SPIRIT OF MUMBAI

Shri Manohar Kumbhejkar, a senior correspondent was felicitated by CM Devendra Fadnavis with the Versova Gaurav Puraskar

Eminent personalities, including Bollywood, were awarded Versova Gaurav Puraskaar.

Devendra Fadnavis, Chief Minister while addressing a big gathering on the occasion of Versova Festival admired the social work being carried out by Dr. Bharati Lavekar, BJP MLA from Versova. He congratulated her for making all-round development of Versova. He stated that not only she put the problems faced by Versova people in the Legislative Assembly but also make a follow up rigorously to see that the problems get resolved in a proper way. He admired her work and expressed faith that the people of Versova shall strongly support her in her work.

CM further stated that for the last 4 years he has been inaugurating the Versova Festival. He further stated that Dr. Lavekar has really done excellent work in branding the Versova Festival thereby reaching out to the public at large. He further stated that Versova is the land of eminent personalities and he had the honour to felicitate them. This time also the Versova Festival was inaugurated at the hands of Shri Fadnavis. He gave away awards to the personalities in various fields including Bollywood. The grand function was Chaired by Vinayak Mete – the chairman of Shivasmarak Samiti. Mr. Vinayak Patrudkar was the Chief Guest. The dais was shared by eminent personalities like Subhash Ghai - renowned Film Producer, Anandji – renowned maestro, Dr. Bharati Lavekar, MLA and convener and other dignitaries.

Fadnavis while appreciating her work, further stated that the credit goes to Dr. Lavekar who constantly followed up the matter of constructing the Amarnath Tower to AVP Nagar linking bridge. He also stated that BJP believes in practical working and not breaking the coconuts without doing any work. There was a demand from Dr. Lavekar to construct a sports stadium at Versova. On this, he assured that soon instructions to MMRDA shall be given to construct a sports stadium where sports activities on Olympic level could be conducted. He also stated that the government shall give a thought to have Bollywood hub in Versova. He further stated that he shall request Piyush Goyal – Railway Minister to erect an escalator on the west side of Jogeshwari Railway Station. He also stated that a Post Office shall be opened at Lokhandwala soon.

Fadnavis remembered that last year he had declared that the Koliwadas in Mumbai shall be demarcated and today he was proud to announce that this work has been completed. He clarified that the new CRZ rules shall change the life style of the sons of the soil. He informed that after completing the road construction work from Bandra to Versova See Link and Coastal Road, it will take only 30 minutes to reach the Versova Festival ground from Nariman Point.

Shri Manohar Kumbhejkar, a senior correspondent was felicitated at the hands of Shri Devendra Fadnavis. CM conferred him with the Versova Gaurav Puraskar for his remarkable social work. Lokmat Editor Mr. Vinayak Patrudkar was the chief guest on the occasion. While appreciating his constructive work for the last 23 years, the CM stated that Mr. Kumbhejkar was following up the problems particularly of the Koli community and general public with the government. At this function M/s Sajid Nadiadwalla – Film Producer, Nishigandha Wad – Actress, Boney Kapoor – Film Producer, Salma Aaga – Actress, Bharat Yadav – Wrestling Trainer, Ramkaran from Anupa Public School, Dr. S. K. Bulchandani – Ophthalmic Surgeon, Milind Kulkarni – Solid Waste Management and other dignitaries were felicitated at the hands of Devendra Fadnavis by awarding them Versova Gaurav Puraskar.

In her inaugural speech Dr. Bharati Lavekar stated that the problems pertaining to Versova remained unattended and unresolved for the last 20 years before 2014 which is known to the Versova citizens. However, our Chief Minister took initiative and called for a meeting on 26th August, 2015 and she was happy to say that during the last 4 years, she could resolve majority of the long pending issues, of course with the help of the present government. She further stated that a fund of Rs.55 crores has been sanctioned thereby the Phase-1 work of sand-erosion-resistant-bund and the construction of joint road could be started. Due to this work, it would be possible for the public here to take a comfortable walk on the sea beach. Further, in Phase-2 work, 320 crore fishing jetty would be constructed thereby the Koli community would be benefited in future. Further, with the fund of Rs.4 cr 1 lakh arranged by Shri Devendra Fadnavis and Shri Nitin Gadkari, 1 lakh 31 thousand cubic meter silt could be pulled out. At this juncture, Dr. Lavekar put a demand to Shri Fadnavis to make available balance fund of Rs.38 crores from the Sagarmala Yojana for pulling out balance silt. She further requested the Chief Minister to make an effort to construct a well equipped drama theatre in the Andheri Sports Complex.

Bombay Management Association's commemoration of 65 years and announcing of 2 new initiatives - 'The 10X Scale-Up Conclave' and 'Innothon'. This was announced by Dr Murtuza Khorakiwala, President BMA and Managing Director, Wockhardt Ltd. Mr Rajesh Sharma, Chairman Innothon, Chief Facilitator, Aquilla Resource Partner Ms Chhaya Sehgal, Vice President BMA & CEO, Winning Edge Mr Vimal Nathan, Executive Director, BMA

Established in 1954, the Bombay Management Association popularly known by the acronym BMA; is one of India’s leading managerial communities striving for managerial excellence in business and corporate management. BMA has trained over 1.5 lakh managers who have had a dynamic impact on the Indian corporate scene. Skilled for success and instilled with the highest standards of managerial ethics, their combined achievements have resulted in the BMA being awarded the ‘Best Local Management Award’ by the All India Management Association 7 times since its inception. To commemorate the 65 years of BMA, it has come up with a slew of new initiatives which include two key programs namely – ‘The 10X Scale-Up Conclave’ and ‘Innothon’.

Speaking on the occasion Dr Murtuza H. Khorakiwala, President, BMA; Managing Director, Wockhardt Ltd said “The 10X Conclave by BMA will be an intra-industry effort to support entrepreneurial innovation in India. The daylong session will be moderated with a vision to connect Indian entrepreneurs to a supportive ecosystem of customers, funding partners and mentors.” Adding to this Mr Rakesh Kumar Mehra, Chairman, 10X Scale Conclave and Group Advisor, Bulk MRO said; “The conclave is a pioneering thought by BMA designed for companies ranging from start-ups to SMEs seeking to grow, buy and raise further capital in their journey to large scale success.”

The conclave which is set to take place on 25^th January 2019 will be attended more than 300 delegates from corporate and start-ups operating across the country. It will also feature prominent speakers from diversified sectors from the Indian corporate industry, including eminent scientist, Dr Raghunath Anant Mashelkar, Nandan Nilekani, Jaideep Mehta, Rahul Mirchandani, R Narayanan, Ashish Vidyarthi amongst others. One of the major highlights of the conclave is the India launch of R Gopalakrishnan’s book ‘CRASH: lessons from the entry and exit of CEOs’

BMA also announced the launch of Innothon, a new industry connect platform. Mr Rajesh Sharma, Chairman, Innothon and Chief Facilitator, Aquilla Resource Partner said; “The BMA has envisioned INNOTHON, which will act as a unique platform to crowdsource ideas for resolving critical issues facing the organisation or for charting ways to help the organisation keep ahead of the competition. Young brains from Management Institutes will collaborate with managers and leaders from the industry to provide sustainable solutions for business problems.” The Innothon presentations to the jury will take place on 18^th & 19^th Jan 2019 and the winners will be declared on 21^st Feb 2019.

Mr E A Vimal Nathan, Executive Director, BMA said “We at the BMA are always focused on finding innovative ways of managing complex challenges faced by organisations today. We felt that the10X Scale-Up Conclave and Innothon are the perfect platforms for entrepreneurs and budding managers in the country. We plan to come out with many more such initiatives in the near future which will support the organisations and aid the managerial development in the country.”

Mary had a Big Boxer Dream

It was as splendid as the Sun

And everywhere that Mary went

That dream was always with her

Many challenges suppressed that dream

But still it stayed near

And waited patiently

Til Mary did conquer

Till Mary became Olympic Boxer

Two Powerful Icons at One Powerful address #KanakiaWallStreet by #KanakiaSpaces from #KanakiaGroup. Unveiling Ceremony of the #KanakiaBull and ##FearlessGirlInIndia at #KanakiaWallStreet . Guest Of Honour, Icon Of india, Six time World Champion, Olympian Boxer Ms. Mary Kom

"If Mary can do it , so can you. You can fulfil your dream of being a World Champion in any field you wish for, just like Mary", says Mary Kom. " Accept the challenge and work passionately to achieve your goal " is Mary's winning mantra for all #FearlessGirls.

Six-time world champion Mary Kom recently unveiled the Bull and the Fearless Girl Statue replicas at the Kanakia Wall Street, Andheri. The Fearless Girl statue signifies the ambition and the goals of women which they chase without an iota of fear.

Mary Kom shared that she is excited to be a part of the event as she feels a deep connection with what The Fearless Girl stands for. “Everyone faces challenges in life, overcoming them and your fear is what makes a person truly successful. Looking at the Fearless Girl statue reminds me of all the hardships I have withstood to stand where I am today.”

Talking about the statue, Himanshu Kanakia, Managing Director, Kanakia Group added, “We want to create symbols that captures the essence of our rapidly changing society. Fearless Girl replica is a salute to all the strong and brave women who have fought tirelessly in face of numerous difficulties. The Charging Bull reflects the tenacity and zealousness of the new age entrepreneurs and business landscape.”

