Business Wire India
VLCC, a pioneer in beauty and wellness industry, is organizing the ‘VLCC Ever Youthful’ campaign with the objective of celebrating youthfulness across cities in India in the month of June 2017. The campaign focuses on offering a combination of Body Sculpting, Skin Firming and Dermatological treatments with the objective of maximizing the benefit for the customers. VLCC’s combination packages are available at competitive prices, with savings in the range of 40-50% for the customers. The campaign will cover many states across India, including Delhi-NCR, Karnataka, West Bengal, Punjab, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Gujarat, in the month of June 2017.
 
Under this campaign, VLCC will be offering a specially designed portfolio of services for tightening, contouring, firming, re-shaping, girth reduction, lightening of the skin, hydration for all parts of the body, especially face and neck, upper back, arms and tummy, thighs and legs.The services aim to address problems of puffy cheeks, double chin, crow’s feet, wrinkles, neck lines, and folds.
 
Talking about the campaign, Mr. Ashutosh Bhardwaj, Chief Business Officer- Wellness Services, VLCC said, “Over the past 28+ years, VLCC has been committed to transforming lives and enabling individuals to look their best and feel more confident. The ‘Ever Youthful’ campaign has been designed to celebrate the spirit of youthfulness, across age groups. We believe that while youthfulness is a state of mind, the body often finds it tough to cope with one’s spirit. With an increased exposure to the harsh environment and stressful lives today, we believe that the body needs rejuvenation, as much as the mind does. We are offering a select range of services to help our customers with skin tightening, firming, contouring, hydration, and lightening of skin tone. The specially selected services will enable our customers to flaunt their young and beautiful skin as they bid adieu to any early signs of ageing.”
 
There are 2 combinations available under this campaign. The first combination consists of 5 sessions of Slimsonic/ Rejuv and 2 sessions of Instant Wow Kit. This will cover Face and Neck and Upper Back region with Instant results. The second combination on offer consists of 5 sessions of Slimsonic/ Rejuv and 3 sessions of Instant Glow Kit. This can be done on the face, neck, upper back, arms, tummy, thighs, and legs.
 
For more details on the campaign, please log on to http://vlccwellness.com/India/promotion-page/vlcc-ever-youthful.php

Reserve Bank of India or RBI is issuing a new batch of Rs. 500 banknotes with the inset letter ‘A’, the central bank said today. In a notification, RBI said: “In continuation of issuing of Rs. 500 denomination banknotes in Mahatma Gandhi (new) series from time to time which are currently legal tender, a new batch of banknotes with inset letter ‘A’ in both the number panels, bearing the signature of Dr Urjit R. Patel Governor, Reserve Bank of India; with the year of printing ‘2017’ on the reverse, are being issued.”

Here are 5 things to know:

Reserve Bank of India said the design of the new Rs. 500 notes is similar in all respects to those belonging to the current Mahatma Gandhi (New) Series.

In the existing series of Rs. 500 banknotes, first notified on November 8 when the government in a surprise move announced demonetisation of Rs. 500 and Rs. 1,000 notes, the inset letter “E” can be seen in the two number panels at the upper-left and lower-right corners of the front side.
rs 500 note
The Rs. 500 notes also feature “intaglio printing of Mahatma Gandhi portrait, Ashoka Pillar emblem, bleed lines, circle with Rs. 500 in the right” and an identification mark.

The Rs. 500 notes also bear the signature of RBI Governor Urjit Patel on the front side.

The year of printing and the Swachh Bharat logo is printed on the reverse side. The Rs. 500 banknotes also contain an image of Red Fort on the reverse side.

Business Wire IndiaV-Mart, the leading value fashion retailer of India recently launched its new campaign- Kids Carnival. The Campaign was aimed at engaging with kids during their Summer-break and providing them a platform to showcase and nurture their talent. ‘The King of Retail’ in Tier-II and Tier-III cities, organized a Kids Carnival, where kids got a chance to show their talent through different activities. A gala evening was organised at V-Mart store where kids participated in fashion show and various activities. Kids between the age of 4 and 14 years participated in the activity and won prizes and certificates.

During this campaign entries were invited for 2 age groups:

• 4-9 years
• 10-14 years

The stores of V-Mart got an overwhelming response from young parents who are eagerly looking for opportunities during the Summer Vacation where they can enrol and ensure that the kids are involved in some productive learning activities. More than 100 kids participated in this carnival. This campaign was organized with fun loving and different activities for kids like origami activity, puppet show, drawing competition, fancy dress competition, quiz contest and fashion show. The selection of best participants was done through store managers and school teachers. In origami activity where kids got to show their talent by making different fun and decorative end products from origami sheets. In fashion show, kids wore best of the dresses and walked the ramp showcasing their style. To encourage all the contestants were given participation certificates and gifts. Winners got winning certificates.
 
Mr. Snehal Shah, Senior Vice President Marketing, V-Mart Retail Ltd. said, “It is our constant effort to engage with our consumers and this initiative is also a step in the same direction. With an aim to providing the kids from tier-2 and tier-3 cities a platform to express their talents. We keep on organizing such kind of events to develop a healthy and strong relationship with our valuable customers.”

Business Wire IndiaMicroland, the next–gen IT infrastructure services provider, today announced that it has achieved G-Cloud 9 supplier status under the U.K. Government’s Crown Commercial Service (CCS) initiative. Microland’s cloud support services will now be available via the Digital Marketplace as part of the newly launched G-Cloud 9 Framework. This will allow Microland to extend Cloud Support, to central government, local government, health, education, devolved administrations, emergency services, defence and not-for-profit organizations, utilizing the G-Cloud 9 framework.
 
