GAIL Aims To Strengthen Athletics

GAIL (India) Limited has initiated a program in the sporting arena, concerned with the forte of athletics known as GAIL Indian Speedstar. The program primarily focuses on discovering and grooming young talent across the country. GAIL (India) Limited has collaborated with National Yuva Cooperative Society (NYCS) for this noble program. The program was launched on March 22, 2016 at the Constitution Club of India, New Delhi. The National Yuva Cooperative Society has identified Anglian Medal Hunt Company to be the Technical Partner for the GAIL Indian Speedstar project.

The persevering and pivotal initiative with intensive grassroots program intends to build a solid cluster of talented athletes in order to create high possibilities of bringing India on top in track events at the most prestigious sporting event – Olympics 2020/2024. The launch of this program will definitely streamline the process of identification, selection and nurturing of the unknown stars in athletics that are spread across the country and have not been able to mark their recognition so far in the eyes of selectors despite having high level of capabilities hidden in them.

The program will target the budding and talented athletes in the age group of 11 – 17 years in several track events across like 100m, 200m, and 800m. The list of panelists includes well-known sports legends of the country such as P T Usha, Kavita Raut, Rachita Mistry, and Anuradha Biswal who are distinguished well in their respective areas. They have been appointed as members of the selection committee and are comprised for chalking out concrete criteria for selection of youngsters for the GAIL Indian Speedstar program and thus developing customized plan and modules for training of the chosen athletes at the National Level.



The program has been formalized with the help of renowned athlete P T Usha along with the organizers Rajesh Pande – President, National Yuva Cooperative Society Ltd (NYCS), Maneesh Bahuguna – CEO, Anglian Medal Hunt, and Dr Ashutosh Karnatak, Director (Projects), GAIL (India) Ltd.

The district-level trials have already been conducted under the guidance of coaches and selectors, recognized by the core selection committee. The athletes are selected on the basis of talent and qualifying criteria formulated by the selection committee. The initial trials have already been conducted at 55 districts across 10 states in the country. There were more than 25,000 enthusiast participants out of which 850 youngsters have been selected for the state level competition.



The first state level trials were made in Jaipur on February 27-28 in Sawai Maan Singh Stadium. Around 60 boys and girls participated in this camp out of which 4 have been selected for the next level. Similarly, the same activity was done in other states and young athletes were selected. In Odisha camp 14 youths were selected, in Delhi 28 selections were made, in Kerala 28 got shortlisted, and in Jharkhand there were 4. The same activity followed in Maharashtra and Gujarat in the last week of April.



These shortlisted youngsters qualifying the state level trials will be participating in the National Camp in May 2016 at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, New Delhi where they will be attending an intensive national level training. At the end of coaching camp there will be final trials and winners will be selected on the basis of the qualification criteria and their potential. These winners then will get an exhaustive training throughout the year. After a year, 9 athletes will be selected for providing a world class coaching for the next 5 years with a goal of one of these athletes would be representing India at the Olympics.

You could also pitch in to motivate and encourage these athletic enthusiasts by liking GAIL India's FB Page, following GAIL India on Twitter and tweeting with #GailRaftaar. 

What's All This 'Tamasha' About?

Just yesterday, while browsing through the myriad channels on television and being bored by News, enough to switch over to the Movies, I landed on &Pictures, aiming to publicize a premier by its HD twin, proclaiming thus - &picturesHD – India’s premium mass Hindi movie channel keeping its promise of #HDfirst will premiere ‘Tamasha’ on Saturday, 30th April at 8 PM. 

At the back of my mind, it occurred to me that we had made a beeline for the multiplex when Tamasha had released, partly because I was intrigued by its upbeat trailer and partly motivated by the sea of positive reviews surrounding it.

The 'Dream Film Trinity' so as to say, comprised of the impeccable direction of Imtiaz Ali,  and brilliant portrayals by heartthrobs Deepika Padukone and Ranbir Kapoor had come together to conceptualize and present to us, another stellar masterpiece - Tamasha.

The choice of story line, the essence of which, seemed to connect, is what made me decide that we had to book our tickets to watch this one on the 70mm screen.

A person who seemed vexed by the socially bounding limitations of conducting oneself and the notion of conforming to which, seemed to distress him. Battling the loss of self as opposed to the 'baffling yet befitting' social norms is a concept that I buy, and thus, I was made to identify with the 'Tamasha' that our society has made out of itself, nowadays too.

