SOTC Travel introduces “Holiday Essentials” a retail portfolio for hassle free travel

Choosing the right travel gear for your trip can feel overwhelming. With the Indian traveller becoming open to newer experiences, SOTC has witnessed a rapid change in how a tourist now wants to experience his vacations.

To make these experiences easy to enjoy for the customer, SOTC has launched “Holiday Essentials” keeping in mind the type of vacation and destination requirement. The ‘Holiday Essentials’ range is an integral part of SOTC’s services and have been designed to make every vacation worry free by understanding the customer’s minute necessities.

SOTC Travel has witnessed the change in travel experiences over the years and has observed a growth in queries for the inclusion of various kinds of experiences which is about 30% to 35% as compared to the last year. Being a new age travel curator, SOTC strives to make holidays a priority for every Indian. To accommodate these new requirements of the present day traveller, SOTC has included a strong line up of their own Holiday Essentials range of travel merchandise along with a few other Indian and international brands on their website https://www.sotcholidayessentials.com/.

This merchandise website currently provides around 70 unique products across categories. Bringing together a range of accessories to help relieve discomfort and boredom are a fantastic way to beat the travelling blues! SOTC ‘Holiday Essentials’ line offers a wide array of products, from neck pillows to hand warmers, adaptors to backpacks. There are plenty of nifty gadgets too; such as compact portable luggage weighing scales, padlocks and waterproof pouches. It includes SOTC’s private label under the brand name of “Holiday Essentials” and mix of international brands like Osprey, Nrit, Trekmates and award winning Indian brands like Tag8. Customers can also place orders at their nearest SOTC store.

Holiday Essentials enables customers to have all of their travel merchandise needs under one roof along with a wide range of options to choose from. The prime objective is to provide complete solution and 360 degree approach to travelling, which makes vacationers feel safe, trendy and comfortable.

Speaking about the website’s offerings, Daniel D’souza- Head of Sales, India & NRI Markets & E-Commerce SOTC Travel said “In our constant endeavor to enhance customer delight, SOTC Travel has introduced ‘Holiday Essentials’ a one-stop solution for all travel retail needs. Travel retail is an extremely dynamic channel that represents a huge untapped opportunity in the marketplace. We have observed huge potential to penetrate in this intrepid market by creating something new and exciting for travellers and that primarily includes making it easy for our customers to find a one-stop solution for all their travel needs. Whether travelling on business or for leisure, passengers will find their choice of travel accessories at SOTC Holiday Essentials.

This feature will open doors to something bigger and create a system of ease and comfort while a customer finds that we offer multi-category credentials to the industry with the promise of efficient functionality. While travelling, practicality leads the way. With this wide array of travel and lifestyle solutions, we aim to be a trustworthy companion on everyday’s adventures. Wherever the destination is, we aim that ‘Holiday Essentials’ will be an indispensable part of our discerning customer’s journey.”

Imagica Partners With Artha Animation & A Richer Lens For Animated Series

~India’s first Theme Park Destination unveils a first of its kind deal as part of its 360 degree marketing campaign for owned IPs~

~For the first time in India, popular home-grown characters of Imagica Tubbby, Bow Wow, Hippy, Roberto and Rajasaurus to spread magic on screen through fascinating animated content ~

National XX, 2018: Hot on the foot of winning the Best Licensee Award in the Theme & Amusement Park industry at the India Licensing Expo 2018, India’s largest theme park destination, Imagica announces the next big ticket deal foraying into animation. Associating with one of India’s leading animation hub, Artha Animation and a production house A Richer Lens Entertainment headed by Vivek B. Agrawal, Imagica is set to up its benchmark of successfully establishing intriguing and unique concepts such as integration of Chhota Bheem with Green Gold Animation, Mr. India ride based on the iconic movie, and much more.

Bringing a never-seen-before disruption in the culture of home-grown characters existing in India, Imagica plans to infuse screen life to the Stars of Imagica – Tubbby - the Imagica mascot, Bow Wow- the Detective, Hippy- the singing hippopotamus, Roberto- the superstar Chef and Rajasaurus- the friendly dinosaur. These endearing characters are already cherished by more than 75 Lakh guests till date through varied rides and shows based on them, and meet & greets at Imagica, as well as through lovable and quirky merchandise available at retail stores that customers have taken home as souvenirs.

