THE INSTITUTE OF COMPANY SECRETARIES OF INDIA LAYS FOUNDATION STONE OF NEW BUILDING FOR BANGALORE CHAPTER

The Bangalore Chapter of the Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI) today performed ‘Bhoomi Pooja’ (Foundation Stone Laying Ceremony) of their New Building for the Bangalore chapter at the newly purchased land at No. 5, 1st Main Road, Rajajinagar Industrial Estate, West of Chord Road, Bangalore. The occasion was graced by Dr. M. Veerappa Moily, Hon’ble Minister for Corporate Affairs, Government of India.


Key invitees like Mr. B N Harish, Registrar of Companies, Karnataka, Mr. S K L Ramakantha, Official Liquidator, and Bangalore along with representatives from Trade Bodies/ Associations viz. CII, FKCCI, BCIC, ASSOCHAM and other professional Institutions like ICAI and ICWAI were present. CS Anil Murarka, President of ICSI, CS Nesar Ahmad, Vice President of ICSI and CS NK Jain, CEO & Secretary of ICSI were also present along with other Central Council Members of ICSI from across the country.

Sharing his views on the occasion, CS Gopalakrishna Hegde, Central Council Member and Chairman, Building Committee of the Bangalore chapter of ICSI said, “For more than 25 years, the members and students of the Bangalore chapter of ICSI have been dreaming of having a bigger and better facility. It is really a dream come true for the CS fraternity. The long cherished desire of CSs in Bangalore, the need of the ever growing number of CS students in Bangalore, the dream of many and the Team of Bangalore has made it happen. It is indeed a historic moment. I look forward to the exponential growth of Company Secretaries profession and a massive gain for members and students accruing when the building is fully ready”.

The Bangalore chapter of ICSI currently functioning out of its own building at Sheriff Chambers, Cunningham Road has acquired a piece of land at the above address admeasuring 12,801 sq ft. on which a spacious structure will be constructed in two phases. The first phase is expected to be completed in the next 1 year and it will cater to the growing needs of the CS fraternity in Bangalore which consists of about 1500 members and 8000 students pursuing the course. The proposed building will house sufficient number of well laid out classrooms for the students, a state-of-the-art library as well as spacious training / conference rooms & auditorium for conducting professional development programmes. The vision is to ultimately develop it as a Centre of Knowledge excellence.


Some of the key initiatives of ICSI include web based e-learning facilities for the students across the country, institution of ICSI National Awards for Excellence in Corporate Governance, setting up of Corporate Governance Research & Training Institute, collaborations with leading Universities / Institutions like NALSAR, Hyderabad, NLSU, Bangalore, IGNOU and IIMB. The Institute has collaborated with Chartered Secretaries institute of Australia, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, South Africa, UK, Zimbabwe, Bangladesh, Kenya, London and Pakistan. ICSI has also entered into an MOU with United Stock Exchange of India.



The Institute operates with a Vision plan called ‘ICSI Vision Plan 2020’. The Vision Plan 2020 is being envisioned by a Core Group of Experts. The Vision Plan will be formulated in the coming years with respect to its members and students. The Vision would encompass initiatives including extensive addressing of career orientation, professional development programmes, brand building, extensive research projects, re-organization and infrastructure development, study of future role of CS and globalization of profession. The institute also believes in collective wisdom and foresight of its members shaped into a cohesive, achievable long term plan.


For more details visit, please visit the website: http://www.icsi.edu/.




About ICSI



The Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI) is constituted under an Act of Parliament i.e. the Company Secretaries Act, 1980. ICSI is the only recognized professional body in India to develop and regulate the profession of Company Secretaries in India. ICSI awards the certificate of bestowing the designation of Company Secretary (CS) to a candidate qualifying for the membership of the Institute. It was in 1960 that the Company Law Board started a course in Company Secretaryship leading to the award of Government Diploma in Company Secretaryship. As the number of students taking up the Company Secretaryship course grew, the Government promoted on 4th October, 1968, Institute of Company Secretaries of India under Section 25 of the Companies Act, 1956 for taking over from the Government the conduct of Company Secretaryship examination. The ICSI has since been converted into a statutory body w.e.f. 1.1.1981 under the Company Secretaries Act, 1980. ICSI has on its rolls 21,042 members including 3,523 members holding certificate of the practice. The number of current students is over 1,50,000.

Party season with the uber-glam Glitterati Collection from Shoppers Stop

With Christmas and New Year around the corner, Shoppers Stop is all set to make you look like a star
 with their chic – “Glitterati Collection”. This collection will offer some glamorous and stunning assortment of Indian and Western ensemble of apparel and accessories to add the extra glitz to the parties and gatherings.


This striking collection brings together elegant designs, opulent fabrics amalgamating into a rich and uber-glam appeal. Luxurious fabrics with tonal lurex and high stretch are used in dark party hues like wine, black and deep red to bring a glam feel with a mix of chiffon to add that elegant feminine touch. Embellishments in the form of bows, broaches and girly details like ruffles and cascades complete the Red Carpet look!

The price range for the same is between Rs. 799/- to Rs 2099/-.

With a showcase of exhilarating apparel line from Life, In Sense, Elliza Donatien and Kashish by Vikram Phadnis, this high-fashion collection, designed is sure to make the wearer feel like an absolute celebrity.

Look ravishing this party season with this stunning Glitterati collection and add that spunk to your party wear with metallic embellishments, beautiful and elegant drapes, luxurious fabrics and rich colours.

Whether you are looking for that perfect LBD or that elegant Indian wear, Shoppers Stop will ensure you look breathtaking in their dazzling Glitterati Collection!

Look mesmerizing this party season with Shoppers Stop with the Glitterati!

Celebrate Christmas with Godrej Nature’s Basket

Indulge and celebrate this festive season with a fabulous range of Christmas hampers from Godrej Nature’s Basket. The world food destination is all set to make this festival memorable with the delectable assortment of Christmas goodies packed together in their special themed hampers- Santa’s Treat, Festive Cheer, X’Mas Fiesta, Christmas Indulgence & Delectable. These tasty delightful hampers range from Rs 999/- to Rs 7499/- as per your suitability


For these attractive gift options, Godrej Nature’s Basket has particularly handpicked the food ingredients and wines suiting ones taste and occasion. If you plan to relish an exquisite pudding and Chocolate Truffles with your loved one take a look at our Christmas Indulgence Hamper. This hamper contains the exotic Cole's Rum & Double Cream pudding. The Delaviuda Milk Chocolate Truffles in it is sure to delight your dear ones. So let the creamy pudding cuddle in your bowl and let your sweet tooth get the flavor of the milk chocolate truffles leaving you asking for more. Also available are the Festive Cheer Hamper, the yummy Santa Treat Hamper, the gorgeous X’Mas Fiesta hamper and the lavish Christmas Delectables Hamper. Each of these Christmas hamper, also available online on www.naturesbasket.co.in , are unique in their own way. This is not all! You can also customize your own hamper at all Nature’s Basket stores.

Godrej Natures’ Baskett, Indiranagar, Bangalore. Ph : 080 25207401

About Godrej Nature’s Basket:

Godrej Nature’s Basket is a retail venture of the Godrej group and is today India’s foremost retail destination for fine foods from across the World. Started in 2005 as a single fresh food store, it has today morphed into a 17 store chain of premium Gourmet Stores strategically located at high street locations in Mumbai, New Delhi, Gurgaon, Pune, Bangalore and Hyderabad. The Gourmet retail chain boasts of stocking the best international and domestic wines, cold cuts, meats, cheese, organic foods and a large variety of pastas, noodles, beverages, exotic and rare ingredients, meals, sauces, preserves and packaged food from around the world. Every item on the shelves is handpicked from the very best that Europe, Australia, Asia and the US have to offer. It caters to the refined needs of up-market urban consumers for irresistibly authentic world food and ingredients.

