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Promise Of International Variety & Quality, Reasonable Price

By
Sanjeev Kochhar
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After the phenomenal success of the by now 600-cafe strong La Pino’z Pizza chain, its promoters have now launched Lord Petrick Premium Coffee & Burger brand. The first Lord Petrick cafe got off to a rollicking start in Sector 8 Madhya Marg earlier this week with an ambitious target to expand to 150 cafes pan India within the current financial year.

Interacting with your own news website LifeInChandigarh.com, at the formal launch on May 15, promoter of both the brands Sanam Kapoor said the USP of Lord Petrick is that you will find an exhaustive variety of quality Italian roast premium burgers, the popular ones from around the world, at most reasonable prices.

Photos By: Life In Chandigarh & Lord Petrick

“We have made sure that the customer gets the best quality of burgers with the dough freshly prepared in-house. The mayonnaise and sauces used in the burgers are also made in-house. Signature dips to accompany the burgers include Thousand Island, Magic Mayo and Smoke Chilli specials,” he added.

Coming to coffees, he shared, “The hot and cold coffees we offer also taste great with the coffee beans sourced from Naples (Italy), known as the ‘City of Coffee’. The coffee beans are freshly ground and well-trained baristas prepare flavourful and tasty coffee brews in world class machines.”

Lord Petrick cafe serves 75 odd varieties of Veg and Non-Veg burgers and sides, cold brews, shakes, cold coffees, hot coffees and other regular beverages.

Looking at pricing, the wide range of nearly two dozen premium burgers, including Thai Sriracha, Veggie Bomber, Tandoori Chicken, New Yorker Chicken, Herby Chicken, starts from Rs 69 with the max-priced burger costing Rs 229.

In veg sides, you have fries, premium fries and jalapeno poppers, ranging from Rs 94 to Rs 175 and in non-veg sides, boneless chicken, chicken wings and chicken strips range from Rs 164-Rs 186.

The cafe also serves a wide range of cold brews, shakes, premium shakes and cold coffees for between Rs 76 and Rs 253.

The prices of nine varieties of hot coffees range from Rs 48 (for an espresso) to Rs 198.

Apart from the good quality premium Italian roast coffee and burgers being available at reasonable prices, the cafe boasts of a pleasing ambience and a prompt service, ticking all the three hallmarks of a good cafe-restaurant.

Sanam Kapoor informed that just like the fast pace of expansion of the La Pino’z Pizza chain on hybrid model, the roll out of the Lord Petrick Coffee & Burger chain will also be at jet speed on the same hybrid model.

Lord Petrick cafes will be expanded to 15 across the Chandigarh tricity in the next 6 months, all of them being self owned. The rollout of cafes in the other parts of the country will be on franchise model and the target is to touch 150 cafes by the end of the current financial year.

Likewise, all the 32 La Pino’z Pizza cafes in the tricity, out of the 600 cafes pan India, are self owned.

Lord Petrick Premium Coffee & Burger is offering free home delivery on orders above Rs 200.

Delivers are promised in 30 minutes.

https://lordpetrickindia.com/order/lord-petrick-sector-8-chandigarh

 

LifeInChandigarh.com  by APR Media House is an enjoyable digital reading startup, which keeps you abreast of the latest meaningful happenings of interest to large sections of folks in Chandigarh tricity, and expats from the region. It has been promoted by a public spirited senior journalist and media consultant with a view to encourage good quality and healthy journalism, a dire need of the times.

To keep in touch, drop an email or call :
kochhar.apr@gmail.com
9815617676 

She Rules Hearts Of Young & Aspiring India

By
Sanjeev Kochhar
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0

More than her achievements as a social worker, author, educator, philanthropist and Padma Bhushan award winner, Dr Sudha Murty is today a celebrity and a role model for a young and aspiring India, akin to the late Dr APJ Abdul Kalam.

Her simplicity, ever smiling demeanour, sense of calmness she exudes, positivity she carries around her and her straight-from-the-heart style of honest talking, interspersed with hilarious comments has won millions of hearts and minds.

Photos By: Life In Chandigarh & PU Chandigarh

So, when it was announced that the founder of Infosys Foundation would be in conversation with the faculty and research scholars of Panjab University on Friday, a day prior to her being awarded with Honoris Causa Degree by Vice President of India Jagdeep Dhankhar on the occasion of the 70th Annual Convocation of the university, a full house was the least which could have been expected.

Indeed, the not so large auditorium of Dr S.S. Bhatnagar University Institute of Chemical Engineering & Technology, which usually remains half empty even during the best of lectures by eminent personalities, seminars or conferences, was jam-packed, with many in the audience having to squeeze themselves in.

Listening intensely to every thought expressed by the free-flowing Sudha Murty, the audience intermittently burst into laughter and spontaneous clapping, which has become synonymous with the 72-year-old’s by now famed wit.

To Sudha Murty’s credit, she has a way with the audiences. Despite most of what she says being already common knowledge, and she being a prolific talker (by her own admission, be sure when Sudha is around she will do the bulk of the talking), her listeners enjoy and soak in every word of what she says.

What people appear to particularly like about her thoughts is that there is no pretence and she talks real sense, drawing from her vast experience of interacting with a multitude of people from diverse fields.

On Friday, while stressing on the need for people to walk the talk, she said children are closely looking at your actions and they will emulate what they see. “I for one do not talk about something I do not believe in, or indulge in anything which does not engage my mind,” she shared.

Known to be a strong votary of simplicity and value based behaviour, she said money is not everything in life. Without compassion for others, life tends to become meaningless, she added.

