Sudhanshu Pandey, Preeti Jhangiani and Parvin Dabas at Karan Gupta, MD, IE Business School's IE Venture Day, a business plan competition for startups

 

At an event held by IE Business School, students from the prestigious IIMs, IITs, IE and ISB participated in a business plan competition. The IE Venture Day saw hundreds of institutes participating in business plan competitions and then the winners were flown to Mumbai to compete with each other. More than 20 teams competed to win the final competition.

“To create awareness in building an entrepreneurial environment, attention should be given to create an infrastructure for mentoring startups. India is the third largest start up economy in the world and our students need to be encouraged to create more businesses,” said Dr. Karan Gupta, the Managing Director of IE Business School, a Harvard & IE Business School alumni and founder of the Karan Gupta Education Foundation.

 “At IE Business School, we foster an environment of entrepreneurship in whatever we do. From having classes in Entrepreneurship to hosting a Venture lab where students are guided how to incubate business plans, we are committed to teaching students innovation. At the IE Venture Day, we heard from the best minds from, the most prestigious institutes of our country. We are excited to see these ideas turn into real businesses,” added Dr. Gupta.

 Actors Preeti Jhangiani, Sudhanshu Pandey and Parvin Dabas were present to share their experiences with the various businesses that they have started and to encourage the budding entrepreneurs. In a panel discussion, they spoke about how acting skills can be translated to businesses and how the best startups sometimes emerge due to necessity. “Passion is the most important ingredient in any startup,” said Sudhanshu Pandey. Funding is one of the most important ingredients in any startup success and “Be a big fish in a small pond - don’t waste your money. Spend your money wisely,” advised Parvin Dabas. And some final advice for the eager students - “Hard work day and night, be ready for the long haul. Watch shows that promote Entrepreneurship” added Preeti Jhangiani.

 The Spanish Consulate General in India, Mr. Jorge Cadenas and Economic Commercial Head Vanesa Alvarez were present at the event and spoke about Spain being an education destination and an attractive space for young entrepreneurs.

 The jury and panelists consisted of venture capitalists including Akansh Jain, Ashish Dave, Prakash Ranjalkar, Ashutosh Kumar, Megha Jain, Dibeyendu Ganguly and Dharam Mehta among others. Vikas Chaudhury, President of Reliance Jio Ventures enthralled the audience with his take on the startup ecosystem in India.

 The event saw pitches from not only business school students but also high school students. “It was very interesting to see such young students pitch such innovative business plans,” said Vidushi Daga, founder of Clone Futura.

 The IE Junior Venture Day was won by students from the Aga Khan Academy, Hyderabad. Their winning startup was ‘Pyreoil’ which converts useless plastic to oil which can then be used for furnace and tire oil. The first runner up prize was given to students from Neerja Modi High School, Jaipur whose startup called ‘Plankton’ worked with Biodegradable plastics. Interestingly both the winning plans dealt with environmental issues and are can solve the huge plastic waste problem in India and around the world.

 The winner for the main IE Venture Day business plan startup competition went to Disguise Cosmetics, a company that manufactures vegan makeup. The jury was impressed with the cruelty free makeup, a conscious lifestyle brand. The 1st runner up was IIM Kozhikode for a plan presented on growing vegetables without the use of soil, thereby revolutionizing the way farming is done in India. The 2nd runner up was IIM Ahmedabad, where the students presented a plan called Moodcafe – an anonymous chatapp and website that provides help for people facing any kind of psychological issues.

Almas Mukri from the Worli BMC School won the IE Social Impact business plan startup competition. Her business ‘Basket of Joy’ is an online organic fruits basket company that creates social impact and spreads joy at every step of the business. The 16 year old daughter of a vegetable vendor, sources fruits from organic farmers and sources woven baskets from sex workers. The greeting cards sold by her company are made by handicapped people and the couriers used employ deaf people. The other social impact plans presented included ‘100 Women’ which encourages entrepreneurship among impoverished women. A website where students can find mentors to help them was another idea presented to help students who are lost and in need of guidance. “I am most pleased with the students who despite not having the same opportunities as privileged children, managed to come up with such innovative ideas and startups. I only wish each of them could get a winning prize,” added Dr. Karan Gupta.

