Amidst the hype and hoopla surrounding the Jio launch earlier this month there were many who wondered about the significance of its launch date
Sanjay B Jumaani with Mukesh and Nita Ambani
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Amidst the hype and hoopla surrounding the Jio launch earlier this month there were many who wondered about the significance of its launch date.
Why did the promoters of one of the country’s most mammoth, and much awaited telecom venture’s choose September 5, 2016 to begin its commercial operations? According to city-based astro numerologist Sanjay B Jumaani, there is a numerological angle to the launch.
“It was launched on their lucky date and the name was approved by us,” said Jumaani in a post on social media, accompanying a picture of his with Nita and Mukesh Ambani. “It adds to number 9,” he explains in a rather involved explanation, which only followers of numerology might understand.
“9 Mars governs 9th, 18th, 27 born as well as Scorpions and Aries,” he says. “Mukesh (19/4) and Nita Ambani (1/11) are Aries and Scorpio.” What Jumaani doesn’t add of course is that if the enterprise does go on to changing the IT landscape as expected, there will be one more person claiming credit for its success.
Bird watcher’s paradise
The news of Vijay Mallya’s Kingfisher Villa, the scene of some of the most glamorous parties in Goa, going for an asking price of Rs 85-crore, has enthralled many in the city, key among them being our Oolong tea serving hostess friend.
Vijayâu00c2u0080u00c2u0088Mallya. PIC/AFP
“It’s the price of a sumptuous apartment in an old building in South Mumbai darling,” she said, putting her tea cup down dreamily when we’d dropped in to see her. “Or a duplex in a new building at Lower Parel, you know the ones with the Mandirs added in their list of amenities,” she shuddered.
Mallya’s Villa, as is known, is built on prime sea facing property, and comes with a swimming pool, interconnected water bodies, an inhouse spa, party rooms and a vast lawn designed for humongous parties. Alas, Kingfisher’s Calendar Girls do not come with the territory though.
The Kingfisher Villa at Goa
“Perhaps it will be bought by someone who wants the cache of buying an iconic piece of property,” said the OTFSH. “You know, like that chap who bought Rajesh Khanna’s bungalow in Bandra. After all whoever buys Kingfisher Villa, will receive a lot of media attention,” she speculated. “or it might even be snapped up by a hotel chain,” she said, “It would certainly make for a beautiful boutique hotel.”
So who will eventually occupy the King of Good Time’s throne according to her we enquired. “Whoever does will have to be an ornithologist of considerable means,” said the OTFSH. Huh, we said. “It’s the Kingfisher Villa after all. Great place for bird watching na,” said the OTSHF, before ringing her tiny bell for more hot water for her tea.
Back where he belongs
Admirers of Kishore Biyani, the once high-profile founder of the Future Group, are happy to note that the biz man is back in the news again. “There was a time when he was always in the papers and not a day would pass without him being featured,” says one of his legion of fans. “Then, after his companies took a downturn he went under the radar.”
Kishore Biyani
So this past fortnight when the visionary businessman was featured in not one but two of the country’s leading pink dailies, the word on the block was that he was back with a bang. “With some serious restruc-turing of his portfolio and the hiving off of its fashion chain Pantaloons to the Aditya Birla Group in order to reduce debt, Biyani is getting back to business, “ says the admirer.
And as expected, the straight talker is bringing his no nonsense wisdom to the table. “His last interview had him declaring that 99 per cent of start-ups make no commercial sense,” says the source. Indeed.
Walking her brand
“Here’s the hot new campaign - fresh from the oven!” said Devita Saraf, the ebullient CEO of a tech firm, who has taken a leaf out of her mentor Richard Branson’s book and begun fronting her brand as its ambassador in high-profile marketing campaigns.
Devita Saraf
“This time I took the route of a true model with glamorous styling and expression that embodies the brand and product,” she says about a recent roll out in the capital, of a campaign featuring herself and her products. “Since I also went to acting school at USC, I’ve learnt how to work with the camera,” she says.
But Saraf is not only talking the brand — but walking it too. “I’m walking the ramp next week as the show stopper at Tech Fashion Tour 2016,” she informs. “TFT 2.0 is ready to give a treat to all the fashion-lovers and tech geeks out there by bringing spell-binding experiences of high-end fashion designers, stunning, gorgeous celebrities and lovely models,” says a spokesperson.
The money game
Their prestigious office headquarters, in an iconic precinct of South Mumbai are officially on sale, to recover the bank loans taken by this once mighty conglomerate, but they have won themselves considerable brownie points amongst their peers and biz community recently.
How so? “By paying back every cent of the Rs 2,000-crore they’d borrowed unofficially from the unorganised sector,” says an insider. “Over the past few months they have dug in to their personal coffers, and made good every penny, and it’s brought them a world of goodwill,” he says, adding, “But of course now there’s another problem.”
Which is? we enquired. “There’s almost Rs 2,000-crore lying around with the investors who’ve recovered their sums - and no borrowers for it.” The travails of the money game...
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