Mumbai: KidZania, the world?s fastest growing edutainment brand widens its umbrella by announcing a significant partnership with Birla Sun Life Insurance (BSLI), India‘s premier life insurance company, for the Employment Centre establishment in the soon to open KidZania facility at R City Mall, Mumbai.

KidZania offers a highly realistic environment, totally adapted to the scale of children, with a variety of activities to suit every interest: doctor, fireman, policeman, constructor, and more than 60 other roles. The facility contains various establishments with specific role-playing activities which kids can take up in the form of jobs.

The Birla Sun Life Insurance Employment Centre establishment provides career development guidance and assistance to kids looking for role-playing opportunities at KidZania. Zupervisors will help the children identify their aptitude and also help make their first r?sum? based on their passion and interests to identify activities for them. The centre will also encourage curiosity as it allows kids to understand better the 60+ activities available for them to experience. This exercise helps kids in their cognitive development by focusing their attention and thinking in their activity.

Every kid who fills out a profile and creates a r?sum? will be provided with a printed copy of their r?sum? to take home with them.

At the end of an entire experience at KidZania - kids also get handed a Report Card that showcases all the activities that they have partaken at KidZania. Through the exercise of the r?sum? and the report card the Birla Sun Life Insurance Employment Centre also acts as a facilitator for parents to discover, understand and eventually support their child‘s true passion.

Mr. Sanjeev Kumar, Director and CEO, KidZania India, "The association with Birla Sun Life Insurance is instrumental as it is in tandem with our philosophy of empowering kids to discover and fulfill their true potential. We at KidZania facilitate that belief and provide the platform for kids through interesting activities to identify their passions and interests just like adults identify their career options. KidZania gives them access to a powerful yet inspiring experience, to identify their tomorrow.?

Speaking on the occasion, Ajay Kakar Chief Marketing Officer, Financial Services Aditya Birla Group, said, "At Birla Sun Life Insurance we recognize that the children, today, have many career options to choose from and so it becomes difficult for them to recognize their real passion. KidZania gives the children an opportunity to explore and experience many a career options, in a fun way. We support this platform because it helps the children and parents recognize their real passion and talent.?

MUMBAI: STAR Jalsha, Bengal?s largest general entertainment channel, has bagged two coveted awards ? The Olive Crown and The Bloomberg Brand Leadership Award for Sustainable Marketing Leadership? for its industry leading green initiative that reduced tons of toxic waste from West Bengal?s capital city Kolkata.

STAR Jalsha won these awards in recognition of the ?Chalo Paltai? or ?let?s change? campaign to recycle a staggering 7,000 kilogram of toxic waste every day in Kolkata.

The Confederation of International Advertising Association in partnership with Asian Federation of Advertising Association awarded STAR Jalsha the prestigious Olive Crown earlier this month for the channel?s eco-friendly initiatives that aimed at reducing air pollution in Kolkata.

The Olive Crown follows the honour for ?Chalo Paltai? by reputed news organisation Bloomberg. STAR Jalsha in February won The Bloomberg Brand Leadership for Sustainable Marketing Leadership. The award, endorsed by CMO Asia and Asian Confederation of Business, recognized the channel?s earnest attempt to recycle toxic and household waste into functional, day-to-day use items.

STAR Jalsha launched the ?Chalo Paltai? initiative as part of its brand re-launch in 2012. The channel converted 7,000 kilogram of waste generated from flex billboards every day by recycling it into shopping bags, folders, CD covers, table mats, wall hangings and other useful items. These billboards are usually disposed of by burning, a process that emits several harmful toxics into the city?s atmosphere every day. STAR Jalsha?s green campaign was developed in association with globally renowned advertising agency, Ogilvy & Mather.

Kevin Vaz, President and General Manager, Star Jalsha and Jalsha Movies, said: "We are honoured to receive these prestigious awards. These awards are a great encouragement for us to continue doing our bit for the society. We are also thankful to the people of West Bengal and all other dignitaries who supported us in our endeavour.?

