The Indian Panorama

Month: January 2016

  • NEW OBAMA ACTION COULD INCREASE PERMANENT WORK PERMITS

    NEW OBAMA ACTION COULD INCREASE PERMANENT WORK PERMITS

    President Obama issued a new executive action that would grant work permits to foreign workers who are in the country on temporary work visas and have applied for employment-based green cards if implemented.

    The action would also extend the length of work permits for foreign STEM students who participate in the Optional Training Program (OPT).

    The President issued the proposed 181-page executive action just before the New Year’s holiday in an attempt to avoid public pushback.

    The proposed action would override current visa caps established in the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) of 1952.

    The executive action would offer extensions to high-skilled foreign H-1B workers, providing more time to be approved for a permanent employment-based green card.

    The INA states that no country may receive more than 7 percent of the total number of green cards available in a given year. The executive action would bypass the INA per-country caps for H-1B workers, essentially providing them with a fast track to U.S. citizenship.

    The executive action would also offer a 180-day extension to any foreign student participating in the OPT program. The OPT program is often called the “mini H-1B program” since many of the students are hired on the H-1B visa once their OPT work permit expires. This extension would give more time for foreign students to stay and work in the country until issued a H-1B visa.

    This action comes after the 17-month OPT extension for STEM students is set to expire in February unless the federal courts provide DHS with a 3-month extension of the program in order to complete the process to replace the rule.

    The new DHS rule will be published in the Federal Register on Thursday, Jan 7, with a public comment period running through the end of February. At that time, DHS must respond to every comment submitted before finalizing and implementing the rule.

  • Arjun & Kareena sizzle in the irresistible ‘Ki And Ka’

    Arjun & Kareena sizzle in the irresistible ‘Ki And Ka’

    The first look of R Balki’s Ki And Ka featuring Arjun Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor Khan, has been released. The unconventional jodi had raised many eyebrows, but the first look poster of the movie has taken the audience by surprise.

    In the picture, Kareena and Arjun share a sizzling chemistry striking a romantic pose as they stand together against a train.

    This is the first time that Arjun and Kareena will be seen romancing each other and going by the first look, Arjun and Bebo’s chemistry is to watch out for. The one minute video gives us a sneak peek into the making of the film.

    ‘Ki And Ka’ is a story about a young, married couple whose relationship challenges the gender roles placed upon women and men in Indian society.

    Apart from the fact that the Kabir-Kia duo looks absolutely comfortable in this sneak peak, this film will also have other attractions in the form of megastar Amitabh Bachchan and wife Jaya in a special appearance.

    While the movie has been creating a lot of buzz on social media for it’s unusual casting and unique story line, the year 2016 boasts of other fresh pairings too for the movie buffs. ‘Ki and Ka’, one of the most awaited movies of 2016, is slated to release on April 1, 2016.

    Photo credit: Twitter

  • Bomb scare on Delhi-Lucknow Shatabdi | Hoax Alert

    Bomb scare on Delhi-Lucknow Shatabdi | Hoax Alert

    A bomb scare on the Lucknow-bound Shatabdi Express turned out to be a hoax following a thorough search conducted by GRP and local police.

    The train was evacuated and searched at Ghaziabad Sunday, January 3, following information about a possible bomb threat. Delhi Police alerted Northern Railways about the threat and advised a thorough check of all trains including Rajdhani and Duronto Express between Delhi and Kanpur.

    Neeraj Sharma, CPRO Northern Railways, said GRP informed them at 6.25 am. The Delhi-Lucknow Shatabdi had already left at 6.15 am.

    “The train was stopped in Ghaziabad at 6.48 am and all passengers were de-boarded and their luggage checked by the RPF, GRP, Uttar Pradesh Police and bomb disposal squad. The train was given a clearance at 7.40 am,” he added. He said the bomb call turned out to be hoax. “We checked different trains and in general increased our security. We are taking all precautions.”

    Railway officials confirmed that there was no presence of explosives in any of the coaches and that the train departed at 7:52 am from Ghaziabad with all passengers on board.

    Meanwhile, the New Delhi station was also searched by security personnel and the dog squad of Delhi Police following the threat. Trains already running late on a foggy Sunday morning were affected.

    The national capital is on alert after the terror attack by Pakistani ultras in Pathankot on Saturday.

  • Nigerian charged in sophisticated email scam is in custody in Dallas

    Nigerian charged in sophisticated email scam is in custody in Dallas

    DALLAS (TIP): A Nigerian man living in the U.S. on a student visa faces federal wire fraud charges in connection with a sophisticated email phishing scam targeting businesses.

    Amechi Colvis Amuegbunam, 28, of Lagos, Nigeria, was arrested in Baltimore in August and charged with scamming 17 North Texas companies out of more than $600,000 using the technique. He remains in federal custody in Dallas. If convicted, he faces up to 30 years in prison and a fine of up to $1 million.

    He is accused of sending emails that looked like forwarded messages from top company executives to employees who had the authority to wire money. Amuegbunam tricked the employees into wiring him money by transposing a couple of letters in the actual company email, authorities said.

    The FBI issued an alert earlier this year about the new cyberattack it called the “Business Email Compromise.” The FBI said it is a “growing fraud that is more sophisticated than any similar scam the FBI has seen before.”

    Federal officials say more than 7,000 U.S. businesses have been scammed out of a total of about $740 million.

    “It’s a prime example of organized crime groups engaging in large-scale, computer-enabled fraud, and the losses are staggering,” said Maxwell Marker, an FBI agent who oversees an organized crime section, in a recent bulletin.

    The FBI said it’s the work of organized crime groups from Africa, Eastern Europe and the Middle East.

    The Dallas investigation began in 2013 when two North Texas companies reported falling victim to the scheme, each losing about $100,000, according to an FBI complaint.

    In the case of Luminant Corp., an electric utility company in Dallas, an employee with the authority to wire money received an email from someone who appeared to be a company executive, the complaint said.

    But the email domain name had two letters transposed. For example, someone created the email with a domain name of lumniant.com.

    The duped employee wired $98,550 to a bank account outside Texas.

    The FBI subpoenaed information about the email account and learned it was created by someone named Colvis Amue, the complaint said.

    Agents determined that person was Amuegbunam and that he scammed another company out of $146,550, according to the complaint. A third company realized the phishing email was fake and did not send the $381,903 requested.

    “The Dallas FBI quickly learned that this was a widespread scheme,” the complaint said.

    The FBI has identified five other conspirators who live in Nigeria who are subjects of the investigation.

    In these scams, “money mules” are employed to accept the initial transfers into their personal bank accounts. They then are told to quickly transfer the money elsewhere, usually to a bank account outside the U.S. The money usually ends up in Asian banks, including those in China and Hong Kong, the FBI alert said.

