IG International introduces DIVA apples to India

Associates with Mr Apple, New Zealand’s leading global apple exporter, to bring a premium variety of apples in the country

Biting into crisp, juicy and delicious apples is an experience one wants to enjoy every day! Once again, in its bid to delight apple lovers, IG International, India’s largest fresh fruit importer has entered into an association with Mr Apple, New Zealand’s leading global apple exporter, to launch DIVA, a premium variety of apples into the Indian subcontinent.

Deliciously sweet and crunchy, the DIVA variant is naturally bright red in colour and high in flavour. Derived freshly from the idyllic apple-growing conditions of New Zealand, DIVA apples are only available for a limited season, from April to August. One of the best apples cultivated in New Zealand, the DIVA variant is handled with great care and picked from the orchards at the right moment, so that its pure taste, crispness and aroma are passed on to the customers.

Commenting on the launch, Mr Tarun Arora, Director – IG International Pvt. Ltd, said, “Apples are highly sought-after in India for their abundant health benefits and juicy and crunchy wonders. The introduction of premium and fresh DIVA apples will help us meet the growing demand of exotic fruits in India, and at the same time resonates well with the Indian consumers who have developed distinct tastes and preferences for fruits. We are happy to include one more variety of exotic apples on our list through our association with Mr Apple.”

Commenting on the Diva Brand, Mr. Ben McLeod, Retail Sales Manager at Mr Apple said, “The best thing about DIVA apples is that they are grown on orchards that have access to cool ocean breezes, high-quality soil and an abundance of summer sunshine hours; all of this complements the freshness of the dishes they are added into! We are extremely confident that this sweeter-tasting apple is sure to win the hearts of many in the Indian market. Along with IG’s vast distribution network and leadership position, we are looking forward to taking off this association to greater heights.”

Produced in the best soil and climatic conditions of New Zealand, DIVA apples are sweeter tasting than the other varieties of apple in the country. The launch of the aromatic and tasty DIVA apples in India is sure to leave people wanting more of the delicious fruit with every bite.

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Manish Malhotra to mentor students online at INIFD & LST

Ace Bollywood Fashion Icon Manish Malhotra is all set to share his knowledge and expertise to Indian students by being their mentor. Mr. Malhotra has joined hands with INIFD & LST to impart specialized Fashion, education and training online. This ‘Learn with Manish Malhotra’ Program shall be available from the current academic session. 

Now every fashion enthusiast has the privilege and opportunity to learn from the Master himself, the finest nuances of the Fashion World. Mr. Malhotra will share his experience of last 28 years in Fashion & Bollywood Movies with students through the use of technology by providing extensive video lectures and online study material. Mr. Manish Malhotra will be providing specialized lectures covering the wide range of topics from Bollywood Costumes to Bridal Trousseau and from Men’s Apparel to preparing for the Fashion Weeks.

While Manish Malhotra will share his knowledge online, the Certified Faculty at INIFD Centres across India will provide the necessary skills to shape the career of budding designers. This unique blend of Fashion education will revolutionize the method of learning as students can now access the lectures of Maestro Manish Malhotra anywhere in the country with just a finger touch through a dedicated app.  

Mr. Manish Malhotra launched this ‘Learn from Manish Malhotra’ program in presence of INIFD Corporate Directors Ms. Ritu Kochhar, Mr. Ashok Kaushik and Executive Director London School of  Trends Mr. Sunny Somra.  Ms. Ritu Kochhar Director INIFD Corporate said that ‘shortly this coveted program ‘Learn from Manish Malhotra’ will be available to each and every Fashion Conscious Citizen who wants to gain insight and experience directly from the icon of the Fashion World – Mr. Manish Malhotra.’ The Centre Directors of INIFD Pune Deccan - Mr. Amar Khatri and Mr. Ashok Daryani said that ‘All students enrolled in academic session 2018 - 19 will get this exclusive opportunity to have ‘Learn from Manish Malhotra’ as part of their regular curriculum.’ 

The launch was done in the presence of the beautiful Mrs Universe Arab Asia (India) contestant - Khushboo Karva who visited the event as a Guest of Honor. She will be competing with leading ladies from across the globe in the month of December in Philippines and is an interior designer by profession. It was great to see the launch of the historic and prestigious event with the hands of a woman who has worked hard to be where she is today. 

