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Tag: Punjab

  • Yes and Centum win big for powering youth dreams

    Yes and Centum win big for powering youth dreams

    MUMBAI: Talk about making a skill-ful impact! Yes Foundation and Centum Foundation have bagged the prestigious Mahatma Award for Partnership & Impact 2025 for their joint initiative, the Youth Empowerment for Security (YES) Programme, which is changing the lives of young Indians one skill at a time.

    The initiative, focused on skilling and employability, has trained over 1,800 underserved youth across Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Telangana, and Assam, with more than 30 per cent women participants. Over 1,250 of them have already found jobs in fast-growing sectors such as retail, BFSI, healthcare, and logistics.

    The programme’s success comes at a time when women’s workforce participation in India is on the rise. Government data shows the female worker population ratio jumped from 30.2 per cent in June to 32 per cent in August 2025, signalling a strong push towards inclusion.

    “This partnership is helping young people gain skills, confidence, and opportunities,” said Yes Bank president, CSR and CEO of Yes Foundation  Garima Dutt. “It’s not just transforming lives but building a future of economic self-reliance and inclusive growth.”

    Upgrad Enterprise CEO Srikanth Iyengar, which supports Centum Foundation through scalable skilling models, added, “Social impact doesn’t happen overnight. Together, we’re bridging the gap between aspiration and opportunity, especially for women and rural youth.”

    Instituted by philanthropist Amit Sachdeva and supported by the Aditya Birla Group, the Mahatma Award celebrates organisations that embody Gandhian values of truth, inclusion, and social justice. Previous winners include icons such as Ratan Tata, Sudha Murthy, and Microsoft Philanthropy.

    The recognition adds to Centum Foundation’s growing list of honours, including a recent Brandon Hall Gold Award for the same initiative, proving that when partnerships work with purpose, the impact speaks louder than words.

  • Oben rides high with Rs 100 Cr Series A charge for e-motorcycle push

    Oben rides high with Rs 100 Cr Series A charge for e-motorcycle push

    MUMBAI: Full throttle, zero emissions, Oben Electric is charging ahead, literally and figuratively. The Bengaluru-based EV startup has announced an extended Series A funding round of Rs 50 crore in May 2025, doubling its January raise and taking the total Series A tally to Rs 100 crore. With this, Oben Electric has now raised a total of Rs 200 crore to date, further fuelling its ambition to become India’s leading electric motorcycle brand.

    The latest round saw participation from both new and returning investors, including Helios Holdings, the Sharda Family Office, and the Kay family, signalling continued confidence in the company’s growth, tech edge, and strong unit economics.

    Oben plans to deploy the fresh capital to supercharge its expansion to 150 plus showrooms across 50 plus cities by FY26, roll out its O100 platform of affordable e-bikes under Rs 1 lakh, and boost manufacturing capabilities at its Bangalore facility, which already churns out up to 100,000 units annually.

    Sandesh of the Sharda Family Office said, “Oben Electric has cracked the product-market fit in a large, untapped category. Their full-stack integration from LFP batteries to control units and their high growth QoQ made this a clear bet.”

    The company currently boasts 37 retail outlets across 26 cities in 13 states, with new footprints in Punjab, Telangana, Gujarat, and Odisha, among others solidifying its rapid post-funding execution.

    At the heart of Oben’s offering is the Oben Rorr EZ, priced at Rs 99,999, targeting urban commuters with its 175 km range, 0–40 km/h in 3.3 seconds, and 95 km/h top speed. Its flagship Rorr, too, continues to make noise among performance-first riders, both powered by India’s first LFP battery tech in two-wheelers, engineered for durability and heat resistance.

    Oben’s differentiation lies in being truly R&D-led and vertically integrated, designing not just bikes but also their core systems motors, batteries, vehicle control units, and fast home chargers all in-house. With a team of 500 plus experts, 150 plus domestic vendors, and partnerships across 68,000 public chargers, Oben is laying the groundwork for long-term dominance.

