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Strokes of green!

Adani Green Energy Gallery was inaugurated a fortnight ago at London’s Science Museum. During the inauguration, Gautam Adani, chairman, Adani Group, said: “Our lives are a part of a bigger story and it is a story that connects whatever our ancestors knew to the future we want to create”. Through displays of contemporary and historic objects from the UK and abroad, interactive digital exhibits, and specially commissioned models, the gallery shows how the past, present and future are shaped by human imagination and innovation and explores how everyone has a role to play in deciding the world’s energy future. “There is no greater resource in the fight against climate change than education. Through the sponsorship of this, we aim to inspire young minds, scientists and innovators to imagine a future powered by clean energy and build a carbon-free world,” stated Sagar Adani, executive director, AGEL. The gallery is divided into three sections. In the Future Planet section, one can see how scientists use complex computer-based models to understand our planet, and predict about the range of climate futures that might lie ahead. At the centre of the gallery is Only Breath, a moving sculpture that signifies the power of nature to inspire technological change. Adani expressed his pride in partnership with the Science Museum, led by Sir Timothy Laurence and Sir Ian Blatchford, which brought this stunning gallery to life. “In a week when we’re celebrating a record 2.25 million visits by UK residents to the museum, including a million children, this stunning gallery offers even more to ignite curiosity among those who will visit in the year ahead – provoking important conversations about the urgent need for the world to generate and use energy more sustainably,” said Sir Ian Blatchford, Director and Chief Executive of the Science Museum group. 

Celebration of goodness

Godrej L’Affaire, a curated experiential luxury lifestyle platform by Godrej Industries Limited & Associate Companies (GILAC), has announced that more than 50 brands have collaborated with the platform for its sixth edition, at the brand’s headquarters in Vikhroli, Mumbai.  Godrej L’Affaire, a brand-agnostic owned media platform in the lifestyle space, celebrates ‘All things goodness’ at this soiree. With HSBC India collaborating for the sixth edition, the evening soiree unfolds with a three-pronged mission of crafting hyper-immersive experiences, building community of lifestyle aficionados and weaving a robust digital safe narrative for all the participating brands. “Creating personalised, immersive and authentic experiences for consumers in today’s ever-evolving world is imperative for any brand,” affirmed Tanya Dubash, executive director & chief brand officer, GILAC, while speaking about the sixth edition of Godrej L’Affaire. “The platform was launched to provide these opportunities for our in-house brands as well as external non-competing brands in the lifestyle space. Our objective has been to create a community of lifestyle aficionados and drive meaningful conversation around the lifestyle space.” Commenting on its collaboration with Godrej L’Affaire 2024, Arkaprava ‘ARKO’ Ray, head, marketing strategy, HSBC India added: “As the world’s local bank, we at HSBC passionately believe in creating a meaningful conversation for nurturing relationships and building trusts with our customers.” The highlight of this lifestyle-centric soiree was an exclusive fashion show by the renowned fashionista, Malaika Arora, showcasing her flagship brand – The Label Life. The event also witnessed the announcements of the Top 25 content creators chosen through the premier influencer hunt Godrej L’Affaire Select. This programme scouted for talent across a pool of over 10,000 participants across India. Mentored by internet sensation Ranveer Allahbadia, popularly known as the Beer Biceps, the winners were honoured and welcomed into the exclusive Godrej L’Affaire Select creators’ group. 

Towards self-reliance

In a major boost to the rubber plantation drive in the Northeast, nearly 70,000 hectares of land have been brought under natural rubber plantation under the INROAD (Indian Natural Rubber Operations for Assisted Development) project in three years, which supports the development of 200,000 hectares of rubber plantations in North East. Undertaken under active mentoring of the ministry for commerce & industry, INROAD is the first such project in the world, where the natural rubber-consuming industry (tyre sector) has partnered with government agencies to fund the plantation of natural rubber (NR). Automotive Tyre Manufacturers Association (ATMA) has collaborated with the Rubber Board of India for the project. “As against the target of 80,000 ha of plantation in the first three years of the INROAD project, nearly 70,000 ha (86 per cent) of the project target has been achieved despite post-Covid and logistics challenges – a testament to the commitment shown by four leading tyre companies (Apollo, Ceat, JK & MRF) in financially supporting the project”, said Anshuman Singhania, chairman, ATMA. “The project will not only benefit nearly 250,000 farmers and their families, but also lead to comprehensive capacity building and skill training”, added Singhania.

Emblem of excellence

The Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) presented the 50th India Gem & Jewellery Awards (IGJA), powered by GIA, to the top performers from the export sector. Every year, IGJA honours the best of the best, showcasing the pinnacle of achievement in the gem and jewellery sector, and entrepreneurship. Ramesh Bais, governor, Maharashtra, was the chief guest for the awards ceremony and business tycoon Mukesh Ambani, chairman & MD, Reliance Industries Ltd, graced the 50th edition of the IGJA as Guest of Honour. Representing GJEPC were Vipul Shah, chairman, GJEPC; Kirit Bhansali, vice-chairman, GJEPC; and Anoop Mehta, president, Bharat Diamond Bourse; as also doyens of the gem & jewellery export industry. “The golden jubilee of these prestigious awards not only signifies a proud milestone for the GJEPC, but it also highlights both the grand heritage and the dazzling future of the Indian gems and jewellery industry,” added Ambani. On this occasion, Vipul Shah, observed: “Today, India stands tall as a global leader in the gem and jewellery sector. Our exports continue to rise, our domestic market flourishes, and our artisans inspire the world with their intricate creations. This progress is a direct reflection of the hard work, dedication, and collective vision of the industry stakeholders.” 

Another tech star rises

ndians making big in the tech world is nothing new. Recently, Microsoft has appointed Pavan Davuluri, an IIT Madras graduate, as the new head of Microsoft Windows and Surface. He succeeds Panos Panay, who left for Amazon last year. Davuluri previously oversaw the Surface group and now leads both Windows and Surface departments. Rajesh Jha, Microsoft’s head of experiences and devices, said, “As part of this change, we are bringing together the Windows Experiences and Windows + Devices teams as a core part of the Experiences + Devices (E+D) division. This will enable us to take a holistic approach to building silicon, systems, experiences, and devices that span Windows client and cloud for this AI era. Davuluri will lead this team and continue to report to me. Shilpa Ranganathan and Jeff Johnson and their teams will report directly to him. The Windows team will continue to work closely with the Microsoft AI team on AI, silicon, and experiences,” Jha informed. According to Davuluri’s LinkedIn profile, he has completed post-graduation from the University of Maryland and began his career at Microsoft as a Reliability Component Manager in 2001. Davuluri has held various leadership positions over his 23-year tenure at Microsoft, working across PC and Xbox hardware, Surface, and Windows.