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Tag: ART

  • IFP Season 14 returns to Mumbai on 12 & 13 October

    IFP Season 14 returns to Mumbai on 12 & 13 October

    Mumbai: IFP (formerly India Film Project) is back, calling all creators, storytellers, and innovators! Whether writing is your escape, storytelling your passion, or transforming ideas into visual masterpieces your craft, this is your ultimate playground. For over a decade, IFP has been the leading festival for nurturing creative talent across films & OTT, music, writing, storytelling, photography, design, art, comedy, and more.

    Taking its glorious legacy of thirteen successful seasons forward, the 14th edition of this two-day festival is taking place on 12 and 13 October in Mumbai. The festival serves as a dynamic space for artists to showcase their work and connect with industry professionals. Featuring an eclectic array of sessions, workshops, masterclasses, live performances, and challenges, IFP Season 14 promises to inspire, educate, and empower participants to push the boundaries of creativity.

    The stage of IFP Season 14 will be graced by a stellar lineup of speakers, including prominent figures like Naseeruddin Shah, Ratna Pathak Shah, Aditi Rao Hydari, Kabir Khan, Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Shoojit Sircar, Guneet Monga, Saurabh Shukla, Sonam Wangchuk, Geetanjali Kulkarni, Vivek Gomber, Rajesh Krishnan, Kunal Kemmu, Ram Madhvani, Chhaya Kadam, Kavita Seth, Geetanjali Shree (International Booker Prize Winner, Author of Tomb of Sand), Vikas Swarup, William Dalrymple, Trinetra, and Avanti Nagral. Creators can look forward to great industry insights from these cultural icons. Boasting creative growth, collaboration opportunities, and insider viewpoints, this edition strives to take participants’ artistic journey to the next level.

    Staying true to its innovative roots, IFP brings back its signature series of 50-hour challenges in filmmaking, music, design, performing arts, writing, and photography to this season, with over 54,000 creative minds participating globally. These challenges will be evaluated by a powerhouse jury, featuring a diverse panel of experts such as Kabir Khan, Rob, Amit Sharma, Lilette Dubey, Lijo Jose Pellissery, Sandeep Modi, Sooni Taraporewala, Sushin Shyam, Chaaya Prabhat, Sabari Venu, Manoj Shah, and Sasha Jairam.

    Sharing his excitement about IFP season 14, IFP founder Ritam Bhatnagar said, “We are ecstatic to launch yet another exciting season of IFP, a nexus for everything creative and culture. We are delighted to see participation coming in from 44 countries this year. Our goal is to create a truly global festival that fosters a community of creative individuals and provides a place to collaborate with like-minded individuals, allowing them to break new ground with their craft. With a fantastic mix of challenges and speakers, we hope to inspire and empower artists of all ages and backgrounds through this festival in coming years”

    IFP Season 14 has something unique for everyone, from thought-provoking discussions to immersive experiences.

  • From local to global: The digital evolution of Pashmina.com with VTEX

    From local to global: The digital evolution of Pashmina.com with VTEX

    Mumbai: The art of Pashmina, crafted with centuries-old techniques by Kashmiri artisans, represents a rich tradition of exquisite craftsmanship and cultural heritage. Each piece, meticulously handmade, embodies the delicate balance of artistry and skill passed down through generations. In an effort to preserve and promote this timeless craft, Pashmina.com has emerged as a vital platform, connecting these artisans with a global audience.

    To further enhance its impact and operational efficiency, Pashmina.com has partnered with VTEX, a leading digital commerce platform. This strategic migration from Adobe Commerce to VTEX signifies a new chapter for Pashmina.com, focusing on global expansion and streamlined commerce operations. By leveraging VTEX’s innovative technology, Pashmina.com aims to amplify its reach while continuing to support and sustain the traditional art of Pashmina through its commitment to its artisan community.

