Thursday, 30 April 2020

Monish Chandan lists iconic looks of Rishi Kapoor that made him a style icon

Veteran actor Rishi Kapoor has died after a two-year-long battle with cancer. The 67-year-old actor was admitted to H N Reliance hospital, where he breathed his last on the morning of 30 April. Rishi was not only a phenomenal actor, charismatic personality, a powerhouse of energy but also a style icon. He changed the face of fashion in India with movies like Bobby and Chandni.

To remember this evergreen actor, who ruled the hearts of three generations, fashion influencer Monish Chandan lists his five iconic looks from different movies.

Bobby: We couldn’t take our eyes off when he wore tuxedo blazer, striped ties and turtleneck tees. Also, his pastel striped polyester button-up shirt paired with purple trouser and vintage shades are still in vogue.

Karz: The blingy pop star, dancing to the tunes of Om Shanti Om, will always be remembered by his fans.

Chandni: After the success of ‘Chandni’, abstract floral and multicoloured sweaters became a trend in 1980's. Rishi Kapoor rose to prominence for his acting potential and of course, his sense of style.

Rafu Chakkar: Rishi Kapoor experimented with single-breasted checked red and white blazer and it just looked phenomenal.

Agneepath: The 2012 hit Agneepath saw him in the role of Rauf Lala. Kapoor got under the skin of his character in every way- acting, dialect and looks. He wore gold zari embroidery brocade to make his character look real and believable.

Though Rishi Kapoor has left for the heavenly adobe, he will always remain an important part of Indian film history.

Today's Insurance Alertss - 616

#FivePerfectShows to binge watch this long weekend

Recently, popular filmmakers shared their #FivePerfectMovies starting a Twitter trend. Here’s our take on it, with a list of top #FivePerfectShows you can binge watch this weekend.

Rather than re-watching a sitcom for the 20th time or beginning a month-long catch-up on the show you missed, why not watch a reality show in its entirety that is light yet engaging?

Here are 5 perfect shows you can consume all in one weekend only on the Flipkart app. A little knowledge, loads of laughs, star power, some dancing and lots of fun, is all what these shows are about.

Kya Bolti Public: Flipkart Video presents a new poll-based game show to keep you engaged. ‘Kya Bolti Public’ brings to you a unique experience by integrating two highly engaging concepts of gaming and video streaming for the first time ever on the Flipkart app. Hosted by Maniesh Paul, the show is live and can be played through the day from 9am - 9pm. This show brings together the right amount of entertainment with a witty host, fun script, trending questions, a chance to win big prizes and a seamless experience that is user-friendly and mobile-first

Entertainer No.1: Running out of ways to keep yourself entertained during the lockdown? Why not indulge the entertainer in you for a chance at winning big? Flipkart recently launched a unique stay-at-home reality show called Entertainer No. 1 aimed at giving budding entertainers a platform to stay connected. This one of a kind platform gives the audiences a chance to showcase their talent to the nation while staying indoors. Varun Dhawan, Bharti Singh and Raghav Juyal are mentors of the show..Spread over a period of 8 weeks, the show consists of diverse weekly challenges, in a quest to find India’s most talented entertainers from home. Watch and enjoy the show and help us decide the biggest entertainer of India with your votes. The most popular entries each week will move on to the next round, for a chance to win exciting cash prizes and gift vouchers

Backbenchers: A back-to-school-themed quiz show with Farah Khan that benches some of Bollywood's biggest celebrities where she takes them back to school. A mix of fun and candid moments, the show puts B-town actors in a spot as they fail to answer some school level questions. Backbenchers’ Class of 2019 includes Anil Kapoor, Shilpa Shetty, Ananya Pandey, Sania Mirza, Bhumi Pednekar, Taapsee Pannu,Jackie Shroff and many more celebrities

