News Headline
Planet M launches 5th store at Bangalore
BANGALORE: After the Planet M stores in Brigade Road, Jayanagar, ITPL, and Indiranagar, Planet M announced the launch of the fifth store at Marathalli, Bangalore.
In the five years since it launched its first store in Mumbai, Planet M has grown in an electric fashion – Planet M now boasts of 37 stores across 17 cities, and has 46 Satellites across big towns. Other destinations are on the anvil.
Having a national presence, there are nine Planet M’s in Mumbai, five in Bangalore, four in Kolkata, three in Hyderabad, two each in Chennai, Gurgaon and Jaipur and one each in Delhi, Faridabad, Noida, Nashik, Chandigarh, Pune, Vadodara, Lucknow, Bhubaneswar and Nagpur, 37 stores in all! Also there are 46 Planet M ‘Satellites’ i.e. shop-in-shops across India. Planet M claim that their stores across the country are the by-word of mega entertainment and they work hard at having fun and pleasing customers.
Planet M, Marathalli is all about Music, Home Entertainment with VCDs, DVDs and CD-ROMs, Audio Accessories, Planet M memorabilia and lots of other stuff to choose from as per their press release.
In Marathalli, Planet M claim to have enhanced all that is fantastic in its other stores, based on their experience in successful handling of huge retail stores. This experience has helped them identify specific needs and interests of different groups of audiences.
Awards
Hamdard honours changemakers at Abdul Hameed awards
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.