    Indiantelevision.com’s Arth Chakraborty caught up with VTEX general manager, EMEA & APAC, Prakash Gurumoorthy and Pashmina.com founder Varun Kumar to gain deeper insights about their recent partnership, recent product announcements and updates and more.

    Edited Excerpts:

    On Pashmina.com planning to leverage VTEX for its global expansion and streamlined operations

    We wanted to create a seamless online shopping experience for our customers from around the globe by optimising our website Pashmina.com for the international markets. The fully integrated and centralised order management system provided by VTEX is helpful for automating processes and analysing the performance metrics for customer delight. Having a single product portfolio while managing multiple markets with varied currencies & languages was surely the core feature that made us want to go ahead with VTEX.

    On Pashmina.com’s migration from Adobe Commerce to Vtex, and the benefits it anticipates from this transition

    As VTEX provides a single platform for commerce and marketplace functions, it is easier to analyse and reach out to specific customer segments with the niche of product mix we offer. VTEX has eliminated costly integrations like payments, CRM, and logistics by providing a fully integrated omnichannel solution for our business to run smoothly.

    On VTEX ensuring faster, high-conversion, composable experiences for both B2C and B2B brands, and its differentiating aspect in terms of user experience and conversion rates

    VTEX has ascended as the composable and complete commerce platform of choice for renowned household names in B2C and B2B commerce such as Samsung, Colgate, Stanley Black & Decker, Sony, Whirlpool, and many others, due to its ability to solve the diverse needs of global retailers and brands.

    As part of its core, VTEX’s composable and complete platform delivers a unified commerce approach, seamlessly intertwining online stores, marketplaces, and physical retail outlets to deliver a connected commerce shopping experience. This strategy fuels collaboration between VTEX, the vendor in this case, and its customer, which nurtures brand loyalty by providing a collaborative and seamless journey that resonates with today’s buyer.

    Supporting this approach is VTEX’s modular and scalable architecture, which significantly enhances user experience and boosts conversion rates by allowing seamless adaptation to market changes while maintaining peak performance. VTEX ensures that retailers avoid the overhead costs associated with extensive developer teams and ongoing maintenance. This efficiency translates directly into a lower total cost of ownership (TCO), as our platform empowers retailers with intuitive tools like FastStore. These tools enable swift implementation of changes, optimisation of product displays, and enhancement of user experiences without compromising on speed or performance. Thus, VTEX not only improves operational agility but also reduces costs, making it a superior choice for retailers aiming to thrive in dynamic markets.

    In order to showcase how VTEX can empower brands, we commissioned a “Total Economic Impact” (TEI) study with Forrester Consulting, which evaluated the financial impact and contributions of VTEX on businesses. The study found significant benefits for brands that transitioned to VTEX within three years, including $5.8 million saved by migrating from legacy digital commerce platforms to VTEX, along with a 133 per cent return on investment (ROI).

    On the recent product announcements and updates from VTEX, particularly regarding AI, security, and data enhancements

    As the comprehensive and composable platform serving enterprise businesses like Samsung, Sony, WhirlPool, and others, VTEX is constantly listening, reviewing, and gathering data on B2C consumer and B2B buyer trends. Additionally, we actively engage with enterprise brands to understand their needs, particularly in reaching new audiences, achieving sales targets, and integrating new innovations to unlock growth opportunities.

    As we are constantly responding to evolving demands and economic changes, we strategically utilise AI algorithms to enhance our offerings for enterprise brands to personalise products, collect valuable data on customer behavior, make informed decisions and optimise their marketing strategies and more to drive revenue forward.

    This is why we launched ‘VTEX Vision,’ a semi-annual product unveiling of cutting-edge solutions aimed at reducing the barriers to growth.  

    For our inaugural VTEX Vision, we created a comprehensive digital product showcase with solutions spanning advertising, data, security, software development, and more. Many of these innovations are embedded with AI integrations to empower both B2C and B2B enterprise brands to provide frictionless commerce for their internal team and buyers. Our latest AI-powered solutions include:

    AI-driven ad network: effectively manages ad space across digital stores using AI-driven optimisation. To maximise profits and simplify advertising efforts, it provides competitive auctions, precise targeting, and thorough ad campaign monitoring.