Hum, Tum aur Quarantine (Courtesy Voot): To beat the lockdown blues, comedy queen, Bharti Singh and husband Haarsh Limbachiyaa are doing their best to keep the audience entertained through their antics on their new show titled 'Hum Tum Aur Quarantine'. In this fun, comic chat, Bharati and Harsh will share their twisted tales from their quarantine diary with the viewers and how they are keeping themselves busy all day

Work It Up (Courtesy Voot): Watch Bollywood celebrities spill some sass and burn some calories while working out. Hosted by Sophie Chaudhary, this show will engage viewers with fun, fitness and healthy eating stories from B-town celebrities while they get candid and reveal their fun and edgy locker room secrets

And once you’re done with these, catch up on your favourite Blockbuster movies and all-time favourites that are sure to leave you in splits.

So what are you waiting for? Head on to the Video section on the Flipkart App and get binge watching now!

Likee unveils #LikeeComics feature, powered with quirky filters for an enhanced short video experience

New Delhi, 30 April, 2020: Likee, the pioneering global short video creation platform by Singapore-based BIGO Technology, has launched a new range of quirky filters under #LikeeComics. Creators can produce their comic avatars and charm their online audience using this feature. The function processes the picture provided by the creator and transforms it into a flawless art. This new tool can be found under Likee’s iconic filter library – SUPERME.

The platform launched its new feature with #LikeeComics, which is one of the top trends on Likee. With millions of views already, #LikeeComics has been well received by Likers. To apply LikeeComics, users can tap on record icon, select SUPERME at the bottom of the screen and tap on Comics on the top of the screen. Then the users will be presented with various options under this feature such as live-action, reproduce, comic rose, card comic, mysterious painting, smoke comic and more.

Each effect has a unique touch that leads to a magical transformation of a photo into a comic. For instance, the mysterious painting feature presents a picture of the user with an antique frame. Gradually, the photo starts to peel-off, and the comic version of the user’s photo is revealed. Similarly, Comic book effect cuts out the user in a photo, converts it into comic and replaces the background with dynamic pop-art.

This is one among the sea of features and tools offered by Likee to enhance video creation experience. Its Live streaming feature also adds to the USP of the platform, with common users as well as celebrities using the same on various occasions. Likee is available in more than 15 Indian languages, including Marathi, Punjabi, Bengali, Malayalam, Tamil and Telugu, among others. In recent reports by App Annie and Sensor Tower, Likee is among the top 10 most downloaded apps globally.

Maharashtra Private School teachers requests RBI to give interest-free loans to parents, schools to pay their salaries

- Interest free loans should be made available for parents to fund their child’s education through Direct Benefit Transfer scheme

- Similar loans should be made available to schools to pay recurring costs such as teacher salaries, overheads and capital expenditure

April 30, 2020: The Maharashtra English School Trustees Association (MESTA) has written to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) governor Mr. Shaktikanta Das requesting him to provide a monetary package for parents and schools as the ban on collection of fees by various state governments on private schools have badly impacted the teachers and support staff resulting in defaulting in salaries.

On April 24, MESTA had made a similar request to the Maharashtra Education Minister, Varsha Gaikwad, requesting the withdrawal of the ban on the collection of fees by private schools as teachers and non-teaching staff were experiencing a financial crisis due to non-payment of salaries. However, no statement has so far come out from the state government to this regard.

MESTA’s state president, Sanjay Patil, mentioned that while the RBI has extended its outreach to various other sectors, education being among the priority lending sector is in dire need of monetary assistance. He added that most of the private schools across India have started defaulting on salaries leaving the teaching and non-teaching staff fighting for their survival and livelihood.

MESTA is representing over 18,000 Trustee Members and 80,000 teachers across 37 districts of Maharashtra, and is supporting over two crore teaching and non-teaching staff’s across five lakh private schools in India as their survival solely depends on fees collected from their parents. Despite the adversity, MESTA mentions, teachers have fulfilled their duty and maintained continuity in education through online learning and other methods

In the letter to the RBI governor, Patil adds that there should be a joint force to resolve this issue and the Central Bank has a key role to perform. “Amidst this crisis, it is imperative that schools, the government and parents operate in close proximity towards ensuring salaries to teachers and non-teaching staff while simultaneously minimizing the financial impact on parents.”

