IKEA Retail celebrates 5 glorious years in India

Posted on by City Today News (City today.media)

Since the launch of the first IKEA store in 2018 in Hyderabad, IKEA witnessed over 175 million visitations, creating a better life at home for the many Indians

28th August 2023: IKEA, Swedish home furnishings retailer celebrates five years of retail operations in India. This is accentuated by another remarkable global milestone as IKEA celebrates 80 years this year. Since its humble beginnings in the small Swedish village of Almhult, it’s founder Ingvar Kamprad has created an unparalleled home furnishings retail concept that has touched the lives of millions of people around the world for the last 8 decades.

Ingka Group has been underlining a strong and continued commitment to the Indian market. In the last 5 years, it has contributed to the growth of the organised home furnishings retail, increasing local sourcing, investing in new markets, creating employment and learning from the Indian society to be locally relevant. With 5 physical stores and online presence in 6 cities, and investments from other entities like Ingka Centres, IKEA Foundation, Global Business Operations, Ingka Digital Hub and IKEA Supply, the commitment is even stronger with a ONE IKEA approach to create bigger impact.

IKEA places sustainability high on its agenda including Climate action, Circularity, Equality and Community engagement. The company employs 3,000 coworkers today in all its markets and the ambition is grow to 10,000 coworkers in the coming years with 50% gender diversity. In its stores, the company employs close to 70% of coworkers from local neighbourhood. Local sourcing is a priority to become even more affordable with ambition to reach 50% in the coming years.

To celebrate this fantastic milestone, IKEA India hosted a special evening in the presence of Jayesh Ranjan, Principal Secretary of the Industries & Commerce (I&C) and Information Technology (IT) Departments of the Government of Telangana, Susanne Pulverer, CEO and CSO of IKEA, and Christophe Adrien, Market Manager of IKEA Hyderabad.

On the occasion, Susanne Pulverer, CEO and Chief Sustainability Officer, IKEA India, said “What a fantastic journey it has been for IKEA in India. India has given us an opportunity to deeply understand the diverse needs and aspirations of the consumers and we have used these learnings to develop our offerings to create a better everyday life at home not only in India but across the globe.  As we enter the next phase of our omnichannel expansion in India, we lead by being more affordable, accessible and sustainable for the many people. All of this would not have been possible without our passionate co-workers, customers, and the authorities in making this journey significant one for us”.

Christophe Adrien, Market Manager, IKEA Hyderabad said “The incredible journey of IKEA started from our first store in Hyderabad, a city that has warmly embraced us with love and trust. Hyderabad homes are all about togetherness & love for the home. We are thankful to Telangana government for their continuous support that enabled us to create a positive impact in the lives of the many people of Hyderabad. IKEA presence has not only elevated life at home but has also contributed to employment opportunities and local sourcing. Through initiatives focused on sustainability and community engagement, IKEA Hyderabad has underlined its commitment to a better everyday life for the many people.

IKEA is famous for its unique product range and solutions to create better homes. All IKEA products meet the 5 essential principles of Good quality, Value for money, Good design, Functionality and Sustainability. Around 95% of the 9500 products is the same globally with locally relevant presentation of solutions in the stores to connect with local life at home situations. Since 2015-16, IKEA has been visiting Indian homes consistently to better understand the needs and desires of consumers.

As IKEA has been saying time and again, it is just the beginning and they are here in India for next 100 years and more. Good luck to them!

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H.E Eng. Abdullah Al-Swaha, Minister of Communications and Information Technology expressed his pride seeing ACES a Saudi Company serving the busiest airport in South India – Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport

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Bangalore, August 29,2023: ACES India Private Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Advanced Communications and Electronics Systems Company (ACES) was honored to host His Excellency Eng. Abdullah Al-Swaha, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) along with MCIT’s delegation at the Kempegowda International Airport in Bangalore, India.

ACES India is proud to provide the Neutral Host Mobile Infrastructure Service across different areas of the airport, including Terminal 1, Terminal 2, Taj Hotel, Multi-modal transport hub, Taj Hotel Expansion, Ancillary buildings (cargo terminal, retail and dining areas) and the upcoming entertainment and dining facilities. The airport was the Skytrax-2022 award-winning “Best Regional Airport in India and South Asia.”

