Archive: October 15, 2022

Masaba Gupta Launches Cosmo-Wellness Beauty Brand ‘Lovechild’

Lucknow – Masaba Gupta introduces her debut cosmo-wellness brand, LOVECHILD, with a varied product line of high-performance color cosmetics, skincare, and wellness solutions formulated for every age group, with colors developed to suit all skin tones to embrace indigenous characteristics. Honest, embracive, and playfully-vibrant packaging, the brand is made with empathy at its core, enabling a unique expression of self-love.

Created thoughtfully and responsibly with efficacious global ingredients, the brand offers an audience that embraces multiplicity in self-expression. Born to bridge the gap between makeup & skincare, the products are formulated as skin vestments; not only are they highly pigmented, high on performance and quality, but also clean, vegan, gluten, and cruelty-free.

The LOVECHILD product range includes an endless selection of Liquid Lipsticks enriched with skin-loving ingredients, Matte lipsticks formulated to give saturated color in just one stroke, and classic Nail Paints, that lets your nail breathe. For wellness, LoveChild has bottled novel ingredients that assist your skin and body needs by sliding easily into your everyday lifestyle. An Anti-Anxiety Oil with the relaxing goodness of Lavender, Intimate Wipes to keep you fresh all day, and a skin glow Face Mist to protect the skin’s natural barrier, with an acne control Face Mist to zap that zit!

The brand has also launched all-new Kajal, Eyeliner, and 100% Cellulose Aloe Fibre Sheet Masks.

LOVECHILD is a celebration of the mindset that believes in beauty as much as it does in overall wellness, both mental and physical. The founder, Masaba Gupta explains, “LoveChild as a term has been weaved into my destiny ever since I was born, and now it’s time to weave that destiny into a brand. For many years I’ve looked at this term negatively so I thought it was time to make it positive with a brand that would resonate with individuals who have been labeled all their lives too.”

While the brand is aspirational, LoveChild is also accessible for young millennials to get their hands on the signature Masaba aesthetics with the offerings starting at INR 100. With this endeavor, Masaba aims to reduce the barriers and social hesitations that come with approaching beauty and wellness for first-time enthusiasts. LoveChild intends on being a one-stop destination for all conversations on beauty and well-being, delving into self-love facets, nutrition, and nourishment by experts, wellness mantras, and more.

NDRF to use Garuda Aerospace’s Droni Drone launched by Mahendra Singh Dhoni

15 October 2022, India Garuda Aerospace Pvt Ltd, one of India’s leading drone start-ups, signed an MOU with National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) to impart comprehensive disaster management training. Garuda Aerospace is the first ever start-up to be enlisted as a Drone-as-a-service (DaaS) partner for a year by the NDRF. Quadcopter consumer camera drone ‘Droni’ launched by MS Dhoni will be deployed to support the NDRF Officials. Garuda Aerospace will also continue to deploy different types of drones like video surveillance drones, emergency supply drones, delivery drones, stringing drones to transport electric cables, and tunnel inspection drones to support NDRF officials across the country as it has done in the past. With this new partnership, Droni drones will be used for surveillance, monitoring movements, and supporting the state disaster management department by creating high-impact solutions.

Speaking on the partnership, Agnishwar Jayaprakash, Founder and CEO, of Garuda Aerospace said, “Garuda Aerospace has created a massive impact by deploying drones for various purposes and its unique technology has supported the NDRF officials with disaster management operations. As a citizen of India, I’m extremely proud and delighted to support the NDRF officials by deploying drone drones for emergencies as these will provide better support. This partnership will help the company meet strategic requirements and serve the nation and help achieve milestones. I also thank the Indian Drone Association and Agni Mission for supporting and identifying the needs while working towards a bright future.”

Bharat Bhushan Vaid, Directorate in general, NDRF said, “We are extremely grateful to Garuda Aerospace for helping us with our operations. I personally feel and believe that drones are great support for us now and in the future and with the help of drone drones we can conduct operations in a more structured manner which is the first of its kind in the country. This long-standing partnership will also drive the creation of new opportunities.”

