Latest news with #Noida-based
The Hindu
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
World Music Day: How indie musicians are changing the soundscape
Indie-music has become a global sound, with influences from various genres, including jazz, soul, RnB, and, apart from the Indian classical music and folk. On World Music Day, celebrated on June 21, we spotlight some indie musicians, who are constantly experimenting with sound. Vasundara Vee Swipe, tap and repeat is the new addiction. The highs of having access to unlimited information/entertainment feeds, yet being ignorant of the lows of living in a digital haze and FOMOs, defines a life driven by technology. Jazz and soul singer Vasundhara Vee's new single, 'Junk the blame', addresses this. Earlier, this year, Vasundhara made headlines for singing at famed fashion designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee's 25th anniversary celebrations. The Mumbai-based singer is known as one of the powerhouse vocalists, who is credited with bringing time-tested genres such as RnB, Soul and Jazz to playlists of today's youth. 'A singer always has a message, which is channelled through his/her personality,' says Vasundhara. As a child, Vasundhara was quiet and soft-spoken. 'I found my calling in soul, jazz and blues. Music transformed me. It pushed me to communicate through words and sounds,' she adds. Abhishek Hazarika Noida-based singer, songwriter, rhythm guitarist, composer and independent musician, Abhishek Hazarika, is trained in Hindustani classical (vocal), acoustic and electric guitar. His debut album, Brightendash, comprising 10 tracks, consists of a grunge-rock sound, rooted in classic and alternative rock sensibilities. Abhishek is inspired by bands such as Soundgarden, Screaming Trees, Pearl Jam, The Smashing Pumpkins, Nirvana, The Melvins, Oasis, Green Day, The Beatles, The Who, Grand Funk Railroad, Jimi Hendrix, Cream and REM. Grunge rock, a subgenre of the 90's hard rock, originated in Seattle, the U.S. 'Grunge Rock gives me the freedom to explore multiple styles of rock music. And that's how I came up with the songs in my album. Sarthak Sardana Sarthak Sardana, popular as Sartek, is a DJ and electronic dance-music producer. He has had releases with major global labels and even found support in legends like David Guetta, Tiësto and Hardwell. Over time, he felt the urge to add something local to his repertoire of sound. 'I wanted to blend folk and Bollywood with house-techno and Afro. So he came up with productions that fused Indian folk tunes with electronic beats. Today, it resonates on dancefloors around the world. 'It is all about creating a sound rooted in culture, but built for the future,' says Sartek. Neel Adhikari, Pushan Kripalani, Arijit Datta Singer-songwriters Neel Adhikari, Pushan Kripalani and Arijit Datta recently collaborated with Tiger Baby Records (Zoya Akhtar, Reema Kagti and Ankur Tewari) for their latest album City Sessions. Pushan is a filmmaker and theatre director-turned songwriter, synonymous with his collective Slight Diversion. The trio's debut EP, 'Borrowed Guitars', earned them critical acclaim with the track 'Man, boy and liar' topping the charts. When Pushan wrote his first song, he was inspired by a woman singing in Central Park, New York. 'She sang with just an acoustic guitar in front of a small crowd. The songs were her own, yet appealed to people because of the simplicity of its rendition,' he recalls. Singer-songwriter Arijit Datta is the frontman of the Hindi-Indie band, Airport, which is known for its bluesy, evocative sound. 'The sound of Airport feels like home. It holds the weight of everything I have lived through — silence, chaos and search. This genre gives me the freedom to be myself, to communicate what I cannot articulate verbally. Making music is my way of staying connected to my original self,' he shares. Neel Adhikari is the artiste behind the opening track of Netflix's Little Things and Modern Love: Mumbai. Neel sees his music spread over two areas — background score and song. He dislikes categorisation of music and finds it hard to imagine himself stuck to one genre. He adds that he is drawn to certain textures and sounds. 'If it comes from an instrument that has wood and strings, it usually sounds good to me. My songs have a lot of acoustic guitars, ukuleles, banjos and now mandolins too,' he shares. Neel also loves analogue synths and percussions from interesting sounding non-instruments. His lyrics are essentially a play at depth using simple language. Quite often, one finds deep or dark words over a chirpy tune in his songs. 'I love the existence of contrasting elements in a composition and the sound of melancholy. Being a journeyman, I enjoy the process but am also goal-oriented and I break my back trying to achieve a sound I have imagined,' he states.
