KOEL wins CII award for innovation in farm mechanisation

Declared as "one of the top 25 innovative organizations" in India

January 30, 2016: The agriculture division of the Kirloskar Oil Engines Limited (KOEL) has been awarded "CII Industrial Innovation Award 2015" for being "one of the top 25 innovative organizations" for its product “MEGA  T” a multipurpose machine which “looks like a tiller but works like a tractor”.

The award was given away recently in New Delhi, at the hands of Mr. S Gopalkrishnan, chairman CII Innovation and Entrepreneurship Council and Mr. Anil Kumar Gupta, Executive Vice Chair National Innovation Foundation India & Founder Honey Bee Network.

Mr. Antony Cherukara Vice President, Strategy and Business Head Kirloskar (KOEL) Agri& Allied unit and Mr. Rakesh Tripathi Product Manager received this award on behalf of Agriculture Business, KOEL.

Speaking on the occasion Mr Antony Cherukara, Vice President Strategy and Business Head Kirloskar (KOEL) Agri& Allied unit said “Kirloskar as a brand has been associated with the Indian farming community for many decades. Its diesel pump sets are known for its durability and generations of customers have repeatedly placed their trust in this brand. Kirloskar have ambitious plans to expand in the farm mechanisation sector in a big way. Our products are already getting a good response amongst the farming community and this award testifies that we are on the right track. Such recognitions motivate us to further innovate and provide products which will be more and more useful yet economically viable for the farmers. With a brand like Kirloskar, good times certainly lie ahead.”  

KOEL’s thrust towards excellence in the agri sector continued unabated. Some of the recognitions received for its relentless efforts of quality delivery and operational excellence includes

·         MEGA T had won Case Study contest Award for ‘Breakthrough Product Innovation in R & D’at the AIMA Innovation Practitioner Summit 2015 held at Delhi.

·         MEGA T had won the prestigious Rural marketing Award for ‘Best Innovative Ideas for Rural Development’ from CMO Asia Retail congress held at Mumbai.

·         KirloskarAgrihad also won the award for “Best Integrated Rural Marketing campaign” .

·          KOEL’s Pragati, Akshay and Yantra Quality Circle won "Par Excellent Award" at NCQC National Level and also bagged Gold Award at QCFI PUNE Chapter in Quality Circle and allied concept Competition

Full Contact Entertainment unveiled FCC – The League unifying 7 states for the Beat-down

Did you feel the cage roar with Full Contact Championship?

Mumbai, 29^th January 2016. Full Contact Entertainment, India’s first pro-MMA fight network, in order to promote MMA, the full combat sport, announced Full Contact Championship -The League followed by one of the biggest fight nights on 29^th January at Famous Studios, Mahalaxmi, Mumbai. The 9 bouts had 17 Indian contenders of which 15 were male and 2 were female. The cage was brought alive with the major International contender, ‘Wali-“The Warrior”’ and the Indian brawler, ‘Furious Farhan’ Siddique, while the occasion was curated under the leadership of Mr. Prashant Kumar, Mr. Binoy Khimji and Mr. Joy Kapur, all Directors of Full Contact Championship.

Full Contact Championship – The League, will bring 14 fighters in each team who will contend from 7 states including Mumbai, Chandigarh, Jammu, Delhi, Lucknow, Kolkata, and Guwahati and host 24 of the biggest fight nights in the history of India’s MMA scene, including 2 semifinals and 1 mega-final in 2016.  The rules are simple, knockout or submission. The fighters will get the opportunity to battle it out with each team in their respective home and away cages. The event will be spiced up with a DJ streaming house music pumping up the night with energy. The fight night which was followed by the announcement was a premier to the larger affair. The ultimate effort of Full Contact Championship is to take the combat sport to the global level.FCC plans to take the sport at a Pan India Level where a fight night will soon become a part of entertainment for Indian Audiences giving the much deserved limelight to the MMA fighter.

Speaking at the mighty occasion, Mr. Prashant Kumar, Director, Full Contact Championship said, “MMA which is one of the world’s fastest growing sport, has gained immense popularity in the last few years in India. Bring FCC – The League to the forefront, we hope to establish many young fighters as international brawlers, who could one day fight in the Holy Grail, UFC. In order to breed the talent of an international caliber, we hope to take young lads from states which have been overseen and tap into the untapped sector of sports history in India.”

