MUMBAI: Tata Motors announced Percept Out of Home as their agency to execute their three month long branding campaign for Tata Nano in the Tier II & III towns across the states of Maharashtra, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka and Uttarkhand.

Percept Out of Home targeted two-wheelers who wanted to upgrade to four-wheelers, and executed a unique branding campaign in the target market. The branding activities kick-started on October 8, 2010 and will culminate by January 8, 2010.

Commenting on the activity, Mr. Sanjay Pareek, President, Percept Out of Home said,? We are proud to be associated with Tata Motors and specifically the Nano Brand, because Nano is now folklore in the automotive sector. The campaign was targeted to B and C category towns. Percept could work closely with the client and offer them the right mix of assets across 101 towns, largely due to our expertise and wide network across the country. We were also able to provide them with regular feedback on the asset during the campaign period, which was an important criterion for Percept OOH being awarded this campaign in the first place?.

Elaborating on the project, said Mr. Rajneesh Bahl, Business Head ? Outdoor, Percept Out of Home, ?The planning team played a crucial role by offering the right media mix, while the operation team stuck to its deadlines and delivered a quick turnaround time and feedback mechanism during this campaign for Tata Nano. Every small town was monitored thoroughly and regularly.?

MUMBAI: Renowned director Kodi Ramakrishna, Indian Idol Sriram Chandra and popular television anchor Suma today gave a sneak preview of the scintillating performances and acts that will be witnessed at the grand awards night of the ?Cocoraj BIG Telugu Television Awards 2010. ?Cocoraj BIG Telugu Television Awards 2010 is an initiative by Reliance Broadcast Network Limited?s radio arm 92.7 BIG FM and experiential marketing arm BIG Live to celebrate and honour individuals from Telugu television industry who have significantly contributed to take entertainment in Telugu television to greater heights.

The gala awards night scheduled for December 19, 2010 at Shilpkala Vedika will see the coming together of bigwigs from the Television entertainment industry who will not only charm the audiences with their charisma and aura but will also put the stage on fire with their dazzling performances. To ensure an electrifying evening on 19th December, 92.7 BIG FM has roped in heartthrobs Shweta Basu Prasad, renowned actresses Poonam Kaur, Kamla Jethmalani, singers Kausalya, Geetha Madhuri, Srikrishna, Raghu Kuncha, winners of reality dance shows like Dhee, Challenge and Aata from different television channels will together put up outstanding performances. Renowned mimicry artist and comedian Shiva Reddy will ensure audiences stomach rolling with laughter. The night will see many more thrilling performances and acts by various artists from the Telugu television and film industry.

Commenting on the announcement of the performances, RJ Shekar of 92.7 BIG FM commented, ?It brings us great pleasure to see the support of some of the talented performers and artist towards the ?Cocoraj BIG Telugu Television Awards, Telugu?s first ever television awards that will see the coming together of stalwarts from the Telugu Television entertainment industry. I would take this opportunity to thank the performers who have come on board to mesmerize the audiences with their talented acts.

Commenting on this pioneering offering, Mr. Manvendra Gokhale, CEO, Raj Oil Mills Ltd. said, ?We are very happy to be presenting the Cocoraj BIG Telugu Television Awards. Raj Oil Mills Ltd is a very long standing company and we see the association in line with the values of our company and that of providing customer satisfaction through quality products like Cocoraj. The awards will provide the impetus for better programmes for the audiences in Andhra Pradesh due the recognition of quality and performance on a public forum with their participation in the process. "

Speaking on being appointed as Jury, renowned film director Mr. Kodi Ramakrishna said, ?I?ve worked in other mediums like theatre and films but Television has always been close to my heart, which is why I readily agreed to be a part of the Jury for Cocoraj BIG Telugu Television Awrads. I?ve had the opportunity to view a lot of good work taking place in the Telugu Television Industry and the process of selecting the nominations has been a rejuvenating creative experience. I?m going to put all of efforts to make sure true talent is recognized in the industry. This will help the industry grow and achieve bigger milestones?.

Speaking on the awards, Ms. Suma, renowned television anchor said, ?After having anchored the BIG Ugadi Music Awards in March 2010, I was very impressed with the initiative, grandeur of the award function. Such awards had never taken place in the Telugu Industry before and work as a huge encouragement. On these same lines, when BIG FM approached me to anchor Cocoraj BIG Telugu Television Awards, I gladly agreed. I appreciate their initiative for the Telugu TV Entertainment industry and I believe it is a much awaited step to recognize true talent from Telugu Television Industry.?

