Friday 29 January 2016

MYNTRA TARGETS $1 BILLION GMV IN FY 2016-17

MYNTRA TARGETS $1 BILLION GMV IN FY 2016-17
Myntra clocks $800 million in annualized average GMV in January 2016

Myntra, India's leading platform for fashion brands and pioneer in m-commerce play, has clocked $800 million in annualized GMV in January 2016, taking it closer to the target of reaching $1 billion GMV byFY 2016-2017. Sales volumes for the month were propelled by growth of Myntra Fashion Brands, increased contribution of international brands including new marquee brands such as M&S, Forever 21, high growth in womenswear category and a hugely successful End of Reason sale. Also, discounts have dropped by 6% and supply chain cost reduced by 5% in the last quarter.

According to Ananth Narayanan, CEO, Myntra, “January has been the biggest month ever for Myntra. I am happy to share that we have achieved an annualized GMV of $800 million. Our focus for the year will be to attain positive gross profit while maintaining scale during the year. We plan to build on the momentum in the first month to touch $1 billion GMV by FY2016-17.”

BUSINESS PERFORMANCE IN 2015
In 2015, three key strategies were adopted which has helped the company to clock growth of 70 % YoY.  First, there was a focus on brand mix that appealed to the price conscious as well as the fashion & brand conscious. Second, the company worked towards greater efficiencies arising out of increasing scale and better management of business processes. Finally, better cost management through a series of rationalization measures have ensured better bang for the buck, be it in marketing or infrastructure.
PERFORMANCE OF BRANDS & CATEGORIES
The focus for 2015 was on building a large portfolio of domestic and international brands. “Online fashion consumers are largely brand seeking. Brands will grow and define future of fashion. We expect the branded fashion market to grow twice as fast as the overall fashion market in the next 5 years. We now plan to be profitable at scale in FY 2016-17, with consistently high growth rates,” says Prasad Kompalli, Head – eCommerce Platform, Myntra.
By the end of December 2015, there were over 2000brands on the Myntra platform, of which 800 new brands had been on-boarded in 2015. The top brands for the year were Roadster, Puma, Nike, Vero Moda & UCB.
The year also saw a growth in Myntra Fashion Brands, led by Roadster, whichbecame the highest performing brand on the platform.  Roadster aims to clock Rs. 400 crore in 2015-16 &become a $100-million or Rs 650-crore brand by end of 2016.The in-house brands saw an increase in contribution in overall revenue to 20% in 2015. The focus area for FY 2016 is to increase contribution of in-house brands to ~25%.
Currently, on Myntra there are more than 30 international brands on the platform, including Scotch &Soda, Harley Davidson, Ferrari, Desigual, Forever 21,The North Face, Timberland and Marks & Spencer out of which 25 were added in 2015 alone.

The overall contribution by December end was 5%, which will increase to 15% by FY 2017. The leading international brands were Forever 21, Mango, Antony Morato, Scotch & Soda and M&S.

WOMENSWEAR
Among categories, the womenswear category grew by 73% in 2015.In January 2015, Myntra had a total of 995 womenswear brands and 90,000 styles catering to the women consumer. A year later, in Jan 2016, Myntra has approximately 1250 womenswear brands and 141,000styles. This represents a 25% increase in brands, and a 55% increase in the womenswear catalog. In the women's category, Western wear has been the top performing category which was followed by lingerie.
Some of the key brand launches in the past one year include All About You (MFB), Guess, Label by Ritu Kumar, Chumbak, Emporio Armani innerwear, Calvin Klein innerwear, ALDO, Nine West, Accessorize, FURLA and Kenneth Cole.

MENSWEAR
Menswear brands on the platform went up from 263 brands in 2014 to 419 brands by the end of 2015 and the category grew overall by 70%. Shirts, Jeans/Denims and Winterwear were the top 3 menswear products.
In the menswear category, the top performing market brands were UCB, Jack & Jones, Wrangler, US Polo Assn and Levi’s. Among the in-house brands, Roadster and Mast & Harbour were the top performers. Wrogn, which was launched in February last year, is among the top 10 brands in this category.

SPORTSWEAR
The category saw the addition of Adidas NEO, Timberland, The North Face, Columbia Sportswear- ExclusiveReal Madrid, Barcelona, DC, among others. For the category, the top 5 brands were Nike, Puma, adidas, Reebok, Fila and Vans. In the sports category, products for running , training &fitness (especially those for women engaged in dance, yoga, aerobics and zumba etc.) continues to do well.Sporty lifestyle footwear and winterwear are also doing well.New categories like outdoor, skateboarding and basketball are picking up faster than other categories.