The project, backed by India’s leading animation hub, Artha Animation and renowned production house A Richer Lens Entertainment, aims to create an international quality animation series featuring the Stars of Imagica. The first series is slated to have 13 hours of content.

Delighted to announce the association, Dhimant Bakshi, Jt. CEO, Adlabs Entertainment Limited shares, “We are constantly progressing with the needs and wants of the new-age consumer, ensuring our consistent presence in their lives. We have received immense love and recall for our characters outside the park as well, through the merchandise setups. It is this affection that provides us the impetus to cut through the clutter and invest on more such content that gets us closer to our guests, not only when they visit us, but also outside the park through various platforms.” Dhimant further exclaims, “Artha Animation and A Richer Lens Entertainment have made an impressive mark in the industry through their dynamic and creative content. We feel their vibrancy matches perfectly with Imagica’s zest to create wholesome entertainment. We are very excited to see this association through and I am confident that our consumers will love the content that we plan to launch by end of this year. ”

Speaking about the association, Gaurav Malhotra, CEO, Artha Animation exclaims, “We at ARTHA are really excited about the association, as Imagica has an enormous array of exceptional

characters and our young & vibrant team is all set to bring these characters to life. We are pretty confident that kids across the globe are going to love the super adventure with Tubbby, Roberto, Bow Wow, Hippy and others. We are thrilled to ink this new deal to bring highly entertaining series with immense fun and learning to the audiences and will bring surprises and delight the viewers as they see the first look in the coming months.”

Excited about the unique deal, Vivek B.Agarwal, CEO, A Richer Lens Entertainment shares, “We, at A Richer Lens, are passionate about creating high quality content for children. Using a cross platform, multimedia storytelling approach, we are truly excited about bringing to life Imagica's beloved characters in a way that extends the thrilling Imagica experience into the homes and hearts of children everywhere”

The association with Artha Animation and A Richer Lens Entertainment is a part of Imagica’s exemplary marketing campaign for character promotion. The 360 degree approach includes BTL activations in multiple schools, colleges, malls and corporate bodies in Gujarat and Maharashtra, along with presence of character merchandise across Hamleys and Zontom stores as well as all major ecommerce outlets.

Imagica is associated with Cello for their Back To School products line with licensing of Imagica characters, and Havmor with a licensing deal of Imagica’s mascot, Tubbby to feature on Havmor ice creams. As part of its unique associations, Imagica has also ventured into a partnership with leading education and Innovation Company NELTAS for their education content for children in standard 2nd to 5th.

LG India introduces LG CANDY Smartphone at Rs. 6,699

                                 -  Offers three different back cover color options in Sliver, Blue and Gold

Mumbai, 29th August 2018 — LG Electronics India today launched the LG Candy smartphone in India. Priced at INR 6,999, the newly launched smartphone comes with changeable back cover concept that let’s one ‘Live Now, Live Colourful’.

Designed for a modern, seamless look, The LG Candy is equipped with the advanced 8MP rear camera and a high resolution 5MP front camera for shooting selfies. It offers advanced camera UX features along with low-light photography function that delivers brighter and clearer images. Popular features like Auto Shot, Gesture Shot, Flash for Selfie and Quick Share have also been carried over in the new LG Candy smartphone.

With the introduction of the new LG Candy, consumers will now have more options than before in choosing the right smartphone that best expresses their individuality. With black as default back cover, LG is offering three additional covers color options; Bluewhich is inspired by the beautiful blue Sea, Silver shade that is developed to appeal both men and women who appreciate finer things in life and Gold for strong color saturation that is unique among current generation of smartphones.

    

To improve the camera functionality experience, ‘Flash Jump Shot’ feature has been added which captures a picture every three seconds (up to 20 photos) and stitches the images together into a fun GIF for easy sharing. The feature can be used both with the front or rear camera.

“LG Candy smartphone is focused on delivering even more value to consumers looking for the right device that fits their lifestyle and needs,” said Mr. Advait Vaidya, LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company. “We’re confident to capture the hearts and minds of consumers in the fast-moving market with our Candy smartphone, its beautiful covers, camera technology and other convenient features.”

