Friday 17 March 2017

ZOOMCAR EXPANDS ZAP ACROSS INDIA

ZOOMCAR EXPANDS ZAP ACROSS INDIA
Zoomcar launches ZAP in 5 Tier-2 marketsand all Tier-1 markets


Zoomcar, India’s first and largest growing 100% self-drive car rental company, today announced ZAP’s launch in multiple cities and the overall expansion strategy for Tier-2 markets.After successfully launching ZAP in New Delhi. Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad and Pune,ZAP has now launched in Ahmedabad and Kolkata. In addition, ZAP is now also present across five Tier 2 markets, namely,Chandigarh, Jaipur, Mysore, Mangalore and Vizag. This brings ZAP’s presence across all 9 Tier-1 markets in total and 5 Tier-2 markets till date.

ZAP allows individuals to purchase vehicles, list the vehicle on a dynamic basis on its platform, get bookings from Zoomcar’shuge customer base and then finally earn cash to help offset the monthly ownership costs (by sharing in the profit on a daily, weekly and monthly basis). ZAP is the new age way to save on your EMI cost. For a Ford Figo a customer could recover 70% of the EMI cost by listing the car just on weekends.  What’s more, with 15 days of listing in a month a customer could recover 100% of the EMI cost and earn on top of it.

With ZAP, a customer who buys a new car can enjoy driving it and while they aren’t using it, they can earn money from it. The car can be shared with verified Zoomcar customers; community members, office colleagues, friends and perhaps the next door neighbour. The process is completely hassle-free since Zoomcar manages all the formalities, right from getting verified customers to managing all the bookings, cleaning the car and processing payments on time. ZAP also gives the associate *updates about the car's performance and warnings about the car's health along with updates on which parts of the car need to be addressed while servicing the car. 

The shared economy is often more convenient, accessible, and less expensive than existing market options. As it stands today, the transportation sector is amidst a complete revolution. Mobility needs are constantly evolving and so are our customers’ expectations to access cars in simple, uncomplicated ways.Utilisation rates for private cars in India are very low, only 10-15 percent. With the introduction of a vibrant peer2peer marketplace, Zoomcar will create a truly hyperlocal product (not dissimilar from an Airbnb for cars). ZAP ensures that individuals can offset their monthly vehicle ownership costs by over 75%. The marketplace is undoubtedly a stepping stone to even more innovative applications within car rental in the months ahead – Greg Moran, CEO and Co- Founder, Zoomcar.

For this target segment of the population, owning a car or even multiple cars will still be a part of life, but it won’t be the traditional ownership model. Instead of using the vehicle all the time and paying for all its costs, the car owner gets the advantages and conveniences of owning a car while splitting the costs with other people who want to rent the vehicle. This segment of users will probably be the savviest of all because they will get the car they want, including cars they couldn’t afford if they had to pay 100% of the cost. Because of that sharing, they can get the car practically for free, use it when they need it, and share it when they don’t need it.

Zoomcar has witnessed robust adoption with an associate base that’s tripling month on month. The company expects this marketplace model will account for over 80% of its overall vehicle inventory by end 2018.  The recent round of funding will allow Zoomcar to reach a fleet size of >25,000 across 30+ cities by 2017. 


Zoomcar also launched *Cadabra, its flagship full stack solution for transforming the in-car user experiences. Equipped with Bluetooth and 4G cellular connectivity, Cadabra tracks information that includes fuel levels, clutch position, harsh braking, inconsistent acceleration, seat belt usage, and engine health (among others). The solution also offers the possibility of over the air updates (OTA) and this will help Zoomcar to add even more functionality later this quarter.  Cadabra will be deployed across ZAP to improve the car ownership experience and help the owner save costs and reduce accidents.

In addition to Cadabra, Zoomcar has also launched “KLE” – keyless entry, which allows customers to unlock the cars through an app and can pick up the car and drop them off at various points across the neighbourhood.If you can’t find your keys, simply use your smartphone. If you can’t find your phone, use your car keys. The phone talks to the car via GPRS and Bluetooth. The device sits under the bonnet and doesn’t require any modifications to the vehicle itself. This enables privacy and safety between the associate on ZAP and the customers on Zoomcar’s platform.

About Zoomcar: Zoomcar holds the distinction of being India’s first and fastest growing 100% self-drive car rental company. It allows the user to rent cars by the hour, day, week, or month. Founded in 2013 and headquartered in Bengaluru, its service is presently spread across 17 cities.  Its vehicle catalogue offers a wide and extensive variety of cars for self-drive in India, ranging from hatchbacks to SUVs to luxury vehicles at all-inclusive prices that include the cost of fuel, insurance, and taxes. The company's ever-expanding fleet is currently clocking over 3,000 cars pan-India and increasing monthly. The company has expanded rapidly in a short period to unfurl services in new cities including Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Delhi NCR, Coimbatore, Chennai, Chandigarh, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Kochi, Kolkatta, Ludhiana, Mangalore, Mumbai Mysore, Pune, Siliguri and Vizag while rapidly adding new cars, new vehicle pickup points and home delivery options for consumer convenience.


12th META Festival concludes with Red Carpet Awards Night

12th META Festival concludes with Red Carpet Awards Night

META Festival opened to packed audiences in Delhi
bag three awards each
- Diversity and excellence of plays appreciated by jury members and audiences alike


The theatre fraternity came together tonight for a red-carpet awards gala at the 12th Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards (META) FestivalCurated by the Mahindra Group and Teamwork Arts, the week-long extravaganza came to an end as the best from the world of theatre were awarded the META at The Taj Mahal Hotel, Mansingh Road, on Friday.

