Category: Press Release

India Today Group presents Salaam Sachin – The biggest Farewell to Sachin Tendulkar

MUMBAI: As Sachin Tendulkar readies to retire after his 200th test, an extraordinary farewell is getting planned at the India today group- “Salaam Sachin Conclave. The conclave is scheduled to take place in a city hotel in Mumbai on November 12, 2013.

After 24 years, there are few records the Little Master hasn’t broken. In his journey, there are a few people who’ve seen him grow from the young curly haired promising batsman to the time he became the first man to score 100 international centuries. Salaam Sachin Conclave will witness enthralling, informative & entertaining sessions with noted Sports personalities ranging from people like Sunil Gavaskar, Ajit Wadekar and Anshuman Gaekwad who have seen Sachin grow through the years …. As well as his fierce rival Waqar Younis and close friends – Brian Lara and Saurav Ganguly.

The high point of the conclave will be Brian Lara sharing his opinion on Lara vs. Sachin in a never before session. Sachin is rated as the best batsman in his generation by many contemporaries, Indian audiences have always been curious on what Lara thinks about this comparison.

The viewers will get a glimpse of the learnings players like Suresh Raina and Gautam Gambhir drew from the legend. Sports personalities such as Sania Mirza, Sushil Kumar and Vijender Singh will also share their views on how Sachin has been an inspiration to them and how he has handled unrivalled pressure for a long 24 years. Apart from the world of sports, the conclave will also have presence of Bollywood actor Abhishek Bachchan who will talk about Sachin being a Hero for every Indian. Sachin’s brother Ajit Tendulkar will share an account of how he encouraged Sachin to play cricket and how Sachin dealt with his most painful moments in life.

The conclave will include various sessions on Sachin’s life, his journey, his childhood, his achievements and his family. The first session on Sachin’s formative years will be delivered by his own sporting idol, Sunil Gavaskar, followed by a discussion between Suresh Raina, Gautam Gambhir and Irfan Pathan together talking on how Sachin Tendulkar is an inspiration for younger generation.

A special session will also see the prominent names from corporate India talking on how Sachin has been the biggest brand in Indian Sporting history.

The day will also have predictions from the cricketing greats in the session, “the Sachin era and the future” addressed by former Indian cricketers Ajit Wadekar, Bishan Singh Bedi, Anshuman Gaekwad and Kiran More. “Mumbai versus Bowral: The mantle of the Greatest” will be a subject of debate among cricketing greats Kapil Dev, Saurav Ganguly, Mohammad Azharuddin, and Brian Lara.
The conclave will also feature an exhibition of rare Sachin memorabilia by the well known British memorabilia expert Hamilton Bland.

Expressing his thoughts on the Salaam Sachin conclave, Aroon Purie, Chairman & Editor in Chief, India Today Group said, “The life of a legend cannot be better captured but by those who’ve shared rare moments with him. India’s imagination has been dominated for over 24 years by the finest batsman the world’s ever seen. From his younger days and to the ultimate match of a brilliant career – he stood for Indian hope and pride. Salaam Sachin should be and will be a fitting salute to the all time greatest ambassador of the game.”

Ashish Bagga, Group CEO, India Today Group, added “As the Man at the centre of India’s biggest passion signs out, it is important to express our gratitude to the legend. It has been an honour for many like us to watch him play and a few of us have also had the opportunity of interacting with him. With Salaam Sachin, we bring the world of Sachin fans closer to the Sachin they haven’t seen and the Sachin they are going to miss.”

The high points of the session will be telecast LIVE on Aaj Tak and Headlines Today along with over a 25 hour programming churned out of the conclave over the weeks.

November 11, 2013
Positive results for Volkswagen Motorsport India-developed Polo rally cars at K-1000 Rally

MUMBAI: The IMG K-1000 Rally turned out to be a successful outing for Volkswagen Motorsport India. The testing of the two rallyspec Polo cars developed by Volkswagen Motorsport India produced positive results. Polo R2, driven by Karamjit Singh took top honours in the IRC category and finished second overall. In INRC 1600 category, Arun Rao Aroor (AR Racing) finished first, Phalguna Urs (Racetech India) second and Sirish Chandran (Slideways Industries) third, all driving Volkswagen Polo rally cars. Rohan Pawar, also driving Slideways Industries’ Polo rally car grabbed the third position on the podium in the JINRC category.

Volkswagen Motorsport India began the testing of two company developed rally-spec Polo cars at IMG K-1000 rally. Polo R2 driven by Slideways Industries’ ace rally driver Karamjit Singh was placed in the IRC category while Group N Polo driven by Phalguna Urs was placed in the INRC 1600 category. Karamjit Singh won the IRC category and finished second overall. Multi- APRC title holder, Karamjit Singh said, “It was our first outing in the Polo R2 and I am glad we could produce good results. The feeling from the car is very positive and we are on the right
path for developing the car further.”

