Mar 21, 2024 | Uncategorized
Exicom, a leader in the EV charging ecosystem, today announced its partnership with the Delhi Toofans volleyball franchise, for the highly anticipated Season 3 of RuPay Prime Volleyball League 2024. Through this partnership, Exicom logo will proudly feature on the Delhi Toofans team jerseys, marking Exicom’s commitment as an Associate Sponsor for the third season of the RuPay Prime Volleyball League. This collaboration embodies our shared spirit of resilience and excellence. #RuPayPrimeVolleyballLeague #DilSeToofan #DelhiToofans
RuPay Prime Volleyball League, Season 3, a premier volleyball tournament known for its thrilling matches and fervent fan base, is captivating the audiences between 15th February and 21st March. Exicom stands ready to champion emerging talents, embodying the ethos that resonates deeply within our team. Through this partnership, Exicom not only supports the essence of high-level competitive sports but also proudly mirrors the core values of transparency, agility, customer focus, and innovation found within its own ranks. Just as athletes demonstrate transparency by communicating openly with teammates and coaches, agility by adapting to changing game situations, customer centricity by prioritizing team success, ownership by taking responsibility for their performance, and innovation by constantly seeking new strategies to win, each Exicom employee embodies these values daily. This partnership underscores the company’s commitment to fostering a collaborative, energized, and forward-thinking culture where every employee contributes to its collective success.
Commenting on this collaboration, Anant Nahata, MD and CEO, Exicom, expressed his enthusiasm, stating, “We are thrilled to partner with the Delhi Toofans Team. We strongly believe in the power of sports as a great unifier along with community and character builder. Exicom is committed to fostering initiatives that resonate with our values of community development, thereby contributing towards building a resilient nation”.
Delhi Toofans is the 9th franchise to join the RuPay Prime Volleyball League. The Delhi Toofans have already assembled a strong squad after the recent auctions. Delhi Toofans Team shares Exicom’s vision of driving positive change through sports. Delhi Toofans Team, remarked, “We are delighted to welcome Exicom as our partner for RuPay Prime Volleyball League Season 3. This collaboration represents a convergence of shared values and aspirations. Together, we strive to inspire athletes and fans alike while advocating for a greener, more sustainable future.”
The partnership between Exicom and the Delhi Toofans Team is a testament of collective commitment to promoting sports, sustainability, and social responsibility. Through initiatives like RuPay Prime Volleyball League, Season 3, they aim to inspire individuals and communities to embrace a healthier, more environmentally conscious lifestyle.
Mar 21, 2024 | Uncategorized
Representing a roster of more than 93 comedians, creators, writers, actors and other artists, OML’s artists management business at the Mumbai-headquartered media and entertainment company has announced an amplified international touring schedule for 2024. The company continues to spearhead its global expansion collaborating with an expansive network of over 1,800 creators spanning 24 countries. Since 2002, OML has transformed the Indian live-touring ecosystem, following and have taken their expansive roster to international territories. As leaders in the global touring circuit, OML is now committed to working with a diverse set of comedians and other performing artists to facilitate their international tours.
Gunjan Arya, CEO, Only Much Louder says, ” We have been very lucky to be repping hardworking and ambitious talent which has allowed us to take risks and scale up while enabling us to have front row seats in expanding the global footprint of the Indian comedy ecosystem, by OML partnering with promoters across 60+ cities and programming over 500 shows, just this year. We are very grateful for the overwhelming response and support we’ve received. Our commitment to spotlighting diverse talent on international platforms remains steadfast.”
The upcoming 2024 international schedule features more than 20 OML-repped comedians going on international tours. After conquering Royal Albert Hall, Zakir Khan sets his eyes on North America with more than 20,000 tickets sold so far and a sold-out performance at Madison Square Garden in March. Abishek Kumar and Nirmal Pillai also take their crowd work show to North America later in August and September. Prashasti Singh heads to Europe performing in Munich, Amsterdam, London, Dublin, Stockholm and Paris in March. On the other hand, Anirban Dasgupta and Urooj Ashfaq, hot off their recent runs at Soho Theatre in London, making their way to the Melbourne International Comedy Festival where they are taking their solo shows for month-long runs, followed by the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Azeem Banatwalla too will have a month-long run at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. Rahul Subramanian heads to the Middle East for a series of shows before going to Australia where Biswa Kalyan Rath too takes his show on the road.
Comedian Prashasti Singh says “I have always wanted to perform to a wider audience across the world. The idea of doing it is both exciting and nerve wracking! OML has helped me plan and execute live shows outside India and now I’m thrilled to take my show on the road to Europe for the first time. Looking forward to now being a part of International Festivals too”.
