Ugam fuels expansion in India, opens new office in Bangalore

MUMBAI-October 12, 2016- Ugam, a global leader in managed analytics, has announced today that it has opened a new office in Bangalore to support its growth momentum. The new and larger office will help Ugam meet the growing demand for improving business performance using data and analytics.

“Ugam wants to leverage the vast and unique talent in big data and technology in Bangalore to solve challenging problems and deliver actionable insights”, said Ugam CEO, Sunil Mirani. “We have witnessed great success in blending the right talent with our culture across all our offices to create a collaborative work space and will continue to do so”.

Ugam was recently included in Forrester’s May 2016 report, Vendor Landscape: Insights Service Providers as a vertical specialist. The report provides guidance for application development and delivery (AD&D) professionals to determine which providers best suit their business needs for a long-term and strategic association.

AMITABH BACHCHAN AND GRAPHIC INDIA PARTNER WITH DISNEY CHANNEL INDIA FOR A NEW ANIMATED SUPERHERO SERIES, “ASTRA FORCE”

              

    

~ Graphic India and Disney Channel to release the first look of Astra on Mr. Bachchan’s birthday ~

8th October 2016: In the month of August last year, Graphic India and Disney Channel Indiaannounced the production of the superhero animated series -“Astra Force.” with legendary icon,Amitabh Bachchan. Slated to go on-air on Disney Channel soon, Graphic India and Disney ChannelIndia will reveal the first look of the series on the occasion of Mr. Bachchan’s birthday – 11^th October as a special surprise for the millions of fans around the world.

A funny and fast-paced, action-adventure series, filled with laughs and thrills, “Astra Force” tells the story of a mythical hero from a distant world, who was stranded on Earth millions of years ago after an epic space battle.

When 8-year old brother and sister twins accidentally awaken the mythical superhero from his long hibernation, they must teach him about our modern world and join Astra to save the universe from a new wave of giant monsters and intergalactic threats.

 “At Disney, we believe in showcasing great stories with compelling characters that are loved by our audiences. It is imperative to get the local texture right for any story to resonate and emotionally connect with the viewers. With Mr. Bachchan associating with Graphics India and Disney Channel India on ‘Astra Force,’ we will be bringing an interesting facet to storytelling in the local animation space,”said Siddharth Roy Kapur, Managing Director, Disney India.

 “Amitabh Bachchan is a real life superhero to millions, including myself, so it’s no surprise that he is the perfect person to become immortalized in this new animated avatar,” added Sharad Devarajan, Graphic’s Co-Founder & CEO. “The opportunity to collaborate with Mr. Bachchan on ‘Astra Force’ is made that much stronger by partnering with Disney, a company whose creativity and storytelling I have admired all my life.”

Disney Channel India has been entertaining kids and families through a range of locally relevant stories spread across high-quality animation series and “Astra Force” will be the perfect complement to the line-up of existing shows.

Devarajan is the Producer on “Astra Force” along with Jeevan J. Kang, SVP Creative at Graphic India, who is overseeing visual development, character design and art for the project. Graphic’s previous animated superhero, Chakra The Invincible, was created with Stan Lee (co-creator of Spider-Man, Iron Man and The Avengers) and received over 30 million views globally on Rovio’s ToonsTV platform available through the Angry Birds app.

HPL Participates in ‘Light India Exhibition’ at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi

      

 

New Delhi October 7, 2016: HPL Electric & Power Ltd, an established electric equipment manufacturing company in India, is participating in the ‘Light India Exhibition’ at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi from October 5 – 7, 2016. Present at Hall no. 11, Stall no. C-30, HPL Electric & Power Ltd is displaying its entire lighting range at the exhibition, covering Consumer, Lighting Electronic Drivers, Commercial and Industrial & Outdoor Lighting. Light India is India’s largest B2B trade fair for the lighting industry in India, offering an opportunity to meet with potential / existing buyers, develop new business contacts, connect with the experts from the industry and gain insights of the industry.