Actress Ragini Dwivedi stomp grapes at Spar Wine Festival

Spar Hypermarkets celebrated a two day exotic Wine Festival on the 17th Dec 2011 at their Banerghatta Road store. Several wine brands from India and across the world participated in this festival. The festival offered Spar customers an opportunity to be part of the traditional grape stomping . Leading Kannada Actors- ‘Ragini Dwivedi was also part of the festival. The wine festival also offered range of wines for sampling coupled with consulting on food-pairing.



The Wine Festival showcased wines from all over the world and gave customers a chance to experience and understand the vast world of wine. Brands like Sula, Kinvah, Big Banyan, Nine Hills, Grover, Season, Kingfisher etc were part of this festival. This year’s event witnessed an increase in the number of customers. Many of them enthusiastically participated in the Grape Stomping Ceremony, which is one-of-its kind in the city.



Commenting about the festival, Mr. Ponnu Subhramanian, Senior VP– Buying & Merchandising (Foods) & SCM, Max Hypermarkets India Pvt. Ltd, said, “Spar’s Wine Festival is a great platform that brings together like-minded wine enthusiasts to interact with wine producers, sample a range of wine brands and to get a feel of the traditional grape stomping.” He also added, “It is very exciting to know that there is a growing trend of wine drinkers in the city and we are delighted to offer our customers a vast range of wines. We are also very pleased that the celebrities as well as our customers enjoyed themselves by participating in the grape stomping activity.”



As the day wore on and the sun obligingly slipped behind some clouds, the number of people streaming into the Bannerghatta store increased considerably and the winery represebtatives barely had time to breathe. Customers were seen in animated discussions about wines and the best foods that go along with their favourites.



About SPAR India and its plans:



SPAR Hypermarkets and supermarkets in India is the result of a license agreement between the Dubai based Landmark Group’s Max Hypermarkets India Pvt. Ltd. and SPAR International. SPAR is the world’s largest independent food retail chain and is present in 33 countries with 12, 680 stores and a turnover of 28 billion euros.

Wine Festival at Spar Hypermarkets

SPAR Hypermarket, the world’s largest food retail chain, is all set to usher in Christmas this year with an exotic ‘Wine Festival’ at their Bannerghatta Road store on December 17th & 18th 2011. This two day ‘Wine Festival’ will include an experience of traditional, grape stomping and wine tasting. Customers can also get in-depth information on various wines on offer and learn about food pairing from the experts.


The event promises to be better and bigger than last year. It provides a platform for wine enthusiasts to interact with the wine producers. The event will showcase Indian and imported wines and will allow customers to experience and understand the vast world of wine.

So gear up for an exhilarating experience in the city!

SPAR Hypermarket @ 080- 40618555 / 39378574


About SPAR India and its plans:


SPAR Hypermarkets and supermarkets in India is the result of a license agreement between the Dubai based Landmark Group’s Max Hypermarkets India Pvt. Ltd. and SPAR International. SPAR is the world’s largest independent food retail chain and is present in 33 countries with 12, 680 stores and a turnover of 28 billion euros

Tata Sky ushers in a new DTH chapter with Video on Demand

After introducing a host of industry firsts, Tata Sky, the technology leader in the Indian DTH industry is all set to introduce yet another first with the launch of Video on Demand (VoD).


The first phase of VoD on Tata Sky is ‘Catch Up TV’ - a service that allows its Tata Sky+ HD subscribers to watch their favourite TV show even after the original broadcast without the need to record. This unique service will give subscribers access to select TV shows that can be downloaded from the Tata Sky server and viewed at their convenience.


During the first phase, Catch Up TV will be providing the Top shows from channels like Star Plus, Colors, SAB TV, NDTv, SONY Entertainment, Channel V etc.


Following that, Tata Sky will launch its VoD movie library – an assortment of old and new movies that will be available to the subscriber for easy downloads. The movie library will host over 500-1000 movie titles across multiple genres and languages in digital quality. Subscribers can choose from erstwhile Kishore Kumar, Rajesh Khanna and Amitabh Bachchan movies to contemporary movies with Ranbir Kapoor, Hritihik Roshan & Aamir Khan.


Mr. Vikram Mehra, Chief Marketing Officer, Tata Sky Ltd. said, “We strive to remain the pioneers of the DTH industry. The VoD experience on Tata Sky is set to change the way television is seen in India. After extensive consumer research we know that subscribers use the pay-per-view service; however are in the lookout for TV Shows and a larger library of movies. With our pioneering technology, we have ensured that the user-friendly interface of VoD will fulfill consumer demand. Tata Sky will stay committed to giving its viewers the best in television technology.”


As part of the launch phase, Catch Up TV and Movie downloads would be offered to Tata Sky+ subscribers absolutely free for the first month. Thereafter, Catch Up TV will remain as a free service and the movie downloads will have a nominal fee.



So just connect, download and enjoy!


About Tata Sky Ltd.



Tata Sky Ltd., the JV between the TATA Group and STAR is committed to offering viewers the best of pay television through its nationwide satellite television service. Tata Sky offers subscribers a most comprehensive channel line-up ranging from movies, news, entertainment, sports channels and interactive services in DVD quality picture and CD quality sound.



For more information on Tata Sky, visit www.tatasky.com.

PRCI and Bangalore university hosted the 5th International Conference and Glocal Communication

Public Relations Council of India (PRCI) and Bangalore University hosted the fifth International Conference on Glocal Communication (ICGC) at Hotel Le Meridian, Bangalore. The theme of the conference is ‘Glocal Communication’ (Glocal is ‘Globalisation’ and ‘Localisation’ put together). More than 200 academicians, intellectuals and dignitaries from all across the world attended the conference.


Honorable Addl Chief Secretary Shri. Jairaj , Shri Bharath Lal, IAS ,Chairman, BDA and Vice Chancellors of various universities including Shri Prabhudev ,Vice Chancellor, Bangalore University will grace the occassion.

The conference is aimed at creating a platform for intellectual scholars, professionals and students to discuss strategies that involve local, national and international public, non-profit actors and develop strategic framework for international relations, development, cultural balance and peace policy. Glocal Communication would be a new global system that could bring about balance of identities, cultures ad interests by a total impact reflected by the media. The International Conference on Glocal Communication (ICGC) will also analyze the impact of glocalisation and media on the cultural identity of different regions of the world. The conference also focuses on the process leading to commitment, decision and implementation of glocalisation.

ICGC is exclusively supported by Bangalore University, Karnataka Media Academy, Press Club of Bangalore and Karnataka State Journalism & Communication Teacher’s Association.

Commenting about the conference, Mr. M B Jayaram, Chief Mentor, PRCI & Chairman Emeritus, said, “In the fast paced world of technology, ICGC will aim to create a platform to promote and foster communication and collaboration between global researchers, academia and media. Also, it will study and analyze the impact of Glocalization and media on the cultural identity of different regionals of the world and on its international relations. He also added, “This will throw some light on the experiences of various nations about media Glocalization.

The conference will also cover topics like media and glocalisation, glocalisation and world peace, glocalisation and development, traditional media versus digital media, CSR, visual literacy, PR strategies, crisis communication etc.