The LG Candy will be available starting 1^st Sep 2018

LG Candy Specifications:^*

·                     Chipset: 1.3 GHz Quad-Core

·                     Display: 5.0-inch HD On-cell Touch (1280 x 720 / 294ppi)

·                     Memory: 2GB RAM / 16GB ROM / microSD (up to 32GB)

·                     Camera: Rear 8MP / Front 5MP

·                     Battery: 2,500mAh (removable)

·                     Operating System: Android 7.1.2 Nougat

·                     Size: 146.3 x 73.2 x 8.2mm

·                     Weight: 152g

·                     Network: LTE / 3G / 2G

·                     Connectivity: Wi-Fi (802.11 b, g, n) / Bluetooth 4.2 / USB 2.0 Type B

·                     Colors: Product Black (Covers: Blue, Silver, Gold)

·                     Other: FM Radio / Flash Jump Shot / Music Flash / Time Helper / Quick Capture

Suzuki Motorcycle India announces contribution to PM Relief Fund

Will be organizing service camps in Kerala across the network.

New Delhi, August 29, 2018: In a bit to aid the process of return to normalcy in the flood-effected state of Kerala, Suzuki Motorcycle India Pvt Ltd. (SMIPL) a subsidiary of two-wheeler manufacturer, Suzuki Motor Corporation, Japan has contributed of INR 1 Crore to the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund.

Mr. Satoshi Uchida, Managing Director, Suzuki Motorcycle India Pvt Ltd (SMIPL) said, “In this difficult time, we stand with people of Kerala and extend our full support to bring normalcy in the state.

We wish for a speedy recovery of the state and hope for improvement of affected people.”

The cheque of INR 1 Crore has been deposited to Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF), as a contribution to help rehabilitate the affected people in the state and provision for the loss caused due to the natural calamity. 

SMIPL has also announced a 10-day special service camp from August 30th to September 08th, 2018 across all its network in Kerala. Each flood affected vehicle reported at any Suzuki dealership or authorised service centre in the state shall be inspected for damages and brought to a road-worthy condition. The SMIPL networks shall check and rectify the vehicle without charging any labour costs to customer. Engine oil and filter shall also be replaced in affected vehicles as free of cost to customer. In case where a major damage has been caused to the vehicle due to water logging, the SMIPL network representatives will assist customers with the insurance claim formalities. In case where the insurance does not cover the damage to vehicle, customers shall be offered special discount on parts.

As an advisory, SMIPL has also requested customers not to start the vehicle if they suspect water would have gone inside the engine due to vehicle submerging.  For any further queries, customers can call on SMIPL toll free number - 1800-121-7996.

LG INTRODUCES Q7 WITH SMARTER & MORE PREMIUM FEATURES

-LG launches Q7 to delight the Indian users @ Rs. 15,990

Mumbai, 29^th August 2018 - After the LG Q6 and Q6+ launch last year, which created a milestone for its high sales in India, LG Electronics has launched the new smartphones under its Q series called the LG Q7. With an intelligent balance of premium features and value, the smartphones will be available across all leading retail outlet stores starting 1^st Sep 2018.

Upgraded to high-end features such as IP68 Water and Dust resistance, MIL-STD 810G certified for Durable Build , Portrait mode, QLens, DTS: X 3D Surround Sound, and a fingerprint sensor on the back, LG Q7 will offer many of LG’s most sought after, premium features at an extremely attractive price.

Commenting on the occasion, Mr.Advait Vaidya, Business Head- Mobiles, LG India, said, “We are happy to introduce new smartphones in our best-selling Q series. LG Q7 is a balanced smartphone with the latest premium features like in recently introduced LG G7+ThinQ. The Q7 is a great combination of features, design, performance and price. We are confident that the consumers who are looking for a balanced smartphone with the premium features will find the LG Q7 very hard to resist.”

Some of the key features are:

Design and Durability - The LG Q7 features a 2.5D Arc Glass design with rounded-edges that makes the device comfortable to hold and operate with one hand. The metallic body and rear metal frame of the Q7 is able to stand up to the rough and tumble of active use thanks to its IP68-certified water and dust resistance rating & MIL-STD 810G certified for Durable Build

The addition of the Smart Rear Key fingerprint sensor complements the premium experience of the LG Q7. The rear fingerprint sensor located conveniently below the camera lens not only allows users to unlock the phone easily, it can also double as the camera shutter button, take screenshots and control the notification bar. 

