BIG Home Video in association with Universal Pictures International BV brings to you "The Soloist".

It is based on an incredible true story of a disenchanted journalist's transformative odyssey through the hidden streets of Los Angeles, where he discovers and builds a most unlikely friendship with a man from those same streets, bonding through the redemptive power of music.

From the director of the Academy Award®-nominated "Atonement," Joe Wright, and starring Oscar® winner Jamie Foxx and Oscar® nominee Robert Downey Jr., comes this poignant and ultimately soaring tale. It is based on an incredible true story of a disenchanted journalist's transformative odyssey through the hidden streets of Los Angeles, where he discovers and builds a most unlikely friendship with a man from those same streets, bonding through the redemptive power of music.

Columnist Steve Lopez (Downey) is at a dead end. The newspaper business is in an uproar, his marriage to a fellow journalist has fallen apart and he can't entirely remember what he loved about his job in the first place. Then, one day, while walking through Los Angeles' Skid Row, he sees the mysterious bedraggled figure Nathaniel Ayers (Foxx), pouring his soul into a two-stringed violin. At first, Lopez approaches Ayers as just another story idea in a city of millions. But as he begins to unearth the mystery of how this alternately brilliant and distracted street musician, once a dynamic prodigy headed for fame, wound up living in tunnels and doorways, it sparks an unexpected quest. Imagining he can change Ayers' life, Lopez embarks on a quixotic mission to get him off the streets and back to the world of music. But even as he fights to save Ayers' life, he begins to see that it is Ayers - with his unsinkable passion, his freedom-loving obstinacy and his valiant attempts at connection and love - who is profoundly changing Lopez.

The Soloist has been released on DVD (MRP Rs. 499) and the VCD (MRP Rs.199).
The marketing initiatives for this title include a promo of "The Soloist" to be played on 5000 screens for a period of 15 days. Mailers to be sent out to the agencyfaqs, exchange4media databases including Rhythm House & the Western Classical Connoisseurs' Club. A special feature will also appear in the NCPA newsletter for their members.

Soloist has been raved by critics and audience alike:
"The film is inspiring, relevant and real." - Christy Lemire ASSOCIATED PRESS
"'The Soloist' is a moving, inspirational story" - Rex Reed THE NEW YORK OBSERVER
"'The Soloist' has momentum and grandeur." - David Denby THE NEW YORKER
"The Soloist is Thrilling. A courageous and uncompromising film." - Gene Shalit TODAY
"This movie will make you stand up and cheer. It's a film about triumph and inspiration." - Mark S. Allen KMAX TV (CW, SACRAMENTO)

About BIG Music & Home Entertainment:
BIG Music & Home Entertainment has taken significant strides towards its objective of emerging as the dominant player in Indian Music & Home Entertainment.

The company is the exclusive licensee to 3 of Hollywood's prestigious studios Universal Pictures International BV, Warner Home Video, Paramount Home Entertainment Global & Dream Works Animation SKG, Inc. With its robust pan India distribution network, the company will ensure reach for these Hollywood products, not only in urban market but also mass markets.

BIG Home Video has launched iconic movies like Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, The Godfather Trilogy, Public Enemies, Gran Torino, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, State of Play, Moonwalker and Monsters Vs. Aliens, amongst others in Blu-ray, DVD and VCD formats. Our forthcoming releases include 2009's blockbusters such as The Hangover, G.I. Joe - Rise of Cobra, Inglourious Basterds and Watchmen.

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Guru Granth Sahib Translations and Meanings Bookstore Launched

A New Bookstore has been launched which makes available all the popular translations of Guru Granth Sahib Ji in English and Punjabi at one place . People from all over the world can take advantage of this facility

A New online Bookstore has been launched where you can find all translations of Guru Granth Sahib In English , Punjabi and Hindi . This is a new development in the World of Sikh Religious Books because people from all over the world can now order Guru Granth Sahib Translations online with ease . The Store has some of the most popular Guru Granth Sahib translations in Punjabi and English such as the Guru Granth Sahib Darpan Nirnai Steek bt Giani Harbans Singh Ji , Sri Guru Granth Sahib Darpan By Professor Sahib Singh , Sri Ameer Bhandar Sampradai Teeka , The Essence of Guru Granth Sahib By Gurbachan Singh Makin , Siri Guru Granth Sahib By Gurbachan Singh Talib , The Holy Granth Sri Guru Granth Sahib By Kartar Singh Duggal , Guru Granth Sahib By Dr. Darshan Singh , Sri Guru Granth Sahib By Manmohan Singh , Santhya Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji By Bhai Vir Singh ji etc . These are some of the best translations of Guru Granth Sahib which have now been put together in one place from where they can be ordered with ease.

