News Wire
44th Edition of the Jaisalmer Desert Festival turned out to be one of the biggest offbeat cultural festivals of the year by witnessing a 1 lakh + audience
Rajasthan geared up and prepared for a ceremonious welcome to embrace tourists on the occasion of its annual cultural festival- Jaisalmer Desert Festival 2023.
JAISALMER, India, Feb. 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — The 44th Jaisalmer Annual Desert Festival, 2023 took place in the Hindu month of Magh (February) from the 3rd to the 5th of February, three days before the scenic view of the full moon in the beautiful city of Jaisalmer. The festival was celebrated in picturesque and rustic dunes and exhibited a show of splendor and extravaganza that showcased the inherently rich cultural heritage of Rajasthan that was woven into every detail of the city’s beautiful landscape. The crowd of 1 lakh + people was astonishing, especially considering that the ratio of locals to tourists was almost 70:30.
The dunes came to life during the three-day-long festival that hosted folk dances and folk music performances along with a plethora of other cultural delights. The festival housed enchanting performances by eminent musicians and playback singers. Indian maestros and artists like the composer duo Salim-Suleiman, Ankit Tiwari, Salman Ali, Shanmukha Priya, Raghu Dixit Project along with celebrated folk singers like Tagaram Bheel, Gaji Khan Barna and Bhutte Khan Nimbla & Group set the environment ablaze with their surreal performances. The festival gave a platform to more than 300 folk musicians to present their distinctive musical contributions. The festival also hosted one of the youngest and fastest-rising electronic acts by the Atrangi Project.
Starting from Shaheed Poonam Singh Stadium, the festival began with a ceremonial procession – Shobha Yatra on the 3rd of February. This was followed by unique and new activities such as Astro Tourism, Live Clay Portrait Show and Photography Exhibition. Apart from that, the performance by Salim-Suleiman, was the main highlight of the cultural evening that experienced 35K to 40K footfalls. Besides, the most unique activation- Astro Tourism saw more than 35 people participating in the workshop that spanned over two different evenings, since this kind of activity was taking place for the first time in Rajasthan.
Events like the Mr. & Mrs. Jaisalmer competition, the Horse Racing Spectacular, and the Moustache Competition held the audience’s attention. The Panihari Matka Tournament, the Moomal Mahendra Competition were two more events that attracted participants’ interest. One of the peculiar activities that tourists enjoyed was the turban-tying competition, which attracted both residents and visitors with equal zeal. An unusual and enjoyable performance, Camel Acrobatics by BSF, highlighted the talents and prowess of both the camels and their riders. It was a monument to the BSF’s Camel Contingent’s perseverance and commitment, as well as to the long history of India’s border security force. One of the most thrilling parts was the Air Warrior Drill, a demonstration of weapon handling abilities in which the Air Warriors show off their proficiency with weapons while moving quickly and accurately. Also, the festival goers had the chance to participate in a camel safari, Kalbeliya dance, and Jaisalmer folk melodies near the Khuri Dunes. The festival also served as a crucial platform to celebrate the skillful artistry of the handicrafts community and saw an exotic handpicked handicraft collection at the Handicrafts Bazaar by a self-help handicraft group from Jaisalmer.
The ‘I Love Jaisalmer Foundation’ created the warm-hearted ‘Dine with Jaisalmer’ programme, an immersive cultural luncheon experience produced during the Desert Festival and supported by the community that comes from the rural areas of Jaisalmer. The initiative welcomed visitors into their homes and hearts. The 22 families who came forward to create the culture named ‘Dine with Jaisalmer’ hosted over 200 tourists including 40-45% foreigners.
While talking about the Jaisalmer Desert Festival, Ms. Tina Dabi, District Collector & District Magistrate of Jaisalmer, said, “This year’s festival was bigger and better than ever before with experiencing the highest number of footfalls with an exciting lineup of activities. Our festival is distinctive because it is a bazaar with many cultural components, which I think distinguishes us from other cultural events that take place in the other cities. As a travel destination, Jaisalmer offers everything a visitor might want, including forts and havelis, heritage, art, culture, architecture, museums, spiritual travel, astronomical travel, exciting adventures, and the greatest hospitality with luxury. Jaisalmer is the third largest district in the country and the largest district in Rajasthan that has dunes, the Rann, a lake, and a national park all present in one place. We always strive to provide an experience that can be cherished for a lifetime, and we have been successful in doing so.”
About the Jaisalmer Desert Festival:
The Jaisalmer Desert Festival takes place every year in the Hindu month of Magh (February) and is set in the backdrop of the beautiful dunes of the Thar Desert. The extravagantly beautiful festival is celebrated for three days with enthusiasm and fervor and is infused with high notes of the abundant Rajasthani culture and tradition. The event sees heavy attendance from tourists over the globe, who come to experience the regality of a culture so rich and abundant. The event is an exquisite and colorful mix of art, music, and cultural grandeur from one of India’s most possessed jewels- Jaisalmer.
