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Yantra Media forays into event business
MUMBAI: Chennai-headquartered production house Yantra Media is entering the event space. The inaugural offering is a beauty queen contest Ms South India 2005 covering four Southern states Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala.
The contest will kick off with the Tamil Nadu round on 2 October followed by similar state level events in the other states. The final event will be held in Chennai in December 2005. According to Yantra Media head Shyamsundar, the company is making investments in the region of Rs 1.8 million to Rs 2 million per event in this series. Yantra will produce and market the events.
Yantra has also associated with television channels in the respective regions for telecast of the event. “Raj TV will telecast the Tamil Nadu round while Asianet will be our telecast partner in Kerala. For Telugu, we are in talks with Zee Telugu and ETV Telugu. If ETV is getting the deal, the channel will telecast the Karnataka round also. The final event will be simulcast in all the four languages,” Shyamsundar told indiantelevision.com.
Yantra plans to broaden its event initiative to the Middle East market as well. The company’s next big event will be based in the Gulf. “Next, Yantra will be doing humour based shows in various cities in the Gulf. Our target group will be the vast South Indian expatriate segment the Middle East market offers,” says Shyamsundar.
Yantra Media presently produces soaps for various South Indian channels including Asianet and Zee Telugu.
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.