Anagh Singh, Agni Mission, Invest India, said, “Garuda Aerospace is the first ever drone company to win an award for bravery and now aims at serving the nation in disaster management. In the past, Garuda Aerospace has successfully implemented the use of Made in India drones to support flood victims in Assam, Gujarat, and Andhra Pradesh, and helped deliver medicine and food. The drones have also been deployed for rescue and relief operations at the Chamoli glacier burst site in Uttarakhand and played a huge role by supporting the departments for locust control operations held in Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. ISRO and Garuda Aerospace’s White Knight drones were used to deliver medicines, vaccinations, and spray disinfectants in a few hospitals in Bengaluru during the pandemic. Garuda Drones have also helped a mountaineer rappel down a hill and rescued a trekker and helped navigate steep slopes. With the Droni drone now introduced, Garuda Aerospace will successfully aid in safety surveillance and management. We look forward to supporting the organization in its endeavor to avert disaster management.”

The company has commenced its $30 million Series A round at a $250 million valuation. Former Indian cricket team captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has invested in the company and has become the Brand Ambassador.

Eventoss helps launch first Shopper Stop in Bihar

Patna; Eventoss assisted in the first brick-and-mortar store in the state of Bihar in Patna’s City Centre Mall. The fashion and beauty retailer’s new address measures 35,000 square feet and houses over 500 Indian and international brands.
The Fashion brand’s maiden entry to the state capital was much awaited by the people of the state. The new store features a ‘Personal Shoppers Lounge’ where the store’s personal shoppers will advise customers on fits and sizes of clothing. The outlet also has a lounge area equipped with fitting rooms, free wifi, and food and beverage options.

The Patna store opening is part of Shoppers Stop’s a retail expansion plan to open between 10 and 12 stores a year. Brands that feature in the new store include Jack and Jones, Levis, Celio, And, Vero Moda, Only, MAC, JJ Kids, Adidas, Puma, and Renne among others.

“The new store of Shoppers Stop at City Centre Mall, Patna is the biggest store after Kolkata,” told the higher official. “It’s spearheading the future we have for Shoppers Stop and that also reflects our commitment to our loyal customers.

On the occasion Shubham Sinha, Director of Business Operations,Eventoss Entertainment mentioned, ‘More such International outlets are rushing to Bihar, looking at the purchasability of the people & Eventoss is there to assist more & more such brands who aspire to mark their footprints in the state capital & elsewhere.

AstraZeneca strengthens commitment to India with further expansion of its year-old Clinical Data & Insights Division

Chennai, October 15, 2022: AstraZeneca India Private Limited, the global capability center of leading science-led biopharmaceutical company AstraZeneca, plans to further expand its Clinical Data and Insights (CDI) division after the new unit tripled its headcount within its first year of launch in Bengaluru. To accommodate this expansion, the Bengaluru center recently leased additional space that is being inaugurated today by key global leaders.

The continued investment will include hiring additional data experts and deepening the role that India plays in supporting and driving AstraZeneca’s growing portfolio of new medicines by further strengthening the management of global clinical data. It works across therapy areas and portfolios, supporting early and late-stage clinical programs from Phase 1 to Phase 3 with an integrated end-to-end approach for clinical data, analytics, insights, and risk management.

The CDI division today has over one hundred employees (Data managers, Programmers, Data Scientists, and Data Standards experts), compared with a headcount of 30 at its official launch in October 2021, forming part of a global network spread across 6 countries.

Siva Padmanabhan, Managing Director, AstraZeneca India Private Limited (AZIPL) said, “I am delighted to see the growth, the CDI division has exhibited within the first year of inception. Today, with over 100 employees, the Bengaluru team is strategically supporting the global trials, and will further strengthen its role in supporting AstraZeneca’s aspiration to be a pioneer in science and transform patient outcomes.”

