Navrasa Duende, decoded means Navrasa, the nine rasas of art and Duende the quality of passion and inspiration.
Holds true for their Founder Dinesh B.Singh who is a veteran in the business arena and a true patron of art in ant form. His undying love for arts led him to the concept of Navrasa Duende and his never ending urge not only to follow art but also to bring it for the Global audience to partake and experience the various forms of art from across the Globe. It is his endeavor to promote commercial and niche arts from around the world. Navrasa Duende being the first step in this direction.
Recently Navrasa Duende organised a classic movies festival where in classics by two famous directors of that time were shown. The chosen directors were Alfred Hitchcock and Frank Capra.
It was a two day festival and each day, one movie of each directors was shown. I chose the first day of the festival and also the first film, The Man Who Knew Too Much by Alfred Hitchcock. It truly was a trip down the memory lane. Such a pleasant experience witnessing old time classics. The beauty about the movie was its surprising repeat value much appreciated by the audiences present.
A really commendable effort by Navrasa Duende, who have lots more to offer in the near future. One of the most promising upcoming venture by Navrasa Duende is the Global Carnival, an amalgamation of Dance, Theatre, Visual Arts, Music, Fashion and much more. I am really looking forward to this one. Stat tuned on their Facebook page to get regular updates of events organised by them.
All the best wishes to team Navrasa Duende may they succeed in this most wonderful endeavor and bring the best of Global talent for the art lovers.
Started with a mindset to be different right from the very beginning, Half Baked Beans is not just a regular publishing house. Yes they surely publish books, but they have their own uniqueness in every thing that they do, just the way their name is. Their philosophy lies in the fact that their company is not a mere publishing house, but a company that dwells on developing talent, giving them a platform to showcase their work and also bring like minded people together through different workshops and forums.
They very regularly organise creative writing workshops, book launches, book reading sessions, open discussions related to the subject and even run a very successful group on Facebook which again encourages writing, like minded discussions etc on the online platform.
I am a regular participant in the group activities and love exploring my writing skills and who knows one day I am actually able to write a full fledged novel. Seeing so much talent around definitely gives a sense of encouragement.
Recently Half Baked Beans organised a bloggers meet, where in we met not just as bloggers but as book lovers in general and shared our views on the latest trends of the industry, writing skills, marketing needs of the hour and a detailed brief of services offered by HBB. Chetan Soni the man behind Half Baked Beans and Richa Saxena, his subordinate, both shared their passion for books and we got engulfed in a long conversation over some lip smacking snacks at the Pot Belly, Shahpur Jat.
It indeed was a very insightful session, and these open discussions have enlightened me more than before on the publishing industry. We discussed how scandals, political dramas and mythology sells and creates more buzz than other genres. We also discussed the role of book reviews and book bloggers and other marketing needs that are imperative to the success of a book in todays time.
I thoroughly enjoyed myself learning the nuances of the industry.
Half Baked Beans also offers many other services like:
Editorial Services
Beta Reading
Book Cover Services
Book Design Services
Book Marketing Services
E-Book Services
You can check out more details at the Half Baked Beans website. You can also follow their page on Facebook for regular updates. They have already published more than 40 books and are growing steadily giving chance to quality authors. Their criteria for publishing books are also fool proof and they don’t publish each and every book that comes their way. They choose quality over quantity.
As a take back I got this wonderful book to read, which I am looking forward to.
In todays time, where everyone is pressed for time, cooking products that make working easy, convenient and time saving is a boon. Not just this, but products that also help keeping a check on health factor are revolutionary. Two such revolutionary products were launched by Kent RO Systems.
“Kent Smart chef appliances” has introduced the all new and innovative KENT Noodles & Pasta Maker and KENT Turbo Grinder and Blender to cook healthy and cook fast.
Present on the occasion was Dr. Mahesh Gupta, Chairman, KENT RO Systems Ltd., Masterchef Pankaj Bhadouria & Nutritionist Kavita Devgan. The launch was followed by Live Demonstration session by the renowned Chef Pankaj. Here is a glimpse of what she had to say
Commenting on the new appliance Mr. Mahesh Gupta, Chairman Kent RO Systems Ltd said “We, at KENT have always believed that a clean and healthy life is right for every individual. This ethos has made us embark on a journey to develop innovative solutions for purifying water we drink, vegetables and fruits we eat, homes we live in and the air that we breathe.”