    Oben Electric founder & CEO Madhumita Agrawal summed it up, “With O100 and rapid expansion underway, we’re not just building electric motorcycles, we’re building India’s answer to global two-wheeler mobility.”

    The company now has its sights on a USD 30 million Series B fundraise in 2025, aimed at international expansion and deeper product scale-up. If Oben’s roadmap is anything to go by, India’s electric two-wheeler scene just got a whole lot more exciting.

  • Stream snatchers busted in Rs 700 crore IPTV piracy crackdown

    Stream snatchers busted in Rs 700 crore IPTV piracy crackdown

    MUMBAI: The pirates of the stream just hit rough waters. In a bold strike against content theft, JioStar has spearheaded a sweeping crackdown on a sprawling digital piracy racket worth an estimated Rs 700 crore, targeting the illegal IPTV service BOS IPTV. Acting on a criminal complaint filed by JioStar, the Cyber Crime Police Station in Gandhinagar, Gujarat has initiated legal action that’s shaken the foundations of underground streaming operations.

    At the heart of the case is BOS IPTV’s illicit distribution of premium content, including from JioHotstar, Star India pay TV channels, and even banned Pakistani networks all bundled at the eye-popping price of Rs 400 for three months. The catch? Every frame was pirated.

    Investigators found the pirated streams were being pulled using hacked set-top boxes sourced from legitimate DTH providers, a chilling reminder of how piracy is now entangled with mainstream distribution systems.

    Following JioStar’s formal complaint, FIR No. 11201018250 was registered on 14 May 2025, invoking a string of charges under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Indian Copyright Act, and Information Technology Act.

    Law enforcement acted swiftly making an arrest in Jalandhar, Punjab, and seizing three laptops and two mobile phones used in operating the pirated service. But the plot appears thicker than a set-top box manual, with authorities suspecting international links and a wider piracy syndicate behind the scenes.

    “This crackdown is a critical milestone in our ongoing fight against piracy,” said a spokesperson at JioStar. “We commend the swift and impactful action by the Cyber Police in Gandhinagar and other agencies involved. At JioStar, we remain steadfast in our commitment to protect our content, partners, and the interests of millions of lawful subscribers. We will not hesitate to take the strongest possible legal action against anyone found engaging in such unlawful activities.”

    The operation signals JioStar’s zero-tolerance stance on content theft and sends a warning shot to illegal streamers everywhere: stealing signals might land you behind bars, not behind screens. With more raids expected, this takedown isn’t the end, it’s only the buffer before the next play.

  • Watcho drops the beat with Vibe On as India’s hip-hop scene heats up

    Watcho drops the beat with Vibe On as India’s hip-hop scene heats up

    MUMBAI: The rhythm is raw, the energy is electric, and the mic is live as India’s hip-hop movement just got its biggest stage yet! Watcho, Dish TV’s OTT platform, has launched Vibe On, a high-octane reality show that shines the spotlight on underground rap talent from Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and Delhi.

    Streaming exclusively on Watcho ahead of its Youtube debut, Vibe On is more than just a music competition—it’s a battleground where aspiring rappers spit fire and fight for their moment in the limelight. From nerve-wracking college auditions to intense rap battles, the show captures the unfiltered journeys of emerging hip-hop artists, giving them a shot at stardom.

    Judged by industry heavyweights Amit Uchana, Ravneet Singh, and JSL Singh, the contest has already drawn thousands of entries, with only the top 100 making the cut. Each episode delivers lyrical showdowns, electrifying performances, and jaw-dropping rap battles, raising the stakes with every verse.

    Dish TV & Watcho corporate head of marketing Sukhpreet Singh said, “Vibe On is not just entertainment; it’s a movement. Hip-hop is an expression of real stories, struggles, and triumphs, and this show gives emerging artists the stage they deserve. At Watcho, we are thrilled to bring fresh, culturally relevant content that resonates with today’s youth.”