With the entry of IPL, ISL, Pro-Kabaddi and other such leagues, Full Contact Championship, which is India’s longest running Pro-MMA fight network, introduced its exquisite fight night for the 4^th year. Promoting the high entertainment full contact combat sport of MMA, the event appealed primarily to the youth of the country. MMA is the fastest growing sport in the world and India is just beginning to seize the glory and understanding of the sport.

About Full Contact Championship:

FCC (Full Contact Championship), launched on the 14th of January 2009, is India's Pro Mixed Martial Arts Fight Network where India's top MMA fighters in different weight categories battle it out in the cage. A classic FCC night has 8 bouts (fights) which include elite Indian male and female MMA Fighters as well as International Fighters. Each bout has 3 rounds that last 3 minutes. The rules are simple, knockout or submission. The combat has gained popularity due to its raw nature. The event is often spiced up with a DJ streaming house music pumping up the night with energy.

With FCC, Prashant Kumar introduced the fight nights and the concept of Pro Mixed Martial Arts in India back in 2009. Since then, he has been working on building this sport in India. The aim is to provide a platform to the male and female MMA fighters in India. FCC is a stage for talented Indian MMA fighters (a majority of whom belong to rural India) to perform and prove themselves to the world. These fighters are highly skilled in Muay Thai, Karate, Grappling, Judo, Jiu Jitsu and Kickboxing. They have undergone years of intense, demanding and disciplined training. They have honed their skills, sharpened their instincts and made weapons of their bodies.

Over a period of time FCC has expanded their network, and gone international, by tying up with various MMA organizations across the globe. This has aided FCC on an international and domestic level with an influx of foreign talent. With Joy Kapoor and Binoy Khimji joining hands with Prashant Kumar as promoters, the trio is planning to take the sport at a Pan India Level where a fight night will soon become a part of entertainment for Indian Audiences giving the much deserved limelight to the MMA fighter.

Documentary on Gandhi Teerth .A Film By Makarand Brahme

Gandhi Teerth is the largest 80000 sq feet museum situated at Jain Hills in Jalgoan city in Maharashtra …. Made by visionary, Padmashri, Shri Bhawarlal Jain, chairman and promoter of Jain Irrigation Systems Ltd. This museum is designed with various multimedia technology and showcases the life and work of Mahatma Gandhi I. A most innovative way …. That will connect today’s young generation to the immortal thoughts of Mahatma Gandhi…. Almost 500 acres of wonderfully landscape area with complete environment friendly building of Gandhi Teerth has got many awards….. This film is an effort to showcase the making of this Gandhi Teerth which is very dramatic and gives lots of insight about the huge efforts went into making of this magnificent monument

wonderful, innovative and educative museum and Gandhi research foundation based at Jain Hills, in Jalgoan, Maharashtra

NEWS INPUTS BY.

  

 KAB!R M ALI    

Biomatiques Introduces Retina Recognition For Cattle Identification At The e-governance Symposium In Tirupati

Mumbai, 29^th January 2016: Biomatiques Identification Solutions Pvt. Ltd. introduced “Retina Recognition Technology” for cattle identification at the e-governance symposium which took place in Tirupati on Friday. It thus became the first Indian company to do so. The conclave was organized by the Govt. of Andhra Pradesh on the lines of the Digital India initiative of the central government as a platform for exchange of ideas for IT secretaries from other States, GoI and some eminent industry leaders from across the country. Some of the key themes were ePragati, Mee Seva, Bharat Net, Start-Ups for e-governance and ICT (Information & Communication Technology) for smart cities amongst others.

In India the concept of animal identification is not new however the methods that are used are either outdated or can be tampered around with easily. Biomatiques has already started making waves in the biometric identification solutions market with its revolutionary iris recognition technology which involves the human eye. There are so far only 12 other companies in the international market which offer iris recognition as method for biometric identification. On similar grounds, Biomatiques has now come up with “Cattle UID” - retina biometric technology for identifying cattle. With this every cattle can be given a unique ID which will qualify them for insurance which will be a complete relief for dairy farmers, government and insurance companies alike.

“RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) ear tags, ear marking, neck tagging with transponders, branding using hot iron or freezing methods, paint and tattoos are some of the methods used worldwide which pose serious health hazards to the bovines across the globe, something which does not occur in retina recognition. Just like iris recognition method for humans, retina identification is also a contact less technology. Privacy is another challenge in some of the methods like RFID ear tags as third party scanners can be easily used for tracking your cattle,” said Mr. Tamaal Roy – CEO, Biomatiques Identification Solutions Pvt. Ltd.

