Category: Events & Happenings

Junglee Billee Hosts A Lady’s Special Event for LBB

Junglee Billee Hosts A Lady’s Special Event for LBB

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra
Mujhe bhi Don ki tarah Junglee Billee bahut pasand hai…!!
This place tucked away in GK I, M block market has become one of my favourites, and I never miss a chance to visit there especially when there is a special event.
It was a lovely Saturday evening, the weather cloudy and windy with a cool breeze, making the terrace a perfect place to sit, relax, eat and drink.

LBB had invited their members for this event, and drinks were on the house for all junglee billees aka women 😉
The menu was specially curated for the evening by their head chef Pawan, who is a very close friend. His food is always upto the mark, and he carefully chooses the menu to suit the ambience and exclusivity of the event.

Also present at the restaurant was Nida Mahmood, and its always a pleasure to meet and chat up with her.

As we sat down with our Red Wine Sangrias, Pawan brought us one of his specialties, the Kurmure Bhel.

Its one of the most interesting and addictive Bhel I have ever eaten, and its one of those things, which makes me go back to this place again and again.
The next I tried was the non-veg platter, and I have to say that each of the items on the platter was delectable. The kebabs and tikkas were simply mouth melting and one can never have enough of it.


There were other items too on the menu and all of them tasted as scrumptious as they looked.
The drinks also looked very very inviting and were class apart, especially the Pan Mojito


Junglee Billee is one of those places which doesn’t focus only on the ambience and look and feel of the place or exclusive presentation of the food, but it very proudly focuses on the quality and taste of food as well, and the credit surely goes to my dear friend chef Pawan for the same.
I look forward to more such events at Junglee Billee and try out more delicacies prepared by the chef.
Chef Kunal, Saransh & Shipra Say #CraveNoMore with Saffola Masala Oats Chinese and Italian variants

Chef Kunal, Saransh & Shipra Say #CraveNoMore with Saffola Masala Oats Chinese and Italian variants

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

Have you ever-imagined Chinese and Italian cuisine being guilt free? Globally renowned Chef extraordinaire, Kunal Kapur now brings to you the new Saffola Masala Oats, Chefs Choice range in Italian & Chinese flavors, a delightful treat for the taste buds. To celebrate the launch of these exquisite flavors, Saffola Masala Oats hosted top bloggers from across India for a fun-filled and enriching gastronomic experience with gourmet chefs – Kunal Kapur, Saransh Goila and Shipra Khanna.


During the meet, Chef Kunal Kapur announced a two-phase competition around #CraveNoMore with SaffolaMasalaOats. The Phase I of #CraveNoMore took off in Delhi; an exciting mystery box challenge wherein 40 food bloggers were presented with the task of identifying exotic Chinese & Italian food condiments. Out of these, 24 bloggers became a part of the exhilarating cook-off thereafter creating quick recipes using Saffola Masala Oats Italian and Chinese variant as the key ingredient.  I missed out on winning this one, but had a great fun cheering for some new friends I made.

Judged by the Fit Foodie panelists, Chef Kunal Kapur, Chef Shipra Khanna and Chef Saransh Goila, announced Adarsh Munjal, The Big Bhookad; Kumar Jhuremalani, Pet Pujaris; Saloni Malkhani, Food Bloggers Association of India (FBAI); Sayantani Mahapatra, A Homemaker’s Diary; Priya Sharma, Mumasfooddiary and Richa Gupta, Myfoodstory as the winners for the phase I. The winners from this phase will go on to Phase 2 of the competition and will participate in a ‘food-truck’ challenge in Mumbai.


The Fit Foodie panelists, Chef Shipra Khanna and Chef Saransh Goila went on to create some unique and interesting snacking recipes through their master class with the bloggers. While Chef Shipra chose Italian Saffola Masala Oats and came up with the delicious Cottage cheese oats with yogurt and apple salad recipe, Chef Saransh Goila picked the Chinese variant and prepared Saffola Masala Oats Chinese Wraps in just a few minutes. I got lucky to get a chance of helping around chef Saransh with his preparations while he kept the audience splitting in laughter with his spontaneous humour.

Commenting on the occasion, Saffola Masala Oats brand Ambassador, Chef Kunal Kapur, one of the most celebrated faces of Indian cuisine today and winner of several National culinary awards, said “It feels great to be associated with Saffola Masala Oats in their innovation journey and co-creating the new Chinese & Italian flavors. As part of Saffola Fit Foodie panel, we always encourage people to adopt healthy eating habits and I believe these new variants are a perfect blend of tasty yet healthy snack. Today at Saffola #CraveNoMore meet, I was impressed to see the creative way food enthusiasts showed off their best culinary skills!”
 “I am glad to be a part of Saffola Masala Oats fit foodie panel. It was truly an experience to witness the #CraveNoMore cook-off event today in Delhi, where the online food influencers gave an interesting and creative spin to Chinese and Italian flavor oats”,said India’s youngest celebrity chef Saransh Goila also known for his popular show Roti Rasta Aur India and Health Challenges

