MUMBAI: The new-year began with the automobile industry in the limelight at the Auto Expo 2010. If this is an indication of the times to come, then the auto industry is sure to be an important focus in the next decade! Bloomberg UTV-Autocar awards 2010 brings to you, the biggest, the smallest, the meanest and the fastest automobiles of the year, in the ultimate battleground of the industry.

Bloomberg UTV brings you the much awaited Bloomberg UTV-Autocar Awards, that honour excellence in the automotive sector. The awards are considered to be the most venerated assessment of automobile performance.

The Bloomberg UTV-Autocar awards 2010 are being organized on January 15th 2010. The awards have in the past witnessed the presence of prominent industry leaders.

The theme of this year?s Bloomberg UTV Autocar awards 2010 is ?The Ultimate Battleground? which highlights the grandeur of the gladiators of yore, in the biggest battle of the automotive industry. The awards also consist of a viewer?s choice segment ?Bloomberg UTV Autocar viewers? choice award 2010?, that has been introduced so as to make this campaign reach those who love their machines.

Speaking about the coveted awards, Mr. M K Anand, CEO, Bloomberg UTV said, ?The Bloomberg UTV- Autocar Awards is the most prestigious in the automobile industry. We believe in recognizing and rewarding excellence and the awards take pride in the selection process. It is noteworthy to mention that the distinguished jury for this initiative has remained unchanged since its inception. ?

The awards will be given across various categories to the best and the most deserving contributors to the auto industry. The categories are Best Value for Money Car, Best design and styling, Best variant of the year, Car Ad of the year, Manufacturer of the year, Best Driver?s Car, Small Car of the Year, Technology and Innovation Award, Small Car of the Year, Premium hatchback of the year, Saloon Car of the year, Luxury car of the year, SUV of the Year, Luxury SUV of the Year, Green award, Bike of the Year & Car of the Year awards.

The jury consists of: Dilip Chhabria (India?s leading Car Designer), Manwendra Singh (India?s leading Automobile Historian) Hormazd Sorabjee (Editor, Autocar India) Shapur Kotwal (Deputy Editor, Autocar India) Renuka Kirpalani (Editor, Autocar Show), Rajeev Khanna (former Rally Driver) and Naren Kumar (6-times National Champion). The biggest names in the business are back with their verdict!

These awards will be held at the Taj Lands End, Mumbai on Wednesday, 15th January at 7 pm and will be telecast on Bloomberg UTV Business News.
 

MUMBAI: Ignitee Digital Solutions, India‘s leading digital marketing company, in association with IAMAI (Internet and Mobile Association of India), organized a panel discussion on 8th January 2010 towards harnessing the prowess of Social Media in brand building.

The elite discussion themed "How to use Social Media to build your brand" included renowned industry leaders from some of India‘s most recognized companies such as Mr. Sanjay Tripathy, Executive Vice President - Marketing, HDFC Standard life insurance, Mr. Abdul Khan, CMO, Tata Docomo, Mr. Quateel Ahmed, Sr. VP - Advertising, SKumars Ltd, Mr. Rammohan Sundaram, Founder, CEO & MD, Networkplay.in, Mr. Vijay Iyer, Director, Strategy and Brand Solutions, Komli Media and Mr. V. Ramani, Vice Chairman, Ignitee Digital Solutions Pvt Ltd.

The discussion aimed at highlighting the opportunities for Social Media in the current scenario was moderated by Atul Hegde, CEO, Ignitee Digital Solutions Pvt Ltd, also newly inducted on the board of IN Network- a global network of independent advertising & marketing agencies. 

The key insights shared by the expert panel dealt with the kind of efforts that advertisers and digital marketing firms are going to put in for corporates to take notice of this medium and engage into it more seriously. The other important aspect of the discussion was to set up a measurement system for showcasing the effectiveness of Social Media and eventually monetizing the medium. Discussing the significance of this medium, the experts also explained how Social Media is an expression of a particular brand.

Delighted on witnessing the warm response to the panel discussion, Mr. V.Ramani, Vice Chairman, Ignitee Digital Solutions Pvt Ltd said, "As we enter this new decade, it has become essential to communicate the growing prominence of social media going forward. The aim of the discussion was to showcase the underlying opportunities associated with this medium. Also, to awaken organizations towards the tremendous potential Social Media can offer in expanding brand presence in an economical manner."

Recently, Ignitee launched a first of its kind global digital media handbook, titled, ‘Honey I Shrunk the World‘. The book is a complete guide on the online marketing platform providing intricate details and statistics on online consumption, behavior patterns across global regions and digital marketing domains. This initiative reiterates the company‘s commitment towards promoting the digital medium.
 

MUMBAI: Its time for some Idol Worship on STAR World! This Friday, AMERICAN IDOL is all set to return for a much-anticipated ninth season with a two-night premiere featuring extraordinary talent and outrageous new auditions. Catch the glamorous new ninth season of the most viewed American Music Reality Show starting 15th January, Friday at 8pm and 16th January, Saturday at 8.30pm only n STAR World! Thereafter, American Idol will air every Friday and Saturday at 9pm only on STAR World!