G-Cloud or Government Cloud Computing is a U.K. Government programme to promote government-wide adoption of cloud computing. The initiative focuses on capitalizing on cloud’s cost savings and flexibility to create a more efficient, accessible means of delivering public services. The new G-Cloud 9 listing, and enhancements made to the VMCCI solutions, means that publicly funded bodies now have access to a wider array of public and private cloud services with increased commercial flexibility.
 
The G-Cloud Digital Marketplace now features a range of Microland services, such as –

• Managed Cloud Services (Azure, AWS)
• Managed Operating System Services (Windows, Linux, Solaris)
• Managed Database Services with Disaster Vigilance (SQL, Oracle, MySQL)
• Managed Desktop Virtualisation Services (VDI)
• Managed Messaging Services (Exchange, O365)
• Unified Communication Services (Skype for Business)
• Managed Active Directory Services
• Managed SharePoint Services
• Managed Citrix Services
• Application Packaging Services

Pradeep Kar, CEO and Chief Microlander, “A successful cloud migration and support is critical for any public or private organization. As a G-Cloud 9 supplier, Microland will be able to support the U.K. public sector without the need for a long drawn out tendering process. We can implement successful cloud strategies for organizations to drive cost savings and efficiencies through our value added services and platforms.”
 
Microland has an established track of supporting more than 200 plus cloud transformation projects globally. With the recent G-Cloud 9 inclusion, Microland will be able to offer a wide range of Cloud support services directly to the U.K. public sector.

The newly announced G-Cloud 9 Framework has simplified the procurement process, making it easier for the public sector to realise the benefits of the cloud. By driving innovation and competition in the market, it supports the move from historical vendor lock-in and long-term contracts. Offering a uniform way of accessing suppliers, it also enables easy consumption of services on demand.
 
For further details on Microland in G-Cloud 9, please visit https://www.digitalmarketplace.service.gov.uk/g-cloud/services/231638665465582

Business Wire India

• New variants to include face wash and face scrub to serve as one-stop-shop for all oily skin needs
• Variants contain natural minerals and clay-based Kaolin that only absorb excess oil without removing essential nutrients from the skin
• Heritage brand’s packaging refreshed with new, modern look

Business Wire IndiaEstablished with a vision to be the role model of learning, research, innovation and sustainability for the knowledge society, the not-for-profit NIIT University (NU), has introduced pioneering Digital Transformation technologies in its curriculum. Towards this, NU has introduced B.Tech Computer Science & Engineering (CSE) program with an emphasis on Digital Transformation technologies, to rise-up to the urgent need faced by the IT industry for Next Gen digitally skilled engineers.
 
The new B.Tech CSE curriculum will be powered by a project based learning methodology which enables the teacher and the group of students to mould the learning style dependent on the profile of the learners and create an environment to provide constructivism and collaborative learning. The B. Tech CSE program, will be embedded with Full Stack Programming, Big Data, Machine Learning, Natural Language Processing, Artificial Intelligence and Internet of Things (IoT) curriculum to make it more industry relevant. Industry experts will work as mentors, along with NU professors in guiding the students as per the specified methodology. While new students joining B.Tech CSE program will be able to avail the benefit of the new curriculum right from 1^st semester, the ongoing batches of students will be imparted accelerated sessions, making them industry-ready, as early as six months from now.
 
According to a recent release by NASSCOM, the skills of the future would be Big Data Analytics, Cloud & Cybersecurity Services, IoT, Artificial Intelligence and many other Digital Technologies. A huge demand is foreseen for roles such as mobile app development, social media, data scientists & platform engineering. According to a McKinsey report on ‘Technology Jobs & the Future of Work’, digital technologies could contribute $550 billion to $ 1 trillion of economic impact per year in India by the year 2025. According to another renowned survey, 69% of IT leaders expect huge surge in the job market in the next 3 to 5 years due to digital technologies.
 
Welcoming the initiative Mr. Raman Roy, Chairman, NASSCOM said, “NASSCOM is playing a critical role in evangelising digital opportunity for the IT sector, and we will support the industry in facilitating skilling and re-skilling efforts through disruptive models. The sector needs a workforce trained in futuristic digital technologies to transform themselves from IT services providers to digital transformation partners. Higher education institutes can play a key role here and I would like to welcome the pioneering initiative from NIIT University in creating this new-age talent pool.”  

India is already a home to digitally ready talent pool of 500,000 engineers, this demand is expected to increase to over a million engineers trained in digital transformation technologies by 2020. NU will play a pioneering role in creating a pool of engineers trained in Next Gen digital skills. The university will work closely with industry bodies like NASSCOM to ensure that the curriculum is aligned to the industry needs.
 
Speaking on the initiative, Mr. Mohit Thukral, Executive Council Member at NASSCOM said, “The scenario is changing rapidly. One the one hand, new areas of work are opening up as technology embeds itself more deeply within different industries and at the same time, existing service lines are being transformed through increasing intelligent automation. I am leading a pan-industry taskforce on behalf of NASSCOM on ‘Skilling for the Future’ and in our estimate, at least 50% future jobs would need skills in new Digital Technologies such as Artificial Intelligence and Analytics. It is commendable that NIIT University has identified this need and taken it upon itself to create a talent pool with new-age skill sets.”

Conceptualized as an institution of excellence, NU provides exceptional education based on the Four Core Principles that make learning Industry-linked, Technology-based, Research-driven and Seamless. NU, is well poised for meeting the emerging needs of the knowledge economy through its focus on building strong industry linkages and a research oriented approach.

