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Mumbai, Maharashtra (Feb. 22, 2024) – Juju Productions, a Boston-based music production company, announced that it will release “MITWA,” a groundbreaking musical composition and video, on February 23, 2024. MITWA is a musical tribute, featuring the legendary late Ustad Rashid Khan and Anuradha Juju.

This eagerly awaited project showcases the unparalleled vocal talent of the late Ustad Rashid Khan, a figure of immense stature in the world of classical music, alongside the accomplished Indian-American singer Anuradha Juju. The release will be available across all major streaming platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music, Saavn,

“MITWA” tells the captivating story of a dancer’s love for a singer, blending classical and semi-classical music styles with the majestic strings of the Budapest Symphony Orchestra. The video features the esteemed Rohit Roy, a veteran star of Indian television and films, and the exceptionally talented choreographer and dancer, Aditi Bhagwat, embodying the lead roles with sheer perfection.

Composer Rahul Ranade expressed his feelings about the collaboration: “When I approached Ustad-ji with my idea for a unique composition that combines different styles, he was immediately intrigued. It is with a heavy heart that we release this work without his physical presence, but we dedicate ‘MITWA’ as a mark of respect for his unparalleled versatility and creative genius. Vaibhav Joshi’s words are poignant and resonate with great emotion. It is a delight to work with him.”

Anuradha Juju, reflecting on the experience, said, “Working on ‘MITWA’ was a profound educational journey for me, and a tribute to Ustad Rashid Khan, a monumental figure in classical music whose legacy will forever be etched in history. I will forever cherish the memory of his reaction when he first heard the song in Boston in June 2023. His encouragement and magnanimity towards a novice like me were truly inspiring. Rohit Roy’s exceptional portrayal of the singer has brought the story to life, and Aditi Bhagwat’s sublime choreography has added a magical dimension to the song. The composition by Rahul, enhanced by Ishaan’s prodigious production, is nothing short of golden.”

“It is an honour to feature in a video of Ustad Ji’s last song and I will forever cherish this moment. I have been his starstruck life-long and it is an emotional moment for those involved with the making of this amazing song. When Bappa Lahiri of Juju Productions called me I said “yes” right away because I knew that the quality of the product would be exceptional. What can I even say about Anuradha ji… her voice is so mellifluous that you can sense her in the video. And lastly, Aditi Bhagwat made the entire video come alive with her dance and expressions. I am certain that this will be a video for the ages – and will serve as our collective ode to the genius of Ustad Rashid Khan Saheb.”, Said Rohit Roy, the lead actor.

Ravi Botaljee directed the video with Abhishek Basu in charge of the camera work.

Juju Productions invites music enthusiasts and fans across the globe to experience “MITWA,” a harmonious blend of tradition and innovation, celebrating the genius of Ustad Rashid Khan and the collaborative spirit of the artists involved. Mark your calendars for February 23, 2024, and be part of this musical journey that transcends boundaries and generations.

Bengaluru, 22nd Feb 2024: upGrad, one of Asia’s largest integrated learning skilling and workforce development majors intends to enhance its product diaspora by translating popular Bootcamps & Certs into vernacular languages using AI for freshers and working professionals. “Presently over 40% of upGrad’s learner base in India is from Tier 2 cities and beyond where regional languages are more prevalent compared to English,” highlights Asheesh Sharma – President, Certifications and Bootcamps, upGrad. Recognising this opportunity to improve the communication and the learning experience, the skilling major has identified Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Bengali languages in phase 1 to ensure the brand penetrates deeper across every eligible household in the region.

The company aims to combine pedagogy with strong human interventions in the form of counsellors and buddies who could speak local languages further making it accessible and convenient for learners coming out of the vast national diaspora. Focusing on regional insights and demand, the catalogue will include courses in Engineering, Data Science, AI, Cloud Computing, DevOps, UI/UX, and Agile Project Management where upGrad has a strong foothold already, while Phase 2 will target Cybersecurity, Blockchain, Product Management, Business Analyst, and ITIL, with foreign languages like Spanish and Chinese. Over 5 lakh learners have been enrolled in the past with the most demand coming out of Bengaluru, New Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Odisha, Pune, Chennai, and Kolkata among others.

