Best printers for Home

Best Mixer Grinder

Best wired Earphones

Best 43 Inch TV in India

Best Wi Fi Routers

Best Home Theatre in India

Smart Watch under 5000

Best Laptops for Education

Best Laptop for Students

When <keyword id="707762" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Thalaivar">Thalaivar</keyword> takes the centre stage, big bucks are bound to roll in. The <keyword id="25892" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="box-office">box office</keyword> drought is finally over as silver screen sensation <keyword id="14509" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Rajinikanth">Rajinikanth</keyword>’s latest outing <keyword id="1849408" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Kochadaiiyaan">Kochadaiiyaan</keyword> has turned out to be a smash hit, crossing the Rs 50 crore mark in just five days, according to industry estimates. The movie grossed Rs 42 crore worldwide in the first three days, according to a release by <keyword id="128026" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Eros-International">Eros International</keyword>. Domestic collections amounted to Rs 30 crore in the opening weekend while the rest came from overseas business. This could be equivalent to Rs 32.3 crore nett worldwide, as per trade estimates. “Kochadaiiyaan opening weekend – Worldwide: Rs 42 cr gross. All 6 languages. 2D and 3D. SUPERB,” film critic and trade analyst Taran Adarsh tweeted. 
 However, first Monday collections dipped considerably to Rs 5 crore in the <keyword id="1761158" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="indian-circuit">Indian circuit</keyword> while the movie managed to earn Rs 4.5 crore at home on the first Tuesday. Although overseas numbers for these two days are not available yet, industry insiders put gross worldwide collections at Rs 50 crore-plus just after five days. “Kochadaiiyaan… has fared exceptionally well in <keyword id="8695" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Malaysia">Malaysia</keyword> in particular. Is good in the <keyword id="6355055" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="USA">USA</keyword>, the UK &amp; <keyword id="6355478" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Australia">Australia</keyword>,” Adarsh tweeted about weekday business. With earnings from <keyword id="6358065" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Satellite">satellite</keyword> rights in multiple languages, audio and music rights, brand tie-ups and other income, the film is well on its way to cross Rs 100 in revenues. 
 This period drama-cum-futuristic fantasy was off to a stupendous start on Friday (May 23), hitting 3,000-plus theatres worldwide. Eros International released the film in 2D and 3D, in 6 languages, and directly undertook the distribution in <keyword id="20154" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="tamil-nadu">Tamil Nadu</keyword>. The flick saw nearly 95% occupancy in Tamil Nadu where Rajinikanth has a huge fan following. In contrast, the Telugu version saw a lacklustre beginning at home, grossing only Rs 5 crore in the first 3 days. Business slumped in the <keyword id="2266509" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Northern-belt">Northern belt</keyword> as well and the Rajini-starrer significantly lagged behind with Rs 4 crore gross during the first three days. The budget of this movie is Rs 125 crore across all languages. 
 In case you are not aware of its many merits, let us quickly run you through some landmarks. Directed by <keyword id="1800934" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Soundarya-R-Ashwin">Soundarya R. Ashwin</keyword> (Rajini’s daughter) and written by K.S. Ravikumar, Kochadaiiyaan is India’s first 3D film to use <keyword id="2266515" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Photorealistic-motion-capturing">photorealistic motion capturing</keyword> techniques – a technology that makes animation as lifelike as possible (you had a good dose of it in James Cameron’s <keyword id="44111" type="CITY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Avatar">Avatar</keyword>). The film has Rajinikanth in triple roles – Kochadaiiyaan, Rana and Sena. <keyword id="598" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Deepika-Padukone">Deepika Padukone</keyword>, <keyword id="297" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Jackie-Shroff">Jackie Shroff</keyword>, <keyword id="1029184" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="nassar">Nassar</keyword> and <keyword id="24628" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Shobana">Shobana</keyword> did pretty well in other key roles in the film. The music has been composed by <keyword id="11851" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="AR-Rahman">AR Rahman</keyword> and cinematography has been handled by Padmesh. 
 
For the thinking audience, however, the storyline has nothing new. It features the same old conflict between the good and the evil but also comes with some surprising twists and moral dilemmas. Yet, at the end, it tires more than illuminates, failing to take you past the visual dazzle. As film critic Shubhra Gupta so rightly notes, “Even Rajini, the one and the only, can’t pick up a film and run with it, if it has the oldest, creakiest plots cobbled together from many books. But the best tech specs in the world can’t rescue a sinking story… After a point, it all becomes too much sound and fury and not much else. One Rajini flipping cigarettes is much more fun than two Rajinis flinging swords in never never land.” 
 
