News Headline
FDCI zeroes on The Grand as venue for Lakme India Fashion week
MUMBAI: After considering Hotel Taj Palace and ITPO Pragati Maidan in Delhi as possible venues for the much-awaited Lakme India Fashion Week (LIWF) 2004, the Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI) announced The Grand Hotel in New Delhi as the venue for the event which will be held from 29 April 29 to 5 May.
LIFW will provide a vibrant platform for the business of fashion. FDCI executive director Vinod Kaul said, “We are pleased to announce the venue of LIFW 2004, much in advance this year. We have been looking for an appropriate venue for past three months. LIFW has grown over the last few years and so have the requirements for space, support services, image association, etc. As a result we were looking at three venues – Hotel Grand, Hotel Taj Palace and ITPO Pragati Maidan. After analyzing cost, benefits and our requirements, we have decided to choose Hotel ‘The Grand’ as the venue.”
Commenting on FDCI’s announcement, The Grand, New Delhi EAM rooms and marketing Navneet Nagpal said, “The Grand New Delhi has always been identified with classy lifestyle events depicting an orientation towards style, art and luxury. LIFW has evolved as the only true platform for the country that represents fashion in its current paradigm. A symbiotic relationship between the two, the Grand and LIFW, not only makes complete sense but also is complementing for both brands.”
Nagpal further added, “The Grand New Delhi is set within 10 acres of landscaped gardens located in an environmentally protected area in Vasant-Kunj Phase 11. Owing to its spacious contemporary settings and elegantly designed interiors, The Grand New Delhi is the most appropriately chosen venue for the biggest fashion extravaganza in India. Just 15 minutes from the airport and a short drive from Delhi’s commercial centers and national monuments, The Grand New Delhi offers a style of service and range of facilities second to none.”
According to an official release, LIFW 2004 will continue to focus on promoting the ‘business of fashion’. An exclusive ‘by invitation only’ event, LIFW 2004 will see over 15,000 visitors, ranging from international buying houses to domestic buyers, the textile industry, investment and corporate houses, related government bodies, media, sponsors, as well as guest designers.
The event on the whole will aim to serve as an effective platform to promote fashion-design and industry professionals to form trade linkages within India and abroad. It proposes to feed the audience with diverse fashion resources. Lakme India Fashion Week offers participating designers a business presence through a series of marketing tools including presentations, study, seminars, workshops on various facets of the industry, to inform and educate the buyers, investors, corporate houses and the media.
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.
