Latest news with #Karthikeyan
The Hindu
21-07-2025
- The Hindu
Joint Director, Food and Drug Administration caught red-handed while receiving bribe ₹25,000
The officers of Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC)on Monday arrested caught red-handed P.U. Karthikeyan, 59, Joint Director of Drugs Control, Food and Drug Administration while demanding and receiving ₹25,000 bribe from a soap factory proprietor for processing an application for permission. Karthikeyan is also holding the incharge of the post of Director of Drug Control. According to DVAC, Saravanan, proprietor of Our Green India Soap Factory, Gudiyatham, Vellore, gave an application to the Food and Drug Administration department seeking a permit for production of organic soaps. Reportedly, as Joint Director Karthikeyan demanded Rs 1 lakh as bribe from Saravanan and said his application would be taken for processing if ₹25,000 is paid as advance. Police said unwilling to pay the bribe to Karthikeyan, Saravanan informed to DVAC, Chennai unit about this demand. The DVAC officers laid a trap proceeding. When Saravanan met Karthikeyan on Monday at latter's office on DMS campus, the latter reiterated his demand of ₹25, 000 bribe as an advance to process the application and Saravanan also gave ₹25,000 to Karthikeyan. The officers of DVAC caught Karthikeyan red-handed while receiving bribe. The DVAC arrested Karthikeyan and seized ₹25, 000. Further proceeding is on.
The Hindu
19-07-2025
- Automotive
- The Hindu
Mahesh Narayanan to direct biopic of Indian F1 driver Narain Karthikeyan
Malayalam filmmaker Mahesh Narayanan will direct a biopic on India's first Formula 1 Driver Narain Karthikeyan. Variety reported that the movie will be a Tamil-language feature, chronicling the journey of Karthikeyan. Produced by Faraz Ahsan, Vivek Rangachari and Pratik Maitra, the movie is currently been developed at Blue Marble Films. Shalini Usha Devi, who wrote the Suriya starrer Soorarai Pottru, will pen the script for the F1 movie. Speaking to Variety, Mahesh Narayanansaid, 'Narain Karthikeyan's journey isn't just about racing. It's about belief — in yourself, your country, and a dream no one else can see. That's what drew me to this story.' Karthikeyan, born in Coimbatore, had an early initiation to motorsport, thanks to his father Kakarla Karthikeyan Naidu, who was a rally racer. Karthikeyan soon worked his way through the Formula series, before landing an F1 seat with Jordan in 2005. At the USA Grand Prix, he finished fourth, claiming his first points in the competition. ALSO READ:In conversation with filmmakers Mahesh Narayanan and Wanphrang Diengdoh ahead of IIHS's Urban Lens film festival 'Motorsport gave me everything. This film gives that story to the world,' Karthikeyan, who was conferred with the Padma Shri in 2010, told Variety. Details of cast and crew of the film are yet to be announced.
New Indian Express
12-07-2025
- New Indian Express
Coimbatore launches 'Smart Khakki' bike patrols to boost rural safety
COIMBATORE: The Coimbatore District (Rural) police have launched a new bike patrolling unit called 'Smart Khakki,' aiming for crime prevention and traffic regulation in the rural areas of Coimbatore district. This initiative was inaugurated by Coimbatore District Police Superintendent Dr K Karthikeyan at the Police Recruit School (PRS) campus in the city on Friday. He announced that 35 bike patrolling units have been established, each consisting of two police officers. These units will focus on preventing crime, particularly crimes against children and women, while ensuring visible policing at major public gatherings. "These units will operate round the clock, with each police station receiving one unit. Heavier stations will have up to three teams to cover their jurisdictions," said SP Karthikeyan. The personnel selected for the patrolling units are chosen from their respective police limits and are trained to use advanced devices such as body-worn cameras, communication equipment, and breath analyzers for vehicle checking. They also have access to the Facial Recognition System (FRS) to identify individuals with criminal backgrounds and can utilize the e-Vahan and e-Challan applications to track records of individuals or their vehicles. SP Karthikeyan emphasised that the 'Smart Khakki' unit will respond to emergency and distress calls from the public. Unlike regular patrols that operate within specific timeframes, these units will be active around the clock. They will monitor areas around educational institutions during morning and evening hours, ensure a police presence at bus stands and markets, and conduct night patrols between 2 am and 5 am. The bikes assigned to the units have been slightly modified, and their call sign is 'Khakki.' The SP expressed hope that this initiative will help reduce crime and increase visible policing in the community.
