MUMBAI: MTV, India?s leading multimedia youth platform has hit its highest ever average TVR in its history of existence in the country - 0.33. The reach is at 40% (close to 50 lakh) this week with time spent per viewer at 59 minutes. The cumulative GRP?s of 79 are just 2 short of NDTV Imagine and ahead of several GEC?s like Sahara One, SAB and more. In fact, it is not only higher than competitive channels, but higher than the total of the key competition channels put together!

The phenomenal ratings were fuelled by MTV?s popular reality show MTV Hero Honda Roadies: Hell Down Under?s first Australia episode at 3.16 TVR with which it has become the top rated show in the category till date. Vodafone MTV Splitsvilla2?s 2nd episode also garnered a whopping 1.61 TVR.

After having held the no.1 position on Saturday 7pm for the longest time, MTV has now conquered the Sunday 7 pm slot too. MTV Hero Honda Roadies is the no.1 show on Sunday 7pm slot! In fact, MTV?s share in that slot is more than that of Star Plus & Colors put together.

Says Ashish Patil GM MTV India and Sr. VP Creative and Content, ?MTV?s always been the benchmark of cool and creativity. We?re thrilled to be setting new records of viewership for both, the channel and individual shows in the entire youth & music category now, even as competition collapses all around us. The best part is we?re just getting started as our new slate of programming rolls out? watch out world, here we come!?

MTV Hero Honda Roadies: Hell Down Under premiered with 8.12 lakh viewers tuning in for an average of 34 minutes each. Vodafone MTV Splitsvilla2 premiered with 5.58 lakh viewers tuning in for an average of 23 minutes each.

MUMBAI: This Friday, tune in to a refreshing episode of ?VICKY KI TAXI? on REAL. Watch what happens when Vicky (played by Pawan Shankar) runs into a production unit who wants to cast him and his precious Jaaneman in their film. Tune in to an exciting episode of Vicky Ki Taxi titled ?Vicky Bana Hero? this Friday, March 20th at 9 pm only on REAL!

Tune in this Friday at 9 pm and watch the adventure that unfolds when Vicky?s taxi is spotted by a film unit. The director of the film approaches Vicky and requests him to lend ?Jaaneman? for the shoot. Vicky refuses to part with ?Jaaneman?, but the director is persistent. He tries to convince Vicky by saying that ?Jaaneman? will add value to the film and also that the taxi will become like a celebrity once people watch it in the film, but Vicky is adamant! Then the director discovers that Vicky is a die-hard fan of the actress (played by Richa Palot) and tries to take advantage of this, to let them shoot with ?Jaaneman?. From here, begins Vicky?s involvement with the unit. Things get even more interesting when the director wants Vicky to make a short appearance in the film. Does Vicky actually act in the film? Is his performance appreciated? Tune in to find out what happens next, in this Friday?s episode of Vicky Ki Taxi, this Friday, March 20th at 9 pm only on REAL.

Tune in to this exciting episode of Vicky Ki Taxi titled, ?Vicky Bana Hero? this Friday, March 20th at 9 pm only on REAL. Meter Chalu? Story Chalu!

MUMBAI: The Remo Paulson Mithun da connection

The common thread which binds the three generation of dancer?s gets revealed quite unexpectedly in the forthcoming episode on Saturday, March 21st at 9:30 pm.

This week will see the return of everyone?s darling Paulson Thomas who got evicted a couple of weeks back on medical grounds. The most excited amongst all was of course mentor, Geeta Kapoor, because after the retreat of most of her pupils except Siddhesh Pai, Paulson is the only trump card on whom she is banking the most.

Paulson teamed up with Nonie gave a very endearing performance on ?aapdi podi?. Said an ecstatic Geeta, ?Both Nonie and Paulson are very dear to me. We share a relation beyond mentor and student. They all are my extended family. I had selected this song specially for Paulson and its Terence?s favourite too.?

?I am so grateful to God, to Mithun Da and Zee TV for giving me a second chance?. Back home nobody took my passion for dance seriously. Being an electrician by profession and my dark skin only added to my woes?.? said a teary eyed Paulson when Saumya complimented him on how handsome he was looking.

Hearing this young guy?s doleful outburst an otherwise reticent Remo could not contain himself and gave out his similar past when he was slated in the film industry for his dark skin. But his patience, perseverance and dedication towards dance paid off eventually and today Remo is a name to reckon with in the industry.

It seemed like history was repeating itself on Lux Dance India Dance when Mithun da narrated his struggling days in the industry when he was too condemned for his dark and unconventional looks amongst his peers. His rags to riches story was a proof enough to proclaim the fact that hard work and dedication can never let down anyone. ?Paulson buddy?aajkal zamaana hai tall, dark handsome ka?.fair skin is just a myth?? chuckled the veteran actor.

