Nirbhaya, the award winning play based on Delhi rape begins its India tour on March 17, 2014

NIRBHAYA (Fearless in Hindi), the award-winning play based on the Delhi rape and the true life experiences of its performers, is beginning its India tour on March 17, 2014. The play took the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2013 by storm, garnering unprecedented media attention and sweeping up prestigious awards such as the 2013 Amnesty International Freedom of Expression Award, a prestigious Scotsman Fringe First and a coveted Herald Angel Award.

Directed by the globally acclaimed Yael Farber, the play is a thought-provoking theatre production. Seven actors (Ankur Vikal, Japjit Kaur, Poorna Jagannathan, Priyanka Bose, Sapna Bhavnani, Sneha Jawale and Rukshar Kabir) comprise the extraordinary ensemble cast of NIRBHAYA. Five of these artists share their own true testimonies, the remaining two performers evoke the key people, while the events of the night of December 16 and what followed in its wake.
NIRBHAYA is a blistering evocation of the events that changed countless lives and a nation. The India tour, made possible through crowd funding and some key partners coming together, comes fresh on the heels of its sold-out London run at Southbank Centre, as part of the Women of the World festival. The India tour of NIRBHAYA is presented by Teamwork Arts. It would not have been possible to bring this show to India if it were not for our Kickstarter donors and our partners: British Council, UN Women, Oxfam, Ford Foundation, South African Airways, GAIL and UNESCO. Time: 7:30 pm (18th-20th March). Where: NCPA, Mumbai. Tickets can be booked at kyazoonga.com/TheatreAndArts/nirbhaya/909/6.

Sketch of Russia bound Datsun car revealed, official launch on April 14, 2014

Datsun, the Japanese car maker and part of the Nissan Group has today revealed the sketch of its Russia bound car. The all new Datsun car will pull the covers off on April 14, 2014 in Moscow, according to a company statement. Prior to the symbolic event, Datsun is celebrating the brand’s foray into the Russian automotive market by releasing a sketch and an animated video of the exciting new model car.

Global expansion
The Datsun launch in Russia is more significant for the global expansion of the Datsun brand. Russia is a key market that offers Datsun humungous potential for growth. What is more, it is the first time in Datsun’s history that the brand has been introduced to Russia officially.
Datsun’s dedicated website for Russia, datsun.ru has gone live today with the countdown to the official launch date. Furthermore, this site allows visitors to register for the lates brand news, helping to build anticipation and customer interest in this new player in the market. Visitors will also be able to watch a live-stream of the unveiling on April 4, 2014.
The Datsun car to be unveiled on April 4 was developed specially for the Russian market, but its concept follows the brand’s common global philosophy of offering customers – known as risers – an engaging driving experience, peace of mind ownership and accessibility at the right and transparent price, with a competitive Total Cost of Ownership.
The car was styled in Japan, while development was carried out locally by an international team of talented engineers drawing on Nissan Motor Corporation’s 80 years of car manufacturing experience and technical expertise. The 21st century Datsun for Russia will deliver a rich, customer-orientated brand experience with no compromise in terms of accessibility, reliability and durability – values deeply rooted in Datsun’s heritage. Brand and product information in Russian will be available after April 4.
Nissan Motor Co Ltd announced the return of the Datsun brand, Nissan’s third global brand, alongside Nissan and Infiniti, in March 2012. Datsun will provide a sustainable motoring experience to optimistic up-and-coming customers in high-growth markets. Datsun represents 80 years of accumulated Japanese car-making expertise and is an important part of Nissan’s DNA. Datsun vehicles will start sales in India, Indonesia, Russia and South Africa from 2014.
Datsun History
Datsun originated in Japan as DAT-GO (the DAT-car) almost a century ago in 1914. The word DAT means ‘lightning-fast’ in Japanese but is also a reference to the first letters of family names of the three financiers who supported the business at the time: Den, Aoyama and Takeuchi. Using the same logic, it was promoted as Durable, Attractive and Trustworthy, or DAT for short.
In 1933, Nissan’s founding father Yoshisuke Aikawa took over the business with a vision of “mobility for all”. The introduction of a light-weight, economical yet resilient car to meet the aspirations of young Japanese people in the early 1930s was named the ‘son of DAT’ – Datson – which later changed to Datsun. Local engineering and mass-production made the founder’s dream a reality.

