Dubai Diaries- Its All Happening Here…!!

Dubai Diaries- Its All Happening Here…!!

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra
NDTV Good Times, India’s youngest lifestyle channel is taking you to the most luxurious city in the world-Dubai with the launch of its new series Dubai Diaries. A TV series that brings to life all that Dubai has to offer to the Indian traveller; from food and fashion, shopping and entertainment, hotels and beaches to couple getaways and family reunions.
The most unique offering of the five episode series remains that a different anchor will host each episode. The thematic distribution of each episode covers an ocean of variety that Dubai has to offer. Irrespective of whether you are couple, family, foodie, shopaholic, business traveller, Dubai Dairies will manage to gratify all your senses.
To announce the show, and to get a glimpse of the content, NDTV Good Times hosted Delhi Bloggers to an evening of interaction with 3 of the hosts from the show Ambika Anand, Freishia and Neha Dixit, at the Hauz Khas Social.



The ambience was created to give a look and feel of Dubai, with matteresses and bolsters for seating, and some unique cocktails created by an expert bar tender at Social along with some lip smacking snacks.


Ambika, Freishia and Neha, each shared their experiences from the travel and the aspects that they respectively covered. Ambika would be covering Dubai from a shopper’s perspective with a special focus on Wedding Shopping, while Neha Dixit will explore the adventure activities that Dubai has to offer and Freishia will uncover Dubai from a completely new angle, Dubai as a romantic getaway, which mostly we don’t associate Dubai with.



The series will open with Actress Sumona Chakravarty visiting the most talked about places in Dubai.
There would also be an episode with Chef Kunal Kapoor discovering and unfolding the culinary experiences Dubai has to offer.
Announcing the launch, Arati Singh, Channel Head, NDTV Good Times said, “While Dubai is a familiar destination for most travellers, we intend to bring out a new side of Dubai with this show. We are hopeful our viewers will live the Dubai experience through memorable anchor stories and through the visual aesthetics of the city itself.”
At the event, I also indulged in a candid chat with Mandakini , who is the director of the show and Damini, who has produced the series. They went on to share how different it was visiting Dubai this time from a new angle and how they completed 10 episodes in 34 days of shoot. The next five episodes will be aired around October, the other season of holidays.
We all had a lot of fun clicking selfies and indulging in chit chat with the anchors.


As of now, catch these 5 episodes, every Thursday at 8PM only on NDTV Good Times, and repeats through the week.
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Restaurant Review- The University Bistro

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra
A small little place, tucked away in the busy Hudson Lane, the famous University area of Delhi is definitely worth every dime you spend on good food.
Its called the University Bistro, and I have to say that it was one of the warmest and tastiest food experiences I had in a long time.

The place is very vibrant and full of energy and has been designed keeping in mind youth as the main TG, it being in the university area. It oozes out a very positive vibe, the moment you enter.

We were called for a review of new additions in the menu, and I consider it completely as our pleasure in doing so.
To begin with we were served watermelon shots, which were very very refreshing.
Tomato Gazpacho, a cold soup, followed this, which again made an equally refreshing drink for the summers.
Chef Anil, went on to explain the concept behind each dish, as he comes with an extensive work experience in foreign countries. He recreates Mexican, Spanish and other dishes with a twist of Indian tastes to suit the audience.
For example, we were served chicken nachos, which had the Mexican nachos, but instead of making it a spicy deal, chef had blended the taste with some cheese. It was simply yum..!!

Next were the cocktail sandwiches and as the name suggests, it had an amazing cocktail of vegetables, making it a vegetarian’s delight. Non-Vegetarian version of the same is available too.
Next was the vegetarian pizza and I have to admit that I never like Pizzas from outside, I always prefer making them at home, but this was an exception. The pizza had a thin crust, which was freshly baked, in the stone oven, which gave it a very authentic taste. I simply loved it.

