Simon Hale listens to the CBSO and their guest conductor.

CBSO celebrate summer of sport at Hockley Social Club.

Unforgettable night of drum & bass nostalgia at top Birmingham venue.

New pilot programme from Girl Grind UK is as easy as ABC.

Richard Lutz heads for a city break.  

Andy Munro comments on recent developments at England games.

Halesowen community invited to join in a big Poppy Picnic this Saturday to support The Royal British Legion’s vital work for the Armed Forces community

The Lewisham swings into action at Dartmouth golf course.

New venture to provid permanent venue for expansion.

The Heath Bookshop brings top talent to Birmingham to share their books.

Simon Hale battles traffic to get to the Alex.

One of Birmingham’s oldest community-run festivals celebrates its fiftieth anniversary.

£250,000 upgrade gives back community centre to Quinton.

Andy Street joins expert panel for COVID-19 vaccine webinar.

Shreyas Srinivasan, Paytm's Chief Product Officer, has announced his departure from the company after more than ten years. His exit comes after Paytm sold its ticketing platform, Insider.in, to Zomato. Srinivasan played a key role in Insider.in's growth, from its inception to its merger with Paytm.

In August, Flipkart senior vice president of category and marketplace Amitesh Jha joined Swiggy as the chief executive of Instamart, while Dhruvish Thakkar, a senior director at Flipkart Epharma, moved to Swiggy the following month as assistant vice-president of Dineout – its dining out vertical.

India's food safety regulator directed e-commerce and quick commerce companies to follow shelf life guidelines for packaged food deliveries. The regulator emphasized a minimum remaining shelf life of 30% or 45 days upon delivery. This action follows complaints about companies not disclosing expiry dates. The regulator stressed the importance of clear expiry dates and adherence to labeling regulations.

Blackstone is close to acquiring Retail Opportunity Investments Corp, which owns U.S. shopping centers worth $3.4 billion including debt. Other private equity firms, including Bain Capital, are also interested. The deal could be finalized in the coming weeks if negotiations succeed. ROIC has raised rents significantly amidst high inflation, making it an attractive target.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is set to meet with state counterparts on December 21-22 for pre-budget discussions and a GST Council meeting. Key agenda items include potential GST exemptions for certain insurance policies and rate reductions on various goods. The Council may also consider raising GST on luxury items like high-value shoes and watches.

The fund will back startups in the early stage and pick stakes in pre-IPO companies through secondary transactions. It will focus on sectors such as climate and sustainability, fintech and consumer businesses.

Magniflex, an Italian luxury mattress brand, is expanding its reach in India, especially in tier 2 and 3 cities. The company, which already has a network in major cities, aims to cater to the rising demand for wellness-oriented products.

Furnishka will use the new capital to advance product design and development, strengthen manufacturing and supply chain capabilities, and expand to new geographies. The company will also expand its product categories focused on premium living room, dining room and bedroom collections, open six large-format stores, and create educational content to guide customers.

Rentomojo reported a 60% rise in operating revenue to Rs 193 crore in FY24. Controlled rise in expenses during the year saw net profit surge more than threefold to Rs 22 crore last fiscal from Rs 6 crore in FY23.

Asian Paints faced a challenging second quarter with muted demand due to uneven rainfall and a slowdown in metro cities. Despite price hikes, competitive intensity remains high. The company is cautiously optimistic about single-digit volume growth in the coming quarter while closely observing AkzoNobel's strategic review of its India business.

Britannia Industries' revenue from operations increased by 5.29 per cent to Rs 4,667.57 crore in Q2 FY25, up from Rs 4,432.88 crore during the second quarter of the financial year 2023-24. On the company's quarterly performance, Varun Berry, vice chairman and managing director, said, “A ~8% volume growth with a sequential increase in revenue and operating profits are satisfactory results in the face of severe commodity inflation leading to a tepid consumer demand scenario in most FMCG categories."

Bhutani Group acquired Logix City Center for nearly Rs 1,000 crore. The deal includes 1.2 million sq ft of retail, office and hospitality space. Bhutani Group also secured land with potential for a 600,000 sq ft residential project. The company recently won a bid to develop Film City near Noida's upcoming airport.

Britannia Industries reported a 10% drop in profit for the quarter ended September as surging housing costs and low income growth in urban areas led to a slowdown in demand for fast-moving consumer goods. While rural demand has been stable, urban demand has seen a significant downturn, mirroring global trends of consumer confidence returning but wages lagging behind inflation.

Despite severe air pollution in Indian cities, particularly in Delhi-NCR, the market for air purifiers and anti-pollution personal care products remains small. Consumers perceive limited tangible benefits and sales spike only during peak pollution periods. While some growth occurs after Diwali, the overall market remains stagnant, with some companies exiting or scaling back operations.

US President Donald Trump's second term may benefit India's electronics industry. The US plans to impose tariffs on Chinese electronics, encouraging companies to seek alternative manufacturing hubs. India, with its growing manufacturing sector, stands to gain. Experts believe this shift could lead to increased electronics exports from India to the US. However, concerns remain about India's capacity to handle the potential surge in production.

