BAFTA Unveils The 10 Participants Of BAFTA Breakthrough India 2021

* In partnership with Netflix, BAFTA announces inaugural cohort

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) announces the selected participants of the first-ever BAFTA Breakthrough India Initiative, in partnership with Netflix. An esteemed jury of industry experts including Anupam Kher, Monika Shergill, Mira Nair and Siddharth Roy Kapur selected 10 of the most promising talent from the film, games and television industries in India.

BAFTA invited candidates from across the country to apply for its flagship talent initiative ‘BAFTA Breakthrough India’. Due to an overwhelming number of quality applications from the film, games and television industries nationwide, the initiative selected ten emerging Indian talents, double the number previously announced.

The incredibly talented list of BAFTA Breakthrough participants for 2020/21, comprising  the future stars of the film, games and television industries, is as below**:

●  Akshay Singh, Writer/Producer (Mehsampur, The Gold-Laden Sheep and The Sacred Mountain)

●  Arun Karthick, Director/Writer (Nasir, Sivapuranam/The Strange Case of Shiva)

●  Jay Pinak Oza, Cinematographer (Gully Boy)

●  Karthikeya Murthy, Composer (KD (A) Karuppudurai)

●  Palomi Ghosh, Actor (Typewriter, Nachom-ia Kumpasar)

●  Renu Savant, Director/Writer (The Ebb Tide)

●  Shruti Ghosh, Game Developer & Art Director (Raji- An Ancient Epic)

●  Sumit Purohit, Director/Writer (Scam 1992 - Writer/Editor)

●  Tanya Maniktala, Actor (A Suitable Boy)

●  Vikram Singh, Director (Elephants In My Backyard)

The participants will receive one-to-one mentoring, global networking opportunities, free access to BAFTA events and screenings for 12 months, and full voting BAFTA membership. They will also connect with and learn from some of the best in the British and Indian creative industries, share their expertise with peers around the world, gain access to opportunities beyond geographical borders, and be promoted as BAFTA Breakthrough artists globally.

Today, BAFTA has also announced a delay in opening applications for the next Breakthrough India cohort, originally due to open alongside the UK and USA applications on 10 June. This decision has been made to allow future Breakthrough talent the space and time needed during such a difficult time in India. BAFTA will continue to offer support to the current Breakthrough India cohort as their careers face unique challenges.

Amanda Berry OBE, Chef Executive of BAFTA, said: “We launched Breakthrough in the UK eight years ago and since then have recognised and supported over 160 talented individuals. We have seen previous Breakthroughs thrive in their careers with many going on to become BAFTA-winners and nominees. I am absolutely thrilled that Breakthrough has now been extended to India; congratulations to our participants and welcome to the growing BAFTA Breakthrough family. We are extremely grateful to Netflix for supporting the global expansion of Breakthrough, they share our vision to celebrate emerging talent from different backgrounds and cultures. We have an ongoing commitment to support future Breakthrough talent but we are also mindful of the current situation in India due to the pandemic, so whilst we will fully support the Breakthrough participants announced today we have decided to delay the opening of the next round of applications.”

A R Rahman, BAFTA Breakthrough India Ambassador and Jury Chair, said: “The quality of outstanding applications from across the film, games, and television industries was overwhelming, compelling the jury to select ten deserving Indian talents as part of the Breakthrough initiative this year, rather than five as originally planned. This itself serves as a huge testament to the level of creative talent India has to offer. As our country faces unprecedented times, we are hopeful to launch yet another cohort very soon, as we do believe that this program offers an opportunity of a lifetime for Indian talent and I look forward to seeing the new opportunities Breakthrough can bring for them in the years to come.”

Monika Shergill, VP, Content, Netflix India, said: “India is one of the world’s great centres of storytelling. Despite these tough times, it was incredible to see such amazing Indian talent apply across genres. It served as a reminder of the tremendous opportunities for new talent, fresh voices, and untold stories that can travel nationwide and around the world. Congratulations to the ten brilliant BAFTA Breakthrough participants. They represent the finest of the Indian creative community and I look forward to the paths they blaze ahead.”

