Steel & Metallurgy organises one-day conference in Kolkata to facilitate brainstorming for New Steel Policy 2017

Steel & Metallurgy organises one-day

Conference in Kolkata to facilitate brainstorming for New Steel Policy 2017! 

Steel & Metallurgy organised a one-day conference “Emerging Technologies and Application for Steelmaking, Continuous Casting, Rolling & Finishing Mills” on 17^th February 21, 2017 at the Gateway Hotel, Kolkata.

The conference was co-sponsored by Steel Authority of India Limited, Vizag Steel Plant, Indian Oil Corporation Limited and Danieli India Ltd.

The conference was inaugurated by the panel of dignitaries which included Mr. Lalit Beriwala, Chairman – Standing Committee on Iron & Steel, MCC Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Mr. P.K. Rath, Executive Director (Operations), RINL, Vizag Steel Plant, Mr. Prasant Dash, Executive Director (NMDC Iron Ltd., Mr. Francesco Esposito, Managing Director, Danieli India Ltd., Mr. Amitabh Akhauri, General Manager (Lube Sales), Indian Oil Corporation Ltd., Dr. Sushmita Dasgupta, Jt. Chief Economist, Joint Plant Committee, Ministry of Steel.

Following the inauguration and welcome note by Mr. Beriwala, the panel deliberated over key issues of the Indian steel industry in discussion titled “Prospects & challenges before the steel industry in the post melt-down era”. Along with discussing the key topics such as emerging technologies for steel making processes and new application areas in defence and rural infrastructure, the panelists also delved deep into the structural issues of raw material supply, logistics and handling, energy efficiency, financial condition of the steel industry, and future market prospects among other topics. 

A total of 17 technical papers were presented during the course of the conference by technocrats, industry professionals and policy makers.

The participants congratulated the organizer for providing such thought-provoking platform at right time when the New Draft Steel Policy 2017 is pegging the steel production in the country to reach 300 million tonnes by 2030-31 weathering challenges both domestic and from offshore.

Sheenlac to give a thrust in the North- East

Sheenlac to give a thrust in the North- East

Offers complete range of paint solutions

Targets revenue of Rs. 600 crore

The Chennai based Sheenlac Paints ranked as the 5^th largest paint company in India has recently entered into a JV with Jenson & Nicholson, which will enable both companies to leverage each other’s strength for growth and offer a complete range of paint solutions and products pan India. The new entity would be called Jenson & Nicholson Paints Pvt. Ltd.

Addressing the Media Mr. Sridhar Krishnamoorthy, CEO, Sheenlac Paints said, “Throughout its 5 decades of existence, Sheenlac has expanded mainly through organic growth; now the company sees ‘partnerships & alliances’ as the way forward. It is in this context that Sheenlac’s JV with Jenson & Nicholson is significant. This is a strategic move to gain traction in markets which are highly competitive like the North-East. We are pioneers in the sense that Sheenlac is credited with 2 innovations in the market – first to launch a non-alcoholic wood polish and first to introduce Thinners in PET bottles.”

Mr. Manoj Sood, National Head of Sales, Jenson & Nicholson India, said, “The brand power of JNIL combined with the reach of Sheenlac is expected to result in greater momentum for both the companies. Sheenlac has a robust Channel presence of 15,000 touch points. The company has a strong R&D department and manufactures a wide range of products from 4 state of the art, quality certified plants. The product range includes decorative paints, industrial coatings, wood polishes & auto finishes.

Mr. Sridhar added, “J&N is a reputed brand and we are delighted to market its decorative products. Their tagline, “Whenever you see colour, think of us”, is still vividly recalled by customers.

“This move would significantly strengthen Sheenlac’s presence in the North and Northeast markets. Leading products of J&N include Robbialac, Decor, Rainbow, Safeguard and Special Effects. With this JV in place Sheenlac group now has the complete range of products.”

Giving a background of the Indian Paint Industry, Mr. Sridhar added, “The current size of the paint industry is Rs. 35,000 cr. and is growing between 12 -13% annually. The per capita paint consumption in India is a little over 4 kg and very low compared to developed nations. Therefore, as the country develops and modernizes, the per capita paint consumption is bound to increase, giving us a clear advantage.”

Sheenlac expects to close the fiscal of 2017-18 with a turnover of Rs. 600 Crores.

