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Tag: Rajnish Kumar

  • Ixigo flips the script on April Fools’ with a sky-high refund surprise

    Ixigo flips the script on April Fools’ with a sky-high refund surprise

    MUMBAI: April Fools’ Day just got upgraded from pranks to plane tickets. While brands scrambled to pull legs, ixigo pulled wallets—but in the best way possible. The travel platform turned its cheeky April Full Refund Sale into a straight-up jackpot for 100 lucky flyers. Yes, you read that right.

    Free.

    Flights.

    On 1 April 2025, between 11 a.m. and 9 p.m., ixigo dropped a deal that had the internet scratching its head. Was it a scam? A spoof? A sly social stunt? Nope. It was as real as the 100 per cent flight refunds it dished out. Every hour, 10 travellers who booked domestic or international flights on the app were randomly chosen to get their full ticket value back as ixigo money. The reward? Fully redeemable within 90 days.

    The buzz began on 31 March with a loony little teaser starring ixigo co-founders Aloke Bajpai and Rajnish Kumar in comically outlandish avatars. The video leaned into the absurd, but the payoff was dead serious: a campaign that blended chaos with cashback.

    Winners were revealed via hourly Instagram Reels, building suspense and fuelling travel envy across social feeds. Some folks nearly cried at the generosity. Others just booked another trip.

    Take Zubair, who flew from Bangalore to Singapore and bagged a Rs 39,950 refund. Or Jitendra, who got Rs 13,622 back for flying from Muscat to Ayodhya. Aishwarya’s refund for Mumbai to Kolkata? A neat Rs 8,325. One traveller even scored Rs 18,483 back for a Dubai-Mumbai flight. Not too shabby for a ‘joke’.

    “What started as an April Fool’s prank turned into a real treat for travel lovers – proving that sometimes, the joke can be on scepticism!” said the campaign team. This year, ixigo didn’t just flirt with fun—it made 1 April an actual day of reward, pushing the envelope for interactive and meaningful marketing.

    If this is what fooling looks like, more brands should take notes. Or better yet, take off.

  • Network18 Commissions the Biggest Media Facility in the Country

    Network18 Commissions the Biggest Media Facility in the Country

    Mumbai: Network18, India’s most diversified media conglomerate that hosts the country’s largest television news network and leading digital properties, moved to a newly created facility at Shriram Mills Compound in Worli, Mumbai. The new facility is built on floor size spread over one lakh square feet and contains the largest newsroom in the country that can seat more than 400 people along with nine uniquely designed studios. The facility has NOC for comprehensive monitoring of traffic and performance and provides tools to the teams to appraise and analyze the approach towards stories besides keeping eye on data and content security potential threats. 

    Avinash Kaul, CEO- Broadcast, Network18 commented on the occasion, “The way media space has evolved, it is prudent that the entire value chain of digital and broadcast businesses operate with oneness in approach and practice and hence we have re-modelled ourselves and designed an Integrated Digital Newsroom of global standards, which is first of its kind in the industry. The new facility helps the network channels also to enhance their presentation value by use of creative graphics,  large video walls and capability of going live with rich and relevant AR-VR effects for the viewers.

    The facility is integrated with all network newsrooms and studios in the country on same technology backbone, thereby facilitating content share and synergy across all digital products and broadcast channels. Nine different studios are driven by state-of-the-art technology and the set design has been conceptualized by designers of international acclaim. 

    Avinash added,  “With the growing might of Network18, the move to a fresh new facility brings immense cheer and motivation to our team. We have worked hard to create the country’s largest integrated newsroom fueling the country’s largest news network, where teams from our leading news brands, both broadcast and digital,  like CNBC-TV18, CNBC Awaaz, CNN News18, News18 India, News18 Regional, Moneycontrol and Firstpost will work together from a common physical space which will bring about a confluence of ideas and innovation, backed by shared operations prowess.” 

    Rajat Nigam, Group Chief Technology Officer, Network18 explained, "Keeping the focus on integrated operations, the new facility has the physical layouts, technology design and the content workflow aligned to each other rendering enhanced efficiency and productivity. The newsroom floor is equipped and designed to provide multiple outputs simultaneously on linear channels, digital products and social media with ease and synergy. The hybrid SDI-IP design allows inter-operability amongst all Production controls and Studios with ease imparting flexibility in operations. The new facility is designed objectively catering to the operational legacy, current requirements  and modularity to adapt future. The facility is strongly equipped to create live content, rich feature stories and speedy VODs for news and sporting events, gratifying the consumers. And we are excited as this facility is designed and executed completely by our in-house tech team."  