Phalguna Urs, also driving the factory-developed Polo, clocked consistent fast timings through the stages to finish second in 16000-cc category. Driving for Racetech India, it was Urs’ first time in a rally Polo and yet he managed to be just 1.4 seconds off the fastest in his category and clinched the second spot on the podium. Winning the INRC 1600 category was Arun Rao Aroor from AR Racing, also driving a Polo rally car. Finishing off the podium was Slideways Industries’ Sirish Chandran who finished 7.7 seconds behind Phalguna. In the JINRC Category, Slideways Industries Rohan Pawar drove throughout consistently to finish third in the end.
Prithviraj Siddappa, Head of Volkswagen Motorsport India commented, “The Polo R2 and Group N Polo being developed by the Volkswagen Motorsport team in India had their first competitive outing this weekend and I am glad they performed well. Karamjit’s and Urs’ results show good signs of the development of the cars. The team has worked really hard day in and day out to get the cars to this level and I am sure we will continue the development

November 11, 2013
Finolex cables ltd results

MUMBAI: Finolex Cables Ltd., (FCL) at the meeting of its Board of Directors held today approved results for the second quarter of the financial year 2013-14.

Net Sales for the quarter ended September 30th 2013 were Rs 5874.5 million as against Rs 5795.8 million for the corresponding period in year 2012-13. In value terms Net Sales in the current quarter shows an increase of 1% compared to the corresponding period of the previous year. In volume terms, Electrical Cables remained flat in the quarter ended September 2013, while Communication Cables grew by over 25%.

Profit for the quarter, before taxes, increased to Rs. 1024.3 million from Rs. 657.7 million in the previous year – an increase of 56%.
The Board was also informed that CRISIL has upgraded the ratings of the Company’s long term facilities to “AA+” with a stable outlook.

November 11, 2013
Zebronics introduces the Sonic 3.5G USB Dongle, its first mobile connectivity device

MUMBAI: Top Notch Infotronix, India’s leading supplier of products and accessories for Computers, Consumer Electronics and Communication under the brand ‘ZEBRONICS’ has introduced its first anywhere-anytime connectivity device, the Zebronics Sonic 3.5G USB Dongle. The dongle accepts a standard SIM card of any service provider, allowing users to access the internet at high speeds, up to 7.2 Mbps through its built-in 3.5G HSDPA USB modem feature.

The Zebronics Sonic USB Dongle works on all 2G/3G networks making it simple for users to swap SIM cards while travelling for their choice of service providers. A simple plug-and-play device it is supported on major operating systems like Windows 2000/XP/Vista/7/8 and Mac OS, without the need for installation or software CD. Useful value added features include support for voice calls and provision for a micro SD card (adding memory up to 16GB).

Said Rajesh Doshi, co-founder and Director – Purchase & Marketing at Top Notch Infotronix “The Sonic Dongle is our first offering in the vast mobile broadband wireless internet device market. We are confident, its features and value offer will appeal to businessmen, students, home users, and travellers – anyone who wants simple wire-free connectivity with the freedom to work with data sim cards from any operator.”

In keeping with the Zebronics mission of introducing products with latest technology and good quality at reasonable prices the Zebronics Sonic 3.5G USB Dongle is priced at Rs. 1,500 which includes a warranty of one year. It is available at major IT accessories markets, retail IT outlets as well as Zebronics e-commerce site www.moneyvasool.com.

November 11, 2013
Ses: Continued Robust Performance

MUMBAI: SES S.A. (NYSE Euronext Paris and Luxembourg Stock Exchange: SESG) reports financial results for the nine months and three months ended 30 September 2013.
Romain Bausch, President and CEO, commented:

“SEShas delivered a robust performance in the year to date. We have increased our capacity and are commercialising new market opportunities. Forthcoming launches will further develop this capability and create the conditions for future growth. Our European business, which is almost entirely Video DTH, continues to grow (revenue +5.6%, when excluding analogue). New business and renewals with major customers, including Sky Deutschland and Arqiva, have contributed to an increase in the contract backlog to EUR 7.4 billion. In the International segment (revenue +12.5%) we have added a number of new DTH platforms, in Latin America, Africa, and the Asia-Pacific region. Although the launch schedule continues to be subject to some delays, total revenue growth (excluding analogue) was 5.7%, with considerable momentum from the video business.”

“Despite some delays experienced earlier this year with regard to new satellite launches, we have significantly expanded our capacity with the launch of SES-6 in June and ASTRA 2E in September, and we now expect to launch SES-8 later this month, followed by ASTRA 5B in early December.”

