INDIA'S FIRST EVER LICENSING SHOW "INDIA LICENSING EXPO 2017" CONCLUDED IN MUMBAI ON AUGUST 21ST

 

First Ever Licensing Show held in Mumbai More than 100 Global and domestic brand and over 5000 delegates attended the Expo and Gala Event Eminent Personalities like Taapsee Pannu, Sanjeev Kapoor, Maura Regan, Dan Frugtniet, Gaurav Marya and Aahana Kumra graced the occasion Over 30 brands awarded for excellence as Licensor of the Year, Licensee of the year, by India Licensing Awards  in association with Marie Claire Viacom 18, Marie Claire, Universal Music, Mondo TV, JCB, Polaroid, NBA, Sesame Street, Authentic Brands Group were a few amongst list of top brands participating Speaker Conference concluded by sessions from prominent leaders like Dan Frugtniet, VP – Licensing & Business Development, Nickelodeon Viacom Consumer Products, Maura Regan- Executive Vice President, LIMA, , JCB, Anurag Sachdeva- Director (India & South East Asia), Rovio, Chris Evans-MD, University of Oxford, Yannick Colaco, Managing Director at NBA India, Jason Sutton, Director – Licensing, Polaroid, Ishmeet Singh, Country Manager, Mattel Toys (India)

Mumbai, 20TH  August 2017: India Licensing Expo (ILE), India's first and most influential business-to-business brand licensing show was concluded successfully on August 21st at Sahara Star, Mumbai in presence of many eminent leaders and celebrities. Brainchild of License India, Indian Licensing Expo witnessed participation from over 100+ global and domestic brands for retail industry along with more than 5,000 national/international delegates

With an aim to increase awareness and support the growth of licensing in the country, the expo was graced by presence of many eminent personalities like Taapsee Pannu (Indian Actor), Aahana Kumra (Indian Actor, recently seen in Lipstick Under My Burkah), Sanjeev Kapoor (most renown Chef of the country), Maura Regan (LIMA), Dan Frugtniet (Viacom 18), Nihar Lakhia (FIEO) and Usha Laxman.

"We are really proud that we were able to put up a great show which not just brought together the brightest leaders in business, apparel, cinema, music, sports and character licensing under one roof but also brought together numerous brand opportunities, direct pool of brand owners & decision makers, elaborate knowledge forums, exclusive licensing recognitions, fun character parade, preview rooms for brands for exclusive showcase for retailers to grasp the property better, and much more. In scenario when India is a brand-hungry market, we see a natural inclination towards licensing as an effective retail strategy. We have been successful in bringing India Licensing Expo as a dedicated hub where the industry unifies to shop brands for business across all industries. Brand licensing has been well accepted as a retail strategy in India, and through ILE 2017, we brought the global understanding to Indian landscape and plan to do such Show’s more often," said Mr. Gaurav Marya, Chairman, License India.

Viacom 18, Marie Claire, Universal Music, Mondo TV, JCB, KKCL, WWE , Polaroid, NBA, Sesame Street, Authentic Brands Group, Green Gold Animation, were a few amongst list of top brands participating at the first ever licensing show that was held in the country. Conceptualized by exclusive licensing media company, License India and supported by global licensing body, Licensing Industry Merchandisers' Association (LIMA), Indo-French Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IFCCI) and Sports Goods Foundation of India. The show sponsors were Viacom 18, KKCL , Orion Installations, Dream Theatre and Bradford License India. Ernst & Young were process tabulation partners for India Licensing Awards, concurrent event of ILE 2017.

India Licensing Show kick started with a unique Character Parade including more than 15 global cartoon characters followed by combination of 2 day Master Class, 1 day Conference, Exhibition and Awards.  ILE profiled a unique opportunity to know it all in just two days, covering every aspect of licensing model and its usage in your business at strategic and retail level. ILE offered an exhaustive licensing ecosystem by inviting over 10,000 business visitors over the show and visits from retailers / manufacturers from all sectors – apparel, footwear, jewelry, bags, small leather goods, eyewear, accessories, travel gear & luggage, electronics, back to school range, mobile phones & accessories, Bluetooth devises, audio, IT products & accessories, personal care, skin care, cosmetics, fragrances, hair grooming, publishing, new media & apps, games & toys, home linen & furnishings, and much more. 

