Countdown to India’s ultimate youth festival – Channel V Microsoft VFest 2015 energized by Ponds Men has begun. Building up the excitement for the finale, zonals held in four cities so far- Pune, Calcutta, Bangalore and Delhi have witnessed a stupendous response from the country’s youth. Bollywood celebrities and youth heartthrobs Sonakshi Sinha, Arjun Kapoor, Sonam Kapoor, Amplifier singer Imran Khan and Arbaaz Khan were present at the different zonals extending their support and cheering on the participants.

In a quest to Beat The Best, India’s young and thriving talent gear up for the finale on 13th & 14th February, 2015 to be  held at the country’s party capital – Goa. All Zonal winners will qualify to compete at the VFest grand finale. In sync with the energetic vibe of the fest, Bollywood actor Varun Dhawan has been signed on for his strong youth connect. The young actor is confirmed as the headlining act for the festival this year, and has made an appearance on the official launch promo.

With the onset of its 5^th year, the extravaganza has been rebranded as VFest from its earlier title – Indiafest. This time round, youth from all over the country are invited to bring out the hero in them, as they compete against the best of the best.

All aspiring participants can register on the official website of VFest- www.vfest.in for the event of their choice from December 2014 – January 2015. All registered entries from the website will be skewed and shortlisted by Channel V. The shortlisted participants will be invited to the VFest zonals, which will be carried out in 6 cities - Mumbai, Pune, Delhi, Kolkata, Ahmedabad & Bengaluru. The Zonals will be held at the following venues- Pune Zonals at Singhdhad University on 19^th December, 2014, Delhi Zonals at Ansal University on 23rd January 2015, Kolkata Zonals at Calcutta Institute of Engineering on 23^rd January and Mumbai Zonals in the third week of January. All Zonal winners will qualify to compete at the VFest grand finale to be held in Goa. Bollywood actors, Sonakshi Sinha, Imran Khan and Arjun Kapoor are among confirmed names who are all set to perform at the zonals.

Over the last few years the fest has earned immense popularity among youngsters, thus becoming an unmatched pan-India college festival. On air, the finale will play out on 7^th and 8^th March, 2015 only on Channel V. The title sponsor for the festival is Microsoft. Initiated by India’s leading youth entertainment channel Channel V, VFest is a first of its kind pan India college festival. Undertaken to create a national level platform for students from all fields and turfs to congregate, the festival records the largest footfall as compared to any other college level fest in the country. To ensure maximum participation and benefit the best of talent-  VFest has no registration barriers in terms of fees for participants. As an all India talent pool, the youth festival provides students with life changing opportunities to grow their passion into promising careers. Students get a chance to showcase their talent across diverse fields of art, literature, music, sports, dance, theatre and more. Gratification includes internships, scholarships, prizes in cash & kind and dream-come-true career opportunities.

The finale, a two day extravaganza will be held on the Baga grounds in North Goa. All India zonal winners will come together to compete for the much coveted VFest trophy. With over 30 events ranging from sports, art, literature to music, dance, theatre, fashion & more, the finale will be packed with competitions, workshops, seminars, student activities & engagements and performances by renowned artists.

Speaking on the event, Channel V, Official Spokesperson said “VFest has brought us immense pride every year. Our country is thriving with young talent; however the avenues to showcase them are few and far between. Hence the fest was conceived with the aim of providing this energetic and ambitious section of society with an established platform. Year after year, it gives us great pleasure to provide a larger than life and much deserved opportunity to young individuals. VFest is in its fifth year now and the response has been overwhelming every year”

Commenting on the association with India’s biggest youth festival, Raghuvesh Sarup, Director - Marketing, Nokia India Sales Pvt. Ltd. (a subsidiary of Microsoft Mobiles Oy), said, “India’s youth is energetic and brimming with talent; that talent needs to be recognized and given a platform to be showcased. Youngsters today have numerous ideas and even more ways to express them. Microsoft Mobiles has always tried to play the role of an enabler by empowering the youth to showcase their talent at the right platforms. VFest is a great platform with a successful history and a scale that connects the whole country. This association will help us be a part of another initiative that recognizes and promotes talent.”

Establishing itself as one of the most popular, attended and credible platforms, VFest has attracted not only college going youth but also sponsors who look to target the specific audience. In 2014, the event recorded over 60,000 foot fall for the grand finale and over 34,231 registered participants. Each year, the festival gets bigger and better, beating itself in terms of scale, grandeur, participation and footfall.