View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/in/news-releases/44th-edition-of-the-jaisalmer-desert-festival-turned-out-to-be-one-of-the-biggest-offbeat-cultural-festivals-of-the-year-by-witnessing-a-1-lakh–audience-301754135.html
News Wire
Reliance Digital Introduces High-Performance iQOO 15R to its Nationwide Store Network
MUMBAI, India, March 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Reliance Digital announces the offline retail availability of iQOO, the high-performance smartphone brand built for today’s youth and tech-forward consumers. Following strong traction in online channels, iQOO is now extending its presence into physical retail, allowing customers to experience and purchase its devices first-hand at Reliance Digital stores across India.
Known for pushing the boundaries of speed, and power, the iQOO 15R is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5, delivering exceptional speed, responsiveness, and sustained performance throughout the day. It packs iQOO’s biggest battery yet in an ultra-slim 7.90mm design, making it India’s slimmest smartphone with a 7600 mAh battery.
The device features a 6.5K IceCore VC Cooling Chamber for stable performance and runs on OriginOS 6.0 based on Android 16 out of the box, supported by 4 years of software updates and 6 years of security updates. It is also equipped with a Sony LYT-700V OIS camera, a 1.5K 144Hz AMOLED EyeCare display, and IP68 & IP69 dust and water resistance, making it a dependable daily partner for professionals on the go.
The brand’s offline expansion marks an important step in deepening consumer engagement by offering hands-on access to its devices, enabling customers to explore iQOO’s powerful performance, advanced display technology, and flagship-grade camera capabilities in a real-world retail environment.
The availability of iQOO at Reliance Digital brings together two brands driven by innovation and consumer experience. While iQOO continues to build its reputation as a performance-led smartphone brand, Reliance Digital strengthens its portfolio by offering customers access to cutting-edge technology brands through its extensive nationwide retail network.
Through engaging in-store experiences, knowledgeable staff, and immersive product demonstrations, Reliance Digital aims to help consumers better understand iQOO’s performance-first DNA. This move further reinforces Reliance Digital’s commitment to staying ahead of evolving consumer preferences and serving as a preferred destination for discovering new-age technology.
With this expansion, Reliance Digital continues to play a key role in shaping India’s consumer electronics landscape by bringing future-ready brands closer to customers, while enabling smartphone brands like iQOO to build stronger connections with a growing, performance-driven audience.
The all new iQOO 15R is now available at Reliance Digital stores nationwide.
View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/in/news-releases/reliance-digital-introduces-high-performance-iqoo-15r-to-its-nationwide-store-network-302711079.html
News Wire
Kotak Alts announces winner of the inaugural Katalyst Awards
Ms Himani Choudhary named Katalyst for the year – India’s Best Financial Content Creator; wins Rs. 25 Lakhs
MUMBAI, India, March 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Kotak Katalyst Awards, a national initiative instituted to recognise excellence and responsibility in financial content creation has announced the winner of its first Katalyst edition. Kotak Alternate Asset Managers Limited (“Kotak Alts”) today announced Himani Choudhary as the winner. The winner was awarded a prize of INR 25 Lakhs, positioning Katalyst among the most meaningful recognitions for financial content creators in India.
Srini Sriniwasan, Managing Director, Kotak Alts, said, “The Kotak Alts Katalyst Awards were instituted to recognize content creators who are contributing meaningfully to financial literacy in India. As investor participation deepens, audiences are seeking clarity, context, and credibility. The response from creators was overwhelming and points to the new generation of financial educators. As the inaugural winner Ms. Himani Chaudhary, exemplifies the standard of financial communication that Katalyst seeks to encourage.”
The first edition of the Kotak Alts Katalyst Awards received over six hundred entries from across 19 states and in 8 languages, reflecting the growing role of digital creators in shaping financial awareness. Conceived in response to increasing clutter and misinformation in the financial ecosystem, Katalyst is designed to recognize creators who place accuracy, transparency, and investor interest at the core of their work.
The winning content, ‘Personal Finance & Major Finance Updates’ by Himani Choudhary, was recognised for its clarity, originality, and credibility. The jury noted the content’s ability to explain complex financial concepts in a clear and measured manner, supported by strong research and a consistent focus on investor education over virality.
To ensure a robust and transparent evaluation process, the awards framework was designed and audited by EY. The top thirty entries were assessed by an academic jury.
The top 10 finalists were subsequently evaluated by a grand jury comprising Kunal Shah, Founder and CEO of CRED; Radhika Gupta, Managing Director and CEO of Edelweiss Mutual Fund; and Alpesh Shah, Managing Director and Senior Partner at Boston Consulting Group, and chaired by Ananth Narayan, former Whole–Time Member of SEBI with extensive capital markets and regulatory experience.
The Katalyst Awards recognise financial content creators who priorities financial literacy, substance, and long–term investor interest. Through this initiative, Kotak Alts aims to encourage responsible financial communication and support the development of informed and confident investors across India.