MasterChef India winner Chef Shipra Khanna added,” I am delighted to join  Saffola fit foodie panel and feel the new flavours are an apt solution to satiate the hunger craving of health conscious people. Italian being my favorite cuisine, it was a fun saturday spent with the online food community exploring some scrumptious dishes prepared with Italian Oats. Many congratulations to the winners #CraveNoMore Cook-off and looking forward to meet them soon in Mumbai.
Its going to be one of the most memorable events of all time, as I got a chance to meet these celebrity master chefs who were so friendly and humble. Respect for all of them.
Saffola Masala Oats has created the ‘unthinkable’ by smartly infusing the essence of most popular international cuisines in India- Chinese and Italian, in Oats. The new flavours have been introduced to make snacking guilt-free and unbelievably tasty. With universal appeal to consumers across varied age groups ranging from children, youth to adults, these variants are first-of-its-kind offering in in oats in both domestic and international market.
Variants description:
Saffola Masala Oats Chefs Choice Chinese Flavor has a spicy tangy taste, which comes from a mix of juicy corn, crunchy french beans and capsicum, leaving you with an authentic Chinese flavour.
Saffola Masala Oats Chefs Choice Italian Flavor is a delectable mix of green capsicum, spicy red chilli flakes, oregano and a dash of pepper which gives it a cheesy taste with just the right amount of spice.






IMS, Noida hosts 3 day Management Development Program on Strategic Cost Management

IMS, Noida hosts 3 day Management Development Program on Strategic Cost Management

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra
Strategic Cost Management

Former World Bank expert and currently a faculty at IIM Ahmedabad, Prof Rajendra Patel will offer insights to management executives and students on various aspects of cost management

Noida, 17 March 2016: In an effort to help improve management practices in the industry and devising better cost management strategies, leading management institute IMS Noida today began its three-day periodic Management Development Programme that brings together leading academics, industry insiders and experts in the field.
This year’s programme is discussing Strategic Cost Management, a crucial subject in management studies that pertains to the economics of reducing costs without compromising on quality and delivery.
Professor Rajendra Patel from IIM Ahmedabad will offer his valuable inputs and new perspectives on methods and techniques for appropriate cost planning, importance of managing costs and aligning them with the business strategy of an entity.

The forces of globalization, liberalization and privatization have not only knitted the world economies closer together but the spill-over effects of the changes happening in world are today felt more strongly and swiftly by all the economies. It is cost effectiveness that prompt hundreds of western companies to outsource jobs to low-cost destinations like India. Cost effectiveness is the key to competitiveness in a highly connected world like ours. Hence, there is greater need today to recognize different costing systems and strategies and devise better managerial decisions and business strategies to constantly remain cost effective.
“As a discipline, management studies needs to constantly evolve itself to include in its paradigm the changing needs of the time, which keep throwing up new challenges into the discipline. Cost management is an area of management that needs constant re-thinking and evolution to keep tiding over the rising costs. Today, Indian organizations may be benefitting from the outsourcing boom because of low labor costs; however, the wages are bound to increase and they need to devise other strategies to keep costs low and their competitive advantage high. The management development programme is an initiative from our end to help the management sector improve on various fronts. This year we are discussing of cost management as it forms of the basis of any enterprise and management,” said Dr KJS Anand, Executive Director, IMS Noida.
The first day of the programme began with inauguration and lamp lightening by Dr Debarshi Mukherjee, Chairperson, Centre for e-Commerce, IMS, Noida and Dr KJS Anand, Executive Director, IMS, Noida. The day introduced the participants to the basics such as costing terminology, cost objects, cost drivers, break-even analysis using concept of relevant costs, conventional method of indirect cost allocation, activity-based costing in product industry, service industry, relevant costs for alternative choice decisions etc. While the day 2 of the programme will discuss aspects of Management Control & Organizational Performance, ProPt Centres  & Transfer Price issues, Analysis of Financial Performance, Corporate Performance Measurement in Multi Divisional Companies, Performance Measurement – Balanced Scorecard – Beyond Financial Numbers, Day 3 will deal with issues Target Costing ,Value Engineering, Just-in-Time, Theory of Constraints, Life Cycle Costing etc.
“With India emerging as the third largest startup ecosystem in the world, there is growing demand for efficient and innovative management graduates who are adept and trained at devising new strategies to resolve problems. While globalization has made more markets easily available, improved connectivity and helped fasten business processes, it has also increased competition and challenges to new businesses manifold. Hence, management development programmes are necessary to provide relevant training to the executives of different sectors of the economy operating at different levels in the organizational hierarchy, through real-world case studies, group discussions, and interactive presentations. I am honored to receive to the opportunity from IMS, Noida to share my knowledge and experience with all the management people,” said Prof Rajendra Patel.