DPW 2014 event for adolescent girl empowerment held in in Mumbai from March 5-7, 2014

Dasra, India’s leading strategic philanthropy foundation, hosted the Dasra Philanthropy Week (DPW) from March 5-7, 2014 in Mumbai. Supported this year by USAID, Omidyar Network, BNP Paribas Wealth Management and Vodafone Foundation, the event brought together more than 600 philanthropists, corporates, foundations, impact investors and policy makers to solve pressing social and developmental issues faced by our country especially around adolescent girl empowerment.

Dasra launched a five-year, $ 14 million initiative in collaboration with USAID and Kiawah Trust, which was announced at the Dasra Philanthropy Week 2013 last year.

Piramal Foundation joins the mission that seeks to achieve systemic change by fostering innovation, improving outcomes and reaching scale to improve the reproductive, maternal,neonatal, child health and empower adolescent girls in rural and urban India.Over the next four years, the Alliance expects to touch the lives of over 1 million girls, mothers and children.

Nandini Piramal, Executive Director, Piramal Enterprises Ltd, while speaking about the partnership, said: “There is a growing realisation that complex and seemingly insurmountable social problems cannot be solved by individual organizations or a single stakeholder group. It requires different parts of the ecosystem such as funders, government, non-profits, corporates and media to work collaboratively to create long-term social change.” She further added, “The Piramal Foundation is focused on developing innovative solutions to address India’s most pressing problems which we see as critical roadblocks towards unlocking India’s economic potential. One of Piramal Foundation’s primary healthcare initiatives (Piramal Swasthya) addresses issues related to maternal healthcare which is the common goal of this alliance”.

Lynne Smitham, Co-Founder of Kiawah Trust pointed out: “Work around adolescent girls in India has typically been isolated and scattered and there has been little or no collaboration among stakeholders. The Dasra Alliance aims to alter this approach and build a collaborative ecosystem in order to foster, drive and deliver knowledge, innovation, funding and achieve impact at scale”.
John Beed, USAID’s mission director for India stated: “Today, I am extremely delighted to announce the expansion of the Alliance with another valuable and well respected partner, the Piramal Foundation.  The Piramal family is one of the most respected names in India, both for their business as well as their philanthropy.  Given the foundation’s stature and innovative approach to corporate philanthropy, the participation of the Piramal Foundation as a partner in this Alliance leads the way for corporate foundations to engage effectively in ending preventable child and maternal deaths”.

Smarinita Shetty, Director at Dasra held: “Along with USAID, Kiawah Trust and PiramalFoundation, we plan to develop and strengthen engagement with the private sector to drive greater impact for adolescent girlsin India. Given Piramal Foundation’s stature and innovative approach to corporate philanthropy, their addition as a partner in this alliance allows us to showcase the manner in which corporate foundations can engage more effectively and develop solutions at scale”.
Dasra Philanthropy Week, founded in 2010 and in its fifth edition this year, featured a high profile gathering of over 600 leading philanthropists, business and social change leaders. As Dasra’s partner, BNP Paribas Wealth Management hosted a discussion on Next Gen philanthropy by interviewing RoshniNadarMalhotra. For the past seven years BNP Paribas Wealth Management has awarded major philanthropists, the BNP Paribas Prize for Individual Philanthropy. In 2013, Shiv Nadar, founder of the Shiv Nadar Foundation was the recipient of the BNP Paribas Prize.

