Saturday, December 7, 2019

Actress Aishani Shetty Inaugurates ‘Asia Jewels Fair 2019 at Vivanta by Taj Whitefield from Dec 7-8, 2019


Asia Jewels Fair ’2019, one of South India’s most Glamorous & Niche Jewellery Exhibitions, is hosting its 17th edition in Bengaluru city from 7th to 8th December 2019. The Grand jewelry Fair will take place at Hotel Vivanta By Taj whitefield, situated on Whitefield Main Road, and one of the most luxurious 5-star hotels in this area, from 10.30 a.m. to 8 p.m.  This expo will be one of the most exclusive ones, as this will be showcasing Jewellery designs which has never been seen before and top handpicked from various parts of India.

The Grand Inauguration of Asia Jewels Fair 2019 was Inaugurated by  Actress Aishani Shetty at Hotel Vivanta by Taj Whitefield, Bengaluru on 7th December 2019..

Asia Jewels Fair ‘19 is a very niche event exhibiting exclusive and high-end branded jewellery in gold and diamond segments. The event will showcase some of the latest collections from, Fine gold Jewellery, Diamond Jewellery, Platinum Jewellery, Traditional Jewellery, Wedding Jewellery, Precious stone Jewellery, Kundan, Jadau & Polki Jewellery etc.

“Asia Jewels Fair “ is one of the most prestigious and  most awaited Jewellery exhibitions in the city. This fair will offer a great shopping experience and even provide an option to Pre book the desired Jewellery  for the up-coming Marriage Season & all the prospective grooms and brides. A fair like this is a one stop-shop that brings some of the best jewellery, designs and precious stones under one roof. It is the perfect destination to buy exquisite and world class jewellery in South India.”

It will be a treat to watch Luxury Jewellery designs from top leading brands of Bangalore, New Delhi, Mumbai, Jaipur, Surat & Hyderabad, displaying their exclusive designs and coming together to create the most glamorous & spectacular platform for designer Jewellery. Some of the  International Jewellery designs have also participated in the grand event. Abaran - Timeless Jewellery  , Sri Ganesh Diamonds & Jewellery  , Nikhaar Jewels  , Mohika Jewels - Mumbai, Vitrag Jewels , Abira Jewellery  , Bikaneri Jewels –Mumbai.Antegra  are few of them.

P&G Health Launches PANACHE for India’s Gen X Doctors – Platform to Assist Medical Students on Healthcare

Highlights

* PANACHE will assist medical students in honing crucial skills for holistic patient care such as medico–legal aspects, ethics, role of technology and soft skills like emotional intelligence
* Participants from more than 250 medical colleges across 130 cities will go through 2 rounds of online quiz assessments culminating in a live quiz for the final round at the APICON 2020
* Top 3 PANACHE winners will be offered a scholarship for further education by P&G Health

Procter & Gamble Health Limited (formerly known as Merck Limited) today announced the launch of PANACHE - a first of its kind platform to support India’s Gen X doctors in their medical education journey. India has over 65,000 medical students enrolled in 450 medical colleges, amongst whom 30,000 post graduate students will soon enter the professional world. Intended to supplement their core medical curriculum, PANACHE aims to assist students in honing crucial skills for holistic patient care viz medico–legal aspects, ethics, role of technology, emotional intelligence, decision making, good communication, teamwork, problem solving and leadership among others.

822 students are from Karnataka, which constitutes 34% of the 10,200+ students who have already enrolled for PANACHE nationwide. Speaking about the initiative, Milind Thatte - Managing Director, Procter & Gamble Health Limited stated, “As India increases access to healthcare, patient expectations of care are rising. Today’s doctors require multiple competencies for good practice. P&G Health’s PANACHE goes beyond sharing medical expertise for any therapy area, to help equip the doctors of tomorrow with holistic skills that encompass all aspects of clinical practice. We are very thankful to the renowned medical expert panel, who worked with us to design the PANACHE program to ensure it covers the most relevant skills and topics, and to the Heads of Medical colleges who are partnering with us to take this program to students across the length and breadth of India.”

* 1st Round (online): 8th Dec ‘19
* 2nd Round (online): 15th Dec ‘19
* Final Round (live): 8th Jan ’20 at APICON, Agra

All participating students will have access to tutorials and learning  resources on www.panacheindia.org, as well as workshops conducted by leading experts on medico-legal guidelines, patient-doctor interactions etc.

Participants from more than 250 colleges across 130 cities will go through 2 rounds of online quiz assessments culminating in a live quiz for the final round at the APICON 2020. All participating students will have access to tutorials and learning resources on www.panacheindia.org, as well as workshops conducted by leading experts on medico-legal guidelines, and patient-doctor interaction. Top 3 PANACHE winners will be offered a scholarship for further education by P&G Health.

Underscoring the vital need in Bangalore for such a program, Dr. Srinivasa S., MBBS, MD (Paed), FIAP, Professor and HOD of Paediatrics, Kempegowda Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS), Bangalore said, “The skills and topics tested by PANACHE have immense practical value. Patients today are increasingly empowered and come prepared to discuss and evaluate various options towards better health. Providing care is not just about diagnosing and treating diseases, but also about leading patients through a journey of sound management and adherence to a plan. Any platform that helps today’s students build these requisite skills will help drive better care for patients.”

The Last Overland Expedition Arrives at Land Rover’s Manufacturing Site in Slovakia


The Last Overland, a team reversing the famous 1955 Oxford & Cambridge Far Eastern Expedition continues its journey from Singapore to London with a visit to Jaguar Land Rover’s manufacturing facility in Nitra, Slovakia.

There, the team were met by the latest Land Rover, the New Defender, which came face-to-face with its early ancestor “Oxford” a Series I Land Rover. To welcome the team at Nitra were Slovakian Prime Minister Peter Pellegrini, alongside Jaguar Land Rover’s Executive Director for Manufacturing, Grant McPherson.

The team were given the opportunity to tour the state-of-the-art facilities at Nitra, where they saw New Defenders rolling off the production line. Alex Bescoby, expedition lead commented, “We had always hoped to visit Nitra as part of our voyage and to explore the manufacturing heart of the New Defender. We received a fantastic welcome from the Jaguar Land Rover team at Nitra – marking a special start to our homeward leg to London”.

Land Rover will continue to support The Last Overland on their journey through Western Europe, with the team travelling through Austria, Germany, France and Belgium before their arrival into the United Kingdom on 14 December.

A gathering of Land Rover owners will assemble from across the UK and Europe to welcome The Last Overland team at Folkestone, UK. After, the team will be joined by a specially commissioned Oxford & Cambridge liveried New Defender on its final journey to the finish line at The Hilton Park Lane in London - yards from the finish line of the First Overland Expedition in 1956.

Alex recounts, “This journey has definitely been an action packed one, filled with many ups and downs, and I can’t believe how quickly the eighteen months that went into planning this journey has brought us here, all in one piece so far! We’ve managed to drive this incredible 64-year-old car once more, to so many remote and fascinating parts of the world, through tropical monsoons, -20 degree and at more than 5000m above sea level. Oxford has taken it all in stride. From Nagaland to Tibet, from Turkmenistan to Serbia, the welcome we’ve received has been unbelievable.”

The Last Overland expedition a test of strength and grit

Like any major expedition, especially one crossing so many international borders in such an old car, The Last Overland was not one without problems. One particularly memorable incident was a major mechanical mishap where Oxford’s back wheel fell off while Alex & Nat were driving at 70kmph in Turkmenistan, severing their brakes entirely.

The humans on the journey were also put to the test. The team of eight from the UK, France, USA, Belgium, Indonesia and Singapore were presented with a different set of challenges, including when altitudes, temperatures and various diets took a toll on their bodies. These involved the occasional food poisoning episodes, frigid temperatures and even needing to rely on supplementary oxygen while coping with altitude sickness at certain points of the journey. 