The next two dishes were each better than the best, the corn-fed chicken and Mexiskin Potatoes with Kapsa Rice. The chicken was juicy and tender, and its sauce was finger licking good, the jacket potatoes were baked to perfection, and their filling had a great taste, the rice were too were perfectly done.
The last dish was like a cherry on icing, the best that I had that day, it was the Chicken Parmigiana. The chicken was done to perfection and the topping of tomato-based sauce and cheese was mind blowing.


For the desserts we had, Apple Pie, which was awesome, the tastes were perfectly blending. There was Kiwi-based Cheese Cake too, but the cheese was too salty, and hence it did not taste that good, but the chef took our feedback constructively and admitted the cheesecake going little wrong.


But overall, it was a beautiful evening spent at the University Bistro and I strongly recommend it to my readers. I also happened to meet the owner of the place, Mr. Aggarwal and he came across as a very warm and down to earth person, discussing the ideation and hardwork that went behind setting the place up.
Also to highlight, their prices are very very pocket friendly, it will not burn a hole in your pocket for the kind of delicious and authentic food you would be tasting there.

The University Bistro Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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Monarch Cruise’s wardrobe partner Amit Behki designs clothes for Ace Cricketers Brett Lee, Shane Warne and Master Chef Shipra Khanna

Monarch Cruise’s wardrobe partner Amit Behki designs clothes for Ace Cricketers Brett Lee, Shane Warne and Master Chef Shipra Khanna

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra
New Delhi, 4th April 2016
Australian Cricket stars were present at the announcement of Early Bird Sale of Monarch Cruise and Amit Behki Dressed up the stars for the event. The event took place at The Trident hotel, Mumbai.
Amit Behki has already designed clothes for some of the biggest names in India; master blaster Sachin Tendulkar, rapper and singer Badshah, super chef Sanjeev Kapoor, DJ Khushi and stand up comedian Papa CJ,along with the  chairman of Monarch Cruise  Shane Hodges, Vice Chairman Josh Hill and CEO Somesh Jagga.

As Wardrobe Partner, Amit Behki will also work closely with Monarch Cruise and create catalogues and design clothes for the entire celebrity line up of some of the biggest names in India;
With preparations going on for more than a month, Amit Behki designed and dressed up the cricket stars Shane Warne, Brett Lee and Master Chef Shipra Khanna in accordance with the theme in signature Monarch Class “bandh gala” suits with gold buttons and the gold Monarch logo on the blazer.
Amit Behki expressed his admiration for the Australian cricketers, “It was a dream come true to meet these stars and am also happy that Monarch Cruise gave me this platform to showcase my designs”

Speaking on the event, Amit Behki was quoted as saying, “It has been a great experience till now to design for such well known celebs and to work with Monarch Cruise. In my whole carrier first time we customised suits without taking any actual measurement.The measurements were taken only though visuals. The celebs were happy and pleased.”

Somesh Jagga, CEO Of Monarch Cruise quoted as saying, “We are happy & excited to have Amit Behki on board as our wardrobe partner and are confident that he will bring The Monarch class designs and catalogues on table, Together we plan to bring the world class custom made options for the Monarch Cruise patrons“
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Feel the excitement of Baisakhi at the Plaza Premium Lounge ..

Feel the excitement of Baisakhi at the Plaza Premium Lounge ..

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra
Baisakhi is a festival celebrated with tremendous exuberance and gaiety. Originating from Punjab, in the northern part of India, Baisakhi is a major festival which marks the beginning of the new harvest season. Plaza Premium Lounge will be celebrating Baisakhi in style with an exquisite menu commemorating the festival of Baisakhi and also highlighting the opulent Punjabi cuisine.
Guests can begin the meal experience with a chilled glass of Badam Thandai, a delicious refreshing drink made with almond, rose petals, saffron & cardamom. There will also be fresh salads such as the classic Fruity Pasta Salad, Carrot Honey Mustard Salad or the authentic Rajma Aloo Chaat. The main course promises to be a gourmet authentic Punjabi Fare with selected dishes like Achari Murg, Aloo Gobi Adraki, Punjabi Kadhi and Kale Chane Ka Pulao.