Thursday 21 January 2016

Experience the Best with God’s Own Country!

Experience the Best with God’s Own Country!
Kerala popularly known as God’s Own Country is the perfect holiday destination of India; from picturesque landscapes, exciting getaways to rich culture and heritage the state has a lot to showcase. As a ritual, the state brings you a 360 degree preview of India’s favorite destination; the essence of the state being captured in one single event. The idea is to witness the rich culture, extravagant heritage, magnificent landscapes, cuisine, music and art all in one show.
Kerala Tourism attracts more tourists with new initiatives!
  • In 2015, the number of foreign tourists that visited Kerala was 7,75,390 (From Jan-October)
  • Foreign tourists’ arrival from Jan-October, 2015 up by 6.60%
  • Number of domestic tourists in Kerala this year was 76,71,277 (From Jan –August)
  • Domestic tourists’ arrival from Jan –August, 2015 up by 7.40% 
 Kerala as the most preferred destination for both Domestic and Internationals Tourists…
Foreign Tourist arrival to Kerala during the year 2014 is 9, 23,366; it shows an increase of 7.60% over the previous year’s figure of 8, 58,143. Domestic Tourist arrival to Kerala during the year 2014 is 116, 95,411. It shows an increase of 7.71 % over the previous year’s figure 108, 57,811.
Foreign exchange earnings for the year 2014 are Rs: 6398.93 Crores which recorded an increase of 15.07 % over the previous year.
Total Revenue (including direct & indirect) from Tourism during 2014 is Rs: 24885.44 Crores, showing an increase of 12.11% over the last year’s figure.

Visit Kerala – the Season of Surprises

Kerala Tourism has declared the period from April 2015 to April 2016 as "Visit Kerala Year" and an array of activities are planned as part of it. In the wake of the fresh initiative, Kerala Tourism will explore more new markets like China, Sri Lanka etc.  Aggressive campaigns that target potential travelers in big traditional markets for Kerala will be conducted in the United Kingdom, France and Germany through trade fairs and roadshows.  Leveraging the increased air connectivity, a focused Ayurveda and monsoon campaign will be conducted in the Middle East where 90% of the Diasporas are from Kerala.

A comprehensive festivals and events calendar will be prepared and promoted through multiple channels, including India Tourism Offices and Indian embassies abroad. Kerala will be promoted as a major “Wedding and MICE destination” through online campaigns. 

Kerala Tourism will also launch a new theme campaign to showcase Kerala and its unique attractions, to strengthen Kerala’s position as ‘God’s Own Country’ and to create a destination pull. Food festivals conducted in cities such as Ahmedabad and Mumbai to market Kerala’s authentic cuisine, one of the tourist attractions of the State. Kerala Tourism Development Corporation (KTDC) will come up with special discounted packages during the period.