In 2024’s touring schedule, OML has collaborated with a diversified portfolio of Indian as well as international promoters. Furthermore, they have partnered with the world’s three biggest comedy festivals – the Melbourne International Comedy Festival 2024; Just For Laughs; and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe to showcase their roster’s talent.
Comedian Zakir Khan says “What we have achieved is bigger than what I dreamed, I don’t think I ever thought we’d be able to achieve even 10% of what all we have done just this year and the humbling part is abhi toh yeh sirf shuruaat hai (this is just the beginning),”.
Over the last few years, OML has expanded its international market share to include shows featuring and headlining Indian comedians in over 60 cities across the USA, Canada, UK, Germany, France, Sweden, Scotland, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Kenya, Spain, Azerbaijan, Saudi Arabia and more. The company has scaled up its presence from local comedy clubs to globally renowned and aspirational venues such as Madison Square Garden in New York; the Royal Albert Hall in London; the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi; the Meridian Hall in Toronto; the Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay in Singapore; and the Sydney Opera House in Australia to name a few. From 13 shows in 2018, OML has amplified its international touring presence to a staggering 500+ shows across the world in 2024.
Rishabh Nahar, Senior Vice President, Artist Management says, “ With over 500 shows across 60 cities, we are not just pushing boundaries but also forging new avenues for Indian talent to shine on a global stage. This is just the beginning of an exciting chapter for OML and the exceptional artists we represent. The number of Indian comedians touring in these markets have exponentially increased and the promoters with whom we have developed and scaled markets with are now also trusted partners for comedians who are not repped by OML too, thereby building a lot of inclusivity. OML has the highest market share of revenue, tickets and volume of shows when it comes to international touring of Indian comedians. And more importantly, our artists have been able to create a global impact for the Indian entertainment ecosystem.”
In fact, OML had programmed a whopping 114 shows at the Fringe in 2023, a feat unrivaled by any other Indian agency so far and in 2024, the number goes up to 150. This year also marks OML programming the highest number of shows at the Soho Theatre in London. These amplified efforts have consequently opened up international opportunities for the Indian comedy industry as a whole, bringing Indian talent to a global stage and audience.
In 2018, the overall Indian comedy industry pulled off a total of 35-38 international shows, of which OML facilitated 13. OML also helped develop and grow international comedy markets beyond Southeast Asian and Middle Eastern territories such as Singapore, Dubai and Thailand.
Mar 21, 2024 | Uncategorized
The Managing Director of LG Electronics India, Hong Ju Jeon visits Hubli in Karnataka, marking his 51st branch visit in the country. This visit underscores LG’s commitment to understanding regional consumer preferences.
Mr. Jeon was in charge of the Gulf region as subsidiary President of LG Electronics before coming to India in Jan 2024 as the Managing Director. Considering the vast demographics and growing economy of India, he aims to increase the consumer base by adopting a consumer-centric approach. Mr. Hong has spearheaded initiatives aimed at strengthening LG’s brand position in India. Under his guidance, LG has introduced flagship products such as the WASH TOWER, INSTA VIEW Refrigerator, and OLED TV, tailored to meet the evolving needs of Indian consumers.
During his visit, Mr. Hong Ju Jeon engaged with local retailers and on-ground teams to gain a comprehensive understanding of the region’s dynamics. He emphasized collaboration and transparency in fostering long-term relationships with Partners and other stakeholders across the country.
As LG continues to expand its foot prints in India, Mr. Hong is committed to driving innovation and maintaining LG’s position as a trusted leader in the consumer electronics and home appliances market.
Commenting on his visit, Mr. Hong Ju Jeon-MD LG Electronics India stated, “Our commitment to the Indian market goes beyond just delivering innovative products. We believe in actively listening to our consumers, understanding their needs, and striving to exceed their expectations. I am extensively touring across India to gain firsthand insights that drive our efforts to continuous improvement”.
Mr. Hong’s vision revolves around actively engaging with consumers and stakeholders at the grassroots level. By regularly visiting regional markets, he aims to gather invaluable feedback directly from frontline teams. This approach enables LG to adapt its product offerings and business strategies according to the dynamic preferences and challenges faced by Indian consumers
Mar 21, 2024 | Uncategorized
The State Government of Maharashtra in consultation with Maharashtra Medical Council has announced significant amendments to the Maharashtra Medical Council Act, 1965. In a move aimed at expanding the scope of medical education and accreditation, the State Government, after extensive consultations with the Maharashtra Medical Council, has approved the reintroduction of 10 NMC recognised courses offered by the Colleges of Physicians and Surgeons, Mumbai, into the schedule of the Maharashtra Medical Council Act, 1965. This development marks a significant milestone in the re-recognition and validation of the academic programs offered by this esteemed institution.