 
 Produced by <keyword id="27326" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Sajid-Nadiadwala">Sajid Nadiadwala</keyword> and directed by <keyword id="616900" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Sabbir-Khan">Sabbir Khan</keyword>, <keyword id="1184791" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Heropanti">Heropanti</keyword> (a remake of the 1983 movie Hero) is the other release of the week and has performed better than Kochadaiiyaan in the northern circuits. The action-romance flick has seen an influx of debut actors (a total of 21) including <keyword id="133664" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Tiger-Shroff">Tiger Shroff</keyword> (Jackie’s son) and <keyword id="210696" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Kriti-Sanon">Kriti Sanon</keyword> in the lead roles 
 
“Heropanti passes the crucial ‘Monday test.’ Fri 6.63 cr, Sat 6.42 cr, Sun 8.28 cr, Mon 4.26 cr. Total: Rs 25.59 cr nett. India biz,” tweeted Adarsh while trade figure puts the domestic collections at Rs 24.96 crore. <keyword id="1996079" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Overseas-collections">Overseas collections</keyword> stood at Rs 2.13 crore gross after Day 4. The masala entertainer was released in 2,100 screens across India and its debut day earning is the fifth highest opening day collection for movies released in 2014, behind <keyword id="6593120" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Jai-Ho">Jai Ho</keyword>, <keyword id="72970" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="2-States">2 States</keyword>, <keyword id="6427325" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Gunday">Gunday</keyword> and <keyword id="1020628" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Ragini-MMS-2">Ragini MMS 2</keyword>. Earnings on Monday fell less than 40% than what it was on Friday and the strong growth continued even on Day 5 (Tuesday, May 27) when it collected around Rs 4 crore at home. 
 
This one is a medium-budget movie and cost around Rs 26 crore including promotion. So we can safely assume that it is set to be a hit without much fuss. But all these good numbers do not essentially spell quality. 
 While Kriti Sanon (<keyword id="7876" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Dimpy">Dimpy</keyword>) looks quite striking in a below-par storyline featuring love-and-marriage adventures and misadventures in Jattland, Tiger Shroff (<keyword id="230102" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Bablu">Bablu</keyword>) looks quite inane unless he is in the thick of the action, doing some awesome stunts and beating up the goons. Noted film critic Anupama Chopra has given the movie 2 out of 5 stars saying, “Heropanti is comically bad and the disjointed narrative brims with low-IQ, high-testosterone men brandishing weapons. The women are puppets who either simper or scream.” 
 
Quite depressing, if you ask us, but there’s one silver lining. Both movies are raking in the moolah after a long time and that’s what matters in the business of cinema. 
 
Images: Indiatimes

Box Office: Kochadaiiyaan Thrives On Rajini Power; Heropanti Soaring High

Indian <keyword id="20930968" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="womens-team" source="keywords">women's team</keyword> will be eager to use the three-match <keyword id="19929031" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="T20I-series" source="keywords">T20I series</keyword> against <keyword id="19899437" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="South-Africa" source="keywords">South Africa</keyword>, beginning here from Friday, as a testbed to finetune its strategies before hitting the road to the <keyword id="20459801" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Asia-Cup" source="keywords">Asia Cup</keyword> and the T20 World Cup. In fact, this is <keyword id="19895063" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="India" source="keywords">India</keyword>'s last white ball bilateral series ahead of the Asia Cup in Sri Lanka from July 19 and the ICC showpiece in Bangladesh from October 4. In that context, the Harmanpreet Kaur-led side will leave no stone unturned in their effort to embark for those big events in the best possible frame of mind. They have displayed signs of it too in the preceding three-match <keyword id="19903835" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="odi" source="keywords">ODI</keyword> series in Bengaluru and in the one-off Test here. The relentless India have won all those assignments despite the Proteas creating pockets of fight. Since 2023, India have featured in seven T20I series, winning three of them and losing four. They would certainly want to bridge that gap, however narrow it might be. India will take consolation from the form of their players in the first two legs of this series. In the ODIs, vice-captain and star batter <keyword id="19918734" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="smriti-mandhana" source="keywords">Smriti Mandhana</keyword> shone brightly with two hundreds and a fifty in three matches, while Harmanpreet found her feet with a hundred in the final ODI. The only jarring note of that triumphant run might have been the shoddy form of opener Shafali Verma but she allayed the concerns with a fiery double hundred, the quickest in women's cricket, in the one-off Test here. Jemimah Rodrigues and Richa Ghosh too have shown sparks of regaining their touch, and these batters occupy the first five places in India's run-makers' list in the shortest format. So, the team management will eye a flawless outing from this quintet against South Africa, who are coming off a less than satisfactory outing against the Lankans at home in the T20Is. India's bowling too looks very strong on paper, as pacers Renuka Singh, Pooja Vastrakar and Arundhati Reddy have been on the money, while spinners Deepti Sharma, Radha Yadav, Asha Shobana and Shreyanka Patil present a formidable force. From a South African perspective, they will depend heavily on skipper Laura Wolvaardt for runs up the order and early momentum. Wolvaardt showed her prolific side slamming a century each in the ODIs and in the one-off Test. The opener's form will be a crucial factor if SA want to win a T20I series since January last year when they prevailed in a home tri-series also involving India and the West Indies. "We have played a lot of good cricket in patches, but to narrow it down, we have to be more consistent," all-rounder Chloe Tryon had mentioned in the pre-match press meet. But the tourists can't lean on Wolvaardt alone as they need runs from Marizanne Kapp, Sune Luus, Anneke Bosch and Tazmin Brits. Nonkululeko Mlaba and Masabata Klaas, Nadine de Klerk and Ayabonga Khaka will have to be at their absolute best against this Indian batting line-up. The Proteas will also hope that they can get a few overs from the experienced Kapp, who has not bowled in the series so far as she is recovering from an injury. Although the MA Chidambaram pitch generally remains on the sluggish side, it was a smoother one in the one-off Test. So, the teams will be keeping an eye on its nature too ahead of this series. Teams (from): <keyword id="19918731" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="India-Women" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="India Women" meta.hostid="153" meta.entityid="India Women">India Women</keyword>: <keyword id="19939186" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Harmanpreet-Kaur" source="keywords">Harmanpreet Kaur</keyword> (C) Smriti Mandhana (vc), Uma Chetry (wk), Richa Ghosh (wk), Dayalan Hemalatha, Jemimah Rodrigues, Shafali Verma, Amanjot Kaur, Shreyanka Patil, Sajeevan Sajana, Deepti Sharma, Asha Sobhana, Arundhati Reddy, Renuka Singh, Shabnam Shakil, Pooja Vastrakar and Radha Yadav. South Africa Women: Laura Wolvaardt (C), Tazmin Brits, Mieke de Ridder (wk), Sinalo Jafta (wk), Anneke Bosch, Nadine de Klerk, Annerie Dercksen, Marizanne Kapp, Sune Luus, Chloe Tryon, Ayabonga Khaka, Masabata Klaas, Eliz-Mari Marx, Nonkululeko Mlaba and Tumi Sekhukhune. Match starts: 7.00 pm (IST).