With announcements from various International brands entering the Indian Market at the Expo platform, ILE also witnessed  launch of 'Common Woman' by Rimanika Laxman  inspired by her granddaughter of Lt. R.K Laxman’s -‘Common Man’, who was empathetic, observant and vulnerable in special presence of Taapsee Pannu, at the press  conference organized by India Licensing

The Exposition displayed all kind of licensing opportunities for manufacturers & retailers across products, such as in characters, Chhota Bheem, Peppa Pig, PJ Masks, Dora, Popeye, Motu Patlu, Toki Doki, Jungle Book, Ben 10, Power Puff Girls, Mighty Raju, Sponge Bob, Jumanji movie, Emoji Movie, Sesame Street, and much more. In corporate brands, the galore offered brands like Juicy Couture, Aeropostale, Spyder, Misook, Airwalk, Lamborghini, Compaq, JCB, Fashion TV, University of Oxford, Marie Claire, Absorba, Shell, Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Route 66, Polaroid, Femina Flaunt, Kuber, Mechanix, and much more. Music & Art brands like Universal Music with wide pool of top artists, MTV, Billboard, Michael Jackson, Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley,  Romero Britto and much more; and sports properties such as NBA, Delhi Daredevils, Extreme Sports, VOIT, Mancity FC, FC Barcelona, Roland & Garros, Cycle Polo Federation of India, Maui & Sons, Muhammad Ali, Shaq and much more.

The show proffered two forums, a Master Class and a Conference. The 2 days certification master class began a day prior of the show on 19thAugust and ended on 20th August. The master class was a comprehensive circle of the licensing model and was conducted by Mr. Chris Evans, Managing Director, University of Oxford, and Mr. Pete Canalichio, Managing Partner, Licensing Brands Inc. Further, the second day was replete with a power packed agenda of remarkable leaders on panels like Dan Frugtniet, VP – Licensing & Business Development, Nickelodeon Viacom Consumer Products, Maura Regan- Executive Vice President, LIMA, Jiggy George- Founder & CEO, Dream Theatre and head of LIMA India, Samir Jain-Executive Director and COO at Green Gold Animation Pvt Ltd, Shivram Saran-AVP & Head - Consumer products, JCB, Anurag Sachdeva- Director (India & South East Asia), Rovio

7. Juan de Lascurain, Chief Dreamer, Dream Big World, Chris Evans-MD, University of Oxford, Yannick Colaco, Managing Director at NBA India, Jason Sutton, Director – Licensing, Polaroid, Ishmeet Singh, Country Manager, Mattel Toys (India) Pvt. Ltd, Ritu Marya, Editor-in-chief, Entrepreneur India, Manish Mandhana, CEO, The Mandhana Retail Ventures Ltd. and many more.

In words of Mr. Jiggy George, Head of LIMA India and Founder of Dream Theatre, “The timing was just right for a Licensing Expo in India to bring the fraternity together but what’s more, to educate and sensitize potential partners on the benefits of this wonderful business. The show was extremely successful and had all the ingredients to be beneficial to attendees and I am sure will grow in size and stature over the years.”

ILE 2017 ‘exclusively’ also hosted India’s foremost licensing recognition platform, India Licensing Awards 2017 partnered with Marie Claire. Celebrating the best in Indian Licensing Industry,  the whole fraternity came together to celebrate excellence and to raise a toast to outstanding achievements in the industry so far.– Licensor Of The Year (Entertainment, Celebrity, Sports, Corporate, Bollywood, Art, Character, Music), Licensee Of The Year (Apparel, Fashion Accessories, Toys & Games, Gifts & Novelties, Back To School, Electronics, Retail Innovation & Business Concept, Home Décor, FMCG, New Media & Publishing), along with Special Categories like IP Firm Of The Year and Licensing Agent Of The Year.

