French Students Learn Wooden Toy Making from Channapatna Artisans

A batch of 21 students from France have come to Bengaluru and as a part of their visit they made a day trip to Channapatna, also known as ‘Gombegala Nagara’ or Town of Toys, to specially learn the art of wooden toy and doll making from the local artisans in the small town.

The students got hands-on experience with wood-turning techniques with the beauty of lacquer to enhance the visual aesthetic of the craft.

“The visit of French students to Channapatna was a great learning where they could spend enough time with the craftsmen and understand the development process of the old and traditional craft of Karnataka. They have presented their research work by communicating their design solutions through a series of projects works like photographs, videos, and illustrations,” said Avi Keswani, Director, LISAA School of Design which has organised this visit.

"There is an element of timelessness about the design of these Channapatna toys. We are curious to see what this 'east meets west' exploration of indigenous techniques of the local artisans combined with the design sensibilities of the French students, brings about,” says Girish Keswani, Co-director, LISAA School of Design.

“Our overall understanding of the unique craft of toy and doll  making in wood gave us a bigger picture of the craftsmen and their lifestyle which revolve around the craft and the raw material and we can drive our research projects based on the information,” .said Margaux Cortin, one of the French students who was totally fascinated by the art.

Channapatna which is a small town located on the Bengaluru - Mysuru highway in the Ramanagara district of Karnataka is world famous for its traditional wooden toys. Channapatna toys are manufactured in traditional & advanced small-scale industries. This craft brought in ample attention to the small town of Channapatna. Now more and more enterprises are seeking for such exceptional safe toys available in the town.

The French students will in Bengaluru till 18th February 2020 and many workshops and visits to different heritage and cultural centres have been arranged during this time.

LISAA School of Design is a premier Design institute over 35 years of existence in France. The aim of LISAA School of Design is to nurture their students to become not only technically professional but also be sensitive to the aesthetics, culture and spiritual ethos of the society for whom they design. Spread across 11 locations globally, LISAA School of Design is built on heritage, excellence and opportunities. It was set up in India in 2013 with state-of-the-art infrastructure and campus in Bangalore.

LISAA - Bangalore is owned and operated by CREO Valley, the school of creativity and innovation recognized by Qualifications & Assessments International (QAI), UK, Federation of European School (FEDE) and Jawaharlal Nehru Technical Education - Council of Skill Development (JNTE) in higher education. LISAA School of Design has a multidisciplinary approach to design education that promotes both creativity and experimentation, studying and learning in this environment helps the students to develop a unique perspective.

LISAA Bangalore is recognized by the University in Bangalore to offer Degree Courses in Fashion & Textile Design, Interior & Product Design and Graphic & Web Design. It also offers Student Exchange program with more than 7 other locations in France.

Impressive Office Leasing Activity to Boost Hotel Sector in India

Highlights

* According to the fourth quarter Hotel Momentum India (HMI), nine out of top 11 markets in the country witnessed a rise in Revenue Per Available Room (RevPAR) performance during the October * December 2019 period; Mumbai continued to rank on top in absolute terms
* Hyderabad led in RevPAR percentage change in fourth quarter
* Gurugram continues to lead in occupancy growth change during the same period

Heightened commercial leasing activity across top 7 business cities in India leading to higher demand for rooms has been the key driver of growth in RevPAR across most top Indian markets. 9 out of top 11 markets witnessed a continuous rise in RevPAR performance during the October–December 2019 period according to the HMI Q4 2019, a quarterly hospitality sector monitor, released today by JLL Hotels & Hospitality Group.

As per the HMI, while Mumbai has emerged as the leader in terms of RevPAR in absolute terms, Hyderabad is the leader in RevPAR percentage change in Q4 as well as in CY2019 over the same period last year. Both supply and demand has seen growth with supply up by 2.7% and demand by 4.3%
                     
A fundamentally strong market has enables Hyderabad to move to the top of the chart in terms of RevPAR percentage. High room night demand on the back of increased grade ‘A’ office leasing activity coupled with limited new hotel supply, has improved hotel performances significantly. It is believed that first occupancies grew followed by growth in room rates.