“Any food appliance that can get people back to cooking in their kitchens by making cooking seem easy and accessible has my thumbs up. Because the fact is that people have been moving away from cooking and that has had disastrous results – it has lead to an epidemic of lifestyle diseases in the country. Fresh, preservative free, nutrient rich food is the need of the day, and that is possible with this noodle and pasta maker” shared Kavita Devgan , celebrity nutritionist and author at the launch.
KENT Turbo Grinder and Blender is no exception as it is in sync the brand philosophy. It is a new age high speed blender for home which helps in quick and hygienic processing to make a variety of food and beverages easily at home. It can easily make dosa batter, besan batter, fruit smoothie, cold coffee, soup, soya milk, milk shake, juice and crushed ice in just a few minutes!” The Kent Turbo Grinder and Blender features heating function. With the help of this unique feature you can make hot beverages like tea, soup and soya milk in the same jar. With its quick grinding and blending quality you can make dosa batter and grind dal in less than 3 minutes. It comes with a multipurpose jar which means that you can use the same jar for wet and dry grinding for hygienic, convenient and hassle-free experience.
Also it is high speed and high power as it made of high- grade Japanese stainless steel blades, 30,000 rpm speed and 3KW motor for effortless grinding as it makes the process quick and efficient.
Furthermore it offers preset menu options with automatic operation for extra convenience. The 12 preset menus utilise a fully automatic process to make a variety of dishes like juices, soya milk, smoothies, milk shakes, ice-cream, herb tea, dosa mix, porridge, soup, powder, mince and steam cooking. The smart LCD display which is a digital panel with LCD screen facilitates you to use different functions for different operations. It is extremely pocket friendly priced at Rs. 14,950/-.
Making of a healthy vegetable soup, soya milk from soya beans, dosa batter and an iced cold coffee was done right in front of our eyes and that too within minutes. I mean for example, it was so simple to make a soup, one just added vegetables and water and seasonings in the jar, and the process started, at first, the temperature started rising to the boiling point, and vegetables were boiled within the jar for sometime, then without doing anything, it started blending the vegetables at regular intervals and in just a few minutes, a smooth buried soup was ready.
Wherein, Kent noodle and pasta maker features automatic mixing, kneading and extruding functions in one go. So all you have to do is choose a program and relax.It is easy to dismantle and assemble. Its user-friendly shape makes it extremely easy to use and operate. Kent Noodle and Pasta Maker come with 7 different shaping fitments. These fitments can be used for making personalized noodles, pasta, momos and gujia of different sizes and shapes. There are 3 shaping attachments each for preparing noodles and pasta with which one can make 3 different shapes of noodles, 3 different shapes of pasta and a single shaping die for momo/gujia. These accessories help one to relish different types of pastas, noodles and momos of their choice.
Depending on personalized taste and preferences, one can enhance the taste by adding the ingredients such as eggs, herb spinach or carrot juice to make pasta, noodles, momos and gujias of their choice. One can also mix different flavour and colour to the flour/wheat in order to enrich the taste of the final product.
Kent Noodle and Pasta Maker come with a smart drawer design, where you can easily store all the accessories including the shaping dies and the cleaning tools. This ensures that the shaping dies or any other accessories are not misplaced. It is spacious enough to hold all the dies and cutters in an excellent manner thereby making it easy to locate and use. Price: 12000/-
Master Chef Pankaj Bhadouria, showed us extruding of different types of Pastas and Noodles and then also went on to create beautiful dishes with them. It truly was a wonderful experience. The ease of doing such things, makes you really wonder that would technology will give us next.
So Skip fast food and start making your own snacks. Add KENT smart chef appliance to your kitchen and stay healthy.
‘Education 4.0’ – a revolutionary focus in education that will be defined in the coming decades through the conduit of technology, as it infuses itself into every sphere of humanity; be it biological, social, environmental or economic is being pioneered in India by Auronya College at Pondicherry.