Applications for BAFTA Breakthrough in the UK And USA open today. Since its launch in 2013, BAFTA Breakthrough has championed over 160 talented newcomers, including performers Bukky Bakray, Paapa Essiedu, Letitia Wright, Florence Pugh, Josh O’Connor, Abubakar Salim and Lauren Ridloff, games creatives Chella Ramanan, Segun Akinola, Gemma Langford, and directors Nicole Newnham, Jim LeBrecht, Rose Glass, Stella Corradi and Destiny Ekaragha, amongst many others. Previous Breakthrough alumni have gone on to flourish within their respective disciplines, many becoming BAFTA winners and nominees.

For more information on the BAFTA Breakthrough India participants visit: https://www.bafta.org/supporting-talent/breakthrough/breakthrough-india-2020

Axis Direct Launches RING Academy - A Mentorship Program For Stock Market Investing and Financial Planning

* A long-term  mentorship program with 150+ hours of live sessions for six months

* Mentoring through live trading and financial planning exercises

* Covers Fundamental, Technical, and Risk management aspects of Training

* Additional courses for the overall development of traders and investors like Psychology, Yoga, Meditation, Trading Software, Spreadsheets, Calculators, etc.

* Uniquely designed, expert-led online courses

* ‘Professional Investor and Personal Finance Manager’- Certificate from Axis Direct  

Axis Direct- the flagship brand of Axis Securities, a fully-owned subsidiary of Axis Bank, announced the launch of ‘RING Academy’, an exclusive long-term mentorship program to help investors build and manage wealth as well as overcome the challenges of stock market investing. RING Academy, an online educational initiative, aims to offer uniquely designed courses to investors in the market. The goal of the program is to empower investors to cultivate a lifestyle around earnings and manage money confidently.

The RING Academy framework fosters knowledge sharing and personal growth by providing relevant resources online. The exclusive program is led by industry experts and covers all aspects of investing and managing wealth. Investors can learn basics to advance in fundamentals, technical, risk management, and personality aspects of investing, and develop trading and financial planning skills. The participants will also get an opportunity to join the live trading and financial planning exercises, which will further add to their empirical knowledge.

Speaking at the launch, B Gopkumar, MD & CEO, Axis Securities said, “As a trusted brokerage house, we endeavor to empower customers with the knowledge to help them make informed decisions. By launching ‘RING Academy’, we are taking another step in helping investors understand the mechanics of stock market investing, which will eventually enable them to transition from an amateur investor into an expert. We believe that an experiential learning process is rewarding, and we are confident that this program will help investors navigate stock markets more confidently." 

RING Academy’s flagship mentorship certification program 'Professional Investor & Personal Finance Manager Program (PIPFM)' emphasizes overall development through modules like Psychology, Yoga, Meditation, Basics of Trading Software, Excel, Google Suites, and more to get into the investor’s mind-set and understand the trading psychology. The structured program will cover all aspects of investing and managing money including Health, Wealth, and Knowledge.

Axis Direct will provide a 6-month long mentorship program free of cost for the financial year FY 2022. Considering the ongoing pandemic and the current lockdown situation, this move will digitally help the participants achieve their financial goals through appropriate planning and systematic training.

To enrol, interested candidates may reach out to ring.academy@axissecurities.in

Orientbell Tiles Launches Forever Range, Bringing New Designs And Colour Patterns To The Southern Markets

Orientbell Tiles, one of the leading tile brands in the country, launches new designs in their Forever Tiles range for the southern markets. An amalgamation of innovation and creativity, the range comes with a specially formulated high resistance coating which is rated 8 on the Mohs scale of hardness, thus making them scratch resistant and long-lasting.

Compared to other competing products, the finish on these tiles does not get affected even under heavy use or dragging heavy objects on them. The complete range is also germ free, killing more than 99% of bacteria & fungus in 24 hours (external lab tests available on request), keeping the customers healthy and safe.

This new collection offers attractive designs in the Maksi and Smoky patterns in Grey tiles, and the Travertine Marble finish in the brown. Designs are also available in combinations of light and dark, thus allowing homeowners to play with laying patterns as per their preference. Another attractive design is the plain white that will give a pristine look to any space.

These tiles can be used at homes or offices and even at airports, hospitals, schools, and similar high traffic areas prone to rough use, scratches and abrasion. The scratch free and germ free property of these tiles make them an ideal choice not only for homes but also for industrial use. The tiles are available in 600x600mm in matte finish.

