February: Public Relations Companies in India

Editor’s Note

It is said that the world of business is never steady, one thing or the other keeps happening that affects the business and it can either be positive or negative. Now the challenge is to convert the negative circumstances in the favour of business. And those businesses who can do so rise as a powerful name in their respective industry.

In the first edition of 2023, we bring to you the success stories of some of the trusted PR companies in India. Celebrating the success of these PR companies, we shed light on their journey, challenges and future plans in the industry.

On the cover page, you will find the inspiring story of “Fluid Controls” which stands firmly in the Industry for the last 50 years. Recognised as one of the most innovative companies, Fluid Controls is taking the “Make In India” initiative to the next level.

If you flip the pages of magazines, you will find an interesting report on theAdani-Hindenburg conflict that has caused havoc in the business and stock market world. You will also find interesting articles on Companies that started from Garages and now are big giants, Incredible Places In India that make Global Records, and How Humans are destroying nature in the name of development. Last but not the least, take inspiration from the inspiring stories of the TGH Stories Section. May You Have A Great Time Reading

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Fluid Controls

WhereInnovationMeets EngineeringServices

Legacy is a gift that is passed down through generations: money, property, or even businesses to serve the world for the better. A company incepted by Dr Y.E. Moochhala, a PhD holder from Northwestern University, the USA has been carried forward by his daughter Ms Sophie Moochhala and built on by Dr Tansen Chaudhari. Carrying with itself the weapon of trust since 1974, Fluid Controls is recording groundbreaking numbers.

With over 45 years of experience in engineering connections, Fluid Controls Private Limited is taking the “Make In India” initiative to the next level by offering end-to-end solutions for various applications to the industry including design & engineering services and supply of high-performance products. Fluid Controls is a premier supplier to onshore and off-shore oil & gas installations, process and power plants, the defence industry, critical applications for nuclear plants, and brake piping applications for rail and metro.

We are constantly researching new developments in our field and our primary research ensures that we are constantly innovating.

Dr Tansen Chaudhari

CEO, Fluid Controls

PED. The company’s state-of-the-art performance testing laboratory has been used by the defence department to conduct pressure and burst tests for HARD Bombshells. According to the particular performance needs and the application area of the customers, the highly qualified Engineers of Fluid Controls work closely with their customers to develop effective solutions for them. All customisations are design validated, prototype tested at its laboratory and then field tested for performance and reliability.

Fluid Controls is standing tall as an industry leader for nearly half a decade and has developed over 25 new products in recent years. The company has 2 Global patents including the USA to their intellectual property along with many reputed journal publications and 2 Indian patents.

PhD from Northwestern University, USA and had a stellar career in the USA. But he wanted to do something for his own country and contribute to making India self-reliant and self-sufficient.

And that is why he came back to India and laid the foundation for Fluid Controls with the vision to deliver high-quality & high-performance products which delight customers.

The idea behind the inception of the company was to develop high-quality, high-performance products to suit local climatic and performance expectations.

The noble idea and strong legacy of Dr Y.E. Moochhala have been carried forward by his daughter Sophie Moochhala and built on by Dr Tansen Chaudhari, the Chief Executive Officer of Fluid Controls.

Committing to innovation since its inception, Fluid Controls has constantly

GE Business for another 5 years. He has 5 US Patents to his credit and has been published in ten international journals. He is also a Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt and DFSS Black Belt.

Dr Tansen is associated as a Board-ofStudies member at various Engineering Colleges and Business Schools. He is also a visiting faculty at the Symbiosis Institute of Business Management (SIBM), Symbiosis Institute of Operations Management (SIOM), and Symbiosis Institute of Technology (SIT).

Dr Tansen joined Fluid Controls in 2011 and since then he has been leading the company with his operational and technical expertise. Under his guidance, the company has seen remarkable growth and has received various technical and innovation awards including the CII Industrial Innovation Award for Medium Scale Manufacturing Organisation and recognition as one of the Top 50 Innovative companies. Some notable milestones achieved by Fluid Controls under Dr Tansen’s leadership include:

 Continuous revenue and financial growth over the years.

manufacturing facility, the R&D Center and NABL-accredited test laboratories ensure the company's customer expectations.

Today, Fluid Controls is approved by all major Indian OEMs such as ONGC, IOCL, BPCL, HPCL, NTPC, BHEL, NPCIL and railway OEMs.The company is also approved as an “In-House R&D unit” by the Department of Scientific & Industrial Research (DSIR), Government of India.

MEET THE CEO

Dr Tansen Chaudhari is the visionary leader of Fluid Controls. Holding a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from IIT Bombay, he has over 20 years of rich experience in Research & Development as well as Enterprise Sales and General Management. Tansen’s experience includes a stint in the USA at the GE (General Electronic) Global Research for over 5 years and management roles with

Fluid Controls has been maintaining client relationships since day 1, innovation being their foremost weapon. It gets testified when Dr Tansen says, “We offer customers complete material traceability and have instituted a corporate policy of continuous improvement to ensure customer delight.”

SERVICES OFFERED BY FLUID CONTROLS

Certified with ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015 & ISO 45001:2018 and PED, Fluid Controls ensures that systems and processes are in place for best manufacturing practices. The company is making a mark in the industry with its state-of-the-art manufacturing facility. Its R&D and test laboratories ensure that the services of the company exceed customers’ expectations every time.

HIGH PERFORMING PRODUCTS

Controls has its own state-of-the-art R&D Center that is located at Chakan, Pune. The In-House R&D Unit of the company is approved by the Department of Scientific & Industrial Research (DSIR), Government of India. The company offers design services and conversion engineering, including 3D modelling, FEA and prototyping via SOLIDWORKS and Ansys.

TESTING FACILITY

The R&D Centre, Performance Testing and Metrology Laboratories, of Fluid Controls is NABL Certified (ISO17025) for all pressure, vibration and reliability tests. The company also conducts In-House Spectro, PMI and UT testing.

Fluid

 A state-of-the-art facility spread over 2.5 acres with an in-house laboratory.

 Recognition of Fluid Controls by the Department of Scientific & Industrial Research as an “In-House R&D Unit”.

 NABL Certification (ISO/IEC 17025:2017) for in-house Performance Testing and Metrology Laboratories for all pressure, vibration and reliability tests.

 System Certification for International Railway Industry Standard (IRIS) for Rail Application (ISO/ TS 22163:2017) for Rail & Metro Business.

 Establishment of a qualified, high-calibre team at the core of the company and a recognised brand within and outside India through coordinated marketing, branding and customer outreach activities.

Fluid Controls offers a complete range of instrumentation products including connectors and adaptors for tubes and hoses, valves, manifolds, DIN pipe clamps and SAE flanges. The Company also provides best-in-class prefabricated instrument hook-ups, high-pressure needle valves, gas valves for turbine applications, block and bleed valves and O2 clean fittings for pharma and biotech applications. The high-quality products of the company ensure precision connections that are designed based on specific application requirements and perform to international standards.

Being a leading supplier to on-shore and off-shore oil & gas installations, the defence industry and brake piping applications for rail and metro in the country, Fluid Controls is also catering to international markets of North America, Europe, the Middle East and Southeast Asia.

RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

Engaging in R&D since day one, Fluid Controls has an ethos of developing products which are indigenous replacements for imported products. Fluid

Distribution Systems

“We have set up a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility to ensure that material flow and manufacturing processes are lean and efficient. We have also invested in ERP systems and a high-powered supply chain team to enable us to procure high-quality input material at the best possible prices,” asserts the CEO of Fluids Controls.

Controls is certified for AS9100 and NADCAP (Fluid

in Aerospace applications) and its laboratory has advanced NABL certification (ISO/ IEC/17025 2017) that offers a range of testing services for aerospace components.

PRIORITISING QUALITYAND INNOVATIVENESS

Since its inception, Fluid Controls constantly engages in research and innovation to provide high-quality products to suit local climatic and performance requirements and expectations. Dr Tansen states, “The ethos of R&D really resonated with me as my background is in original research.” Since 2011, the company has added more than 25 new products.

