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Tag: Aaditya Thackeray

  • Mumbai seat battle heats up as CNN-News18 Town Hall hits the city

    Mumbai seat battle heats up as CNN-News18 Town Hall hits the city

    MUMBAI: When Mumbai talks politics, it doesn’t whisper, it shouts over traffic, cuts through the monsoon, and spills into cinema halls. On 13 August 2025, CNN-News18 Town Hall plants itself right in the middle of this noise with its Mumbai edition, themed “Ballot, BMC, and the Battle for Mumbai”. The agenda? Put the city’s future in the spotlight just weeks before the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, the first in eight years.

    Fresh from its Defence Edition, the Town Hall returns with a mix of political heavyweights, millennial ministers, and a hindi movie hitmaker. The line-up reads like Mumbai’s own blockbuster bill: Devendra Fadnavis, chief minister, will spar over civic priorities; Eknath Shinde, deputy CM, headlines “The Undisputed Sena-pati”; Aaditya Thackeray tackles whether Mumbai’s future is “regional” or global; and cabinet millennials Aditi Tatkare, Nitesh Rane, and Yogesh Kadam step up for “The Millennial Ministers” panel.

    And because Mumbai is never far from a film reel, filmmaker Mohit Suri will bring a cinematic interlude, delving into “Love, Loss and Legacy” after his latest success. Expect politics and pop culture to collide as only Mumbai can manage.

    “This edition is more relevant than ever,” says CNN-News18 managing editor Zakka Jacob. “With the upcoming BMC elections, these conversations are crucial for shaping the city’s vision.” CEO Smriti Mehra calls it a continuation of the channel’s mission to spotlight local concerns while sparking national conversations fitting for a network that’s been India’s No. 1 English news channel for over 3 years.

    The event will broadcast live from 4 pm on CNN-News18 and stream on its Youtube channel, inviting citizens to join in from home. But for Mumbai’s political stage, the message is clear: the curtain’s up, the lights are on, and the city’s future is up for debate.
     

  • CNN-News18 Town Hall brings together political bigwigs

    CNN-News18 Town Hall brings together political bigwigs

    Mumbai: The much-anticipated CNN-News18 Town Hall is set to make a grand comeback on 27 September in Mumbai. Renowned for its dynamic and thought-provoking discussions, CNN-News18 Town Hall has previously hosted editions across Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, and Bengaluru. Over the years, the platform has seen key figures from politics, business, and entertainment converge to debate national issues and the country’s key policies.

    The theme of this edition, ‘Road to Delhi via Mumbai?’, arrives at a pivotal moment as India navigates its political landscape in the lead-up to assembly elections in Maharashtra. Previously, CNN-News18 Town Hall has featured prominent figures such as Nirmala Sitharaman, S. Jaishankar, Nitin Gadkari, Shashi Tharoor, MK Stalin, Aaditya Thackeray, along with entertainment actors like Kartik Aryan and Sameer Nigam.

    This year’s event continues this legacy with a series of engaging sessions focused on critical political and cultural topics. Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde will lead a conversation on ‘Mahayuti’s Maharashtra Test’, discussing the coalition’s future in the state. Aaditya Thackeray, MLA, Maharashtra (Shiv Sena UBT), will delve into his party’s strategy in a session titled ‘Matoshree to Prove Its Might?’, while Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis answers the question ‘Can BJP Get Its Math Right?’, as he examines the party’s electoral calculations. Supriya Sule MP, NCP (SP) will outline her party’s vision for the upcoming Assembly elections in a session titled ‘Pawar-Play: Maha ‘Binding’ Factor?’. On the other hand, Aditi Tatkare, State Minister and MLA, NCP (AP) will also share her views on the same topic. The CNN-News18 Town Hall would also see Milind Deora, MP, Rajya Sabha (Shiv Sena) and Priyanka Chaturvedi, MP, Rajya Sabha (Shiv Sena UBT) weigh in on ‘Who is the Real Shiv Sena?’ in back-to-back sessions. From the entertainment sphere, Sonakshi Sinha and Zaheer Iqbal will address “The New Reality of Theatrical vs OTT”.

