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H T Parekh Foundation hosts inaugural Harsha Parekh Librarian Awards to honour India’s librarians working with children

  • 3 librarians and 1 organisation were recognised out of 275 nominations from across India
  • The evening also witnessed an insightful Fireside Chat with Anant Goenka, ED, The Indian Express Group alongside Actor Tara Sharma Saluja and Author Ashwin Sanghi

MUMBAI, India, March 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Marking a significant milestone in recognising librarians who work with children across India, H T Parekh Foundation (HTPF) – a Mumbai-based philanthropic foundation – hosted its inaugural Harsha Parekh Librarian Awards (HPLA) at the Hall of Harmony, Nehru Centre, recently. This first-of-its-kind, nationwide recognition celebrated individuals and organisations nurturing curiosity, imagination and a lifelong love for reading amongst children.

Named in honour of the late Professor Harsha S. Parekh, as an ode to her and her enduring legacy in the field of library sciences, the HPLA reaffirms the belief that librarians are educators in their own right, shaping young minds by going far beyond their conventional roles.

The event witnessed Deepak S. Parekh (Chairman, H T Parekh Foundation and Former Chairman, HDFC Ltd), Anant Goenka (Executive Director, The Indian Express Group), Tara Sharma Saluja (Actor & Producer), Ashwin Sanghi (Author) in attendance, along with family members, colleagues and friends of late Harsha S. Parekh, and several education organisations working with the Foundation.

Talking about its significance, Ziaa Lalkaka, Executive Director and CEO of H T Parekh Foundation, said, “Over the past four years, our work with organisations in this area, has reinforced our understanding of how essential librarians are in nurturing young readers and building a lifelong relationship for them with books. The inaugural edition of the Harsha Parekh Librarian Awards takes our commitment a step further, by formally honouring and celebrating librarians for the quiet changemakers they are. I congratulate all the winners this year, as we look forward to instituting this into an annual award ceremony.”

The awards drew 275 nominations from across India. It comprised 153 school librarians, 52 community librarians, and 70 organisations across 16 states, out of which the following winners were selected:

  • School Librarian: Jai Shekhar, teacher-cum-librarian at the government Primary School Dharampur, Balrampur, Uttar Pradesh.
  • Community Librarian: Saba Khan, founder of the Savitribai Phule Fatima Sheikh Library, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.
  • Organisation Championing Library Work: Organisation for Early Literacy Promotion (OELP) – a society founded in 2008 dedicated to building school and community libraries in rural India.
  • A Special Mention for School Librarian Vidya Devi, a full-time librarian at Kamala Nimbkar Balbhavan, Phaltan, Maharashtra, being run under the State Board.

The jury panel included: Chairperson, Jane Helen Sahi (Educator & Author), Prachi Kalra (Associate Professor at Gargi College, University of Delhi), Thejaswai Shivanand (Curator & Library Educator, Champaca Bookstore in Bengaluru), and S.L. Faisal (Award-winning Librarian & Educator – Kendriya Vidyalaya Network).

Alongside felicitation, the event also featured a curated Fireside Chat, where Anant Goenka was in conversation with Tara Sharma Saluja and Ashwin Sanghi. The guests reflected on how reading practices have evolved across generations, the future of children’s literature, and the emergence of diverse reading formats that make today’s reading culture more inclusive.

Anant Goenka mentioned, “What we are celebrating today is humanity’s fight with the algorithm. In fact the sale of books in Nordic countries is actually going up, indicating a huge counterculture trend.”

Tara Sharma Saluja added, “I personally love the touch and feel of a physical book. While most of us are privileged to have book collections at home, what really moved me about today’s event is how it celebrates the unknown faces of many librarians across India who are bringing their love for books to children who may not have easy access. And that, I think, is just incredible.”

Ashwin Sanghi said, “Even though I was educated and grew up in a business family, it was my ‘nana’ who was the first librarian in my life. He would send me a book every week, and I would read it and write him a letter explaining why I liked or disliked it. I think we must ensure that the next generation builds on this culture of reading, whilst also accepting that it could be in a very different medium or format.”

Why Librarians?