With the help of the R&D team, Fluid Controls offers its customers alternative and most effective solutions that they wanted to purchase. Aligning with the company’s vision statement, Product design and development with performance testing is an inspiration to the company’s business. Fluid Controls also offers a range of testing services for aerospace components. NABL-certified R&D Centre of Fluid Controls offers a wide range of design services and conversion engineering, including 3D modelling, FEA and prototyping via SOLIDWORKS and Ansys.

Taking Pride in the innovative approach of the company, Dr Tansen iterates, “Because of our R&D strength and DSIR approval, we are constantly researching new developments in our field and our primary research ensures that we are constantly innovating.”

All Fluid Controls products are designed from First Principles and validated using VDV and Finite Element Analysis. The highly professional Engineers of the company ensure every product that the company manufactures is of the highest quality and has the latest international product performance certifications. Fluid Controls is certified for various systems and product certifications.

SYSTEM CERTIFICATIONS:

 Recognition as in-house R&D unit by DSIR (Department of Scientific & Industrial Research, Govt. of India)

 Fire Safe Certification for Valves: API 607 and ISO 10497

 Clamp Performance Certification as per DIN

AWARDSAND MILESTONES

Assuring the quality of all the products and services since inception, Fluid Controls adds many feathers to its caps. Some of the most noteworthy achievements of the company are:

 “Performance Excellence Award 2022” by the Indian Institute of Industrial Engineering

 Recognition as one of Top 50 Innovative Companies of the Year 2022, by CII

National Winner of the “Quality Innovation Award” by the Indian Society of Quality 2021

Most Innovative Product by Emerging Enterprise at BW Emerging Business Awards 2021

India’s 5000 Best MSME Award for Quality Excellence 2020

Excellence in Technical Innovation by ISA Maharashtra Section at PPA Meet 2020

THE WAYAHEAD

 NABL Certification (ISO:17025) for in-house Performance Testing and Metrology Laboratories for all pressure, vibration and reliability tests

 System Certified for International Railway Industry Standard (IRIS) for Rail Application (ISO/TS 22163:2017) for Rail & Metro Business

 ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015 & ISO 45001:2018 for all Products

 PED Certification

PRODUCT CERTIFICATIONS:

 ABS Design Assessment Certification

 NGV 3.1 / ECE R110 / ISO 15500 Certification

 ASTM F1387-99 (2012) for SS and Brass Fittings

 ISO 19879 for DIN Fittings with supplementary IEC tests

 Design Appraisal Document for Single Ferrule Fittings as per ISO 8434-1 and DIN 2353

 Vibration Test for Fittings as per BS EN 61373

 Salt Mist Test for Fittings as per IEC 60068-2-52

 Helium Leak Test to 10-11 Std. cc/ sec

 MSS-SP-99 for Valves

 Fugitive Emission Certification for Valves: API 622 and ISO 15848

Over the years, Fluid Controls has built comprehensive expertise for manufacturing by identifying the right materials and ensuring "fit and forget" assemblies. Fluids Controls is working diligently to establish its identity as a preferred supplier of engineering products across the globe.

Laying out the future plans of the company, Dr Tansen explains, “Our future plans rest on three pillars. Firstly, to continue to develop new products and services. Secondly, build on our strength in the rail and metro business and tap into the brake piping business for the emerging high-speed train operations and global supplies to Europe, North America and SE Asia. Thirdly, build our global business, especially in the Middle East and Saudi Arabia.”

After Hindenburg released its report on the Adani Group, Asia’s richest man, Gautam Adani falls out of the list of top 20 richest in the world.

But what is there in the Hindenburg report that has led to a sharp decline in the wealth of Gautam Adani?

Before we get into the decline of Adani’s stock, let’s first see the growth graph of Gautam Adani’s income. And how he became India’s and Asia’s richest person and joined the list of the world’s richest people.

In the last 3 years, Gautam Adani and his business empire have experienced a significant increase in its net worth. Earlier, Mukesh Ambani was the richest person in India but in 2022, Gautam Adani became the richest person not only in India but in the entire Asia.

As per the reports by Business Insider, the net worth of Gautam Adani saw a significant rise despite the Covid Lockdown. In 2021, he was on the 14th position in the list of the world’s richest people but in 2022, he stood at the 3rd position just after Bernard Arnault and Elon Musk.

REASONS BEHIND THE SUDDEN JUMP

The companies like Adani Enterprise, Adani Transmission, Adani Wilmar, Adani Green Energy, Adani Total Gas, Adani Power and Special Economic Zone come under the umbrella of Adani Group. These companies witnessed huge profits.

Moreover, the shares of the Adani Group also played a crucial role in adding to the wealth of Gautam Adani.

WHAT IS PUBLISHED IN THE HINDENBURG REPORT?

Adani's net worth has slipped after the release of a report from Hindenburg Research titled "Adani Group: How The World’s 3rd Richest Man Is Pulling The Largest Con In Corporate History." According to the report, Adani Group had "engaged in a brazen stock manipulation and accounting fraud scheme over the course of decades".

Published on 24th January 2023, the report claims that Adani Group moved up the stock prices of its seven key listed companies by over-evaluating the price. And this over-evaluation of the stock prices helped Adani’s net worth to increase by over $100 billion in the last three years. The stock prices of Adani Group spiked by 819% which seems to be very unnatural.

The research firm has been conducting this investigation for two years. Several people were interviewed for the research, including former Adani Group senior executives & many documents were examined.

"Even if you ignore the findings of our investigation and take the financials of Adani Group at face value, its seven key listed

companies have 85% downside purely on a fundamental basis owing to sky-high valuations," mentioned the report.

The report also raised questions on Gautam Adani’s elder brother, Vinod Adani and called him an “elusive figure” who has regularly been found at the centre of the government’s investigations.

The research firm identified 38 Mauritius shell entities controlled by Vinod or close associates. No obvious signs of operations, including no reported employees, no independent addresses or contact numbers and no meaningful online presence have been found of the Vinod Adani-associated entities. To quote, "Despite this, they have collectively moved billions of dollars into Indian Adani publicly listed and private entities, often without required disclosure of the related party nature of the deals," mentioned the Hindenburg report.

Founded by Nathan (Nate) Anderson in 2017, Hindenburg is a New York-based forensic financial research company that analyses the accounting irregularities of companies. This is not the first time that this company is releasing its report on a well-known conglomerate or institution. The company has also published reports on Twitter as well.

ADANI GROUP’S TAKE ON THE REPORT

Adani Group has stated that these claims are baseless and are being made just to spoil the reputation of the company. The billionaire industrialist may also file a lawsuit against US-based Hindenburg. (After being threatened with a lawsuit, Hindenburg tweeted, “we fully stand by our report and believe any legal action taken against us would be meritless”.)

The CFO of Adani Group, Jugeshinder Singh said that the conglomerate was ‘shocked’ about this research report by Hindenburg and termed it a “malicious combination of selective misinformation and stale, baseless and discredited allegations that have been tested and rejected by India’s highest courts”.

IS IT AN ATTEMPT TO DEFAME?

Commenting on the report, the Adani group’s legal head said, “We are deeply disturbed by this intentional and reckless attempt by a foreign entity to mislead the investor community and the general public, undermine the goodwill and reputation of the Adani Group and its leaders, and sabotage the FPO (Follow-on Public Offering) from Adani Enterprises.”

Hindenburg report was published (January 24, 2023) a few days prior to the launch of Adani Enterprises’ biggest FPO (January 26, 2023) ever in India.

This case has now reached to the Supreme Court. A PIL has been filed claiming Hindenburg Research has "exploited innocent investors". Only the future can tell whether the claims in the reports are true or if it is just an attempt to defame the reputation of The Adani Group.

TELL YOUR BRAND STORY TO THE WORLD WITH

DAVIDSON PR & COMMUNICATIONS

PR and Election Campaigns, Corporate Reputation Management, Image Building, Public Affairs and Advocacy, Content Creation, and Digital Media.