Speaking on the company’s participation at the exhibition, Mr. Gautam Seth, Joint Managing Director, HPL Electric & Power Ltd said, “‘Light India Exhibition being the largest exhibition for the lighting industry is a good opportunity for us to display our lighting range and to connect with the right stakeholders. At the exhibition, we are displaying Smart Lighting Solutions like CCMS technology for streetlight, Mobile operated LED Lamps, IR censored based Lighting Panel for commercial segment and so on. As a company, we always look forward to such opportunities to connect with all key stakeholders and highlight our new and energy efficient product offerings. HPL is looking to expand its dealer & distributor network to 3000 & Retailer network to 21000 by the  end of the year. Our market penetration has been growing especially in the tier II & tier III. The focus is going to be on the Brand awareness.”

HPL is an established electric equipment manufacturing company in India, manufacturing a diverse portfolio of electric equipment, including metering solutions, switchgears, lighting equipment and wires and cables, catering to consumer and institutional customers in the electrical equipment industry. HPL has the fifth largest market share for LED lamps during the corresponding period (Source: Frost & Sullivan Report, February 2016). HPL’ manufacturing capabilities are supported by a large sales and distribution network with a pan-India presence. They currently manufacture and sell its products under the umbrella brand ‘HPL’.

HPL supplies switchgears, lighting equipment and wires and cables, primarily through their pan-India authorized dealer network, which comprised of over 2,400 authorized dealers or distributors as on March 31, 2016, from their warehouses located in 21 states and union territories in India that are managed by their carrying and forwarding agents. HPL’ authorized dealers or distributors further sell their products to over 15,000 retailers in India. In addition, HPL supplies their products to Power Utilities, which primarily includes supply of meters under direct contractual arrangements to electricity boards and power distribution companies, as well as through project contractors. Further, they supply their portfolio of products to developers of residential and commercial building projects, OEMs and to industrial customers through a mix of direct sales and supply through their authorized dealer network.

For more information - http://www.hplindia.com/

REAL TECHNOLGIES USED IN THE FILM-‘THE MARTIAN’

The Sci-fi Matt Damon starrer- ’The Martian’ ever since its release has been known for its realistic portrayal of space travel! The film, which is premiering on Star Movies this Sunday at9pm features Mark Watney

(Matt Damon) tells the story of an astronaut who is mistakenly left on Mars. Forced to survive on the red planet, he uses his wit to survive till his rescue. Being a Botanist and Mechanical Engineer himself, he uses the technologies which are available to him at his disposal.

The film makes it interesting because of the fact that space agency NASA themselves were consultants in the making of the film. Here are a look at how The Martian uses various developing techs as well as technology which already exist at NASA including the habitat, the plant farm, the spacesuit etc.

Habitat:

In the movie, Mark Watney spend extensive amount of time in the artificial living habitat ’the Hab’ which really exists as ‘Human Exploration Research Analog (HERA)’ at the Johnson Space Center at NASA.

Plant farm:

In the film, as he was left with a meagre amount of food, Matt Damon uses unique means to plant potatoes to survive. In real life, a NASA astronaut has harvested lettuce grown from the Veggie experiment while on board the International Space Station.

Water recovery:

As Mars is a place where there is literally lack of water, the astronaut has to recycle every drops available. In the movie, Mark Watney creates water by combining hydrogen and oxygen which is similar to NASA’s water recovery system.

Oxygen Generation:

In the film, Mark Watney uses the “oxygenator,” a system that generates oxygen using the carbon dioxide from the MAV (Mars Ascent Vehicle) fuel generator in his Hab. On the International Space Station, the astronauts use the Oxygen Generation System that helps in maintaining efficient and sustainable amount breathable air.

The Vehicle-

In "The Martian," the rover is shown at numerous moments throughout the film for which he uses as well to survive through unique means. On Earth as well, NASA has created a multi- mission specie vehicle to handle very encounter like the film’s rover!

Get a chance to experience life on Mars with premiere of “The Martian” on Star Movies on Sunday at 1pm & 9pm!

