India Cares under the aegis of the TCS W10K launch the Cubbon Park Rejuvenation project (CPR)

16 May 2017, Bengaluru: The TCS World 10K Bengaluru, which has raised over Rs 26.34 crore for CSO’s across all causes since its inception in 2008, continues to be South India’s largest single fundraising platform, with INR 4 crores raised to date during the celebratory tenth edition of the run.

 The funds of INR 6.05 crores raised through the 2016 edition of the run, impacted over 80,000 individuals, directly and indirectly. Causes benefitted, included providing Mobility Aids; Education in balwadis to higher studies; Vocational Training for livelihood; Healthcare from medical camps to specialised operations; Tree plantation for farmers to sustain their livelihood; setting up of long-term building foundations and supporting budding athletes in Olympic and Para-Olympic sports.

 In its tenth edition, with INR 4 Crore already raised for causes of choice, the 2017 edition will also witness the participation of 30 companies with 43 teams, over 200 charity fundraisers, and more than 6000 donors.

 Amongst the 6000 donors running for a cause, the starting line-up will include, 17-year-old Ishana Sundar, a full-time high school student and a part-time astronomy enthusiast who strongly believes in empowering the young woman. Ishana will be running for Baale Mane in support of her feminist vision.

 Joining her will be Vishwas KS - an International ‘Para-Swimmer' with 3 international medals for India who lost his arms in an electrocution accident early in his life.

 Alongside him will be Derek Akash, an employee of TE Connectivity, who is spearheading the fundraising initiative amongst the employees in his organization.

 Sharing the details on this years fundraising efforts, Murray Culshaw, Chairman Bengaluru Cares, the Philanthropy Partner  of the TCS World 10K Bengaluru 2017, said, “India Cares has been associated with the TCS World 10K Bengaluru since inception and we have seen a remarkable increase in the number of individuals who are using the TCS World 10k platform to raise awareness and funds for various causes. This year, we are also announcing an initiative to  'give' back to the city, with the Cubbon Park Rejuvenation project, which we are confident that the citizens of Bengaluru will contribute back to. The need for a more caring society is growing and this is the perfect way to start than to support causes of choice and your city. We all get better together!”


The Cubbon Park Rejuvenation Project, which kicked-off recently is  spearheaded by the India Cares Foundation, under the aegis of Tata Consultancy Services World 10k Bengaluru and is a commitment to the rejuvenation of Cubbon Park with the help of Boime and Friends of Lakes which is founded by Conservationist & Activist Ramprasad Dasa.

The rejuvenation project will include dewatering and de-silting of 6 Open Wells at Cubbon Park, installing mesh covers on wells to prevent leaves and garbage entering the wells, providing a pump and required electrical works for each of the wells + suitable pipelines to transport all water from all 7 wells to the ponds, the project will also include the digging of rainwater trenches to harvest rainwater to these water bodies.

The project will also be mentored by Vishwanath S., popularly known as ‘Zenrainman’ who will with his knowledge of best practices for water conservation will assist with the implementation of best rain water practices.

Recognizing the efforts of all donors and India Cares, Vivek Singh concluded, “Over the last ten years, the TCS World 10K has gone beyond a running event. We have through the inception witness the astronomical rise of people who look at this event, as more than a run, but also look at it as an opportunity to raise funds and support causes of their choice. It is the efforts of the thousands of donors, that has made us the single largest fund-raising platform in South India. We are also proud, to begin with, the Cubbon Park Rejuvenation project, which along with the citizens of our host city, will be an initiative that will truly give back to this garden city. It is us, all of us together, who will continue to contribute to the sustainable development of this thriving metropolitan.”

Stephanie Rice announced as International Event Ambassador of the TCS World 10K 2017

10th May, Bengaluru 2017: Commencing the official countdown to the world’s premier TCS World 10K, promoters Procam International today announced triple Olympic Gold Medalist Stephanie Rice as the International event ambassador for the celebratory tenth edition of the run scheduled for the 21^st of May 2017. The 2017 edition will see in action over 23,000 participants across the six race categories on race day, including more than 13,000 runners in the Open 10K, a 12% increase in registered runners from the previous edition.

The USD 205,059 prize money event, includes an individual Rs.2,50,000 prize for both the Indian male and female winner in the World 10K, and a USD 26,000 individual prize money for the fastest man and woman amongst the international athletes. The prize fund will also provide for prize money of Rs. 15,000 per individual for the male and female winners in the Open 10K, in twelve different age categories.  

