LuLu Group to invest Rs 2,000 cr in Karnataka; will set up four malls

head of Isha Foundation Sadguru Vasudev on the state government’s initiatives for conservation of environment and soil fertility.

Industries minister Murugesh Nirani, Education, IT, BT minister CN Ashwathnarayan, Additional Chief Secretary in the department of Industries Dr.EV Ramana Reddy, CM’s Principal Secretary N Manjunatha Prasad and Commissioner in the department of Industries Gunjan Krishna were part of the Karnataka delegation.

LuLu group, the biggest retailer in the Middle East region, will open four shopping malls and hypermarkets in Karnataka, mainly in tier-2 cities, with an investment of Rs 2,000 crore. An MoU was signed in this regard at Davos in the presence of Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai and Chairman of LuLu Group M A Yusuff Ali. Discussions were earlier held between teams led by Bommai and Yusuff Ali over the details of the investment.

LuLu’s projects in Karnataka are expected to generate more than 10,000 employment opportunities. Apart from shopping malls and hypermarkets, export-oriented food stores will also come up in the state as part of the project.

The agreement was signed by Additional Chief Secretary for Industries, Karnataka E V Ramana Reddy and LuLu Group Director A V Ananth Ram in the presence of Bommai and Yusuff Ali.

Bommai led a delegation

Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj S Bommai, Chairman of LuLu Group M A Yusuff Ali and Industries Minister Murugesh Nirani.

from Karnataka to the World Economic Forum meeting at Davos in Switzerland, where several other agreements were also signed for investments in the southern Indian state.

Kannada film by former MLA is a tribute to selfless service by nurses

‘September 13’, scripted and produced by senior political leader Ivan Nigli, is a family entertainer that would make viewers pause and think

The Kannada film ‘September 13’ will be released in theaters around India this summer. The film revolves around a young nurse and the trials of the nursing community in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Conceptualized and scripted by Ivan Nigli, the film is a wholesome family entertainer. Ivan, a senior political leader and former MLA of Karnataka, has always taken up the causes of the nursing community. For instance, he instituted the Florence Nightingale Awards to recognize excellence in nursing services in Karnataka. The award is the first-of-its-kind in India and has for the last 20 years celebrated the unsung heroes among the healthcare providers. During the pandemic, the challenges faced by nurses were immense and many of them sacrificed their lives while saving people. Their unflinching dedication helped millions around the world recover. Set against the backdrop of the pandemic, Ivan’s movie explores various themes including family, loss, friendship and the coming together of an entire community.

Ivan mobilized his friends and well-wishers and produced the film under the banner of Ruby Films, his own production house. The film is directed by popular director Rajah Balakrishnan who is known for the documentaries he made for UNESCO. The film boasts of a star cast with veteran actors like Jai Jagadish, Vinaya Prasad, Yamuna Srinidhi and debutants Shriya and Chaitanya playing important roles.

‘September 13’ also features former minister U T Khader, who plays an MLA.

“This film is my tribute to frontline health workers. Through the movie, I hope to draw attention to the challenges nurses continue to face while serving our society. ‘September 13’ will make you laugh, cry and more importantly make you pause and think!” said Ivan about the forthcoming film.

Fun challenges involving nursing students around Karnataka accompanied the music release of the film.

Chief Minister of Karnataka Basavaraj S Bommai releasing the poster. Dr. K. Sudhakar, Minister for Health and Medical Education, Ivan Nigli also seen.

Nari Shakti Puraskar: Karnataka Women Honoured by President

President Ram Nath Kovind presented the Nari Shakti Puraskar for the years 2020 and 2021 on the occasion of International Women’s Day at a function held at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

The President honoured 29 women. Among the awardees were Nivruti Rai and Shobha Gasti from Karnataka.

Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai congratulated the awardwinning duo for their achievements in their respective fields.

Nivruti, who is the Country Head of Intel India, won the award for the year 2020. She developed semiconductor chips that consume less power using a technique called error correcting codes and also a new rural connectivity solution that uses overhead electric cables to deliver costeffective highspeed broadband connection.

She launched AI-Youth, AI-Ready Generation, AIBlockchain, ‘AI for All’ programme. Nivruti dedicated herself for high-impact technology-led initiatives and built a platform for diagnostics and analytics based on AI, genomics and co-morbidities to combat COVID-19. Her work has empowered more than 1.5 lakh students across 7,000 schools in the country. She found a place in the Fortune India’s Most Powerful Business Women 2020 list.

The Nari Shakti Puraskar was awarded to her for excellence in the field of technology, truly representing the 21st Century Women and empowering students to build Artificial Intelligence enabled HiTech future for India.Shobha started Mahila Abhivrudhi Mattu Samrakshana Samasthe (MASS), an NGO that works in 360 villages across three talukas in Belgaum, Karnataka. MASS was effective in mainstreaming 3,600-plus devadasis in the Belgaum district, putting an end to the practice of forced Devadasi. She has strategically desecrated symbols of ritual sanction to the practice of devdasi system by publicly appealing to people and through campaigns that focus on ensuring the dignity and education of girl children by preventing child marriage, child trafficking, and child abuse.

The Nari Shakti Puraskar for the year 2021 was awarded to her for remarkable efforts and exemplary contribution for the cause of empowerment of women and girls.