    Network18 CEO – English & Business News Smriti Mehra said, “CNN-News18 has been the number one English news channel for over two consecutive years. This achievement is a testament to our commitment to delivering impactful, relevant content to our viewers. Given its stellar lineup of speakers, I have no doubt that CNN-News18 Town Hall will once again captivate our viewers and set the stage for essential conversations that will shape the nation’s future.”

    CNN-News18 managing editor Zakka Jacob added, “The CNN-News18 Town Hall was born out of a need for candid, unfiltered exchange of dialogue that goes beyond the usual political discourse. Now in its seventh edition, it remains a crucial space where the country’s most pressing issues are addressed by a diverse mix of leaders and influencers. As we bring together voices that shape policy, culture, and society, we continue to lead the national debate on what truly matters to India.” 

  • India Today Conclave 2024 Mumbai is Back on 25th- 26th September, 2024

    India Today Conclave 2024 Mumbai is Back on 25th- 26th September, 2024

    Mumbai: The India Today Conclave 2024 Mumbai will feature a rich tapestry of influential voices from various sectors, reflecting India’s ongoing evolution amidst global challenges. India has demonstrated remarkable resilience and leadership in the face of dynamic disruptions, emerging as a confident and assertive global player.

    Key distinguished speakers include Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways; Eknath Shinde, Chief Minister of Maharashtra; Chirag Paswan, Union Minister of Food Processing Industries; Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar, Deputy Chief Ministers of Maharashtra; P. Chidambaram, Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha; and Aaditya Thackeray, President of Yuva Sena.

    Other notable speakers are Sri M, a Spiritual Teacher, Social Reformer, Educationist, and Author; Puneet Chhatwal, MD & CEO, Indian Hotels Company Limited; Darshan Mehta, President & CEO, Reliance Brands Limited; Saif Ali Khan, Actor; Manu Bhaker, Olympic Bronze Medallist; Kiran Rao, Producer, Screenwriter, and Director; Richa Chadha, Actor and Producer; Triptii Dimri, Actor; and Navya Naveli Nanda, Entrepreneur, Women’s Rights Advocate, and Podcaster.

    Register & Book your seat here- https://subscriptions.intoday.in/conclave/registration?utm_source=PR

    This assembly of key figures from politics, business, sports and entertainment is poised to shed light on the future direction of India’s position on the global stage.

    The list of speakers:

    Nitin Gadkari I Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways

    Eknath Shinde I Chief Minister, Maharashtra

    Chirag Paswan I Union Minister of Food Processing Industries

    Devendra Fadnavis I Deputy Chief Minister, Maharashtra

    Ajit Pawar I Deputy Chief Minister, Maharashtra

    P Chidambaram I Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha

    Sri M I Spiritual Teacher, Social Reformer, Educationist, Author

    Saif Ali Khan I    Actor

    Gaurav Gogoi    I Deputy Leader, Congress Parliamentary Party, Lok Sabha

    Supriya  Sule I Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha), NCP—(Sharadchandra Pawar)

    Priyanka Chaturvedi I Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha; Deputy Leader, Shiv Sena

    Milind Deora I    Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha (Shiv Sena)

    Shambhavi Choudhary I Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha), LJP

    Tanuj Punia I    Member of parliament (Lok Sabha), INC

    Sasikanth Senthil I Member of parliament (Lok Sabha), DMK

    Sanjna Jatav I Member of parliament (Lok Sabha), INC

    Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar    I Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha), Bharatiya Janata Party

    Sunil Ambekar I Akhil Bharatiya Prachar Pramukh, RSS

    Aaditya Thackeray I President, Yuva Sena

    Ashish Shelar I President, BJP Mumbai

    Dr Raj Ragoowansi I Plastic & Aesthetic Surgeon

    Radhika Gupta I MD & CEO, Edelweiss Mutual Fund

    Naresh Arora I Co-Founder, Design Boxed

    Robbin Sharma I Founder Director, Showtime Consulting

    Meeran Chadha Borwankar I Former Commissioner of Police Pune and Chief of Crime Branch Mumbai

    Prabha Chandra I Senior Professor of Psychiatry and Dean of Behavioral Sciences, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences

