Archives February 2023

Mumbai, INDIA & London, UK. 13TH Feb 2023 – Formula E and Tata Communications have today announced a strategic multi-year relationship with the global comm tech company becoming the Official Broadcast Distribution Provider to the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.

The new agreement will see Tata Communications deliver high-definition, high-resolution, and high-speed live broadcast content to viewers around the world as part of Formula E’s new remote broadcast production of live races, reducing the environmental impact typical of major live international sports events on TV.

Tata Communications’ technologically advanced, software-defined media edge platform will deliver more than 160 live video and audio signals from Formula E races across continents within milliseconds, using 26 media edge locations across North America, Europe, and Asia.

The new super-fast race broadcast distribution will be supported by Tata Communications’ specially trained experts, providing round-the-clock global end-to-end managed services at all 16 races this season. Tata Communications and Formula E are also working together to further enrich experiences for motorsport fans with innovation and efficiency.

Today, Tata Communications will be making history with Formula E as the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship races in India for the first time. Viewers around the world follow the action live as 22 drivers from 11 teams including Mahindra Racing, Jaguar TCS Racing, Maserati MSG Racing, and NEOM McLaren Formula E Team compete in the 2023 Greenko Hyderabad E-Prix.

Jamie Reigle, CEO, Formula E, said:

“Formula E is an intense tour given its on-the-go nature. Tata Communications’ support over the years has enabled state-of-the-art remote production possible, with real-time TV signal transmissions from the race venues to our broadcast center in London and finally to the audience’s screens. Thus, bringing down multiple logistical challenges, driving cost efficiencies, travel flexibilities for our employee, especially women, and reducing emissions.”

A.S Lakshminarayanan, MD and CEO, Tata Communications, said:

“There are 85 cameras capturing the event for over 400 million people watching all over the world. To be able to facilitate that truly speaks about the power of internet that we have been able to leverage, with our dedicated media cloud and edge computing capabilities. And apart from our long-standing partnership with FIA, we extend the services to multiple major sporting leagues across the world.”

Note to Editors:

•  Tata Communications’ sustainable remote production solution will transmit and transfer live racing action from over 85 camera feeds and audio channels on each racetrack to Formula E’s central remote production hub in the UK.
•  The repackaged feeds are distributed to global rights-holding broadcasters and digital platforms leveraging Tata Communications’ global edge infrastructure.
•  Tata Communications’ media edge cloud is capable of enabling very low latency video processing from any venue using first-mile internet while processing and distributing the video signals to any platform globally with high availability.
•  Offered as a fully-managed service, the availability of edge capability at the venue allows businesses to add a wide variety of digital services such as providing high-performance data tunnels over a secure connection to help with real-time data enrichment for a better viewing experience.

Hyderabad, February 11, 2023: KFin Technologies Limited announced its financial results for the quarter and nine months that ended 31st December 2022 today.

Financial Highlights – Q3FY23

•  Revenue from operations stood at ₹ 1,881.3 million, up 12.1% Y-o-Y and 5.0% Q-o-Q
•  EBITDA stood at ₹ 807.0 million, up 9.1% Y-o-Y and 13.6% Q-o-Q, EBITDA margin at 42.9%
•  PAT at ₹ 533.8 million, up 78.6% Y-o-Y and 11.4% Q-o-Q, PAT margin at 28.4%
•  Diluted EPS stood at ₹ 3.15, up 70.5% Y-o-Y and 11.3% Q-o-Q

Financial Highlights – 9MFY23

•  Revenue from operations stood at ₹ 5,368.9 million, growth of 17.1% Y-o-Y
•  EBITDA stood at ₹ 2,142.0 million, up 4.9% Y-o-Y, EBITDA margin at 39.9%
•  PAT at ₹ 1,387.2 million, up 42.0% Y-o-Y, PAT margin at 25.8%
•  Cash and cash equivalents at ₹ 2,288 million as on Dec 31, 2022
•  Diluted EPS stood at ₹ 8.20, up 29.4% Y-o-Y

