Red Magazine April 2019 by RED MAGAZINE

`50/MARCH - APRIL 2019 - VOL. 08 | ISSUE 05 VIZAG

GENX

BHARAT AIMS TO BRING A CHANGE

LEADER

CHINNAMMA COMES HOME

The Young Turk takes the city by storm with his big dreams and innovative concepts

She aspires to transform Smart City into a World City with new initiatives

LETS

EVE

SHE IS AN IDEALIST Suhasini Anand excels in every field she touches

WELLNESS

DOCTOR WITH MEGA MISSION

FOCUS

HIS HEART LIES WITH NEEDY & DOWNTRODDEN

Kalyan Chakravarthy reaches pinnacle of success with his acumen and abilities

KK Raju leaves no stone unturned to reach help to the deprived man on the last rung

AND BUILD A BETTER SOCIETY Election 2019 Special Issue

LIFESTYLE PERSONALITIES CINEMA FEATURE LUXURY EVENTS REVIEWS FOOD PARTIES

NOTE

he City of Destiny has been deciding the fortune of people, whatever may be the ﬁeld of their endeavours. Politics is no exception. The city has always been looked at as a very crucial plank which can make or break political careers. Hence, its electoral battles are keenly watched. Like always, many political heavy weights are locking horns & the political atmosphere is on the boil. But it is heartening to note that the district has created a record of sorts with women voters outnumbering the men.

PUBLISHER’S

The service-oriented, dedicated and accessible BJP leader Dr.K.Suhasini Anand has excelled in whatever ﬁeld she touched. It goes without saying that this Eve wins the hearts of the needy and underprivileged women in the East Constituency.

not have been directly involved in politics till recently. Yet, I have taken interest in it since 2004. I very well know my strong points.” Turn to Focus to know his vision for North Visakha Constituency and also to ﬁnd out why YSRCP is ﬁelding him.

It is K.K.Raju poll debut. Ask him if he is intimated by his opponents and pat comes the reply, “I might

Chandra Mouli Tippala, Publisher

We have Dr.Kalyan Chakrovarthy of Pinnacle Hospitals prescribing the right panacea for kidney ailments. Being an expert in his specialized Be it youth employment or women stream, he has a compassionate empowerment, D.Purandeswari has outlook. Wellness pages reect the not only made her voice heard loud doctor’s work and acumen. and clear but also provided apt Hope you make a wise choice and solutions. It is a homecoming, says give your vote. the BJP Leader, who represented the city in Lok Sabha earlier.

Sri Bharat stepped into politics to make a difference. He comes with a lot of zeal and enthusiasm. The young TDP Lok Sabha candidate advocates affordable healthcare, youth employment, and good governance. We provide an insight of his journey in GenX.

Interestingly, women voters are dominating in 8 rural constituencies, not in urban areas. Yet another irony is that while the number of women voters is huge, contestants are mere seven. These polls assume extra signiﬁcance as ensuing government has to deal with many changes the bifurcation has brought about, especially building of Amravati.

“ THE ONE SURE WAY OF PARTICIPATING IN THE PROCESS OF NATION-BUILDING IS TO VOTE. VOTING IS NOT ONLY OUR RIGHT, IT IS OUR POWER.

Front Ofﬁce P Moulika

Visualizer K Shankar

Printed, Published and Owned by Chandra Mouli Tippala. Printed at Kalajyothi Process Pvt. Ltd., 1-1-60/5, RTC X Roads Hyderabad - 500 020. Published at Red Publications D. No. 14-36-9, Vikas Nagar, Pedagantyada, Gajuwaka, Dist. Visakhapatnam, AP. Editor: Tippala Divya Reddy.

Design Strategy

Publication Consultant K Raghuram Raju

Image Processing P Venkatesh

Sr. Executives-Marketing M V Raju

Asst. Manager Advertising K Niranjan Jagadeeswara Reddy P Arjun

Dy. Manager Circulation Faheem Siddiqui

Dy. General Manager Corporate Affairs Selvaraj Dominic

Sr. Photographers Dhana Vijay Dinakar Pamu

Feature Writers Chandrika Mantri P Swarnalata

Editor-in-Chief V Sarada

Executive Director T V Vijaya Kumari

Publisher Chandra Mouli Tippala

Crew

The

SPARKLING RANGE AND STUNNING AMBIENCE AT VYSYARAJU Vysyaraju Jewellers launched its diamond section on the 2nd oor of its premises. Nearly 200 people attended the opening. MD, Vysyaraju Jewellers, Bhadragiriraju’s parents, V.Phalgunaraju and V.Bharathi, inaugurated it. Jami Bhoja Raju, MD, MVP Builders, made the ﬁrst purchase. Pydah Krishna Prasad and Killi Kruparani were prominently present. Bhadragiriraju said, “We have provided an inaugural offer- 60% on diamond value along with IGI certiﬁed diamonds and EF colour, WS clarity.” The guests were seen praising the exquisite designer collection in various designs like antique, semi-cut, kundan, etc.

INNER WHEEL’S NOBLE CAUSE Inner Wheel Club celebrated International Women’s Day at Meghalaya. Madhu Tugnait, Founder, Iccha Foundation was the chief guest. Dr. Meenakshi Anantram of Rohit Memorial Trust, V.Sarada, Editor-in-Chief, red Magazine and Sandhya Godey, Founder, Speaking Chalk were the guests of honour. Members, Past Presidents and PDC Kasturi Reddy were present. DC Elect K.Lakshmi, President Suneetha Kumar & Secretary Shyamala Bhaskar and Madhu were on dais. The club donated Rs.63,000 to Iccha Foundation.

CAREER POINT ATTRACTS STUDENTS Career Point Junior College held Admission Open House a day of seminars, faculty interactions, campus visit and scholarship tests, to offer a holistic view of the college & its courses. Dev Sharma, Vice-President, was the chief guest & keynote speaker. 50 students interacted with him, learning how innovative learning methodologies work, importance of questioning and conceptual learning, etc. Besides, student who registered on the same day got additional beneﬁts for their admissions.

ENTHUSIASM MARKS THE SECOND NATIONAL SCIENCE DAY AT RALLA BELLA The 2nd National Science Day was celebrated at Ralla Bella International School. Students from Grade III to VIII participated in the exhibition and showcased different working models, projects, chart works, etc. The volcanic eruption, water cycle and air pollution models were the special attractions. Parents attended the event and were awestruck with the mind-blowing models. Principal Subha Dalai appreciated the wonderful presentations of students and praised the efforts of teachers.

SUBBARAMI REDDY LAUNCHES ORAFO MP T.Subbarami Reddy inaugurated Orafo, the ﬁrst of its kind signature boutique, at CBM Compound. A team of retail professionals led by P.Kalyan Ram and Bhavani initiated it, with a vision to create a retail entity of exquisite fashion jewellery in precious metals. HRD Minister Ganta lighted the traditional lamp. Kankatala Mallik, CMD, Kankatala Group, and wife Silpa, former MLA Tippala Gurumurthy Reddy and the crème de la crème of the city were present. Silpa made the ﬁrst purchase. Director Kalyan said, “We offer an exclusive range of 92.5 sterling silver jewellery. Our USP is buy back guarantee.”

AIR N GAS CONTROLS’ 20TH ANNIVERSARY Air N Gas Controls celebrated their 20th anniversary at Govinda Mansion. Chief guest Prasad Lokam, CEO, Miracle Software Solutions Pvt. Ltd. inaugurated it. Aditya Kambhatla, Chairman, IID Vizag, Satyanarayan Talluri, President, A.P. Hotels Association, K.Ganesh Rao, Dy.General Manager, Daikin Air Conditioning India Pvt. Ltd., K.V.Ramana Reddy, DGM, HNI India Ltd. and Sandeep Rao, ASM, AP & Telangana, Arraystorm Lightings Pvt. Ltd. lighted the lamp. Owner Yaseen Baba played the perfect host.

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WOMEN IN DESIGN HONOURED

EMA’S GRAND LAUNCH The launch of EMA, the association of event managers of Vizag, held at Four Points by Sheraton was a grand affair. Earlier, Dr.Meenakshi Anantram was the President of the AP Event Managers Association. Ajay Agarwal, President, V.Ravi Shankar & Srikanth Penumala, Vice-President, Kapur Kalyan Charavarthy, General Secretary, Sandeep and Raj, Joint Secretary, Prashant Agarwal, Organising Secretary, Uday Harish, Treasurer, G.N.Raju, Ram Kiran, M.D.Saleem, Kamesh Paluri & Pragada Suresh Babu are the executive members of EMA. The initiative was laudable as a formal body was needed to address the grievances, look into the issues typical to the industry and to prevent victimization due to the whims and fancies of clients.

To mark International Women’s Day, Institute of Indian Interior Designers (IIID) honoured women architects and interior designers of the city at The Park. MVP Raise and Raise and Stielbel Eltron were the ofﬁcial sponsors. Chief Guest Ar.Aditya Kambhatla, Chairman IIID, lighted the traditional lamp with Ar.Narasimha Rao, Ar.Shabnam Patel, Ar.Rupa, V. Sarada, V.Kiran Kumar Raju and Vinod Shankar. The event started with a presentation on the life and works of Architect Zaha Hadid by Ar.Bandan Kumar Mishra. A panel discussion on Women In Design-Balance for Better was conducted. Ar.Y.Narasimha Rao was the moderator and Ar. Shabnam Patel, Ar. Rupa Jawal, ID.Ameet Mirpuri, V. Sarada and Ar. Pradeeptha were the panelists.

JAWA BIKES IN TOWN The Andhra Motors, exclusive dealers of Jawa in Vizag, was launched at Resapuvanipalem, besides Swarnabharati Indoor Stadium. Tharun Sharma, Head Of Sales & Service, Jawa, inaugurated it and lighted the traditional lamp along with Bharathi Das, Regional Head South, Jawa, Valluru Vamsi Ramesh, Director and Kolli Varun, MD, The Andhra Motors. Nearly 600 people attended the grand event. Tharun said, “It gives me great pride to bring Classic Legends’ ﬁrst Jawa Motorcycles dealership in AP. We are quite excited to offer our modern classics to the motorcycle enthusiasts in the city.”

RITVIZ ENTHRALLS WITH HIS HITS The crowd was elated as DJ Ritviz, India’s No.1 DJ/Music Producer, performed at The Gateway Hotel. Bassment held the concert along with Monster Energy, Jameson's, Maria Khan, The Gateway Hotel and FitBay Vizag. Nearly 300 revellers were seen grooving to Ritviz’s hits like Udd Gaye, Jeet, etc. Flipsyd x MC Colin, Dr3amer and DJ Kenny enthralled the audience with their highoctane tracks. Organizers said, “This was our ﬁrst limited capacity concert experience in the city.” red | march-april 2019 | 22

GAIETY MARKS P.E.N ANNIVERSARY The students of P.E.N School presented a delightful show as part of the Annual Day celebrations held at Gurujada Kalakshetram. Students of all ages and classes, from nursery to 5th standard, showcased their talents. Mr.Amit Shah, Founder, Edufun, Mumbai and a parenting coach, graced the event as the chief guest. The Correspondent cum Chairperson of the school, Mrs.Anita Pereira, welcomed the guests. She urged the parents to motivate the children in developing their creative skills. Vice-Chairperson Divya Tej Pereira proposed a vote of thanks.

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P.E.N STUDENTS DISPLAY RARE TALENT P.E.N Olympics held at Port Diamond Jubilee Stadium was all display of energy and vigor. Children showcased their talents as they took part in events like races, mass PT, aerobics and varied formations like pyramids. Founder, Achariya World Class Institutions, Dr.J.Arawindhan was the chief guest and CEO, Inspace Technologies, Vishwanathan was the guest of honour. Correspondent and Founder Mrs.Anita Pereira, in her speech, highlighted the importance of sports and urged the students to take to playground as many times as possible. ViceChairperson Divya Tej Pereira proposed a vote of thanks.

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WOMEN OF SUBSTANCE FELICITATED HPCL, Srimitra, CMR Group, Raks Pharma, Kalasha, Hasini Productions and VTeam Entertainment Networks held the International Women’s Day Award in New Delhi. Andhra Association Delhi Trustee, Matta Pasupathi, Secretary, Kotagiri Satyanarayana, Sudhir and Nageswar Rao, Delhi HC Advocate, D.Rajeswar Rao, CBSE Director, Devadas & Aasraa Chief Patron Habib Ali were the chief guests. Padmasri Jaya Kumari was awarded the Life Time Achievement Award. This was a big milestone for V Team as they are the ﬁrst event management team from Vizag to conduct a grand and successful event in Delhi.

LEARN, PLAY & PARTY AT HOPZ HOPZ - House Of PartyZ, indoor playzone for children, has opened its doors at VIP Road. Owners M.Vishnu & wife Madhavi played the perfect hosts. Vishnu’s daughter Sreeju inaugurated HOPZ & Madhavi lighted the lamp. M.V.Ramana, retd. Teacher, S.V.Rao, retd. Regional Joint Director, GVMC, T.Rama Krishna, retd. Customs Asst. Commissioner, G.S.Raju, CMD, GCON, B.Lokanadh Rao, Owner, Somaa were present. Madhavi said, “This is a one stop destination to learn, play and party.” red | march-april 2019 | 28

SR INTERIOR STUDIO LAUNCHED SR Interior Studio has opened its doors at VIP Road. Mavuri Venkata Ramana, CMD, CMR Group, was the chief guest. Kankatala Malik, CMD, Kankatala and Sanghvi Ranjit Jain, MD, Sanghvi Jewellery Mall, lighted the traditional lamp. Sanghvi Suresh Jain, Managing Partner, Navaratna Estates, was the guest of honour. The crĂ¨me de la crĂ¨me of the city attended the event and were all praise of the lavish interiors. They later relished a sumptuous spread at the logo & web launch event held at The Gateway Hotel. Owner Sunita Naidu said that she was elated to launch her studio in the city as there is a lot of scope to design small to big spaces.

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AVANT-GARDE AWADH COLLECTION Twinkle Sahu, Owner, Sanskriti, held an exclusive Awadh showcase featuring international designers Manju Jalota, Anita’s Chikankari & others. It was a colourful event with the fashionistas in attendance. IK Anand, Principal, The Presidential School inaugurated the sale along with Anjali Dange, Dr.Rajini Mukherjee, Dr.Anjali Saple, Aaron Bothwick, Harshitha Anumolu, Dr.Eshwari Prabhakar, Dr.Sobha R.Allada, Sonal Sarda, O.Chandrakala, Shilpa Yerra and others. Razzmatazz curated the event while Dr.Meenakshi Anantram anchored it. The sale was immensely successful and buyers appreciated the exhaustive range and competitive rates. Twinkle said, “Never before in the city has designer wear been brought so close to the shoppers.”

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for that

Refreshing Stop-Over

ood is therapeutic. But, for those who are on the road, it is fuel too. When you are driving for hours with only music & stretches of road to keep you company, nothing makes you happier than the sight of a food court. Let’s admit it; the food served at such an eatery often tastes a thousand times better than the fare served five-star restaurant. So if you are travelling on NH-16, Gundugolanu near Eluru, pit-stop at Garuda Food Courts for on-the-road indulgence. Serving typical homely meals, this outlet is an ideal one-stop destination for a divine gastronomic experience, especially for those travelling from Annavaram to Vijayawada. The facility, sprawled over 3 acres is 20km from Dwarka Tirumala, abode of Lord Venkateswara, who rides Garuda. That explains the name Garuda. It offers a monstrous range of South Indian, North India and Chinese delicacies. It houses Cream Shakes, Cream Castle, Bakes and Cakes (Bakery), Gruha Priya Sweets, Chocolate Shop, Nilofer Biscuit Shop, etc. This spacious jaunt with indoor (fully air-conditioned) seating boasts of 250 covers. Their in-house banquet hall of 150 covers can be availed for birthdays, anniversaries, exhibitions, marriage, etc. It provides catering red | march-april 2019 | 36

services. Free Wi-Fi, children’s play area, clean washrooms, pet zone and parking space for 150 cars. Owner V.V.Ramana says, “People often snigger at the thought of a food court. So, we offered a place which gives an unforgettable experience rather than just an ordinary spot for people to come and eat. The cozy ambiance, quality & variety of food, speedy service, hospitable staff, competitive rates & ace brands got us recognition.” Garuda is always abuzz with the famished lot.

Timings: 6:30am to 11:45pm Contact: 9030222222

Future plans? “We plan to collaborate with national and international brands like KFC, McDonald’s, Dominos, Café Coffee Day, etc. So stay tuned for exciting news,” says Ramana. So, before you drive another 100 miles, we recommend you recharge here for a fulfilling experience.