Utilising an in-house tech tool, counsellors will address inquiries related to one’s education, background, interests, and career aspirations to ensure effective guidance and decision-making. Aligned with GOI’s ambition of fostering cultural connection and cognitive development amongst India’s youth, this approach aims to bridge the gap between accurately selecting the right program/domain and achieving one’s desired career goals. “Most scepticism today is fed inorganically and needs stronger course correction. Online is an incredible tool that has come a long way from being a VC tool vs. an interactive and immersive format that’s hands-on and accessible at any given point. Considering that only 7 to 8% of graduates in India are deemed employable, our objective is to substantially elevate this figure by providing millions with some initial support or springboard to get closer to their career aspirations,” said Sharma while talking about the business objective.

The company invests significantly in AI-related developments internally and the onset of FY25 marks an important growth and transformative year for the brand. “We’ve already deployed AI across our operations much before it became the buzzword for building on to learner engagements, we are now taking it a notch higher by harnessing its impact into our curriculum and teaching. There’s wider acceptance and a sense of openness amongst professionals of all age groups,” he added.

The company may also extend these services to its Enterprise arm soon to further personalise corporate training sessions making them accessible to all strata. India being the HQ, the brand has witnessed 100% YoY growth in overall enrolments and further claims to double down its annual active learners in the next 1 year.

In a comprehensive coverage of Odisha’s latest developments, Zee Odisha News, one of the digital assets of IndiaDotcom Digital Private Limited offered a detailed overview spanning politics, sports, community affairs, and more. As per the headlines of 21st February 2024, highlight significant events shaping the state:

The initiative to renovate Cuttack’s historic Barbati Stadium by the state government underscores a dedication to cricket development. Plans to host a state-level cricket league alongside stadium renewal demonstrate a concerted effort to promote sports regionally, as reported by Zee Odisha News.

In sports, the Kolkata Knight Riders face a potential setback with rumors of Shreyas Iyer’s absence from the upcoming IPL season. This development, covered by Zee Odisha News, emphasizes the importance of team dynamics in sports performance. The ongoing farmers’ agitation, characterized by clashes and tear gas usage on the Punjab-Haryana border, is highlighted by Zee Odisha News. The platform provides insight into the persistence of farmers’ demands and the evolving nature of the movement.

Chief Minister Shri Naveen Patnaik’s launch of the Lakshmi Bus Scheme aims to enhance rural connectivity and stimulate economic growth across various districts, showcasing the government’s commitment to community welfare, as reported by Zee Odisha News.

Legal and cultural updates, including the withdrawal of cases against tribal members and the suspension of special stamp fees in court filings, are covered by Zee Odisha News. Additionally, the platform pays tribute to renowned personalities like Fali S. Nariman and Amin Sayani for their contributions to society.

Insights into political shifts, such as the induction of MLA Pradeep Manigarahi into the BJP and legal proceedings involving former Jharkhand Chief Minister Shibu Soren, offer a glimpse into the region’s political landscape and its implications for governance, as reported by Zee Odisha News.

Through its comprehensive coverage and timely updates, Zee Odisha News remains a trusted source for staying informed about the latest developments shaping Odisha’s socio-political and cultural landscape

Bengaluru, 22nd February 2024: With the anticipation building for the upcoming edition of the TATA IPL 2024, Star Sports, the official broadcaster of the tournament, has ignited the excitement by unveiling Incredible 16 of the IPL. The process for choosing the ‘Greatest Of All Time’ featured a stellar panel of cricket experts consisting of Mathew Hayden, Dale Steyn, Wasim Akram, and Tom Moody – who engaged in captivating discussions and analysis to shortlist the IPL All Time Greats. The Incredible 16 idea was to select an ALL-TIME GREATEST IPL TEAM of 11 players + 4 Impact substitutes along with the coach.

