Leading Industry Practitioners Reveal their Pricing Strategies - The Economic Times Pricing Strategy Summit

The power of price to produce results in the marketplace is unrivalled by any other component in the product-mix. The Economic Times Pricing Strategy Summit scheduled on the 21^st & 22^nd of September 2017, envisions bringing together leading stakeholders from across the Marketing, Sales and Strategy value chain, all of whom are involved in formulating and executing pricing strategies that ensure business profitability. Through a series of interactive panel discussions, keynotes, case studies and unconferencing sessions, the summit will uncover the DNA of successful pricing strategies from across industries.

Some of the topics covered include:

·         How pricing transformation fits with sustainable Commercial Excellence in a Digital Economy

·         Tackling digital disruptions and leverage emerging technology to advance your pricing processes

·         Deciphering the code: Who should take the leadership role in Pricing

·         Winning at Omni-Channel Pricing in todays Marketplace

·         Behavioural economics for pricing and portfolio architecture

Some of the leading practitioners speaking at the summit are:

·         Burhanuddin Pithawala, Head - Conversions, OYO

·         Chinmai Sharma, Chief Revenue Officer, Taj Hotels

·         Darshana Shah, Chief Marketing Officer, Aditya Birla Health Insurance

·         Gaurav Jain, Chief Executive Officer, Bombay Realty

·         Gunjan Soni, Head of Jabong & Chief Marketing Officer, Myntra

·         Kapil Kamboj, Vice President, Customer Development & International Business, Johnson & Johnson Consumer India

·         Kashyap Vadapalli, Chief Marketing Officer & Head - Marketing, Pepperfry Private Limited

·         Kavita Kapoor, Director Finance, Hewlett Packard Enterprise

·         Mithun Sundar, Head of Strategy, PepsiCo, India

·         Munish Myer, Lead, Strategic Pricing & Price-Pack Architecture, AMEA, Mondel纠International Inc

·         Prasad  Kholkute, Vice President, Pricing and Revenue Management, Jet Airways

·         Ramesh Juneja, Senior Vice President, Cipla

·         Ramesh Menon, Chief Executive Officer, Hypercity Retail Limited

·         Sandeep Bajoria, Vice President, Strategy & Insights, Coca-Cola India & South West Asia

·         Sanjay S Sahni, Chief of Marketing & Sales (Branded Products & Retail), Tata Steel Limited

In our fast-moving age rife with disruptions, our actions or inaction could cost us dearly. So act now, and register now for seats at this summit that will change your perspective on pricing.

आता घुंगरांना मिळणार सुबोधच्या ढोलकीची साथ!

'हृदयांतर', 'तुला कळणार नाही' अशा दरमाही एका पेक्षा एक दमदार चित्रपटांतून आपले मनोरंजन करणारे आणि सध्या मराठी चित्रपटसृष्टीतील एक आघाडीचे व्यक्तिमत्त्व म्हणून ओळखले जाणारे आपल्या सर्वांचे लाडके अभिनेते सुबोध भावे आता लवकरच 'प्रेमला पिक्चर्स' निर्मित 'छंद प्रितीचा' ह्या येत्या १० नोव्हेंबरला संपूर्ण महाराष्ट्रात प्रदर्शित होणाऱ्या आगामी चित्रपटात आणखीन एका नवीन भूमिकेत प्रेक्षकांसमोर येणार आहे. 

महाराष्ट्राच्या संस्कृतीचा एक अविभाज्य भाग असलेल्या नृत्यशैलीवर आधारित'छंद प्रितीचा' हा आगामी सिनेमा लवकरचं आपल्या भेटीस येणार आहे. तमाशातील तन मन आणि धन ओतून वावरणार्‍या प्रत्येक मनस्वी कलाकाराच्या जीवनाचा वेध घेणारा हा चित्रपट... आजवर आपल्या वेगवेगळ्या भूमिकांमधून विशेषत: चरित्रात्मक भूमिकांमधून आपल्या अभिनयाची छाप पाडणारे सुबोध भावे या चित्रपटातून 'राजाराम' नामक एका ढोलकी वादकाच्या आगळ्यावेगळ्या भूमिकेत आढळून येणार आहेत.