Christmas Gaiety in Full Swing at Phoenix Marketcity with Christmas Tree of 75 ft Tall


Festivals are always fun, and the most magical of them all surely is Christmas. The excitement is palpable in the chilly December air of Bangalore as stars begin to appear everywhere and everyone, old and young alike, get set to welcome Santa with carols, goodies and merry making. Phoenix Marketcity is all set to take your celebrations to a whole new level this year with grand festivities lined up.

Phoenix Marketcity Bengaluru launched The World of Christmas Season 2 on 6th December with the Unveiling of the tallest Christmas Tree in the country!

The stunning installations featured handmade, larger than life celebratory figurines made in fiberglass. Each of these figurines have been hand-cut and painted by Spanish artist Manolo Rubio. The icing on the cake though, is of course the installation,

Yet another highlight of the World of Christmas at Phoenix Marketcity is the European Christmas Market which will also be inaugurated on the same day. The unique market will feature well over 1,00,000 exquisite Christmas merchandise from across the globe. There’s everything you can imagine here, from Christmas trees, Santa Claus toys, sparkling baubles and beautiful tinsels to snowflakes and icicles, artistic Christmas balls, handmade décor, stockings, wooden birds, home décor lights and tons more. So be sure to come prepared to shop like never before for irresistible Christmas goodies for your loved ones.

Adding to the merriment of the festivities, this year Phoenix Marketcity brings you a regal and enchanting experience inspired by the 'Fallas' design style with renowned Spanish installation artist Manolo Rubio and Surreal Design Studio.

The inauguration ceremony featured a headbanging live performance by the band 2 BLUE as they paid tribute to AC/DC & Guns N’ Roses.

What is Christmas gaiety without good old Santa Claus joining in on the fun and festivities. Santa will be there to welcome every visitor to Phoenix Marketcity and will spread the festive spirit by handing out presents to little ones.

Friday, December 6, 2019

ASUS India Opens ASUS Exclusive Store in Uttam Nagar, New Delhi


Technology giant ASUS India announced the launch of its state-of-the-art new store in Delhi. Jignesh Bhavsar, National Sales Manager, ASUS India and Mr. Udip Sikri, Owner of store inaugurated the ASUS Exclusive Store today. The store is set to host an extensive range of electronics and computer hardware, including the brand’s flagship products such as VivoBook, ZenBook, Zenbook-Flip, Zenbook Duo and Republic of Gamers (ROG) laptops. The brand’s new ASUS Exclusive Store is located at ‘New Berco Electronics, Shop No A-1 RajRani Market, Mani Najafgarh Road, Uttam Nagar metro pillar No:-664, New Delhi, 110059.’

The new store launch is part of ASUS’ vision to expand its market presence across different market tiers, by opening 100 stores before the end of this financial year. The store will give users easy access to brand’s latest and flagship products. Interested customers can simply walk in and experience the innovation-led all new products of ASUS, including VivoBook, ZenBook, Zenbook-Flip, Zenbook Duo and Republic of Gamers (ROG) laptops.

Commenting on the store launch, Mr. Arnold Su, Business Head - Consumer, Commercial and Gaming PC, Asus India said, “We are extremely delighted to announce the launch of ASUS store in Delhi. With the new store launch, we have successfully propelled on our vision of opening 100 new stores before the closing of this fiscal. Asus is reinventing retail technology to move the industry and customer experiences into the future. Interested users can simply walk in the store and get their hands on the innovative and cutting-edge products by ASUS.”

In addition to ASUS Exclusive Stores, ASUS also has a strong customer connect through other large-format stores, such as Reliance Digital and Croma. Contributing to its swelling retail network are a few thousand resellers spread across 600 districts in India. Besides, the onsite service footprint of ASUS covers well over 20,000 pin codes in India. In addition to offline connect; ASUS has actively collaborated with e-commerce platforms like Flipkart, Amazon and Paytm Mall to reach out to ambitious users who wish to own the best of industry-leading cutting-end innovation. 

Hindware Appliances Brings Out its New Product Portfolio of IoT Based Products in Indian Market

Hindware Appliances launched a futuristic range of intelligent and connected ‘iPro’ range of products, marking the company’s foray in the fast-emerging Internet of Things (IoT) segment.

With an aim to deliver an enhanced ‘Consumer Experience’ backed by cutting-edge technology, ‘Achelous Premium iPro’ water purifier, ‘Optimus iPro’ chimney and ‘Ondeo Evo iPro’ water heater were launched. The premium products are developed keeping in mind the early adapters and evolved users in smart home automation. Each of these smart appliances can be seamlessly managed through Hindware Appliances app and it will assist users in operating, monitoring and controlling the products remotely, auto diagnose and troubleshoot and register service requests at the touch of a button.

At the launch, Mr. Rakesh Kaul, CEO & Whole Time Director, Somany Home Innovation Limited (SHIL), said, “With the objective of enriching our consumer’s lifestyle, we have introduced a range of products to give more power in the hands of consumers. We are committed to bring connected living powered by IoT to Indian consumers and are paving the way towards building truly Smart Homes. Each of these products are designed to simplify lives with smart automation while offering unparalleled features.”

“At the same time, our Hindware Appliance app offers centralized control through one simple mobile interface, giving real-time access to users from the convenience of their smartphones – anytime and anywhere, thus setting a new standard for connected living,” Mr. Kaul further added.

Currently, Somany Home Innovation Limited (SHIL) has a network of over 9,250+ retailers and modern retail outlets, 575+ trade partner network and +200 distributors. With a strong focus on product innovation and R&D, SHIL has filed for 15 new patents across various product categories since its inception and is one of the fastest growing Consumer Appliances company in India.

Achelous Premium iPro is a state-of-the-art water purifier, equipped with revolutionary ‘Flosense Technology’, India’s first RO membrane life alert (patent applied) feature & Real-time filters alert (patent applied) features which display the actual status of the RO membrane and real-time balance life of other filters. The inbuilt intelligent sensors can smartly fill the outside water jug without any manual intervention. This water purifier provides hot, warm and ambient water and is available at INR 27,990.

Powered by the Maxx Silence Technology, Optimus iPro Chimney is crafted to deliver a powerful suction at extremely low noise and thus, enhance user experience especially for the Indian kitchen. The chimney is available in two sizes, 60 cm and 90 cm, at the price point of INR 44,990 and INR 48,990 respectively

The ergonomically designed and stylish Hindware Atlantic Ondeo Evo iPro water heater has a beautifully contrasting touch key display with LED icons that shows different operating modes, and works on Wi-Fi. It comes equipped with 3 pre-set heating modes and all new Auto Fresh Cycle which enables the water heater to maintain hygiene and be bacteria free by heating the tank up to 80°C. The Shower Ready Mode makes consumer’s life easier as it shows the time for water to be heated. Ondeo Evo iPro is available at INR 18,000.

The IoT enabled water heaters and water purifiers will be available at select Croma and Reliance Digital stores and Chimney at select exclusive Hindware galleries.

Thursday, December 5, 2019

SEMrush Hosts India's Biggest International Digital Marketing Show for 1500 Audience in Bangalore


Highlights

* With 40 powerful speaker sessions and panel discussions, the conference engaged with an audience of over 1500 people

* 4 dedicated stages for marketers divided in segments - Growth, SEO, Online Ads and Workshops

* 14 hours of intensive networking to bring the best minds in digital marketing together

SEMrush, the leading online visibility management platform hosted the biggest International Digital marketing show in India today at the Sheraton Grande Whitefield Hotel & Convention Center. SEMrush Marketing Show brought together insightful keynotes, expert panels, workshops, best practice for growth in digital marketing - all in an absolutely dynamic networking set up.

The event witnessed power packed speakers from notable international brands including MicrosoG, LinkedIn, Zoho.com, Uber Eats, Nykaa, and OLX sharing first hand insights on improving digital marketing strategies, building traffic, expanding brand awareness and everything a marketer should know to be prepared for 2020.