 The winners of each of the competitions received cash prizes of Rs.50000 each and a scholarship to study at IE Business School and IE University in Madrid, Spain

Dr.Aneel Kashi Murarka, Neetu Chandra, Shama Sikander & others celebrate pre-Diwali with underprivileged kids

Dr.Aneel Kashi Murarka’s Ample Missiion’s ‘Samarpn’ is a one of its kind inter-school competition wherein a unique platform is provided to underprivileged kids to showcase their hidden talents. Recently, Ample Missiion joined hands with MOM (Meeting of Minds), a group of like-minded educationists, from 8 prominent slum schools, with over 5000 students, situated in the impoverished Malad-Malvani area, and organized one such event for kids comprising of Literary Arts, Performing Arts and a fashion show. Actors Neetu Chandra, Shama Sikander, Rakesh Srivastava and Sooraj Thapar graced the do and showcased their support in this noble cause. The dignitaries also celebrated a noiseless pre-Diwali by lighting diyas and distributing sweets and handmade diyas to children at the event. The day-long event was held at Shaila lawns in Goregaon East. 

Shibani Kashyap motivates 100 hearing impaired children with Audiologist Speech Therapist Devangi Dalal of JOSH Foundation in association with ATOS

Bharat Sanghvi, Devangi Dalal, Dr. Farhad Vijay Arora, S. Ramachandran, Dr.Aneel Kashi Murarka, Shibani Kashyap and Dino Morea at the JOSH Foundation-ATOS free digital hearing aid distribution initiative

“People who are called deaf and dumb will no longer be labelled that way because now, with the help of the digital hearing aids, they can hear, speak, sing and dance, just the way any of us would. JOSH Foundation and ATOS, together, have defied the perception of the deaf and dumb, empowering them thereof,” expressed Shibani Kashyap.

The hearing impaired children sang songs, danced to music that they could not hear without missing a beat and did sports demos. Not one made it evident that he/she is hearing impaired!

Philanthropist Dr.Aneel Kashi Murarka and his foundation, Ample Missiion, honoured and felicitated at the IDF Foundation Day celebrations. Dr.ARK Pillai’s book, Hope On The Horizon, was released by Dr.Murarka who was also the Chief Guest at the event.

Audiologist and Speech Therapist Devangi Dalal and ENT Surgeon Dr.Jayant Gandhi, through their JOSH Foundation, visited over 25 children from a Nasik school, with high quality digital hearing aids, based on individual requirements. With this, JOSH Foundation has completed the project of donating hearing aids to hundred kids from ATOS in a single month.

Two artists, one mission – enlightenment.

The inaugural ceremony of Vishwa Sahni and Sonu Gupta's solo art shows, saw actor Ranvir Shorey, enterprenuer and art enthusiast Parvez Damania, Ashok Dhamankar, Director - Magna Publishing Co. Ltd. and many other artists of the likes of Prithvi Soni, Madhusudan Kumar and Paramesh Paul and singer Mudasir Ali. 

Veteran artist Vishwa Sahni, in his 35th show, seeks to explore what is the need of the hour -- women empowerment, using light as the medium. Alongside him is young Sonu Gupta who brings to life on canvas, the blessed lotus. “The lotus blooms in the muck, yet is sought ater. It teaches us that we are all blessed,” avers Sonu who has depicted Buddha as well.

Vishwa who use light to display the emotions says, "In the equation of economics and hunger, women become a dispensable commodity. My works seek to find that light within us, casting aside the shadows."

Scientists, Saints and Philosophers converge at Vishwarajbaug near Pune to herald World Peace Monument!

Dignitaries at the unveiling of statues at Philosopher Saint Dyaneshwara World Peace Prayer Hall, prior to the inauguration of the world's largest dome.

Circa 1958, Young Vishwanath rode his bicycle with glee, purchased at a princely sum of Rs. 159. The bicycle was nothing less than a Mercedes for the son of an ordinary farmer hailing from Rameshwar-Rui Village in Marathwada, rural Maharashtra. His makeshift classroom was in the tabela (cattle shed) that the boy along with his classmates, swept and cleaned while the cattle were taken for grazing in the jungle.