    With the rise of desi hip-hop and street rap in India, Vibe On promises to be a game-changer in the music reality show space. If you’re ready to experience India’s next rap revolution, tune in to Watcho now, because the vibe is on!

  • Punjabis will never forgive Akalis and Congress, says AAP at News18 PH mega-event

    Punjabis will never forgive Akalis and Congress, says AAP at News18 PH mega-event

    Mumbai: Blaming the previous Akali Dal and Congress regimes for the poor fiscal health of Punjab, finance minister and senior AAP leader, Harpal Cheema, on Tuesday said that the Mann government was being forced to take loans to service the debts accumulated by the earlier governments. “These two parties have ruined Punjab. They made no efforts to increase revenues and kept taking loans for their wasteful expenditures, and Punjabis are paying for their misdeeds today and they will never forgive them”, said Cheema.

    Speaking at News18 PH mega-event, Agenda Punjab 2023, Cheema and other senior AAP Ministers and leaders lambasted the opposition parties for their false propaganda against AAP and said their government had fulfilled most of the guarantees that they promised to Punjabis during the poll campaign. “We have given jobs to 40,000 youth and increased salaries of teachers from a meagre Rs 6000 to Rs 25,000”, Cheema said.

    Cheema also accused the Congress and the Akalis regimes of squandering the Rural Development Fund (RDF) for wasteful expenses during their tenures. “While Badal squandered the money on his Sangat Darshans, Congress used it to fund its debt waiver scheme”, said Cheema while accusing the Centre of deliberately stopping funds to AAP government.

    Punjab mining minister, Chetan Singh Jauramajra, said that AAP has zero tolerance towards illegal mining. “Our efforts are to ensure that people get sand at reasonable rates while mining revenue for the state increases”, he said adding that 17 public sand mines opened by the Mann government were ensuring cheap sand to Punjabis. He also said that work for cleaning canals in the state was going on at full pace and within a year 13,671 closed water distributaries would be made functional.

    Food Minister, Lal Chand Kataruchakk, said Punjab had procured an additional 185 lakh metric tons of paddy this season and farmers had been paid Rs 40,726 crores. He said payments to farmers were made within 24 hours of procurement. He also said that the scheme for door-to-door delivery of wheat would commence soon.

    In his interaction Punjab power minister, Harbhajan Singh ETO said that there would be no change in the government’s policy of giving 600 units of free power. He said despite fulfilling its promise of free power, the electricity board had a profit of Rs 564 crores. He also informed that the AAP government had closed 12 toll plazas so far.

    Schools education minister Harjot Singh Bains announced that all government schools in the state will have Wi-Fi connectivity by 31 March 2024. He also informed that all schools with over 500 students would have a security guard on duty.

    Transport minister, Laljit Singh Bhullar, announced that new bus permits would be given only to “Aam aadmi” and not to the elite and the rich. He revealed that the department had earned over Rs 661 crores.

    Sports minister Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer reinforced that Punjab’s sports policy has yielded very good results and response.  On an important question asked by News18 about there being no injury Rehab Centers in Punjab, Meet thanked for the idea and promised that soon he will start one in the state. The minister appealed to budding players to participate only in recognized sports, he informed that the Punjab Sports Department has also prepared a list of recognized sports.

    Speaker of Punjab Assembly Kultar Singh Sandhwan while interacting with News 18 Punjab said he is working on the implementation & usage of Punjabi Language /mother tongue in the state, he added that he is trying that all the work of Vidhan Sabha also be done in Punjabi. He added that the Punjab government has started a campaign to educate the people about the importance of the mother tongue. He slammed Akali’s for playing politics in the state.

    While referring to the recent reports of deaths of youngsters in foreign countries, NRI affairs minister, Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal, said while stress is a major contributor, drugs to play a significant role, especially in Canada where drugs are a major problem. He also referred to the ongoing trend of “paper marriages” for seeking foreign visas. “They don’t marry, but get into marriage deals”, he said while adding that these marriages are not meant to last. He also advocated for good relations with foreign countries and said that any tension proves detrimental mainly to the Indians and NRIs settled there.