Q3FY23 Business Highlights

•  Overall AAUM1 growth at 8.5% Y-o-Y compared to 5.4% Y-o-Y growth for the industry
•  Equity AAUM growth at 12.8% Y-o-Y compared to 12.4% Y-o-Y growth for the industry
•  Overall AAUM’s market share is at 31.7%; Equity AAUM market share stable at 35.0%
•  SIP inflows of ₹ 167 billion at lifetime high, up 18.6% Y-o-Y; 42% market share in December 2022
•  Won our first client in Canada to provide fund administration services
•  Won one new mutual fund mandate in India in Feb – 23: Old Bridge Capital Management
•  Added 128 corporate clients under issuer solutions; 49.0% market share2 in NSE 500 companies
•  Added 47 AIF funds; 33% market share3
•  Added 36,035 NPS subscribers; 7.0% market share4; 11.3% market share5 on new subscriber base

Commenting on the company’s performance, Sreekanth Nadella, Managing Director and CEO, Kevin Technologies Limited said, “We have closed the quarter and nine months period ended December 31, 2022, with satisfactory performance across all business segments. Despite volatile market conditions, KFin registered strong business outcomes driven by accelerated growth across our diversified businesses. The business performance validates our globally relevant asset management administrator strategy.

Our technology-led innovation & execution to address our client needs, deep product stack, and value-added solutions have helped us to add new clients across segments. As we move forward, we will leverage our differentiated strengths across local and global asset management solutions to add value to our clients, partners, and shareholders”.

“We continue to enjoy market leadership positions across a number of different parameters in our businesses” he added.

KEY FIGURE                                                                                                                                                        ₹ Million

*Not annualized

(1) Last quarter average for domestic mutual funds; (2) As on December 31, 2022, based on market capitalization; (3) As on December 31, 2022, based on no of AIFs registered with SEBI;

(4) As on December 31, 2022, based on the overall subscribers base; (5) During Q3FY23, based on new subscriber additions

Mumbai, February 13, 2023: Nanavati Max Super Speciality Hospital today organized a carnival, for cancer patients, to bring joy, and hope, and celebrate the spirit of cancer survivors, warriors, and their caregivers. Over 100 cancer patients and caregivers participated in the carnival that was aligned under Nidarr Hamesha—an ongoing campaign initiated by the hospital to offer support and compassion for cancer patients and their families.

The carnival featured a wide range of fun activities, including games; live music, food stalls, and art-based entertaining activities like face painting, and temporary tattoos with an instant photo booth to capture memories. At the carnival, costumed performers were entertaining the guests with their fun tricks, adding to the celebratory atmosphere.

Talking about the objective to organize such a carnival, Dr. Hemant B. Tongaonkar, Head – Surgical Oncology and Senior Director – of Urologic & Gynaecologic Oncosurgery Nanavati Max Super Speciality Hospital, said, “Our objective was to bring the community together and offer a day of celebration to lift the spirit of the cancer survivors, cancer warriors, and their caregivers. This was also a unique opportunity for the patients to connect, share their experiences, and find a sense of peace and comfort.”

At the carnival, guests of all ages enjoyed a varied range of games such as hit the cans, balloon shooting, basketball, dart game, and mini golf. Live musical performances offered uplifting entertainment, and the food stalls offered a variety of healthy and tasty options.

The ‘Carnival for Cancer Patients’ wasn’t just a day of fun, but a reminder to the community that cancer patients and their families need support and encouragement. The event provided an opportunity to make a positive impact and bring some joy to cancer patients and their families.

Bengaluru, February 13, 2023: Tata Motors, India’s leading automobile manufacturer today introduced its BS6 Phase II range of passenger vehicles with RDE and E20-compliant engines. Going beyond compliance, Tata Motors has refreshed its portfolio across powertrain options of Petrol, Diesel & CNG with new features which will deliver enhanced safety, drivability, comfort & convenience. The Company has also increased its standard warranty of 2 Years/ 75,000 km to 3 Years/ 1 lakh km across the range, offering a hassle-free ownership experience.