Hence, MESTA state president mentions the need for the RBI to help the education sector from crippling down and going bankrupt. He suggests a two-point programme through which the education sector can be revived, salaries can be paid to the teachers and support staff, preventing schools across the country from shutting down and ensuring continuity in education.

“Firstly, since education is under the priority lending sector, loan benefits provided to other priority sectors should also be extended to the education sector in these times of crisis. RBI should provide interest-free loans to parents to fund their child’s education through direct bank transfer or any mechanism deemed fit by the governor. And secondly, similar interest-free loans should also be made available to schools to pay recurring costs such as teacher salaries, overheads, and capital expenditure,” said Mr. Patil adding that this initiative will reap dividends for the country in the coming years.

ABOUT MAHARASHTRA ENGLISH SCHOOL TRUSTEES ASSOCIATION (MESTA – An non-profit making initiative to enhance and empower English school in Maharashtra), founded in 2014 under the leadership of Founder President Hon. Shri SanjayTayadePatil who is working for the betterment of the English medium school all over Maharashtra. MESTA being the exclusive and the only platform were the school trustees have received justice throughout against their various challenges, operational problems and grievances. MESTA has kept its unique and powerful existence by being able to forward these grievances and appeals to the government and create reformation in Maharashtra Education system. Under the guidance of Hon. Shri. Sanjay TayadePatil and support of all state office bearers it was fruitfully possible to bring all the English medium schools under one roof of MESTA.Till today MESTA has succeeded in enrolling 18,000+ Trustee members and 80,000 teachers setting up MESTA branches in 37 district of Maharashtra.

Temperature control, humidity and lifestyle changes will protect us from COVID-19, proves expert

Hence proved: Study shares how atmospheric 'golden balance' can prevent and control the spread of COVID-19

Mumbai, 30th May 2020: With 31,000+ COVID-19 cases and nearly a thousand dead, India has not been able to escape the thrones of the deadly disease entirely. Despite a 34-day lockdown, we're still seeing positive cases emerge from different areas, bringing more and more containment zones under lock and key.
This left many wondering about adequate safety measures which would enable movement and work, as the shuttered India has barely been able to earn during this time. Frequent disinfection and sanitisation are good ideas, but they need better companions to help us beat the disease.
AMFAH’s atmospheric findings for COVID-19
Dr Mansoor Ali, the founder of AMFAH India, a research analyst and veteran expert in the air treatment products industry, has tabled IAQ solutions against COVID-19. Ali's organisation AMFAH India, in a research paper, 'Temperature Control, Humidity and Lifestyle Changes to Curb Transmission of COVID-19', has highlighted the role that these three play in keeping us safe.

YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbCvjvOplL4&feature=youtu.be

"Air quality, especially indoor air quality, governs our risk levels for the coronavirus. A poor air quality (lower than PM 2.5 level) would heighten existing difficulties, especially for COVID positive cases. Sanitised, ventilated spaces also add to safe living conditions for everyone, whether at homes outside", said Mansoor Ali, as he shared the AMFAH research report with the public.
The report carries a similar caveat about temperature control. "For countries with tropical and hot weather like India, the temperature has to be regulated between 25 degree Celsius to 32 degree Celsius."
The research exercise and findings
For this research, the AMFAH team began to compile and analyse ambient air data for all COVID-19 affected countries on one end and the high-impact states in India on the other end. In both areas, they took data for three cities which had been hit worst by the outbreak.
They observed three components - air quality, temperature and humidity. The report cited air quality as a critical factor in controlling the outbreak. "Good air quality, ventilation and avoiding ACs could help break this cycle. The use of air conditions must be avoided completely or restricted to minimal. ACs above 27 degrees can lead to precipitation and increase relative humidity beyond safe limits", observed the report.
"Humidity is an essential factor which affects the spread of airborne and human-to-human transmission diseases. Our team began to track the spread of the coronavirus worldwide, alongside the humidity levels in these areas", added Ali.
"We saw that areas with low temperatures and high humidity (New York with average 6 degrees and high relative humidity of 82%, Italy and Spain with 9=13 degrees and 80% humidity) had the highest number of cases", he shared.
Holding the opposite true would not be precisely correct either. The outbreak in Singapore broke myths that high temperature and high humidity would not invite Covid19 cases. Ali says he is very sure the prevention lies in controlling mechanically in indoor areas, moreover with the ongoing pandemic he and his team with few associates are on the job tracking the task very closely till normalcy returns.
Behavioural and Lifestyle changes
He also talked about particular lifestyle and behaviour changes which were required. "Consumption of cold beverages, using ice and cold water can impact respiratory organs, which makes people more vulnerable. Simple changes like drinking warm water and warm beverages are extremely helpful in boosting immunity too. Wearing masks and practising excellent respiratory hygiene like covering the face before coughing or sneezing can help curb the disease."

