In this Q&A session, Manoj Tulsani,co-founder and CEO of Rayna Group reveals how he started and grew his modest business to a massive success in the travel industry. 

• What is your background? 

I am a commerce graduate; I started my first job with Dubai’s Safeer Group of Companies as a marketing executive in 1999. I next joined Time Machine Group of Companies where I stayed till I became the Marketing Head. Later, when I decided to start my own business, I switched from trading industry to service industry. 

• When did you start Rayna Tours? Where did the idea for Rayna Tours come from?

We started Rayna Tours and Travels in the year 2006. The idea to start Rayna Tours actually came from my passion for travel and interest in meeting and mingling with new people. Back then, most related service providers in the industry offered hotel and flight bookings but they almost ignored the key aspect, i.e. to arrange activities and tours for the visitors traveling to Dubai. And our mission initially was to fix this vital shortcoming by designing pocket-friendly services and unique packages that would satisfy every traveler’s preference. 

• How did you materialize your ideas into a venture?

It all began by choosing the right location. We saw the birth of our venture from a small outlet inside a strategically located hotel in Dubai, namely Flora Grand Hotel. Our initial customers were the guests who stayed in the hotel; we arranged activities like safaris, sightseeing tours,and other iconic Dubai experiences for them at affordable rates. It was well-received by the guests and the outcome was quite incredible. In a span of less than two years, we opened a chain of about 15 travel outlets in Dubai’s popular hotels and resorts. And it didn’t take too long for us to mark our name in the industry as a leading Destination Management Company. In 2009, we launched our main office at Old Labour Building, in Abu Hail, which almost after a decade has been shifted to a larger office inside ACICO Business Park Building, at Port Saaed Road, Deira. 

• What were the biggest challenges you have had to overcome along the way? 

There were quite a lot of them.We set up Rayna Tours and Travels small by sourcing all our personal savings and we didn’t have a proper mentor or a solid business plan or background or the right team to grow our business. The greatest challenge was probably getting our targeted audience see the potential of our concept. Moreover, it wasn’t easy to compete with the giants in the industry. So, we crafted our offerings differently in such a way that they are simple, straightforward and absolute value for money without any hidden fee. And this is the real base of our business success. 

• What does Rayna Tours specialize in? 

Rayna Tours’ initial clients were limited to just hotel guests, but it is now a reliable platform for all types of travelers across the world to effortlessly plan and execute their dream holiday or travel. Whatever our guests are looking for to compile their travel – be it hotel reservation, flight booking, visa application, MICE or transfers, Rayna Tours has high-end choices to well take care of every aspect of a travel. We also help both small and mid-sized travel business, individual tour operators etc, to grow their presence through our dedicated B2B travel portal, www.raynab2b.com. 

• How is Rayna Tours different from other related service providers? 

First of all, we are an ISO certified company which indicates the high standard quality of our products and services and packages. As a customer-centric company, we always put our guests’ requirements first and hence our team can go any length to enrich the customer experience on round the clock basis. With a vast line up of cruise vessels, vehicles and a huge desert camp, we don’t have an intermediary to implement most of our best-selling services such as cruises and safaris. We are our customer’s number one choice; the proof of which is many awards and recognitions that we have received over the time via unbiased public voting and five-star customer reviews, mainly Traveler’s Choice Award from TripAdvisor and Arabian Travel Awards (for Best B2B Portal and Best Destination Management Company.)

• Running a business in a competitive industry is an extremely tough task. So, how do you deal with failures and mistakes? 

Yes, we have had to undergo many failures and challenges in our business journey. But, we never take it personal; instead we believe in SWOT analysis where we analyze our strengths and weaknesses while identifying our opportunities and threats. This not only allows us to know our strong points but also work on our inadequacies and limitations. 

• What is your favorite part of being the CEO of Rayna Group? 

The most amazing part of being in this position is that not every day is same or mundane for me. There may be lots of ups and downs with a diverse set of challenges and risks to tackle on day to day basis, but it is certainly rewarding as I can respond to my clients’ needs directly and even rectify the mistakes in our own unique ways. 

• What is your valuable advice for the up and coming entrepreneurs? 

