Asia Society India Centre Board Names Sangita Jindal New Chair


Haryana : The Asia Society India Centre Board has announced the election of Sangita Jindal as the new Chair of the Board. Her role will be effective from the 1st of April, 2024. “I am so delighted to welcome Sangita Jindal as Chair of the Asia Society India Centre Board. She has been an immense support to our mission in South Asia and her work to support contemporary art in India and South Asia has been a transformative force; I look forward to working with her to strengthen Asia Society’s footprint in South Asia,” said Asia Society India Centre CEO Inakshi Sobti.

Sangita Jindal is President, Art India and Chairperson of the JSW Foundation, which is responsible for the social development projects of the JSW Group of Companies. In the twenty years that she has been spearheading the JSW Foundation, it has enlarged its scope of activities in the areas of education, health, livelihood creation, local sports development and conservation of arts and cultural heritage. She established the Jindal Arts Centre in 1992 and founded Art India, India’s premier art magazine, in 1994. She was among the team that conceptualised the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival and was awarded the Eisenhower Fellowship in 2004. She has founded the Hampi Foundation that has undertaken conservation work at three temples in Hampi. She is a Global Trustee of Asia Society and a member of the Board of the National Culture Fund, Trustee of the World Monument Fund, advisor to TEDxGateway and a member of the IMC Ladies’ Wing Art, Culture and Film Committee.

Founded in 1956 by John D. Rockefeller 3rd, Asia Society is a nonpartisan, nonprofit institution with major centers and public buildings in New York, Houston and Hong Kong, and offices in Los Angeles, Manila, Melbourne, Mumbai, San Francisco, Seattle, Seoul, Sydney, Tokyo, Washington, D.C. and Zurich. The India Centre was founded in 2006; it is the only Asia Society Centre in South Asia and aims to encompass all of the subcontinent in its mission to bring together diverse perspectives on modern Asia and cultivate a nuanced understanding of Asia- Pacific affairs. To learn more about Asia Society India, head to asiasociety.org/india.

Škoda Auto India enhances digitalisation strategy to fuel New Era of growth in India


 

  *  Introduces pioneering customer engagement initiatives

   * Garners over 1,50,000name suggestions till date for upcoming compact SUV with digital campaign – ‘Name Your Škoda’

    *Achieves bookings of 709 cars in first-ever 24-hour online sales programme, to celebrate 24 years in India

    *Launches Škoda Gearheads, a dynamic NFT-driven digital community

    *Service CAM for customers to monitor cars in service remotelyalready in effect

    *Showrooms across India have been fully digitalised

 

Škoda Auto India has already ushered in the New Era with the announcement of its all-new compact SUV. Taking a stride further into the New Era with user engagement, customer involvement and digitalisation, the company launched a flurry of 360-degree digital activities that saw it achieve landmark sales and get closer to its customers and fans.

 

Speaking on the occasion, Petr Janeba, Brand Director, Škoda Auto India, said:“With the ever-changing digital landscape, platforms and mediums, it is imperative to pioneer new ways of enhancing the customer experience and journey. Ourdigital strategies are designed to ensure our products and services reach out to our customers and fans, in a language of their choice. The Name Your Škoda campaign garnered over 1,50,000 entries till date for our soon-to-be-launched all-new compact SUV. The recently concluded, first-ever,fully digital 24-hour sale celebrating our 24 years in India resulted in 709 Škoda cars being booked in a single day. Besides, we have further enhanced our Škodaverse India NFT umbrella with the roll out of the Škoda Gearheads community. With these we are constantly adapting and evolving to reach out to even more customers to meet their needs and aspirations in this vast and diverse market.”

 

Name Your Škoda

It is a campaign that enabled the involvement and engagement of users, customers and the Fans of Škoda in picking the name for Škoda Auto India’s compact SUV that will hit the roads in 2025. The campaign resulted in over 1,50,000 names till date, of which more than21,000 are unique names. These entries stayed true to Škoda’s tradition of naming all their internal combustion SUVs beginning with a ‘K’ and ending with a ‘Q’ with one or two syllables in between.

 

24 hours. 24 years. 24 March. 2024

Škoda Auto India also celebrated its landmark moment in the country. The company was incorporated in India in December 1999. To mark the occasion, the brand unfurled a series of offers limited to 24hours on 24 March, 2024 exclusively though digital platforms. The exercise witnessed bookingsof 709 cars within the 24-hour period. Furthering the company’s mission to enable a ‘Škoda for everyone’ this innovative initiative is yet another enabler for its customers to connect with brand Škoda and access its fleet of class-leading cars rated 5-star safe for adults and children.

