Category: Press Release

News18 Bihar / Jharkhand presents e-Agenda Bihar

Mumbai – As the buzz around Bihar elections begins to build up, News18 Bihar / Jharkhand is all set to present e-Agenda Bihar – a platform that will bring different political parties and leaders across the spectrum to discuss and debate issues and strategies relating to the upcoming polls. The Agenda series, from News18 Network – India’s No. 1 News Network, has become established as the most definitive platform that brings a ring side view of the thinking and shaping political strategy in the lead- up to elections.

e-Agenda Bihar promises to be a high impact virtual summit with participation from top leaders from Bihar. The show will have multiple sessions with an array of eminent panelists participating in each session. The sessions will revolve around the current political scenario and how it will impact the upcoming Assembly elections. From NDA’s plans to retain power to the relevance of a strong & combined opposition, from the effect of Lalu Yadav’s stranglehold on state politics to different electoral arithmetic impacting the outcome, the Summit will aim to touch upon crucial factors that will be defining the electoral discourse over the next few months in the state. There will also be a special session on the struggle of Bihari actors in Bollywood – a subject that is especially relevant given the recent suicide by the very talented actor Sushant Singh Rajput.

Some of the top luminaries who will be a part of this virtual Summit include the Deputy CM of Bihar Sushil Modi, Leader of Opposition Tejaswi Yadav, LJP’s national president Chirag Paswan, former CM Jitan Ram Manjhi, state BJP chief Sanjay Jaiswal, state minister Neeraj Kumar, RJD’s state unit president Jagadanand Singh, RLSP chief Upendra Kushwaha, JAP chief Pappu Yadav, RJD leader Tej Pratap Yadav, Congress leader Prem Chandra Mishra, JDU leader Ajay Alok, MP & former Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari as well as actors Shekhar Suman&Akshara Singh.

The programme will be telecast live on News18 Bihar Jharkhand and its social & digital platforms. News18 Bihar / Jharkhand as the state’s No.1 channel has always taken the lead on all key matters relating to Bihar. The channel has been at the forefront of covering elections bringing the most accurate and fastest updates on the same. News18 Bihar / Jharkhand is once again all geared up for the most comprehensive coverage of the upcoming Assembly elections kicking off its programming with e-Agenda Bihar.

Tune in to e-Agenda Bihar, 12 PM onwards on 24th June, only on News18 Bihar / Jharkhand.

June 23, 2020
IVM Podcasts & GFI India announce Season 2 of Feeding 10 Billion

The second season of Feeding 10 Billion starts 23rd June, 2020.The show highlights the importance of better food systems for the environment, sustainability, nutrition, and health, all of which is more relevant right now.

Globally, the smart protein industry is growing rapidly, on the back of the huge success in 2019. In India, organizations like The Good Food Institute India are building the sector from the ground up and aiming it at the fundamental problems of malnutrition, farmer incomes, and sustainability. The aim is to bring brilliant, committed people together from diverse backgrounds, and promote greater awareness and scientific conversations on the possibilities for food system transformation. IVM Podcasts, India’s pioneering podcast network with a 100 shows with a million+ monthly listeners across their network co-produces the show with The Good Food Indian Institute India. The first season of this show was a clear success, so they decided to launch Season 2 of Feeding 10 Billion to offer listeners quality content on the future of food, during this extended lockdown. The series examines key themes and perspectives on the past, present, and future of food, and highlights collaborators, and change-makers in the field.

The podcast is a 10 episode series in English hosted by Varun Despande and Ramya Ramamurthy, with each episode clocking 45-55 minutes. The hosts will be talking about how our food needs to evolve to ensure we can feed all 10 billion of us by 2050 in ways that do not negatively impact global health or the planet. A few of the guests on the show include Bruce Friedrich, Co-Founder, & Executive Director, The Good Food Institute, Andrew Ive, Founder, & Managing General Partner, Big Idea Ventures, Hemendra Mathur, Co-Founder, ThingAg, & Venture Partner, Bharat Innovation Fund, and Siddharth Bhide, Sci-Tech Specialist, The Good Food Institute India.