The store will really help in spreading the word of Guru Granth Sahib to all parts of the world . These steeks help a lot in understanding the bani of Guru Granth Sahib ji because the meanings of the entire bani of Guru Granth Sahib ji are clearly explained in them . This online store of Guru Granth Sahib translations can be accessed at http://www.jsks.co.in/sggs.htm

The Online Sikh Religious Bookstore with Guru Granth Sahib translations in English and Punjabi , Books on Sikh Gurbani , Gutkas of Nitnem , Sukhmani Sahib , Sunder Gutka , Books on Sikh History , Books on Sikh Philosophy , Sikh Literature , Punjabi Literature , Books on Sikh Gurus , Books on Guru Nanak , Books on Sikh Gurdwaras , Books by Bhai Vir Singh , Books on Sikhism , Books on Kirtan Learning , Books on Sikh Religious Poetry , Books of Damdami Taksal , Books on Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale , Books on Gurmat , Books on Sikh Martyrs and Sikh Warriors .

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Autorickshaw - No Longer Just A Transport Option

Auto rickshaw advertisements gives the freedom to do what a brand promoter wishes to do for their brand development, on a wide spread area of auto rickshaw.

Many a small things has been made large by the right kind of advertisement. The additional exclusively new strategy for endorsement of your brand individuality is now the animated face of auto rickshaw. The established structure of advertisement are becoming less vigorous in action because it reaches a group of specific individuals with difficulty or maybe not at all. Auto rickshaw advertisements gives the freedom to do what a brand promoter wishes to do for their brand development, on a wide spread area of auto rickshaw. The impressive loud logos with its exceptional size cant be overlooked, neither can it be thrown out or switched off . When you want to reach everybody, no matter what it reaches them without their knowing. Maximise your brand exposure to on-road traffic in a distinguished new style, colour on an immeasurable space.

To reach the target customer, says Divyansh Batra, Plannet Media, the recognition of your brand name, to keep its name in front of public eye is important. The fact of endorsing your product allows you to sell more. It gives a loud colourful review to potential customers, by an average 18 hours of exposure every day. The prime spots for advertisement are - autorickshaw hood, backseat, driver's seat, inside side panels and inside front screen top. Advertisements displayed inside panels reach passengers who spend about 3O min with them, also to have an additional information, don't be astonished at the auto driver's knowledge and assistance of handing over you the brochures for new offers and information. The outside panel would be animated with bright colours, logos and message which can attracts people in just few seconds. So, now you know how to keep your customer engage to make you remember.

Being the only one of its kind, this self moving advertisement ensures it reaches more people everywhere about 200 km a day all around city. Only in a short period of time, the brand advertisement will be identified even by those lacking awareness without their conscious thought.

Sharing the benefits of this innovation says Rachita, Plannet Media, "A single auto covers 1,OO,OOO people in a campaign of three months. So its not about the number of autos you can bear to afford because its inexpensive as compared to all other mediums and also you simply must do, if u want your business to succeed. So isn't it a pleasing piece of news for all the brand promoters, 'Promotion in Motion' is what we call it at Plannet Media".

The expressive face of auto rickshaw advertising is fun and appealing to eyes as well as mind because its reflective surface shines bright like a moonlight in night. Plannet Media's association with largest two-wheeler manufacturer, a telecom giant and some other advertising units has been expanding this concept with concerted efforts. The finest part about this endeavor of Plannet Media is the extra income provided to auto rickshaw drivers and owners which is absolutely tax free. To meet day to day expenses, extra monthly income is also contributed to their disposable income.

