Category: News

Business World, News

Specialty Chemicals Company, Laxmi Organics files for 800 cr IPO

Dec 16, 2020 by Rekha Nair 0 Comments #Axis Capital and DAM Capital Advisors, #Laxmi Organics

Chennai:  Laxmi Organics, a leading manufacturer of Acetyl Intermediates and Specialty Intermediates and the largest manufacturer and exporter of ethyl acetate from India as per the Frost & Sullivan Report, has filed its DRHP to raise approximately 800 cr. The IPO is a fresh issuance aggregating to Rs 500 cr and an Offer for sale of face value of Rs 2 each by the Promoter Selling Shareholder, YellowStone Trust aggregating to Rs. 300 cr.

The Mumbai based speciality chemicals manufacturer which initially started as a manufacturing company for acetaldehyde and acetic acid in 1992 has now transformed itself as the largest manufacturers of ethyl acetate in India. With an enriched experience of three decades in the industry, Laxmi Organics has a diverse product portfolio into varied chemistries in Specialty Intermediates and has an encapsulated market share of approximately 30% of the Indian ethyl acetate market and approximately 55% of the diktene derivatives market. The Company has significantly expanded its scale of operations and has set a global footprint with customers in over 30 countries including China, Netherlands, Russia, Singapore, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom and United States of America.

Laxmi Organics has been catering to marquee names who have long standing relationships with the company namely Alembic Pharmaceuticals, Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories, Hetero Labs, Laurus Labs, Macleods Pharmaceuticals, Mylan Laboratories, Neuland Laboratories, Suven Pharmaceuticals, Granules India, United Phosphorous, Syngenta Asia Pacific and Sudarshan Chemicals.

High growth Industries catering to Pharmaceuticals, Agrochemicals, Dyes & Pigments, Inks & Coatings, Paints Printing & Packaging, Flavors and Fragrances, Adhesives and other Industrial Applications find utilization of the intermediates and ingredients sold by the company. In 2012, International Finance Corporation took a 10.05% equity stake in the company at face value of Rs 10 each which the company bought back in Jan 2020 at an aggregate amount of Rs 820.11 mn.

The net proceeds from the issue will be utilised for funding its capital expenditure planned towards setting up a manufacturing facility for fluorospecialty chemicals, working capital requirements, purchase of plant and machinery, prepayment or repayment of all or a portion of certain outstanding, upgrading existing units besides general corporate purposes

Axis Capital and DAM Capital Advisors are appointed as the BRLMs to the Issue.

Laxmi Organic’s plans to go to market takes steam after the recent success and fundraising mania of specialty chemical companies like Rossari Biotech and Chemcon Specialty Chemicals which were subscribed almost 80 times and 149 times respectively. Investors expect this sector to benefit strongly from geopolitical and trade paradigms shifting and Govt Initiatives propagating Atma Nirbharta.

News

VPOP, a custom designed Table Decor brand launched in Indian market

Dec 16, 2020 by Rekha Nair 0 Comments #Founder, #Varuna Chand, #VPOP

November 2020: From contemporary to traditional, there’s a local brand for every aesthetic. VPOP, a custom designed Table Decor brand that curates stunning and affordable Table Decor DIY Box has recently forayed into the Indian Market. The homegrown brand designs Table decor & Table linen matched and customised to each theme all in one box.

VPOP offers bespoke interior styling solutions through a fusion of traditional crafts, contemporary aesthetics and modern functionality. The brand has over 37-70 table decor items within the DIY box including centerpiece decorative items along with a complete table linen set which includes a custom-made table runner, napkins, napkin rings and placemats.

Now that Christmas as well as the wedding season is upon us, which calls for a more intimate affair due to the pandemic, VPOP’s customised Table Decor set is all you need to spice up your home. The table setting box ‘You’re a Firecracker’ Festive box comes in two gorgeous colors red and violet and the newly launched ‘You’re Totally Sleighing It’ – Christmas Table Decor DIY Box will liven up your space with its stunning statement pieces and bring in the cheer and joy of Christmas.

VPOP also looks after your preferred designs, colour palette, theme etc. by sending over a custom designed DIY table decor box at your doorstep.    All you have to do is to effortlessly lay it out. What’s more, is that every item in the box lends itself to various combinations so you will never get bored of the same arrangement.