“New colours and designs have been introduced in the southern markets, keeping in mind the changing tastes of customers there. Everyone cares for their health, which makes this range with germ free features an ideal choice to make their homes a safe space. Thus, Forever Tiles will be a perfect addition owing to their germ-free and scratch free feature. Consumers can now access the Forever Tiles range and our entire catalogue on our website, www.orientbell.com” - Mr. Alok Agarwal, Chief Marketing Officer.

The whole collection can be explored at https://www.orientbell.com/tiles/forever-tiles?p=9

Sara Ali Khan Chooses The Goodness Of Mamaearth Because Amrita Singh Approves!

Direct-to-consumer personal care brand Mamaearth, earlier this year, announced Sara Ali Khan as Brand Ambassador for their haircare range. The toxin-free personal care brand is rapidly scaling operations and exploring newer avenues to connect with the millennial audience  and the collaboration with Sara Ali Khan will help strengthen it.  

Mamaearth is on a constant quest to create an innovative portfolio of products that are modern alternatives to DIY remedies. While working on the campaign concept, Sara mentioned that her mother always used these ingredients on her which have resulted in great skin and hair. Hence, it was ideal to bring in Amrita Singh along with her daughter to advocate the benefits of the Onion for hairfall. Building on Amrita Singh & Sara Ali Khan camaraderie, the duo will remind the consumers that we all live under the invisible yet omnipresent radar of our mothers, who only mean well. 

Amrita Singh, the leading lady of her era, appeared in a brand commercial after a break of 35 years. The primary reason for choosing to appear in the commercial was the brand's purpose and products. 

Talking about the latest association and the upcoming campaign with her mother, an elated Sara Ali Khan said, "When Mamaearth approached me and told me about the proposition, I instantly connected with it as my mother always used these ingredients on my hair. In fact, coming together with my mother for this brand commercial was like a regular day at home with Amma applying onion extract on my hair to help control my hair fall. Since this is the first time I am working with my mother, I am excited and nervous at the same time. I hope the audience enjoys our chemistry and we hope to make them reminisce about their childhood memories. Mamaerth is trying to do good for the consumers and the environment and I urge everyone to choose goodness of mamaearth and help serve a bigger purpose."

On a personal note, Sara always seeks my advice on personal care as I have been extremely particular about setting regimes for her hair and skin. But when she told me the reason, she decided to work with Mamaearth because they make modern alternatives to DIY recipes.  When I was offered to work with Sara in the television commercial, I just had to agree as the premise of the television commercial is literally a scene out of Sara’s childhood when I used to insist on using onion extract on her hair to reduce hair fall. What makes this commercial even more special is working with Sara for the first time. I really like Mamaearth’s approach towards their product line and their efforts to make a larger impact on society. I hope they are successful in their endeavors. " Says, Amrita Singh.

"We at Mamaearth are constantly striving to create a product line that is inspired by age-old remedies, coupling them with science to create modern convenient solutions for our consumers. With millennials choosing natural and organic personal care products, it is a great opportunity for us to provide them with solutions that are safe and effective.  Bringing in Amrita Singh along with Sara Ali Khan will help reinstate the brand's proposition with our millennial audience. Sara Ali Khan, who is well known for speaking her mind out, is the perfect fit for a changemaker brand like ours." says, Ghazal Alagh, Co-founder and Chief Innovation Officer, Mamaearth.

Mamaearth is a purpose driven brand for millennials who believe in choosing goodness for themselves and the environment. Mamaearth believes that goodness starts with the small choices each of us make every day! The brand continues to live up to its belief by using only the best of nature and no toxins or harmful chemicals in their products. They are also animal cruelty-free, plastic positive, and have launched the Plant Goodness promise last year. As part of this, the brand links every order made on their website to a tree they plant and is set to plant 10 lakh+ trees in 5 years.

ABOUT HONASA CONSUMER PVT LTD

Honasa Consumer Pvt Limited (HCPL), is a digital-first consumer brands company creating the FMCG conglomerate of the future. A company built on the values of Honesty, Natural ingredients, and Safe care, HCPL caters to the needs of millennial consumers through innovative products, evolved propositions, direct-to-consumer marketing, and e-commerce fulfillment. Currently catering to over 100 cities in India with brands like Mamaearth & The Derma Co., HCPL is building an ecosystem that helps benefit the consumers and community at large. Backed by Sequoia Capital India, Fireside Ventures, Stellaris Venture Partners, and Sharrp Ventures, HCPL is set to become a billion-dollar FMCG conglomerate in the next 5 years — spread across the globe but connected through a digital center of excellence.