Kanakia Group is one of the premium and leading developers in India. Established in 1986, Kanakia Spaces Realty Pvt. Ltd. is Kanakia Group’s flagship real estate company. In the last 30 years, they have developed and successfully delivered 14 million sq. ft. of commercial, residential, entertainment, education and industrial spaces. This statue at Wall Street is another feather to their cap.

Instagram: @kanakiagroup

Facebook: @kanakiagroup

Twitter: @kanakia_spaces

Eastern Engineering Co. gifts OptiLab to Rahul Awade at GTTES 2019

Eastern Engg Co. is a manufacturing company gifted their most Environmental friendly OptiLab machine to Mr Rahul Awade, Director, IPMC from Ichalkaranji, today at GTTES 2019.

GTTES 2019 which creates a new opportunities & new prospects for the various players from textile industry today encouraged the students from the Textile Institute at Ichalkaranji by gifting them an environment friendly OptiLab machine.

OptiLab

It also observed 2 different continents uniting themselves to boost the trade collaterals in the field of Textile Machinery Industry.

Ms Munteha Jemal Seid, Director General of Business Diplomacy , Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, “ Indo-Ethiopian trade is very encouraging with the increase in mechanical & technical textile. Employment is automatically generated which boosts the per capita income of the nation. GTTES 2019 is the platform which we are always looking forward to showcase our textile potential”

Munteha Jemal Seid

With a commendable growth of 26%, GTTES has set the standard in its very 2^nd Edition & is a testimony to global reach of GTTES as a trusted opportunity for business & gateway to India. First time participation from Sri Lanka & Slovenia and countries like Belgium, China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Turkey, UK, USA, Taiwan, Morocco, Algeria, Djibouti, Kuwait, Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, Senegal etc. indicate that this event has achieved its place as a reliable international business platform for both domestic and overseas companies.

Leading Indian business school NMIMS is teaming up with Purdue University’s Krannert School of Management to offer students two degrees in the rapidly growing field of analytics. Upon successful completion of the two-year program, participants will earn an MBA in Decision Science & Analytics from NMIMS and a Master of Science in Business Analytics and Information Management (MS BAIM) from Purdue.

The MBA program at NMIMS is ranked sixth in India by The Economic Times, while the MS BAIM program at Purdue is ranked No. 1 in the United States by CIO magazine and 12^th globally by QS World University Rankings.

“There is a need to equip business leaders with new skills and frameworks to make the best use of decision sciences and data analytics, leading to the generation of valuable insights,” says Dr. Ramesh Bhat, Dean of the School of Business Management at NMIMS.

“Higher education is evolving rapidly and on a global scale,” says David Hummels, Dean of the Krannert School. “At Purdue we believe an important part of this evolution is great universities partnering to offer their students the best of what each has to offer. So we are thrilled by this opportunity to work with NMIMS to attract their excellent students into our elite MS program in Business Analytics and Information Management.”

Interested students will first apply to NMIMS. Once accepted, they will then apply for admission to Purdue. Successful applicants will begin the program in India in June 2019. The program rotates to Purdue for the summer and fall term in 2020, with completion in India in spring 2021. The program includes courses in topics ranging from predictive modeling to neural networks to ethical governance, as well as an industry internship.

“This is a bold innovation in international education,” says David Schoorman, associate dean for executive education and global programs at the Krannert School. “This program creates one path for an entire cohort that starts in Mumbai flows through West Lafayette and returns to Mumbai. I expect that this will be a model for future international collaborations.”

“This futuristic program is aimed at developing leaders that are smart thinkers with the ability to leverage the latest technology trends to take informed decisions in minimum time,” adds Dr. Shailaja Rego, Associate Professor and Chair in Operations and Decision Science at NMIMS.

To apply, visit http://sbm-purdue.nmims.edu/. Application closes on March 1.

About NMIMS Deemed-to-be University: With the legacy of 38 years, NMIMS has grown to being not only one of the top-10 B-schools in India but also emerged as a multi-disciplinary, multi-campus University.One of India’s premier Business Schools, is situated in Mumbai, the financial hub and nerve centre of the country. SBM is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).

About Purdue University: One of the top universities in the world, was founded in 1869. It is a public research university in West Lafayette, Indiana, and has the fourth largest international student population of any university in the U.S.

~Government to increase the budgetary allocation for facilitating R&D~

Minister of Steel Chaudhary Birender Singh today said that the government is considering an increase in the budgetary allocation for research and development to boost the steel sector.

Speaking at the 4^th edition of India Steel 2019 organized by the Ministry of Steel, Government of India jointly with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI), Mr Singh said, “We are likely to leave behind US in terms of steel consumption this year. Growth trend in steel consumption in India will continue, due to strong manufacturing sector, diversified demand demographics, accelerated expenditure on infrastructure, anticipated increase in GDP and strong focus on ‘Make in India’. A budget of around Rs. 6 lakh crores was allocated for infrastructure development in this financial year. So, based on these enabling factors and with huge potential yet to be tapped, the per capita consumption can easily be increased from the current levels. I am happy to share that we have been able to bring a shift in mind set and the work culture in these areas, as demonstrated by actual performance.”

Mr Binoy Kumar, Secretary, Ministry of Steel emphasized, “The National Steel Policy 2017 along with the Policy for Preference to Domestically Manufactured Iron & Steel Products (DMI&SP), is not just aimed at providing a boost to the steel industry in the country but also acts as a facilitator to the ‘Make In India’ initiative of the Government of India. These policies have resulted in savings of more than INR 8000 Cr till date”. Underlining the importance of not showing any disadvantage to the sector, he added that they are also reviewing the DMI&SP policy and trying to find convergence between DMI&SP policy and Public Procurement Order 2017 of DIPP; “Under the ambit of the policy, 16 more steel products were brought under Quality Control Order, which now covers a total of 53 products. The endeavor is to bring more products under the Quality Control Order in an effort towards prohibiting production, import and distribution of substandard products.”

He further said that to strengthen the sector, the ministry is working through Steel Research and Technology Mission of India (SRTMI) and exploring technology transfer agreements for production of products like electrical and automotive steel domestically. “Ministry of Steel is also trying to increase the budgetary allocation for facilitating R&D,” said Mr Binoy Kumar

Mr Sandip Somany, President, FICCI stated that “India is the fastest growing economy in the world and requires continued investments in new infrastructure, new and larger cities, machinery and production to employ new people and drive the economy forward. Steel is one of the most crucial sectors and contributes to our 2% GDP. Also, its integration with user industries makes it a strategic sector for the government as well as the economy.”

“The targeted steel build-up capacity in the country is likely to reach 300 million tonnes by 2030, aligned with the target of National Steel Policy. There is an increased focus in the industry and government for 2030 in terms of raw material security, demand stimulation of achieving energy efficiency in the industry; leveraging our steel potential in building a New India. Hence, the theme of the event is Balancing Steel Demand and Supply Dynamics up till 2030: Building a New India”

The 4th edition of India Steel 2019 is organised on the theme of ‘Balancing Steel Demand & Supply Dynamics: Building a New India’ with a focus on highlighting the current trends, developments, challenges and prospects of the steel industry. The three- day exhibition has participation of over 250 exhibitors; providing them with an opportunity to showcase their latest technologies in the arena of steelmaking to over 8,000 visitors. Also, there are 200 prospective international buyers from 67 countries to initiate business dialogue with Indian steel producers. The event will also witness 7000+ B2B meetings and hosted Reverse Buyer Seller Meet (RBSM) with delegations from CIS, AFRICA, SAARC, and Middle East to develop, and forge collaboration with potential international buyers.

· Leading home appliance manufacturer showcases Whirlpool®, KitchenAid®, WLabs™ and Yummly® product innovations and meaningful connected technology

· Five 2019 CES® Innovation Awards for its new and upcoming products

Whirlpool Corporation earned a total of five 2019 CES® Innovation Awards for its new and upcoming products, including KitchenAid® Cook Processor Connect, KitchenAid® Smart Oven+ with Powered Attachments, Whirlpool® Smart All-In-One Washer & Dryer, the Yummly® digital recipe platform, and the Whirlpool® Connected Hub Wall Oven concept. The Innovation Awards honor outstanding design and engineering in cutting-edge consumer electronics across 28 product categories is awarded by The Consumer Technology Association, a standards and trade organization representing more than 2,200 consumer technology companies in the United States. Entries to these prestigious products are judged by a distinguished panel of independent industrial designers, engineers and members of the trade media.

“We’re thrilled to be honored by the Consumer Technology Association for the fifth consecutive year,” said Brett Dibkey, Whirlpool Corporation Vice President, brand and strategy. “This year, we’ve expanded our CES presence, including smart home products from our larger brand portfolio to showcase how each empowers our consumers to connect to more - whether that means more personalized homemade meals, more and different ways to care for their loved ones, or more passion in the kitchen.”

“Whirlpool, globally has been recognized as an incubator of design and innovation. This has given consumers the benefit of cutting edge design and technology and higher levels of satisfactory user experiences. These awards recognize this spirit and we are proud that Whirlpool Corporation has won them across categories” said K G Singh Vice President, Marketing , Whirlpool of India.

