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(Photo Source: flyblade.com) <ul><li>On-demand helicopter ride service app, Blade, is set to enter India in March 2019, connecting <keyword id="6358070" type="DEFINITION" weightage="20" keywordseo="mumbai">Mumbai</keyword> to heliports in Pune and Shirdi, a major pilgrimage site in India. </li><li>The company claims that the helicopter ride will trim an eight-hour journey to 35 minutes, saving hours in traffic for flyers. </li><li>Blade has not yet revealed the prices for the helicopter ride in India. However, in New York City, the ride incurs $200 between JFK International Airport and Manhattan, CNBC reported. </li></ul>American helicopter ride service app, Blade, is betting that India’s congested cities will soon require an alternative mode of travel to escape increasing traffic. <a href="https://blade.flyblade.com/p/india" data-type="tilCustomLink">The company</a> is planning to soon launch a pilot program called Urban Air Mobility (“UAM”) that will connect metropolitan Mumbai to heliports in Pune and Shirdi, a major pilgrimage site in India. Blade, along with Hunch Ventures, India, a private equity firm, will launch Mumbai in March 2019. It will have operational hubs in Juhu and Mahalaxmi that will offer flights through the route. “India’s major cities are consistently ranked as the most congested in the world,” Rob Wiesenthal, CEO of Blade, said in a statement. “By broadening consumers’ access to on-demand <keyword id="31907" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Aviation">aviation</keyword>, we can start to mitigate these issues today, while building the foundation for Electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) services tomorrow.” Blade has not yet revealed the prices for the helicopter ride in India. However, for the US, the ride incurs $200 between JFK International Airport and Manhattan, CNBC <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2018/12/04/us-helicopter-ride-sharing-app-blade-expanding-its-operations-to-india.html">reported</a>. The company first launched its services in New York City in 2014. Other services include trips around Miami, Los Angeles and Las Vegas. It currently requires users to book a slot on its app and punch in their credit card details. The passengers can either choose from its existing flights at a specified time or crowdsource a flight according to their convenience, according to the CNBC <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2018/12/04/us-helicopter-ride-sharing-app-blade-expanding-its-operations-to-india.html">report</a>. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/indian-airports-may-soon-replace-security-dogs-with-robotic-canines-that-can-sniff-out-bombs-and-use-x-ray-vision-to-scan-luggage/articleshow/66939904.cms">Indian airports may soon replace security dogs with ‘robotic canines’ that can sniff out bombs and use X-ray vision to scan luggage</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/an-ongoing-salary-row-reportedly-forced-indias-jet-airways-to-cancel-over-a-dozen-flights-as-its-pilots-called-in-sick/articleshow/66918125.cms">An ongoing salary row reportedly forced India’s Jet Airways to cancel over a dozen flights as its pilots called in ‘sick’</a>

Private helicopter ride app Blade will soon launch in India to help city residents escape traffic