    WhatsApp integration for tailored sales: VTEX combines targeted campaigns, real-time campaign monitoring, AI-driven customisation, and personalised cart recovery messages with the WhatsApp Business Account builder. Personalised client communication is made possible by this connection, which improves sales conversion strategies.

    AI-powered intelligent search: Utilizing AI to discover patterns in user behaviour, this solution provides automatic find and suggest relevant synonyms for search terms to increase conversion rates.

    Live shopping with AI-powered live chat: VTEX enhances its popular live shopping product with AI-powered live chat to let users receive more prompt responses to their questions and requests during the live shopping experience. Conversion rates and customer happiness both rise with this interactive feature.

    AI is utilised in VTEX pick and pack operations to increase efficiency and decrease errors in fulfillment procedures. Reducing human error and enhancing the overall customer experience, it automates the approval or rejection of consumer return requests.

    These are just some of the ways we’ve built AI-driven solutions to streamline workflows,   tailor customer experiences, maximise advertising budgets and more. Our end goal is to ensure competitiveness for enterprise brands in the ever changing world of commerce.

    We have also introducted VTEX data pipeline to help customers gather all their data from their commerce operation. Unlocking actionable insights from digital commerce data is crucial for business success, yet high costs and complex integrations often pose challenges. VTEX Data Pipeline offers a streamlined solution for data sharing, ensuring secure and direct delivery of commerce data to your infrastructure. With a diverse range of datasets available, customise update frequencies and destinations, while maintaining GDPR compliance and data security. VTEX Data Pipeline empowers brands to access valuable insights, make informed decisions, and drive growth effectively.

    To fortify data protection and strengthen security across all modules, we introduced ‘VTEX Shield’ during VTEX Vision. This advanced security layer is meticulously crafted to elevate overall protection levels and enhance threat detection capabilities.

    VTEX Shield encompasses an advanced web application firewall (WAF) to defend against common online attacks like SQL injection and cross-site scripting, fortifying the security of digital stores hosted on the platform. Furthermore, VTEX offers a Pentest Readiness Service, allowing merchants to conduct regular penetration tests to proactively identify and address vulnerabilities, thus preventing potential security breaches.

    A key feature of VTEX Shield is its security monitor dashboard, providing real-time visibility into security events for swift risk mitigation. This comprehensive approach strengthens security measures, protects personally identifiable information (PII), and instills confidence in data security within the VTEX ecosystem, ensuring the safety of its customers and stakeholders.

    On Pashmina.com ensuring the authenticity and quality of the Pashmina products sourced from Kashmiri artisans, and some success stories or memorable experiences highlighting the positive impact Pashmina.com has had on their lives

    Each Pashmina we source from the artisans of Kashmir has a geographical indication seal from the ministry of textiles, government of India. This seal serves as the certificate of authenticity with a unique QR code for each Pashmina that indicates its purity. We work with over 100 artisan families assuring employment for both men and women in their families. We pay them upfront for them to have a sense of job security and make their living conditions better. This sustains their motivation to keep the dying art of Pashmina alive.

    On Pashmina.com navigating challenges such as competition in the e-commerce space and changing consumer preferences while staying true to its values

    To stay ahead of the curve, we try to keep our technology up to date for optimising the on-site user experience as per the shopper’s behaviour. The analytics help us to track the trends, drop-off points, and bounce rates for learning consumer preferences. We keep increasing our sustainable fashion product mix by adding traditional as well as contemporary Pashminas that attracts all generations.

    On how VTEX facilitates enhanced order fulfillment speed and efficiency through optimised inventory strategies and management updates

    Previously, enterprises managed their physical and e-commerce operations separately, leading to inventory issues and poor customer satisfaction, as deliveries were only handled by the e-commerce distribution center.