Mr. Abhaya Kumar Jain – Founding Executive Chairman, Auronya and Dr.Indira J Parikh – Founding Chairperson, Auronya; the renowned education experts in the country are the driving thought leaders behind Auronya College.
Auronya College aims to answer the unknown future by proving an all-encompassing curriculum of programs to impart Education 4.0. Addressing the burning question of ‘What it will be’ in the 21st Century; as the world is at the dawn of new industrial revolution, Auronya College has conceptualized and will be realizing Education 4.0, for the very first time in India. A great deal of research with international and national education experts has gone into developing these state of the art courses.
The unique disruptive system of Education 4.0 not only focuses on ‘what is taught’ but it takes a more nuanced approach to ‘the way it is taught’; an education model which is aligned with future trends, so as to develop and enhance individualized education that would go on to define the way that youngsters of tomorrow work and live.
Supported with a the heady mix of high-end technology directed towards a ‘future centric’ knowledge, the full-bodied curriculum aims to embed timeless values and culture and as it throws light on our connections to nature, thus paving a strong path to lead humanity.
Designed by architect Padmashri B V Doshi, the campus will be state of the art and have amenities like Virtual & Augmented Reality studios, 3D printing facility, think spaces, amphitheater, smart classroom, sports facilities, gymnasium, swimming pool etc; the sprawling campus of Auronya will have six departments – School of design & sciences; School of Humanity & art; School of Business & Economics; School of Social Science; School of Research & Intelligence and School of Media and communication. The event also marked the launch of Antariksh– one year post graduate diploma program in New Age Management & Leadership (PGDNAML), beginning in October 2017.
Antariksh is designed to prepare Future Leaders, who are ready to lead in the 4th Industrial revolution; it will focus on complete transformation and not singular improvement in the skills and abilities of an individual in interconnected ecosystems. Antariksh works on the holistic development of a student and prepare him for the future world, it applies the jack of all trades formula, and doesn’t make one expert in just one field, it rather picks the best from all courses and helps develop a wholesome individual.
Eligibility for Antariksh:
Candidates who have a minimum of 2-5 years of full time work experience at any level in external or family business can apply for the program
Candidates without any work experience can also apply and will have to go through a specially designed screening process for fresh graduates
The introductory fee for the year long program is Rs 15, 00,000, inclusive of resort style accommodation & food, global immersion, national immersion, boot camp, personal growth lab and spiritual immersion
The management will provide scholarships for students on a need cum merit basis
Speaking at the event, Mr.Abhaya Kumar – Founding Executive Chairman, Auronya said, “Auronya College aims to bring a paradigm shift in the education system to align ourselves with the fourth industrial revolution by redesigning the 20th century model of education to meet real time needs of internationalized, technology driven fast changing 21st century. Auronya is built with a foundation of creation and contribution embracing the spirit of liberal education, invention, intelligence, globalization and entrepreneurship.”
Speaking about Auronya, Dr.Indira Parikh – Founding Chairperson, Auronya said, “This millennium has created a major discontinuity in the existence of human beings. The generation born in this decade and those yet to be born will be confronting a revolution in technology and as a consequence in the life and living and relationships amongst people. Education and employment will undergo change not available in the history of mankind. In order to meet the unfolding of this New Age Change the country needs to prepare an education which will be real agent for the times and meaningful to the generation of students…the country will also need to prepare leaders who will take the responsibility to shape this change in a most dignifies human manner.”
“AURONYA is one such academic institution which is starting a pioneering Post Graduate Program in New Age Management and Leadership. The courses offered at AURONYA are designed based on the technology just in the making, impact of technology in occupation, at work, in family and the human existence. These are courses which are futuristic and envisaged how the world will be shaped by these technologies. Education at AURONYA will prepare students to be ready with domain knowledge of Bio Sciences, Nano Technology, Digitisation and similar other subjects. When these technologies emerge there will be students ready with knowledge and clarity of taking the leadership roles. They will all be ready to respond to the changes in the human phenomenon so that people can cope with and give shape to these changes.” added Dr. Indira.
Mr.Anuj Sharma, Founding Dean, Auronya said “Auronya’s learning environment is designed to infuse human connection with nature and harmony while immersing the experience with future technologies. At Auronya, knowledge and technology represents the “What” while human insights represent the “Why.”Auronya College is committed to expand its learning universe in the coming years for unique Undergraduate, Masters and Post Graduate programs.”