Performance Upgrades

The low-end drivability of the Altroz and Punch have been enhanced such that they offer a much smoother experience in lower gears. The two models will also see Idle Stop Start as standard coming across all their variants, translating into better on-road mileage.

Reinforcing the trust in diesel engines and offering multiple choices to its customers, the company has upgraded the Revotorq diesel engines for both Altroz and Nexon. Additionally, the Nexon Diesel engine has been retuned to deliver better performance.

Furthermore, the new RDE-compliant engines are more responsive and have been tuned such that they offer more efficiency to the customers.

Improved Safety & Drivability

TPMS has been added to the Tiago and Tigor offering better safety and a stress-free drive.

In line with customer expectations, this new range additionally boasts of a more serene in-cabin experience that has been elevated with a Quieter Cabin, Lower NVH, and new features designed to make driving more comfortable, safer, and enjoyable.

Enhanced Reliability

As a reflection of confidence in the quality of its products, superior technology, and providing customers with a relaxed ownership experience, Tata Motors has increased its standard warranty from 2 Years/ 75000 km to 3 Years/ 1 Lakh km.

Commenting on the enriched ownership experience, Mr. Rajan Amba, Vice President, Sales, Marketing and Customer Care, Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles Ltd., said “Tata Motors has always been an active partner of the Government’s mission to reduce vehicular pollution. We have been constantly innovating and introducing technologies that not only keep emissions in check but also improve upon the unparalleled driving and car ownership experience. In line with this thought process, we took this opportunity of upgrading our cars not only with the new emission standards but also to delight our customers with an enhanced portfolio that boasts of cutting-edge safety, drivability, upgraded features, better ride experience, and most importantly – a hassle-free ownership experience. I am confident that this refreshed range will carry forward the growth trajectory by expanding our market share and increasing consumer satisfaction.”

Gandhinagar, February 13, 2023: The 13th annual conference of the Global Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (GAPIO) began on Saturday in Gandhinagar. The two-day conference witnessed the participation of over 500 doctors from 57 countries, including doctors of Indian origin practicing in the US, the UK, and Australia among others.

During the conference, the participating health experts deliberated on an array of topics concerning public health and the latest innovations in multiple healthcare disciplines. These include cardiac sciences, neurosciences, nephrology, oncology, kidney and liver transplants, gastroenterology, nutrition, and nursing among others.

A dedicated session on the use of robotics and artificial intelligence was also organized as part of the conference. Discussions were held on topics such as robotics in colorectal surgery, pushing the envelope by complex myomectomy with robotics, robotic upper CI surgery benefits, robotic arthroplasty, AI in cardiac disorders, artificial intelligence simplified, the role of robotics in thoracic surgery, and established and evolving indication of proton therapy in the Indian context.

Hon’ble Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare and Chemicals & Fertilizers, Government of India, said, “The healthcare sector in India and across the world is going through transformative changes, especially after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Indian doctors practicing anywhere in the world have created a name for themselves. In order to further strengthen the healthcare system of the country, exchange of knowledge and information amongst doctors about global best practices is key.”

Hon’ble Chief Minister of Gujarat Shri Bhupendrabhai Patel said, “While India has successfully come out of the shadows of the COVID-19 pandemic, there are greater challenges ahead in the healthcare sector due to the growing burden of non-communicable diseases such as cancer, heart diseases, and diabetes. The way forward is to provide innovative solutions which are also cost-effective and can be availed by all sections of society. Doctors have a significant role in coming up with these solutions and serving mankind.”

Dr. Prathap C Reddy, Founder President of GAPIO and Chairman of Apollo Hospitals Group said “The spirit of the physicians of Indian origin to excel in India and overseas is what we are striving to recognize. Their laudable efforts and path-breaking work across the globe have made every Indian proud. The awardees’ exemplary work is an inspiration for others to emulate.”