Piyush Pandey, Executive Chairman & Creative Director, Ogilvy & Mather South Asia, said: ?Recycling is an age-old tradition in India and I am extremely happy that Star Jalsha, through Chalo Paltai, has stayed true to our traditions. I sincerely hope that other corporates step forward to adopt a noble cause like this.?

The ?Chalo Paltai? initiative, that touched nearly 50,000 lives, gave waste from flex a new lease of life and is being replicated across Kolkata. The campaign carried forward the channel?s philosophy of bringing about a significant change in the society.

The campaign received a tremendous response from every part of the city with several well-known celebrities and influential leaders lauding STAR Jalsha?s efforts.

MUMBAI: Mary and Martha is a fictional story inspired by real events starring Swank as Mary, an American interior designer who takes her little boy on an extended trip to Africa, and Blethyn as Martha, an English housewife whose own son heads to Africa as a volunteer. When malaria strikes both of their sons, the lives of these very different women change forever as they forge a deep friendship and embark on an epic journey of self-discovery to Africa, dedicating themselves to the cause of malaria prevention. Beginning to rebuild their lives, they show how ordinary people can make a difference and inspire positive change in the process.

In addition to Swank and Blethyn, the film also stars Sam Claflin, Frank Grillo and James Woods.

Watch it exclusively on Star Movies on 25th April at 3pm

Mumbai: Madison Public Relations, the specialist image management unit of Madison World, has rapidly expanded in recent months, working across five offices across the country. With new clients and brands in healthcare, pharmaceuticals, lifestyle, food & beverage and education to service, the firm is growing at a rapid pace to establish a sizeable presence in the industry.

MPR, with its focus on client delight, has been known for its long standing relationship with iconic brands and industry leaders like P&G, Godrej & Boyce, Britannia, Levis, Caf? Coffee Day, Fastrack amongst others. Recently the agency added a range of new businesses from various sectors into its portfolio. These include:

In the Healthcare sector, the firm won the mandate for one of the largest global pharmaceutical and healthcare company GlaxoSmithKline?s Vaccines business in India and The Cradle, a boutique birthing centre from Apollo Health and Lifestyles.

In the Food & Beverage sector, the agency won the PR mandate for Budweiser, the world‘s largest beer brand, Garuda Foods, an Indonesian Food Giant bringing a tempting line of food & beverage offerings to the Indian market, Hokey Pokey, leaders of finest quality vegetarian ice-creams, Radikal Premium Rice, one of the leading manufacturers and suppliers of premium basmati rice and Brbee Products Pvt. Ltd, into honey products from the Himalayan Range.

In the Education sector, the Agency won Institute of Finance and International Management (IFIM), a premier B School in Bengaluru and ITC‘s Education & Stationery products business.

In the Lifestyle sector, Madison PR bagged the mandate for Puma India, one of the world?s leading Sport lifestyle companies and Skechers South Asia Pte Ltd, a global leader in the lifestyle footwear industry.

The other significant wins were Go Air from the Wadia Group, Shenzhen State Micro Technology Co. Ltd (SMiT), Media Today Group, Hilton Hotel New Delhi, Wizzcare- Home Healthcare Specialists, Studio 169 in New Delhi, Panchantra Lifecare in Hyderabad, Meinhardt Infrastructure and McDowell Indian Derby in Mumbai.

In the Construction & Aviation Sector, the agency won the mandate for Sany Heavy Industry India Pvt. Ltd from Pune and Deccan Charters Pvt Ltd. from Bangalore respectively. In the travel sector, the Agency bagged Fairfest Media Ltd, leading international tradeshow organizers and bC India Pvt Ltd.

Commenting on the new wins, Paresh Chaudhry, Chief Executive Officer, Madison PR said, ?Madison PR has worked with iconic brands over the past 13 years and we will continue to focus on creating client delight. We are very pleased to sign on these new businesses from different sectors across our various offices. Our recent wins will help us reinforce our credibility as communication partners, as we continue to invest in infrastructure, talent development and establish our expertise across various sectors which will help clients to achieve their overall communication objectives.?