Biomatiques has managed to supply 33,310 iris scanning devices so far to Andhra Pradesh Govt. which will be used in various sectors like education, pension and ration distribution, a number  which no other company has managed to achieve so far in India. Andhra Pradesh as a state is putting to effect the application of ICT (Information and Communications Technology) to government functioning very rapidly in order to create smart governance. It is one of the leading states in terms of e-Governance.

Voice, fingerprints, face, gait and palm recognition are some of the methods which are slowly becoming obsolete. Iris patterns are far more random and unique. An algorithm is created to map the random pattern and then generate a unique biometric template for human identification which is unique for every individual. Apart from the technology, even on the price front, Biomatiques has managed to bring the cost down and is at par with the makers of fingerprint techno  logy.

About Biomatiques Identification Solutions Pvt. Ltd: (www.biomatiques.com)

Biomatiques Identification Solutions Pvt. Ltd. is the first Indian company to introduce the revolutionary Iris Recognition Technology in India. Established in June 2012, Biomatiques is the first Indian manufacturing company to receive the STQC certification from the STQC Directorate, Department of Information Technology, New Delhi. Headquartered in Surat, Gujarat, Biomatiques has a team of highly trained engineers and managers who are engaged with many local and international firms to provide sales and OEM support to both - clients and business partners.

The company uses its patented hardware technology and copyrighted Iris recognition software to make versatile and viable solutions. With its wide range of products, including standalone and cluster, they provide security solutions for individuals, townships, government departments and from small-medium enterprises to large corporations.

Anita Dongre invited to speak at Harvard's India Conference 2016

For the past couple of years, Harvard Business School and Harvard Kennedy School, have been hosting the India Conference, and have had distinct speakers such as Prithvi Raj Chavan, Sajjan Jindal, Kiran Bedi etc.

The 2016 edition of the conference, which talks about India In Transition - Opportunities and Challenges, will see an assemblage of people like Shashi Tharoor, Dr.Kamal Haasan, Chanda Kochhar, Karan Johar to name a few. 

Also appearing at this conference, one of the very firsts representing the Indian fashion industry, will be Ms.Anita Dongre. She will be talking about her initiative Grassroot.

Grassroot is the diary of India's craft history. It chronicles and restores heirloom traditions from the heart of our villages and fashions them into contemporary tales. Collaborating closely with artisans and helping create better livelihoods, Grassroot is a tribute to the handcrafted traditions of India. It revives and sustains dying and forgotten crafts and weaving traditions by providing a consistent platform for artisans across India.

It is a cause very close to Anita's heart. She says "Grassroot has been a long cherished dream for me. I have always wanted to create a bridge between the crafts of India from our remotest villages and the global consumer. And I am glad that we have created a sustainable platform for the artisans”. 

Ashwin Dani, Vice-Chairman of Asian Paints, has been selected as Business India’s, Businessman of the Year 2015

Ashwin Dani, vice-chairman of Asian Paints, has been selected as Business India’s, Businessman of the Year 2015. Dani, who will shortly be completing 50 years in the paint industry, was the unanimous choice of a prestigious panel of eminent persons, presided over by A.M. Naik of Larsen & Toubro.

Dani’s efforts in R&D and innovations, which have helped the company scale unprecedented highs, were appreciated by the panel, which also lauded the promoters’ families in professionalising the management. The honesty of the promoters, transparency and good governance were big factors that helped Asian Paints transform itself into an Indian multinational. The total income of the company was higher than the combined income of other paint companies. The strong affinity with investors and high expectations have seen the company’s market cap soar to Rs80,000 crore. The panel also appreciated the good work done by Ashwin Dani on the social front – in particular his contribution to education.

The other members of the panel included A. Vellayan, executive chairman, Murugappa group; Ranjit Shahani, VC & MD, Novartis India; N. Venkatram, CEO, Deloitte India; Ajay Srinivasan, CE, Birla Financial Services, Aditya Birla group; Ranu Vohra, MD & co-founder, Avendus group; Raamdeo Agrawal, co-founder & Jt MD, Motilal Oswal Securities; and Naushir Kaka, CEO, McKinsey.

