Services

With operations across Bangalore, Hyderabad and Chennai, DivyaSree Developers holds a significant role in South Indias real-estate landscape. With notable developments ranging from IT Parks, residential developments, infrastructure projects, DivyaSree has cemented its place as one of Indias leading real-estate developers. DivyaSree has won numerous accolades over the years for the high quality of their projects. DivyaSree was also named Luxury developer of the year in 2016 and won the Quality Construction Award in 2018, along with numerous other awards for 77 Place & 77 East. The advantages to having the largest town centre within the city limits are that, major business hubs & corporate offices are located close by, making the commute easier, lessening travel time and more. 77°Place Ever dreamed of living in a community that houses everything that makes Bangalore great, without the added hassles? 77 Place is a community within a community. The benefit? You wont have to deal with traffic, overcrowding in your favourite places. 77 Place, part of the master-planned 77 Town Centre features every convenience within easy reach. Set in a prime location, 77 Place is centrally located to everything a modern lifestyle demands. As part of the only town centre within city limits, 77 place is within easy reach of major business hubs, entertainment centres, healthcare facilities and more. 77 Place features luxury apartments with a 370 resident capacity. The project features 9 different home variants and a slew of amenities, making it a great place to live. The 55,000 sft clubhouse is exclusive for the residents of 77 town centre. Town Centre Club has plenty to offer as well, with sports amenities, relaxation spaces, and entertainment facilities, just to name a few. Its rare for a project within the city to offer such a high level of comfort and security, and a vast array of amenities, with all the benefits of a gated community. The project features a multi-purpose hall with a basketball court, badminton courts, a stage with green rooms, squash courts, a senior citizens lounge as well as a childrens activity/tuition room. A semi-Olympic size temperature-controlled swimming pool, a mid-sized Cineplex, a gym and a sports lounge are just the tip of the iceberg, with plenty more outdoor amenities such as a pet park, Spa, jogging track and lawns. 77 Place comprises of luxury apartments ranging from 1850-4600 sft. in 3 & 4 BHK configurations and is nearing completion. Website- www.77place.co.in email- life@77place.co.in phone - 1800 200 6622 77°East Choices are everything. So, if you had to choose, how about a home that is the best choice in luxury living? A home that has plenty of amenities that spoil you for choice too? 77 East is a luxury villa project almost beyond comparison. 85 luxury villas ready for interiors, available in a decor of your choice. As part of a 72-acre residential township, its a world apart from the rest of the city, yet close enough for easy access to entertainment hotspots, healthcare, education, shopping and more. As an experience, 77 East comes with best-in-class design and infrastructure coming together for a home to be envied. Built on the concept of liveable luxury, 77 East comes with best-in-class furnishings from flooring to finishing. Specifications include natural stone, engineered & imported marble flooring, engineered wood finishes, premium vitrified tiles, Italian Marble, high-end bath & sanitary fittings as well as an elevator and high-quality electrical fittings. 77 East has netted DivyaSree Developers numerous awards, including the recent Best Luxury Villa Project of the Year at the Times Business Awards 2018. Previous awards include Luxury project of the year - South at the Franchise India Estate Awards, 2017, and the Luxury villa project of the Year at the NDTV Property Awards in 2016. The 3.1 acre bespoke iridium club is a classic example of applied luxury, exuding a sense of grandeur with amenities to match. An exclusive spa built for residents, a single-malt lounge and a cigar lounge for those with discerning tastes, a pool-deck and bar for casual gatherings and a party hall for the highly social are just a few of the numerous amenities. Sports amenities ranging from basketball, golf, tennis, beach volleyball, squash and cricket, to name just a few. 77 East is also highly secure, with biometric door locks, RFID enabled access and CCTV cameras covering the neighbourhood, meaning you never have to worry about the safety of you and your loved ones. 77 East is located off Old Airport Road, close to the heart of Bangalore. With villas ranging from 4799-6202 sft., you will never want for space in a 77 East home. The project has been completed and the O.C received. Website- www.77east.co.in email- life@77east.co.in phone - 1800 200 6622

Embassy Manyata is home to over 54 corporates and one of the largest occupied business parks in the country. Ideally located on the Outer Ring Road, it is one of the only operational integrated project near Kempegowda International Airport. Over 100,000 professionals are employed at this fully equipped working environment that offers world-class facilities and amenities including a multi-vendor food court, day care centres, shuttle bus services and more. Embassy Office Parks is well aware of their responsibility towards the environment. The company is committed to building sustainable parks and undertaking various transformative community service initiatives. Embassy Services which manages the operations at Embassy Manyata Business Park has incorporated the finest environment friendly features including sustainable transportation, energy management, water conservation as well as waste management. RECOGNITION: Awarded the Platinum Green Campus certification, the highest green building rating by Indian Green Building Council Recognised with the Sword of Honour title, the highest award for workplace safety by the British Safety Council in 2017 in UK KEY SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVES: Green Rider, the Carpooling Initiative launched in 2017 encourages reduction of vehicular pollution and traffic. 20% of the 1 lakh employees at Embassy Manyata Business Park are registered carpoolers. Since the launch of this program, over 51,000 rides converting to 8.14 lakh km have been covered through carpooling. This converts to a reduction of 190 tons of CO2 and other greenhouse gases released into the environment which would require atleast 5000+ trees to offset. Cycles provided for use within the park to ensure a green and easy commute Embassy Manyata has a 450 kW Solar power plant, of which 105 kW is currently operational, to help reduce overall grid energy usage As part of the Urban Green Initiative, 350+ designated plots of 16-30 sq.ft. have been allocated to 1500+ employees who indulge in farming and take home their produce Rainwater harvesting, vermicomposting and water recycling are also initiatives towards a sustainable environment Treated water from Sewage Treatment Plants is reused 140 tons of landscape waste has been processed through vermicomposting to produce manure for use in the park Waste segregation bins are placed across the campus with explanatory signages for wet, dry and plastic waste Organic waste converter that yields organic manure has been implemented Food court vendors are encouraged to refrain from usage of plastic in food courts. A plastic crushing machine is also installed. Embassy Manyata curates a series of events and activities annually, aligned to the UN theme for World Environment Day, to give employees a chance to connect with nature through activities like tree plantation drives, organic and eco-friendly flea markets, wealth from waste workshops, sapling distribution and more. Embassy Manyata has been conceptualised to be an exemplary business park, which will act as a benchmark for others in the country. Understanding past requirements, current necessities and future needs, the one of its kind project is set to continue earning recognition for its exclusively designed commercial spaces.

The Embassy Group believes the good life isn't a destination, but a journey. That journey takes an extraordinary turn at the Embassy Boulevard. Designed by the award-winning Andy Fisher Workshop, this 51 acre gated community hosts 170 villas that present a new level of luxury amidst green spaces. The BLVD Club is Bangalores first members-only luxury club spread over 1,00,000 sq ft amidst a vibrant and stimulating environment. This is where you can get together or take a break a all in the luxury and comfort of a private space. Rare privileges such as membership to Quintessentially - the global concierge and preferential memberships to the Embassy International Riding school raise the luxury bar. Life at Embassy Boulevard has been crafted for a niche community of the like-minded who appreciate nothing less than the extraordinary. The villas are ready-to-occupy and many are home to the cream of society, NRIs and Expats. Whether you seek an exceptional residence or investment, Embassy Boulevard welcomes you to where you belong. FEATURES: GOLDEN TRIANGLE Be among an elite circle in the golden triangle between the International Airport, Embassy Stonehill International school and the CBD. Embassy Boulevard lets you access these points effortlessly. VILLA EXCLUSIVES All villas are centrally air-conditioned with VRV system and feature double height ceiling. The villas come with a heated private pool, private elevator and outdoor barbeque space. HOME AUTOMATION AND SECURITY SYSTEMS Smart home automation linked with high-end security systems, encompassing intruder alarm, motion detectors, gas leak detectors, video door phones and a network of 32 CCTVs across the community, ensure a secure world. PREFERENTIAL ADMISSION Wards of the residents get preferential admission to Stonehill International School and Embassy International Riding School. ASSET MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS As an address sought after by Expats and corporate executives, Embassy Boulevard promises the highest rental returns with zero risk in North Bangalore. You can count on the dedicated asset management team to provide comprehensive rental or resale assistance. PROPERTY MANAGEMENT Superior property management by Embassy services will ensure the continuous enhancement of capital and rental values. 'WAYS' - World at your service, is an app-driven offering by Embassy Services that provides intuitive, comprehensive villa maintenance services customized to the needs of the residents. BESPOKE IN-HOUSE INTERIOR SOLUTIONS A dedicated Interior Management team will work closely with you to understand your preferences and translate your desires into spaces that reflect your evolved taste. CONCIERGE SERVICES Count on Quintessentially, the London-based global concierge service to put the world at your command. Your wish is their command