Now that the film is all set to make an appearance before Indian audiences yet again next week, I was prompted to give my readers some reasons to tune into &Pictures HD on a relaxing Saturday night, at prime time! :)

What’s All This ‘Tamasha’ About? :)  

 ~~~ 

At Constant War With The 9-to-5 Monotony 

Imtiaz Ali had very candidly revealed once that the concept of the film comes from the fact that the talent in most people is not tapped to their full potential if they fail to discover and pursue the life-path that suits them best. One such individual is Ved (whose character has been enacted by Ranbir Kapoor), who is trapped in a world which is not suited to him. He brings to celluloid, an inner fight between acceptance of societal norms and pursuing one’s passion. We relate to his dreariness, that which we sometimes conveniently refer to as ‘schedule’.

Travel Makes The World Go Round! 

Imtiaz’s films are known to revolve and revel around the fact that travel and exploration can be a game changer in one’s life. And, Tamasha is no different. It is interesting to see how the movie explores new countries centered around love as the core theme coupled with many twists and turns. The exotic locations of Corsica, Tokyo, Delhi, Shimla and Kolkata blend into the movie beautifully and give the movie a myriad-hued palette.

Mona Darling Brings Don Along! 

The characters in the movie come alive and how! Deepika as Mona Darling and Ranbir as Don are very fresh to watch and are the pulse of the movie. The bohemian, starry eyed Don and the fashionable Mona Darling are no less than a treat to witness. Together, they set out to explore the picturesque French island with the dreaded yet exciting star signifying Terms and Conditions Applied of course!

Emulating Soul With A Funky Undertone 

When the Oscar winning composer A R Rahman agrees to curate the music for the film, it is like the cherry to the cake. Irshad Kamil's lyrics touch the soul and add a new dimension to the story. From ‘Matargashti’ to ‘Heer Toh Badi Sad Hai’, the songs evoke a series of emotions in the audience’s hearts. The music, accompanied by its amazing visuals has definitely been enacted to impress.

Bollywood’s Dream Team… 

One cannot help but stand amazed at the brilliant chemistry between Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone. Even apart from that, Tamasha’s Ved comes across as Ranbir breakthrough performance in a long time. Deepika’s impeccable portrayal and her ability to make us fall in love with Tara from Tamasha is once again applauded. Add to it, Imtiaz’s sheer artistic excellence and it is bound to be magical!

 ~~~ 

I am surely excited to watch Tamasha, once again, this time on my television. All thanks to #HDFirst at &Pictures HD, I was able to list out my favorite nuances about this 'Tamasha', through this blog-post.

You'd also be watching along, next Saturday, won't you? Meanwhile, do tell me about your favorites below while we await the World HD Premiere of Tamasha on &picturesHD on Saturday, 30th April at 8 PM! :)

PlaceofOrigin - An Ultimate Range Of Tea and Coffee

PlaceofOrigin can now be undoubtedly termed as India’s first and only one marketplace for specialty Indian foods, regional specialties, and ethnic foods. It is an online conglomerate of producer and end consumer in a real sense. When you place your order online on PlaceOfOrigin for any available food products, it is automatically forwarded to the genuine producer of those products which then get directly delivered to the end consumer. The story does not end here. This ocean has more precious gems to explore. It is not only popular among the food fanatics across the country but all tea and coffee lovers too, are an ardent fan of this portal.

The website is simple to navigate yet powerful to deliver in the best possible manner. There is a wide range of Tea and Coffee that is offered on PlaceOfOrigin. Most of the varieties of tea – green tea, chamomile tea, ginger tea, organic tea, and so on are available. The same is true for different variants of coffee. Now, a refreshing cup of hot tea or coffee remains incomplete without its most liked accompaniments - snacks like cake, namkeen, biscuits etc. I bet there is not a single quality food product that is missing here. You can even find those tea variants that are not easily available and are made available online for the first time. Some of the most wanted tea specialties are Long Island Green Tea, Bohag Organic CTC, Green Tea with Himalayan Tulsi and Rhododendron, Palampore Kangra Leaf Green Tea & Kesari Mango, and a lot more.

When it comes to coffee, you will find all your favorite blends and products here. La Bamba Dark Roast Coffee, The Sunkissed Blend, Eka – Whole Bean, The Deep Bliss Blend, Rogue River Blend Medium Roast Coffee, Rain Song Dark Roast Coffee, French Vanilla Coffee, and much more are the part of a large variety of coffee available here. The new variants are constantly added to the Coffee section. For instance, Panduranga Aroma Grand Coffee is the latest newcomer. Similarly, in Tea section, there are few latest entrants like Spearmint Green Tea, Yellow Saffron Tea, Oolong Tea, Spearmint Infusion Tea, Chamomile Tea, and Green Tea with Tulsi.

The great thing about PlaceOfOrigin is that every time you visit the portal, you find a few more variants added to all the sections – tea, coffee, snacks etc. This fact can be treated as a great way to engage with the end consumers as they keep awaiting the new additions to PlaceOfOrigin's e-catalogue.

#HoppingoBeforeShoppingo With See-Commerce!