The amended schedule now includes a comprehensive list of courses offered by the Colleges of Physicians and Surgeons, Mumbai, which align with the standards set forth by the National Medical Commission. Notable inclusions encompass a range of membership and fellowship programs, as well as diploma courses, covering various medical specializations such as Medicine, Pathology, Surgery, Dermatology, Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Ophthalmology and Child Health.
“We always believed that de-recognition of CPS courses wasn’t in the best interest of the Medical Fraternity, the healthcare system of the state and at large the healthcare system of the country. Today our belief has been validated, all 10 NMC approved courses are now re-recognised by the Government of Maharashtra. With this notification not only CPS but the entire alumni of CPS and the future students have received justice , which was long due. This order will also benefit the healthcare system of the state. I would like to thank the Government of Maharashtra and the concerned authorities for their prudent decision,” remarked CPS President Dr. Ajay D. Sambre.
These amendments, effective immediately upon publication in the official gazette, underline the commitment of the Government of Maharashtra to uphold the highest standards of medical education and professional practice in the State .
About College of Physicians & Surgeons of Mumbai or CPS Mumbai or CPS Bombay: Established in 1912, is an autonomous body imparting Postgraduate Medical Education and offers Fellowship & Diploma Courses. It is located in Parel- Mumbai and it caters to doctors from all over India. The qualifications granted by CPS Mumbai allow the Practitioner to register themselves as specialists in the specialty concerned, upon duly completing the tenure of 2 year Diploma or 3 year Fellowship courses and passing the exit examination prescribed.
Mar 21, 2024 | Uncategorized
Entrepreneur First (EF), the world’s first “Talent Investor”, has launched a new office in South Park, San Francisco to connect the world’s best founder talent with the world’s best funding ecosystem. Five Indian companies built from scratch in EF’s Bangalore program will be invited to relocate to San Francisco following EF’s pre-Seed Investment Committee.
These Indian startups will have the opportunity to continue their journey in San Francisco, growing what they’ve built into an early-stage company while gaining access to US investors, customers, and markets. This immersive program further reinforces EF’s commitment to strengthening the India-US corridor, helping exceptional Indian founders build global-first companies from their very inception.
The inaugural San Francisco batch will be made up of 33 global teams who will be working on everything from non-invasive brain-computer interfaces to decode language-related thought in the brain to Figma for spatial computing. EF has also upgraded its investment terms for founders joining their programs across the globe. Teams that pass their pre-Seed Investment Committee will be offered a $125,000 investment for an 8% convertible instrument. In addition to the $125,000 investment amount per company, every founder will receive a pre-seed advance of up to $5,000 investment amount upon acceptance into one of their programs in India.
The immersive program comes as a follow-up to the graduate program launched in India in March 2023. Successful teams from the graduate program were given the tools, advisory, and required funding to launch their startup focused on rapidly growing their idea into an early-stage company. The EF India team has been mentoring 30 exceptional individuals as a part of this cohort and preparing the India teams for creating value with a global customer base from their inception. The selected teams from India comprise of:
- CodeAnt AI | Amartya Jha, Chinmay Bharti | CodeAnt AI is a DevTool that helps companies find and auto-fix code issues and security vulnerabilities.
- Hanomi | Marco Mascolo, Drishti Bhasin | An engineering co-pilot to slash design cycles for hardware companies by 50x.
- Insight XR | Sudhanshu Heda, Akshat Khare | Building an Analytics and Insights Platform for XR Experiences to help teams build data-backed experiences.
- Iterate AI | Saksham Aggarwal, Shubhram Bhattacharya | Creating infinite engineering bandwidth for product teams.
- Repello AI | Aryaman Behera, Naman Mishra | Automated red-teaming tool to proactively find vulnerabilities in generative AI applications.
- Unproject | Rishabh Singh, Viba Mohan | Building the Figma for spatial computing.
Alice Bentinck, co-founder and CEO of Entrepreneur First, said: “It’s well known that Europe and India have some of the world’s most talented engineers. But their path to becoming globally important founders is still too fraught with obstacles. Launching the SF hub is not just about access to the world’s best investors, but it’s about the ‘wet-ware’ mental upgrade EF founders will get from being surrounded by a dense ecosystem of ambitious peers”.
Talking about the immersion program Rahul Samat, Partner and India Head of Entrepreneur First, said, “From Bengaluru to San Francisco, our immersive program is a testament to our commitment to Indian founders, enabling them to build global companies from inception. Witnessing their growth over the past year has been inspiring, and we eagerly anticipate their global impact. As they step onto the global stage, their diverse perspectives will not only contribute to the entrepreneurial fabric of their home countries but also enrich the global startup ecosystem.”
Once founders relocate to San Francisco post funding from EF’s Investment Committee, they will be matched with a Silicon Valley advisor, attend weekly conversations with experienced founders, operators, and investors, and pitch to world-leading investors at an in-person Demo Day hosted by Reid Hoffman.