To become an entrepreneur is both a daring and scary adventure. But, you really don’t have to be; once you know your passion and find your market, just have belief in yourself and further set your goals and vision right. And of course, be attentive and adaptable to the ever-changing market demands and learn from every mistake or difficult situation. Most importantly, always listen to your audience; be it positive or negative reviews, it will promote for the growth of your business. Remember that no business can reap success overnight; be prepared to make sacrifices and it is worth it once the results began to show.

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A four-year-decade U.S. Government senior scientist turned paranormal researcher and investigative author named Raymond Szymanski will be in southwest Michigan this month with his new book called the Alien Shades of Grey trilogy. He will present his findings on the incidents of the March 1966 UFO sighting.

Reportedly almost 56 years ago there was a sighting of strange lights and flying saucers over Dexter and Hillsdale College in the sky of the state of Michigan. The government reported the incident merely as “mash Gas” after discrediting the concerns of visible UFOs.

However, the story of the incident can be found in the book called Project Blue Book which states the code name for the systematic study of unidentified flying objects by the United States Air Force team from March 1952 to December 1969. The book recalls incidents of UFO encounters with “investigation” and “explanation.”

Author Szymanski also tells a similar story of the 1966 UFO sighting but from an account of an eye-witness. The witness named Colonel Gary K. Carroll, an Air Force pilot was sent to track the UFO. Mr. Szymanski has taken a series of interviews with the Colonel to collect information from his memories. The Colonel said that he observed and chase something indescribable to the laws of physics over southeast Michigan.

Author Szymanski has compiled the examination records and eyewitness reports along with interviews of people claiming to experience the event, into his book called the Alien Shades of Grey trilogy. He has also produced another book called Swamp Gas My Ass, which deals with the detailing of the southeast Michigan UFO events in March 1966.

The author will be present at the Hillsdale Community Library on July 30, 2022, to elaborate on the strange events. The presentation by author Szymanski will begin at noon and the registration is completely free of cost.

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An interview with a climate activist on British television has drawn comparisons to the film ‘Don’t Look Up.’

Fantastic responses to some pretty shocking "interviewing" #DontLookUp #RichardMadeley @GaryLineker #JustStopOil pic.twitter.com/HQmGkf5H0D

— Greenpeace UK (@GreenpeaceUK) April 12, 2022

A ‘Just Stop Oil’ activist’s interview on British television has eerily resembled a scene from Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence’s Don’t Look Up. In the face of rising fuel prices, ‘Just Stop Oil’ activists have been protesting the fossil fuel economy.

The TV segment in question was debating whether or not oil protests are “justified.” The interviewer, who has been chastised on social media for being “patronising,” described the “Just Stop Oil” campaign as “very playground.”

Miranda Whelehan, a 20-year-old activist in the segment, spoke about the need to halt new oil licencing and how a recent IPCC report warned of an impending “climate catastrophe.”

Similar scenes can be found in the Netflix film Don’t Look Up, starring Leo and Jennifer. The film examines the current climate crisis and how various segments of society have responded to it.

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The CEO and co-founder of SUGAR, Vineeta Singh says, “Product is always at the centre of creating a wow factor- but it’s just the starting point.” She further adds, “After the product, comes the whole education and community. We spent the last few years obsessing about education.”

During the Brands of New India Mega Summit, Vineeta Singh speaks to YourStory, “Offline has been a game changer for us because it has so much operating leverage. She informs how different brand benefits from online and offline shopping. The CEO of Fab bags also says, “At a time when it is easier to grow revenue on the back of Facebook ads, there are some things that can’t be grown on steroids and one of those is community. Education and community will be very critical for the growth of brands.”

Have a look at the tweets from @YourStoryCo below.

‘Product is always at the centre of creating a wow factor – but it’s just the starting point, says @vineetasng, Co-founder & CEO of @trySUGAR.

‘After the product, comes the whole education and community. We spent the last few years obsessing about education.’ #BrandsofNewIndia pic.twitter.com/JYeLL0uOXg

— Brands Of New India (@YSBrandsOfIndia) January 28, 2022

She adds, “If someone wants to start a new brand, rather than building a me- too product they should should first think about niches that nobody is going after. Once you establish product-market fit, that’s when you need to look into CAC, advertising etc.”