According to the participants, among the most popular sessions were the following:

* Audiences, Ads, and AI: Top Tips for Future-Proofing Your PPC by Purna Birji, MicrosoG

* Marketing in 2020 - Why businesses should kill the Funnel and focus on the Flywheel by Shahid Nizami, Hubspot

Key to scale - how to build your own business from scratch by Vargab Bakshi, Shopify India

Olga Andrienko, Head of Global Marketing, SEMrush commented, “Through this event, we have created a platform for all marketing professionals to come together to share principles and skills of digital marketing techniques. The workshops have seen tremendous response and with plenty of networking opportunities, it was the perfect place to learn new tactics and check them out in real business cases with LinkedIn, Google and SEMrush speakers. The most encouraging was to see that everything shared on the conference can be transferred into the real plan of actions in 2020 to stay on top of the business. We’re happy to support Digital India initiative with that one of a kind event for local marketers”.

Nasscom Foundation Unveils New CSR App with Digital Project Management Tools


Vodafone Idea’s CSR arm Vodafone India Foundation in partnership with NASSCOM Foundation Wednesday launched a digital project management tool for the non-profit sector at ‘Tech for Good Summit’ in Bengaluru.

‘The Managr’, a mobile app based solution is a freely available service for NGOs and organisations in the social sector and has been developed as a part of Vodafone India Foundation’s ‘Connecting for Good’ programme, along with NASSCOM Foundation as the principal partner.

“The tool is a one stop solution for NGOs to effortlessly manage social programs, streamline processes, align resources and enhance collaboration while ensuring data security, “ read an official statement.

“Technology can help social sector improve operational efficiencies, access real time information, upscale the outreach and impact. TheManagr platform, developed under our ‘Solutions for Good’ CSR initiative, in association with the Nasscom Foundation, has been designed to simplify program and fund management processes for NGOs, ” said P. Balaji, Chief Regulatory and Corporate Affairs Officer, Vodafone Idea.

India’s Vedantu, Hike Emerges As 2019’s Best Essential Apps on Google Play


The Annual Google Play Awards entered fourth year as it continued to recognize the best apps across different categories on the Google Play Store. These awards are a real boost for the app developers to be recognized by the industry especially the developers based in India. Across several Made in India apps that have stood out in these awards across different categories, two such apps are Hike and Vedantu. These apps have stood out in the Everyday Essential Apps Category of Google Play Awards 2019 along with global apps such as Spotify.

These apps have stood out basis the experience offered, and impact created in the lives of the users, encouraged community building, and offered an enhanced experience. Let’s quickly have a look at our new favorite go-tos awarded by Google Play Awards 2019:

Vedantu:

Vedantu is India’s leading, LIVE interactive online tutoring platform for students from 6th to 12th grades, with a focus on all major subjects (Math’s, Science, Social, English) and school boards (CBSE, ICSE, IB). Offering individual and group classes delivered by experienced teachers in a LIVE real-time model, Vedantu’ s vision is to reimagine and evolve the way teaching and learning have been happening for decades. By combining the quality of 500+ teachers, personalized and engaging content with superior technology, it is creating a greater learning experience for students and aiding in the improvement of student learning outcomes across 1000+ cities and 30+ countries.

Vedantu’s W.A.V.E platform has been granted an IP Patent for ‘Measuring the Effectiveness of An Interactive Online Learning System’ that helps teachers in identifying a student’s attention level, increases student-teacher interaction, doubt-solving, participation in gamified quizzes, and customization of teaching patterns owing to constant feedback. Owing to these capabilities Vedantu has achieved LIVE classes of 1 million hours till date that have been highly engaging and interactive for all its learners.

Hike:

Hike is happy to share that Hike Sticker Chat has been recognized as one of the ‘Best Everyday Essential Apps’ of 2019 by Google Play. In its 4th edition this year, Google Play Awards felicitated some of the most popular & user-friendly apps delivering a superior experience. Chosen from millions of apps, Hike Sticker Chat also had the honor of being one of the few homegrown apps highlighted across categories.

Hike remains grateful for the continued encouragement and support from its consumers, who remain the focus for all innovations at Hike. Built at the intersection of Art & AI, Hike Sticker Chat strives to supercharge user expression beyond the keyboard enabling a hyperlocal and hyperpersonal user experience. As one of the only players leveraging AI & ML for local languages at a mass scale, the company recently launched HikeMoji for its users. Tailored to offer a local flavor, HikeMoji allows users to choose from 1000+ components integrating hyperlocal clothing, hairstyles, accessories as well as access to 100+ exclusive HikeMoji stickers.

Hike’s vision is to build a new social future with joyful products that are built around the consumers & not the other way around. Creating radically unique products at the intersection of Art, AI, Product, Design & Engineering, Hike is all set to take the user experience to the next level in 2020.

Other Apps includes Boosted (Productivity and Time tracker apps), Ok Credit (Accounting App), Spotify (OTT music streaming app).

Tekla Festival – A Swedish Initiative Inspires Woman of Next Gen into the World of STEM Held in Mumbai


On the occasion of the State Visit by Their Majesties King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden, Team Sweden, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, FICCI Ladies organization and Atal Innovation Mission, NITI Aayog organized the Tekla Festival on December 4 & 5 in Mumbai.

India and Sweden have long-standing diplomatic and trade relationships. Both countries are committed to the '2030 Agenda' and have respectively played important parts in shaping the goals.  Whilst Sweden is the first country in the world to pursue a feminist foreign policy, India actively works towards achieving the fifth Sustainable Development Goal (‘Gender Equality’) for example through girls’ education and increasing female labour force participation.

Ms. Sigbritt Karlsson, President of KTH Royal Institute of Technology said “Even in tech-savvy Sweden, we struggle to engage females in technology. The mission to attract more women and girls to STEM studies and careers is about tapping into as much human talent and potential as possible. The longer this imbalance persists, the more society loses. Encouraging an early interest in technology cuts a path toward strengthening our society and ensuring that our university can develop competence and produce research at the highest possible levels.”

Encouraging a girl's early interest in technology cuts a path toward strengthening our society and ensuring that the initiative can develop competence and produce research at the highest possible levels. The Tekla Festival was founded by Swedish recording artist Robyn 2015 in partnership with KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm with the aim of getting more & more girls involved in STEM.

“Tekla is a Swedish initiative, but the values of Tekla are universal. The global gender gap within the tech world represents lost opportunities for millions of girls and women. But it’s not only a question of gender equality. Surveys show that the economy will grow if women get to contribute. Our mission is to attract more girls and women to participate in the tech sector. For the benefit of us all,” Ms. Madeleine Sjöstedt, Director-General of the Swedish Institute added.


This year, under the guidance of Caroline Dahl, PhD, Technology Innovator at RISE, Chairman at Stockholm Makerspace and Board Member of Makers of Sweden the Tekla organized a workshop, where girls of age between 11 and 15 from schools of Mumbai took opportunity to explore, learn and enjoy STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics).

“It is important to introduce girls to different kinds of technologies and logistics for them to both explore and work in STEM. Tekla’s vision is to make girls learn about electronics.” Ms. Dahl said.’

The workshop was followed by Tekla and Gender Parity Dialogue on underrepresentation of women in technology and ways of empowering women and girls within the STEM sector with key speakers including Ms Caroline Dahl, Madeleine Sjöstedt - Director General of the Swedish Institute, Ms Harjinder Kaur Talwar - President of FICCI-FLO, Ms Ylva Berg - CEO of Business Sweden, Ms Anjali Raina - Executive Director of Harvard Business School, Ms Ingrid Eelde Koivisto - Secretary General and Founder of Pratham Sweden, Mr Peter Betzel - CEO of IKEA India and Ms Srimathy Kesan - PhD, Founder and CEO of Space Kidz India.

