Coke's Version of Aam Ki Lassi Coming Soon

Coca-Cola India is promoting a milk mango juice called Maaza Milky Delite. It debuts in 3,000 stores in Kolkata (Rs 15 for a 200-ml pack) in order to test the market. If it's a hit, it will go national.

The traditional milk-shake-like treat, Aam Ki Lassi, is made of mango pulp and curd or yogurt, whereas Milky Delite is mango juice and milk. 

Is it a corruption or an extension of Indian heritage?

Ambani Brothers Team Up To Offer Discount Tablets

Mukesh Ambani and Anil Ambani may finally reconcile for the benefit of consumers wanting a cheap mobile computer with cellular internet access.

Mukesh Ambani -- who Forbes named the wealthiest Indian -- heads the company founded by their father, which now one of the biggest conglomerates in the country. Reliance is now looking to enter the telecom business and to produce one of the most competitively-priced tablet computers,  and a joint venture with Anil Ambani's RCom is being considered to help make it happen.

The idea is to make an affordable tablet, at Rs 6,000. The Mobile Indian reports that the Aakash 4G might be the tablet in question, which they say is the cheapest Android tablet on the market at Rs 3,000 and should be available in December.

The Aakash, manufactured by a Canadian company, has been called "a revolution in the Indian tablet market." It remains to be seen if Reliance will bring it to market:

Suneet Singh Tuli, CEO of DataWind told Business Standard,'We have had preliminary talks with Reliance Industries....To begin, this December we'll launch a GPRS-enabled tablet at an MRP of Rs 2,999 with some Indian operators....The upcoming 4G tablet is in collaboration with the Reliance is likely to storm the high speed data 4G market with budget data gadgets. As per Tuli, they are planning to provide their devices at almost half of the prices their competitors are offering.

In a press release, DataWind discusses the future of its concept tablet, "DataWind CEO, Suneet Singh Tuli said, "Our goal was to break the price barrier for computing and internet access. Working with IIT Rajasthan, and NME-ICT, we've created a product that will finally bring affordable computing and internet access to the masses. This is not only a concept that applies to India, but has ignited the imaginations of governments around the world."

He adds that "The Aakash is proudly made in [Hyderbad] India, and is destined to revolutionize computing and internet access for the world."

Chandigarh Responsible for 6% of Indian Liquor Consumption

Indian made foreign liquor, imported, and domestic and country-made liquor markets are soaring, and Chandigarh residents are pouring more drinks compared to other regions. A survey by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India studied the liquor market, and found it on the rise in urban areas. 


In a five-month period, 53.60 lakh bottles or liquor were consumed in Chandigarh alone. Industry spokespeople suggest that the growth is due to the young, upwardly-mobile cosmopolitan consumer, but critics worry that the rise can also point to increased alcohol consumption amongst the youth.

Obama Celebrates Diwali

The White House held a private ceremony celebrating Diwali, where President Obama lit a traditional diya. The event was attended by 200 prestigious guests, including Nirupama Rao, Indian ambassador to the US, as well as many Indian-Americans.

"Diwali is a special holiday for millions across the country", said Obama, who became the first US president to join Diwali celebrations at the White House in 2009.

"Michelle and I greatly enjoyed the occasion and the celebration in India last year," he said, recalling the Diwali festivities in Mumbai the first couple had joined during the president's first visit to India in November 2010.

"Diwali is the time to celebrate victory of light over darkness, hope over despair. Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and Buddhists consider the day sacred. The message of this day is truly universal," Obama said at the closed press event Friday.

Fatty Acids Are Good, According to Snake Hearts

More news that fatty acids are great for heart health, this time based on a study of python hearts. Pythons shoot colossal levels of fatty acids through their bloodstreams as they digest a large meal, yet their hearts do not clog, but rather grow stronger. Omega fatty acids such as Omega-3, Omega-6, and Omega-9, common in some fish, seeds, and leafy vegetables, are consistently shown to have significant health benefits.

What Makes a Company "Women-friendly"?

Hindustan Unilever Ltd., maker of popular household brands such as Pureit, Kwality Wall's, and Sur Excel, is leading the charge for gender diversity by recruiting more female employees. That's according to the Economic Times, which profiles Leena Nair, a 37 year-old mother and wife who is also an executive director in the company's Mumbai location. Nair says that when she started at the company's Taloja factory, there wasn't even a women's toilet on the premises.

"I never complained, or made a noise about facilities that weren't available," she says. "Instead, I quietly suggested alternatives to people who could do something about it. For instance, I requested the company to look for 'safer' hotels in small towns for our women employees."

Now the company has a number of progressive programs that encourage and enable women to work, including family sabbatical, mentoring programs, flex timing, and workplace daycare. Is this a trend in India?

UN Report on Human Development Ranks India

The United Nations ranks India at 134 out of 187 countries in "Human Development Index," below Pakistan and Bangladesh, however the study shows India is on the rise. 

Human Development refers to nation's living standards, merging environmental concerns with human health and economic opportunity. 

According to the UN, "The Report further emphasizes the human right to a healthy environment, the importance of integrating social equity into environmental policies, and the critical importance of public participation and official accountability." 

A different survey says that India has made marked improvements on the "Bribe Payers' Index," which measures corruption in global businesses.