New Delhi, Global aerospace major <keyword id="6356166" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="airbus">Airbus</keyword> will collaborate with FlyBlade <keyword id="3658" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="India">India</keyword> (BLADE) to develop the on-demand helicopter services market in <keyword id="52011" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="South-Asia">South Asia</keyword>. Accordingly, Airbus signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with FlyBlade India (BLADE) - a joint venture between U.S.-based technology-powered air mobility company Blade Urban Air Mobility Inc. and Indian investment firm Hunch Ventures. "Airbus and Blade will collaborate to create awareness about on-demand helicopter services, among <keyword id="4925457" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="helicopter-operators">helicopter operators</keyword>, customers and other stakeholders in the region," a joint statement said. "The two will also work together to identify ways to increase Blade's fleet size in South Asia." As per the statement, one of the ways to boost on-demand helicopter services in South Asia will be by supporting Blade to gain access to the Airbus fleet of helicopters available with its operators in the region. "Airbus believes in the region's potential as a top helicopter market in the world," said Remi Maillard, President &amp; Managing Director, Airbus India &amp; South Asia. "To this end, we are pleased to support Blade India's aim of expanding their on-demand helicopter mobility services to more people in more places in South Asia and pave the way for the introduction of <keyword id="649252" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="new-technologies">new technologies</keyword> and services." Blade is a technology-powered, global urban air mobility platform operating in some of the most congested ground routes in the US and abroad. In India, Blade is currently offering regular services in Mumbai, Pune and Shiridi routes in Maharashtra. The company also offers special shuttle services in this region and is planning to start new routes. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/entertainment/news/pewdiepies-lyrics-targeting-cocomelon-and-jk-rowling-that-may-have-gotten-youtube-angry-enough-to-pull-the-video-down/articleshow/81102941.cms">PewDiePie's lyrics targeting CocoMelon and JK Rowling may have gotten YouTube angry enough to pull the video down</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/ecommerce/news/flipkart-gets-leaner-with-a-300-million-jabong-write-off-as-ceo-kalyan-krishnamurthy-lists-out-the-priorities-for-2021/articleshow/81105083.cms">Flipkart gets leaner with a $300 million Jabong write-off as CEO Kalyan Krishnamurthy lists out the priorities for 2021</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/happiest-minds-is-leveraging-its-partnerships-with-big-players-like-google-microsoft-aws-salesforce/articleshow/81105035.cms">Happiest Minds is a smaller company that does the same thing as MindTree and L&amp;T Infotech — but clearly it is doing it a lot better</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/india-may-require-twitter-facebook-and-others-to-remove-unlawful-content-within-36-hours/articleshow/81104740.cms">India may require Twitter, Facebook and others to remove unlawful content within 36 hours</a>

Airbus  partners with Indian company to boost on-demand helicopter services in South Asia

<ul><li>The <keyword id="2700085" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="mars-helicopter">Mars Helicopter</keyword> tucked under the belly of the Perseverance rover just charged itself in outer space for the very first time. </li><li>The batteries charged to around 35% over eight hours. </li><li>The National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) <keyword id="164562" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Mars-mission">Mars mission</keyword> is two weeks into its seven-month cruise towards the Red Planet and plans to charge the <keyword id="9577366" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ingenuity-Mars-Helicopter">Ingenuity Mars helicopter</keyword>’s batteries every two weeks.</li></ul>As the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (<a href="https://www.nasa.gov/feature/jpl/nasas-ingenuity-mars-helicopter-recharges-its-batteries-in-flight">NASA</a>) Perseverance rover hits the two-week mark in its seven-month cruises towards Mars, the helicopter tucked under its belly just charged itself in outer space for the very first time. <div type="image" title="mars helicopter 3_edited" msid="77539137" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Artist&amp;#39;s illustration of the Ingenuity Mars helicopter taking flight on the Red Planet&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> If successful in its mission on Mars, Ingenuity will be the first chopper to fly on a planet other than Earth. But to get off the ground, it needs its six lithium-ion batteries to stay in prime condition. “This charge activity shows we have survived launch and that so far we can handle the harsh environment of interplanetary space,” said <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/feature/jpl/nasas-ingenuity-mars-helicopter-recharges-its-batteries-in-flight">MiMi Aung</a>, the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter project manager. For the eight hours, NASA’s team charged the batteries to 35%. A low charge state is optimal for health during the cruise to Mars, according to the space agency. Going forward, the batteries will now be charged every two weeks for the next seven months. What happens when the helicopter reaches Mars? Once the Ingenuity Mars helicopter and the Perseverance rover have completed their 505 million kilometer journey through space, NASA’s engineers will wait another two months before separating the two. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="76542852" title="The success of NASA’s Mars helicopter exploring Martian skies depends on the final five inches" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> At that time, the team will be on the lookout for potential airfields that are relatively flat and obstruction-free to park the chopper. Once a suitable airfield has been located, the rover will drive to the center and deploy the helicopter — a process that should take around six days, accounting for checks and balances. After that, it’s up to Ingenuity to charge itself using its solar panels. <div type="javascript" title="Custom" contenttype="Video"><cdata><![CDATA[]]></cdata></div> When the chopper is ready, NASA is hoping to perform a series of flight tests over 30 Martian days. The first test will be a quick 20 to 30-second flight just a few feet off the ground. This will be the first flight on another planet, that too on a planet, where the atmosphere is dramatically different from Earth’s. Mars’ atmosphere is 99% less dense, which means the helicopter’s blades need to spin a lot faster than they would need to on Earth. As the tests progress, the research team will incrementally increase the distance and altitude. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/space/news/skyroot-aerospace-successfully-tests-homegrown-rocket-engine-is-on-track-for-its-first-full-rocket-launch-by-2021/articleshow/77506716.cms">India’s first private player to successfully test a homegrown rocket engine is on track for its first full rocket launch by 2021</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/space/news/nasa-finally-bounced-its-first-ever-laser-beam-off-the-lunar-orbiter-after-10-years-of-trying/articleshow/77482034.cms">After 10 years of trying, NASA finally bounced its first-ever laser beam off the lunar orbiter</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/space/news/jupiters-storms-with-shallow-lightning-could-be-explained-by-ammonia-rain/articleshow/77375240.cms">Jupiter's mushball ammonia rain could explain the mystery behind shallow lightning storms in its atmosphere</a>