Jaideep Dang, Managing Director, Hotel and Hospitality Group - India, JLL, said, “The announcement of building of 100 new airports until 2024 underlines endeavour to connect India under the Udaan scheme, which will likely boost tourism prospects in smaller cities and lesser known destinations. This will certainly create employment at the local level and help micro economy. Tourism and hospitality is amongst the largest employment generator in the country. This move in particular will provide a fillip to employment, drive tourism demand, and will encourage investors to build hotels in smaller cities.”

“Demand continues to be robust due to growth in office sector. Another area of growth is the Warehousing and Logistics sector, which could push room night demand to Tier II industrial locations and suburban areas of Tier I cities. Mixed use IT parks, industrial parks and corporate offices will lead demand for hotels in 2020,’ he added.

While Hyderabad has witnessed a RevPAR change of 13.8%, cities like Ahmedabad with a RevPAR change of -12.5% and Pune with -3.0% have emerged as the laggards in this quarter.

Electric Vehicles Start-Up EV Motors India Announces Appointment of Arvind Gujral as New Chief Executive Officer

EV Motors India has announced the appointment of Arvind Gujral as Chief Executive Officer – EV Charging Infrastructure, as the company enters its next phase of growth. With a mandate to lead the EV charging infrastructure business, Arvind will strategically support the setting up of EV charging franchise network across India, through appointment of Master Franchise, identify new business opportunities and partnerships for providing EV Charging solutions for Passenger Cars, two-wheeler and three-wheeler industry. The appointment will further establish EV Motors India as the leading force in today's electric vehicle charging market.

Arvind comes with an extensive experience of more than three decades in Sales, Business Development, Operations, General Management, and Leadership with large organizations in the power sector and consumer businesses. In the past, he has been associated with prominent companies such as CESC, an RPG group company and BSES Rajdhani Power Ltd.  He is an alumnus of the Indian Institute of Technology, Varanasi and the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore.

Commenting on his appointment, Arvind Gujral said, “Electric vehicle space in India is still at a nascent stage, and this is an exciting time in the marketplace. I am delighted to have the opportunity to develop ‘PlugNgo’ brand and work to build an ecosystem that can accelerate the adoption of electric mobility across India. Our focus will also be to introduce cutting-edge technologies in mobility and deliver exceptional value to our partners."

Vinit Bansal (Managing Director - EV Motors India) said “We are delighted to have Arvind on board and he will play a significant role in scaling up the company’s recently launched Public EV Charging brand ‘PlugNgo’. EV Motors is seeking to install over 6500 charging outlets, each with multiple charging stations, spread across cities, businesses and residential complexes of India, over the next five years.”

Insia Brings Exclusive Valentine’s Jewellery Collection with 20% Discount

Insia.in has recently introduced the exclusive collection of western jewellery in view of Valentine’s Day. The collection simply reflects the token of love as all the jewel pieces are designed to perfection keeping in mind the importance of Valentine’s Day for the couples. The connection is not just there to add glamour to the appearance of the wearer but also to reflect their sense of style and statement they create. These jewel pieces are the best collection for those who are in search of western and fashion jewelry that provide then a perfect blend of bold and stylish touch.

The design and style patterns of this collection of valentine jewellery will surely not fail to impress the women. Unlike gold and diamond jewellery, these beautiful jewel pieces are not too much expensive. Therefore one can easily buy and gift these Valentine’s jewellery to their special one. It will be to reflect their immense love for their better half.

To make this collection more affordable for the jewellery lovers, insia.in also offers 20 per cent discount for the period from February 1 to February 15 so it is the right time for every men to grab this offer and give a special gift to their loved ones on this Valentine’s Day.

The best thing about this special collection is that women can also pair it with their daily outfits. No matter whether they want to pair it with their professional outfit or casual outfit, it will surely goes well with all kind of attires. Inspired by the romantic month of February, this exclusive collection of classy yet stylish jewellery is surely an ideal choice for women of modern time who want to flaunt their fashionable taste and look to carry an appealing appearance on all the occasion. 