India look to finetune strategies in T20I series against SA ahead of Asia Cup, WC

New Delhi, There was no surprises in store as all the marquee players, including Mumbai Indians' Harmanpreet Kaur, Delhi Capital's Meg Lanning and Royal Challengers Bangalore's Smriti Mandhana, have been retained by their respective Women's Premier League franchises (<keyword id="3796649" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="wpl" source="Orion">WPL</keyword>), the league announced on Thursday. The window for the five franchises to retain players for the WPL 2024 season came to an end on October 15. While 60 players, including 21 overseas cricketers, were retained across five franchises, 29 players were released from their existing squads. Besides Kaur, who led MI to title triumph in the tournament's inaugural edition this year, the team has retained Hayley Matthews, <keyword id="7003888" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="yastika-bhatia" source="Orion">Yastika Bhatia</keyword>, Natalie Sciver-Brunt, Amelia Kerr and <keyword id="16747274" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="isabelle-wong" source="Orion">Isabelle Wong</keyword> among others. The Delhi-based franchise, which finished runners-up in the first edition, retained a total of 15 players, including 5 overseas players. The UP Warriorz, who finished third, have retained their core group and have decided to hold on to the services of five of their overseas players, while the South African ace pacer Shabnim Ismail has been released. Also released from the squad are Devika Vaidya, <keyword id="1089092" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="simran-shaikh" source="Orion">Simran Shaikh</keyword> and <keyword id="13655028" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="shivali-shinde" source="Orion">Shivali Shinde</keyword>. Speaking about the players released from the team, Delhi Capitals' head coach Jonathan Batty said, "It wasn't an easy decision at all for us to let go of these players. They were all a crucial part of our very memorable inaugural season, and I wish them all the very best. "We've got a solid squad in place, and will aim to make it more complete at the upcoming auction." The following players from the five WPL franchises were retained and released from the squad: Delhi Capitals: Retained Players: Alice Capsey, Arundhati Reddy, Jemimah Rodrigues, Jess Jonassen, Laura Harris, Marizanne Kapp, Meg Lanning, Minnu Mani, Poonam Yadav, Radha Yadav, Shafali Verma, Shikha Pandey, Sneha Deepthi, Taniyaa Bhatia, Titas Sadhu Released Players: Aparna Mondal, Jasia Akhter, Tara Norris Gujarat Giants: Retained Players: Ashleigh Gardner, Beth Mooney, Dayalan Hemalatha, Harleen Deol, Laura Wolvaardt, Shabnam Shakil, Sneh Rana, Tanuja Kanwer Released Players: Annabel Sutherland, Ashwani Kumari, Georgia Wareham, Hurley Gala, Kim Garth, Mansi Joshi, Monica Patel, Parunika Sisodia, Sabbineni Meghana, Sophia Dunkley, Sushma Verma Mumbai Indians: Retained Players: Amanjot Kaur, Amelia Kerr, Chloe Tryon, Harmanpreet Kaur, Hayley Matthews, Humairaa Kaazi, Isabelle Wong, Jintimani Kalita, Natalie Sciver, Pooja Vastrakar, Priyanka Bala, Saika Ishaque, Yastika Bhatia Released Players: Dhara Gujjar, Heather Graham, Neelam Bisht, Sonam Yadav Royal Challengers Bangalore: Retained Players: Asha Shobana, Disha Kasat, Ellyse Perry, Heather Knight, Indrani Roy, Kanika Ahuja, Renuka Singh, Richa Ghosh, Shreyanka Patil, Smriti Mandhana, Sophie Devine Released Players: Dane Van Niekerk, Erin Burns, Komal Zanzad, Megan Schutt, Poonam Khemnar, Preeti Bose, Sahana Pawar UP Warriorz: Retained Players: Alyssa Healy, Anjali Sarvani, Deepti Sharma, Grace Harris, Kiran Navgire, Lauren Bell, Laxmi Yadav, Parshavi Chopra, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, S. Yashasri, Shweta Sehrawat, Sophie Ecclestone, Tahlia Mcgrath Released Players: Devika Vaidya, Shabnim Ismail, Shivali Shinde, Simran Shaikh.