Minsiter of MSDE Urges Central PSUs to Increase Participation in Apprenticeship Programme


Dr. Mahendra Nath Pandey, Minister of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE) urged Central Public Sector companies to significantly increase their participation in the government’s apprenticeship program at a National Seminar held to spread awareness and participation in Apprenticeship Programme, today. The seminar was organised by MSDE in collaboration with the Standing Conference of Public Enterprises (SCOPE) and Department of Public Enterprises (DPE), with an aim of increasing participation in the government’s apprenticeship scheme in the service sector by government-run companies. The meeting was graced by senior government officials including Shri. R. K. Singh, Hon’ble Minister of State, MSDE; Dr. K.P. Krishnan, Secretary, MSDE; among other dignitaries.

The ministry has taken several efforts to increase the number of apprentices hired by enterprises in the country. The aim is to fill the gap in supply and demand for skilled workforce and meet the aspirations of the Indian youth through gaining on-the-job training and securing better opportunities for employment. Most PSUs are hiring apprentices for technical and manufacturing job roles. However, the number of apprentices in the service sector is lagging behind. Senior executives of major PSUs, attending the event, were also urged to hire students who have cleared skill programmes under Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), a flagship scheme of MSDE implemented by National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC).  The students of long-term programmes offered by technical colleges under the All India Council of Technical Education and Industrial Training Institutes run by the Directorate General of Training will also be hired as apprentices.

Detailing the benefits of the apprenticeship scheme, Dr. Mahendra Nath Pandey, Hon’ble Minister for Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, said, “Central Public Sector Undertakings (CPSUs) are instrumental in sustaining self-reliant economic growth and play a vital role in generating employment opportunities for skilled professionals. I strongly urge them to come forward, increase their engagement with apprentices and build their potential to be industry ready.

This together will lead to the success of the enterprises, apprentices and will lead to fulfilling the aspirations of New India. It is also my appeal to all the enterprises to give due respect to these young apprentices, treat them at par with their employees and recognise them as the torchbearers of the overall growth and progress.”

Shri R.K. Singh, Hon’ble Minister of State for Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE), said, “We have a substantial proof of the positive impact apprentices create in the manufacturing and service industry. Countries like Germany and Japan have proven apprenticeship as an effective model improving links between industry and training institutions. Through such examples and by urging our CPSUs, we can create pathways for industrial development and contribute to India’s economic growth. We want to strengthen the Indian apprenticeship system to impart formal training across sectors in order to rightly skill the youth and provide them opportunities for livelihood.”

The government has brought significant reforms to the apprenticeship rules to drive greater participation in the program. These reforms include:

* Upper limit for engaging apprentices increased from 10% to 15%
* Size limit of an establishment with mandatory obligation to engage apprentices lowered from 40 to 30
* Payment of stipend for 1st year has been fixed rather than linking it to minimum wages, 10% to 15% hike in stipend for 2nd and 3rd year to apprentice
* Duration of apprenticeship training for Optional Trade can be from 6 months to 36 months
* The industry has the option to design and implement their own Apprenticeship programs
* Under NAPS, the establishments / industry can get reimbursement upto 25% of the stipend paid to the apprentices

PSUs are present in almost every sector and are significant contributors to the Indian economy, crucial to the employment generation. The top 100 PSUs in the country represent 20% of the total manpower and are utilizing 30% of the apprenticeship training potential. The priority sectors in almost 30 PSUs are Defence, Aerospace, Manufacturing, Service, Heavy industries & Chemicals and they engage 66% of the current total apprentices engagement. Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) under Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas (MoPNG) have engaged 10.21% of total workforce as apprentices which itself embarks the need to call upon other CPSUs and ancillary units working under them to come forward and work collaboratively with MSDE. Therefore, PSUs play a critical role in the success of the apprenticeship program being run by the MSDE. A few PSUs present at the seminar also shared their success stories of the candidates receiving apprenticeship training and successfully getting employed.

PSUs like Air India Transport, Andrew Yule, Artificial Limbs Manufacturing, BEL, BHEL, Housing & Urban Development Corporation and Madras Fertilizers have been engaging 15% of their total staff strength as apprentices which is more than the desirable limit.

The event also witnessed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signing between MSDE and Standing Conference of Public Enterprises (SCOPE), an apex body of Public Sector Enterprises, to further promote and expand apprenticeship training in CPSUs.

NASSCOM Foundation Hosts ‘Tech for Good’ Summit in Bengaluru; Announces 6 Winners of Tech for Good Awards


NASSCOM Foundation, hosted India’s first ‘Tech for Good’ Summit in Bengaluru. The Tech for Good Summit was supported by CGI and Accenture among other partners.

NASSCOM Foundation’s largest conference till date, the two-day summit brought together over 600 delegates consisting of CEOs, Tech leaders, CSR leaders, Social Entrepreneurs, Non-Profit heads, Universal Design Experts, Design Thinkers, Technology Thought leaders and consultants, AI, ML, BigData, IoT, 3D printing, nano-tech experts, mobile app developers and program leaders, Diversity and Inclusion Champions and all people who align with the cause of Tech for Good.

At the summit, NASSCOM Foundation also announced the winners of its first ‘Tech for Good Awards’ exclusively curated to encourage and recognize the technology innovations across companies and start-ups in the space of social good.

The Tech for Good Awards received 425 applications within a span of 18 days. The winners were chosen after going through a rigorous jury shortlist process in the categories of Education, Accessibility, Healthcare, Environment, Livelihoods and Disaster Management. KPMG was the process partner for the awards.

The NASSCOM Foundation Tech for Good Award 2019 winners are:

* Accessibility    Robert Bosch Engineering & Business Solutions Pvt Ltd    Multi Point Audio Switch (MPAS) - An assistive technology device developed for visually impaired users to help ease office work by connecting multiple audio sources to a single headphone.

* Healthcare       AT&T Global Business Services India Private Limited    OM (Order of Magnitude) – An AI/VR Eye Screening device that identifies and diagnoses more than 60% of the common causes of avoidable blindness.

* Environment     Ishitva Robotic Systems Pvt Ltd       Air Sorter to sort different Plastic Polymer PET, PP, HDPE, Color sorting, Black Plastic Waste using Artificial Intelligence and Sensors.

* Livelihoods    Centre For Spatial Analytics and Advanced GIS (C-SAG)   Agri-GIS: Collects and Disseminates information from multiple parameters like weather forecast; market rate; crop practices; satellite images to monitor crop health; episodic (cyclone/drought) events alerts; forward and backward linkages, all at a small farm plot level.

* Disaster Management    HW Design Labs OPC Private Limited     Smartphone FM RDS Based Disaster Warning System.

* Education    *Social Work and Research Center aka Barefoot College  Digital Night Schools - Non-Formal schools using solar projectors to teach the marginalised and poor children.

The jury that selected the winners comprised of renowned leaders including KK Natarajan, Co-Founder, Mindtree and Chairman NASSCOM Foundation, Naganand Doraswamy, Managing Director and Founder, Ideaspring Capital and Sucharita Eashwar, Founder and CEO, Catalyst for Women Entrepreneurship (CWE).

Speaking at the occasion, Ashok Pamidi, CEO, NASSCOM Foundation, said, “We are calling the next decade - the 2020s as the Decade of Change wherein the Industry 4.0 revolution will drive social transformations. With the concept of 'Connected Humanity' at its core and the Sustainable Development Goals to provide a sense of direction, the Industry 4.0 revolution is the first Industry revolution with a conscience. The Tech for Good Summit is a celebration of this collective conscience of the technology industry that is helping foster social innovation at scale. The Tech for Good summit goes beyond CSR to define a larger role and responsibility of the tech industry to use its knowledge, processes, innovations and solutions for social good.”

Congratulating the winners of the first Tech for Good Awards, he further added, “I congratulate and thank all the winners and finalists of the first Tech for Good awards. Every single one of these innovations is helping move the needle a little towards a better world.”

The Tech for Good Summit also saw the launch of ‘The Managr’ (www.themanagr.in)– a multi-channel, dynamic portal and mobile app based solution to manage and enhance social impact!

