Fashion Design Students Tailor 225+ Designer Garments For Underprivileged Children

A group of fashion design students from Vogue Institute of Art & Design have designed and tailored a total of 225+ designer garments and donated them to the less privileged children of Shishu Mandir orphanage. 

The designer garments consist of lovely floral A line and ankle length dresses, flared pants, long skirts and smart shirts in pleasant colours and have been made in different sizes keeping in mind children from the age group of 8 to 14 years. 

The initiative has been undertaken by the students with the help of the faculty members of the fashion department.

Distributing these at an event held especially for this, Mr. Nishank Kariappa, General Manager, Vogue Institute of Art and Design said, “As an institute we strongly believe in giving back to society. We want to support underprivileged students by donating designer garments by our fashion design students. Even our faculty members have put in extra efforts to go beyond their assignments by helping the students to design and sew the clothes"

Speaking about the donation drive, Dr. Vijaykumar, Director, Vogue Institute of Art and Design said, "We at Vogue understand the importance of nurturing human values and responsible citizens. The academic programme at the Institution thus also involves activities that promote societal commitment. Our students have designed and developed garments with due consideration to its sustainability and amicability." 

"The faculty members too have made humble contribution to the donation drive. The purpose of the activity is to raise empathetic human beings among the graduates and also let them know their role in making the world a better place to live for the underprivileged community,” he further added.

The garments incorporate comfortable design features, colour schemes and silhouettes and are made in cotton, linen, chiffon and silk materials. The garments are easy to maintain, compatible to wear and eco-friendly too. 

Nandini, one of the children at Shishu Mandir said she was thrilled to get a dress of her liking.  “I always wanted to wear a frilly pink colour dress; however designer clothes are a dream for a girl like me. I will wear this dress on my birthday,” a beaming Swathi said.

Addressing the gathering, Ms. Vandana Kumar, President, Shishu Mandir Institutions said, "On behalf of Shishu Mandir, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude for the generosity shown by the students of Vogue Institute of Art and Design who have so thoughtfully tailored these designer garments for less privileged children. We are proud to be associated with a leader in the fashion industry, and more so, one that never loses sight of caring for the community in which it operates".

This initiative has shown that it doesn’t require a lot of money or time to help the needy.

There were performances like Dollu Kunitha, Marathi dance, Assamese dance and unicycling by the children of Shishu Mandir that enthralled one and all

Netflix Partners With Ministry Of Information And Broadcasting To Honor Real-Life Heroes Under Azadi Ki Amrit Kahaniyan

As India celebrates its rich history of people, culture and achievements on the occasion of 75 years of independence, Netflix and The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, have come together to honor unique real-life stories of extraordinary individuals through a series of inspiring short videos titled  Azadi Ki Amrit Kahaniyan.. This was launched today in the presence of Shri Anurag Thakur, Minister of Information and Broadcasting, Govt. of India. 

Bela Bajaria, Global Head of TV, Netflix, who was also present at the event, said, “Great stories can come from anywhere and are ever so inspiring when they are about people who rise against the odds. In partnership with The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Azadi Ki Amrit Kahaniyan focuses on celebrating remarkable individuals and their stories that can inspire people in India and around the world.” 

Narrated by acclaimed actress Neena Gupta, these short videos capture the remarkable journey of these individuals and how they broke the glass ceiling in their respective fields, ranging from science to sports. Here is what these achievers had to say about what Azadi (freedom) means to them personally. 

“If something hasn’t been attempted, it doesn't mean you cannot do it. To me, Azadi means facing a raging fire.” — Harshini Kanheker, India’s first female firefighter.

“From water comes life, and water is life. I flow free like a river, and will continue to protect and serve water, that’s Azadi to me.” — Basanti Devi, Environmentalist and protector of the Kosi river ecosystem.  

“If women hold the power to create life, women also hold the power to save lives. If I have to put my life at stake to save other lives, I wouldn't think twice.”  — Poonam Nautiyal walked miles across the Bageshwar district in Uttarakhand to vaccinate thousands of people living in remote areas.

"Being a scientist, every moment is a learning curve. We need to face challenges, and we need to learn. I always say that science has no gender, and Azadi is when we take our nation to new horizons." — Tessy Thomas, the “Missile Woman of India”, is the first-ever woman scientist to head a missile project in India.

“I am a force of nature, I can scale great heights, and my journey has just begun. Azadi means to make your way up in the world.” — Anshu Jamsenpa, the first woman in the world to summit Mount Everest twice in 5 days.