Promoting a joyful and sustained reading culture among children is a key strategic focus for H T Parekh Foundation. The Foundation’s special initiative, Doorbeen, aims to enrich children’s lives through the transformative power of reading. Doorbeen’s work focuses on building and strengthening children’s libraries, promoting quality regional-language literature, and supporting the professional development of library practitioners. Through close engagement with organisations and individuals in this space, HTPF has developed a deep understanding of the pivotal role librarians play.

Despite their critical role, many librarians work in resource-constrained settings, often with limited recognition and support. Doorbeen has already begun addressing this through training, and creation of professional development opportunities. The Harsha Parekh Librarian Awards take this commitment a step further; by formally honouring and celebrating librarians as the quiet changemakers they are.

About H T Parekh Foundation

The H T Parekh Foundation (HTPF) was established in 2012 to commemorate the birth centenary of the Founder Chairman of erstwhile HDFC Limited, Mr H T Parekh. Since 1 July 2023, the Foundation operates as an independent, domestic philanthropy.

The Foundation has philanthropic initiatives comprising a flagship programme, ReVIVE, that addresses urban climate change, a children’s literature & reading programme ‘Doorbeen’ and a portfolio of high impact, multi-sector initiatives that demonstrate eco-system level influence.

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Deutscher Cricket Bund (DCB) announces an exciting 2026 season to showcase Germany as the leading European cricket nation, building world-class cricket IP’s

ESSEN, Germany and MUMBAI, India, June 12, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — After the tremendous success of the recently concluded ‘5 match T20 International event – ‘Austria Tour of Germany,” DCB is all set to kick off its ambitious domestic set of events for 2026.

German Super League – Berlin edition starts at Mayfeld – next to the iconic OlympiaStadion from the 8th of June.

With a fixture of 43 T10 matches, 10 best clubs from the Berlin region will compete to be crowned champions. Legendary English umpire, Billy Bowden, will be the special guest, and will be officiating the final match.

Mr. Severin Weiss, the president of DCB, said, “In order to have a robust system, we need to have a strong domestic structure. It’s not about just having premier leagues and international contests, but building bottom up. And that’s what our core focus and mission is.” He added that for cricket in Europe and particularly in Germany to flourish, they need to attract more natives to take up the sport. Organizing good quality events, that are properly produced at the domestic level, will ensure they achieve this in the years to come.

The team at DCB is working methodically to achieve the stated mission.

Mr. Dieter Voight – DCB CEO – shed more light on the calendar events and stated, “In 2026, with strong collaboration and support of our regional partners, we have plans to conduct up to 8 domestic tournaments with about 300 matches. Add to this, we have 4 international events, the biggest being the Nordic Cup in August.”

The Nordic cup will see 5 women’s teams battle it out in August. The hosts will be joined by the Nordic national teams of Finland, Sweden, Denmark as well.

Germany will also host two more bilateral events, the next one being against Switzerland women’s in July.

Germany hopes to soon break into the top 30 men’s T20 ICC rankings. They won 4-1 against Austria and hope to continue their dominance on the field.

Donovan Miller has been appointed the head coach. Donovan brings in rich experience of working with English Counties, and top franchise tournaments. Coach along with the captain Musadiq Ahmed, who was sensational with the bat against Austria and was adjudged Man of the series, has the full trust and support of DCB to lead the team to achieve grander cricketing success.

With a robust domestic and international calendar in place, DCB is focussed on marketing the events and positioning German cricket as one of the most serious cricket destinations in Europe.

The important aspect is to reach as many people as possible, includes a strategic multi-media plan, which includes digital marketing as a key corner stone.

Dr. Vignaesh Sankaran, Vice President of the DCB, added: “Live broadcasting is only one part of the equation. Equally important is how we market our events, players, coaches, and sponsors to a wider audience. We do not want to miss this opportunity to grow the game and create value for all our stakeholders. The Austria–Germany international series generated more than five million impressions across all platforms. Together with our partners, SMW Global, we invited German influencer Liz Laz, whose content introduced German cricket to new audiences and significantly expanded our reach.

Germany is among the first European Associate Members to embrace this approach at scale, combining elite cricket with digital storytelling and influencer engagement. Through these efforts, we have achieved over 150% growth in viewership and now attract some of the largest cricket audiences in Europe.