NEEDN T SPEND A BOMB TO

omen classify their jewellery into gold, diamonds & boringold-handed down-stuff from mothers. Baubles are divided into locker & non-precious/fashion jewellery. While the former is hardly worn, the latter is gaining popularity as it is affordable, light weight, easy-to-wear, versatile and boasts of endless styles. They even look real! Wondering where to spot that ‘right’ trinket? Head to Orafo Jewels Private Ltd located at CBM Compound. The flagship store (the corporate office is in Hyderabad) is the first-of-its-kinds in AP. Walk in and you will be left in awe of the variety. Orafo offers an exquisite fare of 92.5 sterling silver ornaments for men, women & children (nose pins, bangles, bracelets, watches studded with Swarovski crystals, earrings, kadas, harrams, gutapusalus, finger/toe rings, anklets, vaddanams, temple/antique sets, etc.). But what caught our attention was their gold-polished range (92.5 sterling silver with gold polish) which includes vaddanams, temple/antique sets, pendants, kumkum boxes, bangles, harrams, gutapusalus, jada gantalus, etc. Check out their sparkling Swarovski collection crafted in solitaire setting. Looks too real to be true! Oh, do not miss out on their stunning kundan earrings, a must-have piece, which pairs well with any ethnic attire.

A BOMBSHELL the gold prices shooting through the roof and a constant demand for fresh designs, we understand the dilemmas. But with Orafo, you can keep pace with the ever-changing fashion trends, without burning a hole in your pocket. We have an inhouse production team in Hyderabad. So, if you are looking for a particular design, we can customise it too. Besides, our team of 15 is well-trained to offer you all the assistance that you require.” The list is not over yet. They even offer hallmarked silver articles for gifting purposes and a special variety for newborns too like dumbbell rattle, comb, baby cup, feeding spoon, etc. Their Prima Art 24 Karat Pure Gold Sheet Artwork makes for that special corporate gift to your esteemed customer or a wedding gift to your BFF. USP? He, brimming with confidence, says, “Since it is 92.5 silver, you can be assured of top-notch quality- it won’t get discoloured or lose its shine. Given that personal styles and tastes change over time, we offer BuyBack guarantee service on each and every product at the store!”

Brand Director P.Kalyanram says, “With Timings: 10:30am to 8:30pm | Contact: 9014723303/04 red | march-april 2019 | 38

Shreeda

here are no rules in the new era of fashion, as no one follows a particular drift or draft. It is all about individual and personal style, Divas wear anything they want to, without bothering about labels like high-end or low-end or up-and-coming designers. People always want to feel comfortable in their skin or the second skin (to be more precise). That is what Shreeda la Boutique offers. Friends-turned-partners, Prasanthi, Sirisha and Haripriya have entered this aesthetic world with all the first timersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; zeal. If making their customers relaxed is their priority, creating the best outfits for them is their passion. A lot of care and pain were taken over every detailwhether it is the name or location of

- redefining fashion boutique or the designs it offers. Located at the heart of the city at CBM Compound, in the first floor of Boppanas Sri Balaji residency, it enjoys an easy reach & access to everyone. The sprawling 2000 sq.ft facility offers a wide range of ensemble, beginning from salwarkameezes and Indo-westerns hanging on stands. A stunning and impressive stack of saris tempts you from the see-through shelves and you cannot resist. The trio travels extensively across the length and breadth of the country to pick up all those

exquisite silk, fancy and cotton sairs from Uppada, Benaras, Kota, Kanchi (latest fusion saris) Kolkata and Jaipur. They even customize saris and add the right trappings. In addition, they also have efficient in-house designers and tailors to make just the perfect outfit exclusively for you. You can even select material and walk out, after they run the inch tape, and collect it on the prescribed date. The home-like ambience adds to your comfort and convenience and you just cannot forget the name Shreeda as it is unique and seldom heard. Do you know that it means, in Sanskrit, the blessings of Goddess Lakshmi?

Timings: 10.00 am to 8.00 pm (Sunday holiday) | Contact: 98668 33666 / 961830 3030 / 97012 51255

garden

Rock our own

tycoon, who attended a housewarming ceremony, was so taken in by the stone trappings used in the new building that he straight drove to the dealer and placed an order for his building. The enamored business magnate is CMR Ramana and surprised supplier is Prashant Solanki, who owns the biggest facility in AP - Vardhamaan Granites & Marbles. “I didn’t mean to brag but want to show how our quality and service get recognised,” says the young man in all humility. Vardhamaan has earned a good name with its dedication to quality, innovation and customer satisfaction. Its expertise in granite fabrication and installation need no special mention. The sprawling 3000 sq.yard premises,

in which rows of marbles and granites are arranged in perfect order is very imposing. Strategically located on Krishna College Road, Maddialpalem, the compound grabs the attention of even a casual passer-by. Offering a wide range of products directly from its factories, the firm offers customer better value and attentive service. “No project is too big or too small for our experts. We are the providers / manufacturers of all types of stones like marbles, granites & Italian marble and all kinds of flooring stones. Worldwide appreciation makes us raise the bar. Every product emerging out of our unit stands for immaculate quality, reliability and durability.” Vardhamaan takes up the task of fabrication of all types of slab counter tops, vanities,

tub decks, flooring and showers, and installation. Typical marble or granite counter top applications include kitchens, baths, barbecues, furniture tops. Flooring & shower applications include all facets of natural stone marble and granite slab and tiles. “You can avail engineered stones of your choice from a wide variety of colours. We visit your place to provide a complete estimate, based on your demands and colour selections,” says Prashanth. He adds that the imported products, especially, Italian marble is now the hot selling product. Timings: 10:00 am to 8:00 pm Contact:9985504870/ 9440788870 Email: vardhamanvizag@gmail.com www.vardhamaanmarbles.com

how

sweet is that

nnam Parabrahma Swaroopam (food is God)whoever came up with this proverb was either a foodie or perpetually hungry. This is quite a relatable statement for us foodies who live to eat and not eat to live. The tricky part, however, is choosing the best to satiate our cravings. We suggest Chappan Bhog. A disclaimer before we begin: leave your diet at home for this one! One can avail here an assortment of sweets made out of mawa/khowa, cheena and pure desi ghee and savouries like cornflakes/navratan/dry fruits mixture, potato wafers, mysore/methi/garlic sev, cocktail samosa/kachori, etc. They offer an a la carte menu of authentic North Indian delicacies like chole bhature, club kachori, paneer 65, dal makhani and various other combos. You can snack at their chat counter. Must haves: A big stomachâ&#x20AC;Ś to have everything on their menu! People swear by their kacha gola (a sugar free variant too). Thick, delicious and not overtly sweet, this sweet cannot be missed out on. Their vegetarian thali comprising pickle, fried rice, three phulkas, papad, paneer butter masala, dal makahni, alu jeera, raita & sweet sells like hotcakes. Take one bite of their piping hot sarson ka saag, served with generous amount of fresh butter, and you will be left asking for more!

Owner Meenal Agarwal says, â&#x20AC;&#x153;We use best ingredients and do not use preservatives, unnecessary additives like colours and artificial flavours. Everything is made under our observation. Our USP is that we constantly innovate, & never compromise on quality, consistency and customer service.â&#x20AC;? What caught our attention apart from the striking ambiance of the outlet, located at Asilmetta, was its cleanliness. They even offer indoor and outdoor seating, where you and your family can sit back, relax and enjoy delicacies. Advantage: The facility can be booked for kitty/birthday parties and other events. Moreover, catering services are offered too. So push that calorie count to the back burner and make your way to this facility right now!

MUST-TRYS Rabdi

Rajkachodi Chat

Chole Bhature Timings: 9:00am to 10:30pm. Chat counter opens at 12:30pm | Contact: 9652530577 red | march-april 2019 | 42

By Chandrika Mantri

makes your child skillful & accomplished in terms of education

and other segments, and on the other, it should build their intuitive and creative skills for their all-inclusive development. Choice gets even tougher in Vizag where a number of alternatives mushroom in every nook and corner. But one school that stands out, bringing together the vital academic and creative elements, is Pollocks Intelli School at Paradesipalem, Madhurawada. Taking forward this noble mission since 1966 through their Pollocks Schools, visionary couple Sandeep and Rajini Chitra have floated this educational hub. We find out why this one of its kind institute should be your first choice:

INDIVIDUALITY

inding the best school for your child can be an overwhelming

task. On one hand, you need to give importance to a school that

Refreshing Ambiance Step in, its captivating exteriors and stunning interiors by Ameet Mirpuri convince you at once. Breathtaking facade, multi-coloured windows, a red-coloured INTELLI signage, interactive art for the child to visualise & pose and many mind-blowing features create that first (best) impression. The lobby, with tiny yellow-coloured sofas on an educational rug and with a cute backdrop, is the highlight. Images of book covers of Geronimo Stilton, Harry Potter, The Maze Runner and stunning murals on the walls are a visual treat. The best part: Students have their own special spaces to fill with their creativity. Ultra-Modern Infrastructure Sprawled over 2.5 acres, Intelli houses a well-equipped library, computer/science/ math labs and RO water purifiers. Roundthe-clock security and CCTV cameras make the campus safe and secure. The salient features â&#x20AC;˘ 50 spacious classrooms with good ventilation are given quirky names like Zootopia, Avenger, Alpha, etc. The details are displayed at the entrance along with

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the teacher and student’s name. The ergonomic & child-friendly furniture, 2 blackboards- one for the teacher & one for the students & mesmerizing art work splashed across rooms are enthralling. Green boards outside each room showcases impressive work and views of the students. •

•

The rooms are equipped with nextgen smart boards offering multimedia based teaching solution. This transforms traditional black boardand-chalk room into an interactive and engaging platform. The touchscreen, facility to pre-load content, write-on-board are special features. Stringent hygienic conditions are adhered to. Proving that are the spick and span washrooms. The library is a treasure trove of an exhaustive range of topics. The scene is complete with wooden flooring, sturdy bean bags placed around a colorful rug of planets, chessboard signage on the floor, wooden car harboring various books and walls adorned with quotes on books. Student can read, relaxing on the casual seating from where he/she can enjoy a picturesque view of the school’s playground. The playground, spread over 1.5 acres, shows the importance given to sports & athletics. The central playground (soon to be covered with child-friendly green turf) is dedicated to cricket, football, volleyball, basketball (retractable), tennis, throwball and kho-kho. It also has a skating rink & an indoor table tennis facility.

The 8-shaped infinity rink is the bonus. Benefit of walking on it: helps the student to develop coordination, and cognitive functioning, improve concentration and gain confidence. Cricket-lovers can leverage a fullfledged playground with practice nets and top-notch equipment. Added advantage: Intelli has tied-up with EduSports to provide top-notch coaching to the aspirants. •

The school pays special attention to the needs of younger children and offers a dedicated outdoor play zone with swings and slides. A state-ofthe-art swimming pool will be added.

Curriculum Starting with nursery, the school is modeled on the structure of expanding to the next standard, with each passing year until grade X. The school follows the CBSE curriculum but has integrated Happy-Creative-Mindful curriculum into

the child’s learning experience. The essence of Intelli’s education is defined in two words Conscious Learning- where every child is evolved to see obstacles and challenges of life as opportunities for their growth. Apart from adopting cuttingedge technology in academics to help students become better problem-solvers and decision-makers, Intelli helps the child to unleash her/his inner potential. It nurtures interpersonal skills with various fun-filled activities & creates experiential and joyful opportunities. This makes them ready to excel in the multi-cultural, diverse and dynamic world. Well, in a learning atmosphere so evolved, it is quite certain that the child will grow into an all rounder. Faculty aka Co-Learners Children always need a guide or a mentor in their learning journey. The teacher should provide them with the best learning and reflection experience. The co-learners at Intelli (they prefer to call themselves that instead of teachers) are a key differentiators of the school. They ensure education is not a sweating marathon but a purposeful journey. So parents- if you want your child to grow not only in terms of marks, ranks and careers but also as responsible individuals, and if you want them to view life not just in success metrics but also in happiness metrics - Intelli is the perfect go-to place. Admissions are in progress from Nursery to Grade VIII for the academic year 2019-20. Contact: 9550415555, 9100910401

Must-go outlet for that inviting card

materials like pressed leaves or flowers is quite common. “A Bengaluru firm crafted a unique card with seeds embedded in it. The receiver has to extract them and plant, & there springs a sapling, to the delight of both the sender and the invitee. We are adding this new innovation to our fare very soon. Our customers too can give a green frill to their event,” says Bharath, exuding enthusiasm and zeal.

he packed outlet Bharat Ratna Cards establishes the fact that the traditional wedding card can never be replaced by its digital substitute. The outlet, owned and run by Mr.Mastan Rao, his wife Mrs.Rekha and his son Bharath, is the place where tradition is presented with all the technical & modern trappings. Bharath, who represents the present tech-savvy generation, too admits, “The electronic invitation can never overtake the traditional card because its touch conveys the importance, the sender has attached to the invitee and makes the receiver feel obliged to respond. So this custom is here forever. In fact, we see it assuming greater importance day by day. People devote as much time and energy in choosing the card as they do selecting the wedding dress.” “The invitation card is no more a simple carrier of good news. It is the harbinger of the sender’s mood, style, taste, status & money. It symbolizes chemistry between the would-be-couple by carrying their initials or images or messages.” Located in Dabagardens, the 2-storeyed outlet is a mesmerizing world of art, aesthetics & innovation. Customer is spoilt for choice with a range of cards & incredible variety of designs, quality, material & costs. ‘Go green’ seems to be the buzz word. Using recycled or handmade paper, natural

The first ever showroom of cards in the state, Bharat Ratna offers a plethora of options for all occasions. They design fancy return gifts, money envelopes, gold-plated trays, gold coin and silver coin holders, etc. Their in-house design team, with more than 25 years of experience, ensures that the invites are exclusively created using state-of-the-art technology. They can customize the card in cut, style, shape and material, as per the customer’s dictates. They design calendars, diaries, table tops & notepads. They can even provide bulk voice calls and SMS services to place reminders. “All this come for a very reasonable price,” assures Bharath. HERE ARE THREE SAMPLES 1.

2. red | march-april 2019 | 46

The photo-frame card arrives with the invitation. Later, any picture can replace the invite. It serves as a memorabilia. The elegantly crafted silver plaque carries the details to be

ceremoniously presented in the wedding. 3.

Personal card is done with carved wood and can be sent to those close kith and kin, who savor the memory.

One aspect of TDP ideology that attracted you most All governments perform alike, but its efﬁcacy differs because of the leader. My choice is based on my leader rather than the ideology. I appreciate the founding principle - protecting Telugu pride- on which TDP stands. Our leader has been working for development of the state since 1995. In this current regime, the ﬁve years have seen a good measure of development and welfare. Political system Our political system, per se, doesn’t need to be changed. We need to only tweak some policies. Our statute is built on certain reasoning and it is audacious to change or challenge it.

least 7 hours a day. But I have been sleeping only for 4 hours a day for the past10 days. But my zeal for work keeps me energized. Contesting against kith and kin Family relations are at home but when it comes to workplace, I am professionalbe it at GITAM, politics or anywhere else. Strong points of rivals When you have an opinion or say something about someone, you need to utter only after thorough knowledge of that person. I don’t want to comment on my rivals with whom I have hardly spent any time. Personalities vs parties Individuals always make a difference and having respect for personalities is fantastic.

Filters needed When you enter the public life, we have to choose our words carefully and should ﬁlter what we say. Yet, I resolved that I shall not lie. I can avoid saying something but I can’t say something which I know is blatantly wrong. Interacting with the uninitiated Yes, the sync level is different from crowd to crowd. What you can talk with them changes. But I am compassionate. Empathy, which doesn’t come overnight, is vital. Spend time with the underprivileged and you are bound to develop it. There are people who can put up a façade or do a charade to get by. But I cannot do it. I prefer to leave that environment. Work should be fun not only work. For e.g., I used to sleep at

But people get carried away. Your rhetoric makes you popular, not your actions. Once you enter the system, you realize it is all team work. If you try to do it alone, you will be a failure. Go and understand what the mayor, MLA, commissioner, minister, CM and the representatives want. It is important to be a cog in the machine. Dynasty rule It’s our way of life. In the US, after you turn 18, living with parents is a taboo. Whereas in India, bonded families, values and professions are passed from one generation to another. I have grown up in a political ambience. Actors children become actors, doctors children become doctors and politicians children politicians. Family support Earlier, my wife was apprehensive about my joining politics. She was worried if I would have enough time for the family as she witnessed my people putting in hard work and innumerable hours. We have a one-year-old son and a comfortable life. She respects and understand my choice and dreams. She became all the more supportive after Tatha passed away.

Dreams for the

Our mission is to make Vizag- India’s happiest and healthiest city. And this manifesto essentially captures our mission. A detailed and actionable roadmap to implement the manifesto shall be developed in consultation with all the stakeholders within the ﬁrst three months of being elected.

