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Tag: Coimbatore

  • Full throttle thrills at JK Tyre Round 2 in Coimbatore

    Full throttle thrills at JK Tyre Round 2 in Coimbatore

    MUMBAI: Engines sang, tyres squealed and the clouds conspired to make Round 2 of the JK Tyre Racing Season 2025 at Kari Motor Speedway an intoxicating cocktail of speed, suspense and sheer stamina. On the outskirts of Coimbatore, India’s motorsport faithful were treated to a weekend where lap times fell, tempers rose and the next generation of racers announced themselves with panache.

    The newest kid on the grid, the JK Tyre Levitas Cup, lived up to its billing. For local favourite Jai Prashanth Venkat, Sunday was a coming-of-age as he steered his Maruti Ignis with poise to clock 14:38.490 over 10 laps, edging past guest driver and seasoned campaigner Mira Erda by a whisker. His best lap of 1:26.100 capped a weekend that began cautiously on Saturday but ended with a flourish. Mira, with 15 years in the sport, remained the constant thorn in the side of the men, finishing on the podium in all four races and clocking 15:04.056 in Race 2 and a close 14:38.750 in the finale. For the rookies, 10th-standard student Nihal Singh was the revelation, winning Saturday’s opener in 15:28.013 with raw pace before mechanical gremlins denied him a Sunday repeat. Balaji Raju, Ashwin Pugalagiri and Dipayan Dutta each had their moments, posting times like 15:32.923, 15:14.501 and 15:11.024 to underline the depth of young talent. The Levitas Cup, run as a single-make series, proved a sturdy launchpad for rookies while offering professionals a stern workout under rain and wind.

    If the cars delivered drama, the bikes supplied theatre. The Royal Enfield Continental GT Cup turned into a heavyweight slugfest as regulars Anish D Shetty and Navaneeth Kumar traded blows on the stopwatch. Anish drew first blood with a 13:21.374 in Race 1 and improved to 13:10.550 in Race 2, but the climax came in the third race when Navaneeth snatched victory by a scarcely believable 0.002 seconds, his 13:21.934 just ahead of Anish’s 13:21.936. Both riders clocked best laps under 1:17, showing the Continental GT’s ability to hustle despite its heft. Among the amateurs, the “Street to Circuit” ethos paid dividends as Bryan Nicholas, Kabir Sahoch and Assam’s Johring Warisa made their presence felt. Warisa’s steady climb culminated in a 13:30.058 win in Race 3, proof that scouting raw street talent into circuit racing can bear fruit.

    The JK Tyre Novice Cup kept the buzz alive, pitting fledglings against each other in three tight races. Msport’s Bhuvan Bonu dominated the weekend, winning Race 1 in 16:06.951 and Race 3 in 16:26.624, but not before Abhijit Vadavalli of Momentum Motorsports muscled his way to a Race 2 victory with a commanding 14:23.860. Bonu was never far behind, chasing home in 14:25.946, while DTS Racing’s Lokithlingeash Ravi consistently hovered near the sharp end, clocking 14:27.820 and 16:27.943 to bag podiums. Vinith Kumar M and Avi Malavalli also kept the field honest, ensuring that every chequered flag was earned, not gifted.

    For JK Tyre, the weekend was more than just a collection of winners and losers; it was a reaffirmation of its three-decade-long crusade to democratise Indian motorsport. The Levitas Cup showed that grassroots talent can flourish when given the right machine and platform, the Continental GT Cup reminded fans that bikes can thrill as much as cars, and the Novice Cup underlined that the pipeline of future stars is brimming. Rain, wind and close calls could not dampen the spirit. Instead, they added edge to a round where victories were measured in milliseconds, rookies raced like veterans, and veterans proved why their fire still burns.

    By the time engines fell silent on Sunday evening, Kari Motor Speedway had done what it does best: transform promise into performance, rivals into legends and ordinary weekends into extraordinary tales of speed. If Round 2 was a glimpse of the future, the rest of the JK Tyre Racing Season promises to be a rollercoaster on wheels.