    The criminals have become experts at imitating invoices and accounts, agents say. The fraudulent emails are typically well worded and specific to the type of business being targeted, the FBI says. The phrases, “code to admin expenses” and “urgent wire transfer,” are frequently used.

    In one recent case provided by the FBI, a company accountant received an email from her chief executive, who was on vacation outside the country. He asked her to transfer money for a “time-sensitive acquisition” before the day’s end, according to the FBI. The executive said a lawyer would contact her with more information.

    The accountant said such requests were not unusual.

    The lawyer sent her an email with her CEO’s signature on a letter of authorization with the company’s seal that was attached. The email gave her instructions to wire more than $737,000 to a bank in China.

    The accountant learned about the scam when the CEO called the next day, saying he knew nothing about the wire transfer request.

    The FBI said criminal groups usually target businesses that have foreign suppliers or regularly make wire transfer payments.

    “They have excellent tradecraft, and they do their homework,” Marker said. “The days of these emails having horrible grammar and being easily identified are largely behind us.”

    (Source: Dallas Morning News)

  • UNT student dies after being shot in the head in suspected road rage incident

    UNT student dies after being shot in the head in suspected road rage incident

    DALLAS (TIP): A 20-year-old University of North Texas junior died Friday, January 1 night after she was shot in what police suspect was a road rage incident.

    Denton officers found Sara Mutschlechner about 2 a.m. near a car that had smashed into a utility pole in the 1700 block of North Elm Street by Texas Woman’s University.

    Witnesses reported that she was shot in the head after a dark-colored or black Toyota or Lexus SUV carrying five or six men drove up next to her car.

    People in the SUV exchanged words with the passengers in Mutschlechner’s vehicle, police said. As the two vehicles crossed University Drive, someone in the SUV fired multiple shots at her car.

    Mutschlechner’s car struck another vehicle before crashing into the pole.

    Witnesses said she had been a designated driver for her companions on New Year’s Eve and had not been drinking.

    One of her four passengers sustained minor injuries and was treated and released from Denton Regional Medical Center.

    Mutschlechner also was taken to the medical center, where she remained on life support for most of Friday before she died, police said.

    The junior from Martindale studied radio, television and film at UNT, according to her Linkedin profile.

    “Growing up I was entranced by the beauty of cinema and as an avid movie-goer I one day decided that this — this beautiful thing I so enjoyed watching — was what I wanted to dedicate my life to,” she wrote. “I want to inspire change just as much as I want to inspire future filmmakers, like myself, to continue creating beautiful and original works of art.”

    Jordan Wright, president of the Short Film Club, said she attended classes with Mutschlechner.

    “Sara was a very sweet person, always friendly, and talented in the Media Arts program and Short Film Club organization on campus,” Wright said in an email Friday. “Nobody could have been prepared for what happened early this morning … we are all still having trouble registering the events that have taken place so rapidly and tragically.”

    According to Mutschlechner’s Facebook page, she was also a member of the Zeta Tau Alpha sorority.

    Thank you so much to everyone in our community for your support during this time. Our thoughts and prayers are with Sara and her family ❤️ — North Texas ZTA (@unt_zta) January 1, 2016

    “Thank you so much to everyone in our community for your support during this time,” a message posted to the sorority’s Twitter page said Friday. “Our thoughts and prayers are with Sara and her family.”

    Mutschlechner’s family could not be reached for comment Friday.

    UNT spokeswoman Margarita Venegas expressed condolences to Mutschlechner’s family and friends.

    “It’s a very sad for thing for us whenever we lose a member of the university community,” she said.
    A candlelight vigil will be at 8 p.m. Saturday at the university’s Greek Life Center, according to the Student Government Association.

    Police provided no physical description of the men in the SUV except that they were black, but witnesses told police that at least two of them had been at a New Year’s Eve party on Crisoforo Drive overnight.

    The DJ at the party, Denis McInerny, said he saw no fights or other disturbances at the party, though there might have been a scuffle outside.

    “The whole shooting thing caught me off-guard judging by the crowd that was there,” he said. “I didn’t think the events were related in any way.”

    Police said about 60 people attended the New Year’s Eve party.

    Anyone who attended the party or has information about the case may call investigator Eric Beckwith at 940-349-7974 or eric.beckwith@cityofdenton.com. Police also are looking for anyone who may have pictures or videos from the party.

    (Source: Dallas Morning News)

  • Trump Muslim remark used in jihadist recruitment video

    Trump Muslim remark used in jihadist recruitment video

    Republican White House frontrunner Donald Trump’s call for a ban on Muslims entering the US have been used by Somalia’s Shebab in a jihadist recruitment video, a US monitoring group said today.

    The Al Qaeda-affiliated Shebab use an excerpt from Trump’s December 7 speech to try and woo Muslims in the West to wage jihad, the SITE Intelligence Group reported.

    In his speech, Trump proposed a “total and complete shutdown” on Muslims entering the US until the US was “able to determine and understand this problem” of Islamist violence, following the killing of 14 people by a radicalised couple in California.

    In the Shebab video, the Trump soundbite is preceded by a speech by the late Anwar al-Awlaki, a US-born radical imam, calling on Muslims in America to “flee the oppressive Western atmosphere for the lands of Islam”.

    Al-Awlaki, who Washington alleges was a senior Al Qaeda operative, was killed by a US drone strike in Yemen in September 2011.

    The video, which lasts more than 50 minutes, specifically targets black youths, urging them to convert to Islam and leave for the Somali battlefield using footage of Malcolm X, protests against police actions, and speeches of white supremacists, SITE said.

    It portrays America as a country hostile to its Muslim population, with the narrator claiming that “in the United States, basic human rights and concepts such as justice, tolerance, and the rule of law do not apply if you are a Muslim”.

    Trump’s inflammatory remarks sparked a wave of global outrage, with his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton warning that his words were playing into the hands of extremist groups.

    During a Democratic debate last month, Clinton accused Trump of being “ISIS’s best recruiter,” referring to the self-described Islamic State group, and said the radical jihadists were “going to people showing videos of Donald Trump insulting Islam and Muslims in order to recruit more radical jihadists.”

    Trump hit back, accusing her of lying, but Clinton’s spokeswoman insisted that his remarks were “being used in social media by ISIS as propaganda… to help recruiting,” sourcing the information to groups that monitor IS’s online activities.

  • PAK CONDEMNS PATHANKOT ATTACK

    PAK CONDEMNS PATHANKOT ATTACK

    January 2: Pakistan condemned the terror strike at an Air Force base in Pathankot by heavily-armed Pakistani terrorists and asserted that building on the goodwill created during the recent high level contacts, it remained committed to partner India in tackling terrorism.