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For further details, contact: Mr. Aadarsh, Head-Marketing, Sheenlac Paints, 089031 42564, aadarsh@sheenlac.in; Mr. Satyan Bhatt, MD, Prism PR, 98400 85411, satyanbhatt@prism-india.com

About Sheenlac

The company was incorporated in the year 1962. It has 4 state of the art Manufacturing Facilities at Poonamallee, Vadakkanallur, Thirumazhisai & added Sikkandarabad by the partnership JV . The combined Plant capacity is 1 lakh KL per annum. Robust dealer network of 15,000+ touch points. Sheenlac is South India's largest paint company and is ranked no. 6 in the top 10 paint companies of India (the list from 1 to 5 are Asian, Berger, Nerolac, Akzo Nobel, Shalimar). Sheenlac’s product range includes decorative paints, industrial coatings, wood polishes, auto finishes, Primers, Fillers, Sealers and paint removers. Apart from a pan India presence Sheenlac is available in Sri Lanka, Mauritius and Vietnam.

About J&N

Incorporated in 1922, Jenson & Nicholson (I) Ltd., is India’s second oldest paint company. J&N pioneered many new products and trade practices which today are commonplace in the market. In 1955, it launched India’s first plastic emulsion paint under the brand Robbialac. It ventured into the powder coatings market in 1986, becoming the first company in the organized sector to offer this durable and environment friendly coating technology.

In 1996, unfazed by industry scepticism, J&N introduced InstaColor in-shop tinting system. For the first time the Indian customer had the possibility to select among 5000+ shades instantaneously and create his/her own shade. The concept has revolutionized the industry.

Recognizing the importance of the partnership with the distribution channel, J&N was the first paint company to start international dealer trip schemes. It’s oft repeated and mimicked advertising slogan – “Whenever you see colour, think of us” created a paradigm shift in paint advertising. 

Max Design Awards 2016-17 - Jury Meet

Max Design Awards 2016-17 - Jury Meet

MAX the country’s largest International fashion brand, recently launched the third edition of MAX Design Awards.After receiving tremendous response from across, over the last two years, MAX is geared up for its third edition to provide a platform for fashion designing students to unleash their creativity and connect with the world of fashion. The contest which was made open in January 2017 ended in February 2017 and within a month it received thunderous registrations with over 300 entries pan India.

This year, Pre- Final and Final Year Fashion Design students from selected and/or accredited fashion designing institutes of India were asked to submit their designs based on theme ‘The Dark Side.’ It was amazing to see a plethora of talented students presenting their designs which was judged by an esteemed panel of jury- Fashion Designers Ms. Priyadarshini Rao, Mr. Varun Bahl and Mr. Nachiket Barve along with Executive Director Max Fashion Mr. Vasanth Kumar, Vice President Design Max Fashion Ms. Kamakshi Kaul and Project Head Mr. Marc Robinson.

The jury shortlisted 15 finalists out of all the entries based on various points like Interpretation of the Theme, Creative Details, Colour Aesthetics, Presentation, Style and Originality. The shortlisted finalists will have the privilege to will showcase their collection at the Max Design Awards Night- Grand Finale where Top 3 Winners will be declared.

The Gratification for top 3 contestants includes internship with renowned designers of the Jury Panel, Cash prize of Rs. 50,000/- each and Photo Shoot with a renowned photographer which will be featured in the leading fashion magazine ELLE India. The Winner (out of the Top 3 contestants) will get to be a part of Max Design Team on the SS’18 collection.

Speaking on the occasion VASANTH KUMAR, Executive Director, Max Fashion said,“We at MAX Fashion are elated to successfully enter the third edition of the MAX Design Awards. This is a platform for the young and creative fashion design students to show the world their originality. The main aim of starting this property was inspired by the need to give students a chance to express their dreams via their designs and provide a platform for building future careers.”

About Max Fashion

Max is the leading fashion brand offering customers a one stop shop for clothing, accessories and footwear needs for the entire family. Max, a fashion brand of Landmark Group has pioneered the concept of ‘Latest fashion at great prices’ in the country, thereby offering the discerning shopper a vast choice with international fashion & quality. It offers apparel, footwear & accessories that are of the latest fashion trends. The store ambience offers an international shopping experience making shopping for the entire family an absolute delight. Globally Max has over 350 stores across 16 countries and in India, Max has more than 165 stores across 60 cities. The brand plans to cross 200 stores in India by the end of 2017.

