21, Dec 2023
The Cradles in Which Our Essence Evolved,” featuring the exceptional works of artist Mamta Malhotra
The recent solo art exhibition featuring Mamta Malhotra’s “The Cradles in Which Our Essence Evolved” at the Open Palm Court Gallery, Habitat Centre, New Delhi, was a resounding success. The exhibition, inaugurated by Murli Manohar Joshi, unfolded from December 19th to December 22nd, 2023. Mr. Joshi expressed his admiration for Mamta’s work, acknowledging her artistic prowess.
Mamta’s ability to blend line, color, form, and texture in a harmonious way captivated attendees. Her exploration of urban landscapes, figurative and abstract studies, utilizing oil paint, acrylic, and mixed media, provided a diverse and engaging experience for art enthusiasts. The theme of the exhibition, “Ma,” added depth and meaning to the collection.
The infusion of Sanskrit shlokas and architectural elements in Mamta’s creations created a unique visual vocabulary, seamlessly merging tradition with the contemporary. The artworks resonated with the ephemeral beauty of Varanasi’s urban fabric, reflecting the vitality of its ancient and vibrant lifestyle.
The inauguration ceremony was graced by esteemed guests, including Vasundhra Broota, Sunit Tandon, Sudip Roy, Sheela Chamaria, Asit Patnayak, Vilas Kulkarni, and Shobha Broota.
Mamta Malhotra’s artworks, characterized by a deep commitment to environmental preservation and cultural heritage, continue to leave a lasting impression. They have found a place of pride in prestigious interiors across India, Dubai, France, and the United States, inviting contemplation on the intersection of tradition and modernity.
Mamta Malhotra’s artworks are available for viewing until December 22nd, 2023
- 0
- By Rabindra
21, Dec 2023
White Rivers Media gears up for the new year by clocking 25+ business accounts in Q4 of 2023
21st December, 2023, Mumbai: The last quarter of 2023 saw White Rivers Media do campaigns for Frooti, Dettol, Tata NourishCo, Astral, Crunchyroll India, boAt, Pass Pass Pulse, Chingles, Glenmark Pharmaceuticals, Zoomcar, Radico Khaitan amongst others.
The agency has seen its business grow on the back of generative AI activations, trend-setting influencer-brand integrations, and evocative digital films, delivering a diverse set of strategic and tactical campaigns for brands across categories.
This year also saw White Rivers Media launch WRM Digital Studios, an agile digital-first production arm. The studio brought to life Astral Foundation’s initiative to support Rajasthan’s eco-feminist Piplantri village, a drought-proof oasis that celebrates the birth of its daughters by planting saplings.
Another original production, the #DettolProtectsTomorrow digital film, encouraged the nurturing of childhood curiosity and learning, empowering today’s parents to let their children explore without fear of germs, with the protection of Dettol.
Swiggy Dineout captured hearts in the cluttered Indian festive season with the #TogetherWaliDiwali film. Reliance Jewels adorned their new collections with films that rekindled India’s love for traditional art. All were conceptualized and produced by WRM.
WRM in collaboration with the Curativity platform created from scratch the identity of ‘Say Never’, the brand-new caffeine-based energy drink from Tata NourishCo.
The agency is also entrusted with expanding Frooti’s online presence while tailoring a bespoke short-video content strategy for Zoomcar.
In addition, the agency landed big hits in the AI and CGI arena with compelling content envisioned and engineered for DS Group’s Pulse Candy, Zee5 Global, and Universal Pictures India amongst many others.
WRM also carved an all-new niche in the localization of international internet sensations for India. They brought the multicultural international dance group The Quick Style to the country on multiple occasions, with their most viral piece of content coming from the boAt collaboration.
The agency also collaborated with boAt to bring global YouTube superstar IShowSpeed to India, who thoroughly enjoyed getting caught up in World Cup fever.