  • Casagrand bats for a third term with Sourav Ganguly as brand face

    Casagrand bats for a third term with Sourav Ganguly as brand face

    MUMBAI: From test matches to testaments of trust, Sourav Ganguly is playing a long innings off the pitch this time, as the face of Casagrand for the third year running. South India’s leading real estate developer, Casagrand, has extended its partnership with the cricketing icon, reaffirming its national ambitions with a familiar, dependable face. With its eyes set on expanding footprints in Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune, and Coimbatore, the brand is sharpening its game plan and who better than the man who redefined Indian leadership on the field?

    Known for his fearless captaincy and ability to build winning teams, Ganguly echoes Casagrand’s own growth story: bold, strategic and future-focused. “A home isn’t just a structure, it’s a dream nurtured,” said Ganguly. “Casagrand reflects that belief by building spaces that care for well-being and legacy. I’m proud to partner with a brand that understands the spirit of togetherness and vision.”

    Founded in 2003, Casagrand boasts over 160 completed projects and a cumulative 53 million square feet developed across urban hubs. In FY 2024–25 alone, the company launched over 18 projects, ramped up activity in Hyderabad and debuted in Pune cementing its reputation as one of India’s fastest-scaling real estate players.

    But Casagrand isn’t just about handing over keys. It’s pioneering post-handover support with features like assured rentals, resale assistance, and maintenance services, giving homeowners more than just square footage peace of mind. Its communities prioritise green spaces, smart layouts and multi-generational amenities, built with a vision that housing should enable legacy, not just lifestyle.

    The renewed Ganguly partnership goes beyond celebrity endorsement, it positions Casagrand as a brand built on shared values of trust, resilience, and ambition. With India’s property landscape getting more competitive, this brand–captain duo seems ready for a new innings complete with boundary-pushing aspirations and a stadium full of dreams.

  • ‘India Design Mark’ honours Hamilton

    MUMBAI: Patronage of good design raises the standard of living. For decades, Hamilton has been consistently developing functional products with optimal practical value using simple but ingenious and distinctive designs. “India Design Mark”, one of the highest design standards in India, honored the Hamilton Design Team with a certificate at their recently held event in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu.

    India Design Mark is an enrichment tool granted by India Design Council. It is an autonomous body, established by the Government of India, functioning under the aegis of Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion, Ministry of Commerce & Industry. Two of Hamilton’s innovative products which got this prestigious recognition were the Duplex Bucket and Microwow.

    The products underwent a systemised process of evaluation which constitutes the India Design Mark logo that acts as a symbol of distinguished excellence of the product. With the “India Design Mark” certification, Hamilton has distinguished itself through continuous inventive design and has set new standards.

  • Chennai based Feroze Khan defends MRF National Indian Junior Touring Car Championships in Style

    Chennai based Feroze Khan defends MRF National Indian Junior Touring Car Championships in Style

    DELHI: Chennai based S. Feroze Khan, defended his Indian Junior Touring Car title in style at the end of the recently concluded 2013 MRF National Championships. Feroze, piped Ananth Pittawala of Team N1 from Mumbai in a sensational finish, to win the second and final race of the day at Greater Noida’s Buddh International Circuit (BIC) to seal the championships. Ananth was in great form on the day, having won the first race already and looked set to win the second as well, but Feroze obviously had other ideas. This capped a memorable season for Feroze, where he won six out of the nine races spread over three legs across Chennai, Coimbatore and Greater Noida. It all started with a season opening hat-trick of wins for him at his ‘home’ circuit at Sriperumbadur, Chennai. His exploits in the season, have also enabled Team Rad Racing to win the Team Constructors Title at the championships.

     

    Feroze, a rising star in Indian Motorsports, was born to a well-known family in Chennai with a legacy of racing. Grandfather Sattar Khan used to race during the Sholavaram times and was a middle weight boxing champion for two years, besides racing cars like ambassadors, fiats and imported cars like mustangs. Feroze’s father Ayub khan is two times JK Tyre National Champion. His father obviously was a natural role model.