Commenting on the podcast Amit Doshi, founder of IVM Podcasts said, “We are focusing on bringing a show which is time relevant and educative at the same time. Seeing the success of season 1, we think this is the right time where the audience is looking out for content that helps them to deal not only with the current time but future as well.”

Commenting on the podcast Kavita Rajwade, co-founder of IVM Podcasts said, “At IVM Podcasts we constantly strive to bring in shows that can connect with the audience and help them to deal with things. Especially, at the current times, what one needs is to think progressively towards the future and this is exactly what the show will help the audience with. Considering the present challenging times, health is the utmost priority to fight against the COVID-19 situation, physically as well as mentally."

Commenting on the podcast, Varun Deshpande, Managing Director of GFI India, said, “Feeding a growing world cannot come at the cost of global health, worsening greenhouse gas emissions, excessive land, water and resource use, zoonotic diseases, antibiotic resistance, and needless suffering – and reinventing protein is a key piece of the equation. The Covid-19 pandemic has made the importance of protein diversification all the more evident. If you want to be part of the future of food and learn about solutions to some of the biggest problems of our time, tune in to Season 2 of Feeding 10 Billion.”

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June 23, 2020
This World Music day, Sony YAY! celebrates the unbeatable spirit of kids with the song – Phir Dil Bolega YAY!

Music is known to give wings to one’s imagination. Transcending boundaries and languages, music has the potential to bring people closer and spread happiness and amongst them. Especially for kids across age groups, the musical notes of nursery rhymes, jingles and songs take absolutely no time to bring a smile on their face. Today, as the kids brave the testing times by staying at home, Sony YAY! is celebrating this healing power of music on this World Music Day by bringing kids a hope instilling song – Phir Dil Bolega YAY!

Through this special song, the kids’ entertainment channel aims to rally the kids, laud their patience and give them a hopeful sneak peek of the playful days that lie ahead. The song showcases an unusual narrative from acknowledging the struggle of kids in the current situation to innovative and fun-filled ways to overcome boredom. The catchy phrase “Dil bolega YAY!” is everything that screams optimism and is a perfect song to uplift everybody’s mood across all age groups!

Echoing the same sentiment, popular singers like Aftab Singh, Arvind Vegda, MC Sanna, came together to support the channel in this initiative by creating their own rendition of the song Phir Dil Bolega YAY! which doubled up as a bonus for the young fans of Sony YAY!

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June 23, 2020
Gaurang Doshi launches Two web series to be shot in United Arab Emirates under the patronage of HIS EXCELLENCY SUHAIL MOHD. AL ZAROONI

After a brief lull in the wake of Covid-19, the glittering world of Bollywood productions will be back in action and that too in the UAE. Renowned Bollywood producer Gaurang Doshi of blockbusters Aankhen and Deewaar fame is bringing an ensemble of over 100 crew members for the filming of their star-studded magnum opus Hindi web-series ‘7th Sense’ and “Line of Fire”. The Big budget web-series are being produced under the patronage of His Excellency Suhail Mohd. Al Zarooni, an Emirati businessman, Guinness Book World Record holder and Ambassador at Large, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

The sleek and very stylised web-series promise to be fantastic viewing with a celebrity cast, picturesque locales, gripping storylines, and the larger-than-life intriguing mysteries.

HE Suhail Mohd. Al Zarooni commented, “Indian cinema holds a very special place in our hearts, both for the entertainment value and the art of story-telling. Its popularity is evident from the overwhelming following it enjoys at a global level.Gaurang Doshi has created the masterpieces in Indian cinema, is an iconic filmmaker and is known to tackle subjects that are unique in nature. I’m superbly excited to be associating with him and confident that both the web-series will be a huge success being a combination of a fantastic story-line, a star cast, a producer and directors who know their job well, and of course the picturesque locales of the United Arab Emirates that add beauty to any movie they’re part of. In these challenging times when industries across all countries need to support each other now more than ever, I feel proud to do my part”.

