Lasantha Bandara

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Saturday 31 March 2018


Squash Ace Ali Farag wishes RNSF and IPSL the very best
Gul Panag and Masters Champion Rishad Pandole join Pro Abhinav Sinha at the launch 
Mumbai, March 28th 2018: After organizing several major squash events very successfully, across the country, Rolling Nicks Sports Foundation (RNSF) proudly brings the Indian Premier Squash League, 2018 (IPSL 2018) to Mumbai.  The event is being curated by the founder of the Rolling Nicks Sports Foundation, Abhinav Sinha, a renowned professional squash player turned coach, and will take place in May 2018, at the very prestigious Cricket Club of India (CCI). This is the first time that international squash will be presented in an exciting league format with teams that include India’s most promising Junior National champions, like Yash Fadte, Yoshna Singh, Parth Ambani, etc. who will compete alongside international pros such as Elvinn Keo (Malaysia best rank 5; PSA ranking 165) as well as seasoned masters such as Manish Chotrani, Dalip Triptahi, etc. Several other top junior players from India have shown interest in the league including Aryan Parekh, Advait Adik, Devay Mehta, Amita Gondi, Amira Singh, Shreyas Mehta.

Fitness icon Gul Panag, joined Abhinav Sinha and squash veteran Rishad Pandole (who has held the India No. 1 titles in the Under-19 and Over-35 category) at the announcement event of the IPSL today, along with Mr. Nawal Pandole, Vice Chairman of the CCI & Head of the CCI Squash Committee. The event also kicked off a match series against South African Players in different age categories organized by Rolling Nicks, to encourage international exposure for Indian players.

With the formal announcement of the IPSL, teams are now available for purchase, and are being quickly bought by supporters of the elite sport. The President of the Women’s Chapter of the YPO, Ami Ambani and Gaurav Motwane have already placed their bids for teams.

Gul Panag, a well-known advocate of healthy living adds, “Tournaments like the IPSL encourage a culture of fitness and excellence in India and offer exposure to international excellence. Sport builds character and offers lessons for life, such as perseverance, discipline, dealing with failure and success and so much more. These are essential for
all-round individual development.  I am happy to support the Rolling Nicks Foundation and congratulate Abhinav Sinha on this initiative.”

“The IPSL is truly exciting. It is the first competitive, franchise based championship in Indian squash to go beyond geographical borders and include international players. Having played the game all my life, I am happy to see the game growing and the scope of promoting it getting higher. We hope this league format with international players creates never-seen-before exhilaration for the game.”

“India has an abundance of sporting talent. One of the main inspirations behind the IPSL is to present an engaging format along with an international level of play that offers excellent, hands on learning for our best athletes to excel even further. We hope IPSL will encourage growth of the game from the grass roots with teams comprised of various age groups,” adds Abhinav Sinha, in keeping with the original vision of the Rolling Nicks Squash Foundation to nurture and grow national talent.



In its very first edition, the IPSL has also drawn vocal support from the international squash community. Top ranking PSA player, Ali Farag, who has served as the Men’s President for the PSA, said in a recent statement, “I remember playing my very first game after university in Mumbai - it was by Rolling Nicks and was a great event; I’m sure this will be even better. Good luck for the Indian Premier Squash League organized by Rolling Nicks, I’m sure it’s going to be a great success.”
 

The Orchid Mumbai, Asia’s first Ecotel Hotel celebrated Earth Hour on 28th March 2018 from 7:30 pm to 8:30 pm. With this initiative The Orchid Mumbai reaffirmed its firm commitment in maintaining a strong Environment Program that helps raise awareness about climate change. As part of this Energy saving activities the hotel dimmed or switched off all non essential lights at its interiors and exteriors for an hour. While the guest corridor lights were switched off alternatively, the lobby bracket lights and lobby fountain area under water lights were completely switched off. There were minimum lights in the main porch area and alternative street lighting arrangements were made from hotel entry to exit.

This exercise encouraged the The Orchid Mumbai’s esteemed patrons in conserving energy while also enabling them to witness many memorable experiences during Earth Hour. The Hotel hosted an exclusive candle light dinner for its guests with wide choice of themed dishes set in a unique environment. A traditional rangoli adorned the entrance while warm candles ignited the restaurant dining tables. Visitors were greeted with acoustic music, cozy atmosphere, scrumptious dinner and a perfect show off on the ethos of sustainability.