The insights shared about the 4th Industrial revolution by Anuj Sharma were so engaging and informative, that I wish I was a student again. Also after learning more about Auronya’s campus, the technology use and hi-tech classrooms and the Antariksh course I surely wanna go back in time and start my education again, there is so much new to learn!
About Auronya College:
Launched on 22nd April 2017, Auronya College is a pioneer in the conceptualization of education 4.0, a paradigm shift to align Education with the fourth industrial revolution. It is led by academician Prof. Indira Parikh, former dean of IIM-A and industrialist S. Abhaya Kumar Jain, former MD of Strides Shasun. It has upcoming state-of-the-art campuses in Pondicherry with new age facilities such as virtual reality studio, 3D printing, augmented reality lab etc apart from smart classrooms, amphitheatre, tennis court and fully furnished residential facility with gymnasium, swimming pool and more. Auronya’s first program Antariksh is one year Post Graduate Diploma in New Age Management & Leadership (PGDNAML) and will start in October 2017.
Even when the temperature is soaring high in Delhi, nothing can stop the enthusiasm and energy of fashion lovers from visiting the summer edition of Rubaru. Rubaru, which is a brain child of 3 friends, Durgesh Goel, Minal Aggarwal and Vandana Aggarwal is a collaborative effort to curate brands for a unique and stylized experience. It gives both the brands and customers their value for time and money. As a customer one gets to experience so many brands under one roof and the brands also benefit by getting a greater exposure. Such exhibitions are always a win win situation for everyone. In its 15th edition, Rubaru, yet again proved to be a fashion and lifestyle extravaganza.
Over 50 brands, specializing in summer-wear, organic materials, summer chic and wedding bling jewellery, home décor, juttis and footwear, and even interesting food products, it was a packed house at Lalit Hotel. Tarot reading on the side, bling footwear bang in the centre of the hall and noted FDCI designers Rahul Singh, Abhi Singh and Gaurav Jagtiani coming together to form the perfect ensemble for a fashionable day out. Out-of-town travellers included brands who’d come from Jaipur, Lucknow, Punjab, Himachal and even Goa.
“No two brands at our exhibition have overlapping products or styles, and I only pick brands that I enjoy or would love to shop from, to give people a quality shopping experience,” says Durgesh Goel, founder of Rubaru.
The collection showcased by the designers was really chic and classy, and some of the pieces were truly mind-blowing. It seemed like a shoppers paradise. Me and my friend and my mom, enjoyed walking through the entire exhibition, picking up our choices and even posing with some of the designer pieces.
Given a chance, would have picked up a lot more stuff from the exhibition, but holding on for the next edition to indulge and splurge. Exquisite pieces of jewellery and some inso-western outfits really grabbed my attention and loved them.
A great evening spent splurging and having fun with friends..Rubaru was truly a delightful experience!
SoulKonnection is an organization that is a celebration of conscious life through various wellness events of Self Transformation and Uplifting Programs. On 8th April 2017, Soul 108 by SoulKonnection is a one day festival in Andheri, Mumbai inviting people to experience a holistic healing experience. It is a one of a kind festival that gives a platform for participants to engage in a wide array of traditional and non-traditional activities including Yoga, Meditation, Dance Movement Therapy, SoulKonnect Self – Healing, Lifecoaching – Secrets of Time Management, Sound Healing and Art Therapy.
Soul 108 is designed for all age group including kids, adults and seniors. There are special Art Therapy and Etiquette classes for children to experience, while their parents can attend workshops simultaneously. Besides this, an array of food stalls will ensure a guilt-free, healthy experience with fresh produce, organic food and drinks. The workshops aimed towards self- exploration and self – discovery will take place through the day while the evening will include live singing and stand – up comedy act.
The event is designed and curated by the Founder of SoulKonnection, the celebrated Life Coach, Amit Bhandari who is an ex-captain of the Merchant Navy. His award-winning methods have helped clients across India and Australia.