For the record, Plannet Media is advertising division of Plannet Esolutions Limited. Plannet Media's endeavor bring up to date the most recent or current innovative ways to advertise.

About Planet Media
Plannet media is the endeavor of Plannet Esolutions ltd. As a part of dynamic industry, Plannet Media is constantly growing, evolving and adapting to a changing world. Technology is constantly upgraded and innovative ways of disseminating new ways to advertise are always being explored. Our primary mission is to keep clients informed of developments in India. We have now come up with a new way to reach your target audience by the means of transit advertising.

In advertising world, there is a lot of media clutter that you must get through to reach your target customers. That is why at Plannet Media, we have decided to make your advertising choices easier by offering you the most convenient way to reach out to your prospective customers.

Customers are a moving target - in their cars, on the streets, shopping around town. Transit Advertising puts your message where your customers will see it, with more than 20 million opportunities a year! Transit Advertising carries your message all over Delhi with larger-than-life motion at an affordable cost. Transit takes your advertising to neighborhoods where billboards are not available as well as busy downtown corridors. It's the best way to give your advertising maximum exposure.

Plannet media is the ultimate solution pertaining to the launch, nurture and development of products and services. Transit advertising is on booming phase in India. We see its presence in almost every city for almost every product and services as a means of promotion.

It is reasonable means of advertising for upcoming (newly launched) companies. The people who do not have reach to print or tele media are also covered under transit media as it walks with the people. It is a medium which covers a massive audience and its feasibility is very high.

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Black Book of Outsourcing recognizes Fractal Analytics as a top KPO globally for the second successive year

Fractal Analytics, a provider of predictive analytics, announced today that it has been named the 4th best overall KPO organization worldwide in the 2009 survey by Black Book of Outsourcing.

Fractal Analytics, a provider of predictive analytics, announced today that it has been named the 4th best overall KPO organization worldwide in the 2009 survey by Black Book of Outsourcing, placing it ahead of larger industry players such as Cognizant, Capgemini and EXL Services. Fractal has featured prominently in the annual Black Book of Outsourcing surveys for two successive years, securing top 10 global ranks for Consumer Packaged Goods (1st in 2008), Financial Services (4th in 2008) and Insurance (8th in 2009) industries .

"It is an honor for us to be among the top five knowledge services firms," said Pranay Agrawal, EVP, Fractal Analytics. "It reflects the trust our clients have placed in us in outsourcing their data driven decision management and analytics processes."

"Decision sciences and predictive analytics have emerged as significant drivers of competitive advantage for companies globally", said Srikanth Velamakanni, CEO of Fractal Analytics, "Our goal is to be the most respected provider of analytics globally."

The Black Book of Outsourcing survey is widely acknowledged as an important source of customer opinion and qualitative vendor assessment for the 1400 Billion USD global outsourcing industry. The survey covers more than 24,000 high level outsourcing decision makers, evaluating service providers on more than 30 parameters for client satisfaction and operational excellence.

About Fractal Analytics
Fractal Analytics is a leading provider of advanced analytics services and helps companies across the globe enhance profitability by powering their customer management efforts with scientific decision making. Fractal has deployed analytics to drive significant value for many Fortune 1000 companies in the areas of customer acquisition, retention, value enhancement, risk management and marketing optimization. Fractal caters to companies in retail, CPG, financial services, insurance and telecom industries. Fractal currently has a global presence with offices in New Jersey, California, Mumbai, Singapore, New Delhi and Kolkata.

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Societe Generale leverages Finacle from Infosys to rapidly innovate and grow in China

Infosys Technologies Ltd. and Societe Generale today announced the successful implementation of Finacle™ core banking, CRM, wealth management and consumer e-banking solution at Societe Generale Limited

Infosys Technologies Ltd. and Société Générale today announced the successful implementation of Finacle™ core banking, CRM, wealth management and consumer e-banking solution at Société Générale (China) Limited, the first French bank offering a wide range of corporate, private and retail banking services in China. With Finacle™, Société Générale's customers in China will have the convenience of Internet banking along with real-time access to account balances, and an expanded range of products and services online.