ABOUT MAMAEARTH 

Founded by husband-wife duo Ghazal Alagh and Varun Alagh, Mamaearth is Asia’s first brand with Madesafe certified products that offer 100% toxin-free & natural baby care, skincare, and hair care products. Driven by innovation and using the best of science and Ayurveda, the brand caters to all personal care needs of young, aspirational, and increasingly conscious Indian consumers.  

In a short span of 4 years, Mamaearth has created a product portfolio of 150+ products packed with goodness inside, has reached over 5 million customers in 100 Indian cities, and is the fastest-growing FMCG start-up to hit a 500 Cr run rate in India. Mamaearth products are available on www. mamaearth. in, major eCommerce platforms like Amazon, Nykaa, Flipkart, and over 10,000 stores across the country. 

IIFL Home Finance Expects Loan Book Growth By 18%, Signs MOU With Central Bank Of India For Co-Lending

IIFL Home Finance, a subsidiary of IIFL Finance Limited which is a NBFC registered with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), announced their association and signed MoU with Central Bank of India, one of India's largest commercial bank for LIG* and MIG** Sector lending for home loans. IIFL HF expects to grow loan book by 18% in the coming times with this tie up. The loan sourcing and servicing will be managed by IIFL Home Finance and 80% of the loan will be provided by Central Bank.

IIFL Home Finance will service the customers through the entire loan life-cycle including sourcing, documentation, collection and loan servicing. This association will significantly strengthen IIFL Home Finance Ltd.'s portfolio of lending Home Loans to larger target customers in India. The arrangement will also help IIFL Home Finance to offer more attractive interest rates to its customers. With this initiative IIFL HF expects to strengthen its presence in Telangana, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Karnataka.

IIFL HFL recently facilitated distribution of CLSS subsidy benefits to over 43,000 beneficiary households under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana. IIFL HF facilitated subsidy benefits in 17 states, totaling over Rs.1025crore. The company has till date disbursed loans to over 1,25,000 happy families.

Speaking on the development, Mr. Monu Ratra, CEO & ED at Home Finance Ltd said, "We are excited to partner with Central Bank of India, the collaboration will reinforce our strategy and objective of increasing our reach in the affordable housing segment, target untapped customers and hereby grow our book significantly under the co-lending mechanism. We understand that Pandemic has affected many and their buying capacity, through this Co-lending association, we will be able to provide more affordable home loans to first time home buyers at competitive prices and thereby also help in the revival of the market."

Mr. Ratra added, "This association will further strengthen the reach of both the lenders, creating a winning proposition for all stakeholders. IIFL Home Finance with its rich origin and years of experience in in Home Loan origination and servicing capabilities, including digitally advanced lending platform, while Central Bank of India will be bringing in its strength of lower cost funds."

IIFL Housing finance recently entered into co-lending arrangement with Standard Chartered Bank, one of the leading foreign Bank in India for extending credit to MSME loans (loan against property). IIFL HF has also joined hands with ICICI, second largest private sector Bank in India for affordable housing, MSME loans.

As a fintech housing finance company, IIFL Home Finance is dedicated to make their customers' journey of owning a home as seamless as possible by leveraging their future-ready technology system, which offers 100% digital on-boarding.

Sify Technologies Recognized In 2020 Gartner Market Guide For Public Cloud Managed And Professional Services Providers, Asia/Pacific

 

Sify Technologies Limited (NASDAQ: SIFY), India’s most comprehensive ICT solutions provider with global service capabilities spanning Data Centers, Networks, Cloud, Infrastructure Managed services and Applications management, today announced that the company has been recognized in Gartner’s Market Guide for Public Cloud Managed and Professional Services (MSPs) Providers in Asia/Pacific.

“The markets across the Asia Pacific region differ significantly in their IT maturity and readiness for cloud adoption. With an increasing number of Enterprises adopting Public Cloud services for business agility, this recognition is a testimonial to our industry-leading cloud capabilities”, said Kamal Nath, CEO, Sify Technologies.  

Delighted at the recognition, Ravi Maguluri, Chief Technology Officer, Cloud and Digital Services, said “Sify with its cloud@core philosophy and integrated data center, multi-cloud and network solutions is a first-choice partner for Enterprises looking to meet their cloud transformation goals. We are building competencies in automation, low-code frameworks and consumable AI/ML to help our customers realize their digital objectives. We are excited to be active contributors in APAC’s evolution into a strong digital hub”.