Dr. Anupam Sibal, President of GAPIO Group Medical Director, of Apollo Hospitals Group, and Senior Consultant Pediatric Gastroenterologist and Hepatologist, said, “GAPIO provides a platform to doctors of Indian origin practicing anywhere in the world to share their knowledge and exchange ideas on clinical skill development, solutions to contemporary health issues, and modernizing the approach to delivering healthcare.”

Dr. Nandakumar Jairam, Vice President of GAPIO said, “Research and innovation can improve the delivery of quality healthcare in India to the last mile. As the country braces to overcome its myriad health challenges, this conference will help identify methodologies most suitable to skill and scale the healthcare workforce in the country.”

Dr. Sudhir Parikh, Secretary General of GAPIO and Chairman and Publisher of Parikh World Wide Media and ITV Gold 24×7 TV Channel in the USA commented, “With our presence among 57 countries, GAPIO is committed to its vision of Improving Health Worldwide. GAPIO serves to establish collaborations, bringing 1.4 million physicians of Indian origin under one umbrella platform. In the coming year, our activities will be enhanced to build a stronger well connected physician community.”

Dr. Ramesh Mehta, Past President of BAPIO and Past President of GAPIO, said, “The conference has gone beyond discussing hard-core medical specialties. Other important issues discussed such as Tragedy of avoidable childhood blindness: What GAPIO can do?, The evolution of Genomics: Reaching beyond the unseen, Climate change and its impact on human health, Navigating Change and Preparing for the Future – The Nursing perspective, Reversal of NCD’s, LEADS for healthcare in India, Leadership mantras, Women in Medicines make this conference really unique.

Dr. Sanku Rao, Past President, of GAPIO expressed his happiness about the academic component of this conference. With around 500+ delegates, many doctors attending virtually and more than 150 faculty members from all over the world including USA, UK, Australia and India, the conference is truly labeled as “Global”.

During the conference, winners of the Annual GAPIO Awards to Indian physicians for noteworthy contributions to the field of medicine were also announced.

Award winners in the distinguished category:

•  Gapio Lifetime Achievement Award: Prof. Dhavendra Kumar, Spire Cardiff Hospital, UK
•  Dr. Prathap C Reddy Philanthropy Award: Dr Rayapu Ramesh Babu, Blood Donors Organization for Social Service, Tirupati
•  Dr. IA Modi Award: Prof. Ajay Kumar Duseja, PGIMER, Chandigarh
•  Gapio Surgical Excellence Award: Prof. Devendra Kumar Gupta, AIIMS, New Delhi
•  Gapio Excellence in Diagnostic Award: Prof. Anita Borges, SL Raheja Hospital, Mumbai
•  Gapio Excellence in Radiology/ Radiation Therapy Award: Prof. Akshay Kumar Saxena, PGIMER, Chandigarh
• Award winners in the Young Category:
•  Dr. IA Modi Award: Dr. Sanjith Saseedharan, SL Raheja Hospital, Mumbai
•  Gapio Surgical Excellence Award: Dr. Saurabh Jain, MGMMC, Indore
•  Gapio Excellence in Diagnostic Award: Dr. Tushar Sehgal, AIIMS, New Delhi
•  Gapio Excellence in Radiology/ Radiation Therapy Award: Dr. Chandrashekhara S H, AIIMS, New Delhi

India, 13th February 2023, Kulhad Pizza couple from Jalandhar, Gurpreet Kaur, and Sehaj Arora; and 3 other couples will bare their love for their partners live for 144 hours on Eloelo’s Lovehouse. Starting tomorrow, the streaming will be live till the finale on Valentine’s Day. The winning couple of LoveHouse will be awarded a cash prize of INR 1 Lakh and other prizes up to 5 lakhs and the opportunity to meet actor Kartik Aryan, whose upcoming film Shehzada will be premiered around Valentine’s.