    The inauguration of the studio saw participation heads of the exchanges – Vikram Limaye of NSE and Ashishkumar Chauhan of BSE, icons of corporate India like Rajesh Gopinathan of TCS, Rajnish Kumar of SBI, Amitabh Chaudhry of Axis Bank, V Vaidyanathan of IDFC First Bank, PS Jayakumar of Bank of Baroda and market veterans Ramesh Damani, Ashok Wadhwa, Nirmal Jain, Navneet Munot among others.

  • ixigo Launches ‘Jaisa Ghar, Waisa Desh’ To Support the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan Among Travellers

    ixigo Launches ‘Jaisa Ghar, Waisa Desh’ To Support the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan Among Travellers

    Mumbai: ixigo, India’s leading travel platform, has launched a new travel cleanliness campaign ‘Jaisa Ghar Waisa Desh’  to address the growing concern around lack of hygiene and cleanliness at tourist destinations. The campaign, in the form of a counter-intuitive video, aims to sensitize travellers on the impact of littering and how it transforms beautiful tourist destinations into unpleasant spots. 

    Conceptualised and produced in-house, the campaign sheds light on the double standards that citizens have when it comes to maintaining cleanliness at home and in public places. The short video shows a family dirtying their house making it unlivable. The concept draws a parallel between maintaining hygiene and cleanliness in all public places as one would do in their homes. 

    Recent reports revealed that over 10 lakh tourists left behind 2,000 tonnes of waste during their visit to Manali in May and June this year. Overtourism in high traffic destinations like Goa, Shimla, Varanasi & Srinagar has also led to an increase in solid waste and littering. 

    Speaking on the campaign, ixigo’s Co-founder & CEO , Aloke Bajpai said, “As one of the leading travel players in the country we want to massify the government's Swachh Bharat Mission by encouraging travellers to participate in keeping tourist places clean. It is important that we, as responsible citizens realise that the whole country is our home and keep it clean in order to be truly sustainable.”

    Commenting on cleanliness etiquette of travellers, Rajnish Kumar, Co-founder & CTO said, “Reckless behaviour like leaving graffiti on heritage sites, monument vandalism and littering coastal areas is damaging our country’s natural beauty. While we continue to make innovations in the travel space, we also need to focus on adopting innovative ideas to reduce our ecological footprint.”  

    ixigo is launching its travel cleanliness campaign starting 2nd October, 2019 which commemorates Mahatma Gandhi’s 150th birth anniversary. 

  • Industry Honchos Uday Kotak, Rajnish Kumar and Kalpana Morparia come together to identify the winners of IBLA 2019

    Industry Honchos Uday Kotak, Rajnish Kumar and Kalpana Morparia come together to identify the winners of IBLA 2019

    MUMBAI: CNBC-TV18’s most-awaited marquee property, The India Business Leaders Awards will be conducting a jury meet along with an informative and insightful panel discussion on Today at Trident BKC, Mumbai, 2:30 pm.

    The panel discussion will be focused on ‘THE BATTLE FOR GROWTH’, moderated by CNBC-TV18’s Managing Editor Shereen Bhan with prominent industry veterans and jury members Uday Kotak (Jury Chairperson) – Chairman & MD of Kotak Mahindra Bank, Zarin Daruwala – Standard Chartered CEO, Rajnish Kumar – Chairman, SBI, Vani Kola – Managing Director, Kalaari Capital, Nimesh Kampani – Chairman, JM Financial Group, Sanjay Nayar – CEO, KKR India, Kalpana Morparia – CEO,  JP Morgan India, Harsh Mariwala – Founder & Chairman, Marico, and Rajiv Memani – Chairman & Regional Managing Partner, E&Y, India.

    The winners will be determined based on their outstanding leadership qualities, their path breaking accomplishments and their contribution towards economic growth and establishing profitable, sustainable and socially-conscious businesses in their industry.

    Sharing her opinion on the occasion, Shereen Bhan, Managing Editor and Anchor of CNBC-TV18 says, “India Business Leaders Awards is CNBC-TV18’s most prestigious annual property. Every year, our exemplary jury members take up this challenging task of short-listing the winners from an eminent list of nominees. IBLA has recognised business leaders who have created value, shareholder wealth, and created profitable brands. This year too we look forward to honour some outstanding performers and felicitate them at IBLA 2019”.