For more than a decade now, The Orchid Mumbai has been involved in protecting the environment. Ever since its inception it has been following Ecotel practices like Solid Waste management, using solar energy, water conversation and environment commitment by maintaining greenery in form of potted plants and avoiding usage of plastics in guest rooms. It is for this that the hotel got the distinction of being the first five star hotel in Asia, to win the Ecotel certification and till date has received over 97 national and International awards reiterating its efforts of being a pioneer amongst environment friendly hotels. The Orchid - Ecotel Hotel in Mumbai remains one of only six hotels worldwide to maintain this certification.
The Orchid Hotel, 7/C, Nehru Road, Adjacent to Domestic Airport, Vile Parle (East), Mumbai – 400099 Call: 022-26164000/4020 | 8433959730Visit:  www.orchidhotel.com



Wednesday 28 March 2018



The World Sparrow Day was proposed to create awareness and conservation of the House Sparrow.

The Orchid Hotel, Mumbai had created awareness on the occasion of World Sparrow Day on 20th March 2018. They have trained the staff and green team members on “how to make bird feeder by using old plastic bottles” also provided the sunflower seeds to fill it and asked them to install this bird feeders at home. .

Just like Orchid members everyone can take up this initiative of keeping a bird feeder or water on their terrace, balcony or window.

Let us all make a happier and a healthier world for Sparrows and celebrate World Sparrow Day.




In line with its efforts on curtailing wastage of energy and spreading awareness about resource conservation, RR Kabel to join the Earth Hour movement on 24 March, 2018.

One of the leading wires and cables manufacturers, RR Kabel is planning to do something extremely unique for Earth Hour. This year, RR Kabel is switching off its website for an hour to save energy and electricity, and urges people to do the same. Their mission is to remind people to switch off the devices and equipment in solidarity with global efforts to secure the resources of our planet.

Through this initiative, RR Kabel aims to promote the Earth Hour movement with a digital blackout on their website, for an hour.

Commenting on the initiative, Kirti Kabra, Director, RR Kabel said, "We welcome everyone to participate in this temporary blackout for 'Earth Hour.' We believe even a small step like this, can have a big impact."
Chris Higgins, Business Head, IdeateLabs says, "Using a very simple and innovative technique, the idea was to join the global movement and help the brand stand for the greater good. In a low-involvement category, where grabbing viewer's attention is the crucial part, our strategy is to contribute towards benefiting the society."

Tuesday 27 March 2018


Anusha Rao secured the position of Best Oralist in the World Rounds 22nd Stetson International Environmental Moot Court Competition, 2017-18

The team comprising- Apoorva Mishra, Anusha Rao and Sharmishtha Bharde from Symbiosis Law School, Pune  represented India in the World Rounds of the 22nd Stetson International Environmental Moot Court Competition – 2017-18 that was held from 24-26 March, 2018 at Stetson University College of Law in Gulfport, Florida. The 2017–2018 theme was based on 'Responses to Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza and Transboundary Wetlands'.

Anusha Rao, a student of 3rd year from Symbiosis Law School, Pune also secured the position of Best Oralist in the World Rounds of the 22nd Stetson International Environmental Moot Court Competition, 2017-18 at Florida.


Monday 26 March 2018


Speedo, the world's leading swimwear and Swim Accessories brand launched a range of innovative work out gear designed for women to wear both in and out of the water, the collection is called Speedo H2O Active. Made with the modern fitness enthusiast in mind, H2O Active is designed for both water and land based workouts.

Speedo is helping you kick up your fitness a gear with H2O Active and recently hosted a water based fitness class called FloatFit in collaboration with AquaPhysical.

Celebrities who are fitness freaks like Anusha Dandekar and Rehan Poncha who took part in this activity visited the Speedo Store at Phoenix MarketCity Pune at Viman Nagar to curate their fitness gear and prep-up for the intense water workout.

"I got a chance to train in the pool and be part of the exciting Floatfit® class in the newly launched Speedo H2O Active collection meant for both water and land workouts. It was fun and amazing. Exercise in water is such a fantastic equaliser – the harder you push, the harder the water pushes back! ... and, of course the other huge benefit is the low impact and therefore lower risk of injury,” said, actress and fitness enthusiast Anusha Dandekar.

Rehan Poncha who is Speedo’s Fitness Mentor said “Fitness is a way of life for me and it’s always fun to find innovative ways of working out. Aqua-fitness is becoming a rage in India.  I enjoyed being part of Speedo’s excellent floatfit activity and feel it is really quite impressive and the best part is that just half an hour of working out in the water can be just as effective as an hour’s exercise on dry land.”

