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Horsepower is heading to Europe
Mumbai: Media Ranch founder & CEO, Sophie Ferron announced that Lithuanian National Radio and Television (LRT) will host a Horsepower intensive in late February, training participants in the writing and pitching of global unscripted TV formats. The event is organised by the Lithuanian creative enterprise The Ethnic Kitchen Productions in partnership with Media Ranch, the Embassy of Canada to Lithuania, and Lithuanian National Radio and Television (LRT).
Horsepower is a proprietary talent incubator created by Media Ranch to foster new talent in the creation of unscripted television formats. The program, started by Media Ranch’s Sophie Ferron in partnership with Quebecor, was first held in Montreal, Canada in 2018. Formats from this incubator have been optioned around the world. Highlights from past years include partnerships with TF1, Quebecor, La Fabrique des Formats and deals with The CW, Diga Studios, Wheelhouse, and gaming giant Ubisoft – where a first-year participant’s project is now the official TV format for mega-hit game “Just Dance”.
After a successful run in Quebec, this is the first time Horsepower will be conducted internationally, and talks have already begun for other countries. Taking place in Vilnius, the workshops will be given by Media Ranch’s head of storytelling Philip Kalin-Hajdu, who has run the program since its inception. The program will conclude with pitches of the original formats created by participants to decision-makers from LRT and Media Ranch. LRT will pick one project that they would like to pursue in co-development. Media Ranch will board one (or more) projects as an international distributor.
Ferron stated: “Horsepower has been such a dynamic vehicle for launching new IP and reaching new voices for the creation of formats. Media Ranch is thrilled to launch the first international version with LRT and Ethnic Kitchen in Lithuania and look forward to seeing amazing formats emerge.”
Kalin-Hajdu said: “We are grateful to Aiste at Ethnic Kitchen, LRT, and the Embassy of Canada to Lithuania for this event. The beauty of formats is that they are, by nature, adaptable and serve to illustrate the commonalities between audiences, while celebrating our uniqueness. Horsepower continues to prove that local talent has the capacity to create for global audiences. We are thrilled to be bringing the program to Lithuania.”
Ptakauske said: “In Europe alone, the TV formats industry generates over three billion euros per year. Although the UK has been the biggest European exporter of TV formats for a long time, other European countries such as the Netherlands, Germany, France, Sweden, Denmark, and Norway have lately been stepping on its heels. Lithuania is, unfortunately, not a contender in the global TV formats industry yet. My hope is that Horsepower in Vilnius will provide Lithuanian creators with knowledge and ambition to develop TV formats for global audiences.”
LTR head of TV department Andrius Korenka said: “Every year, before launching our public tender for TV programs, we hold special meetings with Lithuanian producers with the goal to convey to them our expectations as well as our audience’s preferences. New opportunities to learn about the most current trends of the global TV formats industry and possibilities to adapt them to the Lithuanian TV industry will be a very valuable experience to us and all our collaborators.”
NEW DELHI: Hamdard Laboratories gathered a cross-section of India’s achievers in New Delhi on Friday, handing out the Hakeem Abdul Hameed Excellence Awards to figures who have left their mark across healthcare, education, sport, public service and the arts.
The ceremony, attended by minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth and senior officials from the ministry of Ayush, celebrated individuals whose work blends professional success with a sense of public purpose. It was as much a roll call of achievement as it was a reminder that influence is not measured only in profits or podiums, but in people reached and lives improved.
Among the headline awardees was Alakh Pandey, founder and chief executive of PhysicsWallah, recognised for turning affordable digital learning into a mass movement. On the sporting front, Arjuna Awardee and kabaddi player Sakshi Puniya was honoured for her contribution to the game and for pushing women’s participation onto bigger stages.
The cultural spotlight fell on veteran lyricist and poet Santosh Anand, whose songs have echoed across generations of Hindi cinema. At 97, Anand accepted the honour with characteristic humility, reflecting on a life shaped by perseverance and hope.
Healthcare honours spanned both modern and traditional systems. Manoj N. Nesari was recognised for strengthening Ayurveda’s place in national and global health frameworks. Padma shri Mohammed Abdul Waheed was honoured for his research-backed work in Unani medicine, while padma shri Mohsin Wali received recognition for his long-standing contribution to patient-centred care.
Education and social development also featured prominently. Padma shri Zahir Ishaq Kazi was honoured for decades of work in education, while former Meghalaya superintendent of Police T. C. Chacko was recognised for public service. Goonj founder Anshu Gupta received an award for his dignity-centred rural development initiatives, and the Hunar Shakti Foundation was honoured for empowering women and young girls through skill development.
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to former IAS officer Shailaja Chandra for her long career in public healthcare and governance, particularly in the traditional systems under Ayush.
Speaking at the event, Hamdard chairman Abdul Majeed said the awards were a tribute to those who combine excellence with empathy. “These awardees reflect Hakeem Sahib’s belief that healthcare, education and public service must ultimately serve humanity,” he said.
Minister Seth struck a forward-looking note, saying India’s young population gives the country a unique opportunity to become a global destination for learning, health and wellness by 2047.
The ceremony also featured the trailer launch of Unani Ki Kahaani, an upcoming documentary starring actor Jim Sarbh, set to premiere on Discovery on 11 February.
Instituted in memory of Unani scholar and educationist Hakeem Abdul Hameed, the awards have grown into a national platform that celebrates those building a more inclusive and resilient India. For one evening at least, the spotlight was not just on success, but on service with substance.