    The awards will be scheduled sometime around January 2019, felicitating true visionaries who have devoted their expertise to the industry leading them to success.

  • Fifth edition of Leaders of Tomorrow, India’s most definitive platform for MSMEs, rolls out

    Fifth edition of Leaders of Tomorrow, India’s most definitive platform for MSMEs, rolls out

    Mumbai, 15 February, 2016: As the laudable Make In India mission gathers momentum, India’s leading English News Channel for Business, ET NOW, rolled out the fifth edition of its landmark, year-long initiative, Leaders of Tomorrow, to empower the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector. Mr. K.K. Jalan, Secretary, Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises, inaugurated the fifth edition of India’s most definitive MSME platform on Friday, the 12 February 2016 in New Delhi.             

    The inauguration was followed by a panel discussion on ‘Unleashing the Potential of Indian MSMEs’. The interaction featured some of the top business leaders such as Vineet Nayar, Former CEO, HCL Technologies & Founder- Sampark Foundation; Rajnish Kumar, MD – SBI; Ravi Varanasi, Chief – Business Development, National Stock Exchange; and Jagdish Khattar, Founder – Carnation Auto.

    State Bank Of India presents ET NOW Leaders of Tomorrow will be packed with a host of strategic initiatives driven by informative content and knowledge delivered on-air and through on-ground events, and more, Leaders of Tomorrow will establish an even deeper connect with lakhs of MSMEs across the country and inspire them to take their aspirations to the next level.

    M K Anand, MD & CEO, Times Network said, “ET NOW has always promised to deliver news that impacts and empowers businesses, and with Leaders of Tomorrow we look at not only empowering the crucial MSME sector but also honoring those MSME leaders who have led their organizations to pinnacles of success. Over the years, Leaders of Tomorrow  has gone on to become India’s largest and definitive MSME platform, and we are confident that with its fifth edition, it will not only establish an even deeper connect with lakhs of MSMEs across India, but will continue to contribute to economic growth and nation building.”

    The Leaders of Tomorrow initiative is India’s largest platform dedicated to the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, and will inspire and celebrate the spirit of entrepreneurship to recognize emerging leaders and empower them to take their business to the next level. With over 488 lakh working MSMEs employing 1114 lakh people and with a total market value of fixed assets at Rs 1363700 crore (*Annual Report 2014-15 of Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Govt of India; 2013-14 estimates) in India, vibrant and flourishing MSMEs will be crucial to achieving the growth objectives of Make In India.

    Inspirational MSME stories on ET NOW:

    In the run-up to the awards later this year, a yearlong feature series of weekly half-hour episodes will run on ET NOW showcasing inspirational stories from the MSME space from across the country. The series will include enlightening discussions with MSMEs and industry experts on a variety of topics and a chance to get business growth queries answered straight from the experts.

    Another key aspect of the series –  to be anchored by ET NOW’s Mridu Bhandari — will be to showcase stories that celebrate the spirit of entrepreneurship and narrate fascinating examples where a little courage, a sound business plan and a good product have helped an entrepreneur to make a mark in the world of business.

    15-city on-ground MSME knowledge series – MSME Connect Initiative:

    ET NOW will also reach out to empower the future Leaders of Tomorrow through its pan-India road show, MSME Connect Initiative, which will roll out in 15 cities. The knowledge-driven initiative will be laced with expert sessions and interactions between industry experts and MSMEs who will discuss the challenges faced and solutions to approach their business and help take it to the next level. 

    MSMEs’ crowning glory – Leaders of Tomorrow Awards:

    As a befitting end to a year of inspiring and empowering the MSMEs, ET NOW will recognize and felicitate inspirational MSME entrepreneurs with India’s most coveted awards for MSMEs, the Leaders of Tomorrow Awards. These will be bestowed upon those entrepreneurs who have transformed stumbling blocks into stepping stones driven by their passion, determination and undying spirit of entrepreneurship. Tentatively scheduled for end-2016, the Leaders of Tomorrow awards will not only salute the spirit of entrepreneurship in India, but also kindle new dreams of entrepreneurial success.

    So, for a fifth season, India’s most popular and successful news channel ET NOW has embarked upon the intensive, year-long, content- and knowledge-rich initiative, Leaders of Tomorrow, in keeping with its stated mission to enable and empower business. By reaching out to lakhs of hardworking MSMEs across India to educate, inspire, empower and reward them for their entrepreneurial brilliance, ET NOW believes Leaders of Tomorrow  will provide a crucial impetus to the Make In India story.