A visiting faculty at IIM Ahmedabad for Finance & Accounting now and a past association of twelve years as a regular faculty, Prof Patel specializes in management planning and control. He worked closely with World Bank in debt rescheduling and providing balance of payment support for central African countries as a senior manager with Peat Marwick Mitchell & Co during 1978 -1985 and with Rolls Royce plc group as Finance director for over fourteen years. He has to his credit over 100 training programmes in India and Asia Pacific region.
Spiritual Symphony-The Divine Life You Were Born To Live, Workshop with Pami Singh

Spiritual Symphony-The Divine Life You Were Born To Live, Workshop with Pami Singh

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra
Some experiences can never be fully comprehended in words, but still its imperative that I share my experience with you all and urge you to experience it for yourself.
I attended this Spiritual Symphony workshop organised by Mr. Pami Singh on the 27th and 28th of Feb, and I am writing about my experience now after almost 20 days. My reason for the same is that normally when we attend such spiritual & meditation workshops, for the first few days we are in awe of it and we try to bring some changes in our lives, but slowly we start coming back in our existing world and the influence of the workshop starts diminishing. But not this time, 20 days ago whatever I learnt and experienced in the workshop, it remains with me very strongly.

This workshop by Mr. Pami Singh was organised at a serene and calm venue in the Greater Noida called House of Kapaali, and it was spread over 2 days.



“The Divine Life You Were Born To Live” is one of the most powerful and exciting program developed by Pami Singh. This two day workshop enabled me to embrace my true and unique purpose for this divine journey and it helped me believe that I am the true divine perfection of God, the God is within me, and I am the God. The journey was replete with guided meditation, interactive exercises and personally validating experiences. Each and every aspect of this journey left me asking for more.

The interactive sessions and demonstrations took me to another level of understanding. It really made me question myself, it made me realise that most of the things that happen around us are a result of our own belief system that we are ignorant to change.


Pami Singh

For example, there was a particular activity where in using broken hangers and straws, we were demonstrated how the universe responds to what we think and how can we control and change our thinking to in return get desired results. But then the whole confidence comes when the demonstration is not a mere demonstration by an expert but an experience that we observe by doing the activity ourselves. Because unlike the normal beliefs of spiritual consultants being blessed with some extra powers, Pami focuses on the fact that we all possess the similar power, we all are equals, he just helps us making more aware of ourselves.


Pami works unhurriedly and with his nurturing insights it helped trigger within me the knowingness of my own inner wisdom which, in turn lead me to the unchallenged awareness of the perfection

and powerful divine creator that I truly am, always have been, and always will be provided I keep believing it.
With Pami’s guidance, I understood that all that I want to know, I want to achieve, and I want to become is within me. Its a mere shift and change of the existing belief system, and we can really get what we want and wish for.
In fact, as per Pami, now also whatever we are, we are because of our own thinking that leads to actions and reactions of similar kinds. For example, when we pray to God to become successful, In Pami’s words, we are somewhere establishing the fact that we are unsuccessful and hence praying to become successful, in his opinion because we create this negative aura, we get more negativity in life. Instead we should believe that we are successful, visualise ourselves in that happy space and then that is what we will actually end up creating with the help of universe.

All the topics covered in the workshop definitely helped me see things differently and now even after 20 days, the shift in my belief system that I started experimenting with, is working wonders.
I suggest all my readers to please experience this once for yourself and I can guarantee that you won’t regret it.
Everything you want to know is within you. In this workshop you will learn and experience how to access this wisdom and to integrate it into your daily life with love, joy and compassion. In today’s stressful life, we have all forgotten the true meaning of life, we have no idea what we truly need to do, and we have forgotten are true being. We have forgotten that we are his perfect divine creation; the only thing required is for us to believe in it.
This is exactly where Mr. Pami Singh will help you, a two day workshop, will take you through a journey of finding yourself, nurturing yourself and believing that you are the perfect divine creation of God.Some of the timeless awareness that will be covered during the workshop are:
 “Who am I?” and “Why am I here?”
Why Meditate? And what is Meditation?
The limitless and ever creating self
Intuition – the everyday language of the soul
The very conditioned Mind we possess – Explained by interactive demonstrations
The Laws of Attraction and how NOT to use them inappropriately
Guided Meditations to the Source of Love
Left and Right Brain Exercises
How to move from ‘Pride to Purpose’
Severing Links with the Past
Relationships and much more………..


To know the details about next workshop, you can get in touch with Pami through his Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/pami.divinewon?fref=ts

About Mr. Pami Singh
Pami Singh is a Psycho- Spiritual Consultant, a past lives regression therapist, meditation teacher, and personal guide/coach who has been conducting workshops on the practical aspects of everyday spirituality since 1993 for all age/cultural groups- from individual teenagers /adults to corporate businesses to sports professionals in the European community, USA and India.
In 2009 he released a DVD, “Who I Really Am” and a CD, “ A guided Meditation – with Pami Singh”. Last year his first book, “God I AM”, was released in print and eBook form and it has received many meaningful testimonials from readers across the world. It is available on Amazon everywhere. He is now writing his second book, “The Born Again Human”, plans to release it later this year.
Says Pami “My life path and commitment are to help re awaken the inner wisdom that lies deep within us so that all of humanity can, once again, be free of the shackles of fear and hate, and instead, embrace the joy of love and nurturing of/for all. My programmes are carried out under the banner of “Spiritual Symphony” which takes you on a practical journey of self awareness, enlightenment, creativity and bliss by guiding and supporting you to re-connect with your ‘Divine Self’ through the medium of Meditation.”
In this line of work, there are no ‘certificates’ or ‘honours’ conferred by institutions. The real ‘honours’ for those of us who are committed to this kind of work are to see the transformation in the quality of life of the people whose lives touch ours. For that no certificate exists, and none is required.


