ITV

Tag: Niret Alva

  • India’s culture and technology are Its Hallmark: Bhairavi Jani on ‘UMUTE with PRCAI’

    India’s culture and technology are Its Hallmark: Bhairavi Jani on ‘UMUTE with PRCAI’

    Mumbai: Serving as executive director of SCA Logistics Pvt. Ltd., Bhairavi Jani has been adeptly navigating the evolving landscape of logistics and supply chain operations. The fourth-generation entrepreneur and passionate philanthropist is playing a pivotal role in streamlining the complex global network to facilitate a seamless flow of commerce.  

    Ever enthusiastic about development, Jani recently joined Niret Alva, an award-winning television journalist, producer, anchor, and educator, in the fourth episode of ‘UMUTE with PRCAI. During this enlightening session, she spoke about the evolving global narrative about India, the ongoing digital metamorphosis and importance of the lifelong learning. She also shared insights into her professional journey and her passion to co-create sustainable livelihoods for communities in the upper Himalayas.  

    Addressing the question posed by the host on the hallmark of India’s changing brand image, Jani responded, “I think our culture is our strongest positioning of course, but so is technology.” Drawing reference from mentions of India in Western movies and series, she said that India has become a part of “mainstream conversation where people in general conversations have started recognising the country.” She even credited prime minister Narendra Modi for advocating the brand India, resulting in the country’s enhanced global image.  

    Continuing the discussion on strategies to bolster India’s global brand image, Jani asserted that, “Every brand has its core philosophy and values. For India, it has always been its diversity and pluralism. A lot of people equate India to that. If India were to lose that core identity, it would significantly damage its brand.”  

    Advocating for digitalisation in logistics and other streams of businesses, Jani said learning, experimenting, and preparing a roadmap for the organisation is essential for managing the transition. Commenting on the speculation of job losses due to the advent of AI (Artificial Intelligence) and advanced technologies, Jani stated, “There is a transition. Some people will lose their jobs, but many new, higher-skilled jobs will be created. We shouldn’t be apprehensive about it.”  

    She even spoke about the importance of lifelong learning in the current era and shared some key skills required for an Indian entrepreneur across sectors. To hear the full episode tune into: Bhairavi Jani: The Future of India is Bright  

  • ‘Welcome 2’ back with ‘zaikedar dilli’

    ‘Welcome 2’ back with ‘zaikedar dilli’

    MUMBAI: As things heat up in the national capital with the political parties battling it out for aam admi’s attention, Life OK’s second season of the reality show Welcome 2- Baazi Mehmaan Nawaazi is all set to add more spice to the existing drama!

    The ‘desi’ version of the international reality series, Come Dine with Me, will now explore the Delhi cuisine and culture with common man, this time around.

    Unlike the first season which was hosted by actor Ram Kapoor, this one will be sans a host and celebrities. The previous season featured actors hosting dinner at their places and will bring together a bunch of New Delhi-based strangers from different walks of life. They will be seen bonding over food, entertainment and ‘mehmaan nawaazi’ (hospitality) with one specific theme each week.

    Produced by Miditech, the series started from 17 March and is aired every week Monday to Friday at 10:00 pm and will run for eight weeks.

    India Gate Basmati Rice continues to be the presenting sponsor of the show. Moreover, the channel has roped in Pantene 6 Oil Nourish as the powered by sponsor.

    The reason behind having no host this time around is, the makers wanted to focus on the five contestants. “This time we just wanted to focus on the five contestants each week. The show concentrates on Dilwalon Ki Dilli, the melting pot of cultures offered with a dash of masala, drama and entertainment. This season is all about laughter, food, excitement, drama and different personalities,” echoes Miditech co-founder Niret Alva.

    Fifteen episodes have been canned till now. The makers and the channel believe that it is going to be a fun ride. Celebrities are expected to come in but much later. “This time we are keeping this season more on the lines of the international format. Some celebs will definitely join in every now and then to pep up the drama and entertainment quotient, but that will come much later,” reveals Alva.

    Life OK general manager Ajit Thakur expounds: “It is our endeavor to introduce clutter-breaking content and our reality shows are always served with a twist. As five contestants from culturally diverse backgrounds come together, the show moves away from the run of the mill kitchen politics and takes you into the actual kitchen conversations.”

    Alva revealed that selecting the contestants was very tough. “We were looking for the characters from different walks of life. We needed permissions to invade their homes. Apart from this, we also needed the contestants for five days without even telling them what’s going around.”

    In its first season, the show aired from 21 January to 23 March 2013. There were nine groups that involved 45 celebrities, with five celebrities featuring in the show every week.

    While the channel has pinned high hopes on this series, whether they will succeed it or not is a different story altogether. Says a highly placed media planner (name withheld on request): “The channel has been innovating and launching new shows time and again to sustain viewership and maintain numbers. But according to me, they should not try content which has not worked for them in the past. The first season did not work well for the channel and that was the clear indication that audiences are not interested in such content.”

    The media planner further goes on to say that: “To fill the vacant slot, they could have extended the shows which are doing well for the channel like Mahadev and Shapath. This strategy would have got them a few numbers.”

  • National Award for Miditech co-founder Niret Alva

    National Award for Miditech co-founder Niret Alva

    MUMBAI: Miditech co-founder Niret Alva has been awarded the National Award for his ‘Outstanding Effort in Science and Technology in the Electronic Medium’. President APJ Abdul Kalam hosted a special felicitation ceremony for the winners and was also attended by Minister for Science and Technology Kapil Sibal and R. Chidambaram, Principal Scientific Advisor.

    The National Awards instituted in 1988 by the National Council for Science and Technology Communication, Ministry of Science and Technology encourages and recognizes efforts in the area of science popularization.

    Alva was presented the award for using the electronic medium to powerfully convey the traditional science and current developments in the country.

    Accepting the award Alva said, “I am truly overwhelmed by this moment. I wish to thank the Government of India for giving me this honor and recognition. It will be my endeavor to continue using the electronic medium in a more progressive and powerful manner”.

    He has developed and built major brands like Indian Idol, Galli Galli Sim Sim (Sesame Street), Wheels, and Living on the Edge. Alva has also anchored travel shows (Great Escape), automobile (Wheels) and environment (Living on the Edge and Earth Report).

    Niret Alva will also be representing India at the Asia 21 Young Leaders Forum in Kochi from 3 to 5 March. Alva had earlier chaired the first session of the Asia 21 Young Leaders Summit in Seoul last year where the focus was on value-based leadership.

    The Asia 21 initiative unites professionals from across the Asia-Pacific region representing varied spheres, ranging from business and politics to media, arts and culture. The meet in Kochi is designed to share and discuss best practices in leadership and problem solving.

    Excited at representing India at the Asia 21, Niret Alva said “I am honored to be a part of this forum. This is a great opportunity for me to interact and collaborate with dynamic people from various regions and understand the challenges faced by our society. I hope to contribute to this forum to the best of my experience and knowledge. “

    The first meeting of this year’s class of fellows will address topics related to protecting cultural heritage, human security, environmental protection, economic development, corporate social responsibility, public health issues.

    Shaffi Mather, Malini Mether and Logsang Sangay are other delegates chosen to represent India at the forum.