Speaking on the occasion, renowned singer and Indian Idol-5 winner Sriram Chandra said, ?I feel very proud to receive the ?Rising Star? award. I feel honored to be felicitated in the first year of the BIG Telugu Television Awards. The award will not only encourage me but it will inspire millions of budding stars in Andhra Pradesh as well?.

MUMBAI: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) today issued ?The Telecom Commercial Communications Customer Preference (Amendment) Regulations, 2010?. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) had issued ?The Telecom Commercial Communications Customer Preference Regulations, 2010? on 1st December 2010. Some regulations were required to be implemented with effect from 15th day of December 2010 and rest from 1st January, 2011.

However, having regard to the aspect of security audit of the website to be created for the purpose of these regulations and the other processes involved, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has found it necessary to re-determine the dates for implementation of the aforesaid regulations. Accordingly, some of the relevant regulations have been amended so as to come into force, from dates as may be specified by the Authority, from time to time.

Details of these amendments are given in The Telecom Commercial Communications Customer Preference (Amendment) Regulations, 2010 available at TRAI website http://www. trai.gov.in.
 

MUMBAI: The Tata group, in its long term endeavour to support sports, today announced the commencement of Tata Open India International Challenge 2010 in Mumbai. This year Tata Open has achieved a unique milestone by attracting players from leading nations in South & South East Asia which include Indonesia, Malaysia Singapore, Bangladesh, Nepal and Thailand. The Tata group along with Tata Capital has sponsored the tournament with the prize fund of US$ 15,000 (Approx Rupees Six lakh Seventy five thousand)

Tata group along with Tata Capital has extended the relationship with Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy for next 3 years (August 2010 - July 2013). As part of this association, three Tata Padukone Badminton Centres are currently being run in Bengaluru, Pune & Mumbai. These centres aim at providing world-class training to improve skills and further harness the young flourishing Badminton talent in India.

Tata Open India International Challenge 2010 has been organized by Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy (PPBA) under the auspices of Maharashtra Badminton Association (MBA) and will get underway at state-of-the-art India?s first air conditioned badminton courts at the Cricket Club of India (CCI), Mumbai from December 21 to December 25, 2010. The qualifying rounds of the tournament will be held on 21st December and the main draw will commence from 22nd to 25th December. The points earned in this tournament will qualify for world ranking points. The finals will be held on 25th December.

In the Men?s Singles category, the leading International players like Alamsyah Yonus who was the Indian Grand Prix Gold Tournament winner at Chennai, Tommy Sugiarto (Son of Former World Champion Icuk Sugiatro), Misbun Ramdan (Son of Malaysian Great Misbun Sidek) and six other strong Malaysian Singles players, Thailand Players, Stanislav Pukhov a Russian player and Daniel Gouw from USA will be playing along with top Indian players like Anup Sridhar, Aravind Bhat, Ajay Jayaram, Anand Pawar etc.

In the Women?s singles category, top Indonesian players such as Ana Rovita, Fransiska Ratnasari will be the main attraction along with Indian National Champion Trupti Murgunde, Sayali Gokhale & P V Sindhu the National Junior Champion.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Atul Agrawal, Vice President?Corporate Affairs, Tata Services Ltd. said ?Sports has been an integral part of the Tata way of life and the Tata group endeavors to develop talent by providing a unique platform to Badminton players. He further added, ?This year we are taking Tata Open to an international level and we are very happy to extend our relationship with PPBA for next 3 years. We wish our players all the best and are sure that they will find the tournament an exciting experience?

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Amar Sinhji, Head- HR, Tata Capital Ltd said, ?Tata Capital is a young company in the Tata Group and we constantly seek out noble ways to identify and support young and emerging talent. We are extremely honored to be supporting the Tata Open India International Challenge 2010. By supporting such sincere and genuine initiatives of Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy, we feel proud of having invested in an initiative that gives young players a chance to realize their potential in a tough and demanding sport like Badminton. Tata Capital conveys its best wishes to the young aspirants to battle it out for the coveted Tata Open 2010 Trophy.?