H.E Eng. Abdullah Al-Swaha, expressed his pride in seeing ACES, a Saudi Digital Neutral Host company making rapid advances internationally and recognized the company’s remarkable achievements in the Indian telecommunications market. He also applauded ACES’s R&D initiatives, including in 5G, Software development and other ORAN activities. In line with Saudi Vision 2030, the Ministry has pledged to support ACES as one the Kingdoms fastest growing and rising companies.

During the visit, ACES CEO Dr. Akram Aburas proudly showcased the company’s state-of-the-art Mobile Infrastructure and In-Building Mobile solution (4G and 5G ready) at the Bangalore airport. He expressed pride in serving passengers at one of the fastest-growing airports in the world, the busiest airport in South India and the third largest in India. He also expressed confidence in ACES potential to become one of the leading Digital Telecom Infrastructure companies in India.

A senior management team from Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) welcomed the Ministry’s delegation and expressed BIAL’s satisfaction with ACES’ commitment, performance and services at the airport.

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India’s First Wheel chair Tennis Centre to open in Bengaluru

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Press meet held at Press Club of Bangalore

Bangalore, 29 August 2023: For the first time in India, a centre to train and excel in wheelchair tennis is being opened. Deuce Tennis Centre will be setup with three tennis courts, accommodation facilities and other amenities to cater to all the needs of wheelchair tennis players.
Indian Wheelchair Tennis Tour (IWTT) setup in 2016 has been working to promote wheelchair tennis in India, to use sport as a tool for personal development and social inclusion with a vision to take Indian Wheelchair Tennis on to the World Map by 2028.
After conducting 12 AITA Ranked Wheelchair Tennis tournaments across India, preparing players for International Tournaments and upon working in the space for 8 years interacting with different stakeholders of the ecosystem – the players, coaches, state tennis associations, national tennis association, and independent clubs there was a clear need for a dedicated training facility in India. A hub for Indian players to train so they put their best to be on the World Map by 2028.
This centre will be built on a 1.3 acre of land situated at Sidhalghatta, Chikkaballapura District about 25 Kms from the Bengaluru International Airport.
Deuce Tennis Centre will design & and implement programs through tennis to provide equitable opportunities of participation to all the stakeholders of wheelchair tennis and tennis in general. The centre is being setup to –
Conduct training programs for players at all levels – from recreational to competitive
Conduct Coaches Training Programs
Training camps by International Tennis Experts
Design and offer leadership and management programs for tennis academies across India
Foster partnerships and mutual growth of all the stakeholders in the ecosystem of Tennis
Advocacy and Research centre for wheelchair tennis in India
Tennis Economics programs – to look at how tennis can be made more affordable
To provide opportunities to use tennis as therapy for kids with developmental delays
And many more….

29th Aug is India’s National Sports Day which is celebrated in honour of Major Dhyan Chand’s legacy and to recognise the value of sports in our everyday lives.
On this day of national importance, IWTT is officially announcing the setup of the Deuce Tennis Centre – a centre to alter what is possible for and by people with disabilities through wheelchair tennis.

This centre is the brainchild of Sunil Jain, a professional practising chartered accountant, Founder of Astha and Chairman IWTT. Speaking on this occasion, he said, “The support we have received for the last eight years, from donors, corporate companies, volunteers, tennis community has been huge and overwhelming. Coming so far would not have been possible without their support. We are proud of our journey and are committed to do everything that is required to have this facility be operational by May 2024. “

Nalani Buob, was ranked World No. 1 in Girls Category Wheelchair Tennis and is now a Paralympic Wheelchair Tennis Player. Her mother Cecelia Buob is of Indian origin. Nalani conducted the first IWTT Wheelchair Tennis program for children in Bengaluru in 2018. Her life transformed once she started playing wheelchair tennis at the age of 12 and is committed to have other kids with physical disabilities experience this transformation. On this occasion she said “I started playing when I was 10 years and it’s been 12 years of playing tennis. When I started I was a shy little girl, I struggled with this disability factor and then I got to tennis through my class teacher who wanted me to be self-sufficient and not depend on my parents. When I started going to the coaching centre which was 10 minutes by train seemed like a world tour to me but now looking back I laugh as I travel the world for tournaments on my own. It just shows how much confidence it has given me, being exposed to the world through wheelchair tennis, meeting other people in wheelchair made me feel accepted. When I started winning tournaments it felt like I could achieve things in Tennis and made me more confident. Now giving back to kids in India through tennis is what I am looking forward to.”