    Navneet Munot I  MD & CEO, HDFC Asset Management Company; Chairman, AMFI

    Manish Chokhani I Director, Enam Securities

    Puneet Chhatwal I MD & CEO, Indian Hotels Company Limited

    Darshan Mehta I President & CEO, Reliance Brands Limited

    Saurabh Kumar Sahu    I Managing Director & Lead – India Business, Accenture

    Savi Soin I President, Qualcomm India

    Rajendra Korde I President, Dharavi Redevelopment Samiti

    Rahul Shewale I Former Member of Parliament; Former Standing Committee Chairman, MCGM

    Manu Bhaker I Olympic Bronze Medallist

    Jaspal Rana I Asian Games Gold Medallist & Pistol Coach

    Avani Lekhara I Paralympic Medallist, Shooting

    Hokato Hotozhe Sema I Paralympic Medallist, Shot Put

    Navdeep Singh I Paralympic Medallist, Javelin

    Rakesh Chaurasia I Flute Maestro and Grammy Award Winner

    Kiran Rao I Producer, Screenwriter, Director

    Richa Chadha I Actor & Producer

    Guneet Monga I Producer

    Triptii Dimri I Actor

    Navya Naveli Nanda I    Entrepreneur, Women’s Rights Advocate, Podcaster

    Speakers: https://www.indiatoday.in/conclave-mumbai/2024/speakers
     

  • 12th IAA Olive Crown Awards: Kirloskar bags ‘Green Campaign of the Year’ award

    12th IAA Olive Crown Awards: Kirloskar bags ‘Green Campaign of the Year’ award

    Mumbai: Adland rolled out the green carpet at the 12th edition of the Olive Crown awards hosted by the India Chapter of the International Advertising Association (IAA) on 28 April in Mumbai. The awards acknowledged the remarkable work of those individuals and corporates who drove the message of sustainability or ‘green advertising.’

    The awards were presented across 16 different categories, including the coveted title ‘Green Crusader of the Year’ award, which was presented to Sadhguru for his efforts to ‘Save Soil’ and his new endeavour of a 100-day long motorcycle journey to spread awareness about soil degradation.

    ‘Green Campaign of the Year’- gold was bagged by Kirloskar – Limitless for its ‘Mother Nature Says Hello’ campaign, while Reliance Industries won the ‘Green Brand of the Year’- gold for its ‘Stories of Sustainability.’

    Chirag Rural Development Foundation & People for Animals Wildlife Rescue and Conservation Centre both bagged the gold in the category ‘Green NGO of the Year.’

    Shreerang Charitable Trust took home a haul of six awards, followed by Centrick Marketing Solutions LLP who picked up three Olive Crowns.

    ‘Young Green Crusader of the Year’ was awarded to Harshvardhan Joshi, an Indian mountaineer who reached the summit of Mount Everest in May 2021 in the most sustainable way possible keeping his carbon footprint to a minimum.

    The event was attended by senior marketing, media, and advertising professionals from across the country. Blue Star Ltd was the cooling partner; Vijayavani and Warner Bros Discovery were the associate partners, and Hungama Digital Media was the ‘green partner’ for the event.

    An eminent jury comprising renowned professionals such as Havas Group chairman and chief creative officer Bobby Pawar, Wunderman Thompson regional creative director- South Asia Tista Sen, House of Awe co-founder Carlton D’silva, and Madison BMB CEO and chief creative officer Raj Nair shortlisted the winners through a rigorous process.

    “The IAA Olive Crown Awards are more than just awards, they are a manifestation of all our thoughts with regards to Brand Earth,” said IAA – India Chapter president and Warner Bros Discovery – South Asia managing director Megha Tata. “They are a collected expression of what the marketing and communication industry can do so well. They are a way of showing the world that communication can be and is a true force for good and that is why we decided to support ‘Save Soil’. I really hope that the IAA India Chapter continues to take on one good cause every year and use the magic of the Marcom industry to amplify that cause.”

    Addressing the gathering, the minister for environment and tourism of Maharashtra Aaditya Thackeray spoke about the government’s new efforts of adding 24 new conservation reserves in Maharashtra and 15000 hectares of wetland for protection. “In these times of climate emergencies, it’s no longer about the future generation, this is about us, this is about being selfish because each of us can make this a better planet, to have clean air, clean water and a world which is freer and safe without hazards,” he added.