The annual awards, which recognise excellence in theatre nationally, celebrate the intrinsic diversity and rich cultural traditions of India. The META is India’s most comprehensive award and a premier honour for the theatre fraternity, awarding on-stage and off-stage talent across 14 award categories, including the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award. 

Like every year, this year’s short-list of META was diverse and showcased the best of Indian theatre.  For a week, the festival staged 10 nominated plays that revolved around motifs ranging from mythology and caste to complex love stories and human emotions. The line-up featuring plays in English as well as several Indian Languages including Hindi, Bengali, Malayalam, etc., received an overwhelming response from the audience as the shows ran to packed houses. The Jury for META 2017 comprised theatre stalwarts Dolly Thakore, Mahesh Dattani, Sachin Khedekar, Seema Biswas, Avijit Dutt and Maya Krishna Rao.

While Mahabharata bagged the award for Best Production along with Best Director and Best Choreography, I Don’t Like It As You Like It, won Best Ensemble, Best Stage Design and Best Actor in Supporting Role (Female), and Elephant in the Room won Best Actor in a Lead Role (Female), Best Costume Design and Best Light Design, giving them three awards each. The award for Best Actor in a Lead Role (Male) was jointly presented to Anirban Bhattacharya (Awddyo Shesh Rajani) and Rajendra Panchal (Katha Sukavi Suryamall Ki).

Noted theatre veteran, Arun Kakade was conferred the META Lifetime Achievement Award for his contribution to Indian theatre. He got a standing ovation as he received the Lifetime Achievement Award. He said, “I am so happy that META has been promoting Indian theatre for the last 12 years. There is diverse variety in the plays that come here. I have staged my plays here thrice before, but at the age of 86, I wasn’t expecting any award really. I am thankful to the META Festival organisers for this prestigious honour.”



Hosted by Prateik Babbar and Shilpa Shukla, the scintillating awards night saw several luminaries, including Manoj Bajpayee, Sushma Seth, M.K Raina, Sachin Khedekar, Bubbles Sabharwal, Dadi Pudumjee, Vinod Nagpal, Sanjana Kapoor, Nicholas Idier andJim Hollington. Performances by the band Samarpan, Harpreet, Neil Madhav and Rachna Yadav further enlivened the proceedings.

Veterans from theatre, cinema, music, and dance presented the coveted awards to the ecstatic awardees andnoted personalities like Manoj Bajpayee, Meera & Muzaffar Ali, Aditi Mangaldas and Seema Biswas were among those who gave away awards.

Commenting on the awards, Jay Shah, Head, Cultural Outreach, Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd. said, “The 12th META has concluded with all the drama, fanfare and applause it deserves. The 10 best productions from across India vied for the top honours in the nations capital. While awards were presented to just a few, each META participant has been a winner. The Mahindra Group too feels a great sense of victory for being able to establish a platform that defines excellence in Indian Theatre. A Rise moment for all!”

Sanjoy K Roy, Managing Director, Teamwork Arts and Producer META Festival, said, “The journey of META has been one of the most artistically fruitful and soul-satisfying for all of us. META 2017 brought together some of the finest theatre from across the country. From the heartwarming story of an upper caste person breaking bread with a Dalit to the machinations in a corporate office, from the saga of the Mahabharata to the inner musings of Ganesha, the actors transported us across time and space and reflected the diversity and cultural richness of India.

Here's the complete list of winners that won hearts and stole the show at the 12th META Festival this year:
Category
Winner
Production
Life time Achievement Award
Arun Kakade
 -
Best Actor in a Lead Role (Male)
Anirban Bhattacharya /Rajendra Panchal
Awddyo Shesh Rajani /Katha Sukavi Suryamall Ki
Best Actor in a Lead Role (Female)
Yuki Ellias
Elephant in the Room
Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Male)
Alok Kumar
Lassanwala
Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Female)
Faezeh Jalali
I Don’t Like It As You Like It
Best Director
Anurupa Roy
Mahabharata
Best Original Script
Adhir Bhat
Dhumrapaan
Best Production
Anurupa Roy
Mahabharata
Best Ensemble
-
I Don’t Like It As You Like It
Best Innovative Sound /Music Design
Sachin Gurjale
Bhima
Best Costume Design
Sumaiya Merchant
Elephant in the Room
Best Stage Design
Meenal Agarwal
I Don’t Like It As You Like It
Best Light Design
Asmit Pathare
Elephant in the Room
Best Choreography
Avinash Kumar
Mahabharata

Come, be a part of the journey! You can follow META on:
Twitter - @METAwards
Instagram - @metawards

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

Silent Walk for a Cause on the International Women’s Day

Silent Walk for a Cause on the International Women’s Day

The Human Development Department of J.D. Birla Institute offers an interdisciplinary approach to individual and family development across lifespan. The curriculum offered by the department focuses on child and adolescent development, adult development and aging, biological aspects of human development, women studies and developmental research. The Institute celebrated International Women’s Day and host a special walk from Rabindra sarobar to JDBI main campus with the theme “Be Bold for Change” to promote awareness on the causes of women in India. About 500 young girl students would have been participated in this silent walk apart from parents, teachers, and college staff members. Several NGOs working in the field of women’s rights would also be participated.

J.D. Birla Institute, Kolkata is an educational institution that has been affiliated to Jadavpur University since 1963. The college is a private college recognized under the 2(f) and 12B of the UGC acts. JDBI is primarily a girl’s college offering the following array of skilled based academic courses in field of applied Sciences, Commerce and Management both at the graduate and post-graduate level. Currently we have about 1900 students and it is our privilege to have been awarded with an “A” grade by NAAC, Bangalore in August 2010.

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.