The discourse on whether The Hitman – Rohit Sharma – would be included in the Star Sports Jury’s star-studded team was notable. While the Experts XI, Fans XI and Media XI omitted Rohit Sharma from the playing XI, the Star Sports Jury included him for his multiple memorable performances as a batsman and leader of the Mumbai Indians. Interestingly, The Indian Experts XI included Rohit Sharma in their ‘Incredible 16 of the IPL’ as an Impact Player, reflecting a diverse tapestry of opinions and perspectives from across the cricketing world. The aggressive all-rounder Andre Russell was another pick by the Star Sports Jury, not included in the other three teams.

Speaking to Star Sports on the ‘Star Sports Incredible 16 of the IPL’ show, former Australian cricketer Matthew Hayden gave his choice for the openers of the ‘Incredible 16’. He said, “For me, it’s a difficult choice because I’ve got several contenders, two of which are going to be Indian contenders and two are going to be overseas contenders. My top picks are going to be David Warner and Chris Gayle, the Universe Boss. Those two guys catapulted modern-day T20 cricket as we know it as opening batters. They are both huge boundary hitters, particularly Chris Gayle. David Warner is a more technical batsman, but apart from those two names, controversially the other two names which are Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, I see them as having different roles in this eleven, but first and foremost Chris Gayle and David Warner.”

Speaking to Star Sports on the ‘Star Sports Incredible 16 of the IPL’ show, former SRH Coach Tom Moody opined differently to Hayden’s choice. He said, “The challenge would be the overseas balance on this side. Because if you’re picking it solely on the best players, and for the overseas players there wasn’t a limit, I’d argue that Gayle and Warner would be the opening pair, because they are clearly, by far the best openers the IPL has ever seen. But because we are looking for overseas balance, I’m picking Gayle at the top, because he is for me the ‘Bradman’ of T20 cricket’. He’s so far ahead, statistically than any other player that has played the game, and I find it difficult to see anyone catching up with what he has achieved. Joining him at the top of the order would be Virat Kohli.”

When asked to select his openers for the ‘Incredible 16’, former South Africa fast bowler Dale Steyn said, “You’ve got to balance your overseas with the local players which is the most important. I feel your local players need to be your best players and then you throw in the spice of the overseas. I’ve gone with Warner and Rohit. One thing I’ve based this team on, and it’s my opinion, is that most of the players have gone on to win the IPL. We are picking the IPL’s greatest players, so there are one or two players who could have potentially made these spots, but they haven’t won the IPL. Although they may have been a wonderful Great, they haven’t won it yet. They haven’t done the full dance. So I’m going with two guys who have lifted the trophy before, so I’ve gone with Warner and Rohit for now.”

Akram had a different perspective on who would make his opening pair for the ‘IPL All-Stars. He said, “You know what’s important in the T20 format, in any format for that matter is fielding. And David Warner, in my opinion, if you remember the World Cup final recently, the way he fielded, he saved about 20+ runs, so he’s a live wire on the field. I do like players like Chris Gayle ofcourse, his numbers are phenomenal, but he’ll be hiding at fine leg, no offense to his talent, I need good fielders all around, all spots in all eleven in the team. Most of them can, so I’ll go for Rohit, proper opener and skipper, he’s won the most IPL’s, and then David Warner, these two are my openers.”

