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.

Renault Gang of Dusters: Desert Odyssey flagged off in Rajasthan

The Chennai-based Renault India Private Ltd, India’s fastest growing auto maker, flagged off the second drive of its highly successful Gang of Dusters programme from, Jaipur today. The exclusive Desert Odyssey will see 30 Dusters cover around 1,500 kms of some of the most scenic parts of the country, passing through Bikaner and Khuri before culminating back in Jaipur on March 18, 2014.

The drive aims to provide an exciting, adrenaline-filled experience to Duster owners and their families as well as an opportunity to celebrate the festival of colors among the beautiful vistas of Rajasthan, according to a press statement issued by the firm.

Speaking about the drive, Sumit Sawhney- Country CEO and Managing Director for Renault in India said: “The Renault Duster has now achieved a near-iconic status among our customers, a fact that has contributed to the consistent sales success of the Duster. The first Gang of Dusters expedition was held across the West Coast last year and with the Desert Odyssey, we hope to build on the appeal of the Gang of Dusters and once again offer an opportunity for Duster owners to enjoy their vehicles during an adventurous and memorable escape in one of the most scenic parts of the country”.
During the Desert Odyssey, participants will be able to meet and share experiences with other Duster owner and driving enthusiasts, interact with Renault service personnel for maintenance tips a as well as take part in such activities as parasailing, soft roading and cultural events, among others.

The Gang of Dusters initiative will continue after the Desert Odyssey, with regular drives organized for owners across India in the coming months. For more information on the Desert Odyssey as well as to register for upcoming drives, visit renault.co.in/gangofdusters .Regular updates will also be posted on Renault India’s Facebook page (facebook.com/RenaultIndia).

Renault India is a fully owned subsidiary of Renault S.A.S., France and currently offers five models in the Indian market – the premium sedan Fluence, the luxury SUV Koleos, the premium compact car, Pulse, the SUV, Duster and the premium sedan, Scala. Renault India also exports the Duster to right-hand drive markets, with India set to become a production hub for right-hand drive cars.

Renault cars are manufactured in the manufacturing facility located in Oragadam, Chennai, with a capacity of 480,000 units per annum. Currently, Renault India also has a widespread presence of 125 dealer outlets across the country with benchmark sales and service quality. Renault’s robust product line up and services have also seen strong recognition among customers and industry experts alike, winning a record-breaking 38 titles, including 29 accolades for the Duster as well as awards for the Pulse and Scala, making Renault the most awarded automotive brand in a single year in the country.

Ford Time Machine comes calling Chennai at Express Avenue Mall

What would you give to go back in time to revisit events that you might have missed and experience that excitement? Ford India is giving auto enthusiasts an opportunity to do just that. The Ford Time Machine comes to Chennai to take you back in time and allow you a chance to take a 3D virtual reality tour of the Ford Pavilion that was a highlight at the 12th Delhi Auto Expo, according to a company statement.

The Ford Time Machine is a unique installation that will allow the user to go back in time and visit the exciting line up of Ford vehicles at the recently concluded Auto Expo 2014. Ford India is taking the Time Machine to six cities across the country. After winning hearts of consumers across Mumbai, Lucknow, Surat, Guwahati and Bangalore, it will be in Chennai at the  Express Avenue Mall on March 15-16, 2014. This one-of-its-kind initiative by Ford will elevate the customer experience and bring the excitement of Asia’s largest Auto Expo to their backyards. The users will experience a 360°, virtual walk through of the Ford Pavilion through 3D glasses. A user wearing 3D glasses can also change the perspective by changing positions.

Ford’s pavilion at the Auto Expo 2014 illustrated its award-winning and segment-leading vehicles including the All-New Figo Concept and the new 2014 Ford Fiesta which enthralled audiences leaving them spellbound. The Ford Figo Concept, aimed at redefining customer expectations in the B segment won the NDTV Car & Bike Show Award for the ‘Best Global Concept Reveal’ at the auto show. The new Ford Fiesta, with a rejuvenated, stylish and bold design, and more advanced technologies, appealed to enthusiasts across the board.
Established in 1995, Ford India is a wholly owned subsidiary of Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader. Ford India manufactures and distributes automobiles and engines made at its modern integrated manufacturing facilities at Maraimalai Nagar, near Chennai. The company’s models include the Figo, Fiesta, Classic, Endeavour, and the most recently launched EcoSport.
Ford’s operations in the country also include Global Business Services with offices in Chennai, Coimbatore and Gurgaon that provides support to nearly every Ford location around the world in the areas of IT, Engineering, Finance and Accounting, Automotive Financing, Marketing Sales and Service, Analytics, and Purchasing. Ford’s businesses in India employ 11,500 hard-working, dedicated men and women.