Asserting that she is not a Buddha, Mahavira or Guru Nanak, to preach the true meaning of life, she nevertheless expressed the opinion that there is nothing perfect in real life. “Living with the realities of life, the imperfection it brings and striking equilibrium in life is not easy, it takes time. Eventually, everyone has to find his own path to achieve inner happiness. As far as I am concerned, helping the helpless, and bringing some joy in their lives, is a source of tremendous happiness.”

Advising the young to follow their own calling, she said there is no fixed formula for success because life is so much unpredictable. “Just put in that extra effort and believe in yourself. Repeated success makes a man arrogant, so failures should be taken as life lessons because these make a man strong, and help sustain humility,” she averred.

The interactive session was presided over by university Vice Chancellor Prof Renu Vig. Prof Rumina Sethi, Dean of University Instruction, hosted the conversation. The other organizers Prof Anju Suri, Dean of Faculty of Arts, and Prof Anupama Sharma, Dean of Alumni Relations also graced the dais.

A lady from the audience presented a self painted caricature of Sudha Murty to her.

In their enthusiasm to get close to the celebrity, several faculty members and research scholars literally mobbed her on the dais after the event.

 

LifeInChandigarh.com  by APR Media House is an enjoyable digital reading startup, which keeps you abreast of the latest meaningful happenings of interest to large sections of folks in Chandigarh tricity, and expats from the region. It has been promoted by a public spirited senior journalist and media consultant with a view to encourage good quality and healthy journalism, a dire need of the times.

To keep in touch, drop an email or call :
kochhar.apr@gmail.com
9815617676

A Refreshing & Modern Day-Boarding School Comes To Town

By
Sanjeev Kochhar
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0

From up there at 9,000 feet above sea level in the Baghi valley, near Kotkhai in Shimla district of Himachal Pradesh, the reputed 20 years old Roots Country School has climbed down more than 7,000 feet to set up a mode day-boarding school branch in the pristine DLF The Valley project in Sector 3 of Pinjore-Kalka Urban Complex, Panchkula.

Within weeks of opening its doors to admissions from pre-primary to Class VII, the CBSE-affiliated and LEAD-powered school, with an international standard curriculum combined with innovative school ed-tech solutions, is already bustling with 200 students, 38 of whom are day-boarders, apparently coming as a boon especially for working couples and single parents.

Kirti Rotha (left) and Susan Bhagra interacting with the media

Photos By: Life In Chandigarh & Roots Country School

Besides its deep focus on experiential learning with LEAD system of pedagogy, the school has all the mode facilities parents would want for their children. Right from an impressive five-storey centrally air conditioned building, to classrooms equipped with latest tools of learning to assist teachers and students, science labs, including one dedicated to Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Robotics, and well stocked library and e-library, the school has it all.

An indoor all-weather swimming pool, dedicated dance and music rooms, facilities for indoor games like chess, table tennis, badminton, snooker and karate, outdoor play facilities for the very young and well laid out synthetic basketball court and tennis ground are a few of the other noteworthy infrastructure.

A 700-capacity multi-purpose indoor hall-cum-auditorium is getting ready to house various activities like school assemblies, events etc indoors in all-weather conditions.

Rejuvenated after a swim

An infirmary manned by a fulltime qualified doctor with laid out beds, separate bunk bed dormitories for boys and girls, kitchen and in-house pastry shop, and dining rooms complete the school infrastructure. For safety purposes, dozens of CCTV cameras are installed all over the school and are constantly monitored by guards in a control room.

The school maintains a fleet of air-conditioned school buses. 

Invited for an interaction on Thursday, the media was guided around the premises by co-founder of the school Kirti Rotha, who is also principal of the school in the Baghi Valley, and Susan Bhagra, principal of the school branch in DLF The Valley and former Vice Principal of the iconic more than a century old Loreto Convent Tara Hall School in Shimla. The other co-founder of the school Sunil Rotha had to excuse himself because of pressing school engagements back in Shimla.

Incidentally, though a generation apart, both Susan Bhagra and Kirti Rotha are alumni of Loreto Convent Tara Hall School, Shimla and Susan happened to be Kirti’s geography teacher. “The caring nature of Susan Ma’am towards her students, and her passion for learning and teaching, which I experienced firsthand, is the reason why we were keen to have her as principal in the Panchkula branch of our school,” Kirti shared.

She claimed that one of the pillars of strength of Roots Country School, Baghi, which they would like to replicate here, has been the excellent working relationship of the school management with the parent community, based on mutual understanding and trust. Parents are kept in the loop on just about every activity in the school through a digital platform.

Another area where the school management has been laying stress at the Baghi, Kotkhai school is sensitising the students and parents about the fast changing demands of the future workplaces and the need to explore newer fields of study after Class X. The role of responsible use of technology for better learning outcomes is another area of focus at Roots, she added.

Susan Bhagra shared that principals in both schools are active participants in day to day classroom learning. “You will hardly find us in the principal’s room. We circulate in the classrooms like ‘invisible’ observers, not to judge the students and the teachers, but to handhold where necessary.”

With the media interaction and a round of the school over, the parting lunch, freshly prepared in the school kitchen for the students, tasted great, just like home.

Overall, must say, came back with a good impression – infrastructure, ambience, learning environment, and above all honest intent!

Wishing the school all the best!

Contact: 62309-55515 or 01733-298489

LifeInChandigarh.com  by APR Media House is an enjoyable digital reading startup, which keeps you abreast of the latest meaningful happenings of interest to large sections of folks in Chandigarh tricity, and expats from the region. It has been promoted by a public spirited senior journalist and media consultant with a view to encourage good quality and healthy journalism, a dire need of the times.