In words of Ms. Chitra S. Johri, Director, Bradford license India, “Though at a nascent stage, the Indian licensing industry holds massive growth potential. ILE2017on the same lines offered a platform for the Indian licensing fraternity to come together for the first time, brainstorm and address the challenges in a cumulative manner. I am delighted to see the real change coming already in the country, where all of industry colleagues confirmed to come together to stir licensing into Indian retail. This was a bigger movement in our domain of licensing, benefitting each product category in actual sense. Bradford is a proud partner of this show, and we represented all our brands for licensing”

ABOUT THE ORGANIZERS - LICENSE INDIA

License India, an exclusive brand licensing vertical of Franchise India Group, is India’s first licensing media services company formed with the objective to increase awareness and support the growth of licensing in the country. Being the knowledge centre, the vertical comprises of licensing editorial initiatives in the publications like The Retailer and The Entrepreneur, along with the portal www.licenseindia.com, and business-to business licensing shows encapsulating conferences, workshops, expositions, and awards, under Brand Licensing India, and India Licensing Expo. License India excels in the licensing space with its strategic and knowledge based verticals. For more information log on to www.licenseindia.com

ABOUT LIMA

Founded in 1985, LIMA (Licensing Industry Merchandisers' Association) is a conglomerate of over 1000 companies and individuals, engaged in the worldwide marketing of licensed properties, both as agents and as property owners, with an aim to foster the growth and expansion of licensing at the global scale. For more information log on to www.licensing.org

CREDAI seeks PMO intervention for successful implementation of the Real Estate Regulation & Development Act

- CREDAI asks the PM, finance ministry & RBI to mediate the facilitation of the new law

- The lack of synchronization in implementation of the act between state authorities has led to a disparity in registration of real estate projects, resulting in delays and having negative implications on all stakeholders

New Delhi, 17^th August, 2017: Confederation of Real Estate Developers' Associations of India (CREDAI) today requested the Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, to intervene in a bid to facilitate the successful implementation of the Real Estate Regulation & Development Act (RERA) in the country. Having fully welcomed and supported the revolutionary law, CREDAI seeks more clarity on various aspects such as the definition of an ‘ongoing project’ and requests for expedition of processes from the state and central authorities. The lack of an appropriate infrastructure and notification of RERA rules has also led to majority of developers not being able to register their projects on time, leading to delays and a loss of revenue for the state and central governments as well.

In its letter addressed to the PM, CREDAI recognizes the act as a game changer for the industry which will protect the interest of the consumers, but points to the negative implications it has had on several stakeholders on account of the delay in notifying the different provisions of the law – 

• A large number of states today have not yet appointed a regulator, while some appointed the same only recently. This hasn’t allowed the developers enough time in registering their projects with the Authority leading to their increasing difficulty in adhering to delivery timelines. This has a direct impact on the consumers since they continue losing money, in the form of EMIs on the home loan and paying for a rented accommodation.

• Banks and Financial Institutions have stopped funding unregistered projects which has led to a shortage of funds and an eventual blockage of cash liquidity in the system. However, there is no legal support in place for this stance taken by them. This move further hampers the developers in completing their projects which means delayed possession to customers who have taken loans, pushing them into financial distress.

• The interest of foreign investors will soon shift to the regulated markets while unregulated market face a lack in the same leading to decline in the Centre and the States’ revenues.

• Real Estate allied industries are witnessing a drastic reduction in demand due to the abandonment of numerous on- going projects, which is also leading to the large scale unemployment of the majority of the 50 million workers operating in India.

Speaking on the subject, Mr. Jaxay Shah, President, CREDAI National, said, “While Real Estate Regulation & Development Act (RERA) is bound to enhance the level of ease of doing business, it has experienced some teething problems owing to the delays in processing the different provisions of the law by the state authorities. To make matters worse, banks and FIs have stopped sanctions and disbursements of housing and project loans to real estate which will negatively impact delivery timelines and adversely impact allied industries and workers. It is absolutely imperative, therefore that appropriate guidelines be issued to resume sanctions and disbursements for housing projects.” 