The Embassy ONE development consists of three iconic buildings, with the hotel and private residences located in the North and South Towers, and the third building housing the office and retail space. The 230-room hotel, designed by hks architects and studio u+a, will be located in the south tower of the development, with the 105 private residences occupying the upper floors of the south tower as well as all 30 floors of the north tower. Four Seasons Bengaluru and Embassy ONE will be home to the first Four Seasons Private Residences in the country and the first Four Seasons Hotel in South India. The development is also supported by luxury retail at Central Plaza and bespoke offices at Pinnacle. Four Seasons Hotel will host six expansive dining outlets, with a 24-hour restaurant, a lobby lounge and bar, a pool bar and an Asian brasserie and bar, designed by LW Design Group. Guests and residents alike can enjoy a spa and salon, fitness centre, and meeting and event spaces. Landscape architects P Landscape (PLA) will create a tranquil outdoor oasis, featuring a pool and waterfall, butterfly garden and ribbon lawn, conveniently located between the North and South Towers, yet quietly secluded from the surrounding city. The property will be the second Four Seasons hotel in India, complementing the Four Seasons Hotel Mumbai, less than two hours away by flight. Four Seasons Private Residences, Indias first private residences will be situated across twin 30-storey towers at the centre of Embassy One. With modern interiors imagined by designer Yabu Pushelberg and acres of manicured gardens, the residences are the perfect refuge for those seeking tranquillity in Bengaluru and will be the newest destination landmark in the city.

Embassy Group has embarked on a new smart lifestyle project with the launch of Embassy Edge, an integral part of Embassy Springs Bangalores biggest and best-planned, self-sustained city . With this, Embassy Group has entered into a new housing segment after making its mark in the luxury category of properties. Embassy Edge is recently launched project and with its futuristic features, strategic location in North Bangalore, large expansive space within a community makes it a sound investment opportunity for the aspirational home buyers and millennials who view technology as an enhancement to daily life. Strategically located 4Kms before the Airport Toll Plaza , this newly launched project comprises of 1 BHK, 2 BHK, 2.5 BHK and 3 BHK apartments that range from 607 sq ft. to 1406 sq ft. with price range starting from Rs. 36 lakhs onwards. Each unit is functionally planned with well-designed layouts that ensure the optimum usage of space and an uninterrupted view of the landscaped gardens. Embassy Edge is targeted towards the first time homebuyers. Spread across 36 acres, the Phase 1 of Embassy Edge will offer homebuyers 800+ apartments spread across 5 towers in 12 acres. Aptly following the ethos of LIVE SMARTER , Embassy Edge homes come with a host of attractive features that blends modern efficiency with timeless beauty SMART LOCATION : Location 4 Km before toll plaza With over 150 companies in North Bangalore, job opportunities are expected to reach 2.5 million in coming years Surrounding by well-developed infrastructure including healthcare , education and recreation Nestled within Embassy Springs, a short walk away from the proposed school , hospital and commercial spaces of the self- sustained city SMART LOCATION : Belong to an active community where people persue their interests with the Embassy Edge Community Program Enjoy over 100 plus amenities and beautiful parks at Embassy Springs with likeminded neighbours SMART TECHNOLOGY : For the first time in India, Alexa enabled Smart Homes With Amazon Echo smart speakers, operate appliances, pay utility bills and control your home with just your voice An end to end online home booking solution SMART DESIGN : Efficiently designed storage niches to maximise living space Wider windows for ample light and ventilation Smartly planned tower placements, so that no two homes face each other 82% open space SMART PRICING : Pay the all-inclusive price as , no hidden costs or charges Considering the rapid price increase in north Bangalore , an exceptional investment opportunity

The much-anticipated hiring numbers by TimesJobs are out. After witnessing muted growth in hiring, the month of July finally brought some cheer for job seekers. July 2018 saw highest growth (16%) in recruitment activities in a month-on-month analysis, making it the best month from employment generation perspective in 2018! All key industries and job roles showed a major upswing in talent demand in July 2018. Aug 4, 2018, New Delhi: Hiring activities in July 2018 saw an uptick with a 16% increase in talent demand, making July the best month for recruitment as compared to last six months of 2018, as revealed by TimesJobs RecruiteX a€“ a monthly hiring report. The RecruiteX August 2018 report observes that demand for talent in the BPO industry topped the chart reporting 14% growth in demand for talent in July 2018.Similar growth was also witnessed in sectors such as IT/Telecom, Healthcare, Petrochemicals/Oil and Gas/Power and the Manufacturing industry where hiring numbers showed growth in July 2018 over the preceding month. Demand for Petrochemicals/Oil and Gas/ Power professionals posted 13% hike in month-on-month comparison. Chennai recorded the highest demand for talent among other key locations in India. Tier II cities like Indore too performed well in July 2018 when compared with June 2018. Mumbai, which registered a low demand in hiring last month, witnessed a rise of 12% in talent demand. Among Indian states, Assam posted the highest rise in demand for talent. Among the experience levels, most jobs were available during the month for candidates with an experience of 10-20 years. Hiring sentiment gained maximum momentum for professionals with experience of 5-10 years. "InJuly 2018, the hiring numbers rose by 16% in the Indian job market after recording subdued growth in the first six months of 2018. In fact, the last major spike in hiring was noticed in April 2017, but the numbers were subtle as compared to July 2018. The bulk of talent demand came from Manufacturing, Petrochemicals, Oil and Gas, Power and BFSI sectors. Going by the trends from RecruiteX editions from previous years and a good sense of the job market we expect hiring activity to sustain the same growth in the coming months too," said Ramathreya Krishnamurthy, Business Head, TimesJobs and TechGig. Top hiring industries a€¢ BPO industry registered 18% rise in hiring a€¢ Projects and Infrastructure sector posted 16% rise in talent demand a€¢ Petrochemicals/ Oil and Gas/ Power sector saw 13% rise in talent demand Top hiring cities a€¢ Among top ten locations, Chennai reported more than 30% rise in demand a€¢ Chandigarh posted 40% rise in talent demand a€¢ Indore saw 36% rise in talent demand during the month Top job roles a€¢ HR professionals reported 28% rise in demand a€¢ Engineering profiles saw a 24% rise in demand a€¢ Customer Service/Tele-calling professionals witnessed 24% rise in demand About TimesJobs: TimesJobs is a platform to help competent professionals enhance their career growth. With over 25 million registered jobseekers across the board and more than 60 million-page views every month, it is the most preferred career portal among ambitious and talented professionals who want to make smarter career decisions that accelerate their career progression.