Stephane Honig, Head of Indian Markets, BNP Paribas Wealth Management said: “For BNP Paribas Wealth Management our engagement with Dasra further demonstrates our commitment towards individual philanthropy. BNP Paribas Wealth Management was amongst the first global private banking institutions to consider helping clients to give back to the society as a part of its core mission. In 2008, a dedicated department was set up to assist our clients in their philanthropic endeavors either through personal advice or through our Fondation de l’Orangerie. BNP Paribas Wealth Management is also strongly committed to support initiatives that raise awareness and increase dialogue. In order to increase the awareness amongst our clients, we launched few key initiatives like the BNP Paribas Prize for Individual Philanthropy and the BNP Paribas Individual Philanthropy Index, in partnership with Forbes Insights. BNP Paribas Wealth Management is the world’s seventh largest private bank, present in some 30 countries, and we consider advising our clients on individual philanthropy as part of our civic engagement to the society”.
The day also placed the spotlight on social change stories, insights from Bain & Company on ecosystem building, presentations on Dasra’s upcoming research; including the launch of Domestic Violence Report – No Private Matter. The report found that Domestic Violence accounts for 50 percent of all reported crimes against women in India. One in every three women is sexually, psychologically and physically violated by her male partner. Another startling fact that the report highlights is that violence in India kills and disables as many women between the ages of 15 and 44 years as cancer.
Flavia Agnes, Advocate and Co-founder of Majlis Legal Centre said: “Remaining silent on domestic violence gives impetus to the crime. Officially, domestic violence accounts for 50 percent of all reported crimes against women. However there is gross under-reporting of these crimes”. Speaking on solutions, she added: “If these victims of violence are aware of their rights and can get easy access to justice, then we will be one step closer to tackling the issue. Trained and sensitive state stakeholders will give confidence to women to fight against violence and live a life with dignity”.
Other launches included the book on impact assessment – ‘Measuring and Improving Social Impact’ by Rice University Research Professor, Marc Epstein and Swigert Endowed Chair at PortlandState University’s School of Business Administration, Kristi Yuthas. The book presents the value of building impact assessment into CSR for greater social impact and is the perfect guide to The Indian Companies Act of 2013.
Conversations with leading local and global philanthropists led to sharing of their perspectives on giving.Bringing the day to a grand finale were video keynote addresses by Jennifer and Peter Buffett from NoVo Foundation, who shared the passion behind their giving journeys, rationale for supporting adolescent girls initiatives and advised on creating lasting change.
Founded in 1999, Dasra is India’s leading strategic philanthropy foundation.  It inspires collaborative giving and partnerships amongst philanthropists, funders, corporates and the Government. Simultaneously, it enables high impact non-profit organizations to scale. Over the past 14 years, Dasra has strengthened the growth plans of more than 200 non-profits and social businesses, engaged with and educated over 500 philanthropists on strategic philanthropy, enabled over $ 38 million in funding to social entrepreneurs, and published 22 research reports about education, health and livelihoods.  For more information, please visit dasra.org.

Escobar Bandra offers a complementary glass of Sangria/Kamikaze on Women’s Day on March 8, 2014

Escobar, Bandra’s trendiest party destination invites all women this Saturday to indulge in a complementary glass of Sangria/ Kamikaze Shot while they dance the night away.

Be sure to pamper yourselves this Women’s Day with delectable food, drinks and fun only at Escobar. Address: 199 – VN Sphere Mall, fourth floor, Linking Road, Bandra W, Mumbai – 400 050. Timing: 7:30 pm onwards. Contact Number: 022 4276 0000.

Yokohama India to open its first tyre manufacturing plant at Bahadurgarh, Haryana on February 22, 2014

Yokohama India Private Limited, the domestic arm of the Japanese tyre major Yokohama will open its first tyre manufacturing plant at Bahadurgarh in Haryana on February 22, 2014. Haryana Chief Minister, Bhupinder Singh Huda will formally inaugurte the plant at 4.00 PM. Located at Plot No 1, Sector 4, B, HSIIDC Industrial Estate in Bhadurgarh, Jajjar the company will produce quality tyres designed for India with Japanese technology.

A host of dignitaries including Takeshi Fujino, Managing Director of Yokohama India; Yagi, Ambassador of Japan; Tarun Bajaj, Managing Director of HSIIDC; Chandershaker, DC of Jhajjar and Kagami, YRC, Corporate Office will be present on the occasion.
As per the plan, in the first phase, the firm is contemplating on starting operating the plant at an annual production capacity of 700,000 tyres from July 2014. The total investment in construction of the new plant is estimated to be 4.4 billion yen. It may be recalled that in 2008, Yokohama Rubber signed a pact with Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Delvelopment Corporation Ltd to acquire land of 25 acres in the Corporation’s industrial estate in Bahadurgarh. Eventually, the construction of the tyre plant got delayed due to market slowdown. Since July 2007, Yokohama India has been selling passenger car tyres for the aftermarket through its own sales network. Yokohama is making an effort to expand sales by creating an image of a high grade brand tyre through placing an emphasis on high performance and high quality that characterise Yokohama brand tyres.
In 2011, sales of new cars reach around three million in India. In 2020, the market is likely to reach in excess of seven million cars to grow into the third largest car market in the world. Along with this move, the local tyre market also is likely to grow at a steady pace. Yokohama Rubber plans to proactively take this as a business opportunity and upgrade its business model from sale of imported products to local production and consumption.
The industrial estate in Bahadurgarh is located about 40 kilometres west of Delhi, the largest commercial district in the country and some 45 minutes from Delhi International Airport. Many other benefits of the location include nearby Haryana State University of Technology, which is likely to become a supplier of excellent human resources.

Outline of the new tyre plant (first phase)
Area: 25 accres (99.922.5 square meters)
Product: Radial tyres for passenger cars
Production capacity: 700,000 tyres a year.
Employees: 350
Operation: To begin in July 2014.