Being prepared for an upcoming U.S. debut, the KitchenAid® Cook Processor Connect gives passionate cooks every tool needed to make delicious homemade meals and get creativity flowing in the kitchen, allowing them to connect to endless meal inspiration. The ground-breaking innovation is an all-in-one appliance for home cooks to create great-tasting, homemade meals by boiling, frying, steaming, stewing, kneading, chopping, mincing, pureeing, mixing, emulsifying, whipping and stirring. The truly unique, inventive cook processor has every tool that home cooks need to prepare their favorite recipes.

The KitchenAid® Smart Oven+ with Powered Attachments is versatile and limitless, designed to deliver the very best in smart cooking performance, while providing new culinary possibilities with oven-powered grill, baking stone, and steamer attachments. The KitchenAid® Smart Oven+ is the brand's introduction to the smart home, empowering makers to bring their creativity to life in the kitchen.

The Whirlpool® Smart All-In-One Washer & Dryer is a smart laundry unit that completes a load of laundry in the same machine, allowing for one load to be completely washed and dried without transferring. It comes with smart features including the Load & Go™ Dispenser, which allows consumers to skip adding detergent to every load.

The Whirlpool® Connected Hub Wall Oven concept represents a vision for enhancing the traditional built-in wall oven. It will feature a sizable screen with a transparent user interface (compared to a normal LCD screen) on the door of the oven, offering a whole new cooking experience. While the traditional oven focuses on the user programming, running, and completing the cooking process manually, this oven's unique engineering will expand those possibilities adjacent to augmented reality and the latest touchscreen technology.

Yummly is a unique digital kitchen platform, offering personalized guidance during the cooking process. Yummly® Pro will offer step-by-step guided recipes from well-known chefs through its app, dishing up cooking curricula to help users gain confidence in the kitchen.

About Whirlpool India

Whirlpool of India Limited headquartered in Gurugram, is now one of the leading manufacturers and marketers of major home appliances in the country. The company owns three state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities at Faridabad, Pondicherry and Pune. Each of the manufacturing set-up features an infrastructure that is witness of Whirlpool's commitment to providing its consumer with forward looking solutions.

Whirlpool entered India in the late 1980s as part of its global expansion strategy. It forayed into the market under a joint venture with TVS group and established the first Whirlpool manufacturing facility in Pondicherry for washing machine category.

In 1995 Whirlpool acquired Kelvinator India Limited and marked an entry into the refrigerator market as well. The same year the company also saw acquisition of major shares in TVS joint venture and later in 1996, Kelvinator and TVS acquisitions were merged to create, Whirlpool of India Limited. This expanded the company's portfolio in the Indian subcontinent to washing machines, refrigerator, microwave ovens and air conditioners.

A weekend of racing, music, food, fashion and winners!

India’s richest sports event (per minute), the countdown to the Kingfisher Ultra Indian Derby, Mumbai 2019 kicked off with the announcement Press conference today at the RWITC.

Mr. Gurpreet Singh, Divisional Vice President Marketing, United Breweries limited and, Mr. Khusroo Dhunjbhoy, Chairman of the RWITC flagged off the this the fourth edition of the Kingfisher Ultra Indian Derby with the announcement that there will be a two-day extravaganza of the most awaited horse racing event in the country.

Speaking on the occasion, Gurpreet Singh, Divisional Vice President Marketing of United Breweries Ltd said,“We are proud to be associated with Kingfisher Ultra Indian Derby. Rightly billed as 2 most exciting minutes in sports, Kingfisher Ultra Indian Derby is also a spectacular party which embodies a brilliant mix of tradition and modernity, racing and celebration, fun, fashion and food in an electrifying atmosphere. As custodians of Kingfisher Ultra whose consumers are always seeking extra ordinary experiences, the Kingfisher Ultra Indian Derby provides us the perfect platform to provide that unique and memorable experience to our audience. Our endeavour is to make it the coolest party in town and with that goal we are providing a weekend of excitement including live entertainment with best of Musicians and DJ’s, fashion, gaming, food and Ultra experience. Undoubtedly it will be fun, exciting, unexpected, carefree, fashionable and a little bit fabulous. Truly More Than A Race.”

On behalf of the RWITC, Khushroo Dhunjbhoy, Chairman, RWITC said, “The RWITC is proud to host India’s premier horse race. We have horses coming from all over India and there is no race as prestigious as this. We are extremely thankful to the UB Group for their association and jointly we ensure that there is no race day as festive or as important as this. We host approximately 30,000 fans to the races each year and this year will also mark our first partnership to stream the race live on Facebook. We look forward to welcoming all our guests and may the best horse win”

With the Kingfisher Ultra Derby scheduled for Sunday the 3^rd of February, the build up to the most anticipated weekend will kick-start with the Derby Weekend - an evening of night racing and musical performances on Saturday the 2^nd of February. The Derby Weekend will feature live entertainment that will include musical acts such as Forefront and DJ Chico. The live concert will continue the next day, Sunday the 3^rd, with One Empire closing out the evening with a Bohemian Rhapsody cover with some of the greatest music hits of all time

This year’s line-up includes the unbeaten Kingfisher Ultra Bangalore Summer Derby winner, Sir Cecil. A brother to the Kingfisher Ultra Indian Derby winner from two years ago. This race has not been kind to favourites and time will tell if this champion wins the ultimate prize in horse racing. Consider that in just 150 seconds, the winner will take home over Rs.1.5 crores, this is truly the richest sporting event in the country, pound for pound.

The Kingfisher Ultra Indian Derby 2019 passes will be sold exclusively on Book My Show.

Catch the Derby on Sunday, January 03, 2019

At the Royal Western India Turf Club, Mahalakshmi Nagar, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400034,

The Kingfisher Ultra Indian Derby will be streamed live on -www.facebook.com/winningpostracing

Mumbai Customs is one of the Pillars of this great city of Mumbai International Customs Day celebrated in Mumbai

The Governor of Maharashtra, His Excellency Vidyasagar Rao, has said that Customs Officers in the country play a very critical role in the process of Nation Development. The challenges that the Customs Officers face in their day to day work has only increased over the years. Facilitating Trade, simplifying, standardising and harmonising flows of human and material across border can be made simpler with the adoption of technology. He said this while addressing the Customs Officers on the
Occasion of International Customs Day celebrated on 26th January every year. Chief Commissioner Zone 1 Shri B. Bhattacharya and Chief Commissioner Zone 3 Shri Himanshu Gupta were also present during the occasion.

Speaking on the occasion, the Governor appreciated the role played by Mumbai Customs and congratulated them on being a very efficient force in handling by far the largest passenger volume in the country. He also acknowledged the revenue collections done by Mumbai Customs which constituted more than third of the customs revenues collected across the entire country.

Speaking further, the Governor appreciated the efforts made by the CBIC and Mumbai Customs in facilitating trade as a result of which, India ranking in Trading Across Borders has improved from 146 to 80. This, helps India in its pursuit to improve rankings in the Ease of Doing Business.

I am told that, currently India is the Vice-Chair or the regional head of the Asia Pacific Region of the World Customs Organization (WCO) for a period of two years from July 2018 to June 2020. India had the privilege of hosting the 80th Policy Commission Meeting in Mumbai from 3rd to 5th December, 2018. Such an intergovernmental meeting of WCO was held in India the last time more than a decade ago. The Honorable Union Finance Minister Shri. Arun Jaitley had addressed the delegates via video-conferencing. The Secretary General of WCO along with other top-officials of WCO and customs delegations from more than 30 countries had taken part in discussions on various matters related to international trade and cooperation.

This included discussions on Strategic Plan (2019-2022) of WCO to carry forward their work on trade facilitation, revenue collection, capacity building & protection of society. There was also discussion on methods to curb the menace of illicit financial flows, including Trade Based Money Laundering. I would like to congratulate CBIC and Mumbai Customs Zone 1 for their dedication and commitment in conducting such a major international event so successfully in India and in Mumbai.
The convention establishing Customs Co-operation Council was signed on December 15, 1950 in Brussels, entered into force two years later. The official inaugural session of the Council was however held on January 26, 1953 with 17 countries participating. The Customs Co-operation Council got its present day name – World Customs Organisation (WCO) in 1994 and today the body is 182 members strong. To mark the first session of the Customs Co-operation Council, worldwide this day is celebrated as the International Customs Day. WCO adopts a theme for this occasion every year. WCO is dedicating 2019 to the swift and smooth cross-border movement of goods, people and means of transport, with the slogan “SMART borders for seamless Trade, Travel and Transport.”

On-boarded over 450 co-operative banks on digital platform through National Financial Switch

Sarvatra Technologies, India’s leading end-to-end payments and banking solutions provider, has been awarded the ‘Best Banking Tech’ of the year for its world-class EFT (Electronic Funds Transfer) switch platform that played a critical role in the effective nationwide participation in NFS (National Financial Switch) network. Sarvatra Technologies was presented the prestigious award in a grand ceremony at 9^th India Digital Awards 2019 organized by Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI).

“Sarvatra EFT Switch” is a world-class EFT (Electronic Funds Transfer) switch that enables ATM, Merchant POS, and E-commerce payments transactions and is offered to its client banks as PaaS (Platform as a Service) on a shared basis. It allows its clientele banks to enable ATM/POS network sharing and universal acceptance of their ATM/Debit cards across India. Sarvatra EFT Switch has been recognized by NPCI (National Payments Corporation of India) for enabling effective nationwide participation in NFS (National Financial Switch) network.

