P&G’s Shiksha building 20+ schools across India Aims to build at least 20 more in the coming year

P&G’s Shiksha building 20+ schools across India

Aims to build at least 20 more in the coming year

·         Shiksha impacted lives of 150,0001 children till 2010, aims to take number to 200,000 [1] in 2011

·         Rani Mukherjee extends support to Shiksha and to a Shiksha school in the state of West Bengal

·         Consumers can contribute towards education by contributing ‘shampoo-by-shampoo’, ‘detergent-by-detergent’ by buying P&G products and help build schools ‘brick-by-brick’

Mumbai: In India, just 54%[2] of all children in the age group 11-14 years are enrolled in schools and 50%[3] of those who do enroll in class I drop out by class VII. Moreover, 47% [4] of India’s habitation does not even HAVE a primary school. We all hear alarming facts like these often and feel the urge to contribute within our means. P&G’s signature CSR Program “Shiksha” understands this national concern, and gives consumers a simple yet powerful way to participate in building India’s educational future. Every time a consumer buys P&G products such as Tide, Ariel, Pampers, Whisper, Olay, Vicks, Gillette Oral-B, Head & Shoulders, Pantene and Duracell in the month of April, May & June, Shiksha contributes a portion of the proceeds towards children’s education. Now in its 7^th year, Shiksha is back with an even stronger commitment - to take its current impact of 150,0001 children to the 200,000 mark. In 2010, Shiksha RTan building over 20 schools all across India, supported 100+ existing schools and aims to build at-least 20 more in the coming year.  This year, Bollywood megastar Rani Mukherji came on-board to extend her selfless support to Shiksha, encouraging consumers to help Shiksha lead more and more on the path to education. Rani was delighted to hear that Shiksha is also building a school in the state of West Bengal and helped build a model for a play-school that will be presented to the children at RTI Shiksha Begampur High School. At the Shiksha launch event Rani said “It’s truly commendable that with your support, Shiksha has been able to impact 150,000 children and begun building 20 schools across India. I am proud to be associated with Shiksha and felt very happy to be creating this playschool that will be built for the children at RTI Shiksha Begampur High School, West Bengal. I urge you to remember that the next time you walk into a store to shop for something basic like a shampoo, a toothbrush or a detergent - you can help educate a lesser-privileged child by making a simple brand choice”  

Present at the launch, Sharat Verma, Marketing Manager, P&G India said, ‘‘Shiksha is not just an initiative, but a passion that we as an organization strongly believe in. After touching the lives of 150,000 children, we are now helping build the future of India’s children “Brick by Brick” by building 20 schools this year and an aim to build another 20 in the coming year and take Shiksha’s impact to 200,000 children. After all, “Padhega India, tabhi toh Badhega India”

Shiksha has been successful in impacting 150,000 children thus far, in association with leading NGOs - Round Table India (RTI), Child Rights and You (CRY), Navy Wives Welfare Association (NWWA), Army Wives Welfare Association (AWWA) amongst others. NGO Round Table India is spearheading the identification, establishment, completion and maintenance of RTI Shiksha School projects in the country as a joint partner bringing onboard expertise in building schools as well as contribution towards funds.

P&G brands Tide, Ariel, Pampers, Whisper, Olay, Vicks, Gillette Oral-B, Head & Shoulders, Pantene and Duracell, contribute to Shiksha in the months of April, May and June. Shiksha channelizes a part of the proceeds from these sales towards educating underprivileged children. Irrespective of sales, P&G will commit a minimum of Rs 1 crore towards the donation funds of Shiksha every year. With a motto of ‘Padhega India, Badhega India’ - Shiksha believes that the secret to a brighter India lies in the quality education of our children.

Shiksha is an integral part of P&G's global philanthropy program - Live, Learn & Thrive - focused on the development of children in need across the globe, currently reaching over 50 million children. Launched in 2004, Shiksha has grown immensely and is today a National Consumer Movement with strong support from consumers. This year, P&G, through Shiksha will build more than 20 schools across the nation to give more children the invaluable gift of education with a focus to build more schools in the years to come.  