Elite Delhi schools have a general perception of creating spoilt children who dwell in mal-influence. However, who go unnoticed, are the children who use their resources to bring change. Rajavi Mishra, Hanssa Jain, and Sharanya Khemka, students of Step by Step School, founded ‘Zariya’ in 2016. In collaboration with the NGO ‘Samarpan’, an initiative to provide a caring home for orphaned children, Zariya aims to fight child abuse and neglect that takes place in New Delhi. Its first ever endeavour was to develop a sense of achievement among such children. This was done by organizing an 8 month long vocational skill building programme: Kala Ki Pehchaan.
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To showcase their progress and raise funds for the cause, Zariya organized a fest on 20th March at Select CityWalk, which featured performance by the children of Samarpan NGO, concerts, stalls and fashion show. www.foodcloud.in had signed on as the official food partner for the event. They intended to come forward with other inspiring projects to serve the cause. Many home chefs who are associated with food cloud showcased their culinary skills at the event and sold their deletable food. From Thai to Lebanese, Continental and some amazing desserts, there was something for every tastebud to savour. Akanksha Goel, Arsh Khetan, Soven Soni, Ranveer Singh Aujla,Malika Thakur, Shivank Sareen, Sachi Sinha, Utsav Maheshwari,and Dhruv Narula, students from Step By Step School and Sanskriti School played a crucial role in making this show a success. It was a great event and I had a lot fun visiting the same.
Ministry of Agriculture Forestry And Fisheries,Japan,(MAFF) held its First Indo-Japan Food Forum in Association with Jetro and Assocham at Assocham House, Delhi, on the 16th of March, 2017.
The main focus of the Forum was to promote Japanese food and it’s favourable food preparation methods and techniques effectively in India.
The theme of the Forum was ‘Food and Health’
The Forum saw high ranking officials from the Ministry of Agriculture from Japan and India, Jetro and Assocham address the issues of creating awareness of Japanese food and food processing technologies in India.
Leading producers of Miso, Marukome Co Ltd, Kagome Co Ltd, and other food processing companies graced the occasion and their representatives explained in detail about the company background and their future plans to invest and produce in India.
Mr Tejima, Founder of Sushi Junction, and online Sushi store took us through their process of opening an online food delivery store to its present day success in this niche segment. He laid emphasis on the quality of food served by them and the growing awareness in the Indian consumers towards Japanese food.
The Forum also saw the presence of some distinguished Indian Chefs who prepared some very innovative Indian Dishes using authentic Japanese ingredients.
Here is a glimpse..
All in a all an exciting time ahead for Indian foodaholics to get a taste of multiple Japanese food products and More Japanese Cuisine to be made easily available for food lovers.
Hoping and Wishing great success to this exciting new phase.
Witlinger,the British Beer, showed their support towards the celebration of strong modern woman by partnering with the British Council for their Women’s Day Event.
The event saw some women run NGOs coming forward to showcase and sell their crafts made by women and to create awareness of their charitable activities to raise funds.
There was a performing band that belt out some really meaningful and melodious numbers all very relevant to the status of women in our Society.
Later in the evening there were more performances lined up as Witlinger, the exclusive beverage partner served their beers to keep everyone in an upbeat mood.
A great initiative by British Council and Witlinger to acknowledge and celebrate Woman Power.
Groupe SEB, world leader in small domestic equipment with a turnover of 5 billion Euros in 2016, is all set to revolutionize the cookware and small electrical appliances segment in India. The France-based consortium yesterday launched Tefal with a premium range of products across segments such as Cookware, Food & Drink Preparation, Breakfast, Linen Care and Home Care at the Claridges Hotel, Delhi
Tefal ingenious and durable products will ensure Indian consumers “get the best out of everyday”, with the assurance of making their home a better place, in a fast-paced and ever-changing world.
Groupe SEB India CEO Sunil Wadhwa said:“Groupe SEB is pleased to launch the flagship premium Brand Tefal in India. This launch is in sync with the Groupe’s strategy to establish leadership position in the market. Tefal’s launch is the next phase in Groupe SEB’s expansion strategy to dominate the market with products which are designed in France, acknowledged for their innovative solutions and are equipped with patented technologies providing perfect results”.
Mr. Wadhwa happily answered all queries of the media regarding product strategy, availability, distribution and pricing.