JobBuzz Workplace2025 Conclave Brings Together India's Top Business Leaders to Envision Tech Disruptions at Work Spheres  As technology is making quick inroads into workplaces, JobBuzz organised its maiden conclave to discuss and outline the changes that will alter workplaces. This event was attended by 8 CEOs, 24 CHROs, 15 CTOs, 7 business case presenters, 3 spiritual speakers, 1 motivational guru, 1 robot and 400+ business leaders! Read on… Technology is the beacon of fourth industrial revolution. Everything that is fast paced and tech-led will be the future in its respective domain. Accordingly, workplaces are expected to change. The nature of jobs, the scope of work, present job profiles, the mode of work and work culture - everything is bound to change.  To raise an industry dialogue on these disruptions, JobBuzz - an employer rating and review website from TimesJobs - recently organised one-day long HR conclave titled 'JobBuzz Workplace2025: Technology, Talent and Transformation Conclave 2018' powered by Times Internet Limited. The recently concluded event at New Delhi's Taj Palace hotel, witnessed the confluence of India's top CEOs, CTOs, CHROs and business leaders.  The day began with an exclusive CEO roundtable where India's top leaders discussed 'The Evolution of Work: New Realities Facing Today's Leaders'. This session was anchored by Gautam Sinha, CEO, Times Internet. After this session, Satyan Gajwani, Vice Chairman of Times Internet formally inaugurated the event via video message and welcomed all delegates.  This was followed by a welcome address by Gautam Sinha. In his speech Gautam Sinha hailed the use of technology and said, "New digital and communication technologies are eliminating the conventional ways of working. The transformations that surfaced in 50 years, are now merely taking five years owing to the technological advancements. It is imperative for every individual and organization to prepare for the age of compressed timelines".  Post his speech, Gautam Sinha was joined by Mitra Robot, the humanoid bot known for performing various workplace chores, for a brief dialogue on jobs done by bots. After this, Sister Shivani from Brahma Kumaris delivered the opening address on 'Managing Stress and Mental Wellness at Workplace: Tips for Mobile Ready World'.  Soon after, a series of panel discussions featuring CHROs of top Indian companies ensued throughout the day. Alongside, the event hosted two CTO panel discussions and a tech breakout session anchored by Jagdish Mitra, Chief Strategy and Marketing Officer at Tech Mahindra. All details on panel discussions are available @ https://jobbuzz.timesjobs.com/workplace2025 Highlighting the digital transformation at workplaces, Sanjay Goyal, Vice President & Head of Product, Technology, TimesJobs, TechGig and JobBuzz said, "Workplaces are rapidly turning to technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, data science and chatbots to make their work easier. This phenomenon is only going to increase in the coming years. The only way to make the most of this technology-led future is to remain ahead of the learning and adoption curve." He also complimented all the panelists for sharing intrinsic insights on the adoption of technology in their organisations, their challenges and frank discussions on possible solutions as well.       While explaining the Gig Economy and its boon, Ramathreya Krishnamurthi, Business Head, TimesJobs, TechGig and JobBuzz said, "Hiring a skilled freelancer from any location and making payments through secured means are some of the things that the technology has enabled us to do. With further tech-innovations and advancements, Gig Economy will surely witness a boost and that will be yet another revolution in the way people work and organisations get work done." The event concluded with a glitzy awards night where best new-age workplaces were felicitated based on the employee reviews posted on JobBuzz.  Different organisations were honored under 11 award categories. Find below the details:  Best New-Age HR Practices: 1st Place: Cisco Systems  Runners-up: Johnson & Johnson  Best New-Age Employer for Employee Engagement Practices: 1st Place: Philips India  Runners-up: Microsoft India  Best New-Age Employer for Innovative Talent Management & Succession Planning: 1st Place: Dr. Reddy's Laboratories  Runners-up: Ernst & Young  Best New-Age Employer for Work-Life Balance: 1st Place: IBM India  Runners-up: CGI  Best New-Age Employer for Work Culture: 1st Place: Hewlett-Packard  Runners-up: Oracle  Best New-Age Employer for Career Growth:  1st Place: Lupin Pharmaceuticals  Runners-up: Hindustan Construction Company  Best New-Age Employer Branding Campaign:  1st Place: Amazon India  Runners-up: Accenture  Best New-Age Employer in Conglomerates: 1st Place: Tata Group  Runners-up: ITC Group Best Innovation in Recruitment: 1st Place: Capgemini India  Runners-up: Just Dial  Excellence in HR Through Technology: 1st Place: IBM India  Runners-up: Bajaj Allianz General Insurance  Best New-Age Employer: 1st Place: Tata Consultancy Services  Runners-up: Google India  The conclave witnessed 400+ delegates, 300+ companies, and a plenitude of industry experts, who apart from learning and exploring how technological advancements will impact workplaces in year 2025, also leveraged the event to expand their networking circle. 

The JobBuzz Workplace Index for May 2018 identified Consumer Durables, FMCG and Automobiles as top three best sectors to work for. This index is based on the ratings and reviews posted by Indian employees on JobBuzz. Here's more… May 17, 2018, New Delhi: Consumer Durables toppled Automobiles to become the best sector to work for in May 2018 on the JobBuzz Workplace Index. Automobiles was on top in April 2018 and got pushed to the third spot in the May edition of JobBuzz Workplace Index - a monthly tally of workplaces and sectors based on the ratings and reviews provided by Indian employees on the website.  Consumer Durables has been in the news over the past few months due to its growth statistics. Alongside its business growth, the employees working here hail it for career growth prospective, salary offering, work-life balance and work culture. That pushed this sector to grab the first position at the workplace index.  This month, Automobiles sector ranked third on the workplace index. The Consumer Durables and FMCG sector were highly rated for their workplace culture. Hospitality and Pharmaceuticals sectors were rated at par for the career growth opportunities they offer.  Sanjay Goyal, Head of Product and Technology, TimesJobs, JobBuzz and TechGig attributed this to the overall growth and positive sentiment for the sector. "The effects of demonetisation and GST are wearing away and Consumer Durables sector is back on the track. The sector is witnessing a positive sentiment and that is constantly pushing the demand for talent as well. The sector has been able to match the expectations of its workforce even with a large number of people joining it every year. It is indeed setting up a benchmark for other sectors to take a clue and create policies to build an engaged workforce," said Sanjay Goyal. It is worth noting here that consumer durables scored on top of all other sectors in all concrete factors like work culture, work-life balance, career growth and salary benchmarks. The overall scores for May 2018 looked like this -  1. Consumer Durables 2. FMCG 3. Automobiles 4. Hospitality 5. Pharmaceuticals 6. Manufacturing 7. BFSI 8. Retail 9. IT 10. Telecom DOWNLOAD THE MAY 2018 EDITION OF JOBBUZZ WORKPLACE INDEX HERE 

Recruitment activities have been on an upswing since last few months, and April 2018 too ended with an overall growth of 3%, with business management profiles being most in demand. Both Bengaluru and Pune recorded a steep rise of 14% in the talent demand. May 11, 2018, New Delhi: Talent demand remained positive in April 2018 as the month ended with 3% hike in recruitment activities as compared to March 2018. RecruiteX, the monthly recruitment index by TimesJobs, noted that hiring sentiment was positive at India Inc. in April 2018 with construction and real estate being the top hiring sectors. The April 2018 edition of RecruiteX posted a moderate 3% rise in the overall talent demand across India, which is in-line with the positive hiring momentum of 8% recorded in March 2018. Among key functional areas, professionals belonging to business management/ consulting domain, hospitality, logistics and BFSI reported a significant rise in talent demand. IT/Telecom and engineering profiles too witnessed a notable rise in demand. Among key locations, Bengaluru and Pune posted a maximum rise (14%) in hiring activities. Whereas, Chennai witnessed a rise of 11% in the talent demand. Ahmedabad and Indore were the top hiring tier II locations. Industry-wise analysis: Real estate registers 7% rise in hiring As talent demand reported rise across most key industry segments, real estate and construction drove most hiring activities in April 2018 with a rise of 7% and 6% respectively. Logistics posted an increase of 4% in the talent demand. "Overall, the first quarter of 2018 (Jan-Mar 2018) saw a positive hiring momentum and this trend has continued in April as well. In April, construction and related sectors are the biggest contributors to spike in recruitment activities. The union government is aggressively pushing many mammoth infrastructure projects, and that is causing a spiraling effect on the construction and related sectors. These sectors are witnessing a positive thrust and are hence back on hiring spree. We are hopeful that this trend will continue for some more time in the recruitment segment", said Ramathreya Krishnamurthi, Business Head, TimesJobs & TechGig. Business management and consultants in demand In April 2018, talent demand grew across all key functional areas. Business management and consultants witnessed a rise of 21% during the month, followed by hospitality and logistics professionals which witnessed 12% and 11% respectively on month-on-month analysis. Bengaluru records the highest demand Among key locations, Bengaluru and Pune posted a maximum rise (14%) in demand. Whereas, Chennai witnessed a rise of 11% in the talent demand. Ahmedabad and Indore were the top hiring tier II locations. Among states, Maharashtra (except Mumbai and Pune) posted 5% rise in the talent demand. Professionals with over 20 years of experience lead demand Hiring gained momentum for experienced professionals, while it dropped for freshers. Candidates with over 20 years of experience posted the highest rise of 10% in talent demand in April 2018. Professionals with 2-5 years and 5-10 years of experience posted a rise of 8% and 5% each. Key highlights of the report are: • Top hiring sectors Real estate Construction Logistics • Top hiring locations Bengaluru Pune Hyderabad • Top hiring profiles Business management/consultants Hospitality Logistics Complete report is available at https://bit.ly/2Iph94m