Speaking on the occasion, Prof V S Rao, President, NIIT University said, “We have been receiving regular requests from the industry, to develop students with competencies aligned to the requirements of Digital world. Digital Transformation and Automation is changing the way the IT industry looks at talent. A whole new breed of engineers who have gone through the experience of building real applications are in demand. We have therefore introduced Digital Transformation technologies in B.Tech CSE program to create these new-age engineers that the industry urgently needs.”

Over the years, NU has been building extensive linkages with the industry – it has active collaboration with leading organizations like Microsoft Research, IBM, WNS and PwC. NU now brings futuristic programs from NIIT to design a B.Tech CSE program that is aligned to what the IT industry today needs. With a legacy of training over 35 million people in IT and other career focused programs since 1981, NIIT is now working towards creating a trained talent pool for the digital economy.

Mr. Vijay Thadani, Co-founder, NIIT University, said “The industry has been clamouring for a new class of engineers with skills in Digital Transformation technologies. I am pleased to see that the Academic Council of NIIT University, has adopted this cutting-edge program. With the rise in demand of innovation-driven product engineers, the time is right for NU to pioneer the adoption of an academic framework and a learning methodology that can provide the industry with such talents thus helping bridge the gap between academia and industry.”
 
NU practises Project Based Learning methodology in which students gain knowledge and skills by working for an extended period of time to investigate and respond to an engaging and complex question, problem, or challenge. A ‘flipped-classroom’ model and a unique mastery learning platform has been integrated into this unique project based learning approach. The students are periodically assessed by the industry mentors and regular feedbacks ensure that each student achieves the desired objective of the subject by the end of the program.  

Business Wire India
The new avatar of SAB:

• New logo, on-air packaging, brand films
• Fresh line up of shows with refreshed flavor of comedy
• New tagline – Haste Raho India
• Varun Dhawan as SAB’s Happiness Ambassador
• Robust and fresh new line-up of shows in the pipeline

Underlining its purpose of flipping every frown and turn it upside down, SONY SAB, India’s only family humour channel, has launched its a new brand identity. The ‘re-energized’ channel will see a new line up of comedy shows, lively packaging and vibrant visuals aimed at providing an enriching and revitalised visual experience to its audiences. The new brand expression underlines the channel’s conviction “if you are not laughing, you are not living.” SAB’s new creative expression encompassing new logo, tagline, brand films and new shows is aligned to its goal of making SAB the comedy icon of India.

The new logo features happy colours including bright orange and yellow symbolising vibrancy yet comfort and warmth with a little oomph in the purple. Varun Dhawan has been roped in as a Happiness Ambassador for SAB. Varun brings in the desired youthfulness, fresh of wave energy and contemprariness to the brand. The channel promise of Haste Raho India is being brought alive through a series of brand films anchored by Varun against a fresh and energetic foot tapping music track. The new brand personality is aligned to changing aspirations of new India.

The laughter movement is being driven by a line of shows with refreshed flavour of comedy, while keeping the core of the content intact. Recently launched ‘Sajjan Re Phir Jhoot Mat Bolo’ along with upcoming line up of shows like ‘TV, Biwi Aur Main’, ‘Tenali Rama’, ‘Shankar Jay Kishan, 3-in-1’ and ‘Aadat Se Majboor’ will herald a youthful, contemporary and relatable feel.

There’s something for everyone, Haste Raho India!

The latest look of SONY SAB will go live on 13^th June, 8.30 pm onwards.
 
Comments:

NP Singh, ‎CEO, Sony Pictures Networks India:

“For over a decade, SAB has emerged as the most distinctive channel in GEC and built a sizeable loyal audience. The new, re-energized SAB is all set to deliver on the promise of Haste Raho India as its mission is to be recognized as the ‘frown flipper’ for Indian audiences. The essence of this new Avatar will be reflected in SAB’s new identity and show line-up.”

Neeraj Vyas, Sr. EVP & Head, SONY SAB and MAX cluster of channels:

“The re-energized SAB further strengthens our core proposition through a reinvigorated language of humor and a compelling purpose of making more than a billion Indians laugh more, every day. The new brand identity along with a range of new shows offering more laughter, modernity, relatability and variety, will help us strengthen the connect with our core audiences as well as attract newer audiences to the channel.”

Varun Dhawan, Happiness Ambassador for SAB:

“As SAB’s Happiness Ambassador, I am excited to partner with the channel to spread laughter and joy amongst millions of Indians. Having always enjoyed SAB’s distinctive content, I look forward to its fresh range of shows lined up. This refreshed flavour of comedy from SAB, will certainly kick-start a happiness movement.”

In the latest episode of Ishqbaaz, in a drunken state, Anika is about to confess something to Shivaay. But then she becomes unconscious.

The next day, she finds Shivaay busy doing his stuff and wonders if she has told him anything the previous night.

Pinky is happy of the fact that Anika is soon going to leave the house and she will have no one to share her son’ s love. Just then, Priyanka asks her to come to the main room for a family meeting called by Shivaay.

Shivaay begins to look after the preparations and has plans to surprise Anika. She tries talking to him, but he goes. Pinky threatens Anika to leave the house, and has a plan up her sleeve for the same.

In the latest episode of Kumkum Bhagya, Abhi (Shabbir Ahluwalia) and Pragya (Sriti Jha) manage to run away from the goons in the car. The kidnappers try to stop them but all their attempts go in vein.

The serial killer reaches there and asks them about the two love birds. With a heavy heart they inform him that they managed to escape from them and have driven off in the car. The killer gets agitated on hearing this and starts laughing accepting this challenge.

Meanwhile, at Mehra house Mitali overhears Tanu (Leena Jumani) talking to herself about Abhi’s contact and how badly she wants Nikhil to kill him. Mitali gets all angry on hearing this and confronts Tanu, saying that she won’t let her do any of this, in fact would inform all her family members and the Police. Tanu picks up a knife and keeps it on her throat. She threatens Mitali and says she would slit her throat if she utters a word in front of anyone. Mitali is scared and promises not to open her mouth.

