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A Puja Tale of 2 cities: The Times of India’s Maa Aaschen. Tumi kothaye? celebrates togetherness this Durga Puja, even if separated by miles
KOLKATA, India, Sept. 30, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — The Times of India under their campaign Phirey Esho Kolkata, has launched a special edition of ‘Maa Aashcen. Tumi kothaye?’ on Durga Puja, celebrating togetherness and connection between loved ones during the festival.
‘Maa Aaschen. Tumi kothaye?’ literally means Maa Durga is coming home, where are you? Each year, during this time of the year, loved ones travel back to Bengal to be together for the biggest celebration of the year – to celebrate the homecoming of Goddess Durga. The beauty and the spirit of the festival is best enjoyed when it can be shared with families and friends. But there are many across the globe and in other Indian cities, who are unable to make it to their home this festive season. Though they will be celebrating the festival with passion in whichever part of the world they are, floods of memories will crowd the mind.
‘Maa Aaschen. Tumi kothaye?‘, an initiative of The Times of India is a celebration of this feeling of belonging, of togetherness, and of reaching out to near and dear ones, who can’t be with their near and dear ones this year. Loved ones will urge those separated to continue with the celebrations wherever they are. The idea is to remind them that they are with them this festive period and that is the real essence of Durga Puja.
The print campaign brings this alive by showcasing visuals of two friends connecting through a symbol of joining their hands forming a heart. The campaign video is a tale of two friends, who now live in two different cities – Mumbai and Kolkata. The film features actress Priyanka Sarkar and dancer, actress Sreenanda Shankar as friends who share their story of separation and how Puja unites them.
The film begins with both friends reminiscing a promise that they made years ago that they will never spend any Durga puja without each other. But unfortunately, they have not been able to fulfil their promise. The video portrays the unconditional friendship between two friends, who, though settled in different cities, share the deep emotional bond among themselves. As a ritual and marker of their presence, they have sent each other Puja gifts – sarees and silver jewelry. The two of them might be physically apart as one will celebrate Durga puja in Lokhandwala and another in north Kolkata but in spirit they will be together as they take part in Sandhi puja, Dhunuchi naach and other rituals and traditions, wearing each other’s gifts. The film beautifully reminds us that the autumn sky is the same everywhere and it never allows us to be separated. The festive spirit of Durga puja unites everybody’s hearts wherever they are, in spite of the distances.
“While shooting for the film, I was constantly thinking of my best friend, who is now settled in Kerala. I have innumerable memories of Durga puja from childhood to teenage years with her so during the festive season, I miss her very much,” said Sarkar, adding that she liked the story of the film because it celebrates the unconditional bond between two friends and also portrays how both of them understands each other’s circumstances of not being able to make it to the Puja in spite of making promises.
Shankar echoes the same thoughts but is excited to be back in Kolkata to spend the Durga puja with her family. “There have been occasions when I had tours during puja so I could very well relate to the emotions portrayed in the video. But thankfully, this year, I will be able to spend the puja days with my loved ones at home in the City of Joy,” added Shankar.
The film is partly shot in Mumbai with Shankar with Bandra Worli Sea Link as the backdrop and partly in Kolkata’s Kumartuli and iconic bonedi bari ‘Badan Chandra Roy’ with Sarkar. The palatial house hosts the 186-year-old Durga puja, which started in 1858. In front of the arched ‘Thakur Dalan’ there is a beautiful quadrangle marked by pillars and lamps.
In an endeavor to connect with readers to celebrate with missed loved ones, TOI invited them to share the pictures on www.phireyeshokolkata.com. Hundreds of entries from Kolkatans and Bengalis across the cities have been received. Select quotes have been featured in the newspaper.
Gini Majumdar, from Kolkata writes “My fifth puja without my son, as he is out of Kolkata for five consecutive years, three years in Bangalore and last two years in Glasgow. Missing him, and hope he joins us next year”
TOI & Languages Brand Director Kaustuv Chatterjee says “TOI, India’s most trusted news brand, has always celebrated the incredibly rich socio-cultural fabric of our country. Durga Puja is one of the largest festivals in the nation, in which people from all sections and communities participate and come together, not just Bengalis, to seek Durga Ma’s blessings. ‘Maa Aaschen. Tumi kothaye? Phirey Esho Kolkata’ is created for Durga Puja to celebrate and reinforce this value of coming together, more so with those most precious to us. The campaign is about celebrating togetherness even if they are miles apart from family and friends because our festival teaches us to celebrate ‘life’.”
This year the video has been scripted by music director, singer, lyricist Anindya Chatterjee, the video talks of Puja and how everyone carry the festivals in their hearts wherever they go, much like their loved ones.
Watch the video here: www.facebook.com/TOIKolkata/videos/2620376601446122
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.
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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/
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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
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Reliance Digital Introduces High-Performance iQOO 15R to its Nationwide Store Network
Reliance Digital Introduces High-Performance iQOO 15R to its Nationwide Store Network
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