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Brands support Genesis Foundation’s Rhythm & Blues Festival
MUMBAI: A musical rollercoaster of pop, rock, Indian classical, Bollywood hits and more, a euphoric extravaganza of dance, music, friends and fun and a gratifying experience of contributing to a noble cause – the 6th edition of Genesis Foundation’s Kasauli Rhythm & Blues Festival delivered on all counts. The event saw participation from close to 600 supporters and music enthusiasts from different locations.
#KasauliRnB, which features in the list of some of the most-anticipated music festivals of India, is a confluence of artists, music-lovers and supporters of Genesis Foundation’s cause. Proceeds from the Festival go into the treatment of critically ill under-privileged children with heart disorders. Supporting the Foundation on this journey are supporters like Fitbit and Monster.com, all of whom have contributed to making this effort successful.
The spectacular evening of day 1 began with the performance of the renowned band, Late too Soon, who played rock and pop numbers. Their energetic performance was followed by Rajeev Raja Combine, an Indo-Jazz fusion band, which had people on their feet. And then came the electric performance by Nasya, who played a combination of popular Sufi, Haryanvi and Punjabi folk dedicated to all the attendees from the neighborhood. Headlining on day 1 were ‘Swatantra Rock’ band Eka, who left the audience breathless with their high-octane performance. The night ended with an after-party with the original fusion king, Lesle Lewis, who has composed some of the most iconic anthems of the generation. The pull of the music, the ambience and the Festival’s cause managed to lure even his excellency Shri VP Badnore, the Honourable Governor of Punjab along with his family.
On the second day, as the sun cut through the mountain breeze, Tritha Sinha led a group of people in a session of Meditation with Music, leaving them rejuvenated and ready for the day. In the afternoon, it was time for a dance – a dance of fingers on drums and tambourines – led by the Delhi Drum Circle.
The evening’s performances began with Kamakshi Khanna Collective, who brought the smoky blues to #KasauliRnB. Following her was Neeraj Arya’s Kabir Collective, a band whose lyrics are inspired by the verses of the famous poet, Kabir. Their performance had the magic of soul-searching philosophy as well as all the elements of classic rock. As the sun set, Jonita Gandhi performed to some of the latest Bollywood numbers like ‘Breakup Song’, Ed Shereen’s ‘Shape of you’ and popular AR Rahman’s Mayya Mayya that left the crowd roaring for more. Everyone was up and dancing and singing along. And then, the grand dame of Indian rock and roll took stage. Usha Uthup, whose powerful and resounding voice has made people of all ages fall in love with her music, had the audience wishing the night would never end as she sang song after song that was familiar and well-loved. Songs like Jaane Ja Jaan, Dum Maaro Dum, Monica, Oh my Darling left the audience asking for more. With her performance and after the weekend’s entire electrifying line-up, the Festival reached a crescendo, and trended at No.7 on desktop and No. 3 on mobiles pan-India on Twitter.
Talking about the event, Genesis Foundation founding trustee Prema Sagar said, “Kasauli Rhythm & Blues Festival has become a force to reckon with and we are happy and grateful for the relentless support that we receive each year. It is heartening to see that even though people come here to enjoy, they want to contribute to our cause whole heartedly. I’d like to thank everyone who was able to make this Festival such a success. We hope to see you in the coming years as well.”
Jonita Gandhi said, “We had a blast as the audience was really warm and they were very appreciative of the different styles of music. We always love to perform among such a great crowd, so happy that they enjoyed and so did we. Thank you to GF for inviting us. This is a very important cause as we need to spread awareness about this issue and I think it’s a great initiative that they are supporting. A cause like this is something that always brings people together and tonight is a perfect example of that. Hopefully this event will help support their cause in the best possible way. I’m glad to contribute for it.”
“It’s been a great journey of over 48 years with music. Genesis Foundation is and has been doing the best thing in this world, which is giving life to those who need, and helping little kids get a chance to smile again. My music has always been about spreading love and so I relate to the cause even more. I am thankful to GF for having me here,” said Usha Uthup, the headliner performer at #KasauliRnB.
Monster.com MD – APAC & Middle East Sanjay Modi said,“The passion and enthusiasm of team Genesis Foundation (GF) is inspiring. It just goes to prove that when you love what you do, you put your heart and soul in it to make it a success! With the Kasauli Rhythm & Blues (RnB) festival, GF has found the right track to reach out to people for the noble cause of helping the underprivileged children. Like Billy Joel said, ‘Music in itself is healing, it is an explosion of expression of humanity. It’s something we are all touched by.’ I am glad to be a part of yet another season of RnB and strongly believe that it is important for each individual to understand their responsibility towards the society and work towards its betterment.”
Fitbit India in an official statement commented, “It has been a pleasure to be a part of the 6th Kasauli Rhythm & Blues Festival as the title sponsors and to be associated with Genesis Foundation for the third year. We are happy to have been a part of this fantastic journey with the Foundation team towards spreading smiles through the treatment of critically ill children. We would like to congratulate the GF team for yet another brilliant edition of the KRBF – that is now amongst the best music festivals in the country. We witnessed amazing interest from the audience at the Fitbit booth at the festival and partnering with the Genesis Foundation is in line with our endeavour to empower people to lead healthier, more active lives by providing them with data, inspiration and guidance to reach their goals.”
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Maharashtra revokes Ola, Uber, Rapido bike taxi licences
Temporary e-bike taxi permits cancelled as firms fail to meet state rules
MUMBAI: Maharashtra’s roads are set to see fewer zipping two-wheelers after the state government pulled the plug on provisional licences granted to bike taxi giants Ola, Uber and Rapido. Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik announced in the Legislative Council on Monday that temporary permissions would be revoked.
“These companies were given permission for just a month and were required to submit certain documents. Since they have not complied, their temporary licences are cancelled. This is to ensure illegal bikes do not operate on our roads,” Sarnaik said.
The move follows the Maharashtra E Bike Taxi Rules 2024, designed to generate employment for local youth and offer commuters a cheaper, greener ride option. The rules, approved in August 2024, allow electric bike taxis in cities with over one lakh residents.
Under the policy, only electric vehicles can ply as taxis, and operators had 30 days to fulfil licensing and compliance requirements. Yet, officials claim many continued operations without meeting these conditions. Sarnaik added that a large number of bike taxis currently running in Mumbai and the wider Mumbai Metropolitan Region are illegal.
In a firm enforcement twist, the government has instructed authorities to focus on vehicle owners rather than riders when registering cases. Safety concerns, particularly for women passengers, and accident complaints have also been flagged by the transport department.
Since April 2024, Regional Transport Offices have taken action against 130 non-compliant bike taxis, collecting fines exceeding Rs 33 lakh. Authorities say further measures will follow to ensure services adhere to regulations before returning to city streets.
Maharashtra’s bike taxi saga has been a rollercoaster. Initially banned in January 2023 due to concerns over private vehicles ferrying passengers, the sector was later formalised through an electric bike framework in 2024. Provisional licences were granted in 2025, but the government now warns that any bike taxi operating on city roads without proper permits will be considered illegal.
Adding to the transport shake-up, the government has also halted the issuance of new auto rickshaw permits from March 9 to ease urban traffic pressures and safeguard livelihoods of existing drivers. A fresh standard operating procedure for future permits is set to go before the state cabinet soon.
Maharashtra commuters may have to find alternative rides as the state reins in its two-wheeled taxi revolution, leaving app-based bikers in a legal limbo.