Celebrate Valentine’s Day at Inox with Screening of Epic Opera Carmen

For the first time ever, leading multiplex chain will screen an Opera on the Silver Screen this Valentine’s Day. The first of many Opera’s that Inox will be bringing to their patrons is Carmen, an Epic Love Story by George Bizet.

It is a story of passion and destiny where Carmen, who is a rebellious protagonist explores love and everything that comes with it. Carmen represents a bold, go getter, layered and unapologetic girl who evolves with the plot while retaining her rebellious streak.  It is a story of a Gypsy from Seville who is fighting to death for the freedom of love and is directed by renowned director Casper Holten.

The most beloved and most popular opera of all time "Carmen" by George Bizet is a special and extraordinary production, a huge spectacle from the Bergentz festival in Austria is held on the lake shore.

Inox Leisure Ltd has been constantly working towards curating best and unique experiences for Inox patrons, with innovative partnerships. Bringing Carmen, one of the most successful Operas to Indian Audiences is yet another step towards the same.

Date- Feb 14, 2020

Venue- Inox, Garuda Mall, Bengaluru

Fantasia — An Extravaganza of Sound and Sight in Bangalore

We The Bangalore School(TBS) and The Green School Bangalore (TGSB),welcomes you for the first time in forever a Disney Fantasia Celebration capturing the best Disney moments to host its 8th Annual School Concert(TBS) and The Green School Bangalore (TGSB) its 1st Annual School Concert .

The concert is a musical tribute to the Disney World that showcases the underlying themes on the importance of family connections, loyalty being supportive, kind, patient, having courage and so forth through clippings from the magical moments of the timeless Disney characters.

Dance and theatre acts as an apt best platform to channelize young minds to understand the importance of these values put across by Disney stories. We make them believe that there is always a brighter future after tremendous struggle and hence has a great influence on young and old minds . This is the foremost priority of TBS and TGSB to build resilience in the future generations. Animated films can go a long way towards arousing national consciousness and nation-building by a skilful adaption of good moral, social and educative themes.

Shri Acharaya Ajit Kumar Ji, founder chairman of VDM ,as our chief guest and

Mr. Pruthvi Banwasi ,secretary of karnataka council of pre-schools as the guest of honour will be gracing the event by their esteemed presence.

The Bangalore School TBS) and The Green School Bangalore (TGSB) firmly believes in putting all children on the stage. We believe in instilling confidence in children from the preliminary years of development. We aim to build theatre, dance and music abilities along with academic excellence. We believe that ‘Every child is a change maker and every child is ‘UNIQUE’.

Toyota’s Sustainable Road Safety Education Program TSEP for School Children Reaches its 13th Year, Covers 7,50,000 Students

 Toyota Safety Education Program (TSEP), a road safety initiative emphasizes on the importance of instilling a positive behavioral change in children towards road safety and contributing towards reducing road fatalities

- Enthusiastic participation from over 18 schools from Delhi, 18 from Mumbai and 14 from Bangalore, across different phases ensured successful sensitization of children as change agents
- TSEP Module is curated in-line with the Sustainable Development Goals 2030 set by the UN to train 200+ teachers and over 30,000 school children, engaging with more than 80 schools  across India, bringing about a positive change in their behavior as road users
- The Sustainable Development Goals pledges to halve the number of global deaths and injuries from traffic accidents by 2020 and provide access to safe affordable, accessible sustainable transport systems for all, improving road safety by 2030
Bangalore, February 8, 2020: In-line with its commitment to the cause of Road Safety, Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) curated a special road safety awareness program for school children in Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore, with the state level event taking place in the city of Bangalore, today. This initiative is a part of the Toyota Safety Education Program aiming at improving the road safety crisis in the country by inculcating a positive behavior towards road safety among children between grades 5th and 9th. This nation-wide program strongly advocates the need to start training and nurturing the young minds by instilling the sense of responsibility among these future road users.