Richy D Alexander iterates, “What matters the most to me and my agency is the fact that we listen to our clients and we are always there for them. Just like our tagline says, “Positively Possible”, we ensure that this motto is connected to all the activities and practices we do.”

Davidson PR & Communications helps its clients to deliver their dreams to the world effectively. And also announce their presence positively to the world loud and clear.

THE ENIGMATIC LEADER

Communications carves a compelling story for its clients. The highly professional team of the company engages in meaningful and deeper conversations with its clients to understand the basic requirements and needs. After this, the company creates a customized PR plan that suits the needs of the clients in every possible way.

Along with this, deep-rooted media relations help the company to assist their clients better and stay a step ahead of all of its competitors. “We never behave as an agency with our clients, we function as consultants that are an extended arm of their company,” mentions Richy.

THE ESTEEMED CLIENTELE

 “IRPRA - 40 Under 40 Award of Excellence” in the category of PSU/ Government PR Campaign 2022

 Exchange 4 Media - “Winner of Top 10 Regional PR Agencies List 2022”

 “IRPRA - 40 Under 40 Certificate of Excellence” in the category of Leading PR Campaigns for Startups 2021

 Recognised by Silicon India under “10 Most Promising Agencies 2021”

 “World Marketing Congress Kerala Brand Leadership Award - Best Brand Award 2021”

veryone can tell a story but only a good storyteller has the art of disseminating a story that goes straight to one’s heart. Weaving the craft of compelling stories, Davidson PR & Communications masters the art of telling stories that are worth listening to. Redefining the industry by imparting storytelling in PR, Davidson PR & Communications is now one of the largest national regional PR firms in

Davidson PR & Communications is an esteemed PR agency that is solely dedicated to offering public relations services to its clients. It provides a complete range of PR services such as Public Relations, Crisis Communication, Political

EBeing the CEO & Founder of Davidson PR & Communications, Richy D Alexander leads the company with his clubbed knowledge of passion and extensive experience of over 15 years in the industry. Along with working as a public relation consultant, Richy has also completed a few stints in Journalism. From his entire journey from working as a journalist to a PR, Richy understood that the entire PR sector of Kerala was very unorganised. He adds, “I had figured out the potential it holds and the success I could reap from there. So, I decided to start a PR agency that would turn the PR sector in Kerala into an organised one.”

That is how the stellar journey of Davidson PR & Communications began in 2012. What started as a one-man army is now a strong team of enthusiastic and creative professionals who are the biggest asset of the company. Taking pride in his team the CEO of the company says, “We have a group of excellent PR consultants who are the real heroes of the company”.

TELLING YOUR STORY TO THE WORLD

With the firm belief that PR is an art of storytelling, Davidson PR &

The diverse clientele of Davidson & PR Communications includes reputed names such as Kerala IT Parks, Kerala Blasters FC, Grand Hyatt Kochi Bolgatty, Hyatt Regency Trivandrum, KIMSHEALTH, Tukxi, BuildNext, and O By Tamara.

To ensure a successful and fruitful clientagency relationship, the company maps the monthly activities for each client religiously, undertakes an internal system for achieving goals, and proactively outreaches to the clients for recommendations and suggestions. They also keep their clients updated to avoid any unpleasant surprises.

The company has served more than 400 clients in the last 10 years from different sectors such as airlines & travel, education, FMCG, agriculture, plantation, hospitality, IT & ITES, sports, oil & gas and start-ups.

THE CROWNING ACHIEVEMENTS

In the stellar journey of more than 10 years in the industry, Davidson PR & Communications has received many awards and milestones to its name. Some of the noteworthy achievements are:

ON A PATH TO BUILD WELL-GROOMED PR PROFESSIONALS

The mission of Davidson PR & Communications has always been simple and effective, to catapult clients’ brand value by leaps and bounds using its deeprooted network of media ties across the country. Building its unique identity in the PR industry, the company is looking forward to becoming a preferred PR partner across the world.

In addition to this, Davidson PR & Communications is planning to open a PR institute, the Davidson Institute of Communications which will aim at offering students who are passionate about PR, a chance to become a part of the PR world. The theoretical and practical curriculum will be framed to ensure that all the angles of PR are covered and that the institute produces well-groomed PR professionals.

“Our long-term strategic vision is to become storytellers who convey untold stories of brands, become leaders in national and regional PR, and finally, extend support to promising Government departments in the country and otherwise,” says Richy D Alexander.

By telling stories, we not only carve out success for our clients but also make the public listen.

RICHYDALEXANDER CEO & Founder, Davidson PR & Communications

THE REAL AGENDA OF IS DIFFERENT FROM THE REST

MEDIA MANIACS

the right market, falls under the main agenda of Media Maniacs. The company wins it by making the right commitments. “Committing less and delivering more is better than making fake commitments,” says Surabhi.

THE INVENTOR & HER DREAM PROJECT

Surabhi Trivedi is an enthusiastic marketing and PR professional with 12+ years of rich experience in the industry. She is a PR & Digital Specialist, focused on e-commerce, Retail & Brand Transformation. Surabhi knew that her intellect and a PR agency would make a perfect match. It was her dream project to incept her own agency from the very beginning, as in Surabhi’s words, “it has always been the most rewarding career in terms of matching my intellect.” Right since the company’s inception, she is putting her heart and soul into Media Maniacs.

After gaining an overall experience from multiple agencies, Surabhi started a PR agency with a few friends in a partnership. Everything went smoothly in the initial days but as the company progressed, clashes started between partners which eventually led to separation. Surabhi was quite adamant about turning her dream of incepting a renowned PR agency into a reality. On one fine day in 2016, Surabhi incepted Media Maniacs.

build stories. “I believe that ideas do not appear from fresh air. There is a science and magic to creating PR & Digital campaigns,” mentions Surabhi. She along with her dedicated team involve in a lot of brainstorming sessions before initiating work on a project. Another important factor that the company considers is ‘Creativity’. The entire team focuses on doing the research before going ahead with any campaign.

“Since I was already working as an entrepreneur for 3 years, I started pitching clients from scratch. I also worked with a few brands as well as their consultants to gain experience,” says Surabhi. Although it has been a roller coaster ride of highs and lows for her, she kept moving in the right direction and accepted every challenge that came her way.

THE CLIENTELE

Media Maniacs has served clients from all domains. The forte lies in Education, Lifestyle & Startups. Without limiting the company to an already existing extensive portfolio, Surabhi has started focusing on offering PR and Digital Marketing to e-commerce businesses as well.

“Not only National but we have done multiple projects for the International market as well,” says Surabhi which speaks a lot about the company’s commitment to reaching sky heights. While emphasising the importance of listening to the client’s requirements, she further adds, “Once you are on the same boat as that of your client, you manage to build a good relationship with them.”

AN AGENCY THAT LIVES BY ITS CREATIVITY

Media Maniacs has Google Certified digital marketing experts and experienced PR experts who know how to

Surabhi is proud of her team. This reflects pretty well when she says, “A Team is the backbone of any brand. One-man army can survive but can’t grow, so Media Maniacs Group is what its team made it. I always try my best to motivate my team to work harder each day.” She makes sure that every team member of the company feels a sense of ownership of the work being done and works together towards an optimistic and realistic goal.

Unlike other top-down-driven companies, Media Maniacs is a company where all team members at all levels are encouraged to share their opinions and ideas on different projects. Letting the team involve in discussions gives them a sense of ownership in the services they deliver, which further encourages them to provide top-notch services and maintain an ever-lasting relationship with the clients.

Media Maniacs thrives in a fast-paced, collaborative environment with a focus on innovation and creating something new and different every day.

AIMING HIGH

Flourishing in the PR & Digital Marketing space, Media Maniacs is serving 360-degree clientele from art & culture, beauty, travel, and hospitality to automobile, startups and health & wellness. Along with expanding its portfolio, the company is digging deeper into becoming a reliable and trustworthy agency in all the sectors it is serving. “We envision delivering beyond commitment. Our ultimate focus lies in garnering a consistent brand impact by delivering qualitative outreach. We are Media Maniacs, driven by passion, enchanted by the idea,” Surabhi signs off.

