DISTRIBUTED ONE CRORE FIFTY LAKHS RUPEES OF SCHOLARSHIP FOR GIRLS STUDENTS FROM BAZM E NISWAN CHARITABLE TRUST.

Bengaluru : Bazm e Niswan Charitable Trust is an NGO proud to released it’s annual scholarship program of Rs One Crore Fifty Lakhs today in Bengaluru for 2800 Girls from Pre University to Master Degree Courses.

The Chief Guests for the event are Mrs Isha Panth, IPS, DCP – South East, Bangalore and Mr Harsha Vardhan Umre, IRS, Additional Commissioner, CUSTOMS & GST, Bangalore. Mrs. Husna Ziaulla Sheriff, President, Bazm e Niswan Charitable Trust along with the Chief Guests distributed the Scholarship cheques to the Students.

This is the 45th Annual Scholarship Program of Bazm e Niswan. More than 60,000 girl students have benefited from this scholarship program since 1974. Most of the students who has taken scholarships from Bazm e Nissan have qualified as Doctors, Engineers and most of them are working abroad.

Addressing to the students during the program, Mrs Isha Panth IPS said, “Work hard, concentrate on your studies and dream big. Country needs you. Today Women are playing a vital role in almost all the fields, we have good Lady Drs, Engineers and also in top positions in different fields. Be bold. Wish you all the best for your future studies.” She said.

K.R.BALAJI.

First of its kind collaboration by Apollo Cradle with designer Rina Dhaka to launch exclusive maternity wear line for expectant and new mothers.

The new line uniquely combines functionality with fashion and comfort
India, July 27, 2019: While functionality is core to maternity clothing and fashion is a much enjoyed bonus, any expectant or new mother will vouch that comfort tops the list with the huge bump or the new born in hand! If you are grappling to find the utopic combination of the three, despite the plethora of maternity wear available today, fret no more! In a pioneering and novel initiative Apollo Cradle, the countrys leading maternity care chain, has joined hands with celeb designer, Rina Dhaka to launch an exclusive, custom designed maternity line for expectant and new mothers. The line is designed as a go-to maternity clothing and features everyday essentials in soft, luxurious feeling, sustainable fabric and knits, offering expectant and new mothers a style thats classy, comfortable and effortlessly feminine.

Rina Dhaka for Apollo Cradle features a range of feeding tunics, feeding cathes and jackets, that are not only functional and stylish, but are unique in that they move away from the stretch materials that most maternity clothing come in, to use sustainable, organic and breathable fabric such as the liva yarn, soft cottons, linen and khadi, providing young mothers the much needed day-long comfort during this phase, without having to compromise on looking chic and trendy. They also move away from modern, contemporary fashion and prints to feature a classic style, with features like hand tacking, embroidery, kimono sleeves, cowl necks and belting in classy, vintage hues such as creams, baby pink and black & white!
Speaking on new maternity line, Rina Dhaka says, I have always wanted to design a maternity wear line. Not only did I myself grapple with finding good clothes as a young mother 20 years back but over the years, despite the growing range of maternity clothing available in the market, I have seen young mothers still unable to find a ready-to-wear range that they can easily slip into and be comfortable in all day long. I am glad I am finally doing this in collaboration with a reputed maternity care brand like Apollo Cradle because it just meant that they understood what todays mothers really need and provided me the space to design and put together what I have always had in mind, without trying to ape current fashion trends, prints, fabrics, etc. This line promises to be a must have in every expectant or new mothers wardrobe

Anubhav Prashant, COO, Apollo Cradle and Apollo Fertility, adds, From interacting and engaging with thousands of young mothers over the years, we knew how important maternity clothing is to them and being a holistic maternity care provider, we just saw an opportunity to provide fashion and clothing that feels and fits great. We found an apt partner in Rina and her sensibilities towards what this target segment really required, vis a vis what is readily available. In addition to the maternity clothing, Rina has also designed maternity hospital gowns and our care-takers uniforms, giving us a makeover, that projects and conveys our commitment to comfortable maternity experiences. I thank her for putting together such a wonderful collection in a short span and being here today to unveil it on this important occasion”
The new maternity line is available at all Apollo Cradle centers across cities, at present and will soon be launched online & on a mobile app.
About Apollo Cradle:

Apollo Cradle, Indias leading healthcare destination for women and children, is driven by the aim to provide the highest standards of care for every patient, every mother, every baby and every child. The Apollo Groups legacy of over 36 years of clinical excellence runs through every aspect of Apollo Cradle. The strong belief in the better the care, the safer the patients has stood the hospital in good stead over the years. And the facts speak for themselves the one year and five year safety records are exemplary to say the least. In 36 years, over 1,50,000+ babies were delivered, and each mother and baby is unique to us.

