claim the city and inspire others to do so. The Dwarka sec-14 metro station is today a canvas of hope, resilience, and empowerment. “This project is a testament to the power of art and women’s collective action in creating a safer, more inclusive world for all.”, said, Anuradha Das Mathur, Founder & Dean, Vedica Foundation.

The mural was inaugurated on March 6 by Sh. Vikas Kumar, Managing Director, DMRC, and Dr. Shalini Singh, DMRC’s first lady with the team of muralists, and representatives from Vedica and the Nori Narrative.

Spearheading the digital side of City of Women, Delhi, the campaign mascot ‘Mast Mauli’ conceptualized by the team at Nori Narrative is a vivacious young woman who brings a much-needed change in the narrative. Oozing sass in her bright red saree and white sneakers, Mast Mauli fearlessly personifies the women of Delhi. She is free-spirited and fearless, and as she travels through her beloved city, she transforms into a bold food critic in the lanes of old Delhi, a fearless negotiator at Sarojini market, the life of the part at Hauz Khas, and an inquisitive heritage enthusiast strolling in Mehrauli.

A social media campaign titled #WomenOfDelhiMetro has also been launched, which highlights the inspiring stories of everyday women commuters of the Delhi Metro. In addition, #GoAnywhereAnytime, #MaiBhiMastMauli, and #Chalein social media campaigns are making a buzz among Delhi-NCR women as they express their will to fearlessly claim the city with #AbMeriBhiDilli.

St. Louis nonprofit welcomes national accounting and advisory firm to its growing organization

(St. Louis, Mo., March 14, 2023) – Conflux Co-Learning, the nation’s first co-learning space that exclusively serves manufacturers and distributors, recently named Wipfli as its first Certified Partner. Wipfli is a national accounting and advisory firm based in Milwaukee, Wis. with Missouri offices located at 7733 Forsyth Blvd. in Clayton and 2460 Executive Dr. in St. Charles.

As Conflux’s first preferred partner, Wipfli will focus on the specific business opportunities in the manufacturing and distribution sectors. This includes sharing extensive knowledge and providing targeted guidance via educational events and networking opportunities for Conflux’s manufacturer and distributor membership.

“We’re inspired by Conflux’s vision and excited to be a part of their collaborative,” said Doug Kolker, St. Louis-based Wipfli partner. “Helping to assess, improve and scale business operations and align digital solutions to support growth and efficiency is what we do daily for our clients. As a partner, Wipfli can support Conflux members in learning best practices we’ve established with companies like theirs.”

Founded in 1930, Wipfli is a top 20 accounting and advisory firm with more than 3,100 associates. Services range from audit and accounting to digital transformation and disruption management. Wipfli serves organizations in a variety of industries including financial institutions, financial services, healthcare, construction, real estate, education, nonprofits, manufacturing and distribution.

“Our nonprofit represents industrial leaders who envision a stronger future for the manufacturing and distribution industry,” said Conflux Co-Learning’s Chairman of the Board Brandon Dempsey. “It makes perfect sense to welcome Wipfli as our very first Certified Partner because their company brings a comprehensive expertise to our organization’s quest for regional growth.”

Pictured from left to right are Conflux Co-Learning’s Co-Founders Derek Weber and Brandon Dempsey.

Conflux Co-Learning is a membership-based nonprofit organization that creates content, connections, and space so manufacturing and distribution leaders can navigate and grow in a rapidly changing industry. The nonprofit is located at 8221 Minnesota Ave. For more information, call (314) 754-8712 or visit www.confluxcolearning.com.

PUNE/INDIA Ewayprint was launched at press conference on March 8th, 2023 at the Patrakar Bhavan, Ganjwe Chowk, Navi Peth, Pune, Maharashtra, India.

Pune-based entrepreneur, MOHAMMED Imitiaz HANIF and their team launched Ewayprint App India’s first free printing service, where users get free A4 size documents printed and shipped directly to their homes free in sealed envelop.