NASA's Mars Helicopter recharges its batteries for the very first time en route to the Red Planet

In a first, the <keyword id="9577365" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="perseverance-rover">Perseverance rover</keyword> on Mars is set to deploy a mini-helicopter named Ingenuity that will fly and explore the <keyword id="6385434" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="red-planet">Red Planet</keyword>. After dropping the debris shield, <keyword id="30862" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="perseverance">Perseverance</keyword> will spend next couple of days following the Ingenuity's <keyword id="10978111" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="flight-zone">flight zone</keyword> on Mars. "Away goes the debris shield, and here's our first look at the helicopter. It's stowed sideways, folded up and locked in place, so there's some reverse origami to do before I can set it down. First though, I'll be off to the designated "helipad," a couple days' drive from here," the rover team said in a tweet on Monday. <keyword id="6360409" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Nasa">NASA</keyword> expects the first test flight of the four-pound, four-blade rotorcraft to come "no earlier than the first week of April". The teams operating Ingenuity and NASA's Mars 2020 Perseverance rover have chosen the flight zone where the helicopter will attempt the first powered, controlled flights on another planet. Perseverance -- with Ingenuity attached to its belly -- landed in Jezero Crater on February 18. Ingenuity is a technology demonstration with a limited test flight duration of up to 31 days (30 Mars days, or sols). "The rover will deploy the helicopter and provide environmental monitoring and imaging support. It also hosts Ingenuity's base station, enabling communication with mission controllers on <keyword id="6359982" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="earth">Earth</keyword>," according to NASA. NASA's Ingenuity <keyword id="2700085" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="mars-helicopter">Mars Helicopter</keyword> is the first aircraft humanity has sent to another planet to attempt powered, controlled flight. If its experimental flight test program succeeds, the data returned could benefit future explorations of the Red Planet -- including those by astronauts -- by adding the aerial dimension, which is not available today. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/how-to-fix-android-apps-crashing-issue-on-your-mobile/articleshow/81646271.cms">Android apps are crashing and Google is working on a fix – here’s how to fix the issue</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/banks/news/indias-supreme-court-waives-compound-interest-on-all-loans-put-under-moratorium-due-to-covid-19-pandemic/articleshow/81645705.cms">India’s Supreme Court waives compound interest on ALL loans put under moratorium due to COVID-19 pandemic</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/oneplus-9-pro-oneplus-9-and-oneplus-watch-to-launch-in-india-today-how-to-watch-live-stream-price-features-and-more/articleshow/81644503.cms">OnePlus 9 Pro, OnePlus 9 and OnePlus Watch to launch in India today – How to watch live stream, price, features and more</a>

NASA set to deploy its mini helicopter Ingenuity on Mars

An attack helicopter (AH) is a rotary wing platform with the primary role of engaging targets on the ground such as armored infantry or moving armored vehicles. There heavy armament can include weapons such as auto canons, heavy machine guns, unguided rockets, and anti-tank guided missiles (ATGM's) like Hellfire and air to air missiles. Apart from the US and Russia, no other country is known for its large inventory of attack helicopters. 
 
