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Indian companies drive into MipCom
CANNES: More than a dozen Indian companies are marking their presence at MipCom 2003 in the Palais de Festivals in Cannes. Scheduled to be held from 10-14 October 2003, the market is expected to be busy, the weakening American dollar notwithstanding.
Star India – with its gaggle of soaps and current affairs programmes, E-City Entertainment with its clutch of Spiritual shows (from the Chakra channel library), Eros International (with its huge movie library), Discovery Communications have all taken up booths in order to display their libraries. Balaji Telefilms, which had taken up a stand decided to abstain this year.
The other companies which have registered include: UTV Communications, Iqbal and Anu Malhotra’s AIM Television, Chennai-based magazine Animation Reporter, Dessin Works, Kosmic Studios, Uttar Pradesh based Escosoft Technologies, Secunderabad-based Green Gold Graphics, and Mumbai-based companies Sound Entertainment, UTV Software, Vale Music India, and indiantelevision.com.
Three days of conferencing, with pitching sessions from format show creators, screenings of several new programmes including those produced for HDTV, loads of lunches and evening cocktails and parties – attendees of this year’s MipCom are going to have their hands and time full. Of course there will be the meetings to begin new deals or continue conversations on existing ones and close some. Of course the nominees of The International Emmys are slated to be announced on 10 October. With a handful of Indian entries, it will be interesting to see if any of them hit the nomination charts.
Of course, two people are going to be recognised: News Corp. president and CEO and Fox Group chairman and CEO Peter Chernin is to be awarded with the Personality of the Year Award, and Warren Leibfarb, the founder of the DVD will be awarded the Decoration des Arts and Lettres by the French minister of Culture and Communication Jean-Jacques Aillagon.
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.