Business Opportunities for Chinese Indian Residents

Business Opportunities for Chinese Indian Residents

iLEAD in association with Chinese Indian Association organized a seminar on Business Opportunities for Chinese Indian residents. The speakers at the event were iLEAD Chairman Mr. Pradip Chopra who spoke about India and China being the next international centre for global business opportunities.  Zhen Lin Zhu, Director & Originator, Autohaus Pvt Ltd and Chairman of Buddhism Project in Gaya spoke about the battery rickshaws, tremendous job opportunities in upcoming Buddhism project in Bodh Gaya, the expressway from Ranchi to Jamshedpur, homes for monks in Bodh Gaya and much more. Mr Tommy Chen Director of AutohausPvt Ltd spoke about E Rickshaws and the business collaboration between India and China. The enlightening session was followed by a Q&A with the audience.

About iLEAD:

Institute of Leadership, Entrepreneurship and Development (ilead) is one of the premier Media and Management School of Kolkata having world class infrastructure   excellent teaching and non teaching staff and is using latest educated technologies and is affiliated to West Bengal University of Technology (WBUT) and is located in the heart of the City. To know more about Ilead one can visit : www.ilead.net.in

Ten plays shortlisted for 12th edition of Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards and Festival

Ten plays shortlisted for 12^th edition of

Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards and Festival 

-       Nominated plays to be showcased at the META Festival in Delhi from 4^th-9th^th March, 2017

-       Nominated productions highlight diversity of Indian theatre; Rajasthandebuts at META

-       Over 300 entries from various regions competed for META nominations

The 12^th edition of the Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards and Festival announced its nominations today, short listing 10 plays that will be staged in the capital from March 4-9^th and which will compete for one of the most comprehensive theatre awards in the country. Jointly promoted by the Mahindra Group as part of its cultural outreach, and pioneering entertainment company Teamwork Arts, the META Festival has become a definitive calendar event for theatre enthusiasts and professionals across the country.

Over 300 entries weresubmitted this year and were viewedby adiscerning selection committee comprising eminent theatre practitionersArundhati Raja, Deepa Punjani, Deepan Sivaraman, Danish Husain and Debesh Chatterjee. The committee took on the monumental task of shortlisting the final 10 nominated productions for the META Festival 2017.

With the sheer diversity of cultural identities and languages represented in Indian theatre, the 10 nominated plays featureBengali, Malayalam, Rajasthani and Kannada along with Hindi and English language scripts. Theatre enthusiasts can view the nominated productions staged live for an esteemed jury during the META Festival in Delhi at Kamani Auditorium, Little Theatre Group (LTG) and Sri Ram Centrefrom March 4^th to March 9^th. The Red Carpet Awards Nightfor META is scheduled to be held in Delhi on 10^thMarch.

The META Festival aims to increase awareness and appreciation of Indian theatre, making it the only national arena for recognizing and rewarding the industry’s best performing plays and their makers and facilitators.

Jay Shah, Head, Cultural Outreach, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. said, “We herald the 12th META with a sense of gratitute to India's theatre community for making the Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards their own. Over 300 entries received consistently over the past few years shows the interest and faith theatre groups have placed on this effort by the Mahindra Group. We are excited to see and celebrate the final nominations in early March.”

The nominations themselves highlightthe vibrant theatre scene in Indiaand come from regions as diverse as Kota, Patna, Delhi, Mumbai, Kochi, Bangalore and Kolkata, indicating the sheer passion for and practice of theatre as a significant art form across all regions of the country.The META stage has been instrumental in throwing light on many issues plaguing society at large. Like every year, META 2017 brings some engaging and pressing issues to the forefront including minority voices,prevalent socio-cultural divides, troubles of fast-paced modern times, contemporary contexts of Indian mythology, and complex stories of human emotions and conscience.

Commenting on the selection results, Sanjoy K Roy, MD, Teamwork Arts & Festival Producer said, “Itis great to see the diversity and vibrancy that is reflective of contemporary theatre in India. From comedy to musicals, religious and socio-cultural issues to contemporary reinterpretations of India’s rich mythological texts, these productions bring alive the complexities that are representative of the subcontinent.