Postponement of India ITME 2020 to Dec 2021

Sub : Postponement of India ITME 2020 to Dec 2021

Dear Sir/Madam,

Greetings & Good wishes from India ITME Society.

'Covid 19' has brought disruption and distress for the general life, industry and economy, especially for the textile and textile engineering industry all over the world. Hope yourself and family along with full team of your organization are safe and holding up good in this trying situation. Stay safe. Stay well.

Under the circumstances, India ITME Society proposes to postpone India ITME 2020 by one year to December 2021. The new dates for the event: 8^th – 13^th December 2021.

We assure you that India ITME Society shall stand by industry in all possible ways to see through these difficult times and shall double the efforts to ensure customer reach for exhibitors.

We shall continue to keep in communication. Please visit our website (https://itme2021.india-itme.com) for periodic updates on the exhibition. Meanwhile, feel free to connect with us @ itme@india-itme.com for any assistance in this regard. We are functional via "work from home" mode.

India ITME team wishes you a safe stay and good health. Assuring you best of services and support.

Thank you & Regards,
Seema Srivastava
Executive Director

India ITME Society
"Promoting Trade through technology,
with commitment, integrity &
transparency of conduct"

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Webinar on 'Neral-Karjat: Mumbai's Future' by reputed developers

A Panel discussion on the topic 'Neral-Karjat: Mumbai's Future':

Talkpoints:

Measures taken by the developers to support their staff and laborers
How developers are planning for the fast recovery of the sector
Progress of Neral - Karjat region over a period of 3 years
Measured sales and projected sales of Neral-Karjat area
Projects which are under construction
How the area will flourish in the coming years in terms of infrastructure and rate appreciation

Panelists-

Mr. Shailesh Puranik, MD. Puraniks Group
Mr. Rahul Nahar, Chairman, Xrbia
Mr. Aniket Haware, MD. Haware Group
Mr. Prabhat Ranjan, MD. Olympeo Group
Mr. Vikas Jain, C.E.O. Labdhi Lifestyl

Moderated by
Mr. Gautam Thakker, MD. ONEarth

Date & Time:

Tomorrow, 1st May 2020 at 11:30am IST

Link:

(Please note, after registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.)

There is no creative lockdown here!

Hotstuff pulls off a strategic TVC for ICICI Prudential Mutual Fund amidst COVID 19 lockdown

One important lesson that the virus has taught us, is that life is actually full of surprises and one needs to be ready and adapt to reality, however unpleasant that may be. It has also brought in a renewed faith in the human race – for its capability to do good, for its resilience and for its potential to innovate! India is one among the few countries that has kept the health of its citizens on priority and announced the lockdown (and now the extended lockdown), keeping well in mind the economic repercussions that it could have. While the market conditions were not conducive in the pre-COVID era already, the lockdown has further worsened the equity market scenario and has dampened investor interests in mutual funds. While most fund houses have taken a hit, there is one brand that has proactively turned around the challenge into an opportunity. ICICI Prudential Mutual Fund wanted to uplift the sentiment through an offbeat positive message on the lockdown which would encourage the investors to invest. Hotstuff, their creative and advertising partners, came up with a unique idea. They created a film that complimented the spirit of Indian investors, who have adapted to the lockdown in different ways. The route was clear and the campaign was a perfect platform to extend the thought of their previous widely acclaimed campaign for ICICI Prudential Mutual Fund 'Chal Kuch Smart Kar, SIP Start Kar'.