“7th Sense” is a crime thriller/murder mystery that promises to keep viewers at the edge with its gripping plot and a well-executed screenplay. The series is being directed by Karan Darra and the story and screenplay are by Gibran Noorani. The thriller features superstars R Madhavan, Ronit Roy, Chunky Pandey, Tanuj Virwani, Aashim Gulati, Sana Saeed, Ahsaas Channa, Dibyendu Bhattacharya, Sajjad Dela Frooz and Manuj Sharma among other popular Bollywood actors. Shooting for Season 1 and 2 would be completed in about 140 days with most of the action happening in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

The prep work for the espionage fast-paced action thriller, “Line of Fire” would also begin simultaneously. The web series will comprise of two-seasons and boasts of superstars like Prakash Raj, Jimmy Shergill, Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub, Tanuj Virwani, Vijay Raaz, Tannishtha Chatterjee, Kabir Singh, Sana Saeed, Manu Rishi and Tanvi Azmi. The story for the web-series is written by Shayak Roy and Ankul Singh, Directed by Shayak Roy, the screenplay writers include Ankul Singh, Nikhil Mishra and Sanjay Kumar Chadwara.

Madhu Bhandari, Amey D. Nargolkar and Munir Awan are the Associate Producers for both the web series while Parag Parekh and Ronak are the Financial Advisors.

The beginning of the shooting for the web-series is a testament to the great strength, vision and path-breaking progress of UAE, which has shown to the world how one can conquer and come out a winner in the worst of the situations. Media partners for the web-series include the International brand Franck Muller, Consta Group and You Turn.

Franck Muller is the official timekeeper for both the web series.

Commenting on the two projects, producer Gaurang Doshi said: “I’m a firm believer in the motto that the show must go on and instead of losing the spirit in this pandemic situation one should become a pioneer. Keeping true to this sentiment we are the first team to begin shooting during the COVID pandemic. I’m also super excited to be in the UAE which offers such a beautiful variety of locations and a perfect backdrop for the brilliant and mind-blowing show that the series promises to be. I’d like to thank H.H. Sheikh Theyab Bin Khalifa Bin Hamdan Al Nahyan’s family and HE Suhail Mohd. Al Zarooni for their constant support, Dubai DFTC for organising permissions, and the UAE government for their help in granting special visas to the entire team and for arranging a chartered flight for us.

“To bring such a big-ensemble under one roof in the current situation is also creditable and I thank all my actors and crew for their support. This shows the great spirit of our film industry and helps to boost it back in action,” added Doshi, the man who excels in creating off-the-beaten-track content.

Both the web series will be completed by February 2021 and will be released on one of the popular OTT platforms, the name yet to be revealed.

June 23, 2020
Kool Kanya : A women oriented community here to create the workforce of the future

Currently a community of 21K members and growing every day, with a reach of over a million, Kool Kanya is a safe space for women to network professionally, exchange opportunities, share opinions and ask questions. The platform also offers career guidance, mentorship and opportunities for women to help them build careers they love and want to explore.

As the COVID-19 pandemic has brought about financial instability and economic challenges for many, Kool Kanya is that fresh breath of air that is here to sustain and support women who are facing loss of work and are looking for support, guidance and community.

Women based platforms and communities have grown significantly in India, as they are evolving towards helping women achieve their goals and evoking emotions of sisterhood amongst each other. These communities have henceforth come to play a vital role, acting as career support systems to women. Kool Kanya is a blend of online and offline women targeted communities that lend support to thousands of women, both emotionally and mentally.

Offering dialogue, career advice and tools to help modern Indian women build and grow careers as per their passion, Kool Kanya fosters progressive conversations around relevant subjects and focuses on imparting guidance on topics like upskilling, freelancing, entrepreneurship, financial planning and mental health. Kool Kanya also curates online and offline events for women which allow them to network and engage in meaningful dialogue. Currently, they are offering constant online support to their community members through webinars, masterclasses, Digital bootcamps and hiring events.