Initiatives in God’s Own Country…
Government of Kerala has rolled out a lot of initiatives till date, ‘Seaplane Project’ and ‘Project Muziris’; being the latest projects which were rolled out last year in order to enhance the travel experience and add to its array of attractions. Where the former project is aimed towards improving last mile connectivity by air to its destinations across the state, the latter is directed to reinstate the historical and cultural significance of the legendary port of Muziris, which makes a part of Central Kerala.
For the Seaplane Project, the immediate plan is to provide service initially in the priority circuit, consisting of the three airports of Trivandrum, Cochin & Calicut and the prime destinations viz. Astamudi, Punnamada, Kumarakom, Bolgatty and Bekal in the state.
The Marketing Initiatives for the year 2015-16 are aimed at Value of Money off season packages targeting some important cities of the country namely; Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Surat, Vishakhapatnam, Patna, Guwahati, Pune, Goa, Udaipur, Mysore, Coimbatore etc.
The state aims at being part of all International and Domestic Trade Fairs and Road Shows like MITT Moscow, TUR Gottenburg, ITB Berlin,  Dusseldorf Germany, Berlin Germany, Milan Italy, London UK.
Hop On Hop Off Boats..
The Hop on Hop offBoats service was started as a part of Kerala Tourism’s many other initiatives in the year 2014. As part of its innovative water-based tourism facilities, the Kerala Tourism Infrastructure Ltd., under the state's Department of Tourism, launched the Hop-on Hop-off boat service and Water Taxis, for the first time in India, in the backwaters of Kochi and in the Spice Route project of Muziris. 
Keeping up with the Virtual World…
In a short span of time, Kerala Tourism has made a mark in the Digital world. Kerala Tourism has 1.1 million plus Facebook fans, 44,400 plus Twitter followers, 6000 plus Instagram followers,500 plus Pinterest followers, 700 plus foursquare followers, the Kerala Tourism YouTube channel has 7,189 subscribers and 8,578,373 views. We also have More than 250+ articles on Kerala, Backwaters and Ayurveda published in guest blogs.
The new website has been launched recently with a fresh look and increased accessibility with more information, 1500 pictures and 3000 videos.
Kerala Tourism’s website, which attracts the maximum number of visitors, has been translated into various Indian languages like Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Tamil, Kannada and Telugu, as well as foreign languages including Dutch, Italian, Portuguese and Swedish.
Kerala has emerged as the No. 1 travel destination of the country in Google search trends, edging out TajMahal. This is a testimony to the international recognition of brand Kerala.
Cultural Events showcasing in Kerala…
Nishagandhi Festival: January
The annual festival will be held from January 20th - 27th, 2016. Artist and connoisseurs of dance from all over India come to enjoy this cultural treat. This year’s Nishagandhi festival will kick off with classical sitar concert by Anoushka Shankar, followed by performances of tabla exponent Zakir Hussain, actress-dancer Hema Malini, among other internationally acclaimed artists. The festival is organised by the Kerala Tourism.
On the trail of the Spice Route…
Another amazing initiative in the offering is the Spice Route Revival Project. Kerala's initiative to revive and promote the two millennia-old spice route, that links the south western coast of India up to Europe, through tourism has received a boost, with the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) pledging support to the venture.
Other Noteworthy Projects…
Kerala Tourism has come out with a unique nature based soft adventure holidays program NATVENTURE. The idea behind this is to use the key tourism products - Wildlife, Hill Stations, Beaches, Backwaters, etc. and engage the possibilities of adventure activities they offer. Kerala Natventure activities include Trekking, Camping, Rock Climbing, Jungle, Wildlife Safaris, Bird Watching, Cycling, Kayaking, Canoeing and Paragliding.
Another forward initiative is the launch of the new 'Great Backwaters' campaign.The campaign aims at unveiling the state's majestic backwaters as a single unique destination.
A new campaign, ‘Home of Ayurveda’ was also launched to promote Ayurveda through all media. ‘Bakel’ has been introduced as a new destination in North Kerala.
From a seasonal tourist place, Kerala was elevated to an all season destination through a successful Dream Season campaign launched during the off-season.
Awards and Accolades…
Kerala Tourism was conferred the inaugural Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) CEO Challenge 2015 award for the top emerging destination in the world. The award was in recognition of the pioneering Responsible Tourism undertaken in Thekkady by Kerala Tourism.
Kerala Tourism was also bestowed the top Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Award for heritage conservation, in an honour that highlights the state's trendsetting efforts in reinventing the millennia-old Spice Route heritage.
In addition to these, Kerala Tourism also bagged the National Tourism Award for the Best Rural Tourism Project in Kumarakom, ITB Berlin – Golden City Gate Award (Print Campaign), Best Family & Best Value for Money Destination and many more.

So what are you waiting for? The real award is for the people who visit the state and take back amazing memories from God’s Own Country. See you in Kerala!

Tuesday 19 January 2016

Mahindra Insurance Brokers - First Insurance Broking Company in the World toachievethe Global Benchmark