Commenting on the launch, Varuna Chand, the founder of VPOP said, “Once Covid hit, quarantine gave me the creative space to realise that décor and design are my true passions. In the past, I myself have struggled to find complete sets of table linen which were original yet affordable and hence the idea of VPOP arose! VPOP makes sure that you continue celebrations in the comfort and safety of your home with yours loved ones”

Business World, News

Glad U Came bags a bunch of new clients amidst the pandemic

Dec 16, 2020 by Rekha Nair 0 Comments #Glad U Came, #Maddie Amrutkar

December 2020: With the aim to roll out a strategic communications approach, Glad U Came has added 11 new clients in its PR portfolio within the span of three months. The leading PR and Influencer Marketing agency will organize and implement PR campaigns and communication plans for their newly signed up clients.

The new retainer clients are from wide sectors, ranging from fashion, beauty, shoes & accessories, home decor, start-ups, finance and food. The newly onboarded clients include Re’equil, Mint & Oak, All good scents, Owndays, RENEE Cosmetics and Pilgrim to name a few. These brands join the ranks of Glad U Came roster of prestigious clients that includes stellar start-up brands like Kalki Fashion, Skinkraft and Biryani By Kilo.

Commenting on the win, Maddie Amrutkar, the founder of Glad U Came said, “Adding these clients to our portfolio motivates us to outperform even in the current economic condition through our unique and strategic PR approach. We combine our intrinsic knowledge of the industry and top-notch media relations. We aim at delivering the best we can through well focused trust-based messages for our clients.”

“Engaging with consumers is easier yet tricky. Hence we believe in offering personalized solutions to clients whose target is to reach out to their audience. They are choosing their agency very carefully and now seek agile PR agencies,” added Maddie Amrutkar. The agency will drive product and brand awareness for brands including to name a few.

News

Behind the scenes of Hotstar Specials presents Criminal Justice: Behind Closed Doors with Directors Rohan Sippy and Arjun Mukerjee

Dec 16, 2020 by Neel Achary 0 Comments #Criminal Justice: Behind Closed Doors, #Pankaj Tripathi

Hotstar Specials recently announced the highly-anticipated next chapter of the popular franchise Criminal Justice titled Criminal Justice: Behind Closed Doors. Pankaj Tripathi is returning to portray the role of lawyer Madhav Mishra, who is fighting the toughest case of his career. The prime accused Anu Chandra, portrayed by Kirti Kulhari, has confessed to stabbing her husband, an eminent lawyer – Bikram Chandra and is guilty in the eyes of law. While many believe it to be an open-and-shut case, Anu’s subsequent silence and unwillingness to defend herself begs the question – is there more to the case than what meets the eye?

Produced by Applause Entertainment in association with BBC Studios, this 8-part courtroom drama series has been directed by Bollywood’s Rohan Sippy, Arjun Mukerjee and written by Apurva Asrani; and is set to launch on 24th December 2020 in 7 languages on Disney+ Hotstar VIP. Criminal Justice: Behind Closed Doors is one of the few stories in India to showcase the life and ordeal of women in prison.

Revealing what went into making Criminal Justice: Behind Closed Doors, Rohan Sippy and Arjun Mukerjee shared their experiences.

On continuing Madhav Mishra’s character played by Pankaj Tripathi

Rohan Sippy said “I think that the cast is perfect. One of the great creative decisions was to continue the character that Pankaj Tripathi is playing which is not the case in the original British show. But here, we decided to continue that, and I think it’s one of the strengths of the show to have him at the heart of it.”

Speaking to real-life lawyers for research

Rohan Sippy added “The research was done speaking to lawyers – both before we set out to write the show and even once we had started writing. Dialogues were also run by lawyers to make sure that we get the nuances right and also explore the legal side so we can maximize the drama in the show. This was also very important because the original show was set in the British legal system which had a jury and that had to be changed a lot because we don’t have that system here, so that was a very challenging part of the process which Apurva and the creative team handled well.”

Recreating women’s prison on screen

Arjun Mukerjee: “Designing the prison set was a little difficult because it is almost impossible to get references and actual footage or shots of a prison. So, some of the production crew members went to a women’s prison and tried to get in some areas, spoke to the warden, etc. It was a difficult job and our team did really well to create a very atmospheric and large space for us to work in. The realness of the prison also helped me and Rohan, and obviously the actors, to get into the skin of the role, feel the atmosphere and the darkness in the hard conditions, so that was fun.”