On expected lines, franchises retain top guns ahead of WPL-2

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Taylor Swift has been donating huge amounts to food banks across the country as she tours.</li><li>Second Harvest in Silicon Valley was one recipient of the donations in late July. </li></ul>It's no "Cruel Summer" for food banks in areas where Taylor Swift is having concerts. In addition to <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.insider.com/taylor-swift-eras-tour-surprise-songs-acoustic-2023-4">playing sold-out-stadiums</a>, the singer has put money from her <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-much-taylor-swift-fans-spend-concerts-eras-tour-2023-7?_ga=2.245629254.354932233.1691614129-320236918.1686596616&amp;_gl=1*bfn59t*_ga*MzIwMjM2OTE4LjE2ODY1OTY2MTY.*_ga_E21CV80ZCZ*MTY5MTk4MjExMS4xNTMuMS4xNjkxOTgyMjMyLjkuMC4w">hefty ticket prices</a> towards making large donations to local food pantries and banks across the country.Second Harvest of Silicon Valley, a food bank primarily serving San Mateo and Santa Clara counties, received a huge donation from Swift on July 28, chief philanthropy officer Shobana Gubbi told Insider.Gubbi said the day they received the donation was the "best" and added that employees at Second Harvest were "so excited.""We are so grateful to Taylor for using her platform for good and for supporting food banks across the country during her Eras tour," Gubbi said in an email to Insider. "Here in Silicon Valley, where the level of need has risen again to peak pandemic levels, her generous donation will assist in our ongoing efforts to provide nutritious food."With an estimated net worth of over <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.insider.com/taylor-swift-net-worth-spending-2018-8">$740 million</a>, the Eras tour could make Swift a billionaire. Forbes previously estimated that the tour could make Swift about <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/petercohan/2023/04/06/eras-tour-could-net-taylor-swift-500-million-to-15-billion/?sh=77d9b2b92c5b">$500 million</a> to keep for herself.Gubbi said she could not provide the exact amount of money Swift donated. Still, he said the funds are unrestricted, meaning the donation can be used for anything Second Harvest decides — and according to Gubbi, 95 cents out of every $1 donated goes directly back into providing their services.Pre-pandemic, Gubbi said, Second Harvest served about 250,000 per month. Now, she said they serve about 500,000 a month, and nearly one out of six people in Silicon Valley need food assistance.According to Gubbi, inflation impacting food prices and <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/google-memes-tech-industry-layoffs-amazon-meta-twitter-2022-11?_gl=1*1pl2ori*_ga*MzIwMjM2OTE4LjE2ODY1OTY2MTY.*_ga_E21CV80ZCZ*MTY5MTk4MjExMS4xNTMuMS4xNjkxOTgyNTA1LjQwLjAuMA..">mass layoffs</a> across Silicon Valley have only increased the pressure on food banks in the area. The end of pandemic-era increases in CalFresh EBT benefits in March 2023 also added to struggling families' loads."When we have supporters of Second Harvest like Taylor, the biggest impact is raising awareness," Gubbi said. "This is a solvable problem. We can end hunger."Second Harvest isn't the only food bank Swift has donated to so far. According to <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/08/13/business/taylor-swift-food-bank-donations/index.html">reporting from CNN</a>, she made similar donations to the Arizona Food Bank Network, Seattle's Food Lifeline, and Three Square Food Bank, which serves the Las Vegas and southern Nevada area.Swift has long spent money on philanthropic causes, including food banks, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/timeline-taylor-swift-generosity-8481430/">Billboard reported</a>. In 2011, she donated nearly $70,000 to her hometown library, and in 2017 she pledged a donation to Joyful Heart Foundation, which supports survivors of sexual assault. Her other donations have included money toward her fans' student loans and service dogs, according to Billboard.