However the lockdown posed a challenge as no production unit could mobilize resources. As an experiment the Hotstuff creative team planned out the script breakdown and sequences in a manner that could be directed via video calls. The actors were trained to film themselves. The music and post production teams coordinated through remote work terminals to fuse things together. “A majority of the work was done in-house; since external resources were not possible in a lockdown scenario. We had already organized our operations at least a month prior to the lockdown being announced by ensuring business continuity via remote working terminals. Processes were redefined to ensure quality at the same level of output and on time. That is what enabled us to pull off this film in a record time from script to release, amidst a lockdown”, said Arun Fernandes, CEO of HotStuff when queried how such an innovative feat was pulled off in a shortest possible time.

Hotstuff, with over two decades of experience, specializing in BFSI communications, is known for its pithy MARCOM solutions and off-beat content, backed with result driven strategies for its portfolio of brands. Speaking on how advertising and marketing solutions will get impacted post COVID era, Arun further added – "A new normal is come into place and the format in which content is created will have to be relooked at. While we cannot let go off the creative principles of the past, we have to explore a new creative language for the future." This actually resonates as world over there is a large shift in how we are managing our lives without stepping out in current times by embracing smarter ways of doing things.

The brief was succinct and clear and so was its interpretation. The lockdown gave the creative team, a chance to explore a new format of storytelling. The actors filming themselves and the realistic at-home setting brought a sense of realism to the film. Also, the story was inspired by stories heard on social media which helped the narrative to be more relatable. "A lot had to change in the way we work to get this film done. However, we realized that creative agencies have a vital role to play in situations like these. We have to adapt and become solution providers for brands that would want to stay relevant in the post-COVID era”, detailed out Terence D’Souza, Creative Director of Hotstuff.

Cueing an investment agenda into your daily lockdown routine would help the investors relate to the key message and make the most of the given situation, financially, through SIPs. Through this communication the endeavor is to highlight the benefits of digital investing and SIP as the preferred investment route in volatile market conditions.

About Hotstuff:

Hotstuff Media Group is a 360 degree communications company which specialized in BFSI brands. With over two decades of experience, working on projects in India and around the world, they have carved a niche for delivering off-beat content, backed with result-driven strategy for brands such as ICICI Prudential MFs, Axis, Kotak Life, Tata AIA Life and SBI Life to name a few.

Mr. Ashok Mohanani, Chairman, EKTA World & VP NAREDCO, Maharashtra on 3 Years of RERA

“It has been three years since the Central Government introduced the RERA Act within every state of India to witness a revolution within the real estate sector. The mandate of having a separate RERA for each state has been an absolute game-changer for the government, buyers, and developers. In the years gone by the regulatory body achieved milestones by being able to protect the interests of home buyers and also boost investments. RERA has importantly pushed to bring both developers and home buyers on a common platform which was not the case before and it has created a synergy between the two. Many started looking for a harmonious answer and ultimately withdrew complaints as the act endeavored to change homebuyer perception. With increased transparency amongst the stakeholders, it has been successful to bring a sort of confidence amongst the buyers. An additional benefit from the implementation of the RERA Act is to positively convert potential home buyers to permanent buyers. RERA has made significant progress in four-five states, however, it still has scope to address homebuyers’ concerns in few others. While many states are still seeking to have a website, some of the existing websites are of little help to home buyers. With the recent announcement of a deadline extension for a tenure of three months basis on the completion of the projects have acted as a relief measure to the housing sector. All in all, it has successfully become the face of fair practices for real estate fraternity.”