To begin with, Tefal Non-stick Cookware, Steam irons and Air Purifiers will be available in Delhi-NCR, Chandigarh and Ludhiana. By June 2017, Tefal would be available across 13 metros and mini metros in the country and product range would also be expanded with the addition of Food Preparation and Breakfast categories. With a gradual expansion in range, Tefal would have an extensive product portfolio available in the market by end of 2017. And here is what he said when I asked him about the marketing plans for the brand
Highlighting the importance of India in Groupe SEB’s expansion plans worldwide, Mr Thierry de La Tour d’Artaise, Chairman & CEO, Groupe SEB, said in a statement screened at the conference: “Since Maharaja Whiteline became Groupe SEB’s 100% subsidiary, Mr. Wadhwa and his team have doubled the sales, they have increased tremendously the product development and the number of after-sales service all around India where we have a state-of- the-art production facility (in Baddi – Himachal Pradesh). After the Maharaja Whiteline brand, we will now introduce in India, one of our most famous international brands: Tefal. We will start with cookware, irons, kitchen appliances and air purifiers. In the second stage, we will be launching food preparation products like juicers, mixer grinders before introducing more and more products. We will start with four cities, then nine and then the whole country. We have big ambitions for India and we will invest a lot here.”
With price points ranging from an affordable Rs. 699 for a frying pan to Rs. 37,599 for the Masterchef Gourmet kitchen machine, the state-of-the-art Tefal products have been designed in France, produced and sourced from global factories.
Tefal is world’s number 1* in cookware owing to its cutting-edge and 3 times long-lasting Hard Titanium + coating. With a strong experience of over 60 years, Tefal ensures no compromise on quality and Ingenuity with its 3 cookware ranges that come with patentedThermo-spot® technology, which is a smart temperature indicator that lets you know when the pan is ready to start cooking. It helps you cook healthy and delicious meals while ensuring optimal energy consumption.
In the food preparation range, Masterchef Gourmet kitchen machine brings out the chef in you wanting to experiment with layered cakes, pastries and many other gourmet delicacies. It offers perfect results with the patented Flex whisk technology and high versatility thanks to its 11 accessories.
Tefal has also introduced unique Intense Pure Air purifier — one of its kind — that filters up to 99.97% harmful pollutants and also, like no other purifier does, permanently destroys carcinogenic formaldehyde** present in all houses thanks to its patentedNanoCaptur technology. Tefal’s promise is to take perfect care of the air that your family is breathing at home, all year long.
In the linen care segment, Tefal Easygliss steam iron with its Innovative and globally acclaimed Durilium technology offers an outstanding glide, maximum steam distribution and excellent scratch-resistance for professional quality results.
For now, Tefal plans to introduce more than 40 products across five categories in the market gradually. And there will be more to come thereafter.
Groupe SEB acquired a 100% stake in Maharaja Whiteline in early 2014. Since then, the Groupe SEB India has grown by more than by over 100%, and has introduced more than 170 products in the market. Along with the new products, there has been a phenomenal growth in the global SDA major’s distribution network, not just in the north — erstwhile Maharaja Whiteline’s bastion — but also in many other states in the country. Groupe SEB India, with its brand Maharaja Whiteline is currently present across all the Indian states with its 22 branch offices. Groupe SEB India is one of the very few appliance companies which has its own state of the art factory. It helps in producing very good quality and durable appliances in India itself.
*Independent panel 2015 data, brand value sales, cookware category definition.
** Tested in an external laboratory vs main competitive filtration technologies – November 2014.
About Groupe SEB India:
Groupe SEB India is the Indian arm of Groupe SEB, a France-based global leader in small equipment segment. In 2014, the Groupe acquired 100% of Maharaja Whiteline a leader in small domestic appliances in India. The conglomerate is a leader in mixer grinder, juicer-mixer grinder, air coolers and room heater categories in the market. Headquartered in Delhi, the Groupe has over 22 branch offices, 750 Distributors and 40,000 Dealers across the country, along with an in-house manufacturing facility at Baddi (Himachal Pradesh) spread over more than 10 acres. Maharaja Whiteline offers products under three categories, including Kitchen Appliances, Home Comfort and Garment Care.