HMSI, Reliance General Insurance kick-start National Safety Week with a special initiative for school children

As a leading two-wheeler manufacturer, Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India Pvt Ltd (HMSI) – the Only Honda in Indian two-wheeler industry today announced the commencement of a special road safety initiative for kids during the National safety week, March 4-10, 2014.

According to a company statement, the inaugural activity was held at Ramjas International School, Pusa Road, New Delhi where students in the age group of 9-12 years were provided road safety education through innovative activities and practical training on specially imported Honda CRF 50-kids training bike making them learn the ‘fun way’. Uniquely designed kids helmets were also provided to kids which will help spread the awareness with greater impact and inspire parents and society at large to follow ethical road safety practices.
The event took place in the august presence of Prabhu Nagaraj – General Manager- Customer Service-HMSI, Rakesh Jain, CEO- Reliance General Insurance, Mr JC Pahuja, Education Coordinator- Ramjas Foundation and Ms Mohini Bindra- Principal- Ramjas International School, Pusa Road, New Delhi.
Honda believes that educating Young Minds on road safety is an effective way of spreading the message to the entire family. Their sincerity and willingness to learn and explore is unquestionable. Moreover, as the road users and 2wheeler riders of tomorrow, the objective is to educate them on how the Freedom of using roads comes with Responsibility – not just of self but also for other road users. This joint Road Safety Education Campaign in association with Reliance General Insurance will cover schools across North, West and Central regions of India.

Commenting on this unique initiative, Yadvinder S Guleria, Vice President- Sales and Marketing, HMSI said: “Road Safety is an important concern for Honda and we have been actively creating awareness and educating people since the inception of our operations in India. Recently we partnered with most famous kids character Chhota Bheem to reach out to families and society at large. We are happy to partner with Reliance General Insurance for the special initiative and wish for the success of this campaign”.
Rakesh Jain, CEO- Reliance General Insurance said: “As an insurance company we are into the business of managing risk. We want people to be safe while on the road by influencing their behavior towards road safety. Kids in particular do not wear helmet when they ride pillion on two wheelers. Therefore, our effort is towards making children aware on road safety. We are really happy to associate with Honda in this initiative as it would inculcate road safety awareness in kids and convert them into messengers of road safety”.
Globally, road safety promotion has been Honda’s top priorities worldwide since 1970. Under the “People Come First” philosophy, Honda follows Safety as an integral part of all its business activities. Honda is committed to make Safe Riding an everyday habit of two-wheeler riders and promotes Road Safety through ‘Lifetime Safety Education’ starting from five years young children to females, new riders and even big bike customers. Honda has already trained more than 40,000 people at its two traffic training parks in Jaipur and Delhi.
Reliance General Insurance Company Limited, subsidiary of Reliance Capital Limited, is one of India’s top private sector general insurance companies with a private sector market share of eight percent, in terms of gross written premium, of the private sector general insurance industry. The company has an asset under management of more than Rs 3,732 crore and an extensive distribution network of 127 offices and over 14,500 intermediaries (as on December 31, 2013). Reliance General Insurance offers an exhaustive and customized basket of insurance products that include motor, health, travel, student travel insurance etc. Reliance General is ranked amongst top 10 best BFSI brands in India as per prestigious BAV Insights 2013 survey by Rediffusion Y&R.

Gartner Symposium & ITxpo 2013: NeoNiche Integrated Solutions bag award

NeoNiche Integrated Solutions won the award under ‘Most Admired Event Management Company’ and ‘Most Admired Corporate Event in IT Industry’ for ‘Gartner Symposium & ITxpo 2013.

Winners of the ‘Stars of the Industry Awards 2014’ were announced at a gala event held on February 14, 2014 at Taj Landsend in Mumbai in the presence of luminaries and stalwarts of the industry. The Stars of the Industry Awards recognises individual and corporate excellence across Industry verticals. These Awards were decided by an eminent Jury comprising senior professionals. The Awards were sponsored by 94.3 MY FM and endorsed by Asian Confederation of Businesses.

Speaking on the awards Prateek N Kumar CEO & MD NeoNiche Integrated Solutions said: “We are happy to be named the Most Admired Event Management Company and to get Most Admired Corporate Event in IT Industry. We are extremely grateful Stars of the Industry Awards organisers and 94.3 MY FM who provide such a great platform, to our clients who trusted us and are some of the most prestigious and recognised names in the corporate space. We also thank our partners in the industry and NeoKnights who deliver our promise of Ideas, Innovation and Insights to every project that we undertake. Lastly we pledge to continue giving our clients the most professional, innovative and process driven service, as we go forward with this new found recognition”.