Sarvatra EFT Switch enjoys 55% market share in NPCI’s sponsor model, with 1.5+ crore Debit Cards issued till date.The switch has brought more than 450 co-operative banks on the National Financial Switch (NFS) platform. Sarvatra provides the entire infrastructure required for a bank to centralize its system and to participate in the national payment network as a managed service. The entire setup is managed by Sarvatra, while the operating cost is on a pay-per-use basis. This enables even the smallest rural and co-operative bank to offer modern customer facilities with minimal expenditure and shortest time to go live.

Commenting on the win, Mr. Mandar Agashe, Founder and Vice Chairman Sarvatra Technologies said, “It is a great honor to be awarded with the prestigious ‘Best Banking Tech’ award of the year for our EFT Switch platform by IAMAI. It’s a huge recognition for us as it highlights our ability to bring in transformation through innovation. The “Sarvatra EFT Switch” offers banks a new business paradigm with increased operational efficiency and alignment of new revenue streams thereby offering them the ability to compete with larger banks and thus become a driving force for the grander agenda of financial inclusion in India.

Speaking on the achievement, Sumeet Phadnis, Executive Director and CEO, Sarvatra Technologies said,”It’s a great start to the year for us and we look forward to introducing newer innovative ideas in closely integrating technology as a key enabler for the BFSI industry. We are grateful and thankful to the industry for this superlative recognition of our work and will be on our forefront to perform even better”

The awards, this year was held across 8 Categories namely Digital Advertising, Digital Content, Social Media, Mobile and App Award, Payment and Fintech Awards, Technology Awards, Digital Social and Economic Empowerment Awards, and Special Awards.

With this award now Sarvatra Technologies joins the elite group of thought leaders and trend setters who offer technology powered innovation benefitting their clientele and raising the bar of operational efficiency.

About Sarvatra Technologies:

Sarvatra Technologies is a leading end-to-end payments and banking solutions provider in India, offering RuPay Debit cards, ATM, POS, ECOM, Micro ATM, IMPS, AEPS, UPI, BBPS, and POS-based Branch Servicing solutions. It holds leadership position in providing technology for UPI transactions in India and manages a major portion of the total transaction volume that is generated on UPI and IMPS nationally. The first ASP to enable sub-member banks on RuPay ATM, E-com, VAS, and IMPS, it services 450+ banks across 23 states and 3 union territories in India. Key enterprise clientele of the company includes ICICI Bank, Paytm Payments Bank, Equitas Small Finance Bank, etc.

Need to make borders nothing more than lines on paper for legitimate travellers and businesses and as impregnable as Great Wall of China for illegitimate ones: Chief Commissioner, Mumbai Customs - Zone III

The Governor of Maharashtra, Ch. Vidyasagar Rao has said that customs officers in the country play a very critical role in the development of the nation. The challenges that the customs officers face in their day to day work have only increased over the years. Facilitating trade, simplifying, standardizing and harmonizing flows of people and material across the border can be made simpler with the adoption of technology. He said this while addressing customs officers during the celebration of International Customs Day by Mumbai Customs in Mumbai today.

The International Customs Day is observed on January 26 every year. The day is celebrated to mark the official inaugural session in 1953, of Customs Cooperation Council, which was renamed as World Customs Organization (WCO) in 1994. The body comprises 182 member countries. The theme for International Customs Day 2019 is “SMART borders for seamless Trade, Travel, and Transport”, where SMART stands for Secure, Measurable, Automated, Risk Management-based and Technology-driven.

The Governor appreciated the efforts made by the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs and Mumbai Customs in facilitating trade; he said that this has contributed to an improvement in India’s ranking in World Bank’s Trading across Borders index from 146 in 2017 to 80 in 2018. This has thereby helped India in improving its Ease of Doing Business ranking as well.

Shri Subhash Agrawal, Commissioner of Customs, Mumbai Zone-II; Dr. Satish Dhavale, Additional Director, Risk Management Centre for Customs, Directorate General of Analytics and Risk Management, Mumbai and Shri Satish Pattapu, Deputy Director, DRI Zonal Unit Mumbai were given Presidential Gold Medals for Meritorious Services at the hands of the Governor.

Chief Commissioner, Mumbai Customs Zone – I, Shri Bani Bhattacharya said that the customs department keeps vigil at 231 locations across the country; highlighting the role of customs in facilitating movement of people and material, he said that more than 99% of travelers and cargo are able to go through borders without hindrances.

Speaking on the occasion, Commissioner, Mumbai Customs Zone - I, Ms. Prachi Saroop said, “World Customs Day is a signature event that is celebrated by all customs administrations across the world; customs department is fully committed to smooth conduct of legitimate cross-border economic activities.”Speaking of the theme of International Customs Day 2019, she said that WCO has dedicated the year 2019to the swift and smooth cross-border movement of goods, people and material.

Ms. Saroop added that Mumbai Customs hopes to have a robust engagement with all stakeholders, to enhance supply-chain security and efficiency, based on mutual trust and transparency. Rapid automation and digitization of various processes will be pursued vigorously. The department will also focus on ways and means to find a balance between costs and benefits, so as to address all risks. Finally, 'technology-driven' in SMART requires the development of “smart track and trace technologies for cargo, containers, and conveyances, to provide a safe, standardized environment for economic activities”, stated the Commissioner.

Chief Commissioner, Mumbai Customs- Zone III, Shri Himanshu Gupta said that “Customs department has to simultaneously cope with two mutually exclusive demands. On the one hand, enforcement has become increasingly complex with new regulations, new phytosanitary standards and increasing web of Free Trade Agreements. On the other, facilitation to has become challenging, due to globalized trade, competitive environment, Just-in-Time inventory, and globalized supply chain. The changed dynamic requires that customs department has to be swift and efficient in meeting these challenges.”

Hence, it is imperative that for travelers and legitimate businesses, customs department makes borders nothing more than a line on paper, while for illegitimate businesses, it makes borders as impregnable as the Great Wall of China. These twin challenges can be managed by integrating latest technologies like blockchain and Artificial Intelligence into the design and implementation of customs processes.

Speaking on the occasion, Chartered Account and Industry representative Shri Prashant Deshpande said that “SWIFT system, the single window clearance scheme focused on reducing citizen-state interface, should be improved further by handling trade in administratively and procedurally facilitative manner which would fuel trade velocity. The risk-based management system is an initiative that mandates exception-based intervention. The rollout of e-wallet scheme should be expedited; it is a technology-driven initiative with the potential to reduce the adverse impact of cash flows which arise on account of pending IGST exemptions”.BIC and Mumbai Customs have contributed to improvement in India’s ranking in Trading Across Borders: Governor of Maharashtra

"Several times people discouraged me by saying that I m not beautiful and I can't achieve anything in my life. Today I'm not only Mrs Asia and Mrs India but also a Life Hack Coach , Nutritionist, NLP master and a psychiatrist"

"This Republic Day every Citizen of the country should take a oath to contribute in their own way for the welfare of the country, it's not just the duty of Politicians and Government"

Naavnidhi K. Wadhwa aka rapid evolution coach is not just a lady who gathered fame but, she also empowered others. She has been crowned as the title of ‘Mrs. Asia Women of Universe 2018’. One woman, many facets is the exact thing which can describe her talent and contribution as a rapid evolution coach, mind transformation facilitator meditation and motivation speaker, food coach and other.

She has added many feathers in her cap as in May 2018, she has been awarded the prestigious and reputed pageant award after competing with the women from all over Asia. Naavnidhi was Mrs. Personality 2017 as well and won the position of 2nd runner up of the Mrs. India Bharat Icon.

Well, she got the power to coach others in her veins as her father is a doctor and mother is the lecturer in Punjab. After completing her education from Hindi medium school where she built herself in the scenario of socially awkward, body shaming and non-English speaker but, her power to heal and face the situation positively has changed her. Now, she is Brand Ambassador of Peace, Wellness, Meditation and Healing. Adding to that, she also manifested a psychological, spiritual and energy makeover. When we asked her about the difficulties she faced in the path, she said:

“The journey was challenging too, as I grew up a shy girl. I was not able to talk to anyone and then going ahead to win a crown title. I have learnt a lot and developed myself with time. One thing for sure I take back from this journey is that once you have the confidence in yourself and you celebrate what you have, you should celebrate the magic within you and stop cribbing and thinking about what you don’t have and instead focus on the strengths and what are the gifts you have got from the universe, you will definitely get what you want in life.”

Today, she uses her inner spirituality and talent to aid students and children who are in need of healthier dietary choices and uncomplicated lifestyle. She has the degree in fashion designing from the prestigious college NIFT, New Delhi. From London, she takes her study forward and learns psychology & metabolism of eating as part of Neuro-Linguistic Programming wherein she specialized with a PhD. And, now she is known as India’s leading NLP healers because she helped numbers of people to achieve the desired goal and maintain the right lifestyle.

Furthermore, Naavnidhi is a life healer and ultimate coach who gives advice and guide people for the right eating, meditation, diet planning and she also has a wide knowledge of numerology, graphology and Vaastu Consultant. Well, she has mastered in these all. If the world pushes you back, you can forward with your power and, this is what she proved in her life. She embarked on a journey of the self-discovery, inner beauty and power of spirituality just to challenge the negativity of the world who bullied her for the heavyweight. She never afraid to do hard work and that is why to shed 25 kilograms and give a kickass reply to everyone who was involved in the body shaming by her transformation.