“When you dream something out of the box, it’s very important to push the norms. Azadi is to be one with the wind.” — Aarohi Pandit, the world's youngest person and first woman pilot to cross the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean solo in a light-sport aircraft. 

“You have the right to dream, and the right to achieve your dream. Just like the waves, be patient, be consistent, and never look back. To me, Azadi is to take a bit of the ocean wherever I go.”— Tanvi Jagadish, India's first competitive woman stand-up paddleboarder. 

Equicom Savings Bank Goes Live With FSS Secure 3D To Combat Card-Not-Present Fraud

FSS (Financial Software and Systems), a leading global provider of integrated payment products and a payments processor announced that Equicom Savings Bank (EqB) - one of the leading banks in the Philippines has successfully deployed FSS Secure3D, an intelligent payment authentication solution which can identify higher risk transactions, to provide cardholders an added security layer for online payments and reduce fraud risk.  

Modelled on EMVCo 3.2 guidelines FSS Secure 3D identifies higher risk transaction before the transaction is authorised and monies leave the cardholder account. The solution will be hosted on FSSNeT, FSS secure private cloud, with FSS assuming a single mantle of responsibility for certification, compliance, evolving interchange mandates and regulation and functional enhancements. An As-a-Service model allows Equicom to minimise fraud risk, alleviate compliance costs and improve efficiencies. 

Speaking on the collaboration EqB Vice President and Head for Consumer & Small Business Lending Division Roussel E. Larger, stated; “The eCommerce environment is rapidly growing and is a growing concern. Given its deep payments expertise and growing deployment base, FSS Secure 3D is a proven solution for our needs. We were able go live within a short timeframe and are confident that the solution will help us mitigate fraud risk while lowering false positives and provide a seamless payments experience for customers.” 

Speaking on the collaboration CEO FSS Jaishankar A L, stated; “We are delighted that EqB has selected FSS as its partner. Our Authentication-As-a-Service model allows EqB Bank to achieve the necessary agility as well as enhanced functionality and security for its customers. By leaving fraud prevention and regulation compliance up to the experts, Equicom can focus on what it does best.” 

FSS Secure3D exploits rich data streams exchanged between merchants and issuers to learn customers’ transactional DNA and risk score transactions based on a combination of location, merchant, transaction, and device-related attributes. This results in a more frictionless payment journey and a faster checkout experience for customers, ultimately resulting in low levels of basket abandonment and increased sales. Higher-risk transactions requiring further inspection will still go through two-factor authentication, or are immediately declined, in accordance with regulation and customer risk appetite.

FSS secures 120 million transactions for 20+ customer globally and protects USD 3 billion in value annually. Benchmarked to process 8,000 transactions per second, FSS Secure3D assures faster processing time and higher sales conversion. FSS Secure3D is certified by EMVCo and key card schemes like Visa, MasterCard, and Amex.

About FSS 

Financial Software and Systems (FSS) is a leader in payments technology and transaction processing. The company offers an integrated portfolio of software products, hosted payment services, and software solutions built over 30+ years of experience. FSS, end-to-end payments products suite, powers retail delivery channels including ATM, POS, Internet, and Mobile and critical back-end functions including cards management, reconciliation, settlement, merchant management, and device monitoring. Headquartered in Chennai, India, FSS services leading global banks, financial institutions, processors, central regulators, and governments across North America, UK, Europe, ME, Africa, and APAC and has 2,500 experts on board. For more information, visit www.fsstech.com.

About Equicom 

Equicom Savings Bank (EqB) is a medium-sized savings bank established on September 29, 2008. It is a member of the Equicom Group and was among the country’s top 20 thrift banks (in a group of 51 small, medium, and large thrift banks) in terms of total assets, total deposits, total loan portfolio volume, and return on equity. Moreover, its cardholders have access to over 20,000 BancNet ATMs nationwide and around one (1) million Visa Plus ATMs worldwide. The Bank’s corporate vision is to be the preferred savings bank of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and consumers. EQB is the first bank to receive the Pagtugon Award bestowed by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) in 2012.

