Contributed by: Varun Agarwal It was just another usual day at home, and my mum was on the phone, engaged in casual conversation with a friend of hers. (In India, these phone conversations between aunties tend to move in the direction of the accomplishments of their children, whether they are in school, college, working, or even married). Returning to the latest phone conversation, which went something like this: Aunty: So Purnima, what are your children upto? Mom: Ah, nothing much Anu, the elder one is doing an MBA, and the younger one is studying at Christ. Aunty: OMG, I still remember them as little kids Poo! But what about Varun? Mom: He is doing some work ya. What’s Aparna doing? Aunty: Oh she is a marketing manager with Goldman Sachs Purnima. They just promoted her, you know. She is thinking of going for an MBA also. To America. Oh, I can’t wait to start looking for her! Mom: Arre wah. I’m so proud of Aparna. (She isn’t really). Why don’t you get her home sometime? Aunty: I will, I will. But what is our Varun upto? (This is the moment most women wait for all their lives. The comeback. This is what my mom wanted to say: “Oh, your daughter is working for Goldman Sachs ? My son’s working for [...]
Contributed by: Aatif Sumar The mobile phone has almost unanimously been agreed to be the invention of the century. It has revolutionized the way we work, the way we travel and our entire day to day life. With the advent of easy to use smartphones platforms like Android and iOS, smartphones have left the realm of businessmen and techno-savvy adults, and become more commonplace devices that your mother, father and even grandmother can use. Someone once said that the current smartphone has more computing powere than the entire team of NASA did when they launched a man on the moon 40 years ago. Phones of today have as much processing power and memory as some of our older laptops! If you think of the last five mobile phones you have owned, it is likely you will observe a trend, they just keep getting larger and larger! When cell phones were toys for the elite, having a smaller and slicker phone was looked upon as the ultimate goal. No one wanted a big and bulky device just to make calls. In 2007, Apple launched the iPhone and gave the world the first user friendly touch-only mobile phone. It had a 3.5 ” screen, which was at that time one of the largest in the industry. People using the phone soon began [...]
Contributed by: Anand Neelakantan. History belongs to the victors, always. The voices of the vanquished get lost in the silence. The cries of anguish get lost in the defeat. But after many millennia, the dead and defeated are rising from their graves. They have a story to tell. The tale of the most celebrated death of mankind- the tale of a man who created his own destiny. The story of a man, who led a shattered and dispirited race through the paths of victory and glory, the tale of a man, who defied God, for the sake of what he loved- the story of RAVANA is the story of a forgotten India and its oppressed people. This is the story that everyone knows, for this is the story of our people and a leader who dared. In, Asura-tale of the Vanquished, the voices that were suppressed since the dawn of history find utterance. ASURA is the epic of Ravana and his people who fought and lost against the greatest odds, and died for a cause in which they believed. ASURA is the oldest story of mankind that has been told innumerable times. ASURA is the contemporary story of mankind that has never been told before. This is not Ramayana, for this is the story of Ravana. Yet this is not [...]
If there is anyone who truly enjoys summers, then it has to be the fashion enthusiasts of the world. They love the season simply because it’s the only time when one can flaunt what they don – without sweaters, shawls or umbrellas. They wait for the summers all year long and rush to the nearest boutiques as soon as the calendar flips to April. If you too are mad about your looks, we at HomeShop18 understand your appetite for style and are therefore listing few trend-tips to make your summers fashionable and bright. T-shirts/Shirts: Ladies – “Floral” is the buzz word. Rather than the last year’s pastels, bright and chirpy shades are doing the rounds this time around. Here are some stylish tops and t-shirts from Manish Malhotra’s Fish Fry with Reebok collection, to cool you down in the sun. Men – Those who believe that there is little scope for styling in men’s fashion, try checkered patterns and see the difference. Here are some kaleidoscopic checkered patterns from Wills Lifestyle. Eyewear: Most summers, the sun is relentless. Try some wayfarers this year, preferably ones with square frames. Not sure? Stick to the good old and classy aviators. Here are few cool shades from Polo Club. Perfumes: Though looking good is key to the title of a fashionista, smelling good is just as important. However [...]
In a country boasting an unofficial count of roughly 33 crore gods and lakhs of festivals, celebrations and gleam is virtually endless. Almost every day of the Hindu calendar celebrates one or more deities. As a part of this divine list, Akshaya Tritiya falls every April giving us Indians one more reason to rejoice and spend. Those who do not know the story behind Akshaya Tritiya, Lord Kuber and goddess Laskhmi are worshipped for prosperity and well-being. In some states, it’s considered auspicious for harvesting. Traditionally, the day is considered to be one of the most auspicious days in the Hindu calendar, and people go on to make thousands and millions worth of purchases in precious stones and metals. Apparently, Akshaya Tritiya is one of the days that reports highest sales of gold in terms of value. To celebrate this religiously auspicious occasion, HomeShop18 is offering an opportunity for the most profitable form of investment today, Gold. Anyone who follows markets knows that the prices of gold have seen spectacular growth in last couple of years. People who formerly were hanging by limited bank balances but with enough gold deposits milked the benefits almost instantly. So join the profitable bandwagon now and who knows, you might ride the one carved in gold some years later. Click here to start shopping [...]