Hyundai Cricjockey Season 2 Powered by ESPNcricinfo

~A hunt for next big voice in cricket~

• Contest to recognise the most passionate and almost professional cricket jockey in India
• Top three finalists will be selected by a special jury through the multi-phased contest
• The winner gets a chance to feature on the post-match show of ESPNcricinfo during the upcoming India vs New Zealand ODI – Match day

Mumbai, October 7, 2016: Hyundai Motor India Ltd, the country’s leading car manufacturer and the largest passenger car exporter, in partnership with ESPNcricinfo has made the upcoming India vs New Zealand ODI series even more special by giving this lifetime opportunity to all true cricket fans to showcase their expertise in cricket: “The Hyundai Cricjockey 2 Powered by ESPNcricinfo, a talent hunt to discover India’s most passionate cricket fan”.

The first season of Hyundai Cricjockey gave the cricket fans of the country a platform to showcase their expertise in the game and their ability to comprehend the nuances of the sport in front of a Jury made up of the ESPNcricinfo editorial. The 2013 edition saw more than 8000 entries from across India where the best of the talent fought it out to claim the title.

Season 2 of Hyundai CricJockey will be a multi-phased contest open for fans to submit their entries on the CricJockey website - www.hyundaicricjockey.com by submitting an analysis/commentary on a match scenario identified by the ESPNcricinfo editorial. The best entries from the contestants stand to win goodies every day and will be featured on the CricJockey website. Apart from the online edition, the contest will also see an on-ground element with a 4 city ground event at Delhi, Bangalore, Mumbai and Pune where cricket fanatics will submit their entries along with the extensive digital promotion.

The eminent jury includes Ajit Agarkar, former Indian cricketer, Sambit Bal (ESPNcricinfo Editor in chief), Gaurav Kalra (Senior Editor) & other prominent members from ESPNcricinfo editorial team. They will identify the top eight who will proceed to the semi-finals. These eight contestants will battle it out to reach the Finale where one among the Top 3 win the coveted title at the ESPNcricinfo studios.

The top three finalists will be tested on their cricket analysis skill by participating on the special post-match review segment for the ODI played between India and New Zealand on ESPNcricinfo MatchDay. They will be acquainted with the entire cricket reporting process (text & Video) and will go through the grinds of covering cricket matches alongside the ESPNcricinfo editorial team.

On the launch of season 2 of Hyundai CricJockey, Mr. Puneet Anand, General Manager & Group Head – Marketing, Hyundai Motor India Ltd. said: “Sports is a vital part of our lives especially cricket. Cricket is something everyone in India has grown up with - playing it, watching it and admiring it. It’s a game that families and friends experience together, much like the cars Hyundai makes. Hyundai is proud to be the ‘Official Partner’ of BCCI for the next four years across the three formats- Test, One day and T20. As a consumer centric brand, our focus is on offering best-in-class experience to customers across all touch points to ‘Experience Hyundai’ and we are proud to announce the CricJockey Season 2, giving all ardent cricket fans a chance to exhibit their commentary skills.”

Speaking on the occasion Mr. Akshaya Kolhe Head of Sales, ESPN Digital Media India said, “We know that cricket fans in India are among the most passionate and vocal in the world. CricJockey is a platform that gives a chance to cricket fans to transition beyond an ultimate fan and become a potential professional talent. With season 2 our association with Hyundai Motor India has gone further ahead, bringing one of the most existing and entertaining contest to our Fans. This only further reinforces our commitment to our fans by providing the best of “Game around the Game” content.

The Winner will be declared on October 29, 2016 when the grand winner will also get an opportunity to feature on the ESPNcricinfo match day show. The winner will then go on to write an entire cricketing blog on ESPNcricinfo website. Apart from this, the top 8 will take home prizes worth more than 2 Lakhs over the course of the contest.

Thousands of ardent cricket fans participated in the previous edition of Hyundai CricJockey and made this contest a huge success in 2013. Mr. Kartik Kannan was the winner of the first season and received an opportunity to associate with the ESPNcricinfo Video show in the following years. He was featured with his contributory writing on "The Inbox" - a very popular fan blog on the site that features some of the best sports writers.

MGL Announces PNG, CNG Prices

Consequent to the reduction in the price of domestically produced natural gas by the Government of India, Mahanagar Gas Limited (MGL) is pleased to reduce its CNG price by Rs. 1.60/Kg and Domestic PNG price by Rs. 1.01/ SCM with effect from night of October 03, 2016 / morning of October 04, 2016.