India Today honored her with the ‘Excellence in Healthcare Award 2018′ as she is the outstanding coach for Psychology of Eating and diet planning. She is the face of the various social causes related to society and works to eradicate negativity, boost wellness and peace. Alongside, alongside Minister Ashwini KR Choubey she is the Wellness Ambassador in Delhi as well as E.G. Brand Ambassador of peace in Chandigarh. More than 13 awards she has received for her contribution to the health sector such as Radio City as a Coach for Psychology of Eating, women’s achiever award and many in the area of fashion. Recently, she is featured in International Coffee Table Book on the 50 Most Influential Indian Women Worldwide. Meanwhile, when she asked about the ‘Rapid Evolution’ she replied;

“Rapid Evolution is a group I have started on Facebook. I call myself a Rapid Evolution coach because we all evolve. From a child to an adult. Everything in nature evolves, buds to flowers. This evolution needs to be rapid as we live in an era where everything happens very quickly and changes constantly. So that’s why I have come up with this concept of Rapid Evolution. The thought behind it is the same. No one wants to go to someone who will take years to get you what you want. I always believe in quick results. That only happens when you work with your mind. ”

Running an NGO named as “PAANKH” she wears the fine cap of Humanitarian on her head. The NGO works for the children who seek special needs. She calls them, the ‘Rainbow Children’ and works to nurture them because the other part of the society completely neglects these kids.

Looking at her self-power, self-believe and wisdom we can say that anyone can change their destiny. Free Will is the right message which she gives others to empower the lifestyle, work on the present condition to build the right future. Only you have to open the door of transformation.

Mr. Anupam Thareja, Co-founder, Classic Legends Pvt Ltd. and Founder and Managing Partner, Mr. Boman Irani, Chairman & Managing Director, Rustomjee, and Mr. Ashish Joshi, Chief Executive Officer, Classic Legends Pvt. Ltd at the launch of 4 new Jawa Motorcycles Dealerships in Mumbai.

Classic Legends Pvt. Ltd. expands footprint in India with Four new dealerships in the city; Nineteen new dealerships across India

Classic Legends Pvt. Ltd. is proud to announce the launch of its first four Jawa Motorcycles dealerships across Mumbai, Navi Mumbai and Thane. Close on the heels of the launch of fifteen new dealerships in India in Delhi-NCR, Pune, Bengaluru, Nashik and Dehradun, Classic Legends has opened new dealerships in Bandra, Chembur, Vashi and Thane.These new dealerships are open at the following locations:

Bandra: K.K MOTORS- Building No B 264, Ground Floor, Blue Heaven Building, 30th Road, TPS Lane, Behind Trupti, Bandra (W)
Chembur: YUVRAJ MOTORS- Shop no 4 & 5 Ground Floor, Shripal Building, Chhaya Co-operative Society Limited, V.N. Purva Marg, Chembur
Vashi: AARAV AUTOMOBILES- Shop no. 5 to 11, Ground Floor, Yashwant Arcade CHS Ltd. Plot no. 56-58, 90, Sector 6, Koparkhairane, Navi Mumbai
Thane: YUVRAJ MOTORS- Z-5, Flower Valley Shopping Complex, Eastern Express Highway Service Road, Thane(W)

The brand is aggressively moving ahead with its target of opening 100+ dealerships and the launch of the four new outlets in Mumbai, Navi Mumbai and Thane takes the total count to 20 new dealerships across India.

Mr. Anupam Thareja, Co-founder, Classic Legends Pvt Ltd. and Founder and Managing Partner, Phi Capital, Mr. Boman Irani, Chairman & Managing Director, Rustomjee Group and Mr. Ashish Joshi, Chief Executive Officer, Classic Legends Pvt. Ltd inaugurated the showrooms, amidst a throng of Jawa aficionados and customers.

Speaking at the launch, Mr. Anupam Thareja, Co-founder, Classic Legends Pvt Ltd. and Founder and Managing Partner, Phi Capital said, “Since we launched, Jawa has garnered an overwhelming response, with unprecedented online bookings. That excitement continues at the Jawa Dealerships with large number of footfalls daily. Given the love and affection we have received, it is our duty to put in industry first practices to create an experience that transcends the way motorcycles are currently sold in the country. We are working to build a superlative experience for the customers in terms of brand as well as sales enablement. As we expand our network to gear up for deliveries starting March, we urge everyone to walk into the new dealerships close to them to feel the complete Jawa experience.”

Mr. Ashish Joshi, Chief Executive Officer, Classic Legends Pvt. Ltd. added, “With all our dealerships set to be operational by mid-February 2019, in true start-up fashion, we will achieve nationwide coverage in a span of just three months. We pride ourselves at this speed and scale of achievement, driven and inspired by the customer response. At Jawa, every dealer is a strong pillar of our growth and has our complete backing, now and always. We are committed to provide our customers with the best of the sales, service and spares ecosystem with their support and it was their confidence in us that allowed us to build the Jawa showrooms the way you see them today. We are excited that we have already taken the right step forward in building this experience by announcing an industry-first Exchange Program and the largest number of financial tie ups.”

The Jawa dealership is a place to make connections with yourself, with like-minded people and with the motorcycles. Its design philosophy is rooted in authenticity, and the ability to bridge the past and the present through its stories and the motorcycles. It is a biker café ambience which tells the tale of the legend that Jawa is.

The space captures the nostalgia of a golden era which celebrated honesty of materials & craftsmanship through its dark polished wood fixtures, subtle inlays, raw textures and vintage oxblood upholsteries. At the same time, the motorcycles infuse a contemporariness in the showroom with their modern interpretation of classic design, loaded with the latest in engine technology and features. The various elements have been designed to present the contemporary classic Jawa motorcycles amidst a visual narrative layer of legendary stories and monochrome lifestyle imagery. Whether it is the large community table setting for free-flowing conversations, the carefully curated bookshelf for the curious reader, or the Classic Rock in the background for the music lover; the space makes everyone feel easy, whether a hard-core motorcyclist or a millennial looking to immerse into the world of motorcycling.

The Jawa and Jawa forty two break cover as the brand’s new torchbearers, bringing back the classic appeal of Jawa with a retro-cool twist. These modern machines have the authentic Jawa character that balances performance, capability and quality. An all-new 293cc, liquid cooled, single cylinder, DOHC engine nestled within a double cradle chassis is tuned to bring out the superlative handling and class leading stability, making the new Jawa a true modern classic.

The Jawa and Jawa forty two are priced at INR 1,65,000/- and INR 1,56,000/- respectively (ex-showroom, Mumbai) and the Dual ABS variants will be priced at INR. 1,73,942/- & INR. 1,64,942/- respectively. Bookings are open at the showroom.

The new Jawa model line-up for India

Jawa: The timeless style and iconic character of the original Jawa is reborn in this new Jawa. With an evolutionary aesthetic that retains the authenticity and familiarity of the past – classy, elegant, sophisticated, majestic - this one is tuned for the legacy seekers. The Jawa in its form and function is the quintessential classic with old world character and truly modern performance.

Jawa forty two: This is the classic that breaks boundaries and experiments. With quirkiness in its design and unconventional traits the forty two is a - toned, muscled, sporty, assertive version of a classic if there was ever to be one! The forty two is meant to appeal to the heart as well as the head.

New Jawa Engine: The 293cc liquid cooled, single cylinder DOHC engine

With a 293cc liquid cooled, single cylinder, DOHC engine, built from the ground up in collaboration with the best of Italian engineering, it is going to be all new, and at the same time, a classic Jawa experience. It packs 27 bhp and 28 Nm of torque with a generous mid-range and a flat torque curve for an unwavering, consistently powered ride. But at the core of its heart and along the length of its classic lines and with every beat of its signature twin exhaust, it is unmistakably the Jawa you will love. The engine platform is built ready for the BS VI norms.

Classic Legends Pvt. Ltd. is an Indian company established a couple of years ago, to re-introduce iconic marquee motorcycle brands in the market. Classic Legends aims to become India’s first true lifestyle company and provide opportunities to consumers to relive the heritage of classic brands by co-creating exciting product and service offerings along with the motorcycling ecosystem.

Jawa is a motorcycle brand from Czech Republic, erstwhile Czechoslovakia, with a 90-year legacy, which in its heydays exported classic, well-engineered and rugged motorcycles to more than 120 countries. It entered the Indian markets in the early 1960’s. The twin aspects of Jawa motorcycles - its beautiful design and strong performance character helped it not only to win hearts but also win many world titles.

From its marquee brands portfolio, Classic Legends is currently bringing alive the Jawa, not simply as a brand but a way of life. Classic Legends has leveraged the best of its partner capabilities in design and engineering along with the global expertise, to launch products that capture the DNA and ethos, of the original Jawa.

Website Link: https://www.jawamotorcycles.com/

Facebook Link: https://www.facebook.com/jawamotorcycles/

Twitter Link: https://twitter.com/jawamotorcycles

Instagram Link: https://instagram.com/jawamotorcycles

Amazon Rain forests with mesmerizing mix of fantastic flora & fauna !

Fifty shades of Green, Hundred shades of VIBGYOR and Thousand Splendid Suns !