No Indian festival is complete without deserts and sweets, Baisakhi is no different. Our talented team of chefs will ensure to scintillate your taste buds with the perfect desert. Guests can indulge in some popular sweets of Baisakhi like Meethe Chawal, Besan Burfi, Til Ki Gajak or Cashew Brownie.


At the Plaza Premium Lounge we are committed to providing our guests a seamless airport experience, ensuring that they do not miss out on important festivals while travelling.
What: Baisakhi Special Menu
Where: Domestic Departures, Plaza Premium Lounge at Delhi, Bangalore and Hyderabad Airports
When: 13th April, 2016
Price: Lounge access starts at Rs.1200 plus taxes
*This promotion is limited to select lounges across Delhi, Bangalore and Hyderabad Airports.
For more information, please contact:
Harmandeep Singh| 9899666674 | harmandeep.singh@plaza-network.com

Linda Duo I 8527994422 I linda.duo@plaza-network.com
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Sachin Tendulkar unveils the Ultrabook convertible t.book & premium Smartphone t.phone

Sachin Tendulkar unveils the Ultrabook convertible t.book & premium Smartphone t.phone

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra
New Delhi, March 31, 2016: Smartron, India’s first true global IoT brand with “designed and engineered” in India for India and the world, today announced the launch of its first ever range of products, t.book, the impressive high performance Ultrabook convertible, t.phone, the lightest 5.5” Smartphone,  and tron.x, its unique Smartron experience.  On the occasion, Sachin Tendulkar legendary cricketer, shareholder and brand ambassador of Smartron along with Mahesh Lingareddy, Founder & Chairman unveiled these devices, platforms and services in the presence Narsi Reddy, Co-Founder & Managing Director, Rohit Rathi, Co- Founder & President, Smartron and its global partners, customers and vendors.

These next generation of smart IoT devices, platforms and services from Smartron are built on the breakthrough concept of Internet of TronsTM (IoT) to deliver truly amazing “tron xperience” for the discerning customer at home or on the go or at office or in the car. Tron.x seamlessly integrates all the devices, software, cloud, crowd, hub, services and care platforms to deliver highly intelligent and personalized experience through hubtron. Hubtron comes with every Smartron device and customer can access all his or her profile, data like documents, content like pictures and music, services like professional and payment, care, community as well as can manage all other IoT devices.

Smartron t.book, the perfect mobile workstation will go on sale exclusively on Gadget360.com starting April 8th, 2016 and the t.phone booking will start on April 18th, 2016. All Smartron devices come with hubtron to enjoy the amazing tron xperience (tron.x).
Smartron believes that it is the right time to size up the opportunity of Internet of Things (IoT) and design products in India with an impressive technology for a global audience. Positioned as  “We are Engineers at Heart” “building Smart things to life” Smartron aims to create a network of integrated smart devices for seamless communication.
Speaking on the occasion, Sachin said, “We are moving towards Internet driven experiences and Smartron’s vision in unlocking the potential of IoT will bring compelling experiences to people, making their life more productive, safe, intelligent
and convenient. An Indian brand making a great leap into technology product innovation is commendable. I am delighted to be associated with Smartron, a global technology brand from India.” 

Speaking at the launch, Mahesh said, ‘The success formula for making India globally competitive and respected is to ensure a holistic approach to the products and services and ensure they go hand-in-hand. Realizing the need for developing products and global brands from India for a global market, Smartron aims at innovating in this sphere’’.
On the product line up, he further said, “we have an exciting line up of products for 2016, beyond smartphone and ultrabook segments across mobile, home, auto, enterprise and infrastructure markets. Our aim is to make customer’s life simpler, smarter, and safer using Smartron products”.