Mr. Imtiyaz said at the launch that, he felt there is an opportunity to disrupt the printing business, and developed a precursor to the current business model. The startup earlier had developed a vend-ing printing machine and gave it to the shop owners on a revenue sharing model. After the soft launch COVID-19 pandemic hit and with constant lockdowns, the team after evaluation thought the best way is to remove the vending machine and directly deliver the printed documents to the customers’ homes.

Ewayprint is India’s first free printing service, where users create an account, upload their documents and images and receive them at their home, Absolutely for FREE. Since then, Ewayprint has experienced tremendous success, with over 12,000 app downloads in a short period of time. The company is thrilled to now offer its services to residents of Pune and believes that its new users will appreciate the convenience and affordability of its printing solutions.

Dr. Prakash Sharma, the guest of honour for the launch event, a well-respected in the star-tup ecosystem. Dr Prakash Sharma said “that he has seen the startup industry since a decade, but when he came to know about Ewayprint that Ewayprint was addressing the printing needs of the student, parents and professionals absolutely for free he was interested to know more.

What is Ewayprint

•  App on Play Store offering Free 100 print on the register and 50 print every month.
•  Delivered directly to the registered mailing address
•  Delivered in secured envelope

How does Ewayprint work?

•  Users download Ewayprint App from the Google App store
•  Upload documents & images
•  Printed documents & images would be delivered directly to the registered mailing address in
  Secured envelop

Imtiyaz said that “Ewayprint is a small step to help student fraternity and their families to save on the cost of printing”.

Hyderabad, March 13, 2023: Valvoline Cummins Private Limited (“Valvoline Cummins”), the Original Engine Oil maker and a leading global lubricant manufacturer powering the future of mobility through innovative services and products, initiated the 3rd edition of the mechanic month campaign globally and in India. The campaign revolves around the theme; ‘‘Keeping the World Turning” and aims to celebrate the effort of mechanics and thank them for their dedicated endeavours to keep the world turning.

This year, Valvoline Cummins aims to honor the contribution of mechanics in keeping the world’s engines turning and inspire people to join the month-long celebration to thank mechanics globally. Mechanics play a crucial role in keeping our vehicles in optimal condition. Their expertise and required care help keep our vehicles functioning at their peak performance. Time and again, mechanics have proved their value to society with their everyday attitude to fix the minutest of issues that have cropped up at odd hours and even caused an emergency. Behind every moving vehicle is a trusted mechanic who will forever be the backbone of the automobile industry. Through this initiative, Valvoline Cummins is inspiring people to show appreciation to their mechanics for their relentless efforts in keeping the world turning. The campaign will be carried out on various mass media platforms such as radio, digital, and on-ground. The campaign aims to sensitize people about the hard work that mechanics put into caring for our vehicles and encourage them to extend heartfelt messages to their trusted mechanics.

To further thank the community, Valvoline has provided education to the children of truck drivers, mechanics, and underserved people under their ongoing initiative Muskaan Scholarship program. The scholarship aims to support the education of children between 9th and 12th standard. With the help of the scholarship, many children have been able to score excellent results. Additionally, the scholarship awardees will be mentored by the employees of the company, who will take dedicated time out of their working hours to help them with other aspects of life. The scholarship has been granted to 1250+ children, with more to come.

“Last year, the campaign focused on recognising the contribution of mechanics in keeping the world moving forward” said Ipshita Chowdhury, Head of Marketing, Valvoline Cummins. “In 2023 we want to thank mechanics and inspire people to do the same for their crucial role in keeping the wheels of our life ever turning.”

“It gives us immense pleasure to announce the third edition of Mechanic Month as we join hands with mechanic professionals to celebrate their contribution towards the automobile industry and acknowledge their pivotal role in keeping our engines running smoothly” said Sandeep Kalia, Managing Director, Valvoline Cummins.