Mitesh Kothari, Co-founder, and Chief Creative Officer of White Rivers Media said, “2023 has been a transformative year for us and for advertising as a whole. We made our aspiration of making WRM a nationwide tech-first creative powerhouse a reality. Given that generative AI is fundamentally altering global creative business models, I am grateful to all our clients who recognize our ability to ensure their brands’ set pace”
Reinforcing their leadership status in the entertainment marketing ecosystem, WRM splashed a larger-than-life Gadar 2 mural on Mumbai’s tapestry for Zee Studios, crafted a unique Oppenheimer experience on WeTransfer for Universal Pictures India, and spearheaded digital promotions for some marquee shows from Sony LIV and Amazon mini tv
21, Dec 2023
Cashfree Payments receives Payment Aggregator license from the RBI ; starts onboarding of merchants across India
Bangalore, 21 December 2023: Cashfree Payments, India’s leading payments and API banking company announced that it has become one of the first payment service providers to receive the Payment Aggregators license from the RBI. Cashfree Payments is open to onboarding merchants from across the country.
A company spokesperson said, “Securing the Payment Aggregator (PA) license from the RBI is a pivotal moment for Cashfree Payments, affirming our focus on compliance and highlighting the significance of a well-regulated payments landscape. We are now onboarding new merchants on our payment gateway. We are very excited about this new phase of our journey, where we continue to drive exponential growth and retain our market leadership as the preferred aggregator in the payments space.”
Currently, Cashfree Payments enables more than 3,00,000 businesses with payment collections, payouts, bulk refunds, expense reimbursements, loyalty and rewards product offerings. It has launched multiple products across Identity verifications, escrow management, BNPL, orchestration platform, and cross-border payments in the last one year.
Cashfree Payments is one of the leading online payment aggregators and also leads the way in bulk disbursals in India with its Payouts with over 50% market share. India’s largest lender, SBI invested in Cashfree Payments underscoring the company’s role in building a robust payments ecosystem.
Cashfree Payments works closely with all leading banks to build the core payments and banking infrastructure that powers the company’s products. Cashfree Payments is also integrated with major platforms such as Shopify, Wix, Paypal, Amazon Pay, Paytm, and Google Pay. Apart from India, Cashfree Payments solutions are used in eight other countries including the USA, Canada, and UAE.
21, Dec 2023
ISAMRA leverages TreadBinary Technology to Enhance Transparency and Accountability in the Royalty Distribution System
- The collaboration aims to reducing royalty processing time considerably through the strategic implementation of customized innovations
- By combining ISAMRA’s steadfast commitment to protecting intellectual property rights of Artists with TreadBinary’s technical expertise and pioneering data tools, artists can expect increased transparency, timeliness, and accountability in royalty payouts for years to come.
National, 21th December 2023: In a transformative move poised to redefine the dynamics of the music industry, ISAMRA (Indian Singers’ and Musicians’ Rights Association) has entered into a strategic partnership to leverage the technological expertise of TreadBinary, a leading technology innovator. This landmark collaboration marks a pivotal moment in the trajectory of both organisations, signaling their shared commitment to ushering in a new era of transparency and efficiency in royalty distribution.
ISAMRA, with the technical expertise of TreadBinary, embarks on a mission to revolutionize royalty distribution by significantly reducing the cumbersome process of manual data processing by 90%. The objective of this mission is to enable ISAMRA to make accurate and timely royalty distribution by reducing the processing time considerably. This monumental shift not only streamlines operations but also positions ISAMRA and TreadBinary as pioneers in the industry’s technological evolution.
At the core of this collaboration lies the integration of TreadBinary’s cutting-edge technology into ISAMRA’s operations. This technological synergy aims to bring transparency and accountability to the forefront of royalty distribution, setting a new standard for the industry. ISAMRA’s decision to harness TreadBinary’s expertise underscores a shared vision to revolutionize the operational landscape of the music industry.
Through this collaboration, TreadBinary has developed a bespoke application exclusively for ISAMRA. This comprehensive solution addresses the intricate data management needs associated with millions of songs played across diverse platforms and countries. The application is designed to efficiently import, process, and store data, ensuring the identification of artists and musicians involved for accurate and equated royalty distribution.