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Fire Safety Drills at Orchids the International School

360 Degree Approach towards Fire Safety at both theory and practical Level

The increasing number of fire in educational properties has alarmed Orchids The International School to take that extra step towards educating and preparing students for a Fire Emergency both theoretically and practically. This school is one of the renowned schools in Bangalore, which has taken an extra conscious step towards educating not only the students but the entire teaching and non-teaching staff. Prevention begins with education, at Orchids The International School; the Fire Safety Drills are conducted at regular intervals. Unlike any other schools, all the students of K1 and K2 are also involved in the Fire Safety Drills and training them what to do when they see any smoke coming out.

A Fire Drill is a method of practicing how the building would be evacuated in the event of a fire. At Orchids, they carry out 2 drills every year that is followed by regular inspection of Fire Extinguisher and other tools used for Fire Safety. They have their own school fire safety calendar and guidelines, which have to be followed strictly by each and every branch.

To manage a classroom is a difficult task, but can become extremely difficult during chaotic situations like fire and other disaster drills. Although school fire drill can seem like more hassle than they are worth, they are very important to practice sessions. These drills teach students how to react and behave when a fire emergency occurs.

• ·         Some of the key factors that the school keeps in mind while conducting fire safety classes:
• ·         Conduct expected and unexpected yearly school fire drills in which everyone participates
• ·         Campus Incharge inspects the fire equipment weekly once
• ·         Regular inspection of stairways, doors, and windows to ensure that is unblocked and working properly
• ·         Train students on how to respond to fire alarm during a school fire drill
• ·         Aware of the exact locations of the fire protection system, fire alarm pull stations and sprinklers.
• ·         Every room has the map showing the Emergency Exits
• ·         Pair students with specific needs to adult or classmate for extra assistance
• ·         Predetermined location where students know to meet after exit from the building
• ·         Have a roster to ensure the students are accounted for

Capt. Ramesh Raju, Disaster Management Training Officer, Bangalore, said, "We have conducted the Fire Safety Drills all across the branches and have got a very positive response from students as well as the administration. This has helped us to upgrade our securities-related management and system regularly to meet maximum satisfaction at every level."

Kavita Chatterjee, The Principal, Orchids The International School, Mumbai, said, "We are very conscious about the safety of students and staff and dedicated for the same. The Fire Drill conducted at our school includes on-campus and off-campus precaution guideline that is set at par with industry standards to meet accurate efficiency during Emergency of fire."  

Umesh Kumar, student, Bangalore said, "The fire safety drills that are conducted at our premises, I am very fond of that and love the way our instructors teach the different levels such as evacuation, relocation, shelter-in-place, lock-down, lock-out in detailed yet in fun way." 

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Antuit Appoints Craig Silverman as Group Chief Executive Officer

 Antuit Group, a global analytics provider backed by Goldman Sachs and Zodius Capital, today announced that Craig Silverman has joined as Group Chief Executive Officer. The group’s solutions combine domain expertise and proprietary platforms with technologies like machine learning and AI to deliver advanced analytics solutions that drive revenue and margin growth, improve supply chain efficiency, enhance customer experience and manage cyber risks.

Silverman brings to Antuit an enviable track record of helping companies rapidly transform into digital data driven enterprises in retail, consumer goods, healthcare and manufacturing, along with extensive experience and expertise in advanced analytics, AI, cloud and innovation. Most recently as SVP Global Services for Qlik, Silverman led a team of 450 sales and delivery employees to accelerate customers' digital and data-driven journeys through data visualization, guided analytics and embedded analytics.

Prior to Qlik, Silverman led Accenture’s largest digital analytics practice, where he helped organizations leverage real-time, applied intelligence to enable personalized customer experiences and increased brand loyalty. Before Accenture, he delivered significant growth at IBM’s Retail Analytics and Retail eCommerce practices by helping customers drive digital transformation through omni-channel approaches across marketing, merchandising and supply chain management.

Silverman stated, "Antuit is uniquely poised to deliver insights that drive prescriptive actions and business transformation across an organization. Our data engineering, marketing and pricing analytics, forecasting and supply chain analytics, and cyber intelligence solutions capitalize on the power of Antuit’s talent and advanced technologies to empower businesses to predict, shape and fill demand while proactively managing security risks."

"Craig is the right CEO to lead Antuit through its next stage of growth and profitability. He has a strong track record of delivering outstanding results for business growth and expansion, and his vast analytics experience will deliver greater value for our customers. We are delighted to attract a leader with the vision and ability to build on our accomplishments and drive future success," commented Neeraj Bhargava, Chairman, Antuit.

Ankur Sahu, Co-Head of Private Equity at Goldman Sachs – Asia, said “Craig’s appointment as Group CEO marks a new chapter for Antuit. We are excited about Antuit’s progress to date, and are confident that under Craig’s leadership, the group will continue to innovate and execute to build an exceptional business.”