Cut to today, “The only school bell I knew was the bell around the neck of the cattle as they returned back signifying end of school,” recollects septuagenarian and veteran educationist Dr. Vishwanath Karad. He is also the Founder President & Director General, World Peace Centre (Alandi), MAEER’s MIT, Pune and MIT World Peace University, one of the most prestigious educational institutions of the country. 

It is indeed an amazing moment for Dr. Karad who has, since 2005 -- over the last 13 years, painstakingly created Philosopher Saint Shri Dnyaneshwara World Peace Prayer Hall and Library.  Both will be housed in a 62,500 sq. ft. magnificent monument at the Vishwarajbaug Campus of MIT under the world’s largest dome with a diameter of 160 feet, standing tall over the Vatican Dome, which has a diameter of 139.6 feet. The height of the dome at its apex is 263 feet. Dr. Karad is humility personified, attributing his success to Saint Dnyaneshwara’s blessing. “The world is one family, वसुधैव कुटुंबकम”, which is an ancient Indian concept, he says, “my humble attempt is to create an edifice befitting the glory of Mother India.”

Set in the backdrop of late world renowned actor Raj Kapoor’s heritage farm and memorial, now housing MIT, Karad’s brainchild and one of the best educational institutions of the world, is the magnificent Dome as well as 54 larger-than-life bronze statues of some of the greatest saints, scientists and philosophers of all time, all brought to life by 93-year-old veteran Ram Sutar.  Each of the bronze statues weighs nearly 1500 Kg and the installation by itself is an arduous task.

“It was a chance introduction to Swami Vivekananda and his works when I browsed through the words of Vivekananda, waiting for my Mathematics book at a shop. His words had such an impact on me. I went on to read the works of Saint Dnyaneshwara and Saint Tukaram and realized that they were amazing philosophers of our time. The 54 statues that we are installing at the dome signify the union of science, philosophy and spirituality and the essence of Indian culture, philosophy and tradition and the aspect of world peace,” adding that great saints, sages, seers and scientists of India and the world over, including those like Philosopher Saint Francis of Assisi (Italy), Albert Einstein, Galileo Galilei and Isaac Newton have made a tremendous impact on his mind and help understand and realize the True Nature of the Self.

The statues will be unveiled by eminent global scientists including Padma Vibhushan Dr. Raghunath Mashelkar, Padma Bhushan Dr. Vijay Bhatkar, Dr. Govind Swarup, and eminent personalities of the likes of  Dr. Radha Mohan Singh, Dr. Pramod Kumar, Shree Kisan Maharaj Sakhare, Shree Maruti Maharaj Kurhekar,  Shree Bapu Saheb More, Shree Tulshiram Karad, Dr. Virendra Heggade, Muni Tarun Sagar, Hazrat Shaikh Biyabani, Arif Mohammad Khan, Feroz Bakht Ahmed, Hridaynath Mangeshkar among others, August 15 onwards leading to October 2.   

On Gandhi Jayanti, the imposing monumental dome clad in the finest marble, the vision of Vishwanath of the blend of Science, Spirituality and Philosophical aspects in life for the welfare of mankind, will be open to the world. 

Padma Vibhushan Dr. Raghunath Mashelkar, FRS and a man of sophistication and intellect says, “an amazing creation from an amazing man is how I would define the structure. Many people have ideas but to execute it is not easy that too in such a short time. I have always heard the words ‘world peace’ from him and now he has created a unique world peace library and dome that will be there forever, speaking for the cause.”

Padma Bhushan Dr. Vijay Bhatkar, Chairman - Organizing Committee as well as Chancellor - Nalanda University, and a globally renowned Computer Scientist avers, “the World Parliament will witness perhaps one of the largest congregations of recent times of scientists, religious leaders and philosophers from several countries across the world. It will make a clarion call for harmony across religions and philosophies and integration with the contemporary scientific thought of one in many and many in one that is emerging out of the latest explorations in quantum reality.”

And now the saints, scientists and philosophers will stand tall from August 15 at MIT, Vishwarajbaug awaiting the timeless World Peace Monument to open its doors on October 2, marking newer beginnings for Mother India’s quest for World Peace.