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Tennis players Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek advanced to the third round of the Australian Open by defeating Wang Xinyu and Rebecca Peterson, respectively. Meanwhile, Sam Stosur’s 69th and final appearance in a Grand Slam singles draw ended with a 6-2, 6-2 loss in the second round.

Sabalenka survives the seed exodus

After third seed Garbine Muguruza and sixth seed Anett Kontaveit were knocked out in the second round, Sabalenka looked to be going the same way when she double-failed six times in her first service game.

The only thing I told myself was that even if I couldn’t serve, I had enough shots to still win the match,” Sabalenka explained.
Cruises with Iga Swiatek
“This kind of mentality allowed me to stay in the game and actually find my serve.”
As she had done in the first round on Tuesday, the No.7 seed cruised to a 6-2, 6-2 win over Sweden’s Rebecca Peterson to advance to the third round for the third consecutive year at Melbourne Park.

“Being confident to begin the match was important to me or crucial for me,” Swiatek said after the match. “I felt like I was dominating from the start, and after I got a couple of breaks, moving forward became much easier. That was the key.”

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The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the proposal to increase the age of marriage for women from 18 to 21 years, sources said.

At present, the minimum age of marriage for men is 21 and for women is 18. Now, the government will bring amendments to the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, Special Marriage Act and Hindu Marriage Act to give the new proposal a shape.

The proposal was recommended by the task force headed by Jaya Jaitley in Niti Aayog. Pediatrician VK Paul was also a part of the task force.

Besides them, the secretaries of the Department of Health and Family Welfare, Women and Child Development, Higher Education, School Education and Literacy Mission and the Ministry of Justice and Law were also a part of the task force.

The task force was constituted in June 2020 and gave its report in December the same year. The task force had said that the minimum age of women at the time of giving birth to their first child should be 21.

Delay in marriage has a positive impact on the economic, social and health of families, women, children and society, the task force said.

Highlights

• Jaya Jaitly is heading the centre’s task force.
• It also recommended formalised school curriculum on sex education for schools along with the training of women in polytechnic institutes and business training so that the increase in marriageable age gets easier to implement.
• The proposal is based on recommendations submitted by a task force set by the Centre to Niti Aayog.

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Rahul Sharma of Ek Ghar Banaunga fame takes on the role of the beloved Bhushan in the latest ALTBalaji original web series Helllo Jee, launched on 1st February 2021. Bhushan is the central male character in the series, he is one of the rare good ones which makes ‘Angelina’ who is not used to good men fall for him. Rahul Sharma talks in detail about the character and the show.

Tell us about ‘Helllo Jee’?

Helllo Jee is a story of a girl and her journey of how she meets different people/characters and how those characters have their own problems and struggles. But still, this girl manages to be a part of their lives and makes a way out of those struggles together as family members.

Tell us something about your character?

I am playing the character of Bhushan who is the positive lead of the show. Basically, Bhushan is a small-town boy and from a small family, who was raised in the shadows of poverty. There is a struggle in his life but is always willing to take risks and carve a way for himself. Bhushan is an innocent character still there is a bit of sharpness in him when it comes to his work and his life. He is a very ‘Desi type’ man who is connected to his roots. Has many friends and that chill attitude within him. There is a girl who he loves very much and this story is around that girl only.

You replaced Ansh Bagri for the role overnight. Any thoughts?

I don’t know about Ansh Bagri being a part of this show, because when I was approached for the show I sent them my Audition, and within 2-3 days they wanted to finalize me because they didn’t have many days left to start the shoot. So, I got selected just 2-3 days before the start of the shoot. 

What made you say yes to the show?

This is my first web series as a lead. I have been offered many shows in the past but in every show, they talked more about other things than the story, so I have rejected many series before this. But in this series, my character is very focused as to what he wants to do and how. And in the whole show, he is focused on one aim and he does not divert his aim till the end. That was the reason which attracted me the most and this will be the reason why people are going to like my character.

What are your thoughts on the concept of ‘Helllo Jee’? 

Helllo Jee has a very interesting concept, not because it is my show but in general. There is a very interesting story that involves many characters who are living their lives in agony and how a small thing turns their lives upside down. There is a shift in their lives when they set up a business together and strive to make a better future together. Being a youth-centric show, people are going to love it. 