Back in the forest Abhi and Pragya are seen romancing each other in the car. Pragya loosens her seat belt and Abhi asks her to hold the steering for him as he grabs her by her waist. The two look into each other’s eyes, when Pragya looks on the road and shouts as they go astray.

Business Wire India

Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Janssen) today announced results from the Phase 2b Topaz Trial which demonstrated that treatment with pimodivir (JNJ-63623872) significantly decreased viral load over seven days versus placebo, in adult patients with acute, uncomplicated seasonal influenza A. Patients treated with pimodivir and oseltamivir (OST) also demonstrated a significantly lower viral load compared with those who received pimodivir alone at the same dose.

The primary endpoint data for the trial, presented in an oral presentation at the 5^th International Society for Influenza and Respiratory Diseases Antiviral Group (ISIRV-AVG) Conference in Shanghai, China, showed treatment with pimodivir resulted in a statistically significant decrease in area under the curve (AUC) of viral load (by quantitative real-time-polymerase chain reaction [qRT-PCR]) over seven days from start of dosing, compared with placebo.

^a[day*log10 copies/mL]; AUC, area under the concentration time curve; CI, confidence interval; OST, oseltamivir

Differences in AUC are adjusted for baseline viral load and time from onset of influenza symptoms to the start of treatment (≤24 hours or >24 to 48 hours).

No significant safety concerns were noted with pimodivir treatment in the study. The most frequently reported treatment-emergent adverse events were diarrhea and nausea. Incidences of diarrhea (reported mostly as loose stool without increased frequency) were more common in individuals treated with pimodivir 600 mg (as mono- or combination therapy) than those treated with pimodivir 300 mg or placebo.

Pimodivir received U.S. FDA Fast Track designation in March 2017 due to its potential to address an unmet medical need in those who develop influenza A infection and who are hospitalized or at high risk of related complications. Phase 3 studies are anticipated to start in the second half of 2017.

“Influenza is one of the most serious global public health threats and important concerns remain about the emergence of antiviral resistance and the lack of approved medications for use in people hospitalized with the virus. Through the development of pimodivir, Janssen aims to provide a treatment option for people infected with the influenza A virus that will address these gaps,” said Julian A. Symons, D.Phil., Vice President, Disease Area R&D Leader, Respiratory Infections, Janssen. “The results of the Phase 2b study demonstrated that pimodivir, given either alone or with oseltamivir, significantly decreased the influenza viral load and therefore, if successfully developed and approved, could be an important treatment option for influenza A.”

Pimodivir, discovered by Vertex Pharmaceuticals*, is a first-in-class inhibitor of the PB2 subunit of the influenza A polymerase complex. By targeting an alternative part of the viral replication process, pimodivir may successfully treat influenza A virus infections that have developed resistance to existing antiviral drugs with other modes of action. The pimodivir development program receives funding support from the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, under contract HHSO100201500014C.

Influenza, which is commonly known as “the flu,” remains one of the most serious public health challenges. Worldwide there are more than one billion cases each year, resulting in approximately five million cases of severe illness and up to half a million deaths. In addition to the burden of seasonal influenza, the pandemics of the 20^th and 21^st centuries exemplify the threat the influenza virus presents; in 1918, the Spanish influenza pandemic alone caused approximately 50 million deaths worldwide. In an effort to combat antiviral resistance and address the global need for new and improved treatment options against influenza, Janssen is committed to exploring the development of multiple compounds with differing mechanisms of action.

*In 2014, Janssen entered into an exclusive license agreement with Vertex for the worldwide development, manufacturing and commercialization of pimodivir

###

Notes to editors

About the Topaz Trial

The Topaz Trial is a Phase 2b study of pimodivir as monotherapy or in combination with OST in the treatment of acute uncomplicated seasonal influenza. The goal of this outpatient, community trial was to evaluate different pimodivir doses, explore dose-response relationships, and to evaluate the effectiveness of combination therapy with OST. The primary endpoint for the study was viral load, measured by qRT-PCR and viral culture. Secondary endpoints for the trial included time to resolution of seven primary influenza symptoms. Patients in the trial were randomized to one of four treatments and were followed for 14 days:

• Pimodivir 300 mg + placebo (n=58)
• Pimodivir 600 mg + placebo (n=57)
• Pimodivir 600 mg + OST 75 mg (n=57)
• Placebo + placebo (n=51).

Safety was assessed via adverse events, clinical laboratory assessments, ECGs, vital signs and physical examination.

About Janssen

At the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, we are working to create a world without disease. Transforming lives by finding new and better ways to prevent, intercept, treat and cure disease inspires us. We bring together the best minds and pursue the most promising science. We are Janssen. We collaborate with the world for the health of everyone in it. Learn more at www.janssen.com and follow us at @JanssenGlobal.