India’s First NFT Dedicated To Tree Plantation On Earth Day - April 22

* Announced the sale of 13 Environment-themed NFTs on Earth Day, Apr 22, 2022

* All 13 NFTs sold out in under 10 mins of launch

* Proceeds from the NFT sales to go towards AROH Foundation

* 100 Pipers pledged to plant 1 million trees over the course of one year, under the 100 Pipers ‘Play for a Cause’ platform, in partnership with AROH Foundation

Over the years, Seagram’s 100 Pipers ‘PLAY FOR A CAUSE’ platform has been at the forefront of supporting causes that positively impact society, thereby bringing to life the brand’s core proposition of ‘Be Remembered For Good’ in an experiential manner. This year 100 Pipers ‘PLAY FOR A CAUSE’ pledges to a greener future by vowing to plant 1 million trees over the course of one year in partnership with AROH Foundation. 100 Pipers launched this momentous campaign on Earth Day, 22nd April. 100 Pipers has also embraced technologies of the future & launched India’s first Environment-themed NFTs dedicated to Tree Plantation titled ‘Now Funding Tomorrow’. 

13 coveted NFTs designs themed around ‘Tree Plantation for Environment Conservation’ were launched on 22nd Apr 2022, for purchase on https://ngagen.com/100pipers platform. And, all 13 NFTs sold out in under 10 mins of launch.

Proceeds from the NFT sales will be transferred to the AROH Foundation and additionally will help in contributing to a portion of the larger Tree Plantation initiative.

The brand also launched a unique digital campaign to further amplify awareness around the need for Tree Plantation. It has called upon the audience to become CTOs – Chief Tree Officers by participating in the NFT sale to not just grow their collection but also grow trees. For each exclusive NFT brand will plant 10 trees & likewise for each rare NFT, 2 trees will be planted.

Expressing his excitement towards the initiative, Kartik Mohindra, Chief Marketing Officer, Pernod Ricard India said, “Seagram’s 100 Pipers believes in leadership of thought & innovation. Play For A Cause music events are key brand experiences that bring alive the ethos - ‘Be Remembered For Good’. This year, Play For A Cause aims to resonate even more strongly with the youth by supporting the cause of Tree Plantation & Eco-Regeneration in two unique ways. Starting Earth Day 2022, 100 Pipers will work closely with AROH Foundation for planting 1 Million Trees across India over a year. Riding the winds of change, 100 Pipers has also leveraged new-age technologies like NFTs to support this cause & drive the message home with the future generations – a  first-ever in India! We’ve received overwhelming response with our first set of NFTs selling out in under 10 mins. Being committed to the cause we will announce a 2nd NFT drop soon.”

Sharing thoughts about the initiative, Dr. Neelam Gupta, Founder President and CEO, AROH Foundation said “At no time has it been more evident & more important that we invest in our planet. The collaboration with Seagram’s 100 Pipers ‘Play for a Cause’ is a perfect platform to further amplify our efforts towards environment protection with the India-wide 1 Million tree plantation drive. Also in order to shape our future we need to embrace technologies of the future which makes the NFT campaign extremely relevant to ensure our message reaches to the young audience of today.”

Here is your chance to pitch in and #BeRememberedForGood!

Watch out for the next drop of ‘Now Funding Tomorrow’ NFTs on https://ngagen.com/100pipers.

Follow @100pipersindia on Instagram for more details.

Countdown To New Range Rover Sport Revealed In Indian Market

* New Range Rover Sport will make an exhilarating debut as new images provide a first glimpse of the dynamic new luxury SUV

* World debut: New Range Rover Sport will make its global premiere at 19:00 BST (23:30 IST) on Tuesday 10 May 2022

* Dynamic luxury: First images preview an adrenaline-filled reveal for the luxury performance SUV

* Watch the reveal: Join from 19:00 BST (23:30 IST) on Land Rover’s YouTube channel

* Find out more: Sign up for updates at https://www.landrover.in/new-range-rover-sport.html

New Range Rover Sport is preparing to break cover, with the third-generation model set to make its world premiere on 10 May 2022.

The global reveal will include a dramatic debut by the new luxury performance SUV, previewed by an exclusive set of images. The new model will continue the daring exploits of its predecessors by undertaking a unique challenge for its launch.

Range Rover Sport has previously completed a series of challenges, including a record-setting hill-climb at Pikes Peak, a first recorded crossing of the ‘Empty Quarter’ desert in the Arabian Peninsula and a first ascent of the 999 steps to Heaven’s Gate in China, in 2018.

New images provide a first look at its modernist interior.  Defined by its dynamic, cockpit-like driving position, architectural lightness and precise detailing, the interior of New Range Rover Sport is crafted from the finest materials and sets the tone for a truly engaging drive.

