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Raj Kundra & Akshay Kumar partner to launch shopping channel
MUMBAI: Entrepreneur Raj Kundra has joined hands with actor Akshay Kumar to launch Best Deal TV – a 24 hours shopping channel. With a motto of Sirf Bestest, the channel promises to present exclusive products at best possible rates. The free to air celebrity channel will be available on all major cable and DTH (Direct to home) platforms from 18 March, 2015 onwards.
The products available on Best Deal TV are categorized in lifestyle, home, fashion, health and beauty.
Speaking at the launch, Best Deal TV founder and CEO Kundra said, “We are pleased to launch a new and unique home shopping channel on which our products will be exclusive, aspirational and above all affordable. All products will go through our vigorous Quality Lab tests before obtaining approval. Today most brands rely on celebrities to sell their products. Best Deal TV offers the perfect combination – of quality products and celebrities endorsing them on the same platform. To me it is perfect example of a Product – Celebrity Match. We match quality approved products with celebrities, and by controlling the end to end supply chain we ensure savings of our customers that guarantee they, literally get the best deal.”
Co-owner Akshay Kumar shared his experience with teleshopping. He said he saw a teleshopping channel offering astrological suggestions and when he took part in it he found that the rates quoted in the channel were bargainable, which means many customers might have been cheated. He also was of the opinion that products that are sold in the channels now available have no quality assurance. He elaborated, “When Best Deal first came to me with the idea of a home shopping channel the first thing I wanted to be sure about is that if my name is going to be attached to something, it has to be for something unique, never done before by a celebrity, and a quality which is worthy of my 100 per cent. I am happy to say that for the first time, consumers will be able to fulfill their celebrity style aspirations as far as their look and feel is concerned at very affordable prices.”
Best Deal TV is expected to cater to those who admire Bollywood glitteratzi and always aspire to dress up similarly. The challenge will be pricing, as the products come with a celebrity how much impact will it leave on the price tag remains to be seen. Every product has to be endorsed by a celebrity and only then will it feature on the channel. The concept is, the manufacturer has to approach a celebrity and convince him or her in terms of quality. And if a celebrity wants to launch his or her own product Best Deal TV can be a platform.
The chairperson and brand ambassador of the channel Shilpa Shetty Kundra said, “As a self-confessed shopaholic I love the concept behind Best Deal TV. TV commerce is a growing trend, an easy and convenient way to shop from the comfort to your home. Now customers can be reassured of quality products which are being endorsed by their favourite celebrities. Best Deal TV aims to offer something, which is special to its consumers; products that solve a problem, make a difference, offer great value for money and deliver exceptional results. It makes me very proud to be a part of this transparent and top quality platform, truly making us bestest.”
Former AVP of Home Shop 18 Meghna Krishna has been named COO of the company. Speaking at the launch, Krishna said the motto of the channel is to provide better than the best i.e bestest product to the consumers, “Celebrities always gain eyeballs and enhance the popularity of the product, Best Deal TV will convert eyeballs into transactions. The teleshopping industry is growing bigger and bigger, it is now a $4 billion industry and by 2020 it will become a $10 billion industry, hence the sector has a future and Best Deal TV will emerge as the ruler.”
Key personalities behind the Channel are:
· Raj Kundra, Founder and CEO
· Akshay Kumar, Co – Owner
· Uday Kothary, Co – Owner
· Shipa Shetty Kundra, Chairperson and Brand Ambassador
· Meghna Krishna, COO
· Hemant Vastani, CFO
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.