Smartron commissioned its operations in Hyderabad and Bengaluru in August 2014. The company has so far invested over $10 Million to support the R&D activities and plans to spend $ 100 million over the next couple of years to establish Smartron as a global brand. Striving to innovate in the smart devices and IoT segment, the launch of the first two products, t.book and t.phone coupled with tron.x is the first step towards achieving this goal.
Powered by Intel® Core™ M processor and a Microsoft Windows 10 Operating System, the t.book aims at enhancing the user experience.  The device comes with Hubtron, a one-stop destination to access all the data, content, services and care and to shop for all other devices and accessories and to be participate in the community and to enjoy the amazing tron xperience. Hubtron will be active across all Smartron devices. Apart from this, the t.cloud feature will enable Smartron users with free unlimited storage and the data can be accessed across all devices using Hubtron. The Smartron customer service, which is known as t.care, will offer online and offline support. The offline support will be present across 100 cities and with doorstep services making it hassle free.


The premium built t.phone is designed to be the world’s lightest 5.5” smartphone. More details will be announced in a separate event in April 3rd week this year.


About Smartron
Led by experienced management and passionate engineering teams and funded by investors from US, India, Middle East and others, Smartron started as a global organization from day one with R&D centres in Hyderabad and Bengaluru and teams around the globe to enable global technology sourcing, marketing and sales. Smartron has been working closely with vendors, partners and customers to co-create and collaborate in building a strong product ecosystem.
Smartron website: http://forum.smartron.com/

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Is SUN important for the skin…??

Is SUN important for the skin…??

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra
Is Sun important for our skin, or is it harmful? It’s a question many of us are always confused with, but not anymore, New York Dermatologist and Medical Director of Lumiere Dermatology, New Delhi, Dr. Kiran Lohia explains the truth behind Sun and its affects on our skin
“With the increased awareness of the importance of Vitamin D, many men and women feel that sun exposure is necessary for good health. From my perspective as a dermatologist, I can safely say that this is patently untrue”, says Dr Kiran.
Read on to learn the reasons why the sun is much more damaging than helpful for healthy skin and how to get your nutritional boost without UV Rays!
1 – The Sun Causes Tanning & Pigmentation
For all those of you frustrated with your pigmentation and tanning, the sun is the culprit.  Those UVB rays are causing all that tanning on your face, while the UVA rays are known to cause nearly every type of pigmentation disease existing. Why put yourself through the guaranteed risk of tanning and pigmentation?
2 – The Sun Causes Ageing
The studies are out – the sun causes 78% of all signs of aging. Those wrinkles, those open pores, that sagging – those UV rays are mostly the culprit! They damage the collagen, allowing skin to weaken and age, while also causing those dreaded freckles and age spots.
3 – Sun Allergies
Interestingly, you can also be allergic to the sun. Yes, even though in India we have the strongest sun worldwide due to a combination of our geography (being near the equator) and having the worst pollution in the world (lack of ozone and pollution can worsen the effect of UV rays exponentially!), men and women can suffer from sun rashes. We may have more melanin to protect us slightly more than caucasian skin, but this does not mean we are immune to its harmful effects!
4 – Skin Cancer
The sun is not only cosmetically damaging, it can be dangerous too. Melanomas, basal cell carcinomas and squamous cell carcinomas are all associated with sun exposure. And just because we are darker, that does not mean that Indian people can’t get skin cancer. The melanin in our skin may protect us somewhat, but skin cancer still exists in India, and must be prevented by proper sun protection.
5– No One Knows the Right Amount of Sun Exposure for Vitamin D Supplementation
If lots of sun exposure was required to get your amount of needed Vitamin D, then no one in India would have Vitamin D deficiency. It is still not known how much sun exposure should be taken and when in order to actually get enough of this elusive nutrient. And, why in India, where the sun is so strong, do we still have a Vitamin D deficiency epidemic?