The most dynamic member of the Range Rover family has been redefined, effortlessly blending unmistakable presence, unrivalled on-road capability and the latest advanced digital and chassis technologies.

Dr. Zamindar Microsurgical Eye Centre Conferred At AHPI Global Conclave 2022

* The Award recognises the Hospital's AHPI Healthcare Excellence in the category of ‘Patient Friendly’

The Association of Healthcare Providers of India (AHPI), recently honoured Dr. Zamindar Microsurgical Eye Centre with AHPI Healthcare Excellence Award in the ‘Patient Friendly’ category.

AHPI's advisory council constitutes experts from across the globe who share their perspectives on the developments occurring in the Healthcare space. The award was received by Dr. S Zamindar, Chief Medical Director of Microsurgical Eye Centre and Mr. Faiyaz Zamindar during the esteemed event that was hosted by the AHPI Global Conclave 2022 and was held in The Lalit, Mumbai on April 22. The award was presented to the hospital by stalwarts of the healthcare industry like Dr. Alexander Thomas – National President AHPI, Dr. Girdhar Gyani – Director General AHPI, Dr. Joy Chakraborty - CEO, Hinduja Hospital and Dr. Atul Kochhar – CEO, NABH.

On accepting the award, Dr. Samina Zamindar, CMD of Microsurgical Eye Centre, said, "When I started this institution in 1995, my goal was to bring affordable, quality eye care to the people of Bangalore. Today, our strong team of 34 eye care professionals continue our mission to serve patients with the best eye care, technology and compassion."

"It is an honour to have been chosen for this award. It is not only a token of appreciation, but a motivation to continue our efforts towards re-defining eye care delivery systems across the world." She further added.

Zamindar Microsurgical Eye Centre is a CAHO (consortium of accredited health care organisation) centre for quality promotion and is also accredited by NABH (National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers). 'Eye for quality' is open for sharing best practices across Ophthalmology for health care professionals across the world.

About Dr. Zamindar Microsurgical Eye Centre

Zamindar Microsurgical Eye Centre has state-of-the-art eye care in India, offering world-class eye care services to patients in and around Bangalore since 1997. They provide the best, personalised healthcare with a breadth of surgical and medical expertise. Dr. Zamindar’s Microsurgical Eye Centre believes and adheres to its motto “Quality is not an accident but a result of intelligent efforts.”

For more information on Dr Zamindar Microsurgical Eye Centre,  visit https://www.drzamindarseyecentre.com/

Nature’s Basket And SBI Card Launches India’s First International Gourmet Card

 

* Applications for ’Nature’s Basket SBI Card’ are now open

Nature’s Basket and SBI Card joined hands together to launch a unique credit card to elevate the shopping experience for the premium consumers of India. The ‘Nature’s Basket SBI Card’ was officially launched at an event at Taj Lands End in Mumbai on Friday evening. This event encapsulated the essence of premium lifestyle and gourmet tastes for its attendees and marked the availability of this card to its users.

This card comes in two variants – ‘Nature’s Basket SBI Card’ and ‘Nature’s Basket SBI Card Elite’. The cardholder will enjoy maximum benefits at Nature’s Basket stores along with international travel, dining, and entertainment sectors.

According to Mr. Shashwat Goenka, Sector Head, Retail & FMCG, RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group, “India’s grocery retail market has seen dynamic evolution in the past decade. It is expected to grow at a?CAGR of 8.02%?from 2020 and 2025. The Nature’s Basket SBI Card has tapped into a great opportunity to revolutionise the grocery shopping industry by creating profitable implications not just for the market but consumers as well.”

Mr. Devendra Chawla, CEO & MD, Nature’s Basket said, “The launch of this unique card is a step taken keeping in mind the purchasing behaviour of India’s consumers. This card will help us to deeper engage with our consumers by ensuring customer delight. Partnering with SBI Card is a delightful collaboration and we hope to further strengthen this relationship in our quest to an ever improving customer experience.”

According to Mr. Rama Mohan Rao Amara, MD & CEO, SBI Card, “We are pleased to launch a product like Nature’s Basket SBI Card. This one-of-its-kind credit card is now available for customers and has been designed keeping in mind the emerging needs of premium segment. Nature’s Basket SBI Card addresses their unique lifestyle related spend needs, especially gourmet and grocery. We are pleased to partner with a renowned brand like Nature’s Basket in our endeavour to provide them an exceptionally premium experience.”