संगीत आणि सुबोध यांचं अतूट नातं आपण ह्या आधी देखील 'कट्यार काळजात घुसली' या चित्रपटातून पाहिलं आहे. संगीताचा कोणताही प्रकार असो, सुबोधची त्यातील वाखाणण्याजोगी असलेली जाणं आता आपणांस पुन्हा अनुभवायला मिळणार आहे. निर्माते चंद्रकांत जाधव यांच्या 'प्रेमला पिक्चर्स' निर्मित 'छंद प्रितीचा' चित्रपटाचे लेखन आणि दिग्दर्शन एन. रेळेकर यांनी केले असून छायाचित्रदिग्दर्शन जितेंद्र आचरेकर यांचे आहे तर संगीत दिग्दर्शन प्रविण कुंवर यांनी केलेले आहे.

तेव्हा छंद प्रितीचा जरूर पहा येत्या १० नोव्हेंबरला तुमच्या जवळच्या चित्रपटगृहात...

This Navratri, Mumbai’s most glamorous and alluring Dandiya Night comes alive at Dome@NSCI, SVP Stadium, Worli, Mumbai

Dome@NSCI announces 7 days of Dome Dandiya Nites with Ramzat Group.

Tara vina shyam mane ekaldu lage, Ras ramva ne vahelo avaje - this might be your favorite Garba song, but there is so much more in store for you this year. The festival of Navratri is just around the corner and Mumbaikars are getting ready to soak in the festive spirit. This Dandiya season, forget about all your worries and dance your heart out at the largest indoor stadium in Mumbai. DOME @ NSCI SVP Stadium, India's premier entertainment and leisure destination will celebrate the popular festival of Navratri by organizing the largest indoor Dandiya festival, Penninsula Land Presents Dome Dandiya Nites from 24^th September – 30^th September 2017.

Date: 24^th September 2017 – 30^th September 2017

Venue: Dome@NSCI SVP Stadium, Worli

Time: 7:00 pm till mid night

Wipro Joins Hyperledger to Catalyze Collaboration on Enterprise-Grade Blockchain Solutions

Mumbai, India – September 14, 2017: Wipro Limited (NYSE:WIT, BSE: 507685, NSE: WIPRO), a leading global information technology, consulting and business process services company, today announced that it has joined Hyperledger to design and develop open source-based blockchain solutions for enterprise-grade blockchain deployments. Hyperledger is a global open source collaborative effort created to advance cross-industry blockchain technologies across sectors such as finance, banking, Internet of Things, supply chain, manufacturing and technology.

Brian Behlendorf, Executive Director, Hyperledger said, “We are excited to welcome Wipro to the Hyperledger community. Wipro brings industry-acknowledged blockchain advisory and consulting capabilities, coupled with  industry solutions for specific use cases and a strong partner ecosystem to help client businesses innovate on blockchain. We look forward to Wipro’s active contribution in the Hyperledger community to share insights on blockchain use cases, technology frameworks, tools & standards, and thought leadership.”

Global customers are increasingly looking at Hyperledger to build enterprise-grade blockchain solutions for specific industry use cases. Hyperledger Fabric is a blockchain framework implementation that acts as a foundation for developing applications or solutions with a modular architecture. Wipro’s Blockchain Innovation Lab has developed several industry solutions on Hyperledger Fabric  such as Tri- party collateral management, Air worthiness certificate tracking, Trade Finance and Loyalty Rewards Management. Wipro is also developing technology competency on Hyperledger through internal bootcamps and partner-led training sessions.

Krishnakumar N Menon, Vice President, Service Transformation, Wipro Limited said,“We are excited about joining Hyperledger and look forward to working closely with the Hyperledger community to catalyze blockchain adoption for global enterprises. Our customers are increasingly looking at Hyperledger to build enterprise-grade blockchain solutions for specific industry use-cases. Additionally, Wipro's open source services, expertise and solutions add value to our Hyperledger-based blockchain offerings. We look forward to investing in crowdsourced innovation and open collaboration as part of our efforts in the Hyperledger community.”

Wipro has identified blockchain as one of the strategic client themes to drive digital innovations and transformation across the enterprise. Wipro’s thought-to-finish blockchain offerings cover advisory and consulting, Blockchain Innovation Lab (as a service), blockchain application development and constructing blockchain networks. As part of the Wipro’s Blockchain CoE (Center of Excellence), Wipro develops industry solutions, blockchain assets & frameworks and an IP portfolio. Wipro helps clients experiment, deploy proof-of-concepts on blockchain technologies, and incrementally expand to scale-to-production releases. Click here to know more.