To keep in touch, drop an email or call :
kochhar.apr@gmail.com
9815617676

Have A Hacker Brain! Bug Bounty Hunting™ Is Choice No. 1!

By
Sanjeev Kochhar
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0

What started as a casual successful attempt at hacking the Wi-Fi network of his coaching institute while pursing non-medical stream in Class XI, has today blossomed into a full blown passionate pursuit of the highly rewarding field of ethical hacking (or bug bounty hunting) for Chandigarh boy Harinder Singh, placing him among the top ten geeks of this field in the country.

Having ethically hacked 200+ companies, institutions, organisations and governments, including Google, Flipkart, Blackberry, BMW, Bosch, Redhat, United Nations, EA, TeamViewer, Mcafee, and many more, exposing simple or critical vulnerabilities in their IT systems, the 23-year-old has won millions in ‘bug hunting bounty’, besides being awarded swags, badges, letters of appreciation and listed by various beneficiaries in their ‘Hall of Fame’.

Photos courtesy: Harinder Singh

Earlier this month Harinder Singh, who schooled at St Joseph’s Chandigarh and graduated in Bachelor’s in Computer Application (BCA) from Chitkara University Rajpura, was honoured with reputation points and a special non-monetary token called ‘C01N’ by the Govt of Singapore (GovTech Singapore) in recognition for his valuable services in identifying a security vulnerability in one of their websites though Hackone, world’s largest community of trusted ethical hackers.

Singapore’s own version of Arduino, C01N is a powerful device equipped with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth capabilities which can be customised to suit different needs and used for a variety of computer applications.

In an exclusive interaction with your own news website LifeInChandigarh.com, the cybersecurity analyst, working full-time with FIS Global, world’s No. 1 fintech company, as End Point Security Engineer since 2021, revealed that there is a lot more money to be made through ethical hacking (as ‘white hats’) than in cybercrime, wherein cybercriminals exploit the vulnerabilities in the IT systems to gain access and play havoc.

Harinder Singh informed that despite best efforts by governments, companies, institutions, organisations, and others worldwide to shore up their cybersecurity, weaknesses and vulnerabilities in the IT systems still get left out. It is here that ethical hackers or ‘white hats’ step in to identify and report cybersecurity risks in these IT systems and pre-empt the evil designs of cybercriminals, he added.

Not so much prevalent in India, ‘bug bounty hunting’ is big business in the advanced countries where governments, companies, institutions and organisations, which take their cybersecurity really seriously, have laid out policies and programmes, and specified terms and conditions for their engagement with the ethical hackers. Handsome ‘bounties’ or payouts are made to the ‘white hats’ depending on criticality of the bugs/vulnerabilities detected and reported by them.

Recounting his own bug bounty journey, Harinder Singh said, having joined the Hackerone community in October 2020, his first real break came in 2021 when he was able to identify vulnerability in the website of a Netherlands company and with it was able to access its employee details. Acknowledging his find, the company rewarded him with a handsome ‘bounty’ in foreign currency.

The cybersecurity consultant has in two years been able to identify and report vulnerabilities/bugs in the IT systems of 200+ organisations, 137 of these through Hackerone, for which he has been ranked among top 10 ethical hackers in India on the worldwide platform.

However, Harinder Singh sees his achievements thus far as only a tip of the iceberg. The opportunities are immense and his aim is to become the No. 1 hacker in the country and be part of the international hall of fame in the field.

Nevertheless, he is very humble about his achievements and credits his mentors and friends for their constant guidance, feedback and motivation.

For those who are also pursuing, or are wanting to pursue ‘bug bounty hunting’ or cybersecurity, his message is to “keep pushing yourself, never stop learning, and not hesitate to seek guidance from experts in the field. Remember, success is a journey, not a destination, and it requires hard work, perseverance, and the right support system.”

Harinder Singh’s recommendations for free training:

To learnt basics: https://tryhackme.com/ (hands-on cybersecurity training through real-world scenarios)

To practice ethical hacking: https://portswigger.net/web-security

 

LifeInChandigarh.com  by APR Media House is an enjoyable digital reading startup, which keeps you abreast of the latest meaningful happenings of interest to large sections of folks in Chandigarh tricity, and expats from the region. It has been promoted by a public spirited senior journalist and media consultant with a view to encourage good quality and healthy journalism, a dire need of the times.

To keep in touch, drop an email or call :
kochhar.apr@gmail.com
9815617676

Preparing You For A Happy New Age

By
Sanjeev Kochhar
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0

How many senior citizens we know have felt their lives stalling as it were after retirement, or after crossing the threshold of stereotypical ‘active life’? How many among them have felt a sense of loneliness and boredom setting in, with children in most cases no longer living with them and the normal routines of their working lives shattered?

Not-for-profit start-up Grey Shades, registered as a charitable trust, is offering such senior citizens a paid 100-day ‘Seniors Fellowship Programme’ aimed at ridding them of retirement sickness and renewing, revitalising and repurposing their lives.

The non-governmental organisation has so far successfully run three batches, helping 45 individuals, including couples, to become the best version of their selves and enabling them to continue to make useful contributions to their families and the society.

Photos By: Life In Chandigarh & Grey Shades

Four beneficiaries from the third batch of the age-leadership and well-being programme, in the accompaniment of Grey Shades founder Inderpreet Singh and other young facilitators, recently shared their little joys and large accomplishments of the six-month, four-days-a-week programme with media persons in Chandigarh. The programme is run at the Sector 18 Community Centre.