The Coalition-Festival of Creativity

The Coalition-Festival of Creativity

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra
4th-6th March, three days, the city saw creative minds from across media sectors rub shoulders with each other and also with the ones who aspire to be in the same space.
This was made possible by the collective efforts of the OML team, Vijay Nair, Ajay Nair, Girish Raj, Arjun S Ravi and Shreyas along with Laura Quinn(the cofounder of the festival) and Lynn McGuire Raj, who takes care of the event along with the OML team.
This was the third season of Coalition and its first time in Delhi, previous two events were held in Agra.

300 industry experts, speakers and mentors, across 11 different streams, spaced out at 3 different venues, shared their knowledge with about 2000 plus audience.


Luckily I chose the most happening stream, content planning, because content planning sessions alone had an audience of over 500 people aspiring to learn.
The first session was on The Business of Online Content, which has Ajay Nair from OML moderating a panel which consisted of Satya Raghavan from Youtube, Tanmay Bhat from AIB, Ashwin Suresh from Pocket Aces Pictures and Samir Bangara from Qyuki. It was a very enlightening session as all of them highlighted the importance of digital media, and the presence of brands on social media.



Next up on the panel were the Big Brand Guys featuring Manav Sethi from Askme, Mahesh Narayana from Saavn, Maneesha Khanna from Pepsi Co, Ashish Lingamneni from Ola Cabs, and was moderated by Arjun Ravi from OML.

This session focused on how brands are today utilising the digital space to reach out to their consumers and are also focusing on user generated content.

The next session was on DIY content moderated by Rega Jha from Buzzfeed and featured Arunabha Kumar from TVF, Malini Agarwal from Miss Malini and Rhea Gupte from Fuss. It went on to become one of the most interesting sessions of the day and the popularity of all three speakers was very evident as even at the end of the session, the audience didn’t let them leave and they too were more than friendly and approachable to answer the queries of young aspirants.

They shared their stories of how their passions went on to become their businesses and how today brands look forward to reach out to them on their own. It was one of the most inspiring sessions for me personally. Being a blogger myself, hearing the success stories of two bloggers Malini and Rhea left my spirits really high and my will to do much more and much better.


The last session of the day was Like, Share, Subscribe, featuring Nishant Radio from Vidooly, Ritu Kapur from the Quint and Satvik Mishra from ScoopWhoop. After the high on energy DIY session, this seemed a little dull, though the knowledge shared was valuable.


The second day too had a full house with power packed back to back sessions, though I missed the morning ones, but was so glad that I could make it for the second half.
Profit with Purpose, moderated by Vijay Nair from OML, featured Roshan Abbas from Geometry Global Encompass Networks, Shyam Sukhramani from Good People Clothing Company, Jane Mason from Mason Chocolates, Prukalpa Sanskar from Social Cops and Florian Klaass from Red Bull. The session focused on new businesses and how one should approach the VCs. It is always a pleasure to hear Roshan Abbas speak and this session was no different. He has such a logical approach and is always bang on.


Followed this was an open mic session which started with Jimmy Goldblum and Adam Weber, where in they talked about their documentary We Disappear Tomorrow. The film focuses on the Kathputli Colony which comprises a community of these small time artists and how their land is been under the scrutiny of government and private builders. The movie was later showcased for audience viewing.

It was then followed by Deepak Ramola, Lets Happen to This World, where in spoke about his NGO that uses life lessons collected from across the country and globe to then help solve problems of other individuals or groups. At the age of 24, he truly is doing a great job and was very very inspiring.

Abish Mathew’s Mom Dad, I want to be an Artist was more than hilarious as he went on to share the reactions of our parents when we tell them about joining the creative field or to become an artist. I think every single person in the stadium related to it and this made the session all the more enjoyable.


Followed this was a Story Tellers Session featuring Arunabh Kumar from FTV, Neelesh Misra from Gaon Connection, Sanket Avlani from Taxi Fabric and Amitesh Rao from MTS. It was moderated by none other than Rohan Joshi from AIB and Vijay Nair from OML. How brand stories come alive through different art forms like music, comedy, design, radio and gaming was the agenda of this session. Learning about these different mediums conveying brand message was really interesting.


This session was followed by a session on Save the Internet featuring the people behind this movement.



The last session was the most awaited one for everyone present I guess. It was called Breaking Bollywood, on air with AIB, Anurag Kashyap, Richa Chadha, Neil Bhooplam and Hussain Dalal.
People were so excited about this one as bollywood dreams is something everyone relates to in someway or the other. But somewhere all 4 of them ended up giving a very thoughtful insight that to be somewhere you first need to begin, you need to work towards it and keep trying because there is no fixed mantra to get an entry in bollywood or the Hindi Film Industry as it should be called.