    Referring to the rise in COVID cases of the new variant JN.1 across India, health minister Balbir Singh said there was no need to be scared of the virus, but precautions are always helpful. He said the state is fully prepared to deal with any threat of COVID-19. He said Punjab’s Mohalla clinics, set up on the lines of Delhi, had been extremely successful and was being talked about in different parts of the world. He said these had benefited people to the tune of Rs 600 crores, as all diagnostic tests including Xray etc, and medicines are free for patients. The minister announced that free facilities of X-ray, ultrasound, tests, and medicines will be available in all government hospitals of Punjab from January 26, 2024.

    Local government minister Balkar Singh while talking at Agenda Punjab said that sewage treatment plants (STP) are being set up at war footing in many cities of the state and more than 100 STP plants are already running. He added that cities are being developed under the Mann govt. and problems of sewerage and water are being resolved.

    Tourism & culture affairs minister Anmol Gagan Maan while talking about the tourism dept. said that investors are coming to Punjab after the successful Rangla Punjab Tourism Summit 2023, held in September. She informed that an investment worth Rs 600-700 crores has already arrived in Pathankot. She added that a Theme Park worth Rs 400 crores is proposed in Mohali to attract tourists.

    Eleven top ministers of the AAP government as well as the Speaker of the Assembly attended the New18 mega event, which focused on Punjab’s socio-political and economic issues, the upcoming Lok Sabha elections among others, and the way forward. The event aimed to understand the future Vision of the Punjab government and set the agenda for 2024.  

    The impactful debates were moderated by the channel’s team of leading anchors.

  • Sony LIV to premiere ‘Chhalle Mundiyan’ on 23 September

    Sony LIV to premiere ‘Chhalle Mundiyan’ on 23 September

    Mumbai: Sony LIV has announced the exclusive premiere of “Chhalle Mundiyan” on Sony LIV on 23 September. The direct-to-OTT rom-com film is directed by Sunil Puri and will release as part of Sony LIV’s efforts to enhance its regional content library.

    “Chhalle Mundiyan” stars Ammy Virk, Mandy Thakar, and also features Kulwinder Billa, Karamjit Anmol, Soniya Kaur, BN Sharma, Banninder Bunny, and Nisha Bano in prominent roles. The film is directed by debutante Sunil Puri and produced by Guramritpal Singh and Gurjitpal Singh.

    Commenting on the movie, actor Ammy Virk said, “The drama of confusion, chaos, hope and love will be relatable for the audience. Pammi’s character is strong with many layers attached to it, making it an interesting watch. I’m glad I was able to be a part of it and work with such an amazing crew. I’m looking forward to its release on SonyLIV on 23 September.”

    Set against the backdrop of Punjab, “Chhalle Mundiyan” traces the life of Jassi (Mandy Thakar) and foreign returned Pammi (Ammy Virk) with a Caucasian woman and a child of his friend.

    Actor Mandy Thakar added, “This is my first OTT original, and I am super excited to be part of it. OTT as a format gives wide reach and opportunity for actors as well as the content. The film “Chhalle Mundiyan” undoubtedly is a family entertainer and a quirky watch. I hope the viewers will love the romantic comedy of errors wholeheartedly and continue showering their love and support to us.”

  • News18 India’s ‘Bhaiyaji Kahin’ goes to Punjab with elections on agenda

    News18 India’s ‘Bhaiyaji Kahin’ goes to Punjab with elections on agenda

    Mumbai: The run-up to the Punjab elections has been action-packed with multiple political developments. To bring all the latest updates of this fierce political contest, News18 India is kick-starting its special election coverage – Sabse Bada Dangal – with its extremely popular show – “Bhaiyaji Kahin.”

    Based on a unique travelogue format, the show will present the aspirations and concerns of the voters amidst the heated political climate in the state.