THE FINAL SQUAD FOR THE ‘INCREDIBLE 16’ AS VOTED BY THE STAR JURY:

Playing XI: David Warner, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers, Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni (C), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Rashid Khan, Jasprit Bumrah and Lasith Malinga

Impact Players: Andre Russell, Bhuvaneshwar Kumar, Chris Gayle, Yuzvendra Chahal

Coach: Stephen Flemming

Icons such as Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni, AB de Villiers, Ravindra Jadeja, and Jasprit Bumrah found unanimous recognition among all four factions. Notably, Stephen Flemming, revered for his strategic acumen and leadership prowess with the Chennai Super Kings over the years, was crowned as the All-Star Coach, while MS Dhoni received resounding acclaim as the All-Star Captain, a testament to his numerous accolades and enduring legacy in the IPL arena.

The Art Hub commune’s exhibition, chaired by founder Bhavna Minocha, will be held at Alliance Française de Delhi on February 25, 2024, showcasing the innovative spirit of the students at the institution. The exhibition showcases a diverse range of artwork and represents the growth of multiple students who have acquired the requisite skills as well as techniques over time. Founder and Creative Director Bhavna Minocha crafted a wide range of attractive, dynamic, vivid, and ethereal artworks. Each piece ignites conversation and tells a distinct tale that becomes the centerpiece of your house. This series features artwork in a number of media, such as pen, watercolor, acrylic, charcoal, and oil.

The show will display a collection of paintings titled “The Journey Continues…” by artist Gauri Minocha, as well as works by TAH Spotlight Artist Saurabh Sukhwani, and last but not least, Voices on a Canvas, which features original artwork created by Art Hub’s emerging artists that interpret John Lennon’s “Imagine” song in a variety of ways. Voices on a Canvas, that includes the various voices and interpretations of the lyrics by the artists, will contribute any proceeds to the Little India Foundation. The exhibition also displays work of artists Gaurika Gaind and Vaneesha Khandelwal who have been brushing up their artistic skills from the past few years at The Art Hub.

Visit and interact with other admirers, meet the artist, and discuss sources of inspiration while you explore other artistic styles and unleash your creativity!

COIMBATORE, 22nd FEBRUARY, 2024: Glibzter, a Coimbatore based personality development platform developing digital tools, knowledge resources and offering image consultations to help users enhance their self-image by focusing on communication, behavior and personal styling skills, has today launched Glibzter Immersive – a browser extension and web application for English vocabulary learning.

The product is targeted at India based under-graduate and post graduate students preparing for competitive entrance examinations having a verbal ability component or sitting for campus placements. Young working professionals who need effective communication skills to climb the corporate ladder would also benefit from its usage besides anyone with a desire to improve their communication skills.

“Words and phrases form the building blocks of the languages we speak. Glibzter Immersive is an innovative digital tool that aims to offer an immersive English vocabulary learning experience for our users”, said Varun C Bhagath, Founder and Chief Co-learner, Glibzter. He added, “While we start off with English vocabulary acquisition and practice, we see potential in its application for learning regional Indian languages in the future”, explaining the rationale behind developing the solution.

Glibzter Immersive (available on Chrome Web Store and accessible on Microsoft Edge browser) would serve as a digital tool that automatically identifies and curates words and phrases for its users from the content they consume online; be it from the text of online articles from select English news portals or from English subtitles of movies, web series, documentaries and short form videos streamed on OTT video platforms.

AI/ML powered English Vocabulary learning application

“We use machine learning for word and phrase identification, categorization and curation for practice, while generative AI comes into play for helping users with contextual and situational usage examples for better retention”, said Himanshu Singh Co-founder and Head – Technology, Glibzter. “Customers are the nucleus of our product strategy. There’d be more features as well as more media channels we’d be adding to this product in the future with inputs from our users.”

How the User Benefits

One of the key benefits of using Glibzter Immersive is that it enables users to quantify their word power i.e. words and phrases acquired and practiced by period.

The browser extension also facilitates an unhindered content consumption experience, obviating the need to stop a video, jot down the word or phrase, search for the meaning and usage examples and then jotting them down again. All the word and phrase curation takes place at the back end, enabling the user to save time while focusing on the content being consumed.

Users can enjoy free tiered usage of the browser extension for 5 days, after which subscriptions start at Rs. 99 per week.