Anusha and Rehan, along with the bloggers were seen sharing their love for water to educate more people on the benefits of adding water to their workout regimen thereby inspiring them to jump in.

Friday 23 March 2018



Pune gets READY for Salman Khan's Da-Bangg The Tour

Pune is gearing up with excitement and exhilaration to welcome megastar Salman Khan and his entourage. Four Pillars Events in association with 18 Degrees and Nirman Group is all set to bring ‘Da-Bangg The Tour’ to Pune. After almost two decades, the city will witness an entertainment filled bollywood event with celebrities like Katrina Kaif, Sonakshi Sinha, Prabhu Deva, Daisy Shah, Guru Randhawa and Maniesh Paul performing live with Salman Khan. With the preparations in full swing, the stage is all set for the power packed evening by the star cast on Saturday, 24th March at Mahalunge, Balewadi Stadium.

Directed and scripted by Sohail Khan Entertainment and JA Events, this event will prove to be a bespoke package of entertainments. The production team has been working day and night to set-up the entire venue, which has a capacity of holding over 30,000 people.  Inorder to ensure smooth operation at the venue, this tour will have 200 bouncers from Tiger Security of Gurmeet Singh, famously called as Shera, the personal bodyguard provider of Salman Khan.

Just like the dream starcast, the venue production is something that the Punekars has never seen before. A lot of detailing has gone into the planning of the set-up and the core idea was to give the audience a complete ‘paisa vasool’ experience.

Speaking on the event, Sameer Pawani, Director, Four Pillars Event Management Services said, “My phone hasn’t stopped ringing ever since we announced this tour. My team has been getting enquiries from not just Pune, but other major cities in Maharashtra like Mumbai, Solapur, Kolhapur, Satrara, Nashik, Naded and many others. Our enthusiasm has no limits, as this was a dream project of our venture. With each passing day the excitement is getting bigger and better.”

Da-Bangg The Tour has already been a big hit in Delhi, Australia, New Zealand and Hong Kong. The the culture capital of the state, Pune is all ready to witness the biggest bollywood event in the history of Pune.
Date: 24th March, 2018

Venue: Shree Chhatrapati Shivaji Sports Complex, Mahalunge, Balewadi
Time: 6.30 pm (Gates will open 2.30pm onwards)
Fans in Pune can now avail Cash on Delivery option with TicketExpress by calling on 020 – 69788000 or 9763651573.

Tickets can be bought online from dabanggthetourpune.com, BookMyShow, PayTM TicketExpress.in and Easebuzz.in

The ticket pricings are as below:
·  TERE NAAM – Rs. 1,500
·   READY - Rs. 2,500
·  WANTED – Rs. 5,000
·  JAI HO – Rs. 10,000
·  SULTAN – Rs. 15,000
·  BODYGUARD – Rs. 15,000
·  TIGER EAST – Rs. 25,000

Wednesday 21 March 2018


After three years, prices travelers paid for overnight accommodations rose 2% globally in 2017, according to the latest Hotels.com® Hotel Price Index™ (HPI®). In a year where cryptocurrencies flooded the market, hashtags took over the red carpet and political debate turned well, political, the needle has also moved for travelers, with a two-point rise in the global Index to 116, the closest it has been to the 2007 peak of 118.

"The slight increase in average accommodation prices globally, combined with numerous markets having record visitor growth, has signaled a strong travel economy and a growing desire from consumers to experience the world," said Johan Svanstrom, president of Hotels.com. "Cultural events have inspired travel more than ever before as we aspire not to just stand by and observe the action, but to instead actually be a part of it. "

In the U.S., more citizens have a passport than ever before, and as a result, they are looking to get out and experience the world, despite an increase in prices paid* for hotel stays.

A few of the study's key findings:

Las Vegas was the most popular destination for U.S. domestic travel as visitors continued to flock to Sin City for leisure and conventions

New York City was the second most popular U.S. domestic location despite relatively high average prices paid Next on the list of "Most Popular Domestic Destinations for American Travelers" include Orlando(ranked 3rd), San Diego (ranked 4th) and Chicago (ranked 5th)
The largest average price drops for overnight stays for international visitors were in Chicago, Honolulu, and Philadelphia, all decreasing by 4% since 2016
London was the most popular international spot for U.S. travelers, followed by Paris, Toronto, Tokyo and RomeThailand was the most popular country in Asia for U.S. travelers Americans found the largest average price increase in Lisbon at 13% and the largest average price drop in Dubai with a decrease of 6%

Sunshine South of the Border – Mexico 

There is no doubt that travelers are looking to relax and enjoy the sunshine while on vacation. Cancun, Playa Del Carmen, and Mexico City were the top destinations in Mexico for U.S. travelers. Among the cities analyzed, Americans traveling to Mexico paid the most for rooms in Playa Del Carmen– which had an average price of $247 per night – an increase of 2% from 2016.