Mixing together the joyful spirit of Christmas

SPAR Hypermarket at Mantri Mall hosted a special cake mixing ceremony for its customers. During the ceremony, approximately 2.5 tons of dry fruits were mixed which will make approximately 8 tons of rich plum cake for this year’s Christmas season.


Speaking about the occasion, Mr. Ponnu Subramanian commented, “Cake mixing is a traditional ceremony that commemorates the festivities associated with Christmas and New Year. Through this ceremony we get our customers to participate and indulge in the real joy of cake mixing. What better way to start Christmas celebrations than cake mixing!”



Meticulous detailing went into the whole process right from sourcing the right ingredients, cleaning and chopping them and then mixing it with alcohol. The event drew the attention of many customers, who wearing gloves, enthusiastically participated and helped SPAR bakery staff mix the ingredients.



The blend consisted of an array of fruits and nuts like raisins, black currants, prunes, glazed dates, cherries and candied orange and lemon rind cashews, pistachios and almonds. Then came the part that everybody liked the best - pouring in generous quantities of liquor, fresh juices like orange, grape, lime and honey. The mixture was then tossed and patted till all the fruits and nuts were evenly coated. Finally marmalade and mixed fruit jam were mixed into the dry fruits before it was safely stored away. The jam is added to bind the fruits and mellow the sharp flavour of the liquor.


This delicious mixture was stored in air tight containers so that moisture doesn’t creep in. The whole idea behind mixing these ingredients much in advance so that there is enough time for the alcohol to soak in, thereby enhance the flavours.



Cakes made using this special mix will be available at all SPAR Hypermarkets from December first week onwards.


About SPAR India and its plans:



SPAR Hypermarkets and supermarkets in India is the result of a license agreement between the Dubai based Landmark Group’s Max Hypermarkets India Pvt. Ltd. and SPAR International. SPAR is the world’s largest independent food retail chain and is present in 33 countries with 12, 680 stores and a turnover of 28 billion euros.

Sri Kumaran's Children's Home wins the Bengaluru City Finals of ‘Limca Book of Records Quiz, 2011’

Kumaran's Children's Home today won the Bengaluru City finals of Limca Book of Records Quiz 2011 held at Cathedral High School, Bengaluru. The young geniuses from the Kumaran's Children's Home would now be amongst the 80 schools to compete in the Semifinals. Not far behind, Frank Anthony's Public School emerged as the runners up. Around 596 students from 101 schools participated from Bengaluru out of which six schools competed in the city finals–Shri Kumaran Childrens Home, Frank Anthony’s Public School, National Public School, C.M.R.National Public School, Presidency Public School and National Public School.The winning team was felicitated by Mr.Vishwas Agrawal, Sales Manager, Bangalore, Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages Pvt. Ltd. Also present at the event was Mr. BV Panduranga Rao,Limca book record holder and Mrs.I.Simons, Principal, Cathedral High School, Bangalore.


After the consecutive success of Limca Book of Records Quiz since 2008, this year the quiz is being organized in more than 3500 schools to ignite young minds and make the pursuit of knowledge an engaging yet competitive process.

The multi-city initiative is being launched in partnership with ‘Know & Grow with Derek’ and involves participation of young minds from classes 8 to 12. As part of the initiative, a series of quiz competitions will be organized in 3500 schools across 80 cities. The quiz competition is divided into four zones – North, South, East and West. The quiz is being organized in three stages – Inter-school level, Semi-Finals and National Finals, from July to December, 2011. The quiz aptly takes its lead name from the Limca Book of Records (LBR) as the record book celebrates the outstanding achievements of Indians across the globe and is a source of inspiration especially for the country’s youth.


According to Mr.Vishwas Agrawal, Sales Manager, Bangalore, Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages Pvt. Ltd., “At Coca-Cola India, we believe that education is a catalyst for nurturing talent, allowing it to develop and excel. Limca Book of Records Quiz is one such facilitator of knowledge and learning. Such competitions are a great platform for students to learn, be aware and be competitive leading to their overall personality development. Participating in the Limca Book of Records Quiz has always been an enriching experience for the students considering the quality, scope and magnitude of this event. Having garnered an overwhelming response from schools across the country since the last 3 years, we are certain that this year too, Limca Book of Records Quiz will witness similar zeal and enthusiasm from the students. I would like to congratulate the winners of today’s competition and wish them all the best for the Zonal Finals.”


Quiz Master Extraordinaire, Derek O’Brien, and founder ‘Know & Grow with Derek’ will host the National Finals. The entire database including content, research material and quiz software is being provided by ‘Know & Grow with Derek’.


According to Derek O’Brien, Founder, “Know & Grow with Derek”, “We are once again delighted to be associated with Limca Book of Records Quiz 2011, it has indeed been a great association. Limca Book of Records Quiz is a fun and engaging way to stimulate knowledge and learning amongst students across the country. Since last couple of years, the quiz has received phenomenal response from schools and students and this year too we look forward to receiving similar enthusiasm and participation. So once again,let’s all gear up for some great quizzing action.”


The national quiz competition leverages the iconic status of the Limca Book of Records which is now in its 22nd edition. Recently launched 22nd edition of the Limca Book of Records, the ‘Sports Achievers Special’was dedicated to the outstanding performances of 15 Indian Athletes during 2010 Commonwealth Games and Asian Games and acknowledged their significant contribution by felicitating them as 'People of the Year' 2011. With 20 refreshing and informative chapters, the 2011 edition of the record book celebrates over 10,000 remarkable achievements out of which 6,000 are new records, all showcasing extraordinary feats of Indians across the globe.



More about Limca Book of Records Quiz, 2011


The Limca Book of Records Quiz, 2011 is open to all the students from class 8 to 12who are above 12 years of age. The series has been classified into three stages:



Inter School Round

Each participating school may enter a maximum of 3 teams of 2 members each. A thirty minute written preliminary round would be administered to all the participating students. Only one team from each participating school can qualify for the stage round. The top 6 teams depending on their scores will qualify to participate in the finishing leg (stage round) of the City Finals. The team with the highest scores in the stage round would be declared as the ‘City Winner’ of Limca Book of Records Quiz, 2011.


Semi final Round

In the semifinal rounds, ‘City Winners’ would compete for the national finals. 80 teams to participate in the semifinals-Top 10 teams with a minimum of 2 teams from each zone out of a total of four zones and two top scorers from the semi-final rounds will be selected for the National Finals.

National Final


The top 10 teams from the Semifinal round will compete against each other in the National Final. Renowned quiz-master, Derek O’Brien to host the National Final.

About Coca-Cola India

Coca-Cola in India refreshes millions of consumers throughout the country with an exciting range of beverages including Coca-Cola, Diet Coke, Thums Up, Fanta, Limca, Sprite, Maaza, Maaza Milky Delite, Minute Maid Pulpy Orange, Minute Maid Nimbu Fresh, Minute Maid Mixed Fruit, Minute Maid Apple, Georgia, Georgia Gold, Kinley, Kinley Club Soda, Burn and Nestea through a network of more than one million outlets. The company has invested more than US$ 1 billion in its Indian operations, emerging as one of the country's top international investors. The Coca-Cola system in India employs more than 25,000 people directly. For more information and details on the company’s Indian operations please visit: www.coca-colaindia.com

Summary of the speech delivered by Mr. S. Suresh Kumar, Hon’ble Minister at the 6th Southern India Regional Conference of PCS

Delivering the inaugural address at the 6th Southern India Regional Conference of Practising Company Secretaries, Hon’ble Minister for Urban Development, Law and Parliamentary Affairs, Mr. S. Suresh Kumar touched upon various aspects of the theme i.e. “CS – March towards Mark of Excellence”. Complimenting the organizers for the selection of a very appropriate theme in today’s world of corruption and lack of governance he said, as he walked into the conference, he felt a sense of ‘possibility’ and ‘openness’ that the CSs breathe into the profession.