60% of the 660 professionals surveyed - research an organization before accepting their job offer. Further 35% of them rely on company review sites to do this research about the company, reveals JobBuzz.   Today’s professionals no longer look for jobs, they are looking for career development and long-term growth. With a host of information channels available to them, they carefully review any job opportunity by scanning company reviews to assess the reputation of the organization and the career growth offered.   Most professionals research companies online   In a recent study conducted by the recently revamped JobBuzz, (a company rating platform powered by TimesJobs) the clear majority of working professionals agreed that whether one is at the beginning of job search, preparing for an interview or contemplating a job offer, being armed with information about the prospective company is in one’s best interest. Among the 660 working professionals who participated in the study 60% of working admitted to checking up on the company before accepting a job offer.   Over 35% of professionals rely on company review platforms to check out and research a prospective company. About 30% them use web search and scan through articles, stories, media mentions and Wikipedia to gather insights about the organization they are looking to work with.   About 19% of the surveyed professionals rely on word-of-mouth to get an understanding about the work culture, leadership and other aspects of the organization and 16% scan the company website for relevant information.   “The quality of talent an organization is able to attract and retain is crucial to its success in today’s highly competitive environment. TimesJobs’ study clearly shows that companies that are active on employer review sites are able to engage with top talent and build their reputation as one of the best places to work – giving them the critical edge as an employer of choice,” says Nilanjan Roy, Head of Strategy, Times Business Solutions.   Company Reviews help assess organizations candidly   Emphasizing the importance of company review platforms 35% professionals say that they could assess the company comprehensively - across multiple parameters. Nearly 30% feel they are a big benefit when you are unsure of which company to select, since they give you a lot of information and provide suggestions. Another 15% say they do not rely on only on company reviews, but seek out other sources as well while making career decisions. Interestingly 20% professionals felt that most reviews on such websites were planted or fake.   However, the significance of having a good number of positive reviews on a company rating website must not be discounted. This is further supported by the fact that 25% of professionals use company rating websites every time they get a job offer. About 45% say they use it sometimes, when they are not very knowledgeable about the company, while 20% say they rarely use it and 10% say they access other sources for company information. Incidentally besides reading reviews about future employers nearly 70% professionals also say that they also post their own reviews about their current & previous organizations.   Company Culture is the most important factor   TimesJobs Study also revealed the checklist of parameters on which professionals use to assess a potential employer. Among the factors mentioned, company culture is the most crucial factor for almost 40% professionals, for 35% of them work-life balance is their focus while checking company reviews. Nearly 30% professionals say salary scales are of high importance for them. Rewards and recognition is a decisive factor for another 30% professionals and 25% look at the learning & development opportunities critically.   Reviews impact Employee Perceptions   The impact of company reviews on a professional’s decision can be gauged by the fact that 90% of the surveyed professionals’ perceptions had been altered after reading a company review. For 50% professionals, it had positively impacted their decision to take up the job at a specific company, implying the review has created good impression about the company. For 40% professionals, it has negatively impacted their decision and created a bad impression about the company. Another 10% professionals said their career decisions were not impacted by reading reviews.   This JobBuzz study clearly reiterates that the days of indiscriminately applying to jobs through newspapers, or depending on friends and family for recommendations are passé. In today’s highly competitive business environment online and social media are the new modes of recruitment, the critical aspect is how effectively companies can engage and respond to past, present and future employees on these platforms.

11th August 2018: TimesPro Hyderabad is touching new heights for being an institute with graduates getting placed with leading banks and NBFCs with a competitive package, immediately after six months into training. To celebrate this achievement, TimesPro held a ceremony to felicitate the students for their efforts and meritorious progress. The event that was held at the Timespro Centre, B.V. Raju Bhavan Road No. 2 Banjara Hills, Above Harley Davidson Showroom, Hyderabad had Ms. Karuna Gopal, President of Foundation for Futuristic Cities, as the distinguished chief guest who conferred the soon-to-be banking professionals with a token of appreciation. One of the students, Sushmita Silmoju who got placed with HDFC bank was overwhelmed and is excited about her career with one of the top banks in the industry. She says, "TimesPro shaped my thinking and problem solving capabilities with their strategically framework curriculum. Their industry centric approach of course delivery helped me gain me necessary skill-set, mindset and most importantly, has helped me gain invaluable work experience even before I began working. If you wish to forge ahead in banking sector, I would strongly recommend you to join TimesPro." Emphasizing on the need for broadening the education perspective, Karuna Gopal, President of Foundation for Futuristic Cities said, "We need more learning centres like TimesPro that understand how to prepare youth for global industrial challenges . I am happy to see that these centres are equipping students with contemporary skills and new age thinking. It's quite clear that TimesPro knows how to marry education and skills with strategy and vision". Mr Dr. Nagendra Chowdary, Head – Academics at TPL said, "This learning stands on the foundation of helping candidates desiring to achieve higher career goals be equipped with the skill set that matches the contemporary industry standards. Testimonials from banks and other organizations that have hired graduates from TimesPro speak highly of how the candidates and their approach has added significant value to our organization." The widening gap of education and skills need to be bridged by those who have the necessary resources and TimesPro is bridging the gap between traditional education and industry standards. TimesPro has been able to impact more than 30,000 students with its trainings and placement. TimesPro is focused on addressing the gap between education and industry employability by creating a pool of talent. To know more about the PGDBM program, click here www.timespro.com About TimesPro: Times Pro aims at bridging the gap between education and industry standards through their various programmes. It offers technology-enabled course delivery across multiple cities and multiple platforms in multiple sectors like banking, finance, business. In The EdTechReview Awa Ceremony 2018, for recognizing institutions that are contributing to usher nation's employability, TimesPro was conferred with the best B2C Company award for its innovative and technically-empowered course delivery across the country.

Interviewer: Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode pioneered the Executive Management Programmes for working professionals through the Interactive learning platform. What is it that makes the programme truly outstanding? IIMK pioneered the Interactive - Learning (I-L) Program for working executives in India. The interactive learning programme started with 300 class contact hours in 2001-02, the two year-long Executive Management Education Programme is today the most rigorous available in the country having around 738 class contact hours. With superior technology infrastructure of TSW, the executive education wing of Times Professional Learning the learning experience is truly wholesome and adds immensely to one's self worth. The world class faculties of IIMK impart knowledge from an objective to truly relate to the industry & connect with the participants in terms of the industry experience. This encourages the participants to have deep sighted discussions during the interactive sessions and the in a€“campus modules which benefits the peer group learning. Interviewer: What are the Key take away from the EPGP programme offered by IIM Kozhikode and TSW? The Executive Post Graduate programmes offered by IIMK and TSW give a different perspective on managerial and leadership approaches to stay competitive in the current business arena. It gives an opportunity to garner new skills and techniques, alternative thought processes to complex problems, improve on your critical analysis, team approach, strategic thinking and most importantly it will make you appreciate the larger picture. The case-based teaching methodology empowers the alternative methods and provides various solutions. The rigour of the programme makes it effective and contributes to the overall grooming of an individual. The opportunity to network is another key take away. Accreditation of the two-year EPGP Programme by the Association of MBAs (AMBA) is another key differentiator and opens up vast opportunities for individuals through the AMBA network. Interviewer: Mid-career executives opting for an Executive programme. Your thoughts? India continues to be one of the fastest growing economies in the world and this trend is expected to continue in the coming decade. All major sectors are witnessing an uptrend. Investing in education is the most sensible form of investment which a working professional should invest in. Learning is a lifelong endeavour; continuous learning expands an individual's perspective and contributes to her/his decision making. Growing up the corporate ladder would bring along with newer challenges and the Executive Programmes offered by IIMK & TSW empower them to take on these challenges with increased confidence. Interviewer: What are your views on the Executive programme scenario and demand in India vis-A -vis abroad ? Executive education market in India has increased about 18% CAGR over the past few years. Macroeconomic indicators like growing economy, integration of economies, and proliferation of technology have been key in aiding this growth. Executive Education in India is still in its infancy. Much of the executive programs as of now are In-campus in format. With the advancements in technology and wide applications of ICT, online executive education is experiencing a good increase in value. The executive education market is highly competitive, although the professionals are keen to enrol with those institutes that have gained wide popularity in the market. Pioneer among them is IIM Kozhikode and other institutes that are followers such as IIM Kolkata, IIM Bengaluru, IIM Ahmedabad. As the higher education industry is getting globalised, universities from US, and Europe are expanding their reach and especially in the Indian markets. This is both challenge and also opportunity for the Indian Institutes of Management. To achieve this, the programs must be customized as per the requirement of the candidates and must aim at skill enhancement. Interviewer: EPGP compared to other part time management programs / 1-year business management certificate programs from IIMs and non-IIMs . Where does EPGP of IIMK stand ? IIMK pioneered the Executive Programmes in management through the Interactive Learn platform way back in 2001-02. IIMK in association with TSW the executive wing of Times Professional Learning offers the best opportunity for working professionals to continue to learn while they earn. The interactive teaching methodology gives the next best option to a real time classroom experience. The two-way communication enables both the Faculty and the participants to interact with each other. With the option to attend the classes from 50 TSW centres spread across major cities in India the EPGP program is the number one option for working professionals. Interviewer: How is IIMK contributing to the growing stature of IIMs Globally? IIMK's Mission a€“ Globalizing Indian Thought a€“ points toward our global aspiration. All businesses today are global; therefore business schools have to have global footprints. Our Alumni are spread across all continents. We have our fair share of global publications. We are in the process of recruiting staff and faculty from around the world. To know more about EPGP programme, click here https://bit.ly/2B1r8ul