 

Škoda Gearheads

It is a first-of-its-kind nation-wide unique membership programme aimed at fostering a community of individuals passionate about automobiles. Apart from a welcome kit with premium merchandise, members can enjoy VIP treatment at Škoda events, exclusive benefits on car and service products purchase, insider updates on upcoming releases and innovations, and invitations to exclusive offline and online gatherings with industry experts and fellow enthusiasts. All memberships will be minted on the Polygon blockchain and can be accessed as a dynamic NFT (Non Fungible Token) on the well-entrenched Škodaverse India platform.

 

Digital frontier. Compact SUV

The cluster of purely digital initiatives follows the company having its Biggest Year in 2022 and selling over 1 lakh cars between 2022 and 2023. The innovations have created their own organic buzz for Škoda’s all-new compact SUV set to make its world debut in India in H1 2025. This SUV is based on the MQB-A0-IN platform, like the Kushaq SUV and the Slavia sedan. The MQB-A0-IN was specifically developed for India by teams in India and the Czech Republic with an eye on versatility, safety, dynamics while focussing on localisation, low maintenance costs and a hassle-free ownership experience. The Kushaq SUV debuted in India and the world in July 2021 and the Slavia sedan in March 2022.

 

Digitalisation for years

The digital endeavour from Škoda Auto India stretches back to a few years ago, when the company, in what was then an India-first exercise, fully digitalised all its showrooms with interactive tables, immersive experiences, and an industry-first Digital Car Information Stand in India. This array of digital additions further enhanced the car selection and purchase experience for customers. In 2023, Škoda Auto India also introduced the Service CAM initiative. A phone app-based system, it allows customers to monitor, accept and reject jobs and tasks on their cars while it is in for service. This digital application is aimed at boosting transparency and enriching the ownership experience for customers.

 

 

 

High-end analog instant camera “INSTAX mini 99TM”


–              Featuring new analog functions – Freely manipulating light and colour of a captured moment

–              Releasing the mini-format film “PHOTO SLIDE” this summer, adding an extra flair to print expressions.

 

 FUJIFILM India announced the newest introduction to the FUJIFILM INSTAX family of analog instant cameras with the debut of its FUJIFILM INSTAX MINI 99 instant camera (MINI 99). The INSTAX MINI 99 instant camera will be sold at a maximum retail price starting from Rs. 20,999/-. The product will be available from 4th April on www.Instax.in and various online retailers like Amazon, Flipkart to name a few apart from our huge retail store footprint across the country with over 2000+ stores which can be found at our website https://www.instax.in/apps/where-to-buy

 

Along with the new camera, INSTAX business is also introducing the new print films called Photo Slide. Taking the customer’s experience a notch above, these designer films will enhance the visual impact of the photo, elevating the aesthetics to whole new level.

 

Mr. Koji Wada, Managing Director FUJIFILM India shared his enthusiasm “Aligned with our Group Philosophy of “Giving our World More Smiles”, we are thrilled to welcome INSTAX MINI 99 to India as our first launch since unveiling of our new group philosophy. We are excited to witness the joyful opportunities that this new product will capture and continue to give smiles to our users and memories to cherish. Truly an embodiment of our group purpose – We hope and believe that this product will spread more smiles in our world.”

 

Mr. Arun Babu, Associate Director & Head of Digital Camera, Instax & Optical Devices Business, FUJIFILM India said, “Standing true to our commitment of “Value from Innovation”, we are proud to announce our flagship analogue camera, the INSTAX MINI 99, which will be empowering users to unleash their creativity and artistic expression like never before. Through the recently introduced features, users will find themselves equipped with tools that not only capture their favorite moments but also provide opportunities for exploration and experimentation.”

 

The mini 99™ is an evolved version of the globally-successful INSTAX mini 90TM (mini 90TM). It features new functions that use analog technology to further broaden the range of print expressions, such as “Color Effect Control,” which apply lights of different colors directly to a film to produce six different color expressions, and “Vignette Mode,” which reduces exposure around the edges to bring the focus to the center of each picture. Print expressions can vary based on shooting conditions, allowing users to create unique INSTAX prints with great flair.

 

The camera body boasts leather-like matte texture that is comfortable to hold and presents a classic design with a premium look and texture suitable for the high-end model.

  

The new functions of the mini 99: Color Effect Control and Vignette Mode can be combined with  Brightness Control, using a dial on the side of the camera body, to further expand the range of print expressions. The new camera also inherits functions from the mini 90™, including Landscape / Macro / Indoor modes*2 with enhanced image quality, Sports mode*2 ideal for shooting a fast-moving subject and Self Timer for group shots. Shooting modes for manipulating light are also available, including Bulb and Double Exposure modes.

 

In order to further expand the appeals of INSTAX, including the mini 99TM, Fujifilm released an updated version of INSTAX UP! on March 13. It is a popular INSTAX smartphone app*3 that allows users to scan and save INSTAX prints with a smartphone for easy digital conversion. The update adds the the Album function. Users can create a collection of scanned INSTAX images by theme, providing another way to enjoy INSTAX.