We focus to garner consistent brand impact by delivering qualitative outreach.

SURABHITRIVEDI Co-Founder, Media Maniacs

Cough is a common health problem that sometimes feels like will never go away. The annoyingly persistent cough can keep you up all night tossing and turning side to side. And when this happens, you just want any possible way to get rid of the terrible cough and get some relief.

Most people don’t prefer to take medicines for cough relief and rely more on home remedies. From using Honey to Marshmallow root, in this article, we are going to tell you some effective home remedies that can give you relief from the cough and sore throat.

HONEY

With its goodness of anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, Honey is one of the most common and effective remedies for cough. For ages, Honey has been used in suppressing coughs and helps in reducing throat irritation.

Honey can be given to anyone who is above the age of 1. It is very simple to make your own homemade remedy. You just have to mix 2 teaspoons of honey in one glass of lukewarm water or herbal tea (whatever you like the best). Add a few drops of lemon juice and your remedy is ready. Honey soothes your throat from all the irritation and lemon helps with congestion. Therefore, the combination of honey and lemon is the best remedy.

GINGER

It is very common in Indian households to use Ginger while making tea. It is considered a popular traditional remedy to cure cough due to its antibacterial property. Along with the cough, Ginger helps with other health conditions like nausea, pain relief and boosting immunity.

It is a little difficult to consume Ginger as it is because it may cause stomach burn and irritation. Therefore, it is advisable to drink Ginger Tea. You can also extract the juice of Ginger and mix it with a teaspoon of Honey. Both of the remedies are effective in curing Cough.

STEAM

You must have seen doctors suggesting giving steam to children with coughs and colds. Steam is extremely effective in getting rid of cough and cold for children as well as adults. Taking steam helps in taking out mucus or phlegm by thinning it.

You can take steam from a humidifier or take a hot shower by allowing the bathroom to fill with steam. If you don’t have a humidifier at home then you can make your own steam bowl. You just have to take a large bowl with hot water. (Be cautious with hot water and do not allow children near it or they might get burned!) Add a few drops of essential oils like rosemary, basil or eucalyptus that helps you to get relief from congestion. Now, cover your head with a towel and breath over the bowl to take the steam.

SALT WATER GARGLE

You must have tried this effective home remedy once in your life. It is a simple remedy that can bring instant relief to throat soreness, discomfort and cough. To use this remedy at home; take lukewarm water in a glass and mix 1 teaspoon of table salt and gargle with it. Make sure the water is not so hot otherwise your mouth get burned.

For better results, gargle twice a day with salt water. This home remedy is not recommended for children because they might swallow the salt water.

INTAKE HOT FLUIDS

Keeping yourself hydrated is very important if you have a cough. The dryness in your throat can cause even more irritation and itching that leads to coughing. Consuming hot liquids helps in thinning out the mucus and taking it out easily.

Try taking hot and healthy fluids that soothe your throat. Don’t take carbonated drinks like soda or sweetened juices. To get relief from a cough you can consume hot drinks such as herbal teas, warm water, decaffeinated black tea, or chicken\veggies soup.

MARSHMALLOW ROOT

Marshmallow root is an effective home remedy for cough that has been used

since ancient times. Many studies have shown that marshmallow roots are one of the prominent ingredients in cough syrups. With antibacterial and antioxidant properties, Marshmallow roots can be very effective in taking out the stuck mucus in your throat.

You can consume marshmallow root either in your tea or in the form of a capsule. This herb is considered safe for adults but not recommended for children.

TURMERIC

Turmeric is being used traditionally for curing various diseases. The antibacterial properties and active compounds of turmeric help in relieving inflammation in the body which helps you heal from cough.

It is very easy to prepare a home remedy for a cough from turmeric. You just have to take a pinch of turmeric and mix it in a glass of warm water and drink it at night. If you are lactose intolerant you can replace milk with warm water. It controls mucus production and helps you in getting relief from sore throat and irritation.

PEPPERMINT

Peppermint leaves are well known for their soothing effects and healing properties. It is a very common herb that you can find very easily in any supermarket store. If you want to get rid of the cough you can drink peppermint tea. You can also add 4-5 drops of peppermint oil to a bowl of hot water and take a steam treatment.

SUMMING UP

It is said that Cough is good for the body. It is our body’s way to get rid of unwanted germs and irritants in our lungs and airways. But if your cough gives you a really tough time then you should try these home remedies. You should consult your doctor if your cough still gets worse and persists for a longer time.

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BUILD THE RIGHT CONNECTION WITH

Perfect Relations

400+ highly qualified and expert professionals constantly deliver quality services to the clients. With its ONE DAN network, the firm can tap into the expertise of its associate partners across key international markets. Perfect Relations has also sets its firm foot in the international markets of America, EMEA and APAC regions.

THE MAN BEHIND THE BRAND

PPerfect Relations is the brainchild of Dilip Cherian. Also known as “India’s Image Guru”, Dilip develops and executes expert strategies that help Perfect Relations walk on the growth path. His extensive experience comes from working with over 3400 corporations nationally and internationally out of which 180 are currently active.

 CRISIS MANAGEMENT

Perfect Relations creates a well-prepared crisis plan to navigate its clients from potential threats and risks. The team of Perfect Relations classifies the problem, evaluates and then acts swiftly to minimise the damage.

The Crisis Management services of the company include Media Mapping, Stakeholder Mapping, Preparation For Crisis Management, Crisis “War Room” Management, Monitoring & Tracking Media, Influencer Management and Social Media Management.

 ONLINE IMAGE AND PERCEPTION MANAGEMENT

Internal Communications, Re-engineering Owned Media and many more.

THE ESTEEMED CLIENTELE

Perfect Relations maintains its healthy relationship with its clients by delivering top-notch PR solutions while maintaining the highest standards of quality, transparency and innovation. With the help of well-established practices in various sectors and strong media relations, Perfect Relations adds many reputed companies to its list of esteemed clientele.

DILIPCHERIAN Founder, Perfect Relations

R Industry is one such industry where one size does not fit all. Working on this need of the industry, Perfect Relations offers the right PR Solutions to each one of its clients and helps them build a unique brand identity and reputation. As the name suggests, Perfect Relations helps brands in establishing deep connections in the market and position

Perfect Relations is one of the largest broad-spectrum PR Services Firms in South Asia that offers a wide range of specialised PR services that deliver perfect outcomes. The outstanding services of the company include Consumer PR, Government Relations, Crisis Management, Investors Relations, Internal Communications, Startup Communications, and many others.

In over 30 years of the company’s journey, Perfect Relations has successfully served more than 3000 clients.

Holding decades of experience in the industry, Dilip guides the expert team of Perfect Relations to ensure an unmatched experience for clients across varied industries. In addition to this, Dilip is also an active Independent Board Director in some listed companies, advises some Think Tanks and guides Universities & Schools.

SERVICES PROVIDED BY PERFECT RELATIONS

Perfect Relations offers its expert services to help its clients in building their brand reputation with much efficacy. With deep insights into media and marketing communications, Perfect Relations offers stellar services such as:

 CONSUMER PR

The expert professionals of Perfect Relations help its clients in developing a positive impression among customers about their brand, products and services. The wide range of Consumer PR services includes Brand Communication, Owned Media Management, Product & Services Communication, Launch Events, and Influencer Management.

Providing its exceptional services in Professional image management, Perfect Relations develops a well-defined plan to help its clients in building a positive brand reputation. With its strong media relationships, Perfect Relations protect businesses from negative publicity and promote their positive attributes.

The various services that fall under this category are Image Mapping, Training & Workshops, Media Engagement, Digital Content\Asset Development, Influencer Engagements, Tracking & Intelligence and Online Media Management among others.

 STARTUP COMMUNICATIONS

For any startup, it is important to establish its trustworthiness in customers, stakeholders and investors. Understanding this need of startups, Perfect Relations offers its excellent services to Startup Communications to help them grow in the market. The firm offers services like Develop Startup Communication Plans, Investor Focused Communication, Focused Internal Communications and many others.