 <keyword id="43853" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Indian-military">Indian military</keyword> is having around 390 helicopters with it but only 30 out of them are attack helicopters and rest are the utility and transport helicopters. The reason behind this can be understood by the fact that the <keyword id="15141" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Indian-Air-Force">Indian Air Force</keyword> (IAF) maintains a fleet of around 250 ground attack aircrafts which more or less serves the same basic purpose of giving close air support to the ground troops. Traditionally India is not known for the love of attack helicopters. Even back in those days, India was using Mil MI-4 and Bell 47G-2 which were utility helicopters for troop movement and rescue operations. 
 
 
The Need 
 
 As of now, Indian Air Force deploys around 20 Mil Mi-35, 7 HAL Rudra and 3 HAL Light combat Helicopters (prototypes). It was the Kargil war of 1999 which fueled the need for helicopters that can operate at such high-altitude conditions with ease. Restricted maneuverability of Mil Mi-35 with high payloads led India to the develop the HAL Light Combat Helicopter and HAL Rudra for multi-role high-altitude combat operations and this can be used by the Indian Air Force and the Indian Army's <keyword id="812305" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="40" keywordseo="Aviation-Corps">Aviation Corps</keyword>. On 26 May 2009, the <keyword id="2910012" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Indian-Ministry-of-Defense">Indian Ministry of Defense</keyword> invited bids for 22 combat helicopters and 15 heavy-lift helicopters in a deal worth US$2 billion. In 2011, the American AH 64-D Apache Block3 had emerged as the winner ahead of the Russian Mi-28N defense deal for 22 Attack Helicopter and CH47-F Chinook won it for the heavy lift category. IAF is planning to deploy indigenously developed HAL Light Combat Helicopter for its combat operations along with the AH64-D Apache, however the HAL-LCA is in the nascent stage of development and the AH64-D's are yet to be delivered. 
 <keyword id="1376569" type="COMPANY" weightage="80" keywordseo="The-Boeing">The Boeing</keyword> AH-64 Apache is considered as the best attack helicopter which creates havoc in the battlefield. The Boeing AH-64 Apache is a four-blade, twin turbo shaft attack helicopter with a powerful anti-armour weapon system. The Apache is equipped with state of the art electronic technology and fire control systems. The Apache can be loaded with 16 AGM-114 Hellfire Missiles, 76 70mm folding-fin aerial rockets or a combination of both – in addition to 1,200 30mm rounds for its M230 automatic cannon. There can be the use of fixed and rotary wing aircraft in operations against insurgents and this weapon system can be a force multiplier with the IAF in these special missions. Some experts are however opposing the requirement for the attack helicopters quoting that India has thousands of miles of mountainous borders to defend and attack helicopters are bound to be under-utilized in the mountains with their full payload. Another concern is that the heavy firing of the daytime at low levels can bring down any attack helicopter even with the best armour plantings. With their height ceilings and limited weapon systems, attack helicopters can perform their best in the plains but it is the mountains where it has to face the severest test as a credible force multiplier. Lessons from Vietnam remind that more than 5000 helicopters were lost against a not so powerful enemy. However, technology and weaponry has moved far ahead since then. 
 
The indigenous development 
 
Whatever the debate is, Indian military knows the best. After the Kargil war, India is engaged in developing a rotary weapons platform and has successfully produced the HAL Rudra, which is an armed version of HAL Dhruv. Rudra is equipped with Forward Looking Infra Red and Thermal Imaging Sights Interface, a 20 mm turret gun, 70 mm rocket pods, ATGM's and Air-to-Air Missiles. Total 27 are there, 20 with army aviation corps and 7 with IAF. 
 
In 2006, HAL announced its plan to design and build LCH. The Indian Air Force is to acquire 65 LCHs and Indian Army is to acquire 114 LCHs. It surpasses the Boeing AH 64-D Apache in terms of range(700kms) and service ceiling(6500mts), however when it comes to the terms of weapon system, it is more like the Eurocopter Tiger and AW 129 Mangusta. Given its service ceilings and range it is well suited for the mountainous terrains with the prospects of further developments. India will go for the full scale production of the HAL LCH's only after 2016 and the prototypes are being tested now. These improvements in the Indian defense manufacturing sector not only fits the “Make in India” program but also takes us a step closer towards the self-sufficiency in defense procurements. 
 