The Managr has been developed by Vodafone India Foundation - the CSR arm of Vodafone Idea Limited, under its, ‘Connecting for Good’ programme, along with NASSCOM Foundation as the principal partner. It is a one stop solution for NGOs to effortlessly manage social programs, streamline processes, align resources and enhance collaboration while ensuring data security. The solution created with a primary focus on Social development based Program management, can also be used by regular business and industry users for their work with as much ease.

Zendesk Talk Partner Edition Expands Amazon Connect Support

Zendesk, Inc. has announced a strategic, go-to-market solution package based upon an enhanced integration between Amazon Connect and Zendesk Talk Partner Edition. The enhanced integration allows both Amazon Connect customers and Zendesk Support customers to leverage multiple sophisticated artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) services from Amazon Web Services (AWS) to improve contact center agent efficiency while reducing the time end-customers spend interacting with customer service. This solution is designed to allow businesses to deploy the latest generation of proactive, anticipatory customer service.

“We are excited to continue our work with AWS to help companies provide some of the best proactive contact center experiences for their customers,” said Adrian McDermott, president of products, Zendesk. “By tapping into AI and machine learning, businesses can easily create an intelligent contact center customer service experience that allows businesses not only to resolve questions and issues more quickly and efficiently, but also in some cases, even eliminating the need for their customers to wait to speak with an agent at all.”

According to the Zendesk Benchmark Report, AI-enabled teams see 21 percent faster resolution times while handling about six times the volume of requests compared to their peers. Companies using the enhanced connector in contact centers can benefit from AWS’ AI and machine learning services such as Amazon Lex, Amazon Polly, Amazon Transcribe and Amazon Comprehend. This allows companies to provide a more proactive, anticipatory customer experience in which agents are more efficient in anticipating and solving customer issues, as well as helping businesses to address routine problems and questions through intelligently automated self-service.

“The updated connector for Amazon Connect and Zendesk Support is designed to offer the next generation of customer service by empowering businesses to anticipate and intelligently address their customer needs in real-time using AWS Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning services,” said Pasquale DeMaio, General Manager, Amazon Connect, Amazon Web Services, Inc. “We look forward to delighting customers around the globe with this integrated customer service solution in 2020.”

Zendesk has chosen Amazon Connect as a preferred contact center voice solution to deploy with Zendesk Talk Partner Edition globally. As a result of the enhanced capabilities delivered by Zendesk and Amazon Connect, current Zendesk customers such as Carsales.com are already benefiting from the new capabilities. Additionally, AWS Service Delivery Program-accredited Amazon Connect SI partners including Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), VoiceFoundry, Mission Labs, USAN, Conn3ct, and tecRacer, will be able to integrate an existing contact center solution with Zendesk Support using Talk Partner Edition, in all major geographies globally.

“AI and machine learning have absolutely changed how we work in our Customer Contact Centre. In a matter of months we implemented efficiencies within our own working practices and started to observe real benefits which of course translate into a better, more cohesive  experience for our customers,” said Muhammad Masri, Customer Service Manager, Carsales.com. “I’m confident that by integrating the new enhanced Zendesk integration with Amazon Connect, our teams will have more informed and productive conversations with our customers.”

This is the latest integration between Zendesk and AWS. In June 2019, Zendesk announced the Zendesk Events Connector for Amazon EventBridge. These connectors are part of a larger effort for Zendesk’s open and flexible CRM platform, Sunshine, to further accelerate the ability for companies to free customer data and allow developers to build out functionality with the tools they love – entirely on open standards with the security, scalability, and reliability of AWS at its core.

The enhanced Zendesk connector for Amazon Connect will be available as a pre-integrated solution starting in late January 2020. It will be deployed directly and through trusted partners globally. More information can be found at zendesk.com/apps/amazon-connect.

Anthem Biosciences Secures its IT-OT Environment with Trend Micro’s Endpoint Solutions


Trend Micro Incorporated, a global leader in cybersecurity solutions, offers advanced security solutions to Anthem Biosciences for its IT-OT environment. Trend Micro Deep Security provided integrated server security and virtual patching, while the Trend Micro Deep Discovery Inspector (DDI) provided 360-degree visibility by monitoring over 100 network protocols and detecting targeted attacks. Together, they elevated security for network, server, endpoints, and IIoT devices.

Anthem Biosciences, which had already been using Trend Micro’s endpoint solution are now using the Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) and Managed Detection and Response (MDR) solutions. This helped them in threat hunting and provided them with real-time network forensic analysis for various security incidents. The solutions also offered real-time insights, along with remediation and preventive measures. Trend Micro Deep Discovery with Advanced Threat Protection empowered them to respond instantaneously to targeted attacks, advanced threats, and ransomware. The next-gen Intrusion Prevention System (IPS) protected their IIoT systems from various vulnerabilities, while the layered security provided by Connected Threat Defense assessed, detected, and remediated attacks.

“Given the constantly evolving threat landscape, we needed a solution which could provide end-to-end protection for our endpoints, network, and servers—without disturbing operations. We were seeking a robust product, which while securing our converged IT-OT manufacturing environment, would require only minimal intervention from our staff. With Trend Micro’s solutions featuring a host of cutting-edge technologies that provide comprehensive security management, we have been able to protect our systems from vulnerabilities,” said K. Ravi, Head of Information Technology and AI, Anthem Biosciences.

Vijendra Katiyar, Director – Enterprise Business, India & SAARC, Trend Micro said, “Trend Micro’s solutions helped Anthem Biosciences to achieve end-to-end security. They were able to minimize escalations and protect their systems from vulnerabilities. By identifying the attacker profile and providing a risk assessment, malware characteristics, origin, variants, and command and control IPs across the network, the solution has provided exceptional insights to them.”

Anthem Biosciences looks forward to expanding their security services with Trend Micro. The company is currently assessing Trend Micro Cloud Email Gateway Services, which protects both hosted and on-premises email solutions.

Wipro Limited Opens NextGen Cybersecurity Defence Centre in Melbourne, Australia


Wipro Limited, a leading global information technology, consulting and business process services company, today announced the launch of its NextGen Cyber Defence Centre (CDC) in Melbourne, Australia.

With the launch of this centre, Wipro aims to make substantial investments to upskill its employees, hire more local resources and generate more than 100 jobs in Melbourne for cyber security specialists. Wipro also plans to launch similar CDCs in other cities in Australia and offer cyber resilience and provide digital protection to large government organizations.

According to Wipro’s recently released State of Cybersecurity Report 2019 (in which 10% of the global organizations surveyed were from Australia), 55% of the respondents highlighted digital lockdowns due to ransomware attacks are their top cyber risk. The worldwide breach rate i.e. number of records stolen per sec has gone up to 232 records per second from the previous year’s average of 88 records/sec. In the same report, only 25% of respondents said that they are carrying out security assessments in every build cycle before pushing applications out to the internet.

The Cyber Defence Centre is the first local shared security operations centre for Wipro in Australia and will provide customers with the ability to rapidly expand capacity and run their security operations in compliance with the local data requirements. Wipro’s NextGen 24/7 Security Operations Centre will assist customers to actively manage their cyber risks by leveraging managed services around threat intelligence, security monitoring and analytics, vulnerability management, incident response and regulatory compliance.

The lab was inaugurated by Tim Pallas, Minister for Economic Development, Parliament of Victoria in the presence of customers, technology partners, leadership team and local employees.

"Melbourne is Australia’s leading tech city and we welcome this investment by Wipro – a leading global information technology company. The establishment of this Defence Centre will strengthen Victoria’s capability in cyber security and draw on the local expertise to help Wipro protect Australian organizations from cyber related incidents," said Tim Pallas, Minister for Economic Development, Parliament of Victoria.

Manoj Nagpaul, Senior Vice President, Head Asia Pacific and Japan, Wipro Limited said, “We will offer our customers in the Australian market the ability to leverage our global experience, technical expertise and strategic cyber investments to secure their digital operations. Our CDC will be equipped with state-of-the-art technology enabled infrastructure with continuous security monitoring, a large pool of experienced security professionals and a global delivery model to achieve and scale highly secure integrated platforms.”