He referred to the Vision and Mission statement available on the ICSI website (www.icsi.com) which states “to be a global leader in development of professionals specializing in corporate governance”. He highlighted the relevance of this vision and mission statement especially in today’s world which is in the turbulence of a transparency revolution. He goaded all of us to question ourselves “Are we ready to shoulder that responsibility which are enshrined in the constitutional framework”. He referred to the corporate Insider Trading cases and advised everyone to uphold and work within the basic framework of constitution and ethics. As professionals we must be ready to keep our practice and workmanship within the boundaries of the various acts and regulations.



As Law Minister of Karnataka, he assured that from his side all help will be rendered to make the law, acts, regulations, guidelines very effective and also undertake changes keeping the present growth and evolution in mind.

Bringing in the much-needed humour into his inaugural address, he remarked that the reason for him to be imprisoned way back in 1975 during Emergency, was that he had committed the ‘crime’ of shouting “Bharat Maata ki jai”. A rare breed politician with an unsullied and clean political career, he was aptly described as “Ajatha Shatru” (meaning one who has no enemies) by CS Ganapathi G M, Chairman, Bangalore chapter of the ICSI in his speech introducing the Chief Guest Hon’ble Minister Mr. S. Suresh Kumar.

Motorola Mobility Employees from India Join Colleagues Around the World to Volunteer During Global Week of Service

In honor of the company’s deep commitment to supporting and strengthening communities, more than 200 employees of Motorola Mobility, Inc., volunteered in India during the company’s first global community service program. The Global Week of Service will engage nearly 2,700 Motorola employees in 23 countries the week of 18 to 22 October and will include volunteer projects focused on building stronger communities.



During the Global Week of Service, local communities will benefit from an energetic burst of Motorola Mobility employee volunteers and a wide-range of uplifting activities. The projects will provide a cross-section of opportunities for communities to benefit from critical technology programs, health and wellness education, environmental stewardship and timely natural-disaster support among others.



Volunteer projects in India covered a range of community-engaging activities including:


· Bangalore’s Doddenkundi Lake green cover improvement: In an effort to keep our environment green, Motorola volunteers worked at the Doddenkundi Lake to help clean weeds, level the area and plant saplings



· Engagement with Children: Employees from Motorola Mobility’s Bangalore, Chennai, Gurgaon, Hyderabad and Pune offices spread ‘green’ knowledge and cheer among children



· Greening a home for the aged: Another team of Motorola volunteers helped ‘green’ a home for the aged --- gardening, weeding, re-planting, lawn-mowing, watering plants and more


Additionally, throughout October, Motorola Mobility employees will also take a direct stance against hunger and aid children affected by the East Africa Food Crisis by contributing to Save the Children.

“Motorola Mobility is proud to give back to the communities where we live and work through the Global Week of Service,” said Eileen Sweeney, director of the Motorola Mobility Foundation. “I am delighted to see the passion our employees display and the talent they bring to the work they do in communities.”

“We enjoy taking a day to give back to the Indian community,” said Kiran Gadi, country head, Motorola Mobility India. “Global Week of Service allows employees across India to come together and help organizations like the Concern India Foundation, Literacy India, Little Sisters of the Poor, and Restless Development build awareness about our environment, improve general health and hygiene among children and spark an interest about science and engineering among students.”

To learn more about Motorola Mobility’s commitment to community service, please visit.

To read about Motorola’s Global Week of Service events as they happen, follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/empowered zone.

About Motorola Mobility Foundation

The Motorola Mobility Foundation is the charitable and philanthropic arm of Motorola Mobility. With employees located around the globe, Motorola Mobility seeks to benefit the communities where it operates. The company achieves this by making strategic grants, forging strong community partnerships, fostering innovation and engaging stakeholders. The Motorola Mobility Foundation focuses its funding on education, community, health and wellness and disaster relief. For more information, on Motorola Mobility Corporate and Foundation giving, visit responsibility.motorola.com.


About Motorola Mobility

Motorola Mobility, Inc. (NYSE: MMI) fuses innovative technology with human insights to create experiences that simplify, connect and enrich people's lives. Our portfolio includes converged mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets; wireless accessories; end-to-end video and data delivery; and management solutions, including set-tops and data-access devices. For more information, visit motorola.com/mobility

Mahaboob Basha wins Castrol Golden Spanner Award for Best Car Mechanic

Castrol Golden Spanner Awards – a search for India’s best car mechanic, held its next round here in Bangalore with over 14 mechanics participating. The earlier rounds at Jaipur, Kolkata, Amritsar, Surat, Guwahati, Lucknow, Chandigarh, Nagpur and Mumbai witnessed over 100 enthusiastic mechanics vying for the title of ‘Castrol Ustaad Car Mechanic”.

The Castrol Golden Spanner Awards were instituted in 2008 with the objective of recognizing and rewarding the most skilled and knowledgeable ‘Ustaad’ car mechanics across India.

Mahaboob Basha, a mechanic from Sri Lakshmi Venkateshwara Car Garage in Bangalore, took home this year’s Castrol Golden Spanner award in Bangalore. Mahaboob Basha will get an opportunity to compete with winners from 16 other cities, at the all India finals, for the Gold, Silver and Bronze Awards and the ultimate Castrol Golden Spanner Award.

The competition held in Bangalore, had three rounds of contests including – “Kaunsa pana kaunsa nutbolt”, “Jo jeeta wohi sikandar” and “Bujho to jaane”. Competing against 13 mechanics from Bangalore, Mahaboob Basha excelled in all games winning all 3 rounds, displaying extra-ordinary knowledge and skills related to cars and car repair.

On winning the Bangalore city finals, mechanic Mahaboob Basha commented, “I’m thrilled to have won the Castrol Golden Spanner Ustaad Mechanic award amongst mechanics in Bangalore. With this award, I feel my effort for the last 15 years has been appreciated. Castrol Golden Spanner Ustaad Mechanic award gave me the opportunity to showcase my skills and talents and compete against the best in our community. I’m looking forward to participate in the National finals at Mumbai and be one amongst the lucky ones to meet Castrol’s Brand Ambassador Sachin Tendulkar at the event. This is an opportunity I will not miss for the world and thank Castrol for it.”

According to Manoj Sahay, General Manager- Marketing, Passenger Car Oils, Castrol India Limited, “Castrol Golden Spanner Awards allow us to recognize mechanics who are our key customers. The competition enables the mechanics to get a platform to showcase their talent and skills and provides public recognition which is normally missing for this section of society. Those who win get a chance to upgrade their knowledge further, through Castrol training programs. The idea is to provide the mechanic community a platform to showcase their skills and get recognized for their skills and knowledge, along with fun and socializing”.

This year, the Castrol Golden Spanner contest will travel to 17 cities and will reach out to over 10,000 mechanics. The winners from each of these 17 cities will compete in the National finals where they will be evaluated on theoretical as well as practical knowledge. The national winner will be competing for a grand prize of Rs 5 Lakhs to upgrade his garage and a chance to be featured on the Castrol GTX engine oil packs. The National Silver and Bronze winners will win a TATA Nano Car, Cash, Training at the Castrol Academy and commendation certificates. All city final winners win pure gold and silver spanners along with training and commendation certification from the Castrol academy.

