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Rediff, Yahoo to boost online shopping together
MUMBAI: Rediff.com India and Yahoo! India, have joined hands promote online shopping and mobile content across both portals. The strategic alliance will entail Rediff.com powering the Yahoo! India shopping channel while Yahoo! India will showcase its prime content like ringtones, polyphonic tunes, wallpapers and java games on the Rediff.com website.
Rediff.com users will thus be able to download the content through the Yahoo! India shortcode 8243. According to an official release, this content will be in addition to Rediff Mobile premium content currently available on the Rediff shortcode 7333.
While Yahoo! India country manager Neville Taraporevalla believes the Indian Net user will gain from the combined synergies and strengths of Rediff.com and Yahoo! India, Rediff.com CEO Ajit Balakrishnan says, “We are glad to extend our comprehensive shopping catalog in a safe and secure online environment to Yahoo! users in the belief that this marks a new beginning to online retail commerce in India.”
Yahoo! shoppers will now have access to the Rediff Marketplace which has over 100 shops across 30 product categories, boasting brands Nike, Arrow, Tissot, Phillips and Casio.Yahoo! India which provides value added services to mobile phone users through Y! India Mobile and currently reaches over 15 million mobile subscribers will now offer an additional range of value added mobile services to Rediff.com users across the country through the use of the shortcode 8243.
According to the release, Yahoo! Mobile has alliances with more than 50 carriers and manufacturers in 26 countries, and provides a variety of leading wireless services to consumers around the world.
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.