The state-of-the-art Finacle™ solution implemented across all branches of Société Générale (China) Limited has enabled the bank to embark on its ambitious retail growth and innovation agenda, with a highly scalable and flexible technology engine. With the solution, Société Générale (China) Limited is able to offer its customers a wider range of banking products and services. A central repository of customer data has enabled bank staff to see a single, 360 degree view of the customer. Further, all channels of communication of the bank - Internet, mobile, ATM, branch - are integrated to provide customers more convenience.

Haragopal Mangipudi, Global Head- Finacle, Infosys Technologies Limited, said, "We are delighted that Finacle has gone live at Société Générale (China) Limited and we are committed to supporting the bank achieve its objective of becoming the preferred retail banking services provider in China. China is strategically important for us with seven leading global banks operating in the country already powered by Finacle. We look forward to continue partnering with Société Générale on their future innovation and growth plans."

According to Jackson Cheung, Chief Executive Officer, Société Générale (China) Limited, "The right technology backbone, with the scalability and flexibility to match our growth pace, is important for us at this juncture to achieve competitive edge in the Chinese retail and corporate banking market. We are confident that our partnership with Finacle from Infosys will help us to grow our business and provide our customers with an innovative banking experience."

Société Générale (China) Limited is now using Finacle™ to create more innovative wealth management products and also plans to use the solution to enhance its customer acquisition strategy. As a leader in banking transformation, Finacle™ has a global footprint across 64 countries and has been acknowledged among the leaders in the core banking solution space by top analysts including Gartner and Forrester. Finacle™ is also the winner of a series of awards for its innovation and implementation capabilities, the most notable ones being The Banker Technology Award, The Asian Banker IT Implementation Award and The Banking Technology Judge's Special Award for "Innovative Use of IT".

About Finacle™ Universal Banking Solution
Finacle from Infosys partners with banks to power-up their innovation agenda, enabling them to differentiate their products and service, enhance customer experience and achieve greater operational efficiency. This proven and effective framework for multi-disciplinary change, enables banks to shift their strategic and operational priorities.

Finacle solutions address the core banking, e-banking, Islamic banking, treasury, wealth management and CRM requirements of retail, corporate and universal banks worldwide.

Several powerful and differentiating features make Finacle one of the most comprehensive, flexible and scalable universal banking solution in its class. These solutions when associated with Finacle services empower banks to maximize their opportunities for growth, while minimizing the risks that come with large-scale business transformation. For more information, visit www.infosys.com/finacle

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Obopay selected as 2010 Technology Pioneer by the World Economic Forum

Obopay, a leading mobile banking and payment provider, today announced it has been chosen by the World Economic Forum as a Technology Pioneer 2010 for its innovation, transformational technology, leadership and substantial long-term impact on businesses and society.

Obopay, a leading mobile banking and payment provider, today announced it has been chosen by the World Economic Forum as a Technology Pioneer 2010 for its innovation, transformational technology, leadership and substantial long-term impact on businesses and society. Obopay is one of 26 companies from around the world to be honored with this prestigious award. In addition, Obopay is one of only 11 companies in the Information Technologies, Telecommunications and New Media category and is the only financial services provider receiving the award. The award will be presented to Obopay at World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in January. This award underscores the company's vision and corporate commitment to empowering all people with access to affordable banking.



Obopay's service allows everyone with a mobile phone to have access to banking - even people who have been underserved by traditional banking. Half of the world population is un-banked and without access to savings, credit or electronic payments. Obopay's mobile technology is the platform that is making a breakthrough by delivering unprecedented and innovative access to basic financial services to billions globally.

With services in both emerging and developed markets, Obopay is committed to delivering mobile banking and payments to all people in the way that best meets their needs regardless of geography through all operators, carriers, financial institutions, mobile handsets and merchants. With its low cost business model, Obopay enables affordable financial services through mobile communications and through its global partners including Nokia and MasterCard, Obopay is able to extend its reach to the people and businesses that need it the most.

"Being recognized by the World Economic Forum as a Technology Pioneer is an incredible honor and a testament to the pioneering spirit that drives this company, as well as our relentless focus to bring universal access to financial services through mobile phones," commented Carol Realini, chief executive officer and founder of Obopay. "Mobile Money creates a breakthrough in banking and we at Obopay are proud to be at the forefront of this revolution by fundamentally transforming the global banking industry, empowering people's lives and changing the way businesses transact."