Tourism •

Beach focused social infra

•

Develop cruise tourism

•

Introduce a state tourism ofﬁce in Vizag

•

Modernization of the zoo

•

Develop more Eco Parks

•

Strive to bring a world-class theme park to Vizag

•

Make it a popular destination for adventure & water sports

•

Attract international tourists

development of Centre of Excellence in 100 Acres •

Training institute for hospitality sector

IT Industries •

Promote and develop Vizag as a ﬁntech destination

•

Introduce anchor companies to accomplish “Cloud City”

•

Fast track ADANI Data Center to establish IT Tower

•

Support small scale IT ﬁrms

Civic amenities

•

Captive mines for steel plant

•

Set up a dedicated control center at the MP’s Ofﬁce to address public grievances

•

Represent issues of central government organizations

Health •

KGH expansion and infrastructure upgradation

•

Fast tracking ESI super speciality development

•

Strengthening of VIMS

•

Upgradation of Victoria Hospital

•

Spread awareness about the importance of mental health and encourage the discussion around it

Education •

Affordable schools with international standards

•

Improving infra & quality of public schools

•

Fast track Smart City activity

•

Create SC/ST study circles fast track completion of IIM campus

•

Underground Drainages

•

Increase multi-level parking

•

Develop Andhra University & other public institutions to global standards

•

Fast track Petroleum University with a dedicated campus

Transportation •

Revise Railway Zone to meet the demands of AP Set up

•

Set a Regional Ofﬁce of Central Pollution Control Board

Foot-over bridges and underpasses on NHs

•

Fast track development of Metro Rail

•

Piped gas implementation

Agriculture

•

Wholesale vegetable market with ecosystem

•

Food processing units will be encouraged for the beneﬁt of farmers

•

Address the scarcity of essential commodities by promoting their cultivation in the nearby villages

•

Create marketing facilities for farmers. Infrastructure creation for agricultural exports

•

Educate and extensively promote organic farming

Sports •

Develop a world-class sports complex, promote beach volley ball leagues, dedicated walking tracks and open air gyms

•

Railway recruitment board in Vizag

•

Ensure quick implementation of Greenﬁeld International Airport

•

Fast track Vizag metro by exploring all possible collaborations

Skill development

•

Special trains to all metropolitan cities

•

Expansion of service roads on the highways

Strive to make Vizag the “Skill Capital of India”

•

Propose and pursue

•

Increase the intercity trains to Amaravati

Pollution control

Tech

VIZAG

How it works?

Inception It all began when I had to urgently send an important document to Visakhapatnam. Unfortunately, all the courier services were shut for the day, and the only option I had was to hand it to someone travelling via ight, car, bus or train to the city. It was a daunting task- asking for help on social media platforms, connecting with the traveller, physically handing him the parcel, and continuous follow-ups to ensure it was picked. That was when I realized the requirement of such a platform which beneﬁts both the sender and traveller. I shared the idea with a close friend R.Krishna Chaitanya & started developing the app in-house with V.Uday Kiran and P.Abhinav (now Tech Co-Founders). Avinash (Marketing Head) joined us later.

•

Pick the parcel from the sender or have it delivered

•

Get paid

How does it work?

Modalities

If you are a sender

•

Fill in your parcel details

•

Search and choose the traveller of your desired destination

•

Deliver your parcel

•

Track your package

to connect travellers with users who want to

If you are a traveller

send parcels to a common destination. Here,

•

Fill in your travel itinerary

•

Search and choose the sender

TRADE YOUR FREE

Baggage Space By Chandrika Mantri

uying a house, owning a car and

possessing precious jewellery has

always been the pinnacle of ‘making

it’ in life. And there is no doubt that many of these assets have been underutilized as too many people have too many things. But ever give it a thought that sharing such assets can kindle economic growth, turn stale resources into money and relieve the burden of ownership, cost-wise, while maintaining sustainability? Well, welcome to the world of a shared economy which helps people earn money by selling or renting underutilized goods or resources. Ye t w h i l s t A i r b n b i s i n eve r yo n e’s vocabulary, new sharing economy offerings backed up by world-class tech are now entering the market. One of them is Golintu (Lintu translates to bird in Finnish). A brainchild of V.Dinesh Reddy, Golintu aims

Dinesh provides insight on it.

red | march-april 2019 | 52

Golintu will initially function on a model where the traveller and sender can chat with each other in the interactive messaging feature, negotiate and arrive at an offer that is a win-win for both. There will be a weight limit (less than 2kg), and payment can be made face-to-face with a simple cash-on-delivery model. The service will currently be limited to Mumbai, Kochi, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, and Trivandrum.

After a few months, we plan to integrate a payment gateway. The sender will be required to pay a nominal fee, based on per kg/per km, to the traveller. We will offer budget-friendly rates & there will be a different payment structure . In the ﬁnal phase (after a year), we will provide door-to-door service of your parcel & maybe even food!

SAFETY AND SECURITY The obvious security issue of carrying somebody else’s belongings, and ensuring the parcel is delivered safely is dealt with comprehensively:

BENEFITS

4 traveller(s)

To the sender

•

No more running around as you have access to traveller info

•

Geo-tagging helps in tagging

•

Cost-efﬁcient

•

Traveller can be urged to pick a

Visakhapatnam to Hyderabad 12 Apr 2019

item from duty free or an outlet. 2.

To the traveller

•

A great opportunity to be couriers at a price that nearly covers the cost of our transport. You could literally “y anywhere for free or a lower price” simply by carrying and transparency, it is unlikely that this

somebody else’s belongings. 1.

Stringent verification process: The sender/traveller will be verified via an OTP sent to their registered mobile number. They have to upload their id proof (Aadhar/ driving license/ passport). The team will thoroughly cross-check the details entered and change the status accordingly of the both sender and traveller to ‘verified’. Full disclosure: Senders have to upload photos of their package & a manual entry of the contents. A list of prohibited items has been added, so if the sender adds any of them, a warning message will pop-up and bar the sender. We will then compare the picture uploaded & the list of content. If they don’t match, the sender will not be allowed to proceed further.

•

service will be successful.

Pre-packaged, inspected luggage is handed to you which is 100%

•

being perceived as cool and clever.

guaranteed safe for travel. •

To the society

•

Making people aware about the

•

Sharing and being frugal are now

Reducing carbon footprints and building a eco-friendly space.

concept of economy sharing.

Future Plans

We help sharing economy

To gain more momentum, we are exploring

participants build constructive

partnerships with RedBus, Make My Trip

relationships which never existed

and other travel portals. The aim is to

before. Without honest exchanges

provide instant discounts on ights, etc.

Source Area/City

Destination Area/City

12/04/2019

<0.5kg

Find Traveller

A LITTLE ABOUT DINESH City-based Venkat Dinesh Reddy is a mechanical engineer. After his brief stint at Toyota Kirloskar in Bengaluru, he joined as a Research Fellow in design team in the prestigious Aeronautical Development Agency. Later, he pursued

If the traveller is skeptical of the contents, he/she has freedom to inspect the parcel or decline any item. He can even have the sender pack parcel in front of him. We provide baggage insurance of up to a certain cost per package to cover the possibility of damage or loss in transit. Our team pitches in any time you need help and are available 24x7 to answer any questions

Fluid And Energy Engineering from Grand Ecole, Paris Tech but had to return to Vizag since his grandmother was unwell. Now neck-deep in ensuring the successful launch of Golintu, he adds, “The platform demonstrates a practical and innovative solution for a problem that has always been time-consuming. I am conﬁdent it will bring about a positive change.”

The website www.golintu.com will go live & app can be downloaded on Google Play on 10th April. It will be available on Apple App Store after two months.

KK RAJU YSRCP MLA CANDIDATE VIZAG

NORTH CONSTITUENCY VISAKHAPATNAM

RULES

H ARTS By V.Sarada

t is just 7.00 AM and his party oﬃce in Seethammadhara,

He returns from the hot sun and hotter campaign pursuit to

is abuzz. The boss is out on an early morning campaign.

be greeted by a number of waiting people and petitioners.

But the routine seems to be going on like clockwork and

Taking time between almost overlapping schedules, he

everything appears to be pre-planned to the minute. A neatly

meets them and lending a patient hearing, he turns to the

dressed attendant cordially ushers us in. A group of young

waiting media to be clicked and questioned. The soft spoken

men and women are at their respective desks, intently

K.K.Raju is known for his impeccable communication skills.

staring at their computer screens and intermittently

It is his stoic and serene nature that endears him to people.

exchanging a few words in soft undertones. The ambience is

He has not only come close to people with his good behavior,

full of youthful energy and exuberance and the air is charged

but also prefers to stay with them. The size of the crowd that

with a controlled excitement. That is enough to show how

throngs his oﬃce is a testimony to his popularity among the

young, energetic, disciplined and dexterous the leader of the

poor and deprived. Despite his busy schedule, he takes time

team is. The reference is to the oﬃce of KK Raju, the YSRCP

off for a conversation. He ﬁelds the ﬁrst obvious question

nominee for Visakhapatnam North Constituency.

with alacrity and sets the tone of the interview.

red | march-april 2019 | 54

You are campaigning for

convincingly taking the

In step with Jagan

was not a single whisper of

the first time, how is it?

message across to people.

I have been associated with

dissent or dissatisfaction

I am quite familiar with all

YSRCP ever since its birth.

in our party against my

aspects of campaign. Thanks

When we talk of Ganta, we are

Being the coordinator of the

candidature for the North

to the knowledge, I gained

aware of his modus operandi.

North Assembly constituency,

Visakha constituency. I don’t

working for Mrs.Y.S.Vijayamma,

He is on the spot before polls.

I have been holding many

face any resistance, rival

who contested Visakhapatnam

Once elected, that is the last

booth-level and street-level

claims or any disturbance.

Lok Sabha seat in the 2014

the people would see him. He

Split advantage

very visible at that time, as

meetings. I played a proappoints his representatives to active role in conducting huge take care of the constituency public meetings like important

I managed the back ofﬁce.

he bagged and next time, he

BC Garjana meeting. I have

obvious, if I say that there is a

seeks mandate at a new

been working with great

clear split in the TDP-BJP vote

How is it going?

place. Even Vishnu Kumar

diligence and dedication for

in our constituency too, like

As expected, very hectic as we

Raju has been telling people

years now and enjoy a very

everywhere else. Both the

are almost on the last lap of the

not to give a chance to people

special rapport with the

parties contested together in

campaign. I am quite happy

like Ganta Srinivas. It may

people at the ground level.

2014 and enjoyed the beneﬁts

with the response I am getting.

prove detrimental to the

election. Of course, I was not

It is nothing but stating the

People are vexed with the

progress of the locality. So

This unique networking should of unity. This advantage is totally missing this time stand me in good stead. It is

non-functioning government

Mr.Raju is also making all out

a very tough task to build that

and are very keen on giving

effort to arrest Ganta’s

kind of network. It cannot be

Mr.Jagan a chance. They are

advances.

gained in a short term. That is

looking forward to the young leader taking the reins and are

Delayed entry

eagerly waiting to see him

Ganta came into the fray

inject new blood into the

almost in the last moment.

governance that is falling apart.

This certainly is a disadvant-

why I have no hesitation in facing the two veterans. I am very conﬁdent that I can match their acumen.

because they parted ways. Cadre loyalty Jana Sena Party candidate Pusupuleti Usha Kiran too is contesting in the North. She recently left YSRCP and went to Jana Sena, but she could

age for him because he

No internal trouble

not take away the cadre that

How do you combat

doesn’t have enough time on

It is very encouraging and

stays loyal to me.

seasoned rivals like Ganta

hands to disturb my steel-

heartening to learn that there

and Vishnu Kumar Raju?

strong network.

I do admit my opponents are much experienced and seniors. Still, they don’t intimidate me because I too have my own strong points. I am a realtor and might not have been recently. Yet, I have taken keen interest in politics and political developments since 2004. I studied all the nuances of politics thoroughly scrutinizing the scenario. I took some poignant pages out of leaders’

Shoot by Dhana Vijay

directly involved in politics till

books and now I know how they handle their campaign. I also learnt quite a few lessons by noting how candidates won elections by effectively and red | march-april 2019 | 55

houses for these people in the locality and register them in the name of women. The area is under the grip of severe water scarcity. That needs to be attended on a war-footing.

Beauty spots and ugly blots People call Vizag a beautiful city and it does look ﬁne when you take a bird’s eye view. But it is a mere white wash. Scratch the veneer and you ﬁnd that the city has not yet recovered from the Hudhud blow. The drainage system is in a bad shape and people are living in horrible & unhygienic conditions. The government had focused on a few localities and neglected the interior spaces. People are vexed with this lackadaisical attitude of the government and don’t want to vote for TDP anymore. Some ground realities In Ambedkar Colony & Gandhi Nagar, the drainage system is in a poor shape. When it comes to Chittibabu colony and Ekalavya colony, they are just 100 meters away from the National Highway which denotes progress, but are unapproachable with no proper road link. North Visakha: A profile Many industrialists and employees live here. The locality has a good number of Dalits and minorities. Mr.Jagan, who is very kind and compassionate, wishes to do justice to all communities by activating organisations like SC/ST Corporation, Brahmin Corporation, etc. My constituency is fringed by hills with quite a number of people living on the hill slopes in precariously perched houses. We will build red | march-april 2019 | 56

Sops and service YSRCP, as you know, has announced Navaratnalu in its election manifesto. Once in power, Jagan is going to implement all of them and he would see to it that all the beneﬁts would reach even the last man in the society. We are going to set up secretariats in villages and see to it that all the welfare schemes reach people in a transparent way. We want to have a Primary Health Centre in Ambedkar Colony and local people, especially Dalits, will be beneﬁtted. We want to build a separate water tank and aspire to give uninterrupted supply of water to the suffering people.

For women YSR Asara, YSR Cheyutha and DWACRA runa maﬁ are the schemes specially crafted for the sake of women who are given a raw deal in our society. Our Amma Badi Pathakam is the best of many sops we are offering as it will help women in educating their children. Arogya Sri, originally introduced by the late Dr.Y.S.Rajasekhara Reddy, is yet another neglected scheme. We will reintroduce it, further improving it. It will give medical aid to the needy people. Any bill crossing Rs.1000 would be paid by the state for treatment of the poor. Personal note I hail from a village, Yeditha Sithanagaram in East Godavari district and came to the City of Destiny to work on contracts. I later on, went into real estate business. So I consider this as my karma bhoomi.

Rythu Bharosa Scheme guarantees Rs 50,000 to all small & mid-range farmers. In addition, each farmer who owns less than 5 acre of land will be offered Rs 12,500 per year for a period of 4 Years. A special fund of Rs 3,000 crore will be allotted for MSP on Farm Produce. Calamity Relief Fund of Rs 2,000 crore would be created.

YSR Asara Scheme: Complete Farm Loan Waiver for 89 lakh DWACRA Women.

Amma Badi Scheme: Class 1st to 5th

NAVARATNALU

students to receive stipend of Rs 1,000 per month. While stipend of Rs 1,500 will be offered to 6th to 10th students, Intermediate students will be paid Rs 2,000 per month. The amount will be paid to the mothers and maximum two children in a family could avail this beneďŹ t. 4.

100 percent Housing for poor in 5 years. The aim is to construct 25 lakh houses.

Rs.20,000 will be offered per year to each student under Fee Reimbursement Scheme.

Arogya Sri Scheme: Will extend ďŹ nancial assistance to the family if the sole bread winner is sick. Pension for people suffering from kidney ailments.

7. 8.

3-phase liquor prohibition Pensions for aged people will be increased from Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,000

Completion of all irrigation projects including Polavaram project on a war-footing mode.

1 KK RAJU

red | march-april 2019 | 57

Daggubati Purandeswari, BJP MP Candidate, Visakhapatnam

VIZAG

Leader

SHE

BACK

By V. Sarada

“

Home is the place, where they take you in, when you go there.” Perhaps, this is the

simple sentiment that instills conﬁdence in Mrs.Daggubati Purandeswari, former

Union Minister of state and the present BJP candidate from Visakhapatnam Lok

Sabha constituency. And why not? Her good services to the region remain etched in the minds of the people who voted her to power in 2009. Looking as fresh as the day-break, at which we meet, she talks of how she wants to see the Smart City transform into a World City. It is audacious to ask the lady who believes in Vasudhaika Kutumbakam about the narrow conﬁnes of a city. Yet, the geographical limits cannot be ignored, red | march-april 2019 | 60

when it comes to politics.

The connect I can spell out more than one reason to be happy in this place. I love its natural beauty. It houses my daughter Nivedita & my precious grandchildren. Importantly, I represented it in the Parliament. This bonding makes my resolve to serve this place stronger. Not only a Smart City, but it should be a safe and happy Vizag. It is time it grew into a World City. Challenges I am quite acquainted with the issues and challenges here. •

•

The ﬁrst and foremost is pollution caused by PSUs like the Port and HPCL. During my tenure as the MP, I brought 2000 plus crore rupees to mitigate pollution and modernize the port. I am sure PSUs must have come with some modern solutions and mechanisms to check pollution. Still there is much left to be done. Drinking water. The left canal of Polavaram is meant to bring 12 TMC of Godavari water to the city. We should look at summer storage tanks. We need to store wateras we cannot depend on monsoons. Providing employment for the youth. We must focus on making them job-ready by imparting skills. We can then expect them to cater local and outside needs.

Strategies and solutions One needs to be in power to sit down and mull over solutions. We have to talk to PSUs to arrive at some viable solution to

mitigate pollution. To meet our water requirement, I already mentioned building storage water tanks. Skill development to make our youth employable is of vital importance.

