Artisanal Hampers by Marriott this Diwali

Decadent assortments now available across 9 cities and 27 Marriott International hotels in India With the festive fervour setting in, Marriott has curated a selection of indulgent festive delicacies to celebrate the season with its unique offerings under “Diwali with Marriott”. Handcrafted to perfection by Marriott’s own chefs, this bespoke limited-edition artisanal hamper will raise the temptation quotient for the perfect celebrations. From pralines, bonbons, cookies, florentines, tarts to traditional favourites like the Nankhatai and Laddoos, this uniquely crafted delicacy box features an array of interesting and creative fusion of modern and traditional treats. The hamper is available for a limited period at select properties in Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Chennai, Indore, Jaipur, Kolkata, Bengaluru & Pune for INR 5,000++.

Baalveer and Vivaan fight the evil together on Sony SAB’s Baalveer Returns

The battle between the good and evil has begun and Timnasa is intensifying the battle even further. Timnasa is determined to destroy Baalveer to gain the ultimate power. Following Baalveer’s diminishing powers, he reaches Earth to find his successor, and the evil of Kaal Lok follows him. Timnasa (Pavitra Punia) learns about Baalveer’s (Dev Joshi) presence on Earth and sends Bhaymaar (Aditya Ranvijay) with the poisonous snake-like creature from Kaal Lok, Jehrua. Bhaymaar in order to spread terror in the city targets Jehrua at a passerby who turns out to be Vivaan’s mother, Karuna (Jaya Binju Tyagi). Baalveer shows up just at the right time and saves Karuna. Karuna, invites Baalveer to her house where he meets Vivaan (Vansh Sayani) for the first time. On the other hand, Bhaymaar does not give up and follows Baalveer to Vivaan house and challenges him for a fight. Bhaymaar with the help of Jehrua, tries to kill Baalveer and in a surprising turn of event, Vivaan comes to Baalveer’s rescue and fights as a team with him to defeat Bhaymaar but at the same time, in the dark world, Kaal Lok, Timnasa has planned a way to trap all the fairies. The show is set to bring the power of two together, Baalveer and his successor to be, Vivaan, will be seen combating evil in the upcoming episodes with a promise of taking the viewers on a thrilling ride. Will Baalveer be able to stop Timnasa? Dev Joshi, portraying the character of Baalveer said, “Baalveer is on a mission to find his successor but he is constantly been challenged by Bhaymaar who is trying to trick Baalveer through illusions. Baalveer has come face to face with Vivaan but still doesn’t know his true purpose yet. The action sequences while shooting for the upcoming episodes were exciting and we all have given out best to perfect the shots. The episodes further is action packed and full of surprises.” Aditya Ranvijay, portraying the character of Bhaymaar said, “On his mission to kill Baalveer, Bhaymaar is on Earth with the deadliest creature of Kaal Lok and would not give up until Baalveer is dead. It will be interesting to watch, what Bhaymaar has planned next to catch Baalveer off guard and kill him. My experience while shooting the upcoming episodes was exciting and I’m sure our viewers will be hooked to the upcoming twists.” Watch Baalveer battle Bhaymaar only on Sony SAB’s Baalveer Returns every Monday-Friday at 8pm

After Mohit Raina rejects, Milind Somanto make his first TV debut as Lord Shiva

Star Bharat has been strengthening its hold in creating mythological shows for a long time, with shows like 'Devon KeDev… Mahadev' and more recently 'RadhaKrishn' crossing the ladder of success. Star Bharat to launch a new mythological show 'Jag JananiMaaVaishnodevi- Kahani Mata Rani Ki' which is going to be aired on 30th September. According to the sources, actor MilindSoman will make his first TV debut in the incarnation of Lord Shiva on Star Bharat’s new show ‘Jag JananiMaaVaishno Devi'. It is also know that actor Mohit Raina was chosen for the role of Shiva, but due to his hectic schedule, he refused to play this role. In such a situation, this character will be essayed by MilindSoman. MilindSoman is going to be seen on TV for the first time in a godlily avatar. He has not played such a character before, so he is very keen to know the reaction of his fans. MilindSoman is not only known as a good actor by his fans but also a fitness promoter. He is known to spread happiness and positivity. In such a situation, it is certain that his fans will be excited to see him exploring his versatile acting skills. To know more about MilindSoman character as Lord Shiva… Tune into 'Jag JananiMaaVaishno Devi - Kahani Mata Rani Ki' show from 30th September every Monday to Saturday at 9.30 pm only on Star Bharat.