Somdev Devvarman, Advisory Board Member, IWTT. Former tennis player Arjuna Awardee and in 2018, he was awarded with the civilian award Padmashri. After playing in ATP tournaments, Asian Games, the Commonwealth Games and many other national and international tournaments Somedev comes with a rich experience of what is needed on the court and off the court of for development of tennis. On this occasion he said “It is required to have a stand-alone facility where players could train, there could be camps, bootcamps. The wheelchair tennis facility is a necessary step in the right direction – through this facility lot of kids can be impacted. One of the biggest disadvantages now is lack of continuity for players while there is a good tour, quite a few tournaments happening it is lack of continuity in training which is a roadblock. This one facility holds the key to several players’ dreams – it is a dream for an entire community that we can play wheelchair tennis at the highest level.”

Marc Kalkman, Technical Director, IWTT. Marc is part of the development program of wheelchair tennis put forth by the International Tennis Federation. Since 1989 he has been a wheelchair tennis coach and was a coach with different National Tennis Associations. Over the years Marc has coached some of the best players of wheelchair tennis in the world who have gone on to win grand slam titles. In 2019 Marc visited Bengaluru to conduct a 3 day training program of wheelchair tennis players in India. He added “one of the most important parts is to create a full accessible facility to develop their skills, if this is not there and they are reliable on how many courts are available at other tennis centres, it is much more difficult to get the consistent development of players. For the total development of wheelchair tennis in India this is a stepping stone. I am looking forward to training coaches and share my expertise.”

Mr. Basavaraj, Ex Disability Commissioner, Govt. of Karnataka. Instrumental in making APD (Association for Persons with Disability) such an impactful organisation serving thousands of people with disabilities in rehabilitation and employment. He added “persons with disabilities need platforms like this to excel and think beyond survival needs. It is projects and the work like that gives lot of confidence to parents of kids with disabilities that their children to can aspire to achieve and provide leadership in the communities”

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‘Swaccha Bengaluru ’10k Road Race on October 2nd, 2023.

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Masters Athletics Association of Bengaluru City. along with Racetime India conducting ‘Swaccha Bengaluru ’10k Road Race on October 2nd, 2023.

Press meet held at press Club of Bangalore

The event will commemorate Gandhijayanthi, Lal Bahadur Shastry and the successful landing of Chandrayaan-3.

The event slogan to showcase the swacchabengaluru 10K Road race. is “Jai Jawaan, Jai Kisaan Jai Vignaan”

The inaugural event will start and end at B.R AMBEDKAR STADIUM. in Basaveshwaranagar, and run on the roads of the neighbourhood of Basaveshwaranagar and Rajajinagar and Mahalaksmipura.

The organizers are anticipating that this event will have at least 1000 to 2000 participants across all age groups. This event will have 3 categories, 10 kilometer road race for participants 14 years and above, 5 kilometer roada race for participants 10 years and above and a 3 km fun event for all others,

Participants will get t-shirt, finishers certificate, finishers medals and refreshments will be served after the race. Age category prizes/trophy will be given to top 3 winners

Those that are interested participate can register at https://app.racetime.in

For any queries please contact Sri K Lakshminarayan, President of Masters Athletics Association of Bengaluru City 8123426658, and Rajesh Narayan 9844092027.