New Indian Express
4 hours ago
- New Indian Express
Delhi Police apologises for wrongly identifying journalist as suspect in criminal case
NEW DELHI: The Delhi Police has apologised for wrongly identifying a Noida-based journalist as a suspect in a criminal case, an official said on Friday. A team from the Prem Nagar Police Station in outer Delhi, comprising a sub-inspector, a head constable and a constable, was investigating a case registered under sections 318(4) (cheating involving valuable security) and 61(2) (criminal conspiracy) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, he said. "The team was tracking the location of the accused identified as Rahul, a resident of Bahadurgarh, through his mobile phone," Deputy Commissioner of Police (Shahdara) Prashant Gautam said. It led the team to a petrol pump in Sector 38, Noida, where they found a man in a car with his wife, whose description matched the suspect, he added. "When the team asked him to produce an identity card, he reportedly refused and entered into an argument. The man later identified himself as Rahul Shah, a Noida-based journalist," the DCP said. Upon realising the mistake, the police team apologised and returned to the police station. "No misbehaviour or force was used during the incident," the officer said. The confusion was due to the similarity in facial features and the name, the DCP said, adding, "As soon as the team confirmed that the individual was not the accused, it expressed regret and disengaged from the interaction." An internal note has been made regarding the incident, and no further action is being pursued.
NDTV
4 hours ago
- NDTV
Wrong Rahul, Wrong Place: Noida Journalists Harassed In Shocking Police Mix-Up
New Delhi: On a humid Thursday afternoon at a petrol pump in Sector 38, Noida, Ayantika Pal and Rahul Saha, a married couple and dedicated journalists, stopped to refill their car. Both accustomed to navigating high-pressure situations in their work. But nothing could have prepared them for the ordeal that unfolded leaving them shaken and questioning the systems meant to protect them. As they waited for their tank to fill, three individuals approached - Sub-Inspector Ritu Dangi, Head Constable Harendir, and Constable Amit from the Delhi Police's cyber cell. The trio, dressed in plain clothes, had their eyes fixed on 31-one-year-old Rahul. Without warning, Harendir grabbed Rahul's arm, accusing him of being a suspect in a criminal case involving cheating and conspiracy. "You're Rahul, aren't you?" the constable demanded, his tone leaving no room for doubt. Ayantika, sensing the situation spiralling, pulled out her phone and began recording. "Who are you? Show us your identification!" she insisted. The officers, claiming to be tracking a cybercriminal named Rahul from Bahadurgarh, barely acknowledged her. The officers coerced them to exit their car and began forcing Rahul into a private vehicle. When Ayantika resisted one of the male constables ordered the woman constable " kheecho isko peeche se". Ayantika, stunned, produced her press ID, clearly stating that her husband is Rahul Saha, a Noida-based journalist, and they're both originally from West Bengal. "Please verify before you do this," traumatised Ayantika kept insisting. HARASSMENT. TRAUMA. When some officers claiming to be of @DelhiPolice cyber cell tried to KIDNAP us in broad daylight. Here's what happened today that has left me and my husband (@rahoolism) traumatized. — ayantika pal (@AyantikaTOI) June 19, 2025 But the officers pressed on, unconvinced, their actions fuelled by a flawed assumption. They had tracked a mobile signal to the petrol pump, and Rahul, by sheer coincidence, matched the first name and general description of their target. The interaction grew heated, with Ayantika's video capturing the chaos: fuel dispensers in the background, bystanders watching, and the couple's growing distress. "This is harassment. We're journalists, and you're treating us like criminals without checking who we are," Ayantika said. Describing the fragility of personal security in the face of unchecked authority, Rahul and Ayantika told NDTV: "If we weren't from the media, we'd likely be in a jail cell right now, no questions asked. This is terrifying - how many others go through this without a voice?" Ayantika, still shaken, shared, "I feel traumatised and humiliated. We were just refilling our car, and suddenly saw my husband being manhandled. What happens to people who don't have press IDs or cameras to protect them?" She added, "I keep seeing it in my mind - the way they grabbed him, the way they dismissed us. It felt like we were nothing. If we weren't journalists, would anyone have listened?" Rahul emphasised the broader implications: "This isn't just about us. It's about a system that lets this happen to anyone, anywhere, without accountability. We were lucky to have our press cards and a camera. Most people don't." The officers, after several tense minutes, finally checked Rahul's ID and realised their mistake. The Rahul they sought was a different man, from a different city, tied to a different life. SI Dangi, visibly chastened, scribbled a handwritten apology on a piece of paper, using the car's bonnet as a makeshift desk. It read: "SI Ritu Dangi, HC Harendir & Ct Anit, PS-Cyber, Shahdara misunderstood Mr Rahul Shah as our alleged person Mr Rahul and apologised on behalf of my team and in future this thing will not be done from our side." The note, riddled with errors, was a small gesture in the face of a profound violation. The Delhi Police later issued a formal statement through Deputy Commissioner Prashant Gautam, explaining that the team was investigating a case under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for cheating and conspiracy. They had tracked a suspect's mobile signal to the petrol pump, where Rahul's presence was a tragic coincidence. "No misbehavior or force was used," the statement claimed, adding that the team apologised and disengaged upon realising the error. An internal note was filed, with no further action planned. But for Ayantika and Rahul, the incident was far from resolved. The video, now circulating widely, sparked outrage and raised critical questions. How could a police team, equipped with mobile tracking technology, fail to verify basic details before confronting an innocent couple? What does this say about the training and protocols of a cyber cell tasked with precision in a city plagued by sophisticated crimes? And most troublingly, how many others without the visibility of journalists or the evidence of a recorded video- face similar treatment?