Mahindra Insurance Brokers - First Insurance Broking Company in the World toachievethe Global Benchmark
Appraised &Rated at Maturity Level 3 to the People Capability Maturity Model® (People-CMM®)
Ø  MIBL Philosophy :  ““Happy employees tend to make happy customers”
Ø  Implementation of capability maturity model to create high-performance and high-maturity culture
Ø  Adoption of international best people practices
Mahindra Insurance Brokers Ltd. (MIBL) has been appraised and rated at Maturity Level 3 of the People Capability Maturity Model® (People-CMM®),  thus becoming the first insurance broking company globally to achieve this international benchmark. MIBL joins the league of top companies practising People-CMM® such as Accenture, Computer Sciences Corporation, Wipro, CMC, Mahindra & Mahindra Financial Services Ltd., Tata Consultancy Services, L&T Infotech, etc.
P-CMM® is an organizational transformation model from the CMMI® Institute, USA.  The CMMI® Institute, a subsidiary of Carnegie Mellon University is dedicated to elevating organizational performance through best-in-class solutions to real-world challenges.  The Institute is the home of the Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI)® for Development, Services, and Acquisition; the People Capability Maturity Model; and the Data Management Maturity Model (DMM)SM, which are capability maturity models that create high-performance, high-maturity cultures.  MIBL’s achievement of Maturity Level 3 demonstrates that it implements world-class best practices with respect to the management and development of its workforce.
Ramesh Iyer, Managing Director, Mahindra & Mahindra Financial Services Ltd. and President – Financial Services Sector and Member of Group Executive Board of the Mahindra Group, said, “We are truly delighted that MIBL has become the first insurance broker globally to  achieve this international benchmark. It is a reflection of the organization’s steadfast commitment to the development of its people, its focus on adding value to its customers, and driving positive change in the lives of people.”
Dr JaideepDevare, Managing Director, MIBL, commented, “We are extremely honoured to have achievedPeople-CMM® Maturity Level 3 for Human Capital Development. Our focus on best practices has been driven by our desire and commitment to deliver a best-in-class service experience to our valued customers. Our customers deserve the best and we have endeavoured to develop our people capabilities to match and exceed customer expectations. This achievement reinforces MIBL’s continued commitment to develop and enhance skills and capabilities of our team.”
Rajesh Naik, the lead appraiser from QAI India said, “MIBL has a robust framework for employee growth, supported by a collaborative culture, a competency framework, internal job posting, educational assistance, and focus on internal promotions. MIBL is also the world’s first company in the insurance sector to have achieved Maturity Level 3 of the People CMM®. Powered by a strong and flexible people management system, I am sure MIBL has the potential to become one of the best organizations in the world.”
“MIBL’s appraisal at Level 3 of the PCMM Model is an endorsement of the significant emphasis we place on developing our existing competencies and creating a globally competitive learning and development culture,” said Vinay Deshpande -Chief People Officer, Mahindra & Mahindra Financial Services Sector.

About Mahindra Insurance Brokers Limited
The company’s long-term Vision is: To be the first Indian company amongst the Global Top 100 Insurance Brokers in Revenue by 2020.
Mahindra Insurance Brokers Limited (MIBL) is a subsidiary of Mahindra & Mahindra Financial Services Limited (MMFSL). MIBL has a Composite Broking license enabling it to operate as a Direct as well as a Reinsurance broker. MIBL is one of the few insurance broking companies in India to have adopted Quality Management systems ISO 9001:2008 certification. MIBL is committed to providing value to its customers by understanding their insurance needs and risk profile, and providing innovative, cost effective, customized solutions to ensure total customer satisfaction. MIBL’s role, in short, encompasses various activities right from risk profiling to claims administration for customers. MIBL acts as an intermediary between the customer and the insurance company, representing the customer. MIBL co-ordinates with the insurers and re-insurers to get the best rate and the most ideal risk protection cover for their customers.

As on today, the insurance solutions developed by MIBL have reached out to over 150,000 villages and haveserviced over 6 million cases in the rural and semi-urban markets.

MIBL’s vision also goes well beyond the horizon as it sets its eyes on the global market by spreading its wings globally and developing relationships in over 25 countries in reinsurance broking business.

About Mahindra & Mahindra Financial Services Limited

Mahindra & Mahindra Financial Services Limited (Mahindra Finance), part of the Mahindra Group, is one of India’s leading non-banking finance companies. Focused on the rural and semi-urban sector, the Company has over 3.5 million customers and has an AUM of over USD 5 billion. The Company is a leading vehicle and tractor financier and also offers fixed deposits and loans to SMEs. The Company has over 1,000 offices across the country and is the first finance Company from India to form a part of Dow Jones Sustainability Index. 

The Company's Insurance Broking subsidiary, Mahindra Insurance Brokers Limited (MIBL), is a licensed Composite Broker providing Direct and Reinsurance broking services. 

Mahindra Rural Housing Finance (MRHFL) a subsidiary of MMFSL provides loans for purchase, renovation, construction of houses to individuals in the rural areas of the country.