Grey Shades fellowship helps senior citizens with various methodologies and activities of the programme like group sessions, dance movement therapy, expression through art and craft, writing therapy, food and nutrition, digital literacy, mindfulness, yoga and meditation.

The fourth batch of the 100-days fellowship programme, which will enrol a maximum of 20 participants, began at the Sector 18 Community Centre today (May 15). Seniors desirous of joining can still enrol against a few vacancies left on the spot between 4 p.m.-6 p.m. or they can message or call on the Grey Shades WhatsApp number 888-111-8522.

About the participants’ contribution for enrolment into the fellowship programme, Inderpreet informed, “it dependents on which category a particular participant falls. The fee is 8% to 15% of a participant’s monthly earnings per month with a ceiling of Rs 8500 per month during the course of the six months programme, the highest percentage being for those who are pensioners without any dependents. However, other considerations do come into play looking at an individual’s affordability factor, he added.

Currently Indepreet is heading a team of 7 like-minded young professionals and facilitators who are sincerely doing their bit to ameliorate senior citizens’ problems. Apart from this team, a host of professionals from various fields work with the participants on honorariums, which currently are below par because of financial constraints which the not-for-profit organization continues to face.

Grey Shades is continuing to make concerted efforts to increase public donations for the programme, which Inderpreet said are entitled to 50% tax exemption for all Indian donors.

Rita Sodhi, an office superintendent who had to take premature retirement during the peak of the Covid pandemic due to co-morbidities, and felt depressed due to complete dependence and boredom, says the programme has helped transform her life. “Being part of a group where no one was judgemental and all were equals while participating in various innovative and interactive routines immensely changed my outlook towards life.

“Now I am not only paying greater attention and loving myself but also teaching children. Visiting villages and indulging in activities like song and dance with children have become an integral part of a new happy me,” she added.

For retired government forensic sciences expert Dr Devinderpal Singh Sehgal, among other life changing learnings, the 100-day experience was akin to reliving the joyous days of childhood, playing games like kho-kho, chidi-udh, etc.

Sehgal, who is also an internationally recognised kite maker with a Limca Book of Records entry for making the smallest kite which can pass through the eye of a needle, shared: “The mandatory 400 hours of community service was a wonderful and self-fulfilling way of giving back to society. Seeing the smiles on the faces of underprivileged children with whom I indulged in learning, dancing and singing, and also distributed my self-made kites added joy to my life.” 

Artistically-oriented, but hugely shy and introverted Veena Khanna, whose entire life revolved around the kitchen and looking after the family, is now all smiles and brimming with enthusiastic energy. Having run the 100-day programme with her husband, she has not only rekindled her love for music by beginning to record her songs but has also successfully tried her hands at doll-making.

Associating herself with a tricity NGO Chhoti Si Asha, she has undertaken cookery session with underprivileged women, following which these women have ventured into catering business. She also plans to hold music and doll-making classes for them – another example of living your dreams and helping spread smiles around.

Naresh Mehta, a retired Under Secretary with the Haryana government, said, after superannuation, life appeared to come to a standstill for him. “The office-going daily routine was broken. To pass time I was constantly searching for sources of entertainment but the void would not fill. After experiencing every nuance of the fulfilling structured programme I feel that the gate to post retirement happiness has been opened for me.”

The programme goals for the participants are active healthy life, emotional management and happiness, productive and meaningful engagement and regaining confidence and self esteem.

The scientifically developed programme is split into four terms of 25 days each – awareness to exploration, understanding to experimentation, expression to self transformation and self transformation to community transformation.

Seniors desirous of joining the fellowship can message or call on the Grey Shades WhatsApp number 888-111-8522

For further details: https://greyshades.org.in/  

 

LifeInChandigarh.com  by APR Media House is an enjoyable digital reading startup, which keeps you abreast of the latest meaningful happenings of interest to large sections of folks in Chandigarh tricity, and expats from the region. It has been promoted by a public spirited senior journalist and media consultant with a view to encourage good quality and healthy journalism, a dire need of the times.

To keep in touch, drop an email or call :
kochhar.apr@gmail.com
9815617676

Prof Rajeev Ahuja Bats For Academia’s Accountability In Research

By
Sanjeev Kochhar
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0

Prestigious long established universities and other institutions of higher learning, like the Panjab University Chandigarh for example, have been struggling these past few years to forge industry-academia partnerships to sustain their research work in the face of fast dwindling government funding. But why are they largely being unsuccessful?

Earlier the industry was being blunt in its response, but now more and more members from the academia too are being frank in admitting the obvious.

The latest admission came from Prof Rajeev Ahuja, Director, IIT Ropar, at the Panjab University on Thursday while delivering a lecture on ‘Vision For IIT Ropar’ to mark National Technology Day and the 10th Foundation Day of CRIKC (Chandigarh Region Innovation and Knowledge Cluster).

Photos By: Life In Chandigarh

Prof Ahuja, one of the highest cited researchers in Sweden and India in the field of computational materials science, with focus on energy, such as batteries, hydrogen storage and production, sensors and high pressure physics, while sharing that one of his top most priorities on joining IIT Ropar as its director has been to forge strong result oriented industry-academia collaboration, was candid enough to say “we must admit that we (academia) have been badly lagging in this area.”

Without mincing words, he said there is scepticism in the industry about the ability and capacity of the researchers in the academia to deliver on promised research and innovation, and to deliver within required timelines. “They cannot keep waiting for us to deliver. Accountability has to be ensured,” he asserted.