Apart from this, the company also offers its services in Investor Relations, CXO Profiling, Government Relations, India Entry Communications, Media Training,

Some of the prominent brands that are associated with Perfect Relations include Skoda, Jeep, Honda, Apollo, Vivo, HCL, Snapdeal, OYO, Louis Berger, Radisson Blu, Spicejet, Shiv Nadar University, Oxford University Press, Yes Bank, American Express and many more to the list.

THE STELLAR TEAM

Headquartered in New Delhi, Perfect Relations has a total of 17 offices across India. The professional team of more than 400 people in these 17 offices works diligently to take the company to its new heights. These professionals have worked with India’s largest growing companies in various sectors including infrastructure, IT, Tourism, Pharmaceuticals, Fashion & Textile and many more.

The highly qualified team of the company ensures to provide a deep insight into the industry trends to offer the best possible solution to its clients. Using the latest AI tools and its own monitoring reports, the expert team predicts the right way and expected shelf life of all the coverages.

THE ROAD AHEAD

The qualified professionals of the company work hard in delivering world-class creative and strategic PR and Communication solutions. Perfect Relations is looking forward to becoming a world leader in the PR and communications industry.

COMPANIES IN INDIA

Teamwork

Communications Group

ADDING TRUST TO BRAND STORIES

solutions to help its clients in building phenomenal brand identity and earn the trust and loyalty of customers.

THE GUIDING FORCE

A seasoned professional with over 20 years of experience, Kamal Narayan, the Founder of Teamwork Communications Group is the guiding force behind the company. Kamal is a passionate and committed PR professional who leads the highly qualified professionals of the company with his expertise and aligns them with the vision of the company. After completing his Post Graduate Diploma in Mass Communication, Kamal associated with leading media houses before establishing his own company.

IIn 2007, Kamal stepped into the shoes of an entrepreneur and laid the foundation of Teamwork Communications Group. He heads the young and enthusiastic team of the firm by spearheading many accounts of prominence and ensures the successful implementation of several PR and communications campaigns effectively.

EXCEPTIONAL SERVICES OFFERED BY THE COMPANY

n a world of dynamic information sharing, brands need an all-rounded communication strategy that helps them stand apart from the competition and reach a wider audience network. Catering to this need of brands, Teamwork Communications Group focuses on crafting contemporary communication approaches that keep up with the evolving needs of the time.

With the central objective of building a unique brand identity and awareness for a client, Teamwork Communications Group offers a range of exceptional services that include:

 PUBLIC RELATIONS

 INFLUENCER MARKETING

Social media influencers who are followed by millions of people are nowadays becoming crucial links to connect brands with the audience. And because of this connection, people are more likely to trust the brands that these influencers promote on social media.

Creating a liaison with social media influencers, Teamwork Communications Group develops marketing strategies to connect brands with customers. Through Influencer Marketing, the company enhances brand awareness, amplifies trust, improves conversion rates and influences consumers.

 CRISIS COMMUNICATION

The highly professional team of Teamwork Communications Group has successfully handled communication challenges in crisis many times. The crisis communication services of the company include an agile response mechanism, a ready format for drafting statements for different scenarios and a prompt remedial action plan.

 SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT

clientele ranging from corporates, healthcare giants, educational institutions and government. The company also offers its services to a broad spectrum of startups and unicorns.

AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS

Over the years, Teamwork Communications Group has built the unwavering trust of its clients by delivering top-notch services. The company adds many feathers to its cap for excelling in the PR industry:

 Excellence in Communication Specialist Consultancy Of The YearGold Award

 Excellence Cause Related Public Awareness (Health) - Gold Award

 Excellence Cause healthcare (Prescription based) - Silver Award

 Excellence in Communication best use of media relations - Bronze Award

KAMALNARAYAN Founder, Teamwork Communications Group

Teamwork Communications Group is an award-winning Integrated Communication and PR Company which provides world-class services in Public Relations, Corporate Communications, Image Management, Brand Building and Positioning. Incepted in 2007 by Kamal Narayan, the company has successfully served more than 550 clients all over India. The creative and expert professionals of the company offer their skills and expertise into delivering innovative

The firm offers its best-in-class PR services to help its clients in brand building, unique identity creation and nurturing the brand’s image. The excellent communication strategies of the company focus on improving brand image and reaching out to the target audience.

With its engagement-focused integrated communications model, Teamwork Communications Group keeps the client’s brand narrative in control and responds to any crisis immediately. Consequently, this model saves the client’s brand from any kind of negative publicity and reputation damage.

The digital-savvy team of Teamwork Communications Group creates an effective social media strategy to improve the brand’s visibility and presence. Its in-house technology and video content teams add a creative touch to social media engagement offerings. Be it social media planning, content curation, trend spotting and conversation monitoring, Teamwork Communications Group does it all.

 STRATEGIC COMMUNICATION

A powerful communication strategy maintains connections and builds a narrative for the brand. The company leverages Public Relations tools such as press releases, social media campaigns, interviews and white papers to help the brands reach their target audience.

THE ESTEEMED CLIENTELE

With the mission of engaging audiences with impactful narratives, Teamwork Communications Group sets foot firmly in more than 65 cities in India. Being a multi-specialist firm, it has a reputed

 Best PR Campaign in Healthcare by “exchange4media Health Marcom Award” - Apollo telehealth Silver in 2021

 Best PR Campaign in Public Awareness\Public Health by “exchange4media Health Marcom Award” (Gold Award - Hero Cycles) in 2021

 Best PR Campaign in Consumer Durable\Manufacturing by “exchange4media Health Marcom Award” (Bronze Award - Hero Cycles) in 2021

 Best Social Media Campaign in Public Awareness\Public Health by “exchange4media Health Marcom Award” Silver - IHW Council Breast Cancer

THE PATH AHEAD

Teamwork Communications Group works with a mission to deliver communication solutions that are innovative, customised and resonate with the brand stories in a unique way. The company is looking forward to offering the highest level of professionalism and becoming the industry leader all over the country.

AMPLIFY YOUR BRAND VOICE WITH

ThePRactice

rigorous research, ignite trade excitement in consumers and sustain media approach.

THE LEADING LADY

A true leader is one who does more than just managing people. The leader is the one who envisions the growth of the company and takes it to the next level. Such is the quality of Nandita Lakshmanan. Being the Founder & Chairperson of the company, Nandita leads the firm by providing it with the vision and direction based on her extensive expertise and experience of more than 25 years in the PR industry.

Nandita has a firm belief that the idea is only good when it is executed with the same efficacy otherwise the idea loses its power. Using the same conviction in her leadership, she keeps a close eye on the implementation and execution of any campaign or strategy to its last mile.

Nandita Lakshmanan is a renowned name in the PR industry who also served as a jury member at the 57th Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival for the PR category, the Sabre Awards India and many others. For her excellence and stellar contribution to the PR industry, she was awarded the “Sabre Individual Award” and the “Exxon MobilVital Voices grant” for an excellent idea, “Integrity Decoded”.

OFFERING STELLAR PR SERVICES

Providing innovative and result-oriented PR campaigns, The PRactice helps its clients in positioning their brand in the market which will eventually result in attracting potential customers to the brand. Through its strong multitude of industry networks and exceptional services, the company ensures brand awareness, brand visibility and reputation management. The service portfolio of the company includes:

story among its target audience. Efficient brand communication with consumers develops customers’ trust, consistency and authenticity. The firm magnifies its research and impact-driven planning to build strategies that transform the perception of a brand in consumers in a positive way.

 REPUTATION MANAGEMENT

The reputation of any brand is its biggest asset, The PRactice offers its top-notch services to clients to maintain its reputation in the market. Through reputation management services, The PRactice ensures its clients with well-maintained positions that help them emerge as a trustworthy and reliable brand. The company monitors the reputation of the brand by using leading tracking tools to follow, quantify and analyse in the digital space.