Accordingly, revised prices of CNG and domestic PNG in Mumbai will be Rs. 39.97/Kg and Rs. 23.92/SCM respectively. This price reduction is also being affected in the municipalities adjoining Mumbai after factoring in implications of local municipal Octroi/LBT and/or Cess rates. Revised prices (inclusive of local taxes) of CNG shall be in the range of Rs. 39.97/Kg to Rs. 40.68/Kg and of domestic PNG shall be in the range of Rs. 23.92/SCM to Rs. 24.13/SCM the areas / municipalities adjoining Mumbai.

All our valued customers may please take note of these revisions. 

OMG! Krushna Abhishek is back on HISTORY TV18 with the second edition of celebrated factual reality series

~Krushna Abhishek gears up to host OMG! Yeh Mera India season 2 showcasing some mindboggling trivia from across the country

A serial dater who meets women solely for charity. An entire Indian village inhabited by nobody but African tribal people. A romantic dinner surrounded by Sufi saints or rather the graves of Sufi saints. An opportunity to earn a life insurance worth Rs.1 lakh by doing nothing but eating ‘paranthas’. These statements may sound bizarre, but HISTORY TV18 is back with the second edition of OMG! Yeh Mera India, starting Thursday 6^th October at 8pm to prove them right.

After the stupendous success of OMG! Yeh Mera India, the factual reality series is slated to make a comeback on HISTORY TV18 with a brand new season. Hosted by the popular stand-up comedian and television actor Krushna Abhishek, OMG! Yeh Mera India season 2 will continue to showcase OMG facts about people and places from the distant corners of India. The weekly half hour episodes promise to take viewers on unforgettable journeys exploring fascinating stories across the country.

OMG! Yeh Mera India curates the best oddities of India. From a 70 year old women who fancies sharp shooting, a quirky and energetic ‘scooter’ stuntman, a man who has built a replica of the Taj Mahal for his beloved late wife, to a wheel chair bound model and body builder, Krushna Abhishek will present these interesting stories and more in the 10 part series.

Talking about OMG! Yeh Mera India season 2, Sangeetha Aiyer, VP & Head Marketing, A+E Networks | TV18said, “The show being a perfect blend of facts and entertainment received an overwhelming response in its first season. HISTORY TV18 has been at the forefront of entertainment, featuring some of the best clutter-breaking content and will continue to do so with the launch of OMG! Yeh Mera India season 2.”

Excited about hosting the show once again, Krushna Abhishek added, “Being a comedian, it was a great challenge for me to host a non-fiction show. Hosting OMG! Yeh Mera India has been a great experience as it has allowed me to break the stereotype of being a comedian. I came across a great bunch of talented people in India. With the new season, we aim to kick it up a notch, exhibiting unique abilities of the common man which is sure to keep the audience glued to their screens”.

Join Krushna Abhishek on this incredible journey and get ready to witness a plethora of little known facts about places and people in India.

Tune in to OMG! Yeh Mera India Season 2 starting 6^th October, at 8pm only on HISTORY TV18.

Vodafone Play: Your Window to the World of Entertainment - music, movies and TV shows

Mumbai

October 03, 2016

Download Vodafone Play, Your Window to the World of Entertainment A unique app that offers videos, movies, TV shows and music on one platform

FREE subscription for 3 months

• Over 14,000 film titles, 180 TV channels, and a huge catalogue of Music
• One of the most exciting portfolio of  Video & Original digital content
• Special exclusive content - from Ganpati celebrations to live telecast of Vodafone Aagomoni - the annual nightlong grand musical extravaganza in Kolkata

Vodafone India, one of India’s largest telecom service providers, today announced a free subscription of its Vodafone Play app to all customers till 31 December 2016. Vodafone Play is a unique app that brings together videos, movies, TV shows and music.  With over 180 Live TV channels including popular film and entertainment channels- Sony, Colors, Zee, B4U, Zee Cinema, MTV,  leading news channels – Aajtak, IBN7, India TV, CNN News 18, CNBC Awaaz,  ET Now, BBC World News in Partnership with Ditto TV . 14000+ movies including classics and blockbusters in several popular languages and a huge catalogue of video and music content across all genres are available to choose from and watch at convenience are available to choose from, in partnership with Hooq & Hungama Movies - Vodafone Play is truly your window to the world of entertainment.