The Company has a JV in US, Mahindra Finance USA, in partnership with De Lage Landen, a subsidiary of Rabo Bank, for financing Mahindra tractors in US.

About Mahindra
The Mahindra Group focuses on enabling people to rise through solutions that power mobility, drive rural prosperity, enhance urban lifestyles and increase business efficiency.

A USD 16.9 billion multinational group based in Mumbai, India, Mahindra provides employment opportunities to over 200,000 people in over 100 countries. Mahindra operates in the key industries that drive economic growth, enjoying a leadership position in tractorsutility vehiclesinformation technology, financial services and vacation ownership. In addition, Mahindra enjoys a strong presence in the agribusiness, aerospace, components, consulting services, defence, energy, industrial equipment, logistics, real estate, retail, steel, commercial vehicles and two wheeler industries.

In 2015, Mahindra & Mahindra was recognized as the Best Company for CSR in India in a study by the Economic Times. In 2014, Mahindra featured on the Forbes Global 2000, a comprehensive listing of the world’s largest, most powerful public companies, as measured by revenue, profit, assets and market value. The Mahindra Group also received the Financial Times ‘Boldness in Business’ Award in the ‘Emerging Markets’ category in 2013.

Visit us atwww.mahindra.com

Our Social Media Channels:
is a reflection of the organization’s steadfast commitment to the development of its people, its focus on adding value to its customers, and driving positive change in the lives of people.”

Dr JaideepDevare, Managing Director, MIBL, commented, “We are extremely honoured to have achievedPeople-CMM® Maturity Level 3 for Human Capital Development. Our focus on best practices has been driven by our desire and commitment to deliver a best-in-class service experience to our valued customers. Our customers deserve the best and we have endeavoured to develop our people capabilities to match and exceed customer expectations. This achievement reinforces MIBL’s continued commitment to develop and enhance skills and capabilities of our team.”
Rajesh Naik, the lead appraiser from QAI India said, “MIBL has a robust framework for employee growth, supported by a collaborative culture, a competency framework, internal job posting, educational assistance, and focus on internal promotions. MIBL is also the world’s first company in the insurance sector to have achieved Maturity Level 3 of the People CMM®. Powered by a strong and flexible people management system, I am sure MIBL has the potential to become one of the best organizations in the world.”
“MIBL’s appraisal at Level 3 of the PCMM Model is an endorsement of the significant emphasis we place on developing our existing competencies and creating a globally competitive learning and development culture,” said Vinay Deshpande -Chief People Officer, Mahindra & Mahindra Financial Services Sector.

Thursday 14 January 2016

11th Edition of Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards in Delhi Announced

11th Edition of Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards in Delhi Announced 

-       META 2016 calls for entries to be submitted in prescribed format by 20th January, 2016
The Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards (META) a weeklong national theatre festival and award, which stages the best of theatre from the year gone by. META is calling for entries from theatre productions across the country, for the 11th edition of the awards. The US $16.9 billion Mahindra Group in conjunction with pioneering entertainment company Teamwork Arts announced the call for entries today.  The last decade has seen META conferring awards across 13 categories celebrating various crafts of theatre including Stage Design, Lighting and Costumes apart from Best Play, Best Director, etc. Theatre groups from all over the nation participate in this festival to compete for the prestigious and most comprehensive awards recognizing Indian Theatre. 
Apart from the prize money and the opportunity to perform at the National Capital, it is the recognition of META that encourages various theatre groups to participate every year. A large number of award winning productions have traveled across the world after being recognised at the annual theater awards. The 11th META Festival is scheduled from 6th to 13th March, 2016 at New Delhi’s LTG, Kamani and FICCI Auditoriums along with a Gala Awards Night where the city’s who’s who will be present on March 13th, 2016 at the Taj Mahal Hotel, on Mansingh Road, in New Delhi.
This year the festival opens with a production dedicated to the Lifetime Achievement award. The award specially constituted 6 years ago pays tribute to the stalwarts of theater who have contributed significantly in promoting, propagating and evolving the theater tradition in India. Past winners have included, Badal Sircar, Zohra Sehgal, Khaled Choudhary, Ebrahim Alkazi, Girish Karnad & Kanhailal Heisnam.
Jay Shah, Head, Cultural Outreach, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd said “Mahindra Group has always been at the helm of promoting various aspects of arts. It is heartening to see the incredible journey of META in the last decade. Theatre groups from across India have been part of this prestigious event,and we will continue our endeavour to celebrate, and stimulate national theatre and increase its awareness and appreciation
Instituted by the Mahindra Group, in continuation of its commitment to promoting the arts, and produced by Teamwork Arts, a pioneering entertainment company in the performing arts space, META aims at bringing together the best of Indian theatre from the year gone by.
Sanjoy Roy, MD, Teamwork Arts said, “META has given a platform and recognition to hundreds of theatre groups from remote corners of the country. This award has been witness to many success stories and as we step into the next decade of META, we’re working to enhance the role of Creative Industries in India’s economy’ 
The submissions must be sent in the form of recorded DVDs on or before 20th January, 2016. The entries have to be shared online followed by sending in recorded DVDs of the play via post on or by logging in to http://metawards.com/v1/entry-form-2016/