Natalie Fishburn, Vice President, Global Head of CDI, AstraZeneca, said, “I am very proud of CDI’s journey in India and the work the teams have accomplished from here. AstraZeneca’s global CDI footprint is a strong ecosystem with over 1300 employees and vendor partner resources that closely collaborate in an effort towards transforming our clinical data flows and advance data-derived insights, enabling acceleration of life-changing medicines to patients.”

Ram Mudaliar, CDI India Lead, AstraZeneca India Private Limited, said, “The way in which we leverage data is evolving, and the CDI division in India is playing a key role in managing clinical data at exponential volume, scale, and complexity. We are growing and expanding our capabilities to be ready for the future. Given the availability of niche talent in India, we are confident of establishing Bengaluru as a center of data excellence for AstraZeneca.”

The CDI division in Bengaluru is a critical advancement to support a growing global portfolio and build on internal data expertise. In addition to Data Management and Data Standards, functions like Centralized Monitoring, TRISARC (Trials Safety Review Centre), and SASP comprising safety patient data review experts are also setting up their teams in the Bengaluru center.

Check Point Software issues advisory for security measures around the latest 4G to 5G SIM upgradation phishing scams in India

Check Point Software Technologies, a leading provider of cybersecurity solutions globally has issued suggested security measures around detected 4G to 5G SIM upgradation phishing scams in India. The company further shared that the scammers have been posing as customer care executives of respected telecom service providers, offering assistance to customers in upgrading their SIM cards from 4G to 5G. Their modus operandi was to send phishing links to coerce victims into disclosing personal and financial information. Check Point Software has proactively issued its recommendations to protect consumers from such a scam.

Such scams were first reported when state-based police departments issued warnings about these ongoing cyber threats. A tweet from the Mumbai Police informed followers of a new scam in which scammers demand money from victims in exchange for assistance in upgrading to 5G. The Twitter account for the Pune City Police, Gurugram police department, and Hyderabad Cyberabad (cybercrime unit) department has also issued similar caution. According to media reports, the authorities have urged citizens to refrain from providing their OTPs to any telemarketers because doing so could result in the complete deletion of their bank accounts.

“We have observed a spike in the spread of SMS Phishing, which uses SMS messages as the attack vector for malware distribution. Using SMS messages as an attack vector may seem rudimentary, but just like email phishing, they are extremely efficient. These attempts often imitate trusted brands or personal contacts to entice the victim to click on a link or share personal details in confidence. This method has proven particularly successful as after one device has been compromised, its entire contact list is up for grabs, creating an endless cycle of possible victims,” says Sundar Balasubramanian, Managing Director at Check Point Software, India & SAARC. “We believe this is just the beginning of such scams. With the commercial availability of 5G and consumers excited to use the advanced services, such scams are bound to increase in number, particularly in the early phases of adoption when people are still finding their way around using the 5G services. We expect to see the number, scale, and sophistication of these cyberattacks increase over time. In such instances, adopting a prevention-first approach is the best approach.”

To avoid becoming a victim of phishing, Check Point Software recommends:

• Enable two-factor authentication: sign into your accounts with both a password and one other method. It could be a question, biometric data or a one-time code sent to your device. This creates an extra layer of security that prevents an attacker from being able to access an account with just a password.
• Use strong passwords: using the same keyword for everything, or simple combinations such as “123456” or “password”, is making it too easy for cybercriminals. There is now a multitude of platforms that can generate strong, difficult-to-guess passwords with upper- and lower-case letters, numbers, and symbols. Although we can also create them ourselves, it’s important to remember to use different combinations for each service.
• Learn how to recognize phishing: when an attacker sends a phishing email, there are usually some common identifiable traits such as misspellings or the fact that it asks for credentials to be entered. A company will never ask for a customer’s credentials by email. If in doubt, always go to the official page or platform of the company you want to access.
  Always keep software updated: it is always advisable to update to the latest version of a company’s software as this is the way that they correct security errors of previous versions.