HomeStop opens another store in Bengaluru

HomeStop, the premium home concept store from Shoppers Stop Ltd., has opened another store in Bengaluru. Located at Meenakshi Mall, Bannerghatta Road, the newest HomeStop store offers over 10,000 square feet of shopping space dedicated to providing end-to-end home solutions to build dream homes. This new store is the second (2nd) HomeStop store in Bengaluru and Seventh (7th) in the country.



HomeStop is a premium destination for home innovations offering an enormous variety of products across all categories in the home segment including Home Adornments, Bed and Bath, Furniture, Kitchen Appliances and Accessories, Home storage and Window Fashion amongst others.


Customers will be treated to an unbeatable choice of reputed national and international brands across all product categories. High end crockery from Corelle, home appliances from Philips and Morphy Richards, Ballerini & Bergner, bed linen from Portico, Spaces (from Welspun), Bombay Dyeing, Swayam and Spread amongst others. The extensive choice in international brands also includes Esprit, United Colors of Benetton, Progressive (USA), Norpro (USA), Oxo, Inter design, Umbra (USA) and many more.


In addition to the host of such international brands, HomeStop offers a wide variety of merchandise across categories under its exclusive brands STOP, Ivy, and fern. For the environmentally-conscious, HomeStop offers its exclusive brand ‘Back to Earth’ with eco-friendly collections across categories such as bed linen & furnishings, kitchen accessories, and home adornments, amongst others.


And that’s not all! At HomeStop, customers will get a taste of the latest trends and styles in home décor with special edition collections. HomeStop’s exclusive label fern has introduced the Treasures collection. A tribute to fine living, the Treasures collection is aimed at those who have a flair for luxury and opulence. Each product reflects the hand-crafted elegance of royalty uniquely combined with understated glamour. This collection includes artful masterpieces across categories like dinnerware, glassware, serve ware, linen, and décor items.


Speaking about the launch of the new store, Mr. C.K. Nair, Customer Care Associate & Business Head, Home Division, Shoppers Stop Ltd., said, “Success of HomeStop stores in Delhi, Bengaluru, Lucknow and Mumbai have encouraged us to further extend this offering in Bengaluru by opening a second store. HomeStop is the ideal one-stop shop for any and every requirement for one’s home.”


He further added, “We already have a sizable base of loyal customers who shop at Shoppers Stop store and are enrolled in our First Citizen Loyalty programme. This existing catchment of customers in Bengaluru is indicative of their desire for a superior shopping experience. A second store of HomeStop will now help us reach out to more customers and provide them ample opportunities to infuse style and elegance into their homes.”


At the new HomeStop store, emphasis is given to customer convenience with customer friendly signage, large cashiering banks, shopping trolleys, customer service desk with gift wrapping service, to name a few. Shoppers Stop Gift Vouchers are also redeemable at HomeStop stores. The store is equipped with the most up-to-date facilities in lighting, safety and other amenities, offering customers a luxuriant world-class shopping experience.

Customers can enroll into the First Citizen Loyalty programme to enjoy exclusive privileges at HomeStop. The First Citizen Loyalty programme is the largest loyalty programme in the category with a growing base of more than 2 million members across the country. Under this programme customers who sign up for the First citizen membership, are treated to various offers and special privileges such as facility to redeem their reward points directly at the cash counter, exclusive preview of Sale and other annual offers to name a few.

This festive season loyalty programme members get to decide what they want as a gift from HomeStop! The Choose Your Own Gift Festival will allow Shoppers Stop First Citizen Members to choose their gift from the wide range of merchandise available at HomeStop.

During the ‘Choose your Own Gift’ Festival exclusively for Shoppers Stop First Citizen Members between October 1, 2011 and January 1, 2012, shop worth Rs. 30,000 and receive 3,571* Bonus Reward Points, and shop worth Rs. 1, 00,000 to get 17,143* Bonus Reward Points! First Citizen Customers can redeem these Bonus Reward Points to choose their very own gifts at Shoppers Stop, HomeStop and www.shoppersstop.com

Furthermore, First Citizen Citibank Co-brand members can earn additional Reward points of 30% and 35% on purchases of Rs. 30000 and Rs. 100000 respectively

HomeStop offers crème de la crème brands across every category to ensure that each customer’s living space is luxurious, elegant and a reflection of their style statement. The residents of Bannerghatta Rd now have the ideal option to address all their home décor needs.


Visit HomeStop, for your kind of home!


About HomeStop

HomeStop is a specialty store for home décor and furniture by Shoppers Stop Limited. Presently in Bangaluru, Mumbai , New Delhi, Lucknow, Vashi and Vijayawada, this home innovations store offers a wide range of products including Bed, Bath Linen, Appliances, Kitchen needs, Home adornments, Furnishings and Furniture.


HomeStop also offers an unbeatable combination of Indian and International brands like Corelle, Magppie, Portico, Philips, Morphy Richards, Welspun, Portico, Soul Flower, Progressive( USA) Spaces, Tommy Hilfiger, Espirit, Norpro, Umbra, Oxo, Interdesign, MOM, Ballerini, amongst others.

Bollywood Music Duo Vishal and Shekhar bring alive Dosti Ka No 1 Spirit in Bangalore

Multi- talented Bollywood music duo, Vishal and Shekhar, today announced their plans to get into Dosti based lyrics and tunes to strike an even stronger connect with their fans and friends. The duo is working on a Dosti Anthem which will reflect the Dosti Ka No 1 Spirit, expected to be launched ahead of the festive season and soon acquire a strong fan following. Vishal and Shekhar were performing at Koramangala, Indoor Stadium as part of their 13-city McDowell’s No 1 Dosti Concert. Music brought the two of them together in the late 90s and their Dosti has produced songs that continue to top the music industry charts today. Strong melody, high energy, youth and honesty is the hallmark of Vishal and Shekhar’s music and the formula for their personal success and sustained friendship.




Mathew Xavier, Sr. Vice President - Marketing, United Spirits Limited said, “ McDowell’s No 1 is the first choice when friends decide to have a good time. The brand has continued to foster the spirit of friendship through popular platforms of Bollywood music and cricket. From Bryan Adams Live to the more recent Shankar, Ehsaan and Loy concert; from the memorable Adam Gilchrist’s commercial at a restaurant prompted by his team mates to the trademarked Friendzy events during IPL and Champions League, McDowell’s No 1 has won the hearts of those who believe that Dosti is the No 1 spirit. Dosti Concert is a tribute to the two successful friends, Vishal Dadlani and Shekhar Ravjiani, who have continued to bring out the best in music in Hindi cinema.”



McDowell’s No 1 is the largest FMCG brand by retail value, also rated among the top four fastest growing brands in the world by Impact, an independent international magazine. The McDowell’s No1 Dosti Concert with Vishal and Shekhar is spread over 13 cities in India including Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Patna, Guwahati, Lucknow, Bangalore, Pune, Panchkula, Indore, Nagpur, Ludhiana, with some of these cities witnessing the duo live in action for the very first time.



Speaking on the occasion, Vishal and Shekhar, said, “Music connects people especially when it reminds you of your friends or the great moments that you and your friends have spent together. It is this spirit that we want to re-create through the Dosti Concert. It’s a great opportunity for friends to come, watch us live and relive the magical Dosti moments. You will see a lot more Dosti music coming from our stable as we go forward – the Dosti Anthem is the first on the anvil. We will be talking to young directors in Bollywood to present our first signature song to celebrate the spirit of friendship.”