This issue had also cropped up in a recent conference on opportunities for MSMEs of North India in defence production organised by Northern Region headquarters of CII in Chandigarh.

In her address, PU Vice Chancellor Prof Renu Vig had expressed disappointment that she did not see any mention of higher education institutions and academia in the conference though she had gone on to list the recent research achievements and patents won by the university.

During the course of the conference spread over two sessions, some of the industry leaders had later retorted that the time had come to rise above patents won for pure academic interest and migrate to product development research. The need to shift focus from built to design specifications to build to requirement was also highlighted at the conference.

Coming back to Prof Rajeev Ahuja’s lecture, his observation on attitudes of faculty members also raised eyebrows as there were many faculty members in the audience who, prior to the lecture, were formally presented certificates of their recently won patents by Prof Ahuja and PU Vice Chancellor Renu Vig jointly.

He opined that faculty in institutions of higher learning, who are responsible for driving research, showed keenness to secure projects but were not motivated enough to venture out of their comfort zone at the execution stage. This is another hurdle in industry-academia collaboration, he added.

Emphasising that research is a collaborative effort, he strongly advocated collaboration within faculty and between different institutions on specific projects as the way forward, marking a clean shift from the current trend of working in silos. While admitting that collaboration takes time to mature, he however stressed that patience and perseverance is the key to success in this area.

Prof Ahuja expressed his strong belief that more than infrastructure, it is the intellectual capital of any institution of higher learning which makes it competitive, and cited the example of the top ranking global educational centres in this regard.

Claiming that IIT Ropar is one of the fastest growing IITs in the country based on various performance parameters, despite being among the younger IITs in the country (Estd. 2008), he mentioned that a young passionate faculty eager to deliver is a big advantage. Clearly taking a dig at mature faculty in older institutions, he said it becomes very difficult to deal with them because of resistance to change.

Listing out various initiatives taken by IIT Ropar during the last two years with him at the helm, Prof Ahuja mentioned the deepening direct association of the institution with the Indian Army. “We have engaged with the Army North Eastern Command, visited their forward areas bordering China to know their requirements in which we can help find solutions.

“We have also entered into a MoU with the Shimla-based ARTRAC (Army Training Command) for training Army personnel in areas of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML). A first batch is scheduled to join a training module at our campus on May 15,” he added.

To oversee research and development in this sector, a Centre of Excellence for Studies and Applied Research in Defence and Security has been set up at IIT Ropar.

Prof Ahuja pointed out that bio imaging, bio instrumentation, unconventional diagnostics and therapy is another of the trust areas at IIT Ropar, under which the biggest centre for manufacturing in the healthcare sector is being created on its premises. Currently there is no manufacturing worth its name in this sector happening in the country, he observed.

IIT Ropar also houses the country’s only Agriculture and Water Technology Development Hub (iHub-AwaDH) which is providing incubation resources and support to technology-based start-ups towards sustainable agriculture.

Prof Ahuja said IIT Ropar, with its focus on science, competitiveness and innovation, wants to remain in the forefront of contributing to the country’s priority areas in its Atmanirbhar push, including in Quantum Technologies and in Semi Conductors Mission, emerging technologies which are going to remain in demand for the next 30-40 years.

For this, a Centre for Micro and Nano Fabrication is coming up on the campus as a in-house central facility that would cater to all the fabrication needs of the faculty members across various disciplines. This one-of-a-kind facility would house state-of-the-art equipment required for cutting-edge research in science and technology.

He offered to seriously collaborate with other educational institutions of higher learning and research establishments in the region to create an ecosystem for cutting edge research and innovation so that funding comes in equal measure to this part of the country as well.

The lecture was organised by Society for Promotion of Science & Technology in India (SPSTI) and CRIKC.  

LifeInChandigarh.com  by APR Media House is an enjoyable digital reading startup, which keeps you abreast of the latest meaningful happenings of interest to large sections of folks in Chandigarh tricity, and expats from the region. It has been promoted by a public spirited senior journalist and media consultant with a view to encourage good quality and healthy journalism, a dire need of the times.

To keep in touch, drop an email or call :
kochhar.apr@gmail.com
9815617676 

No Looking Back For This Special Effects Artist After Ben Affleck Directed ‘AIR’

By
Sanjeev Kochhar
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0

He is one of those successful people who believe that you are not the one to choose a profession, the profession chooses you. A natural progression from childhood obsession with cartoons, to sketching for fun, to animation, and eventually presenting himself as a talented VFX expert, has catapulted Hansjeet Singh Duggal to anchor the special effects team for the latest Hollywood release – actor, director, producer Ben Affleck’s ‘AIR’.

An American biographical sports drama film, ‘AIR’, which has wowed international audiences since its April release in the US with its impressive storytelling and phenomenal starcast, is making its India entry on May 12, being streamed exclusively on Prime Video.

Photos/Images Courtesy: Hansjeet Duggal

Written by Alex Convery, the Matt Damon and Affleck starrer film affords us a unique peep into the true story of basketball legend Michael Jordan inspiring the iconic Air Jordan sneakers and the subsequent sneaker culture it triggered.

In the film, Matt Demon plays Nike executive Sonny Vaccaro, who tries to broker a business deal with then rookie basketball player Chris Jordan. Affleck acts as Nike co-founder Phil Knight. The film also stars Jason Bateman, Chris Massina, Chris Tucker and Viola Davis in key roles.