Speaking about Vodafone Play, Sandeep Kataria, Director – Commercial, Vodafone India, said, “People are increasingly watching more videos and listening to music on their smartphones. Instead of downloading multiple apps, all they need is to download and use Vodafone Play that offers the best of content digitally for all their entertainment requirements. It is truly a single window to the world of entertainment with a rich portfolio of content across genres and languages. We will continue to enrich its portfolio by adding more quality content and features on Vodafone Play to make the consumer experience more enjoyable.”

Packed with impressive features like Play and Pause on live TV, DVR capability, show timings display, show start reminders, responsive streaming of live TV channels etc. Vodafone Play makes the user experience of watching movies, TV shows, news and listening to music richer.

Download the Vodafone Play app directly from the Google Play & Apple App Store on your smartphone, or send an SMS ‘PLAY’ to 199. With the largest and the most exciting portfolio of TV channels, songs, and video-on-demand, you can be rest assured that nothing, comes between you and your entertainment.

Follow us on twitter @Vodafone IN_News and visit www.vodafone.in

BookMyShow now also available in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada

Mumbai, October 3, 2016: BookMyShow, India’s largest online entertainment ticketing platform, has launched multiple language options for its website. BookMyShow users will now be able to choose from Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada, in addition to the already existing default English option, and browse and transact on BookMyShow in their preferred language.

These language versions have been launched with the intent to expand BookMyShow offerings to more users spanning across different geographies, especially those residing in Tier II and Tier III towns.

Parikshit Dar, Co-Founder, BookMyShow said, “Language is a critical barrier to the next phase of e-commerce growth in India and we are solving this challenge by introducing language options on our website. These will give the users a chance to freely explore our platform and experience the wonderful entertainment options that we have to offer.”

“Customer centricity is key to all BookMyShow efforts. User feedback that we received through social media platforms as well as through our incisive customer contact programme, helped us narrow down on these languages. We are exploring introduction of more language options in the future and are certain that these will not only go a long way in delighting our users but also make them more comfortable with online transactions”, added Parikshit.

The language options are currently available only on the BookMyShow website and will be rolled out to the Android app soon.     

GOOD KNIGHT ENCOURAGES KIDS TO STEP OUTSIDE WITH THE CAMPAIGN – “KHUL KE JIYO GHAR KE BAAHAR”

- LAUNCHES INDIA’S FIRST ANTI-MOSQUITO FABRIC ROLL-ON PERSONAL REPELLENT

Mumbai, September 30, 2016:  Godrej Consumer Products Ltd. (GCPL) announced its foray into Out of Home (OOH) personal repellent category under its flagship brand Good knight. The new range has innovative formats that are easy to use and protects against mosquitos outdoors. The highlight of this range is Good knight Fabric Roll-On, India’s first format that just needs 4 dots to be applied on clothes and protects for 8 hours against mosquitoes outdoors. Additionally, the range also includes Good knight Cool Gel and Good knight Patches.

Sunil Kataria, Business Head-India and SAARC, GCPL said, “While there is an alarming rise of vector borne diseases like Dengue and Chikunguniya across the country, there is a lack of awareness that the mosquitoes that spread these diseases, usually bite during the day. Another reason for low adoption for outdoor and personal mosquito repellents has been the lack of innovative products. No product in the market can make it amenable for users to use everyday. Keeping these in mind, we have launched the new Good knight outdoor personal repellent range of products, which are not only easy and safe to use; but also give 8 hours of protection against mosquitos. With this new launch, we are confident creating a new consumer habit of using outdoor repellents everyday.”

He further added “ Good knight believes that parents should encourage their kids to step out of home, as it plays an important role in their development. Hence, this also formed the base of our new campaign slogan – ‘‘Khul ke jiyo ghar ke baahar’, a campaign which encourages gids to play outdoors unrestricted.”