Mr. Prakash Padukone, Director, Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy, said, ?Mumbai has not witnessed a good international badminton tournament for a long time and this year we have received participation from young promising players coming from Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia. Mumbaikers will be able to see the future champions of the world. I am grateful to Tata?s to upgrade this event to an international level. I am also thankful to Yonex and CCI for associating with us and I hope this event becomes an annual affair?.

Tata Open India International Challenge Badminton tournament 2010 has been organized by Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy (PPBA) under the auspices of Maharashtra Badminton Association (MBA) and Badminton Association of India (BAI). For more information on this please log on to www.ppba.in

The Tata group has a rich tradition of contributing towards sports such as tennis, archery, billiards, football, hockey and athletics among others. The Tata group?s association with sports goes back to more than three quarters of a century. The Tata Sports Club was formed, to encourage sports and sportspeople within and outside the group. The Club‘s endeavours have been directed at spotting and developing potential by providing an early platform for individuals to realize their ambitions in sports.

Yonex will be the official equipment supplier for the tournament & is hosted by Cricket Club of India, Mumbai. Radio City is the official Radio partner for this exciting tournament.

MUMBAI: CNNGo.com has announced its top picks for its first annual Mumbai ?Best Eats Awards?. Around 50 restaurants are recognized for their gastronomic excellence across a range of categories reflecting the diversity of cultural and culinary influences that have shaped the city and its food. These include ?Best Indian Chinese?, ?Best Parsi?, ?Best Indian seafood?, ?Best Gujarati thali?, ?Best biryani? and ?Best Goan? and ?Best desi dessert? amongst other exciting categories.

Selected by a panel of five experts from across the local dining scene, each of the 15 categories includes one definitive ?best? selection and two to three honorable mentions. The complete list of Mumbai?s ?Best Eats Awards? is available at http://www.cnngo.com/besteats where quotes, comments and information on each restaurant are included.

The joys of simple meals celebrating fresh ingredients and various culinary traditions in Mumbai were recognized in several categories across all ends of spectrum. These ranged from the exclusive Konkan Caf? (winner in ?Best Indian seafood? category), noted chef Anand Solomon?s labor of love which serves food based on secret recipes gleaned from old ladies all across the Konkan coast to Friends Union Joshi Club (winner in Best Gujarati thali category) a home style eatery in a century old building which in the words of Best Eats judge Vikram Doctor is an ?old-fashioned, simple eating place on the Kalbadevi road where you can still buy monthly meal tickets if you want."

"We are delighted to share with our global readers a list of Mumbai‘s Best Eats. A panel of experts voted for their favorite Mumbai meals and restaurants, ranging from specific street food stalls to gourmet dishes and regional specialties. From chaat to gold leaf chicken, from the best Gujarati thali, to crab, Parsi food and the ubiquitous vada pav, the winners of the CNNGo.com Mumbai Best Eats Awards define the city‘s palate and reflect the special ethnic diversity that makes Mumbai such a fun place to eat." says Sita Wadhwani, CNNGo.com Mumbai City Editor

CNNGo.com?s first annual ?Best Eats Awards? launched across six Asian cities and Mumbai is the sixth city announcing winners following Hong Kong, Tokyo, Shanghai, Bangkok and Singapore.

2010 CNNGo Mumbai Best Eats Awards:

Best Indian Chinese: China Garden

Best crab: Trishna

Best Indian seafood restaurant: Konkan Caf?

Best kebab: Sarvi
Best evening snack: Araam
Best Gujarati thali: Friends Union Joshi Club
Best pav bhaji: Juhu beach food stalls
Best Goan: New Martin Hotel
Best Parsi: Ideal Corner
Best dosa: Madras Caf?
Best biryani: Kakori House
Best chaat/street food: Anil?s outside J B Petit High School, Fort
Best new restaurant: Indian Harvest
Best gourmet meal: Ziya, The Oberoi
Best desi dessert: Soam

Judges of the 2010 CNNGo Mumbai Best Eats Awards:

Kunal Kapoor, ad filmmaker and Mumbai foodie

Ad filmmaker Kunal Kapoor is part of an extended family that is "extremely passionate about films and food." That‘s how he puts it. What he doesn‘t often say is that he‘s actor Shashi Kapoor‘s son, and Raj Kapoor‘s grandson. "Any meeting with a member of our family and you can bet your last dollar the topic of discussion will be food and film," Kapoor says. Over the last 15 years as a director of ads, Kapoor has traveled the world. While he‘s packing, family and friends give him lists of restaurants to try instead of sights to see.