The revolutionary application by TreadBinary offers unparalleled benefits to the music industry. Processing data for millions of songs played on various platforms with multiple artists, the application provides direct and immediate rewards for each contributor. Previously, a manual process took months which can now be accomplished within days, ensuring swift and accurate disbursement of royalties.
Yuvraj Shidhaye, Founder and Director, TreadBinary, said, “We are delighted to partner with ISAMRA on this groundbreaking initiative to transform royalty distribution systems in the music industry. TreadBinary is committed to leveraging technology for transparency, and our specialized solutions will help enable the efficiency and accuracy that musicians deserve. By modernizing legacy approaches, our application offers real-time visibility into the complex data behind proper royalty allocation and payments. This collaboration represents immense potential to accelerate innovation through customized technology that reduces intensive manual processes from months to minutes/days. We share ISAMRA’s dedication to expanding the administration of intellectual property rights. Together we have pioneered the next generation of data infrastructure to drive fairness and empower artists across India.”
Sanjay Tandon, Founder, CEO and Director, ISAMRA , said, “As a responsible society, it is imperative that we not only collect royalties for singers and musicians but also distribute the same accurately, in a cost-effective and in a timely manner. With millions of songs to be administered, it is important that we have a robust and efficient ERP system in place. Towards this end, we are excited to start on this epic journey by engaging the technical expertise of TreadBinary to leverage the latest technology to manage our member’s data and achieve transparency, efficiency, accuracy and speed in distributing royalties to them”.
Beyond the technological advancements, this collaboration signifies ISAMRA’s evolution as it expands its purview to include musicians alongside singers. This expanded responsibility reflects ISAMRA’s commitment to securing the intellectual rights of the entire music fraternity. The engagement with TreadBinary amplifies their dedication to transparency, reliability, and scalability in the pursuit of benefits for the entire member community.
The engagement is not merely a formality but a strategic public relations move aimed at illuminating the synergies between ISAMRA and TreadBinary. By highlighting TreadBinary as the chosen tech partner, both organizations seek to communicate their strategic expertise and a shared vision for the future of the music industry. This engagement is a testament to their commitment to innovation, efficiency, and, most importantly, the artists and musicians they represent.
21, Dec 2023
Empowering Rural Youth: Salam Kisan’s skilling initiatives to uplift agriculture’s future
Mumbai, 21th December, 2023: Marking National Farmers’ Day this year, pioneering agri-tech platform Salam Kisan with a base of over 50,000 farmers in less than a year unveiled impactful skill development programs tailored for rural youth. Designed to empower and create career opportunities for young people, Salam Kisan’s initiatives exemplify its commitment to drive resilience and sustainability in rural communities across India.
Salam Kisan is set to revolutionize agriculture not just with advanced farming solutions and disruptive technologies but also by building new opportunities in the agriculture landscape for the youth. Their SK Capacity Building Program intends to equip rural youth with advanced capabilities like drone piloting besides hands-on agriculture skills – preparing them to drive change in local communities.
Other innovative initiatives include targeted drone pilot training for women, which introduced Maharashtra’s first female drone pilot. Their Tribal Community Drone Pilot Training Program is designed to train youth from tribal communities. This initiative is a step towards ensuring the benefits of modern agriculture reach every corner of the nation for inclusive growth.
As Salam Kisan aggressively expands operations across Maharashtra with plans to deploy 100+ drones by March 2024, recruiting skilled talent is pivotal. They have launched a 2-month talent search and training campaign from Kisan Diwas 2023 onwards. Through exhibitions, social media engagement, online assessments, and immersive campus visits, Salam Kisan hopes to identify and train 50 exceptional drone pilots ready to open new frontiers in agriculture.