Vishal and Shekhar shot into fame with their differentiated music for Pyar Mein Kabhi Kabhi and Jhankaar Beats, for which they also won the RD Burman award. Novelty and youth connect drives them to be experimentative and compose a unique combination of lyrics, style and music for every new film in which they direct the music. Music in Buddha Hoga Tera Baap, Anjaana Anjaani, I Hate Luv Storys, Salaam Namaste, to name a few, is iconic in its own right and further scripts Vishal and Shekhar’s friendship success.



About McDowell’s No 1:



McDowell’s No 1 is largest brand by volume from the United Spirits portfolio, selling over 35 million cases in 2010-2011 for its whisky, rum and brandy franchise. It is rated as the largest FMCG brand by PASH Beverage Research ( 2009) by retail value in India. McDowell’s No 1 is the winner of several international awards for its world class blend, packaging and innovations in the alco bev industry.



About United Spirits Limited:



United Spirits Limited (USL) is the largest alco bev company in the world by volume and the USD 1.9 billion spirits arm of the UB Group. USL was earlier McDowell and Company Limited. USL is headquartered in Bangalore with a global footprint and has 7500 employees across various locations. USL has a portfolio of more than 140 brands, of which 21 are millionaire brands and has 84 manufacturing and bottling units at locations across the country.



USL represents the merged entities of erstwhile McDowell & Co. Limited, Phipson Distillery Limited, United Spirits Limited, Herbertsons Limited, Triumph Distillers and Vintners Private Limited, Baramati Grape Industries Limited, United Distillers India Limited, McDowell International Brands Limited and Shaw Wallace Distilleries Limited and Shaw Wallace & Co. Limited.

Infotech partners with SEI to assess the Smart Grid Maturity level of Utilities

Infotech Enterprises, a leading engineering solutions provider announced its partnership with Software Engineering Institute (SEI), a US federal government funded research and development center headquartered in the renowned Carnegie Mellon University in the US. Under this partnership Infotech will help Utilities across the world in making an assessment of their Smart Grid maturity level. This partnership will expand Infotech’s existing capability to help Utilities evolve a Smart Grid roadmap and support the implementation of enabling solutions.


The Smart Grid Maturity Model (SGMM) evolved by SEI helps Utilities objectively assess their state of Smart Grid readiness by arriving at a score through a series of workshops and audits conducted by trained navigators. Subsequently, Utilities go through a process of reengineering their business processes, upgrade and modify their Information Technology and Operational Technology (OT) systems and align data supporting these systems. Infotech’s SEI trained and certified navigators located across the world will provide holistic services to the Utilities not only in evaluating their maturity but also to help them implement Smart Grid solutions. This partnership coupled with Infotech’s deep domain knowledge, expertise in working with IT and OT systems and SEI-trained navigators will be able to help Utilities across the globe to undertake their Smart Grid journey realistically and with more confidence.


Commenting on this partnership, John Renard, President - N&CE, Infotech Enterprises Limited said “For over two decades we have been providing award winning geospatial services to Utilities across the globe to manage their infrastructure and distribution operations. We see this as an important step in expanding our Smart Grid services. This partnership with SEI will help us participate in defining the Smart Grid roadmap for Utilities and in becoming a key partner in the roll-out”.


Vidyalankar Nidamarthy, Vice President & Business Head – Utilities, Infotech Enterprises Limited said, “With the ability to provide Distribution Management services, electronic design and leveraging our successful geospatial background, we are ideally positioned to evaluate and implement Smart Grid solutions and offer end to end services to Utilities, Product vendors and System integrators”.

About Software Engineering Institute (SEI):


SEI is a US federal government funded research and development center headquartered on the campus of the world-renowned Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. SEI also has offices in Arlington, Virginia, and Frankfurt, Germany. SEI operates with major funding from the US Department of Defense. SEI works closely with defense and government organizations, industry, and academia to continually improve software-intensive systems. SEI works to help organizations to improve their software engineering capabilities and to develop or acquire the right, defect-free software within budget and on time, every time. SEI is considered to be at the forefront of an industry-wide Smart Grid initiative towards achieving a reliable and secure energy supply.


About Infotech Enterprises Limited

Established in 1991, we are a leading Global Engineering services company. We provide services to a wide range of industries - Aerospace, Rail, Automotive, Marine, Energy, Oil & Gas, Plant Engineering, Consumer Electronics, Medical Electronics, Semiconductor, Telecom (Manufacturers) Computing industries, Utilities, Telecom (operators) and Government. Infotech has a distinctive business model: “Global Delivery and Collaborative Engineering”. We operate “Centres of Excellence” for leaders in key industries. We combine the extensive engineering design and solutions capability based in India with global delivery through our offices worldwide providing local customer interface and project management.



Our cutting edge is our industry specific domain expertise, people and processes, technologies, tools and training. We draw on this strong foundation to create measurable business impact for customers around the world, resulting in long-term relationships with several of the most recognized names in their respective industries. Many of these are among the fortune 500 companies.



Our processes are aligned with practices of ISO 9001:2008, ISO 27001:2005, AS 9100C, IRIS, ISO 13485 quality standards and CMMi Level 5 framework.



We are a (INFOTECENT in BSE – Bombay Stock Exchange and in NSE – National Stock Exchange) listed company with equity participation from globally reputed investors. For more information, please visit www.infotech-enterprises.com

eBay Census 2011 Bengaluru races to India’s Third Largest eCommerce Hub

eBay India (http://www.ebay.in/), India’s leading eCommerce marketplace, revealed that Bengaluru was the third largest eCommerce Hub in the country, according to the eBay India Census 2011. Ms. Deepa Thomas, Head – Partnerships & Pop Culture, eBay India, today unveiled the 4th edition of the annual eBay Census Guide which documents the key trends in online buying, importing, selling & exporting across Indians in the Top 20 eCommerce Hubs, 28 states and 7 Union Territories. eBay Census also revealed export trends to 189 countries as well as import trends from 120 countries.


India’s Top 5 eCommerce Hubs are Delhi, closely followed by Mumbai, Bengaluru, Jaipur & Chennai. According to the eBay India Census, Ms. Thomas revealed:

· Online Shopping is mainstream & a nationwide phenomenon: India had over 3,311 eCommerce Hubs from all 28 States and 7 Union Territories. The Top 5 States with the most transactions were Maharashtra, Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka & Andhra Pradesh.



· Consumers & Entrepreneurs from Rural India are increasingly plugged into eCommerce: Over 1,267 Rural Hubs are transacting online with 1 out of every 10 purchases from Rural India as well as 1 out of every 20 sales from Rural India.



· Metros (India) have a dominant share of purchases, with Tier 2 & 3 cities (Bharat) catching up fast: Metros (India) contributes 51% of all eCommerce Transactions while Tier 2&3 Cities (Bharat) contribute about 40% of transactions & Rural India contributing to 9% of transactions.



· Online Indians are brand savvy: eBay Census Top 5 Brand Rankings revealed Sony as the largest brand on eBay followed by Nokia, Samsung, Apple & Reebok.



· Women Shoppers are increasingly addicted to shopping online: Women shoppers are buying cosmetics, jewellery, watches, fashion & fitness equipment online. Over 45% of all purchases are in the Lifestyle category.



· Electronic gadgets continue to rule the online shopper’s wallet: Gadgets continue to be the most popular choice & contribute to 50% of all purchases.