    Read More : Pathankot Terror Attack: All 5 Terrorists Neutralized | Jaish-E-Mohammed Blamed

    “Pakistan condemns the terrorist incident in Pathankot, India, today, in which many precious lives have been lost. We extend heartfelt condolences to the government and people of India and the bereaved families and wish the wounded speedy and full recovery,” a Pakistan Foreign Office statement said.

    The attack by terrorists, suspected to belong to Jaish-e-Mohammed outfit, took place at around 3.30 AM and three security personnel, including a Garud commando of the IAF, were killed in it. Four terrorists were also killed by the security forces.

    “Building on the goodwill created during the recent high level contacts between the two countries, Pakistan remains committed to partner with India as well as other countries in the region to completely eradicate the menace of terrorism afflicting our region,” the Foreign Office statement said.

    The attack came just a week after Prime Minister Narendra Modi made an unscheduled visit to Pakistan and met Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif with an aim of improving ties and also ahead of the talks between the foreign secretaries of the two countries here on January 15.

    Pathankot terror attack: Calls between terrorists and handlers accessed

    Details of the calls made between the terrorists and their handlers in Pakistan have been reported by TIMES NOW.

    Four calls took place between the attackers and the handlers between 12-30 AM and 2-30 AM on the intervening night of January 1 and January 2.

    The conversations were made in Punjabi and Multani language where the handlers briefed locations to the attackers.

    Heavily-armed Pakistani terrorists today attempted to storm the Air Force base in Pathankot, triggering a day-long gunbattle in which three securitymen and all the five infiltrators were killed, days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s surprise stopover in Lahore.

    Read More : Pathankot Terror Attack: All 5 Terrorists Neutralized | Jaish-E-Mohammed Blamed

  • Pathankot terror attack: Calls between terrorists and handlers accessed

    Pathankot terror attack: Calls between terrorists and handlers accessed

    Details of the calls made between the terrorists and their handlers in Pakistan have been reported by TIMES NOW.

    Four calls took place between the attackers and the handlers between 12-30 AM and 2-30 AM on the intervening night of January 1 and January 2.

    The conversations were made in Punjabi and Multani language where the handlers briefed locations to the attackers.

    Heavily-armed Pakistani terrorists today attempted to storm the Air Force base in Pathankot, triggering a day-long gunbattle in which three securitymen and all the five infiltrators were killed, days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s surprise stopover in Lahore.

    Read More : Pathankot Terror Attack: All 5 Terrorists Neutralized | Jaish-E-Mohammed Blamed

    Pak condemns Pathankot attack

    January 2: Pakistan condemned the terror strike at an Air Force base in Pathankot by heavily-armed Pakistani terrorists and asserted that building on the goodwill created during the recent high level contacts, it remained committed to partner India in tackling terrorism.

    “Pakistan condemns the terrorist incident in Pathankot, India, today, in which many precious lives have been lost. We extend heartfelt condolences to the government and people of India and the bereaved families and wish the wounded speedy and full recovery,” a Pakistan Foreign Office statement said.

    The attack by terrorists, suspected to belong to Jaish-e-Mohammed outfit, took place at around 3.30 AM and three security personnel, including a Garud commando of the IAF, were killed in it. Four terrorists were also killed by the security forces.

    “Building on the goodwill created during the recent high level contacts between the two countries, Pakistan remains committed to partner with India as well as other countries in the region to completely eradicate the menace of terrorism afflicting our region,” the Foreign Office statement said.

    The attack came just a week after Prime Minister Narendra Modi made an unscheduled visit to Pakistan and met Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif with an aim of improving ties and also ahead of the talks between the foreign secretaries of the two countries here on January 15.

  • UK website releases new documents on Netaji

    UK website releases new documents on Netaji

    A UK-based website set up to chart the last days of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose has released a new set of documents to dismiss claims that he may have been spotted in China years after his death in a plane crash.

    The website – www.bosefiles.info – has reproduced a telegram from the Indian Embassy in Beijing contradicting claims in India about the nationalist leader being in the Chinese capital in 1952. Bose was reported dead as a result of a plane crash in Taiwan in 1945.

    But in 1955, S M Goswami, an ardent admirer of Bose, published a pamphlet in India with the heading ‘Netaji Mystery Revealed’.

    It carried a picture of Chinese officials with a Mongolian trade delegation said to have been taken in 1952. Goswami pointed out one of the persons in the photograph to be Bose.

    Appearing as a witness before the 1956 Netaji Inquiry Committee he presented the photo as evidence of Bose being alive, contrary to reports of his death in 1945.

    The committee sent the exhibit to the Indian Embassy in Beijing for identification. The diplomatic mission forwarded it to the Chinese foreign ministry.

    Following a response from the Chinese foreign ministry, the embassy cabled India’s ministry of external affairs: “Concerning alleged photograph of SUBHAS CHANDRA BOSE: We showed this to Foreign Office who have informed us that the photograph is of LEE KE HUNG, Medical Superindendent of PUMC (Peking University Medical College)”.

    “The telegram exposes one of countless attempts over 70 years to spread disinformation about Subhas Bose,” says Ashis Ray, a London-based journalist who has set up the website to “release documentary evidence which reinforces what happened to Bose, so that people are able to judge for themselves the truth”.

    On December 7, bosefiles.info exposed claims about Bose having escaped to the Soviet Union in 1945.

    It posted two diplomatic notes from the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs sent in 1992 and 1995 respectively and a public statement by the then Russian Ambassador in India in 1996, which unanimously confirmed there was no information in the Soviet or KGB archives about Bose entering the Soviet Union in or after 1945.

     

  • Pathankot terror attack: All 5 terrorists neutralized | Jaish-e-Mohammed Blamed

    Pathankot terror attack: All 5 terrorists neutralized | Jaish-e-Mohammed Blamed

    Sunday January 3 (TIP): Five attackers and three members of the security forces were killed in an attack on an Indian air force base near the Pakistani border, officials confirmed.

    Security personnel secured Pathankot base on Saturday, January 2 evening, after a battle lasting more than 14 hours. The fierce gunbattle claimed the lives of three securitymen, while five infiltrators were killed, the attack came days after the Indian and Pakistani leaders, Narendra Modi and Nawaz Sharif, met in Lahore to launch a surprise peace initiative.

    The heavily-armed gunmen had entered the base dressed in Indian army uniforms.

    “I congratulate our armed forces and other security forces on successfully neutralising all the five terrorists in ‘Pathankot Operation,” tweeted Home Minister Rajnath Singh after the operation ended.

