Retropoplifestyle

Stalwarts to have an insightful, strategic discussion on different industries during and post COVID-19~

Webinar, STIMULUS 2020

APRIL 13th and 14th, 2020

Personalities such as Ashish Kashyap , Suhel Seth ,Prahlad Kakkar, Tarun Tahiliani, Bose Krishnamachari, Roshni Chopra & Jeeveshu Ahluwalia will be speakers at the Webinar

Organised by The Global Luxury Group, Crosshairs Communications (PR Partner) & WIN (Women Inspiring Network – Content Partner), STIMULUS 2020 is an unprecedented, cerebral two-day webinar, scheduled to go live on 13^th & 14^th April. Designed to cut through the volume of rhetoric and despair surrounding the current COVID-19 scenario, which has declared the market slow-moving or outright stagnant, the webinar brings together 70 industry experts who have dealt with similar cards before. The aim is to connect with strategists, business owners and executives in order to canvas possibilities and new ideas in media, luxury, lifestyle, leadership and other industries, through STIMULUS 2020.

Speaking on the occasion, Karan Bhangay from The Global Luxury Group stated, “Instigating an intelligent discourse in various segments like economics, real estate, retail, hospitality, startups, media and government policies, STIMULUS is a small initiative to bring together different approaches from across the spectrum for a two day session of ‘listening, learning and everything in between’. What will be the hottest sectors, the new rules of the game, what will businesses have to do to thrive in a world more digitally connected than ever, and will we be more local than global are some of the questions this forum will address.”

Keeping in sync with the ideology of STIMULUS, Stuti Jalan, Founder & MD, Crosshairs Communication & WIN (Women Inspiring Network) stated, “Since the time of complete lockdown, we as an organisation have witnessed the digital landscape emerging as one of the major communication platforms. Keeping this in mind, I felt that STIMULUS will be the right platform to collaborate and throw some insight into the changing landscape of businesses and strategies to WIN in a post covid world – leadership lessons to redesign and reinvent business will be the focus of our conversation.

The confirmed list of speakers for 13th April includes:

Suhel Seth (Managing Partner, Counselage India)
Ajit Pai (OSD, NITI Aayog)
Rajul Kulshreshtha (CEO Madison India)
Srinivas Kollipara (Partner Hunch ventures)
Rajeev Arora (Founder, Penny Per Word)
Anjilee Istawal (Televison journalist & anchor)
Prahlad Kakkar (Indian film director)
Vani Tripathi (Actor & Politician)
Vickky Idnaani (Fashion & Film Photographer)
Vikas Gupta (Producer , Balaji telefilms & ex Bigboss)
Esha Jain (Marketing Head, Lamborghini Mumbai)
Raghu Nayak (Managing director Friendly group of companies),
Jatin Ahuja (Founder, Big Boy Toyz)
Arjun Bafna (MD, Bafna group)
Stuti Jalan (Founder Crosshairs communication)
Ashish Kashyap (Founder & CEO of IndWealth)
Ramesh Somani (Editor in Chief, Exhibit Magazine & BBC Top Gear India)
Nonita Kalra (Editor, Harper’s Bazaar INDIA)
Tarun Tahiliani (Designer)
Abhishek Agarwal (Founder & Director at Purple Style Labs)
Smita Jain (Director, MGLUXM at SP Jain school of Global Management)
Sachin Jain (MD Forevermark)
Biren Vaidya (MD, Rose Group)
Sahil Malik (MD Damilano)
Pratik Dalmia (Founder Regalia Luxury Retail)
Bose Krishnamachari (Founder Kochi Biennale)
Dinesh Vazirani (Co-Founder Saffron Art)
Puneet Shah (Founder, Akara art)
Bhavna Jasra (Principal Artist, Owner, First Impression)
Angelique Dhama (Chief Marketing Officer, OBEETEE)
Shweta Punj (Deputy Editor IndiaToday magazine)
Hindol Sengupta (Indian historian and journalist)
Devita Saraf (Founder & CEO, VU technologies)
Aditi Balbir (CEO and Founder V Resorts)
Madhu Joshi (Partner & CMO,DrumUP)
Bharat Chaganty ( CEO,The Indian Luxury Expo )
Sumit Choudary (Author rules of Game)
Jeeveshu Ahluwalia (Comedian)

The confirmed list of speakers for 14th April includes:

Anil Shetty (Indian social leader)
Ritu Kapur (CEO, The Quint)
Milee Ashwariya (Editor, Penguin)
Anurag Batra (Editor in Chief Business World)
Sheetal Munshaw (Director, ATOUT France)
Ashish Bhasin (Founder the smoke Co)
Rohan Gopal das (CEO Preston Bailey)
Avneet Singh (Founder, Medusa Beers)
Chetan Jalan (Founder of ChaloHoppo)
Sandeep Nair (Co-founder Audire)
Yogesh Chaudhary (Director, Jaipur Rugs)
Pierre Arnaud (MD, ultraconfidential)
RJ Kartik (MY FM)
Seetu Kohli (Interior Designer)
Bandana Tewari (Journalist and Sustainable Fashion Activist)
Deepa Narayan (Author and Social scientist)
Amulya Tipirneni (Founder The Earth Love)
Roshni Chopra (Actress)
Pragati Sureka (Clinical Psychologist)
Abhay Gupta (Founder & CEO Luxury Connect)
Mitrajit Bhattacharya (Founder The Horologists, The Corner Room Project)
Rahul Kapoor (Founder, Indian Watch Club)
Madhu Alavur (MD, Angaros Group)
Sarosh Modi (Director Luxury Watch Works)
Puja Talwar (Good times)
Barkha Singh (Digital influencer)
RJ Meenakshi (MY FM)

STIMULUS 2020 is also partnered by LuxuryFacts (Digital Partner), Since1700 (E-commerce partner), and The Indian Luxury Expo (Exhibition Partner).

How to Register:

They can either log onto since1700.com/stimulus or whatsapp on 7496070707

Who should enroll? – Business owners, Entrepreneurs, Students of business & luxury, Senior employees & executives & Brand Managers

Why STIMULUS? – to help you make informed decisions & undertake inspired action, understand the mutant future of the industries in question, to be able to identify the bright spots, to figure out stable, effective strategies, nurture the wisdom to execute attained insights.

Can Stem Cells aid COVID-19 Cure? Role of Stem Cells

Can Stem Cells aid COVID-19 Cure?

Role of Stem Cells

By Vipul Jain (CEO, Advancells)

What is the most trending mortality-friendly virus? The unanimous answer to this question is COVID-19. With over 15000 global deaths, its high time to contain and eradicate this epidemic. Coronavirus or COVID-19 spreads by fluid droplets from the mouth and nose and can be picked up by a second person upon coming in contact with the infected liquid droplets. This contact can be upon shaking hands or touching a surface where the liquid droplets are present as a result of sneezing or coughing. Recently, reports from Kunming district, China, have highlighted the successful effects of stem cells in the recovery of coronavirus infected patients and therefore it is important to understand how stem cells can be a strong force against coronavirus infection. Are these just medical miracles or is there a logical standpoint?

How coronavirus affects the body?

When coronavirus enters body, it targets lungs and respiratory cells. The next step starts with damaging these respiratory cells which make up the first line of immune protection for our body. As a result, the filter system switches off and debris starts filling up in the lungs, leading to a shortage of breath and cough. Once these mild symptoms kick in, the body gears up to protect itself by activating the immune system by developing a fever, coughing, and a running nose. Thus, to understand it briefly, coronavirus infection affects the immune system with time and may also harm body cells in the process in case of overriding the safety limit. With the immune system being affected, other infections and diseases can easily catch up and lead to the deterioration of one’s health condition.

Is it similar to flu?

Coronavirus is not structurally similar to the flu virus. In fact, coronavirus COVID-19 is even different from other coronavirus strains like SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV. But if we have to look at the similarities, symptoms are the most important domain. Symptoms like cough, fever, breath shortage, lung inflammation, etc. are the symptoms of flu as well as coronavirus disease. Therefore, although designing of COVID-19 targeted drugs will take different biomolecules into consideration, the mechanism and effects of body healing will be similar, i.e. reversing the immune-compromised health condition.

How can stem cells help?

Clinical trials have already emerged on the potential use of stem cells in the treatment of COVD-19 infected patients. Moreover, successful cases have also been reported in some districts of China for the recovery of coronavirus patients upon administration of stem cells. The scientific community has dived deep into utilizing stem cells for treatment of COVD-19.

But why? How can stem cells help?

Stem cells can differentiate into a variety of cell lineages and are thus regarded as a fundamental alternative to conventional treatment, in the form of regenerative therapies. The role of stem cells can be pointed out as:

Reduce inflammatory effects.
Enhance immune regulatory functions.
Regeneration and healing of damaged tissues.
Differentiate into different cell-types.