I was not able to attend the last day of the event and I badly missed the opportunity, but all I can say is that kudos to team OML for putting up a show like this together and managing so many speakers, audiences and small small events at multiple venues, it was flawless and the effort gone behind was very evident.
I already look forward to the next season because such platforms are a boon for creative people like me. So much to learn, so much to get inspired from.
Model & Actor Sonu Sood walked the ramp for Designer Duo Bharat & Reshma

Model & Actor Sonu Sood walked the ramp for Designer Duo Bharat & Reshma

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

Designer Duo Bharat & Reshma launched the Summer Collection for this coming wedding Season

New Delhi, March 7, 2016 : Designer duo Bharat & Reshma Grover Showcased their new collection in the city at The Nest, also they celebrated 10 years of their label H-2, which was much liked and applauded by people in the audience. Actor & Model Sonu Sood walked the ramp for Designer Bharat & Reshma Grover and he adorned a look of a groom and looked absolutely suave in the duo’s ensemble. Not only this Model Krishna Somani also stunned the ramp with her Black & Gold Wedding attire. Their Forte being Mens’ wear, the mens outfits were very edgy & a class apart with neat cuts and unique detailing. Sonu Sood their Showstopper was all praises for the duo’s collection.The after party was a glamorous one with the city’s socialites shaking a leg with the duo.


Essilor Offers a New Range of Preventive Lenses to Protect Eyes in This Digital Environment

Essilor Offers a New Range of Preventive Lenses to Protect Eyes in This Digital Environment

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

With dramatic increase in the usage of digital devices such as computers and smartphones, human eyes today are exposed to harmful blue light and are experiencing much higher stress and visual strain as compared to the last decade. Taking into account this shift, Essilor, the world leader in ophthalmic optics, has introduced a new range of highly impactful technology driven lenses offering prevention and protection for your eyes against harmful blue light, strain and fatigue.

Essilor has conducted extensive research to evaluate the impact of increased digital exposure on the eyes. Eyezen and Crizal Prevencia, the new products offered by the leading lens maker, are an outcome of this research and analysis. The new spectacle lenses have been customized to meet the needs of the consumer in the digital age, offer protection from blue light that is harmful to retinal cells and reduce visual strain arising out of multiple device usage.
The new lenses equipped to protect eyes from the ill-effects of digital devices which not only causes increased visual stress but also increases exposure to harmful blue violet light.
Essilor’s consumer study on new digital behavior finds 75% people suffer from visual fatigue; 66% believe digital screens require additional effort for eyes causing increased incidences of headaches, burning & weariness in eyes
According to different researches, average time spent in front of the computers has increased by 65 per cent over the past five years. Add to it the hours spent in front of television sets, the rapid growth of tablet PCs and Smartphones usage, and there is reason to believe that our exposure to harmful blue light is only increasing by the day. At the same time increasing usage of devices such as I Pads and smart phones also creates visual stress.
Apart from increased duration of exposure, usage of multiple digital screens simultaneously is another added lifestyle factor. Sometimes, four different devices may be used by an individual simultaneously. According to a consumer quantitative study conducted in 2014 among 4000 individuals in France, Brazil, China for Essilor, a whopping 82% people stated that they watch TV at the same time as they use their computer; similarly 72% use a tablet or smartphone whilst watching TV.
Doctors say increasing exposure to digital screens is leading to rising number of people reporting tired and weary eyes, headaches, blurred vision, itching and burning. The concern is particularly high in youngsters because they are the ones who are more active users of electronic devices. Computer Vision Syndrome, which was considered an appropriate condition to describe the increasing stress on eyes and posture till recently, looks an obsolete term today given the rapid transition in technology that have added several new facets to visual eyestrain.
The effects of harmful blue violet light have also been highlighted in recent years. Emitted by the sun and also by artificial light sources such as LEDs and computers or smartphones, blue light – the range of the visible light spectrum with wavelengths between 380-500 nm – plays a beneficial role on health, in particular by regulating the internal biological clock. However, a specific band of this light, known as the blue violet light causes damage to retinal cells. Digital devices and lighting devices such as LED lights and CFLs also emit significant amount of blue light. With progressively increasing usage of LED lighting, this exposure is only expected to increase in the coming years.
“Rapid adoption of newer technology in this digital world presents newer challenges with respect to protection requirements. It is also essential for ophthalmic lens technology to evolve to meet the needs. Eyezen represents Essilor’s innovation, offering users the maximum protection and comfort. Eyezen is a lens specifically designed for the digital age,” says Mr Shiv Kumar J, CEO, Essilor India.
“With increasing presence of convergent devices, we are today dealing with a scenario where multiple devices are co-existing. This doesn’t just increase digital exposure of the eye, but adds extra pressure on the eyes as they continuously switch between devices and adapt their focus while sitting, standing and lying down. I might be working on my laptop, and at the same time checking my smartphone while also snatching glimpses of a news bulletin on television. The cumulative stress on the eye today is therefore much more than it was five years back when smartphones and tablets were yet to become a norm, this has led us to introduce lenses such as Eyezen and Crizal Prevencia for use in spectacles,” says Mr. P Ramachandran, Group COO, Essilor India.
New Lenses for the Digital Age
EyeZen
Designed specifically to meet the changing needs of the eyes in a highly connected world, Eyezen lenses represent the latest in Essilor technological innovation. They come with twin functions of relaxing the eyes from digital eyestrain and protecting visual health over the long-term.
Eyezen has been specially designed to offer protection from digital screens and provide more comfort to the eyes as they switch between multiple devices. Eyezen is built with state of the art W.A.V.E. technology which helps provide sharper and clearer vision. Eyezen focus lens technology better supports the eye’s effort in focusing at ultra-near distances that are typical of handheld devices. Secondly. Light Scan, a unique light filtering technology which protects eyes from the harmful blue-violet light emitted by digital screens and modern light sources is another vital feature of this lens. Inspired by the Japanese notion of Zen, Eyezen provides comfort and relaxation to the eyes even when they are excessively exposed to digital creens.
Crizal Prevencia
Prevention, such as protecting the eye from harmful light, is currently the first line of defence against the problems of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and cataracts. These conditions currently affect more than 350 million people around the world. Blue light is one of the risk factors in retinal cell degeneration which contributes to the development of cataracts.
Crizal Prevencia is a result of an ambitious four-year research programme conducted in partnership with Paris Vision Institute, one of Europe’s largest eye health integrated research centers, which led to the identification of the portion of the visible light spectrum that is noxious to target retinal cells. Crizal Prevencia is the first preventive spectacle lens that selectively filters out harmful blue violet light that is harmful to retinal cells while letting in other frequencies of the light spectrum, which your body needs to function properly.
Essilor, which is a global leader in research & development, has worked aggressively to determine the emerging challenges to the health of eyes from our changing lifestyles. The new range of lenses from Essilor is aimed at providing the maximum protection and comfort as people live with new age devices and technology.
About Essilor India
Essilor India is a 100% subsidiary of Essilor International. The Company through its excellent services, quality products and a wide network of distributors and franchise labs has been able to revolutionize the Indian ophthalmic lens market and cause a shift from the predominant glass lenses to the safer and more superior plastic lenses.
Essilor entered the Indian Market through a joint venture with SRF Limited, New Delhi in 1998. The Indian Subsidiary was incorporated as Essilor SRF Optics Private Limited. The company has since risen to the position of market leader in the Indian Plastic Lens segment of the Ophthalmic Industry.  In 2004, the company changed its name to Essilor India Private Limited and was a 100% subsidiary of Essilor International.