Over the past few days, a lot of celebrities ranging from Indian film actresses Amrita Rao, Donal Bisht & Flora Saini to famous paparazzo, Viral Bhayani, and Instagram influencer Puneet Superstar have been talking about LoveHouse and have revealed their curiosity about the show and some even expressed their desire to join.

“We have spent many valentines together and now I think it is the perfect time for me to test Sehaj’s love for me and Lovehouse seems the best way to do it, I think. Let’s see how deep his love is for me in the coming 6 days!” said Gurpreet Kaur, Lovehouse participant & better half of the viral Kulhad Pizza couple from Jalandhar.

The final contestants of Lovehouse besides Jalandhar’s viral couple, include the short video sensations, Pankaj and Shivu; Sapna and Goldy; the popular YouTubers, Aayushi, and Vishal, with over three million followers; and the beloved Radio City RJs, RJ Priya and RJ Raghav. Streaming uncut and uncensored on Eloelo, a creator-led social gaming and live-streaming platform, the show offers a viewing experience unlike any other. As the world’s first live-only reality show, LoveHouse viewers will have the power to determine the fate of their favorite contestant couples through real-time voting.

One of the most distinctive aspects of the show is the daily session of ‘Janta Ki Adalat,’ where couples will be required to answer questions from the comments section of Eloelo with complete honesty. “We are super excited to see how the longhouse will unfold in real-time, with the audience of Bharat in control of which couple gets to stay and which gets evicted from the LoveHouse. So, get ready to be swept off your feet and join us on this journey of love, excitement, and drama!” said Saurabh Pandey, Founder, and CEO, of Eloelo

The contestants of LoveHouse will be assigned tasks designed to strengthen their relationships and put their love to the ultimate test. These intriguing challenges will range from blindfolded searches for one’s partner to crossdressing and the application of lipstick by one partner to the other. Although emotions may run high, any form of explicit touching, even a single kiss, will result in a substantial fine of INR 100,000 for the offending couple. LoveHouse viewers will get to vote within the app for their favorite couple. The couple with the lowest number of votes will be ousted from the LoveHouse and asked to leave the competition.

LoveHouse is in search of India’s next power couple and promises to be a power-packed blend of romance, competition, and thrilling drama, guaranteed to keep you captivated and glued to your screens.

Hyderabad: 13th February 2023: Kairos Technologies, a global organization, with its delivery center in Hyderabad, Telangana announces the setting up of a dedicated R&D center K-Labs. K-Labs will have an investment to build new generation products combined with Machine Learning & Artificial Intelligence with state-of-the-art technology. With a current size of 1000 employees, the company plans to hire 400 more employees this year across different geographies to foster future growth.

Kairos takes this opportunity to reincarnate itself with a new logo, theme, and style. This new identity will help the company to connect meaningfully with its customers. The new-age customers are embarking on the journey of digital transformation and Kairo’s new service portfolio helps the company align with its customer positioning and grow together.

Kairos is focused on being a global technology-driven company that embraces change, invests in innovation, and seeks out new challenges, with the clear goal of achieving what is possible. The new branding is based on the company’s heritage, technology, and people – three factors that have helped shape the company and its portfolio.

According to Mr. Sudhakar Pennam, Founder & CEO, of Kairos Technologies and Solunus, “We are problem solvers who strive to be better for our customers, each other, and our community. Kairos’s ethos is Persistent Ingenuity, pushing ourselves to find new answers and to keep thinking and innovating. Our end-to-end portfolio of Digital Quality Engineering Solutions and Services helps businesses to confidently scale up their digital landscape and harness the power of proven and evolving technologies for growth and business agility. The new identity truly reflects our passion to pioneer technologies that will help change the world. To promote innovation and digital transformation, we are planning to hire 400 more employees this year to further strengthen our team of passionate technology professionals.”