Honda is third largest car brand in India

With a new small diesel car, Amaze, the Japanese auto maker has jumped few notches from the distant 6th position a year ago to the third slot in India.

If Honda Amaze compact sedan had helped the car manufacturer to enter into the highly competitive volume segment with a single diesel product from its stable, its mid-sized sedan, Honda City pushed several notches to become the third largest car brand in the country, that too within a short span of time. The leading brands like Maruti Suzuki India and Hyundai Motor India had taken a long time to achieve their respective number one and two spots.
Honda has registered a total sales of 100,495 cars during the first ten months of the current fiscal in contrast with the sales figures of 56,713 units recorded in the previous year. Interestingly, Honda is the only car maker in India to achieve a six digit sales during the period under review after the top two players, MSIL and HMIL. When the Japanese auto maker Maruti Suzuki India osted a sales figure of 719,842 vehicles, the Chennai-based Korean car maker, HMIL has clocked a sales figure of 310,864 units. The sales of Honda, MSIL and HMIL put together in the country has overtaken the volumes of Toyota Kirloskar Motor, Tata Motors and Ford Motor India.
Amazing Amaze
The compact sedan, Honda Amaze, which was rolled out in April ast year has been selling in great numbers consistently till date, eating into the domain of Maruti Suzuki Swift DZire, the market leader in that segment. Before the introduction of Honda Amaze, the Japanese auto maker did not have a single diesel car model in India. The company was sustaining with the sale of Honda City, a popular sedan doing reasonably well. Honda Accord was also selling in small numbers. Honda had realised that with petrol engine alone and without having a product in the volume segment (read compact car), it could not make a fortune in the highly competitive Indian market. Honda came up with a brilliant product. Honda Amaze diesel compact car, with all the trappings of its mid-sized sedan, Honda City. Indian consumers can’t ask for more. The result was just amazing. This product changed the fortune of Honda, which not only sold in big numbers but also helped the auto maker to improve the pole position from the sixth spot to an enviable third!
In fact, the sale of Amaze, along with the new generation City (more later), the company achieved the highest ever sales in January this year. Honda sold 15,714 cars logging a growth of a whopping 188 percent, in comparison to the sales of 5,451 units in the year ago period.

Jnaneswar Sen, Senior Vice President – Marketing and Sales, Honda Cars India said: “We have kick-started the year 2014 with a positive note as we had received humungous response to our all new City, along with strong showing by our compact sedan, Amaze”.
Honda also shipped 88 vehicles in January this year, besides achieving a milestone of crossing 100,000 cars sales for the first time during the current financial year. The car maker had sold 101,370 vehicles during the period between April 2013 and January 2014, clocking a growth of 78 percent as against the figure of 56,929 cars sold in the corresponding period of the previous year.
New generation Honda City

And then came the highly improved version of City, which not only regained its numero uno position in the mid-sized sedan segment in January this year, (Hyundai Verna overtook Honda City a couple of years back), but also helping the Japanese auto maker to transform the brand value up the value chain. In the mid-sized sedan category, the overall volume was pegged at 15,858 vehicles, out of that, Hyundai Verna logged a sales of 3,803 units.
Not intending to rest under the past laurels, Honda is cruising ahead with a slew of new products. Sen, while launching the new generation Honda City in Chennai recently had stated the company would be launching two new models in the next fiscal. The products that are in the pipeline includes a seven seater MPV, Honda Mobilio and an all new premium hatchback, Honda Jazz. Honda has certainly scaled heights and is now looking beyond to conquer the top slot in the coming years. Whether Honda will be a number one brand in India, only time can tell.

TaxiForSure announces exciting offer this Valentine’s Day on February 14, 2014

The leading, cost-friendly taxi booking aggregator, TaxiForSure.com has announced an exciting offer this Valentine’s Day for their customers. The offer is valid on taxi bookings made on February 14, 2014 through TaxiForSure’s mobile application and will entitle every customer, a free Rs 100 movie voucher, a company statement said.

The Bangalore-based and fastest growing cab-aggregator, TaxiForSure.com has announced this to offer the best of taxi services to all its customers with an ease of booking on Valentine’s Day through its mobile application which can be downloaded at tfs.my/app.

Announcing the special offer, Co-Founder and Director, Aprameya R said: “TaxiForSure has always kept its customers as the focus of all initiatives. For us, it’s truly been #LoveAtFirstRide. This Valentine, we want to show them they are special. Hence this offer on all app rides on Valentine’s Day”.

