Shaili Chopra on Effects of Social Media on Politics

Shaili Chopra

A keen watcher of social media, a golf aficionado and now a writer of a popular book The Big Connect - Shaili Chopra dons many hats during her career in journalism. Winner of The Ramnath Goenka Award, Shaili believes that as journalist, one just can't have a laid-back attitude; rather, a journalist has to be a reporter chasing big stories. She regularly contributes articles on golf and thinks that "the sport deserves tremendous attention as it loses out to cricket". In a conversation with Infibeam, Shaili opens up about her book The Big Connect, her ideas over use of social media in politics and her newly found love for poetry. Read on...

Que: You have been into journalism for a long time. What made you to write a book?

Shaili Chopra: I am a keen watcher of social media. I walked into a store to fetch a book on the subject but i couldn't find one. I was surprised that something that topical, that interesting and so with-the-times was missing a full documented discourse. This led me to think about a book.

Que: You write a special blog on Golf, any specific reason?

Shaili Chopra: I have a few passions and golf is one of them. I believe the sport deserve tremendous attention as it loses out to cricket. It's brilliant sport and can be developed in our country in a big way. I grew up playing it. It's an intelligent sport, needs strategy, mind application and more.

Que: You have received one of the biggest awards The Ramnath Goenka Award- How did you feel receiving it?

Shaili Chopra with her book "The Big Connect"

Shaili Chopra: It was the most special honour for me. I believe as a journalist you cant just be news reader, you have to be a reporter, chase big stories, report on them, do interviews and ask in-depth questions. I was very grateful for the award as it recognised the reporter in me. 

Que: Your list of awards is not ending. FICCI has also awarded you with Young Women's Achiever Award for contribution to media. What was the feeling at that time?

Shaili Chopra: FICCI is A very reputed body and recognises rare talent. I was happy to receive this award with the likes of Vidya Balan, Mary Kom - it meant A lot.

Que: The Big Connect is related to the effect of Social Media on Politics. Do you really Feel that SM will effect Politics in future too?

Shaili Chopra: Yes I believe so. That so-me is now a part of our lives is something reflected in the amount of time Indians are spending online. I think it speaks volumes that we are partially governed today not by our time but our timelines. Our views are a confluence of people we speak to, our friends, our social media space.

Que: Do you plan to write more books? And what will be your subject this time?

Shaili Chopra: I have a couple of them in the pipeline. I will be able to share more details with time.

Que: You have interviewed many Big Shots across the world. Is there any specific person you want to interview and have not got a chance to?

Shaili Chopra: Yes, Tiger Woods. I think he is not only the biggest sportsperson in the world but he also has a discerning business sense. Business + Sport would be a great subject for me to connect with him on.

Que: You like writing poetry too, what kind of poetry you like to write?

Shaili Chopra: I write rhyming poems for children, other kinds for myself. It's not for public consumption but a person passion.

Infibeam Is Conferred With 'The Game Changing Idea Of The Year' Award By The Economic Times At Et Retail Award-2014

Infibeam is awarded as The Game Changing Idea of The Year at the fourth edition of the ET Retail Awards 2014. ET Retail Award is an annual initiative under the umbrella of The Economic Times & the Retailers Association of India, and is an initiative of the Times Grey Cell. The Game Changing Idea of the Year was conferred to BuildaBazaar, Infibeam's state-of-art eCommerce technology platform which enables small, medium and large retail brands to host their online store. 

Infibeam is Ahmedabad based one of the leading e-commerce technology company in India and offers B2C retail platform www.infibeam.com to millions of online consumer and technology platform for small, medium and large retailers to host their online store. 

Mr +Sachin Oswal, COO & Co-Founder and +Kartik Jain, VP - Corporate Development (centre) Infibeam received the award for Game Changing Idea of the Year from Chandru L Raheja and R Sundar .