Under the campaign, Salam Kisan participated in the Kisan Biz Exhibition from 13th-17th December 2023 in Pune to showcase skilling programs. They are hosting an entrance exam for interested candidates before Republic Day in two batches to evaluate the aptitude and skill sets required for drone pilot roles. After this, shortlisted candidates will be selected after an interview for the Drone Pilot training program.
Salam Kisan will be organizing training workshops for shortlisted candidates. Training sessions will be documented to showcase program effectiveness comprising testimonials of current drone pilot employees. As a part of the Republic Day event, Salam Kisan will conduct a mass recruitment drive on January 26th, 2024, covered through media partners. Newly inducted drone pilots will be interviewed to showcase the structured induction process and support ecosystem.
On the exciting road ahead, Ms. Dhanashree Mandhani, Founder & CEO of Salam Kisan, said, “Our expertise in smart agri-tech combined with developing local talent can bring meaningful transformation in rural communities. As part of our holistic approach, we are turning our focus towards rural youth. They are pivotal players in the sustainable growth of the agriculture sector. As we soar to new heights with the SK Capacity Building Program, focused drone training for women, and the Tribal Community Drone Training Program, we invite the next generation to join us in revolutionizing agriculture. Together, let’s cultivate a sustainable and tech-driven future.”
21, Dec 2023
Swiggy partners with Simpl; Now Bangalore customers can order with 1 Click
Bengaluru, December 21th, 2023: Ahead of the year-end celebrations, Simpl – India’s foremost Checkout Network – today announced a partnership with Swiggy, India’s leading on-demand convenience platform, to offer a 1-tap Checkout experience to millions of its customers across food delivery, Swiggy instamart, and soon on Dineout, and Swiggy Genie. The partnership assumes significance as the demand for Swiggy’s on-demand services increases multifold during the holiday season led by Christmas and New Year’s Eve celebrations. This, coupled with five weekends in December, is going to contribute to a significant increase in demand for services from food and hyperlocal delivery companies.
With this partnership, millions of customers across the country will be able to place orders from over 2.9 lakh restaurant partners enabled on Swiggy, and access thousands of products from Swiggy instamart while availing of other services from Swiggy with the convenience of Simpl’s 1-Tap.
Commenting on the partnership, Nitya Sharma, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Simpl, said, “An increasing number of customers today are seeking convenience while transacting online with food and hyperlocal delivery sectors among their top choices. As these services are also availed multiple times in a day, it necessitates the need for a quick and convenient checkout to enhance customer experience. Simpl, as a customer-focused organisation, has been the preferred choice of millions of customers and this partnership with Swiggy is intended to bring greater convenience and trust to our combined customer base in the upcoming holiday season. It will also help strengthen our presence in this space where convenience is becoming a real differentiator”.
Currently, several large enterprises and emerging Direct-to-Customer (D2C) merchants in the food and hyperlocal delivery space offer Simpl’s 1-Tap Checkout to millions of their customers across the country. Over the last two years alone, Simpl has witnessed a 75% growth in transactions for food and beverages, and hyperlocal categories, accompanied by a 48% increase in transacting users.
Anurag Panganamamula, Vice President of Revenue and Growth at Swiggy said, “Our mission is to offer unparalleled convenience and an elevated experience to our customers across the platform – from search to checkout and delivery. With Simpl’s 1-Tap Checkout integrated into our platform, especially ahead of the holiday season, millions of customers across the country will be able to access their food, and home needs, and dine out seamlessly”
Today, Simpl is the preferred checkout partner for over 26,000 small, medium and large enterprises and D2C merchants across the country who make use Simpl’s 1-Tap Checkout and its Checkout solutions to bring trust and convenience for millions of their customers.
21, Dec 2023
BIF hails the landmark Telecommunications Bill 2023
● The Think Tank body considers it a consumer-centric and investor-friendly bill that will propel the growth of the sector.