Starbucks Spices up the Season with Pumpkin Spice Latte as it returns to India!

Starbucks® Pumpkin Spice Latte (PSL) fans can rejoice now! Making its seasonal debut, the most awaited beverage is made from our signature espresso and steamed milk with the celebrated flavor combination of pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg and clove. Enjoy it topped with whipped cream and real pumpkin pie spices. The limited edition, Pumpkin Spice Latte, is available across all Starbucks stores in India. It is available in hot, iced and blended versions. Price: INR 300 onwards

Amway India’s‘Power of 5’ program creates remarkable positive impact on the state of malnourished children

The baseline findings starkly reveal that every second underprivileged child in Delhi below 5 years of age could be affected by Malnutrition  With a year of educational interventions to mothers 79% children came out of the malnourished category There is a clear demarcation between social classes in India and nowhere is it more evident than in the nutritional landscape.Amway India’s ‘Power of 5’ program, launched in 2018 revealedthat in India every second underprivileged child below five years of age could be affected by malnutrition. Amway launched its globally successful community-based program ‘Power of 5’ as a pilot in India in collaboration with MAMTA Health Institute for Mother and Child. The program was targeted at the mothers and caregivers of children under the age of 5 years and aimed to improve the nutritional knowledge and practices inclusive of complementary feeding, hygiene practices, growth monitoring and dietary diversity through extensive educational interventions. Total number of malnourished children closely monitored 1700 Categories of malnourishment identified Wasted Underweight Stunted Number of children inthe category at the start of the project 1700 1236 750 Number of malnourished children at the end of the project* 328 455 484 In its pilot phase, the program was launched in Kirari, an urban slum and resettlement colony of North West Delhi.Over 9700 children were surveyed under the age of five years and come across that most of the children were grappling with huge nutritional gap with 17% children wasted, 31% underweight and 46% stunted.Out of 9700 children, 1700 were wasted and were identified for further monitoring through the entire course of the program. The results at the end of the campaign were startling and at the same time encouraging highlighting that number of children in the Wasted category dropped from 1700 to 328 (79% drop), in the Underweight category dropped from 1236 to 455 (44% drop) and in the Stunted category dropped from 750 to 484 (14% drop). Mr. Anshu Budhraja, CEO, Amway India, says, “The malnutrition scenario in our country is in a precarious situation with 31% of the total 150.8 million stunted children in the world and half of all ‘wasted’ children across the globe.1. At Amway India, we are committed to use our vast global experience in nutrition and wellness to contribute to the Government of India’s National Nutrition Mission to raise the nutrition levels in the country.” “Our community-based nutritional education intervention to mother also shows that a simple, yet extensive outreach is the way to improve the nutritional status of under-five children. The first-year result of the ‘Power of 5’ campaign is quite promising, and we intend to take this program forward on a much larger scale ultimately making an impact in the lives of as many mothers and children as possible. While continuing to do community work in the identified area of nutrition, we have plans to replicate the same in other states across the country.” Mr. Budhraja, added. Aligned with the Government of India’s National Nutrition Mission, the ‘Power of 5’ programbenefitted10000 children under-five and over 30,000 mothers and caregivers by offering holistic solutions to create awareness and implementing educational interventions. ASHA workers, ANM and Anganwadi workers were sensitized to drive the behavior change among the parents and communities by establishing synergies for timely and inclusive service deliveries to the identified beneficiaries.The program also significantly improved infant breastfeeding practices, vaccination coverage, Vitamin A dosage and deworming coverage. Dr. Sunil Mehra, Executive Director, MAMTA-HIMC says, “Malnutrition in children under 5 years of age is one of the biggest challenges to child health and development in our country resulting in almost 50% of child mortality. We are very happy to partner with Amway India to launch their globally successful program that addresses malnutrition, wasting and stunting in an urban-poor location for a cohort of 10,000 