    Our OMS allows customers to integrate inventory from all distribution centers and physical stores, providing full visibility of inventory distribution. This integration reduces inventory breakage and offers multiple delivery options for customers, such as optimised delivery routes and in-store pick-up.

    With our OMS, you can track all sales from a single control panel, whether they occur on your DTC channel or through a third-party marketplace. Our native marketplace connection allows customers to list inventory on third-party marketplaces while maintaining a single source of truth, ensuring better operational control.

    Additionally, our native marketplace helps customers sell on external platforms and enables them to become a marketplace themselves, expanding their inventory without the burden of managing additional assortments.

    Furthermore, VTEX Vision, our semi-annual product showcase of innovative solutions unlocking growth strategies to boost conversion, recently introduced advanced functionalities for our VTEX Sales app such as efficient management of new product arrivals and top offers, the ability to recover abandoned shopping carts, and real-time inventory checks. These features not only streamline internal operations for brands, but also enhance the overall shopping experience for buyers. The integration of these capabilities within VTEX’s ecosystem ensures that businesses can leverage insights and utilize automation to deliver a seamless omnichannel experience that meets the evolving expectations of modern commerce.

    On ways in which VTEX empowers sales agents to enhance customer experience and increase customer lifetime value through improved access to inventory and productivity tools

    Our ecosystem includes sales reps who have a meaningful role in the consumer journey. We have been investing in connecting our customers’ sales reps across various channels, including call centers, brick-and-mortar stores, field sales, and multi-level marketing resellers. In addition to selling more, we enable them to take on other roles within the ecosystem, such as brand influencers, content creators, or part of the store fulfillment team. Our vision is that, in the long run, the sales app suite is so powerful and relevant to the salesperson that they will think twice before considering working somewhere that does not have it, as the software will provide them with so many new opportunities to sell more.

    Our VTEX Vision Spring 2024 announcement features an exciting update to help sales agents with our popular VTEX Sales app. The comprehensive tool is designed in managing sales processes and customer interactions efficiently. The recent updates introduced during VTEX Vision further amplify the app’s capabilities.

    New features within the VTEX Sales app include seamless integration with inventory management systems, ensuring real-time updates on stock levels. This integration enables sales agents to access accurate product availability information directly within the app, facilitating prompt and informed customer interactions. Additionally, we have introduced advanced functionalities for efficiently managing new product arrivals, top offers, recovering abandoned shopping carts, and checking inventory status.

    The VTEX Sales app is integrated with MasterData, consolidating all customer and order data. Moreover, it can seamlessly integrate with other business tools such as CRM software, payment gateways, and marketing tools, offering enhanced functionality and customisation options to meet specific business needs.

    Furthermore, the updated VTEX Sales app now incorporates advanced analytics and machine learning algorithms for inventory forecasting. By analysing historical sales data and customer behavior trends, the app generates precise forecasts for future demand. These predictive insights empower businesses to make data-driven decisions regarding inventory management, procurement strategies, and sales initiatives, ultimately enhancing operational efficiency and customer satisfaction.

  • Asian Paints along with St+art India Foundation initiative aims “Art for All”

    Asian Paints along with St+art India Foundation initiative aims “Art for All”

    Mumbai– Art connects people through thoughts & feelings you cannot express. While a majority of art is visually captivating, pieces that bring the beauty and joy of art to people who are not able to experience it visually, are rare. This very concept of tangible art gave rise to Project Sparsh, an initiative launched by Asian Paints and St+art. Sparsh aims to bring the magic of art to visually impaired children, letting them experience it from an entirely new perspective.

    Rajasthan Netraheen Kalyan Sangh is a school in Jaipur that has been transforming the lives of visually impaired students for more than five decades. Asian Paints along with the St+art India Foundation added an artistic touch to the school by creating “tactile murals”. This sensation of tactility is achieved through the Royale Play range of textured paints from Asian Paints, which turns simple surfaces into tactile language that the students can touch and feel.