About Rina Dhaka:
Rina Dhaka is among Indias leading fashion designers, who made a promising entry in the Indian fashion scene around late eighties, and from there on she became the most creative and dynamic fashion designer India has ever witnessed. She is known for her innovative textile skills in Indian wear and her international sensibilities for western outfits. Today she is referred as the Gaultier of east by BBC, perfectly apt for her innovative and in depth research based collections.
Few of her accomplishments include:
She is a recipient of Yuva Ratan Award.
She has won the Best Designer award at the Miami Fashion Week

She represented India at the India promotions at the Galeries Lafayette in Paris and Interstoff in Germany.
Her designs are adorned not just in India but also by global faces internationally like Naomi Campbell, Tom Kinson, Uma Thurman, Tara Palmer etc….
Today she retails from top design labels across the world like Anthropology, USA (stock her in their 175 stores), Indomix USA, Lodenfrey Munich, Fine Rhine Hong Kong, Sanskrit Hong Kong and in over 20 boutiques within India and the rest of the world.
She also retails exclusively from her stand-alone retail outlet in DLF Emporio, New Delhi.

K.R.BALAJI.

Be Q-rious! Diversity job portal Equiv.in unveils maiden initiative to promote inclusiveness of the LGBTQIA community at the workplace.

Bengaluru, July 20, 2019: India’s leading diversity job portal Equiv.in launched “Q-rious”, the first-of-its-kind networking initiative that will bring together corporates and the LQBTQIA community to collaboratively evolve policies that can promote inclusiveness of the community at the workplace. The initiative was unveiled on Saturday in the city at the eighth edition of the Women Changemakers Career Fair and Confluence, a job fair for women organized by Stockroom.io, the parent company of Equiv.in. Stockroom.io is an HR tech start-up that aims to become the primary and biggest platform for companies to hire curated, skill-based talent at scale.

With an ambition to have a pan-India impact, starting early 2020, Equiv.in will host ‘Q-rious’ sessions at six cities across India – Bengaluru, Mumbai, New Delhi, Kolkata, Pune and Chennai. In the no-fee entry programme, Equiv.in will facilitate members of the LGBTQIA community and representatives of some of the biggest corporate brands to hold informal discussions that will enable both parties to understand each other’s hiring and employment needs and challenges in an open and honest manner. A vast range of issues, from workplace discrimination to talent development and reskilling is expected to be addressed in these free-wheeling discussions, with the ultimate aim of co-creating meaningful and actionable hiring policies.

Commenting on the launch of Q-rious, Naren Krishna, Founder and CEO, Stockroom.io and Equiv.in, said, “Diversity is a nascent market in India, where HR departments are still focused on improving the gender ratio within their companies. However, this leaves out a significant section of the available talent pool, comprising of highly skilled individuals in other hiring cohorts, like the LGBTQIA community. The barriers of entry for this community are often cultural ones, but repeated exclusion due to discrimination can lead to employable LGBTQIA members being unaware about the changing skill demands of the increasingly specialized and competitive job market. With Q-Rious, we seek to build a forum for dialogue between corporates and the LGBTQIA community to break down barriers and evolve hiring strategies that will benefit both parties.”

Q-rious is modelled after the start-up’s highly successful Women Changemakers Career Fair and Confluence, where women-centric focused discussions and networking opportunities have drawn thousands of female job aspirants across varied levels of experience, many of whom eventually landed in their dream careers. This year, the eight edition of the event saw participation from over 1200 women who leveraged networking and knowledge sharing opportunities presented by prominent corporate brands including Genpact, McKinsey, Maersk,Dell, Thoughtworks, American Express, Shell, Coca Cola, Shell, Standard Chartered, Mphasis, Paysafe, Akamai and Apus.