• To know more visit: http://www.pgimprovinglife.com/shiksha/
• Follow Shiksha on twitter http://twitter.com/#!/shikshaindia
• Use the Shiksha Facebook application to express your support: http://apps.facebook.com/shikshaindia/
• View Shiskha videos on http://www.youtube.com/shikshaindia

For further details please contact

Atul Malikram

9827092823

Tusshar gets steamy in 'Shor'

Tusshar gets steamy in 'Shor'

Tusshar Kapoor is no more the shy, demure guy he once was. He has a steamy scene in Shor In The City and will indulge in lovemaking scenes in Milan Luthria's Dirty Picture too.

Kapoor muses, "The track in question Saibo is from SITC. It is a soft romantic ballad, picturised on a married couple Radhika (Apte) and me. It's a romantic scene between a middle-class husband and wife living in a chawl that leads to lovemaking. I play a reformed gangster and she's a catalyst in reforming me."

The songs sees Tusshar unhook Radhika's blouse and then watching her undress. "I wasn't embarrassed at all," he says, "I am pro at such scenes now! In fact, my scenes in Dirty Picture are far steamier."

Rehearsed shots

The actor has been linked to his SITC co-star. Maybe the off-screen closeness helped? "Yes, being with Radhika helped a lot. She wanted to rehearse and we would chat a lot while off the sets."

Will he be able to watch the hot scenes with his parents? "My parents have become shock-proof after Kya Kool Hai Hum.

They can't get embarrassed anymore. Saibo is a soft, poetic song and I'm not worried about watching it with my parents."

For further information contact:
Atul Malikram
9827092823
pr@atulmalikram.in

Aamir Ali goes bananas!!!

Aamir Ali goes bananas!!!

This is exactly what the latest inspector on SAB TV’s FIR had to say when we found out that he had to eat a whole bunch of bananas and paan on his very first day itself at work for a shot!

For his first scene of the show, Aamir Ali was to make an entry in his typical character style, eating bananas and paan. But it so happened that he has to take many retakes to ensure the shot was perfect. By the time the perfect shot was taken our Bajrang Pandey, aka Aamir Ali, who otherwise is a foodie, was completely put off by the sight of bananas and paan. The other cast and crew on the sets, though could empathize with him, found it rather hilarious and now they tease him by offering him bananas for lunch each day.

Said Aamir Ali, aka Bajrang Pandey, “It was my first day of shoot and it required me to eat a whole lot of bananas and paan continuously. Initially I thought it will be an easy task as I am very fond of food. But little did I know that I will have to do innumerable re-takes and by end of every take I will be a few bananas down. It was hilarious how everyone at home, thought I was dieting, but I was actually too full and couldn’t even drink water. But now when I look at the final shot, all the continuous eating was worth it!”

Hope all the bananas and paans haven’t messed up your perfect chiseled body.   

Keep watching FIR on SAB TV every Monday – Friday at 10.30 PM

For further information contact:

Atul Malikram

9827092823

pr@atulmalikram.in

Force India Launches Force India F1 Team Academy

Force India Launches Force India F1 Team Academy

Kicks Off ‘Hunt for 1 from a Billion’ Indian F1 Driver in Partnership With ExxonMobil

Bengaluru: Force India Formula One Team, India’s first and only F1 team, today announced the launch of the Force India F1 Team Academy- an initiative aimed at identifying racing talent in India and providing vocational and academic training for young Indians aspiring to a serious professional career in motorsports.

The Force India F1 Team Academy has been set up as a separate, not-for-profit entity based in India and will devote itself to three key areas organized in the following verticals:-

·         Talent Vertical- Identifying and nurturing racing talent in India

·         Vocational Training Vertical - Providing vocational training for a career in motor sport or related industries

·         Academic Programmes Vertical - Providing specialised academic courses/programmes related to the field of motorsports

Commenting on the unveiling of the Academy, Dr. Vijay Mallya, Chairman & Team Principal, Force India Formula One Team said: “The setting up of the Force India F1 Team Academy is a historic milestone in the sports arena in India especially since it marks the first time ever that anyone has embarked on such an ambitious programme to create a pool of talent and groom aspirants who show exceptional promise by providing them the necessary corporate funding and support backed with a crystal-clear professional career path in motorsport so that one day, they can go on to represent India in the international arena and hopefully bring glory to the nation”.

In the first year, the Academy’s predominant focus will be on unearthing and discovering racing talent while the initiatives in the other two focus areas will be rolled out in a phased manner over the next 12 months. The Force India F1 Team Academy is funded by Force India F1 and supported by its corporate partners.