Interacting with your own news website LifeInChandigarh.com, during his short visit to Chandigarh on Tuesday, the unassuming Hansjeet shared how his dream journey in Hollywood has taken off with ‘AIR’. Two more films are lined up for him, shooting for one of which has already begun and the other is set to start rolling within this month.

Initially schooled in St Xavier’s Chandigarh under the guardianship of his maternal grandparents, later graduating in B.Com from Lovely Professional University, he says he realised rather late in his life (he was 18-19 then) that he had to pursue a creative field and that he needed technical training for that purpose.

“Till then, having grown up watching classic animation cartoons like Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Road Runner, Dexter’s Lab, The Powerpuff Girls and Samurai Jack, I had come to enjoy sketching all the cartoon characters when I was a 8-year-old. I didn’t know then what animation is, or how it’s done. It took me another 10 years to do that. Thus began the journey, my first job in animation being as an ‘inbetweener’. Drawing cartoons and bringing an object to life lead me to pursue animation and editing,” said the 33-year-old.

But Hansjeet Duggal soon realised that drawing/sketching for oneself is one thing, but doing the same under a deadline, meeting the industry standard, and adding your own style takes considerable technical training and hard work. A fulltime graduation in Animation Design from Jaipur Campus of Birla Institute of Technology set him up for the pursuit of a professional career in the field of animation.

Along with getting to work on some e-books and other freelance work from clients abroad, the talented VFX expert made a few brief 4-minute movies of his own, which got noticed in the USA. An offer to make such short movies there saw him fly away to the entertainment capital of the world, Los Angeles, which is now his home. With it came exposure to some the established names in the field of special effects in Hollywood.

Further honing of his animation skills, especially in visualisation and story-telling while pursuing his Masters at the prestigious Dodge College of Film & Media Arts, propelled Hansjeet to an all new level. At Dodge, he was inspired and mentored by established names in the field like Susie Finch and Eric Young, on whom he falls back even today for professional discussion and guidance.

In 2018, he stamped an emphatic mark in Brussels, Belgium, where his virtual reality project Freiheit, directed by him, produced by Shamola Kharkar and written by John Hirsch, was selected as one of 10 participants out of over 100 shortlisted contenders across the world at Stereopsia, an international forum dedicated to all artistic, technological, content, and business facets of 3D immersion.

Freiheit, literally meaning freedom in German, presented an emotional thematic journey of sacrifice and hope told through a young Jewish child entering a concentration camp in World War II. With his mother by his side, the child follows the traumatic events that threaten their survival and hope to be together. Freiheit begins on a train, as it carries several people to Auschwitz concentration camp including Helga (mother) and her child and ends with the struggle for their survival.

Hansjeet had been working of several major special effects projects under the direction of other experts, before the big break came. He had already worked on a few 4-5 minute music videos with Ben Affleck, “but his reposing confidence in me to anchor the entire visual effects project in a full scale film was like a dream come true.”

The project was announced in April 2022 and shooting for it started in June. The responsibility was extremely challenging since it was the very first time that Hansjeet was required to plan and execute a project of this scale which would require involving a team of 80-100 at any given point in time, and deliver on quality within a strict timeline.

“The movie was conceived to be a visual masterpiece, with 400-500 VFX shots that varied in complexity. Another challenge was that we were required to work on a brand new camera technology and colour science, which meant that we needed to create a new workflow from scratch.

“Eventually the team was put together with members drawn from US, Canada, Spain and India and the workflow streamlined within two months. Some shots were approved in the first go, while others required multiple versions and tweaks to get to the finishing line. It was a job well done,” he shared.

In Hansjeet’s opinion, the advantage of working on special effects in the US is that experts get adequate time to complete a project to allow them to maintain quality standards. On the other hand, in India quality invariably gets compromised because of unrealistic demands of instant delivery, he added.

Asked if given a chance, would he like to work on film projects in India, he said he could consider if he is given a free hand in executing the projects, “because compromising on quality is not an option.”

In fact, Hansjeet is in the process of setting up a full time office in Mumbai to scout for talent which is expected to be functional in a month’s time.

Here’s wishing the talented special effects artist all the very best from LifeInChandigarh.com!

 

LifeInChandigarh.com  by APR Media House is an enjoyable digital reading startup, which keeps you abreast of the latest meaningful happenings of interest to large sections of folks in Chandigarh tricity, and expats from the region. It has been promoted by a public spirited senior journalist and media consultant with a view to encourage good quality and healthy journalism, a dire need of the times.

To keep in touch, drop an email or call :
kochhar.apr@gmail.com
9815617676

Most Couples With Infertility Issues Need Minor Treatments: Dr Talwar

By
Sanjeev Kochhar
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0

Responding to the growing demand for treatment of infertility issues among couples, yet another fertility and IVF facility has come up in Chandigarh. Birla Fertility & IVF, part of the 50 years young CK Birla Healthcare Group, opened the doors to its 17th centre in the country in Sector 8 Madhya Marg, exclusively offering a comprehensive range of fertility treatments, diagnostic services, fertility preservation techniques and a donor programme under one roof.

Promising most competitive pricing, transparency and ethical practice at the formal launch of the centre on Monday, Director, Medical Services, Birla Fertility & IVF, Dr (Col.) Prof Pankaj Talwar quoted the latest April 2023 report published by the WHO to share that around 17.5% of the adult population – roughly 1 in 6 worldwide – experience infertility, showing the urgent need to increase access to affordable, high-quality fertility care for those in need.