Delayed entry Every time it is the same. One always feel that had the name been announced three months earlier... Yes, we would have planned our work more meticulously, if we were given little more time. But if you are an experienced, you learn to handle any situation, even on a short notice.

Response So far so good! I bank on the good work I had done during my earlier stint. I feel a positive vibe when I go to people. They recognize me and are eager to talk to me. I hope it converts into blessings too.

Campaign strategy Being a cadre-based party, BJP always focuses on strengthening itself from roots. It surprises me that they are cadres in this party who have borne the ag on their shoulders for so many decades, I am not talking of years, but decades. Yet, they have not expected anything from the party. They are totally committed. I think BJP draws its strength from such cadre. I take pride in the fact that my party has cadre like this.

BJP ideology What attracted me to BJP is its corner ideology- Antyodaya. It means reaching out to that last poor who is away from welfare. Gaining inspiration from the Antyodaya ideology, BJP has come up with the slogan- sab ke saath- sab ki vikas, which means “let us progress together.” This is not a recently evolved concept. It is an ancient Hindu philosophical thought which actually reects in Vasudhaika Kutumbakam. We should feel gratiﬁed if we can understand it and work in tandem with that ideology.

Accessibility I am quite accessible to people wherever I am. Accessibility is how you deﬁne it. I can live in the city and still may not be accessible to people. For women Women empowerment is a continuous process. As BJP Mahila Morcha in-charge, I have been working for women. We need to rope in more women groups and NGOs for better progress.

The first reaction On hearing that I would be contesting from here, a friend said, “You are welcome, but it is a herculean task.” I am happy that her welcoming preceded her warning of the task at hand being herculean. Taking the situation the BJP is in the state, my friend felt it was going to be an daunting task. But here I am. I believe in doing my work with conviction and commitment. We just have to go forward, despite hurdles and hitches and glitches.

red | march-april 2019 | 61

Shoot by Dhana Vijay

fact, it all began with my son Hitesh Chenchuram wanting to come into politics. He decided to go with YSRCP. We wanted to let him follow his own path. Informing my party leaders in Delhi about this development, I asked them how I would go about it. They said it was no issue. They cited the case of Union Minister Mrs.Nirmala Sitharaman, whose husband is in TDP and holding a post.

A good message lost Unfortunately, we did not take our message across to the people effectively. I wonder if there were ever a party in the history that has done so much for one state and its work has not been recognized. Without blaming anyone in particular, I must say that the information about our party’s good work was not disseminated to the people. That is one reason why BJP has been defamed. The Chief Minister has been repetitively telling people things which are far from the truth. He was dinning it in their heads that BJP did not support the state and did not give money. In fact, initially he agreed for a special package. Suddenly, he turns tables and says that the state needs special category status and the Centre is not supporting it. The entire construction cost of Polavaram was borne by the Centre. Yet, he says not a penny has been given by it. Truly, if no money was given, they could not have placed a brick there because the contractors don’t work for free. They need money. It was all manipulated deeds. Unfortunately, the media failed to take the message to the people. You are with BJP and your husband Dr. Daggunbati Venkateswara Rao is with YSRCP- how do you deal with the situation? Any decision in my family is taken after a thorough discussion and exchange of views among the members. In

There is a very important issue here. If people say that I should not make an independent decision and insist that I should tow my husband’s line, are they not questioning empowerment of women? Or if they say my husband can’t take a decision on his own and should follow my ideology, aren’t they questioning his democratic right? I would want the leaders to come forward and tell me what are they questioningwomen empowerment or democratic right?

Inside and outside We, as mature adults, should learn to balance both the worlds- family and profession. As long as you know where to draw your line and keep your cordial relations going, I don’t think it is a problem. You deal with various strata of society. How do you manage to be on the same page with all? That doesn’t matter nor does that frustrate me. On the other hand, it gives me a great pleasure to work with the people coming from different backgrounds and strata. You have a task at hand and you need to do it. So it is better you learn to work with all kinds. It takes a little while to make them sit down and convince them. You need to have patience to deal with people coming from various backgrounds.

HER SUCCESS STORIES •

Played a signiﬁcant role in the merger of the BHPV with BHEL

•

Ensured justice to the Port Master list candidates

•

Beautiﬁcation of the city beach

•

Vistadome (glass coach) train plying on the Visakhapatnam -Araku route

•

Led all-party delegations to the then Union Railway Minister and highlighted the separate railway zone issue

Contesting against kith and kin When I go to people, I do not criticize my opponents for the sake of criticizing. I have so much to talk about my own party, its accomplishments, and what it has done for the people, for the state and country. I don’t indulge in criticizing them individually. It is never personal. Hence, there is no reason why I should cringe from contesting against anyone. Moreover, I only raise issues based on policies. Suppose I don’t agree with the policies of the state government, I make no bones about it. But often I see leaders not answering my questions but attacking me at an individual level. It is unfair and unethical. Modi is the best To criticize him and calling him an international PM is easy. Now the surgical strikes took place at places where the terrorists were penetrating into our land, killing our soldiers and carrying back their heads as souvenirs. Through this, Modiji has given a strong message to Pakistan - “Don’t you dare lay your hand on my soldiers. Every soldier has 130 crore Indians standing behind him.” That is the kind of conﬁdence Modiji has given to our soldiers. After the Uri attack, when we entered PoK and destroyed the camps of the terrorists, people felt that probably the entire world would isolate

India. If you look at the situation or result today, you find that even China and Russia, the great supporters of Pakistan, say that Pakistan did a wrong thing. How is it possible? It is because Modiji went to each every country in the first two years of his tenure and spoke to Presidents or Prime Ministers and related to them the kind of difficulties we were facing with terrorists in our neighbourhood. That is why people are standing by India. You should look at it as the successful and positive outcome of his external travel. Demonitisation Basically, the demonitisation decision was taken on the clear premise of getting black money back to the banks. Corruption cannot be controlled by demonetization. It can be curbed by epayment and digital currency which curtail human intervention and thereby, corruption. Here I would like to ask, who are affected? It only affected those people who had black money, not the common man. This is evident from the fact that he is not complaining about it. GST GST is very essential for the country. According to people, there was tax terrorism across the country before the GST decision was taken. Every state had its own tax system. It is ideal to have one

tax system in the entire country. That may not be positive in the short run, but it has many long-run beneﬁts. Most importantly, it is important to attract investments to the country. These investments are necessary to give our children the kind of employment that is required. Initially, there were hiccups when GST was introduced. But now the business class is getting used to it & appreciating it because they made it seamless. Reforms Any reform tends to be greeted with initial hiccups. You correct and build yourself over it. Last and most important is GST is not a unilateral decision. There is a GST council. Finance ministers of all the states are members of the council and together decided the structure. It is not a unilateral decision.

Received the best Parliamentarian Award

Minister of State for Human Resources and Development

Minister of State for Commerce

Served as an MP for 10 years (elected in 2004 & 2009)

red | march-april 2019 | 63

eve

K. Suhasini, BJP MLA candidate, East Visakha

t is a combination of beauty and brains;

competence and caliber; art and articulation

VIZAG

and last but not the least, heart and mind.

When this many good factors come together, the person has to be at the helm. That is what Dr.K.Suhasini Anand has been, an applauded leader right from her school days. BJP has rightfully & justiﬁably chosen her to represent East Visakha in the ensuing Assembly. Though she is given the go-ahead only a fortnight ago, Suhasini seems to have already studied the constituency she aspires to represent, well

Shoot by Dhana Vijay

enough to answer any question on it.

w men, By V. Sarada

EXCERPTS The journey I grew up in Chennai & Hyderabad. marriage brought me to the city. I thought that was the end of my professional journey which never began. Surprisingly, this city offered a plethora of opportunities & reached me to the level of contesting for polls as a candidate of the most powerful national party. I am indebted and committed to the city. Genesis I was given training in every possible art - music, dance and acting. My

red | march-april 2019 | 66

father Mr.Palagummi Rajagopal is a very renowned playback singer and composer. My mother Mrs.Sitamaha -lakshmi is a gold medalist in poly technic stream. So, my oratory skills and music are my DNA. But I never thought of channelising my talents. I am a multi-lingusit. I grew up to be a pleasant and presentable girl. I am welcomed with great respect and love wherever I go. Aspiration I have been highly ambitious and wanted to establish my identity as I excel in every ﬁeld I touch. Luckily, my husband Anand has been very

encouraging. I studied cost accountancy and was offered a job at NTPC, but I could not pursue it as my son was too young and needed my attention. That was when my husband, who is an entrepreneur and having his own company Anand Hitech Systems, made me oat my own venture Sri Abhaya Logistics and introduced me as the Managing Partner. So, I had an opportunity to look after my family and work. But my passion to do something big never left me and inspired by Mr.Modiji, I joined BJP.

East Visakha It came to me as a big pleasant surprise. After I got it, I realized that it is not only a vast but a very prime and prestigious locality. I got down to work, the moment I was given charge. I am very excited about this constituency as it houses the great Andhra University where I studied, All India Radio, where I earned name as the best news reader & Kala Bharathi where I presented and hosted innumerable events. The turning point There is a poignant twist in my life. My winning the Srimathi Andhra Pradesh title in 2007, contesting against 10,000 women, coming from 23 districts of united AP, was a signiﬁcant milestone. The stringent tests I had successfully gone through for six months in the contest made me discover my real and inner Me. I understood that I was cut out for a different kind of life. Issues at hand It may be a strange coincidence. My empathy has always been with underprivileged women and I found it is the women who are in need of help in my constituency. A number of belt shops are in this area encouraging alcoholism that ultimately affects and hurts women. I believe if the woman is taken care of, the entire family is taken care of. After all, healthy

and happy families make an ideal society. I shall strive to improve the lot of women and children in the backward areas like Jalaripeta, RelliVeedhi and Arilova in my constituency. The best BJP ideology I am highly impressed by morals and ethics on which the party runs and its concern for women. The very fact that they gave me a chance to contest for an Assembly seat, though I am a novice and have been into the party only ﬁve years ago, shows the democratic values the party believes in and keeps up. Political system I am not happy with the condition of the state. I feel the present elections are not a ﬁght between parties. It is between morality and immorality, justice and injustice, and honesty and corruption. Plus points Instead of talking of opponent’s strengths and weaknesses, I rather talk of my own strengths. I am service-oriented and dedicated. Most importantly, I am available to my people 24x7 as I reside here. I have very big dreams for my constituency. I shall work hard and bring about a phenomenal change in the lives of people here. This I shall do and show.

HER SUCCESS STORIES Qualifications •

Ph. D, B.Com, ICWAI, M.A, Ph.D State Ofﬁcial Spokesperson, BJP, AP.

•

Srimathi Andhra Pradesh Awardee; Best Communications Awardee; Telugu Tejam Awardee; Shivashakthi Awardee

•

Interviewed 1000 eminent personalities on AIR, TV Channels and on the stage

•

For Sankalp Parv 15 Aug 2017 conducted inter-school schools patriotic group songs competition

•

Top Graded AIR announcer, Prasara Bharathi and in English at Gyan Vani, Educational FM of IGNOU

•

Judged many competitions

•

Honoured by AP Government in Prapancha Telugu Mahasabhalu at Tirupathi

•

Sang with eminent singers S.P.Balasubramanyam in Mahabhagavatham audio CDs. Sri Hanuma Vijayam, Pothana Bhagavatham- Gajendra Moksham, Rukmini Kalyanam, Prahalada Charitra & Vamanavataram, Prabandha Kavyams are records brought through Rasi Devotional & Cultural Trust.

•

Conducted Annamayya Jayanthi

•

Sang Salalitha raga sudha with Padma Vibhushan Dr.M.Balamurali Krishna

•

Her Padya madhuri- the poems can be heard worldwide on the website of World Telugu Conference

patients of different age groups – right from 10 to 70. Highly committed to his profession, Dr.Kalyan goes that extra mile to serve the underprivileged. He founded a trust along with like-minded friends for those patients who have undergone kidney transplants and cannot afford the mandatory post-surgery medication.

Dr.Kalyan Chakravarthy articulates

though his service and performance. A

competent doctor, he has amassed enormous

experience in the ﬁeld of Nephrology (kidney

diseases). Starting his journey in 2007, he has

attended to innumerable cases, treating disease

and per forming transplants. His calm

vaasi in Telugu) made him the region’s most

expedite their recovery. His unique skill (hasta

instill conﬁdence in his patients but also

proﬁt, non-government organization which

Abhayam Kidney Care Trust is a not-for-

Abhayam Kidney Care Trust

handled more than 300 kidney transplants in

his words. A man of few words,

demeanour and pleasant manners not only

sought after nephrologist. He has successfully

is actions certainly speak louder than

wellness Day in which 2000 people from various walks of life like

NGOs, retail corporate sector

transplant and needed lifetime medication. Dr.Kalyan, through his trust, is providing aid to 30 patients.

DR.KALYAN TAKES HEALTHCARE TO A NEW

2016 - World Organ Donation

Kidney Day 2016 at Shanti Ashram

Free health camp and a talk on World

They are:

its prevention through many measures.

awareness over kidney diseases and

In the past 3 years, the trust spread

Helps them maintain a normal lifestyle.

distributing disease awareness leaets.

free screening camps, health talks and

lifetime disease- CKD by conducting

educate & spread awareness about the

support to transplant patients, it aims to

Giving ﬁnancial, medical & emotional

PURPOSE

By V. Sarada

www.abhayamkidneycare.com

For more details, visit:

graduation in nursing

who is pursuing her

kidney patient’s daughter,

Funding the education of a

pay for the surgery.

patient who was unable to

transplantation cost of

Paid hospital bill towards

availed free blood tests.

attended the camp and

As many as 400 people

the public on 9 March 2019.

session with Nephrologist for

medical camp & interactive

Free kidney screening

carried out.

Kidney Function tests were

ﬁve health centres where

on World Kidney Day 2017 at

Free health camp and talks

the number of organ donors.

part. This helped increase

schools and colleges, took

and Navy and students from

Walkathon on 13th August

was started with an objective to provide medical aid to those who underwent renal

PINNACLE +

A doc with compassion

Blood pressure control; Medicin -es; Healthy lifestyle changes; Managing other complications

1 in 3 adults are at risk for kidney

disease. 1 in 9 adults have it but most

don’t know it. It is the 9th leading cause

improve, people may need either dialysis or a transplant to stay alive. A transplant may be the best for kidney failure.

(ESKD) or kidney failure means your kidneys cannot remove wastes, extra uid or keep you feeling okay. It is permanent,

It means when your kidneys are

damaged and not functioning as they

should. When it does not go away, it is

called chronic kidney disease or CKD.

kidney from someone who is alive or dead.

medications such as over-the-counter

pain medications (NSAIDS); Older

Hemodialysis: In this, your blood ows through a machine to remove wastes and uid from

Tests to detect or diagnose

UREA, creatinine; Urine protein; eGFR;

Ultrasound

There are 2 types of dialysis:

into your body. You can use a

people are more likely to develop it.

someone else’s kidney placed

Diabetes and high BP; Family history;

transplanted kidney.

body from rejecting the

Medications to prevent your

that occurs over hours to days.

sudden loss of kidney function

or acute renal failure, AKI is a

Known as acute kidney failure

Acute kidney injury or AKI

•

donated one works well.

treatment where you have

Frequent checkups with

days in the hospital.

You will spend at least 7-10

transplant team to ensure

•

your donated kidney healthy.

Take care of yourself to keep

Post-transplant care

to do the job of 2 failed kidneys.

Only 1 healthy kidney is needed

kidneys?

Kidney transplant: This is a

Risk Factors

is called acute kidney injury or AKI.

When the kidney is suddenly injured that

the risk of other health issues.

improve quality of life or reduce

can help you live longer,

supportive care. Your choice

kidney transplant, dialysis and

Choices to treat ESKD include

What are your choices?

renal disease or ESRD.

Another term for it is end stage

kidneys regaining their function.

Do you need to replace both

enough and are not expected to

End Stage Kidney Disease

What is kidney disease?

and there is little chance of your

When kidneys do not work well

disease (kidney failure)?

can slow or stop kidney disease.

Why do you need transplant?

your body.

remove the waste and uid from

uses a tube in your abdomen to

your body. Peritoneal dialysis: It

What is end stage kidney

of death. Early detection and treatment

Treatment strategies

Facts About Kidney Disease

Drink enough liquids so that your body makes at least 2 litres of urine each day. Change your diet as advised by your doctor.

Dehydration from poor eating and drinking, vomiting, diarrhea, or bleeding.

For appointment: 0891-3099999 Email: kalyankolli@aol.in

undergoing cardiac catheteriza

of crystals that forms in

minerals or a collection

It is a hard deposit of

Kidney Stones

problems later in life

people may CKD

be reversible. Some

If detected early, it may

Is AKI permanent?

surgery and the elderly.

-tion and cardiac bypass

Contact: 913335353

People with diabetes, CKD, heart failure and liver disease,

Who is at risk?