Image credits: Indiatimes (Representation Image)

Dusk and Dawn of the Indian Attack Helicopters

<ul><li>The DefExpo kicks off tomorrow and it will be teaming with 1,000 companies from 40 countries around the world. </li><li>It will be an opportunity for domestic firms to find international partners to boost their technological capabilities. </li><li>According to Sameer Patil, an international security expert with GatewayHouse, India’s Armed Forces prefer to import equipment because domestic products either don’t meet their requirement or are of inferior quality. </li></ul>As <keyword id="8154465" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="DefExpo-2020">DefExpo 2020</keyword> is all set to kick off tomorrow, the many foreign players who will arrive for it, will bank on Indian love for imported equipment. Despite the push for ‘Make in India’, <keyword id="112134" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-Armed-Forces">Indian Armed Forces</keyword> prefer to purchase high-quality products from global majors. “The DefExpo 2020 would provide a unique platform for defence industry OEMs, exhibitors and private industry to display their latest innovations and capabilities,” said defence minister <a href="https://twitter.com/rajnathsingh">Rajnath Singh</a>. According to him, over 1,000 companies from 40 different countries are scheduled to be present at the five-day event. However, the theme of the event is ‘Digital Transformation of Defence’ — an area where domestic firms don’t excel. “We have defence industrial capacity but our defence industrial capacity is not geared towards high-tech items but low-tech items, which doesn’t require complex expertise,” Sameer Patil, an international security expert with Mumbai-based think tank Gateway House told Business Insider India. An opportunity for foreign players to bag big deals India’s short-term requirements are mostly off-the-shelf items that foreign defence firms are already producing. The Armed Forces don’t favour picking up these items at home because homegrown products normally don’t live up to the hype. “The armed forces are saying that they would prefer imports rather than rely on the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) to develop the equipment because sometimes it's of inferior quality and sometimes it doesn’t meet the requirements of the Armed Forces,” explained Patil. For instance, the Navy rejected the Naval Light Combat Aircraft — or Tejas — developed by the DRDO and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) because it was ‘overweight’. It’s size made it difficult to operate the aircraft from a carrier. However, the Tejas took nearly four decades to make in India. Regardless of the rejection, HAL is pursuing the project. The government’s military equipment manufacturing arm also saw tough times when the Dhruv helicopter crash instigated return-and-refund requests from Ecuador and the Maldives. The Navy also wanted an upgrade over the Dhruv helicopter. It applied to buy new naval utility helicopters with foldable rotor blades. However, HAL <a href="https://www.defencenews.in/article/MoD-expert-rejects-foreign-helicopter,-HAL-says-Dhruv-is-suitable-808920">argued</a> that its own design was robust enough and that it could develop foldable blades on its own over the next two to three years. An opportunity for domestic firms to tie up with foreign players When HAL first partnered with United Aircraft Corporation to manufacture the Sukhoi Su-57, the government expected a transfer of technology. “But because there was no planning or management culture in defence at that time, no one bothered to absorb those technical skills,” explained Patil. However, history is trying to correct itself. Tata, for example, already has a tie-up with Lockheed Martin to build F-16 wings and the F-21 fighter jet. Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) and Larsen &amp; Toubro (L&amp;T) have also signed a pact to develop and manufacture defence products. “Because the private sector is more efficient, there is an expectation that they will absorb those tech skills. Given a chance, they can come up with indigenous equipment,” said Patil. However, defence indigenisation doesn’t happen overnight. According to Patil, it takes at least two decades to get the ball rolling and see visible results. Its realisation will mean catering to India’s medium and long term requirements for weaponry that isn’t available off the shelf — like robotic technologies. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/news/defexpo-2020-will-have-france-russia-south-korea-israel-us-and-african-countries-wooing-indias-defence-sector-for-partnerships/articleshow/73903166.cms">DefExpo 2020 will have France, Russia, South Korea, Israel, US, and African countries wooing India’s defence sector for partnerships</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/defense/news/india-will-be-picking-up-ai-enabled-military-tech-from-south-korea-at-the-defexpo-2020/articleshow/73933364.cms">India will be picking up AI-enabled military tech from South Korea at the DefExpo 2020</a>