“It is really great to see such large number of women participating in Career Fairs such as Women Changemakers. These platforms are enabling women who are ready to start their career or are looking to restart their journey in the professional world. At Dell Technologies, we provide flexibility for all genders and encourage our team members to keep themselves abreast of the latest technologies and be upskilled.

We are also focused and committed to provide the ecosystem with ample opportunities. Our recent VMinclusion program ‘Taara’, is one such initiative for women who want to upskill themselves and return to work. It encourages women to join back the workforce by providing them with free technical education to become VMware certified professionals. The training and certification is free of cost. With rapid pace of technology evolution and transformation, every woman needs to realise that it is essential to evolve, and we are happy to act as a catalyst to that journey.” said Sujatha Idiculla, Senior Director – Dell Digital, Dell Technologies

Other highlights of the event included a moving talk by Paralympic medal winner Hitesh R who discussed his battle with cerebral palsy, a storytelling session on gender equality by Ankita Mehra & Shakti Iyer Singh. Participants were also treated to a speaking session by Bollywood actor and motivational speaker Ashish Vidyarthi.

K.R.BALAJI.

Streax Professional reinvents vintage styles with its latest launch ‘Retro Remix’ at its mega hair show ‘Hair & Beyond’ Actress Pranitha Subhash lights up the ramp, while International celebrity stylist Yolly Ten Koppel shares valuable tips.

Bengaluru, July 20, 2019: Retro-inspired trends are back again to reinvent contemporary fashion in 2019. Leading the way is Streax Professional, the premium product range for hair care, colour and style, specially crafted for salon professionals and technicians, which today showcased Retro Remix, its new collection of vintage styles, reimagined for present-day fashionistas. The collection was launched in Bengaluru at the 2019 edition of its mega hair show “Hair & Beyond”. Using products such as Argan Secrets hair colour, CanvoLine straightening cream, and the Hold & Play styling range, Retro Remix mixes brunette, gold and copper blonde, and brown shades to create a range of sophisticated retro styles for Indian women.

Announcing the launch of its new collection, Mrs. Rochelle Chhabra, Professional Division Head, Hygienic Research Institute said, “Streax Professional is proud to present this new vintage range, inspired by ultra-glamorous 70s hairstyles created for style icons like Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn in the West, and Zeenat Aman and Hema Malini in the East. Our collection, which highlights the brown palette, has been specially designed for the fashion-conscious Indian woman. It combines old world charm with contemporary freshness, making Retro Remix a perfect fusion of the old and the new.”

Actress Pranitha Subhash, who was the showstopper, did her part in turning up the glamour quotient when she walked the ramp at the event. She made heads turn in her retro chic hairdo accompanied by other models who looked their classic best. The event showcased an array of hairstyles including the romantic amber retro chignon, bouffant fudge sleek, the dark chocolate precision bob, undone beige messy ponytail, gypsy tangerine blonde heart shaped braid, all created using the perfect blend of the collection’s range of products.

International celebrity hair stylist Yolly Ten Koppel, also known as ‘Queen of Hair’, who was hosting the training sessions at the event said, “I am delighted to participate in Streax Professional’s mega hair show. Besides the high profile launches that it showcases, “Hair & Beyond” provides India’s hair technicians with a unique opportunity to receive new insights and learning about hairstyling, helping them emerge as true experts of their craft.”

Yolly Ten Koppel joined Agnes Chen, Technical Head of Streax Professional to lead the training sessions at Hair & Beyond 2019—sharing styling tips, haircut tutorials, and colouring techniques with the audience.

Streax Professional continues its endeavor to educate and train hair professionals through ‘Hair & Beyond’, making international standards and global techniques accessible to Indian professionals. The brand has already conducted a Hair & Beyond 2019 Seminar in New Delhi, Kolkata, Kathmandu, Mumbai, Chennai, Dehradun, Jammu, Ahmedabad and Vijayawada. After Bengaluru, Retro Remix will also be showcased in Jaipur and Faridabad.

K.R.BALAJI.

Apranje Jewellers and Forevermark present a diamond showcase – Filmstar Haripriya launched the event-

Bangalore, 17^th July 2019: This season, Forevermark, the diamond brand from the De Beers Group will showcase a sparkling collection of diamond solitaires at the Apranje Jewellers’ store in the city. These beautiful Forevermark diamonds are on display from 18^th July to 5^th August, 2019.

