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Samsung snares India-Pakistan cricket series title sponsorship for $4million
NEW DELHI: Electronic major Samsung will sponsor the India-Pakistan cricket series in March-April, it was announced Tuesday.
Two-wheeler maker Hero Honda will co-sponsor the series, titled the Samsung Cup for both the Tests and one-dayers.
“Samsung have won the title sponsorship for about $4 million. This is for both the Test and one-day international series,” a top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) told IANS.
“I am very pleased to announce that Samsung have won the rights of title sponsorship for the India-Pakistan Test and one-day series taking place in Pakistan,” Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Shaharyar M Khan said in a statement.
“This award of sponsorship rights has resulted from a transparently conducted tender process,” he added.
India is scheduled to play three Tests and five one-day internationals besides a three-day warm up match on their first full-fledged tour of Pakistan in over 14 years.
The itinerary will be announced after a three-member team of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), now touring Pakistan, reports on the security and other arrangements made by the PCB.
Khan hoped the series would be played in a true sportsman’s spirit.
“The Samsung Cup will be played in a spirit of friendship and goodwill and we hope the success of the series can pave the way for many more matches to played by the two nations, either here in Pakistan or in India.
“We would like to thank Samsung for the sponsorship and will try and provide them all facilities possible to ensure that it is a great success for them, Khan added.
“We are indeed very pleased to have secured the title rights to the forthcoming Indo-Pak cricket series,” said Samsung’s director-sales Ravinder Zutshi.
“We believe that sports has a role in uniting communities across the globe, and more so in the case of cricket, which is a passion for people in both India and Pakistan.”
Samsung is already into cricket, with its cricket ratings on ESPN and the Team Samsung television campaign.
Cricket and the Olympic Games in Athens later this year will dominate Samsung’s sports marketing activities during the year, added Zutshi.
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.