Business India, India’s most respected magazine started by Ashok H. Advani, had instituted the much-coveted award 35 years ago, to recognise worthy Indian businessmen. The selection was done by an independent jury, none of its members are repeated in the panels. Naik, who chaired the panel discussion, was selected as Business India’s Businessman of the Year in 2014.

MYNTRA TARGETS $1 BILLION GMV IN FY 2016-17

Myntra clocks $800 million in annualized average GMV in January 2016

Bangalore, January 28, 2016: Myntra, India's leading platform for fashion brands and pioneer in m-commerce play, has clocked $800 million in annualized GMV in January 2016, taking it closer to the target of reaching $1 billion GMV byFY 2016-2017. Sales volumes for the month were propelled by growth of Myntra Fashion Brands, increased contribution of international brands including new marquee brands such as M&S, Forever 21, high growth in womenswear category and a hugely successful End of Reason sale. Also, discounts have dropped by 6% and supply chain cost reduced by 5% in the last quarter.

According to Ananth Narayanan, CEO, Myntra, “January has been the biggest month ever for Myntra. I am happy to share that we have achieved an annualized GMV of $800 million. Our focus for the year will be to attain positive gross profit while maintaining scale during the year. We plan to build on the momentum in the first month to touch $1 billion GMV by FY2016-17.”

BUSINESS PERFORMANCE IN 2015

In 2015, three key strategies were adopted which has helped the company to clock growth of 70 % YoY.  First, there was a focus on brand mix that appealed to the price conscious as well as the fashion & brand conscious. Second, the company worked towards greater efficiencies arising out of increasing scale and better management of business processes. Finally, better cost management through a series of rationalization measures have ensured better bang for the buck, be it in marketing or infrastructure.

PERFORMANCE OF BRANDS & CATEGORIES

The focus for 2015 was on building a large portfolio of domestic and international brands. “Online fashion consumers are largely brand seeking. Brands will grow and define future of fashion. We expect the branded fashion market to grow twice as fast as the overall fashion market in the next 5 years. We now plan to be profitable at scale in FY 2016-17, with consistently high growth rates,” says Prasad Kompalli, Head – eCommerce Platform, Myntra.

By the end of December 2015, there were over 2000brands on the Myntra platform, of which 800 new brands had been on-boarded in 2015. The top brands for the year were Roadster, Puma, Nike, Vero Moda & UCB.

The year also saw a growth in Myntra Fashion Brands, led by Roadster, whichbecame the highest performing brand on the platform.  Roadster aims to clock Rs.400 crore in 2015-16 &become a $100-million or Rs650-crore brand by end of 2016.The in-house brands saw an increase in contribution in overall revenue to 20% in 2015. The focus area for FY 2016 is to increase contribution of in-house brands to ~25%.

Currently, on Myntra there are more than 30 international brands on the platform, including Scotch &Soda, Harley Davidson, Ferrari, Desigual, Forever 21,The North Face, Timberland and Marks & Spencer out of which 25 were added in 2015 alone.

The overall contribution by December end was 5%, which will increase to 15% by FY 2017. The leading international brands were Forever 21, Mango, Antony Morato, Scotch & Soda and M&S.

WOMENSWEAR

Among categories, the womenswear category grew by 73% in 2015.In January 2015, Myntra had a total of 995 womenswear brands and 90,000 styles catering to the women consumer. A year later, in Jan 2016, Myntra has approximately 1250 womenswear brands and 141,000styles. This represents a 25% increase in brands, and a 55% increase in the womenswearcatalog. In the women's category, Western wear has been the top performing category which was followed by lingerie.

Some of the key brand launches in the past one year include All About You (MFB), Guess, Label by Ritu Kumar, Chumbak, Emporio Armani innerwear, Calvin Klein innerwear, ALDO, Nine West, Accessorize, FURLA and Kenneth Cole.

MENSWEAR

Menswear brands on the platform went up from 263 brands in 2014 to 419 brands by the end of 2015 and the category grew overall by 70%. Shirts, Jeans/Denims and Winterwear were the top 3 menswear products.

In the menswear category, the top performing market brands were UCB, Jack & Jones, Wrangler, US Polo Assn and Levi’s. Among the in-house brands, Roadster and Mast & Harbour were the top performers.Wrogn, which was launched in February last year, is among the top 10 brands in this category.