The 14 awards will be given for the Best Play, Best Director, Lifetime Achievement award, Best Stage Design, Best Light Design, Best Innovative Sound Design, Best Costume Design, Best Actor in a Lead Role (Male), Best Actor in a Lead Role (Female), Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Male), Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Female), Best Original Script, Best Ensemble, Best Choreographer.Mahabharata and Outcaste have received the maximum nominationsfrom the selection committee and will compete across ninecategories each.

For tickets to the festival and a full list of category-wise nominations, please visit www.metawards.com. The full schedule and jury for the META Festival will be announced soon.

The complete list of nominees:

Sr. No.	Play Name	Language	Director
1	Awdya Shesh Rajani	Bengali	Bratya Basu
2	Bhima	English & Malayalam	Anitha Santhanam
3	Dhumrapaan	English & Hindi	Akarsh Khurana
4	Elephant In The Room	English	Yuki Ellias
5	I Don’t Like It As You Like It	English	Rajat Kapoor
6	Kaali Naadakam	Malayalam	Chandradasan
7	Katha Sukavi Suryamall Ki	Rajasthani & Multi-lingual	Rajendra Panchal
8	Lassanwala	Hindi & Khadi Boli	Hemant Pandey
9	Mahabharata	English, Hindi & Kannada	Anurupa Roy
10	Outcaste	Hindi	Randhir Kumar

~ ENDS ~

For media queries, please contact:

Santosh Kumar: +919990937676, santosh@zimisha.com

Kashish Popli: +918376848592, info@zimisha.com

Anushree: +919599840520, pr@zimisha.com

NOTES TO EDITORS

About Mahindra

The Mahindra Group is a USD 17.8 billion federation of companies that enables people to rise through innovative mobility solutions, driving rural prosperity, enhancing urban living, nurturing new businesses and fostering communities. It has a leadership position in utility vehicles, information technology, financial services and vacation ownership in India and is the world’s largest tractor company, by volume.  It also enjoys a strong presence in agribusiness, components, commercial vehicles, consulting services, energy, industrial equipment, logistics, real estate, steel, aerospace, defence and two wheelers. Headquartered in India, Mahindra employs over 200,000 people across 100 countries.

Learn more about Mahindra on www.mahindra.com / Twitter and Facebook: @MahindraRise

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.

Website: http://www.teamworkarts.com

Tourism Australia registers remarkable growth from West Bengal

Tourism Australia registers remarkable growth from West Bengal

A whopping 29% growth in arrivals was recorded from the State during 2016

West Bengal has, over the years, been steadily gaining momentum as a key source market for Australia, with travellers from the State showing a heightened penchant, not just for international travel, but for Australia as their preferred holiday destination. Tourism Australia’s latest arrival figures for the year ended (YE) September 2016 have reflected that over 7,100 tourists visited Australia from West Bengal, registering an impressive 29 per cent growth in visitor numbers from the State. These tourists contributed AUD 29 Mn (approx. Rs. 145 Crores) to the Australian economy, with an average spend of AUD 4,125 (Rs. 2.06 lacs) per person.

Mr. Nishant Kashikar, Country Manager, India & Gulf, Tourism Australia, said, “Over the years, West Bengal has emerged as an important market for Tourism Australia, with the growth seen at YE September 2016 being the second highest growth trajectory recorded from any Indian market during that period. This further cements the State’s position as a focus market for us.

“Tourists from West Bengal have been opting for self-drive holidays, culinary tourism, cruises, soft adventure, cultural showcases, and shopping excursions, among other experiences, when visiting the destination. Over the years, we have undertaken several focused campaigns as part of our consumer outreach efforts in this market, and work closely with our key partners to tailor itineraries keeping these consumption patterns in mind so as to provide the travellers the best experiences on offer Down Under. With India’s increasing travel potential for all purpose holidays, we are expecting visitation from the State to continue growing over the years to come.”

Tourism Australia regularly collaborates with it’s key distribution partners and Aussie Specialist Agents in the State including Club 7 Holidays, Pristine Holidays, Gainwell, A Travel Duet, Alt Air, Club M, along with the regional offices of national players such as Thomas Cook, SOTC, Mercury Travels, MakeMyTrip, for cooperative marketing campaigns. Product development and training initiatives of front desk staff are also undertaken to equip them with the tools and knowledge to sell the destination better. Tourism Australia’s online training platform, the Aussie Specialist Program, has over 350 agents from West Bengal currently registered. Indian travel enthusiasts can visit www.australia.com/offers to check out some exciting itineraries to explore Australia.