Prevention

dye used for medical imaging;

someone without it.

to get a kidney stone than

history are two-times more likely

10 years. People with a family

having another stone in the next

approximately a 50% chance of

People with kidney stones have

occur on an average in 1 in 10.

in it. They are common and

of urine, causing pain or blood

stone. They may block the ow

the kidney and looks like a

supplements; Certain types of

known as NSAIDS) or herbal

anti-inammatory drugs (also

Medications like nonsteroidal

of urine such as from stones;

infection (sepsis) or a blockage

suddenly due to heart attack,

Kidneys may be injured

Causes

develop CKD

may not fully recover and may

improves but some patients

After AKI, kidney function

Viraats Carnival Themed

Bday Bash

D Institute of Fashion Technology, Director K.Pradeep and his wife Divya celebrated their son Viraat Smaranâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s birthday at The Park Hotel. Nearly 350 people, dressed in their best, attended the party. The theme was carnival and the children had a blast on the merry-go-round, bouncy castle, electric cars & giant wheel, indulging in games like balloon shooting, ring the toss, break the glass, etc. After a fun and tiring experience, they relished pani puri, ice gola, popcorn, candy, bhel and other delicacies. Vamsi Krishna Yadav, Koyya Prasad Reddy, Krishna, Boddepalli Raghu, besides others, were prominently present. Hi-Fi Entertainments organised the event.

red | march-april 2019 | 70

Aadhya Turns

r. Sunkari Ravindra & Dr. Vijaya Ravindra held their granddaughter Indira Aadhya Mutyam’s ﬁrst birthday celebrations at Waltair Club. Aadhya’s parents, Surya Teja Mutyam & Divya Das & paternal grandparents, Mutyam Raju Babu & Jyothirmayi, were prominently present. The theme was Aadhya’s ‘One’derland. The stage consisted of a castle, a chariot & an exclusive desert table with a huge cake, cake pops, macaroons and cream cookies. An exclusive play zone for kids with a bouncy ball pit and games like ﬁsh the duck, wheel of fortune, feed the clown, tic tac toe, etc. were the highlights. Ganta Srinivas, M.Bharat, MVV Satyanarayana, Velagapudi Rama Krishna Babu, besides others, graced the event.

red | march-april 2019 | 72

red | march-april 2019 | 73

SUCCESSFULLY

COMPLETED

50 VENTURES

KRISHNA REDDY Chairman

@ BHOGAPURAM LP.No: 87/2016

TOWNSHIP - II ANANDAPURAM

TOWNSHIP - II

smart township for the smart city

LP.NO: 103/2015

N E A R C O T H AVA L A S A

LP.NO: 53/2016

Near Kothavalasa

LP. No: 152/2016

ONG VENT

LP.NO: 27/2016

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PREMIUM APARTHMENTS @ MADHURAWADA

TOWNSHIP - RAJAMAHENDRI LP.NO: 124/2015

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GOING TURES FOR MORE DETAILS 9573222999, 7893784569, 9849593699, 92466674326

One Stop Family Store

LIBRA SCORPIO

problems are resolved. New

Gypsy days are over and your

Nov 22 – Dec 21

SAGITTARIUS

Reorient with production, technical

Oct 23 – Nov 21

equipment and personnel changes.

well. It is time to strengthen ties.

succeed, you just need to prepare

make important decisions. You will

personal front, do not be afraid to

to think about changing careers. On

independent decisions. It is the time

period is suitable for creativity and

and complete the tasks at hand. The

intentions. Employees must act freely

meeting with partners to find out their

Entrepreneurs should arrange a

opportunities are in the offing. LUCKY FOR YOU: BROWN, 12

Employed may get a new position and better income. Listen more and speak less, but do not distance yourself from those who gravitate towards you. Businessmen should remain alert. In terms of personal relationships, be wary of giving in to passion. Your home brings great comfort. Children benefit from your deep sensitivity and intuition. It is time to dream, play and explore emotions.

PISCES Feb 19 – Mar 20

CAPRICORN

Dec 22 – Jan 19

Avoid the temptation to be negative. Know there is a deep river of creativity within you. Ideas flow like water and nourish the seeds of new projects. There are new vistas. Your best weapons are experience and the memory of past successes and failures. Employees should be more active to get new positions. Additional source of income is in the offing. Businessmen are advised to focus on what they have. There is romance in the air. Pay attention to your family.

Try not to think too much and do your own thing. This advice is especially for employees. Nothing will change in the workplace, but as far as additional sources of income are concerned, you won’t be limited. If you have a choice, choose family over work. Do not worry if you suddenly cease to understand your romantic partner. This is a temporary and even necessary stage of the relationship, and you will realize its full value later.

LUCKY FOR YOU: PURPLE, 25

LUCKY FOR YOU: MAGENTA , 25

LUCKY FOR YOU: PINK, 23

Sep 23 – Oct 22

Businessmen can expect good news. Plan less, act more. Don’t invest in large projects, although now is the time to buy a car or house. Only diligence augurs well for employees. With regard to personal ties, it is important to keep a positive attitude. Do not put pressure on your loved ones. An interesting offer might present itself for the family-oriented. Do not fall for persuasion. Indulge your loved ones, even if it brings you discomfort, it will lead to true happiness.

AQUARIUS Jan 20 – Feb 18

LUCKY FOR YOU: ORANGE, 17

You are on a roll and in the right place at the right time. Employees should not get too comfortable with bosses. Businessmen enhance global perspective. This is a good time for investments, purchases and other significant decisions. This does not mean that personal ties are fading into the background, although you will spend significantly more time focusing on work. Some friends will open up to you. This is a great period for creativity and relationships.

LUCKY FOR YOU: SILVER, 25

`50/MARCH - APRIL 2019 - VOL. 08 | ISSUE 05 HYDERABAD

FOCUS EVE

DREAM DRAPES FOR DAMSELS

PRASAD BROTHERS Avinash and Rajendra gift clients with perfect apparels

Teja creates a plethora of beautiful options and six yard wonders to the delight of fashionistas

TRADE TECH

THE PERFECT PICK N HOOK

LUXURY STONES Sandeep and Nikkhil set up unique N’Fabustone

Monish Pattipati steps out of his comfort zone & works his way up

GENX

GEM OF A DOCTOR

Nitesh’s Fertility & Paediatric Center, a blessing for couples

Diva Priyanka

LIFESTYLE PERSONALITIES CINEMA FEATURE LUXURY EVENTS REVIEWS FOOD PARTIES

NOTE

emperatures rise in the city, so also the poll fever. With the Lok Sabha elections round the corner, incidents - some humorous & some serious are being reported. Election Commission seems to have faced a very piquant problem, running out of symbols to allot to 178 independent candidates in the fray in Nizamabad constituency. It is compelled to go for an assortment of symbols like ginger, green chilli, frock, toothpaste, carpet, triangle, mobile charger, door handle and computer

PUBLISHER’S

While Dr.Nitesh Agarwal is on a mission to offer affordable and

Naga Teja Pavuluri’s ability to remain connected with the customer even after the outﬁt has been delivered, her rapport with Kanchi weavers and crafting exquisite ethnic wear is an inspiration to the women of today. Eve captures her facility.

Navigating through Tollywood is no mean feat, more so, if you don’t have a ﬁlmy background. However, Priyanka Jawalkar proved that perseverance goes a long way. Her top-notch performance in her debut ﬁlm Taxiwala has proved that she is here to stay. Her story is in Haute.

Chandra Mouli Tippala, Publisher

I appeal to you all to vote for the betterment of the society.

Avinash & Rajendra Prasad believe in the maxim – No risk, no glory. We Focus on their bonding.

Trade records the success story of Sandeep Mahaveer and Nikkhil Giriyaa Jain. It can be attributed to their hard work and patience. Their N’Fabustone, has been getting an overwhelming response.

Monish Pattipati launched a unique online shopping portal- Pick N Hook. His is a story of commitment and willpower. Know his Technique .

quality care to newborns, his wife Dr.Sweta aims to bring happiness to couples who wish to experience the joy of parenting. Our GenX segment talks of their unique service.

IT'S ABOUT THE NEXT GENERATION.

mouse. Ungli drive, an initiative is launched to motivate techies to vote in more numbers. It is a common practice that bus operators hike ticket fares during festivals. But this is the ﬁrst time they are cashing in on the polls rush, as a number of natives of Vizag, East Godavari, Vizianagaram and Srikakulam are going home to cast their votes. The district administration, police & GHMC are making arrangements for the smooth conduct of elections.

“

LEADERSHIP IS NOT ABOUT THE NEXT ELECTION,

Front Ofﬁce P Moulika

Sr. Executives-Marketing M V Raju

Asst. Manager Advertising K Niranjan Jagadeeswara Reddy P Arjun

Dy. Manager Circulation Faheem Siddiqui

Dy. General Manager Corporate Affairs Selvaraj Dominic

Design Strategy

Publication Consultant K Raghuram Raju

Image Processing P Venkatesh

Visualizer K Shankar

Sr. Photographers Dhana Vijay Dinakar Pamu

Feature Writers Chandrika Mantri P Swarnalata

Editor-in-Chief V Sarada

Executive Director T V Vijaya Kumari

Publisher Chandra Mouli Tippala

The

Crew

Red Eve Red GenX The lack of affordable and good quality care for the newborns and special children led Dr.Nitesh Agarwal to establish Southern Gem Hospitals. His spick and span facility is the talk of the town. And wife Dr.Sweta provides the muchneeded support.

A necessity led Naga Teja Pavuluri to identify her creative skills which eventually turned into a full-time profession. From designing for her sister’s wedding to the who’s who of the city, Teja has come a long way. She shares her journey of weaves and colours.

46 50 Red Trade Their determination and dedication led them to launch N’Fabustone- the state’s ﬁrst luxury interior studio. Trendsetters Sandeep Mahaveer and Nikkhil Giriyaa Jain are now set to take their trade to great heights.

Red Focus The ﬁrst-generation entrepreneurs and brothers in arms, Avinash and Rajendra Prasad started AR Corporates- known for exquisite corporate gifting and top-notch customized t-shirts. Here, they share their success story.

Diksha

hyda Aishwarya Gupta, Rakhi, Poonam Singal & Jyostna Angara

FRAZER AND HAWS IN TOWN Trushna

kamini Saraf

Shruthi

Jassi

Frazer and Haws is a 150-year-old British heritage brand that prides itself on being the ﬁrst choice for clients when it comes to aesthetic silver articles and showpieces, which opened at Minister Road. All the designs are unique and all products are hallmarked with the purity of 92.5% sterling silver. They are the only silversmiths to make fusion designs while combining different elements like metal, wood, & stone to make them unique and aesthetic. The brand launch happened at Park Hyatt and had the who's who of the city in attendance.

Shilpa

Sheetal

Nikitha

Kamar

Mohib Baig

Aliya Baig

GLAM & FAB EVENT

Rashmi Thakur & Vardhan Reddy red | march-april 2019 | 14

Emran

Kamar Film Factory launched FTV Fashion Calendar and the logo of Tollywood Box Cricket League in a grand ceremony held at Trident. The event was followed by a fashion show presented by ﬁve Bengalurubased and two city-based models in two sequences. Renowned fashion designer Imran Khan choreographed the show. Actors Amit, Suﬁ Khan, Rashmi Rathore and Shaniya and Socialites Joseph Sunder, Ahmed Khan, Furhung Singh, Raunaq Yar Khan, Juliana, Shilpa Singh and many others graced the event.

Apoova

Manju

Shilpa Reddy

Kamal Kama Raju

Amit & Muskaan

Dr Raghuram

Bina Mehta & Vikram

A TRIBUTE TO SRIDEVI

A FITTING FINALE Founded by Shashikala & Dr.Srinagi, Gudi Sambaralu is a cultural initiative to bring in dancers & musicians from across India to AP and Telangana to perform and to revive and bring back the old tradition. The ﬁfth edition of the annual festival Gudi Sambaralu ended with a great note on the occasion of Mahasivaratri. The ﬁnale event in Hyderabad saw Parshwanath’s combined act of Tandava and Lasya performance titled Hara leaving a packed Dharmapuri Kshetram audience mesmerized. The dancers were Parshwanath Upadhye, Adithya PV, Shruti Gopal, Sneha Devanandan, and Preethi Bharadwaj.

KLC organized a get-together to pay homage to the departed diva, Sridevi. The ladies decked up like Sridevi in varied roles and presented a few jigs of the veteran actress. It turned out to be a perfect tribute to the evergreen beauty. The gathering remembered the histrionics of the actor and lamented her early departure.

Pratiba & Jitender Sashi, Nagi & Shanta

Churnika

Madhu Swaminathan red | march-april 2019 | 16

Sowjanya

Padma Reddy

Tina & Umesh

Milap & Sushila Bakodia

Anurag & Anvita

Alok & Sashi Nahata

Vandana & Dinesh

Priyanka Thakur & Sushma Reddy

Roshini

Ramya, Vinay, Raamz & Chandrika

Deepthi

PERFECT STITCH

Sonam

Priya

Kavitha & Keshav

By The Threads puts an end to all fashion dilemmas. This multi-designer store was launched on Road No.10, Banjara Hills. Displaying an exquisite and exclusive collection, the store saw the who’s who of the city admiring its vast range. It houses many designer collection from across the country and is touted to be one-stop destination that satiates the shoppers’ thirst. Divyakanth

Priyadarshi Pullikonda

Amulya

Gulnar Farheen

Shalini

Pratiksha

Zeny & Mitali

red | march-april 2019 | 18

Madhu Mita

Ratika

Vaishnavi

FOR A NOBLE CAUSE Farzi Café, along with Concern India Foundation, hosted a fashion show to raise awareness for gender equality and advocate women’s rights and concerns. Sandhya Raju, Anushree Reddy, Gulnar Virk Krishna and Madhumita Mohapatra were feted. Priya Rajiv, Image & Style Consultant, curated the show. The show featured couture designed by Gurang Shah and jewellery by Sheetal Zaveri. Aman Chainani, Partner, Farzi Cafe said, “The funds raised will be given to the NGO to support the economically backward sections of the society.”

Varun Reddy & Bhargavi

Naga Susheela

Veni & Karuna

UNIQUE SHOPPING EXPERIENCE The city witnessed the launch of an ace designer studios Siddheshwari store by Uma Mahanti. Passion to celebrate womanhood and zeal to offer the latest designer trends led to the launch of this outlet on the prime location of the city. Uma took charge of the 150 sq feet store -Vastra- that her mother was managing and expanded it. Siddheshwari is now spread over 14,000 sq feet in Jubilee Hills. "I want Siddheshwari to be for everybody," said Uma.

Vachana

Manas

Uma Mahanti

Anup Rubens

Vijaya Lakshmi

Vinita

R P Patnaik

Kausalya

Krupa

Akshita Soundarya Prakash

red | march-april 2019 | 20

Shreya Devaiah

Amita Aishwarya Shetty

Rajeev & Sonal Doshi

COLOURFUL EVENT & COLOURED FACES

Jyothii Sethi

Neha Malik

Akruti Productions organised the biggest Holi Bash at Novotel Hyderabad Airport. The event saw the who’s who of the city grooving to the high-octane beats of DJ Shashank and DJ Neharika Jhadhav as they played Bollywood and Hip-Hop music. Drenched in colours, everyone had a blast indulging in bubble and balloon ﬁghts. The children had a good time in the pool ﬁlled with colours. Actress Neha Malik added the required glamour quotient.

Yamini Bhaskar

Deepali & Brij Gopal

Shruthi & Areeb Aarti Shah

Viren Shah

Sridhar Rao Dj Shanshak

Payal

red | march-april 2019 | 24

Nanda & Sachin

Lalitha

Srikanth, Prashanth, Santoosh & Srikanth

Habib Pratyusha & Rahul

Sucharitha Amir Javed

Dj Piyush

With breweries and pubs popping up almost every month, Hyderabadis have many options to make their evenings relaxed and vibrant. Joining the bandwagon is Chemistry that opened up at Jubilee Hills above the latest landmark of Jubilee Hills Tonique. This threeoored pub saw all the party lovers of the city experience the magic of European-inspired live music, heart thumping dance oor effect and a soothing romantic evening at the rooftop.

Krishnudu

CHEMISTRY’S GRAND LAUNCH

Moon Moon & Pradeep Roy

A NIGHT OF GLAMOUR AND FASHION The 6th edition of Kyron Hyderabad International Fashion Week, produced by Storm Fashion Company, was held at Hotel Taj Banjara. The event featured six celebrated fashion designers including Riyaz Ganji, Hari Anand, Red Sister Blue, Abhishek Dutta, Shruti and Mangesh. Ishita Singh showcased as the grand ﬁnale designer. Celebrities from the South Indian industry, Hamsa Nandini, Sanam Shetty, Salina Sood, Deeksha Path, Irfan Ahmed and Miss India Dimple Patel, attended it. Gaurav Sharma, CEO, Storm Fashion Company, said, “The stunning models showcased the artistry of the six designers which garnered appreciation from all.”