The centre is aimed to build a robust cybersecurity model that fortifies the digital business of customers across industries. Wipro’s expertise in Risk Intelligence, Physical Security Convergence, Data Governance, Security Management, and Identity Management, helps leading brands across the globe mitigate cyber threats.

“The launch of the centre in Melbourne showcases Wipro’s commitment to leverage local talent and specialized expertise to cater to the cyber security needs of the region. The Cyber Defence Centre will enable customers to implement or expand capacities of their in-house services related to vulnerability management, threat intelligence, threat detection and incident response,” said Raja Ukil, Senior Vice President & Global Head, Cybersecurity and Risk Services, Wipro Limited.

Wednesday, December 4, 2019

GoAir Strengthens its Domestic Network in India, Adds 22 New Flights to the Winter Schedule

Highlights

* GoAir connects Bangalore to Kochi via a direct flight
* Adds two new destinations – Varanasi and Indore
* Adds six new routes to enhance connectivity between metros and tier II cities

GoAir, India’s most trusted, punctual and fastest growing airline, today announced the addition of 22 new flights to its ever growing network. These include two new destinations, namely, Varanasi and Indore, and also six new connections on its existing network, such as Bengaluru-Kochi, Kochi-Hyderabad, Delhi-Varanasi, Ahmedabad-Varanasi, Delhi-Indore, Ahmedabad-Indore along with added frequency on the Delhi-Goa sector.

Mr. Jeh Wadia, Managing Director, GoAir, said: “GoAir will close the calendar year on a high note – aggressive network expansion, increased fleet of aircraft, addition of new destinations and six new connections on our existing network. In the last 12 months our network capacity has gone up by 33%, inducted 17 new aircraft to the fleet, resulting in 100 new flights. We have added 10 new airports to our network – Phuket, Male, Abu Dhabi, Muscat, Dubai, Bangkok, Kuwait, Singapore, Kannur and Aizawl. Since our inception we have flown 78.6 million passengers and our aim is to reach the 100 million mark in the next two years. GoAir has placed a firm order of 144 A320neo aircraft and we will be receiving at least one aircraft a month on average for the next foreseeable future.”

Effective 20 December 2019, GoAir will connect the city of Bengaluru to Kochi, thereby helping business and leisure travelers alike. Flight G8-404 will depart from Bengaluru at 17:45 hours and arrive in Kochi at 19:05, and flight G8 510 will depart from Kochi at 23:45 hours and arrive in Bengaluru at 00:50 hours.  Along with Bengaluru, GoAir will also connect Kochi to Hyderabad, to help the residents of both cities to strengthen trade ties and also give a boost to the tourism industry. Flight G8 505 will depart from Kochi at 19:35 hours and arrive in Hyderabad at 21:10 hours, and flight G8 507 will depart from Hyderabad at 21:45 hours and arrive in Kochi at 23:15 hours. These flights will operate daily.

GoAir has also added its second flight for the Delhi-  route. Flight G8 300 will depart Delhi at 08:40 hours and arrive in Goa at 11:30 hours. Flight G8 301 will depart from Goa at 12:00 hours and arrive in Delhi at 14:45 hours. The flight timings are perfect for Delhi residents going to Goa for a holiday. The flight will get them to Goa right in time their hotel room will be ready to check them in. And on the return, passengers can check out of the hotel at a convenient time and board the flight to get back home in the afternoon.

GoAir has added two daily direct flights from Delhi to Varanasi, one in the morning and one in the evening to suit the needs of the travelers. GoAir flight G8 182 from Delhi to Varanasi will depart at 20:30 hours and will arrive at 22:00 hours. Flight G8 183 will depart from Varanasi at 22:30 hours and arrive in Delhi at 00:10 hours. This flight will be especially convenient for the Varanasi-ites based in Delhi for work, as they will be able to board a flight on Friday evening, spend the weekend at home and board the flight back for Delhi on Sunday late evening. Flight G8 404 will depart from Delhi at 10:30 hours and arrive in Varanasi at 11:40 hours, making it convenient for business travelers.

Flight G8-767 departs from Ahmedabad at 10:20 hours and arrives in Varanasi at 12:30 hours, making it convenient to tourists and pilgrims to explore the city through the day. Flight G8 768 departs from Varanasi at 13:00 hours and arrives in Ahmedabad at 15:00 hours. The Ahmedabad-Varanasi flight will operate daily, except Sunday. Flight G8-404 will depart from Varanasi at 12:20 hours and arrive in Bengaluru at 14:40 hours.

GoAir’s second new domestic destination, Indore, will be connected through daily direct flights from Delhi and Ahmedabad. Flight G8 177 will depart from Delhi at 05:35 hours and arrives at 07:10 hours in Indore. Flight G8 178 will depart from Indore at 17:55 hours and arrive in Delhi at 19:35 hours. It will be the ideal choice for Delhi-Indore travelers as it allows day-return flexibility and helps in saving time and money on hotel accommodation. Flight G8 769 will depart from Ahmedabad at 15:35 hours and arrive in Indore at 17:00 hours and flight G8 766 will depart from Indore at 07:50 hours and arrive in Ahmedabad at 09:00, thus connecting the sprawling city of Indore to the trade capital of Gujarat at convenient timings.

Flight operations for these new routes and frequencies begin on 20 December 2019. Tickets for all GoAir flights can be booked through www.GoAir.in, GoAir mobile app, call centre, travel agents, travel portals etc.

GoAir currently operates 325+ daily flights and carried around 13.78 lakh passengers in the month of October 2019. GoAir flies to 27 domestic destinations including Ahmedabad, Aizawl, Bagdogra, Bengaluru, Bhubaneswar, Chandigarh, Chennai, Delhi, Goa, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Indore, Jaipur, Jammu, Kochi, Kolkata, Kannur, Leh, Lucknow, Mumbai, Nagpur, Patna, Port Blair, Pune, Ranchi, Srinagar and Varanasi. Goair flies to 8 international destinations, including Phuket,Male, Muscat, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Bangkok, Kuwait and Singapore.

Tata Motors & IndianOil Unveil Second Saarthi Aaram Kendra at IOCL Narsapura



Indian Oil operates a chain of flagship retail outlets where facilities like secured parking with CCTV, restaurant, rest areas, open bathing facilities including Hauda, Wi-Fi, TV, self-cooking & launderette apart from other basic amenities like clean toilets, drinking water etc. which are comprehensively designed as an end-to-end solution for the saarthis (CV drivers).

Tata Motors is now partnering with IOCL by operating the facilities as Saarthi Aaram Kendra with offering of on-site vehicle servicing & medical aid to drivers. This is a step forward in recognizing the efforts of commercial vehicle saarthis by providing them access to state-of-the-art amenities on the go. The facility at Narsapura is expected to benefit over 100 Saarthis daily.

Commenting on the initiative, Mr. Rajesh Kaul, Vice President, Marketing & Sales, CVBU, Tata Motors Limited, said, “At Tata Motors we recognize that over 50% of the country’s freight is transported through roads and that commercial vehicle drivers form the backbone of the Indian economy. The Sarathi Aaram Kendra initiative takes cognizance of this fact and aims to offer an environment wherein saarthis will easily have access to their basic needs, this, in turn, will help them de-stress after long journeys and thereby improve their overall efficiency. We are glad to associate with IndianOil for this initiative bringing comfort and safety to the saarthis.”