children. And it is encouraging to note that in the first year of intervention the program has shown a significant shift in the nutritional status of these children besides strengthening knowledge and feeding practices of the parents.” ADDDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE CAMPAIGN Education Interventions introduced during the campaign and their results establish the extensive need for on-ground engagement and education of mothers and caregivers to address the malnutrition situation in India.Regular counselling was provided to the beneficiary groups to help them provide better care for their children. Multiple edutainment sessions and nutritional recipe demonstrations were also organized during the span of the program to better equip everyone in attendance. Infantand Child Feeding Practices • Families of 98.5% children in the age-group of 0-24 months informed that the child was breastfed since birth, as compared to 85.8% in the baseline survey • Families giving feeds other than breast milk in the first three days after childbirth reduced from 30% (baseline) to 11.5% (end-line). These other feeds consist of honey, infant formula, Janam ghutti, sugar syrup, gripe water, sugar/glucose water, and fruit juice • Around 91.5% of familiesinitiated breastfeeding of the new-born within one hour of childbirth compared to 86.2% a year ago. Vaccination Coverage • All the doses of BCG, Hepatitis and DPT vaccines was observed to be high. Immunization coverage of basic vaccines in the end-line (81.5%) showed a marked improvement from the baseline (61.5%) Vitamin A dosage & Deworming • Around 77.5% of the children had received a dose of Vitamin A within the last six months as compared to the baseline survey where it was around 70.1% • The intake of any drug for intestinal worms in the last six months was reported to be 54.1%, ascompared to 46.3% in the baseline survey About Amway India Amway India is a wholly owned subsidiary of Amway with headquarters located in Ada, Michigan, USA. Amway is the world’s #1 direct selling with presence in over 100 countries & territories. Globally, Amway is 60 years old, US $ 8.8 billion, manufacturer and direct seller of quality consumer goods. Amway’s innovation and industry-leading R&D has seen more than 800 patents granted and another 240 patents pending. Amway has nearly 1000 scientists across 100 research and development and quality assurance laboratories worldwide. Amway India sells more than 140 daily use products across categories like Nutrition, Beauty, Personal Care, Home Care and Consumer durables through Amway Direct Sellers who make personal recommendations regarding the use of distinctive quality products. Amway products are widely recognized and appreciated for their quality and value. These products are backed by a money back guarantee for 100% satisfaction of use . With the aim of increasing consumer outreach Amway has set up more than 63 Xpress Pick & Pay stores across the country. Amway products are popular not just in India but across the world. Nutrilite is the world’s No. 1 selling vitamins and dietary supplements brand. Nutrilite has established itself as a leading brand in the vitamins and dietary supplements category in India as well. Amway has signed Farhan Akhtar as the brand ambassador for the Nutrilite range in India to further promote the brand. Artistry is India’s No. 1 premium skin care brand . Amway India also offers ‘Attitude’, an entry level premium skincare and cosmetics brand targeted at India youth. The product range has been developed keeping the needs of Indian consumers into consideration. Amway India is aggressively entering newer categories. Most notably, the company launched a Weight management program called ‘W.O.W.’ (Will over Weight) which has been really appreciated by the consumers in India. Amway forayed into the consumer durables segment with the launch of a premium cookware range Amway Queen, Atmosphere Drive for passenger vehicles in the Air Purifier category and the Energy Drink and the Sports Nutrition segment (Whey Protein) with XS. Last year, Amway launched a range of Nutrilite Traditional Herbs supplements, Attitude Be Bright Herbal SkinCare products and Glister Herbal Toothpaste developed specifically for the Indian consumers. Amway’s manufacturing facility in India is located at Nilakottai in the Dindigul district of Tamil Nadu. India is one of two key global manufacturing hubs for Amway, along with China, in addition to the company’s U.S.-based manufacturing operations. Amway manufacturing facility has won the prestigious LEED Gold Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council as being one of the most environment friendly and sustainable facilities in the country.