Anshum

Tamanna

Suma & Jyoti red | march-april 2019 | 26

Ruhina

Raji & Radhika

Raja

Chaitra

DK Aruna Lamya

Swati Lakra

SPREADING AWARENESS IN STYLE

Mrudula & Satya

Dr Sashi & Dr

Cure Foundation and Apollo Cancer Hospital, hosted a fashion show â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Anaika to create awareness on Women health and empowerment, at Taj Krishna. Dr.P.Vijay Anand Reddy, Founder, CURE Foundation, Director, Apollo Cancer Hospital, Hyderabad and Sangita Reddy, Jt. Managing Director, Apollo Hospitals Group, were present on the occasion. The show had different themes to depict womanhood, their wellness and women empowerment. Sangita said, "This show depicts that there is beauty even around the surviving spirit of the cancer survivors." Ajita Reddy, Director, Hamstech; Charulatha Acharya, w/o. Major Padmapani Acharya, MVC, Deepika Reddy, classical dancer, and many others walked the ramp.

Geetika

Nandini

Catherine Tresa

Rekha Reddy & Uma Chiguripati Dr Nanda Kishore Anisha

Dr Asha & Dr Kiran Sangeeta Reddy red | march-april 2019 | 28

Vishal Reddy

Rajini

Rahil Ansari & Rajiv Sanghi

Dolly

Swati & Aparna

Kalpika

Nidhi

Swapna Kumar

Padma Reddy

Audi, the luxury car manufacturer, announced the opening of its new showroom, which was inaugurated by Rahil Ansari, Head, Audi India, and Rajiv Sanghvi, Managing Director, Audi Hyderabad. The entire Audi model range in India is available at this new showroom. Speaking on this occasion Ansari said, “Initiating contact with the customer in a creative and experiential environment is vital for the brand Audi, as we witness increasing interest not only in the brand but also in luxury in general in the Hyderabad region. The strategic location of the showroom helps us reach a larger audience."

Anouska & Zara

Dr Unnikrishnan

Krupa Rajgor

Parvathi Reddy

Kavitha Reddi

DESTINATION FOR LUXURY

Sonu Thakur

HIGH ON FASHION

Nupur

Jhanvi

Chandana

Gayathri Akundi Kushboo

Mouna Gummadi

When the customers scout for fashions, exclusively crafted for them, HILO Design is the perfect choice. After a successful stint as an exclusive online fashion label, HILO launched its ﬁrst store to be set up in the city of Hyderabad. Marking the milestone, there was a pre-launch that was attended by close friends. “We have called a few select friends who have been there with us since a long time and family,” said Mouna, the founder and chief designer. The event was graced by many eminent personalities from the ﬁlm and fashion fraternity.

red | march-april 2019 | 29

Weaving

Glamourous Magic

ave an occasion and looking for designer wear?

Right from bridal, couture, prĂŞt to luxury prĂŞt, the outlet

Unable to choose? Here is a solution to all your

offers a host of options that leave you spellbound. The

quest- By The Threads, the brainchild of

studio houses some of the most celebrated designers of

Divyakanth Dodda. She was simply driven by a passion to

the country like Amit Agarwal, Divya Reddy, Bhumika

do something different. The objective is to give an exclusive

Sharma, Abhinav Mishra, Samant Chauhan and more.

and lavish multi-designer store for Hyderabadis to explore

There is also a range of options for Indo-Western and

and indulge in high-end fashion. Located at Banjara Hills

casual wear that are perfect for the summer!

Road No.10, By The Threads is a glamorous outlet spread over two floors and 3,500 sq.ft.

With all the designs and designers being curated by Divyakanth, designer Raamz and team, the outlet promises

The name, By The Threads, symbolizes the fact that fashion

to surprise and impress you with their collection. Thus, if

story is woven together, one thread at a time. The interiors

you wish to make it special, you know where to head for

are designed uniquely to be aesthetically pleasing. A great

that perfect outfit.

attention is given to detail and top-class workmanship. Mr.Shivam Rao, Art Director, has put his heart and soul into making the space breathe exclusivity and good taste. By The Threads is all about making every garment a classic as it celebrates the eternal love for fashion.

Timings: 10:00 am to 8:30pm Contact: 9121168484

red | march-april 2019 | 32

Great

Ambience &

Glittering Range

riven by a passion for gems, Pavan Mor, instead of joining his family business, set out on his own entrepreneurial path. After a successful stint as a jewellery supplier to retailers in Hyderabad and across the globe, he launched his first retail store- Mor Jewellers in 2004 at Punjagutta. The brand has now redefined itself with a new avatar as Pavan Mor Jewellers. Nestled in the buzzing RK Plaza at Shop 1 and 2, the store is lavishly spread over 2500 sq.ft. Walk in and the stunning ambiance makes you forget that Pavan Mor Jewellers is located in a commercial complex. The interiors are plush with all the jewellery pieces beautifully displayed. From a mesmerizing wedding collection to awe-striking traditional and modern pieces, the store houses a wide range that caters to all age groups and suitable for all occasions. The store has an experienced team of in-house designers who ensure that each piece is unique. Precious stones used in them are of international standards. Diamonds are IGI certified and gold is of 91.6% purity. These factors make them stand apart from their contemporaries. Best part: They manufacture each and every piece. Yes, every piece is handcrafted with attention to details. So you can be assured of top-notch quality. The store also boasts of a well-trained staff that is ever-helping, eversmiling and hospitable. Besides, they are everready to suggest the best designs based on the clientâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s budget requirements. Pavan Mor Jewellers even caters to all people, offering both light or heavy jewellery. So if you are looking for that destination to get your customised jewellery pieces, head to Pavan Mor Jewellers. red | march-april 2019 | 34

Timings: 11:00am to 9:00pm (Open 365 days) Contact: 8121050125

l a n igi

S R O V FLA CA DEC

t goes without saying that food has always been every Hyderabadis first love. No wonder the city houses â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;nâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; number of restaurants that offer different varieties of cuisines. And the latest addition to this bandwagon is Deccan Canteen. This restaurant is helmed by Bhargavi Yerram, an out and out foodie, who always aspired to offer a unique dining experience. Easily accessible from KBR Park, Deccan Canteen is a perfect destination to enjoy authentic South Indian cuisine along with live music. Located on the 4th floor in a multi-storey building, it is the first restaurant in the city that serves authentic flavors from South India in a modern setting and also offers a wide range of premium alcoholic beverages.

that the diners get a hang of the brand identity the very moment they step out of the lift. Yes, welcoming the diners is a large partition at the entrance painted with dancing Kondapalli toys. The walls, painted with prominent Indian figures like Ravana and many more make it a colourful sight. The wooden tables paired with bright red chairs and patterned floor tiles add vibrancy to the ambiance. But the one element that grabs your attention is the huge transparent glass window that allows free flow of sunlight during the day and serenity during the evenings.

Complementing the food is their Devadasa beverages menu that serves a premium range of alcoholic beverages at a nominal price along with signature cocktails with a regional twist. Topping them, the add-ons that complete the dining experience at Deccan Canteen are their exclusive regional varieties of pickles, given as complimentary. Undoubtedly, Deccan Canteen is a perfect destination for families and friends to unwind.

The decor has been crafted in a traditional yet upscale and classy way, reflecting a new age approach to complement the classic cuisine on offer. The team has made a genuine effort to ensure

Timings: 11:00am to 11:00pm Contact: 8008333555 red | march-april 2019 | 35

Look

and finally experiencing the final attire. They also offer an exclusive range of ready to wear collection. But its forte lies in customisation and getting that perfect look for the clients. Anusha and Abhinaya owe the success of their studio to the fact that they always prioritize comfort while designing. So, all you fashion lovers out there- if you are looking for a destination that offers you outfits with a perfect fit for your body type and pocket size, head to Stylus.

FFs Anusha and Abhinaya, obtained a Masters degree in Pharmacy from Andhra University and started their career in a leading pharma firm Novartis. But even the big fat paycheck didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t give them satisfaction & they converted their passion in fashion to a full-fledged profession. This led to the birth of their signature design studio Stylus. Located at Kondapur, Stylus is a cute and chic studio, spread over 1200 sq.ft. Though it started off with a small team, it has now garnered a niche for itself, styling celebrities and socialites in large numbers. From lehengas, gowns, suits, saris to blouses- they design it all. In addition to operating from the studio, it has a strong online presence also. Therefore, not just in Hyderabad, Stylus has been offering its creative services pan India too. The best part: Clients get an opportunity to go through the process of understanding the concept behind their outfit, process of choosing the fabric red | march-april 2019 | 36

Timings: 10:00am to 8:00pm | Contact: 6305512969

For

fter food, if there is anything that everyone is crazy and particular about, it is looks, looks and looks. Of late, the city has been witnessing salons and spas mushrooming in every nook and corner that offer a wide range of services wrapped in different techniques and methods. However, after an observation that most of the beauty products and services slowly damage skin and hair, Dr.Preeti and her husband (oral cancer experts) felt the need to launch a safe and unique initiative in the field of skin and hair care. This led them to collaborate with Camille Albane Paris, a French brand of salons, and Dr.Preeti acquired the master franchisee of this unisex salon brand. Marking the beginning of this association, the first salon has been launched at Road No.8, Banjara Hills. The place offers a niche range of services and products that are a perfect combination of science and nature. The brand has its own product range that is exclusively created, keeping hair and skin health in mind. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not your run-of-the-mill spa but a place where every service red | march-april 2019 | 38

g n i w

ir o a l H G n & us

Ski ustro L

and product has a science behind it. Most of the products are organic, and even if a chemical is present, it is not harsh. We also admit that this facility is a lavish, classy and extremely hygienic set up with a team of experts in hair and skin care. Clients are given complete information and requisite advice before they opt for any service. Be it hair cut or facial or anything for that matter, the team prescribes the best service that suits the clients, based on their hair and skin texture. With such committed, customized and personal attention, Camille Albane Paris is the one-stop destination for all your hair and skin care. You can avail all services at an affordable price. The brand plans to start its academy to train aspirants.

Timings: 9:00am to 9:00pm Contact: 7286077771

stunning

ollection

true Hyderabadi at heart,

focusing mainly on resham & sequin

(which appends the royal traditional

Shravya Reddy had grown up

with colorful beads on all types of

elements like mirrors). The surface

seeing her mother who has

silhouettes which are perfect for any

ornamentation in the silhouettes is

been into clothing business for

occasion. Shravya has created and

heavily influenced by the stitching

40 years. So, it goes without saying

crafted each and every design to

pieces of mirror, ornamental beads

that she was fascinated by fabrics,

ensure that it caters to all tastes and

and colorful sequences which are

designs, and colours. She pursued

preferences. She believes that fashion

showcased in the silhouettes with

fashion designing and later, started

is all about creativity & art. Designing

unique patterns. The color palette

freelancing for design houses and

excites her but it’s the aesthetics of

includes pastels and bright colors

pursuing independent clients. After

creativity that keeps her going. She

which are best suited for all skin tones.

a successful stint for four years and

believes creativity is the key to design,

immense encouragement from her

and this reflects in her designs.

family and husband, she launched her own design studio - Nishra’s (meaning women).

So, what are you waiting for? Go ahead and pick that perfect attire right now.

With summer round the corner, the studio is gearing up with an exclusive collection- The Belle Miroir. It has been

Located at Road No.79, Jubilee Hills

inspired from the palace of Versailles-

and spread over 1500 sq.ft., Nishra’s

an epic historical monument which

houses a wide range of collection

has the Ceremonial- Hall of Mirrors

Timings: 11:30am to 8:00pm (Closed on Sundays) Contact: 93460 64911 | WhatsApp: 9052775294 | U.S. Contact: 0013468134645 red | march-april 2019 | 39

regal experience

ant to be the talk of the town? How about making heads turn? Or just indulge in retail therapy? Head to Siddeshwari Designer Studio- located at Road No.45, Jubilee Hills. This outlet has managed to create quite a buzz even before its launch with various hoardings and posters across the city. What is more interesting is that Uma Mahanti, the founder of Siddeshwari, took charge of her motherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 150 sq.ft.-store Vastra and expanded it. That was how Siddeshwari was born to provide an unforget-

red | march-april 2019 | 40

table shopping experience. Spread over 14,000 sq.ft., this two-floored showroom houses designer fabric, saris of all varieties, readymade kurtis, lehengas, pattu lehengas, sherwanis, bandhgalas, Nehru jackets, dhotis and churidars, dupattas, etc.

something for everyone. The material used is pure silk, satin organza, silk tussar, raw silk, handlooms, etc. The best part is that clothes can be customized. Coming to the interiors, the store has a regal architecture that transports everyone into the era of kings and queens. Yes, it celebrates the grandeur of fashion and style. The showroom boasts of a welltrained staff that ensures clients have a smooth and memorable shopping experience. Depending on the requirement and budget, the team helps you choose the best and even suggests a few customised design options. Be assured, they ensure delivery on time. So, if you are looking for a complete family shopping destination you know where to go now.

While the first floor stocks ethnic wear, the second floor is dedicated to western wear. Right from ready-to-wear range to heavy wedding wear and exclusive fabrics range, one can choose the best based on their budget. With such a wide range, the showroom has

Timings: 10:00am to 9:30pm | Contact: 6303625713

redhaute

HYDERABAD

A LEAGUE OF

HER OWN By Chandrika Mantri

software engineer; a fashion designer; a painter and now a top-notch actor. Makes you wonder- is there anything that Priyanka Jawalkar can’t do? Well, in the crowd of rank newcomers who made their acting debut in 2018, this

prodigious find stood out and impressed all and sundry. Her confidence and talent swept audiences and critics off their feet in her debut film, Taxiwala. With a non-starry vibe, she has been ensconced as the leading star of her gen. In a tête-à-tête, she bares it all – how she found her feet in tinsel world and, of course, how Taxiwala happened.

red | march-april 2019 | 42

LATEST BUZZ On debut film garnering rave reviews… I feel elated to hear and read that my performance was appreciated and acknowledged even though my role was limited. That I could create a positive impact and make everyone laugh feels amazing. Overwhelmed by praise? Not at all. I don’t let failure or success affect me personally. I learn from them but I don’t let them take over my life. How did Taxiwala happen? I had sent my pictures to Geetha Arts, and they asked me to go for an audition for a couple of movies. I auditioned for Taxiwala & bagged the role, though it took them two months to take the final call. Did you style yourself? Yes. During the two-month waiting phase, I would meet the director and other unit members. Surprisingly, they liked what I wore and how I carried myself. They felt my outfits & looks complemented the character Anusha & insisted that I do it myself. Since I didn’t have any commitments per se and had a lot of free time, I went for it. I even did the CG coordination for the VFX shots and designed an outfit from scratch for the doll that had a vital role in the film. So, I was associated in almost every aspect. Could you relate with Anusha? No! She is an extrovert, dates a cab driver, spontaneous and can easily talk to anyone & anywhere. That’s not me! I admit I am an introvert but now after many promotions and interviews, I have opened up a bit. I don’t hang out with my friends - they either come home or give me a ring.

Tipsy intro Yes, that was for my introduction scene; only because I wasn’t able to get it right. So my director urged me to have alcohol to help me loosen up a bit. Finally, I could get the scene right. Any unforgettable incident? Every day was fun, and I had a blast. It was more like a college environ where you have that healthy senior-junior camaraderie. You will be surprised to know that a few people were experienced on the sets, rest were debutants or one-ﬁlm old. A nice experience!

Upcoming projects I have heard nine narrations so far, but haven’t come across anything exciting or challenging. It also goes without saying that the second ﬁlm is the career-decider for an actor. Hence, I prefer to wait & opt for meaningful cinema. REWIND Formative years I was born and brought up in Anantapur. My mother, like any other typical Indian parent, wanted me to score good marks since most of my cousins were rank holders. Though I was an average student, I was quite creative, and used to indulge in acrylic painting. I studied B.Tech Computers at Anantapur, worked at an MNC in Hyderabad and then pursued a diploma in Fashion Clothing & Technology at NIFT Hyderabad.

On working with Vijay… He is pretty cool. I neither got that ‘star’ vibe from him nor did I feel the need to behave in a certain way or check my words while conversing with him. He was helpful, knowing that it was my first time. I told him that I hadn’t told my parents MY STRENGTH: I HAVE A GOOD COMIC TIMING that I had started OWING TO MY CHILDLIKE INNOCENCE. shooting for Taxiwala. I WEAKNESS: I CAN’T ENACT DRUNKEN SCENES. was skeptical that I might get thrown out if Why fashion designing? I couldn’t prove myself. He It is in my DNA. My mother is a laughed and responded that he designer and runs a large-scale faced the same situation too business in Anantapur. I have during his first film. grown up watching her taking it to …director Rahul Sankrityan He is a perfectionist. Rahul urged me to be on sets from day one so I could get accustomed to the routine. So the next day when I reached the sets, I heard that the 23rd take was happening for a particular shot. Everyone was praising his professionalism. That made me wonder whether I could deliver my best or not. But he always had my back and ensured I got the shot right. I was quite nervous when I faced the camera for the first time. To help me gain confidence, he insisted I shoot only one scene a day.

great heights, and was hence inspired. My mother was insistent that I complete B.Tech first and then pursue fashion designing. Why acting then? While pursing the fashion course, I got a message from Subash Chandra of MR Productions on FB, if I was interested in acting in a short film. I checked their profile which was quite impressive and decided to give it a shot to see how I look onscreen. Both my Telugu short films Possessiveness and It Is A Girl Issue garnered more red | march-april 2019 | 43

than a million views on Internet

ofﬁce decide your fate. Besides, we have

and were a big hit. I got many

debutants every year. So yes, I can see myself

ﬁlm offers after that but I rejected

away from this industry, maybe trekking, hiking.