Photo By: Life In Chandigarh

Exploding the myth that the female partner is largely to blame for not being able to bear a child, Dr Talwar, a pioneer in ovarian tissue freezing in India and a master trainer in clinical embryology and IVF, asserted that in his more than three decades of clinical practice his estimate is that in 60% of the cases the contributor is the male partner.

Debunking another myth that the infertility treatments are very expensive and hence unaffordable to most people, he claimed that a maximum of 10-15% of the affected couples have to go for IVF treatment, which is the last option. The other cases are of relatively minor nature, in which either the male, or female partner, or both, have to undergo simple treatments which are not a great pinch on the pocket.

While acknowledging the immense contribution of the internet in helping spread awareness about the need for taking medical help, he lamented that despite this barely 1% of this huge population of affected couples are approaching the medical specialists for consultation, diagnosis and treatment.

(WHO defines infertility as a disease of the male or female reproductive system, defined by the failure to achieve a pregnancy after 12 months or more of regular unprotected sexual intercourse. It can cause significant distress, stigma, and financial hardship, affecting people’s mental and psychosocial well-being.)

Dr Talwar and Birla Fertility & IVF Chandigarh centre head Dr Rakhi Goyal said organising outreach programmes in and around Chandigarh and in adjoining states would be a vital part of the Chandigarh centre’s strategy to spread awareness about infertility and its treatment.

For the information of readers of our news website LifeInChandigarh.com, the prices of some of the infertility treatment packages at Birla Fertility & IVF are as follows:

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  • Intrauterine Insemination (IUI) package, which involves doctor consultations, sperm preparation and insemination: starts from Rs 9500.

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  • Single-cycle IVF package (all inclusive): Rs 1.30 lakh

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However, studies show that for some couples, multiple cycles of IVF are more effective

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  • Two-cycle IVF package: Rs 2.20 lakh

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  • Three-cycle IVF package: Rs 2.75 lakh

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For more information: https://birlafertility.com/  

 

LifeInChandigarh.com  by APR Media House is an enjoyable digital reading startup, which keeps you abreast of the latest meaningful happenings of interest to large sections of folks in Chandigarh tricity, and expats from the region. It has been promoted by a public spirited senior journalist and media consultant with a view to encourage good quality and healthy journalism, a dire need of the times.

To keep in touch, drop an email or call :
kochhar.apr@gmail.com

 

 

North India States Laggards; Urgent Policy Initiatives Needed

By
Sanjeev Kochhar
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0

The urgent need for policy initiatives by state governments to encourage defence manufacturing and make India self reliant in the field was underscored in a conference on “Opportunities for MSMEs in the Defence Manufacturing Ecosystem in North India”, organised at the CII Northern Region headquarters here on Tuesday.

Sadly, none of the state governments in the region was even represented in the conference. Does this ring a bell!

Various speakers in the inaugural session highlighted that while other states, including Uttar Pradesh in our neighbourhood, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Tamil Nadu, are striding ahead in a competitive effort to corner a lion’s share of the rapidly growing defence manufacturing industry in the country, Punjab, which was once the hub of innovation and manufacturing in machinery and tools industry, is lagging far behind.

Photos By : Life In Chandigarh & CII Northern Region

The conference was organized by CII (Confederation of Indian Industry) Northern Region and Headquarters, Western Command, in association with DRDO (Defence Research & Development Organisation), TBRL (Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory), 3 BRD (Base Repair Depot) of Indian Air Force, and Headquarters, Northern Command. MSME (Micro Small and Medium Enterprises) vendors from across the region participated in the conference.

Addressing the gathering, Western Army commander Lt. Gen. Nav K. Khanduri said among the key learnings from the hostilities on our Northern borders in the last couple of years has been the urgency for self reliance in weaponry and defence systems, preparedness for sustaining through a long drawn out conflict, and capacity building to achieve these two goals.

Highlighting the crucial role of the MSME sector in helping maintain and sustain the country’s 70% legacy defence equipments during their life period, and upgrading the not so technologically advanced defence systems, especially in the light of the disruptions in the international supply chains, he said the recent positive changes made in the government’s policy for defence manufacturing and procurement to encourage indigenous industry is a step in the right direction.

Expressing confidence that these initiatives will go a long way in the country achieving self reliance in defence manufacturing in the coming years, he however stated that for this to happen funding for R&D efforts will have to increase, manufacturing base needs to be expanded, quality assurance has to receive top priority, and industry needs to be supported and hand-holding done wherever required.

Considering the rapid technological advancements in modern warfare, the indigenous defence industry also needs to go hi-tech as the armed forces would need to induct more and more niche technologies to stay ahead in the race, he asserted.

Vikram Sahgal, Chairman MSME Committee SIDM (Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers), who is also MD, Micron Instruments Pvt Ltd., a long time defence supplier, categorically stated that the northern states have lagged behind in defence production and need to urgently take policy initiatives to boost the private sector in defence.

In his address, Lt. Gen. KJ Singh (Retd), former Western Army Commander, and Convenor of the defence think tank ‘Gyan Setu’, gave examples from his personal military experience of the spirit of entrepreneurship and innovation in Punjab and reinforced the demand for urgent policy initiatives by the state government to revive that spirit to make the state a hub for defence equipment manufacturing.

Maj. Gen. PK Saini, Principal Advisor, SIDM, expressed the view that the ‘screwdriver’ (just assembly) approach to technology by MSMEs is set to become a thing of the past. Measures are being put in place for validation of design and content by indigenous equipments manufacturers. He too called for policy initiatives by the state government to reverse the decline in the machinery and tools industry of Punjab and harness it for defence manufacturing.