All productions that meet the eligibility criteria will be viewed by an esteemed selection committee comprising five eminent theatre personalities. The selection committee will then pick the 10 best productions after viewing the DVDs and nominate them under the 13 award categories. The ten chosen entries will then be invited to perform live in front of an esteemed jury and general audience. Every entry for META should meet certain criteria, details of which are available on http://metawards.com/v1/entry-form-2016/

About Mahindra Group
About Mahindra
The Mahindra Group focuses on enabling people to rise through solutions that power mobility, drive rural prosperity, enhance urban lifestyles and increase business efficiency.
A USD 16.9 billion multinational group based in Mumbai, India, Mahindra provides employment opportunities to over 200,000 people in over 100 countries. Mahindra operates in the key industries that drive economic growth, enjoying a leadership position in tractors, utility vehiclesinformation technology, financial services  and vacation ownership. In addition, Mahindra enjoys a strong presence in the agribusiness, aerospace, components, consulting services, defence, energy, industrial equipment, logistics, real estate, retail, steel, commercial vehicles and two wheeler industries.
 
In 2015, Mahindra & Mahindra was recognized as the Best Company for CSR in India in a study by the Economic Times. In 2014, Mahindra featured on the Forbes Global 2000, a comprehensive listing of the world’s largest, most powerful public companies, as measured by revenue, profit, assets and market value. The Mahindra Group also received the Financial Times ‘Boldness in Business’ Award in the ‘Emerging Markets’ category in 2013.

Visit us at www.mahindra.com
 
Our Social Media Channels:

About Teamwork Arts
For over 25 years, Teamwork Arts has taken India to the world and brought the world to India.
In countries such as Australia, Canada, Egypt, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Israel, Korea, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, UK and USA, Teamwork produces over 25 highly acclaimed performing arts, visual arts and literary festivals across more than 40 cities.
 
Teamwork produces one of the world’s largest free literary gatherings, the annual ZEE Jaipur Literature Festival, international festivals Shared History in South Africa, Eye on India in the United States of America, India by the Bay in Hong Kong, and many more.

Wednesday 13 January 2016

DADA is back


DADA is back!
Popcorn Sports & Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. unveiled the Captain of its MCL franchise, Sourav Ganguly in an ebullient ceremony
Or
The legendary CAPTAIN is back!
Popcorn Sports & Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. unveiled the Captain of its MCL franchise, Sourav Ganguly in an ebullient ceremony
Popcorn Sports & Entertainment Pvt. Ltd., franchisee owner of Libra Legends, MCL announced Sourav Ganguly as their team captain at Pala Hall ITC, Kolkata in a press conference. The Libra Legends are now all set to enthrall the world with cricketing legends like Sourav Ganguly who was named their Captain, Graeme Swann, Jacques Kallis, Brad Hogg, Ryan Ten Doeschate, Ajay Ratra, Chris Read, Sean Ervine, Shaun Tait, Ryan Sidebottom, Michael Lumb, Marcus North, Taufeeq Umar, Nicky Boje and Ian Butler, who will make a comeback to make theirs aficionados rumble with love! The Legends of cricket who will make you reminisce over the best matches of the past, an encore by the legends on the 22 yards again.
Along with Sourav Ganguly, Abey Kuruvilla who is Libra Legends Coach, Pooja Jhunjhunwala, Director, Popcorn Sports & Entertainment Pvt. Ltd., Suchit Saraf, Chairman, Popcorn Sports & Entertainment Pvt. Ltd., and Jyoti Saraf, C.E.O., Popcorn Sports and Entertainment Pvt. Ltd., were also present at the event