    Singh also offered condolences to the security men killed in the attack.

    “We have also lost security personnel in Pathankot attack. My heartfelt condolences to their families.We can never forget their sacrifice,” he further tweeted.

    “The nation is proud of its brave security forces who have always rose to the occasion. I salute our forces on successful operation in P’kot”, he tweeted.

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi also hailed the bravery of the security personnel on successfully neutralising all the five terrorists.

    “Enemies of humanity who can’t see India progress, such elements attacked in Pathankot but our security forces did not let them succeed,” Modi said.

    “Why it that there have been two attacks within five months in Punjab, a state that had not seen any terrorism activities over 20 years?” questioned Congress leader Randeep Surjewala.

    No group has said it carried out the attack, which is being seen as an attempt to undermine those efforts.

    Pakistan condemned the attack and called it a “terrorist incident”, adding that it remained committed to peace efforts with India.

    Here are the key updates

    • Prime Minister Narendra Modi today hailed the bravery of the security personnel.”Enemies of humanity who can’t see India progress, such elements attacked in Pathankot but our security forces did not let them succeed,” he tweeted.
    • Home Minister Rajnath Singh congratulated the security forces for the successful Pathankot operation. “I congratulate our armed forces and other security forces on successfully neutralising all the five terrorists in ‘Pathankot Operation’,” he tweeted.
    • The attack is suspected to have been carried out by the terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed
    • Security forces neutralised five terrorists following an attack on the Indian Air Force Station in north Punjab today.
    • Three Indian Force personnel were also killed in the encounter.
    • An hour after the gunbattle to weed out the remaining terrorists ended, gunshots were again heard. Security forces said it is likely a fifth terrorist is still inside the premises of the air force base.
    • Heavy firing could be heard from the IAF station area till 7.30 am.
    • The attack began with gunfire around 3.30am on Saturday.
    • Security forces were already on high alert over the past 24 hours after an incident in a nearby area where a senior police officer was abducted in his car late Thursday and later released.

    Some Indian security officials suggested the Islamist militant group Jaish-e-Mohammed was to blame.

    India says the group is backed by Pakistan, but Islamabad denies this.

    In July 2015 seven people were killed in a similar attack when gunmen stormed a police station in nearby Gurdaspur district.

     

  • Veteran CPI leader AB Bardhan passes away at 92

    Veteran CPI leader AB Bardhan passes away at 92

    Veteran Communist Party of India leader Ardhendu Bhushan Bardhan passed away on Saturday. He was 92 and was being treated at GB Pant Hospital.

    He was undergoing treatment after tests detected a blood clot in his brain. Earlier on Saturday, the CPI described his condition as “critical”.

    “Condition of Comrade Bardhan has worsened today. He was put off ventilator yesterday and was able to breathe normally. But today, his blood pressure (level) fell and his condition has turned very critical now,” CPI national secretary D Raja said.

    Bardhan has been a leading figure of the trade union movement and Left politics in Maharashtra. He had won as an independent candidate in Maharashtra assembly polls in 1957. He later rose to become the general secretary and then president of All India Trade Union Congress, the oldest trade union in India.

    Bardhan had moved to Delhi politics in the 1990s and became the deputy general secretary of CPI. He succeeded Indrajit Gupta as the general secretary of the party in 1996.

  • Indian American Sikh Gurbir Singh Grewal appointed Bergen County prosecutor by Gov Christie

    Indian American Sikh Gurbir Singh Grewal appointed Bergen County prosecutor by Gov Christie

    Indian American U. S. attorney Gurbir Singh Grewal will be the new acting County prosecutor from Jan 4, 2016 and will take over for John L. Molinelli, who ended his 14-year tenure as the county’s top law enforcement official, said state Sen. Loretta Weinberg, D-Teaneck.

    Grewal has prosecuted major white-collar crimes for the U.S. Attorney’s Office and was nominated by Governor Christie over two years ago for the job.

    Weinberg said that she and other senators were notified Thursday, December 31, afternoon by Christie’s office. The governor’s office did not respond to questions about the appointment.

    Grewal, 42, joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office in 2010 and serves as chief of the Economic Crimes Unit in Newark. In October, he represented the government in a case in which the president of a New Jersey-based textile company was sentenced to three years in prison for defrauding investors of $4 million.

    “He’s an extraordinary talent,” said state Sen. Kevin O’Toole, R-Cedar Grove, whose district includes parts of Bergen, Passaic and Morris counties. “You have folks who have worked with him in the office who have represented clients against him and have lost and they all have been very complimentary,” O’Toole said.

    Grewal’s nomination ends several months of speculation over whom Christie would tap for the post, which Molinelli, a Democrat, has held since being nominated by Gov. James E. McGreevey in 2002. He was reappointed by Gov. Jon Corzine and has continued to serve as a holdover since his term expired.

    Grewal will be the first Sikh to serve as a county prosecutor in New Jersey, according to leaders in the state’s Sikh community.

    The Indian Panorama reached out to the Sikh community leaders in New Jersey on Mr Grewal’s appointment, here is what some of the sikh leaders had to say…

    Hardip Singh Goldy, President, Shiromani Akali Dal – New Jersey said sikhs worldwide are reaching new heights and he is very happy with the news that someone from their community could be the next leader of the county Prosecutor’s Office.

    Grewal is a graduate of Georgetown University and obtained his law degree from the Marshall-Wythe School of Law at The College of William & Mary. He is past president of the South Asian Bar Association of New York and is a member of the New Jersey Asian Pacific American Lawyers Association.

  • AAPI’s 10th Annual Global Healthcare Summit Inaugurated in New Delhi

    AAPI’s 10th Annual Global Healthcare Summit Inaugurated in New Delhi

    (New Delhi, India: January 2nd, 2016) Physicians of Indian origin are well known around the world for their compassion, passion for patient care, medical skills, research, and leadership. They excel in their fields of medicine, and thus have earned a name for themselves through hard work, commitment and dedication to their profession and the people they are committed to serve. Not satisfied with their own professional growth and the service they provide to their patients around the world, they are in the forefront, sharing their knowledge and expertise with others, especially those physicians and leaders in the medical field from India.

    In this context, the 10th anniversary of the annual Global Healthcare Summit (GHS 2016) from January 1 – 3, 2016 at the prestigious ITC Maurya Hotel, New Delhi, organized by the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) becomes very critical. The historic Summit was inaugurated by the lighting of the traditional lamp by global leaders in the health arena on January 1st, 2016. The theme for the inaugural event was “India’s contribution to shaping global healthcare.”