    The initiative focuses on touching these children’s lives in a meaningful way at their school, which is like a second home to many of them. Through Sparsh, the goal is to broaden their young minds to new ways of experiencing art while sharing their pride in the vibrant and cultural heritage of Rajasthan on which the designs of the murals are based.

    Outdoor Art

    To make the outdoor mural a truly unique experience, they have combined a textile working technique exclusive to Rajasthan, Bandhej, together with Braille to reinforce their mission of “Art for All”. The goal of this mural is to bring together seemingly contrasting elements – Bandhej and Braille, and vision and touch, all of which make this a tangible and powerful statement of ‘inclusivity’. These murals, crafted in the style of Rajasthani artisans, allows the students to experience a sense of joy and belonging.

    Indoor Art

    While art cannot be seen by all, it certainly can be felt by all. Hence, Asian Paints along with St+art India made a first of its kind “Art Museum” for these kids with varied degrees of visual impairment. The interior mural serves as an inspiration for these students whereby they are able to experience the ‘Art & Culture’ of Rajasthan via this tactile mural integrated with braille for their understanding. Watch stories come alive through Kathputli, experience the vibrant hues of classic Blue Pottery and Phad Paintings, and marvel at the detail of textiles featuring Bandhej and Bagru Block Prints. The indoor exhibition is a true feast for all your senses.

    Art Workshop

    The workshop displays artworks created by the students during the Sparsh initiative through the Access for All program. It showcases the innate ability of every child to find happiness by providing them the tools and opportunities to express themselves. A whirlwind of textured paints, creativity and inspiration come together to create truly unique and memorable experiences that people should partake in.

    Speaking about Sparsh, Asian Paints Ltd MD & CEO Amit Syngle said, “As we continue our long-standing partnership with St+art India Foundation, we are delighted to be a part of the Sparsh initiative at the Rajasthan Netraheen Kalyan Sangh in Jaipur. At Asian Paints, we leverage art and creativity to foster inclusivity among people. Sparsh is a representation of our values of empathy and the spirit of creativity. This initiative aims to bring joy and inspiration to visually impaired students through touch and feel. We redefined art and added another dimension to it with textured paints to create murals through tactile art. These murals narrate captivating stories, from the rich heritage of Rajasthan to the indomitable spirit of Helen Keller and are accessible to all, especially people who perceive the world differently from us. Together with St+art India Foundation, the Sparsh initiative stands as a testament to our commitment to #ArtForAll.”

    St+art India Foundation curator & co-founder Giulia Ambrogi expressed, “Sparsh, in collaboration with Asian Paints, embodies our commitment to ‘Art for All.’ Defying traditional artwork with ‘Do Not Touch’ restrictions, Sparsh introduces tactile dimensions, encouraging audiences to engage directly with the artworks. Through carefully curated workshops, tactile murals, and a unique indoor tactile museum, Sparsh actively breaks down barriers, making art accessible and enjoyable for the visually impaired. It reaffirms our belief that art should be a universal language, speaking to each individual’s senses and experiences. Sparsh truly creates an inclusive and shared human experience.”

    Explore the impactful Project Sparsh by tuning in to this video:

  • Zebronics collaborates with artist Santanu Hazarika

    Zebronics collaborates with artist Santanu Hazarika

    Mumbai:  Zebronics, an Indian brand in IT peripherals and audio systems with a vast catalog including lifestyle accessories, laptops and more, has collaborated with Santanu Hazarika, a multidisciplinary autodidact, a visual sorcerer and mysterious doodler. This collaboration is to introduce a capsule collection of doodle and abstract-art-covered products including audio, IT gadgets, smartwatches and more.

    A self-taught artist with multidisciplinary creativity, Santanu Hazarika has ventured across the globe, curating and displaying his art, from Mumbai’s bustling streets to the remote corners of Siberia. Hazarika played a role in India’s NFT evolution with a collaborative NFT release alongside Ritviz by selling out in an astonishing 37 seconds, a testament to his enigmatic appeal. The 3-time TEDx Speaker has several awards and accolades to his name including the Government of Assam (award) for contributions to the field of art, the Red Bull Doodle Art World Champion 2014, GQ’s best-dressed, among others.