Vanshika Goenka, Founder of Kool Kanya, “Kool Kanya has been established with the aim of creating a one stop destination for all things related to a woman’s career- from mentorship and upskilling to starting careers and providing an opportunity to find work, all within a nurturing and mutually supportive ecosystem where women build each other up. When a woman thinks of her career, her first thought should be Kool Kanya.”

The platform has done a few remarkable events and surveys in the past. – “Women in the Workplace”, recognizing women achievers nominated by other women and a Gamechangers Networking event, for the mentors in the Kool Kanya community. They have also done an #Unblocked series of events for freelance writers, on Business Funding and Growth and Networking.

During this pandemic they have started an initiative to support women who are looking for jobs called GetWork 2020 – which is an online hiring event for the Community. The latest event saw participation from 13 companies across 18 fields and 697 applications. It is important for women who have faced job loss during the COVID-19 uncertainties.

June 23, 2020
Watch As The Lines Between Science And Religion Begin To Blur with ‘Evil’ Premiering On Zee Café

Whether you believe in science or in the grace of the Lord above, you cannot escape ‘Evil.’ Something eerie and supernatural comes knocking this June as Zee Café brings to you the frightful drama thriller series, ‘Evil’ airing weeknights at 10. Go beyond logic and devour the deadly chills that keep you on the edge of your seats with the horror-drama airing for the first time on television as part of Zee Café’s weeknights thriller block – Mystery Café.

What does one do when the perpetrator of ghastly and violent crimes is not of this world? You decide to seek the holy help of a priest, the scientific expertise of a forensic psychologist and the expert skills of a technical handler AKA ‘The Contractor’. In due course of their investigation, they come across several unholy demonic beings of nature that are bent of raising hell on earth. Filled with numerous analogies of myth, occultism and folklore, the ensemble cast consists of Katja Herbers who portrayed Emily Grace in Westworld, Mike Colter best known for his role in Luke Cage and Michael Emerson previously seen in Person of Interest. Popular actor-comedian Aasif Mandvi and Kurt Fuller will also be a part of this show that brings to you a thriller like no other as part of Zee Café’s weeknights block ‘Mystery Café’.

If you are a fan of all things paranormal and unnatural, then this series is specially meant for you.

Keep your eyes peeled for your greatest fears on screen with Evil airing weeknights at 10 PM only on Zee Café and Zee Café HD

June 23, 2020
B4U 4 Mental and Physical Well Being

In the current scenario, when people everywhere are grappling with disastrous effects of the pandemic, any kind of celebration is always welcome! Undoubtedly, the past few months proved to be a nightmare that challenged people both emotionally and psychologically. Keeping this in mind, the HR department of the B4U Network invited its employees to celebrate International Yoga Day, World Music Day, and International Father’s Day. The department took initiatives to arrange several webinars on the occasion of all three events to give their employees and colleagues a relief from the monotonous life that they are surrounded with. Since offices are closed off and employees are working from home, these webinars were conducted virtually.

First and foremost, a 5-day Yoga challenge was arranged for the internal employees, from 15 June -19 June. Also, special sessions were held by their wellness spocs under the observation of experienced and renowned trainers. Music helps heal mind and soul and therefore, on 21st June, B4U Network celebrated World Music day by arranging an exclusive webinar for its employees to experience a wonderful musical evening of live Antakshari. Along with that, the Network also celebrated International Father’s Day to appreciate and thank them for their sacrifices and unconditional love. Further, the Network’s HR department arranged an exclusive webinar session for its employees on “Co-Parenting” and also held a session on “Parenting Tips during Lockdown” on 22nd June. These initiatives aimed to revitalize their employees and give them an out from their stress.

Talking about the sessions, the HR Head of B4U Network, Priyanka Bhushan says that, “This is a stressful situation which is taking a toll on everyone. B4U cares for the holistic well-being of employees. Due to the current pandemic and the multiple after effects it is leaving behind, we at B4U felt the need to address these concerns in a holistic and immediate manner. To this end, we had a week long celebration including International Yoga Day, Father’s Day, World Music Day and a spectrum of employee connect activities like Yoga, Co-Parenting workshops, Antakshri all aimed at enabling employees and their families to be in the prime of health and well-being. This is a difficult time, and we want our employees to know that we are facing this crisis as a united front.”