GRADO LAUNCHES ANTI-VIRAL FABRICS WITH NEO TECH® TECHNOLOGY

~1^st Textile Company to produce fabrics engineered for protection against viruses and microbes using

Neo Tech® technology~

23^rd April 2020, Mumbai : With the intention of creating one mega-brand which caters to a wide range of consumer psychographics, we had invested in bringing together WORSTEDS from the house of OCM and TR/BI-STRETCH fabrics from the house of GBTL (which were earlier marketed under respective brand names – OCM & GRASIM Suiting), under the umbrella brand “GRADO”.

Being a market leader in innovation and excellence, GRADO has been supplying specialty anti-microbial fabrics to multiple brands - both domestic and abroad. However, in the wake of COVID-19, GRADO has come up with NEO TECH® technology wherein the products are high quality, utilitarian and have a shield against bacteria and viruses alike.

NEO TECH® is a unique technology developed by the Donear group companies, perfected by brand GRADO at its manufacturing units. The fabric is revolutionary and has been certified by top-laboratories such as NABL accredited Bio Tech Services. Leveraging NEO TECH® techniques, GRADO has developed specially designed anti-viral and anti-bacterial fabrics that inhibits growth and retention of micro-organisms, making them safe and hygienic.

GRADO NEO TECH® fabrics have been certified safe to wear/ use for any kind of garment – suits/ jackets/ trousers. These fabrics retain their properties up to even 50 washes, and are suited for everyday wear. Currently, we are geared up to take on bulk orders and should be able to roll out to the market within a few days of lockdown being lifted.

Trusted by their business partners, and known for their legacy - GBTL (formerly GRASIM Suiting and Gwalior Suitings) and OCM under the brand - GRADO has continued to garner a lot of admiration for this new and need-of-the-hour product.

These fabrics have received wide acclaim from multiple industries – hospitality, hospitals, aviation, uniform providers (for schools/ universities/ factories), big-wigs from the retail industry and from the defense sectors. Multiple large-scale production orders from these industries are pouring in too. We have recently closed a large order with a Police Department with a major state of India.

We are also in the middle of running a pan-India TV ad campaign (including on top-shows like Ramayan and Mahabharata on Doordarshan), educating the consumers about this remarkable product and its benefits.

Commenting on the range, Mr. Rajendra Agarwal, Mentor, GRADO said, "We have been investing in R&D since a very long time. We have been pioneers in introducing a lot of innovative products in the market in the past as well with products such as STREEZA (4-way stretch fabric), ICE-touch (making you 5 degrees cooler) and Uncrushable (for wrinkle resistance) amongst others, which are continuing to fare extremely well. NEO TECH® is the latest addition to that long list.”

He adds, “Given the current world situation, we wanted to be in a position to offer a more hygienic product choice to the market post this lock-down; and what could be better than anti-viral clothing that can be worn by anyone and everyone. We are really happy about the outcome and also feel proud about contributing to the nation during these trying times."

Note: For authenticity of product, please look for the GRADO NEO TECH® sticker/ tag and hologram stickers when purchasing.

Links: Grado fabrics

· Website : www.gradoneotech.com

· YouTube : shorturl.at/pyDV9

· Twitter: https://twitter.com/GradoFabrics

· Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GradoFabrics/

· Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gradofabrics/

About GRADO:

The brand GRADO is a coming together of synergies from legacy brands GRASIM Suiting (erstwhile Gwalior Suitings) and OCM, with an intent to offer the entire product basket to the consumers - ranging from synthetics to cottons to worsted, under the same brand umbrella. GRADO had one of the greatest celebrities of Indian cinema, Mr. Amitabh Bachchan as the Brand Ambassador. GRADO caters to maximum product segments and across a range of price; so there is comfort and style for everyone. The product positioning and price points plays an important role in increasing potential for trade thereby, increasing not only the retail size, but stirring the consumer thought set too.