Entire season was shot in 2 months

Rohan Sippy: “Total number of days for the season’s shoot was somewhere close to about 60-70 days. We shot at three different locations, the women prison, police station which is always a central part of any crime show and the last one being Anu Chandra’s house where she and her family are living. But, while filming this series, our sole idea was to showcase how a woman from her beautiful and sophisticated world is thrown into the prison, something completely hostile and alien to her. While there were other locations too, these three locations are the heart of the show and will create the mood.”

Catch the drama unfold in Hotstar Specials presents Criminal Justice: Behind Closed Doors, launching 24th December 2020 only on Disney+ Hotstar VIP

News

Zee Cinema to premier ‘Aatish The Weapon’ and ‘Naach Lucky Naach’

Dec 16, 2020 by Neel Achary 0 Comments #Naach Lucky Naach, #zee cinema

When you think entertainment – you think drama, dance, action, and unlimited energy and Zee Cinema is making this December entertainment-packed as they bring to screen two riveting Zee Cinema Premieres – Aatish The Weapon and Naach Lucky Naach. The high-octane action drama, Aatish The Weapon will premiere on 18th December at 8pm. This movie has Vijay Antony in a double role, making it a top-notch action entertainer! In the same weekend, Zee Cinema audience will witness the magic of the dancing legend Prabhu Deva with the premiere of Naach Lucky Naach on 20th December at 5pm. Starring Ditya Bhande and Salman Yusuff Khan of Dance India Dance fame along with Prabhu Deva, the movie takes us into the ambitious little world of Lucky whose passion for dance speaks louder than words.

It takes one act of cruelty to turn someone’s life upside down. Aatish The Weapon traces the journey of twins with absolutely distinct personalities, Anand and Divakar, played by Vijay Antony. Divakar’s life takes a dark turn when someone’s malefic intentions lead him to become the most feared Don. This action drama is directed by G. Srinivasan, with Vijay Antony playing a dual role, along with Diana Champika in a pivotal role. The film will be showcased on 18th December at 8 PM.

Talking about the film, Vijay Antony said, “This film is really close to my heart and is something that I thoroughly enjoyed working on. It has drama, it has action and a strong storyline. I have a dual role in the film and it was truly an exciting experience to play absolutely distinct roles in the same movie. I’m more than excited to be sharing this film with the audiences of Zee Cinema.”

Naach Lucky Naach is a story about Lucky’s journey to her dream to win the National Dance competition while she’s born in a house where her mother isn’t in support of her passion. Juggling between her mother’s and her own dreams, Lucky meets Krishna who motivates and takes her closer to achieving her dreams. Directed by A. L. Vijay, starring Ditya Bhande as Lucky and the legendary Prabhudeva as Krishna along with Salman Yusuff Khan and Aishwarya Rajesh in pivotal roles, Naach Lucky Naach is an entertaining dance drama which makes you wonder – will Lucky fulfill her dream? Find out in its Zee Cinema Premiere on 20th December at 5 PM.

Talking about the film, Salman Yusuf Khan said, “Dance bas been more than a passion since I can remember. I remember dancing to Muqabla and copying Prabhudeva’s steps and performing as a kid and getting to share the screen with my idol was an overwhelming experience. Naach Lucky Naach is a story for every braveheart out there who dares to dream. It’s filled with Entertainment, fun, emotions and lots of great dance moves. So, get ready to get inspired and don’t miss its premiere on 20th December at 5pm only on Zee Cinema.”

Get ready for the perfect weekend that comes with the perfect entertainment package on Zee Cinema!

News

Global-10 PR Summit organized by iMARS Communications of Russia

Dec 16, 2020 by Neel Achary 0 Comments #global communications industry, #Global-10 PR Summit 2020, #iMARS Communications, #International PR Weeks 2020, #Russian Public Relations Association

The Global-10 PR Summit 2020 brought together representatives of the global communication industry to find effective practices for its development in the post-Covid era and the rapid digital transformation provoked by the pandemic. Leading communications experts – heads of significant communications companies from China, India, USA, Canada, Brazil, Great Britain, Germany, Italy, France, and Russia – took part in the discussion. The Global-10 PR Summit’s primary purpose was to discuss not the results of the year but plans. During the open event, they shared their own experience of using the latest digital tools for solving PR problems, as well as examples from the practice of leading players in world markets.