With an eye on the prize, the course will see the TCS World 10K Double defending champion & Yangzhou Half Marathon Winner, Ethiopian, Mosinet Geremew, the 10K & 15K World Record holder, Kenya’s, Leonard Komon amongst the men. While the elite women brigade is lead by 2017 World Cross Country Champion, Kenyan Irene Cheptai, Gladys Chesir the fastest women in 10K, clocking 30:41 at the Berlin 10K and Ethiopia’s Wude Yimer.  

Celebrating the landmark 10th year milestone in Bengaluru, the event has added a number of elements to the running experience including a unique in-stadia television experience, interspersed with music and live activities including engaging with golden star Puneeth Rajkumar, face of the event and Stephanie Rice the event ambassador.  The revised race schedule commences with the Open 10K at 5:30 am, followed by the popular Majja Run to be flagged off at 6:45 am to allow for amateur participants to complete their runs before the summer heat sets in and to bring the participants back to the to the stadium to witness, over breakfast, the finale clash between the track & field athletes and road race specialists which will be flagged-off at 8:50 am.

Kicking off the countdown to the run, Puneeth Rajkumar, the face of the event for the run was excited to encourage Bengaluru to run yet again, “With each passing year, the TCS World 10K has been instrumental in developing and positioning Bangalore as an active running hub in the country and a city that is committed to its own fitness and health. The enthusiasm with which the people take on this challenge is a testament to the spirit of the city. This year we complete a decade in the city and I am confident that it would be one of the most memorable race day."

Adding to Puneeth’s thoughts, Dilip Jayaram, CEO Procam International shared, “We are excited to commence the countdown to the tenth year of the TCS World 10K and we are humbled by the support this beautiful city has extended to us through the last decade. Over the years, the most respected brands have partnered TCS W10K for the transformational role it plays in bringing individuals, organizations, and institutions together and this year we are proud to add a name synonymous to bottled drinking water in India, Bisleri, as the event's Hydration partner. We are also pleased to announce this year’s international event ambassador Stephanie Rice, a triple Olympic Gold medalist who won all 3 in world record time.  We are confident Stephanie will inspire with her experience and her prolific career.”

Stephanie Rice, International Event Ambassador

Considered one of Australia’s Golden Girls, Stephanie knew she wanted to be an Olympic swimmer when she was 4 years old. To this day, the retired athlete hasn’t stopped dreaming big and working hard to make her dreams a reality. The talented swimmer first caught Australia’s attention in 2006, when at 17 years of age, she won gold in the 200 and 400 Individual Medley at the Melbourne Commonwealth Games. She then went on to win multiple medals at international levels, before her unforgettable three Gold Medals, in the 200 Metre Individual Medley, the 400 Metre Individual Medley and in the 4*200 Metre Freestyle Relay at the 2008 Beijing Olympics swimming an incredible three races in world record breaking times.

Stephanie went on to challenge herself on a different level, participating in Channel Nine’s Celebrity Apprentice Australia in 2013, becoming the youngest winner of the contest, worldwide. 

Bisleri comes on board to shoulder the responsibility of hydrating the sport

As the hydration partner across all Procam races, Bisleri will be responsible for all water requirements of the runners and athletes participating in the TCS World 10K. Bisleri will set up 6 water stations across the 10km course to ensure that all the runners and  athletes are well hydrated. In addition making water available at regular intervals, Bisleri will also have a cooling corridor on the course that will allow runners cool down and recharge themselves for the rest of their race.

Commenting on the association Parag Bengali, Director, Bisleri International Private Ltd. said “With consumers increasingly realising the importance of an active lifestyle, Bisleri through the association with the TCS World 10K would like to stress the importance of water in leading a healthy lifestyle. Having a number of health benefits, water is the best drink that you can give to your body. It’s important that we understand the right amount of water required by our body and follow a steady routine to achieve a fit mind and body. ”

Nestlé presents Mirchi Get Active Expo

The Koramangla Indoor Stadium has been announced as the venue for the Mirchi Get Fit Expo between the 17th and 20th of May (both days inclusive) and will be the one-stop destination for all registered participants.  Registered runners are encouraged to visit the expo to collect their running bibs, participate in exclusive runners meet, and avail exciting offers by leading sports brands.