Americans Flocked Across the Pond  

With more than 40% of Americans having passports in 2017, Europe topped the charts for the most desirable outbound region and London was first on the list of international destinations. Despite the high prices, the capital's long-standing appeal as a bucket-list city got some help from the pound – which has brought average accommodation prices down by 2% since 2016.

Travelers had fiestas in Spain, which became the 2nd most visited country in the world, and 6th for U.S. travelers in 2017 with an average of $163 per night. Americans looking to explore without breaking the bank found the best value in Istanbul, paying on average of $92 per night.

Stretching the Budget in Asia 

U.S. travelers found themselves paying more for their overnight accommodations in 70% of their Top 50 international destinations, but not in Asia. The HPI reported that Chiang Mai (ranked 49th), Ho Chi Minh City (ranked 34th) and Bangkok (ranked 5th) had the lowest international average prices paid per night - all averaging below $100 per night. Thailand was the most popular country in the region for U.S. travelers and welcomed 35 million visitors from around the world in 2017.

In addition to the great value destinations and hidden gems found in the HPI, travelers that haven't yet padded their wallets with cryptocurrency can take advantage of programs like Hotels.com™ Rewards, which lets you earn free** nights while you sleep and gain access to instant savings like Secret Prices***. Secret Prices are lower rates that aren't available to everyone and offer up to 50% off thousands of properties in popular destinations every day. With Hotels.com Rewards, you earn a free night for every 10 booked. It's that simple.



The World Water Day on March 22nd provides an opportunity for financial institutions to launch new instruments to invest in trans-boundary infrastructure, and for military planners to craft water strategies to counter terrorism," says Sundeep Waslekar, President of Strategic Foresight Group, an international think tank based in Mumbai.
The Strategic Foresight Group has been associated with the Global High-Level Panel on Water and Peace which was convened by 15 countries and chaired by Danilo Turk, former President of Slovenia. The Panel proposes measures to use water to reduce the risk of war and contain terrorism, create preferential financial instruments for trans-boundary water infrastructure, and involve top government leaders in advancing water cooperation.
The Global High-Level Panel advocates extending sustainability principles to trans-boundary water management. It proposes Joint Investment Plans and preferential and concessional funding for collaborative projects by multilateral financial organisations. It also recommends a Blue Fund to subsidise interest, insurance premia and administrative costs of cooperative water infrastructure.
Traditional finance supports national infrastructure projects on shared rivers, which often results in disputes with neighbouring countries and cost escalation. It also creates market obstacles. Therefore, the Panel recommends new financial instruments and practices to blend public and private sector finance for cooperative projects such as power plants, irrigation, navigation lines and eco-parks.
These recommendations are supported by the latest research findings in another report of the Strategic Foresight Group. The Water Cooperation Quotient measures the quality of relations in 286 shared river basins from 146 countries. It reveals that active water cooperation between riparian countries reduces the risk of war. The most recent evidence was offered by an agreement between Tajikistan and Uzbekistan on March 11, 2018 on the Rogun Dam, which ended twenty years of hostility.
The Water Cooperation Quotient provides a tool for countries sharing water resources to build partnerships in a phased manner. Out of the 286 shared river basins, 91 already enjoy active water cooperation, while 55 are economically insignificant or physically remote. There is much potential to improve trans-boundary cooperation over the remaining 140 rivers. Beginning with technical data exchange, they can gradually expand cooperation to enable political leaders to negotiate trade-offs between water and other public goods. Iraq and Turkey have agreed to build three friendship dams on the Tigris River, in the midst of the violent conflict in the Middle East. This has only been possible because of direct talks between Prime Minister Al Abadi of Iraq and Turkey's President Erdogan.
Cooperation in managing water can also help contain terrorism. As per reports, last May, the international military coalition took control of Tabqa dam in Syria which was used by the ISIS as a hideout for their leaders and as a prison for high-value hostages. With the loss of this strategic asset, it took only three months for ISIS to surrender. Regional cooperation can make it possible to have water-based ceasefires for protecting dams and other assets in areas affected by violence and terrorism. In order to introduce such measures, the UN Security Council will first need to pass a resolution declaring water as a strategic asset of humanity.