Total investment: 4.4 billion yen

Valentines’ Day: Kingdom of Dreams celebrate the day of love on February 14, 2014

India’s biggest live entertainment destination, Kingdom of Dreams, played Cupid this Saint Valentine’s Day as couples enjoyed an ideal rendezvous to express their heart’s deepest desire to their loved one.

A blissful candle light dinner was set up in a perfect ambience to celebrate the bond and spirit of love.

Adding a dose of fun to the evening couples took the love leap in the sky with reverse bungee jumping from an exhilarating 180ft. To mark the celebrations with a dash of Bollywood, Kingdom of Dreams ensured a memorable Valentine’s Day with Jhumroo, the ultimate romantic musical.

Guests indulged in captivating romantic evening and enjoyed the sizzling fashion show by Amit Talwar Trekaaya, awe-inspiring live performance by band Pratigya and Anatara and live bollywood dance performances.

Guests celebrated the bond and spirit of love in opulence this year on Valentine’s Day at Kingdom of Dreams. Kingdom of Dreams is a unique initiative by Great India Nautanki Company, a joint venture between Wizcraft International Entertainment, India’s foremost Entertainment and Communication Company and Apra Group of Companies.

This ambitious concept offers theme-based entertainment experiences of exceptional standards and promotes Indian culture to Indians and visitors from across the globe.

Spread across acres of land, Kingdom of Dreams has three distinct entertainment zones – Culture Gully, Nautanki Mahal, and Showshaa Theatre- each offering a unique proposition. ·

Culture Gully, a unique Indian boulevard of exotic food, art and culture.

Nautanki Mahal, India’s first dynamic state of the art 4D theatre designed and conceptualized to offer breath-taking & magical experiences.

Showshaa Theatre will present a kaleidoscope of fabulous colorful drama marquee spotlighting ancient Indian Epics and Mythology, mock wedding shows and the great Indian talent circus.

Entertainment has never been quite the same since Kingdom of Dreams has thrown open its gates to a magical and mystical arena.

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MSOSA’s Hinglish play: The Good, The Bad and The Bolly (Wood) in Delhi from February 21-23, 2014

A Hinglish play, The Good, The Bad and The Bolly (Wood) by “Free Parking Entertainment”, an initiative of MSOSA (Modern School Old Students Association). This is MSOSA’s 50th Annual Production being held at Kamani Auditorium, Copernicus Marg, from February 21-23, 2014 from 7:00 PM. According to a media statement, entry is free and the nearest Metro Station is Mandi House.
Cast

The cast comprises of old Modernites and some well known theatre personalities including Ashok Dhawan, Pradip Kukreja, Geeta Sudan, Roopak Kathpalia and Vidushi Mehra. With the aim of sustaining and strengthening the spirit of their old school, MSOSA takes great pride in the history the school shares with the Nationalist Movement of the country and also the fact that the school was set up in 1920 as an experiment in education with the belief that growth is inherent in all dynamic ideas.
Platform
A product of visionary heads, the school is secular in nature and believes in the close interconnection of the physical, moral and intellectual as its axiom of a sound system of education. Even today it continues to produce and nurture builders of a modern India. It is MSOSA’s consistent aim to bring together all Modernites amid events that are akin in nature to the ethos of their Alma Mater, while providing them a Platform to contribute their best collectively as a fraternity.
Ensemble
Free Parking Entertainment is an ensemble of Actors, Directors, Writers, Film Makers, Musicians and other creative personnel working toward a common goal of creating and spreading thought provoking and captivating entertainment. It’s a team of young thespians namely, Arnav Nanduri,  Pranay Manchanda and Kabir Nath, known for their award winning, fast paced and highly energetic productions. The Good, The Bad and The Bolly (wood) has been adapted from a Woody Allen classic and promises to entertain people with its eccentric characters and brisk pace.
Sponsorships will be used for Scholarships for the education of meritorious and needy children from the underprivileged sections of society in Modern School, Barakhamba Road from class VI to XII. For further details, visit freeparkingentertainment.co.in.

Yogurberry offers Couples Delight this Valentine’s Day on February 14, 2014

This Valentine’s Week,  Frozen Yogurt Major Yogurberry is all set to join the ‘fever of love’ by giving an amazing offer to couples. Now you and your beloved can tune in with amazing flavors of Mix In’s at Yogurberry for a better price. May it be Strawberry and Cheesecake or Cookies and Nuts or Oreo and Brownie, these amazing flavors can drive you and your beloved crazy because Yogurberry is offering twin Mix In for Rs 299 all inclusive from 10 February 2014 to 14 February 2014, according to a company statement.