To help clients optimize their communication campaign reach and to ensure that they touch all their stakeholders, Madison PR has increased from its current four-city presence in Delhi, Pune, Bengaluru and Mumbai, to a five-city presence with the addition of Hyderabad. The focus has been not only on winning new business, but expanding partnerships with existing clients through value added services such as creative communications.

MUMBAI: Intro: The suave Union minister lived up to his image of being a consummate speaker by dwelling on the real, everyday problems faced by India‘s women and the challenges he faces as a minister in legislating laws that can engender change. He then proceeded to list the reforms the UPA Government has been trying to bring in in response. He also mentioned that gender sensitisation probably needs to start with the ruling male-dominated political class.

Points:

1. The challenges may be stiff and steep, but we must not give up the fight for dignity of our women. The question of women‘s rights is fundamental to the future of India.

2. To bring about change, the government has two tools: Legislation and education. Legislation is a top-down approach. Education is a more organic process towards creating a conducive atmosphere for change.

3. To invest in the future is the way to go. It‘s only by educating our children that we can hope to create a long-lasting impact.

4. Legislation can‘t change social ills like dowry. It only drives them underground, creating a new set of legislative challenges.

5. Educate women; it makes for common sense. As Mahatma Gandhi said, if you educate a boy, you create a good a good man at best. But if you educate a woman, you educate a family and transform society.

6. Tharoor buttressed this assertion with facts and figures, saying that studies in African countries have shown that kids of a mother who receives five or more years of education have a 40 per cent more survival rate than kids of mothers with less than five years of education because they have a better appreciation of health and sanitation issues.

Quotes:

1. "Kerala‘s women are more educated, and as a result, the birth rate there is 1.7 per cent. Bihar, with a less than 50 literacy for women, has a birth rate of 4 per cent."

2. "The mark of a healthy society is the way it treats its women."

3. "There is a simple fundamental two-word solution to our problems: Educate girls."

4. "The Government‘s job is not just to create infrastructure, it must raise consciousness."

5. "Women aren‘t exempt from being patronised by patriarchy. Recently, a chief minister told a gathering of extremely accomplished women about the virtues of making the perfect chapatti."

CHENNAI : Sun Direct, the leading DTH player in South India, is all set to announce it‘s super sporting offers around the world‘s biggest T-20 cricket event, the Pepsi - IPL on Max. These amazing offers bring the best sports entertainment property to all it‘s existing and new subscribers as a super value proposition that Sun Direct has always stood for.

Sun Direct HD subscribers are in for a treat this April as they will be enjoying Pepsi-IPL on Sony Six HD in high definition completely FREE of cost! This new channel on the Sun Direct HD service will bring sporting variety to this already unique HD service

Moreover, Sun Direct will also provide offers on select Standard Definition packages for existing and new customers:

For Sun Direct HD subscribers:

Pepsi-IPL HD on Sony Six HD will be available free of cost to all existing and new subscribers

For Sun Direct subscribers (Standard Definition):

• All new Customers get free access to Pepsi - IPL on Max with all new DTH connections* (Except for Pick My Pack). New Sun Direct DTH connection starts at Rs.1590/-

Existing customers get Pepsi - IPL on Max free:

• Customers can get this offer on renewal of south value pack for 12 months at Rs. 1499
• Customers can get this offer on renewal of cinema plus pack for 12 months at Rs. 1699

Commenting on this initiative Mr. Mahesh Kumar, Managing Director of Sun Direct, said, "With the showcasing of Pepsi -IPL in HD free of cost, Sun Direct yet again demonstrates that it excels in delivering superior value across High Definition and Standard Definition products. We hope our existing and new subscribers get full entertainment value for their money with our offers across High Definition and Standard Definition. More so, because both our new HD and SD products come with recording, pause and rewind features which can multiply your Pepsi-IPL enjoyment"

• Super Offers for both HD and SD customers!
• Existing and new customers of Sun Direct HD get to see Pepsi-IPL in HD on Sony Six HD for free!
• New subscribers of Standard Definition can avail Pepsi - IPL on Max free (with select packs
• Existing subscribers can renew specific long tenure packs and avail Pepsi - IPL on Max free
• Sun Direct offers Pepsi - IPL add on for Rs.39 during this IPL season