Taylor Swift might be an anti-hero by her own admission, but food banks across the country love her

New Delhi, Jan 15 () Industry body Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance (IPA) on Wednesday said there was no discussion on 'uniform code for pharmaceutical marketing practices' in the meeting convened by Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the healthcare industry on January 1.
 The meeting was called to discuss future road map for growth of the healthcare industry, the IPA said in a statement.
 The focus of the discussion was to promote research and development, build innovation ecosystem, improve access to high-quality medicine and strengthen global competitiveness of the industry, it added.
 The purpose was to take the industry to the next level and leverage opportunities going forward in the pharmaceutical sector besides discussing growth opportunities in the Medtech and hospital sector, IPA said.
 "There was no discussion on uniform code for pharmaceutical marketing practices in the meeting," it added.
 The industry body was reacting to media reports that said the prime minister had warned India's top pharmaceutical companies to strictly adhere to marketing ethics, and not to bribe doctors with women, foreign trips and gadgets.
 The meeting was attended by leading figures such as Satish Reddy from Dr Reddy's, Ajay Piramal from Piramal Group, Pankaj Patel from Cadila Healthcare, Dilip Shanghvi from Sun Pharma, Dr Habil Khorakiwala from Wockhardt and Shobana Kamineni from Apollo Hospitals Group, the statement said. AKT HRS

No discussion on uniform code for pharmaceutical marketing practices in meeting with PM: IPA

New Delhi, Jan 15 () Industry body Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance (IPA) on Wednesday said there was no discussion on 'uniform code for pharmaceutical marketing practice' in the meeting convened by Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the healthcare industry on January 1.
 The meeting was called to discuss future road map for growth of the healthcare industry, the IPA said in a statement.
 The focus of the discussion was to promote research and development, build innovation ecosystem, improve access to high-quality medicine and strengthen global competitiveness of the industry, it added.
 The purpose was to take the industry to the next level and leverage opportunities going forward in the pharmaceutical sector besides discussing growth opportunities in the Medtech and hospital sector, IPA said.
 "There was no discussion on uniform code for pharmaceutical marketing practice in the meeting," it added.
 The industry body was reacting to media reports that said the prime minister had warned India's top pharmaceutical companies to strictly adhere to marketing ethics, and not to bribe doctors with women, foreign trips and gadgets.
 The meeting was attended by leading figures such as Satish Reddy from Dr Reddy's, Ajay Piramal from Piramal Group, Pankaj Patel from Cadila Healthcare, Dilip Shanghvi from Sun Pharma, Dr Habil Khorakiwala from Wockhardt and Shobana Kamineni from Apollo Hospitals Group, the statement said. AKT HRS

No discussion on uniform code for pharmaceutical marketing practice in meeting with PM: IPA

New Delhi, Mar 26 () Healthcare major Apollo Hospitals on Thursday said it plans to scale up the number of its laboratories for testing of COVID-19 to 17 as soon as it gets permission from the government. Currently, five labs of Apollo Hospitals have been approved by the government for novel coronavirus testing across the country. The healthcare provider also plans to scale up the number of beds earmarked for treatment of COVID-19 across its hospitals if the need arises, the top management of the group said in a virtual media conference on the launch of 'Project Kavach' by the group. The response plan is a comprehensive approach by Apollo Hospitals that encompasses all aspects from information, screening and assessment, testing, to readying the infrastructure for quarantine and treatment of novel coronavirus pandemic. "We currently have five labs that are approved for testing of COVID-19. We plan to scale them to 17 as soon as we get the approval from the government," Apollo Hospitals Executive Vice Chairperson Shobana Kameneni told in an email response. When asked about the number of the isolation beds the company has to cater to the patients suffering from the pandemic, she said the facility and isolation beds are existing and spread across our hospital network. The scale-up will be done accordingly over time to meet the demand. About the pharmacies, Kameneni said: "The 3,800 Apollo pharmacies across 18 states will be pressed into action to serve people with all the medication, consumables and supplements as required. Stocks have been doubled, prices will be strictly monitored and controlled, and home delivery capability has been enhanced." Highlighting the role Project Kavach is intended to play, Apollo Hospitals Group Chairman Prathap C Reddy said."Project Kavach will augment the government's initiatives to address the COVID-19 pandemic and is part of our pledge to partner with the Government and be at the frontlines in this critical battle." AKT MKJ

Waiting for govt nod to scale up number of COVID-19 testing labs to 17: Apollo Hospitals