Forevermark diamonds are the world’s most carefully selected diamonds while Apranje Jewellers are known for their high quality standards & consistency in designing hallmark jewellery pieces. The solidarity of these two brands have brought about an ideal association to offer elegant diamond solitaires that come with a unique inscription number by Forevermark assuring you that they are the most beautiful, rare and responsibly sourced diamonds.

Gracing the launch was the talented filmstar,Haripriya. Adorned with beautiful Forevermark jewellery, she said, “It is truly a privilege to be present at this exquisite Forevermark diamond showcase exclusively at Apranje Jewellers. A Forevermark diamond is known for its beauty and rarity. Given that less than 1% of the world’s diamonds are eligible to become Forevermark diamonds, makes me feel even more special to wear this beautiful piece of jewellery today.”

Talking about the solitaire show, ­­­ Ambika Narayan, Director, Apranje Jewellers, said, “We, at Apranje Jewellers, are delighted to showcase Forevermark’s unique diamond solitaires at our store. It is important to know where your diamond comes from and Forevermark’s Diamond Grading Card is proof that the diamond you wear, is ethically and responsibly sourced. Through our continuous dedication in creating exquisite jewellery pieces, we promise to provide the best of diamond jewellery for our customers. Our partnership with Forevermark is a testament to our trust and credibility that we maintain with our customers.”

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Sachin Jain, President, Forevermark India said, “Forevermark is proud to showcase its unique collection of diamond solitaires at Apranje Jewellers, one of the brand’s most valued partners. Our solitaires are simple, elegant, classic, and come in various shapes and sizes. Each of our diamonds go through a stringent selection and grading process and knowing the standards of excellence in fine jewellery and craftsmanship that Apranje Jewellers promises, our customers in Bangalore can take home a brilliant assortment of diamond solitaires set with rare Forevermark diamonds for themselves and their loved ones.”

Forevermark’s collection of diamonds will be on showcase from 18^th July – 05^th August 2019 at Apranje Jewellers, 66 Lavelle Road, Bengaluru. For more information, please call the store on 080 2212 1819.

Forevermark diamonds are the world’s most carefully selected diamonds. Each Forevermark diamond undergoes a journey of rigorous selection and bears a unique inscription at its heart, which is an assurance that every Forevermark diamond is beautiful, rare and responsibly sourced. Less than 1% of the world’s diamonds are worthy of this inscription

which is a promise that the diamond has been carefully selected to meet Forevermark’s standards of quality and integrity. For details on Forevermark, visit www.forevermark.com

K.R.BALAJI.

Big Bazaar hosts the finale of ‘Kitchen Super Star’ in Bangalore An opportunity for all homemakers to showcase their cooking talent.

Bangalore, 15^th July 2019: Big Bazaar, one of India’s leading hypermarket chain by Future Group celebrates The Great Indian Home Festival, with mega deals and great offers across various categories. As a part of this celebration, Big Bazaar conducted Kitchen Super Star a LIVE cooking competition for homemakers to showcase their culinary skills and get rewarded. Hosted at the Big Bazaar, and in association with Freedom refined sunflower oil at Royal Meenakshi Mall in Bangalore, the contestants had an opportunity to present their food to Guinness record holder for the Longest Solo Cooking Marathon – ‘Chef Sharath Kumar’.

A total of 100 homemakers took part in the Kitchen Super Star competition out of which 10 great dishes were selected for the final round. The contestants were asked to present a dish which consisted of rice and a curry of their preference. The winners of the competition won exciting gift hampers worth Rs. 7500, Rs. 5000 and Rs. 3000. The first place was won by Meha, followed by Chetan and Garima at 2^nd and 3^rd place respectively. Not just this, there was something in store for everyone, as every participant received a Rs. 1000 worth hamper and could enjoy shopping at Big Bazaar.

Speaking about the Kitchen Super Star Competition Venkateshwar Kumar – CEO, South, Big Bazaar says, “We are delighted to conduct the Kitchen Super Star Competition where every home chef was given a chance to put forward a dish of their choice and learn something new. Just like this year, we will continue to have something exciting in store for all the homemakers to look forward too.”