Tuesday 20 March 2018



 Web Werks, the best web hosting provider in India offers a few upgrades to their Content Delivery Network (CDN) services delineated to enhance website performance and responsiveness while bringing down bandwidth cost. The CDN services increase the amount of content conveyed directly from high-speed cache, henceforth improving website guests' involvement while decreasing the load on website proprietors' servers.
Web Werks CDN provides static, dynamic and client-side caching, alongside an API that empowers organizations to control their caching approaches. Static content caching is utilized to store constant content, for example, HTML documents, pictures or JavaScript assets. Dynamic content caching is utilized to store powerfully produced site assets that do change after some time. Client-side caching stores more content as could be expected on the visitor's browser or mobile device for instant stacking. Together, these components augment cacheable content, quicken content delivery, accomplish higher asset precision, and bring the most frequently accessed content straightforwardly from physical memory.
"Our customers are progressively searching for approaches to enhance website performance while diminishing server load and our CDN services gives a chance to noteworthy execution changes," said Suhaib Logde, Asst. VP of Web Werks. "Our CDN provides clients with more control over their website traffic and enables them to move more of their delivery logic to the edge where it belongs," he added.
Pros of Web Werks CDN:    
Speed: Distributed data centers and caching, both drastically lower network latency and the website’s load time, particularly if one has a good amount of content.
Enhanced UX/UI: Faster webpage speeds and simultaneous asset downloads, to improve the user experience.
Higher Traffic Capacity: CDNs raise what's called 'network backbone capacity' by sharing activity among numerous servers enabling websites to deal with surges and spikes.
Geology: By obliging users outside the locale of a focal server, CDNs are particularly vital for websites with diverse crowds.
Expanded Security and Reliability: Lastly, CDNs avert site crashes amid traffic surges by disseminating bandwidth between servers. What's more, since duplicates of the content are put away in different areas, customers have expanded insurance from Trojan assaults. Thus, CDNs enhance the general capacity of mission-critical websites.

Monday 19 March 2018


BLS International Services Limited, the world's largest specialist provider for outsourcing of visa, passport, attestation, consular and citizen services globally since 2005, was chosen as 'India's Best Visa Outsourcing Services Company' at India's Best Company of the Year Awards 2017, as per the Companies Research Report 2017 by Media Research Group (MRG).

The company was awarded on Saturday 10 March at The Leela Hotel, Mumbai in the presence of over 200 people, including leaders from different businesses and service categories.

Mr. Shikhar Aggarwal, Joint Managing Director, BLS International quoted on the win, "We are very humbled to receive this award. BLS International is a proud Indian organization providing services at par with major international players in the visa outsourcing category. The award is a testament to our dedication and commitment to deliver quality services par excellence. Such recognitions motivate us to continue building robust expert resources and offer seamless, faster and convenient services at each level of visa application."

BLS International is amongst the world's largest specialist service provider for outsourcing of not just visas but also passport, consular, attestation and citizen services to the governments and diplomatic missions. With footprints across 62 countries, including India, European Union countries like SpainHungary and other countries like RussiaChinaAfricaAlgeriaIndonesiaSingaporeIranIraq and UAE to name a few, BLS is currently serving 36 client governments world over with its 2325 offices. The company recently posted revenue of Rs. 584 crores for the period ended December 31, 2017.

India's Best Company of the Year 2017, organised by IBC Infomedia, a division of International Brand Consulting Corporation, USA is a unique platform for recognition of the success and ingenuity of the fastest growing companies across India and the unique brains behind them. Companies are awarded after being selected on a comprehensive research conducted by Media Research Group (MRG). 