“I want to make a difference in the world with Baalveer Returns”, says Dev Joshi from Sony SAB’s Baalveer Returns

Having started his journey in the entertainment industry as a child artist, the award winning star, Dev Joshi won everyone over with his phenomenal performance as one of the most admired superheroes, Baalveer on Sony SAB. Now, the nation’s favourite superhero is back with Baalveer Returns on Sony SAB. Baalveer Returns, produced by Optimystix Entertainment, will take the viewers on a roller coaster journey as their favorite superhero Baalveer attempts to fight evil in order to save the world! 1. How does it feel coming back to television after all these years, and that too with Sony SAB? Sony SAB continues to be really close to my heart. I have always enjoyed the kind of content Sony SAB showcases. I got an opportunity to be a part of Baalveer which garnered immense love and support from the viewers. I’m thrilled to be back with the channel in a brand new avatar and I eagerly look forward to creating magic on the television screen once again. Baalveer has been the biggest part of my life and people have appreciated my work and I am sure people will enjoy Baalveer Returns much more as we are returning with lots of new and exciting elements. 2. What drove you into accepting the role of Baalveer again? I feel really fortunate that I got the opportunity to play the character of Baalveer and it is really special to me. The role has earned me love and respect from all over the world.I was recently honoured with Pradhanmantri Baal Shakti Puraskar for Art and Culture by the President of India for the positivity I was able to spread in the society with the role of Baalveer. The character of Baalveer has given me some extraordinary experiences and memories in life so far and I am fortunate that I got the privilege to make a difference again as Baalveer in Baalveer Returns. 3. How different is your character in Baalveer Returns? Superhero Baalveer will continue to be the guardian of truth and justice as he initiates his quest to discover another Baalveer. Earlier, my character was a child with his cute and innocent ways but as we return, Baalveer has grown up and he understands the onus of the responsibilities on him to save the world. With Baalveer Returns, the character has grown and along with the children as our audience, even teenagers will relate and enjoy the show. 4. What can viewers expect from Baalveer Returns? The entire feel and look of the show is different and a lot of thought and effort has been put into Baalveer Returns to bring the mystical world of Kaal Lok and Veer Lok to life. There are several new characters who will be a part of the show and Baalveer will also have new companions to guide and help him through his journey to save the world. What excited me the most were the characters Shaurya, the lion and Akroor, evil Black Panther and I’m sure our audience will enjoy them as well. The viewers can expect grandeur and larger than life visuals weaved beautifully in a gripping storyline that is essayed by a promising cast.

Sony Pictures Networks India takes a lead with its ‘Freedom of Entertainment’ initiative

#FreedomOfEntertainment In a unique industry initiative, Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) is introducing closed captioningfor its linear televised programmingstarting with two of its popular Hindiserials, ‘Ishaaron Ishaaron Mein’ (Sony Entertainment Television) and ‘Jijaji Chhat Per Hai’ (Sony SAB).Starting 15th August 2019, the afternoon episodes of these two shows will be closed captioned in Hindi. Through its ‘Freedom of Entertainment’ initiative, Sony Pictures Networks India aims to make entertainment an inclusive experience for everyone including persons with disabilities. This is one of the many pioneering initiatives undertaken by SPN.In the months to come, SPN intends to extend this close captioning feature to other popular shows, to ensure that the entertainment it offers can be enjoyed by all.Depending on the technical capability of the downstream platform/service provider, viewers will have the choice to switch-on or switch-off the closed captions. Please watch our shows with closed captioning and provide feedback by writing in tobrand@setindia.comas we endeavour to better this experience.