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Hyderabad’s Riyaz is ‘Fastest Rider’ at The Valley Run 2018

Hyderabad-based Mohammed Ryaz scorched the quarter-mile track of the Aamby Valley air strip to finish with the distinction of ‘Fastest Time’ in The Valley Run 2018 held at the picturesque outskirts of Lonavala this weekend.

Apart from the distinction of being fastest, Riyaz had three podium finishes; one top spot and two second-place to cap off a great day individually.

   

Riyaz’s moment of glory came in the M9 Class (881cc to 1050cc – 4-Stroke). Astride a Yamaha YZF-R1 he clocked 9.686 seconds to ensure that Hyderabad for the second consecutive year stamped their mark in the event as fastest two-wheeler. Last year Neeraj Sharma stole the show.

Overall Riyaz’s effort was one of three sub-10 second dashes recorded in the two- wheel section in the final runs of competition held over three days.  Riyaz also earned the ‘Fastest Foreign Bike’ title.

Mumbai’s Zahir Shah (BMW s1000RR) with 10.001s and Alimon of Bengaluru (Kawasaki Ninja) with 10.087s) made up the Top-3 of the class.

Emulating Riyaz with a top podium finish was his twin-city mate Sundeep Singh Sokhi who claimed the  

O2 (Open Class) Foreign (551cc & Above, Unrestricted) by clocking 9.917s. Interestingly, Riyaz was second with a 9.965s effort. Zubair Ali Jung (Bengaluru) completed an all-south India podium running his Suzuki Hayabusa with a 10.048s effort.

While this type of motorsport (drag racing) is all about a test of acceleration over a short distance, the key to being fastest revolves around syncing reaction time from a standing start to attaining top speed until the finish or vice versa.

A total of seven classes (M6 to M10, P, O2) made up the day in the two-wheeler section while six classes (M1 to M5 & O1) were run under the Promotors Classes only.

The event, promoted by Elite Octane Inc., received a whopping 475 entries from Delhi, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Kolkata, Gujarat, Surat, Indore, Mumbai and Pune and was supported by Sportscraft, the Race Management Partner with sanctions from the FMSCI, the governing body of motorsport in India.

The event overall had some of the country’s fastest motorcycles and top racers were present at this year’s Valley Run and the energy in the Valley was at full heat as under the scorching sun the riders gave their best to deliver some staggeringly fast drag race times.

This year the event had major presence of various sponsors which included Pirelli (Tyre partner), Motul (Lubricant Partner) and Mercedes-AMG (Official Pace Car) apart from Jeep, Suzuki, Kawasaki, MV Agusta, Norton and Nissan as co-sponsors.

Later the prizes were distributed by Rongom Tagore Mukerji, Director Elite Octane Pvt Ltd.

SPECIAL PRIZES

Fastest Foreign Bike of Event: O2 Class – Mohammed Riyaz (Hyd; Yamaha R1; 9.686s)

Fastest Time of Event: O2 Class – Mohammed Riyaz (Hyd; Yamaha R1; 9.686s)

Fastest Rider of Event – Female: M9 Class Sonia Patel (Guj; Aprilla RSV4; 11.854s)

Fastest Time of Event - Female: M9 Class Sonia Patel (Guj; Aprilla RSV4; 11.854s)

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White Spot in Eye – Be Aware! Early detection of childhood eye cancer is curable

       ·         World Retinoblastoma Week observed between May 13 and 19 to create awareness

       ·         Doctors recommend mandatory screening of eye for any abnormality in infants/toddlers

Bengaluru, May 10, 2018: With reported incidences of Retinoblastoma (life-threatening eye cancer affecting newborn and very young children up to 5 years of age) increasing over the years, doctors unanimously recommend that screening of eye for any abnormality in infants/toddlers should be made mandatory.  Further, doctors suggest that systemizing eye screenings for infants/ toddlers will go a long way in detecting lethal eye cancers and preventing childhood blindness.

Retinoblastoma (RB) is a life-threatening eye cancer affecting newborn and very young children up to 5 years of age. It can occur either in one eye or in both. Although it is life-threatening cancer, majority of the children could survive and retain vision if RB is detected in its early stage. Data from different sources reveal that every year globally over 8,000 new cases are reported of which easily 1,500 cases are from India.  However, the reality is many cases of RB goes unreported/ undetected and also awareness is abysmally low especially in India and more so in rural areas.