The campaign “Khul ke jiyo ghar ke baahar” was launched with a panel discussion that had celebrity parents, Lara Dutta and Mahesh Bhupathi, Dr. Mukesh Sanklecha - Consultant Pediatrician at Bombay Hospital, and Sunil Kataria. The panelists discussed how imperative it is to safe-guard children from mosquito bites since they are the most vulnerable. The discussion highlighted the criticality and urgent need to leverage schools, educators and parents and kids to develop the good habit of using personal repellents daily, as that is the best way to protect kids outdoors.

Speaking on the occasion, renowned pediatrician Dr. Mukesh Sanklecha said, “The ongoing Dengue and Chikunguniya health scare in the nation has led to parents either cutting down on the child’s outdoor playtime, or constantly trying to prevent them from stepping out of home. What will put the parents mind at ease is a quick, safe and effective solution that can keep their kids protected from mosquitoes outdoors. They need to ensure that mosquitoes and vector-borne diseases do not hinder children’s outdoor time, which is essential for their overall growth and development.”

Expert says that indoor activities, though they may be fun, can be detrimental because they do not promote adequate physical and mental growth. Outdoor play contributes to cognitive and social/ emotional development. A study[1] of 690 children in the 8 to 16 age group, conducted across five metros, including Mumbai and Delhi, has found that 12% voted for parks, while 20% picked shopping malls as their favourite go-to destination. The findings revealed that 31% teenagers (15-17 years) like to spend their leisure hours in covered outdoor spaces, while 28% spend time indoors at home. When at home, they either watch television or play video games.

Lara Dutta, a doting and an active mother herself reflected on how things have changed and how necessary it is for parents to encourage their children to play outside. “As a mother I am continuously worried about my child’s well-being and safety whenever she is out of the protective environment of the home. Given the present scare of Dengue and Chikunguniya, we are extra cautious and want to give our daughter the best protection every time she steps out.  Good knight’s new Fabric Roll-On ensures that she is protected for a long time in an easy to use and convenient way.”

Mahesh Bhupathi added, “Both Lara and I always ensure that our daughter leads an active and sporty life and doesn’t confine herself indoors. Honestly, this does get hard at times like these when the newspapers are filled with news on Dengue and Chikunguniya. My endeavour is to teach her to stay safe at all times whether from injuries or diseases when she’s out of home. Good knight’s new range does put our minds at ease and helps us to encourage more mobility and outdoor experience for our daughter.”

The Personal Repellents market in India is pegged at Rs 126 crore but only forms 2.9% of the overall Insecticide market. Only 1.1% of the households in India use personal repellents because of multiple factors like poor sensorial, unsatisfactory consumer experience and perception of it being harmful for kids. Good knight’s new range is designed to address these concerns with 100% natural actives and child safe products.

Digibooster launched: It's time for a new platform to buy and sell innovative content

We are finally in the digital age, where information is just a single click away and brick and mortar businesses are giving way to online stores reaching across boundaries of geography and even time.
As the way of doing business changes across industries, is it not time for media and entertainment professionals, looking to buy or sell content to also follow suit?
Digibooster is one such new content market that facilitates ease of transactions between production houses and companies and individuals looking to buy innovative video content. 

Here, all forms of video content including films, TV series, Web Series, Animation etc can be showcased and are available for viewing by representatives of verified companies. Thus, in the digital world, Digibooster is the latest go-to place for IP owners and Potential Buyers to meet and explore opportunities.

Says Nandini Mansingka, co-founder of Digibooster, "The advantages offered by  platform such as this are several. For starters, the content owners have full control and flexibility regarding the information they share and they get to decide which buyers to engage in a discussion with at their own discretion. The buyers benefit as they are free to contact the sellers directly without any pressure for 'window shopping.' We hope that content creators as well as buyers get onto Digibooster enthusiastically. Innovative content is the need of the hour."  The greatest advantage of course is that while Digibooster is based out of Mumbai, India’s financial hub, the focus is on developing global business. Moreover, the usual time constraints of ‘work place hours’ don’t apply and Digibooster is open 24x7, 365 days, as opposed to physical markets like MIPCOM, FILMART and Cannes Film Market.

For more details on Digibooster.com, visit www.digibooster.com