Essilor offers a wide range of the world’s best lenses- “Varilux” range of Progressive Lenses, “Crizal” Hard Multicoated Lenses,”Optifog” anti-fog technology,”Airwear” polycarbonate lenses to suit all lifestyles and “Titus” Hard Coated Lenses – which have set benchmarks for quality and performance. Besides these products, Essilor has an impressive array of photo chromic, tinted and high index lenses as well as lenses for special applications. Essilor also has brought international best practices into India in the areas of training and promotional activities.
Om Books International And Olive Bar and Kitchen Launches “From My Kitchen To Yours” Celebrated VJ & Model Maria Goretti’s Debut Book

Om Books International And Olive Bar and Kitchen Launches “From My Kitchen To Yours” Celebrated VJ & Model Maria Goretti’s Debut Book

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra


Mumbai, 2ndMarch 2016:  Om Books International launched the debut book of popular VJ and model Maria Goretti titled ‘From My Kitchen To Yours’ at Olive Bar & Kitchen, Mumbai. After a successful launch in the capital city, the splendid Mumbai launch was attended by a string of Bollywood and TV celebrities.



Maria Goretti, Arshad Warsi with their Kids and Ajay Mago, Owner Om Book International
The launch saw Maria Goretti, actor Arshad Warsi and Mini Mathur speaking about their passion for food over hors-d’oeuvre and wine. One of the main highlight of the event was book reading by Maria Goretti Kids Zeke and Zene. 

Mini Mathur with Zeke and Zene
The book was unveiled in the presence of Ajay Mago, Maria Goretti and her parents, Arshad Warsi and Mini Mathur. Many famous personalities like  Kabir Khan, Bharat Dabolkar, Gaurav Kapoor, Shruti Seth, Mandira Bedi, Ronit Roy, Zeba Kohli, Shreya Saran attended the launch. Chefs from Olive Bar and Kitchen tossed some delicious recipes in sync with the book, enhancing the essence of the event.