CaratLane unfurls Butterfly: A vibrant collection to celebrate the spirit of women

A butterfly isn’t born with its beautiful wings; it works towards becoming its glowing and graceful self. It goes through a journey of radical transformation, one that organically mirrors a woman’s change into her authentic self. By drawing inspiration from this thought, CaratLane, India's leading omnichannel jeweller, unfurled Butterfly, a collection that celebrate the spirit of women.

“The butterfly is a striking symbol of beauty, change and hope and thus best personifies the woman of today. The butterflies in this collection come in shades of blue, orange and green to represent three unique identities. We made them in three colours to ensure that any woman who buys it can relate herself with the collection.”, said Aakrosh Sharma, SVP, Merchandising & Fulfillment, CaratLane.

Blue represents the trailblazer, a woman is who is original, bold and a torchbearer in her own right. She often takes the road less travelled. Orange, on the other hand, represents the warrior, a woman who is strong, resilient and committed. She has fought many odds to reach where she is today! Lastly, Green represents the giver, a woman who is kind, generous and selfless. She radiates compassion and leaves her mark wherever she goes!

This collection has 20 butterfly designs that flutter across categories like rings, earrings, pendants, necklaces and bracelets. The collection starts at Rs. 14,126

Malaika Arora Launches Revolutionary Hair Reducing Technology for RichFeel

Mumbai, 7th September 2017: RichFeel, the pioneer of trichology in India providing expertise in hair and personal care has unveiled renowned Bollywood actress Malaika Arora as the face of the brand and introduced Europe’s most advanced laser hair reduction technology called Ice Cube 2.0. A revolutionary Cool Brush Hair Reduction Treatment that cools the skin while it makes it silky.

This prestigious launch event was held on 7th September 2017 at Taj Lands End, Mumbai in presence of Malaika Arora along with Dr. Apoorva Shah, Founder, RichFeel & Dr. Sonal Shah, Co-founder, RichFeel respectively.

Speaking about the development, Dr. Apoorva Shah, Founder, RichFeel said, "We timed the launch of this breakthrough service of RifchFeel with beginning our association with Malaika Arora. This is a moment of immense pride for us as we believe that the legacy of RichFeel is crowned by getting her on board. Malaika Arora will be the national brand ambassador for all RichFeel products and services.”

“Malaika Arora shares the missionary zeal and a true portrayal of our vision of being sprightly and successful. Our association is the right fit with many common factors and I am sure this alliance will emphasize RichFeel as the best choice for our patrons.” He said.

“There is a great sense of excitement in the company, combining our powerful skill and knowledge with Malaika’s glamour and allure.” Said, Dr. Sonal Shah, Co-founder, RichFeel.

Speaking on the association, Actress Malaika Arora said, “I’m clear I will only be associated with the brands that meet my standards of excellence. RichFeel is definitely the brand of my choice. They know hair better than anyone I have spoken to either in India or abroad. Their product quality is something I would be proud to be associated with. Their mission of beauty through healthy hair is very relevant to the young country we are. I am working closely with them on my ideas too. After all, who knows hair better than RichFeel?”

For over 30 years, Richfeel have been bringing the most advance hair solutions to India. It is common knowledge that when it comes to hair the first thought that comes to mind is Richfeel. From their research labs in Italy and Switzerland, RichFeel have been reforming continuously. The benefit of these advancements has been enjoyed by celebrities and other patrons in countless cities across the length and breadth of India. RichFeel has created beautiful hair for beautiful people. Closely associated with the Femina Miss India contests, RichFeel has transformed some of India’s most breathtaking women such as Celina Jaitley. While Richfeel is associated with hair health and abundance, this new product is in the area of hair reduction.

“We deal with hair solutions in all forms. Our job is to make anything to do with hair better and more comfortable. RichFeel is happy to provide the most comfortable way to remove body hair in the fewest sessions with the best results to its patrons through Richfeel’s Ice Cube 2.0 is the only product of its kind in India” Said, Dr. Apoorva Shah.

