MAM
Karnataka gold festival 2005 to kick off on 4 April
BANGALORE: The World Gold Council (WGC) and The Art of Jewellery magazine are coming together to conduct Karnataka Gold Festival 2005 in Bangalore.
The event is slated over 50-days starting 4 May to 25 May coinciding with the South Indian festivals of Ugadi and Akshaya Tritiya and the wedding season as well.
Buoyed by its success last year, the event is going to be held on a larger scale this year. Last year in Bangalore alone more than 1.6 tons of gold in all forms were sold during the festival, which was held between 4 April and 23 May.
The event is co-sponsored by ICICI Bank, Diviniti, Vijay Times, Airtel and Malaysia Tourism. Popular singer-actress Vasundhara Das has been signed as the Brand Ambassador for the Gold Festival.
More than 500 major jewelers across Karnataka are participating from their respective outlets in the new avatar of the festival. All the jewellery associations of Karnataka are supporting the festival.
The most striking feature of this event is the 5 kilos gold prize for the consumers, spread across 246 lucky draw winners including 1 Kilo gold bumper prize. Three prizes are assured for each participating district. Last year, the prizes totaled 1 kilo of gold. On every purchase of jewellery worth Rs. 2000 and multiples thereof, the consumers are eligible for free lucky draw coupons.
An added feature this year is Malaysia Tourism’s sponsoring a free holiday package for five couples (three among the participating jewelers and two among the customers).
“The response from the jewelers all over Karnataka has been over-whelming and we sincerely believe that the jewelery trade in the State will immensely benefit by this combined initiative,” says WGC VP K. Shivram.
The Art of Jewelery magazine chief editor and executive publisher Sumesh Wadhera, adds, “We are very happy to bring the entire jewelery trade in the State on a common platform to promote and drive the jewelery sales. Karnataka Gold Festival 2005 will be one of the biggest jewelery shopping festivals in India.”
Brands
UniVicoustic names Nataraju Shiva to steer business growth
Industry veteran to drive expansion, partnerships and strategy across global markets
MUMBAI: UniVicoustic has brought in seasoned industry hand Nataraju Shiva as head of business & strategy, a newly minted role aimed at sharpening its global ambitions and widening its footprint.
Formed through a partnership between Unitile and Vicoustic, UniVicoustic is looking well beyond its roots in acoustic panels. The company is steadily recasting itself as a full-spectrum spatial solutions player, catering to offices, hotels, hospitals, schools and premium homes with design-led, sound-smart environments.
Shiva steps in at a moment when the company is tuning up for scale. With operations spanning more than 70 countries and India emerging as a key growth engine, his mandate is clear: build a sharper strategy, deepen ties with architects and designers, and unlock new markets without missing a beat.
A three-decade veteran of the built environment and workspace solutions space, Shiva is no stranger to building businesses from scratch. His past stints include shaping brands such as Wipro Furniture, Wipro Lighting and Spacewood Office Solutions into credible names in India’s design and office ecosystem. Along the way, he helped set benchmarks in sustainability, certifications and design innovation.
In his new role, he will focus on aligning strategy with execution across markets, strengthening the specification network, and ensuring UniVicoustic’s offerings stay globally competitive. The brief also includes weaving innovation, wellbeing and sustainability into the company’s core playbook.
Shabbir Rajkotwala said Shiva’s track record of building purpose-led businesses makes him a natural fit as UniVicoustic eyes its next phase of growth.
For Shiva, the opportunity lies at the crossroads of design and human experience. He noted that the future of spaces will be shaped by how well they balance productivity, wellbeing and sustainability, adding that UniVicoustic is well placed to lead that shift.
The appointment signals more than just a leadership change. It reflects a broader pivot as UniVicoustic moves from being product-focused to becoming a solutions-driven platform, ready to craft spaces that sound as good as they look.