The Great Indian Home Festival by Big Bazaar, presents mega deals and irresistible exchange offers that one cannot let go off. Held till 31^st July, the festival celebrates various categories with a wide assortment of offers across – Home fashion, Electronics, Kitchenware and Homeware which is sure to delight every homemaker.

SUNIL.

BE LIMITLESS- Forevermark India hosted the eighth edition of the Forevermark Forum in Bengaluru.

Bengaluru. July 11, 2019: Over the past eight years, Forevermark, the diamond brand from the De Beers Group, has spearheaded an all-encompassing platform, the Forevermark Forum, for all their authorised jewellers, diamantaires and manufacturers from around the world. The goal of the Forum is to bring its partners together to interact, network and exchange insights on Forevermark’s growth and vision for the industry, within a global framework.

This year’s Forum, held from 9^th to 11^th July, 2019, celebrated a new theme: ‘Be Limitless’. Key discussions revolved around diversity in thought, culture, design and innovation. Forevermark, known for the most beautiful, rare and responsibly sourced diamonds, took spectators through an insightful journey of exclusive showcases, comprehensive consumer and retail awareness campaigns, technology breakthroughs for the industry along with expert talks by new visionaries.

Speaking on the occasion, Stephen Lussier, Chairman, Forevermark, said, “As technology, artistry and innovation change rapidly, our perennial goal at Forevermark has been to develop the present, and adapt to the future. Given our De Beers heritage and legacy, this year we embrace the unconventional path, and explore different avenues to being limitless, at the Forum. Our partners will witness unique retail innovations that will enable and empower them to work with the leaders of the industry.”

Sachin Jain, President, Forevermark India, added, “Over the years, the Forevermark Forum has pushed the limits and become a key event for us to strengthen our partnerships and expand our horizons. Inspiring individuals from multiple backgrounds to nurture fresh perspectives, the Forum has remained a key event for leading the diamond industry to new heights. It gives us the opportunity to work closely with our partners and grow our business multi-fold. When we work together, the future is limitless.”

Using interactive displays and retail innovations, Forevermark displayed all its programs for consumers and retailers.

The key highlights showcased at the Forum were:

Diamond Acquisition Study:

Forevermark conducted an extensive nationwide research on the purchasing and consumption habits of people in purchasing diamond jewellery. Over 16,000 people across tier 1, 2, 3 and 4 cities/towns were interviewed about their purchases, revealing data about demand patterns, emerging markets, and milestone occasions for purchase, seasonality and general outlook. This comprehensive study was shared at the forum.

Credential Campaign 2.0:

The first Forevermark Credential campaign showcased to consumers, the benefit of buying a Forevermark diamond. The campaign was a roaring success as it addressed all the concerns of a potential buyer and creating brand awareness by highlighting the differentiating factors of Forevermark. This not only increased trust and loyalty for the brand in the minds of our audience, but also reinforced consumer confidence. With the overwhelming, emotional response the campaign garnered, Forevermark is set to roll-out credentials 2.0- Forevermark’s largest campaign yet.

Trends 2019

Forevermark displayed over 2000 designs with four key moods: enigma, on the wave, culture fusion and one of a kind. The prime goal of the Trends collection is to stay abreast of future design styles. Enigma, tells a compelling story about craftsmanship with complex symmetries and labyrinthine constructions. On the Wave embodies all that is remarkable about our planet’s aquatic habits and encapsulates the De Beers Group’s ongoing commitment towards conservation of nature. Culture Fusion pays tribute to the present and the future, with modern yet timeless jewellery that celebrates the adventurous human spirit. One of a kind reframes the traditional definition of femininity with striking forms and directional silhouettes representing the strength of a modern woman.

A nuanced understanding of trends supports the creation of investment pieces that are a mix of classic elegance with contemporary appeal.

Consumer Collections

The Forevermark Bridal Collection: This collection honours all the moments that make a relationship unique. With a selection of classic, timeless rings that enhance the brilliance and beauty of a Forevermark diamond, the collection is available in a range of diamond shapes, each individually selected for their beauty.

Half Carat: The Forevermark Half Carat programme targets the urban woman, set out to achieve her dreams and ambitions. Consumer research proved that half carat isn’t just ideal for everyday and regular use, but remains versatile in terms of affordability, design and emotional value.