Hoppingo is soon going to emerge as the new digital haven for shoppers. E-commerce is a blessing for all online shoppers. There are many reasons behind such popularity. Online shopping is available to you 24x7 with no store opening and closing timings. Therefore, despite all your hectic schedules, you can manage your shopping schedules at your ease and comfort, even on-the-go or at your leisure time thus not impacting your work or important tasks. Visiting a store and sparing enough time to explore has really become difficult. 

Imagine if there was no online shopping available, it would have been a real pain in the neck to visit a store squeezing such a requirement amid all the chaotic timelines. And on top of it a physical visit to a store is not always fruitful. Sometimes the sales guys are not that instinctive to pay attention and understand what you need exactly. At times it happens that you select an item, pay the bill, pick up your packet and when you reach home, you find it is a wrong piece packed, not the one you finalized. It also happens that you realize later the purchase you made was not worth the amount you paid.

That is where Hoppingo comes into picture as a shopper’s paradise for such and many more reasons. The digital haven called Hoppingo is India’s first platform on the innovative concept known as “See-Commerce”. It is not like any other e-commerce portal just showcasing a number of products in various categories for you to pick and choose from. Hoppingo is unlike other e-commerce sites that expontiate the confusion as you go on browsing. It is a logical interface between the seller and the buyer. You get millions and millions of products showcased by a number of e-stores in their prime. Hoppingo dives into these plethora of e-stores most intelligently. All you have to do is – See. And you can set your eyes on a range of products – all at one place! 

We fancy a certain delight in visiting e-stores, having saved ourselves from the physical fatigue of visiting their brick and mortar counterparts, blissfully ignoring the mental fatigue we’ve bargained for, instead. Lured by the creative visuals and designs of such platforms on the Web, we end up harassing ourselves to no end. At times, selecting and adding products to one’s wishlist may seem promising but those products end up as only being ‘wished’ for, thanks to one’s moodiness and lethargy. 

Hoppingo’s USP is the fact that they help save time when it comes to e-shopping. From classy and corporate to funky and festive, Hoppingo showcases products in the most organised and detailed fashion. 

Their expert product curators don’t just help navigate through products sourced from a heap of e-stores, but also offer invaluable advice on the finer nuances of shopping online. See it, to believe it. There’s always #HoppingoBeforeShoppingo as India’s First See-Commerce Experience! 

The Best Of Branding, Advertising and Marketing...

What?

Indian Brand Convention & BAM Awards 2016, open to participation from professionals in Branding, Marketing, Design, Communications, Advertising, Sales, and Creative fields in India

When?

Saturday, May 14

Where?

New Delhi

The Indian Brand Convention was in the news today by announcing the 2016 edition of BAM Awards and throwing the ball in an open court by calling out to participants.

The Indian Brand Convention is an annual event that enables numerous professionals to interact with each other and set the trends of the advertising, branding and marketing industry in the country.

IBC aims to channelize and felicitate the efforts of illustrious professionals in the versatile domains of Branding, Marketing, Design, Communications, Advertising, Sales, and Creatives in the country. The participants can then utilize this magnificently designed platform as a means to share knowledge and gain insights from industry stalwarts alike.

In line with the enthusiastic participation over the past edition, the organizer, Wafisilpa Entertainments, is expecting a pleasant repeat of sorts comprising pioneers from the marketing, branding, advertising disciplines who often play an imperative role in making an enterprise scale its pinnacle.

Today's India is a vibrant economy with businesses achieving unprecedented statures and also contemporary startups proving their mettle with unique innovation and novelty. There is now an entire breed, a whole generation of professionals who list smart as well as hard work as the pointers to the success of today’s business ventures. Indian Brand Convention & BAM Awards aim at recognizing all such professionals and offer them a platform to share their stories to inspire others.

Talees Rizvi, Director of Wafisilpa Entertainments, was quick to remark thus:

“A number of professionals have already registered for the event and some of the industry bigwigs are in the race for this grand recognition. However, we are expecting more participation till the entry closes and are being ready for a massive event at the financial capital of the country.”

Its predecessor, The BAM Awards 2015 lauded the achievements of some of the industry magnates of the likes of:

• Escorts Limited 
• L&T Metro Rail 
• Goibibo  
• Canara HSBC Oriental Bank of Commerce Life Insurance 
• Zee Entertainment 

The 2016 Awards will announce the names of the new industry leaders at a Grand Ceremony. The event is expected to be an amalgamation of the industry leaders, business tycoons, entrepreneurs, media professionals, politicians, celebrities and others.

According to Talees, Indian Brand Convention 2016 will again have a knowledge-provoking agenda that will focus on the real-life case studies and examples, enlightening professionals to plan or create solutions for the growth of the Indian business.

The convention will witness the participation from the senior officials of different companies who will share their insightful thoughts and address the impending issues that commonly plague various industry verticals.

IBC urges Businesses, professionals and others who are interested to be part of the conclave to complete the participation process on their website http://indianconventions.com/.