Overall, instead of risking all the harmful effects of UV rays, the verdict is it is better to simply supplement your diet with almond milk or even vitamin D tablets, then try the nearly impossible task of getting your nutrition through increasing the amount of time you spend in the sun.
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Mr. Neeraj Kumar, Ex Commissioner of Delhi Police Talks About His Debut Book-Dial D for Don

Mr. Neeraj Kumar, Ex Commissioner of Delhi Police Talks About His Debut Book-Dial D for Don

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra
How often do we get a chance to peep inside real crime stories.. how often do we get a chance to know how the CBI functions.. how often we get to know the truth behind the criminal investigations, the informers network, the encounters and the police instincts..
The real answer would be RARELY.. Because all our information is based on what we see in films or TV serials and some random books.. But their authenticity is always questionable.
And for those who always wanted real answers for these questions, comes a book that talks about 11 CBI cases, and is written by none other than a top ex cop, the ex police commissioner of Delhi, Mr. Neeraj Kumar.
The title of the book in itself intrigues the reader, to grab a copy soon and turn the pages of this thriller, its called DIAL D for DON.

On Saturday, 26th March, Mr. Neeraj Kumar discussed his book with a few book lovers from the very renowned Delhi Book Lovers Club run by Mr. Kunal Gupta, at the Oxford Bookstore in Connaught Place.


The session was moderated by Mr. Sumant Batra, the Founder and the Chief architect of Kumaon Literature Festival.
Also present at the event was Mrs. Bubbles Sabharwal, a woman who wears many hats. She is the director of two theatre companies: ‘Kidsworld’ which works with children from 3 years upwards; and ‘Theatreworld’ which works with adults. She has published a book of one act plays, Runaways and Other Plays and a novel, Tomorrow’s Promise. Bubbles runs a ‘Book Club’ at the India Habitat Centre and writes a weekly column for the Financial Chronicle.
Mr. Sumant asked many questions related to the chapters in the book, and Mr. Neeraj Kumar answered all of them with great detail and interest.


Through the book, Mr. Kumar recounts 11 of his most intriguing investigations- from bringing the Memon family back to India from the UAE to the nabbing of Beant Singh assassin Jagtar Singh Tara; from the thrilling capture of the Dawood of Gujarat- Abdul Latif to the conversations with Dawood Ibrahim himself; from the arrest of American Centre mastermind Aftab Ansari to nailing culprits of match fixing and the spot fixing scandals in cricket. These investigations have been part of the crime history of India yet have been untold and unrevealed so far. Dial D for Don opens the world of policing and tracking of some of India’s most wanted men and women and the successful arrest of terrorists and criminals in operations led by Kumar while serving in the CBI between 1993 and 2002. 
The book published by Penguin Random House has received an overwhelming response and already figures on the bestseller lists of Amazon, Nielsen and Crossword. Through this book, Kumar recounts and reveals spellbinding details of eleven of his most thrilling investigations during his tenure as Joint Director CBI and Commissioner of Police, Delhi.  Riddled with astounding facts and intriguing details, Dial D for Don is a rare insight into the most high profile CBI and police missions that reinforced the fear of the law amongst underworld operatives in India and abroad.
It was a really enlightening session, where in all the nitty gritties of crime stories were shared by Mr. Neeraj Kumar.
I haven’t read the book so far, but I am very convinced that it will make for a very interesting read and hence I am gonna grab my copy now..!!
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My little stint with Tisca Chopra for Lal Hit

My little stint with Tisca Chopra for Lal Hit

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

How do I describe what I felt, when late at night around 10:30 I got a call that I have been selected as a wild card entry for the SuperHit Vacation Contest by Lal Hit and that Tisca Chopra would be visiting my home the next afternoon…??
Sooo damn excited…!!
I hardly got a proper sleep that night.. as I was super excited to host Tisca Chopra at my house.
I was also told that our conversation will be recorded for a digital promo ad and this made me feel even more excited and restless.
Somehow the wait got over, and at about 3 in the afternoon, Tisca Chopra along with her crew, rang my doorbell.
It was such a pleasure to meet her; she came across as a very warm, down to earth and humble person. Everyone at my home was really keen to meet her, and she very calmly chatted with all of us.