    As an Olive Crown Initiative, IAA along with AAFA is supporting the global ‘Save Soil’ movement launched by Sadhguru to address the relatively unknown but critically important issue of soil degradation. 

    Entries were invited for creative campaigns/ideas to spread awareness about this global problem. An eminent jury comprising, McCann Worldgroup India & Chairman McCann Asia Pacific CEO & CCO Prasoon Joshi; Mullenlowe Lintas group CCO and chairman Amer Jaleel, and Wunderman Thompson South Asia chief creative officer Senthil Kumar judged the entries received for the ‘Save Soil’ campaign.

    The joint winners were: Rohan Joseph, Vallabh Yeolkar, and Raj Nair from Madison BMB and Masumi Shrimankar from Fulcro. A film based on the winning campaign created by Rohan Joseph, Vallabh Yeolkar and Raj Nair from Madison BMB has been produced by Zirca Digital Solutions and Pixel Party.

    “The Olive Crown Awards have been an event, an honour, a recognition for over a decade with a lot of love to celebrate media, communications, marketing, and advertising to work towards sustainability,” said IAA Olive Crown Awards chairperson Pradeep Dwivedi. “It is rightly said that we have not received this planet from our ancestors, but we have merely borrowed it from the coming generation. It is a massive responsibility that we as an industry continue putting efforts towards sustainability.”

    Check out the complete list of winners here.(EMBED: Winner doc)

  • Bhamla Foundation’s World Environment Day campaign wins top honours at the 11th Olive Crown Awards

    Bhamla Foundation’s World Environment Day campaign wins top honours at the 11th Olive Crown Awards

    Mumbai: The India chapter of the International Advertising Association (IAA) hosted the eleventh edition of its annual Olive Crown Awards 2021 acknowledging the remarkable work of those individuals who drove the message of sustainability or ‘green advertising’.

    ‘Green Campaign of the Year’- Gold was bagged by Bhamla Foundation for ‘Dhakk Dhakk Dharti’ while IIFL Home Finance Ltd won the ‘Green Brand of the Year’- Gold. ‘Green NGO of the Year’ – Gold went to Project Mumbai for ‘The Mumbai Plastic Recyclothon’. ‘Green Campaign of the Year’- Silver was bagged by Ogilvy for ‘I Will Wear Out Plastic’. Heartbeat Creative Lab, Taiwan led the pack as they bagged four Gold & two Silver followed by Ogilvy with six Silvers at the Olive Crown Awards 2021.

    An eminent jury comprising media professionals such as Havas India chairman & chief creative officer, Bobby Pawar; BBDO India chairman & chief creative officer, Josy Paul; Wunderman Thompson South Asia regional creative director, Tista Sen; House of Awe co-founder, Carlton D’silva and Reliance Industries Ltd advisor, Kaushik Roy, shortlisted the winners through a rigorous process.

    The event, which had Zee Entertainment as its presenting partner and Discovery Communications as the associate partner, was attended by the who’s who of the ad world, including senior marketing, media, and advertising professionals from across the country. This year’s awards received over 200 entries across 20 categories.

    The state minister of environment, tourism and protocol Aaditya Thackeray was felicitated as ‘Green Crusader of the Year’ for his efforts to save the Aarey Forest in Mumbai, active promotion of urban forests in cities across Maharashtra, and hands-on approach in beach clean-ups. Addressing the gathering he said, “This award is very special for me and I take this as an encouragement for me to go ahead and take the stride to work more for climate change mitigation. I was on my way here and I was thinking what do I ask from you. When you meet an august crowd of the best people in communication, I think I can only ask for your help in communicating the climate emergency we faced today.”

    IAA – India chapter president and managing director – South Asia, Discovery Communications India, Megha Tata said, “In the last 11 years of Olive Crown we have seen campaigns and brands go from doing ‘something green’ to being vested in sustainability and we are glad that this is a platform to showcase work that can inspire. One of the things 2020 taught us is that Nature loved our lockdown! But we need to find this balance and co-exist every single day! And some of the campaigns we have seen this year, have presented this balance beautifully.”