  • Fifth edition of Leaders of Tomorrow, India’s most definitive platform for MSMEs, rolls out

    Fifth edition of Leaders of Tomorrow, India’s most definitive platform for MSMEs, rolls out

    Mumbai, 15 February, 2016: As the laudable Make In India mission gathers momentum, India’s leading English News Channel for Business, ET NOW, rolled out the fifth edition of its landmark, year-long initiative, Leaders of Tomorrow, to empower the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector. Mr. K.K. Jalan, Secretary, Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises, inaugurated the fifth edition of India’s most definitive MSME platform on Friday, the 12 February 2016 in New Delhi.             

    The inauguration was followed by a panel discussion on ‘Unleashing the Potential of Indian MSMEs’. The interaction featured some of the top business leaders such as Vineet Nayar, Former CEO, HCL Technologies & Founder- Sampark Foundation; Rajnish Kumar, MD – SBI; Ravi Varanasi, Chief – Business Development, National Stock Exchange; and Jagdish Khattar, Founder – Carnation Auto.

    State Bank Of India presents ET NOW Leaders of Tomorrow will be packed with a host of strategic initiatives driven by informative content and knowledge delivered on-air and through on-ground events, and more, Leaders of Tomorrow will establish an even deeper connect with lakhs of MSMEs across the country and inspire them to take their aspirations to the next level.

    M K Anand, MD & CEO, Times Network said, “ET NOW has always promised to deliver news that impacts and empowers businesses, and with Leaders of Tomorrow we look at not only empowering the crucial MSME sector but also honoring those MSME leaders who have led their organizations to pinnacles of success. Over the years, Leaders of Tomorrow  has gone on to become India’s largest and definitive MSME platform, and we are confident that with its fifth edition, it will not only establish an even deeper connect with lakhs of MSMEs across India, but will continue to contribute to economic growth and nation building.”

    The Leaders of Tomorrow initiative is India’s largest platform dedicated to the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, and will inspire and celebrate the spirit of entrepreneurship to recognize emerging leaders and empower them to take their business to the next level. With over 488 lakh working MSMEs employing 1114 lakh people and with a total market value of fixed assets at Rs 1363700 crore (*Annual Report 2014-15 of Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Govt of India; 2013-14 estimates) in India, vibrant and flourishing MSMEs will be crucial to achieving the growth objectives of Make In India.

    Inspirational MSME stories on ET NOW:

    In the run-up to the awards later this year, a yearlong feature series of weekly half-hour episodes will run on ET NOW showcasing inspirational stories from the MSME space from across the country. The series will include enlightening discussions with MSMEs and industry experts on a variety of topics and a chance to get business growth queries answered straight from the experts.

    Another key aspect of the series –  to be anchored by ET NOW’s Mridu Bhandari — will be to showcase stories that celebrate the spirit of entrepreneurship and narrate fascinating examples where a little courage, a sound business plan and a good product have helped an entrepreneur to make a mark in the world of business.

    15-city on-ground MSME knowledge series – MSME Connect Initiative:

    ET NOW will also reach out to empower the future Leaders of Tomorrow through its pan-India road show, MSME Connect Initiative, which will roll out in 15 cities. The knowledge-driven initiative will be laced with expert sessions and interactions between industry experts and MSMEs who will discuss the challenges faced and solutions to approach their business and help take it to the next level. 

    MSMEs’ crowning glory – Leaders of Tomorrow Awards:

    As a befitting end to a year of inspiring and empowering the MSMEs, ET NOW will recognize and felicitate inspirational MSME entrepreneurs with India’s most coveted awards for MSMEs, the Leaders of Tomorrow Awards. These will be bestowed upon those entrepreneurs who have transformed stumbling blocks into stepping stones driven by their passion, determination and undying spirit of entrepreneurship. Tentatively scheduled for end-2016, the Leaders of Tomorrow awards will not only salute the spirit of entrepreneurship in India, but also kindle new dreams of entrepreneurial success.

    So, for a fifth season, India’s most popular and successful news channel ET NOW has embarked upon the intensive, year-long, content- and knowledge-rich initiative, Leaders of Tomorrow, in keeping with its stated mission to enable and empower business. By reaching out to lakhs of hardworking MSMEs across India to educate, inspire, empower and reward them for their entrepreneurial brilliance, ET NOW believes Leaders of Tomorrow  will provide a crucial impetus to the Make In India story.