With a strong background in Advertising and Marketing, Ravinder Varma is an Assistant Professor, Writer, Short-film Maker, Consultant, Creative Designer, and a Marketer. He is the Brand Manager at Naturell India Pvt. Ltd. (Naturell Inc. California, USA) heading the Marketing Department at PAN India level. He recently launched his first Business & Marketing book, ‘118 Brands Around Me!’, at CMO Asia, which took place at Taj Land Ends, Bandra, Mumbai. The book is intended to encourage high level of knowledge exchange through Leadership and Networking among senior CMOs and brand decision makers across industry segments. The‘CMO Asia, World Federation of Marketing – The Greatest Marketing Influencers Award’ ceremony that took place on 15th February 2018, provided a perfect setting for the release of Ravinder’s book. "Such events give you a platform to kick-start your career as a writer. Plus, it's such a great initiative, I just had to be a part of it," he gushed. The event also saw the budding writer talk about his journey of writing this book. Before writing this book, Ravinder grabbed his mobile camera and started clicking pictures of the brands in his house. Starting from one, two, three… he finally stopped at 118. There were indeed 118 brands around him at that time! This led the title of the book, ‘118 Brands Around Me!’. With a consistent dose of humor, the book is all about, as he says, “Marketing, marketing and marketing”! Through it, the writer has shared his in-depth knowledge on marketing in a fun and easy way. A groundbreaking and thought-provoking book on business, branding, marketing and advertising, it’s hard to believe that this is Ravinder’s first attempt as a writer. With this book, he tries to go beyond the traditional 4Ps & 7Ps, setting the framework of his mantra, the 5Bs – “Customers Believe and Buy a Brand to get expected Benefits, thereby resulting in profitable Business for the brand”. Every chapter of his book defines the said framework and supports it with several examples and case-studies from the Indian Market. Ravinder explained how this book could be an infotaining experience for anyone reading it. He said “‘118 Brands Around Me!’ is a crisp book on marketing and branding written in a simple story style, without giving any gyaan or using any technical jargons. It’s a fun and interesting read that gives relatable examples to help you understand the power of marketing. The book makes you realize how several brands have invested crores of rupees to become a part of your life.” The book looks at sharing multiple ideas, thoughts, frameworks, examples, and situations that a marketer or a non-marketer can learn, unlearn, or relearn. ‘118 Brand Around Me!’ by Ravinder Varma is currently available in digital format (Kindle) on Amazon. Available on Amazon: http://amzn.to/2EBrvNq



With a strong background in Advertising and Marketing, Ravinder Varma is an Assistant Professor, Writer, Short-film Maker, Consultant, Creative Designer, and a Marketer. He is the Brand Manager at Naturell India Pvt. Ltd. (Naturell Inc. California, USA) heading the Marketing Department at PAN India level. He recently launched his first Business & Marketing book, ‘118 Brands Around Me!’, at CMO Asia, which took place at Taj Land Ends, Bandra, Mumbai. The book is intended to encourage high level of knowledge exchange through Leadership and Networking among senior CMOs and brand decision makers across industry segments.

The‘CMO Asia, World Federation of Marketing – The Greatest Marketing Influencers Award’ ceremony that took place on 15th February 2018, provided a perfect setting for the release of Ravinder’s book. "Such events give you a platform to kick-start your career as a writer. Plus, it's such a great initiative, I just had to be a part of it," he gushed. The event also saw the budding writer talk about his journey of writing this book.

Before writing this book, Ravinder grabbed his mobile camera and started clicking pictures of the brands in his house. Starting from one, two, three… he finally stopped at 118. There were indeed 118 brands around him at that time! This led the title of the book, ‘118 Brands Around Me!’. With a consistent dose of humor, the book is all about, as he says, “Marketing, marketing and marketing”! Through it, the writer has shared his in-depth knowledge on marketing in a fun and easy way.  

A groundbreaking and thought-provoking book on business, branding, marketing and
advertising, it’s hard to believe that this is Ravinder’s first attempt as a writer.  With this book, he tries to go beyond the traditional 4Ps & 7Ps, setting the framework of his mantra, the 5Bs – “Customers Believe and Buy a Brand to get expected Benefits, thereby resulting in profitable Business for the brand”. Every chapter of his book defines the said framework and supports it with several examples and case-studies from the Indian Market.

Ravinder explained how this book could be an infotaining experience for anyone reading it. He said “‘118 Brands Around Me!’ is a crisp book on marketing and branding written in a simple story style, without giving any gyaan or using any technical jargons. It’s a fun and interesting read that gives relatable examples to help you understand the power of marketing. The book makes you realize how several brands have invested crores of rupees to become a part of your life.”

The book looks at sharing multiple ideas, thoughts, frameworks, examples, and situations that a marketer or a non-marketer can learn, unlearn, or relearn.
 ‘118 Brand Around Me!’ by Ravinder Varma is currently available in digital format (Kindle) on Amazon.


Available on Amazon: http://amzn.to/2EBrvNq

Thursday 15 March 2018



Shibani Jain, Founder & CEO- Baaya Design, was always inspired by the resplendent marble inlay work on the walls of the Taj Mahal. She and her team of designers took on the challenge to bring the rich colours seen in the inlay work, into a totally different and equally rich craft- that of copper enamelling. Earlier, the enamelling process was seen in minute work, in jewellery. We decided to try and use a similar process to create a range of copper wall plates and lamps. This was also Baaya’s attempt to revive a fading craft form native to Alibaug, in Maharashtra.  The craft was brought into the place by a Spanish artist named Andreu Vilasís.

