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Short Film To Fight Domestic Violence Menace Released In 150 Screens In MMR

– #MeraFarzHai 2.0 urges people to speak up in wake of the alarming rise in domestic violence cases exacerbated by lockdown
– Film by Viviana Mall and Thane Police to be released across 150 screens urging people to take responsibility and report incidents on 103 helpline number
– Online petition calling for further policy changes and enhanced safety
MUMBAI, India, March 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — As the nation adopted unprecedented lockdown measures during the pandemic and followed the stay-at-home directives for safety, many women experiencing violence found themselves trapped with their abusers, worsening the impact of their abuse. Domestic violence cases saw a dramatic rise in the past year. The violence continues unabated and a substantial number of cases are going unreported either to safeguard family’s reputation or due to fear of shame to identify oneself as a victim. To curb the menace of domestic violence and encourage people to take responsibility by reporting such incidents, the second edition of #MeraFarzHai was launched by Viviana Mall in partnership with Thane Police, ahead of International Women’s Day.
Although #MeraFarzHai began as a campaign in 2020 to safeguard women against those who violate their rights and space, the DNA of the campaign is to equip each one and all with the armour one needs, to carry out their Farz, and push them to take the very first step of reporting any incidents of violence against women.
As part of the campaign, a short film conceptualised by Viviana Mall and supported by Thane police will be showcased across 150 screens in the Mumbai Metropolitan region on the occasion of women’s day. The film urges people to not be mute spectators and call on them to think of it as their Farz (responsibility) to speak up against domestic violence. The core idea of the video is that one voice against domestic violence can change someone’s life, so don’t hold back, and #AwaazUthao against the act of abuse to create a safer space for women all around. The film has been released on YouTube and amplified on other social media platforms to ensure it reaches the right target audience, calling more people to join the movement against domestic violence.
The association with Thane Police aims to draw attention and make victims and people aware of the helpline number 103  available for women’s safety, thereby encouraging individuals to take action for every cause possible.
Further, to lend voice to the victims of domestic violence and call for national action to ensure a safe environment, Viviana Mall together with NatConnect Foundation has created an online petition seeking community support that victims desperately need. The petition addressed to the Union Ministry of Women & Child Development, makes an appeal for policy changes to protect whistleblowers who come forward to report such incidents, create safe shelter homes for victims and their children and the need to create counselling centres for couples and family members. The petition has been supported by various activists, NGOs and celebrities.  
Speaking about this initiative Ms. Rima Kirtikar, Chief Marketing Officer, Viviana Mall said, “Over the years, our social initiatives have focused on the welfare of women because we firmly believe that any social, political and economic development we seek centers around empowering women.  Through our unique property ‘ExtraordiNAARI’ we have launched some ground-breaking campaigns like Stop Acid Sale, Women on Wheelchairs, #MeraFarzHai, that have been lauded, helped provoke change and resonated with women from all walks of life. Domestic violence has been a serious issue faced by women in India and the recent figures suggesting the pandemic has worsened it further highlights the need that it is our responsibility as a society to find a solution together. Violence faced by women can affect every aspect of their lives, from their mental health, social life, financial security, relationship with their children and work life. Many women continue to live with the perpetrator, mostly their partners to safeguard the reputation, due to fear of shame or pressure from family. Through the campaign and support from Thane Police, we have created a film that will be rolled across 150 screens urging people to not ignore the woes of victims they may know in their vicinity, and report such incidents on the emergency help line number 103. The severity of domestic violence impacting the mental and physical health of women also stresses the need for policy changes concerning safety of the complainant, counselling measures to alleviate victim’s trauma and temporary protection and shelter homes for women. An online petition has been launched requesting for measures to create a safe environment for the victims of domestic violence.”
Launched in 2015, Viviana Mall through its flagship campaign – ‘ExtraordiNAARI’ aims to take up various women centric social causes and aims for the betterment of women in society by creating awareness and a long-lasting impact on society. 
In 2018 Viviana Mall launched #STOPACIDSALE campaign where they highlighted unheard and untold stories of acid attack survivors in India. The entire concept was taken a notch ahead, where the acid attack survivors walked the ramped at a leading Fashion Week. Viviana Mall was lauded for its innovative and socially relevant campaign against the sale of Acid aimed at prevention of an ever prevalent social malaise of scarring caused by Acid Attacks at the ICSC Gold Asia Pacific Shopping center awards 2018, followed by ICSC VIVA Best of Best  Award at Las Vegas in May 2019 for the same initiative.
In 2019, the Mall applauded Women on Wheelchair through their campaign #RespectWomenOnWheelchair. This campaign was in association with the NINA foundation, which aimed to portray women who have broken through the shackles of disability and achieved success in their respective fields despite facing challenges. Through ExtraordiNAARI Viviana Mall aims to facilitate changes in the society in the coming years. 
In 2020, MeraFarzHai, (it is my responsibility), was launched that focused on gender sensitisation and creating awareness among the people to stand against sexual harassment faced by women, especially in public places. To reach a larger audience, a video was created and released across 150 cinema halls in the MMR. The campaign received over 18 million views across different social media platforms. The campaign was recognised in India and abroad that led to similar campaigns being launched by Ontarion government and L’Oreal Paris. Inspired by Viviana Mall’s initiative, Ontarion government launched #WhoWillYouHelp in September 2020 followed by #StandUpAgainstStreetHarassment by L’Oreal Paris, in November 2020.The campaign film was also reposted by Telangana State Police on their social media handles.
Campaign link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWl43ybHaZc
Petition link: https://www.change.org/p/mrs-smriti-zubin-irani-fight-against-domestic-violence?recruiter=29763990&recruited_by_id=ee3a85c0-dca3-012f-61c2-4040f855b16c&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink&utm_campaign=petition_dashboard
ABOUT VIVIANA MALL:
Viviana Mall, a well-known ‘Destination Mall’ by the Ashwin Sheth Group, was built to give an experience to its audience. Encompassing one million square feet, Viviana Mall covers over 250 leading brands in its prime retail and leisure space. Established in 2013, the mall is India’s first and only visually impaired friendly mall and has also launched “XRCVC-Viviana Extension” a resource centre for visually impaired.