On April 25, 2011, the Academy will launch its first comprehensive initiative, the ‘Hunt for 1 from a Billion, to identify and groom a future racing star from India.

“The Force India F1 Team Academy was conceived with a vision to inspire young Indians who have talent but so far have had no proper opportunity or serious platform to showcase their innate abilities. I hope that this Academy will give young Indians who have the necessary passion and drive, a serious chance to show promise and an opportunity to excel, so that we can then develop their talent and grow it by channelling it properly over the long term. If the Academy is able to place even one Indian on the F1 grid then all the effort would have been well worth it when our national anthem is played out for a victorious graduate of Academy. I would like to thank our partners Exxon Mobil for sharing our  vision and for joining hands with us as we together groom future F1 world champions and support  them on every step of the long and winding journey that will ultimately prepare them for the rigours and demands of F1”, added Dr. Mallya.

The three-stage programme of the Hunt comprises:-

·         “Hunt for 1 from a Billion” – This is a grassroots initiative aimed at identifying racing talent via a karting programme in India. In the  first stage of the Hunt, the Academy will conduct:-

o   Regional Trials in 7 cities across India where hundreds of aspirants can practise karting at subsidized rates and participate in selection rounds, all spread over a week in each city. 14 finalists will then get selected from each city and go on to the next level.

o   National Final – 100 finalists (14 from each of the seven cities and two wild card entries) will compete against each other in September 2011 to win a place among 10 finalists who then move on to the next level of the programme.

o   The driver hunt is proposed to be held every two years

·         Silverstone Finale   -

o   From October 3 to October 8, 2011, ten finalists from the National Final will go on to do a week-long intensive stint at Silverstone, UK comprising sessions on driver tuition on Dmax Karts, a day at the Porsche Human Performance Centre to assess and develop fitness for motorsports, media training with Goodman Media, two full days at the Silverstone F1 circuit with sessions on safety, car control training, driver assessment, and race procedure briefing. The ten selected drivers will complete their Silverstone experience with a race in Formula Silverstone cars.  At the end of the intensive hands-on week, an expert panel will pick three winners on the basis of a holistic assessment of their multiple capabilities and proficiency in requisite areas. The three winners will be announced in India around the time of the Grand Prix of India in October 2011.

·         Future Champions Programme

o   The  three  winners of the Silverstone Finale  will be groomed as follows in 2012 and beyond:-

§  The winner will be put through a full season of racing in a competitive championship in the United Kingdom.

§  The first runner up will go on to do a full season of racing in a competitive championship in India.

§  The second runner up will go on to receive special racing tuitions in an Asian racing school

The Academy will fully support the winner over the next three years and a career path will be drawn out, depending on the progress made in 2012. The intent is to groom the winner through various stages leading up to a point where the winner is qualified and ready to apply for a super license from the FIA to drive in Formula 1.

Mr. Raymond Wong, CEO, ExxonMobil Lubricants Pvt. Ltd. commented: “We are delighted to have broadened our Formula 1 involvement with the launch of Force India Formula One Team Academy. Our partnership with the Force India Formula One Team Academy reaffirms our commitment to supporting the sport of Formula 1 worldwide. We would like to thank Dr. Vijay Mallya for this great opportunity, we are working closely with him and are looking forward to play an important  part in giving aspiring Formula 1 drivers a chance to achieve their dreams; inspire others to dream big, and go on to be the best of the best.”

For more details about the Hunt, please visit www.onefromabillion.com

Schedule ‘Hunt For 1 From A Billion’ 2011

City	Venue	Practise Rounds	Regional Trials	Announcement of Finalists of Regional Trials
Mumbai	Hakone, Powai	April 25, 26	April 27-May 1	May 1
Goa	Go-A-Kart, Margao	May 2,3	May 4-8	May 8
Kolhapur	Mohite’s Racing Academy, Tamgaon	May 9,10	May 11-15	May 15
Bangalore	Torque03 Karting Track, Marathahalli	May 16, 17	May 18-22	May 22
Hyderabad	Kart Kave, Bund Road	May 23, 24	May 25-29	May 29
Chennai	Kart Attack , ECR, Akkarai	May 30, 31	June 1-5	June 5
Amritsar	G-Force Karting Rainbow Resorts, Attari Border Highway	June 6, 7	June 8-12	June 12

For further information contact:

Atul Malikram

9827092823

pr@atulmalikram.in