The artisan follows a comprehensive process using glass powder colours and copper wire. This is a painstaking process and is a true test of the dexterity of our artisans. Circular plates or bowls are created on a dye to a precise depth. The wire work is fastened through an initial process called flux work. The base wire work is created in such a way as to support the intricate floral motif work. The wire work is pre- cut to create the motifs. On a stencil. These completed designs are then placed and adhered to the copper surface by firing the entire piece at a temperature of 850 °C (1,560 °F). This is a tricky process as the wired designs tend to move until completely adhered. Once cooled, coloured glass powder is applied to the surface using a paint brush and the whole piece is re- fired to create the final enamelled piece. It is cleaned with an acidic solution and then biffed. The final pieces show off the rich glass enamel colours and motifs.
Mrs. Shibani Jain, who is a hands-on designer, gets a thrill at the thought of visiting workshops and getting involved in the actual conception of the product. Her keen eye for detail is what has sustained Baaya over the years and made it a treasured name in the interior design and crafts industry. Baaya is the first organization of its kind to truly work with grassroot artisans to uplift and sustain their livelihoods by generating a market for their skill.

She forms a bond with each artisan, getting superlative results out of them. In the process, she helps them reach their potential through challenging design projects. She is not one to settle for half finished products and expects the finest end product. The culmination of these efforts shines through in all aspects of the Baaya brand. You will be mesmerised by the complexity of the copper enamel and other ranges created by Baaya and Ms. Shibani Jain. The fluidity of thought is clear in each curve of copper wire and each bend of the flowers as they cautiously cling to the curved inner surface of the lamps


Shibani Jain, Founder & CEO- Baaya Design, was always inspired by the resplendent marble inlay work on the walls of the Taj Mahal. She and her team of designers took on the challenge to bring the rich colours seen in the inlay work, into a totally different and equally rich craft- that of copper enamelling. Earlier, the enamelling process was seen in minute work, in jewellery. We decided to try and use a similar process to create a range of copper wall plates and lamps. This was also Baaya’s attempt to revive a fading craft form native to Alibaug, in Maharashtra.  The craft was brought into the place by a Spanish artist named Andreu Vilasís.

The artisan follows a comprehensive process using glass powder colours and copper wire. This is a painstaking process and is a true test of the dexterity of our artisans. Circular plates or bowls are created on a dye to a precise depth. The wire work is fastened through an initial process called flux work. The base wire work is created in such a way as to support the intricate floral motif work. The wire work is pre- cut to create the motifs. On a stencil. These completed designs are then placed and adhered to the copper surface by firing the entire piece at a temperature of 850 °C (1,560 °F). This is a tricky process as the wired designs tend to move until completely adhered. Once cooled, coloured glass powder is applied to the surface using a paint brush and the whole piece is re- fired to create the final enamelled piece. It is cleaned with an acidic solution and then biffed. The final pieces show off the rich glass enamel colours and motifs.
Mrs. Shibani Jain, who is a hands-on designer, gets a thrill at the thought of visiting workshops and getting involved in the actual conception of the product. Her keen eye for detail is what has sustained Baaya over the years and made it a treasured name in the interior design and crafts industry. Baaya is the first organization of its kind to truly work with grassroot artisans to uplift and sustain their livelihoods by generating a market for their skill.

She forms a bond with each artisan, getting superlative results out of them. In the process, she helps them reach their potential through challenging design projects. She is not one to settle for half finished products and expects the finest end product. The culmination of these efforts shines through in all aspects of the Baaya brand. You will be mesmerised by the complexity of the copper enamel and other ranges created by Baaya and Ms. Shibani Jain. The fluidity of thought is clear in each curve of copper wire and each bend of the flowers as they cautiously cling to the curved inner surface of the lamps

Wednesday 14 March 2018


Mumbai, March 13 2018: India’s only sporting talent app Run Adam has signed Five-Times World Chess Champion Viswanathan Anand as a part of the Run Adam Sports Experts Board and also as Advisor. M.S. Dhoni is already a part of this expert Board and also a mentor with Run Adam. Run Adam aims to nurture and foster sporting talent in India to help realise their dreams. The Run Adam app connects athletes with stakeholders, including experts, coaches, academies, specialists, sponsors, among others. Designed to be a single access tech-enabled platform, Run Adam is a 360-degree sporting talent marketplace providing instant and easy access to different resources. The Run Adam app is free for the sporting community and is available for download on Google Playstore currently and is expected to be available on Apple Store within a week.