Tribute: The Forevermark Tribute™ Collection is an assortment of 22 rings featuring multiple Forevermark diamonds in different shapes, set in either white, yellow or rose gold. A statement of individuality, the multi-diamond designs reflect the wearer’s own distinctive qualities, whilst each one of the Forevermark inscribed diamonds included in every piece is unique.

Traditional Setting: Inspired by South India’s rich heritage, the Forevermark Traditional Setting collection features close setting diamond jewellery in yellow and rose gold. This line of diamond jewellery is traditional, yet modern, appealing to young, contemporary women.

Retail Programmes

The Black Label: An exquisite collection of diamonds cut with supreme symmetry and unprecedented accuracy to reflect dazzling light. Available in five shapes, the precision in cutting the gemstone and maintaining this flawless symmetry makes Forevermark Black Label diamonds sparkle like no other.

100 Carat Collection: This basket of 100 rare, one-carat plus Forevermark diamonds is an enduring testament to flawless craftsmanship and beauty that goes beyond the 4cs. This spectacular showcase is on display for three entire weeks at selected Forevermark authorised jewellers.

Exceptionals: A selection of the most exquisite diamonds in the world above 3 carats, this collection comprises of the few diamonds that carry the Forevermark promise. These diamonds are all about Nature’s precious story that took billions of years in the making.

Red Carpet: Everyone wants to see Hollywood icons at their dazzling best at big-ticket events such as the Academy Awards, Golden Globes and the BAFTAs. Each year, Forevermark strives to showcase some of India’s finest craftsmanship and talent on an international platform, as celebrities adorn pieces from the collections. The exquisite 2019 collection was displayed at the Forum.

Circle of Trust: A radiant collection of diamond bangles – symbolising love and timelessness. Each diamond set in the bangle of this collection carries the Forevermark promise, with a unique inscription number and identification card bearing the assurance of it being rare and responsibly sourced.

Designer Campaigns

Artemis II: Women, like nature, have always withstood the test of time with grace, beauty and elegance. Like a true commitment, they prevail with every challenge, with unmatched calibre of strength, courage and determination. This unique character of the female species inspired the evolution of Artemis by Bibhu Mohapatra into its next incarnation. Each piece represents a beautiful quality, a characteristic, a trait — encapsulating the true essence of a woman.

The Zanyah™ collection: Forevermark collaborated with India’s most famous couturier, Sabyasachi Mukherjee, for an exclusive collection inspired by the romantic Twenties and the Italian renaissance. True to its name, Zanyah™ meaning unique, is a collection of delicate, enamelled long-drop earrings and vintage-style rings for both men and women, with hand-selected Forevermark diamonds.

Other elements present at the Forum included:

The Diamond Prism: Crafted with glass and steel, this exquisite art installation highlights the beauty of a Forevermark diamond. When a single laser light is passed through the brilliantly cut diamond, it refracts in a multitude of colors.

Social Café: As Forevermark integrated the social world into retail, with the ‘Social Café – an interactive kiosk demonstrated the physicality of a hashtag.

Gamification in Retail: Gaming is a huge trend among millennials to keep them involved and engaged in the product. Over the years, brands have consciously introduced gamification within their retail experience. Forevermark brought three interactive games to the Forum, to demonstrate the unique integration between jewellery and gaming.

Mind Reader: The science of retail has advanced significantly to involve multiple senses. Today, with special headgear, customers’ brain waves can be mapped to understand their preferences while shopping. Forevermark displayed this revolutionary innovation for the diamond industry.

Tribute Kiosk: The consumer’s needs for versatility and involvement (designing their own look) led to the creation of this kiosk that allows a consumer to create a virtual ring stack – and even place an order for it.

The 2019 Forevermark Forum was attended by key industry influencers, retail chain owners and independent jewellers from the industry.

K.R.BALAJI.

Ratnadeep opens its first store in Karnataka, Bengaluru.

● Ratnadeep aims to open 6 more outlets in the city, in the next 2 months

● By 2020, the brand expects to reach a 1000 Cr turnover

● Ratnadeep targets to have 100 stores nation-wide by Year 2020

Bengaluru, 11^th July 2019: Ratnadeep today opened their 1^st store in Bengaluru, at Indira Nagar. The store was inaugurated by Mr. Sandeep Agrawal, MD and the film actor Kajal Aggarwal. The Hyderabad-based brand is unique and special in the supermarket store format as they have better advantage in terms of product navigation and customer friendly visual representation of the products on display.They currently have 54 operational stores and many more in the pipeline.