I maintained my edge by always being a student; you will always have something new to learn. – Jackie Joyner Kersee Do you feel that despite having good knowledge and proficient working experience, you have been lagging behind in your sector? Do you wish to enroll yourself in an efficient management programme, but don't have the time and leaving the job is not an option? Do you not trust online programmes upon helping you reach your career to better, because of their inability to encompass domain subject matter profoundly? Well, we would suggest, you think again? IIM-Kozhikode has just announced the admission to its 11th batch (2018-2020) of the Executive Post Graduate Programme(EPGP). One of its kind management education programmes in Asia-Pacific zone, IIM-Kozhikode, in 2001 laid the foundation of the first ever interactive learning module of the management education for the working executives having more than three years of experience. EPGP is a framework to provide a solution to the increasing demand for executive programmes among working professionals. If selected you can expect unparalleled learning experience through: ● TWO MODES OF LEARNING: ● IN CAMPUS MODULE: Three sessions of six days in-campus module that is scheduled at the beginning of each year to help the professional gain a better insight into the contemporary issues in management practice and trends in industry and business. ● INTERACTIVE LIVE LEARNING PLATFORM: This management education programme is offered through a two- way telecommunication mode provided by the Times Professional Learning technology platform at 50 TSW location across India. When asked about the efficiency of these two learning modules, C.V Prakash, an EPGP alumni, said: "A perfect blend of in & off campus curriculum which includes a combination of hands-on simulations, case analysis, projects, case studies nurtured by determined faculty members and support team for an endearing learning experience". He is currently working as Testing Manager in Barclays Technology Centre India. ● AMBA CERTIFICATION: The management programme by IIM-K is AMBA accredited, which ensures that you get to build a healthy relationship with face to face learning, sharing and listening thoughts of AMBA certified professionals. ● TEACHING EDIFICATION: The executive will also get to learn management lessons from senior industry professionals, ensuring you get the best in industry practical knowledge. ● PARTICIPATION OF PROFESSIONAL FROM ACROSS 50 LOCATIONS: EPGP facilitates learning through sharing knowledge amongst peer comprising of professionals, coming from diverse backgrounds, exposures, possessing wide-ranging skills and experiences. With more than a decade of experience in interactive learning methodology, over 3000 plus executives have benefitted from these programmes. The credibility of IIM-K and advanced technical and infrastructural support of TSW will bring you a step closer to achieving your career goal. To know further about the programmes, visit https://timestsw.com/course/iimk-epgp

Mumbai, 27th July, 2018: IIM Calcutta, in association with TSW, the executive education wing of Times Professional Learning (TPL) announces admission to its 2ndbatch of women oriented "Transitioning into Leadership: A Program for Women Executives 2018". This is notably a one of its kind Women Leadership program launched by IIMC that is specifically aimed at women executives working at managerial positions across the country. Launched in 2017, the program has seen a substantial rise in the number of enrollments from women professionals across the country. Its current batch (2017-2018) of 54 participants are women executives from various backgrounds be it IT heads, Sr. Managers, Lawyers, Vice Presidents, Consultants and CEOs, from across the country. One of the students, Amrita Roy, a strategy consultant at TCS says, "The issues that women face in an organization are different from what men face. One of the primary reasons why I chose this program was the fact that I did not have to quit my job". She further adds, "We also got to experience IIM Calcutta culture first hand, and we couldn't have asked for more." The program aims to prepare women executives to becoming proficient corporate leaders. It provides them an opportunity to learn to voice their opinions proficiently, enhance skillsand leadership competencies, and to expand their knowledge about the different functions of management, through critically designed modules that involve a discussion of practical scenarios. Counted in the top 100 best management institutes list, IIM Calcutta was the first national institute for Post-Graduate studies and Research in Management by the Government of India. Ever since its inception in November 1961, the Institute has been setting high standards for global business education. With the ambition to achieve excellence in global management education, IIMC continually evolves to meet the goal of ever-changing business scenarios. The Program Director and Professor at IIM Calcutta, Leena Chatterjee says, "The program has a three-fold objective. The program aims to engage in a dialogue with women managers and provide them a space to raise issues; to equip women managers with insights into the competencies required for transitioning into leadership while assessing their own styles, and to provide women managers with a bird's eye understanding of different functional areas to enhance their general management skills." Designed with the objective of empowering women in the corporate world, the program enables them to take up leadership positions by inculcating in them top-notch theoretical and practical knowledge from the excellent Faculty at IIM Calcutta. Who can apply to the program? Women executives with at least 5 years of managerial experience and a minimum of 50% in graduation are eligible to apply for this program. It is an 11 months intensive program, spread out across 50 interactive sessions including 6 days of in-campus sessions at IIM Calcutta. Apart from this, regular Live Virtual Interactive Learning sessions are conducted at every Times Learning Centre across 50 cities in the country. The program provides a schedule compatible for working professionals and the curriculum comprises of lectures by IIMC faculty and guest sessions with senior industry professional . The program starts in November 2018. The program module is structured to incorporate strategic leadership, generate awareness about legal perspective for working women in India, help understand issues relating to gender diversity, enhance their decision-making process in the organization and strengthen their overall leadership potential. President at Times Professional Learning, Anish Srikrishna says, "Today an entire generation of highly capable women with huge potential are for various reasons unable to make the leap to a leadership role. The WLP program from IIM Calcutta marks an important step in providing the tools, techniques and most importantly the right outlook to help transform them into successful leaders. Women executives will now be able to take advantage of the pioneering learning tools and resources of IIM Calcutta at a centre near them through the cutting edge technology platform provided by TSW". The selected women professionals upon successful completion of the TLPWE will be awarded a certificate by IIM Calcutta. They will become a part of the elite IIMC executive alumni community wherein they will get to share their reforming ideas with other highly qualified and engaging alumni. To know more log on to https://timestsw.com/TLPWE or call 7400084666