He further added, “We are also proud to introduce 2 new IP Led solutions from our dynamic R&D Lab (K-Lab). KiTAP – Kairos Intelligent Test Automation Platform, is an AI-driven Low-Code Test Automation Platform that seamlessly integrates with CI/CD Pipeline. It is the first AI-Powered Test Automation Platform with Source Code Deployment on the client’s Test Infra, which combines the power of AI and Human Intelligence for the digital-next businesses. Also, we introduce DQ-Gateway – an all-in-one no-code solution for Data Quality assessment. It is a unique Data Quality solution built for Data Analysts to ensure the quality of clients’ data in an interactive visual manner. These products will further enhance our services and solutions for the digital transformation of our customers.”

“Technology is growing at a rapid pace, and we see Innovation happening every day. However, for this Innovation to go mainstream, a thorough validation of Consumer Experience becomes mandatory. Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning need a lot of data modeling and learning before they can go mainstream. So new age testing is needed to validate these models and we are building AI to validate AI” is what Ms. Radhika Rao, CDO of Kairos Technologies says. Exciting times call for bold actions and Radhika says there cannot be a better time and place than now to re-engineer the future.

According to Mr. Jagadish Mankal, COO of Kairos Technologies, “The new identity helps us connect meaningfully with our customers. The future-ready Kairos is equipped with an enhanced service portfolio and innovative products to help customers in their digital transformation.”

Jorhat, 13 February 2023: Re-emphasizing the need for road safety awareness among the people to build a collision-free India, Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India’s (HMSI) National Road Safety Awareness Campaign reaches Jorhat in Assam.

The two-day camp (10 – 11 February 2023) at Bahona College witnessed spirited participation from over 2000 college students and staff members who set out to imbibe safe riding practices. H MSI’s road safety instructors utilized age-appropriate road safety learning programs to enhance the retention of road safety awareness among all.

Speaking on HMSI’s commitment towards sensitizing India on road safety, Mr. Prabhu Nagaraj, Operating Officer – Brand & Communication, Honda Motorcycle, and Scooter India said, “Road safety education is essential for developing a road safety mindset. HMSI has been conducting a Road safety awareness campaign to develop more responsible road users across the country. With this campaign, we aim to cultivate the right road safety habits amongst the new and upcoming riders as well as help them in understanding the importance of using the roads safely.”

H MSI’s National Road Safety Awareness program made learning fun yet scientific through:

•  SCIENTIFICALLY DEVISED LEARNING MODULE: Honda’s skilled instructors set the foundation with theory sessions on road signs & markings, driver’s duties on the road, riding gear & posture explanation, and safe riding etiquette.
•  PRACTICAL LEARNING: A special training activity on Honda’s virtual riding simulator was executed for all to experience over 100 possible dangers on road before actual riding.
•  INTERACTIVE SESSION: Participants were given danger prediction training known as Kiken Yosoku Training (KYT) which helps in enhancing rider/driver’s sensitivity to danger and ensures safe driving behavior on roads.
•  EXISTING DRIVERS HONING RIDING SKILLS: Students & school staff members who are already existing riders tested & honed their riding skills through slow riding activities and riding on narrow planks.
•  LEARNING IN A FUN WAY: To ensure that the young students could learn more about road safety, Honda also conducted fun educational activities like road safety games and quizzes on daily basis.

Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India’s CSR commitment towards Road Safety:

For Honda globally, road safety comes first. As announced in April 2021, “Honda will strive for zero traffic collision fatalities involving Honda motorcycles and automobiles globally by 2050”. Fulfilling its corporate social responsibility (CSR), HMSI has been promoting road safety in India since its start in 2001. Working towards the realization of Honda’s global safety vision, today HMS I’s road safety awareness initiative has already spread to more than 50 lac Indians. Its team of skilled safety instructors conducts daily programs at its 10 adopted traffic parks across India and 7 Safety Driving Education Centers (SDEC).