 EMPLOYEE COMMUNICATION

This model helps companies to maintain a healthy environment within the organisation. Behind the success of every brand, there is an amalgamation of hard work and expertise of the company’s employees. Hence, it is essential to keep together the entire team. Understanding this aspect carefully, The PRactice helps organisations bring their people together and work towards attaining complementary objectives.

 CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

Corporate Social Responsibility plays an important role in establishing the trustworthiness of the brand in the eyes of stakeholders and consumers. For The PRactice, CSR is not incidental to the business, it is an integral part of it. And that is why the expert professionals of the company offer impact-driven CSR solutions to its clients to engage in regular and meaningful responsibilities as trustworthy business entities, caring employers and model corporate citizens.

LEADING WITH EXCEPTIONAL EXPERTISE

 CONSUMER

The PRactice offers its expertise in building brand resonance for product launches and throughout its life cycle. The company takes every opportunity to make a product “the hero” it needs to be. By understanding the market and consumer behaviour through in-depth research, the company helps its clients in brand promotion, influences the influencer and counters inaccurate perceptions and images.

 SOCIAL INNOVATION

The firm works with social visionaries to deliver inclusive innovation by leveraging the market mechanisms. The PRactice offers cause-related programs that align with the vision of the brand and reach directly to the hearts and minds of consumers, employees and communities served.

 TECHNOLOGY

The PRactice stays ahead in the market by keeping up with the latest trends and developments to help consumers experience the value offered by the brand. The breadth of experience in a range of markets helps the company in simplifying the message to achieve a consumer connection with its clients.

JEWELS TO THE CROWN

Building the trust and confidence of the clients, The PRactice adds many recognition and achievements to its name. Some of the precious awards received by the company are:

 Silver IMAGEXX award in 2022

 PRactitioner Prasad Karat, featured in Reputation Today 40 Young Turks - Class of 2022

 Bronze Kaleido Award in 2022

 Recognised with a Silver Velocity Award - #GoodGrief Campaign with Pallium India won in the Best Social Cause Digital Campaign of The Year Category in 2021

NANDITALAKSHMANAN Founder & Chairperson, The PRactice

tice understand the market by doing



BRAND COMMUNICATION

The PRactice helps its clients in establishing their unique and descriptive brand identity by amplifying the brand

The PRactice is growing significantly in the industry with its exceptional expertise in these three key practice areas:

 Gold Fulcrum Award at Amazon Alexa campaign under the Best Use of Community Outreach category in 2021

FUNDING? PITCH INVESTORSFOR W

hether you are the founder of a startup or an established business, pitching for funding is incredibly nerve-wracking. But why? That’s because investors and venture capitalists meet with hundreds and thousands of business owners each year and only invest with a handful of them.

Don’t worry. We aren’t here to scare you. We are here to help you pitch your business idea in front of investors and VCs successfully. So, let’s get started.

1. UNDERSTAND THE NEED OF DIFFERENT INVESTORS

The way you pitch to Angel Investors is very different from the way you pitch to Venture Capitalists. When you pitch to venture capitalists, focus on metrics, details, and potential risks. They are detail-oriented people who are more interested in knowing numbers. They write cheques on behalf of other investors so they are obligated to make smart decisions.

When pitching to angel investors, focus more on the potential upside, the market size, and the bigger picture. They are quicker to act and are high net-worth individuals.

Include every possible information, especially answers to the possible objections investors might raise. This will show that you have done enough research on understanding their needs.

2. CREATE A PRESENTATION

After understanding the needs of investors, you need to prepare your pitch. Pitch creation should be in such a way that excites the investors. You should prepare both, a shorter version of your pitch that lasts for only 10 minutes and an extended version as well just in case the need arises.

After you finish your pitch, investors ask a few important questions. So, don’t forget to prepare yourself for the Q&A round. You can easily win this if you practise well.

The pitch can only be fruitful if you deliver it with confidence and that would require practising as much as you can. Practice in the mirror, do mock presentations with friends and record them to understand how you performed so that you can do improvisations.

3. BE CONFIDENT AND RESPECTFUL

It’s absolutely normal to feel nervous while pitching. First and foremost, believe in yourself & your idea and have all of your numbers straight. Do slow inhalations and exhalations to calm your body.

Also, if you are feeling nervous, it means you care about your business. Keep everything in mind and speak about it conversationally. You don’t have to put

everything on the table in one go. You will get the opportunity to include more information in the Q&A round.

Another important thing is to remain respectful to whom you are presenting your pitch. They are the people who put their money at stake, hence they may ask questions which puts your business idea into question. Listen very carefully to the questions they raise, and be empathetic and respectful.

4. TELLA STORY

The chances of getting the funding increases if you present your business idea through a story. Either you can draw it from your own life experiences or can narrate a hypothetical situation. Your story should address the problem you’re solving in the market.

It’s quite obvious to note that investors are interested in numbers but you gain their confidence when you create an emotional connection as you tell the story of your business.

The pitch should also include what’s unique about your product or service. If you have done some surveys, research, or testing, including the actual data as the figures will add credibility and genuineness to your pitch.

5. RESEARCH ON EVERY INVESTOR

Prepare a list of all the investors you will be presenting your business idea to. Do your research on each investor and try to find answers to:

 The kinds of startups they have invested in before

 The kinds of questions do they ask

 Their area of expertise

 What makes them say Yes and No

Not every investor is interested in the same details. The behaviour of each interest is different, so you need to act accordingly. You won’t be able to find detailed information about the investor on Google so you have to take the extra pain of connecting with Founders who have already dealt with these investors.

6. UNDERSTAND YOUR TARGET MARKET

You can impress investors with ease if you understand your target audience.

You must know who you’re building your product or service for. Everyone in the world can’t be your target market (however, it can be true one day).

If you put forth your target market, this can help investors visualise the potential customer base and understand the scalability of your business.

7. YOUR REVENUE MODEL

The most important question is: How do you make money? Investors tend to care about the business model the most. Tell the investors

 How much money you have made so far?

 What’s your future projection?

 Where do you see your company in the next 10 years?

 Are you planning to invent new ways of earning revenue?

8. WHY DO YOU NEED FUNDS

You are building a business and therefore must know its ins and outs. You should be very clear about

 How much investment do you need for your business?

 Why do you need it (for example, for marketing, taking the business to the international market, product development, and more)

 What will be the funding runway?

9. A DEMO IS A MUST

Providing a demonstration of your business can be highly beneficial as it projects a real picture of your business. This provides tangible evidence of how the product or service works, how the users can benefit from using it, and help potential investors engage with your vision.

10. TAKE FEEDBACK

Whether you receive the funding or face rejection, you can’t forget one thing: feedback. Feedback from the investors can help you refine your business idea in a much more efficient manner.

Treat every pitch as a learning experience for your business. That’s how you can get better and better with each passing day.

his is the story of Archana Vijayan, an MBBS student who faced many challenges before getting a seat at the Kottayam Medical College.

Archana, who hails from Kerala was diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) when she was only 2 years old. Archana knew that it is quite difficult for differently abled people to get a job in the medical field but she always wanted to become a doctor and hence fought all the hurdles to pursue MBBS.

ARCHANA’S EARLY DAYS

Archana’s childhood was quite challenging as she could not even sit properly and had to go for regular physiotherapy sessions. Her mother left her job to take care of her and her father, who is a postman, used to pick up Archana and drop her to school every day as he wanted to make sure that Archana gets the best education.

In school, her teachers and friends were very supportive, hence mobility was never an issue in school for Archana. And when she scored well in exams, the reluctance to accept her vanished.

Archana faced first discrimination due to a disability when she wasn’t allowed to opt Science stream post-completion of her 10th class. She secured a good rank in medical entrance exams but got a seat for Ayurveda. Archana didn’t give up and after her third attempt, she got the medical seat that she wanted. She went

to Trivandrum for counselling but the panel insulted her a lot saying she can’t be a doctor because of her disability. Archana was insulted the second time as well. The third time, however, she went in front of a Medical Board and they gave her a medical certificate. Archana knew what to do next, the very next day she joined Kottayam Government Medical College to pursue MBBS.