 

Fujifilm will continue to expand the world of the “INSTAX” instant photo system that allows people to enjoy on-the-spot photo printing.

 

*1 INSTAX is a trademark or registered trademark of FUJIFILM Corporation.

*2 The Indoor mode and the Sports mode are equivalent to the Party mode and the Kids mode in the mini 90TM.

*3 INSTAX UP! is a free app for Android and iOS devices. It is available for download from Google Play for Android devices and from App Store for iOS devices such as iPhone. Android and Google Play are trademarks or registered trademarks of Google Inc. iPhone and App Store are trademarks of Apple Inc. The iPhone trademark is used in Japan under license from Aiphone Co., Ltd. The iOS trademark is used under license from Cisco in the United States and other countries.

 

 

1. Product names, release dates and prices

Product name   Release date in India      Price

(1) INSTAX mini 99™       April 4th MRP: 20,999

(2) INSTAX mini-format film

“PHOTO SLIDE” April 4th MRP: 899

 

(1) INSTAX mini 99™      

 

(2) INSTAX mini-format film“PHOTO SLIDE”

 

2. Main features of the INSTAX mini 99™

(1) Operability in pursuit for analog usability and classical design with a premium feel

The mini 99TM is designed in pursuit for analog operability, e.g. use of the lens ring to adjust power and focal length, and use of the side dial for changing light and brightness. The camera body boasts leather-like matte texture that sits comfortably in the hand. Hammertone coating and colored text are featured to present a classical design with premium exterior and texture suitable for the high-end model for the INSTAX series of analog instant cameras.

 

 

(2) Color Effect Control, applying lights of different colors directly to the film to add colors to a photo moment

The camera body houses four LED lights. Lights of different colors, as defined in the settings for the Color Effect Dial on the side, are directly applied to the film when a picture is taken, creating six variations in color expression. The six variations also change depending on ambient brightness, subject color and other shooting conditions, giving users freedom in expressing each captured moment.

 

 

(3) Vignette Mode for narrowing the lens opening to adjust light falloff

Turning on this Mode allows users to narrow the lens opening manually to reduce light around the edges and drawing attention to the center of the image for an artistic finish.

 

 

(4) Convenient five-step Brightness Control for adjusting image brightness

Use the Brightness Control dial on the side to create a high-key or low-key picture. Brightness can be adjusted in five levels from D- to L+, and combined with Color Effect Control or Vignette Mode to freely manipulate color tones and brightness.

 

 

(5) Diverse shooting modes for a variety of situations

・The mini 99TM features Landscape / Macro mode for sharp images according to distance to the subject, Indoor mode for making the background brighter in low-light conditions, and Sports mode suitable for shooting a fast-moving subject.

・The camera has the Self Timer, a convenient tool for shooting events or group photos. The Flash settings can be switched between No Flash, Red Eye Correction etc. depending on shooting locations.

・Also on offer are Double Exposure mode, in which the shutter can be released twice on single film for overlapping two images, and Bulb mode to keep the shutter open for a long time, producing mysterious and creative images with the clever use of light.

 

 (6) Miscellaneous

・The mini 99TM uses a removable rechargeable battery, capable of taking approx. 100 frames per charge. USB Type-C is used as a charging terminal (a charging cable supplied).

・The camera comes with a bottom grip with a tripod thread*4, to be used when it needs to be mounted on a tripod. The grip also makes it easy to hold the camera while taking a self portrait.

 

 

4 When replacing a film while taking pictures with a tripod, make sure to attach the bottom grip to the camera or remove the camera from the tripod. 

  

3. “mini 99™” promotion

The mini 99TM, developed with a focus on analog technology, delivers photo expressions distinctively analog by combining colors created with Color Effect Control with light manipulation achieved with Vignette mode and Brightness Control. Our hope that users will enjoy manipulating color and light to create special and unique pictures, is reflected in the promotional tagline of “Be One-of-a-Kind with Light and Color.” The promotion, to be conducted mainly online, on social media and at retailers, will communicate the appeals of the mini 99TM to as many people as possible.

  

4. Version upgrade of the INSTAX UP! App

 

・The INSTAX UP! app was upgraded to a new version on March 13. The INSTAX UP! can easily convert INSTAX prints into digital data by scanning the entire prints including the surrounding frames, and preserving INSTAX’s distinctively gentle tonality. Users can revisit their favorite INSTAX prints on their smartphone any time and easily post a collection created in the app directly on social media for instantaneous sharing with friends, adding a new way of enjoying INSTAX prints.

 

・The latest version update adds the Album function. Users can group together a collection of photos by theme, and combine it with their favorite background in two View modes (Box View, List View), to create a number of unique albums with a personal touch. Enjoy INSTAX prints, taken with diverse effects and modes available in the mini 99TM, sorted into albums.