June 23, 2020
NEWS18 Odia brings weeklong feature shows based on Shree Jagannath Culture

India’s largest news Network, News18 will bring special feature shows on Jagannath culture for its Odia audiences on News18 Odia. Keeping the mood of 10 days long festival of Ratha Yatra of Puri, News 18 Odia will telecast ‘JUGE JUGE JAGANNATH’. The content of the series will cover lesser known stories associated with the temple, the rituals and culture. Eminent researchers, historians and experts including Surendra Mishra – Retired Professor, Sarat Mohanty – Servitor (Jagannath Temple), Biswanath Samantaray – Servitor (Jagannath Temple), Rama sharan Dash – Swami Ji, Sidheswar Mishra – Purohit (Priest) and many more will take part in the show.

The Jagannath culture is world famous because of “Unity in Diversity” and attracts many pilgrims and tourists especially during the world famous Ratha Yatra.

The show ‘JUGE JUGE JAGANNATH’ will start on 23rd June and go on until 1st July 2020, every day at 9.30pm on News18 Odia.

June 23, 2020
India to hit peak of 2.6 lakh active cases on July 15

Tracking the coronavirus pandemic in India for the past several weeks, Times Fact-India Outbreak Report, has released its July projections of the COVID-19 pandemic at both national and state levels.

Led by insights and efficacy, the report has achieved an accuracy rate of 96% for active cases, with an overall prediction level of 92% plus for its previous projections. The report showcases several pertinent data points which includes India’s possible peak points, state & city wise projections and active cases over a period of time and report follows a sophisticated and vigorous mathematical modelling. The models are dynamic and with fresh data drawn from central government, state government bulletins, and daily updates provided by the Health Ministry, the graphs are changed accordingly on a weekly basis, thereby presenting the best projections. (Please refer to the attached images in the mail to the see previous forecast accuracy and latest projection for the country and critical states/cities)

As per the latest projections, India will hit a peak of 2.6 lakh active cases on July 15, according to the ‘most likely’ scenario, and a peak of 3.9 lakh cases on July 25 as per the SEIR model.

Times Fact-India Outbreak Report: Key takeaways for July

1. India is projected to hit its peak of 2,59,967 active cases according to the ‘most likely’ model on July 15 and 3,86,916 active cases as per the SEIR model on July 25.

2. Maharashtra, which is the worst-hit state, is projected to hit its peak of 82,723 active cases according to the ‘most likely’ model on July 5 and 1.1 lakh active cases as per the SEIR model, on July 17.

3. Tamil Nadu is projected to hit its peak of 30,247 active cases according to the ‘most likely’ model on July 5 and 32,909 active cases as per the SEIR model on July 6.

4. Delhi is projected to hit its peak of 47,461 active cases according to the ‘most likely’ model and 47,159 active cases as per the SEIR model both on July 4.

5. Gujarat is projected to hit its peak of 6,761 active cases according to the ‘most likely’ model and 7,044 active cases as per the SEIR model both on June 29.

6. West Bengal is projected to hit its peak of 7,149 active cases according to the ‘most likely’ model and 10,417 active cases as per the SEIR model both on June 30.

7. Mumbai and Chennai are projected to hit their peaks of 37,194 active cases and 21,268 active cases on June 30 and July 3, respectively, according to the most likely model. As per the SEIR model, Mumbai is projected to hit is peak of 38,899 active cases on July 15 and Chennai will reach its peak of 19,054 active cases on July 6, respectively.