Building across a wide range of sectors, EF India’s portfolio boasts 50+ successful startups such as gamified investment and personal finance platform Fello, which has a user base of over 1,000,000 people and raised US$4M in their latest funding round, and Beatoven, which harnesses artificial intelligence to empower video and podcast content creators in composing original soundtracks without any prior music expertise.
Mar 15, 2024 | Uncategorized
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday hit out at the Opposition for offering freebies or ‘revdi’ to score electoral victories while criticising the policies of the Centre.
Speaking at the 21st edition of the India Today Conclave 2024 in New Delhi, Sitharaman called the Opposition “hypocrites”. “What is revdi for you is not revdi for them,” the Finance Minister said.
She made the remarks while addressing the session, “A $7 Trillion Economy by 2030: The Promise and the Pitfalls” at the 21st edition of the India Today Conclave 2024 in New Delhi.
When asked by moderator, India Today’s News Director Rahul Kanwal on what would it take to unlock India’s full potential, the Union Minister replied that the”kind of reforms which we need to undertake now will have to have greater coordination between the Centre, the states and the urban local bodies”.
She said that a lot of work has to be done at all levels and “reforms have to have the effect of cascading down at all levels”.
What Nirmala Sitharaman said on top electoral bond donors, probe agency raids
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, speaking at India Today Conclave 2024, today said the links between probe agency raids and electoral bonds were mere assumptions.
As the data from the State Bank of India released by the Election Commission (EC) revealed at least 14 out of the top 30 companies which purchased electoral bonds faced action by central or state probe agencies, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday questioned if the earlier systems were 100 per cent perfect.
She also termed the ‘talk’ of links between probe agency raids and election bonds ‘assumptions’.
“I think you’ve based yourself on huge assumptions, that the money was given after the Enforcement Directorate raid happened,” Sitharaman said, commenting on a question about the data released.
“For all you know, the money was given earlier, and despite that, we went knocking at their doors,” she said.
“What if the companies gave the money, and after that, we still went and knocked at their doors through the Enforcement Directorate? That’s an assumption that the ED went and knocked at their doors, they wanted to save themselves and therefore they came up with the funds,” the Finance Minister said.
“The second assumption in that itself is, are you sure they gave it to the BJP? They probably gave it to the regional parties.”
The case is still in court, the verdict has come and the State Bank of India will submit what it has to,” Sitharaman said.
“But, were the earlier systems 100 per cent perfect?” the Finance Minister asked.
“Let us just recall what my predecessor (former Finance Minister Arun Jaitley), when he brought these electoral bonds, said, ‘this is better than the previous systems as the money is going from accounts to party’s account’,” she said.
“It’s not a perfect system, but we have moved from a system where everyone did what they want to do,” the Finance Minister said, adding, “A system which was not perfect, from a system which was completely imperfect, was brought in.”
India Today Conclave 2024: Nirmala Sitharaman says crypto assets cannot be currencies
Speaking at the India Today Conclave 2024, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said crypto assets cannot be legal currencies.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday made it clear that cryptocurrency assets cannot be currencies, saying that the government’s position on such assets has always been clear. She was responding to a question during a session at the India Today Conclave 2024.
When asked whether the government will reassess its position on cryptocurrencies amid the recent surge, she said, “Its position has always been this, that assets created in the name of crypto can be assets for trading, assets for money making and assets for many other things.”
“Currencies are to be issued with a fiat of the government or the central bank of the day. And it is still unregulated in India. That is why we thought it fit to raise it in the G20 forum, because as it is so technology-driven, it will have a bearing on cross-border payments,” Nirmala Sitharaman added.
“If one country regulates it and others don’t, it will be an easy way of moving money, round-tripping, funding drugs or even terrorism,” she added, highlighting the ways unregulated cryptocurrencies can be misused.
She also spoke about several other aspects of the Indian economy, including consumer spending and household savings. When asked about shrinking consumer spending and lower household savings, Nirmala Sitharaman said the government is trying to boost small savings by offering better interest rates.
However, she also highlighted the fact that more Indians are investing in the stock markets and not just mutual funds, adding that money flowing into the stock market has substantially increased. “In fact, India stands out as one of those countries, where retail investors are directly going to stock market,” she added.
On shrinking consumption expenditure, she said the focus should be on the medium-term rather than analyzing it on a month-on-month basis.
About India Today Conclave:
The India Today Conclave is India’s first and only intelligence exchange that engages every stakeholder to build an agenda for positive change. It dissects every relevant fact, amplifies every sensible voice. It’s a leadership conference where the sharpest global minds come together to analyse, debate, inspire, entertain, and, of course, prescribe solutions. For nearly two decades, the India Today Conclave has been a global diagnostic, measuring the pulse of the world, making sense of random developments and predicting the next big thing.