Prior research studies have shown anti-inflammatory effects of stem cells and their ability to reduce virus-induced lung injury. These effects can be very well hypothesized in cases of COVID-19. Stem cells can reduce the lung and respiratory tract damage caused by COVD-19 infections by fast rejuvenation and tissue repair effects, and can also strengthen the immune system as a protective shield against any secondary infection during the period of COVID-19 incubation inside one’s body.

Moreover, along with the fast-paced vaccine development research against COVID-19, stem cells are a force to reckon with. Owing to the immune-regulatory and immune-modulatory role of stem cells, people can be administered stem cells before being given COVID-19 vaccines, so that the body can fight back other infections and be less susceptible to the infection symptoms. This strategy will help the body cope up and be prepared to fight any recurrence of COVD-19.

Dheeraj Kumar and Dr. Yogesh Lakhani also lights diyas and candles

Dheeraj Kumar & Dr. Yogesh Lakhani lit diyas and candles .

Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked everyone to come to the balconies to clap for the real

coronavirus heroes – Doctors , Nurse, Police, BMC and Government Officers fighting against the pandemic. And in his latest address to the nation bought another task for everyone to come together and light the lamps, mobile flashlights, torches or diyas outside of their houses for nine minutes at 9 pm on April 5, Sunday. Further, he asked everyone to switch off all the lights in the house during this time to mark solidarity in the global fight against the coronavirus pandemic. He got support from many Bollywood celebrities who took to social media to appreciate this new initiative and asked everyone to follow the same. Actor, Producer and Director Dheeraj Kumar , DR. Yogesh Lakhani of Bright Outdoor Company and others participated in the act with full enthusiasm and positivity and also posted the same on various social media platforms.

Quarantine Yourself Not your Immunity System Keep a check

By Dr.Shreyash Gujrathi.

In the year 2020, no one ever thought that weapons will be the last thing that a man needs for survival or facing global crisis. All of us have always imagined world end as world war 3, or a major tsunami. It turns out to be, Immunity is what we as humans need the most today. And to top it up, the situation today is that we have to self-lockdown ourselves and still make sure that we are safe and non-infected.

Fortunately, in India the pandemic is still in much control and comparatively at a nascent stage, thanks to the early decision of quarantine and social distancing. Amidst all this, you in a lockdown mode must understand increasing immunity is the real deal, as this virus is mild when it comes to its initial symptoms, but it is definitely aggressive as far as its speed of transmission is concerned.

Daily timetable and line of activities and every little thing you put in your mouth, now. Counts!

Self-quarantine with Self-control – Sugars, especially processed sugars and processed food items, which are packed, are very low in nutritive value, and high in bad cholesterols. These are exactly the food stuffs that we are tempted to eat while we are in our comfort zone. Also, unnecessary binge eating with lack of enough physical activities are an Immunity lowering combination.

There are no surrogates for exercise–Exercising has endless benefits, mentioning all of those is beyond the scope of this article. Keeping yourself active during lockdown is will boost your BMR [basal metabolic rate] which in turn burns your body fat, keeps you more active, fresh and helps your system fight infections.

Too much is not good, too less is useless – there are also people who go to the other extreme, who totally stop eating. An empty stomach is a easy access to bacteria and viruses. Make sure that you not only do portion control, but also keep meals at regular planned intervals.

Hydration – Dry mucosal lining of your mouth and intestine as also an easy access to infections. Drinking at least 4 to 5 liters of water, preferably warm water, washes off throat infections and intestinal infestations.

Smile – The moment you unlock your phone and visit any of the social media apps, the first thing that pops up is the count of people who are dying, or have died. This has a subconscious impact on your minds and this definitely instigates fear. Fear reduces your immunity in the long run. I am not saying, don’t update yourselves with the latest news, all I want to say is remain aware that “even this will pass away” and that to soon!

Dr.Shreyash Gujrathi is a Senior Exercise Science Professor, at Gold’s Gym Fitness Institute.

Hon’ble Minister of Textiles Smt Smriti Zubin Irani for All Fashion Designers, stakeholders and supporters of the fraternity.

Video message from Hon’ble Minister of Textiles, Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani for all the fashion designers, Stakeholders and supporters of the fraternity.

FDCI has taken the lead to set up a COVID-19 Support Fund (CSF by FDCI) to provide financial assistance to small businesses and young designers in need.