अनानच्या निमित्ताने ओंकार-प्रार्थनाचा नृत्याविष्कार!

    अनानच्या निमित्ताने ओंकार-प्रार्थनाचा नृत्याविष्कार!

सध्या एकापेक्षा एक अशा सूर मधुर गाण्यांमुळे सर्वत्र चर्चेचा विषय असलेल्या 'अनान' या आगामी मराठी चित्रपटातील भगवान शंकरांच्या द्विभुज स्वरुपाचे दर्शन घडवणारे 'तांडव' नुकतंच सोशल मीडियावर प्रदर्शित झाले आहे. 'गंधी सुगंधी' आणि 'एक सूर्य तू' या दोन्ही हिट गाण्यांनंतर आता ओंकार शिंदे आणि प्रार्थना बेहेरे या नवीन दमदार जोडीचा नृत्याविष्कार आपल्याला या तांडव द्वारे पाहायला मिळणार आहे.

शिव रुद्र आणि शिव नटराज असे तांडवाचे दोन प्रकार म्हणजेच भगवान शिव शंकरांचे रौद्ररूपाचे प्रतीक असलेले शिव रुद्र तांडव आणि त्यांच्या आनंदी क्षणातील सौम्य रूपाचे प्रतीक असलेले शिव नटराज तांडव आपल्याला अनानच्या निमित्ताने पाहायला मिळणार आहेत. तोडीस तोड असलेले ओंकार शिंदे आणि प्रार्थना बेहेरे यांच्या उत्कृष्ट अशा सदाबहार नृत्याचा आस्वाद आपल्याला ह्याद्वारे घेता येणार आहे.

 

'अनान' चित्रपटातील इतर सर्व गाण्यांप्रमाणेच 'तांडव' देखील दिग्दर्शक राजेश कुष्टे यांच्या लेखणीतून अवतरलेले असून सौरभ–दुर्गेश ह्या संगीतकार जोडीने ते संगीतबद्ध केलेले आहे. तर स्वराधीपती रवींद्र साठे यांच्या मधुर स्वरांनी त्याला साद घातली गेलेली आहे. 

 'रोहन थिएटर्स' चे रौनक भाटीया आणि हेमंत भाटीया यांनी 'अनान' या चित्रपटाची निर्मिती केलेली असून कथा आणि क्रिएटीव्ह डिरेक्शन हेमंत भाटिया यांचं आहे. दिग्दर्शन राजेश कुष्टे यांनी केलेलं आहे तर पटकथा–संवाद राजेश कुष्टे आणि मुकेश जाधव यांनी लिहिले आहेत. चित्रपटाचं संकलन सेजल पेंटर यांनी केलं असून छायाचित्रण राज कडूर यांनी केलं आहे.

लवकरच संपूर्ण महाराष्ट्रात प्रदर्शित होणाऱ्या या चित्रपटातील रवींद्र साठे यांच्या मधुर स्वरांनी सजलेल्या या स्वरमधुर मैफिलीचा आस्वाद तुम्हीही नक्की घ्या.

GLITTER 2017 - India’s Largest Wedding, Lifestyle& Pre-Festive Exhibition is back in the most Glamorous way than ever before!

Mumbai: ‘Glitter’ one of India’s most renowned Wedding, Lifestyle and Pre Festive expositions ideated by ABEC Exhibitions & Conferences Pvt. Ltd. is back with a splendid show for its 13^th edition. With a new dimension altogether whilst embarking upon a journey, Glitter is all set to amaze the fashion city of India, Mumbai, with the splendor that it has to offer by showcasing the cutting edge in lifestyle, innovative yet trendy apparel,fine & fashion jewellery and wedding brandsat Hotel JW Marriott, Juhu on 6^th, 7^thand 8^th October, 2017.

The exhibition will bring together an eclectic mix of products from all over India in apparel, jewellery, artifacts, accessories and lifestyle goods. The focus of the exhibition is on attractive, quality controlled and curated products to enhance its visitor’s wardrobe and home. Along with the best of established names in the industry; Glitter will be a key marketplace for the young emerging and talented entrepreneurs, who want to showcase their designs to a niche and buying crowd.