    In her welcome address, Dr. Seema Jain, President, AAPI, described the 10th international healthcare summit as a progressive transformation from the first Indo-US Healthcare Summit launched by AAPI USA in 2007. Since then AAPI has organized nine Indo-US/Global Healthcare Summits and developed strategic alliances with various organizations. “It is these learning’s and relationships that have now enabled us to plan ahead and prepare for an outstanding event that has already received confirmation and endorsement from over 500 very prominent and talented world leaders in medicine to help shape the content and make significant contributions towards “make in India” theme,” she said.

    According to Dr. Seema Jain, with the changing trends and statistics in healthcare, both in India and US, AAPI is refocusing our mission and vision of GHS 2016, AAPI would like to collaborate with local partners in India towards making a positive meaningful impact on the healthcare in India. The mission of AAPI’s GHS 2016 is to share best practice and experiences from leading experts in the world and develop actionable plans for launching demonstration projects that enable access to affordable and quality healthcare for all people.

    Among those who had addressed the inaugural event and the delegates from around the world at the historic Summit included, Michael Pelletier, US Deputy Chief of Mission to India; Dr. Prathap C. Reddy, Chairman of Apollo Group of Hospitals; Dr. Mathew Thomas, Country Director, US FDA; Dr. V.K. Subburaj, I.A.S. Secretary Dept. of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers; Anshu Prakash, I.A.S. Joint Secretary, Ministry of Health, Govt. of India; and D.G. Shah, Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance. The event was emceed by Anwar Feroz Siddiqi, the Honorary Advisor of AAPI.

    According to estimates, more than 1.2 million Indian origin physicians are actively rendering service across the world including India, and of them, 1,25,500 are working in USA, UK, Australia and Canada. Given their presence and the spread, the physicians constitute a valuable resource which can contribute significantly in developments related with health field at global level.

    AAPI has been engaged in harnessing the power of Indian Diaspora to bring the most innovative, efficient, cost effective healthcare solutions to India. For the first time, clinical practice workshops will be held at this summit. Expected to draw over 1000 leading experts from several countries, GHS-16 will focus on sharing best practices, developing efficient and cost effective solutions for India. The scientific program of GHS is developed by leading experts with the contributions of a stellar scientific advisory board and international scientific committee.

    The scientific program and workshops of GHS is developed by leading experts with contributions by the Scientific Advisory Board and the International Scientific Committee. The workshops will be led by world famous physicians on topics relevant to the needs of the time. Some of the topics covered will include: World renowned physician leaders will lead workshops on Advances in Oncology, Diabetes, Cardiology, Wound Care, Head Injury, Patient Safety, Lung, Gastro Intestinal, Hepatitis, Infectious Disease, Antibiotic Resistance, Emergency Medicine, and Women’s Health & Leadership. The pre-summit and ongoing sessions are being held at AIIMS, in addition to those at the Maurya Hotel.

    More than 100 opinion leaders and expert speakers drawn from major centers of excellence, institutions and professional associations from across the globe are showcasing cutting edge scientific findings related to clinical practice. Accredited by the Accreditation Council for continuing Medical Education for 14 hours of credit, the Summit also features a CEO Forum, where CEOs from around the world from hospitals, teaching institutions and major healthcare sectors, including pharmaceutical, medical devices and technology, will join to explore potential opportunities for collaboration.

    Dr. Ajay Lodha, President-Elect, says. “AAPI has organized seven Indo – US/Global Healthcare Submits and developed strategic alliances with various organizations. It is these learning and relationships that have now enabled us to plan ahead and prepare for an outstanding events that has already received confirmation and endorsement from over 300 very prominent and talented physicians and surgeons that are very passionate, about serving their homeland, Mother India.”

    With the objective of enabling people in India to access high quality, affordable, and cost-effective world class health services, the Summit to be held in collaboration with the Indian Medical Association (IMA), the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs & Ministry of Health, will have participation from some of the world’s most well known physicians and industry leaders.”

    “With the changing trends and statistics in healthcare, both in India and US, we are refocusing our mission and vision of GHS2016, AAPI would like to make a positive meaningful impact on the healthcare in India,” Dr. Jain says. “In our quest to fulfill the mission of AAPI, we are proud to share best practice and experiences from leading experts in the world and develop actionable plans for launching demonstration projects that enable access to affordable and quality healthcare for all people.” For more information on Global Health Summit 2016, please visit www.aapighsindia.org

    Picture Caption: The 10th annual AAPI’s GHS 2016 being inaugurated by Dr. Seema Jain, with healthcare leaders from across the world join in at the inaugural event at the Maurya ITC in New Delhi on Jan 1st, 2016.

  • Women Achievers Discuss Women’s Leadership At AAPI’s Global Healthcare Summit

    Women Achievers Discuss Women’s Leadership At AAPI’s Global Healthcare Summit

    New Delhi, India: January 2, 2016: Women play multiple roles in the society. They are mothers, daughters, sisters, and in modern times, they are active bread winners in every family. They lead and inspire others by setting examples for others to follow. There are many areas where women have proven to be effective leaders, but many more need to take on leadership roles in many more areas. “We have come a long way. But there is much more to achieve,” a dozen women achievers, who were featured at the prestigious “Women’s Forum,” told an enthusiastic audience during AAPI’s Global Healthcare Summit at the Maurya ITC in New Delhi on January 2nd, 2016.

    Dr. Seema Jain, who rose through the ranks of AAPI after being a member of AAPI and in almost every body of AAPI in the past 15 years, told the audience that she is proud to be the leader of AAPI, which is predominantly a men’s group. In her role as the President and CEO, Dr. Seema jain is assisted by all men. She thanked her committed team consisting of Dr. Ajay Lodha, President-Elect, Dr. Gautam Samadder, Vice President, Dr. Naresh Parikh, Secretary, and Dr. Suresh Reddy, Treasurer, Dr. Aravind Pillai, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Dr. Rupak D. Parikh, President of the YPS, and Dr. Dhaval Bhanusali, President of MSRF for the 2015-2016.

    The Panel on Women’s Leadership was chaired by Dr. Seema Jain, President, AAPI, while Sonal Kalra, national Editor of Hindustan Times, Entertainment, Lifestyle & Art, moderated the high-powered women’s session.

    Dr. Jayehsree Mehta, President, MCI, gave an overview of her own life journey and told the delegates, “Take life as they come.” Sangita Reddy, Joint MD, Apollo Group, shared with the audience how her dad used to be told, “This poor man with four daughters” had turned into “This lucky man with four daughters,” after the four siblings achieved greater things in life and have made their dad proud.