Being one of the fastest growing startups in the city, TaxiForSure.com has been offering its cab services at a base fare of Rs 200 per 10 kilometers, with a charge of Rs 13 per kilometers on extra distance covered.

TaxiForSure.com is an aggregator of car rentals and taxis in India. The company works with various taxi operators and enables them with technology to ensure that customers get an easily accessible, safe, reliable taxi ride ‘for sure’. TaxiForSure.com was founded by IIM Ahmedabad graduates Raghunandan G. and Aprameya Radhakrishna in June 2011 in Bangalore. Within a time span of two years the company launched its services in Chennai, Delhi and NCR region and is looking at presence in 15 cities by the year 2015. Customers can book local point to point, local packages, outstation and airport transfer taxis, across various car types by logging on taxiforsure.comor by calling 60601010 or over the mobile app.

Sheena Chohan in Rimi Nayak designed Bengali Typography saree in Dhaka

Dazzling Sheena Chohan at a musical show – ‘Glitterati Night’ to celebrate awards, entertainment, music with wonderful people in Dhaka Bangladesh  wearing Rimi Nayak’s beautiful half in half digital printed Bengali Typography Saree with amazing singers Benny Dayal who has given hit numbers like Batameez dil, Aadat se Majboor and Shilpa Rao who has sung amazing songs like Aahatein, Yaariyan, Subhanallah.

Rimi Nayak graduated in the year 2007 from the National Institute of Fashion Technology, Kolkata. In the same year she bagged an award at the prestigious Lineapelle International Young Designers Competition, Italy. She started her professional career in an export house and then had a brief stint as an assistant designer at Sabyasachi Couture before launching her women’s wear line under her eponymous label at the Lakme Fashion Week.

Rimi’s personal style of work draws its roots from her philosophy of free thinking, innovation and a rebellious streak inside her. Her creations strive to break away from existing norms and try to weave a bridge between wearability and avant garde fashion. She believes in looking at mundane objects from a different perspective, thereby giving it a fresh twist and a novel approach. Reinvention is clearly the name of the game for this young fashion designer. She is an ardent believer of the fact that our roots are what really make us the individual that we are, and give us our distinct identity. Hence, her work is a combination of her rebellious thinking with elements of Indian tradition in all its richness, beauty and sensuality. Thus the label has an Indian soul in Cosmopolitan Styling with sophistication and minimalism.

Participation

participated in no of fashion weeks that includes Lakme Fashion Week (2013) – Summer/Resort 13 (Established Designer)
Lakme Fashion Week (2012) – Summer/Resort 12 (Established Designer)
Vancouver Fashion Week (2011) – Spring/Summer 12 (International Designer)
Lakme Fashion Week (2011) – Summer/Resort 11 (Established Designer)
Lakme Fashion Week (2010) – Summer/Resort 10 (Established Designer)
Lakme Fashion Week (2009) – Autumn/Winter 09-10 (Emerging Designer)
Lakme Fashion Week (2008) – Spring/Summer 09 (Gen Next Designer)
Designing has been Rimi’s domain and individualizing her intelligence and strength! Rimi Nayak India design philosophy is for the clients to get into the best and unique styles and designs by Rimi.

Sheena Chohan is an Indian actress and model who hails from Kolkata. Sheena started off her career as a model and won the coveted Lakme Miss Kolkata title. She was then handpicked by Sushmita Sen to compete the ‘Miss India Universe – I am she’ contest. At the contest, Sheena won the “I am voice” title for her ability to effortlessly express and connect with the audience.
Sheena made her acting debut with the Malayalam film ‘The Train’ co-starring superstar Mammootty, directed by Jayaraj, Indian National Award winning Director. The film was released in June 2011 and was a box office hit.  Besides that, her film and modeling career, Sheena is a theater and performing artist.
She is an Artiste with a flair for being natural in front of the camera. Her stylish persona with a dash of oomph makes her a versatile performer, be it playing roles with ease, anchoring for shows and Events and carving her own distinct niche when it comes to modelling and advertising commercials/brand campaigns. Ever since she won a title (For best connectivity) under the Miss Universe India title 2010,Sheena has constantly evolved as a professional who is a delight to work with. Having been recently acknowledged as one of the top finalists for The Live Quotient Awards 2013, Sheena is all set to step it up!. She has done Tvcs for brands like Sony bravia, Wella, Videocon, green rich tea. . The Bengali siren has recently done 2 films with Buddhadeb Dasgupta,  Mukti and Patralekha’ based on Rabindranath Tagore’s poems.  She was also chosen as the host for Bangladesh Premiere league.