Masks for Humanity

We Care, We Share

As established fashion designers and responsible citizens of the country, Karleo has taken a step to good will. During these tough times of lock down and the corona virus increasingly spreading, they have taken up these concerns and come up with a project called “Masks for Humanity”

As a part of the initiative, they have tied up with the BMC to manufacture and distribute masks in the city. As a part of the procedure, they will be making a total of 5000 masks over a period of days that will be donated and submitted to the BMC for further distribution and the cycle will continue till as many required. As a part of a sustainable activity and saving the resources, they will be making these masks using in house fabrics and also calling out for donation of fabrics for the making of the masks.

An important point to note here is that these masks are not surgical masks, they are primarily made for BMC sweepers, garbage pickers & many more to reduced risks for those who are contributing to the society on a daily basis.

Taking into consideration the economic slow down and the well being of the society, they have given a chance of employment to all the work from home cluster of ladies and workers to create these masks for them.

Karleo is one of the first few designers in the county who have received this permission from the government to take this initiative and are fulfilling the need of the hour by taking up this responsibility.

How Art Galleries are adapting to the Lockdown

Art Basel Hong Kong, Asia’s biggest contemporary-art fair, was cancelled because of covid-19, but anyone who had planned to visit last week could enjoy an experimental alternative: the viewing room. At the click of a keyboard, you could enter a panoramic but private visual salon, without having to brave the airless Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Participating galleries were told that, for a quarter of the original fee, they could have a slot in the online fair. Over 90% of the line-up—231 galleries—gave it a whirl, offering more than 2,000 works worth $270m in total. The viewing room was a telling indication of how art might be shown (and sold) in the future, in a pandemic-stricken era or if travel is otherwise restricted. It offered encouragement—and some lessons on digital engagement.

There, on one webpage, was Jeff Koons riffing on Botticelli’s “Primavera” in a tribute to the history of painting at David Zwirner Gallery. Ota Fine Arts offered one collector the chance to acquire an “infinity room”, one of the most Instagrammed artworks of recent years—the creation of the psychedelic, nonagenarian Japanese artist, Yayoi Kusama. White Cube presented an array of international works by Andreas Gursky (German), Theaster Gates (American) and Beatriz Milhazes (Brazilian).

But not every artist, gallery and form showed to equal advantage in this alternative fair. Not surprisingly, simple two-dimensional works in bright colours came across best. No sculpture or conceptual art was included. Subtle pieces, such as Lucas Arruda’s impressionistic desert-scapes, which seem as much a mood or a state of mind as a physical depiction when you see them in real life, had little impact when viewed remotely.

Besides depth and texture, there are aspects of gallery-hopping that a website is unlikely to replicate. One is serendipity—the sense of wandering between artworks and encountering the unexpected. Another is sociability. Art is a communion between artist and viewer, but galleries and fairs are also places to swap opinions and share enthusiasms.

There are ways to compensate for these inevitable deficiencies. As they shut their physical doors, some of the world’s finest galleries and museums are offering whizzy interactive visits, 360-degree videos and walk-around tours of their collections, all without queues and high ticket prices. One of the best is laid on by the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam; its tour allows visitors to view its Vermeers and Rembrandts, including the magnificent “Night Watch”, far more closely than would normally be possible. Another standout offering is from the Museu de Arte de São Paulo, which has an even broader collection. On its virtual platform, its paintings, spanning 700 years, appear to be hanging in an open-plan space, seemingly suspended on glass panels, or “crystal easels” as the museum calls them, ideal for close-up inspection.

But such wizardry may be beyond most galleries and artists. For Art Basel, Tracey Emin, a British artist at White Cube, exhibited a heartfelt demand spelled out in icy-blue neon: “Move me”. At a distance, that is hard.

PM Modi’s 9pm-9minute call lights up nation

Delhi Personalities light candles to support the Initiative

Responding to PM Narendra Modi’s 9 pm minutes initiative, Delhi based personalities switched off lights in their homes and lighted diyas and candles. All of them came out to their balconies and posted their pictures on social media to support the initiative.

The campaign was supported by renowned Delhi based personalities from different fields such as Former Indian Women Cricket team Captain and Broadcaster Anjum Chopra, Actor Pavleen Gujral, Spiritual Healer and Hope Creator Dr. Priya Kaul, Jewelry Designer Archana Agarwal, Designer Gautam Gupta, Hair and Makeup Expert Aashmeen Munjal, Dr Blossom Kochhar, and Actor & Entrepreneur Nitin Arora to name a few

They stood in solidarity with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call to pay tribute to the frontline warriors of Covid-19 pandemic who are serving the infected and trying to keep the people of the nation safe. The country also witnessed participation from the Bollywood fraternity such as Amitabh Bachan, Akshay Kumar, Kangana Ranaut including business industrial family as well.