Check Point’s Threat Intelligence reports that an organization in India is being attacked on average 1742 times per week in the last 6 months, compared to 1167 attacks per organization globally, with 4.9% of malware attacks via mobile (Global 1.8%). With India’s escalating growth in having the second most smartphone users in the world (behind China) with a 492.7million in 2021, and with the use of mobiles increasing in both the cities and rural areas, exacerbated by the WFH policy during the pandemic, mobile users need to be on their guard to expect t more of such smishing scams in the future.

‘Faces of Climate Resilience’ | Docu-series brings to the forefront communities facing the impacts of climate change

Mumbai, October 15th, 2022 – The India Climate Collaborative (ICC), along with the IMC Young Leaders’ Forum, the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), and the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), hosted the screening of the documentary series ‘Faces of Climate Resilience’ yesterday that brings to the forefront communities who are already bearing the impact of climate change – and developing their own local adaptations to climate risks at the Walchand Hirachand Hall, IMC Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mumbai.

The screening was followed by an interaction with a climate champion, as well as a dialogue on how we can build climate resilience into businesses and societies, and integrate nature into our development narrative.

Mr. Anant Singhania, President, of the IMC Chamber of Commerce and Industry delivered the opening remarks. Other dignitaries present at the event included environmental activist and writer Mr. Bittu Sahgal, Editor at Sanctuary Asia, and President of Bombay Natural History Society, as well as sustainability experts Ms. Tejashree Joshi, Head of Environment & Sustainability at Godrej & Boyce., and Mr. Rajat Gupta, Senior Partner at McKinsey & Co.

Faces of Climate Resilience captures stories from five Indian states, including the lived experiences of a women’s collective in Odisha replanting trees along a cyclone-prone coast, a Mahila Mangal Dal in Uttarakhand working with local forest officials to combat forest fires, and a youth group in suburban Mumbai sensitizing slum dwellers about climate change, among others. The audience also had a chance to interact with the Climate Champion, Mr. Amit of Yuva India, who is one of the faces of climate resilience in the documentary series.

Central Park organizes cultural extravaganza to celebrate Diwali

Central Park, one of the leading developers in NCR, organized a cultural extravaganza in its global township Central Park Flower Valley on Sohna Road in Gurugram. Renowned singer and actor Harrdy Sandhu enthralled the audience with his peppy dance numbers that lasted over 60 minutes and had the audience swirling and dancing.

Central Park Chairman and Managing Director Mr. Amarjit Singh Bakshi was the chief guest of the evening.

Over 700 people attended the grand gala evening which saw some mind-blowing performances. The evening began with paying obeisance to God with a spectacular performance of Ganesh Vandana. This set the evening in motion for a stunning display of fire act, ring act, and silk act that had the audience in awe. Noted actor and host Hussain Kuwajerwala and model, actor, and host Sonali Gupta had the audience in splits with a superb display of camaraderie and banter. International performers and fusion troupe dancers captivated the audience with their acrobatic moves to heart-thumping Bollywood numbers. One of India’s top Illusionist and Mentalist Tushar Raj Kumar enticed the audience with his amusing acts.

Speed painter, artist, and illustrator Rohit Kumar fascinated the audience with his amazing skill set that had the audience on their feet.

Central Park, with its customer-centric approach and business-friendly orientation, has over the last two decades carved a niche for itself in the real estate sector. Such extravaganzas are a part of the company’s effort to build long-lasting partnerships with its stakeholders that are an integral part of the system to serve our customers.

TASVA’s brand ambassadors Ranbir Kapoor and Ananya Panday present Ek Naya Nazariya

15th October 2022: TASVA announced the launch of ‘Ek Naya Nazariya’, its first-ever multi-media platform campaign film with brand ambassadors Ranbir Kapoor and Ananya Panday.