“SES’ 2013 revenue and EBITDA growth guidance at constant FX, of 3-4% and 2.5-3.5% respectively, and 5.5-6.5% excluding analogue, is reiterated.”

“Our performance to date as well as our fleet development underscore SES’ commitment to growing its presence in the developed markets and to accelerate inroads in emerging markets. Our investments are focused on growth opportunities based on differentiated offerings and secured anchor customers in the video business. We are continuing to build DTH neighbourhoods.In the data business, the numerous contracts signed so far this year underscore the complementarity of SES’ geostationary satellite capacity with the High Throughput Satellite (HTS) capabilities of the O3b Networks Mid-Earth Orbit (MEO) constellation.”

“SES is now entering a period in which capital expenditure will reduce significantly, even while additional growth investments are pursued. This, coupled with rising revenue and EBITDA, will deliver strong growth in free cash flow, which may be applied to further profitable investments and acquisitions and/or be returned to shareholders.”

November 11, 2013
Discover the change at Effie Awards 2013.

MUMBAI: The Advertising Club invites entries for 2013 EFFIE India Awards. The EFFIE 2013 AWARDS is the premiere and the most coveted showcase for marketing and creative strategies that work. The Award plays a tripartite role of giving unyielding acknowledgement to an agency for showcasing its power to build brands that lead to business, demonstrating the highest level of leadership in brand communication for the clients and most significantly celebrating effective advertising and marketing in India.

While the International EFFIE Awards are hosted every year in New York, since 2001 The Advertising Club has been the Asian partner that has helped to organize the EFFIEs in our part of the world. Incidentally EFFIEs is the only award that is bestowed on both the client and agency to jointly share the celebration of their effective communication and perseverance.

Says Ajay Kakar, Chairperson – EFFIE 2013 Committee, “Since inception in 2001, we have seen a significant increase in entries from 53 in 2001 to 357 in 2012. Also we have seen a substantial increase in the number of agencies participating and last year 50 agencies participating in EFFIE. This year to further enrich the award and bring greater creative focus to emerging and significant categories, we have introduced a few new categories while redefining a few. I am sure that this will help in recognizing effective work done across many more categories.”

This year in addition to the existing categories some new ones have also been included, to give recognition to their importance and potential.The changes announced in the categories at EFFIEs 2013 are as follows:

Consumer Products category has been divided amongst sub categories of:
• Beverages/Drink
• Confectionary and Food
• Cosmetics & Toiletries, Personal Hygiene.
• Others

Services Category has been redesigned to include:
• Media and Entertainment
• Telecom and Related products
• Financial Services
• Others

Marks the introduction of two new categories:
• Experiential Marketing / Brand Experience
• EFFIE for Good

Also, Corporate Advertising category renamed as Corporate Advertising / Corporate Reputation.

With this, EFFIEs 2013 open the door for all agencies across creative, media, digital and PR to demonstrate the leadership role in more effective brand communication.

• Last date of Entries for EFFIEs Award 2013 : Monday, 25th November, 2013.

• Entries should pertain to work done between 1st July 2012 to 30th June 2013.

• The award ceremony will be held on Wednesday, 15th January 2014, at the Royal Western Turf Club, Enclosure II, Mahalaxmi, Mumbai.

To know more about EFFIE 2013, please visit http://www.theadvertisingclub.net or write to us at adclub@vsnl.com.

November 11, 2013
The Citizen Journalist Show: Sachin Tendulkar Special

MUMBAI: As the ‘God of Cricket’ bids adieu to his 24-year-long career with his 200th test match, The Citizen Journalist Show dedicates this week’s episode to the legendary Sachin Tendulkar. On the show, two die-hard fans hold the CJ mike to express their love and obsession for their favourite cricketer. Abhishek, a young aspiring cricketer, meets the CJ team and talks about how Sachin has been his inspiration. Also, the CJ team meets cricketer Anjum Chopra, who talks about how cricket would be without Sachin Tendulkar. The show also picks up voices of people proclaiming their love for Sachin.

November 9th, Sat @ 9:30 PM
Only on CNN-IBN
&
November 10th, Sun @ 9.30 AM & 5:30 PM
Only on IBN7

November 8, 2013
Europe Music Awards Live on Vh1 presented by Micromax!

MUMBAI: It’s raining awardson Vh1 this season! The channel brings some of the prestigious international awards to India only for the entertainment of their ardent fans. After airing the coveted Video Music Awards 2013, the international music channel is all set to air the much-awaited 2013 Europe Music Awards Live on Vh1 presented by MicromaxonMonday,November 11, 2013. The red carpet special will be premiering Live at 12:30am and the main show will be premiering Liveat 1:30 amwith a prime time repeat9 pm onwards. So, make sure you don’t miss out on fashion, awards, and live performances only on Vh1!