“In this fast-paced world, we often forget to recognize the efforts of mechanics in vehicle safety and performance that keeps our life safe and moving. We believe that through these campaigns we can encourage consumers to realize and thank mechanics for their dedicated service and make them feel special for their valuable work. We, at Valvoline expresses immense gratitude to mechanic workers in keeping India turning and forever steering towards growth and development.”

Valvoline has long been a supporter of mechanics through various programs and campaigns throughout its more than 150-year history. Since the inaugural launch of the Mechanics’ Month initiative in 2020, participation has grown from 15 countries to an additional 50 expected for this year’s observance. Valvoline leadership credits Mechanics’ Month’s overall uniqueness in the category and its broad reach and relevance as catalysts for increased adoption around the world.

In India, Valvoline Cummins manufactures a wide range of fluids, viz., engine oils, gear oils, radiator coolants, brake fluids, etc. for engines made by various OEMs. Valvoline Cummins firmly believes that its growth potential lies in the quality of execution, its power to innovate, and in its resolve to remain a step ahead of market demands. Its mission as a brand is to leverage real-world insights to provide valuable tools that generate success for its customers and users.

Pink Healing Hands, an all-women group for women was launched on International Women’s Day to celebrate women by Chief Guest, Mr. H. N Sharma, Legal Expert, and Ms. Shabina Khan, founder and entrepreneur at Press Club of India on March 11, 2023.

Mr. Veer Sachin Aadavanshi, Founder Chairman, FFW Group of Company, Prof. Jaseem, Chair Person, Narendra Modi Study Kendra, and Mr. Habib Akhtar, Veteran Journalist were special guests at the program

Founder Ms. Shabina Khan launched the Group to the world and gave an insight into the group’s modus operandi. She said, “The group is bound to empower women in all possible respect from health to self-defense to self-reliance and creating a better world for girls and women. We thrive to make our surroundings better for women.”It’s her Motive is a women’s exclusive event that commits to highlighting and uplift female talent.

She further said, “We feel proud to announce the launch of our latest initiative focused on women’s empowerment, safety, and self-defense. As an organization committed to promoting gender equality and ending violence against women, we believe that every woman should feel safe and confident in her ability to protect herself. Our capabilities begin where your imagination ends. You educate the world if you educate one woman.”

Prof. Jasmen, Chairperson, of Narendra Modi Study Kendra, said, “Through this new program, we will be offering a range of resources and services designed to support women in developing the skills and knowledge they need to stay safe and defend themselves against any potential threats. Our goal is to empower women to take control of their own safety and well-being, and to provide them with the tools they need to succeed.”

The group will be working on four verticals namely Women’s Empowerment, Women’s Self-Defense, Legal Support to Women, and Health and Hygiene Awareness.

Mr. H. N Sharma and Mr. Veer Sachin Aadavanshi promised to provide help and support to the group in all possible ways. At the program, the women and the organizations working for women’s cause were awarded ‘Women Excellence Award2023’ for their excellence and contributions. You educate a woman you educate the world.

Hyderabad, March 13, 2023..…I-Run, Hyderabad’s first exclusive women’s run held on Sunday morning at Hitex. It was organized as part of the three-day Business Women Expo 2023 organized by Hitex. It was held with a unique theme ‘I Run–Breaking Barriers”

According to Mr. Samuel Sudhakar, the Run was a huge hit. It was organized in three categories–3kms, 5kms, and 10kms. The starting and ending point was within the Hitex only. A total of 1120 participants participated. 25 to 30% of participants were first-timers. It was organized by Traditions Event Management in association with Hitex. It was open to all ages. Women as young as 14 and as old as 76 participated in the run.

There was good corporate participation too from companies such as Synchrony, Accenture, DE Shah, and others. It will be an annual event and will be held every year.

The women-only run was held on the last day of the Business Women Expo, the biggest-ever Expo for women entrepreneurs and innovators with over 220 plus exhibitors from 15 states.