     

    Feroze started his racing career with Cars India in 2010 and finished 5th in his first race out of 18 cars starting at 10th position on the grid. He ended the year placed 3rd overall. The following year in 2011 he finished 2nd. His steady rise continued and he has now won the Indian Junior Touring Car Championships, two years in a row. He will always be remembered for starting 21st on the grid and emerging 1st in a race in 2012.

     

    Expressing his thoughts at the end of the race and obviously delighted at the result, Feroze said, “This result was important to the team and me to convince us that we are on to good times. It is one thing winning a competitive tour once, and another to win as a defending champion. The pressure of expectations is something you have to live with in any competitive sport. The credit goes firstly to Radha Selvarajan, our chief tuner, who is so knowledgeable and such an inspiration and secondly to the entire team. Friends and family, including my dad have always been there for support and I can never thank them enough. I just hope, I am able to move on to bigger and better things and fulfil the dreams they have of me.”

     

    Large scale series production touring cars race each other in the Indian Junior Touring Cars circuit. These include Maruti Esteem cars fitted with Maruti Esteem MPFI engines only .Zen, Esteem and Swift Blocks may be used as long as the same dimensions as the Esteem block are maintained. This year’s championships saw 24 teams in all participate representing places like Chennai, Coimbatore, Mumbai, Bangalore, Ooty and Trichy.
     

  • Warner Bros launches Kids’ WB stores

    Warner Bros launches Kids’ WB stores

    MUMBAI: Warner Bros Consumer Products (WBCP) has forayed into the stand-alone store space with the launch of its latest retail concept – Kids’ WB. As part of this concept, all Warner Bros licensed merchandise across categories and properties, will be showcased and be on sale under the brand Kids’ WB.

    “The launch of the Kids’ WB Stores is a unique and important initiative for Warner Bros brands in India. We are pleased with the consumer response and look forward to more consumers and fans of our brands being able to experience the stores opening in their cities,” said Warner Bros Consumer Products MD – Australia, New Zealand and India Preston Kevin Lewis, commenting on the launch of the concept in India.

    Consumers will now be able to purchase apparel, accessories, footwear, toys, stationery, home décor, books, infant hardlines, food, personal care and other merchandise featuring world famous Warner Bros properties such as Tom and Jerry, Looney Tunes, Tweety, Scooby-Doo, as well as DC Comics Super Heroes, including Superman and Batman.

    Kids’ WB is a first of its kind initiative by Warner Bros Consumer Products in India. Following a successful launch in Coimbatore, Warner Bros Consumer Products is taking the concept to several other cities across the country – Chandigarh, being the next city to unveil a store launch, soon to be followed by Jaipur, Delhi and Mumbai subsequently.

    “By keeping diverse categories under one roof, the Kids’ WB retail concept is a fun, engaging destination for parents and kids,” said En theos consulting managing partner Nagarajan Subramanian. En theos is the licensing product and retail representatives in India for Warner Bros. Consumer Products.

  • DAS crosses 100% six weeks after analogue switch-off, but many homes still do not have STBs

    DAS crosses 100% six weeks after analogue switch-off, but many homes still do not have STBs

    NEW DELHI: The digitisation level in the 38 cities in fourteen states and one union territory of Phase II had touched 101 per cent including DTH homes as on 14 May, six weeks after the analogue switchoff.

    However according to the information & broadcasting ministry’s own statistics, around nineteen cities had not been fully digitised as on 7 May.

    Questioned about this anomaly, an I&B Ministry official told indiantelevision.com that the average was based on the fact that nineteen cities had crossed more than a 100 per cent seeding of set top boxes, with Hyderabad touching a figure of 206.18 per cent with cities like Ludhiana and Allahabad crossing 178 per cent and 167.04 per cent respectively.

    The official – who did not want to be named – added that this was because many of the households had more than one television and/or DTH connection, and the ministry had made a provision of 20 per cent TVs in shops and homes.

    The official clarified that a total of 1,60,13,059 total TV homes had to be digitised by making provision of 20 per cent for multiple TVs in houses and TVs in offices/shops. The total number of TV Households according to ministry statistics is 1,33,44,216.