· Indian Retail Exports accelerating rapidly & export to 189 countries worldwide: Indian entrepreneurs export a variety of products to millions of eBayers in 189 countries around the globe. The Top 5 Countries Indians export to are United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada & Germany.


The eBay Census 2011 also revealed many interesting trends about the online shopping habits of Bengaluru residents including:

#1. Tech Savvy Residents: Technology products had the highest domestic transactions (54%) and were the most popular Imports (80%)


#2. Webcam Connect: India’s IT Hub, Bengaluru, aces global networking with the most webcam imports.

#3. Helmet Power: Bengaluru sets standards for road safety for the country, selling the most helmets & visors.


#4. Health Check: Bengaluru residents monitor their health, buying the most blood pressure & diabetes monitors.

#5. Music Lovers: Bengaluru delights music fans around the world, with the most LP Record exports.


Bengaluru’s Top 5 Bought & Sold

· Top 5 Bought: Republic of India Notes, Earphones, Food Storage Containers, Batteries, Metal Rimmed Sunglasses

· Top 5 Imports: Headsets, Laptops, Digital Cameras, Men's Fragrances, Dietary Supplements


· Top 5 Sold: Indian Miniature Sheets, Metal Strap Wrist Watches, Men's Wallets, Car Perfumes, Helmets


· Top 5 Exports: LP Records, Knitting Kits, Vintage Vacuum Tubes, Face Masks, Bracelets


· Top 5 Brands: Nokia, Apple, Seagate, Samsung, Casio

For your own free copy of the eBay Census Guide with more India facts, please log onto www.eBay.in/census

Methodology

eBay Census 2011 research findings were based on an analysis of all online buying and selling transactions by Indians on eBay between July 1, 2010 and June 30, 2011. eBay India analysed eBay transactions over a year within the individual Indian States & Union Territories as well as the key Indian cities to identify the top Buying and Selling Hubs based on the number of transactions that have happened on the eBay India site. In addition, retail export transactions & retail import transactions between global eBayers and Indian eBayers were analysed. Interesting fun facts, unique purchases, local, national and global trends all come to light in eBay India Census 2011.



About eBay India

eBay India (www.eBay.in), India’s leading eCommerce marketplace, is India’s No. 1 online shopping destination where thousands of Indian entrepreneurs list a wide range of products across Electronics, Lifestyle, Collectibles and Media categories. eBay India is a 100% subsidiary of eBay Inc.

NVIDIA expands GeForce LAN to India and Challenges Indian Gamers to battle it out

Calling all Indian gamers! Prepare to compete for amazing prizes and your brush with a mega-star at this year’s biggest gaming tournament. NVIDIA has just expanded GeForce LAN to India, to be held on the 14th of October 2011 in the city of Mumbai. Participants will vie for the title of “Ultimate Gamer” and the King of Bollywood, Shahrukh Khan, will be present to crown the winner and award prizes worthy of this unprecedented event.


A technology and gaming enthusiast at heart, Bollywood superstar Shahrukh Khan commented: “Gaming has always been a passion for me, so I’m excited to be part of GeForce LAN. The event is going to be a paradise for gamers, and I can’t wait to personally challenge some of the players to a few rounds. You never know, I might just walk away with a few of those prizes myself!”

The event will see up to 1000 gamers competing against each other in an enormous virtual combat zone. There will be various games and tracks, including a special track dedicated to female gamers. The event will culminate in a grand closing ceremony, including personal congratulations from Shahrukh Khan for the winners.


Registration for the event opens today. Anyone from India with a passion for gaming and the will to win can log on to www.nvidia.co.in/object/geforcelan-in and launch their personal campaign to dominate GeForce LAN. The tournament will be configured as a LAN party where gamers can play on custom NVIDIA PCs outfitted with GeForce GTX graphics processors. More details of the event location, games and prizes will be released soon so stay tuned!


Vishal Dhupar, Managing Director Asia South for NVIDIA, said: “Gaming is in NVIDIA’s soul. Our cutting edge technologies allow enthusiasts to play games with eye-popping graphics and the latest effects for an immersive adrenaline rush like nothing else. Now, with GeForce LAN India, we’re bringing together the people who share our passion for this electronic sport. Like other athletes, their skills deserve to be recognised and rewarded. Let the games begin!”


For more information and to register, go to: www.nvidia.co.in/object/geforcelan-in


About NVIDIA



NVIDIA (NASDAQ:NVDA) awakened the world to the power of computer graphics when it invented the GPU in 1999. Since then, it has consistently set new standards in visual computing with breathtaking, interactive graphics available on devices ranging from tablets and mobile phones to notebooks and workstations. NVIDIA's expertise in programmable GPUs has led to breakthroughs in parallel processing which make supercomputing inexpensive and widely accessible. The Company holds more than 2,100 issued patents worldwide, including ones covering designs and insights that are essential to modern computing. For more information, see http://www.nvidia.co.in/.

Broadridge and InGovern Announce Alliance for Sales and Distribution of Proxy Research and Vote Recommendations for Listed Companies in India

Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. (NYSE:BR) and InGovern Research Services Pvt. Ltd today jointly announced an alliance for the sale and distribution of InGovern’s proxy research and vote recommendations for listed Indian companies through Broadridge’s ProxyEdge® voting platform. This will immediately allow institutional investors, who are current users of the ProxyEdge platform, access to insights on governance of listed companies in India. Also, this will enable institutional investors to exercise their votes at shareholder meetings of Indian companies in a more informed manner.




Mr. V. Laxmikanth, Managing Director, Broadridge Financial Solutions, India, commented, “Broadridge is a leader in the area of investor communications with a number of offerings for retail and institutional investors, especially for electronic voting. ProxyEdge, our leading platform, serves more than 3,500 institutions globally and carries vote recommendations from multiple agencies. Having a link on our platform with InGovern to offer vote research and recommendations for listed Indian securities enhances our offering to our institutional clients globally. We are very excited about this relationship.”



Mr. Shankar Jaganathan, advisor to InGovern and leading corporate governance expert, said, “The alliance of InGovern and Broadridge has enormous potential for institutional investors owning listed Indian securities. For the first time, investors can access Indian voting recommendations from corporate governance specialists on the Broadridge ProxyEdge platform. Institutional fund managers have a fiduciary duty to their investors to actively campaign for better corporate governance, and this alliance provides them with the necessary inputs.”



Mr. Shriram Subramanian, Managing Director of InGovern, stated, “We are extremely pleased to have developed this relationship with Broadridge. Institutional investors – foreign and domestic – have significant shareholdings in many Indian companies, and our alliance with Broadridge enables us to support the higher levels of governance that investors are now seeking. The independent research and insights provided by InGovern, combined with the wide global reach of Broadridge, offer clients a unique proposition.”



The alliance with InGovern further extends Broadridge’s commitment to provide solutions for the India market. In 2010, Broadridge launched its new market connectivity solutions for the Bombay Stock Exchange and National Stock Exchange to support institutional brokerage firms operating in the India markets, either domestically or on a cross-border basis.



About Broadridge

Broadridge is a technology services company focused on global capital markets. Broadridge is the market leader enabling secure and accurate processing of information for communications and securities transactions among issuers, investors and financial intermediaries. Broadridge builds the infrastructure that underpins proxy services for over 90% of public companies and mutual funds in North America; processes more than $4 trillion in fixed income and equity trades per day; and saves companies billions annually through its technology solutions. For more information about Broadridge, please visit www.broadridge.com.