Currently, Archana is in her Final Year of MBBS and living her dreams of becoming a doctor.

ARCHANA’S LOVE FOR SINGING

Archana loves to sing and has performed at various events in Kerala including the State Youth Festival. She has also sung a debut with popular playback singer Haricharan for the movie Backpackers. She also participates in different concerts.

Archana also published a book containing 22 poems when she was in her 9th standard. She also loves to write

about different social issues on her social media accounts.

Archana’s story is inspiring for many and a perfect example of ‘A determined mind and a strong will can definitely bear endless possibilities.’

Development Or Destruction?

How Humans Are Destroying the nature

Everyone wants better infrastructure, concrete roads, more jobs and overall development. But do we realise that in order to build all these for ourselves, we become so inward-looking that we forget to take care of the environment? The mainstream developmental policies by the government are exploiting our environment to such an extent that it is proving disastrous for us rather than giving benefits.

The Padma Bhushan Awardee, Anil Prakash Joshi who is a renowned environmentalist believes around 200 years ago the challenge for mankind was economic insecurity but right now it has changed into ecological insecurity. He also adds that development is a necessary process but it should go hand in hand with the environmental and ecological system. We can not sacrifice one for achieving the other. There should be a fine balance between both.

What we need to understand is that the amount of harm we are causing to our environment in the name of development is irreversible. And then neither the plantation drives nor celebrating World’s Environment Day is going to help us.

India is a developing country that is going through some big development projects that directly or indirectly impact the environment. But as we are walking forward on the path of becoming a developed nation, the incidents of natural disasters due to big projects cannot go unnoticed.

To understand better how our developmental projects are causing natural disasters, let us tell you about the case of Joshimath, Andaman & Nicobar Islands and other Himalayan regions.

THE CASE OF SINKING JOSHIMATH

The incident of visible cracks on the ground was not new for the local residents of Joshimath, Uttrakhand. Reports suggested that people are noticing cracks in their homes since February, last year (2022). But since the start of the year 2023, these cracks started widening to such an extent that people are compelled to leave their homes. According to official reports, over 500 houses developed cracks due to land subsidence due to which around 3000 residents were out in the bittering winter of January.

The sinking of the land and big crack in the homes become a nightmare for the locals of Joshimath that may get worse. The government authorities are

advising residents to evacuate their homes as soon as possible and go to someplace that is safer. Retaliating this official order, people protested against the authorities stating that they have no places to go and no such arrangements have been made by the government either.

The local residents are blaming the ongoing excavation work of the various high-scaled construction projects. These big projects include the Tapovan Vishnugad hydropower project and Char Dham Project. Not only residents but several geologists and environmental experts also believe that the tragedy of Joshimath is not natural, it is man-made.

HIMALAYA REGIONS ARE AT GREAT RISK

The story of Joshimath is not the first one and certainly not the last either. Experts are of the opinion that the fate of Joshimath may be followed by some other towns and locations as well. The cities like Pauri, Uttarkashi, Tehri and Rudraprayag are also at greater risk. If such hydropower and construction projects are not regulated at the earliest, then the silent disaster of land sliding will destroy a lot of other Himalayan regions as well.

In addition to this, the Himalayan glaciers are melting rapidly. The melting glaciers increase the risk of flood and later on droughts and water shortages. The increasing developmental projects attract thousands of tourists across the world due to which the region’s weather pattern is changing. Our holy Ganga, on which millions of lives depend, is at

risk now. And it is none other than us humans who are causing this damage.

THE HOVERING THREAT ON ANDAMAN AND NICOBAR

NITI Aayog outlines the development plan for Andaman and Nicobar Islands but this decision has become a cause of worry for environmental activists and experts. According to the NITI Aayog’s developmental plan, the government will develop a township, transhipment terminal and Greenfield International Airport in Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Environmental activists and conservationists are opposing this plan of government by claiming it to be economically disastrous. Experts believe Andaman and Nicobar is an ecologically sensitive area and heavy developmental plans can backfire also. The negative impact of this development project may also lead to loss of vegetation, soil pollution, soil sinking and floods.

FINAL WORDS

The sinking of land, flash floods, and frequent landslides are not natural disasters but are man-made. We are the ones who are inviting our destruction by exploiting our natural resources.

If you go by the reports of environmentalists and geologists then you will know how scary it will be for the residents of Joshimath who are witnessing this all. Many believe that now it is too late to save Joshimath. The damages cannot be undone now. All we can do is that we take the lesson from this incident of Joshimath and should save Andaman and Nicobar, and other Himalayan regions from witnessing the same fate.

We often hear about Amazon, Google, Microsoft, HP, Apple and many big brands, be it in terms of their revenue, their giant offices, number of employees, or profits. But isn’t all big things come from small beginnings?

Whoever wants to reach a distant goal must take small steps. This line reminds us of the stories of some of the biggest companies in the world that had the most humble beginnings but are now touching sky-high limits.

MICROSOFT

When Paul Allen and Bill Gates started Microsoft, they had very limited resources and a small garage in Albuquerque, New Mexico. But what they didn’t lack was their brilliant programming skills which helped them build their first operating system and license it for $80,000.

Today, Microsoft has a market capitalization of $1.676 Trillion (as of January 2023). It is the third most valuable company in the world. One of the Founders of the company, Bill Gates makes it to the Top 10 richest people in the world list.

APPLE

Who would have known that the garage of Steve Jobs’ parents in Silicon Valley would pave the way for a multinational company that earns trillions of dollars today? Apple was founded in 1976 when Steve Wozniak designed the first Apple I Computer for $500. Steve Jobs and Wozniak got all the parts and completed the order of 50 computers given by a retailer in only 30 days.

As of January 2023, Apple's total market value stands at $2.062 Trillion. In FY 2022, the company’s total net sales was $394.33 Billion.

GOOGLE

Google’s story is known by all. The minds behind the most popular company in the world, Larry Page and Sergey Brin started Google in the current YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki’s garage in 1998. Susan became the 16th employee of Google.

Google in December 2019, they wrote, "We could not have imagined, back in 1998 when we moved our servers from a dorm room to a garage, the journey that would follow."

Google is the 4th most valued company in the world with a market cap of $1.137 Trillion.

AMAZON

Founded by Jeff Bezos, the world’s largest online marketplace was started as an online bookstore in his home garage in Bellevue, Washington. Bezos used to do meetings at a nearby Barnes & Noble, where most of the company’s first contracts were negotiated. Although it took him almost a year to sell the first book, the company grew exponentially.

In the last 2 decades, the market capitalization of the company has increased from $7.32 Billion (in 2002) to $878.16 Billion (in January 2023).

HEWLETT-PACKARD

Hewlett-Packard (HP) has its inception in Packard’s garage in Palo Alto, California. Will Hewlett and Dave Packard founded HP with an investment of only $538 in 1939. The first product that they built was an audio oscillator. One of the first customers of HP was Walt Disney Productions which gave an order of eight audio oscillators for their motion picture Fantasia.

Billion.

THE WALT DISNEY CO.

Known all across the world as a popular multinational, mass media and entertainment company, The Walt Disney Co was established by Walt Disney and his brother Roy in their uncle’s garage in Los Angeles back in 1923. The first film that they filmed was Alice Comedies, part of Alice’s Wonderland.

DELL

The 19-year-old Michael Dell dropped out of college to establish Dell computers. He worked out of his off-campus housing garage in Austin, Texas. In just one year of inception, the company designed and built the Turbo PC which featured an Intel® 8088

manufacturing market all across the world. The revenue of the company ending October 31, 2022, was $105.254 Billion.

NIKE

Nike’s story is a little different as it started in even lesser space. Phil Knight and Bill Bowerman started Nike as Blue Ribbon Sports in the trunk of a car in 1964. While Knight made shoes, his coach at the University of Oregon, Bill tested them on runners. Although the company didn’t have any retailers for the first 2 years, it started yielding profits in the coming years.

Unaware of the wonders that the company would do in future, Walt Disney and his brother kept bringing entertainment for the people. In 2022, the company generated total revenue of nearly $29 billion in 2022.