Time of India
11-07-2025
- Time of India
Coimbatore rural police launch 24x7 two-wheeler patrolling system
Coimbatore: The Coimbatore rural police on Friday launched 'Smart Khakis', a 24x7 two-wheeler patrolling system aimed at reducing crime rates, ensuring visible policing, and protecting children and women. Coimbatore district superintendent of police Dr K Karthikeyan said the two-wheeler patrolling vehicles will function round-the-clock. Thirty-five customized motorcycles with GPS trackers will be used for the patrol system. While heavy police stations will have two to three patrol vehicles, other stations will have one vehicle each. He said that the locations of the patrol vehicles could be tracked with GPS devices fitted on them. This enables the staff on duty at the police control room to dispatch the nearest vehicle to a location upon receiving an emergency call. The two-wheeler patrol police personnel were given special training for two days. They were trained to use the police facial recognition system, e-challan machine, Vahan app, breathalyser, advanced body-worn cameras, and smart communication systems. "We aim to reduce the response time in emergency cases. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Forget Furosemide, Use This Household Item To Help Drain Edema Fluid WellnessGuide Learn more Undo Each policeman in the patrol system is equipped with multiple devices for swift response," he said. He also added that two cops were allotted for each motorcycle, and they would be engaged in patrolling their assigned areas. "We have already identified crime-prone areas and instructed the patrol cops to cover these areas. They would monitor school areas during morning and evening hours. Similarly, the cops would focus on other activities as well," said a police officer. On Friday morning, all the 35 two-wheeler patrol vehicles were lined up on the Police Recruit School premises. SP Karthikeyan flagged off the two-wheelers.
Time of India
10-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
ETBWS 2025: The Goodbug's science-first approach to wellness
The spotlight session at the ETBrandEquity's Brand World Summit 2025 shifted to the profound evolution of the direct-to-consumer (D2C) landscape, with Prabhu Karthikeyan , co-founder of TheGoodbug, offering his perspective honed over three decades in consumer brands. Karthikeyan reminisced about a bygone era where "shelf presence made market combinations," a world dominated by retail distribution and lengthy television commercials. This was a "big boys game," characterised by high entry barriers and requiring immense scale for even a small print advertisement or a brief TV spot. Categories like health and wellness barely existed in the mainstream. The last decade, particularly with the advent of COVID-19 and the explosion of social media, completely "democratised" the consumer business. "Anybody could launch a brand, you could go from zero to 100 or you could go from zero to five and still be over here," Karthikeyan highlighted. Success in this initial phase was about quickly identifying trends, leveraging performance marketing, and mastering "book credit" and programmatic advertising. However, Karthikeyan cautioned that these early opportunities are rapidly diminishing. "I think the consumer is far more smarter than what these playbooks are. They see through they truly are able to differentiate between what's yours despite all the time. And I think we are truly going into an era of trust." For him, the current D2C landscape is less about mere participation and more about "pure entertainment" and, crucially, "category creation." Science as the unshakeable foundation Karthikeyan's own brand's journey exemplifies this shift. Their initial focus on building a simple kit evolved into embracing the profound potential of the "microbe" to control health and wellness. "It was not about, hey, let's go build a local brand... It was never but the fact that we were so enamored by the idea that there is this microbe and it can do something is what broke this whole thing forward," he explained. This fascination led to an unwavering commitment to science. Despite achieving significant scale—dropping over INR 225 crores in revenue in their third year—every incremental gain is reinvested directly into research and development. "Clearly trust is greater than trends. Science is far greater than systems," Karthikeyan asserted. This dedication is reflected in their team structure; they operate without a chief marketing officer or a global head, instead prioritising hires like their director of health and nutrition, R&D director and fermentation head. They even acquired a small business to bring fermentation expertise in-house. The power of persistent education From day one, education has been paramount for Karthikeyan's brand. While industry norms pushed for short, viral hooks, they defied convention, running Meta ads that were two to three minutes long. Even today, their average communication length is 1.5 to two minutes. "We believe that education for Indians has been an ecosystem of education," he stated. This extends beyond advertising to include a dedicated "team" and continuous consumer education initiatives. In closing, Karthikeyan emphasised that the future of D2C, particularly in the health and wellness sector, demands a deeper purpose. "It is not about participating in categories. It is not about, let me just do this. It truly would be where a brand has purpose. It is not an option. It is going to be the foundation of what the future of people will face." For aspiring brands in health and wellness, he concluded, an "honest, intelligent brand" is the path forward.