    Speaking about the collaboration, Santanu Hazarika said, “I’m thrilled to be partnering with Zebronics, a brand that consistently pushes boundaries and embraces youthfulness, fun, and innovation. I believe that integrating the intricacy of doodle art aesthetics with Zebronics’ top-notch quality products will not only attract new consumers but also captivate existing ones with a range of trendy, fresh, and unconventional items. This collaboration is particularly special to me because it connects with my childhood memories of when I first got acquainted with the brand and developed a love for gadgets. Art is my passion, and by merging it with art-focused technology, we aim to transport people to an extraordinary world that I’m zealous to share.”

    Commenting on the collaboration, Zebronics co – founder director Rajesh Doshi said, “We are thrilled to form a partnership with the internationally acclaimed self-taught artist and illustrator, Mr. Santanu Hazarika. I personally admire and greatly appreciate contemporary and abstract art & it felt like a natural step to merge his creative expertise with our products. The result is a captivating and unique fusion of art and technology. These designs boast intricate details within their vibrant and funky patterns, paying homage to the rapidly growing global trend of doodle art that Santanu has mastered. Beyond their finesse and meticulous attention to detail, we firmly believe that our consumers will find themselves genuinely inspired by the rejuvenating designs and aesthetics of our product range, perfectly in line with our motto to be ‘Always Ahead’.

    The ‘Zebronics X Santanu’ collection, an eccentric new line, will debut on Flipkart, Amazon and shop.zebronics.com starting 13 Dec 2023. Zebronics commenced this launch with its flagship soundbar, the Zeb-Juke Bar 9400 Pro Dolby, along with a range of new gaming mousepads. Over the next six months, Zebronics can introduce products in various categories, including audio wearables, portable speakers, smartwatches, and IT & gaming products. These chosen products cater to a diverse, artistic, and fashion-forward audience of all ages. This collection seamlessly blends notable artistry with 21st-century tech, offering a fresh product lineup with inherent appeal.

    The products will be available on Amazon, Flipkart, shop.zebronics.com starting 13 December 2023

  • Winners announced for Sony BBC Earth’s ‘Earth In Focus’ photography

    Winners announced for Sony BBC Earth’s ‘Earth In Focus’ photography

    Mumbai: In a resounding success, Sony BBC Earth concludes the third edition of ‘Earth In Focus’, a month-long photography contest that beckoned participants of all skill levels to encapsulate the essence of India through the art of photography. The contest, featuring subcategories such as Wildlife, Portraits, and Monuments, received an astounding 6030 entries, with an impressive 124,490 votes during the public voting phase.

    The category winners and top 15 photographers were selected by eminent photographer and industry stalwart Supreet Sahoo. Arun Kumar, Luqmaan Zeerak, and Dhruv Shilpi emerged as the winners in the Monuments, Portraits, and Wildlife categories, respectively. They will be honoured with a SONY ZV-1F Vlog Camera along with getting a chance to feature on the Sony BBC Earth channel.

    Furthermore, the top 15 photographers across the three categories will receive an exclusive opportunity to refine their craft under the guidance of Supreet Sahoo. The contest was promoted with a host of engaging activities with Phoenix Market City, Kurla as the on-ground partner. It added a vibrant dimension to the contest, fostering community participation. With doodle walls set up for people to colour the same and day-long workshops on tips and tricks to mastering the doodle skills, the event was a well-received by people of all ages. Also, a workshop on photography was organised where people were taken through the basics of photography and lights. The contest timeline, from entry submission to judges review, culminated in the eagerly awaited winner announcement in the first week of December.

    For further details about ‘Earth In Focus’, including submission guidelines and updates,

    Please visit https://www.sonybbcearth.com/Earthinfocus/. Each participant had the opportunity to vote for three entries, one under each category.