Conceptualized by Ogilvy & Mather and shot by ace director Shashanka Chaturvedi and photographer Tarun Khiwal, the campaign film ‘Ek Naya Nazariya’ is a fresh & contemporary take on celebrations, style & self-expression. The film will run across high visibility and impact platforms including GECs such as Star Plus, Colors, SONY SAB, Sony MAX(v), Zee Cinema, &Pictures, Star Gold SD, STAR GOLD 2, SONY MAX 2, Star Pravah, Zee Kannada, COLORS KANNADA, Udaya TV, Udaya Movies, Sun TV, Star Vijay, KTV, Star Maa, Zee Telegu, ETV Telugu, Zee Cinema, Asianet, Flower TV, Asianet Movies and popular entertainment shows such as Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa, Indian Idol, Tarak Mehta, Kapil Sharma, Big Boss AP & TN.

Set in a wedding home, Ek Naya Nazariya is a conversation between Ranbir Kapoor and Ananya Panday as she is experiencing the usual wedding jitters, imagining life ahead as a married couple while he playfully yet earnestly urges her to see themselves as two best friends starting a wonderful journey wherein there will be no attempt to change each other.

TASVA aims to rethink the Indian celebratory experience for the male consumer. The brand’s fresh approach toward style, self-expression and the freedom to be oneself comes alive with Ek Naya Nazariya, a befitting way to highlight TASVA’s soul, as well as that of modern India.

“I am excited to join the TASVA tribe! It’s amazing how the brand is making Indian celebrations and occasions so much more stylish, modern and fresh, which is what my personal style is as well. The campaign Ek Naya Nazariya captures present-day India and its celebrations perfectly”, said Ranbir Kapoor

“It gives me immense pleasure to be a part of the TASVA tribe. My personal style ideology identifies with TASVA’s fresh approach when it comes to ethnic wear for men & Indian celebrations. Starting my association with the brand’s #EkNayaNazariya campaign is very special. It captures modern India’s thinking in such a beautiful way”, said Ananya Panday

On the release of the campaign film, Mr. Tarun Tahiliani, Chief Design Officer, TASVA said, “Ranbir Kapoor and Ananya Panday perfectly capture the vision of TASVA in Ek Naya Nazariya. It’s a beautiful film and they light up the screen with their presence! Ek Naya Nazariya encapsulates the essence of TASVA, a blend of contemporary and traditional. I couldn’t be more pleased to have this thought come to life with our brand ambassadors.”

Commenting on the brand’s first TVC, Mr. Sandeep Pal, CEO, TASVA added, “Our first campaign film has been perfectly timed to capture the festive fervor across the country. The campaign was conceived to showcase TASVA’s fresh take on the Indian celebratory experience as well as present a novel way of thinking and we’re certain that our brand ambassadors Ranbir Kapoor and Ananya Panday will create enthusiasm and affinity for TASVA, amongst our discerning consumers.”

India’s construction output expected to reach INR 60,508.9 billion by 2026

Mumbai, 14th October 2022: The 8th edition of World of Concrete India by Informa Markets in India commenced at the Bombay Exhibition Centre, Mumbai. The show provided a unique opportunity for all the stakeholders to discuss every aspect of the concrete, construction, and Infrastructure domain, including technological developments and emerging trends in this sector.

World of Concrete India is one of the leading trade fairs in the country, dedicated to concrete, where hundreds of exhibitors participate to showcase everything from cement to pumps, precast manufacturing products, technology, admixtures, testing and repair, and much more. The grand inaugural of the show was marked by the presence of key dignitaries such as Mr S V R Srinivas, IAS, Additional Chief Secretary and Metropolitan Commissioner, Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), Mr Ulhas V Mahale, Dy Municipal Commissioner( Infrastructure) Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, Mr Toshihiro Kaneko, Deputy Consul General, Japanese Consulate, Mr Amit Bansal, Partner, DeloitteTouche Tohmatsu India LLP, Mr Ish Anand, CEO & Country Manger India, Global Wealth Group and Mr. Yogesh Mudras, Managing Director, Informa Markets in India amongst an august gathering.