Just watching this marvelous photo and reading about the amazing Amazon rain forest, we wish to stay amidst this nature's bounty. But alas! wishing for something and actually fulfilling it are both poles apart. And still, there's a way. When there's a will, there's always the way.

Remember that wherever your heart is, there you will find your treasure. When you want something with all your heart, that's when you are closest to the Soul of the World. It's always a positive force.

MahaLaxmi to Saraswati via Wall Art, Murals,3 D Paper Art, Patents and much more

Mahalaxmi , the goddess of prosperity will fulfill your wish to have your very own Amazon rain forest comprising the largest and most bio diverse tract of tropical rain forest in the world with an estimated 390 billion individual trees or Ajanta , Ellora caves or a wonderful pond at your home or office. Imagine rising up in the morning surrounded by dazzling natural scenery. Don't believe me, then check this out ...

You can visit World Trade Centre on 22nd to 24th February to get the live feel of Mahalaxmi's smashing art-creation.

Trust me this wonderful pond is just palm size and still comprises many plants, flowers, grass, birds etc. How snugly it will fit onto our work station and add charm to our dull office ambiance.

“If you concentrate always on the present, you'll be a happy person. You'll see that there is life in the desert, that there are stars in the heavens...Life will be a party for you, a grand festival, because life is the moment we're living right now. And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.”

Now all of you must be curious to know about this magician Mahalaxmi who will present you the desired paradise, wherever you wish. Here's a brief bio of Mahalaxmi, who recreates the nature with her very own brilliant brain and adroit art. MahalaxmiWankhedkar is a born nature lover who grew up in Mumbai's affluent area just opposite Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai.

Mahalaxmi is an alumnus of J J School of Arts who designs unbelievably realistic and unique 3D Paper art of exotic flora & fauna. Some of the birds are Greater Bird Of Paradise , Blue bird of paradise, Himalayan Monal, Nicobar Pigeon , Flamingo etc. Her smallest artwork is 8 cm *10 cm and largest 70 cm * 120 cm. She has held painting exhibition in China International world expo in 2007 which was sponsored by Air India. Some of her paintings adorn Air India office. She organized the Solo exhibition of her paper art at World Trade Center in 2005. Mahalaxmi was felicitated by Limca book of records in the year 2016.

Generally, paper does not seem like a user-friendly medium while imagining sculpture. And still paper has qualities that help paper craft artists create some of the most incredibly intricate as well as realistic Paper art ever seen. Master paper sculptors cut, fold, glue and transform sheets of paper in various colors, sizes and textures into complex creations that mimic architecture, nature, the human form and subjects that are purely the products of their own supreme imaginations.

Mahalaxmi is blessed with rare talent of Realistic Paper Art. Being a nature lover she was attached to nature and wanted to do her bit to preserve and conserve Mother Nature. As an artist she aimed to do something unique and exclusive. She pursued her dream and gave Paper Art, a whole new dimension and a cutting edge.

She has strived to get as close to Nature in her creation, but she feels that she could only match 99%. She experiences an ultimate gratification when the paper, with a silenced sigh, surrenders and becomes a blade-sharp crease. The sound of the paper, which guides this surrendering, to her is incomparable.

Her patience and perseverance along with her iron will, makes her go on to accomplish the smallest detail. Her detailing in Paper cutting has greatest precision to the extent that each strand of paper is thinner than a hairline. This precision is evident and seen in the feathers of the birds in her art. It is this eye for detail that makes her art almost real. She tries not to overwork or force paper into submission. She let the paper do what it does naturally without forcing her will upon it. She feels that the paper has an energy and a life of its own and She is releasing or revealing what is already there. The beauty in the paper is only when it is allowed to speak for itself.

She has accomplished micro paper cuttings just like hair and this type of tiny cuttings complete her Realistic paper art. Her Realistic paper art has an almost dreamlike quality about it, with the multiple layers blending together to create colorful patterns that will rival any rainbow in beauty.

It's the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting. So what are you waiting for ? Tell your wildest dreams to Mahalaxmi and she will recreate them for you ...

Established in 1954, the Bombay Management Association popularly known by the acronym BMA; is one of India’s leading managerial communities striving for managerial excellence in business and corporate management. To commemorate the 65 years of BMA, it came up with a slew of new initiatives which included the ‘The 10X Scale-Up Conclave’.

Speaking on the occasion Dr Murtuza H. Khorakiwala, President, BMA; Managing Director, Wockhardt Ltd said “The 10X Conclave by BMA will be an intra-industry effort to support entrepreneurial innovation in India. The daylong session is moderated with a vision to connect Indian entrepreneurs to a supportive ecosystem of customers, funding partners and mentors.” Adding to this Mr Rakesh Kumar Mehra, Chairman, 10X Scale Conclave and Group Advisor, Bulk MRO in his inaugural address said; “The conclave is a pioneering thought by BMA designed for companies ranging from start-ups to SMEs seeking to grow, buy and raise further capital in their journey to large scale success.”

The conclave included presentations and panel discussions by start-ups who have scaled up, grow-buy-sell workshops, accessing capital, what start-ups and grown-ups can learn from each other, building innovation eco-systems, etc. The speakers were;

Dr Murtuza Khorakiwala, President BMA and Managing Director, Wockhardt Ltd.
Mr Ashish Chauhan, CEO, Bombay Stock Exchange
Mr Chandrakant Salunkhe, President, SME Chamber of India
Mr Atul Batra, Chairman, National Product Council of NASSCOM
Mr Sanjay Shreshta, Innovation Head, Barclays Bank
Mr Manish Boricha, Executive Vice President & Head-Digital Innovation Group, Fino Payments Bank
Mr Saurabh Chatterjee, President, Head- Technology, Web & Direct Sales, Digital Marketing, Travel at Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Ltd.
Mr P Balasubramanian, CFO of Ratnagiri Refinery & Petrochemicals Ltd
Ms Mini Menon, Co-Founder & Editor, Live History India
Mr Mike Melli, Co-Founder & CRO, Miss Malini Entertainment Pvt Ltd.
Mr Ashish Vidyarthi, Actor & Motivational Speaker
Mr Praful Talera, Managing Director, Dynamic Logistics
Mr Vinod Kumar, Resources Industry Group, Accenture Strategy
Dr Arbinder Singal, Renowned Doctor and Healthcare Entrepreneur
Dr Uma Ganesh, 5F World co-founder & chairperson – Global Talent Track
Mr Devang Shah & Mr Gaurang Shah, Co-Founders, Bulk MRO Industrial Supply Pvt Ltd
Mr Jitendra Kumar Sinha & Ms Shivani Sinha, CEO & Co-Founder, Sai Sustainable Agro
Mr Vineet Patni, Healthcare Entrepreneur
Mr Ramesh Mirakhur, Growth Advisor, Kalzoom Advisors
Mr Aakrit Vaish, Co-Founder & CEO, Haptik
Ms Parul Ganju, Co-Founder, Director at Ahammune Biosciences Pvt Ltd
Mr Jaideep Mehta, Head of VC Circle
Mr Sumit Sinha, Managing Director, Multiple Private Equity
Mr R Gopalakrishnan, CEO, Mindworks
Mr Rakesh Mehra, 10X Scale Up Conclave Chairperson & Group Advisor Bulk MRO
Dr Ganesh Natrajan, Conference Co-Chair

The conclave was attended by more than 300 delegates from corporate and start-ups operating across the country. Eminent scientist, Dr Raghunath Anant Mashelkar and Nandan Nilekani, joined the conclave through video conferencing. One of the major highlights of the conclave was the India launch of R Gopalakrishnan’s book ‘CRASH: lessons from the entry and exit of CEOs’

· Schindler Ahead, Smart Urban Mobility Wins Recognition as the “The Innovative Product Of The Year” In The Elevators And Escalators Segment

· Schindler Ahead is the World’s First Fully Digital Closed Loop Maintenance, Emergency Services, And Information System

A pioneer in bringing new and Innovative offerings to the elevator and escalator market, Schindler India, a 100% owned subsidiary of Schindler Group has bagged one of the prominent awards of the year- “The Innovative Product of The Year”.

Schindler India was felicitated for Schindler’s Innovative Product – Schindler Ahead in theElevators and Escalators Segment at the “Interior & Exterior Awards (INEX) 2019 that was organized by Realty Plus, held at Hotel ITC Grand Maratha, Mumbai on 23rd January 2019.

Commenting on the occasion, Mr. Amjad Sayyed – Sr. Vice President, Existing Installation Business, Schindler India said, “Our commitment to provide best in class facilities & partner in India’s infrastructural overhaul is unwavering. With the launch of the Schindler Ahead Platform we are looking to take things to the next level.

Inspired by the vision of being the best service provider in the industry for its customers, Schindler will continue to develop highly innovative and user-friendly mobility solutions to move India - Safely & Reliably!”

The new digital solution for elevators and escalators, enabling a whole range of new digital products and services, Schindler Ahead is the world’s first fully digital closed loop maintenance, emergency services, and information system. Schindler India successfully launched Schindler Ahead platform in partnership with GE & Huawei for connectivity of elevators and escalators at your fingertips.

Schindler Ahead brings Smart Internet of Things (IOT) for seamless connectivity to elevators and escalators which enables Schindler to better monitor, analyze and resolve possible service issues even before they happen, reducing and eliminating downtime.