Indian Grand Master Viswanathan Anand spoke about his association with Run Adam and said, “My association with Run Adam will be an important milestone in chess coaching approach. The app enables me to mentor chess aspirants who find coaching access difficult. The struggle of many budding hopefuls will be fulfilled by Run Adam through such an initiative. Here I will be teaching Run Adam subscribers what I know about the game and will also share my personal experiences. I hope to be able to combine my passion for chess with the reach of Run Adam platform to help budding talent to achieve international success”.

K. Yeragaselvan, CEO and MD of Run Adam, said “Run Adam is already privileged to have M.S. Dhoni as our mentor and ambassador. With Vishwanathan Anand now joining our Sports Experts Board, it will give chess players to learn and grow their game as well as their attitude. Anand’s involvement will not only teach chess nuances to aspirants but will also help our platform grow manifold. We welcome Viswanathan Anand in Run Adam and hope to make the dreams of many in the game to come true. Considering such sports achievers who have given their time, mentoring and effort, I feel that our Vision of empowering India as a sporting superpower is not distant”.

The Run Adam Masterclasses will be conducted by the Chess Champion on the Run Adam app for aspirants of the game from 5th May 2018 every fortnight. Anand’s one hour sessions will have 30 minutes focused on teaching the game, 15 minutes on his personal experiences and 15 minutes on his life lessons. As Advisor to Run Adam, Vishwanthan Anand will bring his knowledge and understanding of sports in general and sportspersons in specific to guide Run Adam to serve the interests of sporting community better. The Indian Grand Master will also be the brand ambassador for Run Adam.



Tuesday 13 March 2018


Times & Trends Academy has started a unique, fast-paced, and an industry-relevant course called ‘Fashion
Reverse Engineering Course’ for all fashion aspirants out there. The course has been designed by experts from fashion & Bollywood industry. The lectures for this course are conducted by experts from Bollywood/Fashion industry such as directors, cinematographers, costume designers, actors, fashion label owners, etc.

On 18 th Feb, Mahesh Limaye, cinematographer for movies like Dabangg, Yellow, Balak-Palak, Freaky Ali, Rege, etc. visited Times & Trends Academy to interact with students and teach them about ‘cinematography & direction.’ Mr. Mahesh is an award-winning director. His directorial debut film, Yellow, won the Special Jury Award at the 61 st National Film Awards.

Amit Agrawal, Founder & Chairman – Times & Trends Academy, who also attended the session along with fashion faculties from TTA, said, “Fashion Reverse Engineering is one of the most apt courses in the education sector right now. It is a tailor-made course for enthusiasts who want to grasp relevant elements and acquire skills that help them obtain a job in the industry. Another amazing feature of this course is that this course doesn’t beat around the bushes and hits the bull’s eye – that’s why it’s just a 10-week course. You learn important things that can make difference and nothing else!”

Mr. Mahesh explained various concepts of direction and cinematography to students. He answered many questions that students raised. Students were seen inquisitive in knowing different elements of movies and daily soaps from him. Mr. Mahesh engaged student by sharing his experience in the industry. He narrated his own story and the challenges he overcame to reach the position he is in today. His various accounts on working with stars like Salman Khan, Arbaaz Khan, etc. engaged students beautifully.

Mr. Amit Agrawal also added, “Fashion Reverse Engineering Course a.k.a Costume Designing is a unique course that allows the students to interact with who’s who of Bollywood and fashion industry. Costume Designers, Film Directors, Cinematographers, Actors are the people who conduct lectures for this course. We have taken learning to a whole new different level.

The USP of this Fashion Reverse Engineering Course is that students have an opportunity to be placed in the Bollywood industry right after the course. TTA provides an opportunity; students just need to prove their mettle. People struggle for years to get here, and it’s a no joke that Times & Trends Academy is offering this wonderful opportunity to fashion enthusiasts. Students from previous batches have already been selected and placed in the industry, that’s a great news for fashion aspirants looking forward to joining TTA.”

Times and Trends Academy is one of the premier vocational training academies that offer courses like Fashion Designing, Fashion Styling, Fashion Boutique Management, Interior Designing, Interior Business Management, Event Management, Animation, Graphic Designing, Jewellery Designing, and Finance & Accounts.

TTA focuses on providing sound technical knowledge to the students along with building soft skills, and this allows 360-degree development in the student that lets them achieve success in their careers. With eight centers all over India, around 12,000-plus students have passed from TTA in the last 13 years.