The show highlighted that innovation and sustainability are the need of the hour, and with its enhanced features, this year’s edition saw participation from over 7,000 visitors, more than 150 exhibitors, and over 50 speakers. Key exhibitors included UltraTech, Schwing Stetter, Asian Paints, Jet Formworks, MconRasayan, ESS EMM Chemicals, HROC, Vyara Tiles, VT Corp, Infinity Woodcraft & many more among many others. World of Concrete India 2022 is primarily supported by the Builders Association of India, the Water Proofing Association of India, and the Gujarat Contractors Association.

Addressing the opportunities in this sector, Mr Yogesh Mudras, Managing Director, Informa Markets in India said, “The concrete, construction and infrastructure industry is highly responsible for propelling India’s overall development and enjoys intense focus from the government for initiating policies that would ensure the creation of world-class infrastructure. Increasing government investments in projects like the Sagarmala Program, BharatmalaPariyojana, Gati Shakti Master Plan, development of 21 Green Field airports in the country etc., has made the Indian market highly competitive and holds opportunities not only for big but also for small and medium players. Amidst the pressing environmental challenges, especially regarding the cost of energy and increased overcapacity, World of Concrete India 2022 has presented technologies and solutions by bringing together the leading thought leaders, policymakers, and innovators in this space.”

S.V.R. Srinivas, IAS, Additional Chief Secretary & Metropolitan Commissioner (MMRDA) said, “The World of Concrete by Informa Markets in India, is the first major concrete show after the pandemic that had run riot all over the world. This is a major event where different technologies, participants and exhibitors gather and exhibit their products which are sustainable and emphasize on quality, speed, and safety. The technologies on display will go towards contribution for the development of Mumbai and eventually the State of Maharashtra.”

Ulhas V Mahale, Deputy Municipal Commissioner (Infrastructure) said, “Infrastructure development is the growth engine towards the development of the city and so this year we have committed approximately Rs. 11 thousand crores on infrastructure. Mega-projects like the Sea-Link will begin at Nariman Point and extend right up to Mira-Bhayander. This year we have also floated a tender to concretize close to 400 kms of roads in Mumbai and by the year 2024 we intend to make Mumbai pothole-free so that Mumbaikars get a great ride. I am happy to note that the World of Concrete show will showcase technologies that will be critical for the overall infrastructure development of the city.

Toshihiro Kaneko, Deputy Consul General, Japanese Consulate said, “The Japanese Government has already been supporting with its technology inputs for the high-speed railway, Metro bridge and the Mumbai Harbour projects. Japanese take pride in quality and are working closely with India in the technology transfer. During the Prime Minister’s visit, Japan made a commitment of $3 Trillion in the next 5 years towards infrastructure development. India has a bright future and Japanese companies would like to participate in this development and growth within India. We are happy to participate at the World of Concrete show to underline our commitment towards development in India”.

Amit Bansal, Partner, Deloitte India said, “At the outset let me acknowledge the fact that this is a great event after a global disruption. Events like these are extremely important to create awareness about new construction techniques, new machinery, new equipment, and once we are all aware of such new technology it will lead to usage. The scale and speed at which some of these new techniques should be adopted need to increase significantly. The volume of construction is also going to increase and unless we adopt these new techniques and methods, we will not be able to deliver. While we have the potential, we must ensure that we tap into this potential and ensure that we do not let it go to waste”.

According to Niti Aayog, the Indian real estate sector is expected to continue its upward trajectory and is expected to reach a market size of $1 Trillion by 2030 and will account for 13% of India’s GDP by 2025. The construction output in the country is also expected to reach INR 60,508.9 billion by 2026. Schemes such as the revolutionary Smart City Mission are expected to improve the quality of life through modernized tech-driven urban planning. Therefore, the construction industry is also adopting digital technology solutions to boost productivity and remain ahead of the competition.

World of Concrete India is set to play an important role as it not only provides an opportunity to engage and connect with practitioners but also provide the attendees with knowledge of best practices and problem-solving strategies through collaboration and educational seminar sessions.