Philips Lighting inaugurates 9th LightLounge in Bengaluru, India

May 3, 2017 Bengaluru, India: Expanding its retail presence in South India, Philips Lighting (Euronext Amsterdam ticker: LIGHT), a global leader in lighting, today inaugurated its 9thLightLounge in Bengaluru. This is the company’s 65th LightLounge in South India. Philips LightLounges are exclusive showrooms displaying a wide range of home decorative products and systems from Philips Lighting.

Inaugurating the store,Mr. Harshavardhan Chitale, Vice Chairman and Managing Director, Philips Lighting India said “With its tech-savvy and young urban population, Bengaluru has fast evolved as one of the key markets for our Philips Hue range of connected home lighting systems. We have therefore chosen Bengaluru as the first city to launch our new Hue Premium Zone concept which emulates actual home settings with a Living room, a bedroom and a dining room enabling customers to experience different light recipes to suit different parts of the day.”



Spread across an area of 1,000 square feet, this latest LightLounge showcases an impressive display of over 600 world-class home decorative lighting products and concepts designed keeping in mind the lighting needs of Indian consumers, home décor trends in the country and the emerging concept of connected ambient lighting. The store extensively features Philips Hue - the world’s smartest web-enabled LED home lighting system with the new Hue Premium Zone concept. By emulating actual home settings of a Living room, bedroom and a dining room, customers can experience first-hand the light settings and recipes to suit different parts of the day.



Through their live demonstration zones, Philips LightLounges enable customers to get a first-hand experience and choose products that match their individual design tastes and requirements. The company differentiates its offerings through innovation in design, energy efficiency and its global lighting application expertise.



With the launch of the latest Philips LightLounge in Bengaluru, the company now has more than 180 LightLounges in India, in addition to LightSTUDIO’s in the country. This new Philips LightLounge is located at Sachin Light House, #9, 2nd Cross, Kempegowda Road, Bangalore – 560009.

Eight Local Inventors Selected to Compete in Bengaluru April 27 in First Global Competition Seeking Hardware with a Social Purpose

Bangalore, April 27, 2017 – The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), the world’s largest organization for the field of mechanical engineering, today announced the finalists of the 2017 ASME Innovation Showcase (ISHOW), the first international competition of hardware-led social innovation.

Eight social-minded inventors from India, Indonesia, and Hong Kong will present their design prototypes in Bengaluru. They are among 24 finalists who’ll compete in India, Kenya, and the United States over the coming months. Here’s a link to the eight finalists who'll be available with their prototypes from 8:30-10:00am April 27 at Le Méridien Bangalore: 

https://thisishardware.org/competition/2017/india

An esteemed panel of judges will choose three hardware designs per country as grand prize winners. This year, ASME received more than 150 submissions vying for the $500,000 in cash and in-kind prizes that the organization has offered to help bring these socially innovative hardware-led solutions to market.

“ASME originally created ISHOW three years ago after our research showed a tremendous lack of support for hardware innovators seeking to enter global markets and make a societal impact,” said K. Keith Roe, president of ASME. “With this year’s entries among the most promising we’ve seen since ISHOW first launched, we’re confident they all have the potential to address some of the most vexing issues faced by mankind.”

The 2017 ASME ISHOW will feature a range of devices that promise to make a transformational economic, environmental, and social impact in underserved communities around the world. During the competition, the finalists will pitch their product prototypes to a panel of judges that include successful entrepreneurs, academics, and founders of venture-funded startup companies. The pitches will outline the

The winners selected in Bengaluru and two other ISHOW events in Nairobi, Kenya (May 25), and Washington, D.C. (June 22), will share $500,000 in seed grants, technical assistance, design and engineering reviews and access to ISHOW’s partnership network.

“ASME congratulates all finalists,” noted Roe.  “We celebrate their new ideas and innovations, which are pushing our collective knowledge frontier outward and solving problems to improve the lives of all people.”

For more information about the finalists and the ISHOW, please visit:

ThisIsHardware.org

About ASME

ASME helps the global engineering community develop solutions to real world challenges.  Founded in 1880 as the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, ASME is a not-for-profit professional organization that enables collaboration, knowledge sharing and skill development across all engineering disciplines, while promoting the vital role of the engineer in society.  ASME codes and standards, publications, conferences, continuing education and professional development programs provide a foundation for advancing technical knowledge and a safer world.  For more information, visit www.asme.org.