RB at its early stage is just not easily identifiable but for some telltale symptoms including a white shiny spot, squinted eye, swelling of the eye and continuous watering. As RB progresses a white mass from within the eye becomes prominent. Even this is often missed. As Rb further progresses, the eye becomes painful, red and swollen. If not properly diagnosed and treated at this stage, cancer spreads outside the eye, over time there is every chance of it spreading to the brain and other parts of the body and it becomes a threat to life.

According to Dr. Gagan Dudeja, Consultant, Orbit Oculoplasty & Ocular Oncology, Narayana Nethralaya, “Awareness about Retinoblastoma is low and early detection is crucial to give the best chance of saving the child’s vision, eyes, and life. Early detection and proper treatment will ensure 95% of the children diagnosed with RB are saved from death, 90% have their eye intact and 85% have their vision protected.”

Further, he pointed out that, unfortunately in Indian scenario, a child is taken to an eye specialist only when there is any notable problem, which makes treatment of RB at a later stage much harder. Against this background, he suggested that systemized screening of eye for any abnormality in infants/toddlers should be made mandatory and sensitizing doctors & healthcare authorities at different levels assumes great importance and opines that RB screening with an ophthalmoscope by a trained doctor will be beneficial in detection.

Dr. Fairooz P Manjandavida, who specializes in Retinoblastoma and Eye Cancer, Director at HORUS Specialty Eye Care and Consultant at Prabha Eye Clinic & Research Center, pointed out that RB is completely curable if detected early with currently available advanced treatments. Awareness regarding the disease can save many lives, eye, and vision. If a white spot is seen in child’s eye on flash photography it is a matter of concern and need immediate attention. Thorough eye examination with an ophthalmologist is mandated and further referral to eye cancer specialist if required.

Dr. Fairooz says “Being a genetic disorder, RB can run in families. Early screening of babies born to parents with RB and genetic tests will enable families to know if their child has a risk of RB. Pediatricians being the first point of contact for parents, plays a major role in early detection. White reflex, squinting and redness of eye in a newborn or infant can be an indication of underlying eye cancer. We should all join hands to ‘fight the white’.”

According to Dr. K. Bhujang Shetty, Chairman, Narayana Nethralaya, facilities for genetic testing and counseling should be made available for all children with Retinoblastoma. He also is of opinion that the research in India can take the lead in creating novel therapies that can improve upon currently available treatment.

According to Mr. Thanmaya Bekkalale, Founder Trustee, Iksha Foundation (a Bengaluru-based NGO supporting children with Eye cancer), “We only know the reported cases of RB, there are numerous cases that go unreported. The need of the hour is to spread individual and societal awareness about RB and promote early detection as it is documented that every day 4 children are born with eye cancer in India and one of them facing death as a result of diagnosis at an advanced stage or not diagnosed at all”

To create awareness on RB, one week in the month of May (starting from second Sunday of the month – May 13 to 19, 2018) is observed as World Retinoblastoma Week. Given the low priority is given to RB as compared to other disorders, Iksha Foundation is keen to build visibility about RB among various stakeholders and ensure that the message of early detection is communicated amongst the masses. This becomes vital as it is a fact that parents and even healthcare personnel are not even aware of RB symptoms.

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Air Products Scales India Operations, Opens World-Class Engineering Center in Pune

 Air Products (NYSE: APD), a world-leading industrial gases company, today announced the inauguration of its world-class Engineering Center at Pune in Maharashtra, India to bridge the company's increasing capabilities for Engineering, Procurement, Construction (EPC) activity across the industry. The Pune Center will provide technology and equipment for air separation, hydrogen generation and associated technologies for industrial gases applications. It will act as an EPC innovation hub for the company's operations in India and throughout the world.

"This new center enhances and supports the development of solutions for the local market, where Air Products has had a presence for nearly two decades," said Dr. Samir Serhan, executive vice president, Air Products. "We are very proud to nurture local talent and offer opportunities for local people, and in doing so support the government's 'Skill India' campaign. At full capacity, we expect the center will employ 300 skilled engineers."

"India is one of the fastest growing economies in the world, and Air Products is keen to be part of unlocking and harnessing this market potential as part of its global growth strategy," said Richard Boocock, president, Industrial Gases – Middle East, India, Egypt and Turkey at Air Products. "We will continue to expand our presence in the country by maintaining strong relationships with existing business and joint venture partners; and by forging strong relationships with key stakeholders to achieve our goal of becoming the safest and best performing industrial gas company in the world providing excellent service to our customers."

"Air Products has strategic plans to expand its operations in India. The opening of the Pune Center is a significant step forward in meeting our business goal," said Sadhan Banerjee, managing director, Air Products India. "We are here to stay and grow in India. It is our commitment to this relationship."

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