    In his journey, renowned journalist and TV anchor Prateek Trivedi will traverse through the state and interact with common people and political leaders, to bring out the most pertinent issues defining these elections. To sense such diverse political undercurrents, he will travel to key cities such as Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Patiala, Amritsar, Chandigarh, and Pathankot.

    Through innovative and diverse concepts, News18 India has always aimed at providing an open platform to the people to voice their issues and opinions. With Sabse Bada Dangal on “Bhaiyaji Kahin,” the channel will continue to encourage conversations that impact both the public and policymakers at large.

    Viewers can watch “Bhaiyaji Kahin” from Monday to Friday at 6 p.m only on News18 India.

  • Punjab govt to levy entertainment tax on cable, DTH

    Punjab govt to levy entertainment tax on cable, DTH

    MUMBAI: The Punjab government is cracking down on errant cable ops by getting them to be accountable. It has added entertainment tax to cable and DTH connections. All local gram panchayats and state bodies will collect Rs 5 per month on a DTH connection and Rs 2 a month on cable TV from operators.

    The cabinet has approved the move. Once the governor gives the nod, the charges will begin from the date of notification.

    The state government aims to make Rs 9.6 crore via the DTH tax from 16 lakh connections and Rs 36.96 crore through 44 lah cable connections.

    Interestingly, no entertainment tax will be levied on other sources of entertainment such as cinemas, multiplexes, and amusement parks.

    The government is cracking down on cable mafias by getting them to clearly account their subscriber base. In the limelight is Fastway Transmission which is the mega player in the state and had the support of the previous Punjab government.

    When GST was introduced on 1 July, the power to collect entertainment tax was withdrawn from the state governments. This has now been given to the panchayats and municipalities by amending the seventh schedule of the constitution. Instead of requiring the centre to approve, The Punjab Entertainment and Amusements Taxes (Levy and collection by local bodies) Act 2017 was amended to get approval at the state level itself.

    Also read: 

    Supreme Court stays order on entertainment tax by LCOs

    M&E items get GST relief from 15 November 2017

    Entertainment tax: MSOs & LCOs must collect & pay, HC halts Delhi ‘action’

  • CNN launches digital venture ‘Anthony Bourdain Parts Unknown’

    MUMBAI: Explore Parts Unknown is a mobile-first immersive guide featuring original stories and video, premium photography, and engaging interactives inspired by the Emmy-winning CNN Original Series Anthony Bourdain. The experience will allow users to recreate Bourdain’s journeys and dive deeper into the people, places, and stories he’s encountered.

    Explore Parts Unknown is an editorial partnership between CNN and Roads & Kingdoms – an independent journal of food, politics, travel and culture based in New York and Barcelona. Together, we have built a digital universe for the Bourdain super-fan, enabling you to learn what Tony knows, go where he went, eat what he ate, and drink what he drank. Born from Bourdain’s contagious passion for culture, food, travel and adventure, Explore Parts Unknown highlights our shared obsessions: authentic food, culture, people, travel; continuing the conversations Tony starts beyond the TV screen.

    Bourdain said, “Explore Parts Unknown is the next step, a logical step, and a deeply enjoyable one for me in collaboration with CNN and Roads & Kingdoms. I’m not a journalist, and never claimed to be one. I’m an essayist and storyteller. But the people at Roads & Kingdoms ARE journalists–and very good ones. This venture serves my insatiable curiosity and gives us the opportunity to go further off the beaten path, tell more stories, enrich and elaborate on existing ones, and go deeper into the locations that I travel to for the TV series.”

    The site will launch with destinations like Hanoi, Las Vegas, Koreatown (LA), Manila, Buenos Aires, London, Punjab, Montana, The Greek Islands, Senegal, Madagascar, Istanbul, New Jersey, Colombia and South Korea. New destinations will roll out weekly with original content.

    The site will include digital features like:

    • Exclusive Videos: The site will launch with a 7-episode digital series called Catalunya: The Return featuring Bourdain’s road trip across Spain.