Mr. Subrat Kar CGM(RS),HO, IndianOil expressed his views on the Saarthi Aaram Kendra saying “IndianOil and Tata Motors have come together for various business tie-ups in the past and this second Saarthi Aaram Kendra after the Bawal on NH-8 will further improve the goodwill towards driver community. IndianOil has always pioneered in taking various driver-centric initiatives at most of its highway retail outlets. Saarthi Aaram Kendra advocate core values of IOCL as well as TML .It is a unique initiative that caters to the needs of commercial vehicle drivers with the aim to celebrate the unsung heroes of the country” 

The Sarathi Aaram Kendra initiative is a part of a larger driver welfare program that Tata Motors runs and also includes the ‘Tata Motors Samarth’, initiative, which covers areas like accidental insurance, hospitalization cover, financial counselling and educational assistance packages for their children, in order to achieve economic, social and health wellbeing of the saarthis and their families.

Along the same lines, Indian Oil through its Large Format ROs and ‘Sarai’ has ensured comfort to long distance drivers. Regular eye check-ups under the name ‘Ujala’, training on safe driving practices, distribution of driver kits are few other initiatives Indian Oil has taken up for the welfare of drivers.

The first of its kind Saarthi Aaram Kendra initiative was inaugurated by Mr. Vigyan Kumar ED (RS), HO, IOCL & Mr. Girish Wagh (President, CVBU, Tata Motors) in May this year, at IOCL’s facility on NH-8 at Bawal, Haryana. Today the initiative services over a 50 drivers daily. Furthermore, Tata Motors & IOCL plan to set-up more facilities along the major National Highways to serve the needs of more commercial vehicle drivers in times to come.

CITI – NCPA Announces Scholarship Program for Young Musicians in Hindustani Music


The National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) & Citi India have consistently worked towards promoting various initiatives in the field of Indian and Western Classical Music. This year, to encourage young talent NCPA & CITI India have jointly announced a Scholarship Program for advanced training in the field of Hindustani Music (vocal – khayal / dhrupad, melody instruments – Sitar, Sarod, Violin, Flute, Harmonium, etc) Open to applicants in the age group of 18-35 years across India, candidates can apply for the scholarship from 2nd December 2019 till 31st December 2019. The value of the scholarship is Rs. 10,000/- per month for one year (April 2020 to March 2021).

The candidates must send in their application (bio-data on music education) via an email to ncpascholarships@gmail.com or in an envelope marked to ‘Citi - NCPA Scholarship for Young Musicians 2020-21 (Hindustani Music)’ to The National Centre for the Performing Arts, NCPA Marg, Nariman Point, Mumbai 400021 on or before 31st December, 2019.

Commenting on the scholarship initiative, Dr. Suvarnalata Rao, Head Programming – Indian Music, NCPA stated, “We at NCPA constantly strive towards supporting musicians at every level, ensuring that they have the opportunities and skills to experience and pursue Indian classical music. Our scholarship programme in partnership with CITI India is an initiative in this regard. We offer scholarships to young talented musicians and promising artists through this programme. A total of 9 scholarships will be given out to selected candidates. We are looking forward to entries in large numbers.”

The application must contain details regarding the candidate’s name, date of birth, address, contact number/alternate contact number, professional qualification, email ID, music teachers/gurus, number of years of total training and details of achievements / prizes / scholarships and performances, amongst other noteworthy details. A bio-data containing all details in the listing format will be enough. The shortlisted candidates will be informed via email or telephone. They will be required to appear for an audition at the NCPA, Mumbai, in the month of February 2020. The decision of the NCPA Selection Committee will be final.

New Jaguar XE Launched in India Priced Upwards of ₹ 44.98 Lakh

Highlights

● The New Jaguar XE is packed with enhancements, innovations and technology  that offers an exceptional blend of distinctive design, innovation and performance
● For Model Year 2020, the New Jaguar XE includes enhanced front and rear bumpers, full LED headlights with signature DRL & signature Hi-Line tail lights with Animated Directional Indicators to create an assertive appearance
● Available in S & SE derivative, the New Jaguar XE is packed with stunning features such as the 25.4 cm (10) ‘Touch Pro’ infotainment screen, ‘Remote’ (allows you to check car status remotely), Smartphone Pack with Android Auto & Apple CarPlay, Wireless Device Charging, Air Quality Sensor, Connected Navigation Pro (navigation system), Smart Settings with AI for driver seat, mirror, audio and climate settings, Wi-Fi Hotspot & Pro Services among others
●  Powered by Ingenium Powertrains, the New Jaguar XE is available with a choice of 2.0 l (litre) Turbocharged Petrol, producing 184 kW and 365 Nm of torque or a 2.0 l (litre) Turbocharged Diesel producing 132 kW and 430 Nm of torque
● Bookings are now open for the New Jaguar XE and is priced from  ₹ 44.98 Lakh

Jaguar Land Rover India today announced the launch of the New Jaguar XE. Available in the S & SE derivative, the New Jaguar XE is offered with 184 kW Ingenium Turbocharged Petrol powertrain and 132 kW Ingenium Turbocharged Diesel powertrain options.

Rohit Suri, President & Managing Director, Jaguar Land Rover India Ltd (JLRIL), said: “The Jaguar XE has always been a distinctly designed executive sports saloon that provides exhilarating performance. The New Jaguar XE is an illustration of how enhancements in its design, technology and driving dynamics can rewrite the rules. We are confident that our Jaguar fans and discerning customers will be delighted with our latest offering.”

DRAMATIC EXTERIORS

The New Jaguar XE appears wider and lower than before, with large front apertures, bold graphics  and muscular forms, all alluding to the car’s performance intent and advanced aerodynamics.

New all-LED headlights with a striking ‘J’ blade daytime running light signature and Animated Directional Indicators create a more purposeful look. The rear of the car also features a new bumper design and slender all-LED tail-lights with updated signature graphics which accentuate the visual width of the car, while the 43.18 cm (17) inch wheels give the New Jaguar XE a more planted appearance.

EXTRAVAGANT INTERIORS

The exquisitely crafted all-new interior, features superior materials with extensive use of soft touch surfaces, premium veneers and all-new door trims to enhance appeal and practicality. The F-TYPE derived Jaguar SportShift selector on the revised centre console is ergonomically designed to facilitate intuitive, rapid manual gear changes of the 8-speed automatic gearbox. A new steering wheel, shared with the all-electric I-PACE, features ‘hidden-until-lit’ graphics and tactile switches for intuitive control of key functions.

Packed with features and brimming with technology, the New Jaguar XE gets a new 25.4 cm (10) ‘Touch Pro’ infotainment screen with Smartphone Pack (Android Auto™ and Apple CarPlay™) as standard. Other highlight features include Smart Settings with AI (Artificial Intelligence) for driver seat, mirror, audio and climate settings, Lane Keep Assist and Driver Condition Monitor, Online Pack (Wi-Fi with Pro Services that adds Real Time Traffic Information, Door-to-Door routing and Estimated Time of Arrival), ‘Remote with InControl Remote App’ allows you to check vehicle status like fuel level, window open etc. via phone, Connected Navigation Pro navigation system, Wireless Device Charging, Interactive Driver Display uses high definition crystal clear graphics to show 3D maps, vehicle settings, contacts and media options, Air Quality Sensor, Park Assist and more.

A DYNAMIC DRIVE

The New Jaguar XE has been designed and engineered to offer agility, responsiveness, maximum aerodynamic efficiency and stability along with the refinement that all Jaguars are renowned for. From the SportShift selector that offers a sportier shift to the Control toggle switch that enhances usability, while Jaguar XE’s lightweight aluminium intensive body structure continues to play a major role in the car’s agile handling, exceptional safety and efficiency. Aluminium makes up 75 per cent of the body and combines with proven rear wheel drive system, double wishbone front and integral link rear suspension to offer a superior drive.

Further details on the New Jaguar XE are available on the Jaguar India website www.jaguar.in.

Jaguar Product Portfolio in India

The Jaguar range in India includes XE (starting at ₹ 44.98 Lakh), XF (starting at ₹ 49.78 Lakh), F-PACE (starting at ₹ 63.78 Lakh), XJ (starting at ₹ 111.30 Lakh) and F-TYPE (starting at ₹ 90.93 Lakh). All prices mentioned are ex-showroom prices in India.

