Brands
India’s ice queens rise in Pocket FM’s ‘Sound of Courage’
MUMBAI: In a world flooded with noise, opinions, and clutter, Pocket FM, the world’s largest audio series platform, is on a mission to inspire the nation through meaningful narratives. The latest chapter in its widely loved ‘India, Kuch Acha Suno’ campaign spotlights the incredible true story of the Indian Women’s Ice Hockey Team — a tale of grit, belief, and breaking barriers.
Despite family resistance, societal pressure, and being mocked for playing “men’s sport,” each player faced her own challenges but never gave up. They eventually went to represent India and won a historic bronze at the Asia Cup. Their incredible journey – from frozen lakes in Ladakh to the international podium – now comes alive in ‘Sound of Courage’, a brand film launched by Pocket FM, as part of its campaign ‘India, Kuch Acha Suno!’.
Set against the stark and stunning landscape of Ladakh, the film documents how these women braved societal resistance, inadequate gears, and freezing temperatures to chase a dream many deemed impossible. Often training in borrowed men’s gear, their story is one of courage, conviction, and unrelenting belief in themselves.
“Victory is born out of persistence,” says Indian Women’s Ice Hockey Team captain Tsewang Chuskit. “Our journey was filled with doubt back home, but it was our association that believed in us and stood by us. Still, we chose to listen to our inner voice. ‘Sound of Courage’ reflects our truth—it’s a reminder that trusting yourself can change everything.”
“We didn’t just win a medal — we made a statement. Against all odds, we carved our own path, broke barriers, and proved that passion knows no boundaries. This Bronze at the IIHF Asia Cup isn’t just about the game — it’s about resilience, belief, and a dream that refused to die.
To our incredible Ice Hockey family — the players, parents, coaches, and support staff — who believed in us when few did. You showed up when it was hard. Together, we turned every challenge into a stepping stone. We are more than a team — we are a movement,” said Harjinder Singh ‘Jindi’, General Secretary, Ice Hockey Association of India and Member IIHF Asia Committee.
Pocket FM SVP & head of brand marketing, communications and partnerships, Vineet Singh shared, “In a world filled with noise and negativity, we want to shine a light on stories that inspire and uplift. ‘Sound of Courage’ is more than a film—it’s a tribute to every individual who’s ever dared to defy the odds and to the unheard stories that deserve to reach far and wide.”
Padma Shri recipient Morup Namgyal has lent his voice to the video. The film is not just about ice hockey. It is about every Indian woman who has chosen her own path – mothers, daughters, and sisters who’ve broken barriers with silent strength. It speaks to a nation where listening to your heart is an act of defiance and courage.
The film features the players from India’s Women’s Ice Hockey team including Tsewang Chuskit, Sonam Angmo, Sonam Angmo (Kanji) Skarma Rinchen, Rinchen Dolma, Sherap Zangmo, Padma Chorol, Rigzin Yangdol, Dechen Dolker and Diskit C Angmo.
With ‘Sound of Courage’, Pocket FM furthers its ‘India, Kuch Acha Suno’ movement—an initiative to amplify real stories that bring hope, pride, and purpose to every Indian ear. The film was conceptualised by Pocket Entertainment’s in-house creative team, which led the visualisation, direction, and production in collaboration with Black And White Films.
Watch here:
Brands
Samsung certifies 1,000 Maharashtra students in AI and coding
The South Korean electronics giant marks its first large-scale skilling push in the state, with women making up nearly half the national programme’s enrolment
PUNE: Samsung has put 1,000 students in Maharashtra through a certified training programme in artificial intelligence and coding, the largest such drive the South Korean electronics company has run in the state and a signal that corporate India’s skilling ambitions are moving well beyond the boardroom brochure.
The certifications were awarded under Samsung Innovation Campus (SIC), the company’s flagship corporate social responsibility programme, which launched in India in 2022 with the stated aim of democratising access to future-technology education. The 1,000 graduates were drawn from four institutions: 127 from Savitribai Phule Pune University, 373 from Pimpri Chinchwad University, 250 from D.Y. Patil University’s Ramrao Adik Institute of Technology and 250 from Anjuman-I-Islam’s Kalsekar Technical Campus. All completed training in either AI or coding and programming, the two disciplines Samsung has identified as the critical pillars of the digital economy.
The programme does not stop at technical training. Soft-skills development and career-readiness modules are baked into the curriculum, a deliberate attempt to close the gap between what universities teach and what employers actually want.
“India’s digital growth story will ultimately be shaped by the quality of its talent pipeline,” said Shubham Mukherjee, head of CSR and corporate communications at Samsung Southwest Asia. “As technologies like AI move from the periphery to the core of industries, skilling must evolve from basic training to building real-world capability. This milestone in Maharashtra reflects how industry and academia can come together to create a future-ready workforce that is both globally competitive and locally relevant.”
The Maharashtra drive sits within a rapidly scaling national effort. Samsung Innovation Campus trained 20,000 young people across India in 2025, hitting its stated target for the year. Women account for 48 per cent of national enrolments, a figure the company cites as evidence of its push for an inclusive technology ecosystem. The programme is implemented in partnership with the Electronics Sector Skills Council of India and the Telecom Sector Skill Council.
Samsung, which is marking 30 years in India this year, runs SIC alongside two other initiatives, Samsung Solve for Tomorrow and Samsung DOST, as part of a broader effort to build what it calls a generation of innovators with both the technical depth and the problem-solving mindset to thrive in a fast-moving digital world.
A thousand certified students is a tidy headline. Whether they find jobs that match their new skills is the harder question, and the one that will ultimately determine whether corporate skilling programmes like this one are genuine pipelines or well-photographed gestures.