Renowned Spiritual Healer and Hope creator Dr. Priya Kaul calls it Light Consciousness .Cricketer & Broadcaster Anjum Chopra said, spreading the message to stand together in this tough time to fight against the pandemic. She contributes to the Prime Minister’s drive to combat the coronavirus. #staysafe #stayhome

Actor Pavleen Gujral said “Activities like this and one previously recommended really brings about a sense of patriotism that we will all fight this together.That’s exactly the kind of positive affirmations we need in the gloomy time of a lockdown”

Dr. Blossom Kochhar said “We pray that we are all safe from the virus, may those who are unwell recover soon and a huge gratitude for the doctors, nurses and police people fighting on the front line to keep us safe”

Let there be light! Entrepreneur and Actor Nitin Arora said while lighting a candle in solidarity with the nationwide #9pm9minutes drive called by the honourable PM.

A Tribute

Singer, Composer and Multi-Instrumentalist Raghav Sachar pays tribute to his favourite video game Super Mario Brothers in his own signature style

Mumbai 6^th April 2020: The entire world is on a complete Lockdown or in self- quarantine due to the Novel Coronavirus Outbreak. Everyone is spending time doing things that they love, and video games play a big part in it. Singer, Composer and Multi-Instrumentalist Raghav Sachar pays tribute to his favourite video game as a child, Super Mario Brothers in his own signature style. The unique theme is a combination of several wind-based instruments and follows the true vibe of the game.

Super Mario has been one of the most influential games for multiple generations, the characters and the worlds created are etched in people’s minds. The theme music is as iconic as the characters and the game play. The video shows Raghav dressed as Mario and Luigi showing the various levels of the game which takes us back to those days when saving the princess after school was so important. The video also showcases every level of the game right up to the dragon and the princess.

The music is created with precision, keeping in mind the original music and using instruments that complement and enhance the original experience. The main instruments in the video are the Alto, Soprano and Tenor Saxophones along with some other woodwind instruments like Piccolo and Flute. The Trumpet adds brass, and all of this is blended in with electronic instruments like the Guitar, Seaboard and the Keytar. After a very long time we see Raghav playing the drums and that brings the entire symphony together.

Speaking on the launch, an elated Raghav said, “My inspiration behind creating this wind symphony is the years of love for the character and the entire story of Mario. It’s my tribute to the makers of the game and the creator of the theme who composed it only with 8bit sound as that was the only thing available then. The harmonies created took me so much time to re-create and do justice with. I have recorded over 100 tracks live for this reinterpretation. We had never imagined such times when everyone in the world is sitting at home. People have a lot of time to play games and I believe it helps a lot in keeping a positive mindset during such testing times. The Super Mario game has captured lives of boys and girls not only in India but worldwide for decades and will continue to be an inspiration to more and more generations to come”.

You can watch the video of the tribute on (LINK) https://youtu.be/31bj3ZyiqHs

GoUSA TV ‘Stay Home. Stay Inspired’

GoUSA TV

‘Stay Home. Stay Inspired’

The lockdown has resulted in an unprecedented surge in online streaming services as people are constantly finding ways to get their mind off of the stressful Covid-19 news.

Travel enthusiasts can quench their thirst for exploration from the comfort of their couch with GoUSA TV – a first-of-its-kind connected TV network and the definitive source to find real, authentic, and on-demand video content about travel experiences in the United States.

GoUSA TV is the premier travel entertainment channel where new content is launched every Thursday and is available with no subscription, fees, or logins required. The audiences can access wide array of experiences across different category and experience playlists.

Brand USA, the destination-marketing organization for the US, has been sharing organic and inspirational content across its digital channels, themed as “Stay home. Stay inspired!”

Some of the engaging programs and shows available on GoUSA TV include:

Sorted Food: Lost and Hungry

SORTEDfood: Lost and Hungry is a series from SORTEDfood, a popular group of British mates looking for exceptional experiences in food. “Lost and Hungry” is a series where they travel across the United States living by two simple rules – they can’t go anywhere or eat anything unless it has been recommended to them. The audiences can also cook the delectable recipes explained on the show.