About Obopay
Founded in 2005, Obopay, Inc (www.Obopay.com) delivers an open, trusted, secure and interoperable mobile payments service by transforming any mobile phone into a convenient and easy way to send and receive money - anywhere, anytime with anyone. Obopay's broad based offering addresses the needs of consumers and businesses around the world by providing a ubiquitous service that delivers value, empowers lives and improves opportunity for merchants both in the physical and virtual worlds. Obopay's innovative mobile money services make it easy for all mobile phone users to securely send and receive money, top-up their mobile, buy online, buy via mobile, pay bills and pay small businesses. Obopay believes the power is in the network and has established global partnerships that include Nokia, MasterCard, Citi, AT&T, Verizon, Essar, Yes Bank in India, Blackberry and Societe Generale. Global headquarters are in Redwood City, CA with operations in India.

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Hinduja Hospital's Healthcare @ 2020 proposes Public-Private Partnership Model

Hinduja Hospital, internationally acclaimed for its world class services, organized 2nd annual health conference under Healthcare Management Series "Healthcare @ 2020"

Hinduja Hospital, internationally acclaimed for its world class services, organized 2nd annual health conference under Healthcare Management Series "Healthcare @ 2020". The two day conference was inaugurated by His Excellency Mr. Francois Pujolas - Consul General De France and Mr. Jean - Joel Schittecatte, Consul General of Belgium today.

At the CEO Panel discussion, Ms. Shomita Biswas, Jt. Secretary, Public Health, Government of Maharashtra said, "Two major problems that Government is facing at the grass root level is lack of infrastructure and adequately trained human resources. There is also an acute need of training institutes for developing nursing and paramedic professionals at the rural level. These are some of the areas where Government will look forward to getting support from the Private organizations."

According to Mr. Pramod Lele, Chief Executive, Hinduja Hospital, "For Private Public Partnerships to be successful, the Govt. should partner with primary health centers nearer to the city. Once these are made successful, the partnership can be extended to more remote areas. The objective is to have a viable, successful partnership which helps develop trust between both partners. "

The conference brought together top leaders of various respected corporate houses like PricewaterhouseCoopers, Siemens, Fortis Healthcare Ltd., Novartis, KPMG India, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu India Pvt. Ltd, Johnson & Johnson Medical India, Apollo Hospitals Group, Tata Memorial Hospital, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Max Healthcare Institute Ltd etc , to tackle the future challenges and needs of healthcare consumers and industry .

Over the course of two days, many thought provoking issues and subjects were discussed to arm the future leaders with the knowledge to prepare themselves and overcome these challenges. To add further value to the entire event, credible organizations like Technopak, Earnst & Young and Astron Healthcare Consultancy were roped in as knowledge partner for the conference.

In these two days there were stimulating discussions on futuristic vision on Hospital Planning, Innovation in practices and processes in healthcare, application of technology in healthcare, models of healthcare financing for future including option of private public partnership and health insurance. The other subjects for discussion were consumerism in healthcare, communication strategies for healthcare providers, Challenges in Human Resource Management in healthcare and management of support services associated with healthcare delivery.

The conference will be concluded with a panel discussion where industry and govt. leaders in healthcare will discuss about the posed challenges. Apart from the above program there will be a "Live to Give Hope" oration delivered by Dr. Girdhar Gyani, Chairman, Quality Council of India.

The Healthcare@2020 conference is an annual initiative that provides a platform for the industry leaders to improve healthcare delivery by working together. This year the theme was to contribute to the continuing discussions on challenges faced by Indian Healthcare industry to ensure a healthy future for everyone.