    Rashmi Singh, quoted what others had told of her achievements, “You do not become popular by the positon you hold, but the position becomes popular because of you and what you do.”
    Vimla Mehra, who had spearheaded prison reforms in India, shared of the challenges and the satisfaction she had experienced while being the 2nd woman police officer incharge of the Prison system in the country.

    Pinky Anand, a woman’s rights advocate, told the audience, “You got to play your role whatever it may take.” She told the women among the audience that they need to be “more creative in what you do rather than try to be bossing around.’

    Dr. Deepali Bhardwaj and Dr. Loveleen Johri, US Embassy India, were among those who had shared with the audience their life’s experiences and how their roles have shaped their own lives and that of many others. “The job of leadership is to make meaning for others and to inspire them,” Dr. Deepali Bhardwaj said, “Just by being there you could be an inspiration to others.”

    The youngest on the panel, the 25-yr old Kriti Sanon, an actress and fashion model who shot to fame with her role in Dilwale, told her own life story of how she allowed her heart’s desire lead the way to success. “I am so honored to be among these inspiring women,” she said with modesty. “I didn’t give up when I was scared.”

    The 10th annual Global Healthcare Summit (GHS) 2016, organized by the Association of American Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) at the prestigious ITC Maurya Hotel in New Delhi, India from January 1st to 3rd, 2016 offers a unique forum for them to come together, sharing their knowledge and expertise in their respective medical fields with their fellow physicians from around the world, and to learn from one another. For more information on Global Health Summit 2014, please visit www.aapighsindia.org

  • Rio Olympics: Indian hockey team to face Germany, Holland

    Rio Olympics: Indian hockey team to face Germany, Holland

    LAUSANNE (TIP): Eight-time champions India have been clubbed alongside title holders Germany and world no. 2 Netherlands in Pool B at the men’s hockey competitions of 2016 Rio Olympics.

    Besides, Germany and Netherlands, the team Sardar Singh and his men defeated en route to the bronze medal in the Hockey World League Final earlier this month, other teams in the seventh ranked India’s pool are Argentina (ranked 6th), Ireland (12th) and Canada (14th).

    The teams in Pool A are reigning world and Hockey World League champions Australia, currently ranked number one in the world, Great Britain (4th), 2015 Hockey World League runners up Belgium (5th); New Zealand (8th); Spain (11th) and hosts Brazil
    (32nd).

    The hockey event in Rio Olympics will be played according to the new format i.e knock-out quarterfinal round and India just need to beat lower-ranked Ireland and Canada to qualify for the last eight stage.

    Meanwhile, the Indian eves, the lowest ranked team in Rio, have been placed along side Argentina (2nd), Australia (3rd), Great Britain (6th), USA (7th) and Japan (10th) in Pool B.

    While Pool A in the women’s section consists of defending Olympic and reigning world champions Netherlands, 2015 Hockey World League runners-up New Zealand (4th), China (5th), Germany (8th), Korea (9th) and Spain (14th).

    The International Hockey Federation (FIH) confirmed the line-up on Monday after Spain women and New Zealand men teams have officially accepted invitations to participate in the Rio 2016 Olympic Games hockey events.

    Spain women and New Zealand men were invited to participate following the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee’s (SASCOC) decision to reject invitations for South Africa’s men’s and women’s hockey teams, a statement from the FIH read.

    (PTI)

  • Remaining mentally strong is key against Djokovic: Wawrinka

    Remaining mentally strong is key against Djokovic: Wawrinka

    CHENNAI (TIP): Stanislas Wawrinka eked out the “biggest win” of his career when he downed Novak Djokovic in the final of the 2015 French Open and the Swiss champions says staying mentally strong is always key against the Serbian giant.

    Looking back at that final in which he struck 59 winners, almost twice as many as Djokovic, the Swiss player still relishes the win.

    “For sure winning Roland Garros was my biggest win. Novak is an unbelievable player, he has played so strong during the whole year and deserves to be number 1. Beating him in the final meant a lot to me, it made me very proud. I played amazing tennis on that day and managed to find a solution against him,” Wawrinka, who will open his 2016 season at Chennai Open next week, said.

    “I’ve played several tough matches against Novak in Grand Slams recently. I know that I have my chance if I play my very best tennis. I’ve beaten him before and you have to remain mentally strong when you face him and especially in such an important match,” Wawrinka said.

    The Swiss world number four is a two-time defending champion at Chennai Open and he was eyeing a hat-trick of titles.

    “I’ve always enjoyed coming to Chennai. The tournament is a nice way to start the season, the fans are great and I like the atmosphere in the stadium. Of course I would love to defend my title, but I will have to go match by match,” he said.

    Talking about his coach Magnus Norman, Wawrinka said, “I really enjoy his vision of the game; the way he communicates. He’s very natural and he was a great player himself so he knows how it feels to step on a crowded center court or to be in a Grand Slam final.”

    “I saw how he worked with Robin Soderling and had a feeling that he could be the right coach for me. He’s also great working with the other members of my team like my fitness coach Pierre Paganini or Severin Luthi, our Davis Cup captain who has been helping me a lot as well.”

    Reviewing the year behind, and looking into the start of yet another season on the tour, Wawrinka said, “I want to continue to do well, win tournaments and go deep at the Slams. And hopefully I get a great start into the season in Chennai again.”

    “I’m somebody who really likes to work hard. I like to get up early in the morning and enjoy practising a lot. That helps me a lot, because a tennis career is very much about working hard and enjoying what you do.”

    (PTI)

  • Saina may attain full fitness by Republic Day

    Saina may attain full fitness by Republic Day

    HYDERABAD: Here is some good news for badminton buffs, more particularly for the fans of Saina Nehwal.

    The ace shuttler, who has been struggling with a few injuries, is likely to attain full fitness before the start of next season on January 26. Disclosing this here, physio Kiran Challagundla told ToI that he is expecting the superstar to be free from all injuries by the third week of January, just in time for the Syed Modi Grand Prix Gold in Lucknow. Saina is the defending champion and if fully fit she could easily extend her reign in Lucknow.

    Ever since she was diagnosed with ankle and groin injuries this November, Saina sought the help of Kiran, who is based out of Gopichand’s Academy. Such was the severity of her injuries that she did not mind to come to Gopi’s academy. And after regularly making use of the services of Kiran on weekends, Saina is much better now. Had she skipped the Super Series Finals, she could have been fine by now.

    “She has four injuries. But the most severe are the injuries in the groin and ankle areas. The ankle and groin are almost cured… I can say 75 to 80%. And I expect her be 100% fit by the third week of January. As of now she is still in the rehabilitation stage. Within a few days she will be returning to full practice,” Kiran said.