Sony India, experiencing substantial growth in its gaming sector due to the PlayStation 5's success, is now eyeing India as a key market. Despite anticipating moderated growth this fiscal year, the company remains committed to expanding its gaming presence, including software and peripherals. Sony India last week filed its annual returns to report over 50.1 per cent growth from its 'other business' segment at Rs 1,363.54 crore, which houses its gaming and B2B business.

Although stakeholder discussions are still going on, the 5% cut of the total import quota will be implemented from April 1 of the upcoming fiscal. This cut is based on the data provided by the Directorate General of Commercial Intelligence and Statistics.

Sault, a new consumer electronics company, is set to significantly increase its sales volume by FY25. Focusing on tier-2 towns, the brand plans to expand its reach within western India and eventually target southern markets. Sault will incorporate in-house manufacturing for certain products while continuing partnerships for others, aiming for nationwide expansion and exploring digital sales channels.

Manos Nikolakis, GM, BIC Cello, said, "While e-commerce is growing significantly across the country, the landscape of the Indian market is still heavily reliant on traditional trade. Accordingly, this remains our main sales driver. The lack of digital penetration in semi-urban and rural areas can sometimes create a challenge in the e-commerce space, which means that e-commerce is mostly relevant in bigger cities with a more mature infrastructure."

“With this expansion, we are excited to connect with even more individuals and families, offering them a curated selection of products that inspire creativity and enrich everyday life," said Divyanshu Solanki, founder and CEO of the company.

Indians purchased 220 tonnes of silver during this year's Dhanteras-Diwali. This is the highest amount in two decades. The surge in silver sales is attributed to its rising prices and its appeal as a safe-haven asset. Gold sales, however, declined by 15% this year. Experts predict silver prices will continue to rise.

Pernia's Pop-Up Shop is raising funds for its initial public offering. The company plans to use the funds to expand its retail network and become debt-free. The retailer aims to open more stores in Mumbai and Delhi. Pernia's Pop-Up Shop sells designer wear from various brands. The company achieved significant revenue growth in the last financial year.

Mankind Pharma is spinning off its consumer brands business into a wholly-owned subsidiary, aiming to increase its revenue contribution. Similar moves by Sanofi, Cipla, and Zydus Lifesciences have yielded benefits. Mankind Pharma seeks to unlock investor value through focused marketing and potential stock market listings.

Luxury fragrance brand Nisara has appointed Beauty Brands Global DMCC as its exclusive distributor in the UAE. The partnership aims to leverage Beauty Brands Global's market expertise to establish Nisara's presence in the region. Nisara plans to offer its products through both online and offline channels, targeting the UAE's appreciation for luxury goods.

DOMS Industries Limited has acquired a 51.77 per cent equity stake in Uniclan Healthcare for Rs 54.88 crore, making it a subsidiary. This strategic move allows DOMS to diversify into the baby hygiene market, aligning with its growth strategy and enhancing its distribution network for long-term success.

Millennium Babycares Ltd announced the closure of a Rs 122 crore private placement round with Bharat Value Fund (BVF), which acquired a significant minority stake. BVF is managed by Pantomath Capital and targets a corpus of Rs 2,000 crores. The funds will be used for market expansion in India and internationally.

Shares of FirstCry fell 4.5% after the GST department initiated an investigation at its Mumbai head office and Pune warehouse. The company assured normal operations, with no details on alleged violations.

Pacific Crest is seeking energetic and creative individuals to work as photographer and videographer interns for this coming season. If you are no longer eligible to march, this is a […]

Presentation is one of the 5 cornerstones of podcasting (content, presentation, production, promotion, and P.R.O.F.I.T.), and how you communicate in your podcast can make the biggest difference in whether people enjoy and benefit from your content.

The post 6 Free Ways to Podcast Better by Communicating Better first appeared on The Audacity to Podcast.

AI has rapidly advanced for content creation. But should you actually trust it? With this potential comes some crucial warnings for using AI in podcasting.

The post 11 Warnings about Using AI in Content-Creation (including podcasting) first appeared on The Audacity to Podcast.

On October 13 and 14, Netflix deleted nearly its entire library of Palestinian films and films about Palestinians. Thousands of people on social media have criticized Netflix for removing these films. Netflix claims there was no agenda behind the move and that the collection of films was licensed in 2021 for three years, and the licenses have expired. Meanwhile, over 30 organizations are calling on Netflix to reinstate the content and for a boycott of the streaming giant.

Pluto TV partners with NBCUniversal Global TV Distribution to expand its content lineup in the UK and Canada.

Public service access to TV is to remain at the heart of UK government policy as a new report warns that over a million viewers are at risk of being excluded in the longterm transition to streaming.

The Ohio State University Libraries is seeking a Senior Applications Developer to join our cross-functional Application Development & Operations team in the IT Division. This position is eligible for 100% remote work. We are responsible for the end-to-end development and delivery of specialized library and administrative systems that enable the Libraries to share knowledge and culture with the people of Ohio, the nation, and the world. More here, with link to apply: https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/3238081779

The Ohio State University Libraries is seeking a Senior Web Developer to join our cross-functional Application Development & Operations team in the IT Division. This position is eligible for 100% remote work. We are responsible for the end-to-end development and delivery of specialized library and administrative systems that enable the Libraries to share knowledge and culture with the people of Ohio, the nation, and the world. https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/3238257671

We're looking for a team lead / solution architect to work with AWS and SFMC. Position is full remote, but must be in the USA. Details are here.