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Connect2Consult named Winner of The Most Popular Entrepreneur Challenge 09

Connect2Consult (www.connect2consult ), a process consulting, technology, and outsourcing firm was voted a winner of "The Most Popular Entrepreneur Challenge 09", a month long, one hundred percent community driven online contest for entrepreneurs that measured the popularity and zest of young entrepreneurs at pan India level, organized by Yourstory.in in collaboration with Sun Startup Essentials, a division of Sun Microsystems

Connect2Consult (www.connect2consult.com), a process consulting, technology, and outsourcing firm was voted a winner of "The Most Popular Entrepreneur Challenge 09", a month long, one hundred percent community driven online contest for entrepreneurs that measured the popularity and zest of young entrepreneurs at pan India level, organized by Yourstory.in in collaboration with Sun Startup Essentials, a division of Sun Microsystems

Connect2Consult emerged as winners out of 180 first generation entrepreneurs from all over India "Networking is the key to entrepreneurship and is something all entrepreneurs should be good at to be successful. In the initial days of starting a venture and building your company brand, it is the personal brand that comes to rescue which one develops over a period of time through networking capabilities. Entrepreneurs today have to build contacts no matter what; it is not an option but a pre-requisite for survival in this world of intense competition. Who you know is equally important than what you know "said the founders emphasizing the importance of networking and the unique concept of the contest. For the first time the winning metric was solely judged on the business acumen and networking abilities of the entrepreneurs.

The Single Point Engagement Model has been well appreciated by clients and associates, and the testimonials received by Connect2Consult on their yourstory.in profile page are a testimony to this fact. "Connect2Consult was leading throughout the MPEC contest and the win reiterated the popularity that they command with their clients and vendors" said the founder of yourstory.in, Shradha Sharma. Their model has been designed keeping in mind the challenges that are faced by businesses of all sizes in identification and implementation of right processes and technology across all functional areas.

"The single point engagement business model ensures that we work as 'One', our clients and our team and our efforts are on solving cross functional business problems that they face. As we represent our client, we make sure that we do not push any solution to them rather work with their team to find the best solution to their business problems." echoed the founders of Connect2Consult.

On being asked what does becoming the most popular entrepreneur mean, the founders said, " The challenge does not mean anything if one is looking for fame and visibility , however if the company is able to communicate the vision it stands for and infuse the spirit of dreaming and doing big in life - we have done that "

About Connect2Consult
Connect2Consult (connect2consult.com) is an innovative process consulting, technology and outsourcing firm founded with an aim to integrate all cross-functional consulting and technology needs of businesses with the right solution. Founded by a group of young consultants who identified the need to form single access point for end-to-end business needs that organization have at different stages of their business lifecycle.

C2C advise companies on building various functions within the organization viz enterprise (ERP), sales and marketing (CRM, Customer Loyalty, Sales Consulting), finance, human resource (HRMS) and supply chain (SCM, inventory management)and help companies in optimizing their resources, improving their productivity and increasing their bottom line.

About YourStory.in
YourStory.in is an online media and networking platform for first generation Indian entrepreneurs. YourStory.in is committed to providing visibility and meaningful networking opportunities to entrepreneurs, start ups and all the self made professionals from across India. As the fastest growing platform for entrepreneurs in India, YourStory.in constantly undertakes initiatives that help entrepreneurs in their journey.

About Sun Startup Essentials
The Sun Startup Essentials program is designed for startups that dream big. With funding assistance, deep discounts on power efficient servers and storage products, massively scalable Web hosting services, plus free training, technical advice, and co-marketing opportunities, Sun Startup Essentials can help you shine.

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Grameen Koota receives Over 27.5 crore in second round funding

Grameen Koota a division of Grameen Financial Services P. Ltd., a Bangalore-based Microfinance Institution (MFI), today announced equity funding of Rs 27.5 crores from MicroVentures Investments (Luxembourg), MicroVentures SPA (Italy), Incofin (Belgium) and Aavishkar Goodwell (India).



Grameen Koota, an NBFC-MFI, works with poor and low-income households, providing financial and developmental services. Grameen Koota has close to 3 lakh borrowers who are serviced through 117 branches spread across Karnataka and Maharashtra. "The infused capital will spur the company's growth and enable Grameen Koota to reach 5 lakh poor & low income households by the end of this financial year. Grameen Koota will also make use of this capital to expand operations into the neighbouring states of AP, TN and MP" says Mr Suresh Krishna (Managing Director, Grameen Koota).