Rushina Munshaw Ghildiyal, food blogger

Blogger at A Perfect Bite, gastronomy columnist, "My Mumbai Cookbook" author, food stylist and food consultant -- Rushina Munshaw Ghildiyal wears enough hats to put any chef (or writer for that matter) to shame. She also leads cooking classes and food tours in Mumbai, both of which she conducts while running a food consultancy service. She loves to make jams and jellies.

Vikram Doctor, well-known food critic/journalist with Times Group

A journalist with the "Economic Times" in Mumbai, Doctor has specialized in writing on food issues for the past 12 years. His "Economic Times" column, On My Plate, is nothing if not open-minded about food. His experience tasting goats? intestines prepared by his grandmother‘s cook proves it.

Sanjiv Khamgaonkar, CNNGo.com Mumbai contributor/food blogger

Khamgaonkar is a writer, award-winning ad film director and food blogger currently scripting his first Bollywood movie. He compiled Mumbai‘s Best Eats package while photographing and testing the dishes recommended by our expert panel. Khamgaonkar likes to write about small eateries that "put big restaurants to shame." His finds are recorded on his series for CNNGo and his blog, The Writes of Passage.

Shanky, food blogger

Sankarson Banerjee is a self-described "chubby, dedicated foodie who talks far too much for anyone‘s good except when eating." He cycles a lot when off duty from his job as a CIO in the financial sector. Even though most of that pedaling is from eatery to eatery, he doubts the chubby epithet is going away anytime soon. His excellent blog is Lotsafood.
 

MUMBAI: Cartoon Network and Hewlett-Packard today announced the winners of the 2010 Toon Creator Awards. The winner was selected from over 160,000 animations created by kids across the Asia Pacific Region, including individual and school entrants from India.

India?s individual country winner is 12-year-old Abhirup Bhaumik who won for his entry titled The Ultimate Eating Weapon!; a humorous short animation combining characters from his favourite Cartoon Network shows Chowder and The Powerpuff Girls.

Abhirup wins an HP TouchSmart PC valued at approximately US$1,300; and a fantastic Cartoon Network prize pack containing a Ben 10 Alien Force Alien Creation Chamber, Ben 10 Headset Walkie Talkies, Ben 10 Omnitrix Alien Viewer; Ben 10 Quad Bike and Powerpuff Girls Speakers.

?I didn?t expect to win as I only submitted four contest entries, so it?s really cool,? said Abhirup. ?But even better than winning is the feeling you get when you click ?Preview? after spending a lot of time creating a ?toon, and you realise the ?toon you have created is good. That feeling is awesome.?

Schools in the region also encouraged students to showcase their creativity through technology with Toon Creator Awards for a chance to win three HP desktop PCs for their computer lab. From the almost 3,000 school contest submissions received, the winning school in India with the most registered entries is Kendriya Vidyalaya NO 1.

This year?s interactive contest saw the addition of a character creator function that allowed players to build personalised avatars along their online journey. Kids were able to unlock special items to enhance their final animations, providing a fresh and innovative Toon Creator experience that sparked a frenzy of online activity.

The official website attracted more than 6.3 million page views and 800,000 unique visitors by the end of October 2010.

?Kids have really embraced the new Toon Creator experience made possible by Cartoon Network and HP,? said Benjamin Grubbs, Executive Director for Turner Entertainment Interactive Media. ?They?ve also taken easily to the technology, and used it to create some amazing entries which have garnered an incredible level of interest.?

For the duration of the contest, more than 1.3 million animations were viewed on the Toon Creator Awards website. This equates to a phenomenal eight animations watched every minute.

?We couldn?t be happier with the way the kids have taken our cutting-edge technology and used it to inspire some of the funniest, scariest and most innovative Toon Creator animated story lines we have seen,? said Robin Seow, Vice President of Marketing, Personal Systems Group, HP Asia Pacific and Japan. ?The impressive quality of their work speaks to how intuitive the HP?s TouchSmart software is, and how it can inspire the learning process for children today.?

For more information and to view all the winning entries please log on to www.ToonCreatorAwards.com.