Bulbeer Gandhi, Lifestyle Event Director, ABEC Exhibitions & Conferences Pvt. Ltd.says “We are really excited to announce the 13th edition of ‘Glitter’. The exhibition is a curated marketplace for the premium and emerging innovators of the Lifestyle and Fashion industry. As an organizer we are committed to promote brands with an edge; the attendees are sure to be wowed by the display of unseen collection & ranges, product launches and several exciting offers. For all the fashion lovers, Glitter is a one-stop shop which will allow you to shop savvy this festive season, without all the legwork.  

The exhibition is indeed the most awaited event for B2C buyers and who's who of the glitterati ranging from socialites, collectors, stylists and bollywood celebrities. The 13th edition of Glitter will house more than 100 exceptional brands i.e. Ritu Kumar; Jaya Misra;The Cappuccino Collection; Sanzany;Tyaani; Diamasand Golank Diamonds to name a few.

Attendees can look forward to a wide display of exceptional lifestyle, wedding and festive trends making it the ultimate destination this festive season to meet the most extravagant expectations. The festive season approaching calls for some much-loved retail therapy and that’s exactly what you can indulge in at this year’s edition of Glitter. In addition to the very best in apparel, there will also be a fabulous selection of jewellery& home décor! 

Unfolding its largest and most extravagant edition ‘Glitter’ has been associated with elite patrons and designers and is rigorously involved at expanding its portfolio by adding long list of evolutionary & lucrative brands making it an affair you don’t want to miss!

About ABEC Exhibitions and Conferences Pvt. Ltd. (ABECL)

ABEC Exhibitions and Conferences Pvt. Ltd. is the ruling monarch of the Indian private exhibition sector, bestowing excellence from Concept to Completion! Established in 1993, ABECL has conceptualized over 70 shows across 10 verticals in over 19 major cities pan India and are the pioneers in the Indian trade exhibition and conference market. Today, with persistent commitment to excellence and innovation ABECL has become the largest private sector organizer of International Shows with almost 10% share of the Indian Exhibition Market. ABECL hosts leading trade shows for different segments such as building materials, design and architecture; oil, gas and energy; lifestyle; travel and tourism; hospitality; real estate; health & fitness and security and protection.

For more information, please visit: http://www.abec.asia/

Ashvini Bhave’s latest photo proves that she is a timeless beauty

Recently Ashvini Bhave did a photoshoot and she uploaded one of the photos on social media. She is looking absolutely stunning and gorgeous in that picture. Netizens are totally in love with her picture and are going gaga over it. Ashvini Bhave has proved that age is a just number for her. Her well-shaped body is flaunting in pictures and which might have made young actress envy of her and everyone is gushed on her timeless beauty. She is worth to be jealous on. This photo has raised questions like – What would be a reason for such photo-shoot? Is she coming with a new movie or something different is about to happen?? So let’s wait and watch.

Thought provoking video by PNB MetLife Insurance

PNB MetLife launches a tribute video on Teachers’ Day

Mumbai, 5th September’2017: PNB MetLife, one of the leading life insurance companies in India, launched a tribute video on the occasion of Teachers’ Day across its social media platforms. The video is based on an insight that while child’s learning begins at home, it is both the teachers and parents who help shape their future. While the emphatic video highlights how teachers help shape their student’s future by strengthening their foundation, it gives a powerful message to the parent on protecting their child’s future by ensuring that their education continues.

Conceptualized and executed by Social Kinnect, PNB MetLife’s Digital Agency, the video poses thought-provoking questions to real life teachers from a reputed school in Mumbai. They speak about their inspiration to become a teacher and several experiences that they encounter each day. The key take away from this evocative video is the importance of why one should ‘never stop learning’ and ends with a question on ‘one golden piece of advice’ they would give to all their students.

With the launch of this emotional  film, PNB MetLife seeks to convey the message of helping a child accomplish his/her dreams, re-iterating the importance of life insurance to parents to ensure a delightful future for their child and secure their child’s dreams with the right insurance product.

Indian Institute of Science Alumna Named Second Kalam Fellow at American University

Mumbai/ Florida , September 4th ,2017– Veena Subramanian, a Master’s graduate from the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore, whose area of research is aging, is the recipient of the second A.P. J. Kalam Postgraduate Fellowship of the University of South Florida (USF).  The first Fellowship winner was from IIT Bombay.  