Highlighting various research and innovation projects undertaken by the Panjab University Chandigarh, many of which have also won patents, its Vice Chancellor Prof Renu Vig stressed the need for MSMEs to more actively involve the higher education institutions and the academia in their design and innovation projects.

Speaking in another session on “Creating A Robust Defence Manufacturing Ecosystem”, moderated by Prateek Kishore, Outstanding Scientist & Director TBRL, Maj. Gen. CS Mann, Head, Army Design Bureau, shared mirthfully with the audience that as far as defence manufacturing is concerned a vast majority of MSMEs fall in a category of those who want to do something in the field but don’t know what to do.

He informed that for the benefit of all MSMEs, a compendium of 110 problem definition statements has been published mentioning also the primary contact and secondary contact in each case.

He suggested that the MSMEs visit the Ministry of Defence’s ‘srijandefence’ portal for detailed information and guidance, including complete list of items earmarked for indigenization/import substitution along with present progress status.

Group Captain Anand Karve, Chief of Planning, 3 BRD, talked about opportunities for SMSEs in the defence aviation field at 3 BRD, while Ram Prakash, Scientist ‘E’  and Additional Director, Directorate of Technology Development Fund (TDF), gave an overview of the TDF Fund scheme which the MSMEs can tap for their defence projects.

Former Scientist G at Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) HS Jattana suggested that the armed forces could adapt many of the technologies developed by ISRO to their requirement, like for example night vision technologies. They could also adopt the ISRO model of direct engagement with outsourcing vendors to ensure strict quality control standards, he added.

Prof Arun Grover, former Vice Chancellor, Panjab University, said to attract more funding from the central government universities and other institutions of higher learning in the region have no option but to prove themselves as being up to the mark in delivering on tangible solutions to make the country self reliant in various fields, including defence and other strategic areas. He advocated that they systematically work towards becoming the R&D arm of the entire MSME sector.

Former Deputy Chief of the Army Staff & Senior Advisor, DRDO Lt. Gen. JP Singh (retd) sought creation of centres of excellence in futuristic technologies like robotics, machine learning, artificial intelligence and quantum technology in and around places where DRDO or other laboratories offering state of the art testing facilities related to the respective fields are already available.

On the occasion, an exhibition of defence equipment and the latest technology was also organised where premier institutions of the region showcased items like tactical gear, medical equipment, drones and intelligence-gathering equipment. Indian Army also displayed for the benefit of the visiting MSMEs parts of equipments which they needed replacements for.

                                                           

LifeInChandigarh.com  by APR Media House is an enjoyable digital reading startup, which keeps you abreast of the latest meaningful happenings of interest to large sections of folks in Chandigarh tricity, and expats from the region. It has been promoted by a public spirited senior journalist and media consultant with a view to encourage good quality and healthy journalism, a dire need of the times.

To keep in touch, drop an email or call :
kochhar.apr@gmail.com
9815617676 

Sustainable, Eco-Friendly Clothing To Challenge World Brands

By
Sanjeev Kochhar
-
0

Here comes a new hi-fashion and avowed eco-friendly, ethical clothing brand for men, women and kids specialising in western wear. ‘Saranac’ is promoted by a market aggressive US entrepreneur of Indian origin who makes no bones about his ambition to one day take head-on the internationally acclaimed brands, especially in sports and high performance wear.

Announcing the launch of the Saranac brand, targeting a niche and up-scale market, at an event at JW Marriott Hotel in Chandigarh on Sunday evening, Sam Biswas, President and CEO of SARANAC Industries, said to start with the brand will be using the E commerce platform (www.saranacindustries.com) to reach its target audience and gradually diversify into the brick and mortar stores across the country.

Photos By : Life In Chandigarh

The sale of the brand’s initial limited portfolio of clothing will go online on the company website within a couple of days. Online buyers can get the clothing delivered anywhere in India.

Speaking exclusively with your own news website LifeInChandigarh.com on the sidelines of the event, Biswas shared: "Our brand will attempt to fill the huge gap in availability of sustainable and eco-friendly clothing. The current booming young middle class in India aspires to wear world class fashion-wear, with quality at par with top world brands but at an affordable price. We aspire to meet this market need.”

He promised that the brand is bringing the best fabric, designs and styling to the market. The inherent strategy, he shared, is not to compete with giants like JC Penny, Macy’s, Bloomingdales or Nordstrom (all medium and high-end) but to create its own comprehensive self-grown marketplace with environmentally sustainable and green products that change the lives of people who have touched the product manufacturing cycle from seed to sale.

The successful serial entrepreneur from Phoenix in Arizona, USA informed that for Saranac brand clothing the best of the fabric available in the country is being sourced from FABRICLORE (https://fabriclore.com), billed as India’s #1 online fabric store supplying customized fabric to fashion businesses globally, in which, he claimed he had a minority stake. The manufacturing is being outsourced locally in Ludhiana, Chandigarh and Gurugram with a view to empower talented local communities by offering them a remunerative price for their work, he added.

After focusing on expansion in India this year, the brand could be headed to the Americas and Europe next year.

 

LifeInChandigarh.com  by APR Media House is an enjoyable digital reading startup, which keeps you abreast of the latest meaningful happenings of interest to large sections of folks in Chandigarh tricity, and expats from the region. It has been promoted by a public spirited senior journalist and media consultant with a view to encourage good quality and healthy journalism, a dire need of the times.

To keep in touch, drop an email or call :
kochhar.apr@gmail.com
9815617676

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