New Delhi, Jan 9 () Mortgage lender HDFC on Thursday said it has completed the acquisition of majority stake in Apollo Munich Health Insurance for Rs 1,495.81 crore.
 HDFC bought 50.80 per cent stake of Apollo Hospitals Group in Apollo Munich for Rs 1,485.14 crore and 0.36 per cent shareholding of employees for Rs 10.67 crore.
 On January 2, HDFC had informed that the company and its subsidiary HDFC ERGO has got approvals for acquiring a majority shareholding in Apollo Munich.
 "Subsequent to this approval (regulatory), Apollo Munich Health Insurance Co Ltd has been renamed as HDFC ERGO Health Insurance Ltd (HDFC ERGO Health) and will operate as a subsidiary of HDFC Ltd," HDFC said in a regulatory filing on Thursday.
 The acquisition comes after approvals from the Competition Commission of India, the RBI and the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India.
 Anuj Tyagi, Executive Director &amp; Chief Business Officer at HDFC ERGO General Insurance Company (HDFC ERGO General) has been appointed as the Managing Director and CEO of HDFC ERGO Health, subject to approval from Irdai.
 HDFC ERGO Health and HDFC ERGO General will shortly apply to the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) for their merger, HDFC said.
 Post merger, the resultant entity will be the second largest private insurer in accident and health segment in the country, it said.
 "We are committed to create value for all our stakeholders with the combined strength of the brand HDFC and expertise of Apollo Munich in health insurance," said HDFC Chairman Deepak Parekh.
 Shobana Kamineni, Chairperson of Apollo Munich and Vice Chairperson, Apollo Hospitals Enterprise exuded confidence that the company will become stronger under HDFC.
 Apollo Munich Managing Director Antony Jacob will move to Apollo Hospitals Group.
 "The acquisition provides HDFC ERGO with the opportunity to grow by increasing its footprint and distribution network, in line with its strategic objective to be amongst the top private insurers in the industry.
 "Policy holders and channel partners will benefit from enhanced product suites, touch points and technology innovations," said Markus Rieb, Chairman, ERGO Group AG and board member of Munich Re.
 HDFC stock settled at Rs 1,270.80 on the BSE, up 1.09 per cent from the previous close. KPM KPM ANU
ANU

HDFC completes majority acquisition in Apollo Munich

<ul><li>HDFC acquired a 51% stake in health insurer Apollo Munich for Rs 13.36 billion.</li><li>It will merge with general insurance company HDFC Ergo.</li><li>The combined entity will have a market share of 8.2% in health and accident segments.</li><li>It will merge with general insurance company HDFC Ergo.</li><li>The combined entity will have a market share of 8.2% in health and accident segments.</li></ul>HDFC has acquired a 51% stake in health insurer Apollo Munich for ₹13.36 billion. The mortgage lender will merge it with its own general insurance company HDFC Ergo, making this combined entity the second largest private insurer in the accident and health segment. This merger comes after the government has been trying to formalise the plan to merge three of its general insurers---New India Assurance, United India Insurance, National Insurance and Oriental Insurance Company to <a href="https://www.financialexpress.com/industry/banking-finance/experts-back-merger-of-new-india-assurance-national-insurance-united-india-and-oriental-india-insurance-company/1607907/">unleash economies of scale</a>. Now, private players have seem to have taken a cue to become bigger and stronger. The combined entity of HDFC Ergo and Apollo Munich will have a market share of 8.2% in health and accident segments. In the non-life insurance segments, it will have a market share of 6.4%. “The combined expertise of HDFC ERGO and Apollo Munich will result in greater product innovation, wider distribution and enhanced servicing capabilities, benefiting their 1.2 crore policy holders,” said <keyword id="6448020" type="DEFINITION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Deepak-Parekh">Deepak Parekh</keyword>, Chairman of HDFC Ltd and HDFC ERGO General Insurance. This acquisition is subject to approval from various regulators including National Housing Bank (NHB), Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) and Competition Commission of India (CCI). Munich Health Germany which is a partner of Apollo will also pay ₹2.94 billion (₹294 crore) to Apollo Hospitals Enterprise and Apollo Energy to support the transaction. “The funds from the divestment will enable us to focus on investing and growing our core healthcare business,” said Shobana Kamineni, Chairperson Apollo Munich Health Insurance and Vice Chairperson Apollo Hospitals Enterprise. This merger would make one player less in India’s crowded general insurance where there were 34 players, before this deal. However, the number of people who have any kind of insurance in the country are less than 3.69% of the population, according to the latest annual report from the regulator, Insurance Development Authority of India (IRDAI).

India had 34 general insurance companies till now-- there will be one less after HDFC’s ₹13.3 billion deal to buy Apollo Munich