    Queried if Saina will be aggravating her injuries by participating in the Premier Badminton League, which will be held between January 2 and 17, Kiran said that he would prefer the champion shuttler to compete in the league.

    “Playing in leagues like PBL will actually help players who are recovering from injuries. In PBL the matches are of short duration. They play only for 15 points and it would hardly take 20 minutes and hence I would encourage injured players in these matches. They will get the feel of pressure situation during matches and also some practice. I think PBL will help players like Saina and Kashyap to get back on track. At the most they will be playing one match and get two to three days rest,” Kiran said. It is learnt that Saina’s injuries were not managed properly at the earlier stage. Rather than giving time for full recovery, the injuries were covered and a half-fit Saina played many tournaments aggravating the injuries.

  • Tiger Woods turns 40 with Nicklaus mark a distant dream

    Tiger Woods turns 40 with Nicklaus mark a distant dream

    WASHINGTON (TIP): Tiger Woods reaches his 40th birthday on Wednesday, still recovering from a third back operation with no timetable for another golf comeback and reflective comments about ending his epic career.

    Former world number one Woods has 14 major titles, four shy of the all-time record set by Jack Nicklaus, and 79 PGA victories, three off the career best held by Sam Snead.

    But to become lost in the numbers is to miss the point of what Woods has meant to golf, a unique talent who in his moment might just have been the world’s greatest sport star, the first black man to win a major golf crown sparking “Tiger-mania” and generating a curiosity from fans beyond golf long after his greatest days were behind him.

    There’s an old saying that life begins at 40. Time to set aside childish dreams, like matching a boyhood idol, and lift up your children as you revel in what you have achieved.

    But Woods said last week he feels at times like a teen and at others far beyond his years due to injuries.

    “Mentally, people who know me know I’m like a five-year-old. Physically, sometimes I feel old and sometimes I feel like a teenager,” Woods said.

    “I don’t like the polar opposites of the two. I’d like to be somewhere in the middle where I feel 40.”

    Woods has not won a major title since the 2008 US Open, in which he limped through a playoff on a broken leg to beat Rocco Mediate.

    He has been through four knee surgeries, three back operations and a messy sex scandal. Once-mighty shots might only be memories. Forget record runs. Just playing, let alone winning any event, seems a distant goal now.

    “There’s really nothing I can look forward to, nothing I can build towards,” Woods said at his foundation’s Hero World Challenge event earlier this month. “Where is the light at the end of the tunnel? I don’t know.

    (AFP)

  • RUSSIA, INDIA NEGOTIATING ON MORE PROJECTS

    RUSSIA, INDIA NEGOTIATING ON MORE PROJECTS

    MOSCOW (TIP): Russia’s decision to open up its oil and gas sector to Indian companies will significantly boost bilateral trade and the two sides are negotiating on some more acquisitions and projects in the hydrocarbons sector, India’s envoy here PS Raghavan has said.

    He said Russia considers its huge oil and gas reserves as strategic resources and is allowing Indian firms “extensive exposure” to them in sync with close bilateral ties.

    “This is really a rush by India into Russia’s hydrocarbons sector,” he told PTI.

    He said Russia’s decision to open up its oil and gas sector to Indian companies will significantly boost bilateral annual trade which is currently around $10 billion.

    A number of deals were struck between Indian and Russian oil firms during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit here last week.

    The deals sealed in the oil sector include ONGC Videsh Ltd buying a 15 per cent stake in Russia’s Vankorneft oil field for close to $1.3 billion. Vankorneft is Russia’s second biggest oil field and is owned by oil behemoth Rosneft.

    India, considered one of world’s fastest growing energy markets, has been eyeing greater access to major gas and oil exploration projects in Russia and central Asian countries.

    Raghavan said New Delhi had pressed Russia to open its oil and gas sector to Indian companies during summit talks between President Vladimir Putin and Modi in December last year and the Russian side now has heeded to the request.

    “Russia is a major hydrocarbon power. We are a major hydrocarbon consumer. Our energy security depends on hydrocarbons. So there was a conscious decision that India should increase its footprint in Russia’s hydrocarbons industry,” Raghavan said. He said ONGC Videsh Ltd is exploring more acquisitions in Russian oil fields besides working on some other proposals.

    “Russia has been very careful in its process of disinvestment in the oil industry as it considers oil as a strategic resource. It has been very careful in its disinvestment,” said Raghavan. Sounding confident of Indian companies in oil and gas sector expanding their operation in Russia, the envoy said economic relations between the two countries are on an upswing which is going to boost bilateral trade volume significantly.

    Asked about the amount of possible investment Indian companies were planning to make in Russia’s hydrocarbons sector, he said negotiations are underway on various proposals and that it was difficult to put a specific number.

    Referring to four deals and agreements finalized during Modi’s visit, he said these are examples of “extensive exposure” to Indian companies to Russia’s hydrocarbons sector.

    India is the the third largest oil importer after the US and China, while Russia is one of the top oil producers globally and has huge reserves of natural gas.

    Russia’s economy has been hit hard by sanctions by the West following annexation of Crimea and Putin is keen to enhance economic engagement with time-tested ally India.

    Besides the deal by OVL to pick up 15 per cent stake in Vankor oil field owned by Rosneft, Oil India Ltd and Indian Oil Corporation signed a non-binding agreement with the Russian oil behemoth setting a time-frame for finalising a pact to pick up stakes in Taas-Yuryakh Neftegazodobycha oil field, which is another major oil field in Siberia.

    Raghavan said Essar has also “concluded some details of a deal” under which it will pick up 10 million tonnes of crude from Roseneft.

    Roseneft will pick up 49 per cent stakes in India’s second largest oil refinery in Vadinar in Gujarat. As per the deal, crude oil from Russia will be refined at Vadinar refinery.

    Raghavan said GAIL and Gasprom have struck an agreement for supply of LNG for a long term period beginning 2017.

     

  • Alibaba to invest $1.25 bn in Chinese online food delivery service

    Alibaba to invest $1.25 bn in Chinese online food delivery service

    SHANGHAI (TIP): Alibaba Group Holding Ltd has agreed to invest $1.25 billion in Chinese online food delivery service Ele.me, leading business weekly Caixin reported on Friday.

    The report, citing unidentified sources, said Alibaba will obtain a 27.7% stake in Ele.me, becoming its biggest shareholder.

    Alibaba and Ele.me both declined to comment.

    Ele.me, which roughly translates as ‘Hungry Now?’, is part of a trend in China for what is known as online-to-offline (O2O) services. These include taxi hailing and restaurant review apps that link smartphone users with offline businesses.