For details on the study findings and insights, visit – https://www.timesnownews.com/times-facts

Methodology: Parsed by reputed data scientists and quantitative experts, Times Fact India Outbreak Report is a joint endeavour by Times Network and data research firm Protiviti. The report is based on three different models, The Percentage Model, which involves mapping trends from Italy and the United States onto India, the Time Series Model, which involves factors in data across time periods in China and South Korea in addition to two polynomial regression models adapted to Indian data, and the Susceptible Exposed Infected Recovered (SEIR) model which is based on an estimation of a reproduction rate of the epidemic. The report takes into account the healthcare capacity of the nation and its states, to understand shortfall of beds and availability of ICUs, in the event of an escalation. Based on a predictive model which leverages verified big data and new technologies for effective decision making, the report aims to empower the administrative authorities to spot possible hotspots, critical gaps and build capacity to meet the arising. The report encapsulates six national projections and includes individual analysis for 8 states and 4 cities.

Disclaimer: The COVID-19 Pandemic, is rapidly evolving, with new findings and insights being discovered daily. Stories based on the research document contains the observations and conclusions arrived at by Protiviti and Times Network basis the data and information examined and relied. Stories based on this document do not constitute or claim to serve as an advisory for any medical, safety or regulatory action and cannot be referred and relied in any disputes for challenging any other claims, reports, analysis of third parties on similar subject.

June 22, 2020
Are You Tired Of Creepy DMs? So Are We. #IgnoreNoMore a movement by Malini’s Girl Tribe

The pandemic has spread its tentacles into just about every area of life at this point, forcing us to change our behaviours significantly. This has led to a sharp increase in digital activity, as amidst this lockdown period alone, over 87% Indians have reportedly turned to social media for all sorts of content consumption, says a survey conducted by Hammer Kops. And according to cyber experts, this has led to an alarming surge in cybercrimes such as sexual harassment, abuse, stalking, trolling and rape threats, as miscreants take advantage of the globe's new-found dependence on the virtual world.

Traditionally, many men and women are taught to simply 'ignore it' – making many of us resign ourselves to thinking this is all that one can do. This attitude has, however, caused much mental harm and keeping silent is simply not a pliable solution anymore – these are crimes punishable by the law. Keeping the current scenario in mind, Malini's Girl Tribe and Huzaifa Lightwalla have launched a campaign to build awareness and take strict legal action against these abusers. Under the #IgnoreNoMore social media campaign, Malini Agarwal (founder) has personally curated a series of educational webinars with experts from the industry who will join hands to encourage rapid and strict action against cyber bullies and cyber crime..

India figures among the top five countries to be affected by cyber crime. However, Maharashtra Cyber Department has only been able to register 410 offences so far and have arrested 213 persons in connection with these. Though Central and state agencies are constantly at work, the vulnerabilities are more pronounced, the threat more real. Malini Agarwal founder MissMalini and Malini’s Girl Tribe opines, “They spam comments, creep into our DMs and overwhelm our lives (even on Instagram LIVE). As we move to the "new normal" of living our virtual lives, the impact on our mental and emotional health is insurmountable. Most importantly, this is not just a cause for women, but equally traumatising for men as well. This problem deeply damages us all, and makes social media a nightmare for countless. We have finally found a way to take action against the abusers via the cybercrime division. Which means we can actually make a difference and need to educate everyone on their rights and the creeps of the consequences.”

Via this campaign, Malini’s Girl Tribe is spreading awareness of our digital rights and encouraging action via active dialogue, whilst educating all men and women to come forth and report more cases. It also aims to aid those accused by helping them understand the repercussions of their actions, which in many cases, are innocent youngsters who may be doing this to seem ‘cool’ and to ‘fit-in’.

We can do this by spreading awareness and making a list of the abusers you want to report, including their usernames/ URLs/handles to the cyber cell in Mumbai for a legal investigation (cyberpst-mum@mahapolice.gov.in, shubhamcybercrime@gmail.com). By gathering their virtual information and screenshots to help in the case as evidence, we can also make an online complaint on www.cybercrime.gov.in ” adds Malini.

Answering this call are celebrities/ Influencers such as Teena Singh, Shweta Salve, Nitin Mirani, Aashka Goradia, Faye Dsouza, Rohit Roy, Acquin Pais, Siddhant Kapoor, Shibani Kashyap ,Manasi Scott, Narayani Shastri , Pia Trivedi and many more

June 22, 2020