SPORTSWEAR

The category saw the addition of Adidas NEO,Timberland, The North Face, Columbia Sportswear- ExclusiveReal Madrid, Barcelona, DC, among others. For the category, the top 5 brands were Nike, Puma, adidas, Reebok, Fila and Vans. In the sports category, products for running , training &fitness (especially those for women engaged in dance, yoga, aerobics and zumba etc.) continues to do well.Sporty lifestyle footwear and winterwear are also doing well.New categories like outdoor, skateboarding and basketball are picking up faster than other categories.

About Myntra:

Myntra is India's leading platform for fashion brands and pioneer in m-commerce play. Myntra has partnered with over 2000 leading fashion and lifestyle brands in the country to offer a wide range in latest branded fashion and lifestyle wear. With the largest in-season product catalogue, 100% authentic products, Cash on Delivery and 30-day Exchange/Return policy, Myntra is today the preferred shopping destination in India.

SAVE THE DATE!

                                                 

                                                                                                                                           

THIS VALENTINE’S DAY – SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2016

Web Series Pioneer, TVF to Launch Season 2 of

the Most Viewed Branded Web Series in the World

PERMANENT ROOMMATES

OLA to Drive Season 2 of the Popular Web Series

Enjoy the Series on TVF’s Online Destination – TVFPLAY.COM

Thursday, January 28, 2016 -- Founded by Arunabh Kumar, Creative Experiment Officer (CEO) and one of India’s most successful new-age media entrepreneurs, TVF (The Viral Fever) is the first company in the country to focus on youth entertainment to create progressive and new-age content - pioneering web series, a new genre of online entertainment. Come Valentine’s Day, Sunday February 14, 2016, TVF will launch Season 2 of its much awaited, much loved web series – PERMANENT ROOMMATES – in association with OLA, India’s leading mobile app for transportation.

Permanent Roommates was India’s first web series to launch in October 2014. And it will be the first web series in India to launch a second season.

Here is the trailer of Permanent Roommates Season 2 – http://bit.ly/TVFPR-S02Promo

You can enjoy Permanent Roommates Season 2 on TVF’s online destination, www.TVFPlay.com

The second promo will be launched in the second week of February, leading up to Valentine’s Day.

EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED...

PERMANENT ROOMMATES SEASON 2 promises a different experience. It will try to break a lot of relationship stereotypes with its ‘third kind of love story’ storyline – with no tragic deaths nor a certain happy ending!  Season 2 will include a total of 8 episodes, each episode of an average duration of 30-40 minutes and an expected number of views between 4-5 million per episode!

When Season 1 of Permanent Roommates, India’s very first web series was launched in October 2014, it received global accolades and went on to become the most viewed branded web series in the world! It was listed among the highest rated TV Series in 2014 on IMDb. To date, Permanent Roommates is the 2nd most watched long form web series in the WORLD (after 'Video Game High School') on YouTube -- with over 12 million total views for 5 episodes, with every episode having more than a million views! And, is the only show after TVF Pitchers to feature in the IMDb Top 250 TV series in the world at #174 after TVF Pitchers at #22.

Having pioneered the web series genre in India and having created two very successful web series Permanent Roommates and Pitchers, Arunabh Kumar, CEO and Founder of TVF says, “Valentine's Day is pretty much the perfect day to continue the "third kind of love story" that Mickey and Tanya introduced us to in Permanent Roommates, Season 1. Permanent Roommates 2 is the first sequel of any web series made out of India. The first season got nearly 12 million views and was a testament to the love our viewers had for this funny, relatable urban love story. With PR2, we are moving up to the next level and are really excited to continue this story which the entire family can watch together. With a host of surprise artists, and a unique story. And thanks to Ola, you'll be in for quite a ride this season!"

Biswapati Sarkar, Creative Director, TVF and Writer, Permanent Roommates, added, “It is always a challenge to return with a sequel of something, which is already so admired by people. We wanted to do a Season 2 only when we have a storyline which is better than the earlier season. This season is more mature in terms of content, and deals with several different aspects of modern day relationships. We have been able to put together a brilliant additional cast alongside the existing one. To manage public and personal expectations along with the shoot schedule has always been a tough task, but with a brilliant crew led by Deepak Mishra, it seems feasible for now. We're trying to break a lot of stereotypes usually associated with a romantic comedy, let’s see how far we can go with it.'