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Fulfilling PM Modi’s Dream of Atmanirbhar Bharat: India’s AI Writing Startup Kreativespace Incubated at IIT Kharagpur

Kreativespace, an Indian AI-powered writing platform founded by Vinet Kakadea, has been incubated at IIT Kharagpur and recognized by SVNIT University, Ministry of Education under Bodhan AI Conclave also through the NVIDIA Inception Program, AWS Startup Program, and DPIIT under Startup India.The platform unifies 8 AI-powered writing tools, along with AI Humanizer and Message AI feature being the latest addition into a single ecosystem, so you can generate and refine content all in one place.The company reports more than 50,000+ signed-up users, 75,000+ anonymous users, and roughly 100,000 monthly website visitors, positioning itself as the only Indian company operating at scale in the global AI writing market.SURAT, India, June 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Kreativespace, an AI-powered writing platform, is building out its position as the only homegrown alternative in a market long dominated by international tools such as Grammarly and QuillBot. Founded by Vinet Kakadea and incubated at IIT Kharagpur, the company has aligned its growth with the broader push behind Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Atmanirbhar Bharat (Self-Reliant India) initiative, which encourages indigenous technology development capable of competing on a global scale.

As AI adoption accelerates across India’s education, research, and enterprise sectors, Kreativespace is among a small group of Indian startups building writing technology designed to compete directly with established international platforms.Kreativespace’s progress has been recognized by several institutions central to India’s startup and technology ecosystem. The company has been incubated at IIT Kharagpur, selected under SSIP 2.0 through SVNIT University, and chosen by the Ministry of Education to present its work at the Bodhan AI Conclave. It has also been accepted into the NVIDIA Inception Program and the AWS Startup Program, and holds DPIIT recognition under the Startup India initiative.Where many writing-tool users rely on separate subscriptions for content generation to refinement for grammar correction, paraphrasing, plagiarism checking, citation generation, and editing, Kreativespace brings these functions into a single platform as a super-app for AI writing tools. The company says its approach centers on affordability and accessibility alongside performance, aiming to make advanced AI writing assistance available to a wider range of users regardless of geography or budget.The idea for Kreativespace took shape while founder Vinet Kakadea was studying at New York University and Marymount University in the United States, where he experienced firsthand how students, researchers, and professionals often need multiple paid subscriptions to cover writing-related tasks. That fragmented experience led him to build a super-app offering each of these capabilities together, at a more accessible price point.Kreativespace combines 8 AI-powered writing tools with AI Humanizer and Message AI feature being the latest addition, allowing users to generate, rewrite, refine, and humanize content without moving between separate platforms. The product is available via web platform, mobile apps on the App Store and Google Play, browser extensions for Chrome, Mozilla, and Edge, and a Google Docs add-on.Vinet Kakadea, Founder of Kreativespace, said, “Kreativespace’s vision is to digitalize the entire Indian education ecosystem to support PM Modi’s Atmanirbhar Bharat scheme.”About KreativespaceKreativespace with the Motto of Making Writing Accessible for Everyone: Kreativespace is an AI-powered writing platform built to make AI writing tools accessible, affordable, and effective for students, researchers, educators, professionals, content creators, startups, and enterprises. Founded by Vinet Kakadea, the company is incubated at IIT Kharagpur and has been recognized by AWS Startup Program, the NVIDIA Inception Program, and DPIIT under Startup India. For more information, visit kreativespace.com.