DefExpo 2020 will be an opportunity for domestic defence companies to prove their might to woo foreign firms

<ul><li>In our latest episode of BTS with Insiders, we got chatting with <keyword id="212001" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Agnello-Dias">Agnello Dias</keyword>, Creative Chairperson, Dentsu Aegis Network India and Co-Founder, Taproot Dentsu and <keyword id="343974" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Santosh-Padhi">Santosh Padhi</keyword>, Co-founder and Chief Creative Officer, Taproot Dentsu about a few campaigns close to their hearts.</li><li>They took us behind the scenes of popular campaigns like Pepsi's Change the Game and <keyword id="15491" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Airtel">Airtel</keyword>'s Har Ek Friend Zaruri Hota Hai, among others.</li></ul> It was in 2009 that Agnello Dias (Aggie) and Santosh Padhi (Paddy), two people pegged as the hottest creative stars in Indian advertising came together and founded Taproot. Within just a few years of starting the agency, it boasted of an enviable roster of brands it had created campaigns for including <keyword id="54572" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="PepsiCo">PepsiCo</keyword>, Airtel and Bennett, Coleman &amp; Company. Three years later, Japanese advertising major Dentsu acquired a majority in the agency. Over the past 11 years, with Aggie and Paddy at the helm of affairs, the agency has come up with some memorable, powerful campaigns that have helped brands tell wonderful, engaging stories. As a part of our latest series, BTS with Insiders, we spoke to the creative duo about some of the most memorable campaigns they have created together. Here are a few of the stories they shared with us. <div type="javascript" title="Facebook" contenttype="Video"><cdata><![CDATA[]]></cdata></div> Pepsi ‘Change the Game’ campaigns We all know about the cola wars of the past when players like Pepsi, Coca-Cola and Thums Up would all try to come up with irreverent campaigns, poking fun at each other. In 2011, Pepsi was the official World Cup sponsor. It was a brand that had always stood for irreverence, and everything that was anti-authoritarian and anti-establishment. In the past, it had roasted Coca-Cola when it was the official world cup sponsor with its cheeky, ‘Nothing Official About It’ campaign. So in 2011, when it was the official sponsor, its brief was unique. It wanted to say it is the official sponsor, while also making a statement that it is proudly irreverent. “During the discussion around the campaign, we stumbled upon the insight that the game itself had become far more irreverent than it was say 15-20 years ago,” said Aggie. The agency then decided to manifest this irreverence of the game by depicting a few key shots that the newer breed of cricketers had started playing. “Once we came up with the idea, the client was perceptive enough to see its power straight up,” added Aggie. The agency came up with five films featuring star cricketers and their trademark shots - MS Dhoni’s ‘Helicopter shot’, Virender Sehwag’s ‘Upper cut’, Harbhajan Singh’s ‘doosra’, Kevin Pietersen’s‘Switch hit’ and Tillekratne Dilshan’s ‘Dilscoop’. The campaign went on to become a huge hit, so much so that Pepsi replicated the idea in other markets like Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. “It also was a very special campaign for us because it was perhaps for the first time that such a huge brand chose to work with a smaller, independent agency. It totally changed the game for us,” added Paddy with a smile. Airtel’s ‘Har Ek Friend Zaruri Hota Hai’ Before Airtel’s friendship campaign, the brand every year would come up with a campaign that would put out a world philosophy that could be appropriated by mobility, shared Aggie. “That was the time when all brands were trying to build the category, nobody was trying to take each other's market share. The brief given to us that time was that we don't see anything wrong in what we are doing by putting out a life philosophy about how the world is getting more connected except that our tone and manner is making us sound old-fashioned. The brand said that they didn’t want to become younger or exchange market shares. It just wanted to keep its philosophy, while saying it in a younger manner,” he explained. That’s how the agency thought of giving out a philosophy but not from a pulpit. The idea took birth when the agency started discussing about 3 am friends who one could turn to if someone was in trouble. And that’s how the campaign took shape. What also makes the ad memorable is the jingle created by music composer Ram Sampath, who was given the task of creating a song without using any real instrument. All the percussions in the ad come from things one might find in a