Artha Yantra Launches Financial Wellness as a new age employee benefit

Bengaluru, 25th April 2017: ArthaYantra, world’s only full service robo advisory today announced the launch of a dedicated ‘Financial Wellness Program’ for corporates as part of Employee Benefit. This initiative helps employers to address financial well-being of employees by providing them access to a comprehensive financial plan, a roadmap to achieve all their financial goals.



According to Financial Wellness Survey conducted across 1,000 employees by ArthaYantra, 68% of employees face financial stress. 37% confirm that issues with personal finance are a major cause of distraction at work. A large percentage of about, 72% have not thought about retirement or don’t know how to save for retirement. Above all more than 85% of employees want their organisations to provide personal finance advice that will help them reduce stress. Looking at these facts, it is imperative for employers to partner with experts to address employee’s financial worries.  These findings resonates the global trends across all corporates.



At a fraction of the cost incurred by companies on employees’ recreation and engagement, ArthaYantra FOR CORPORATE enables organizations to help employees plan their financial goals and be retirement ready. As an online advisory, ArthaYantra bridges the gap of servicing the large number of employees spread across geographies, by enabling them with an unbiased advice that helps them take the right financial decisions. Thus, ArthaYantra’s Financial Wellness program helps Engage, Motivate and Retain talent.



“Employees spend more than two-third of their time at work and are a critical asset to any organisation. Financial wellness today is the fastest growing Employee Benefit program. We have received immense response from many big names and are already implementing the program with a two-wheeler manufacturing giant in India at multiple locations and world’s leading insurance company in Mumbai.” said Nitin Vyakaranam, Founder & CEO, ArthaYantra

Financial planning starts with a comprehensive online assessment of the employee’s financial health. This is followed up by tailor made program that addresses the issues faced by the employee. The requirements for each employee range from saving for retirement, buying a home, liquidity crunch, not meeting household expenses, planning for medical emergencies, children’s education and marriage or just taking a vacation!

 

Aster CMI unveils its state-of-the art medical center for children born with Primary Immune Deficiency

 Bangalore, April 26th 2017:  In advance to the World Immunology Day observed on April 29th every year,  Aster CMI Hospital unveiled its dedicated centre of care for primary immune deficiency (PIDs) diseases today. During the announcement today, a parent support group from Bangalore also detailed out their plea submitted to the government to rationalise the treatment for PIDs.



PIDs are a rare form of diseases genetically transferred to a child. In a typical scenario, the child’s immune system bears a defect and thus is prone to slightest of the infections. Organs like lungs, gastro-intestinal tract are affected first in a PID and hence it is likely to be misunderstood as a general infection. PIDs usually go undiagnosed owing to unawareness amongst not just people but also the medical community. A PID patient if not diagnosed timely, cannot survive beyond 2-5 years of age. Early identification can help increase the life expectancy of a patient by injecting anti-bodies artificially which is a very costly mode of treatment. “While there is no study conducted in India to assess the prevalence of primary immune deficiency diseases, estimates have shown that in India there would be almost 1 million individuals with a PID. In Bangalore, anywhere between 1000-5000 children are suffering from PIDs”, said Dr Sagar Bhattad, MBBS, MD, DM Pediatric Immunologist, Aster CMI Hospital-one amongst the very few formally trained Pediatric Immunologists in the county.

 Currently there is just one center of care for children suffering from immune deficiency diseases in Chandigarh and thus a patient from elsewhere have to travel to this center for care. With Aster CMI Pediatric Immunology center, patients from the region can now avail end to end treatment here in Bangalore. “If a child is repeatedly falling sick, it is advised to scan him for a PID. Thus far, we have seen numerous cases wherein a child is repeatedly hospitalized during first few years of his life. These are clear indications of a PID”, added Dr Bhattad.

 PIDPWS (PID Patient Welfare Society), a patient support group of 15 couples from Bangalore elaborated on the plea submitted to the government. “In the past considering the sensitivity on Hemophilia, a disease where children could bleed to death, government did make the injections available for free at the primary healthcare centres. Motivated with this move, we are now in talks with the government to support treatment of children with PID, as the treatment is very expensive and most of our families cannot bear the cost”, said Mrs Rukhsana, representative of the patient support group.