“We turned to the most advanced examples in Russia and abroad in the field of how companies are using digital solutions for PR needs. It is the use of voice assistants and neural networks based on artificial intelligence technologies for data analysis and assessment of reputation. It is cases of successful use of online sociology and instant polls, work with big data, and much more,” says Oleg Poletaev from the Russian Public Relations Association (RPRA).

“As a result of the discussion, we identified important trends and segmented the key PR functions into two dimensions. Namely: which of our tasks and functions need to be “digitized” soon to preserve our industry identity and increase the efficiency of our activities both for ourselves and for the business results of our clients, and which should be done for the same purpose, leave it in analog form?”  says, summing up the event, Senior Partner of iMARS Communications Elena Groznaya.

Live stream recording is available here: https://youtu.be/tdmPDB_HBG8.

The Global-10 PR Summit 2020, held by iMARS Communications, Russian Public Relations Association (RPRA) with the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) support, the international media partner Cision and the Russian media partner Sostav.ru, completed the series of “International PR Weeks 2020”. In 2021, the organizers plan to continue regular meetings of professionals from the global communications industry at public platforms to discuss current challenges and the PR industry’s future.

Health, News

Free Health check-up camp held at Signature Global Park

Dec 16, 2020 by Rekha Nair 0 Comments #Co-Founder & Vice Chairman, #Founder and Chairman Signature Global Group, #Mr. Lalit Aggarwal, #Mr. Pradeep Aggarwal, #Mr. Ravi Aggarwal, #Signature Global Foundation, #Signature Global Group

Signature Global Foundation organized a free health check-up camp and awareness program for its laborers and other marginalized people at Signature Global Park 2 & 3, sector 36, Sohna Road, South of Gurugram. More than 1000 people (in groups of 50 with social distancing) benefitted by this initiative. The event was focused on Women health and hygiene awareness where free medications and free sanitary napkins were distributed among them. Signature Global believes in empowering women physically and mentally not just in society but especially in Housing. The Haryana Government also prioritizes women when it comes to the home ownership under Haryana Affordable Housing Policy.

Mr. Lalit Aggarwal, Co-Founder & Vice Chairman – Signature Global Group and Mr. Ravi Aggarwal, Co-Founder & Vice Chairman – Signature Global Group welcomed all in the camp.

Mr. Pradeep Aggarwal, Founder and Chairman Signature Global Group said, “These workers stood by us during the lockdown and pandemic and we have been taking care of them all along but a proper health check-up and basic medications, especially for women are important from time to time. We believe that everyone should take care of his/her health and such initiatives will be taken in future too.”

“Women play a major role in our society and are the primary caregivers in families. Due to their responsibilities, women sometimes ignore their health & hygiene. The aim of organizing this camp was to help early diagnostics and create awareness about personal hygiene and healthcare among the labour”, he added.

On the occasion, the Beauty Queens (winners) of Mrs. India legacy 2019 by Diadem took sessions with the women workers to spread awareness among the women workers about hygiene through an awareness movie and counselled them.

The camp included free check-up for the all including CBC, blood Sugar test, generic medicine etc. after the consultations and check-ups, free refreshments were distributed among them.

News

Indian Gaming League (IGL) to host “IGL Clan Wars” on 16th Dec

Dec 16, 2020 by Neel Achary 0 Comments #CEO, #Indian Gaming League, #Yash Pariani

Indian Gaming League (IGL), the fastest-growing Esports platform will host IGL Call of Duty Mobile Clan Wars in which Esports Teams from both India and Pakistan will compete with each other. The tournament will be hosted from 16 December 2020 from 5:00 Pm onwards. A few of the Indian teams are Team Mayhem, GodLike, Reckoning Esports, IND, Blind, Heroes and Force 1 while the Pakistan Teams are Team Portal and the Vicious 7.

This is an open tournament where players can directly register themselves from the official website iglnetwork.com. The prize pool for the tournament is Rs 10,000 with the winning team getting Rs 5,000, runner-up team to get Rs 3,000 and 2nd runner up to get Rs. 2,000. All the matches will be streamed live on IGL’s Youtube Channel: IGL- Indian Gaming League starting on 16th Dec 2020 at 5:00 pm. The highlights will be available on IGLTV and on IGL’s own Instagram Handle @iglnetwork. The participants can register themselves from the IGL’s official website – iglnetwork.com.