“A growing number of public cloud managed service providers are based or operating in the Asia/Pacific, differing significantly in competency, background and business focus. This research helps sourcing, procurement and vendor management leaders identify providers best suited to their needs.” (Gartner Research*)

*Source : Gartner, Market Guide for Public Cloud Managed and Professional Services Providers, Asia/Pacific, DD Mishra et al., 19 October 2020

Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner’s research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.

About Sify Technologies

A Fortune India 500 company, Sify Technologies is India’s most comprehensive ICT service & solution provider. With Cloud at the core of our solutions portfolio, Sify is focussed on the changing ICT requirements of the emerging Digital economy and the resultant demands from large, mid and small-sized businesses.  Sify’s infrastructure comprising state-of-the-art Data Centers, the largest MPLS network, partnership with global technology majors and deep expertise in business transformation solutions modelled on the cloud, make it the first choice of start-ups, SMEs and even large Enterprises on the verge of a revamp.

More than 10000 businesses across multiple verticals have taken advantage of our unassailable trinity of Data Centers, Networks and Security services and conduct their business seamlessly from more than 1600 cities in India. Internationally, Sify has presence across North America, the United Kingdom and Singapore.

Renowned Cricketer Virender Sehwag Launches India’s First Experiential Learning Website For Cricket - CRICURU

* Conceptualized & developed by Virender Sehwag & Sanjay Bangar the website aims to revolutionize cricket learning experience 

* The AI based website will offer first of kind customized & personalized coaching experience & access to expert advice from noted players of the game 

* Users will also get to learn mental fitness & toughness from celebrated players self-experiences  

India’s star cricketer Virender Sehwag launched CRICURU - India’s first experiential learning website aimed at redefining the cricket coaching experience in the country.  

CRICURU is a pioneer in AI based cricket coaching in the country aimed at offering a personalized learning experience for its users. The curriculum for each player has been developed personally by Mr. Virender Sehwag along with Mr. Sanjay Bangar, former Indian Player and Batting Coach of the Indian Cricket team (2015-19). 

With international cricket attaining new heights in terms of technology led innovation there was a need that India too joins the bandwagon to offer a similar experience for aspiring cricketers in the country.  

Sharing his views on the launch of CRICURU, Mr. Virender Sehwag, Founder, CRICURU, said, “At CRICURU our aim is to develop an ecosystem to democratize cricket learning in India and bridge the existing gaps. Our curriculum is designed meticulously giving access to coaching experts from across the globe to offer an uninterrupted coaching experience for aspiring cricketers at par with international standards of cricket.” 

Additionally he added, “CRICURU also gives parents an opportunity to become partners with their children as they work towards attaining the required skill set for a professional career in cricket.” 

CRICURU is India’s first AI enabled website designed to help youngsters learn playing cricket through master classes of 30 handpicked player coaches from across the globe with about four hours of curated video content with each coach, where learning is evaluated using customized AI led technology. It is the only experiential learning website that brings learning alive through immersive videos, interactive augmented reality and engaging simulations.  

Mr. Sanjay Bangar, Co – Founder, CRICURU added, “The vision behind CRICURU is to offer access to cricket coaching for people living anywhere across the country, even Tier 2 and 3 cities which can be easily accessed from the comfort of your homes. With smartphone and internet penetration on the rise this just makes it more accessible for aspiring enthusiasts.” 

CRICURU is a combination of demonstrations and interviews where your CRICURU shares his experience and learning with you. Each class includes extensive pre-recorded video content and the videos can be paused, fast-forwarded, and re-watched as many times as you would like. CRICURU is available on both iOS and Android devices and users can log on to www.cricuru.com to subscribe for a duration of 1 year. The subscription fees starts from Rs 299 for a duration of 1 year.  

Key features of CRICURU 

1 34 handpicked player coaches from across the globe – AB de Villiers, Brett Lee,Brian Lara, Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo, Harbhajan Singh, Jonty Rhodes etc  

2 Customized AI led technology to evaluate users batting objectively and rate their performance on an ongoing basis to show how is the progress 

3 Each user gets a score against the MCC coaching manual 

4 Personalized learning experience for every user 

5 Knowledge driven initiative which is powered by some of the best-known cricket legends 

6 Users get a firsthand experience from celebrated players as to how they navigated success, failure & fame