Germany’s reputation for strong governance, professionalism, and high-quality event delivery also makes it an increasingly attractive market for sponsors and commercial partners. We will continue to build on this momentum and further strengthen Germany’s position as a leading cricket market in Europe.”

The Deutschland Cricket Board (DCB) has officially entered into a strategic partnership with SMW Global Media, with a long-term vision for collaboration. SMW Global Media will serve as the exclusive commercial rights partner, overseeing event production, ground branding, and sponsor asset delivery, while also supporting the DCB in developing consistent digital content and event promotion across platforms.

Azhan Ahsan, executive director – SMW Global Media, said, “The aim is to produce clean, high quality broadcasts, in decent budgets, allowing our federation partners the flexibility to produce more matches professionally. Consistent supply will expand the reach and grow commercial values of German cricket organically.” He added, “Germany is perhaps the only country in Europe that can on its own produce good quality cricket in such high volumes. Sponsors and media partners love it when there is a proper structure and a plan. And if we can add further value for all stakeholders by adding some spice on the digital content front, we can fast track brand Germany to newer markets and audiences. We are committed to that.”

The last event was broadcast LIVE worldwide on multiple platforms – FanCode, Action Sports, Unbeaten +, Unbeaten Prime, SportVot, Cricket Lounge TV, and German cricket’s official YouTube channel. It was also covered by all major data and scoring partners including ESPN, and Olympics.com.

About Deutscher Cricket Bund (DCB)

The Deutscher Cricket Bund is the governing body for cricket in Germany and is responsible for the development, promotion and organization of cricket activities across the country, including domestic, youth and international cricket structures.

For more information, please visit https://www.cricket.de/

About SMW Global Media

SMW Global Media is an international full-service sports agency that serves some of the major leagues, federations, teams and broadcasters in the world. With a global reach, they have been involved in projects in over 41 countries, annually distributing, selling and producing thousands of hours of live sports and work with over 100 broadcast partners. Their four core areas of expertise include Rights Management, Production Services, Streaming Solutions and Sponsorships. For more information, please visit, smwglobalmedia.com

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ContentLens Appoints Hari Nair, Former CEO of Tips Music, as Pro Bono Strategic Advisor

Industry veteran brings three decades of music, digital media, and content monetisation experience to India’s leading AI-powered IP protection platform — backing the company on conviction, not a fee.

MUMBAI, India, June 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — ContentLens, an AI-powered content intelligence platform pioneering proprietary solutions in music IP protection, celebrity likeness detection, content provenance, and deepfake identification, today announced the appointment of Hari Nair as Pro Bono Strategic Advisor.

Nair brings over three decades of leadership in the Indian and global media and entertainment industry, having held senior roles at Tips Music Limited, Sony Music India, PPL India, and TikTok — where he led the global launch of TikTok Music (known as Resso). Most recently, he served as CEO of Tips Music Limited, one of India’s most valued music labels, where he spearheaded global partnerships with TikTok, Sony Music Publishing, and Warner Music Group, built a data-driven, high-performance culture, and delivered sustained shareholder returns. Upon his departure, the music industry legend Kumar Taurani, Chairman and MD of Tips Music, credited Hari for ‘driving revenues and achieving targets as committed to shareholders’ and described him as ‘a passionate, revenue and data-driven leader’.

In an industry where advisory roles routinely carry equity or paid arrangements, Nair’s decision to join pro bono is a deliberate signal of conviction. As a former client of ContentLens, he has first-hand experience of the platform’s capabilities — and chose to back it based on that direct assessment of the technology.

In his advisory capacity, Nair will provide strategic counsel on ContentLens’s go-to-market strategy across the Indian and global media & entertainment industry, support the company’s investor relations, and leverage his extensive network across leading music, media, and entertainment companies.

ContentLens has already commercialised its technology with five large customers in the media and entertainment sector. The company has filed patents on its core fingerprinting, watermarking, and audio-visual content intelligence technologies, and is advancing toward its next phase of commercial growth.

ROHAN SAHU, Founder & CEO, ContentLens:

“When someone of Hari’s standing chooses to back ContentLens — not for a fee, but out of genuine belief in what we are building — it is among the strongest forms of validation a company at our stage can receive. His three decades of operating experience across every layer of the music and entertainment ecosystem, combined with his direct familiarity with our platform, gives us both strategic depth and credibility as we scale. We are deeply grateful for his trust and commitment.”