 Genelia Deshmukh with Maria

Kunal Khemu and Tushar Kapoor


 Masaba, Roshan Abbas, Maria, Shaheen Abbas and Ajay Mago

Mandira Bedi

Maria with Mushtak Sheikh

Masaba & Pooja Dhingra

Sagarika

Shreya Saran

Sohail Khan and Kiran Rao    

From My Kitchen to Yours: Food, Love and Other Ingredients celebrates how Maria Goretti lives her life, with memorable recipes from her mother’s East-Indian spreads, aromas from her grandmother’s kitchen, and the food that she has seen, touched and tasted over her many travels across India, and the world, as a VJ with MTV. Add to that, all those delicious dishes she has eaten at her friends’ homes, especially those sinful desserts that she loved, which she tried and tried till she got them right. Divided into monthly menus with soups, salads, starters, non-vegetarian and vegetarian main course dishes, and desserts, the recipes are simple and delicious. With a foreword by actress and politician Jaya Bachchan, the book presents a six-course meal layout for each month, and easy-to-make recipes with ingredients readily available in any home kitchen. It contains an array of both vegetarian and non-vegetarian recipes.
Maria Goretti speaking on her passion for food says ‘I have actually loved food all my life. In my past life, I must have been born in a country that had no food, because frankly, I am eternally hungry and my near and dear ones will vouch for that!
I know myself; I need to get into something deeply if I take it up, or it makes no sense to me at all. Gradually, I started getting seduced by the aromas, textures and the possibilities that could conspire in this beautiful place I discovered in my own home…my kitchen. It was like meeting a stranger and becoming friends. There were so many things I discovered about myself and food that I did not know before. I started reading, googling and watching food like an obsessed person. I discovered the secrets of fire to vegetables, yeast to flour, wine to meat, the right amount of kneading, whipping and marination.

If anyone had told me a few years ago that I would one day put together a food book, I think I would have rolled on the floor laughing.I’m really happy to be launching my 1st cook book which is a labour of love in my home city ,amidst family and friends.’
Maria Goretti
Ajay Mago, Publisher, Om Books International said on the occasion, ‘The first time I went through Maria’s blog, I knew for sure that she could put together a unique book with flavors of her rich cultural background, and her journeys across India and beyond. And I have been invited at her table several times over, so that I could gorge on all these delights. I have to confess that each page of this book reflects Maria’s generosity of spirit and heart and her belief that Love is the key ingredient in any dish.’

Arshad Warsi, Ajay Mago, Maria Goretti and Maria’s Mother Launching the Book

AD Singh, Managing Director, Olive Bar and Kitchen stated ‘Olive Bar & Kitchen, which recently completed a milestone anniversary of 15 years, is pleased to support TV personality, food devotee and now author Maria Goretti for the launch of her new book, ‘From My Kitchen to Yours,’ as the venue partner’ 
The event saw coming together of a lot of renowned celebrities wishing luck to Maria for her book, and I wish her the same. Time to grab my copy..!!
From My Kitchen To Yours by Maria Goretti
Price- Rs.995
Pages- Rs. 216

Published By Om Books International
Retail giants’ partner with CouponDunia to offer exciting pre-budget in-store discount coupons

Retail giants’ partner with CouponDunia to offer exciting pre-budget in-store discount coupons

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra
Mumbai, 25th February, 2016: Come month end; get ready to avail the best discounts on grocery, home care and personal care products at all leading hypermarkets in Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru. India’s leading ‘online’ couponing platform, CouponDunia, will launch its 4th edition of offline FMCG coupons insert in leading newspapers on Saturday, 27th February 2016. To redeem these additional discounts, consumers will need to bring a cut out of the coupons at CouponDunia’s 13+ partner hypermarkets and supermarkets in the three cities. Using these coupons, one can save up to Rs. 1200/- and as the coupon discounts are valid over and above supermarket offers, they can be clubbed for more savings and smiles!

In this leg, coupon usage is likely to more than double in the cities of Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru from last year. CouponDunia foresees large scale activities considering brands like Amul, Heinz, Mother’s Recipe, Cornitos, RB (Reckitt Benckiser) India, Unilever, P&G etc. have joined the couponing movement. This year, India’s largest food and grocery supermarket chains like Big Bazaar, HyperCity, Reliance Fresh; Mart and Super, have partnered with CouponDunia.
Commenting on these FMCG coupons, Mr. Sameer Parwani, Founder & CEO, CouponDunia said, “For the first time in India, a couponing player has stepped up as the online-to-offline convergence point between A-List brands and top retailers to curate additional discounts for the masses. In India, consumers are still getting acquainted with couponing; however, with our constant efforts, we hope to inculcate couponing as a shopping habit in every household thus helping them to increase savings.”
Speaking on the collaboration, Mr. Damodar Mall, CEO, Reliance Retail Ltd. (Grocery Retail), shared with excitement, “Supermarket shopping is a monthly ‘brandswayamvar’. Deal coupons – proven globally, is another way by which brands can attract customer’s attention, so we are excited to partner with CouponDunia.”
Speaking on the partnership, Mother Recipe’s P. Rajan MATHEWS, V.P -Sales & Marketing, Desai Brothers Ltd – Food Division said, “FMCG couponing in India is an innovative concept, and brands across the globe have benefited from this strategy in expanding its consumer base. We believe that couponing is a win-win for both Indian consumers and FMCG brands, as consumers save money on their monthly spend and brands are able to boost customer happiness and shopper loyalty. We are pleased to partner with CouponDunia, as they have done a commendable job in spearheading the couponing movement and make it successful in the Indian consumer market.”
Mr. Gaurav Singh from General Mills that markets household brands such as Pillsbury, Betty Crocker, Nature Valley Granola Bars and Haagen Dazs said, “We believe for us Coupon Duniya will enable a platform to come closer to both are customers as well as consumers, as couponing has proven to be a highly effective tool worldwide to build sales and customer loyalty”
About CouponDunia