What preparations have you done for your character in the show?

Preparing for Bhushan was quite tough for me, as I came at the last moment for the show and at first I was not able to find that Bhushan inside myself. So, I faced many problems during the shoot at the start as I was not able to bring my character to life. I was not able to attend all of the workshops for the show and on top of that, I fell sick right before the shoot. So, it was all-natural what I performed on set, even with the dialect and diction which was required to do justice to my character. And when we were shooting at different places, to understand the dialect of those areas I used to go to those places 4-5 days before the shoot to grasp as much as I could. Let’s hope that the audience loves my character.

How is your experience shooting with the co-stars? Did you shoot any intimate scenes with them?

Experience with the co-stars was absolutely superb and everybody was fabulous. We had a great time on set. I mostly shot with Nyra, Kashish, and Nitin, so I had a great time with them and even with the young co-stars, they were also brilliant like Rahul Verma, Dheerendra, etc. We had loads of fun on the set, so more than the show we created memories. There are no intimate scenes but a few romantic scenes in the show. I am happy that they are beautifully shot and will be presented to you guys beautifully as well. It was a part of the story and will help in the progression of the story. Otherwise, I would have said no to such a character if it had involved erotic scenes.

What are your expectations from ‘Helllo Jee’?

Like everybody in the Show, I also believe that Helllo Jee will do well. We have worked very hard on this project and we all want our work to be noticed and appreciated by the audience. I personally want to leave a mark on this platform as I did in the television industry.

What is your take on Nepotism?

Nepotism is everywhere not only in the industry but in every occupation. I personally don’t have any complaints about nepotism as people worked hard for it, their parents worked hard for it and their children are getting the benefits of those sacrifices and struggles. On the other hand, it is not easy to be the child of a celebrity as it involves a lot of expectations from you as well. You have to prove your worth to the industry and audience and if you are not able to prove they are worthy they are considered a failure. So, nepotism is a neutral term for me.

What is your take on the term ‘Womance’? How much are you getting paid? Did you face any money slash due to COVID?

I got a decent amount for the show. It was not low but I was comfortable with the amount. If you have good people around you, everything is worth it.

Tell us about your upcoming projects apart from ‘Helllo Jee’

Currently, I am on talking terms with a lot of television shows as well as web shows. So as soon as I confirm, I will let you all know the good news. 

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A legal case has been filed against Saif Ali Khan by an advocate in Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh. Following the actor’s recent interview about his upcoming movie Adipurush, the actor said that the film would reveal the “humane” side of Ravan. Adipurush is the screen adaptation of Ramayana.

Saif will play the antagonist Lankesh whose character is based on on Ravan in the Om Raut directorial. Alongside him, South Indian star Prabhas will be staring in a role inspired by Lord Ram.

The petition filed by the advocate states that Saif Ali Khan’s controversial interview from December 6 cited him saying that Ravan was justified in kidnapping Sita because Ram’s younger brother Laksman had cut his sister Surpanakha’s nose.

In the Mumbai Mirror interview, Saif had said, “It’s interesting to play a demon king, less strictures in that. But we will make him humane, up the entertainment quotient, justify his abduction of Sita and the war with Ram as revenge for what was done to his sister Surpanakha by Lakshman, who cut off her nose.”

These comments invited harsh criticism from religious people on twitter following which Saif withdrew his comments.

According to IANS, the plaintiff has alleged that Saif Ali Khan’s interview is a negative portrayal of “faith” and “faith in Sanatan Dharma”. The plaintiff claims that he isn’t the only one to feel this way and that six other acquaintances’ sentiments were hurt by Saif’s comments.

The case is in the court of Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACJM), who has fixed December 23 as the next date of hearing.

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Following immense success in India and some other countries, WhiteHat Jr will move into non-English speaking countries of Brazil and Mexico. All set to launch maths classes, the company is planning to hire one lakh women teachers in the next three years.

In an interview to PTI, Karan Bajaj, WhiteHat Jr Chief Executive Officer (CEO) said the barely two-year-old online education platform has seen tremendous success in India, the US, the UK, New Zealand and Australia with about 1.5 lakh paid students taking some 40,000 classes every day from 11,000 teachers.