Favourite street food: Pani puri

ﬁlms at that time. Later, I went to

Change about yourself…

…word: Yeah, yeah

the US to ﬁgure out what to do

Eat as much as I want and not put on weight.

RAPID FIRE

them as I was not too keen on

next. Luckily, I found interest in pursuing Statistics. But thanks to the success of the short ﬁlms, people started recognizing me. It came as a surprise to me that

…emoji: Upside down smiley Fitness regimen I used to kick-box and hit the gym before

Last book you read

Taxiwala but after its release I stopped, and put

The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand

on some weight. I am back to kickboxing now.

both my short ﬁlms could make

Beauty regimen

me so popular, that too in a

I have made peace with pimples, acne, etc.

foreign land and in such a short

I know it will happen and hence, don’t give it

span. I decided to give ﬁlms a

much thought. But yes at times, I do apply

try. I returned from the US after

homemade masks.

2 years & underwent a 4-month acting course & dialect training

Message to your fans

at Bhikshu Acting School.

Stars like Amitabh Bachchan and Chiranjeevi

Last person WhatsApped you My stylist Any weird habits? I used to bath ﬁrst and then brush. Twitter or Instagram? Twitter feels professional and all biggies are there. Instagram for life.

should give such messages, not ﬁrst timers like Initial struggles

On your wish list

us. I am just happy that I received so much love

Nothing prominent. But because

To go on another trek. I recently

for my ﬁrst ﬁlm and that they have accepted me

Taxiwala took two years to get

trekked on the Himalayan range.

as a Telugu girl.

released, I was badgered with

Inspired by?

questions- “What are you doing?

Every woman inspires me in some

and “When will your ﬁlm

way. For instance, I am aware that

release?” Generally, a ﬁlm gets

you interview so many people in a

released in maximum 4 months.

day. So you have inspired me!

It took 2 years for me. Vijay had become a star after Arjun Reddy,

Most embarrassing thing

so expectations were at its peak.

I was having breakfast with my friends in Goa, and I suddenly

UP AND CLOSE The real Priyanka… Is straight forward, has no ﬁlter on her mouth & speaks her mind. Imagine life away from films? Yes, I am not dependent on it, and know it won’t last forever. It’s a temporary and uncertain ﬁeld. Luck, dedication, scripts and box

IMPROVISATION, THINKING OUT-OF-THE-BOX, NOT BEING RIGID ON A PARTICULAR GENRE AND WILLINGNESS TO LEARN ARE THE ESSENTIALS TO SURVIVE IN SHOWBIZ.

red | march-april 2019 | 44

froze as I felt I saw my ex-bf. I panicked and spilled coffee all over. The worst part- it was not even my ex. Strangest thing ever eaten A duck’s tongue in New York

IT IS JUST A CHILD’S

FOR HIM By Swarnalata Pothapragada

espite hailing from a family of

entrepreneurs, Nitesh Agarwal

opted to become a medical

professional and pursued MBBS, and MD

EXCERPTS

(Paediatrics) in Australia. However, he chose the unconventional path again, giving up his roaring career in neonatology (care of newborn babies) and returned to India to start afresh. On the other hand, Nitesh’s wife Sweta belongs to a family of doctors. It goes without saying that she was destined and determined to become one. She pursued FRANZCOG and Masters in Infertility & Reproductive Endocrinology in Australia. From doctors to soul mates, Nitesh and Sweta are deﬁnitely made for each other. While Sweta is the source of hope for couples who desire to have children, Nitesh offers care to them. Complementing this togetherness professionally, the duo started Southern Gem Fertility and Paediatric Center. Here, the couple shares their professional and personal journey. red | march-april 2019 | 46

Formative years My great grandfather moved to Hyderabad from Rajasthan. My father is a businessman and my mother a homemaker. Since childhood, I was fascinated by science, and after high school, I knew what I wanted- to become a doctor. Luckily, my father always supported my decisions. The medical sojourn After obtaining a degree in MD (Paediatrics), I aspired to learn how to manage newborn babies. It was this desire that made me pursue FRACP (Neonatal Perinatal Medicine) i.e. super-specialisation in newborn care, in Australia. Eventually, I got selected by

Adelaide Children’s Hospital. I learnt how to take care of premature babies, born as early as 24 weeks (5 1/2 months pregnancy), complex ventilator care, care of babies undergoing surgery, and handle all kinds of issues in newborns. Later, I practised at Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne, which is one of the top 5 paediatric hospitals in the world. This was followed by a stint of four years at Princess Margaret Hospital, Perth and Joondalup Health Campus, Perth. I also worked in General Pediatrics and Developmental Pediatrics (CDC, Joondalup) stream. Return of the native My overall experience in Australia was of 7 years. However, my heart

is always India. I feel children in our

patient that walks in. We run a year-long

providers, we get attached to children,

country, especially the newborns,

fertility fellowship programme for

during the healing process, which at

face various health issues due to lack

gynecologists at our hospital. This helps

times is emotionally taxing. But to witness

of affordable & good quality newborn

us understand the gynecologists’

the smiles return on the faces of the tiny

care, and care of special children i.e.

concerns, share patient experiences and

tots is an unforgettable experience.

those with developmental issues like

guide one another. Personal life

Autism, ADHD (Hyperactivity), Cerebral Palsy, Down Syndrome etc.

Child care

I am an out and out family person; I enjoy

With a desire to do my bit in this

Pregnancy and child rearing is no mean

spending time with my parents, wife and

area, I returned to India. And in 2012,

feat. I feel that pregnancy and childbirth

children. My day starts with physical

Southern Gem Hospital was set up

transforms a girl into a woman. Every

training and spending time with kids

at Basheerbagh. The overwhelming

woman feels incomplete without going

before they leave to school. Then I am off

response made us open a second

through this process. There are a lot of

to work. I am an ardent fan of movies and

center at Banjara Hills in 2017. Now,

emotions - happiness, fear, anxiety,

novels but I rarely ﬁnd time to read. As a

we are also starting a dedicated

sadness- in the process of both

cricket fan, I love to play and watch with

developmental pediatrics section at

pregnancy and trying to get pregnant. It

my family and friends. My friends keep

our Banjara Hills branch.

is physically demanding. The challenge,

me up and running. I am a foodie too, so

however, continues even after the baby is

obviously I make it a point to visit any

Southern Gem Hospital

born as parents need to take a lot of care

new restaurant that opens in and around

We provide a vast range of services

about the child’s physical and mental

the city. I love travelling, so whenever

but the prominent ones are Infertility

health. Today, excessive exposure to

I am out for conferences, I combine them

Treatment, Gynecology, Newborn

gadgets at an early age is another major

with a few leisure activities too. I indulge

ICU, General Paediatrics, Fetal

concern. This exposure results in

in adventure activities like trekking. I also

Medicine, Radiology & Dietetics.

reduced intelligence, besides other

enjoy skydiving and bungee jumping.

Super-speciality doctors- Paediatric

mental health issues. Sometimes as care

Cardiologist, Surgeon, Nephrologist, Neurologist, Physiotherapist and Occupational Therapists - are on call & attend to patients on appointment.

medics, and world-class equipment. USP Our priority is quality of care. Sweta and I meet all patients at the hospital, be it their ﬁrst or follow-up visit. Everyone appreciates this, and feel more connected to the hospital. Besides, we are an ICMR recognized center, which again is an indication of our top-notch quality. All decisions are taken ethically. Moreover, we strive to better our services in order to offer the best to each and every

PATIENT EXPERIENCES AND GUIDE ONE ANOTHER.

not at all tough. We have got a great team of doctors, nurses and para-

UNDERSTAND THE CONCERNS OF THE GYNECOLOGISTS, SHARE

up the hospital and managing it was

Southern Gem Hospitals. So, setting

WE RUN A YEAR-LONG FERTILITY FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM FOR

commencing paediatric services at

GYNECOLOGISTS AT SOUTHERN GEM HOSPITAL. THIS HELPS US

We have always had paediatric patients, right from day one of

red | march-april 2019 | 47

Shoot by Dinakar Pamu

HE IS AN IDEAL PARTNER, SAYS SWETA I have grown up watching my parents, who are doctors, serving people. I too wanted to become a doctor. My happiness knew no bounds when I got through the EAMCET exams and secured an MBBS seat in Osmania Medical College in my ﬁrst attempt. We complement each other perfectly, and share a great rapport both in personal and professional front. But one thing I don’t appreciate about him is he neglects his health. He needs to exercise and run on a daily basis. He tends to get lazy at times, and

C O M PA T I B I L I T Y M E T E R SHE IS A GENUINE AND CARING PERSON: NITESH Ours is an arranged marriage. I feel the popular notion - a doctor should marry a doctor – stands true in our case. The ﬁrst thing that caught my attention was her simplicity. She is organised and a pro at multitasking. She is supportive and caring. As a doctor, she has carved a niche for herself as a complete fertility expert, who does all laparoscopy (keyhole surgery), hysteroscopy (visualization and procedures in the uterus through a camera) and IVF procedure on her own. Despite her hectic work schedule, she always makes it a point to spend quality time everyday with the kids. I must admit that she juggles her professional & personal life quite efﬁciently.

sometimes skips his regimen. His dedication to complete a task on time is amazing. Nitesh & I share all the responsibilities at the hospital. He leads neonatology and pediatric team whereas I head the fertility and gynecology team. In administration, we divide the work based on our individual skills. We have a great team supporting us. Amidst all our professional commitments, we take time for each other. So all I want to say is that dedicated quality time for family is a must for a happy marriage.

H I S FAV O R I T E S Food: Everything but he prefers roti and paneer ki sabzi. Colour: Blue Holiday destination: Queenstown, New Zealand Dessert: Anything from the sweet shop Car brand: BMW Actor: Amitabh Bachchan Restaurant: Minerva

H E R FAV O R I T E S : Food: Salad | Colour: Cream Holiday destination: Europe Dessert: Ice-cream | Car: Beetle Actor: Hrithik Roshan Restaurant: Any place that serves lip-smacking salad

red | march-april 2019 | 48

HYDERABAD

eve

l a c i r t p Ske ginne

p o t es

h c a re

nla

war

By S

a rag

p otha ta P

he belongs to a family of entrepreneurs but she never thought of becoming one. Like most girls,

she nurtured love for fashion since her childhood, but becoming a fashion designer was never a part of her career plan. It was a necessity that evolved into a life-changing decision. This is the best way to describe the journey of fashion designer Naga Teja Family ties I hail from Hyderabad & my father Mr.Rajashekar is an entrepreneur. I was a good student all through. Along with my sister, I was brought up in a huge family. My childhood was all about going to hometown during summer holidays & having fun with cousins. Necessity leads to creativity It was during my sister’s wedding. I used to tag along my mother Mrs.Sudha Rani who was on a shopping spree for the entire clan. We searched and screened the market, but could not get the red | march-april 2019 | 50

material that suited our taste. Tired with failed attempts, I started sketching an outfit for my sister. In fact, with a keen eye for fashion and a good dress sense, I was always the go-to-girl for our family when it came to choosing outfis. So, I thought it was time I got down to some creative tasks. I designed the outfit and everyone loved it. They were an instant hit in the wedding and I was on cloud nine. Though I was pleased, I did not think of a career in fashion designing. I was studying B.Tech at that time.

Pavuluri. Even as she juggles the client meets, designs-in-the-making and races to meet deadlines, Teja takes time off to share her beautiful though accidental journey into fashion designing.

The true calling

The launch

Customer’s smiles matter

The wedding was over and I was

Things were going great, and

The fashion industry is an interesting ﬁeld. We deal with

back to my studies. Our friends

Facebook was doing the best

products but service plays a key role. Every client is

and members of our family who

for me. That was when I also

emotionally attached to her/his outﬁts. The degree

attended the wedding and knew

had a workshop with karigars.

increases further when they are being made for an

I designed the outﬁts, started

However, the idea of starting

occasion. Therefore, I am very keen on registering their

approaching me for designing

a store came from my mother

feedback. I ensure that we touch base with the client after

their dresses for special events.

and husband. Once again,

the outﬁt is delivered to know whether they are happy with

I took them up and they were all

I was skeptical about the

the ﬁtting, colour combination, fabric, over and above with

very happy with the results. I too

move because having a store

our team, work and service. People are pleased to know

started enjoying it and the fact

would mean maintenance

that their feedback matters.

that people loved them only

expenses, rent, etc. But my

further added to my joy. I earned

mother and husband pushed

Success mantra

my degree and was weighing

me to take that leap of faith

I attribute my success to my team. The core team has

career options. The corporate

and today I am happy that

stayed with me since the inception and stood by me

job with 9-6 schedule did not

I did. We started off with a

through thick and thin. There are times when I work till

excite me. When I was going

small store which very soon

3:00 am. My team has stood by me and saw to it that

through this phase, a friend of

expanded as we grew from a

I kept up my commitments.

mine urged me to share my

team of 3 to 50.

designs on my Facebook page.

Love for handlooms

I was skeptical about entering

The field

It's very nice to see that the fashion industry has come

this ﬁeld. But after a lot of

Oh my God! There are so

together to support and encourage weavers. There is a lot

persuasion, I shared my work.

many designers in the city. It

of awareness among people. Now they understand the

Within no time, inquiries started

just amazes me. Initially,

value of handlooms and opt for it.

pouring in and I started taking

I used to deal only online, so

commercial orders.

I did not bother about the competition. But now, things

Commitment turns into career

are different. There is a

As things picked up, I started

plethora of options. It is

seriously thinking of fashion

good to see the industry

designing as a profession. There

growing. Any competition

was no looking back after that.

never bothers me because

FB inquiries were increasing day

I am focused on what I do.

by day. I had set up my team. A

My forte is Indian/ethnic wear

formal education in this ﬁeld

and I believe in keeping our

would help me establish as a

traditions alive. Therefore,

AFTER I BECAME A MOTHER, MY RESPECT FOR MOTHERS IN GENERAL AND MY MOTHER IN PARTICULAR, HAS INCREASED MANIFOLD profession. I, then joined a one-

you see me creating saris of

year crash course in designing

8.5 yards. I strive to create

in Hamstech. But I had to

designs that deﬁne my

discontinue it after six months as

ideology. It is my signature.

I was getting an overwhelming

Thankfully, this approach has

response & wasn’t able to meet

helped me build my space in

my professional commitments.

the industry.

red | march-april 2019 | 51

A few years ago, people did not buy

Mother to mother

signature. Remember that, your design

handlooms under the premise that they

After I became a mother, my respect for

deﬁnes you. Stick to your perspective

are expensive. Things have changed

mothers in general and my mother in

of fashion. That is the only way you can

now. I deal with traditional wear and

particular, has increased manifold.

stand the competition.

work with the Kanchipuram weavers.

Earlier, I used to be very demanding

I get customized borders, dupattas, etc.

and would touch my mother for every

Way forward

It's a joy to work with weavers and it is a

small or big task. But after my baby

I am planning to launch a store in

pleasure to see your designs being

arrived I realized that being a mother is

Jubilee Hills or Banjara Hills and want

translated into fabrics.

not easy. It teaches you tolerance and

to exhibit my collection abroad.

patience. I salute all the mothers. Personal note My family has always been my greatest

Balancing work and life

strength. My marriage is a love-cum-

Spending quality time with my family

arranged one. My husband Satish

and kid, going out for short vacations

Kumar Yedlapally is an entrepreneur

are a must that keeps me sorted.

HER THOUGHTS

and handles the operations of my store.

Advice to women

•

As I mentioned before, I have been

Stay positive. There are times when

meeting their respective

skeptical about all the endeavours,

things will go wrong or you may be

challenges

I took up. But my mother and husband

upset with some family concern. In

are conﬁdent and encouraging. They

such situations, stay calm, focused

become all the more supportive after

and positive.

and plays a proactive role in my trade

the birth of my baby. They take care of my child when I am neck-deep in work.

•

Men and women are equal in

Being a working mother is not easy but not impossible

•

Advice to designers If you wish to make a mark, create your

It's inspiring to see women achievers. If you are committed, you can be an achiever.

I AM STILL A FASHION DESIGNER AND NOT AN ENTREPRENEUR. ULTIMATELY, IT IS YOUR WORK THAT FETCHES YOU BUSINESS.