    Coimbatore with 30.43 per cent stood at the bottom on 7 May, with Srinagar at 30.88 per cent, and Vishakhapatnam at 54.36 per cent. These figures include direct-to-home connections. It is therefore obvious fom these figures revealed by the government itself that a large proportion of TV subscribers in these 19 cities do not have either a DTH set top box or a cable TV set top box.

    Petitions challenging digitisation are currently pending in the Madras, Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh high courts. These affect the cities of Chennai, Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam Bhopal, Indore, and Jabalpur.

  • CNN-IBN to scrutinise Indian airports in weeklong series

    CNN-IBN to scrutinise Indian airports in weeklong series

    NEW DELHI: CNN-IBN will launch its weeklong programme State of India’s Airports from 24 March, based on interviews of users – both commuters and pilots – of the largest and even some smaller airports, building an industry perspective into a public issue.

    The public interviews will be validated by a special CNN IBN-AC Nielsen survey to determine the Airport Satisfaction Index of regular airport users to identify the key areas of improvement and their level of satisfaction with Indian airports.

    The biggest and the best – the newly inaugurated, state-of-the-art Hyderabad airport – will be showcased alongside smaller ones, like Kochi, Coimbatore, Amritsar and Gwalior, which lie in shambles, officials from the channel revealed.

    One important question to be probed is why cities with killing air traffic, Delhi, Mumbai or Kolkata, still have only one airport, and also, how is the privatisation attempt working out against claims like “You Awaiting a World Class Airport” seen in hoardings on the entry point of Delhi’s airports.

    While issues of civic amenities, hygiene, ease of getting luggage back and public utilities at the airports would be gauged from the people in general in the interview format, those of technicalities such as runway conditions, bird hit frequency, near-miss collisions, night landing will be understood from pilots and technical staff.

    “While India possesses the fastest growing aviation market in the world, with the number of passengers growing exponentially, the adequate infrastructure to support this growth is still lagging,” says a statement from the channel.

    The series will culminate with a special one-hour show on 29 March at 8 pm (repeat Sunday, 23 March at 12 pm) that will provide an in-depth look at some of the upcoming, “world-class” airports from around the country!

    “A massive project to expand, revamp and in some cases even build entirely new alternative airports in India’s biggest cities is presently in progress,” said top officials at the channel.

    While renovation work in Delhi and Mumbai is still underway, the new airports in Bangalore and Hyderabad are ready and in the case of the latter, been recently inaugurated.

    “CNN-IBN’s State of Indian Airports will not only look at these four big cities but also lay focus on some of the country’s smaller airports.”

    The weeklong newswheel stories will be substantiated by a nationwide poll conducted by AC Nielsen that will assess factors like the facilities available, user satisfaction, connectivity, quality of infrastructure, the pros and cons of privatisations

    “State of Indian Airports is intended to depict the public’s dissatisfaction with the current state of most airports in the country, their inability to cope with the increasing passenger traffic, show successful examples of smaller airports and raise debates on issues like why bigger cities cannot have multiple airports,” the channel says.

    “State of Indian Airports brings viewers a close glimpse of the real condition of some of India’s airports, both big and small. The poll results on the country’s best and worst airports will further validate the need to upgrade these epicentres of India’s booming aviation industry,” maintains CNN-IBN & IBN7 editor-in-chief Rajdeep Sardesai.

  • Third edition of Hutch Kalakka Povathu Yaaru on Vijay TV

    Third edition of Hutch Kalakka Povathu Yaaru on Vijay TV

    MUMBAI: Riding high on the popularity of laughter challenge contests, the new season of Hutch Kalakka Povathu Yaaru on Vijay TV is all set to launch on 9 March.This will be the third edition of the show.

    The winner of this contest stands to win a grand prize of 5 million. Since the past series have raked in the popularity; the channel has decided to bring in contestants from across the globe this time around. The show also promises a fresh new line up which will include female contestants as well. Judges on this show include Chinni Jayanth and Madan Bob.

    The first round of auditions to pick a fresh set of talents shall take place on the 11 and 18 February. The first set of auditions will take place in Tirunelveli, Madurai and Coimbatore and at Chennai, Pondycherry and Salem on 18 February.