Camera - On the front, the LG Q7 features an 8MP camera Wide Angle Lens that captures more of the background or more friends. New to the LG Q7 is Portrait mode that allows users to take selfies with blurred backgrounds for a pleasing bokeh effect. With the LG Q7, shutterbugs won’t miss any shots with Phase Detection Auto Focus (PDAF) on the rear camera, 23 percent faster than traditional auto focus.

Artificial Intelligence – LG Q7 has Q-Lens, a useful camera AI feature until now only available on LG’s premium smartphones. Leveraging AI technology for image recognition, QLens lets users use the camera to improve the image searching and online shopping experience. Capture any item with QLens and get information on where to buy the product online as well as recommendations of similar items. QLens can also perform an image search to see matching or similar images of food, clothing, celebrities or landmarks such as buildings and statues.

Audio - The LG Q7 is also the first in its price range to offer DTS:X to deliver virtual 3D surround sound, up to 7.1 channel audio through headphones for users to enjoy their favorite entertainment while on the move.

Battery – Equipped with Qualcomm's Fast Charge technology, Q7’s battery can be charged to 60 percent in about 60 minutes for added user convenience.

The LG Q7 will priced at 15,990/-

Key Specifications: 

Chipset	1.5 GHz Octa-Core
Display	5.5-inch 18:9 FHD+ FullVision Display (2160 x 1080 / 442ppi)
Memory	Q7: 3GB RAM / 32GB ROM / microSD (up to 2TB)
Camera	Q7 : Rear 13MP with PDAF / Front 8MP
Battery	3,000mAh
OS	Android Oreo
Size/Weight	143.8 x 69.3 x 8.4mm/145g
Network	LTE / 3G / 2G
Connectivity	Wi-Fi 802.11 b, g, n / Bluetooth 4.2 BLE / NFC / USB Type-C
Colors	Q7: Aurora Black / Moroccan Blue
Others	Fingerprint Scanner / QLens / DTS:X 3D Surround Sound / IP68 Water and Dust Resistance / Google Assistant / Face Recognition / Smart Rear Key / Fast Charging / MIL-STD 810G Compliant / Portrait Mode / Flash Jump Cut / Music Flash / Timer Helper / FM Radio

Pennline Quiknote helps you organize your workday!

From William Penn, the preferred destination for top-of-the-line writing instruments and premium business accessories, come another nifty “must-have”: Pennline ‘Quiknote’. This handy little organizer allows you to segment and slots your business or personal meetings (and reference notes) into easily accessible sections comprising of two separate Quikfills & utility pouches. No more fidgeting with an unwieldy diary: you have a product with an elegant Brown or Black outer leatherette cover and 2 books (plain and ruled) along with a colorful extra book as an inaugural offer.

We make notes while on the telephone, or on slips of paper, as we rush between the business meeting and try to catch up with office deadlines and urgent personal work. We jot down items on sheets of paper, having to fish for them later. The Quiknote lets you pull out individual booklets so as to compartmentalize your workday efficiently.

A total of 5 types of Quikfills (Plain, Ruled, Dot-grid, Graph and Colourful) form the options of Pennline Quiknote: each having a differently colored outer cover. The complete kit fits into a well-designed outer packaging box with a Belly Band wrapped around it and a Promotional Sticker too. The 3^rd colorful book has an insert announcing: “Register online with us using your coupon code and wins a free pack of two Quikfills (Dot grid or graph)”; which will be posted to you. The Belly Band will give all the information and specifications and a specific QR code to help you land at the Quiknote web page to make purchases.

Buy and register now for this thoughtfully-designed Quiknote!

Price Range – Rs. 995/-

MAHINDRA FIRST CHOICE SERVICES HOSTS “UNDER THE BONNET” INITIATIVE FOR THE EMPLOYEES OF RELIANCE INDUSTRIES LTD.

A unique program to educate the corporate employees on car maintenance  

Mumbai, 27 August 2018: Mahindra First Choice Services, India’s largest chain of multi-brand car workshops recently hosted its ‘Under the Bonnet’ initiative for the employees of Reliance Industries. “Under the Bonnet” is an innovative program for corporate employees and is designed to educate car owners on maintenance and servicing their cars.