While Ryan Seacrest hosts the auditions, judges Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson and Kara DioGuardi will be joined by a whole host of guest judges - Victoria Beckham, Mary J. Blige, Kristin Chenoweth, Neil Patrick Harris, Joe Jonas, Avril Lavigne, Katy Perry and Shania Twain who will help select the hopefuls worthy of the "Golden Ticket" to Hollywood. Simon Cowell also recently announced that this would be his final season as a judge on American Idol after which he will move on to produce the American version of X-Files.

Participants who pass the auditions phase go along the "Hollywood Round". Once in Hollywood, the one & only, supremely hilarious stand-up comedienne, Ellen DeGeneres joins Simon, Randy and Kara as they continue to winnow down the competitors to a select group of performers who will get to sing their hearts out each week in front of a studio audience and television viewers.

So don?t miss out on catching the freshest musical talent from America; Tune in to STAR World for an all new exciting season of American Idol beginning 15th January, 8PM.

MUMBAI: In the upcoming episode of Making of the Kingfisher Calendar 2010, watch the second leg of the shoot schedule that will bring you closer to completion of the calendar. As the crew led by ace photographer Atul Kasbekar pass from one location to another, Soneva Gili infuses a kind of freshness completely synonymous with this island.

Witness Kamasutra inspired looks on the beach as Esha Gupta puts on a look that?s unmatched and unseen. The sultry and sexy looks take a whole new dimension in some fabulous bikini and even better accessories, specially handpicked by the ever so celebrated stylist Aki Narula.

And if that has set your imagination on fire already, then behold?as the likes of Ashika Pratt, Esha Gupta and another finalist from The Hunt for Kingfisher Calendar Girl 2010 visit us at Soneva Gili. You?d know who that is only when you tune in to the show.

Don?t miss ?Making of the Kingfisher Calendar 2010? on January 15, 2010, Friday at 10 PM with a repeat on January 16, 2010, Saturday at 11 pm only on NDTV Good Times.

MUMBAI: Forbes (India) has named What‘s On India Channel, as one of the 5 "Hottest start-ups to watch for in the year 2010". What‘s On India Channel is India‘s first and only consumer TV Guidance Channel that launched earlier this month.

The write up appeared in the magazine‘s year end special issue and states "There are over 500 channels available on Indian TV today pulling over 8,800 crore in advertising money. Yet most of us watch barely a tenth of these most of the times. It is just too damn confusing to figure out what programme is playing on all of those 500 channels at any given point. This is the problem What‘s On India is trying to solve, and in the process make itself into India‘s TV guide."

"The four year old company has built its own Electronic Programme Guide, which already reaches millions of subscribers through set top boxes of cable operators like Hathaway and DEN, and DTH providers like Airtel Digital TV and BIG TV.

But with the impending launch of its TV guide as a 24x7 channel across various cable and DTH platforms in January 2010, What‘s On India is looking to reach more than 20 million digital TV homes in the first half of the next year. The company will not just segregate available programming more effectively for viewers, it will also recommend programmes. Channels and other brands will also be able to advertise themselves on this new channel" it adds.

The magazine also highlights the channel‘s USP as "Indigenous solutions for Indian TV watchers" and emphasizes its "strong relationships with TV channels and cable and DTH operators."

Says Atul Phadnis, Founder, Promoter, CEO of What‘s On India, "Its just been a few days since we launched the WHATS ON INDIA channel. In this short while, both - consumers and the Television industry have given us an very emphatic thumbs-up, underscoring the immense need for a reliable and engaging solution to the constant viewer pain-point of "What should I watch right now". We are delighted to be listed in Forbes‘ Hottest 5 Start-ups. It‘s an acknowledgement of both - the huge viewer pain-point as well as the quality of the solution that the What‘s On India model provides."

Being the only such model in the marketplace, all operators have expressed excitement and welcomed the channel‘s launch. What‘s On India will be switching them on one-by-one.

MUMBAI: Its been raining stars at Radio City 91.1FM. Post Salman, Priyanka Chopra and Uday Chopra, the studios of India?s Leading Radio Network was graced by none other than the talented and very beautiful actress, Vidya Balan, where she spoke about her new movie ?Ishqiya?, on the evening show ?Joyride? with RJ Rohit. For that special connection to her role in the movie, Vidya Balan came dressed in her special character?s attire as in the movie.

Radio City?s evening show ?Joyride? is focused on de-stressing listeners, Vidya Balan along with RJ Rohit, reached out to listeners with an entertainment packed show, filled with on-air banter and melodious music from the soon to be released ?Ishqiya?. She even gave tips to female listeners of Radio City 91.1 FM about how they can woo Indian men, as they have different tastes and views from men across the world. 

A sustained focus on understanding listeners and leveraging the synergies of music expertise and innovative programming, allows Radio City to deliver a unique listening experience and be an integral part of the lives of listeners. Aggressively looking at spreading the Radio City experience to new markets across the country, Radio City 91.1FM is committed to growing the market and creating superlative content for discerning audiences.