Beyond Spoken English

Ruchi Bhargava, Co-Founder and Director – Value Added Services said, “Glibzter is a personality development platform. Besides helping users to improve their communication skills through vocabulary enhancement with Glibzter Immersive, our platform offers users value added services such as data driven image consulting for personal styling under the Glibzter WOW business division.”

Glibzter Immersive would be displayed at UmagineTN, showcasing new age deeptech startups organized by Information Technology and Digital Services Department, Government of Tamil Nadu at Chennai Trade Centre from 23rd – 24th February, 2024.

UBS is pleased to announce the appointment of Gautam Chhaochharia as the Head of Global Markets, India. In this new role, Gautam will spearhead the expansion of UBS Global Market’s presence in the Indian market.

After nearly four years serving as the Deputy Head of APAC Research, Gautam will be returning to Mumbai, where he initiated his career at UBS in 2010 as a Research Analyst covering Mid-Caps. Over the years, he progressed within the organization, eventually becoming the Head of Research India in 2013. Prior to joining UBS, Gautam served as a Portfolio Manager in Singapore, overseeing investments for an Asia ex-Japan long-short equity fund. His professional journey also includes a role as a Director in Principal Finance at Deutsche Bank, managing multi-asset positions in equity and high-yield credit. Gautam brings valuable sell-side research experience from JP Morgan and Citigroup, where he covered infrastructure, power, materials, real estate, and autos.

Gautam Chhaochharia is a Chartered Accountant with an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta. Enclosed are the pictures for your reference.

BENGALURU, February, 22nd 2024: Saber.Money announces its partnership with Pyse.Earth from the house of Pyse, a prominent retail investment platform for sustainability focused projects. Through Saber.Money, Pyse.Earth will now be able to streamline KYC integration, accept investments and onboard its users seamlessly to invest in its innovative green asset class.

Saber facilitates faster transactions, ensuring speed, security, and compliance. This partnership brings together the strengths of Saber in facilitating transactions and Pyse’s commitment to making climate action profitable for the consumer by enabling them to invest in sustainable projects based in the UAE. Through this partnership, Pyse.Earth’s investors can now invest in international assets.

Saber.Money is a product of Mudrex. Until now Saber.Money has partnered with Firedrops by Flipkart, Polygon, IndiGG, Glip, ANQ Finance, Rage Fan, Colexion, Acme, and others. Saber.Money aims to become the largest crypto on/off ramp solution for businesses globally.

Commenting on this, CEO & Co-founder of Mudrex, Mr Edul Patel said, “We believe Pyse users will benefit from enhanced convenience and efficiency with our Saber.Money’s solutions”.

Commenting on this, CEO & Co-founder of Pyse, Mr Kaustubh Padakannaya said, “This partnership aligns with Pyse’s commitment to financial inclusion and democratizing access to impactful green investments, all within a secure and compliant environment”.

New Delhi, 22st February 2024: JS Institute of Design, in collaboration with École Intuit Lab — a French institute of design and creative strategy, ranked amongst the Top 22 design schools in France, is accepting applications for Undergraduate (UG) and Postgraduate (PG) courses for the academic year 2024-25. École Intuit Lab offers exclusive new-age programs such as Game Design, UI/UX, and Digital Design to address the dynamic demands of the evolving design landscape. The UG programs include Game Art & Design, Visual Communication, and Digital Product Design, while PG programs cover Advertising, Design & Digital Communication. JSID also offers a 12-month PG course in Interior Design.

With a 22-year legacy of École Intuit Lab, these programs stand out for offering a niche international-specific design curriculum. This collaboration is characterized by its commitment to blending global design standards and nurturing the next generation of design leaders and thinkers. JS Institute of Design with its industry-first approach ensures that students not only acquire academic excellence but are also industry-ready, through practical, and hands-on experiences. Students benefit from mentorship and industry exposure through live projects, providing them with invaluable insights.