Hindustan Times
7 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Delhi police misidentifies journalist as suspect in a case, apologizes later
The Delhi Police has apologized for wrongly identifying a Noida-based journalist as a suspect in a criminal case, an official said on Friday. A team from the Prem Nagar Police Station in outer Delhi, comprising a sub-inspector, a head constable and a constable, was investigating a case registered under sections 318(4) (cheating involving valuable security) and 61(2) (criminal conspiracy) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, he said. "The team was tracking the location of the accused identified as Rahul, a resident of Bahadurgarh, through his mobile phone," Deputy Commissioner of Police (Shahdara) Prashant Gautam said. It led the team to a petrol pump in Sector 38, Noida, where they found a man in a car with his wife, whose description matched the suspect, he added. "When the team asked him to produce an identity card, he reportedly refused and entered into an argument. The man later identified himself as Rahul Shah, a Noida-based journalist," the DCP said. Upon realising the mistake, the police team apologised and returned to the police station. "No misbehaviour or force was used during the incident," the officer said. The confusion was due to the similarity in facial features and the name, the DCP said, adding, "As soon as the team confirmed that the individual was not the accused, it expressed regret and disengaged from the interaction". An internal note has been made regarding the incident, and no further action is being pursued.
Economic Times
10 hours ago
- Business
- Economic Times
HCL Tech shares in focus after partnership with US energy firm Just Energy
Shares of HCL Technologies will be in focus on Friday after the IT major announced a partnership with US-based energy supply company Just Energy to enhance the latter's operations and customer experience. ADVERTISEMENT Under the agreement, HCLTech will deliver digital process outsourcing solutions powered by its generative AI platform to streamline functions across IT, finance, analytics, customer care, sales, and renewals, the company said in a statement. This marks HCLTech's second major deal in the energy sector this week. On Monday, the Noida-based software exporter announced a collaboration with European energy giant to provide cloud and network management services. 'By combining our expertise in GenAI and digital process outsourcing, HCLTech will contribute significantly to Just Energy's innovation strategy and customer satisfaction,' said Ajay Bahl, Chief Growth Officer – Americas, Manufacturing and Allied Industries at company will also deploy its business process optimisation tools and a role-specific, single-user interface platform to improve workforce collaboration and operational workflows at Just Energy.'We are confident that HCLTech's proven expertise and commitment to service excellence will help us achieve our key business objectives related to operational efficiency and service improvements,' said Scott Fordham, Chief Operating Officer at Just Energy. ADVERTISEMENT Also Read: 8 debt-free penny stocks that surged 110-300% in the last 1 year. Do you own any? According to Trendlyne data, the average target price for HCLTech is Rs 1,668, indicating a potential downside of around 3% from current levels. Among the 44 analysts tracking the stock, the consensus rating is 'Hold'. ADVERTISEMENT HCLTech shares closed marginally lower by 0.1% at Rs 1,713.90 on the BSE in Thursday's trade. While the stock has gained 11% over the past three months, it remains down over 10% year-to-date. (Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, views, and opinions given by the experts are their own. These do not represent the views of The Economic Times) ADVERTISEMENT (You can now subscribe to our ETMarkets WhatsApp channel)