Sudarshan Gangrade, VP, Marketing at Ola says, “TVF has spearheaded the use of digital as a media platform and pioneered original long-form content in India. Their approach to story-telling and quality of content helps them engage closely with millions of digital-savvy youth and we are happy to work with TVF.” 

About TVF

Leading the web series revolution with India's two most successful series, with over 17 million views, overtaking global shows like Seinfeld, House of Cards on IMDb rating is TVF (The Viral Fever).  TVF is the First Online Network to get A+ grade Bollywood celebrities from SRK and Anurag Kashyap to Ayushmann Khurana for their content.

In less than 3 years, TVF has created over 12 of the country’s popular online content properties – TVF Originals – from Qtiyapa that has a subscriber base of over a million to the hugely popular, Barely Speaking with Arnub, the world record breaking branded web series, Permanent Roommates, Chai Sutta Chronicles, The Making Of Theatrical Trollers, and more recently in 2015 with TVF-Pitchers.

In 2013, TVF was the only Indian YouTube Network to represent India at the first ever International YouTube Fan Fest. Arunabh was also the only representative from South Asia to be invited to the 2015 Global Creators’ Summit in New York. TVF was also presented the inaugural Award for BEST Brand & Creator Collaboration in India in 2015.

More recently, Arunabh, who is an IIT Graduate, was featured in Fortune’s "40 under 40" List of India's top Business Leaders of 2015 along with "GQ's Most Influential Young Indian" and has been instrumental in redefining entertainment for the youth as well as driving the online content revolution in India over the last 3 years.

About Permanent Roommates

In October 2014, TVF, the first company in the country in the area of Youth Entertainment to create Progressive and New-Age Content -  pioneering a new genre of online entertainment -- launched the country’s very first web series – Permanent Roommates.

Permanent Roommates received global accolades and went on to become the most viewed branded web series in the world! It was listed among the highest rated TV Series in 2014 on IMDb.

To date, Permanent Roommates is the 2nd most watched long form web series in the WORLD (after 'Video Game High School') on YouTube -- with over 12 million total views for 5 episodes, with every episode having more than a million views! And, is the only show after TVF Pitchers to feature in the IMDb Top 250 TV series in the world!

Next month, in February 2016, TVF is set to launch Season 2 of the world record breaking branded web series, Permanent Roommates.

This will be the first web series in India to launch a second season!

www.TVFPlay.com 

www.tvfmedialabs.com

http://www.youtube.com/user/theviralfevervideos

https://www.facebook.com/sabqtiyapahai

https://twitter.com/theviralfever

http://in.linkedin.com/pub/arunabh-kumar/29/918/707

About OLA

Founded in Jan 2011 by IIT Bombay alumni Bhavish Aggarwal and Ankit Bhati, Ola (formerly Olacabs), is India’s most popular mobile app for transportation. Ola integrates city transportation for customers and driver partners onto a mobile technology platform ensuring convenient, transparent and quick service fulfilment. Ola is committed to its mission of building mobility for a billion people. Using the Ola mobile app, users across 102 cities can book from over 350,000 vehicles across cabs, auto-rickshaws and taxis on its platform. The app is available on Windows, Android and iOS platforms. Ola recently acquired TaxiForSure, India’s second largest cab aggregator, which continues to operate as an independent brand.

Please visit www.olacabs.com for more information.

Lakshmi Vilas Bank makes key announcments

• Shri.P.Mukherjee takes over as MD&CEO of Lakshmi Vilas Bank
• Launches Mobile Banking App “LVB Mobile”

Lakshmi Vilas Bank, a growing private sector bank, today, launched its mobile banking app to customers viz “LVB Mobile”. Shri P.Mukherjee, who has recently taken over as MD & CEO of Lakshmi Vilas Bank, launched the APP in the presence of other senior officials of the Bank.

Shri Mukherjee is a banker with vast experience of 33 years predominantly in Axis Bank and also in State Bank of India. He has extensive knowledge in the areas of Corporate Banking, Treasury, International Trade and Finance and held prestigious arrangements both in India and abroad. His last assignment was as the Group Executive – Corporate Relations and International Business in Axis Bank.

The Mobile Banking Application "LVB Mobile” will allow customers to do transactions via mobile, without visiting the branch. It is like “bank at finger tips”.