Not only this, all HMS I’s 1000+ dealerships across India spread road safety awareness. H MSI’s proprietary virtual riding simulator increases the risk-prediction ability of riders; while new customers to are given predelivery safety advice (PDSA) before they start riding at every dealership across India.

Additionally, to ensure that learning does not stop in the new normal, HMSI started the digital road safety education initiative – Honda Road Safety E-Gurukul. Since its start in May’20, this initiative has sensitized more than 8 Lac Indians on the importance of being aware & responsible road users.

New Delhi, 13th February 2023: Dilli Durbar 2023 is being organized by Dilli Gharana on 10th, 11th & 12th February 2023 (Friday, Saturday & Sunday) at Kartavya Path, Central Vista, New Delhi (India Gate Lawns). Dilli Durbar 2023, the biggest celebration of Indian Classical Music in India (basis the stature and varied congregation of the Musical Maestros and exponents participating), is aimed solely towards the renaissance of age-old Indian Culture and Hindustani Classical Music in the country. Renowned Singer Malini Awasthi and Creator of the Mohan Veena Grammy Awardee Pt. Vishwa Mohan Bhatt Captivate the audience on the opening day of Dilli Darbar 2023

Dilli Gharana, Delhi’s own Music Conservatory and arguably India’s oldest Music Gharana has been promoting Indian Classical Music in every possible way so as to preserve and showcase India’s rich cultural legacy for our next generation.

Late Ustad Iqbal Ahmed Khan saheb, the last Khalifa (Doyen) of Dilli Gharana had seen an open-eyed dream of creating a bridge that will connect the present generation, especially the Youth, with our country’s rich and age-old Indian culture and Hindustani Classical Music. Dilli Durbar is the culmination of that dream.

The 2023 edition of Dilli Durbar is being organized under the aegis of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav, Ministry of Culture, Government of India, and powered by IndianOil. It promises to be the most melodious musical extravaganza ever in the city, bringing together the greatest exponents of Indian Classical Arts on one platform to present a grand spectacle, one like never experienced before.

Ustad Iqbal Ahmed Khan, the Founder of Dilli Durbar and the Doyen (or Khalifa) of Dilli Gharana used to say, “I had the great privilege to learn music under the tutelage of great maestros of Indian Classical Arts; they not only taught us the art but also imbibed in us the great culture and traditions of India. I being the flag-bearer of Dilli Gharana feel that it is my responsibility that I now pass on my learnings to the younger generation to refine their sensibilities and to cultivate their taste for these finer things in life.”

This second edition of Dilli Durbar will witness the participation of renowned Music Maestros and Culture proponents including Ustad Wasifuddin Dagar, Shri Hansraj Hans, Ustad Saeed Zafar Khan, Guru Shovana Narayan, Smt Malini Awasthi, Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt; Arts Entrepreneur Sanjoy Roy; and Hindi Film Industry’s personalities like Shyam Benegal, Piyush Mishra & Yashpal Sharma.

Apart from the established personalities, we would also have the younger torch-bearers of Indian Cultural traditions like Antara Nandy, Jayateerth Mevundi, Vusat Iqbal Khan, Pandit Naveen Sharma, Vidya Shah,

Pandit Anantha Krishnan, Shahid, Saami Niyazi Qawwals, and many more. This year we would also see the performance of American citizen Stephanie Gravelle performing Western Classical vocals.

Dilli Durbar 2023 will also be a reflection of Indian Cultural tradition, Music, and its ethos. We are sure this year too our efforts will help in attracting music connoisseurs and the general public from far and wide. The main attractions of our Festival include typical Indian Cultural elements of Music and Dance; and Seminars, Panel Discussions and Performances on them, all led by world-renowned personalities.

Sursagar Society (an NGO which works for the legacy of Dilli Gharana) has instituted the “Sangeet Martand Ustad Chand Khan Lifetime Achievement Award” which this year will be conferred upon Shri Shyam Benegal, the legendary octogenarian Indian film director, screenwriter, and documentary filmmaker, He is the pioneer of parallel cinema who is widely considered as one of the greatest filmmakers India has ever produced.