Sheena Chohan hosts ‘O Teri’ movie trailer launch wearing Rimi Nayak gown with Salman Khan

Beautiful Bengali Siren, Sheena Chohan hosted ‘O Teri’ movie trailer launch with Salman Khan and Sara Jain Dias. Sheena was draped in Ace Designer Rimi Nayak’s gorgeous blue flowy gown with a stunning long jacket, which was mind blowing, to say the least. The gown was replete with cutwork embroidery detailing long dress, using French crepe material. Added to that was the applique and stitch detailed long jacket, which turned many eyeballs towards Sheena.

Sheena Chohan is an Indian actress  and model rolled into one, who hails from Kolkata. Sheena started off her career as a model and won the coveted Lakme Miss Kolkata title. She was then handpicked by Sushmita Sen to compete the ‘Miss India Universe – I am she’ contest. At the contest, Sheena won the ‘I am voice’ title for her ability to effortlessly express and connect with the audience.

Sheena made her acting debut with the Malayalam film ‘The Train’ co-starring superstar Mammootty, directed by Jayaraj, Indian National Award winning Director.

The film was released in June 2011 and was a box office hit. Apart from her film and modeling career, Sheena is a theater and performing artist.
Being Natural

She is an Artiste with a flair for being natural in front of the camera. Her stylish persona with a dash of oomph makes her a versatile performer, be it playing roles with ease, anchoring for shows and Events and carving her own distinct niche when it comes to modelling and advertising commercials/brand campaigns. Ever since she won a title (For best connectivity) under the Miss Universe India title 2010, Sheena has constantly evolved as a professional who is a delight to work with.

Having been recently acknowledged as one of the top finalists for The Live Quotient Awards 2013, Sheena is all set to step it up. She has done Tvcs for brands like Sony Bravia, Wella, Videocon, Green Rich Tea and more. The Bengali siren has recently done two movies with Buddhadeb Dasgupta,  Mukti and Patralekha’ based on Rabindranath Tagore’s poems.  She was also chosen as the host for Bangladesh Premiere league.

Surajkund International Crafts Mela 2014: Haryana Government invites Goa to be a ‘Theme State’

One of the objectives of Goa Tourism is to promote various facets of the state both in India and abroad. The Government of Haryana has invited State of Goa to participate in the forthcoming edition of the Surajkund Mela as the ‘theme state’ is a great honour. The 28th Surajkund International Crafts Mela will be held from February 1-15, 2014 in the Surajkund district, Faridabad, Haryana, according to a statement issued by GTDC.

Goa Tourism is planning to make the most of this event and use it as a platform to showcase and promote Goa’s culture, folk dances, handicrafts and more. Goa Tourism is focussing on promotion of State among domestic and foreign tourists as a great cultural and heritage tourism destination and participation in the Surajkund Mala which is amongst one of the biggest in the world in terms of attendance, is a major effort in this direction.
The Surajkund International Crafts Mela features handlooms, handicrafts, authentic fragrances and flavours from the different states of the country across 40 acres of land that house 700 huts for displays and demonstrations. Craftspersons from Goa, other states of India and the eight SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) nations will also showcase their work at the mela.  Over one million visitors are expected to visit the mela this year.

As the theme state, Goa will take the opportunity to highlight its varied arts and crafts, turning the spotlight on its unique blend of Western and local influences.

The Surajkund Arts Mela 2014 is expected to give a fillip to the state’s tourism industry, currently buoyed by exotic beaches and luxury resorts, by focusing on its equally relevant and important heritage and culture. Throughout the two-week festival, there will be colourful performances by dance troupes, live bands and traditional dances among others. There will also be a Theme Pavilion where visitors get a peek into the variety of Goa’s cultural aspects. A major attraction is expected to Apna Ghar, a specially constructed Goan house in which a Goan couple will reside for 15 days to showcase the lifestyle of Goa. Guests will get a feel of a Goan village lifestyle most tourists never see from the architecture to the costumes worn by the residing couple, furniture, household items and food, there will be glimpses of the customs of old still prevalent in many villages today. There will also be a Food Court serving delicious Goan cuisine, beverages and snacks.
About 60 artisans from Goa, selected by Goa Handicrafts Corporation will be sent to Surajkund, and will demonstrate their crafts and also sell their handicrafts. Over 100 performing artists are also being sent from Goa who will perform traditional Goan dances during the entire 15 day period.

Dilip Parulekar, Minister for Tourism, Government of Goa, said that Goa is a land of rich culture and heritage and the same needs to be highlighted to attract tourists. Goa Tourism will therefore focus on these aspects with renewed vigour as a part of the marketing strategy.