Grameen Koota has also focused on widening it's offerings to engage communities in social development activities and services like education, health, sanitation, awareness on indoor air pollution etc. "From the very beginning, Grameen Koota has operated in a sustainable, business-like manner, with a firm social focus and purpose. Hence, we have always sought investment from socially oriented investors and are happy to have found investors who are aligned with our social vision & mission." says Mrs. Vinatha Reddy (Founder-Chairman, Grameen Koota). Aavishkaar Goodwell, a first round investor, makes it's second investment in continued support of Grameen Koota's work. "Our long association with Aavishkaar stems from our common understanding of the need for financial inclusion in India. In the past, Aavishkaar has contributed significantly to the resources we required to scale operations. Today, the company has helped us structure deals for our second round of investments," adds Mr Suresh Krishna.

Grameen Koota's leadership team comprises several seasoned professionals from the banking sector who have led operations in various districts across the country. "We are excited to participate in Grameen Koota, which is a leading MFI in India. We believe in Grameen Koota's Management team and trust that their constant efforts to innovate, both on products and value services will yield quality results faster than expected," said Mr De Canniere (CEO, Incofin).

Micro Ventures has been actively linked to social capital investment in developing countries since 2006. Speaking on the investment in Grameen Koota, Paolo Brichetti (Chairman, MicroVentures Investments) stated that the association made social and economic sense. "We are proud to be part of Grameen Koota, which has, for many years, been a reference point for the Indian Microfinance sector, always looking ahead with a clear vision and strategy," he added.

"We are delighted to welcome new investors on board in Grameen Koota. Our investment in the second round exemplifies our faith in Grameen Koota and its commitment towards being a strong partner to its clients . Their efforts to pioneer new technologies that would benefit their existing and new clientele is laudable and will go a long way in setting a trend in the MFI industry" says Pradeep, Partner at Aavishkaar Goodwell.

In the past, Grameen Koota has invested significantly in infrastructure and technology that manages portfolio information. "We are one of the first in the world to use MIFOS, a open-source centralized MIS system that effectively monitors our borrowers & portfolio. The investment we have received now will help us make more strategic investments into technology, which will give us the strength to standardize our operations & bring down our back office costs" explains Mr Suresh Krishna.

Grameen Koota aims to reach 20 lakh poor and low-income households, across 7 Indian states, by 2012 through financial produces and development services.


About Grameen Koota - A Division of Grameen Financial Services Pvt. Ltd.,
Grameen Koota was inspired by the book "Gives us credit" written by Alex Counts (President & CEO of Grameen Foundation USA) on the story of Grameen Bank & Prof. Muhammad Yunus. It began in 1999 as a project of T. Muniswamappa Trust (an NGO) with seed capital funding from Grameen Trust, Bangladesh following the core principles of Grameen Bank. In the year 2007 the micro finance activities was transformed into an NBFC. Currently Grameen Koota serves 3 lakh poor & low income household through 117 branches in Karnataka & Maharashtra with over 1200 employees & an outstanding loan portfolio of Rs. 155 crores. Grameen Koota has leveraged several strategic partnerships that contribute to the organisations capacity & outreach. Grameen Koota is also a member of various nation and international networks, associations & institutions.

About MicroVentures:
The MicroVentures initiative was started-up in Italy by a group of private social entrepreneurs with previous experience in the field of social venture capital and business cooperation with the Developing Countries. The initiative has gradually expanded into an international network of affiliates, which includes the Bangalore-based MicroVentures India (specialized in providing debt to Indian MFIs) and the recently born MicroVentures Investments, a specialized investments fund based in Luxembourg, which provides equity and debt financing to promising Microfinance Institutions in Asia and Latin America.

About Incofin Investment Management
The Belgium-based company manages a number of funds in microfinance. These funds among which Impulse Fund invest in high potential MFIs worldwide with a focus on both financial and social performance. Incofin Investment Management provides active support to the companies it has invested in.

About Aavishkaar Goodwell
Aavishkaar Goodwell is a Mauritius based fund focused on creating high impact investments through entrepreneurial microfinance initiatives in India. Aavishkaar Goodwell is a joint initiative of the teams behind Aavishkaar India, the world's first microventure capital fund; and Goodwell, a Dutch microfinance investment company funded by social investors and pension funds.

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