Brighten Your House With a Coat Of Tricolour Paint

Independence Day is round the corner and a truly patriotic soul will never hesitate to add a coat of tri-colour paints to his walls. The perception of painting is generally associated with a messy, time-consuming and stressful experience. This is mainly because consumers suffer from shortage of time, availability of trained and reliable painters, dearth of information about paint products and painting solutions with a complete lack of transparency on pricing. To help the consumers give their homes a tricolor touch without compromising on their convenience and daily schedule of life, given are a few hassle-free ways from Berger Express Painting -

1)              Invest in automatic machines for avoiding manual scrubbing of surface walls

2)              Appoint skilled painters who are supervised at every moment by company executives so that they ensure a faster painting experience

3)              Make sure to use the services of a company which can offer advanced painting process which completes the work 40% faster than conventional process

4)              Use automatic tools for ensuring dust and dirt free painting process

5)              Ensure Post Painting clean-up so that your beloved home is truly a dream home

6)              Choose any one wall of your home and paint it with the vibrant coats of saffron, white and green and make sure to arrange the décor of that room in tri-colour as well to match the painted wall

Star cast of Sanjay Jadhav Directed “YE RE YE RE PAISA” revealed on the Muhurat of the film

Sanjay Jadhav recently took the muhurat shot of his upcoming film “Ye re Ye re Paisa” and finally revealed the star cast of the film which had become the talk of the town. Unlike his previous films, this time Sanjay Jadhav has come up with different star cast. Siddharth Jadhav, Umesh Kamat, Tejaswini Pandit, Sanjay Narvekar, Mrinal Kulkarni, Anand Ingale and Vishakha Subhedar are the star cast of the film. Former Governor Dr. D Y Patil and MNS Chief Shri Raj Thackrey graced the Muhurat of the film with their presence. Sanjay Jadhav has not only come up with a different star cast but has also come up with a different subject. The movie is a mixture of all genre and it would be a great start of 2018 for the audiences. The movie is produced by Om Prakash Bhatt, Ameya Vinod Khopkar and Sujay Shankarwar under the banner of AVK Films, Trance FX Studios PVT LTD and Purple Bull Entertainment PVT LTD. “Ye re Ye re Paisa” is slated to release next year on the 5th of January.

CREDAI - CBRE released a joint report “Indian Real Estate in 2017 and Beyond” at the CREDAI 17th NATCON 2017, London

-         Current disruptions in four cornerstones of the real estate sector - Regulation, Finance, Customers and Technology, will help facilitate a new transformed ecosystem, at par with major economies

London, August 11, 2017: CREDAI in association with its knowledge partner CBRE, today released a report “Indian Real Estate in 2017 and Beyond” at its 17^th Annual International Convention, NATCON 2017 in London. The report encapsulates the major policy related disruptions by Government of India which are challenging the traditional operating environment by setting a new foundation for change. According to the report, a conjecture of measures - RERA, GST, REITs are aimed at improving transparency in the sector, increasing the share of organized segment and enhancing the overall investor sentiment. This will help in catalysing ease of doing business in the country while supporting corporate entities entering or expanding their footprint in India.

It anticipates that breakthrough disruptions in four cornerstones – Regulation, Finance, Customers and Technology are likely to have positive insinuations on the sector and will facilitate a new ecosystem which will be more conducive. With RERA, GST and I-REITs becoming a reality in 2017, Government has definitely taken a lead in challenging the operating fabric with regulatory disruptors and making Affordable housing the growth catalyst in the residential segment. The report further talks about how a favourable regulatory environment, coupled with attractive asset valuations are enhancing the investor confidence significantly by changing the perception of Indian realty in the global arena. This is evident from an unprecedented interest from offshore equity investors, large Indian corporates and high net worth individuals (HNIs) which is roughly estimated to reach at 7 billion USD in 2017. Furthermore, it states that while office and residential are expected to remain traditional drivers for the industry; alternate sectors, such as retail and warehousing will also come to the forefront.

The report also insights into the changing disruption in customer preferences in office, retail, residential and warehousing space. For instance, the dynamics in office spaces are being disrupted with the entry of millennials – Over two-thirds of the Indian Millennials feel quality of ‘Office design’ impacts their productivity to large extent. While in warehousing segment - entry of international players is ensuring that better and larger warehouses emerge in key markets; in residential segment - customers will have a say in operations with effective grievance redressal. Customer experience has also become at the heart of retail’s strategy which is fuelling future trends like customization and hyper customization. As per the survey, more than 40% of retailers in cities such as Noida, Gurgaon, Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata etc. preferred locating in the malls, as they serve as experience destinations.