About InGovern

InGovern Research Services Pvt. Ltd. is India’s first and leading independent proxy research and analysis firm. InGovern assists institutional investors that have financial or reputation exposure to public companies. The services include: Corporate Governance Research and Proxy Voting Solutions. InGovern was founded with the objective of enhancing the corporate governance culture in India, and enhancing shareholder activism of institutional investors. Research and Vote Recommendations are based on objective criteria - Governance Radar – comprised of over 400 criteria.

Sony plans Rs. 150 crore business from Diwali season this season

Sony India today announced its ambitious business plans for Diwali season in Karnataka. The company expects a whopping Rs. 150 crore sales from Aug-Oct 11 period, targeting growth rate of 44% over last year. Banking on its innovative technology and the new product line-up, retail network expansion and heavy marketing investment, the company is positive about consolidating its strong position in Karnataka. To add to the festivities of the season, Sony has introduced innovative consumer promotion offers across categories including BRAVIA, Cyber-shot, Handycam and Home Theatre System. Sony will also expand its distribution network to 650 outlets in FY11, up from 500 outlets in FY10 in Karnataka. Not only this, ATL and BTL activities during Diwali will be supported by a huge marketing investment of Rs. 15 crore.


Extending warm wishes during festivities in Bangalore, Mr. Sunil Nayyar, Senior General Manager, Sales, Sony India said, “Diwali festive period is extremely important for Sony since we enjoy excellent relationship with customers here who look forward to offers from our side. Every year almost 30% of our total sales in Karnataka are achieved during the festive period and this year we are targeting sales of Rs.150 crore. We expect this Diwali to be a season of joy for the people of Karnataka and Sony likewise”.

To add zing and cheers to the festivities of Diwali, Sony India has announced wide range of consumer promotion offers for their product range, details of which are mentioned as below:


Introducing a very innovative offer on BRAVIA, Sony India will provide Sony Digital Photo Frame worth Rs.3,990 on purchase of 46" & above LCD/LED TV, Sony Clock Radio worth Rs. 1,490 on purchase of 32” & 40” LCD/LED TV or 4 GB Sony Pen Drive worth Rs. 480 on purchase of 22” & 26” LCD/LED TV.

Sony India has also associated itself with Airtel through a consumer promotion. There is free Airtel TV (HD) connection with 2 months of subscription on purchase of 32” & above BRAVIA HD TVs. This offer will be valid from Sep 28 – Oct 31, 11.


Sony has introduced the ‘Home Theatre Combo Offer’ which extends discounts of up to Rs. 4,000 on combined purchase of any BRAVIA LCD TV along with select Home Theatre systems.


Talking about our promotional offers in Digital Imaging segment, customers can avail of free 4 GB Sony Memory card and Original Carrying case on the purchase of Cyber-shot camera. There is a free Carrying case on the purchase of Handycam as well.




On top of this, VAIO, with total 62 models, is now available in 16 colour variants with unique design patterns to suit every personality. To talk about our consumer promotion offer, we will offer free targus bag on purchase of VAIO.

To ensure that all these offers are even lighter on the customer’s pocket, the payment procedure is made convenient and affordable by Zero Percent Finance Offer. Sony is also offering attractive EMI offers on Select Credit Cards as well.


Business targets for respective product categories:



BRAVIA: Sony’s focus is on three technology pillars, namely, LED powered by X-Reality, Internet TV and 3D and we have a very strong line-up of 15 LED Internet TV and 9 of these models have Full HD 3D capability.


BRAVIA has been the No.1 player in the flat panel display market and we will continue to maintain the growth in Karnataka. This Diwali, we plan to sell 35,000 units of BRAVIA in Aug – Oct 11 period, thereby getting 30% share of Flat Panel Display market. This would also mean 38% growth over last year.


Cyber-shot: In Cyber-shot line-up, High Zoom, HD Movie and Sweep Panorama are the technology pillars. H series is dedicated to High Zoom with mesmerizing picture quality supported by image stabilizer and quick auto focus. HD movie function is available in as many as 7 models and all cameras are equipped with Sweep Panorama technology.


Sony is the No.1 player in digital still camera market in Karnataka and we plan to maintain the growth momentum. We expect to grow by 36% and capture 45% market share in Karnataka by selling 30,000 units of Cyber-shot regionally.



VAIO: We have big plans for VAIO this year. We have a very strong line-up for VAIO including 62 models in 16 colour variants. We have just launched ‘More Colour. More Style’ campaign with Kareena Kapoor.



We expect to sell 12,000 units this festive season, which will account for 100% growth over last year


About Sony India Pvt. Ltd.

Sony India is one of the most recognized consumer electronics brand in the country, with a reputation for new age technology, digital concepts and excellent after sales service. In India, Sony has its footprint across all major towns and cities in the country through a distribution network comprising of over 5000 dealers and distributors, 270 exclusive Sony outlets and 20 direct branch locations. Sony India also has a strong service presence across the country with 255 service outlets. Manned by customer friendly and informed sales persons, Sony’s exclusive stores ‘Sony Center’ are fast becoming the most visible face of the company in India. A distinctive feature of Sony’s service is its highly motivated and well-trained staff that provides the kind of attentive and sensitive service that is rare today.

For more details, please visit: www.sony.co.in

Shoppers Stop's newly launches 'Utsav Autumn Winter 2011 Collection'

This festive season, enrich your wardrobe with the 'Utsav Collection’ exclusively available at Shoppers Stop. A tribute to the festive gala, this collection will be available across exclusive brands STOP, Kashish and Haute Curry, which are available at all Shoppers Stop stores in the city- Bannerghatta Road, Garuda Mall at Magrath Road and Koramangala, Mantri Square and also at http://www.shoppersstop.com/.


The ‘Utsav Collection’ is the perfect option for the upcoming festivities as it brings along the essence of the festivals. It displays the exquisite finery and the colourful spectacle, which is imperative to these occasions. The contemporary designs, intricate motifs and rich textural embroidery adds to the majestic look interspersed with a touch of glamour. Angrakha Koti on elaborate Anarkali is a new silhouette in the range.


The striking Utsav Collection displays an exotic assortment of rich shades of yellows, reds, blacks with rich gold brocade and elaborate zardozi work. Every creation is a reflection of the expert craftsmanship involved in the designs with the use of brocade, silk, rich ornate velvet and varied fabrics.

So this festive season, make a style statement with the Utsav collection.


About Shoppers Stop

Shoppers Stop is the only Indian member of IGDS (Intercontinental Group of Departmental stores) along with 29 other experienced retailers from all over the world. Mr. B.S. Nagesh, Customer Care Associate & Vice Chairman, Shoppers Stop Ltd, has been recognised as an iconic retailer and was inducted into the World Retail Hall of Fame 2008. Mr. Nagesh is the only Indian retailer to take a significant place alongside more than 100 stalwarts of the global retail industry, which includes veterans like Sam Walton of Wal-Mart, Giorgio Armani, Jack Cohen of Tesco, Simon Marks and Israel Sieff of Marks & Spencer; Ingvar Kamprad of Ikea, amongst others. CMAI felicitated the ‘Golden Scale Trophy’ to Mr. Nagesh in honour of this achievement.


Shoppers Stop has also introduced new formats in the market viz HomeStop – the exclusive home furnishings, décor as well as furniture store and HyperCity– a premium shopping destination for Foods, Homeware, Home Entertainment, Hi-Tech Appliances, Furniture, Sports, Toys & Fashion.