New Delhi, 21 December 2023: In its apex Executive Council meeting on 20th instant, Broadband India Forum (BIF), the leading independent Think-Tank and Policy Forum for Digital Communications in the country, discussed the Telecommunications Bill 2023, which was tabled in the Lok Sabha by Hon’ble Minister for Communications & IT, Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw on 18th December 2023. It praised the bill and unanimously adopted the following resolution formally: –
The EC was of the view that this was a historic milestone in the annals of Indian Telecom and truly a giant leap forward for the Bharat Digital Economy. This extremely progressive Bill that consolidates different laws of 1885, 1933 and 1950, to further catalyze this rapidly growing technological age was warmly hailed by the EC. It brings in clarity on a plethora of key issues that have been before the sector – the TRAI power & functions, protection and duties of telecom users, clarity in definition of telecommunication service, exclusion of OTTs from the purview of Telecom regulations, administrative allocation of satellite spectrum and certain other types of spectrum, Right of Way issues, spurring of Universal Service and Innovation/R&D through a Digital Bharat Nidhi and Regulatory Sandbox and many other important aspects.
The BIF EC believes that the landmark Bill will help achieve increased acceleration of internet/broadband penetration and will provide a huge impetus to the growth of the digital economy. It will bring about many consumer benefits besides boosting investor confidence and fetching billions of dollars of FDI in the digital sector. Further, it would help incentivize the exponential growth of the space startups segment which already has 189 startups, thereby boosting India’s Space Mission.
The Executive Council solemnly resolved that BIF and its members will spare no efforts to leverage the Bill and support the Government to further speeding India’s Journey on the Digital Highway.
While praising the bill, Mr. T.V. Ramachandran, President, Broadband India Forum, commented, “The Indian Telecommunications Bill 2023 will serve as a strong enabler for the larger digital ecosystem and, in particular, the innovative OTT Apps and Satellite Sectors in the country. It seeks to address several inhibiting issues and would lead to tremendous boost to investor confidence, thereby causing a quantum jump in the growth of the sector.”
21, Dec 2023
Jingle Deals – Federal Bank Unwraps the Festive Delight with Lifetime free Credit Card
Mumbai, 21 th December 2023: As the holiday season and year-end approaches, Federal Bank unveils their latest credit card offer – “Jingle Deals”, that provides lifetime free credit cards for a limited period of time. Spanning from December 16th, 2023 to January 15th, 2024, Jingle Deals is strategically designed to add joy to the season of giving with 30-day shopping bonanza that will give customers access to fabulous deals and great savings.
The key components of the Jingle deals are the diverse category offering in apparel, electronics, travel, groceries, dining, and more. Federal Bank’s specific brand partners include Reliance Indigo, Reliance Digital, MakeMyTrip, AJIO, Flipkart, Lifestyle, LULU, Swiggy Instamart, and others.
Federal Bank customers can avail the below offers for Christmas 2023
Offers are listed on https://www.federalbank.co.in/jingle-deals
Apparel:
- Reliance Trends: 15% instant discount on credit card purchases of ₹3999 or more, up to ₹2000 discount.
- AJIO: 10% instant discount on minimum order value of ₹3500, up to ₹1000 discount.
Electronics:
- Croma: 10% instant discount on minimum transaction of ₹15000, up to ₹1500 (credit card) or ₹2000 (credit card EMI) discount
- Reliance Digital: 10% instant discount on minimum order value of ₹15000, up to ₹3000 (credit card) or ₹5000 (credit card EMI) discount
- Vijay Sales (offline & online): 10% instant discount on minimum order value of ₹15000, up to ₹3000 (credit card) or ₹5000 (credit card EMI) discount
Grocery:
- Swiggy Instamart: ₹100 off with Federal Bank credit cards.
- Zepto: 15% instant discount using Federal Bank credit cards.
Dining:
- Zomato Dining: 15% off up to ₹800 on a minimum order value of ₹3000.
- Easy Diner: 15% off up to ₹800 on a minimum order value of ₹3000.
Apart from these, customers can get exciting cashback* of upto Rs. 5000 and Rs. 7500, while booking international and domestic flights and Hotels through MakeMyTrip and Indigo, respectively.