The report concludes by observing new disruptions in Technology, infusing all other cornerstones like online registration of developers under RERA, GST rate finder app, automation and robotics in the office segment and company.

On the occasion of unveiling the report, Mr. Jaxay Shah, President, CREDAI National commented, “Government’s aggressive push to formalize, regulate and encourage investment to the sector with a slew of measures like RERA, REITs is consolidating India’s position on global map. We believe that these disruptions and encouraging trends will definitely manifest a more exciting future which will be full of possibilities and opportunities for Indian real-estate.”

While releasing the report, Anshuman Magazine, Chairman, India & South East Asia, CBRE said, “In this burgeoning Indian economy, the one sector that has emerged from the restraints of the past is Real Estate. The real estate sector in India is one of the key contributors and mainstays for India’s development as a nation. Real estate in India continues to be in a dynamic phase and the pace at which the four cornerstones – Regulation, Finance, Customers and Technology are evolving, a more than incremental transformation in the sector is expected in the coming years. In this report we have dwelled on how a strong foundation for this change has already been laid with a conducive operating environment, the future growth of the sector will be determined by many other factors”.

Feast after fasting this Janmashtami at Taj Wellington Mews, Mumbai

~Savour sumptuous culinary treats this festive season~

Mumbai, 14^th August 2017: This Janmashtami welcome the birth of Lord Krishna with a burst of flavour and fervour! Get together with family and friends and feel the festive cheer with a range of delicious treats perfect for breaking your fast. The light and crispy Sabudana Vada, the soft Rajgiri Puri, traditional Vari Rice, refreshing Thandai, Vrat Waale Aloo will satisfy after a day’s fast, before a sweet and creamy Badam Kheer and fresh fruit. Come and taste the ‘food of the Gods’/ ‘divine offerings’ at Weli Deli, Taj Wellington Mews, Mumbai!

Offer valid:

Date: 14^th August 2017

Day: Monday

Timing: 12 PM to 10: 45 PM

Venue: Weli Deli, Taj Wellington Mews, Mumbai 

Contact Number: 022 66574331

Smokers display not only poorer physical health, but also mental health!

Smokers show hypersensitive behaviour that is 200% higher than non–smokers.

·        New Delhi - 90 % of smokers have Carbon Monoxide levels in the 11+ ppm zone

·        Mumbai - 78 % smoker have attempted to quit smoking (the maximum across cities) but were not able to quit

·        Bangalore- 19% smokers tested as Stage 2 Hypertensive (highest across cities)

·        Lucknow - 60% of all smokers fall in the pre-hypertensive category

·        Kolkata - 80% smokers believed it is difficult to quit smoking

Mumbai, 9^th August, 2017: Quitting smoking is a huge challenge for most smokers in India.  People make several attempts to quit smoking but have failed to give up smoking. 9 in 10 smokers have made efforts to stop smoking, but have struggled to quit even after knowing the serious health risks associated with it.

According to the Choose Life study, smokers show hypersensitive behaviour that is 200% higher than non – smokers. Moreover, smokers get affected with mental stress that is 178% higher as compared to non-smokers, with further increase in issues such as broken and insufficient sleep, lack of motivation, overeating or undereating and anger outbursts over family or at work.

Despite knowing the serious health effects of smoking, 74% of the surveyed smokers feel that it is hard to quit smoking. Shockingly, 3 in 4 respondents smoked even if they were unwell and 8 in 10 smokers felt the urge to smoke as soon as they woke up.

The alarming concern is that more than 65% men who smoke cigarettes had high blood pressure and 4 out of 5 smokers had higher levels of carbon monoxide (CO) as compared to non-smokers. High blood pressure and elevated CO levels can have a serious impact on physical and mental health.

Another significant finding of the study shows that 91% smokers have been advised by their doctors to give up smoking, unfortunately, more than 75% smokers who had attempted to quit, took to smoking again within 3 months. 