Mumbai 25th July 2018: After the overwhelming response to their Banking Management program, TimesPro and Assam Downtown University (ADTU) extended their academic partnership to include a new program. This collaboration between TimesPro, a part of Times Professional Learning (TPL) and ADTU will introduce two new programs along with Banking and Financial Services - MBA with Digital Marketing Specialization and BBA for the undergraduate-level with Digital Marketing Specialization. Under these programs a student will be exposed to the regular MBA or BBA curriculum and in the second year he or she has a choice in Banking or Digital along with Marketing/ HR/ Finance etc. Besides the Banking program, the introduction of Digital Marketing Specialization will arm the students with a holistic view about best practices followed across the industry and their integration with an online engagement model. While the existing program aims to enhance student skills in the banking and finance areas, the new addition will add a cutting-edge for students interested in the digital domain too. They will be ready with the tools and techniques besides the mindset of a true professional. The program has been created in such a manner that it makes one ready for a rewarding career in the banking industry. Commenting on to Mr. Anish Srikrishna, President - Times Professional Learning, "The industry dearly needs professionals who understand the practical aspect of banking and can grasp the regulatory dynamics of the system. This partnership with ADTU for the North Eastern states will fill that gap and also equip students with the dynamics of Digital Marketing." Eligibility criteria for all students is that those who have successfully completed their graduation level examinations without any gaps and through regular mode of education may apply for the program. These students after being shortlisted, have to appear for the TAP test and Personal Interview by an Ex-banker. After this short listing, they will go ahead with the training over four semesters at regular intervals which would act like periodic interventions for skill enhancement. Professor (Dr.) Amarjyoti Choudhury, Vice-Chancellor, ADTU says, "We consistently need good professionals who understand the banking ecosystem and are fully equipped to deal with real time challenges of the industry. With this new partnership I am sure Digital Marketing will become another crowd-puller. Designed by TimesPro, the industry integration of these programs with universities and educational institutes is facilitated by NK Das Foundation, which works with TimesPro towards imparting skill and employability based programs across North-East. Mr. Suudipta Daas, Chief Worker at NK Das foundation says, "There's no doubt, our partnership with experienced organisations such as TimesPro will enable us to build a large and a skilled workforce in the BFSI sector." Since TimesPro has an excellent track record in placement, these students will no doubt reap the rich rewards of placement opportunities. TimesPro has placed scores of students by leveraging its strong corporate alliances and network. These students can be assured of interview opportunities at some of India's top banking, non-banking and financial institutions after successfully completing the program.

It is said that future of the world is in the classroom today. Established with a vision to be the most preferred educational institute with global recognition, Pranveer Singh Institute of Technology (PSIT) Kanpur, which started operations in 2004, and is located on Kanpur-Agra-Delhi National Highway (NH -2), Bhauti has become one of the leading institutes in North India. Offering professional education in Technology, Pharmacy, Management & Computer Applications, campus placements is one of the USPs at PSIT Kanpur. The percentage of students getting jobs on the campus touched an all-time high of 90% last year with big corporate houses, Defence Services (Army, Navy & Air Force), banks and PSUs making offers to PSITians. SURVEYS & RANKINGS The institute secured 48th rank in an All India Survey of Engineering Colleges & Universities, and 10th rank in the North zone (www.times-engineering-survey.com). PSITCollege of Higher Education was also ranked 3rd among emerging BBA institutes in an All India survey for BBA Colleges and Universities (www.timesbschoolsurvey.org/bba/emerging-ranking.php). PLACEMENT HIGHLIGHTS Campus placements are the biggest differentiator at PSIT. PSIT has an integrated placement cell, which welcomes more than 150 leading and top brands of the corporate world to the campus every year. The campus placement process is designed to meet the needs of recruiters alongside providing students with the best opportunities to jump-start their career henceforth making PSIT one of the Institutes with Best Placement records in Northern India with 154 selections in Infosys and 68 selections in L&T Infotech in 2018. The previous year records have been excellent with 201 selections in INFOSYS, 38 Selections in Tech Mahindra, and 30 selections in Capgemini. With great pride and gleam in our eyes, we wish to state that our Institute has secured a preferred place in the lists of campuses to be visited by top-notch companies i.e. Infosys, Tech Mahindra, Capgemini, IBM, MRF Tyres, ITC, TCS, Godrej & Boyce, Ericsson, Airtel, Wabag, Just Dial, NIIT Technologies, Edelweiss, Religare and the list goes on and on. Not only this, PSIT is the only Institute which hosts all three defence forces i.e. Army, Air Force as well as Navy. RECOGNITION Owing to the outstanding student performance year after year, PSIT stands at No. 3 position in AKTU, in both – academics as well as placements – in a recent ranking issued by Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Technical University (APJAKTU). As a matter of fact, APJAKTU has bestowed upon PSIT Excellence Award for two consecutive years CAREER ENHANCEMENT The institute, through its EMPOWER training program, lays great emphasis on overall Aptitude & Technical training of students helping them to prepare for GATE/GRE/CAT/GPAT and other National & International competitive exams. Faculty trains students latest technologies like Unix and Object-Oriented Programming using C++, Data Structures, Dot Net, Advance Java, Python etc. Their fundamental strength is it's 250+ well qualified and experienced full-time faculty that caters the need of more than 5500 students of various disciplines. Because of its excellent Infrastructural facilities, best placement and exceptional academic record, the institute has become one of the most preferred institutes for students in north India. SOFT SKILLS TRAINING PSIT focuses as much on the soft skills as on the conventional hard skills. Special emphasis is laid on the following areas - Self Awareness, Goal Setting, Writing Skills, Positive Attitude, Decision Making, Interpersonal Skills, Creativity, Self Motivation, and Communication Skills to develop leadership skills among the students right from the first year of their graduate studies. THE PSIT EDGE PSIT Kanpur provides the Triple A Advantage to its students - Academics, Awards & Accolades, in addition to a sprawling 100-acre world-class campus. PSIT is states only centrally AC campus with a 3000 ton central AC plant. Moreover, the college is also powered by a 3000 KV dedicated powerhouse and has high tech labs with 1500 computers with internet lease line of 155 Mbps. Air-conditioned hostels and dining facility are available for 750 girls and 1300 boys. RO water is supplied across the campus. The college has a fleet of over 30 air-conditioned buses to ferry students and faculty. There is a dedicated SBI Bank and multiple ATMs on campus for PSITians. The college has an incubation centre for those who have entrepreneurial ambitions. Academic Excellence, Campus Placements, Corporate Training Partners, Scholarship and Education Loan as well as Research Development Centre give PSIT Kanpur an unparalleled edge over others. INDUSTRY CONNECT Maintaining a strong industry interface, PSIT has close relations with Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), National Human Resource Development (NHRD), Campus Connect of Infosys, TCS-ION (PSIT claims to be the largest online testing partner of TCS with 1500 computers). Students make industrial visits to various companies like Infosys, Tata Motors, BOSCH, Coca-Cola, L&T, and The Times of India etc. which enables them to have a glimpse of latest industry trends, innovations and technology

The Economic Times Startup Awards have been instituted to celebrate the finest and bravest who risked everything to launch a new enterprise. It is recognition of the sweat and tears that went into shaping what will drive the nation's economic engines tomorrow. The awards salute the entrepreneurs and also seek to inspire the dreamers and daredevils in all of us. The Economic Times launched the Startup Awards to further its commitment towards pushing the country's agenda on entrepreneurship and young leadership. Through the Startup Awards, we strive to engage with startups and investors, identify the deserving startups and celebrate the vaulting ambition and skills of some of India's best-known entrepreneurs and investors who have built and mentored the country's fastest-growing startups. We recognize excellence in eight categories Startup of the Year, Woman Ahead, Top Innovator, Bootstrap Champ, Midas Touch (Best Investor), Social Enterprise, Best on Campus and Comeback Kid. As a process, we invite nominations from the ecosystem and basis the nominations do the initial screening through our knowledge partners. An eminent jury meets on the final shortlist and arrive at the winners. The jury meet of The Economic Times Startup Awards 2018 will happen on 23 July 2018 and the eminent jury members are 1. Rishad Premji, Board Member, Wipro 2. Deep Kalra, Founder, MakeMyTrip 3. Vijay Shekhar Sharma, Founder, Paytm 4. Manu Kumar Jain, Managing Director, Xiaomi India 5. Nandan Nilekani, Cofounder, Infosys 6. Debjani Ghosh, President, Nasscom 7. Ajit Isaac, Chairman & MD, Quess Corp 8. Sachin Bansal, Cofounder, Flipkart Capital First presents the fourth edition of The Economic Times Startup Awards in association with Facebook and Oddup Limited. The program is supported by Tracxn as a Knowledge partner, ET Now as Television partner and The Leela Palace Bengaluru as Hospitality partner. The fourth edition of The Economic Times Startup Awards will see a culmination with a grand finale on 17 August 2018. The Economic Times is India's leading business daily, and covers news, views and insights on a wide variety of topics relevant to business people and working professionals.