I-Run found that women were shy about participating in runs. They said it was because of lack of company, whom to run with. Also, they didn’t participate partly because of their household responsibilities, said Samuel. Now, these are the things of the past. More and more women are choosing to lace up and run down the miles on foot. They believe that the world of sports or fitness will not be portrayed as a man’s world.

I Run believes that every start line and every finish line is a triumph. Every woman has her story and her struggle and when you say I RUN, I will be celebrated the entire way said Mallika, a participant.

I ran for the new-age woman who is changing the game, together, a 75-year-old homemaker said

I ran for the woman who is smashing and breaking barriers, Alpana Shah added.

Madhubala said her siblings pushed her into running and she is enjoying it now.

I ran for the woman who is set on changing the world for good, one step at a time, and shared a teacher, who had come all the way from Warangal to participate in the event.

You can start running any time of your life, with any level of fitness – and we know this is a barrier for so many women who succumb to the lie that “oh, I can’t run” or “I’m not very good at running” … this doesn’t matter. Running has the power to change lives, added Arun of Tradition Events.

New Delhi, March 13, 2023: The Organization for Rare Diseases India (ORDI) hosted its eighth edition of Racefor7® on Sunday to raise awareness about rare diseases in India. The event was flagged off by AIIMS Director Prof, M Srinivas, Chief Guest flagged off the event along with medical doctors from AIIMS and other hospitals. Participants joined the run/walk/bicycle to support the rare diseases cause at the AIIMS campus.

Team ORDI works to connect rare disease patients, policymakers, the medical fraternity, and Health Care Industry through various initiatives to sensitize the public at large to acknowledge rare diseases. A major initiative in this regard is our Annual Awareness Run – RACEFOR7. Race for 7 is an awareness run organized by Organization for Rare Disease India (ORDI) in line with World Rare Diseases Day. Racefor7 symbolically represents the 7000 rare diseases.

Every year ORDI organizes Racefor7®, the largest and longest rare disease awareness campaign in India with support from various Patient Support Groups, Clinical Research, Pharmaceutical, Diagnostic Support Companies, Physicians, Hospitals, Volunteers, and Runners with an objective to raising awareness among Public, Health Care Providers, Policymakers, Patient Organizations, and other stakeholders. As part of Racefor7, short marathons/walk/bicycle of approx. 7 KM are organized across multiple cities in India spread across February and March significantly boosting awareness and education on rare diseases.

Dr. Madhulika Kabra and Dr. Neerja Gupta on behalf of the Division of Genetics, Department of Paediatrics, AIIMS New Delhi comment, “Awareness about Rare diseases and their challenges among the general public is important along with other stakeholders like the medical fraternity, government, Industry, media etc. It is heartening to know that awareness is increasing globally and In India. Events like ORDI- Race for 7 shall make a huge impact that has brought multiple stakeholders together. We at AIIMS feel privileged for hosting this event and thank ORDI for giving us this opportunity and shall be happy to collaborate with ORDI to host this event in future. Our special thanks to all the participants for joining the event and expressing their solidarity to Rare disease patients and caregivers. Declaration and implementation of the rare disease policy by the Government of India is a major step, helping many families with better management of affected individuals. Specific treatment is presently available for about 5% of disorders, treatment being prohibitively expensive for most patients. There is a need to focus on research in the area for therapeutics for rare diseases and drug development in India.”

Speaking about the event, Mr Prasanna Kumar Shirol, Co-founder and Executive Director of ORDI, he, said “It is inspiring to see so many people come out to support the cause of rare diseases. The Rare Diseases community extends its heartfelt appreciation to all the participants.”

“Racefor7 is conceptualized and developed to raise awareness and build an annual Program to engage all the stakeholders concerned with Rare and Genetic Disorders.The 8th Edition focuses on access to treatments and building quality of life for 70 million people affected with Rare Diseases.”