<ul><li>As the first day of polling for India’s general elections drew to a close, a number of glitches came to light. </li><li>While multiple constituencies around India reported problems with electronic voting machines (EVM), some voters weren’t able to vote at all because their names had been struck off the list. </li><li><keyword id="6475616" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="r-c-bhargava">R C Bhargava</keyword>, the chairman of <keyword id="44883" type="DOMAIN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Maruti-Suzuki">Maruti Suzuki</keyword>, said that his name had been deleted from the voter list when he went to vote on Thursday. </li></ul>As the first day of polling for India’s general elections drew to a close, a number of glitches came to light. While multiple constituencies around India - especially in Odisha and Andhra Pradesh reported problems with the Election Commission’s <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/lok-sabha-elections-2019-evm-issues-in-first-phase-of-voting-in-india/articleshow/68825731.cms">electronic voting machines </a>(EVM), a more pressing problem came to light: Some voters weren’t able to vote at all because their names had either been struck off the list or weren’t on the list at all. While on a call with CNBC regarding retail sales, R C Bhargava, the chairman of Maruti Suzuki, said that his <a href="https://twitter.com/CNBCTV18News/status/1116257991848632321">name had been deleted from the voter list </a>when he went to vote on Thursday. Bhargava said he would seek clarification from the EC regarding the name deletion, explaining that he had cast a vote from the very same polling booth in Noida for Uttar Pradesh’s state assembly elections in 2017. Other names have also been missing from the electoral roll. Shobana Kamineni, the vice chairman of Apollo Hospitals, said <a href="https://www.indiatoday.in/elections/lok-sabha-2019/story/shobana-kamineni-says-vote-deleted-hyderabad-lok-sabha-election-telangana-1499331-2019-04-11">that her name had also been deleted,</a> calling yesterday her “"worst day as an Indian citizen". Even <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/elections/lok-sabha-elections-2019/karnataka/news/kiran-shaws-mom-alleges-her-name-deleted-from-voters-list-without-basis/articleshow/68839979.cms">Kiran Mazumdar Shaw</a>, the chairman of Biocon, said that her mother’s name had been deleted off the voter’s list in her Karnataka constituency without any verification of whether she still lived at her home or not. This raises the question. If even prominent personalities such as the chairman of India’s largest carmaker or one of the country’s largest hospital chains are being denied a chance to vote, what of the tens of millions of voters who lack the same amount of clout? SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/lok-sabha-elections-2019-first-phase-of-polling-key-issues-in-all-states/articleshow/68824300.cms">142 million voters go to polls today in 20 states— here’s a look at the key issues in every state</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/lok-sabha-elections-2019-evm-issues-in-first-phase-of-voting-in-india/articleshow/68825731.cms">The first day of voting in India is dotted with glitches in the electronic voting machines</a>

Some of India’s rich and famous find their names deleted from the voter’s list

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"></div></div></div>Amid Google's splashy demos of its <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/google-home-voice-assistant-2016-5">smart speaker</a> and <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/google-duo-video-calling-app-2016-5">slick new video app</a>&#xa0;at <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/everything-google-announced-at-io-keynote">its IO conference on Wednesday</a>, the company tucked a quick preview that could have bigger&#xa0;implications for app creators&#xa0;than anything else it debuted on stage:&#xa0;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/google-announces-android-instant-apps-2016-5">Android Instant Apps</a>.&#xa0;The idea is that&#xa0;people can tap on a URL and open an&#xa0;Android app instantly without having to install it. In essence, it blurs the line between the web and apps to an unprecendented level.&#xa0;This has obvious benefits for users - you won't have to waste phone space downloading an app that you'd rarely use - but it's also a huge shift for developers.&#xa0;"The thing we heard from&#xa0;every developer was, 'Oh my god, this changes the way we think about things,'" Shobana Ravi, an engineer who worked on Instant Apps, tells Business Insider. "For them, we were breaking their existing world, but in a good way."The biggest advantage for developers is that it eliminates a huge hurdle of getting people to use their products.&#xa0;"I hear people say 'I don't want to download that' all the time but when was the last time someone hesitated on visiting a website, at least at the home page, because of potential hassle?"&#xa0;Ryan Matzner, from app development company Fueled says. "If it really pans out, it could be a game-changer.&#xa0;It's hard to over-estimate how powerful this could be if it actually works out."Google has been working with a&#xa0;small set of partners, including Buzzfeed&#xa0;and&#xa0;Hotel Tonight, and says&#xa0;that&#xa0;developers won't have to build separate apps, just update their existing ones. But one of the big questions for developers, then, will be deciding which parts of their app to pull via link.&#xa0;The technical side of Instant Apps won't be that complicated to implement once it starts expanding the Android feature later this year, according to Ravi.&#xa0;"Getting them to understand the concept, and how it changes their world, is the bigger challenge," she says.&#xa0;From Google's perspective, Instant Apps makes business sense, too, by&#xa0;protecting its search business. Google&#xa0;has&#xa0;spent the last two years convincing&#xa0;app makers to "index" their content to allow it to be searchable by its algorithms in a process called "deep linking." Without deep linking, Google's web crawlers can't include an app's info in its search results.&#xa0;Google recently announced that <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/more-people-now-search-google-on-their-phone-than-from-their-computers-2015-10">more than half of its search queries come from mobile</a>.&#xa0;But that stat crashes into another one: That people spend most of their time on smartphones within specific apps&#xa0;- so much that app usage now&#xa0;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/the-number-of-people-using-search-engines-is-in-decline-2015-9">represents 86% of time spent on mobile</a>, according to analytic company Flurry.Google wants users to start their&#xa0;search for "best hotels in Chicago" through its engine rather than starting on HotelTonight, because that allows it to sell ads against those searches.&#xa0; <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/pilot-smart-earpiece-translator-bluetooth-waverly-labs-indiegogo-2016-5">This smart earpiece translates languages as they are spoken</a></h3> <div> <div> <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="Q0eTdrMzE6Y7MKLq3gL6QxT3mPxisL02" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div> </div> </div> </div>