The program commenced in New Delhi in January this year, followed by the Mumbai chapter on February 3, 2020. The Bangalore state event was organized at Shishumandir, and witnessed enthusiastic participation from the Police and Traffic Departments along with TSEP school children and teachers who played an active role in developing responsible road users of tomorrow.

Focusing on the ABC (Awareness, Behaviour and Campaign & Communication) approach, the program crafted a series of educative and interactive learning activities including: gamified content and assessment, experiential learning, classroom and project-based learning, intra-school, state and national championships. Furthermore, this program entirely focuses on sustainability and bringing about a mindset change among students through multiple interventions. Additionally, Toyota is working with various stakeholders including – school, business partners and police to take this initiative to a larger audience.

TKM’s Road Safety Initiatives for school children

* Toyota Safety Education Program: As a safety leader, Toyota initiated this initiative in 2007 with an aim to educate school children and teachers to instill a sense of responsibility among the future road users through innovative classroom methodology, quiz activities, and state and national level events. Through TSEP, so far, Toyota has educated more than 740,000+ school children from grades 5th – 9th on road safety across India

* Road Safety Hackathon: Under its Hackathon initiative, Toyota invites and incubates innovative ideas of students from grades 9th - 12th to drive the road safety mission with an ultimate goal of achieving “Zero Fatality”. Key focus is given to motivate and unleash the hidden talents, provides a platform for young minds towards “India Road Safety Mission”

* Safety Model School: As part of this initiative, Toyota establishes Safety Model Schools along with one-of-its-kind Traffic Parks to educate school children on the importance of traffic rules and responsible road safety habits. Safety Model School has been successfully implemented in Kolkata, Kochi, Delhi, Varanasi, Hisar, Rewari, and Mettupalayam (Coimbatore) with a promising impact on behavioral changes amongst school children

Commenting on Toyota’s role in driving a positive change, Mr. Vikram Gulati, Senior Vice President, External Affairs, Corporate Social Responsibility & Public Relations, “As a safety leader, we emphasize on creating a strong safety culture within and outside the organization. Toyota’s safety approach to meet zero traffic fatalities integrates people, vehicles and traffic environment.  Today, some of the primary cause of road accidents are over speeding, drunken driving, overtaking and usage of mobile phones while driving. Through “Toyota Safety Education Program” our aim is to educate the future road users-school children on the importance of Road Safety and responsible road behavior to eliminate road fatalities. We all know that children are the decision makers of tomorrow who can bring the desirable transformations in the society. Hence, engaging with them an early stage through a sustainable education program is of paramount importance. I would like to take this opportunity to extend my sincere regards to all the participants and related stakeholders, and request everyone to pledge to work collectively to create a society of safer mobility for future generation.”

Toyota’s relentless efforts to champion the cause of Road Safety

In pursuance of its deep rooted safety mission, Toyota Kirloskar Motor has been consistently engaged in Road Safety initiatives, spreading awareness about the safety culture through an integrated approach involving various stakeholders to enhance the safety mindset.

* Employees and Driver Training: Toyota conducts internal awareness programs on road safety sharing insights tips etc. motivating them to be more aware of road safety challenges and be responsible road users
* Business Partners: As part of Team Toyota Activity (TTA), Toyota collaborates with Business Partners to educate and sensitize school children, teachers, parents and school bus drivers on responsible road safety habits, to create a safer traffic environment for all. Toyota has set up Safety Model Schools and Toyota Driving Schools in different part of the country promising impactful results
* Customers: As safety crusaders, Toyota has introduced global level safety features in advance before it was made mandatory by Indian regulations. The company has set a benchmark for safety in the industry for being the first manufacturer in standardizing dual SRS airbags, Antilock Braking System (ABS) with EBD across all models and all grades. Toyota also conducts Safety Awareness for the customers to bring in a positive behavioural change and drive the message of Road Safety
* TKM’s CSR initiatives: As part of its CSR interventions, Toyota engages with school children through multiple mediums encouraging them to be road safety ambassadors

Toyota will further continue its various CSR interventions from a longer-term perspective and development of socio-economic stature of the society, touching many more lives to make a difference in each one’s well-being.