Mumbai, June 29th 2018: The 2nd edition of The Economic Times Iconic Brands 2018, an endeavor to recognize successful brands of Indian origin, was held at a glittering soiree in Mumbai. The event brought together the most iconic brands that have gained traction not just in India but also globally for their track record of excellence, in the process carving out a distinct identity that resonated with audiences. In recognition of their achievements, Chief Guest Babul Supriyo, Minister of State for Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises, Government of India, felicitated the eminent nominees. The evening also saw reputed personalities like Kajol, Jackie Shroff, Subhash Ghai and Karnam Malleshwari being awarded for attaining iconicity in their respective professions. The brands felicitated included Lakme, Reliance Industries (Textile Division), JK Tyre & Industries, HIL, Kent RO, Indian Oil Corporation, Sify technologies, Mahindra Powerol, Muthoot Pappachan Group, GIC Re, MEP Infrastructure Developers, Dr. Batra's Healthcare and DHFL to name a few. Lending gravitas to the event was a stellar speaker lineup, which included industry titans such as Paul Josy, Chairman, BBDO; Prahlad Kakkar, Genesis; Sadashiv Nayak, CEO, Big Bazaar; Bianca Ghose, Chief Storyteller, Wipro; Mansoor Ali, Chief Sales & Marketing Officer, Hamdard; Kapil Pillai, Head Marketing, Godrej Consumer Products; Elizabeth Venkataraman, Executive Vice President, Consumer Business, Kotak Mahindra Bank; Naveen Gaur, Chief Operating Officer, Lowe Lintas; and Elsie Nanji, Former Managing Partner, Red Lion. Karnam Maleshwari, India's first Olympian and receiver of Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna and Padma Shri Award said, "Our country is progressing, and I am working with the government to set up training centers for women wrestlers to make sure that there are more Maleshwari's that are recognized all over the world." Legendary Director, Subhash Ghai share that he , "Felt humbled at The Economic Times Iconic Brands event", adding "but I don't feel iconic as I still think I still am a student of cinema and life itself. There's still lots to learn and to inspire the next generation to be a NeW Man of the 21st century." The Chief Guest of the evening, Shri Babul Supriyo expressed his gratitude and said, "The ET Iconic Brands is a groundbreaking event through which we can place Indian brand achievements in the cynosure of the global view." Talking about his involvement in India's development, he added, "It is a great experience for me to be a part of the Central Government under the leadership of our respected Prime Minister trying to push the make in India initiative & Im glad that we are doing pretty well in terms of foreign direct investments of $5000 cr. that has been touched in April 18'. We are encouraging people to make things in India. If it can be done in China and other parts of the world, then why not in India. By doing so, we can provide employment to a population of 130 billion." Kajol said, "We are a vast country and I'm elated to be chosen as an Iconic queen. To stay true to myself is a pressure which is self-inflicted in me and the opinions of what others have to say has never made a change in my choices and the kind of work I want my audience to see me doing." Also sharing a word of appreciation, Jackie Shroff, Style icon of Bollywood said, "Getting an award from a high profile newspaper is a great honor. Respect people and take good care of yourself and that will always keep you one of the style icons. Keep your immunity strong and don't get pulled down by gravity." The occasion was also marked by the launch of the 2nd Edition of The Economic Times Iconic Brands 2018 coffee table book, which features successful brand stories and outlines the DNA of these legendary brands, taking a deep dive into what has made these brands stand out and what they are doing as an ongoing process to live up to their iconic status. To know more, visit: www.et-iconicbrands.com About ET Edge Times Strategic Solutions Ltd., functional under the brand name ET Edge, is an Economic Times initiative founded to empower multiple industries and segments by sharing critical business knowledge through strategic conferences and summits. Encompassing the Indian business vista, ET Edge strives to bring together visionaries and key leaders on its knowledge platforms to create social and business ecology conducive to the positive changes required by the industry. The main aim of this initiative is to channel global business intelligence through summits and conferences in overarching lectures, hands-on workshops, panels, round-tables and case studies.

The internet is running the television ad industry out of business. A recent study showed that 84% of its respondents wanted to fast forward through ads they watch, while 60% even recorded their TV shows just so they could skip commercials. Recent Super Bowl ratings is another example of this, while it once was the ideal television event to have your ad run, studies now show that 80% of ads ran during the game actually don't increase any sales. It's because of the findings like these that many companies, like Quantified Commerce, are looking to social media platforms like Facebook to build the next generation of brands. Facebook allows companies to create ads and then market them directly to their target audience at a significantly lower price than traditional campaigns. To put things in perspective, one company with a budget of only $250, ran an ad on Facebook that reached 106,879 people that fit the description of their perfect consumer. Of that 106,879 people, nearly half of them actually engaged with the video. An astounding number, when comparing that to the engagement rates on television. "A lot of advertisers today are still looking to the television to sell their products," said Ryan Andreas, managing partner of Quantified Commerce. "They haven't yet realized how to sell through social media." A major factor in getting such high engagement on Facebook is how shareable the post is. Facebook's algorithm works by rewarding advertisers with highly shareable content, putting their posts at the top of people's news feeds. Quantified Commerce is a vertically integrated company that builds direct to consumer brands using social media. By creating attention-grabbing content in collaboration with social influencers, they have managed to grow by 100-300% in the last 4-5 years - but how should these Facebook ads look? In a word? Short. Six to 15-second video ads are starting to become the standard for Facebook. The reason for this being that as the length of a video increases so does the viewer drop-off rate. So, the main idea is to put your best content in the first 5 seconds of the video. The Huffington Post recently published an article showing the time people spent watching ads of different lengths from the same major national advertiser. With a 30-second commercial, ⅔ of the viewers dropped off by the 10-second mark. Even more surprising, the average attention span of an online user is only about eight seconds. So an advertiser's job has now become trying to stop your thumb from scrolling and get you to pay attention to their ad, long enough to understand what you're seeing. It's also crucial to abstain from making your ads heavy on sound. Nearly 85% of online views now happen with the sound off. The main reason for this being that the viewer is likely in an environment where it's not practical to have sound playing: at work, in public, etc. Although many companies are struggling to make the change into the internet-heavy advertising world, failure to do so can lead to downsizing or bankruptcy. Larger brick-and-mortar brands have been dying out in recent years as a result of this inability to adapt. But, this has led to some very startling success stories; for example, Dollar Shave Club, a digitally native razor company founded in California, saw sales skyrocket in their first few years of business. The start-up grew from nothing to making 200 million dollars in annual sales in under five years. Major companies saw this sudden success as the investment opportunity that it was and scrambled to buy the start-up. In an unheard of deal, Unilever eventually came out on top and acquired the company for an astounding 1 billion dollars. Companies are gravitating to Facebook as the new stage of digital marketing as we live in a time where people give more attention to their phones than to their television screens. Even while watching TV, they are looking at their mobile phones during commercial breaks. With the changing of the playing field though, the game is still the same. Where companies have in the past been used to television ads that run from 15-30 seconds long, now they're pressured to create even shorter ads but for a more specific audience.