  • Vijay TV announces ‘fun & irreverent’ Vijay Awards

    Vijay TV announces ‘fun & irreverent’ Vijay Awards

    MUMBAI: Tamil entertainment channel Vijay TV has announced the launch of a Tamil film award property – Vijay Awards.

    Vijay Awards is fun, irreverent, not like other politically correct award ceremonies but distinctively cool, states an official release.

    Stars will be selected on voting methods across multiple platforms and the results announced at an exclusive golden-globe style round the table dinner, attended and performed by some of the biggest names in the film industry. Vijay, Vikram, Surya, Asin and many more stars of the industry to be present for this grandeur Vijay Awards, the release adds.

    Vijay TV GM Ravinath Menon says, “Vijay TV has been successful in entertaining the audiences, with the launch of ‘Sangamam’, ‘Hutch Kalakkapovathu Yaaru’, ‘Airtel Super Singer’, ‘EQ’ and now with ‘Vijay Awards’. We further aim to consolidate our leadership in the weekday/weekend prime-time slot and stay on, with our single-minded endeavor to provide compelling entertainment & content for the viewers.”

    The Awards

    favorite HERO
    favorite HEROINE
    favorite VILLAIN
    favorite COMEDIAN
    favorite DIRECTOR
    favorite MUSIC DIRECTOR
    favorite PLAYBACK SINGER- MALE
    favorite PLAYBACK SINGER- FEMALE
    favorite FILM; and
    SUPER STAR OF TOMORROW
    in addition, 8 SPECIAL JURY AWARDS
    Excellence in CINEMATOGRAPHY
    Excellence in CHOREOGRAPHY
    Excellence in STUNTS
    Excellence in EDITING
    Youth Icon
    Style Star
    Chevalier Sivaji Ganesan Award for Excellence in Films

    An on-ground activity Rasigan Express will be flagged off from Chennai to travel to three zones across Tamilnadu. 14 cities will be covered under four locations per city and two prime locations per city will be selected and voting ballots to be distributed to fans at these locations and fans to drop votes in the ballot box. The route plan will cover the places Chennai, Pondicherry, Kumbakonam, Tanjore, Trichy, Madurai, Dindigul, Palani, Coimbatore, Tirupur, Erode, Salem, Vellore and Kanchipuram.

    The final announcement of the Vijay Awards winners will be chosen by the people via voting methods. An entertainment of two hour star studded extravaganza to be held at Chennai Convention Centre for a selected audience of 300 people with elegant round table seating to be organized by the channel. The super heroes of Kollywood, the glam dolls will be part of the show. Special performances of actor Shobana – fusion, Srinivas-Karthik memorable melodies and actor Sada’s medley will the highlights. The talented, versatile and extremely funny gentleman Yugi Sethu is to present the show, the release further informs.

  • Max kicks off Champions Trophy promotions with Gully Cricket

    Max kicks off Champions Trophy promotions with Gully Cricket

    MUMBAI: Movies and events channel Max is back with its flagship on-ground activity Gully Cricket. Launching on 7 September, the initiative will kick off the channel’s promotional activities around the big ticket cricket property ICC Champions Trophy.

    Max brand ambassadors Mandira Bedi, Sameer Khan and the mascot Tiger Deewana will visit the cities of Hyderabad, Nagpur, Kolkata, Mangalore, Visakhapatnam, Coimbatore, Amritsar, Ahmedabad and Lucknow between September 7 and September 30, 2006 to take the cricket fever from the lofty stadiums to the dingy bylanes.

    The fifth edition the Champions Trophy, which is being played in India for the first time, is scheduled for October 2006.

    Commenting on the return of the promotional initiative, Max business head Albert Almeida said, “Cricket is not only for the select few rolling their arms and swinging their bats in the parks and fields. It is our national passion and there’s no greater fun than playing the game on the streets. And with our Max icons for company, I am sure Gully Cricket will make everyone go deewana all over again.”

    Gully Cricket schedule

    Nagpur 7 September

    Kolkata 10 September

    Mangalore 15 September

    Visakhapatnam 17 September

    Coimbatore 20 September

    Amritsar 23 September

    Ahmedabad 26 September

    Hyderabad 28 September

    Lucknow 30 September