USF launched the Fellowship in 2015 to honor President Kalam, who visited the university in 2012. Aimed at Indian students wanting to pursue a PhD in specified Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) programs, the Fellowship offers a 4-year tuition waiver as well as a stipend of $18,000 per year.

Veena Subramanian intends to use the PhD program at USF to make an impact in the areas of genome integrity and aging mechanisms, which will enhance the understanding of issues facing the elderly and help researchers to find solutions to their pressing needs. “Aging is a feature that is conserved across species and is one of the major risk factors for a variety of pathologies like Alzheimer’s, metabolic disorders, Type II diabetes, and cancer, all of which are leading health challenges of this century,” says Veena.

“Veena was a remarkable candidate for the highly competitive President A.P. J. Kalam Postgraduate Fellowship, and we welcome and anticipate her contributions to the USF Department of Cell Biology, Microbiology and Molecular Biology,” said Dr. Roger Brindley, USF System Vice President of USF World. “Her exceptional academic credentials and passion for research exemplifies all that embodies a Kalam Fellow.”

Veena was born and raised in Kottayam, Kerala She completed her undergraduate in Biotechnology engineering from Vellore Institute of Technology and graduated from IISc with a Masters in Cell Biology.

Anu Malik launches Abu Malik’s book ‘Rantings of a Mad Man’

Book challenges popular myths and perceptions through Abuisims

September 04, Mumbai : The city witnessed a fanfare book launch event wherein renowned performer Abu Malik launched his book ‘Rantings of a Mad Man’ in association with Topnotch Events and publishing company Notion Press. The event was graced by his brother and famous music composer Anu Malik.

Abu Malik has turned his WhatsApp Group (by the name ‘Ah’ the full form of which is ‘asshole’) chats into a book. In the rib-tickling book, Abuisims, as the author calls his words of wisdom, question popular perceptions and burst several myths in the process of unearthing life’s vital truths.

From the style of writing to the fact that the entire book is written on WhatsApp, everything about the book is unique hence even the launch event was done in style. During the event, SnG Comedy, one of India’s leading group of professional stand up hosted an hour long podcast with the author for their weekly podcast -- “The Big Question”, wherein he discussed the interesting topics mentioned in the book.

Speaking at the event Abu Malik said, "Through this book, I have tried to communicate that we should enjoy each day to the fullest without taking it too seriously. The book also highlights the impact of widely used connecting medium ‘WhatsApp’ and how it has changed our way of communication. I hope readers across all groups find this book relevant and relatable.’’

Chief guest Anu Malik congratulated the author for coming up with such an important and brave book which unveils the naked truth of many common practices surrounded by us. The book is currently available at bookstores, Amazon, Flipkart and Infibeam.

Other celebrity guests at the event included Tusshar Kapoor, Raju Srivastav, Mohammed Morani and his wife Lucky Morani.

About the Author

Abu Malik is the pioneer of live show business in India. He has produced and performed nearly 10,000 shows around the globe, with every Bollywood superstar, singer and live performer.

The writer belongs to a musical family; he is the son of yesteryear music director Sardar, Malik. His elder brother is the famous music director Anu Malik and his younger brother is Dabboo Malik, also a music director. His maternal uncle is the famous writer, the late Hasrat Jaipuri. Belonging to a family of artistes, writing comes naturally to Abu Malik, with a touch of comic flair.

Although Abu technically resides in Mumbai, he is always traveling around the globe performing shows. His preferred writing medium is his phone on which he notes down his thoughts and stories. He is married with two children, who have inherited Abu’s creative ability.

Abu believes in everything and everybody. His philosophy in life is nothing matters as we are all headed towards nothing.

32nd Regional Conference of WIRC of ICAI held on 2nd September, 2017.

Chairman C.A Vishnu Agarwal addressing the mamoth participant gathering.

Saudi Arabia Says 1.497 Million Pilgrims Arrive For Hajj

The Kingdom is expecting to welcome around two million international pilgrims in total

Jeddah, August 26 – Saudi Arabia has to date welcomed 1.497 million pilgrims who have flocked to the country in preparation for the annual Islamic Hajj pilgrimage, which is due to begin on August 30, 2017.

In total, around two million people from across the globe are expected to visit the Holy City of Makkah, Saudi Arabia, making it the largest annual international gathering, and which, for many Muslims, is the highlight of their spiritual lives.