21, Dec 2023
Konica Minolta’s PrintXpress Resumes Nationwide Tour
- Konica Minolta’s “PrintXpress – Innovation in Print” Campaign is continued its journey with new Production Printer Engines
- The campaign is an endeavour to conventionalize Digital Printing Practises in the hinterland of India, covering Tier-2, 3, and 4 cities.
- The campaign covering 93+ Cities, will occur over the over the course of 4 months, till March 2024.
New Delhi, 21th December 2023 | Reviving the campaign that brought cutting-edge technology to the hinterland of India, Konica Minolta successfully commenced a fresh leg of the PrintXpress – Innovation in Print on 11th December 2023. This endeavour will take Konica Minolta to 93+ new cities, across Tier-2, 3, and 4 locations, to understand what the technology and strategy gaps are, in the daily operations of these print businesses that require revision and network support. The unique roadshow aims to garner an attendance of potential small to medium print businesses, across an area of over 25 thousand kilometres.
Focused to create business touchpoints across geographies, there are 2 campaign buses, will travel all 4 regions of India, catering to both direct channel and indirect channels, in collaboration with partners KMI and Technova. Outfitted with Production Print Engines, the campaign will showcase live demonstrations to the visitors to experience the benefits and explore new business opportunities with Colour – AccurioPrint C4065 and the Monochrome – AccurioPrint 2100.
The PrintXpress Roadshow is designed to merge the network of small print businesses with Konica Minolta’s dependable print solutions. Integrated with samples on display, the campaign buses have embarked on separate routes across the country to display the products’ functionality in the avenues of Digital printing and Print-on-demand, to both prospective and current clients, across towns such as Rohtak, Gorakhpur, Siliguri, Nasik, and Barpeta.
Commenting on the beginning of PrintXpress, Mr. Katsuhisa Asari, Managing Director, Konica Minolta Business Solutions India Pvt. Ltd., said, “As leading print solutions provider, we are highly aware that printing businesses and in-house print departments are expected to produce impeccable print products within the shortest of deadlines, with changing user expectations. This is why, we understand the value of bringing in sturdy construction, high performance, and smart inline finishing options to small and burgeoning print businesses in India. With this new edition of the PrintXpress campaign, we want to democratize streamlined workflow processes, to a wide array of print businesses, creative agencies, book publishers, and commercial printers residing in the cities and towns”.
Continuing the milestone of Konica Minolta’s 150-year anniversary, the PrintXpress campaign is an extension to early 2023’s “PrintXpress – Innovation in Print” Campaign that covered 150+ Cities, reporting an in-person attendance from 3000 customers, over the course of 5 months, covered a notable 48000+ kms.
21, Dec 2023
KidZania’s Winter Wonderland: A Magical Festive Extravaganza Captivates Families
Noida, December 21, 2023 – The enchanting Winter Wonderland festivities at KidZania Delhi NCR and Mumbai kickstarted on 15th December 2023 and will conclude on January 7, 2024, leaving behind cherished memories of a magical holiday season. Families and children indulged in the timeless charm and joyful spirit of the holidays throughout the celebration, turning KidZania into a haven of festive joy.
Event Highlights:
● Giant Snow Globe
● Tinkle Mega Collection Box
● Nestle Ceregrow Christmas Art Challenge
● FSM Carol Singing Workshop
● Santa Parade with RightZkeepers
● Christmas DIY
Games:
● Ballistic Bingo Blast
● Arctic Pin Tumble
● Jolly Ring Toss Challenge
Rahul Dhamdhere, Chief Marketing Officer of KidZania India, said, “As the season unfolded, we witnessed hearts filled with goodwill and the joy of carols at KidZania. Our commitment to bringing the enchanting charm of Christmas, especially to children, is evident in the unforgettable experiences crafted through meticulously planned activities. In the spirit of love and generosity, we are treating every visitor to delectable food, cherishing moments that make this time of year truly special.”