Powering digital urban mobility, the win is an acknowledgement of Schindler India’s continuous effort in developing highly innovative and user-friendly mobility solutions, making Schindler ‘The First Choice of Our Customers’.

About Schindler India:

Founded in Switzerland in 1874, the Schindler Group is a leading global provider of elevators, escalators and related services. Its innovative and environmentally-friendly access and transit-management systems make an important contribution to mobility in urban societies. Behind the company's success are over 60,000 employees in more than 100 countries. Schindler India is a 100% owned subsidiary of Schindler Group.

“Leadership through Customer Service”, is the cornerstone of Schindler India’s growth strategy and which is evident with our service presence across 50 major cities which include our branch offices in 13 major cities in the country and is head-quartered in Mumbai.

HyperX^TM continues its support for ESL India Premiership, which is now the country’s elite and a highly lucrative eSport tournament.This partnership demonstrates the brand’s commitment to improve the Indian eSports community.The Winter Season Finale event is scheduled to take place from 3^rd to 5^thFebruary at India Gaming Show, Hall 11, Pragati Maidan, Delhi. To add more value, HyperX is all set with its much-awaited HyperX Flash Sale, where they slash prices by about 55% on select peripherals for a limited period each day. Not only that, the brand will be setting higher standards with its signature ‘HyperX Black Light Zone’, which is the first of its kind activity in any Indian gaming events. To excite the gaming enthusiasts, there are other high-octane engagements like the Live Streaming sessions, Workshops, Cosplayers and more.

Mr. Vishal Parekh, Marketing Director, HyperX India. said, “We are happy to have partnered with ESL India Premiership and building it as one of India’s most participated gaming platforms. In line with our vision to improve Indian eSports, this partnership has created new avenues for professional gamers and stakeholders to showcase their talent to the world. This being the first major tournament for 2019, we wish all participants the best, and hope they take full advantage of this event.”

Mr. Akshat Rathee, Managing Director, ESL India, “The ESL India Premiership has been pivotal in legitimizing esports in the country and HyperX has been a valuable long-term partner in this endeavour. The association keeps bringing value to the Premiership year after year. The 2018-19 season is coming to an end and a grand closure awaits you at Pragati Maidan.”

HyperX will play an instrumental role in empowering eSport athletes in their winning endeavour by providing best-in-class peripherals during the competition. After a successful pilot at DreamHack Mumbai, the brand has planned a dedicated Streamers Zone, where invited budding streamers will learn streaming from the best talent. Like other events they participate in, HyperX will give the on-ground ESL audience, an experience with their top-notch gaming peripherals, allowing them to feel, try and test their new products.

For more details about ESL Winter, please visit: https://play.eslgaming.com/india

HyperX can be found on:

Website: www.hyperxgaming.com/en

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HyperxIndia and

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/hyperx

HyperX was born from Kingston Technology, the world’s largest independent memory manufacturer, with the goal of providing gamers, PC builders, and power users with high-performance components. For 15 years, the HyperX mission has been to develop gaming products for gamers – high-speed memory, solid state drives, headsets, keyboards, mice, USB flash drives, and mouse pads – to the gaming community and beyond. The award-winning HyperX brand has carved its name atop the leaderboard by consistently delivering products that deliver superior comfort, aesthetics, performance, and reliability. HyperX gear is the choice of pro gamers, tech enthusiasts, and overclockers worldwide because it meets the most stringent product specifications and is built with best-in-class components. HyperX has shipped over 5 million headsets worldwide

Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) held the Annual Press Conference on 23 January 2019, indicating that total visitor arrivals to Macao went up by 9.8% to over 35.8 million in 2018, as revealed by preliminary figures. Surpassing same-day visitor arrivals for three years in a row, overnight-stay visitor arrivals surged year-on-year by 7.2% to account for 51.7% of total visitor arrivals. Looking into 2019, MGTO will march ahead to deepen Macao’s development as a Creative City of Gastronomy in tandem with the dedication to foster smart tourism and implement action plans mapped out by the Macao Tourism Industry Development Master Plan progressively, delivering the impact of the tourism industry in driving the economy and other related industries forward.

In the press conference, a retrospective overview of Macao’s tourism performance last year was presented and MGTO Director Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes unveiled MGTO’s work plan for 2019. Over 400 participants attended the conference, comprising members of the travel trade and journalists from Macao, Mainland China and Hong Kong, which include foreign correspondents based in Macao.

Macao tourism situation in 2018 (preliminary statistics)

Against the global backdrop of political uncertainty, the local tourism industry demonstrated fair performance overall in 2018, bolstered by the inauguration of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge and concerted efforts among different tourism sectors. Preliminary data revealed increase in numerous tourism indicators last year including total visitor arrivals, visitor arrivals from the Greater China markets, sum of overnight-stay visitors as well as visitor expenditure.

Total visitor arrivals grew by 9.8% to exceed 35.8 million in 2018, among which over 32.6 million visitors came from the Greater China markets, a rise of 11%. International visitor arrivals dropped slightly by 1.1% to 3.1 million and more. Since the opening of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge on 24 October 2018, 1.05 million visitors entered Macao via the Bridge, the port of entry which received the second largest number of visitors to Macao during the period.

Mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan region remained Macao’s top three visitor source markets, all of which registered increases in visitor volume. The city welcomed over 25 million Mainland visitors last year, up by 13.8%, with 41% of the visitors from Guangdong Province. The figure includes over 12 million individual visitors which constitute 48.6% of Mainland visitor arrivals. On the other hand, visitor arrivals from Hong Kong and Taiwan region rose by 2.6% and 0.1% respectively.

Korea continued to rank first among international markets, contributing over 810,000 visitors to Macao last year. Visitor arrivals from Japan and the Philippines both exceeded 310,000, whereas visitor arrivals from the United States, the only long-haul market among the top ten visitor source markets, climbed up by 8.3%.

Overnight-stay visitors exceeded same-day visitors for three years in a row

Preliminary data show that overnight-stay visitor arrivals climbed by 7.2% to surpass 18.4 million, accounting for 51.7% of total visitor arrivals and exceeding same-day visitor arrivals for three years in a row since 2016. Same-day visitor arrivals, on the other hand, surged by a double-digit increase of 12.7% to exceed 17.3 million. The average length of stay of overnight-stay visitors rose by 0.1 day to 2.2 days, while that of all visitors to Macao stood at 1.2 days.

Rise in hotel overnight guests and visitor expenditure

Preliminary figures indicate that the total of overnight guests at local hotel establishments increased by about 6% to 14 million last year. The average occupancy rate of local hotel establishments in 2018 topped 90%, a year-on-year increase of 3 percentage points and more. The average room rate of three to five star hotels was 168.8 US dollars, up by 7%.

Up to the end of 2018, there are 120 hotel establishments in Macao supplying a total of 40,109 rooms, a year-on-year increase of 5.8%. The above includes 50 budget accommodation establishments supplying a total of 1,776 rooms.

Total visitor expenditure between January and September 2018 amounted to 29.8 billion US dollars, marking period-on-period growth of 11.9%.

MGTO Work Review of 2018

Throughout 2018, MGTO had been vigorously pushing various major tasks forward, including unfolding and following up with the action plans of the Macao Tourism Industry Development Master Plan (“Master Plan”), commencing the work of Macao as a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy, actively engaging in the development of the Greater Bay Area as a travel destination and fighting against illegal accommodation, among other tasks.

Within the year after the release of the Master Plan in September 2017, 67 short-term action plans have commenced with relevant tasks being followed up, leading to progressive realization of the eight key objectives presented in the Master Plan. For smart tourism development, MGTO implemented technical tasks for construction of the “tourism information interchange platform”, helped divert visitor flow through trial use of smart tools and opened up the Macao Tourism News plus, the online tourism news database, to a wider range of users last year.

In line with the designation of Macao as a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy, MGTO activated the “2018 Macao Year of Gastronomy” to grow new awareness and promote Macao’s gastronomic culture, in addition to building a Macanese cuisine database and actively engaging in the work of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network.

MGTO also participated in the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area as a travel destination, including joint destination promotions with other cities of the Greater Bay Area, and launch of multi-destination tourism products in international markets.

Throughout the year, MGTO conducted 1,983 inspections on tourism professions and business establishments, and 1,877 inspections at ports of entry and tourist attractions. For measures against the provision of illegal accommodation, the Office carried out 1,379 apartment inspections and sealed 245 apartments, in addition to 463 joint actions with the interdepartmental task force. The Office also submitted the latest proposal of the regulations on operation of hotel establishments, besides actively following up with the amendments to the regulations on operation of travel agencies and tour guide profession, to refine the tourism laws and advance quality tourism development.

Four major work goals of MGTO in 2019

In 2019, MGTO is dedicated to deepening Macao’s development as a Creative City of Gastronomy and continuously carrying out the action plans of the Master Plan. The Office will forge ahead with respective tasks in accordance with the four major goals as follows, while joining hands with other entities to hold various celebrations and events for the 20th Anniversary of the Establishment of the Macao Special Administrative Region in 2019:

The four major goals of MGTO in 2019 are as follows:

1. Deepen Macao’s development as a “Creative City of Gastronomy” and expand the influence of destination marketing

Foster development of the local catering industry through “inheritance, innovation and exchange”; strengthen inheritance and innovation of local Macanese Cuisine and work on building the Macanese cuisine database; continue to participate in activities hosted by other Creative Cities of Gastronomy around the world, and carry out cross-field cooperation and exchange with other Creative Cities in Asia; host and support international gastronomic events, organize different types of activities in major source markets, launch gourmet food tour products, and make greater efforts in promoting the Creative City of Gastronomy.