Organizations like Lions Club along with Aster CMI hospitals have come together to announce their commitment to sponsor the treatment along with medications and diagnostic costs of about 15 children suffering from PID. “The treatment for this disorder is extremely expensive and often is unaffordable for the families of the children suffering from it. Thereby, it is important to provide assistance to the families of the children who are suffering from this disorder to ensure that they receive the necessary treatment”, said Dr Chetan Ginigeri, Pediatric Intensivist at Aster CMI.


Highlighting the need of a dedicated centre for these diseases, Dr Sagar further added, “Affected children get hospitalized on several occasions and are treated with variety of antibiotics. However, one wonders the root cause of multiple hospitalization in a short frame of time. The problems go undiagnosed or incorrectly diagnosed as there is not awareness amongst the medical fraternity themselves about PIDs. In India, the medical specialization in Pediatric Immunology has been introduced only three years ago and thus the number of experts are just handful. The need for a formally trained Pediatric Immunologist is long felt by paediatricians now and thus the Doctorate of Medicine (DM), Pediatric Immunology was introduced about three years back in medical education.”

The awareness about PID, is very minimal even amongst the medical fraternity. In order to increase awareness amongst pediatricians and physicians about the disorder, ASTER CMI have been on warpath reaching out to doctors, Pediatricians through the continuous medical education format, Pharma companies and the common public using the print, audiovisual and social media. A city and state wise database creation is on the anvil.

Aster CMI also marked completion of 30 years of existence with an Aster Volunteer Campaign ‘Aster @ 30’. “We strive to provide end-to-end healthcare solutions to a patient. The Aster Pediatric Immunology Centre will help cater to all problems faced by a PID patient as the centre now has best domain experts along with advanced technology to diagnose and treat the patient”, says  Dr Nitish Shetty , CEO Aster CMI hospital Under Aster@30 campaign, the hospital has announced free services towards in-patient and out-patients along with day care for patients suffering from Primary Immunology Diseases.



About Aster CMI Hospital:

Aster CMI Hospital, Bangalore is DM Healthcare’s continuation of its endeavour to create world-class, patient-centric hospitals driven by medical innovations and a culture of excellence. Aster DM Healthcare group, having revamped the existing massive structure, launched a comprehensive super-specialty hospital. The Aster CMI Hospital has contemporary state-of-the-art facilities accommodating close to 500 beds and offers comprehensive primary care to quaternary care services with Centres of Excellence in Cardiac Sciences, Neurosciences, Gastroenterology Sciences, Surgery and Allied Specialties, Integrated Liver Care, Organ Transplant, Urology and Nephrology, Orthopaedics, Women’s Health, and Child & Adolescent Health. Everything at Aster CMI is designed keeping in mind the comfort of our patients. The serene environment, spacious interiors and advanced facilities create a positive ambience that is conducive to healing. In a nutshell, Aster CMI stands out from the rest of the peer hospitals on the hospitality front.

 

Shoppers Stop creates the world’s largest cricket bat!

Bengaluru, April 20^th, 2017: In celebration of the ongoing cricket fervor in the nation, Shoppers Stop has created the world’s largest cricket bat which measures 160 feet in height and 18 feet in width.

The record-setting cricket bat is displayed at Magrath Road Junction (opposite Garuda mall). To mark the occasion, Shoppers Stop invited Mithali Raj - Captain of the Indian Women's Cricket Team to sign the cricket bat. Also present for the occasion was Mr. Govind Shrikhande, Customer Care Associate & Managing Director, Shoppers Stop Ltd. 

An ode to cricket aficionados, this one-of-its-kind cricket bat has been made in a record time of 10 days by the in-house Visual Merchandising team. Over 60 people worked round the clock to construct this enormous structure. Shoppers Stop is set to apply for a mention in the Limca Book of Records.

Mr. Govind Shrikhande, Customer Care Associate & Managing Director, Shoppers Stop Ltd said, “Our focus is to create exciting and engaging experiences for our customers and thereby bring the romance back to retail. The ongoing cricket buzz gave us the perfect opportunity to delight our customers by creating this record-setting world’s largest cricket bat. And who better to celebrate this occasion than the Captain of our beloved Indian Women’s Cricket Team Mithali Raj.” 

Ace Cricketer and Captain of the Indian Women’s Cricket Team, Mithali Raj commented, “It is so great to see Shoppers Stop, India’s leading and most loved fashion retailer, celebrate Cricket, one of India’s most loved sports, in such a wonderful way.  

The record-setting 160 ft. cricket bat looks remarkable. It is a great opportunity for cricket lovers to express their love and enthusiasm for the game.”