Tuesday, December 25, 2007

ACTRESS SWAPNA TO FEATURE IN SALSA VIDEO



Mumbaichi garam masala mulgi Swapna is all set to feature in a hot, spicy international Salsa music video. She will be the leading face of the video with a steamy performance that is likely to make Sherlyn Chopra’s Outrageous look really tame and mild.


Swapna Todkar who comes from a very conservative Maharashtrian family though has no qualms about her performance. Says she, “the video story board demands a very ‘in your face’ and ‘bold’ performance and I am prepared for it.”


The shooting for the video is to begin around Jan-end and the tracks have already been worked out. The video – a crossover jugalbandi will also feature international hip-hop and Salsa performers besides the Indian hottie who will showcase her Salsa skills.


Swapna who is originally from Kolhapur and is a very well-known face on the modeling scene in Sangli, Kolhapur, Nagpur, Pune and other smaller towns in Maharashtra.


The dancing sensation who has learned kathak and western dances like Salsa, Mexican and the Tango from international dance experts had earlier won “The Best Female Model 2005 & 2006” contest from Suchitra Photographics and Intertrade advertisement company, Kolhapur.

She was also the title holder at the Miss Silver City 2005 contest and is the Brand ambassador for Samruddhi and Krushak of Sangli.

A trained theatre personality, she has done various plays both in serious character and even comedy roles. Her play “Sabse Bada Rupaiyaa” – a hilarious comedy performed in over 15 cities and towns in Maharashtra. The play is directed by Vijay Patwardhan and produced by Shekhar Lohakar. She has also performed in Lagna Aadhi Varat which is a farsical and in Aghatit – a one act play.


She has appeared on hundreds of print and television ads and graced the covers of several prominent news and women’s magazines.

She is also a ramp model and has walked the ramp for many nationally known fashion designers.

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Influx Group to invest Rs 100 crore in Retail Sector Projects



The Pune-based Rs 200 crore Influx Group announced last week that it will invest Rs 100 crore primarily in the Retail and Information Technology sectors in order to reach its target turnover of Rs 1,000 crore from its present Rs 200 crore in the next three years. The thrust of the Group will be Retail, Financial Marketing Services and Information Technology.

The Group is also present in the Entertainment Sector through a privately-held outfit called Influx Ideas and will launch two Marathi films soon. The films are already ready for release and the Group is waiting for the opportune moment to announce their release.

Widely acclaimed as one of the fastest growing groups in India, covering various businesses ranging from Retail, to Financial Services Marketing to Information Technology, the group has developed a strong corporate governance model based on core values of excellence, knowledge, innovation, care integrity and team work.

While interacting with a group of visiting media persons from Bangalore, Group Chairman and Managing Director Shivaaji Chamkire explained that the current customer base of four lakh pan-India would be increased to over ten million in the next three years, through its six group companies.

An ISO certified group, with quality as its top most priority, the organisation had spread its operations in 22 states. Explaining the performance of all the six companies, he said, the Influx Infotech company had set up an Offshore Development Centre in Bangalore for its software marketing activities. The company offered a wide range of innovative IT products and its 'TOTAL Accounting Software' was rapidly becoming a favoured choice of professionals across the country.

Armed with high-end infrastructure and an experienced back-end team, the company had already implemented a project in the Karnataka Chief Minister's office to ensure paperless transactions through a software and was negotiating with the Orissa Government for introducing the same, he added.

Influx-KEONICS launches TOTAL Graduate Programme

By Flynn Remedios – FUTURISTIC MEDIA NETWORK


Bangalore: The Pune-based 200-crore plus Influx Group in a strategic and major move to support rural and urban youth to shape up their career, has announced a 'Total Graduate Programme' jointly with the Karnataka Government owned KEONICS to give finishing touch to graduate students to brighten their employment prospects. Influx Infotech, the Information Technology arm of Influx made the announcement in Bangalore recently.

Briefing newsmen after the formal launch of the programme, Keonics Director (Operations) B S Patri said the programme would be covered by 250 centres of KEONICS in the first phase with the help of the Influx group across the country, mainly targeting students of various courses such as BA, B Sc, B Com, BE, BBA and BBM, to improve their skills and make them ready for industry use.

Explaining the programme, Influx Chairman and Managing Director Shivaaji Chamkire said the 60-hour training programme comprised basic computers, operating system, MS Office Package, database concepts, among other things.

The programme is aimed at helping students improve their communication and management skills, personality development and career guidance, he explained. Chamkire added that Influx would open 1,000 centres to implement the programme as against the existing 24 outlets by March 2009. The turnover of the company which is currently around Rs 200 crore is expected to cross Rs 1,000 crore by 2010, he added.