2. Maximize unique resource advantages and participate in the Greater Bay Area and “Belt and Road” tourism development

Actively develop Macao into a tourism education and training base in the Greater Bay Area; support government tourism personnel of Portuguese-speaking countries to come to Macao for internship and training opportunities; conduct visitor behavior studies and scientifically formulate appropriate promotional strategies in accordance with the operation of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge; join hands with the city cluster of the Greater Bay Area to tap into a greater diversity of source markets, and promote multi-destination travel; leverage regional cooperation mechanisms including that of the Tourism Federation of Cities in Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao Bay Area to push forward tourism development and joint promotion across the Greater Bay Area;

3. Promote smart tourism development and optimize tourism quality

Conduct data collection and dissemination for the tourism information interchange platform and build a tourism Big Data database; harness Big Data to analyze visitor behavior and provide grounds for studies on formulation of future destination marketing strategies; implement real-time monitoring at scenic spots and congested locations to divert visitor flows; introduce chatbot equipped with tourism information; launch a newly-designed Macao tourism promotion website; meticulously follow up with revisions to the respective laws on operation of hotel establishments, travel agencies and tour guides; rigorously combat provision of illegal accommodation; continue with the implementation of the “Quality Tourism Services Accreditation Scheme” to enhance tourism quality.

4. Work towards completion of Macau Grand Prix Thematic Museum and organize various mega celebrations with great efforts

Proactively proceed with the remodeling project of the Macau Grand Prix Themed Museum; organize celebrations of the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the Macao Special Administrative Region in major source markets; hold large-scale promotions in Portugal in line with the Year of China in Portugal; fully support the promotion of the mega cultural tourism event “Art Macao”; continue to support organization of different thematic tourism activities in various communities to foster community tourism; support and assist the travel trade in developing maritime tourism products.

At this year’s IMTEX exhibition (Bangalore, 24-30 January ), Sandvik Coromant showcased how customers and partners could achieve significantly higher productivity levels, more flexible machining processes and more sustainable production under the theme ‘Shaping the future together’. The world’s leading supplier of tools and know-how to the metalworking industry revealed how it is revolutionizing the world of turning, improving the entire manufacturing process with digital connectivity solutions and offering fascinating possibilities for the automotive and aerospace industries.

Located at Stand A 102 in Hall 3B, Sandvik Coromant presented Innovative Digital Machining solutions designed to reduce waste and increase efficiency for customers. These innovations included CoroPlus^®, Process Control which helps avoid premature failure of tools, ensures consistent quality of components and also reduces damage due to collisions. CoroPlus^® ToolGuide, provides fast and precise tool recommendations for the specific operation and material type, as well as CoroPlus^® ToolLibrary, which enables users to integrate tool assemblies directly into their digital machining environment. Along with software that helps improve design and production planning, the company showcased networked tool and process-control solutions.

Speaking about IMTEX and Sandvik Coromant’s participation, Michael Eneberg, Sandvik Coromant, President, Sales Area South & East Asia said, “"It is indeed pleasure to be part of IMTEX. The trade show always offers an excellent opportunity to meet customers and partners personally in order to optimize future co-operation. We are very excited about partnering with IMTEX as it gives the industry a unique platform to collaborate and network by shaping the future together with our partners and customers. At the trade fair, we are proud to present our high-end solutions all of which are designed to help our customers become more efficient, productive and profitable."

Using digital solutions for monitoring of equipment utilization makes workshops far more efficient and profitable than would otherwise have been possible, which is why Sandvik Coromant has introduced CoroPlus^® MachiningInsights. More than a monitoring system, the solution gathers data, calls attention to issues and provides the insights required to take action. It is an easily attainable step for manufacturers that are looking to reduce waste in production and make a smooth transition into a digital way of working.

Trade visitors also discovered the latest technologies in the fields of turning, milling and drilling at the 200 m² stand. Included will be turning solutions such as CoroCut^® QD for Y-axis parting. CoroCut^® QD uses the potential of modern turning centres and multi-tasking machines to guide the tool in the Y direction, positioning the upper side of the indexable insert parallel to the end of the blade. This capability enables faster feed speeds and the machining of longer overhangs without loss of stability.

Also being promoted at the show will be the PrimeTurning™ process for turning in all directions. Manufacturers in the automotive and aerospace industries, in particular, can benefit since PrimeTurning™ is extremely versatile. Indeed, the process is suitable for turning short, compact components, for longitudinal turning, and for machining contours and front-end geometries.

Thanks to numerous co-operations with machine manufacturers, including being a co-exhibitor on the DMG MORI India Pvt Ltd., Yamazaki MAZAK India Pvt Ltd, Doosan India, Okuma India, Mastercam 3and solutions from Sandvik Coromant are on display in many places around the exhibition.

The Sandvik Coromant service team once again supported and advised customers during IMTEX 2019

The Clean Cooking Alliance along with Tata Trusts and other partners is going to kick-off its pilot project of Alliance’s behavior change campaign at the Taj Land’s End Hotel, Mumbai on January 31st, 2019 from 03:30- 05:00 pm. The event will begin with a cooking demonstration using clean cooking solutions by Celebrity Chef Mr. Sanjeev Kapoor. The event will not only feature a Q&A between Chef Sanjeev Kapoor and Alliance CEO Dymphna van der Lans, will also mark the launch of the Alliance’s behavior change campaigns in Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat for the next six months, this campaign will promote the adoption of clean cook-stoves among the rural population and convince them to stop using traditional cook-stoves (Mitti Ka Chulha).

Over 789 million people in India comprising nearly 60 percent of the population depend on polluting, open fires or inefficient stoves to cook their food, harming health, the climate, and environment. The exposure to household air pollution from cooking is a leading risk factor for various diseases, especially amongst pregnant women and children.

This urgent need to tackle the deadly effects of household air pollution brings together Master Chef Sanjeev Kapoor, Infosys Co-founder Narayan Murthy, Clean Cooking Alliance CEO Dymphna van der Lans and other prominent leaders to raise awareness about the impacts of cooking over polluting open fires and inefficient stoves. These leaders aim to highlight the stark reality that household air pollution from cooking and heating contributes to the deaths of nearly half a million Indians every year, and disproportionately affects women and girls.

The Alliance and Tata Trusts through their pilot projects in UP and Gujarat, aim to address millions of Indian women and their families, who are suffering from multiple health and lifestyle issues because of cooking over polluting, open fires or inefficient stoves. This behavior change program will encourage people shift to clean cooking solutions that are cleaner and equipped with more modern stoves and fuels to reduce pollution and health hazards.

During the event, Chef Sanjeev Kapoor will also discuss with other participants how the Alliance, the India Leadership Council, and clean cooking businesses are trying to bring greater investment into this sector. He will also facilitate a demonstration of the clean cooking technologies promoted by various companies and organizations to spread the message that clean cooking must be accessible to all.

Sanjeev Kapoor, Master Chef says “This has been a great opportunity for me to exercise my social responsibilities and raise awareness about the harmful health, climate, environment, and gender impacts of cooking over polluting open fires and inefficient stoves. As a culinary expert and renowned chef, it becomes my responsibility to inspire millions of Indians and help CCA in creating a healthy and sustainable environment by opting for clean cooking devices”.

Narayan Murthy Co-founder of Infosys says “my siblings and I have watched our mother cooking breakfast, lunch and dinner using woodstove and the poor lady had to work very hard. If country like India has to redeem the dreams of Mahatma Gandhi, then India has to work on health, education, nutrition and clean energy including for cooking".

About the Clean Cooking Alliance- The Clean Cooking Alliance works with a global network of partners to build an industry that makes clean cooking accessible to families around the world. Established in 2010, the Alliance supports the development, sale, distribution, and consistent use of clean cooking solutions that transform lives by improving health, protecting the environment, creating jobs, and helping consumers save time and money. The Alliance working on grassroots level with grants and investments from governments, corporations, foundations, civil society, investors, and individuals is guided by a Leadership Council and supported by a full-time professional staff. The Alliance works on core pillars of - Driving consumer demand for cleaner, more modern cookstoves and fuels by supporting behavior change and awareness raising interventions; Building a pipeline of investible businesses capable of answering this demand with affordable, high-quality, appropriate clean cooking products; Improving the policy environment by providing trusted, relevant data and advocating for regulations and policies that allow the industry to thrive; and Increasing investment community participation and global engagement by providing market intelligence, delivering a clear path to action, and continuing to serve as the convener of the clean cooking sector.

Benefits of clean cooking - Clean cooking transforms lives by improving health, protecting the climate and environment, and helping families save time and money.

About the India Leadership Council- Members of the Council are influential leaders, corporate CEOs, and heads of organizations from across India who have come together to raise awareness around cleaner, more modern stoves and fuels; attract investment; spur broader engagement from the private sector; and highlight India’s expertise in addressing the clean cooking issue. The financial and strategic support from India Leadership Council members enables the Alliance to accelerate efforts to achieve universal access to clean cooking solutions in India.