The survey indicates that quitting smoking is a monumental task and most people struggle to succeed in their efforts. It is important to note that the patterns don’t change significantly across cities. Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Lucknow or Kolkata, the challenges associated with quitting smoking are still the same.

Tobacco use kills more than 900,000 people a year in India, and the World Health Organisation estimates that tobacco-related diseases cost the country about $16 billion annually*. It will be crucial to support more smokers in quitting to smoke.

“Awareness on the ill-effects of smoking is very high among smokers. While most efforts today focus on driving this awareness, it will be imperative to make a shift towards ‘helping people in their quit journey’. As we have seen, the challenges associated with quitting are manifold and there can be more that can be done to help them. I believe scientific ways to quit smoking along with adequate counselling will be critical in our efforts to reduce smoking in India” said Dr. Prashant Chhajed, a leading Pulmonologist from Fortis & Nanavati Hospital.

According to Dr. Pralhad Prabhudesai, a leading Pulmonologist from Lilavati hospital, “The biggest challenge is that most of the smokers are aware about the ill effects of smoking but they still choose to smoke. They feel that smoking helps them to de-stress and makes them more productive. The study however clearly indicates that is not the case and smokers do suffer from greater mental stress as compared to non-smokers.”

The survey revealed that almost 88% smokers took to the habit under the age of 24 years, and 55% of them started smoking to look cool or just for fun.

“As the study shows, smoking is a habit that starts just for fun but it becomes life threatening eventually. Smokers make several attempts to quit after that, but most find it hard to abstain. By continuing to smoke, they waste a lot of time, which also impacts work productivity. Hence this is not just an individual challenge, but also an organizational challenge and every HR department must take note of this. I also feel, that by using scientifically proven interventions, the process to quit can become easier and work productivity can improve significantly, said Dr. Partha Pritam Bose, a leading Chest Physician, National Heart Institute & Founder SAANS - SAKSHAM

Smoking is something that starts as a choice, but eventually becomes a compulsion. The dependency on the habit is so high that even after several attempts to quit, smokers struggle to succeed. Stress and increasing workload are often considered as triggers to smoke. Ironically, while it gives you temporary relief, the long term impact on mental and physical health could be seriously negative and every smoker must consider this while they go for their smoke breaks, said Dr. Vasunethra Kasargod a leading Consultant Pulmonologist in Vikram Hospital.

About Choose Life Study: The Choose Life study was conducted by leading Pulmonologists / Chest Physicians from Mumbai, New Delhi and Bangalore. The focus of the study was to raise awareness on the ill-effects of smoking, encouraging smokers in their quit journey and making them choose life, not cigarettes.  The study was conducted amongst 1000 males, both smokers (50%) and non-smokers (50%), between the ages of 25 - 50 years, across sec A & B socio-economic classes. The smokers considered were those smoking more than 10 cigarettes / day. The objective of the study was twofold.

1.    To highlight the differences in health, mind sets and emotional levels of smokers and non-smokers.

2.    To document the efforts undertaken by smokers to quit smoking and their outcome.

The study was conducted in New Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Kolkata, and Lucknow.

It is clearly visible through the research findings that a lot more needs to be done to help people quit smoking. Creating awareness on the ill-effects of smoking is just addressing a part of the problem. The larger challenge lies in helping smokers in their quit journey and making them choose life, not cigarettes.

Additional findings:

·         Smokers from Mumbai (78 %) have made maximum attempts to quit smoking but were not able to quit. Most of the smokers from sample size wanted to give up smoking for their kids and wife or both.

·         90 % smokers from Delhi have CO levels in the 11+ ppm zone, leading to increased health risks.  47 % smokers from Mumbai were found to be pre-hypertensive (BP -120-139 systolic or diastolic 80-89). 19% smokers from Bangalore tested as stage 2 hypertensive (BP – 160 or higher systolic or 100 or higher diastolic)

·         Data indicates that 47% smokers from Delhi don’t exercise at all.

·         34% smokers from Lucknow smoked to look cool, the highest across the 5 cities.

·         Unlike 100% non-smokers, 45% of smokers fail to hold their breath for even 10 seconds.