About Kotak Alternate Asset Managers Ltd: Kotak Alternate Asset Managers Limited (‘Kotak Alts’), a part of Kotak Mahindra Group (‘Kotak’), focuses on Alternate Asset Management and Investment Advisory businesses. Kotak Alts was set up in early 2005 and has raised, managed, and advised over USD 22 billion across different asset classes, including Private Equity, Real Estate, Infrastructure, Special Situations, Private Credit, and Investment Advisory. The asset management business and investment advisory vertical are managed by independent specialist teams. For more information, visit https://www.kotakalternateasset.com/
View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/in/news-releases/kotak-alts-announces-winner-of-the-inaugural-katalyst-awards-302709187.html
News Wire
Paperpal for Life Sciences Establishes HIPAA Readiness, Strengthening Enterprise Adoption of AI in Regulated Medical and Scientific Writing Workflows
MUMBAI, India, March 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Paperpal for Life Sciences, an enterprise-grade Artificial Intelligence (AI) platform by Cactus Communications, purpose-built for Medical Affairs and Life Sciences organizations, announced the completion of an assessment evaluating its operational and technical safeguards to support Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) requirements. This milestone reinforces Paperpal’s commitment to meeting the rigorous standards of security, data protection, and regulatory readiness required for regulated scientific workflows.
Growing AI use in medical affairs writing and publication workflows is intensifying scrutiny on data privacy, governance, and regulatory accountability. To support these evolving needs, Paperpal for Life Sciences has undertaken an assessment of its systems and processes to evaluate readiness to support HIPAA compliance, where applicable, and now proudly offers the option to execute a Business Associate Agreement (BAA) for Protected Health Information (PHI) and Personally Identifiable Information (PII). This offering gives customers the confidence that PHI or PII, if received, is handled securely and responsibly, in line with regulatory expectations and enterprise risk management practices.
Paperpal for Life Sciences provides AI writing, literature search, source-grounded summarization with citation support, and critical publication checks, powering medical affairs content creation under stringent data privacy and governance controls. The platform accelerates research-to-publication timelines by upto 25%, supporting faster dissemination of clinical evidence and earlier commercialization of new drugs and therapies.
Nishchay Shah, Group CTO and EVP, Products and AI at Cactus Communications, said, “As AI becomes foundational to regulated scientific and medical workflows, compliance and trust are no longer optional. Paperpal for Life Sciences’ HIPAA readiness measures reflect our secure-by-design approach to AI, strong data governance framework, and alignment with real-world enterprise and regulatory requirements. This milestone enables organizations to adopt AI at scale with confidence that their data, processes, and compliance obligations are protected .”
Elvira Dsouza, President, Cactus Life Sciences, added, “Medical Affairs and Life Sciences teams operate in highly regulated environments where scientific rigor, data privacy, and compliance are non-negotiable. HIPAA readiness positions Paperpal for Life Sciences as a trusted AI partner, one that enables organizations to accelerate evidence generation and scientific communication without compromising regulatory integrity .”
With this announcement, Paperpal for Life Sciences reinforces its position as a purpose-built, enterprise-ready AI platform for medical affairs content generation that supports innovation while meeting the highest standards of privacy, ethics, and regulatory compliance.
Media Contact:
Nidhi Amin
nidhi.amin@cactusglobal.com
View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/in/news-releases/paperpal-for-life-sciences-establishes-hipaa-readiness-strengthening-enterprise-adoption-of-ai-in-regulated-medical-and-scientific-writing-workflows-302708082.html
India Emerging as Stable Investment Anchor in Turbulent Global Economy, Say Investors at IGF Mumbai 2026
Reliance Digital Introduces High-Performance iQOO 15R to its Nationwide Store Network
Reliance Digital Introduces High-Performance iQOO 15R to its Nationwide Store Network
-
Buzz2 months agoGLOBAL PAY – A New Era in Oman’s Digital Payments Solution
-
Buzz1 month agoCASA BACARDÍ unveils its first Tropical Edition in Goa, celebrating music, culture and collective expression
-
Buzz2 months agoOTM 2026 Set to Bring the Global Travel Industry to Mumbai as India’s Outbound Market Accelerates
-
Buzz1 month agoNew report from Standard Chartered highlights optimistic corporate outlook on India’s energy transition
-
Buzz3 weeks ago70% of Indian Firms Say Cross-Border Trade Has Become Harder to Navigate
-
Buzz1 month ago‘Made in India – The story of Desh Bandhu Gupta, Lupin and Indian Pharma’ Book Launched in Mumbai
-
News Wire1 month agoShriram Life Insurance launches Zaroorat Jaisi, Policy Vaisi: A Fully AI-Created Ad Film Campaign featuring Rahul Dravid
-
News Wire3 weeks agosuper.money Emerges as Market Disruptor, Named India’s Fastest Growing Payments App
You must be logged in to post a comment Login