The Europe Music Awards is a platform which recognizes music from different genres and languages across the globe. As the star studded awards night unveils at the Ziggo Dome, Amsterdam, catch a whole new list of artists perform at one of the most esteemed awards of this year.The incredible night will see major attractions like Katy Perrywith an opening act performance. Also mesmerizing the audience with his enchanting voice will be the multi-talented Bruno Marsperforming to a hit song from his multi-platinum album, Unorthodox Jukebox.

The Special Guest for the evening is Ron Burgundywhile international hip-hop legend Snoop Dogg and Dutch DJ/ producer Afrojackwill team up for an epic EMA performance. That’s not all, after giving an unforgettable performance with Miley Cyrus at the VMAs, the Blurred Lines hit-makerRobin Thicke is all set to make his EMA debut this year with 4 nominations. Rock band Imagine Dragonswho have been nominated in the ‘Best New Act’ and ‘Best Push Act’ categories will have a special performance that is sure to set the stage on fire

As the EMAs are a celebration of the greatest talents in the world…it’s only fitting that the people who hand out the awards are amazing talents as well! This year, set to give out the gongs are Iggy Azalea, Ellie Goulding, Jared Leto, Rita Ora, BridgitMendler, Carice van Houten and Colton Haynes. The back stage drama will be presented by Ariana Grande while the emcee for the awards night is Redfoo of LMFAO.

SaysFerzad Palia, SVP andGeneral Manager – English Entertainment, Viacom18 Pvt. Ltd.,“Vh1 is known for bringing the Biggest and best Live International award shows to its audiences and this month we’re airing the Europe Music Awards 2013, LIVE from Amsterdam. India will witness historical performances and moments that makes this one of the most coveted awards shows in the world.”

Speaking on the association, Mr. Shubhodip Pal, Chief Marketing Officer, Micromax said, “Micromax believes in bringing alive the most unique experiences to the Indian youth through its brand associations and product innovations. With the Europe Music Awards 2013, we are bringing alive yet another unique experience for our consumers by giving them an opportunity to witness the awards live through the Ticket 2 Ride contest. Ticket 2 Ride is one of the biggest opportunities we can give to our music loving consumer.”

He further added, “Over the past one year, Micromax has been at the helm of bringing some of the biggest artists and properties for the first time to India resonating the pulse and passion of Indian youth, mirroring their preference. We look forward to create more such experiences for the Indian youth by bringing alive more such brand associations.”

Vh1 has planned a lot of interesting activities for their fans on-ground and on digital platforms. The channel has tied up with Micromax to conduct the “Micromax presents Vh1 Ticket To Ride Contest”, where-in fans need to log on to the official Vh1 Facebook page, answer a simple question and could win an exclusive trip to watch the Europe Music Awards 2013 LIVE!

So make sure you do not miss the fun and behind the scenes drama and tune into Vh1 on November 11, 2013 at 1:30 am and for a prime time repeat at 9 pm!

November 8, 2013
Pihu on Comedy Circus Ke Mahabali

MUMBAI: The adorable Pihu will be seen showcasing her comic timing on Comedy Circus ke Mahabali in a very special episode to celebrate Children’s day.

The upcoming episode will see Ranveer Singh making a very special appearance on the show to promote his movie ‘Ram Leela’. To celebrate Children’s day on the show, the episode will see the Mahabalis performing hilarious acts with one child artist. Pihu a.k.a Amrita Mukherjee will be amongst the children who will be performing on the show. She will be paired with Mantra and Jamie J. Amrita will impress one and all with her comic timing. Amrita will be joined by Mahek, Saloni and Manish who will also showcase their comic timing in front of Ranveer Singh.

Now that’s called Chota packet, bada dhamaka!
Celebrate Children’s Day on Comedy Circus Ke Mahabali this Sunday, 10th November at 10pm only on Sony Entertainment Television

November 8, 2013
Senior Citizen Awards: Curtain Raiser

MUMBAI: CNN-IBN, in partnership with Paranjape Schemes Construction Limited announces the first edition of Senior Citizen Awards to recognize and honour the elderly who have made a notable contribution to the society. The first episode will introduce the idea behind the awards and emphasise on the issues which come with old age, threats which we as a society pose to our senior citizens and what inspires them to serve the society unconditionally even after retirement. On the show, esteemed personalities such as former IPS officer Kiran Bedi, image guru Dilip Cherian, known RTI activist Commodore Lokesh Batra, and Paranjape Schemes Managing Director Shashank Paranjape will come together to discuss the importance of our elderly generation.

Watch the first episode of Senior Citizen Awards on Sat, 9th Nov @ 1:30 PM and repeat telecast on 7.30 PM only on CNN-IBN.

November 8, 2013