While online shopping is very convenient, it has its own set of challenges especially when you’re about to make a buying decision. If you know what you want, you can visit the site, search for the product and buy it. But true shopping experience eludes you until you’re met with multiple options to choose from. To replicate the offline experience in your online purchases, we have added two new features, to help you buy better, faster and more. Here are the new additions you could expect to see on HomeShop18.com: 1. HomeShop18 Best Sellers Our catalogues are constantly updated with newly released products. While, there are plenty of takers for what’s latest in the market, there are others who are not so experimenting and prefer to buy what others have been buying. To help the latter, we are adding a Best Sellers list to all categories on the site. This list would be updated daily with highest selling/rated items on the site in that category. Best Sellers – Mobiles Best Sellers – Cameras Best Sellers – Electronics Best Sellers – Computers Best Sellers – Apparel Best Sellers – Jewellery Best Sellers – Home-Kitchen Best Sellers – Baby Best Sellers – Toys Best Sellers – Gifts Best Sellers – Appliances Bestselling Books Those who find it difficult to pick a new [...]
At Homeshop18.com, we see software technology as a key enabler for our business. One of the most important factors that define great user experience for our 3.5 million+ customers is definitely the innovative software technology we implement. We are building next generation platform to redefine e-commerce in India and have worked on many interesting features like: Search and Filters on Homeshop18.com – With features like auto suggest, query categorization, similar searches, quick and relevant product results, and option of filtering your search further based on parameters like product type, price and availability, we have hit the bull’s eye on search and continue innovating further. Our continued research and the use of best possible technology help provide a delightful online shopping experience to our customers. Some softwares that we use: Solr Hazelcast EHcache Hadoop and Cascading Apache Mahout, Apache CXF S4 NGinx MongoDB JQuery JBoss Drools OpenTSDB Node.js Disclaimer: All the trademarks and logos are the property of their respective owners. HomeShop18.com promotes innovation and creativity and every member of the technology team is encouraged to think out-of-the-box. We live and breathe ideas, and ship to production every week. We are obsessed with measurement and data to make informed decisions and love learning about our customers and their needs. This is an exciting time to be in the e-commerce industry and we [...]
March 7, 2012Tagged: Contests,Television Channels,balloons, colors, holi, home shop 18, HomeShop18, pichkari, sweets, television, tv
India is a land of wonder. We are over 1 billion people, worshipping different gods and celebrating different festivals. While most festivals are specific to certain faiths, there are others, which originated from particular regions but were so much fun that everyone welcomed them with open arms. Yes, ladies and gentleman, we are talking about the festival of colors, Holi. That one day from a long list of festivals when people from all faiths, and regions come together to splash some color on their differences. Anyone who loves fun and doesn’t mind letting loose for a day, loves Holi. So much so, that the pre-Holi planning starts long before the d-day. Enthusiasts start stocking up on the Holi essentials – colors, water guns (pichkari) and balloons, tummy-pleasing Ghujias, and bhaang-adorned thandai. Though the festival is intended to be fun and jolly, it gets unpleasant too at times. Instances of drunken riots and skin-burning paints aren’t very uncommon. So, avoid all that could be a possible kill-joy and have as much fun as you can, safely and responsibly. Also, remember to clear you precious Holi checklist! While you’re at it, do remember to participate in HomeShop18 TV channel’s on-going Holi Hungama, where you could win daily prizes (Philips headphones), new special prizes every day, or the bumper prize – a full-blown [...]
You have every reason to shop and celebrate this Republic Week. HomeShop18.com has great deals to make your celebrations grander. Have a look at what is in store for you: Republic Day Special: This promotion is on from 24th – 26th January and gives 26 lucky shoppers a chance to get 100% cash back. That’s not all, with every purchase made under this sale, you get two assured gift coupons worth Rs. 100 each. And, with savings upto 73%, you just cannot miss it! Republic Week Offer: This grand sale gives you great choice and discounts upto 81%. You can pick products from categories like Health & Beauty, Home & Kitchenware, Computers & Electronics, Mobiles, Cameras, Jewellery & Watches, Toys, Apparel and Appliances. Republic Day Contest on Facebook: All you have to do is answer 2 questions – one related to what you love doing, i.e. shopping on HomeShop18.com and the other related to the significance of Republic Day. All the people who give correct answers will become eligible for a lucky draw. The winner will get a surprise gift! So, what are you waiting for? Flag off your shopping right away.
Aristocrats had always been partial to diamonds for the magnificence they exude, and rightly so. After all, what else could complement their regal stature better than these sparkling gems! The word ‘diamond’ has been derived from the Greek word ‘adamas’ which means ‘unconquerable’. In addition to being dazzlingly beautiful, these precious stones are also the hardest natural substance known to humankind. Undisputed in their radiance and glory, diamonds have always been the most coveted jewels of all. However, not all people know that diamonds are also available in colours other than white. Diamonds are naturally available in six colours. Pink Diamonds – These are the rarest and the most valuable diamonds of all. They were the first to display such an intense colour. Available in shades ranging from soft pastel rose to intense purple-reds and robust raspberry, they lead you on to a world of quintessence and luxury. White Diamonds – These are the ones most commonly used in diamond jewellery all over the world. Sparkling with a matchless brilliance, white diamonds have been bewitching onlookers since time immemorial. Champagne Diamonds – These are the haute couture of naturally coloured diamonds. Champagne diamonds make a statement of their own with stunning shades that range from light straw to rich cognac. Yellow Diamonds – These shine with a hue as pure [...]