More than 100 employees from Reliance Industries Limited participated in this activity with great zest and enthusiasm. The participants were eager to learn about various aspects of car maintenance and other basic do’s and don’ts of car servicing. The objective of the session was to educate and empower people on vehicle maintenance, repair & servicing.

Speaking on the initiative, YVS Vijay Kumar, CEO, Mahindra First Choice Services said: “We at Mahindra First Choice Services offer the best value proposition in car servicing. With initiatives like “Under the Bonnet” we aim to impart our knowledge and understanding by educating corporate professionals on car servicing and maintenance. With our skilled MFCS trainers, we strive to deliver in-depth understanding of car services for a safe and smooth driving experience. The idea of this initiative was not just to educate people but to also give them practical knowledge about servicing cars when the need arises & enable them with self-sufficiency when it comes to basics of car repairs.”

The skilled and trained representatives of MFCS provided interesting insights on basics like how to replace flat tyre, how to improve battery life, how to avoid overheating, resolving the car starting issue, how to change engine oil etc.  The one-hour session concluded with significant learnings for the participants, like preventions and measures for emergency situations, what workshops do when you give your car for servicing and general maintenance tips to increase the mileage of the car etc.

Mahindra First Choice Services has launched this initiative exclusively for Corporate organizations and in past they have hosted Under the Bonnet with women employees of IFFCO TOKIO. MFC Services plans to spread the knowledge of car servicing through this initiative among other corporate firms as well.

Fujifilm India announces digital partnership with Bollywood superstar ‘Anushka Sharma’ for promoting its INSTAX range of instant Cameras

• The collaboration is for the period of Aug-Nov 2018
• Shoot, Print and Share the Joy

New Delhi, August 24, 2018: Fujifilm India Private Limited, a pioneer in imaging technologies proudly announces a strategic Partnership for its INSTAX range of instant Cameras with Bollywood superstar and youth icon Anushka Sharma. A sweeping promotional campaign for Instax will be rolled out across social media platforms with Anushka’s participation for four months starting from August 2018 till November 2018.

The Instax has been a global hit in more than 100 countries, with over 30 million units sold. Its quirky design and retro look has helped the brand carve a winning niche for itself. This year holds of great importance to Fujifilm as Instax celebrates its 20th anniversary. The company aims to further explode INSTAX’s awareness through its strategic collaboration with one of the most followed Indian personalities, Anushka Sharma. Anushka’s staggering 45.2 million-plus social media fans and unparalleled influence over the modern youth will surely go a long way to support the product’s popularity. Anushka is one of the most powerful personalities in the country today and she is known for her inherent charm and novelty. She perfectly complements the Brand Attributes of Fujifilm Instax which is indeed a charming product with which one can shoot, print and share an original instantly.

Commenting on the occasion Mr. Haruto Iwata, Managing Director, Fujifilm India Pvt. Ltd. said, “We are very excited and optimistic to embark on this digital partnership with Anushka Sharma. She is an iconic symbol of the Indian entertainment industry and popularly known amongst the youth for her uniqueness and charm which perfectly blends with our brand. She embodies what Fujifilm INSTAX is all about – young, fun and ‘kawaii’ (cute in Japanese). Instax is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year and we will be rolling out many more surprises for our customers in the coming months.’’

“For me, photography is all about self-expression and preserving memories and what can be better than a camera that comes from Fujifilm which has an extensive and profound expertise in photography nurtured over the last 80 years. Instax captures the magic of the moment and seals it in a picture –instantly & serve as reminders of those beautiful memories forever. The most compelling reason to use Instax in the age of digital photography is uniqueness. Once an image is taken, it is truly a one-of-a-kind photo made special with the unique feel of a physical print,” Anushka Sharma commented.

Mr. S.M Ramprasad, Head of Image Capturing, Fujifilm India Pvt. Ltd. added, “Anushka Sharma is undeniably one of the most gifted and accomplished women of her generation and a role model to young women. We are so honoured to have her onboard with us for the digital association. In just a few years, her incredible talent has made her one of the most popular actors of all time. Anushka is genuine and fun with an inspiring sense of style, in total resonance with the brand's positioning. The association with Anushka is in line with our aim to bring in a youthful vibrancy by spreading the joy of printed pictures.”