Ustad Chand Khan was a legendary Indian classical vocal maestro of the 19th Century of the Dilli Gharana of Classical Music and so far the award has been conferred on towering personalities like Pandit Jasraj, Ustad Abdul Rashid Khan, Pandit Birju Maharaj, Ustad Abdul Haleem Jaffer Khan, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, Pandit Shivkumar Sharma, and Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt.

Shri Shyam Benegal is the recipient of the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, Padma Bhushan, Padma Shri, eighteen National Film Awards, a Filmfare Award, and a V. Shantaram Lifetime Achievement Award. He made his first Documentary film in Gujarati, Gher Betha Ganga in 1962 and his first feature film in 1973 – Ankur. Since then he has made 23 Feature Films, 41 Documentaries, 4 Short Films, and 6 Television Series. He is still busy and directing a biopic on Sheikh Mujibur Rahman named Mujib: The Making of a Nation which will presumably be released this year.

Vusat Iqbal Khan, Co-Founder of Dilli Durbar says, “The idea of Dilli Durbar originated from the fact that many youngsters in the country today are being fed a deadly cocktail of cacophony in the name of Music which is as far removed from true Music as chalk is from cheese. It does not adhere to the basic tenets of music – whether Indian, Western nor any other. Hence, we wanted to reintroduce the young people of India once again with true Indian Music. We hope we will be able to at least make a small change with this initiative of ours.”

World University of Design and IIT Delhi hosted the 3rd International Conference on Functional Textiles and Clothing (FTC 2023) slated for February 10th to 12th, 2023 at LHC 111, Lecture Hall Complex, IIT Delhi, Hauz Khas, New Delhi. The Inaugural Session was conducted on Saturday, February 11th, 2023.

Spread over three days, the conference aims to focus on various aspects of the textile and clothing industry and the technological advancements at play along with its impact on the environment. Representatives from renowned universities from across the globe have been invited to pilot path breaking sessions, sharing their varied experiences and research work with students and faculty members.

The Inauguration session was addressed by Mr. Rajeev Saxena (Joint Secretary, Ministry of Textiles, Government of India) who has thrown light upon the ‘National Technical Textiles Mission’; Prof. Xianyi Zeng (ENSAIT, France) emphasizing upon ‘Creation of a Green Textile Environment Protection Oriented Supply Chain Through Intelligent Digital Form’ and Dr. Mayank Dwivedi (Director, DMSRDE, Kanpur) shared his insights and theories on the topic ‘Textile Materials in Defense Application’.

Chair of the Scientific Committee Prof. Abhijit Majumdar while talking about the response to the conference said, “Over a hundred speakers will be presenting their work in three parallel sessions and 30 researchers will be presenting posters. The speakers are coming from nearly 70 institutions across 20 countries worldwide. This is an excellent response from the scientific committee.”

Prof Sanjay Gupta, Co-Chair of the Organising industry and Vice Chancellor of the World University of Design said, “Textile industry as a whole is multifaceted machinery involving scientific and technical aspects and grosses a huge section of the GDP for India. At the same time, the industry is constantly on the radar of environmentalists for wasteful practices which in the past decade have been checked and rectified across nations and manufacturers to create sustainable and circular chains. Going beyond basic aesthetics and building functionalities in textile and clothing, adds value to the whole supply chain. Hosting this conference with IIT Delhi gives me immense pleasure and I am keen on hearing enriching insights from experts in the field.”

The Conference thus is an enriching opportunity to brainstorm and learn from for students and faculty alike. Touching and pondering over topics across verticals like marketing, engineering, ecology, science, etc involved in the trade of textiles will prove to be the key to taking a voyage towards modernization of the industry, making it relevant to current times whilst gauging the challenges it faces at the hands of changing ecology, consumer trends, etc.