Cautions Concerning Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains “forward-looking statements” as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 regarding product development, including the anticipated start of phase 3 studies for a potential new treatment for influenza A. The reader is cautioned not to rely on these forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current expectations of future events. If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or known or unknown risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results could vary materially from the expectations and projections of Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., any of the other Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies and/or Johnson & Johnson. Risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: challenges and uncertainties inherent in product research and development, including the uncertainty of clinical success and of obtaining regulatory approvals; uncertainty of commercial success; manufacturing difficulties and delays; competition, including technological advances, new products and patents attained by competitors; challenges to patents; product efficacy or safety concerns resulting in product recalls or regulatory action; changes in behavior and spending patterns of purchasers of health care products and services; changes to applicable laws and regulations, including global health care reforms; and trends toward health care cost containment. A further list and descriptions of these risks, uncertainties and other factors can be found in Johnson & Johnson’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 1, 2017, including under “Item 1A. Risk Factors,” its most recently filed Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, including under the caption “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements,” and the company’s subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Copies of these filings are available online at www.sec.gov, www.jnj.com or on request from Johnson & Johnson. None of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies or Johnson & Johnson undertakes to update any forward-looking statement as a result of new information or future events or developments.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170614005518/en/

Business Wire IndiaSony MIX, a Hindi music and entertainment channel from Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) recently unveiled seven renditions of their channel’s signature ident, with some of the country’s most popular singers and musicians. These renditions are an expression of what the channel stands for and seamlessly ties back to its tagline – ‘Dekho, Suno, Gungunao’.

The music idents for Sony MIX have been created by renowned musicians like Sonu Nigam, Javed Ali, Jonita Gandhi, Nandini Shankar, Rakesh Chaurasia, Rhythm Shaw and Purbayan Chatterjee. These idents are a reflection of the channel’s refreshed look that was launched earlier this month, marking the completion of its six glorious years in India.

Comments:

Neeraj Vyas, Senior EVP & Business Head – Max Cluster & Sony Mix, Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN):

“Being leaders in the music and entertainment industry, we are proud to come up with a unique concept of creating channel idents. This is the first time any music channel has come up with a signature tune and created their renditions. The singers and musicians have done utmost justice to the idents by lending their voices to it and we are confident that our music-loving audiences will be humming these idents as they go about the daily affairs.”

Below are the details to each rendition of the ident:

Rendition #1: Javed Ali
Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQEP_6JdhcE
For his rendition, Javed Ali wanted to experiment with a combination of Indian classical music and Sufi music. Sufi music is derived from the works of Sufi poets with a huge influence of a percussion instrument and a single vocalist. Beginning with the ‘Thaan’ and ending with a beautifully composed ‘Alaap’, Javed Ali’s voice and his singing style is an amazing catalyst that creates magic in this tune.

Commenting on the rendition, Javed Ali says, “There is always magic created when the team that you work with has complete faith in you. The journey of creating this rendition started off when I met a very able music composer, Mr. Raju Singh. When I heard the tune, I knew that this will strike that emotional chord with the viewers.”

Rendition #2: Rakesh Chaurasia
Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1m9xCpLSCI
The renowned flutist Rakesh Chaurasia’s rendition to the MIX signature tune lends itself to a symphony with the Tabla. He has added a few key flute techniques like fluttering and the sound of Shakuhachi as catalysts to this beautiful rendition. 

“I had worked with Raju Singh ji on the original version of the MIX signature tune a few years ago and it was an honor to work with him again for MIX. This time the concept was very interesting as we focused on one instrument at a time for the same tune. It was a great experience as I had to give this tune my touch and technique with the bamboo flute. We thought this would take time, but the composition was so good that it hardly took us a couple of hours to come up with the rendition,” says Rakesh.

Rendition #3: Jonita Gandhi
Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h–olWEiNRg
Having entered the Hindi music industry recently, Jonita’s mellow voice, gives the MIX signature tune a very jazzy and lounge expression. Given her background in music, the magical touch that she adds is the western pop influence to this rendition.

Talking about her experience shooting the video, Jonita says, “Shot in the expanse of the green paddy fields, this rendition is set to relax the audience.”

Rendition #4: Purbayan Chatterjee – Sitar
Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHmYiLl1dcY
Purbayan Chatterjee’s rendition of the tune starts with a soulful touch of sitar with an ‘Alaap’, and ends with a ‘Thihaai’ to showcase the magic of the sitar with double strumming and the Kritan technique. To keep the music vibrant and youthful, the trumpet adds groove to the tune.

Talking about his rendition of the ident, Purbayan says, “This is a great initiative by the Sony Mix team and the very talented composer, Raju Singh. The idea was to associate a Hindi music channel with an instrument like a Sitar that plays a very important part in India’s rich cultural heritage in music.”

Rendition #5: Rhythm Shaw – Guitar
Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjY4DTO3Hnw
Rhythm Shaw’s guitar rendition to the tune is in the rock genre heavily influenced by an electric guitar. Rhythm’s expertise in the guitar rendition is impressive and connects well the audiences as he has incorporated a few of his techniques like Legato, Vibrato and the distortion tone.

“The main idea behind my rendition was to make it edgy and fresh as it was targeted to the younger audience. Sony MIX has taken a great initiative by creating these idents targeted at each segment of audiences,” says Rhythm Shaw.  

Rendition #6: Nandini Shankar – Violin
Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rA0RO4q_ino
Being the granddaughter of the renowned Padmabhushan Dr. N. Rajam, Nandini has been brought up in a musical environment. Improvisation with the violin comes very naturally to her. Her rendition begins with soulful melody which then builds to a crescendo.

Talking about her rendition, Nandini Shankar says, “The key idea of each of these renditions were to maintain the essence of the composition and blend it in every artist’s unique style. This brings soulfulness in the music that invokes a pleasant emotion among the viewers.”

Rendition #7: Sonu Nigam
Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4L6pafXwq8
Sonu Nigam, one of the renowned singers of the country, lent his sensational voice for one of the renditions of Sony MIX. Shot amidst a beautiful terrain, Sonu’s magical voice gives this rendition a vibrant expression.

Business Wire India
Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages Pvt. Ltd (HCCB) – one of India’s top 10 FMCG companies – will manufacture products in every beverage category that has consumer relevance. While HCCB has traditionally been focusing on the sparkling (carbonated beverages) and juices, it is now investing on infrastructure that can produce flavoured milk products, mineral fortified hydration products, fruit based products and traditional Indian drinks like Jalzeera flavoured Rimzhim.
 
Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages is already the largest manufacturer of juice drinks which it distributes in more than 1 million retail outlets through a network of 4,000 company appointed distributors. Minute Maid range of juice drinks available in several variants and mango juice drink Maaza, are the Company’s key products. The Company has recently started manufacturing Minute Maid Mosambi juice drink, which is being sold in Maharashtra.
 
Christina Ruggiero, the newly appointed CEO of Hindustan Coca-Cola and T. Krishnakumar, the erstwhile CEO of the Company outlined the Company’s strategy in Bengaluru today. HCCB has recently relocated its corporate headquarters to Bengaluru to better focus on its south India business. An estimated 40% of the company’s volume comes from the four southern Indian states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. The Company already employs over 8,000 people directly and operates 19 factories. 3 of these factories are in Karnataka.
 
Speaking at the meeting, Mr. Krishnakumar outlined, “HCCB is one of largest institutional buyers of agricultural produce and fruit pulp – worth more than Rs. 2,000 crores – benefitting 250,000 farmers. In the next 5 years, Hindustan Coca-Cola along with the 13 other franchise bottlers of The Coca-Cola Company in India plan to spend Rs. 5,200 crores towards the procurement of processed fruit pulp and fruit concentrate. This will have a direct positive impact on more than 500,000 farmers”.
 
Ms. Christina Ruggiero said, “My focus going forward is to build HCCB into a ‘total beverage company’” that has a play in all beverage categories of relevance. This also involves building the HCCB brand which involves more public outreach and communication with stakeholders.”
 
More about T. Krishnakumar and Christina Ruggiero
 
T. Krishnakumar (KK), the outgoing CEO, is moving to Gurgaon as he assumes office of the President of Coca-Cola India and South West Asia. KK was at the helm of affairs at HCCB for 7 years, turning the Company into a Rs. 8,500* crore manufacturing behemoth. He is an alumnus of IIM, Bangalore and has done an Advanced Management program from Wharton Business School.
 
His longest work stint other than in the Coca-Cola system has been with the Murugappa Group, where he worked in the Electronics division of EID Parry and with Parry Confectionery, for 13 years. He now serves on the Board of Coca-Cola Amatil, Australia, Coca-Cola Amatil, Indonesia, International Beverages Pvt Ltd, Bangladesh and Coca-Cola Bottlers Sri Lanka Limited.
 
Christina Ruggiero who has relocated from Atlanta to Bengaluru, is the first ever woman CEO of HCCB. At present, she is the only woman CEO of a top 10 FMCG company operating in India.  
 
Prior to assuming this responsibility, she has served as the Chief Procurement Officer for The Coca-Cola System in North America, and President and CEO for Bottlers’ Sales & Services, LLC. Prior to joining Coca-Cola, Christina was Vice President, Procurement, for Diageo plc, where she led procurement and supply chain teams globally, including teams in the United States, Africa, Europe, and Russia. An alumna of The University of Huddersfield, Ruggiero also has bachelor’s degree in information sciences. She also holds a diploma in cryptologic science from the US navy.

Business Wire IndiaPaladion—a global cyber defense company that provides managed detection and response services— today announced its placement in Gartner’s Market Guide for Managed Detection and Response as a representative vendor. Gartner identified Paladion as a representative vendor for its advanced threat detection and incident response capabilities using their proprietary security analytics and orchestration platform, which are capabilities profiled in this research.
 
In this research, Gartner recommends IT security buyers: “Use MDR services to implement threat detection and incident response capabilities when they don’t exist or are immature, or when approaches such as MSS haven’t met expectations.” 
 
This comprehensive Market Guide for MDR is developed by senior security analysts Toby Bussa, Craig Lawson, Kelly M. Kavanagh, and Sid Deshpande, and is targeted toward IT Security professionals that are looking for real-time threat detection and incident response capabilities to augment their security operations.
This market guide features 30 representative vendors, and Paladion is the only MSSP from India with a fully developed MDR offering to be featured in the list.
 
Rajat Mohanty, CEO, Paladion said: “We believe our inclusion as a representative vendor in the Gartner Market Guide for MDR services validates why leading enterprises across the globe rely on our services to set up robust cyber defenses. CyberActive MDR brings in a new breed of security talent that is complemented by our advanced machine learning algorithms and security analytics platform to enable faster than ever detection and response to cyber threats.” 
 
Paladion’s CyberActive MDR is a fully managed offering that can fix the disparity between the speed of compromise and the speed of detection. Organizations using managed security services or in-house SOCs can augment their security operations using MDR, or they can set up 24/7 security monitoring, advanced threat hunting, remote incident investigation and response in place of traditional SOCs.

Since traditional MSSPs do not offer incident remediation and security talent is at a premium, Paladion’s CyberActive MDR service solves this problem by taking away incident validation and remediation responsibilities from enterprises, and packaging threat detection, validation and response in a single service offering.
 
1. Source: Gartner, Market Guide for Managed Detection and Response Services, 31 May 2017
 
Disclaimer: Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner’s research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.

Business Wire India

Celgene International Sàrl, a wholly owned subsidiary of Celgene Corporation (NASDAQ:CELG), today announced results from the phase 2a SLE-001 trial evaluating CC-220, the Company’s investigational, oral immunomodulatory compound, at the Annual European Congress of Rheumatology (EULAR) 2017 in Madrid. A trend toward greater improvement with CC-220 treatment compared with placebo in multiple measures of disease activity, as measured by standard scores employed in clinical trials, was observed in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), commonly known as lupus.