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Times of India Launches Inaugural ‘TOI AI Quotient Awards’ to Celebrate Pioneers in AI Innovation

In collaboration with Knowledge Partner Adrosonic, the premier nomination-led platform will honor excellence, scalability, and measurable impact across India’s AI ecosystem. NEW DELHI, June 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The Times of India has announced the launch of the inaugural edition of the TOI AI Quotient Awards—India’s most credible, nomination-led recognition platform celebrating excellence in artificial intelligence adoption, innovation, and impact.

Organized in collaboration with Adrosonic as the official Knowledge Partner, the awards will bring together pioneering enterprises, technology leaders, startups, innovators, and institutions that are harnessing the power of AI to drive business transformation, optimize decision-making, and enhance customer experiences.As AI becomes a core driver of competitiveness and productivity, this initiative marks the beginning of a prestigious annual celebration. The awards aim to spotlight those leveraging AI to solve complex challenges, unlock new opportunities, and deliver meaningful, scalable outcomes across sectors.Leadership Insights”The conversation around AI has rapidly moved from experimentation to execution. For modern brands, a high AI Quotient is now a boardroom priority. The TOI AI Quotient Awards will serve as India’s most credible validation platform, spotlighting the enterprises that are successfully navigating this transition to drive real business outcomes and stronger governance. We look forward to uncovering the incredible stories of human-machine collaboration that are redefining the future of Indian industry.” — Prasad Sanyal, Group Business Head – TOI, IndiaTimes, WhatsHot”AI will not replace human intelligence, it will amplify it. The organisations that succeed with AI will be those that combine technology with human judgement, domain expertise and a clear focus on business outcomes. The true measure of AI success is not how much AI is deployed, but how effectively it improves decision making and delivers measurable value. Achieving this requires clear objectives, strong governance and responsible guardrails. The TOI AI Quotient Awards celebrate organisations turning AI potential into meaningful business impact.” — Mayank, Founder & CEO, AdrosonicAward Tracks & CategoriesThe initiative features 25+ awards distributed across 4 distinct tracks: Industry, Functional AI, Maturity-based, and Special Jury Awards. Key categories include:Sector Excellence: BFSI, Retail & Commerce, Healthcare & Wellness, Travel & Hospitality, Media & Content.Functional & Strategic AI: Customer Experience, HR & Talent, Risk & Compliance.Enterprise & Impact: Social Impact, Women in AI, Legacy to AI Transformation, and Native Enterprise.To ensure absolute credibility, the evaluation matrix leverages Adrosonic’s deep technical consulting frameworks for an objective initial screening. Following a preliminary audit by the expert TOI Editorial Board, the final winners will be selected by an esteemed, independent jury comprising leading AI experts, technology pioneers, industry veterans, and business visionaries.Why Nominate Your Organization?The TOI AI Quotient Awards offer more than just recognition—they provide a premier platform for national visibility and industry-wide alignment:National Recognition: Showcase your AI-led innovations and business impact before a distinguished audience of industry leaders and decision-makers.Credible Validation: Gain elite positioning backed by TOI’s powerful media reach and Adrosonic’s technical validation frameworks.Industry Benchmarking: Measure your achievements against the rapidly evolving AI ecosystem to strengthen your market leadership.How to ParticipateIs your organization setting new benchmarks in AI adoption and implementation? Do you know an enterprise driving measurable transformation through artificial intelligence?Nominate your organization or a deserving industry leader today to secure your place among India’s most forward-thinking, AI-driven enterprises.Learn more and submit your nomination here: toievents.indiatimes.com/ai-quotient-awards 

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Santokbaa Humanitarian Award 2026 Marks 20 Years of Compassion and Service

SURAT, India, June 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The Santokbaa Humanitarian Award 2026, instituted by Shree Ramkrishna Knowledge Foundation (SRKKF), the philanthropic arm of Shree Ramkrishna Exports (SRK), marked 20 years of honouring individuals who have made a lasting difference through compassion, service and leadership. The awards were presented recently in Surat.