The store offers superlative customer convenience and a pleasant shopping experience to Bangaloreans. The imported fruits, vegetables and products stocked in the regular segment come with the assurance of best quality and price ‘‘The imported assortment, Stock Keeping Units and quality merchandise are an added advantage with easy availability and proven authenticity of different brands compared with what is available in the general market and other stores’’ saidSandeep Agarwal Managing Director, Ratnadeep Supermarket.

By the end of 2020, they aim to establish an addition of 10 – 12 stores in Bengaluru along with 25 stores in the twin cities.Talking about the growth of Ratnadeep,Sandeep Agrawal said, ‘‘In 3 years only, Ratnadeep has opened 30 stores and aims to have a total of 100 stores nation-wide by 2020. The company will be employing over 4000 people out of which 60% of their employees will be women. Ratnadeep is expecting to reach a 1000cr turnover with a CAGR of 30% by the end of 2020.’’

K.R.BALAJI.

DR AGARWAL’S EYE HOSPITAL SURGEONS CONDUCT BREAKTHROUGH SURGERY ON 9-YEAR-OLD-GIRL SUFFERING FROM PARALYZED EYE NERVE.

The condition, called Congenital Superior Oblique Palsy, had led to a vertical squint and abnormal head posture to avoid double vision.

BENGALURU / July 3, 2019: A nine-year old girl suffering from a rare condition called Congenital Superior Oblique Palsy, leading to a vertical squint and abnormal head posture to avoid double vision, was successfully treated at Dr Agarwal’s Eye Hospital in the city, bringing relief to the young patient, Hafsa Fatima, who was suffering from the problem since birth.

The spindle-shaped Superior Oblique muscle originates from near the nose and controls eye movements such as internal rotation (looking toward the nose), depression (looking downward), and abduction (looking away from the nose). Its weakness or paralysis (Palsy) gives rise to a vertical misalignment of the eyes.

Dr. Ravi, Medical Director, Senior Consultant, Cataract Oculoplasty said, “Patients avoid double vision by tilting their head, leading to an abnormal head posture. The condition in majority of cases is present from birth (congenital). It is a rare disorder with an incidence of 3.4 cases per 1,00,000 population.”

Said Dr. Muralidhara Krishna, Cataract & Paediatric Ophthalmology Specialist, Dr. Agarwal’s Eye Hospital, Bengaluru, who conducted the surgery: “Due to the disorder, Fatima had developed vertical squint and an abnormal, tilted-head posture with face turned to a side and depressed chin. This had opened her to ridicule from her peers due to her distorted appearance. Even going to school had become difficult. If Fatima was left untreated, her head posture would have worsened further and there would have been permanent changes in the muscle, making surgery difficult and unpredictable. Fatima’s surgery lasted 1 hour and 15 minutes as surgeons operated on three different muscles. The patient has now got rid of her vertical squint, her eyes are straight and properly aligned, and her abnormal head posture has almost vanished. She will now need regular follow ups once every 6 months, and treating the refractive error in her eyes.”

Said Dr. Raghu Nagaraju Senior Consultant, Cornea & Refractive Surgery, Dr Agarwal’s Hospital, Bengaluru: “Surgery on superior oblique muscle is very difficult technically and can cause bad diplopia (patient seeing two images of the same object) if not done expertly. That’s why many ophthalmologists simply refuse to do this surgery. As Fatima’s case shows, patients with such condition need not get disheartened because a solution is available in medical science, though it requires a meticulous examination of the eye and a challenging surgery.”

Added Dr. Muralidhara Krishna: “Congenital Superior Oblique Palsy in newborns may get unnoticed or untreated. Children may suffer severe double vision and vertical squint. They develop a head posture to decrease their double vision. If surgery is delayed, permanent fibrotic changes in muscle take place which make the condition even worse.”

The patient and her family are ecstatic since surgery. Said Fatima’s father: “We want to thank the doctors of Dr Agarwals Hospital from the bottom of our heart for the successfully surgery on Fatima. With this, our daughter has got her life back – she can now lead a normal life like any other child of her age. We still cannot believe it when we see her head and eyes perfectly straight and aligned normally.”

K.R.BALAJI.