Popcorn Sports and Entertainment Pvt Ltd is thus all set to make their mark in the world, with their MCL team – ‘Libra Legends’. Having assigned the Captain for its first season in the MCL, Sourav Ganguly said, “It is great to be able to play amongst fellow legends all over again. It will be an absolute honour to lead Libra Legends which has world class players like Jacques Kallis, Shaun Tait, Graeme Swan, and Brad Hogg amongst others. I am looking forward to some tough games played in the same spirit as the good old days against some legendary opponents.”
Pooja Jhunjhunwala, director of Popcorn Sports & Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. said, “Having been inclined towards the fast paced sport, Sourav Ganguly, who is an ex-Captain of the Indian National team has been one of the sporting legends that I have truly admired. His experience and understanding of handling the team as a Captain will help Libra Legends on as well as off the field.”

When coupled with the legends of the team who have served their nation with distinction and have given cricket fans the world over moments of magic , 'Legends' truly represents the entire generation of cricketers whom MCL want the world to celebrate, in order to see these living legends back in action.
The Legends of Cricket Mania will return with the Libra Legends! Bridging the gap between the eras, MCL promises nothing but the most enigmatic volume of intense cricket by some of the greatest cricketers of all time.

About Sourav Ganguly:
Sourav Ganguly born in 1972 is affectionately known as Dada and is a former Indian cricketer and captain of the Indian national team. Currently, he is appointed as the honorable President of the Cricket Association of Bengal and President of the Editorial Board with Wisden India. He finished his international career as the 8th highest run scorer in One Day Internationals (ODIs) and was the 3rd person in history to cross the 10,000 run landmark.
Few cricketers evoke as much emotion as Sourav Ganguly who was previously the most successful Indian captain. Ganguly shot to fame in international cricket by hitting a century on his Test debut at Lord's in 1996 and followed it up with another century at Nottingham. With Sachin Tendulkar, Ganguly formed one of the most destructive opening pairs in ODI cricket history. Ganguly was famously described by Rahul Dravid as "next to God on the off-side".
Since retiring from the Indian National Team, Sourav Ganguly has played for various leagues including the Indian Premier League and is all set to enthrall the world with the Libra Legends in the Masters Champions League.

About Libra Legends:

Libra Legends is an MCL team owned by Popcorn Sports & Entertainment Pvt. Ltd., and will participate in the tournament which is scheduled between 28th January and 14th February 2016. In keeping with the curiosity, Team Name, Jersey & Logo which was strictly kept under wrap was officially announced on 30th November, 2015 on Monday at J.W. Marriott, Juhu, Mumbai in the presence of cricket and Bollywood pioneers. The ‘Libra Legends’ logo comprises of 2 bats adjoining at the center with the ball in the epicenter. About the concept Ms. Pooja Jhunjhunwala, Director – Popcorn Sports & Entertainment Pvt. Ltd., said, “The name was chosen as the zodiac sign embraces the grace of movement, elegance and flexibility that the sport of cricket offers. The logo identity is taking from the enormous balance between the bat and ball required to play the very sport! This synthesizes with speed and agility along the pitch.” “Having grown through the era of the legendary cricketing age where the legends like Adam Gilchrist, Brian Lara and Virender Sehwag, I have always been inclined towards the fast paced sport. Thus when we received this lucrative opportunity to work with MCL, we thought it would be a brilliant way to bring the legends of cricket as well as our passion for the sport on a global level in the United Arab Emirates."
About Popcorn Sports Entertainment Pvt. Ltd.:
Popcorn Sports & Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. is a sports and entertainment company which is spear headed by Pooja Jhunjhunwala who is a young entrepreneur and cricket enthusiast. Since a very early age she was driven towards the action packed sport where legendary cricketers of today like Brian Lara and Sachin Tendulkar played. She thus thought of being a concerned person when it came to the sport with Masters Champions League bringing to the fore the legends of cricket. She believes bringing these superstars of cricket back to the sport will make its foregone glory even more euphoric than ever before.
Touted as one of the most successful youngest entrepreneur, Pooja feels privileged to be the director of the 1st franchise under MCL “My Company’s ultimate aim is to never let the sports and entertainment fever die. We wish to give quality entertainment to the masses. Owing a team under MCL is an honor. Our reason to be associated with MCL is their unique concept which attracted us to be a part of the MCL family”.