  • DDB Mudra appoints Manish Darji as head of Art – West

    DDB Mudra appoints Manish Darji as head of Art – West

    Mumbai: DDB Mudra has announced the appointment of Manish Darji as head of Art – West. In his new role, Darji will lead the design mandate for the agency’s west office and will report to DDB Mudra creative head – West Pallavi Chakravarti.

    As part of his mandate, Darji will explore applications of craft in newer categories like digital, data, entertainment, and content. His appointment reinforces the Group’s commitment to craft at a time when visual storytelling is constantly evolving, said the agency in a statement. DDB’s unexpected works philosophy lays a strong emphasis on creating clutter-breaking work that drives results, and craft plays a crucial role in this advanced approach.

    In a career spanning two decades, Darji has worked on some of India’s leading brands like Coca-Cola, NDTV, Big Bazaar, Volkswagen, Marico, Viacom 18, Mondelez. He served as executive creative director and associate creative director at DDB Mudra in the year 2014 and 2010 respectively. He has also worked at BBH, McCann Erickson, Ogilvy, Rediffusion Y&R and Bates 141.

    Speaking on his appointment, Pallavi Chakravarti said, “It is impossible to look at a piece Manish has worked on and not be wowed. His passion for craft and grasp of distinctive visual languages are skills sorely needed in this day and age. We’re delighted to have him on board to further the creative vision for DDB Mudra West.”

    “Bill Bernbach was the first to put art and copy on the same floor, back in the 60s, and that’s been the model for all agencies ever since. With it comes the opportunity to let craft shine as we pursue our promise of unexpected works. I am truly excited to be on this ride,” Manish Darji added.

    An art graduate from MSU Baroda with a specialisation in advertising, digital, graphic design, illustration, product design and animation, Darji’s work has been recognised at some of the biggest creative forums including Cannes Lions, Spikes Asia, One Show, D&AD, LIA, and Kyoorius.

  • Budget 2016: Relief to classical & folk music performers with increase in exemption limit in service tax

    Budget 2016: Relief to classical & folk music performers with increase in exemption limit in service tax

    NEW DELHI: In an attempt to promote classical and folk forms of music, the government has announced some relaxation in service tax.

    The exemption limit on services provided by a performing artist in certain folk or classical art forms of music, dance or theatre, has been enhanced to Rs.1.5 lakh per event with effect from 1 April.

    Thus, those paying up to 14 per cent for such performances will not have to pay any service tax.

    Meanwhile, at a time when the government is stressing on green technologies, the Basic customs duty on wood in chips or particles for manufacture of paper, paperboard and news print has been reduced from five per cent.

  • Budget 2016: Relief to classical & folk music performers with increase in exemption limit in service tax

    Budget 2016: Relief to classical & folk music performers with increase in exemption limit in service tax

    NEW DELHI: In an attempt to promote classical and folk forms of music, the government has announced some relaxation in service tax.

    The exemption limit on services provided by a performing artist in certain folk or classical art forms of music, dance or theatre, has been enhanced to Rs.1.5 lakh per event with effect from 1 April.

    Thus, those paying up to 14 per cent for such performances will not have to pay any service tax.

    Meanwhile, at a time when the government is stressing on green technologies, the Basic customs duty on wood in chips or particles for manufacture of paper, paperboard and news print has been reduced from five per cent.

  • Eminent film historian Feroze Rangoonwala passes away

    Eminent film historian Feroze Rangoonwala passes away

    NEW DELHI: Eminent film historian Feroze Rangoonwala, credited with having written the highest number of books on Indian cinema, is no more.

     

    Rangoonwala passed away at his residence in Mumbai earlier this week, aged 77, of prolonged sickness. 

     

    He has left behind a wealth of information on Indian cinema, particularly at a time when efforts are on to save cinematic material for archival purposes.