“We are launching maths classes next month,” he said, adding the company will use a one-on-one teaching model and go on to create 1,00,000 teaching jobs, all for women, in India in the next three years.

The individual attention given to its students has brought the company tremendous success. Especially in India which accounts for about 70 percent of the 1.5 lakh paid students. The rest are from counties such as the US, Australia, and New Zealand with more kids joining in from Sweden, Norway, and Ethiopia.

The teachers employed by the platform can work from their homes in very flexible timings and earn equivalent to entry-level salaries of IIT and IIM graduates.

The company grew 60 percent month-on-month during the lockdown and has been growing 100 percent since. India’s largest ed-tech startup Byju acquired it for USD 300 million in August this year.

However, since the acquisition, WhiteHat Jr has faced nothing but trouble.

WhiteHat Jr’s advertising campaign made exacerbated claims suggesting that kids as young as six and seven years old were building apps and websites and even becoming TedX speakers. The Advertising Standard Council of India (ASCI) in October ordered ads to be pulled down immediately.

“The core thought of the company has always been pure: kids should be builders and creators. The power of coding is that kids use coding to build, create stuff. We celebrate the joy of kids’ creativity. We have gone back to that in the last few months,” Bajaj said addressing the new way forward.

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There are so many inventions. Among these inventions, electronic gadgets are prominent. Gadgets are instruments that have made human life very easy. Time and again proves to nothing less than a blessing for the human race. Gadgets play a very important role in our lives. As we get up in the morning we need an alarm clock to wake up. Till the night we are bounded with the gadgets. Without the gadgets, we cannot imagine our lives. We use gadgets in each and every action. Like we want to purchase groceries and we need to the online payment we need a smartphone to make the online payment. The gadgets have become an essential part of our lives. Surviving without gadgets is the most impossible thing in today’s scenario.

The prevailing pandemic is one such example. With everything going digital it is impossible to live without gadgets. Technology cannot prevent the onset of the pandemics; however, it can help prevent the spread, educate, warn, and empower those on the ground to be aware of the situation, and noticeably lessen the impact. Today, technologies and gadgets like mobile, smart watches and fitness trackers, etc have become possible to test several innovative approaches to the pandemic response. 

Some of the ways how gadgets play a vital role in post-COVID-19 World – 

1. Life helper and optimizer

Gadgets not only make our daily life more versatile and effective, but they also contribute to increasing our standard of living. New devices like smart watches and fitness trackers can protect people from various diseases by the timely dedication of it. Nowadays smart watches enable features like heart rate monitoring, pulse monitoring. These trackers also help in regularizing the diets. 

2. Able to recognize

With the help of smart gadgets, one can easily detect the crime with the help of CCTVs connecting to gadgets. We can also find the places if we are not aware of the locations with the help of GPS and Location Tracker. The gadgets played a significant role in the surveillance and security purposes. With the outbreak of COVI-19, Gadgets are also helping in monitoring the COVID-19 containment zones. 

3. Reduces Distances

It gives the family joy and nobody must sit apart and experience the pain of separation now. With the advent of devices such as computers, cell phones, the camera now one can do the Video Calls, Voice calls any time anywhere. Thus, smart gadgets play a vital role in reducing distancing and bringing near and dears closer who are sitting far from us. 

4. Enabler of a seamless transition 

With education, landscape changing every day, and teaching pedagogy shifting to online modules gadgets is nothing less than a blessing. With the advent of a computer, laptops, Ipads, or even mobile phones our country seamlessly adopted the E-learning modules. 

5. Remote working technologies to support social distancing and maintain business continuity

As the prevailing pandemic threatening the business world, working from home ensures business continuity as well as facilitates social distancing. In such a scenario, technologies that enable secure access to data, enterprise applications, virtual meetings, cloud conferencing, and virtual/mixed/augmented reality are the forefront leaders to ensure deliverables are not impacted. Remote working is a blessing that comes due to technology and smart gadgets and is of one the greatest solution that helps us in social distancing. 

Indeed, the technology has advanced more and will continue to advance exponentially, but the human institutions and societies need to accelerate in adapting to it and continue investing in building the technology systems for the preparedness. It is quite evident that in the post-COVID-19 World new technologies and gadgets will play a crucial role in the seamless working of every industry.

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