City Today News 9341997936

ಚಂದ್ರವಿದ್ಯಾ ಫೌಂಡೇಷನ್ (ರಿ) ಹಾಗೂ ಡ್ರೀಮ್ ಅಂಡ್ ಸಿಜಲ್ (DS3) ನೃತ್ಯ ವಿದ್ಯಾ ಸಂಸ್ಥೆಯವತಿಯಿಂದ “ವರ್ಣಂ” 2023

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ನಮ್ಮ ನಾಟ್ಯ ವಿದ್ಯಾ ಸಂಸ್ಥೆ ಚಂದ್ರವಿದ್ಯಾ ಫೌಂಡೇಷನ್ (ರಿ) ಹಾಗೂ ಡ್ರೀಮ್ ಅಂಡ್ ಸಿಜಲ್ (DS3) ನೃತ್ಯ ವಿದ್ಯಾ ಸಂಸ್ಥೆಯವತಿಯಿಂದ “ವರ್ಣಂ” 2023 ಎಂಬ ಸಂಗೀತ ನೃತ್ಯ ಕಾರ್ಯಕ್ರಮವನ್ನು ನಗರದ ರವೀಂದ್ರ ಕಲಾಕ್ಷೇತ್ರದಲ್ಲಿ ಇದೇ ಶನಿವಾರ ದಿನಾಂಕ 02/09/2023ರ ಸಂಜೆ ನಾಲ್ಕು, ಗಂಟೆಗೆ ಆಯೋಜಿಸಲಾಗಿದೆ.

ಕಾರ್ಯಕ್ರಮದ ಉದ್ಘಾಟನೆಯನ್ನು ಚಿಕ್ಕಪೇಟೆ ವಿಧಾನಸಭೆ ಕ್ಷೇತ್ರದ ಮಾನ್ಯ ಶಾಸಕರಾದ ಶ್ರೀ ಡಾ|| ಉದಯ್ ಬಿ.ಗರುಡಾಚಾರ್ ರವರು ನೆರವೇರಿಸಲಿದ್ದಾರೆ. ಕಾರ್ಯಕ್ರಮದ ಅಧ್ಯಕ್ಷತೆಯನ್ನು ಜಯನಗರ ವಿಧಾನಸಭೆ ಕ್ಷೇತ್ರದ ಮಾನ್ಯ ಶಾಸಕರಾದ ಶ್ರೀ ಸಿ.ಕೆ. ರಾಮಮೂರ್ತಿ ರವರು ವಹಿಸಲಿದ್ದಾರೆ, ಕಾರ್ಯಮದ ಮುಖ್ಯ ಅತಥಿಗಳಾಗಿ ಶ್ರೀ ಭರತ್ ಭೋಪಣ ಚಲನ ಚಿತ್ರ ಕಲಾವಿದರು ಹಾಗೂ ಶ್ರೀ ವಿನಯ್ ರತ್ನಸಿದ್ಧಿ (ಚಲನ ಚಿತ್ರ ನಟರು ಹಾಗೂ ನೃತ್ಯ ಸಂಯೋಜಕರು) ಇವರು ಆಗಮಿಸಲಿದ್ದಾರೆ.

ನಮ್ಮ ಕಾರ್ಯಕ್ರಮದಲ್ಲಿ ಉದಯೋನ್ಮುಖ ಕಲಾವಿದರು, ಮಕ್ಕಳು, ನುರಿತ ನೃತ್ಯ ಸಂಯೋಜಕರ ಜೊತೆಗೂಡಿ ಕಾರ್ಯಕ್ರಮ ನಡೆಸಿಕೊಡಲಿದ್ದಾರೆ ಎಂದು ಪ್ರೆಸ್ಸ್ ಕ್ಲಬ್ ಆಫ್ ಬೆಂಗಳೂರಿನಲ್ಲಿ ನಡೆದ ಪತ್ರಿಕಾ ಗೋಷ್ಥಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಚಂದ್ರ ವಿಧ್ಯಾ ಫೌನ್ಡೇಶನಿನ ಸಂತೋಶ್ ಪ್ರಸಾದ್ ಮತ್ತು ಡ್ರೀಮ್ ಅಂಡ್ ಸಿಜಲ್ ನ ಕಿರನ್ ಕುಮಾರ್ ತಿಳಿಸಿದರು.

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