Yash Pariani, CEO, Indian Gaming League (IGL) says that “Hosting Inter Countries tournaments encourage us to see where do we stand as a nation in terms of Esports. Such tournaments also grab huge viewership while being live telecasted. They also encourage and motivate young gamers to pursue Esports Gaming.”.

News

Shaadi.com’s Ex-CTO, Siddharth Sharma joins InVideo

Dec 16, 2020 by Rekha Nair 0 Comments #Anupan Mittal, #CEO, #Chief Technology Officer, #Founder, #Mr Siddharth Sharma, #Mr. Sanket Shah, #People Group

National: Popular online video editing platform InVideo has appointed dynamic professional Mr Siddharth Sharma as its new chief technology officer. An IIM alumnus, Sharma, has contributed to the growth of several start-ups and big brands in his illustrious career. His latest stint was in popular matchmaking platform Shaadi.com.

Mr Sanket Shah, CEO of InVideo, said, “We are building the best tech team in India. With SVS coming in, I’m looking forward to a rock solid tech team + culture.”

Mr Siddharth Sharma, new CTO of InVideo, said, “I am really excited to become a part of this team. InVideo is solving a very hard technical problem in a blue ocean space. The startup energy is unbeatable and coupled with the rigor of the process, it makes for very thrilling engineering and to lead this team is a great privilege. I am humbled with this opportunity and look forward to contributing to InVideo’s skyrocketing growth.”

Commenting on his responsibilities as the CTO of InVideo, Mr. Sharma said, “I’ll balance building the right product and building the product right, along with building the product right now!” He added, “I believe that people in the trenches should be fully autonomous, able to take decisions that align with the company’s goals by serving the user better. And it’s the job of leadership to set the context, the guardrails, and then get out of the way.”

Mr. Sharma took it to Twitter to announce his joining. Interestingly, Anupan Mittal, founder of People Group, joined in the conversation and wished him luck for a new journey. Take a look here – https://twitter.com/AnupamMittal/status/1338507826776268802

The development comes after the brand launched a unique hiring initiative and rolled in popular stand-up comic Rahul Subramanian for the campaign. In probably a first, InVideo leveraged LinkedIn’s algorithm to reach out to engineers from all over the country.

Health, News

Global Hospital Launches Stroke Second Opinion Clinic Online and Offline for Patients

Dec 16, 2020 by Rekha Nair 0 Comments #Chief Executive Officer, #Dr. Shirish M Hastak, #Dr. Vivek Talaulikar, #Global Hospital, #Mumbai, #neurology, #Parel, #Regional Director, #Stroke & Neurocritical Care, #stroke specialist

Mumbai: Stroke is a devastating condition. According to the World Stroke Organization (WSO), all over the world 80 million people are living with a stroke out of which 20 million would get a recurrence. Stroke can happen to anyone, anywhere, and anytime. Moreover, it is observed that often family members want the reassurance of the treatment that is going on. Taking all these concerns into consideration, Global Hospital, Parel, has come up with the stroke second opinion clinic that will function online and offline from Monday to Friday.

Global Hospital undertakes various campaigns, drives, and initiatives to create awareness regarding stroke. One such initiative is the launch of a stroke second opinion clinic that will help a lot of people by giving them holistic expert advice in time. This will further help in saving lives and in faster recovery of patients. The stroke clinic will be led by Dr. Shirish M Hastak who has experience spanning over 30 years in the field of neurology and is one of the leading stroke specialists in the country.

Dr. Shirish M Hastak, Regional Director, Neurology, Stroke & Neurocritical Care, Global Hospital, Mumbai, “The clinic will allow the patients to receive the next level of care for this problem. It will help understand about various causes of stroke or whether the patient needs any other treatment. It will also be helpful for those in the acute phase of stroke or who want a second opinion for their loved ones. There will be an additional focus on managing the risk factors such as blood pressure, cholesterol, or diabetes, and the patients will be advised physiotherapy and rehabilitation. The motto of the clinic is to save the lives of those who suffer from a stroke.”

“A multidisciplinary approach will give better outcomes for the patients with stroke. A detailed medical assessment is done by the team which ensures that patients get better medical therapy and rehabilitation. Timely diagnosis and intervention can help patients recover faster and also regain speech, gait, mobility, and even coordination. The clinic will indeed help improve the lives of the stroke patients,” concluded Dr. Vivek Talaulikar, Chief Executive Officer, Global Hospital, Mumbai.