Shubho Das ?.

Why Mithun da keeps getting miffed with this fellow Bengali ??

Shubho Das, is the youngest participant in Lux Dance India Dance and also the first one to get evicted. Mithun Da had received a lot of flak from the Bengali audience when Shubho got eliminated. Shubho Das felt betrayed when his idol, Mithun da, announced his name for elimination. For a moment even Mithun da was on guilt trip seeing Subho crying and howling incessantly. He too had to mull over his decision after having passed one?

Where Shubho had thought that he would earn brownie points from dada for being a Bengali, actually was caught off guard when he was adjudged as not that great a dancer.

This week?s episode (Saturday, March 21st at 9:30pm) will see dada giving Shubho a second chance but not without giving him a piece of his mind. ?Main tumhe doosra mauka de raha hoon, issliye nahin ki tum Bengali ho par issliye kyonki mujhe tum main woh dance ka junnon aur dewaanapan dikhayi de raha hai?.?, (He makes it very clear that he is getting this second chance only for his passion for dancing and not because he is a Bengali) said the dancing King, Mithun Da.

Guess Shubho will have to dig out more ways to impress dada rather than just revel on the fact that he is a fellow Bengali. Hope he makes better utilization of this opportunity and makes his fellow Bengali feel proud of him.

The strength of a woman ?

Mandakini kept struggling till the time she proved herself

Mandakini Jana from Bhubaneshwar Orissa did not get a very hearty welcome into this world because of her gender. Since her childhood the fact was reiterated that a boy would have added to the family in more than one way. The situation somehow strengthened Mandakini from inside and she pledged to prove to the world that a woman is at par with the men folk. With 3 elder siblings in the family but still never got treated as the youngest. For her struggle started at a very young age. ?And today her family specially her father is very proud of her achievements. She is the only daughter who is allowed to work, not for money but for her passion towards dancing.

An ordinary Mandakini, in years became not only extraordinary but also multifaceted. She learnt six forms of dance all at her own cost. Being a dance teacher in a school, she is the sole bread winner of the family. Not only that she has also mastered the art of tycondo and trained herself in other forms of martial arts. So guys better watch out for his headstrong girl ..

After getting evicted once in the previous episode, the girl is leaving no stone unturned to prove the strength of a woman once again on the stage of Dance India dance with the wild card entry on Saturday, March 21st at 9:30pm?

Mangesh ka adhura sapna..... shayad poora hoga?

Mangesh Mondol, a cocktail of Maharashtrian and Bengali who has never had a roof of his own always dreamt of giving his mother a home of her own. His mother, a domestic aid and his father a cook at ONCG could not do enough for Mangesh and his dancing aspirations given their limited means. But the young lad?s passion and dedication made him an excellent dancer.

When destiny opened the doors in the form of dance India Dance, Mangesh?s only desire was to buy a roof for his mother. But Alas! As ill luck would have it, destiny failed him badly and he got evicted on every minuscule grounds.

Destiny gave him a second chance in the form of Wild card entry but unluckily the guy got crams on his leg and was unable to move. A worried Remo ran to take his side, his nervous mother watched him helplessly sitting in the audience, Mithun da shook his head in disbelief because somehow Mangesh reminded him of his younger days?. but Mangesh could not stand.

Will destiny give him another chance to resurrect his dream?? Watch the drama unfold on Saturday, March 21st at 9:30 pm

MUMBAI: On March 18, 2009, a grand opening ceremony was held for Delphi Product & Service Solutions (DPSS) Authorized Wholesale Distributor?s sales outlet in Coimbatore. Delphi?s wholesale distributors, dealers, workshop owners, mechanics and consumers were among the attendees at the event. With the opening of this outlet with Delphi brand identity, Delphi will further strengthen the awareness of its OE heritage and technological expertise in the Indian aftermarket.

?This initiative in India is in line with our strategy in Asia Pacific to support our partners with the strength of Delphi?s brand, technology and products,? stated Dominic Seto, Managing Director, Delphi Product & Service Solutions (DPSS) Asia Pacific and Vice President, Delphi China. ?It is an excellent platform to further enhance Delphi?s brand image and global presence.?

This sales outlet at Stanes Motors (South India) Limited will provide hands on displays of Delphi?s complete product portfolio available for Indian aftermarket plus the unique experience of featuring both replacement parts and the car audio & video products under the same roof. It will be used for the development and growth of business by showcasing Delphi products; supporting dealers in and around Coimbatore; launching promotion campaigns and customer loyalty programs; training dealers? salesmen & workshop mechanics; and also attracting new channel partners to join Delphi aftermarket network.