    Earlier this year, the food delivery service firm raised $350 million from investors, including CITIC Private Equity, Tencent Holdings Ltd, Alibaba rival JD.com Inc, Dianping and Sequoia Capital.

    As more Chinese use their phones for everything from shopping to booking restaurants, China’s internet giants Alibaba, Tencent and Baidu Inc are increasingly investing in these services to attract more users to their own platforms.

    Alibaba, the world’s biggest e-commerce company, and social networking and video games titan Tencent together spent more than $8 billion last year alone backing sometimes strikingly similar ventures, such as taxi hailing apps Kuadi Dache and Didi Dache.

  • Apple wants $180 million more from Samsung in patent dispute

    Apple wants $180 million more from Samsung in patent dispute

    NEW YORK (TIP): Just over a week after Samsung paid Apple more than $548 million for infringing the patents and designs of the iPhone, Apple has asked a U.S. court to force its biggest smartphone rival to cough up even more.

    In court papers filed on Wednesday, Apple said Samsung owes nearly $180 million in supplemental damages and interest. These further damages relate to five Samsung devices that infringed Apple’s patents and were sold after a 2012 jury verdict finding Samsung liable in the dispute.

    Representatives for Samsung and Apple could not immediately be reached for comment.

    The long-running dispute dates back to 2011, when Apple sued Samsung alleging it its patents and copied the look of the iPhone.

  • Ambani launches 4G service for employees

    Ambani launches 4G service for employees

    NEW DELHI (TIP): On December 27 evening, on the eve of founder Dhirubhai Ambani’s 83rd birthday and amid a lot of star-studded attraction, Mukesh Ambani launched Reliance Jio, the group’s 4G telecom service, for over 90,000 RIL employees.

    The launch is a pre-cursor to the commercial rollout that is expected to happen in the next three months. The service will be free initially for employees of Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL).

    The launch event was held at Reliance Corporate Park, with RIL’s other employees virtually connected at 1,000 locations.

    A senior RIL executive said the move aims is to create thousands of ambassadors for Jio to beta test the product before its final rollout.

    Jio Digital Life, as the service is called, wants to bring Internet to all. “1.3 billion Indians cannot be left behind as the world enters a new era,” Ambani said.

    India ranks 150 out of 230 countries on Internet and mobile penetration, but Ambani is ambitious. “With Jio’s launch, India’s rank will go up from 150 to among the top ten in next few years.”

    What India lacks is the eco-system, which Ambani thinks can be changed. Over Rs 80,000 crore has already been spent on Jio. The last time Reliance tried its hands in telecom, it disrupted the whole industry in 2002 with its ‘monsoon hungama, when it made mobile handsets available for Rs 500. From a device of the elite, mobile phones became the device for the masses.

    This time it is all about services, or what can be called a house of content — from live TV, to video and audio calls, newspapers and a lot more.

  • NESTLE EYES DOUBLE DIGIT GROWTH FOR MAGGI NOODLES

    NESTLE EYES DOUBLE DIGIT GROWTH FOR MAGGI NOODLES

    BAI: In the aftermath of the Maggi crisis, Nestle India is aggressively trying to increase the consumption of its flagship instant noodles brand eying double digit growth, a top company executive said.

    It is also sharpening focus on digital media and pushing other products so that all categories contribute almost equally to the company’s overall revenue.

    “Results for the last two quarters of 2015 have been impacted by the Maggi Noodles issue. However, we are committed towards double digit (growth) that is triggered by actual volume consumption increase,” Suresh Narayanan, chairman and managing director, Nestle India told PTI.

    The Swiss major had taken a hit of Rs 450 crore including destroying over 30,000 tonnes of the instant noodles since June when it was banned because of alleged excessive lead content.

    Maggi, which was relaunched in November after a 5-month ban, is currently available in over 700 towns and sold by 3 lakh small and large shopkeepers, the company said.

    “We are investing significantly in the re-launch, and we will be ensuring that the consumer is aware that Maggi Noodles are safe to consume,” Narayanan said.

    The company is now simultaneously pushing growth in other categories such as milk products and chocolates, along with the relaunch of Maggi.

    “We want to grow our business so that each category and brand contributes in more or less equal measure to the overall revenues of the firm. We are aggressively pushing growth in other categories such as milk products and chocolates,” he said.

    The company is engaging actively in social media, and is building a strong digital presence to strengthen the Maggi brand. Along with TV and print campaigns the company is engaging with customers via Facebook and Twitter.

    “Digital and social media is central to our brand-building process. We believe that big things happen for brands when these two are in synergy,” he said.

    The company is leveraging all the sales channels and had tied up with e-commerce player Snapdeal to push online pre-orders, which saw an offtake of 60,000 units in the first five minutes.

    Nestle India sold 3.3 crore units of Maggi in the first 10 days of its relaunch.

    The company has a digital acceleration team, which was responsible for the ‘We Miss You Too’ Maggi campaign and has also set up 24×7 toll-free consumer services in order to address consumer concerns.

    “For us, the concept is not just digital media, but of competing in a digitally-connected age,” he said.

  • KARDASHIAN TO LAUNCH HER OWN EMOJIS

    KARDASHIAN TO LAUNCH HER OWN EMOJIS

    Kim Kardashian is set to launch her own range of emojis, creatively called Kimojis, which feature a contoured face, a waist trainer, and that infamous Kim K booty.

    Kim, 35, announced the news on Instagram shortly after celebrating reaching 55 million followers on the picture-sharing app, mirror.co.uk reported.

    Clearly very excited by a second chance to #breaktheinternet, she wrote: “KIMOJI’S APP LAUNCHES TOMORROW!!!” Kim first announced the idea in July stating, “I wanted to do really fun, different emojis that you don’t see on your phone…I don’t want any family members on it. They’ll all want a piece… But I love a waist trainer, and a Kylie lip…”

  • REESE WITHERSPOON SELLS DIVORCE DRAMA

    REESE WITHERSPOON SELLS DIVORCE DRAMA

    Actress Reese Witherspoon has sold her divorce drama ‘Please Don’t Go’ to television network ABC. ‘Fear the Walking Dead’ writer Meaghan Oppenheimer will pen the script for the show, said The Hollywood Reporter. ‘Please Don’t Go’ follows the personal and professional life of a ruthless divorce attorney in Dallas.

    Raised in the trailer parks of Texas, she has left behind a life of struggle amid squalor, working her way into a corner office and mansion in Dallas’ most prestigious neighborhood. But beneath her facade of togetherness, she is plagued by self-destructive tendencies and long-hidden family secrets that begin to unravel her life. Oppenheimer will exec produce the ABC Studios entry alongside Witherspoon and her studio-based Pacific Standard topper Bruna Papandrea.