This year’s Santokbaa Humanitarian Award was conferred on Padma Shri Dr. Gullapalli N. Rao, renowned Indian ophthalmologist and Founder-Chair of the LV Prasad Eye Institute, and Padma Shri Smt. Reema Nanavaty, development worker and Director of the Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA). Their work has touched millions of lives through healthcare, empowerment and community development.In a significant addition this year, SRKKF introduced the Social Entrepreneur Award to recognise leaders who combine business excellence with measurable social impact. The inaugural award was presented to Shri Srikanth Bolla, Founder of Bollant Industries, a sustainable manufacturing company known for disability-inclusive employment and environmentally responsible practices.The event was graced by Chief Guest Shri Harivansh Narayan Singh, Hon’ble Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha and Guests of Honour Shri Harsh Sanghavi, Hon’ble Deputy Chief Minister of Gujarat; along with several other distinguished personalities.Established in 2006 by Shri Govind Dholakia, Founder & Chairman Emeritus of Shree Ramkrishna Exports Pvt. Ltd. and SRKKF, the award reflects the legacy of compassion and selfless values embodied by his mother, Santokbaa. Over the past two decades, it has become a platform to honour individuals whose lives and work continue to inspire society.The awardees are selected through a rigorous and transparent process led by an independent jury comprising leaders from diverse fields. The 2026 jury included Shri Govindan Rangarajan, Director, Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru; Shri A.S. Kiran Kumar, Former Chairman, ISRO; Admiral R. Hari Kumar (Retd.), Former Chief of the Indian Navy; Shri Rishabh Shroff, Partner, Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas; and Shri Shreyans Dholakia, Entrepreneur and Brand Custodian, SRK.Addressing the gathering, Chief Guest Shri Harivansh Narayan Singh said that the SRK Foundation is carrying forward Santokbaa’s legacy to the next generation by celebrating service, sacrifice and compassion over wealth or fame. He added that the family’s effort to connect this legacy with social entrepreneurship reflects the values of nation-building.Shri Harsh Sanghavi said the Santokbaa Award reminds us that true achievement lies not only in personal success, but in bringing light and happiness to others. Shri Govind Dholakia said his mother Santokbaa spent her life guided by truth, love and compassion, and that her values continue to inspire the family’s work. He added that the award’s 20-year journey is a tribute to changemakers whose efforts have strengthened communities across the country.Speaking on the honour, Dr. Gullapalli N. Rao said it was a privilege to receive the recognition on behalf of all those working to expand access to quality eye care. He said restoring sight restores dignity and opportunity, and praised SRK’s world-class operational systems. Smt. Reema Nanavaty said the award belonged to the millions of women whose resilience and entrepreneurial spirit continue to inspire SEWA’s mission. She noted that when women are empowered, they become agents of change for their families and communities. Shri Srikanth Bolla said his journey has shown that limitations often exist more in perception than reality, and that the award is a reminder that with the right support, every individual can contribute meaningfully to society.Over the past 20 years, the Santokbaa Humanitarian Award has honoured 20 of India’s most distinguished humanitarian and social leaders, including Shri Ratan Tata, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, Dr. Sudha Murty, Dr. Cyrus Poonawalla, Shri Shiv Nadar, Dr. Abhay Bang and Dr. Rani Bang, Dr. Verghese Kurien, Shri Kailash Satyarthi and Shri A.S. Kiran Kumar. With the introduction of the Social Entrepreneurship Award in 2026, the milestone celebration reaffirmed the importance of empathy, service and purposeful leadership in building a better future.About Santokbaa Humanitarian Award:Over the past 20 years, the Santokbaa Humanitarian Award has honoured 19 of India’s most distinguished humanitarian and social leaders, including Shri Ratan Tata, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, Dr. Sudha Murty, Dr. Cyrus Poonawalla, Shri Shiv Nadar, Dr. Abhay Bang and Dr. Rani Bang, Dr. Verghese Kurien, Shri Kailash Satyarthi and Shri A.S. Kiran Kumar, among other eminent personalities. In 2026, SRKKF also instituted the Santokbaa Social Entrepreneurship Award, with Shri Srikanth Bolla becoming its inaugural recipient.As the Santokbaa Humanitarian Award completed a remarkable 20-year journey, the milestone celebration reaffirmed the enduring importance of empathy, service and purposeful leadership in shaping a better future. The journey endures, contributing to nation-building through compassion, innovation and service to humanity.For more information, visit: https://srk.foundation/honoursPhoto: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2997209/20th_Santokbaa_Humanitarian_Award_2026.jpg 

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