?We are going to take similar key initiatives across other regions of India during 2009,? said Ramesh Rao, Director, Indian Subcontinent, DPSS.

As a world leader in automotive systems and components, Delphi provides comprehensive product solutions to vehicle manufacturers around the globe. That same technological expertise is now available to the aftermarket. With increasing business and network development, DPSS devotes itself to more OE quality parts and better services to the Indian aftermarket.

?We are proud to be associated with a premium brand like Delphi,? said R. Ramakrishnan, CEO, Stanes Motors (South India) Limited. ?It symbolizes OE heritage and technological expertise in the aftermarket world wide.?

Delphi?s aftermarket product portfolio in India includes four major product lines - Chassis (shock absorbers, brake pads, half shafts and power steering pumps), Vehicle Electronics (in-tank fuel pumps, fuel pump motors and ignition cables), Thermal (compressors, condensers, evaporators & radiators; and retrofit AC kits) and Consumer Accessories (Car Audio & DVD Players and LCD/TFT Monitors, etc.).

Delphi?s manufacturing and engineering capabilities in India are situated in three major automobile hubs ? Delhi, Bangalore and soon in Chennai. The company has been operating in India for the last 13 years and has established four manufacturing sites and a technical center. Delphi has been supplying to Indian and global OEMs in the country and is committed to supporting the growth of its customers.

MUMBAI: naaptol.com, India?s premier comparison based social shopping portal, has announced the appointment of Hari Trivedi as its President with immediate effect. Based in Mumbai, Trivedi will responsible for overall sales and marketing at naaptol. He would also be initializing lowest price offers and deals on naaptol for its users. Hari?s thorough experience and naaptol?s budding business enterprise would be apt to meet the need of the consumers and sellers.

Hari Trivedi who until recently spearheaded Aksh Optifibre as Head of IPTV business and prior to that Times Internet Ltd as the National Head for e-commerce, is acknowledged as an expert in managing retail, sales and software development for e-commerce. He is famously known as the Godfather of Readers offers in India which has now become an industry in itself.

Speaking on his appointment Manu Agarwal, CEO and Founder naaptol.com said, ?Hari has been in the industry for over 24 years and has oodles of experience in E-commerce and E-governance platforms. We are proud to have him onboard and believe his experience will do wonders for naaptol. We are a growing company and we wanted someone like him to pace our operations and fulfill our ambitious targets.

?naaptol has well established itself as a pioneering comparison shopping portal within a year of its launch. The online business in India has a scope to quadruplicate itself in 2 years. Being with naaptol I see myself as contributing to the overall growth of the e-commerce industry. I would like to go for a more innovative approach to double the current Readers Offers industry. It currently stands at 350cr per annum but my aim is to cross 1000cr in 2 years time from now,? says Hari Trivedi.

Hari has a MBA degree in Marketing from Indian Institute of Business, Chennai and has explored and touched varied areas of marketing, promotion and business development. He is an avid reader, loves listening to music, travelling and meeting new people.

MUMBAI: Bharti Airtel Limited today announced the first winner of its mega promotion ?Bring Home the Magic? for its DTH service ? digital TV. Mohammed Rafi, an Engineer from Bangalore, is the lucky Airtel digital TV customer who hosted Airtel Brand Ambassador A R Rahman at his home.

Congratulating the winner, Mr. Deepak Srivastava, CEO ? DTH, Bharti Airtel, said, ?Airtel digital TV has redefined the digital home entertainment experience in the country. This promotion is an endeavor to get closer to our customers and to bring home our core service proposition of service, trust and quality. With this unique offer, we are giving our customers the opportunity to experience magical entertainment at home with their favourite stars and thousands of other exciting prizes.?

An ecstatic Mohammed Rafi said, ?When A R Rahman won the Oscars, I had a dream of being able to congratulate him in person. This dream is now a reality thanks to Airtel digital TV. This day will forever remain truly unforgettable.?

The ?Bring Home the Magic? promotion offers Airtel digital TV customers the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to win a chance to bring home their favourite stars - A R Rahman, Saif Ali Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Zaheer Khan and Gautam Gambhir. In addition, customers stand a chance to win a number of other exciting prizes including Samsung LCD TVs and Nokia phones. The offer is valid till 31st May 2009 and is open to customers across India (except Tamil Nadu).

Airtel digital TV has brought in many firsts like a Universal Remote for operating both the set top box and TV and the only MPEG4 standard with DVB S2 technology that gives exceptional picture clarity and consistently high quality audio. The Airtel digital TV service is available across the country and is supported by 24x7 customer care available in 8 different languages and a team of 800 professionally trained service engineers. For further details, visit www.airtel.in/digitaltv