Today, the market capitalization of Nike stands at $194.83 Billion. It is the 50th most valuable company in the world.

This USA-based company has a market capitalization of $21.93

eing an entrepreneur sounds fun and easy but starting a business requires a lot of courage.

Talent and passion are something that keeps the flame of entrepreneurship burning. Carrying out this flame, Mohammad Arif Hussain started his own business by setting up a lemonade stall. A 26-year-old MBA Graduate, Arif could have easily bagged any corporate job and earned a handsome salary. But he decided to start his own venture and run a Nimbu Pani stall.

Belonging to a business family, Arif had a passion for starting something on his own from his childhood. After completing his MBA, Arif started researching business ideas to work. After rigorous primary market research and surveys, Arif found that there is a subsequent gap in the demand and supply of tasty and hygienic lemonade. And that’s when Arif decided to start his business of selling fresh, tasty and hygienic Nimbu Pani to fill that void in the market. Arif started his business “MBA Limbu Pani Wala” in 2021 in Hyderabad.

“Doing a job is not wrong but I just don’t want to do it because I want to establish something on my own and create employment opportunities for others,” says Arif Hussain, Owner of MBA Limbu Pani Wala.

OFFERING TASTY, REFRESHING AND HYGIENIC LEMONADE

Generally, it is considered that roadside lemonade stalls are not clean and do not provide hygienic lemonades. Arif successfully defies this ordinary belief by maintaining proper hygiene and cleanliness of the stall and lemonades. Arif mentions, “We use mineral water for preparing our Nimbu Pani and also use gloves all the time during making and serving the lemonade.”

MBA Limbu Pani Wala offers three distinctive flavours of lemonade including Plain Nimbu Pani, Soda Nimbu Pani, and Dry Ice Nimbu Pani. The sodas come in sweet, sour and masala flavours that are very popular among customers. The lemonades are rich in flavours and also super affordable for everyone to buy it. The pricing of the lemonade ranges between Rs. 30-40 only.

BATTLING THE CRITICISM

No matter how they say “No Business is big or small” but the harsh reality is that society judges us for everything. The story of Arif is no different. Facing many negative comments and criticism, Arif did not stop. He has been working hard to scale up his business. People judge Arif for running a roadside stall after completing his MBA. They also said that

Bhe should apply for a good corporate job.

Arif’s own family did not support him in his business. They believe that he is downgrading the family’s name by starting a business of roadside lemonade. Arif says, “My family members told me not to ruin the family legacy by running a lemonade stall. And they still want me to do a job or join the family business.”

It is said that if you have firm determination and a focused mind then you can surely get success. Arif is the true embodiment of firm determination and passion. He is an inspiration to the youth generation and young entrepreneurs that everything is possible if you have the passion for doing it.

Currently, Arif is planning to take his business a step ahead by running it on a similar business model to OYO. Arif is planning to collaborate with hotels and restaurants and sells his lemonade there.

Laying out the expansion plans, Arif mentions, “I am looking forward to making MBA Limbu Pani Wala the biggest lemonade brand in India. I want our lemonades to be available in every hotel, restaurant and fast food chain in India.”

THEMANBEHINDFEMALE OFRAILWAY ANNOUNCEMENTS VOICE

ay I Have Your Attention Please!” We all have heard this female voice while travelling via train. There is a strange connection between the voice of the railway announcements and nostalgia. Every time we hear this announcement, a childhood memory hits us instantly. But have you ever wondered who is the person behind that voice? You all must be curious to know the identity of a person whose voice is so relatable that every time it pours into your ears, it instantly catches your attention.

And what if we tell you that the female voice that you hear during the railway announcement is actually of a man? No, we are not making this up. The voice behind the railway announcement at Parli Vaijnath station of Maharashtra is of Shravan Adode. Impersonating the female voice, Shravan surprises everyone who hears his unusual voice.

Since childhood, Shravan was fascinated by the voice of railway announcements and usually tried to imitate it. He used to copy the style and the tone of the announcements. Later, Shravan joined the Crew Management System of the Indian Railways. But it is said that destiny always finds its way.

One day, due to load shedding, the system faced some technical issues and there was a need for a manual announcement. That’s when Shravan stepped in and decided to try his voice. And what happened next surprised everyone. Shravan experimented with his voice and made an announcement in a woman’s voice and no one even recognised that there was a man behind a female voice. And that’s how Shravan got famous for his unique talent and unbelievable voice as a female announcer. Imitating the voice of a

female for a Railway announcement is not Shravan’s only talent. He can also sing beautifully in the same exact voice as Lata Mangeshkar.

Shravan loves to mimic different female voices since childhood. It gave him joy but he was often bullied for the same. His friends and other people made fun of him for copying the female voices. But it has never stopped Shravan from doing what he loves the most and what makes him feel happy.

Despite getting bullied in his childhood, Shravan never left his love for imitating voices and this courage gave him due recognition all over social media. Shravan always believes that we all must follow our dreams no matter what. And if we really work hard, dreams do come true.

ndia is the cradle of the human race, the birthplace of human speech, the mother of history, the grandmother of legend, and our most valuable and most artistic materials in the history of man are treasured up in India only.” These lines by Mark Twain always pop up whenever we search about India, its civilization, and its glory.

India is indeed a land of rich heritage, a land of natural splendour and myriad attractions. Let’s take a look at some of the global records created by the country.

CHENAB BRIDGE, THE HIGHEST RAIL BRIDGE IN THE WORLD

Location: Jammu & Kashmir

Chenab Bridge built over the Chenab river in the Kouri region of the Reasi district at 359 m in Jammu and Kashmir is 30m higher than the iconic Eiffel Tower in Paris. It is a part of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla rail link project (USBRL). The bridge is 1315m long and connects Bakkal (Katra) and Kauri (Srinagar).

You will be surprised to know that it took more than 1,300 workers and 300 engineers to build this bridge, thus making it one of the biggest civil-engineering challenges in India’s history.

FLOATING POST OFFICE IN THE WORLD

Location: Srinagar

You can find the world’s only floating post office in the summer capital of Jammu & Kashmir. Floating on the waters of the spectacular Dal Lake in Srinagar, this post office is a common sight in the city. At the post office, you can see a board that reads Floating Post Office, Dal Lake.

The 200-year-old post office is still operational. The letters sent out from this post office bear a special seal of a ‘shikara’ with a boatman on it. It has two small rooms - one is the office and the other is a small philately museum. The museum houses traces of the philatelic history of the postal department of the state.

CHAIL, HIGHEST CRICKET GROUND IN THE WORLD

Location: Himachal Pradesh

Set in Chail, Himachal Pradesh and built in 1893, Chail Cricket Ground is located at an altitude of 2144 m. It was properly developed by Maharaja Bhupinder Singh, Maharaja of Patiala. Maharaja Bhupinder Singh was a cricket lover and used to play cricket but now it is under the care of the Indian army. Civilians aren’t allowed to enter the premises but one can look around and walk around the ground.

You can find massive Himalayan ranges on the other side of the ground, thus making the view awe-striking.

THE WETTEST INHABITED PLACE ON EARTH

Location: Mawsynram

Mawsynram is the wettest inhabited place on Earth as it receives an average annual rainfall of 11,872 millimetres (467.4 in). As per the Guinness Book of World Records, Mawsynram received 26,000 millimetres of rainfall in the year 1985.

The reason behind the continuous rainfall in the area is its extreme weather conditions and close proximity to the town of Cherrapunji. If you love to travel and explore places while it rains, you can surely visit Meghalaya and its two beautiful placesMawsynam and Cherrapunji.

HIGHEST POST OFFICE IN THE WORLD

Location: Hikkim Village

India is also the home to the Highest post office in the world. It is situated in the Hikkim village in the Lahaul-Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh. The post office is set at an elevation of 4440 m. The interesting part is that it is a letterbox-shaped post office and that is why it draws the attention of many tourists around the world.

Many selfie points have been developed for tourists outside the office. You can post colourful postcards, each carrying a message that this letter has been sent from the highest post office in the world.