Total arrivals from India for YE November 2016 were recorded at 256,400, an increase of 11.5 per cent relative to the same period the previous year, making India the 9^th largest inbound market for Australia.

The Tourism Forecasting Committee (TFC) has predicted 265,000 visitors from India for the Jul 2016 - Jun 17 period, a 9.6% increase over 2015-16. Arrivals from India are expected to perform well with an average annual financial year growth rate of 6.4 per cent through to the financial year 2021-22.

Source for Visitor Arrivals Data - International Visitor Survey, Tourism Research Australia, Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), Overseas Arrivals & Departures, 3401.0.

Plan your next holiday to Australia, visit www.australia.com/offers

About Tourism Australia

Tourism Australia is the Australian Government agency responsible for promoting Australia to the world as a destination for business and leisure travel.

Tourism Australia’s purpose is to increase the economic benefits to Australia of tourism, supporting the industry’s Tourism 2020 strategy, which aims to grow the overnight annual expenditure generated by tourism to over A$ 115 billion by 2020.

The organisation is active in around 30 key markets, where it aims to grow demand for the destination’s tourism experiences by promoting the unique attributes which will entice people to visit.

Tourism Australia’s activities include advertising, public relations and media programmes, trade shows and programmes for the tourism industry, consumer promotions, online communications and consumer research.

For more information visit www.tourism.australia.com | www.facebook.com/seeaustralia

All India Chess Competition for the Blind at iLEAD

All India Chess Competition for the Blind at iLEAD

Chess is one of the sports which anyvisually impaired person can play with same amount of finesse as any other expert. iLEAD and All India Chess Federation for the Blind (AICFB) hosted “All India Chess Competition For The Blind – National B”. The event in association with Bengal Chess Association for the Blind and Turnstone Global saw a massive footfall of around 124 visually impaired players from all across the country.  The competition from 26^th - 30^th January had chess matches, each for duration of 4 intense hours. Some of the winners and best performers from 124 participants were Makwana Ashwin K, KishanGangoli, Patra Subhendu Kumar, Aryan B Joshi and Shashidhar KM.  

Student of the Year awards – Celebrating India’s best achievers among school students

Student of the Year awards – Celebrating India’s best achievers among school students

The application process for the inaugural Student of the Year Awards, presented by the Global SOTY Foundation, has already commenced. USA UnivQuest is the Process Facilitator for this event.

The Student of the Year Award will celebrate the best achievers among school students in India. The title of Student of the Year will be awarded to a student who has the potential to serve as a role model for the youth in India, now and in the future.

Through the Student of the Year Award, the Global SOTY Foundation seeks to redefine success for school students in India. The Foundation feels that students in India need to break out of the strict, rote based, syllabi oriented ‘education’ that they receive at school.

With the assistance of USA UnivQuest, a process has been defined that will allow the Foundation to identify students with the potential to succeed in an ever changing world. Students who go beyond just their books and are independent thinkers and problem solvers will be strong contenders for the top Award.

Students in India who are currently studying in class 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 can register for the Student of the Year Award. The Awards have two categories – National and City. The Best Student in India from each class will receive the National Student of the Year Award and will receive a Gold Plaque. Similarly, the 1^st and 2^nd Runners-up from each class get Silver and a Bronze Plaque respectively. All three Winners will receive a Certificate of Excellence.

The City Student of the Year will be awarded to the best student in each of the identified 35 cities. The Top Student from each class of every city gets a Gold Medal. Similarly, the 1^st and 2^nd Runners-up from each class get Silver and a Bronze Medal respectively. All three Winners will receive a Certificate of Excellence.

“Participation in the Student of the Year Award has many benefits for the student. The Award itself will be valued by Top MNC recruiters and Best Ranked Universities across the world, especially the USA. The application process will force students to introspect and reflect on their achievements and strengths. Students would undergo Inner Engineering that would transform them into persons who would achieve the success that their potential justifies” says Ashish Khare, Head of USA UnivQuest.

The last date for registration for the Awards is 3^rd Feb 2017. Students can register online at: www.reg.usaunivquest.coma