As one of the five pillars of Islam, the annual pilgrimage to Makkah, is mandatory for physically and financially capable Muslims to perform at least once in their lives. The rituals involved are intended to cleanse the soul and demonstrate the equality and solidarity of all Muslims, in their submission to God.

The responsibility for organizing the pilgrimage falls on the government of Saudi Arabia, under direct supervision of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz and the Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman; a huge logistical undertaking that will run until Hajj ends on the 4th of September, 2017.

International pilgrims continue to travel to Hajj 2017

The number of foreign pilgrims has multiplied exponentially over the years, from as few as 24,000 in 1941 to 1.325 million in 2016. Including local pilgrims that reside in Saudi Arabia, a total of 1.86 million Muslims performed the Hajj last year.

Over 80 Countries

Saudi officials have prepared to receive the massive influx of pilgrims, many of whom also visit the second Holy City of Madinah. The Hajj team deployed on the ground speaks over a dozen languages to ensure that the needs of pilgrims are met.

Vast tent city in Mina

Mina is also known as the City of Tents as it hosts tens of thousands of air-conditioned tents as temporary accommodation for a significant portion of the pilgrims expected to take part in Hajj this year. Mina is located between Mount Arafat and Makkah's Grand Mosque. The tents are neatly arranged in rows and grouped into areas labeled with numbers and colors according to nationality. Every pilgrim is given a badge with an assigned number and color to help them find the way back to their tent if they get lost. To prevent fires, the tents are constructed of Teflon-coated fiberglass, and are fitted with sprinklers and fire extinguishers.

More than 17,000 Civil Defense personnel deployed to serve Hajj pilgrims

More than 17,000 highly trained personnel, supported by 3,000 advanced vehicles, are in position to guarantee pilgrims the highest level of safety.

300 ground ambulances, 30 motorbikes, 113 ambulance centers and 8 air ambulances

Over 2,000 Saudi Red Crescent Authority personnel deployed in Makkah, Madinah and other holy sites to provide ambulance services to pilgrims during Hajj.

Eisai introduces first-in-Class Epilepsy Treatment Fycompa® (Perampanel) in India

Mumbai: 29th August, 2017 Eisai Pharmaceuticals India Pvt. Ltd, a leading Japanese pharmaceutical company today announced the launch of Fycompa (perampanel), a new anti-epileptic drug.

Approved in more than 55 countries worldwide, Fycompa is indicated as an adjunctive therapy for the treatment of partial-onset seizures (POS) with or without secondarily generalized seizures in patients with epilepsy aged 12 and older.

Fycompa is first in class in-house developed anti-epileptic drug, available in tablet form as a once-daily oral dose.

“Nearly 12 million patients in India suffer from epilepsy and 95% of these patients do not receive adequate treatment. Abiding by our core philosophy of human health care we strive to change this by developing a drug that can significantly improve the quality of life of epileptic patients and give them hope to live a seizure free-life,” said Mr. Sanjit Singh Lamba, Managing Director, Eisai Pharmaceuticals India.”

He further added, “Epilepsy has been a therapeutic focus area for Eisai and we will continue to use our strengths in research and development to create drugs that will improve and enhance the quality of life.”

Adding to this Dr. Manoj Malhotra – Head of Medical Affairs, Americas Region, Global Head of Epilepsy Medical Affairs, Neurology Business Group, Eisai Inc. said “With the launch of many anti-epileptic drugs in the last decade we have seen a significant improvement in seizure freedom rate. However, almost 30-40% of the seizures remain poorly controlled leading to low compliance. Fycompa will help to address these key therapeutic challenges and improve patient outcomes”.

Commenting on the low awareness on epilepsy, Mr. Saumil Mody- Vice President, Commercial Operations, Eisai India Ltd. said “Treatment outcomes for epilepsy are very low because we are dealing with very challenging circumstances, a majority of epilepsy cases go undiagnosed because of numerous factors like the social stigma associated with the disease, lack of awareness of the symptoms particularly in rural India. Our aim is to address these challenges and enable epileptic patients and their families to live a seizure-free life.”

Epilepsy is a condition that affects the brain and causes repeated seizures. Approximately 50 million people worldwide have epilepsy, making it one of the most common neurological diseases globally.