How one of Google's ambitious new projects is 'breaking' app creators' worlds -&#160;in a good way

<keyword id="56368" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Apollo-Hospitals">Apollo Hospitals</keyword> Enterprises Ltd (<keyword id="107779" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="AHEL">AHEL</keyword>), which runs a chain of hospitals, clinics and pharmacies, has restructured its management. It has re-designated Preetha Reddy and Shobhana Kamineni, daughters of <keyword id="6382967" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Apollo">Apollo</keyword> promoter Prathap Reddy, as executive vice-chairpersons with immediate effect. 
 
The company has also re-designated the other two Reddy sisters - Suneeta and Sangita - as managing director and joint managing director, respectively. The decision was taken during a meeting of the board of directors of the company, AHEL said. 
 
Preetha Reddy, who is currently the managing director, has been elevated as the executive vice-chairperson for the remaining period of her tenure (till February 2, 2016). Suneeta Reddy, who is currently the joint managing director, has been re-designated as managing director. Her tenure, too, is up to February 02, 2016. 
 
Shobana Kamineni, executive director - special initiatives, has been re-designated as executive vice-chairperson for the remaining period of her tenure (till January 31, 2015). The board has also approved her re-appointment as executive vice-chairperson for a period of five years with effect from February 01, 2015. 
 
The reorganisation is in line with Apollo's succession plan. 
 
However there will be no change in their remunerations. The Reddy sisters get an annual remuneration of Rs 5.25 crore each and their father Prathap Reddy, chairman of the group, earns Rs 15.63 crore annually. 
 
Prathap Reddy said in a statement, "As the healthcare landscape in the country and the region changes and expands, this strategic realignment, we believe, will enable Apollo to focus on growth opportunities in hospitals, pharmacies, clinics and health insurance while furthering its clinical leadership and service excellence. We aim to deepen our focus in each of these verticals as well as drive synergies between them using technology and an ecosystem focused on wellness, innovation and productivity."

You Searched For "Shobana" and got 12 results

Box Office: Kochadaiiyaan Thrives On Rajini Power; Heropanti Soaring High

Sanghamitra Mandal

India look to finetune strategies in T20I series against SA ahead of Asia Cup, WC

PTI

On expected lines, franchises retain top guns ahead of WPL-2

PTI

Taylor Swift might be an anti-hero by her own admission, but food banks across the country love her

Sebastian Cahill

No discussion on uniform code for pharmaceutical marketing practices in meeting with PM: IPA

PTI

No discussion on uniform code for pharmaceutical marketing practice in meeting with PM: IPA

PTI

Waiting for govt nod to scale up number of COVID-19 testing labs to 17: Apollo Hospitals

PTI

HDFC completes majority acquisition in Apollo Munich

PTI

India had 34 general insurance companies till now-- there will be one less after HDFC’s ₹13.3 billion deal to buy Apollo Munich

Katya Naidu

Some of India’s rich and famous find their names deleted from the voter’s list

Dilsher Dhillon

How one of Google's ambitious new projects is 'breaking' app creators' worlds - in a good way

JILLIAN D'ONFRO

Apollo Hospitals Promotes Reddy Sisters

BI India Bureau

Popular Keywords

Buying Guides

You Searched For "Shobana" and got 12 results

Box Office: Kochadaiiyaan Thrives On Rajini Power; Heropanti Soaring High

Sanghamitra Mandal

India look to finetune strategies in T20I series against SA ahead of Asia Cup, WC

PTI

On expected lines, franchises retain top guns ahead of WPL-2

PTI

Taylor Swift might be an anti-hero by her own admission, but food banks across the country love her

Sebastian Cahill

No discussion on uniform code for pharmaceutical marketing practices in meeting with PM: IPA

PTI

No discussion on uniform code for pharmaceutical marketing practice in meeting with PM: IPA

PTI

Waiting for govt nod to scale up number of COVID-19 testing labs to 17: Apollo Hospitals

PTI

HDFC completes majority acquisition in Apollo Munich

PTI

India had 34 general insurance companies till now-- there will be one less after HDFC’s ₹13.3 billion deal to buy Apollo Munich

Katya Naidu

Some of India’s rich and famous find their names deleted from the voter’s list

Dilsher Dhillon

How one of Google's ambitious new projects is 'breaking' app creators' worlds -&#160;in a good way

JILLIAN D'ONFRO

Apollo Hospitals Promotes Reddy Sisters

BI India Bureau

Popular Keywords

Buying Guides

How one of Google's ambitious new projects is 'breaking' app creators' worlds - in a good way