“While the outlook for patients with lupus has improved over the last 75 years, treatment options remain limited,” said Dr. Richard Furie, chief of Rheumatology at Northwell Health in New York. “New treatment options are greatly needed for people who are dealing with this often disabling autoimmune condition.”

The SLE-001 study randomized 42 patients who were diagnosed with lupus at least six months before and had a baseline SELENA-SLEDAI score greater than or equal to four. Participants were randomized to one of four escalating doses of CC-220 (CC-220 0.3 mg every other day, 0.3 mg once daily, 0.3 mg alternating with 0.6 mg once daily and 0.6 mg once daily) or placebo for 12 weeks, followed by 12 weeks of observational follow-up or long-term extension. The study evaluated safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics. Efficacy endpoints, including changes in Cutaneous Lupus Area and Severity Activity Index (CLASI) and SELENA-SLEDAI score, were exploratory.

The most common adverse events (AEs) were nausea, diarrhea and maculopapular rash. Serious AEs were reported in two patients in the two highest CC-220 doses combined (pneumonia in both cases) and in two patients in the placebo group. Five patients in the two highest CC-220 dose groups and one patient in the placebo group discontinued due to AEs. No opportunistic infections or other systemic infections were reported in any CC-220 dose groups.

At day 85, reductions in skin-specific disease activity, as measured by CLASI, ranged from -4.3 to -7.8 in the CC-220 treatment groups, while a CLASI score increase of 0.4 was seen in the placebo group. Mean reductions in CLASI exceeded the minimal clinically important difference of -4.0 in the CC-220 groups. Additionally, more patients receiving CC-220 had at least a 4-point reduction in SELENA-SLEDAI score—an index used to assess lupus disease activity across 24 different disease descriptors (between 22.2 percent and 50.0 percent for CC-220 vs. 12.5 percent for placebo). A trend toward greater improvement in tender joint count and swollen joint count was seen in the CC-220 treatment groups compared with the placebo group at day 85. A trend toward improvement in the Physician’s Global Assessment score was also seen at day 85 in the CC-220 groups (ranging from -0.5 to -0.9) compared with the placebo group (0.0). All data are as observed. The low number of study patients and some variability in baseline disease characteristics across treatment groups limit the interpretability of a dose response.

“Celgene is committed to addressing immunological diseases with serious unmet needs and investigating compounds that we believe could have the potential to improve the lives of patients. We’re excited by the possibility that CC-220 may offer a novel mechanism to address lupus, a complex disease that has few effective treatment options,” said Terrie Curran, President, Celgene Inflammation & Immunology. “Our work with CC-220 will also help to diversify and deepen our Inflammation and Immunology franchise as we continue to advance CC-220 in the clinic.”

CC-220 is not approved for use in any indication in any country.

About CC-220

CC-220 is a novel, oral immunomodulatory compound that binds to and modulates cereblon, a component of the E3 ubiquitin ligase complex. CC-220 reduces levels of the transcription factors Ikaros and Aiolos, which are associated with an increased risk of lupus. CC-220 is currently being studied in a phase 2 dose-finding study for lupus. It is also being studied in multiple myeloma.

About Systemic Lupus Erythematosus^1,2,3

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), commonly known as lupus, is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system creates antibodies that attack the body’s healthy cells and tissues, including joints, skin, kidneys, heart, lungs, blood vessels and brain. Lupus affects five million people, mostly women, worldwide.

Symptoms of lupus may vary, but the most common include fatigue, pain or swelling in joints, muscle pain, skin rashes, hair loss, seizures, sun sensitivity, ulcers and fever as well as lung, kidney and heart problems. The disease may have periods without symptoms (known as remission) alternating with periods of disease flares. There is no cure for lupus, but medical interventions and lifestyle changes can help control it.

About Celgene

Celgene International Sàrl, located in Boudry, Switzerland, is a wholly-owned subsidiary and international headquarters of Celgene Corporation. Celgene Corporation, headquartered in Summit, New Jersey, is an integrated global pharmaceutical company engaged primarily in the discovery, development and commercialization of innovative therapies for the treatment of cancer and inflammatory diseases through gene and protein regulation. For more information, please visit www.celgene.com. Follow Celgene on Social Media: @Celgene, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Facebook and YouTube.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements, which are generally statements that are not historical facts. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the words “expects,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “intends,” “estimates,” “plans,” “will,” “outlook” and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are based on management’s current plans, estimates, assumptions and projections, and speak only as of the date they are made. We undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statement in light of new information or future events, except as otherwise required by law. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, most of which are difficult to predict and are generally beyond our control. Actual results or outcomes may differ materially from those implied by the forward-looking statements as a result of the impact of a number of factors, many of which are discussed in more detail in our Annual Report on Form 10-K and our other reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

References
1. National Institutes of Health. What is Lupus? Retrieved May 24, 2017, from https://www.niams.nih.gov/health_info/lupus/lupus_ff.pdf
2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Lupus Basic Fact Sheet. (2017, March 21). Retrieved May 24, 2017, from https://www.cdc.gov/lupus/basics/index.html
3. Center for Integrated Healthcare. Lupus Information Sheet. (2013, July). Retrieved May 24, 2017, from https://www.mirecc.va.gov/cih-visn2/Documents/Provider_Education_Handouts/Lupus_Information_Sheet_for_BHPs_Version_3.pdf

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Business Wire India

Boehringer Ingelheim announced today results from the pivotal Phase III VOLTAIRE^®-RA¹ study, confirming that its adalimumab biosimilar candidate BI 695501 and HUMIRA^®* have similar efficacy, safety and immunogenicity in patients with moderately-to-severely active rheumatoid arthritis. The 24 week results will be presented at the Annual European Congress of Rheumatology (EULAR 2017) in Madrid.