HARI NAIR, Pro Bono Strategic Advisor, ContentLens:

“I have spent my career building value across the music and entertainment ecosystem, and I can see clearly that the next frontier of that value lies in AI-driven content protection. ContentLens is solving a problem that every label, every artist, and every media company in the world already faces: IP infringement in an age where content can be replicated, repurposed, and monetised without consent. I have worked with this technology as a client and I know what it can do. I am joining because I genuinely believe this platform will matter — for record labels, musicians, artists, celebrities and every form of IP owner.”

ABOUT CONTENTLENS

ContentLens is an AI-powered content intelligence company building proprietary technology across four verticals: music IP protection, celebrity likeness detection, content provenance, and deepfake identification. Headquartered in Bangalore, ContentLens works with leading content owners and media companies to detect, protect, and monetise original intellectual property. The company has filed patents on its core fingerprinting, watermarking, and audio-visual content intelligence technologies, and has already commercialised its products globally with five large customers in the media and entertainment sector.

ABOUT HARI NAIR

Hari Nair is one of India’s most accomplished media and entertainment industry executives, with a distinguished career spanning music, digital media, and global content platforms. He has held leadership roles at Tips Music Limited, Sony Music India, PPL India, and TikTok, where he led the global launch of TikTok Music (Resso). As former CEO of Tips Music Limited, he led the company through a period of transformational growth and delivered exceptional shareholder returns. He is widely recognised for his dealmaking ability, performance-driven leadership, investor relationship management, and deep expertise in content monetisation.

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CGI Elevate event explores how GCCs are evolving from operations to business outcomes

CGI Elevate brought together industry leaders to explore how AI-first, outcome-driven GCCs are evolving into engines of innovation and strategic advantage

BENGALURU, India, June 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — CGI (TSX: GIB.A) (NYSE: GIB), one of the largest independent IT and business consulting services firms in the world, recently hosted the second edition of its flagship Global Capability Center (GCC) leadership event, CGI Elevate 2026. The event brought together industry leaders, GCC heads, technology experts, analysts and ecosystem partners to discuss the evolution of Global Capability Centers in an AI-first business landscape.

Gopal Chhetri - Senior VP, Business Unit Leader and GCC Business Head, CGI Asia Pacific Global Delivery Centers of Excellence.

Centered on the theme of business outcomes over scale, CGI Elevate 2026 served as a platform for industry leaders to exchange perspectives on how organizations can harness AI to transform GCCs into strategic drivers of innovation, agility and enterprise value. Conversations explored how next-generation GCCs are reshaping talent, engineering, innovation and enterprise decision-making, while highlighting the importance of execution, governance and ecosystem collaboration in translating AI ambition into measurable business outcomes.



“The future of GCCs will not be defined by scale alone, but by the outcomes they create. As enterprises accelerate AI adoption, GCCs are evolving into strategic engines of intelligence, innovation and business transformation. CGI Elevate 2026 reflects our commitment to bringing leaders together to exchange ideas, challenge conventions and explore how organizations can build outcome-driven GCCs that create lasting competitive advantage” said Gopal Chhetri, Senior Vice-President, Business Unit Leader and GCC Business Head, CGI Asia Pacific Global Delivery Centers of Excellence.

Building on the momentum of Elevate 2026, CGI remains focused on helping clients shape the next chapter of GCC transformation, where AI expertise and client business context converge to drive innovation, resilience and measurable business outcomes. Through its consulting-led approach, deep industry expertise and global delivery network, CGI continues to partner with clients to build what’s next and unlock long-term strategic advantage in an increasingly intelligent business landscape.

About CGI

Founded in 1976, CGI is among the largest independent IT and business consulting services firms in the world. With 94,000 consultants and professionals across the globe, CGI delivers an end-to-end portfolio of capabilities, from strategic IT and business consulting to systems integration, managed IT and business process services and intellectual property solutions. CGI works with clients through a local relationship model complemented by a global delivery network that helps clients digitally transform their organizations and accelerate results. CGI Fiscal 2025 reported revenue is CA$15.91 billion and CGI shares are listed on the TSX (GIB.A) and the NYSE (GIB). Learn more at cgi.com.

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