Speaking about the initiative Chef Sanjeev Kapoor said, “It is wonderful to see Nature’s Basket and SBI Card coming together to create such an enjoyable experience for India’s premium consumers to enrich their lifestyles. This card is truly unique and is made keeping the interests of the consumer in mind”

‘Nature's Basket SBI Card’ variants will enable cardholders to earn upto 20 Reward Points on every ?100 spent at Nature's Basket stores and upto 10 Reward Points on every ?100 spent on dining, movies, and international spends. Both the variants will come with compelling spends-based milestone benefits. Importantly, the cardholders will be able to enjoy unparalleled benefits such as complimentary Bookmyshow movie tickers worth ?6,000 every year for the Elite variant. Moreover, Nature’s Basket SBI Card Elite will allow cardholders to avail Taj gift vouchers worth ?10,000 upon achieving annual spending of ?6 lakh and annual fee reversal at ?10 lakh spends milestone during the membership year.

The annual membership fee of Nature’s Basket SBI Card and its Elite version will be Rs 1499 and Rs 4,999 respectively and these have been launched on the Visa platform. To register for the card, visit Nature’s Basket or SBI Card website.

Key highlights of the Nature’s Basket SBI Card and Nature’s Basket SBI Card Elite are:

1. ‘Nature’s Basket SBI Card’ variants will enable cardholders to earn up to 20 Reward Points on every ?100 spent at Nature’s Basket stores and up to 10 Reward Points on every ?100 spent on dining, movies, and international spends. Importantly, the cardholders will be able to enjoy unparalleled benefits such as complimentary Bookmyshow movie tickets, Taj gift vouchers, Nature’s Basket welcome gift vouchers, and access to higher tiers of Nature’s Basket loyalty program, among others.

2. Offering complimentary Bookmyshow movie tickets worth ?6,000 every year, the Nature’s Basket SBI Card Elite will allow cardholders to avail Taj gift vouchers worth Rs 10,000 upon achieving annual spending of ?6 lakh and annual fee reversal at ?10 lakh spends milestone during the membership year.

3. Meanwhile, Nature’s Basket SBI Card users will get gift vouchers of premium brands worth ?3,000 upon achieving ?3 lakh annual spending and will become eligible for annual fee reversal upon reaching an annual spending milestone of ?2 lakh.

4. Focused on providing a premium experience to customers, Nature’s Basket SBI Card Elite goes a step further and will offer customers exclusive privileges like exclusive check-out counters at Nature’s Basket stores and concierge assistance to address customers’ requirements around flower delivery, gift delivery and online doctor consultation.

5. Nature’s Basket SBI Card Elite cardholders will also be able to use the card to avail

complimentary access to airport lounges while traveling domestically and internationally. Nature’s

Basket SBI Card Elite will offer 8 complimentary visits per year (max 2 per qtr.) to domestic lounges and 6 complimentary visits per year (max 2 per qtr.) to International Priority Pass lounges.

6. Nature’s Basket SBI Card customers will be able to avail  4 complimentary visits per year (max 1 per qtr.)  to domestic lounges.

7. The cards will be launched through the Visa platform. Nature’s Basket SBI Card and its Elite

version will have an annual membership fee of ?1499 and ?4,999 respectively.

About Nature’s Basket

Nature’s Basket is India’s foremost retail destination for, fine foods from across the World. Started in 2005 as a single fresh food store, it has today morphed into a 35 stores chain of premium Gourmet Stores strategically located at high street locations in Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore and Kolkata. Gourmet retail chain boasts of stocking the best international and domestic wines, cold cuts, meats, cheese, organic foods and a large variety of pastas, noodles, beverages, exotic and rare ingredients, meals, sauces, preserves and packaged food from around the world. Every item on the shelves is handpicked from the very best that Europe, Australia, Asia and the US have to offer. It caters to the refined needs of up-market urban consumers for irresistibly authentic world food and ingredients.

Nature’s Basket, a part of RP Sanjiv Goenka Group’s retail flagship Spencer’s Retail is India’s pioneering food destination that started in 2005 as a single store in Mumbai but has now transformed itself into an Omni-channel retail business. It is present through physical retail stores across India in neighbourhoods, this combined with an online portal and a mobile application.

Photo Caption: (From left to right - Mr. Amit Batra, Executive Vice President & Head - Open Market & Corporate Sales, SBI Card, Celebrity Chef Sanjiv Kapoor, Mr. Girish Budhiraja, Chief Sales & Marketing Officer, SBI Card, Mr. Devendra Chawla · MD & CEO at Nature's Basket).