The app is smart phone based (Android, Windows, IOS). The Mobile Banking App will have key facilities for customers like Balance Enquiry,  Fund Transfer, Recharge of Mobile, Payment of Bills, and other miscellaneous  features like Stop Payment, Cheque Book request, Blocking of  Debit Card, Mini Statement, ATM & Branch locator etc. The Bank is also working on introducing Mobile Wallet services to its customers shortly. The Bank has ambitious plans to provide the Best in Digital Banking to its customers.

Speaking on the occasion, Shri. P Mukherjee, MD, Lakshmi Vilas Bank said “the Bank has been on a growth path in the recent past and has also improved its asset quality considerably. It wants to keep abreast of competition in the digital space also and the launch of “LVB Mobile” is an important step in that direction”. He further added the Bank will take several such initiatives in the coming days”.

Adding to this, Shri Mukherjee said, "This day marks the Bank's foray into Digital Space ‎in more ways than one. He mentioned that the Bank is inaugurating its first Cash Deposit Machine at the Global Village Campus in Bangalore today and that the Bank has plans to install a total of 10 such machines in the next 2-3 months. He also said that the Bank is planning to soon open E lounges at important locations for the convenience of customers"

International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) unveils Govardhan Eco-Village & Farm Community to mark Golden Jubilee

              Mumbai, January 27, 2016: On the occasion of the Golden Jubilee anniversary, International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) presents two Eco-Villages or Eco-friendly Farm Communities, which highlight the importance of spiritual ecology: the need to live in harmony with ourselves, nature and the Divine. There are over 40 ISKCON eco-villages and farm communities around the globe based on this ethos.

Photo caption: Replica of Yamuna river and ghat at ISKCON Eco-Village in Wada (Palghar)

ISKCON Mumbai has two farm communities: Govardhan Eco village which is a 100-acre sustainable farming community (a model farm community) and retreat center highlighting the importance of spiritual ecology: the need for us to live in harmony with ourselves, nature and the sacred. It is located in Wada (Palghar) 108km north of Mumbai at the foothills of the Sahyadri mountains. One of its highlights is that it houses replica of the six main temples of Vrindavan.

Photo caption: Left: Replica of one of the six main temples of Vrindavan at ISKCON Govardhan Eco-Village and devotees chanting ‘Hare Rama Hare Krsna’

ISKCON Nilachan Dham is an eco-friendly farm community spread across 20 acres at Talasari in Thane, Maharashtra. The Nilachal Dham project also includes organic farming, flower cultivation, plant nursery, cottage industry making cow products, medical camps and rural development.

Photo caption: Left: Indigenous rice plantation and doctor teaching local children

One of the highlights of Nilachal Dham is its Highway to Happyway Project which adopts cows who are hurt or left to stray on the highway. There are many medical camps for local residents.

Photo caption: A doctor from Mumbai treating residents of the local community

HG Sura Das, National Convener for 50^th Anniversary Celebrations – India said, “This year, ISKCON is celebrating 50 years of its Inception way back in 1966 in New York by our Founder Acharya His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. ISKCON has emerged in these fifty years, as a strong centre, propagating the ancient Vedic philosophy and Krishna Consciousness, not just in India but all over the world. The event on 5th, 6th & 7th of February is the first leg of our celebrations. It is our way to pay homage to our Founder Acharya and also bring to the world the achievements of ISKCON. More importantly, spread the message of “The joy of devotion”, as the legacy and teachings of Srila Prabhupada not just in Mumbai but all of India and the world.“

ISKCON temples across the globe will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the 'Journey to West' of its founder who was originally known Abhay Charan when leaving in August 1965 to spread the message of Lord Krishna and Bhagavad-Gita in USA. He founded the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) in New York on July 13, 1966. While it was not unusual for immigrants from India to head to the United States, Srila Prabhupada did not seek riches. Instead he wanted to distribute the greatest wealth of India which is the timeless knowledge of Bhagvad-gita.

ISKCON belongs to the Gaudiya Vaishnava Sampradaya (denomination or tradition), an ancient monotheistic tradition within Vedic or Hindu culture. It propagates the timeless Vedic philosophy which is not limited to any religion. The concept of God consciousness, devotional service and associating with god by remembering His name, His pastimes and following His instructions is universally preached in all spiritual walks of life and is explained in the Vedas as the 'sanatana dharma', the basic duty of all living entities. The message of Bhagvad–Gita is more a manual for life and is relevant even in today’s times and thus has a universal appeal.