WORDS OF WISDOM FABRIC IS THE BODY DESIGN IS THE MIND COMFORT IS THE SOUL

red | march-april 2019 | 52

Shoot by Dinakar Pamu

HYDERABAD

redefined By Swarnalata Pothapragada

hey are destined to be entrepreneurs. Yet, it is no mean task to join a well-established family business; take it one notch up and aim to establish

a modern offshoot of the business. This summarizes the journey of brothers Sandeep Mahaveer & Nikkhil Giriyaa Jain who are the torchbearers of the family business M/s Navakar Granites & Marbles and the newly started Nâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Fabustone, a one of its kind uber luxury studio that is all set to storm the interiors and architectural industry. Nikkhil Giriyaa Jain speaks about their journey. Formative years As we come from a family of entrepreneurs, we were nurtured with values and were not allowed to believe that things come easy. However, in 1985, my father Mr.Mahendra Kummar moved to the city to start the granite and marble business. The legacy M/S Navakar Granites & Marbles was set up in 1996 by my father & brother. The brand grow in leaps and bounds, thanks to their efforts. They established manufacturing units and numerous branches across the city and in Bengaluru. I joined them in 2011 after my graduation. I learnt the trade nuances under their guidance. We have evolved as a brand over the past two decades.

it like a newcomer. I started

infrastructure sectors. We, then,

from scratch which began with

thought of providing a luxury

identifying different stones, their

studio experience to clientele.

quality, colour, make, etc. Then,

There was a lot of change in the

I was trained in marketing and

way interiors were seen. We

customer relationship. The ďŹ nal

realized that there was a huge

stage was to learn pricing and

gap. People went to different

vendor management. My

cities and international markets

learning has been organic, with

to procure high-end material.

no preferential treatment.

So, we thought of creating a space that would give interior

A new angle to luxury

designers, architects and direct

Despite being well established,

consumers a unique shopping

we went to redeďŹ ne ourselves.

experience. This led to the birth

Initial days at Navakar

It was at the time when the

of N'Fabustone that houses

I learnt the art of trade only after I joined Navakar.

newly-formed Telangana was

imported marble, granite, rare

Though I was joining the family business, my

going for a makeover. This

onyx, & limited edition precious

father and brother ensured that I was inducted into

change was making a great

& semi-precious stones.

impact on real estate & red | march-april 2019 | 56

Initial thoughts We were sure about the concept. But we did not think if the market was ready or not. They were all about implementing our idea perfectly. Earlier, buyers were unaware of any luxurious shopping experience in this sector. Our agenda was to showcase the wide range of options available and display them in a beautiful way that reects their worth. That was why we established N’Fabustone which is spread over 50,000 sq.ft. with 10,000 sq.ft exclusively designed to let our clientele explore the collection and experience the magic. Trendsetters When you go for a new concept, you should not think of market readiness. That would only dilute the idea. One must remember that it's all about you presenting the idea. The idea behind the outlet didn't pop up overnight. We arrived at it after thorough research. We traveled intensely and studied a wide range of products. The city was naturally undergoing make-over after bifurcation. An amalgamation of all these aspects was behind the launch of our outlet.

market space with many players.

Success Mantra

Now with N'Fabustone, we are the

Never stop learning and evolving.

ﬁrst to set up a luxury studio & I was

Success is when you keep changing

looking forward to other players in

yourself with changing times.

the league. Cut-throat competition reveals that the industry is growing &

Words of wisdom

there are many more opportunities.

Hard work, dedication & conﬁdence

Having said that, I am aware of what

are a must for an entrepreneur. This

other players are doing. When

is the ground rule. Becoming an

customers come to us, we only show

entrepreneur is a journey which starts

them how good we are and never

with having an idea. Making it a

demean or criticize others. I believe

reality, sustaining it and redeﬁning it

in presenting what we provide and let

with changing times, is the actual

the client make his/her decision. This

challenge. People must know what

approach has earned us goodwill in

they are getting into and stick to it.

the market.

Way forward

Uniqueness

Our effort is to bring new collections

The ﬁrst and foremost aspect that

that our clientele appreciates. So, in

makes us different from others is our

the future, we wish to add more from

diverse product range. All the stones

across the world. In addition, we are

that we house are of international

planning to start N’Fabustone in

standards and quality. At the same

Bengaluru. We are looking forward to

time, the pricing is competitive and

spreading our wings in the city as

gives the clientele value for their

well. We are excited about our

money. As the concept is new to the

brother Rounakk Jain joining us as

market, we ensure that our team is

we embark on our future endeavors.

well equipped with all the details of the products. When a customer walks in,

Handling disagreements

our team suggests

There is never any disagreement

the best option to

between us. We share our opinions,

him/her based on

discuss and come to a consensus.

their requirement and

Thankfully, we know each other’s

budget. Not only

strengths and weaknesses. There is

during the sale, but

a mutual respect and admiration.

we are prompt with

When we work, we are like one mind

post-sale services

and soul. As we both were trained

too. We provide door-

under our father, we imbibe same ethics and values which reect in our organization. Dealing with competition Competition is a part and parcel of any trade. I have seen both aspects. When I joined, Navakar was already

COMPETITION MEANS THE GROWTH OF THE INDUSTRY. IT'S A GOOD SIGN to-door delivery based on client's timeline.

an established brand sharing the Shoot by Dinakar Pamu

red | march-april 2019 | 57

HYDERABAD

Tech

LIFE, MY RULES” By Swarnalata Pothapragada

orn in a family full of businessmen, it was

only natural that Monish Pattipati chose to become an entrepreneur. However, the twist

is that, instead of going the easy way of taking over the already existing family trade, he decided to start his own venture Pick N Hook, an online shopping portal. Dynamic and conﬁdent, Monish speaks about how he happened to venture into the most competitive online shopping business and what makes his enterprise happens to be a one of its kind.

It's all in the family

something from our portal, you are

but still managed to make a great

I hail from Ongole. I obtained a BBA

hooked to us for ever and would not

sale. That reinforced my belief in

degree and was always clear about

like to explore other online avenues.

sticking to my idea.

being conﬁned to an ofﬁce or having

Initial hurdles

Exploration

someone setting rules for me. These

Like any other startup, I did encounter

After the success of our ﬁrst sale, we

two factors are inevitable, if you are

my share of hiccups. Firstly, because

got a lot of feedback from customers

employed. The concept of Pick n

the portal was new, I couldn't get bulk

regarding what would they prefer to

Hook occurred to me when I was

products, secondly, when I thought

buy online. Based on that, we started

studying in 2nd year. I developed it

of starting my website as an afﬁliated

adding new products to our portal.

into a full-edged project.

website, I faced rejections from all

Because the portal was new, I visited

corners. That was when I decided

all the retailers to get them online.

having my own business. I don't like

The naming ceremony

that I would start Pick N Hook as a

However, as we started adding

I mulled over a lot of names, nearly a

standalone e-commerce portal. In

products to our portal, we realized

whopping 200 and you would be

2018, I started off with a pen drive

that we required a new look and

surprised that I still remember all the

campaign which ran successfully.

strategy to play big. We decided to

names. After much thought, I decided

We sold 100 pen drives per day for

slow down and bounce back.

on Pick N Hook. The idea behind

a month. We were operating from

naming it so, was that once you pick

Ongole, had no mobile application

red | march-april 2019 | 58

The new look

always been supportive and

Way forward

After trying my hands in different

receptive to my ideas & thoughts.

After the launch, we aim to keep adding more and

products and understanding the

He has stood by me, guiding and

more products that are available only on our portal.

nuances, we were planning for a

advising me. In fact, he is the one

There will be a perfect blend of niche products at

proper launch. As I said when we

who told me to hold the actual

affordable prices. We, as a team, would strive to

started off, we were just selling

launch of Pick N Hook and plan a

collaborate with the local manufacturers to give our

from the website. But to have a

complete strategy before going full

clientele unique and best product range.

wider audience, we required wider

throttle. The other person who has

reach, new product line, and

been with me since the inception

Piece of advice

attractive offers. So, we held our

of the idea to implementation,

There is no standard rule or formula for being an

horses, designed a new look for

facing every acceptance and

entrepreneur. However, one thumb rule that I feel

our website with a user-friendly

rejection is my friend Subhash.

applies to everything that you do is, ‘believe yourself

interface. Further developing the

and trust your team.’ This being the thumb rule,

application, we started adding

every individual has to ﬁgure out what works for them

more products and offers. The

in terms of ways and means of handling

revised Pick N Hook was all set

the team, understanding the market and

to launch on 1st April. However,

your brand itself.

it would take 2-3 months more to add the complete product range. To start with, the launch would have an exclusive, authentic Telugu food range. My family and friends have been my support system

Handling competition Online shopping was a fad when we started and is the most chosen one now as well. Pick N Hook is a different concept altogether. As much as we shall have branded products, the main idea is to give a platform to local products like handlooms, weaves, food, toys, etc a global platform. Thus, we shall have products that you would not get on any other platforms. The

Entrepreneurship my style

idea is to make local players global

As I mentioned, I never liked

through our platform. In addition to

anyone setting rules for me.

having a different product range,

Therefore, I never set any rules

we are prompt at our service i.e.

for my team. I believe in giving

we have the fastest delivery and

freehand to my team members so

our product line keeps evolving

that they explore their creativity and

based on customer feedback.

deliver the best. I don't believe in

Support system I give total credit to my father Mr.Prasad for my success. He has shaped me as a person and an entrepreneur. We often ﬁnd parents goading their children to focus on academics instead of turning into entrepreneurs. But my father has

hierarchy. In my ofﬁce, everybody is free to openly share their ideas, opinions, and even complaints. I encourage healthy discussions. I believe in not getting things done, but making things happen. That is when each of them would contribute with the same enthusiasm and zeal.

Shoot by Chinthuu_Klicks

By P.Swarnalata

GETTERS

G THE

HYDERABAD

he brothers are the firstgen entrepreneurs who dared to dream big. With commitment and synchronized teamwork, they carved a niche for their firm- AR Corporates in the world of business. It is now known as one of the best service providers of uniforms and corporate gifts. In a conversation with Avinash & Rajendra Prasad, we learn about their trade and how they fine-tuned it.

Personal sneak peek Avinash: We were born and brought up in Guntur. After my graduation, I worked in the retail industry in Bangalore for 8 years.

the opportunities coming our way. When I sensed that we were on the right track and the business needed more hands to reach the expected goal, I quit my job and joined him.

RP: Most of my family members work in private and public sectors. After earning an MBA degree, I also worked in the retail industry in Hyderabad.

AR Corporates: A profile Avinash: AR Corporates is a leading corporate apparel company which specializes in manufacturing and supplying corporate t-shirts, uniforms, gifting, customized uniforms for hotels, events, sports tournaments, schools, retailers, hospitals etc.

Confident step Avinash: The thought of starting something on my own was always with me. My association with global brands further fanned my desire. My experience in retail world is my forte. RP: Avinash initiated the journey of AR Corporates. I continued to work with an intent to provide a fall back mechanism, in case something went wrong. With my experience in the same industry, I could gauge his zeal

RP: Our USP is being a one-stopshop where the entire process- right from design, stitching, embroidery & printing, takes place. Complementing it is our range of national and international products that cater to a wide range of choices; our capacity to handle volumes on short notices for

political and social events, and last but not the least, our ability to deliver quality product at competitive prices. We are always on time. The hurdles Avinash: Challenges were plenty as we are the first-gen entrepreneurs, who come with neither background nor support. We came with dreams in our eyes and fire in the belly. Getting orders for a new setup with no experience, winning customers confidence, getting orders and working capital for executing orders, manpower- every bit of it was like a mega challenge to meet. I am glad I have seen all that. It gave us strength to work in challenging environment and timelines, etc. RP: Situations and circumstances were so hard at times, we thought of

The line of control Avinash: RP takes care of complete administration right from production to delivery, besides finance and accounts. He is level-headed and has a good control over the team. He meticulously plans production and keeps an eye on quality and wastage control, etc. He spends sleepless nights to get the work done on time and to meet deadlines. RP: Avinash has always been with the market from day one and is good at customer interaction. So marketing, bringing orders, supplier management and stock procurement are his responsibility. He lines up works continually with great passion. Perfect blend Avinash: RP is patient, dedicated and committed. Under any circumstances, chances of his making mistakes in administration, production and delivery levels are very less. He is warm and friendly. His being good at sports and fitness regimen helps him stay cooler. RP: Avinash has finesse in dealmaking, and is fast in calculating the workability of a deal. That is why we have hundreds of customers today. His product knowledge, his exposure to the latest technologies, market and competition scenarios always impress me. He is very good at work-life balance. His speed sometimes scares me but at the end of the day, we challenge each other over scalability. The journey Avinash: Our offerings and working style are unique and we don’t fear competition. Initially, when we were compared with others, I did not understand on what parameters they did it. But by and by I understood this phenomenon. Our volumes were less and customers started giving us

opportunities only when they saw our top-notch performance. RP: Every day is a new day and every order is a new learning. From people to partnerships, payment delays to bad debts, support, we go through a gamut of experiences in our journey. We have the support of family and friends. We have will power and stay steady. Handling disagreements Avinash: Very interesting. Generally, as a marketing guy my thought revolves around delivery timelines and I tend to impose my priorities on him. He may not accept it, but he has his way of getting things done on time. I lose cool quickly, but he says, “OK, main hoon na (I am there).” RP: It's funny. We ﬁght and whenever he loses his cool, I absorb it. Of course, I give it back in a humorous way and tease him. With his exposure, he tends to add new facilities or technologies, by selling their beneﬁts to me. I tell him to hold his horses and ask him to show

me what it would bring us. That is when debate becomes a discussion and disagreement ends in agreement. Work-life balance Avinash: I tend to lose balance if I do not spend quality time with family. Friends are stress busters. I am a big movie buff. RP: Work ﬁrst and rest next. I stay alert and cautious for our brand value. My family gets upset at times but they understand our journey. I am thankful to my wife. I take out time for ﬁtness and cricket for sure. Success mantra Avinash: Hard work, passion, desire to win and willingness to learn. RP: My brother. Piece of advice Both: Success comes with risk- no risk no glory. Passion & willpower lead you to success. That’s what we believe in and seen. All the best is what we say.

IF YOU CAN SATISFY YOUR CUSTOMER, YOU NEED NOT WORRY ABOUT COMPETITION

giving up but never did. We believe patience pays. Each year has been different, throwing different challenges and opportunities at us for the past 8 years. We squarely met them.

Shoot by Dinakar Pamu

LUCKY FOR YOU: YELLOW, 20

TAURUS

partner will be on the same page.

with your significant other. You and

may make an important decision

alone. Try to listen to intuition. You

a choice, otherwise, you will be left

Define what you want and then make

having opportunities and options.

Do not rush into personal ties, despite

personnel and flexible with partners.

previous decisions. Be fair to your

in business should not abandon

blueprint for long term projects. Men

stages. Employees will be given the

New projects may be in the visionary

Apr 20-May 20

LUCKY FOR YOU: INDIGO, 10

You are full of vital energy. An unexpected investment is likely. Pay attention, if you work in a team. This period can be vivid and memorable. You are bound to reach your goals. This is a good time to plan your business or think about changing jobs. Stay on the same wavelength as your friends. Don’t ignore new acquaintances. Do not deny your loved ones their small desires. Do not give up the usual pleasures for the sake of something fleeting.

Your ability to push through troubles is bogged down by responsibilities. This can cause frustration. Be patient and you will have a stronger stance. You may create a wave of events that will lead to the desired result. Men in business should be wary of rivals. Employed are sure to gain from hard work. In terms of personal ties, you will surprise those you want to be happy with. There is a reason to smile even if black clouds hover on the horizon. A trip to an exotic location is on the cards.

Jul 23 – Aug 22

LEO

ARIES

Mar 21- Apr 19

VIRGO Aug 23 – Sep 22

LUCKY FOR YOU: YELLOW, 19

CANCER

It is time to start a new business. If you are an employee, you may enjoy financial bonus. Pay special attention to all career prospects. Do not doubt yourself, if you are in business. This is a good time to arrange unexpected reviews & possibly, solve a personnel issue. Focus on personal ties, including those with old friends and close relatives. Do not neglect friends and family for people you have just met. Be kind and indulgent, but remember that to grant forgiveness is a sign of strength.

Jun 21 – Jul 22

LUCKY FOR YOU: RED, 15

At work, everything will continue as usual and there are good opportunities waiting. It is a bright and dynamic period. Employees must cooperate with colleagues. Businessmen should stick to their ideals. And direct their strength and enthusiasm towards raising income. Some important events can occur in personal relationships. Dedicate more time to family and personal matters In romantic relationship, do not stop at the first step but at the same time don’t rush into opening your own heart.

It is a successful time for those who have decided to change jobs or start a business. Businessmen are likely to get unexpected contacts with foreign representatives. Do not abandon relatives and friends, for they may make for a great team. Consider all possible options, but again, do so with minimal risk. Personal ties will be much more straightforward. Be gentle and frank in your romantic ties, but do not make unnecessary concessions. A fun getaway can restore your nerves and rejuvenate your senses.

May 21-Jun 20

GEMINI

LUCKY FOR YOU: BLUE, 18

LUCKY FOR YOU: GREEN, 23