Nien Siao, Dean, JS Institute of Design, remarked, “Recent years have witnessed a significant transformation in design, propelled by technology, shifting consumer behaviors, and changing industry needs. The design industry is currently growing at an annual rate of 25% across disciplines. This rapid evolution is reshaping career paths and creating fresh opportunities for Indian youth, fueled by factors like the evolving job market and the growing importance of unconventional skills, demanding specialized training and knowledge. Recognizing the need for upskilling in the industry, the institute offers contemporary programs.”

École Intuit Lab has an outstanding 98% placement rate. The students have received exceptional placement and internship opportunities at several global brands including National Geographic, Netflix, Jio, Prime Video, Mahindra Accelo, Starbucks, and many others. Internships play a pivotal role in the curriculum, offering students both local and international exposure, ensuring they gain practical, real-world experience.

Prospective students have the opportunity to apply for these programs until the application deadline on 31st July 2024, with the academic session scheduled to commence in mid-August.

Eligibility:

To be eligible for our undergraduate programs, candidates should have completed grade 12 or an equivalent qualification. Also, the students can get transfers from other graphic design or visual communication programs.
For postgraduate programs, a completed undergraduate degree from any field is the minimum requirement.
For UG & PG courses, students are required to undergo two phases of screening: Creative intelligence test followed by a personal interview.

Gurugram, 21st February ‘24: Corporate India is reeling under a talent shortage for digital roles. As per NASSCOM, this shortage is likely to cross 1mn roles by 2024. On one hand, students and professionals are aspiring to get jobs at these digital-first companies and brands. While on the other hand, companies can’t find the right skilled talent. No wonder 48% of advertisers, agencies, and media owners see this as the worst-ever talent crisis faced by the industry.

Altera Institute of Management or AIM by Digiaccel looks to bridge this gap through its high-quality specialist business education. AIM’s programs are used across India’s leading organizations like HUL, Amazon, Mamaearth, Nestle, Levis, Himalaya, and many others. The institute also runs a full-time residential program called PGP in Applied Marketing through which it wants to upgrade the quality of Marketing education in India.

Over the last 20 months, AIM by Digiaccel has helped over 3000 professionals upskill in fields like eCommerce, Marketing, and Product Management. The institute has very strong industry linkages and has been set up by ex HUL leaders who left the company to make an impact through education. All of AIM’s programs are designed and taught by industry experts who have built large and profitable businesses with leading companies.

“The Marketing MBA is outdated. It was designed for the offline world without smartphones, social media and eCommerce”, said Karan Bhagi, Founder AIM by Digiaccel. He continued “This is not preparing students for in-demand careers in Brand Management, Product Management and Growth Marketing. The PGP in Applied Marketing aims to fill this gap through an alternate and specialist pathway in business education.”

The PGP in Applied Marketing is India’s only industry-backed PGP of its kind. The program is backed by Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL), Mamaearth, and Mullen Lowe Group. These companies have contributed to the design of the program and will be actively hiring from the program.

Unlike a traditional B-school, 100% of AIM’s curriculum has been designed industry-backward for the needs of digital-first Marketing and Product companies. AIM is practitioner-led and taught and that ensures a very high level of industry engagement for the students. Most of AIM’s PGP students are working on real projects with D2C brands, eCommerce companies, and technology product companies. The campus is in Cybercity, Gurugram which is one of India’s leading business districts.

This unique blend of location, curriculum, and mentors make AIM a great choice for professionals who are looking to break into Marketing careers. Not only working professionals, but freshers who aspire to go to high-quality B-schools could also explore AIM as a specialist alternate to the Marketing MBA.

The founding PGP cohort of AIM by Digiaccel will graduate later this year. In a tough employment market, AIM’s students are already seeing demand from leading companies for digital roles.

Interestingly, the word Altera signifies “alternate” and the institute is heralding in an alternate era (Altera) of Marketing education.