CouponDunia Media Pvt. Ltd. is India’s most popular coupon website as well as the country’s largest listing of offline restaurant and in-store coupons. Founded in 2010 by Sameer Parwani, the company is headquartered in Mumbai with a tech office Bengaluru. CouponDunia has grown to become India’s largest destination of discount, coupons & offers and consists of regularly updated coupons from top Indian online and offline merchants such as Flipkart, Amazon, eBay, Jabong, MakeMyTrip, PayTm, BookMyShow, Indigo Nation, Scullers, Inc.5, Baby Oye, Lee, Wrangler, JustBooks, Arrow etc. At CouponDunia we help people save money on their shopping by connecting merchants looking to increase their sales with shoppers looking to get good deals.  CouponDunia receives about 5.2 million visits a month, shares coupons from more than 2000 online brands, has more than 7.5 million email subscribers and has more than 2 million app downloads. In the offline space, CouponDunia offers coupons from over 5000 restaurants across 8 Indian cities. CouponDunia also lists coupons, across 8 Indian cities, from over 270+ retail brands and 12,000+ outlets across categories like fashion apparel & accessories, baby care, electronics, sports, footwear and home décor.
Papa John’s lends a helping hand to a recuperating Chennai

Papa John’s lends a helping hand to a recuperating Chennai

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra
Actor Siddharth and Pianist Anil Srinivasan unveil the Donation Box and announce the Rock n Roll concert.

The 2015 floods were devastating, throwing life in disarray in Chennai and its surrounding region. Over 18 lakh people were displaced, more than 500 lost their lives and loss of property was in excess of INR 50,000 crores. Such a loss is colossal to cope with, even for a city as progressive as Chennai. Every form of help goes a long way in bringing relief to people who are still coping with the calamity. One of the biggest areas where work is needed is rehabilitation of those who lost their homes. Several generous individuals and companies are coming together in lending Chennai a hand. Papa John’s, a much-loved global pizza brand, has stepped in with its unique initiative that is sure to bring smiles on the faces of many.
Papa John’s announced its association with an extensive donation drive on Thursday to organize monetary aid for the victims. In association with ACE Events, the program aspires to lend a helping hand with music. Up to March 26, Papa John’s will collect financial donations across its Chennai outlets via a Drop Box placed in all stores. The massive drive will culminate on March 26 at the Rock n Roll concert at the Music Academy where the proceeds will be handed over to the recipients. At the unveiling of the Drop Box & Concert were Joseph Cherian – CEO, Papa John’s India; Jayashree Chinne and Latha Dubay from ACE Events and Celebrity Management. Actor Siddharth and Anil Srinivasan who worked relentlessly during the floods to bring respite to thousands, was present too lending their support. The strong team brings to the table their strengths of deep knowledge of the situation, wide network and passionate people who are determined to make many lives better.
Announcing the program, Mr. Joseph Cherian, CEO – Papa John’s said, “Papa John’s has always believed in giving back to society in every way possible. The floods were heartbreaking to see, with such extensive damage and losses. We are delighted to partner with Siddharth, ACE Events, and Rotary who feel as strongly about this as us. Our wide network in Chennai, with outlets across the length and breadth, will help us give the plan a huge infrastructural boost.  It’s our way of giving back to the city that has always showered us with so much love!”
Actor Siddharth, who feels strongly about the cause, said, “What happened in Chennai was sad. This is my home and I felt it was my responsibility to help in every way I could. I’ve seen the situation on the ground level at very close quarters and I’m still monitoring it. There’s a lot of need for many things, even now. I am proud to associate myself with Papa John’s, ACE Events and Rotary Club to help Chennai. Each step is important. I am sure that together, we will be able to make a big difference.”
Latha from Ace Events was very proud of the ambitious plan they’ve set up. According to her, “Ever since the floods, we have been maximum efforts to help the victims in any way we could. What began as tiny steps gradually turned into an organized effort, with socially aware brands such as Papa John’s showing faith and coming on board. With their robust support, the donation drive gets some much-needed muscle. We plan to hand over all the financial aid to the beneficiaries on March 26, the day of the Rock n Roll concert. The audience will get to witness spellbinding performances from renowned artistes such as Usha Uthup& Anil Srinivasan. We hope the enthralling evening and the handing over of the proceeds will help spread joy and contribute towards the betterment of the affected areas and people.”
Anil Srinivasan said, “We have been committed to making the world a better place by streamlining resources and help for those in need. We’ve been working for the victims right from the day the floods hit and are grateful to Ace Events, Papa John’s and Siddharth to support with such a massive relief effort. It is sure to help alleviate the pains of many affected people. We will ensure it reaches the right recipients.”
This initiative is a great effort towards relief of the Chennai flood victims. On March 26, the Rock n Roll concert at the Music Academy would sing its way into the hearts of the audience as well as victims. A unique initiative with a widespread reach and committed team, this is sure to make a positive impact in several lives. Chennai’s heart will be warmed with some rock n roll this March!