Within these four months, Fujifilm will roll out a special contest. The winners from the challenge will get an instax camera along with Anushka’s instant pictures, duly signed by her. More details will be posted on Instax.in.

About Fujifilm 

Fujifilm established in 1934 has believed in Innovation and creation of new values through leading edge and proprietary technologies. Fujifilm India, as a firm believer in sophistication continues to work hard to provide the Indian consumer the best products and services.

Our corporate slogan is “Value from Innovation.”

Along with expressing Fujifilm's commitment to continuously creating innovative technologies, products and services that empower the potential and expand the horizons of tomorrow's businesses and lifestyles, the slogan also encapsulates the company's desire to combine our own original technology with human resources, expertise and technology from around the world both internally and externally to create innovation. A new brand statement has also been created to articulate these commitments more specifically, and the slogan encapsulates the main points of the brand statement.

Our Goal is to be a company that is able to resolve a diverse variety of the problems that society faces, contribute to the world through the continuous creation of value – added products and services, and achieve sustainable growth through constant innovation. That was the commitment we made to the world when we launched our new corporate slogan “Value from Innovation”.

33rd Regional Conference of WIRC of ICAI

Western India Regional Council of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (WIRC of ICAI) organized 33^rd Regional Conference on Friday, 24^th August, 2018 and Saturday, 25^th August, 2018 at Hotel Sahara Star, Vile Parle (East), Mumbai.

CA. Manmohan Juneja, Hon’ble Regional Director, Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Western Region, Mumbai graced the occasion as Chief Guest, CA. Naveen N. D. Gupta, President – ICAI, CA. Prafulla Chhajed, Vice President – ICAI, CA. Sandeep Jain, Chairman – WIRC, CA. Purushottam Khandelwal, Secretary –WIRC, CA. Priyam Shah, Vice Chairman – WIRC, CA. Balkishan Agawal, Treasurer – WIRC and CA. Vishnu Agarwal, Chairman, Professional Development Committee of WIRC of ICAI addressed more than 1100 chartered accountants. 

It is the most awaited mega event by the Chartered Accountants across the Western Region. ICAI are in the 70^th year i.e. Platinum Jubilee Year and hence this year assumes special importance.  This conference is an ideal platform for the Chartered Accountants, to participate and gain benefit from the doyens of the profession addressing the members at this Conference on topics ranging from subjects on Audit, GST, Insolvency, Industry, Technology, Financial Services and matters related to Professional Development.

This conference is made Live on facebook, so that in all corners of the country, people can watch this conference LIVE.

True Balance Rolls out new Balance Check Option for Jio Users

Now plan your mobile spend with True Balance’s new balance check app instantly in just one tap

Mumbai August 2018: Knowing your balance amount and remaining data in your smartphone is just a tap away thanks to a new balance check app. One of the coolest balance check interfaces, it has been launched by True Balance, India’s leading balance and data management app that blends the skillsets of Korean and Indian techies.

The app also introduced a recharging feature for Jio users which facilitates easy phone bill payments for users at the click of a button. The app which is currently providing recharging options for telecom players including Vodafone, Aircel, Airtel, Idea, BSNL, Reliance, Tata Docomo, Telenor (Uninor), received a strong demand in the market for the introduction of Jio recharge feature driven primarily due to the telecom player’s recent expansion in the market share in India.

Speaking on the new feature addition, Mr. Charlie Lee, Founder, True Balance said, “We are excited to launch the new version that can help users check their phone balances with just a tap It is great to help to users who not only want to keep a track on their mobile spends but also check their remaining data.”

The new balance check option is free for Jio users but is also available for users like Airtel, Vodafone and idea as per user’s registration status on True balance.

True Balance helps monitor multiple SIM’s in one view helping users to manage their mobile spends wisely.  Apart from options to check balance and recharge, the App’s main USP is the alarm screen, which causes an alert when the user hits certain points in data usage. This works well for alerting the user on depleting data.

True balance tied up with BPPOU for providing users to pay Electricity and gas bills and added also DTH payment. Apart from providing a simplistic and time-saving bill pay experience, True Balance app also offers its users exciting cash-back and membership options, instant payment alerts, refunds and installment payment plans.