These data confirm the clinical efficacy equivalence of BI 695501 to HUMIRA^®. The safety and immunogenicity data in the study were also similar between BI 695501 and HUMIRA^®.

“The result that Boehringer Ingelheim’s adalimumab biosimilar candidate delivers the same clinical benefits and safety profile as HUMIRA^® is great news for patients and physicians. If approved by regulatory authorities it will increase the treatment options for patients with autoimmune diseases, while contributing to the long-term sustainability of healthcare systems,” said Karsten Kissel, MD, Head of Global Medical Affairs Biosimilars at Boehringer Ingelheim. “These data, which complete our biosimilarity assessment, are currently under review by regulatory authorities along with an extensive package of non-clinical and clinical data that make up the total body of evidence required to register a biosimilar.”

In the VOLTAIRE^®-RA¹ study 645 patients aged between 18 and 80 years old with moderate-to-severely active rheumatoid arthritis on stable treatment with methotrexate were randomised to receive HUMIRA^® or BI 695501 at 40 mg every two weeks for 48 weeks. The co-primary endpoints, which measured the proportion of patients achieving an ACR20^** (American College of Rheumatology 20) improvement at weeks 12 and 24, were met. The one year results will be presented at a future medical congress.

Boehringer Ingelheim also announced data from the VOLTAIRE-AI² study at EULAR 2017, demonstrating pharmacokinetic similarity of BI 695501’s pre-filled syringe and auto-injector presentations.

HUMIRA^® (Adalimumab) is an approved biologic medicine in many countries for the treatment of multiple chronic inflammatory diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, and psoriasis. These disorders collectively affect the lives of 5-10% of the world population³ including 23.5 million people in the U.S.⁴ and approx. 36.3 million people in Europe.⁵

Intended audiences:

This press release is issued from our Corporate Headquarters in Ingelheim, Germany and is intended to provide information about our global business. Please be aware that information relating to the approval status and labels of approved products may vary from country to country, and a country-specific press release on this topic may have been issued in the countries where we do business.

For references and notes to editors, please visit:
http://www.boehringer-ingelheim.com/press-release/biosimilar-candidate-shows-clinical-equivalence-humira

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Business Wire India
Today, Dassault Aviation along with its key partner Reliance Defence hosted close to 200 delegates from the Aerospace Industry, from different parts in India representing over 60 Indian Companies and 25 French Companies in New Delhi. This event in cooperation with Rafale Industrial Partners viz. Thales, Safran and MBDA was to promote Business to Business (B2B) interactions between the French and Indian Aerospace manufacturers.
 
In keeping with the Skill India plan of the Union Government, this B2B interface between the French and domestic Indian entrepreneurs aims to deepen existing links, create new opportunities of collaboration and work towards establishing a full-fledged defense manufacturing eco-system in India.
 
The ambition is to develop a complete supply chain allowing the completion of the existing ambitious Rafale offsets obligations under the Rafale contract signed in September 2016 (obligations representing 50% of the total amount of the acquisition contract of 36 Rafale) and build a strong base for the success of Rafale under the “Make in India” initiative of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
 
As part of this cooperation between the Indian & French companies, Indian partners will benefit in a unique way from the technological know-how transfers opportunities while thousands of Indian engineers and technicians will benefit from a massive skills transfer opportunity.
 
The Dassault Reliance Aerospace Limited will be part of the planned Aerospace Park in Nagpur and plans to develop an indigenous value added supply chain, thereby building a strong base for success of the Rafale program under the “Make in India” initiative of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
 
This B2B event to connect with industry luminaries and exchanges in New Delhi envisions key partnerships with MSMEs that will position India as an international supplier in the global aerospace domain. The impetus of “Make in India” will charter a progressive path for French and Indian industrial partners to help India meet its key strategic defence requirements and pave the way for a successful induction of the Rafale aircraft in the Indian Air Force.

The talented Akshay Mhatre who has won over audiences with his impressive performance as Naren in Zee TV’s romantic drama ‘Piyaa Albela’ is a thorough-bred method actor who likes to go the extra mile to give a perfect shot. With his openness to even alter his lifestyle in order to live his role and get into the skin of his character, the actor has managed to floor the show’s producer Sooraj Barjatya with his sheer dedication. In the latest episodes, viewers saw Naren putting ‘sindoor’ on leading lady Pooja’s (played by Sheen Dass) forehead and she slapping away his hand in shock. Later, when he realizes the gravity of the situation, he decides to punish himself by lying down on a bed of nails a penance for his behaviour. The actor left everyone speechless by choosing not to opt for a body double and shoot on a real bed made with 10000 nails without any hesitation despite being offered an easier way out.

Sunny Leone is currently shooting for the upcoming reality show Splitsvilla in Jim Corbett National Park, Ramnagar along with Rannvijay Singha. She was recently visited by her husband Daniel Weber on the sets of the show.

An elated Sunny Leone shared a picture of herself hugging Daniel on the sets and posted it on Instagram. She looks excited on seeing her husband in the picture.

While the city enjoys the rains after days of scorching heat, our stars are in midst of a grueling competition that has just begun in Spain. The shoot for the upcoming season of ‘Khatron Ke Khiladi’ is on, and there’s no respite for the competitors.

However, before the competition kicked in, they had some days to themselves and they made the most of it. From what we could gather from the pictures they shared online, they had a whale of a time bonding with each other. One of them is Shantanu Maheshwari, a ‘Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa’ finalist, who is having the best time making the other participants dance to his tunes, literally. Turns out, the ‘World Dance Championship’ winner has a certain warm-up routine that he practises before every stunt, and with true sportsmanship spirit, he helped everyone else to do the same.