It seems obvious at this point to say that a lot of aspects of our lives are changing because of the internet. Some of the things being replaced in our day-to-day life are more apparent than others, like email replacing snail mail, or websites replacing newspapers. There is one thing that the internet is changing that may seem a little less obvious, but is creeping up quickly, and that is the retail distribution of consumer goods. That change is coming and has already taken a foothold in countries like the United States, whereby 2022 more than $638 million of retail sales will take place online, but the United States is just the tip of the iceberg. India is fast becoming the next economic behemoth, and with this economic explosion, a booming e-commerce market will take place. The Indian digital economy is estimated to be a $1 trillion a year industry by 2022. That's an insanely high number, but it makes sense when you consider internet usage is skyrocketing in a country where some areas still lack running water. What makes India such a lucrative e-commerce market? And why is it in a company's best interest to pursue an e-commerce model over traditional distribution, particularly when it comes to a country like India? For one there is a huge disparity in terms of urban versus rural populations, as 70% of Indians live in rural areas. While the urban population is growing, most of the country's 1.324 billion people live outside of cities. That doesn't necessarily preclude them from internet use, however. While the number of internet penetration is at 20.26% in 2017, that number is up from 18% in 2016. Internet use in the rural areas of India is growing, and even if it stayed where it is right now that 20.26% still accounts for 184 million people. That's 184 million more people a company can reach by choosing to go with an e-commerce model over traditional distribution. Not only are you able to reach your customers in terms of having them buy your product, but you're also able to reach them in terms of advertising. By having your entire business comprised online you're able to advertise directly to the consumer and convert them all in the same breath, and if you take into account that 2017 was the first year digital ad spending beat out traditional television advertising, it seems like advertising directly to the consumer and then converting them into a customer quicker is becoming the norm. Now all of these trends so far have been global, but what about India specific advantages? "Indians love deals," says Agam Berry, co-founder of the company Quantified Commerce, which looks to build e-commerce brands in India, "using an e-commerce model we're able to offer them lower prices, while not sacrificing quality or variety." Berry's right, e-commerce companies are able to forgo the traditional costs of doing business, like checkout counters and retail employees. Those savings can be passed on to the consumer. Lower prices are important for any customer, regardless of geographic location, but Berry points out another advantage e-commerce distribution offers which are unique to the Indian market. "Most small cities in India don't have a choice in terms of the products they can find in a store, but obviously the internet makes their number of choices virtually limitless." While in countries like the United States you could walk into a store and see a ton of different brands, most small cities in India don't have the same luxury, "only a few companies monopolize the fast-moving consumer goods space, and there are not that many small boutique homegrown brands in the fast-moving consumer goods space in India," said Berry. This is something companies like Quantified Commerce are taking advantage of and bringing to the fertile digital market of India. While e-commerce has its benefits wherever you are in the world, the benefits to a country like India are clear. With companies like Quantified Commerce making inroads into the economically booming country it may only be a matter of time before traditional distribution goes the way of snail mail.

Diners across India waited for and then celebrated the Great Indian Restaurant Festival (GIRF) in 2018 for an entire month from 1st to 28th February. India's largest annual restaurant festival, GIRF 2018 saw 1 Million Indians eating out at the top restaurants in their city without burning a hole in their pockets. This year, the number of restaurants that offered diners a flat 50% off on food, alcohol or buffet, were 2,182, giving diners multiple options. A diner chose from top restaurants like Social, SodaBottleOpenerWala, Tamasha, FLYP@MTV, Yauatcha among many others. The festival gave diners access to the best of 5 star dining in their city, from The Ritz-Carlton in Bangalore to Westin in Gurgaon, from Hyatt Regency in Kolkata to Taj Deccan in Hyderabad and many others. Thanks to Dineout, February has now been branded as the official month for Foodies. With two years of the Great Indian Restaurant Festival, foodies across India's top 8 cities have started associating February as the month of experimenting with new cuisines and restaurants. A large number of diners tagged Dineout at the many office parties, birthdays as well as family reunions that were planned at festival restaurants in the month. Ankit Mehrotra, Co Founder & Business Head of Dineout added, 'We received an overwhelming response to the second edition of the Great Indian Restaurant Festival 2018. There was an extremely high percentage of diners who went out multiple times during the festival which truly is the best way to fully utilize the amazing offers available to a diner during February. Dineout consumers saved a whopping 45 Cr in discounts on restaurant bills.' This festival is proving to be a unique and beneficial initiative for India's F&B industry. When asked Ayush Madan, CEO at The Barbeque Company said, 'Last year, our association with the Great Indian Restaurant Festival was hugely successful and it has been so this year as well. Infact, GIRF has always helped us bring in more clientele and generate more leads for us. The festival also plays a huge role in marketing our outlet and we are sure that it'll indeed help us in the long run.' The Barbeque Company in New Delhi was one of the fastest selling outlets during the festival. Dineout drove more than 125 Cr INR worth of business for the participating restaurants. During GIRF 2018, diners were engaged on social media via a daily contest that made 28 lucky diners eat their way to owning a OnePlus 5T. Each day of February, saw one lucky winner who shared his/her dining images on Instagram & Facebook, win the much-coveted OnePlus 5T. This was a much talked about social contest and saw thousands of foodporn posts giving visibility to the participating restaurants. Apart from trending multiple times on Twitter, GIRF 2018 was the most talked about festival in February in the food blogging circles. The festival was presented by Airtel Payments Bank, with NRAI as the industry partner, William Lawson's CDs as the drinks partner and Pepsi as the food partner; all of whom played a huge role in the festival's success. Until next year's Great Indian Restaurant Festival, Dineout continues to offer great discounts to diners who make table reservations through them at the top restaurants in the city.

Enjoy flat 50% discount while dining at India's top 2000+ restaurants. Dineout, India's largest table reservation platform by Times Internet, is back with this country's largest online restaurant festival to suit the many tastes of India's food enthusiasts. Throughout February, people across India's 8 major cities- Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Bangalore, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Pune, can avail a flat 50% discount on menu prices at 2000+ premier restaurants, courtesy- the Great Indian Restaurant Festival. In Feb, 2017, Dineout organized India's first and largest restaurant festival. Owing to the popularity of the campaign and popular request, the team decided to host a second edition of the festival for an entire month, from 1st to 28th February 2018. This year, the amount of partnering restaurants will be double that of last year, to provide customers an even wider buffet of choices. "Eating out is one of India's biggest forms of entertainment, if not the biggest. So, it only made sense to create a festival where all of us foodies can have a month long party - eat the best food, discover new restaurants and have a good time.' said Ankit Mehrotra, Co-founder, Dineout. He continued 'All the big cities in the world have their own restaurant festivals, where locals as well as tourists, get an opportunity to sample different tastes and food experiences during the festival. Not only does it promote the eating out culture, it also gives an opportunity to the restauranteurs in the city to showcase their best and make more people fall in love with their restaurant's experience.' The National Restaurant Association of India are the official industry partners to GIRF 2018. Mr Rahul Singh, President, NRAI commented, ‘Dining out is no more limited to celebrations or festivals, it is an occasion by itself. Urban youth travels and eats out at least 5-6 times a month. Restaurant goers are looking out for novelty experiences and are more willing to experiment. It only made sense for National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI) to partner with Dineout’s Great Indian Restaurant Festival. This initiative will give multi fold visibility to chain and standalone restaurants and is taking eating out to the next level.” More than 2000 restaurants will be participating in this unique festival, such as Social, Irish House, Sigree Global, Khandaani Rajdhani, JW Marriott, Ritz Carlton, Mainland China, OLive Bistro, Punjab Grill, Cafe Delhi Heights & many more. Airtel Payments Bank, the lead sponsor adds spice to the offering by providing additional 100% cashback on the booking fee to customers paying via Airtel Payments Bank on the Dineout app. In addition, customers who pay their restaurant bill through the Dineout app using Airtel Payments Bank will get an extra 10% cashback on top off the existing 20% cashback offer by Dineout. Speaking about the partnership with Dineout, A. Ganesh, Chief Operating Officer, Airtel Payments Bank said- "We are delighted to partner with Dineout for the Great Indian Restaurant Festival and look forward to offering visitors a host of discounts and offers launched by Airtel Payments Bank especially for the event." During this festival, William Lawson's are offering one free drink to each guest who has booked a deal at select restaurants in Delhi, Gurgaon, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Kolkata. Anshuman Goenka, Marketing Head, Bacardi India says 'We are delighted to associate William Lawson's with Dineout given their scale and diverse network of restaurants.' Pepsi is the official Food Category Partner and will offer 50% off the menu price of Pepsi at 400+ select GIRF participating restaurants that the festival will cover. Raj Rishi Singh-Director-Marketing Pepsi, PepsiCo India says 'Pepsi is delighted to be associated with Dineout. No food occasion is complete without a chilled bottle of Pepsi.' To use a 50% discount, one has to first download the Dineout app or visit www.dineout.co.in. After selecting a restaurant and offer of one's choice, one must buy the deal which will be nominally priced (such as Rs.50). On showing the confirmation message at the restaurant, the offer will can be redeemed.