We're pleased to announce that d.light has been shortlisted for the prestigious FT ArcelorMittal "Boldness in Business" Awards. From an initial list of 250 nominations, we have been selected as finalists in the "Newcomer" category, along with five other outstanding organizations, including Groupon, MetroBank and Zynga. Last year's winner in this category was Twitter.

The "Boldness in Business" Award was established by the Financial Times and ArcelorMittal to highlight and celebrate companies and entrepreneurs who are innovative and dynamic. The award winners will be announced at a ceremony in London in March 2011. Visit their website to learn more.

Please join us in welcoming Tim Rump, our new Director of Marketing, Africa. Tim brings over twenty years of experience building Unilever brands for base of the pyramid customers in rural Africa. He has lived and worked in several different countries in Africa, including Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Malawi, and Egypt.

Tim will also assist in leading our global marketing strategy and execution. 2011 will be a key year for building and strengthening the d.light brand in diverse markets around the world. Tim and the marketing team will lead the effort to make the d.light name synonymous with quality, innovation and excellent service throughout the globe.

In December, Forbes India released a special report naming five of the hottest start-ups to watch in 2011, and we're thrilled that d.light made the list. In particular, Forbes cited our established supply chain, our strong team of investors, and our existing track record of impacting large numbers of families through innovative products. Read more here.

Mr. Singh with his d.light S200 and his motorcycle after the accident

Mr. Chaudhary Puran Singh is a farmer and cold storage manager in the Mahamaya District of Uttar Pradesh, India. In June 2009, he purchased a d.light S200 for his evening farming activities.

One night, while driving his motorcycle, Mr. Singh was carrying the S200 around his shoulder, using a long strap that he had added. The strap broke, and the S200 fell while going 60-70 km/hr. According to Mr. Singh, "the light tumbled at least 100 times on the road before it stopped."

He feared that he had broken the his S200. But when he retrieved it, he was delighted to find that the light bore only a few scratches from the accident and still worked perfectly. Now he tells all his friends: "No one in the world can make such a strong light!"

While not exactly the kind of drop test we would recommend for our customers, we are also delighted at this proof of the durability and strength of our products!