Mr +Sachin Oswal said, "The Game Changing Idea of The Year Award is great recognition by The Economic Times as we strongly felt that BuildaBazaar.com since its launch in 2011 has grown at tremendous rate because of its scalable and robust attributes and has been widely accepted by the  retail brands not in India but also internationally."

Everything Becomes A Myth One Day, Says Anand Neelakantan

While many technology and management professionals venture into fiction writing in India, fame rests upon only a few writers, who can make it big in terms of success and reputation. Anand Neelkantan is a writer, who boasts name and fame in the world of fiction writing. His debut novel Asura: Tale of the Vanquished was a breakout hit and hit the list of bestsellers of 2012. In AJAYA: Epic of the Kaurava Clan - Roll Of The Dice, Neelkantan recreated the magic and this too went on to become a successful story. Indian mythology is a pool of inspiration for Neelkantan, who weaves engaging plots to revisit historical events with a complete new perspective. In this exclusive chat with Infibeam, Anand Neelkantan talks about his love for writing, his passion for Indian mythology and why epics like Ramayan and Mahabharat are great source of inspiration for people today.

Que: Many IITians and IIM graduates become writers today. Do you think that you are following the trend? OR writing has been your passion?

Mr. Anand Neelakantan: I am not a graduate from IIT or IIM, I have done my engineering from Government Engineering College, Trichur, Calicut University, Kerala. I believe writing has nothing to do with qualification and writers come from all walks of life. Writing has always been my passion and I did Engineering to get a job and make a living.

Que: Indian Mythology is the flair of the season. After Mehula series, your stories are sold well in book stores.

Mr. Anand Neelakantan: Indian mythology is an ocean of stories and it has always been an inspiration for writers in most Indian languages. A good book will sell irrespective of its genre.

Que: With myth, everything becomes possible. Your comment on Claude Levi Strauss' observation.

Mr. Anand Neelakantan: Everything becomes a myth one day. It is just the play of time.

Que: Bhasa, one of the celebrated Indian playwrights in Sanskrit used to brand villains as heroes in his dramas. How Ajaya is different from plays written by Bhasa?

Mr. Anand Neelakantan: Bhasa's Oorubhanga is a one act play, depicting the last scene of Duryodhana's life. Bhasa is always an inspiration for all mythologists. After two thousand years, his take on mythology appears more modern than most of the present day writers. Ajaya is different in the sense that it is Mahabharata seen from the angle of not only Duryodhana, but also other characters like Karna, Ekalavya, Aswathamma and a common man Jara.

Que: What makes you think (or believe) that ancient scriptures like Ramayana and Mahabharata are relevant even after thousands of years?

Mr. Anand Neelakantan: Look around and one need not think or believe. It is a fact. Ramayana and Mahabharata are a part of day to day life. Without these epics, all Indian languages will lose its colour.

Que: Do you think that fiction based on mythology strikes a chord with Indian youth?

Mr. Anand Neelakantan: A good story will always strike a chord with youth of any time in any country.

Que: What is the biggest challenge before you while writing Asura & Ajaya? Were you apprehensive of themes you have chosen?

Mr. Anand Neelakantan: Counter telling or Prati Vada is a part of Indian culture. Hindu mind has the capability to hold opposing concepts and be in home with both. The questions I ask in Asura or Ajaya are the questions that most of the people would have asked in their youth or most of the youth are asking now. I have just put them in a logical pattern. The questioning of our scriptures is a part of our tradition. There is nothing called blasphemy in Hinduism.

Que: What motivated you to write this book?

Mr. Anand Neelakantan: My love for mythology, my family back ground, the village I grew up where Puranas are still a living tradition and my fondness for the so called villains.

Que: What do you intend to express through the book?

Mr. Anand Neelakantan: If a reader is not able to understand what I am trying to express through the book, it means I have failed as a writer. My book is my expression.

Que: You would like to be remembered as - an engineer or a writer?

Mr. Anand Neelakantan: If I wanted to be remembered as an Engineer, would I be writing stories? Writer, obviously.