I have no experience of being in front of the camera, and was a little nervous, but all thanks to Tisca, she made me feel very comfortable and encouraged me to take it as normally as possible and that it wasn’t a film shoot and I don’t need to memorize any dialogues, it will just be a candid chat between the two of us.
 And yes, it happened exactly like that, Tisca asked me very normal questions about the day to day hygiene practices in kitchen that we adopt especially during summers, and I answered whatever I normally do. Being a food blogger, and food fanatic, kitchen hygiene comes naturally to me and more specially because I am a mother too. To a lot of people it may appear that I said that I use Lal Hit to keep the cockroaches away in summers, as a part of the promotion, but the truth of the matter is that Lal Hit is so affective that I believe in the brand and do use it regularly, even if I don’t participate in any contest.

But in the end I was so glad that entering this contest gave me a chance to meet and chat up with Tisca Chopra, and I am thankful to the brand for that.

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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.
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Cost management is Key to Indian Competitive Advantage

Cost management is Key to Indian Competitive Advantage

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra
At Centre of E- Commerce -IMS Noida, Experts Discuss Strategic Cost Management as Key to Managerial Success

Management Development Programme discussed strategies on cost management to devise better managerial decisions and business strategies to remain cost effective

Noida, 19 March 2016: Leading academics, industry insiders and experts in the field of management came together at leading management institute IMS Noida to discuss the latest issues afflicting the industry and solutions towards better cost management strategies that can keep organizations competitive and profitable.

The three-day periodic Management Development Programme organized by IMS Noida had experts, highlight the importance of striking a balance between cost and quality. The event primarily focused on Strategic Cost Management, a crucial subject in management studies that pertains to the economics of reducing costs without compromising on quality and delivery. The second day of the programme started with a recapitulation of the management cases discussed on activity based costing and cost volume profit analysis of the first day. The morning session thereafter began with the discussion on challenges faced by organization on the financial front like transfer price issues, generating profit centres and various aspects of management control systems and performance related issues. Exhaustive cases relating to these aspects were taken up by Professor Rajendra Patel, former World Bank expert and faculty at IIM Ahmedabad. The participants were enriched with one to one discussion on various aspects of financial controls they are currently practicing in their respective organizations.

While the program discussed new perspectives on methods and techniques for appropriate cost planning, importance of managing costs and aligning them with the business strategy of an entity, it also highlighted the importance of improving management practices for long term growth or organizations.



“We had very healthy discussions among management students, experts and industry insiders into the key challenges of running organizations. Through such programs, the students who are themselves on the threshold of entering the industry get a close understanding of the constantly evolving challenges they would face as management executives. Strategic Cost Management is one of the most relevant aspects of management studies today. 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,” said Dr KJS Anand, Executive Director, IMS Noida.
Professor Rajendra Patel, shared interesting accounts and experiences as the key speaker. The participants were also introduced to basics such as costing terminology, cost objects, cost drivers, conventional method of indirect cost allocation and others he also discussed broader aspect such Management Control & Organizational Performance, Performance Measurement – Balanced Scorecard – Beyond Financial Numbers and other in detail.

“The event turned out to be really knowledgeable, thanks to the valuable insights by Prof Rajendra Patel. His experience and knowledge undoubtedly helped us to get a picture of need and requirements in the management studies that would further help us to create good managers and entrepreneurs. His experience with the industry as well as an academic gives him a deep insight into the world of business and entrepreneurial challenges. We are thankful to Prof Patel for his precious time and participation,” added Dr. Debarshi Mukherjee, Associate Dean Management , IMS Noida.
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