classroom, including notebooks, dusters and even dustbins. The campaign went on to become a huge hit. <keyword id="6377547" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="adidas">Adidas</keyword>’ Odds In wake of the 2016 Paralympic Games, Adidas came up with a unique initiative called ‘Odds’ where para-athletes, primarily blade runners, were given a pair of the same side footwear instead of the usual pair that is sold to consumers. The campaign spoke about the inspirational story of <keyword id="2726242" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Major-DP-Singh">Major DP Singh</keyword>, a Kargil war veteran who lost his leg but not his determination. “We got the insight for the ad from a simple idea. One of the kids at the agency said what if we dedicate 2 left or 2 right shoes to para-athletes? We thought it must already have been done by some brand. We were really surprised to see that it had never been done and its such an injustice on the community that for years they had to buy a pair of shoes from which they could only use 1. So we thought we had to make this larger than life,” shared Paddy. They approached Major DP Singh who agreed to be a part of the campaign and the rest, as they say, is history. Paddy also shared a life lesson that he got from Major Singh. “On the first day of the shoot, we went to the top of a mountain at 4am where he used to practice to capture the early morning sunlight. Since the spot was far from the city, we travelled for an hour. He was an army guy and wanted a proper schedule. We gave him one and told him we will finish the shoot in 2 days. The packup for the first shoot was supposed to happen at 8 or 8:30 which got delayed by an hour or so. By the end of it, he wasn’t happy and went home. And he didn’t come to the second location. When the producer tried to reach out to him he said, ‘Please tell Adidas, Taproot and Paddy that I am done with my shoot.’ We were really shocked as we had a packed schedule. So I went to his house and asked him what happened. So he said, ‘I am an army guy and I follow schedule. If your shoot was getting delayed, someone should have come and informed me. I respect time and if I respect time, you should respect me.’ I apologized and assured him that something like this never happens again. So this wasn’t just a learning for me but for everyone else who was present at the sets that day,” reminiscened Paddy. <keyword id="5709" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="mumbai-mirror">Mumbai Mirror</keyword> Mumbai Mirror is a tabloid from the stable of the <keyword id="6356641" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Times-of-India">Times of India</keyword> group, a brand that Taproot had been handling for a while. The brief given to the agency for the campaign was simple, “The client said here are 6 stories we have broken, please showcase these stories. It was from there that we took the leap and said that newspaper is the voice that amplifies the voice of the oppressed. There were stories that would not make it to the national newspaper but its players like Mumbai Mirror that take these smaller oppressed voices and amplifies them,” said Aggie. Those who have watched the campaign know that it makes its point heard loud and clear. The idea was to deliberately make the campaign disturbing. “There have been opinions about why the film was so shrill, it could have been toned down. But in my opinion, when you are taking this stance it can be either disturbing or it can’t be this at all. Then it would just need to be a completely different thought. And that’s why we decided to make it that aggressive,” explained Aggie. Times of India – Farmer Suicide campaign The last campaign that the duo spoke about went on to become one of their most awarded one. Our country is no stranger to the disturbing news of farmer suicides ever year. It’s still an ongoing issue and the agency wanted to bring out the stories of these farmers who simply become a statistics every year. The agency used burnt hay to make portraits some of the farmers who had committed suicide, leaving behind families of 4-6 members. “These paintings were sold and whatever money we made out of, we gave to the family members because once the earning member of the families pass away, the others also die a slow death. This was what we did in the first year. In the second year, TOI got on board the Samaj Seva Charitable Trust. We did a TV commercial and some billboards, as a second leg of the campaign. Because of the simplicity of the campaign, it did really well. It did well for us too as we picked up a lot of awards. It looks like something made out of something but how lovingly you do it and how relevant you are, makes or breaks the campaign,” said Paddy.

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