Que: Any message for Indian readers?

Mr. Anand Neelakantan: Please read my books with an open mind. I am not only aiming for entertainment, so if the book slows down in some chapters, it is because I want you to think with me. It is in the purest Indian tradition of Vada and Prati Vada.

Indian Consumers' Tryst With Online Book Shopping

While the entire world celebrates World Book Day on April 23 (the date happens to be William Shakespeare's death date) every year, this Infographic on Books touches a right chord with our audience as this information reveals some interesting facts on online shopping of books in India. This information is presented through a beautiful Infographic, which serves details like who are the top authors, which are the top selling titles in India, which Indian city browses more number of books, books in which language are sold more, which region of India orders most books and so on.

Indian Consumers' Tryst with Online Book Shopping from Infibeam.com

As we are living in a highly commercial world, sale of books is the one criterion that supports every fact displayed here. For top 10 authors, we have compiled sales of all their books in a month; and for top selling titles, they are stand-alone books, which are sold most in a month. Top ten personalities listed here may not be writers but they are the people on whom other eminent writers have penned reams of papers and those books are sold in large numbers.

Language and books go hand in hand; we have listed top five languages in which books are sold most. These languages are English, Hindi, Marathi, Tamil and Telugu. Top ten categories of books are also considered with business topping the list. Last but not the least - price range and payment method. Not only consumers but also some business people would like to know how consumers prefer to pay while they shop for books, and between what price range they love to buy books.

So, here is an excellent information on books. Read it, share it and send in your feedback. This Infographic is designed and developed by Infibeam.com after an extensive research.

Don't Think and Just Go For The Samsung GALAXY S5

Ahead of every launch of new Smartphone, people expect something more than what they have experienced in the previous version. At the same time, makers of smartphones have never fallen short of the public demand. The case in point is the new Samsung Galaxy S5. The countdown begins as Smartphone Guru has eventually announced the launch of its new series of S5 after the success of S4.

I know the questions coming will be: Does the new S5 have a metal body? Nope. Then it surely has Eye-watering crisp 2K+ display? The answer again is Nuh-uh. Well, friends after so many rumours and hype, Samsung has launched its all new Samsung Galaxy S5 with more fans at the Mobile World Congress on Monday. And mobile geeks are dying to hold that piece in their palms, of course with higher expectations.

So let's check out what makes Samsung Galaxy S5 such a coveted piece of communication.

If you think that I will be detailing ubiquitous features and specifications of Samsung Galaxy S5, you will be disappointed. This phone has better things to discuss about. And when I say better things, I am serious because the features encompassed are going to give you a better health and happier life.

Here are some strong features which will definitely attract you to get this new gadget, but you will have to wait as the new Samsung Galaxy S5 will be launching in India in the month of April 2014. And now for the features, it has a Fingerprint Scanner along with a Heart Rate Sensor; it goes without saying it has Android 4.4 Kitkat, the front of S5 is made with luxurious soft touch finish with minute perforations in order to give a steady grip. When the all new S5 makes its first debut, customers will enjoy their favorite color options to select from such as charcoal black, shimmery white and electric blue. In a deliberate nod to the iPhone 5S, in addition Samsung can pick the new S5 in copper gold too. Like S4, the S5 is also resistant to sweat, rain, liquids, sand and dust, so your phone is protected for any activity and situation as per IP67 standards.

All the health lovers, the new S5 be your fitness partner and take care of your health with the help of Galaxy S5's pedometer and S Health’s constant tracking of your condition, walking distance, calories, speed, duration, and so on. Other features include a 16 MP camera, 2.5GHz Snapdragon 800 SoC with 2GB of RAM, along with a new feature called the Ultra Power Saving mode, which claims to give you a 24-hour battery even when your phone shows the battery capacity at 10 percent.

If you want to know more features and specifications, Click: Samsung Galaxy S5

By Jaydip Parikh