Further, he thanked Government of India and the State Governments for initiating treatments for Rare Diseases patients under National Policy for Rare Diseases, 2021 at the Government Hospitals. He said, “120 patients are getting treated in the first phase and there is long way to go in this journey of treatment, clinical trials, drug discovery and drug development, Insurance, find funding for both medical and non-medical support, continuous therapies, special education, care giving and building Quality of Life for patients and families suffering from Rare Diseases”.

All participants received a Tee Shirt with Bib mentioning a Rare Diseases Name. In addition, a medal and e-certificate were given to the participants along with sumptuous breakfast.

Hyderabad, March 13, 2023…The Days of women associated with Papad, Pickle, and Masala making are over. I don’t demean them. But, what I want to convey is that women are for bigger things, high-value entrepreneurship, and breaking stereotypes. They are into a high level of entrepreneurship now. They are breaking the status quo, said Mr Jayesh Ranjan, Principal Secretary, Govt of Telangana, addressing a gathering of 500 plus women entrepreneurs.

Mr Ranjan was the Chief Guest at the function hosted by Chennai-based WEDO—Women Entrepreneurship Development Organization, a Chennai-based Pan-Indian accelerator exclusively for business women at Business Women Expo 2023, at Hitex on Sunday morning.

WEDO forayed into Telangana. It launched the Women Entrepreneurs Club, WEDO Hyderabad Chapter through the hands of Mr Jayesh Ranjan.

The local chapter of WEDO will be an ideal platform for women entrepreneurs, aspirants, institutions and incubators, it was announced.

WEDO empowers women entrepreneurs by providing them with the right knowledge, right implementation strategies, mentoring and community support.

Speaking on the occasion Jayesh Ranjan said Telangana state is committed to nurturing women’s entrepreneurship. To take it to next level, the state will be coming out with a single-window facility to take care of all the needs and support required by women entrepreneurs.

Explaining salient features of the facility which is the first of its kind in India and which is slated for launch in a month’s time will have a support system which will validate the product in the very initial stages of its journey. If it has zero strength it will be told beforehand so that valuable time is saved.

Explaining further he added that it will provide every possible support such as branding, and packaging. This is open to all educated or illiterate across Telangana. The single window facility will even have its presence at the Mandal level to encourage and support rural women, and rural entrepreneurs. This is a milestone development. The back-end work is already happening. Mr KT Rao also shared about it recently at the International Women’s Day Celebration, he told the audience.

He told the women in the audience to create a voice collectively for their mutual growth.

Mr Ranjan also presented badges to Ms Sanjana Dubey, President of the Hyderabad Chapter of WEDO and Women Entrepreneurs Club.

Speaking on the occasion Ms Sanjana said, it already has got fifty-plus members joining the chapter and more are in the pipeline.

She introduced all the Hyderabad Chapter members to Mr Jayesh Ranjan, who welcomed them by presenting them with a Badge.

Mr Ranjan also unveiled the Cover of a book titled ‘Visionary Women Collective’. The book will be out soon in the market. The book will have stories of 100 worthy businesswomen in India.

Nawab Mir Nasir Ali Khan, Honorary Consul of the Republic of Kazakhstan for Telangana & Andhra Pradesh, who was guest of honour said though I am a diplomat, before that I am an entrepreneur. Women are very important for the success of any man. There are many women leaders in business and politics like former Prime Minister of India Smt Indira Gandhi. You all have a mettle and it is just a matter of time before you prove it.

He later gave away Visionary Women Awards to several distinguished women from across India.

Giving her welcome address Kadambari Umapathy, Founder of WEDO said it is no longer an issue of women’s empowerment. It is the time for equality. Both men and women are equal and partners in each other’s progress. Let us work together and contribute to the development of our great nation. Let us grow together.

WEDO organised day-long sessions that include Art of Raising Capital; Top 10 Legal Know-Hows for Women; Storytelling etc by World Storytelling Championship; Insights on Property Investments by a specialist, Visionary women collective launch, a session on Payment gateway “Ippo Pay”, a session on ‘Art of Raising Capital. This session was taken by a Fundenable Investment Specialist.