     

    Rangoonwala was best known for creating the first book of Indian filmography in 1969, Indian Film Index, and his magnum opus, Pictorial History of Indian Cinema, which for its period of issue had a record run in printing. Its Russian translation led to Indian cinema being introduced to the big Soviet readership, which loved Indian films. The book also saw multiple printings.

     

    It came about five years after Indian Film written by an American film historian Erik Barnouw and Indian filmmaker S Krishnaswamy, which was the other major book on Indian cinema at that time.

     

    Rangoonwala wrote 15 major books spanning a career of five decades. These included Indian cinema, Past and Present in 1983, and several monographs on different film personalities including those on filmmakers Guru Dutt and Bimal Roy – some written for the National Film Archives of India. Other books include Satyajit Ray’s Art, Seventy-five years of Indian cinema, and Bharatiya Chalchitra Itihas.

     

    He started as a film publicist in Mumbai in the early 1950s, and soon created a major hobby into a scholastic career. He also collected a large number of film posters and rare photographs. His knowledge of the film industry made him a much sought after person to sit in both international and Indian film juries.

     

    Unfortunately Rangoonwala remained least acknowledged by the Indian government circles and did not receive any accolades.

     

    Rangoonwala finally called it a day in 2006, as illness dogged him.

     

    He sold off his entire collection of Indian cinema memorabilia to a collector of film history and retreated into private life. He also donated some rare photographs from cinema to the National Film Archives of India.

  • Genesis Burson-Marsteller launches Step Up

    Genesis Burson-Marsteller launches Step Up

    MUMBAI: Genesis Burson-Marsteller has launched a new initiative, Step Up, catering exclusively to the communication needs of the two most important stakeholders of the entrepreneurial ecosystem: the start-ups and investor networks.

     

    Designed to provide affordable and relevant service offerings spanning traditional as well as new digital formats, Step Up, helps young companies and SMBs take the next leap in their journey to success, by not only narrating their story creatively but also by communicating on what impacts their business.

     

    Commenting on the launch, Genesis Burson-Marsteller principal and founder Prema Sagar said, “Step Up is our endeavour to go back to our roots. We know, feel and understand the challenges having been a start-up ourselves, 22 years back. With Step Up, we have already begun to partner with new and upcoming brands in their journey so as to take it to the next big thing. What differentiates Step Up from the rest is our strong understanding of the ecosystem and the changing media scape, the right talent and the ability to provide affordable services.”

     

    The new initiative offers customised services from branding and partnerships to media engagement. The offering to start-ups have been created keeping in mind various challenges faced by early-stage ventures. These offerings aim to develop and device a compelling and effective communication strategy to narrate the story of the ventures in the most innnovative manner.  

     

    Genesis Burson-Marsteller public relations president Nikhil Day said, “We are delighted by the creativity of our young colleagues to have come up with the idea, presented the strategy to the India Management Team, developed the proposition and already won their first client!. Our firm has, from the very beginning, encouraged entrepreneurship – it is for our people to take the initiative.  And Step Up is a great example.”

     

    The clients could be from Consumer (e.g. FMCG, beauty, sports, art, theatre, music, movies), Technology (e.g. products, services) Health and Wellness (e.g.pharma, services, ayurveda) and Corporate (e.g.financial, engineering, aviation).  Genesis Burson-Marsteller’s experience already exists for large companies, learnings from which will be applied for Step Up companies.

     

    Step Up India lead Atul Sharma added, “In the last few years, the Indian start-up environment has made a mark on the global entrepreneurial map by producing unique and globally relevant propositions. Being noticed by the right audience can make a great difference to a young company’s journey. This unique initiative by Genesis Burson-Marsteller, Step Up, aims at empowering these innovative start-ups to create a space for themselves in an otherwise cluttered market. We are looking to create the next ‘whatsapp’ story in India! ”

     

    Step Up is inspired by Genesis Burson-Marsteller and has the same gene pool of expertise and excellence but, it aspires to bring alive creative communication in a completely different genre of companies, which may have not enjoyed the benefits of experienced communications partners owing to their size.