    • Bourdain’s Field Notes: First person notes from Bourdain’s travels.

    • The Perfect Day: Time stamped blueprints for a perfect 12 hours in a given destination, including notes on restaurants, bars and random detours.

    • Hotel Bar Diaries: Short personal, voice-heavy dispatches from hotel bars around the world.

    • Recipes: Recipes of dishes from episodes from Anthony Bourdain Parts Unknown with accompanying articles that gives context to the dish, its origins and importance.

    • Destination Fact Sheets: Fact sheets that allow you to “Travel like Bourdain” with local lingo, travel tips, and restaurant recommendations.

  • Tax concessions would have boosted ‘Attack On Ghazi’

    The past week saw a variety of new releases. `The Attack On Ghazi’, was a rare war film for the Indian audiences and an underwater film about war between an Indian and Pakistani submarine, Ghazi. The film, based on the 1971 war, was painstakingly made.

    The other film, `Irada’ — film’s title did not reveal much about the product — was on an ecological problem faced by the State of Punjab as some vested interests involved in reverse boring draining water and causing ground water to turn poisonous for farm lands as well as for drinking purposes.

    The third was the usual run of the mill romantic comedy about a couple on the run.

    Though ‘The Attack On Ghazi’ emerged as the best of the three releases at the box office, it was not enough as the film registered just over Rs. 1 crore or Rs 10 million on its opening day. The film deserved much better and the initiative to attract more footfalls should have rested with multiplexes, which could consider reducing the admission rates for this kind of film that is made with sincere intentions.

    The film narrates a chapter from Indian history, not very far long, though. If multiplexes increase admission rates at will with big star cast films, reducing the rates for a film like `The Attack On Ghazi’ is the least they can do to promote honest cinema.

    The film deserved entertainment exemption but many States did not do so under election’s model code of conduct and the film stayed deprived of this advantage. The film showed a decent rise on Saturday in collections doing better on Sunday to end its opening weekend with Rs. 6.6 crore or Rs. 66 million (excluding Telugu and Tamil versions).

    `Irada’, a film with a message on environment, takes the thriller route to present and make interesting the issue of how ecology of the bread basket of India, Punjab, was compromised. The problem with the thriller part, that is the investigations, is that you just witness conclusions and not told how they were arrived at. Also, if the film really wanted to take the message across the States, the use of heavy Punjabi language could have been avoided.
    The opening day collections as well as the weekend remained very poor. The film collected approximately Rs. 60 lakh or Rs. 60, 00000 for its opening weekend.

    `Running Shaadi’, a routine love story about a couple in love on the run, fails to convince on counts of comedy as well as romance. Launched a couple of years back, the film did take its own time hitting the screens. Another drawback is that the film is almost entirely in Punjabi language. To what purpose one can’t fathom?
    The film is poor all over from one day one. The film fell far short of even Rs. 1 crore or Rs 10 million mark and collected Rs. 70 lakh or Rs. 70, 00000 for its first weekend.

    `Jolly LLB 2’ that had a tepid opening response picked up on Saturday and Sunday. Though the film dropped on Monday, it had a healthy Tuesday, thanks to Valentine’s Day. Being a solo release in the comedy genre, it maintained Rs. 10 crore or Rs. 100 million per day average to end its first week with Rs. 72. 1 crore or Rs. 721 million. It will get some benefit in its second week in the absence of any strong film releases.
    `Raees’ added Rs. 2.1 crore or Rs 21 million for its third week, taking its three-week tally to Rs. 130.4 crore or Rs. 134 million.

    `Kaabil’ collected Rs. 3.8 crore or Rs. 38 million in its third week taking its three week total to Rs. 92.2 crore (Rs. 922 million).

    `Dangal’ comes at the end of its glorious run. The film added about Rs. 50 lakh (Rs. 50, 00000) in its eighth week, taking its eight-week total to Rs. 387.9 crore or Rs. 3879 million.