Yogurberry frozen yogurt is a delight for all especially for those looking for a low fat treat and is excellent for digestion. Yogurberry outlet in Delhi NCR will offer  a variety of toppings toppings, special mix ins, smoothies Parfaits’ along with the choicest of flavors and tastes to be liked by all.
“ With Valentine’s Day around, we are trying to make it special for everyone. At Yogurberry, we are celebrating the togetherness by offering a twin mix in combo at a special price”, said Ameer Husain, Head Raasha Leisure and entertainment, Yogurberry’s franchise partners for North & East India. Yogurberry regularly announces unbelievable deals to suit every pocket, making it available to every health conscious choice.
“Yogurberry is a delight for those looking for a low fat treat  the Yogurberry outlet will offer  a variety of toppings, special mix ins, smoothies Parfaits’ along with the choicest of flavors and tastes to be liked by all” Husain added.
With a Range of 36-40 exciting toppings and syrups the Yogurberry Mix-In’s are available in multiple variants, which include combinations like Strawberry & Cheesecake, Honey and Pistachio, Yogurberry, Strawberry and Banana, Cookies and Nuts, Oreo and Brownies, Oreo and Banana and Special Nut Mix.  Yogurberry in NCR is available at at Greater Kailash 1, Gurgaon and Noida.  Based in South Korea, Yogurberry was introduced in India in 2011 by Synergy Holdings, the brand’s master franchisee for India, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman. It has appointed Raasha Leisure and Entertainment as the area franchisee for Northern and Eastern region of India. The Frozen Yogurt Major plans to open over 100 outlets across the country over the next five years. Established in 2004, Yogurberry is present in 17 countries such as USA, China, Brazil, UAE, Kuwait, Panama, Malaysia, Philippines, Indonesia, and Paraguay, Bolivia, Australia, Colombia, India etc. For further details please visit yogurberry.com

Sparkling Hues Delhi offers Pink Gemstones for Valentine’s Day Gifting on February 14, 2014

Sparkle in PINK this Valentine’s Day- Get 10% off on every your favourite gemstones!It has always been a tradition of wearing red on Valentine’s Day as the colour is said to signify love. However, let us break this trend and look at the closer shade of red, PINK. Every woman is delicate and to think of gifting her something precious just like she is, could be nothing else but a piece of her favorite coloured gem. Now with a ten percent off on all gemstones at Sparkling Hues, it can help in adding a bigger smile on the face of your loved one. Much more than a simple gift, it surely is the best way to express love, thoughtfulness and commitment, says a concept note issued by the company.

Pick from a range of pink shaded gemstones from Sparkling Hues that could be a unique gifting option to make the day perfect for your Valentine. A white stone is precious in itself, however, a pink coloured one is surely a rare kind and much more than being precious. Make her feel like a princess by gifting her something unique.

Sparkling Hues has some very fascinating styles in pink gemstones- Pink Tourmaline, Rubelite Tourmaline, Pink Opal, Rhodolite Garnet, Rose Quartz or Pink Amethyst. Offering exclusive cut and design, these rings are available in two shapes- Jelly bean (or Sugar Crush) and Faceted. These gemstones are fabricated in yellow gold, white gold and rose gold, and crafted using the finest materials and vivid pink colored natural gemstones. Most of these rings are accented with sparkling white diamonds to give it a perfect look and make them a full package of beauty. Price range: Rs 30,000 onwards. Special Valentine’s day offer: 10 % Off on every purchase. Availability: Sparkling Hues store, Saket, Delhi.

Madame inspires the fashion lovers to try colours other than red or pink this Valentine’s day on February 14, 2014

Whether you’re out celebrating with friends or having a romantic dinner with your special one, Valentine’s Day is just another excuse to dress up and look great! Madame inspires the fashion lovers to try colours other than red or pink this Valentine’s day, because ultimately dressing right is more important.

Madame’s exciting range of party dresses come in interesting patterns and colours like electric blue for women who want to look bold yet elegant, red with a touch of gold or a simple black dress, the colour of all seasons. These dresses come with a perfect fit to look your best when you go out with your Valentine.

Pick the simple and romantic sweetheart neckline dress, a lace blended dress which adds more feminity, a cute dress of net and chiffon to add sensuality or a simple knee length net sleeved dress. Accessorise the whole look with metal studded purse and ballerinas and you are ready for a perfect evening! Availability: All Madame stores. Website: madameonline.com.