    IAA Olive Crown Awards, chairperson and Hungama Digital Media Entertainment, founder & CEO, Neeraj Roy said, “Over the next two decades, your entire customer base and your teams  – the talent you are hoping to attract will largely be millennials and Gen Z and we know that they rate a brand’s ethics and sustainability higher than ever before so it will be impossible and impractical to ignore these trends. Brands, media, advertisers, agencies, and marketers, essentially the core of the IAA community, has always played a key role in communication for centuries and it is encouraging to note that brands here in India too are taking note and actions toward sustainability and a greener planet in their product offerings.”

  • Zee Entertainment undertakes national-level CSR drive for Covid2019 cause

    Zee Entertainment undertakes national-level CSR drive for Covid2019 cause

    MUMBAI:  Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZEEL)  announced a national-level CSR drive towards enhancing the country’s healthcare infrastructure, further strengthening its fight against Covid2019.

    In line with its CSR Policy, approved by the board, the company will support state governments and local governing bodies with critical interventions across 10 cities viz Mumbai, Noida, Chandigarh, Jaipur, Kolkata, Bhubaneswar, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kochi and Chennai. 

    The company will be utilising the sanctioned CSR budget (for the fight against Covid2019) to provide the following:

    ·    Ambulances – 200+ ambulances to be donated to the municipal corporations (46 ambulances have already been donated to BMC).

    ·    Humidifiers – 50 high flow heated respiratory humidifiers to be donated to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

    ·    PPE (personal protective equipment) Kits – 40,000+ kits to be donated to municipal corporations across the Nation.

    ·    Portable ICUs – 100+ ICU units to be built with state-of-the-art tech support across the Nation.

    ·    Daily meals – 600,000 meals to be provided to 10,000 migrants.

    With the support of Maharashtra state government, the company has flagged off the national level CSR drive against Covid2019 with Mumbai, in the presence of chief minister of Maharashtra Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray, minister for tourism, environment and protocol Aaditya Uddhav Thackeray and ZEEL managing director and chief executive officer Punit Goenka, by donating 46 ambulances and 50 high flow heated respiratory humidifiers to BMC. This support will help build capacity and enhance the existing healthcare infrastructure in Mumbai.

    The company will approach and work with all state governments and local governing bodies across the nation, to formulate an action plan that is structured on fulfilling the immediate requirements to fight the pandemic.

    Over and above the support towards healthcare relief, ZEEL has also partnered with Akshaya Patra Foundation to provide 600,000 daily meals which will support 10,000 migrants across the Nation for a month.

    Goenka said, “The effects of the Covid2019 pandemic in India has been far-reaching and calamitous for vulnerable communities. It is important that we stand up during such times and step up our efforts as responsible members of society. ZEEL is committed to continuing its strong support towards the government, with a key focus on strengthening the overall healthcare infrastructure, to save our nation from this pandemic. We are also significantly increasing our efforts on-ground to provide relief to migrants across the country. We will continue to do our best to serve the nation in these challenging times.”

    Aaditya Thackeray said, “The scale of this pandemic is enormous, and the government of Maharashtra is working round the clock to enhance the modular medical facilities and support our frontline workers. Every step ahead is a successful step towards beating the current humanitarian crisis. We would like to thank Punit Goenka and ZEEL for their support in this time of need towards Covid2019 response and relief.”

    BMC commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal added, “We are dealing with challenging times where being ahead of the virus is key to fighting the war against Covid2019. We have implemented several path-breaking innovative measures across the city to curb the increase in the number of cases and are ramping up our medical facilities. We are glad to receive this support from ZEEL that will further strengthen our efforts while also ensuring the well-being of the citizens. It is humbling to see organisations such as ZEEL coming forward and fighting this crisis together with us.”

    Earlier, ZEEL had announced financial support to over 5000 daily wage earners working directly or indirectly with the company. The company had also encouraged all its 3400+ employees to contribute towards PM CARES Fund. The amount generated was matched by ZEE, and the collective proceeds were routed to PM CARES Fund.