Raymond's 200 Odd Mannequins “Out on Traffic Duty” in Bengaluru


Acquiring new customers is the backbone of every business and the most challenging task. But even more important is to stay relevant to the local communities.

Marketers are engaging in interesting activities to be a part of the community and with the latest on-ground initiative, Raymond too has aced the cause.

Following Bengaluru Traffic Police’s lead to get motorists to follow traffic rules and observe lane discipline, ColorPlus put up black displays instead of mannequins with a sign reading  “Out on traffic duty, will be back soon.”  This is to show solidarity with the understaffed and overworked Bengaluru Traffic Police who have installed as many as 200 life-sized mannequins at troublesome junctions in Bengaluru.

HDFC ERGO Launches my:health Woman Suraksha - A Special Health Insurance for Women

Highlights

* A comprehensive insurance policy specially designed for women to address all health-related concerns
* Unique benefits like stem cell harvesting and loss of job due to specific illnesses offered to policyholders

HDFC ERGO General Insurance Company, India’s third-largest non-life insurance provider in the private sector, today announced the launch of ‘my:health Woman Suraksha’ policy. The my:health Woman Suraksha policy is specially designed to cover women against numerous illnesses and contingencies they may face during their lifetime, thereby providing financial aid in case of medical contingencies.

According to the National Health Portal of India, women in India face numerous health issues like breast cancer, malnutrition, lack of maternal health.  This policy will cover various types of cancers & related surgeries, pregnancy and neonatal (new born baby) complications and assaults & burns. The policy will also cover women from critical illnesses like Cardiac ailments, Rheumatoid Arthritis and others along with post diagnosis support like Molecular Gene profiling test, Second Medical opinion and counselling to support women through the illness.

Commenting on the launch of the new product, Mr Ritesh Kumar, MD & CEO, HDFC ERGO General Insurance said, “Women across age groups face specific risks related to their health &wellbeing. Some of these include critical illnesses like cancer, cardiac ailments or fatal complications during pregnancy or physical assaults. We have launched my:health Woman Suraksha, especially designed to support the healthcare needs of women.”

my:health Woman Suraksha intends to ensure overall well-being of women and offers wellness benefits under my:health mobile application of HDFC ERGO. The benefits include fitness discount at renewals, specially designed preventive health check-ups after every renewal and wellness services like health coaching, nutrition and weight management services, discounts at pharmacies etc. It also provides counselling on stress management, pregnancy care, work life balance etc. which is much needed by today’s new age women. This policy is offered to women between 18-65 years of age and offers a sum insured ranging from Rs 1 lakh to 1 crore.

For more information on the policy and plan details on the full range of insurance policies offered by HDFC ERGO please contact the Company representative.

Tuesday, December 3, 2019

Vivo Collaborates with Amazon Original Series Inside Edge Season 2 for its Soon-to-be Launched V17 Smartphone


Vivo, the global innovative smartphone brand, has announced its collaboration with the upcoming season of the 2018 International Emmy nominated Amazon Original Series Inside Edge, for its soon-to-be-launched smartphone in the V series segment – the all new V17. As part of the association, the cast of the highly anticipated Inside Edge Season 2 will be seen in an unboxing video like no other, presenting a new avatar of arch-rivals - Mumbai Mavericks and Haryana Hurricanes. Viewers can also expect a fun video featuring the cast of Inside Edge Season 2 where the underlying themes and rivalries showcased in Inside Edge Season 2 get revealed.

Talking about the collaboration, Nipun Marya, Director – Brand Strategy, Vivo India, said, “We are excited about our association with Amazon Prime Video for the 2nd season of the Amazon Original Series Inside Edge. Season 1 of the show received great reviews from critics and audiences around the country. The concept of show is very exciting and brings high quality, engaging drama with the backdrop of the sport India loves - Cricket. We, at vivo, are constantly looking for innovative ways to connect with our consumers and creating new and effective marketing platforms that will engage our audiences across the country. Our association with the Amazon Original Series Inside Edge for the launch of the all new V17 is a perfect example of this.”

Expressing delight on the collaboration, Gaurav Gandhi, Director and Country GM, Amazon Prime Video India, said, “India is a mobile first country and large number of our customers enjoy consuming entertainment on Amazon Prime Video on their smartphones. As we raise the bar in the entertainment space by creating world-class original shows like Inside Edge, we also continuously look at innovative and engaging ways to market this content to our customers – and our association with vivo, one of India’s most trusted mobile phone brands, for the latest season of our International Emmy nominated Amazon Original Series Inside Edge, is a great example of that. ”

vivo has carved a niche for itself with path-breaking innovation and product enhancements in the Indian smartphone market. Its V- series is widely known for its camera upgrades which offered customers the ultimate photography experience. The upcoming V17 will also be equipped with iView display and Super Night camera. Buoyed with its success in the smartphone market in India, vivo will end the year 2019 with another innovative offering in the V-series segment– V17. The smartphone is scheduled to be launched in December.

Inside Edge Season 2 synopsis Making a mark on a global platform for its efforts in creating compelling content, Amazon Prime Video’s first Indian Prime Original Series Inside Edge, was nominated for the 2018 International Emmy® Awards in the Best Drama Series category. In the next edition of the PPL, a volatile Vayu Raghavan leads the Mumbai Mavericks to face their biggest adversary yet, the Haryana Hurricanes, who are led by a reinvented Arvind Vashisht.

Building on the success of its International Emmy nomination last year, Inside Edge is the story of the Mumbai Mavericks, a T20 cricket franchise playing in the PowerPlay League. Set in a landscape of sports, secrets, and scandals where selfishness is a virtue and sex, money, and power are mere means to an end, Inside Edge is a story that pulls no punches, minces no words, and takes no prisoners. Above all, Inside Edge Season 2 is a story of passion, courage, and love. Come witness the game beyond the game.

Digital Construction Works Simplifies Digital Transformation and Improves Efficiencies for Construction Industry

The Year in Infrastructure Conference—– Digital Construction Works (DCW), a new digital automation, integration, and digital twinning services and fit-for-purpose solutions company formed by Bentley Systems and Topcon Positioning Group, will help revolutionize the construction industry by simplifying digital transformation. DCW solutions span every phase of the project – from planning to construction and operations through to asset management – creating a digital thread that connects technologies and workflows.

Contributing 13 percent of global GDP and an estimated $12.9 trillion market by 2022, construction is the largest industry in the world and is positioned to benefit from significant value through productivity improvements. The World Economic Forum estimates within ten years, full-scale digitization could lead to savings between USD 700 billion to 1.2 trillion (13% to 21%) in design, engineering, and construction efforts. Construction organizations need capabilities to analyze historical data, forecast what might happen in the future to avoid operational issues before they occur, reduce waste and downtime, improve safety, and reduce risk and liability. Logistics and on-site materials can be managed using digital tools to reduce waste and optimize for just-in-time delivery, increasing productivity on the construction site.

DCW end-to-end services automate and optimize construction operations through the digital transformation of the asset lowering full-lifecycle asset costs. Through digital twins, you can visualize the asset, check status, perform analysis, and generate insights to predict and optimize asset performance. Fast and continuous site surveying using modern technology shortens the digital twinning cycles between the physical and digital twin, achieved in combination with automated analytics. This process is applicable for linear infrastructure, but also vertical construction or the extensive off-site modular construction. 

"We see the benefits of working with organizations such as DCW, whose position in the market as the only end-to-end construction solutions service provider brings us confidence in how our core business targets will be kept a priority throughout the entire project," said Harry Parnell, head of digital project delivery for Balfour Beatty. "Their ability to be agnostic to technology is also important. We know that a combination of technology and process improvement will provide us with the best digital solution and make sure that technology follows the operational process change efforts, but never leads it. The use of technology in silos throughout our organization will never bring real operational, or industry change, but the use of technology with digital twin workflows and key operations processes in a focused and strategic effort will enable Balfour Beatty to reduce the gap between the office and the site continually."

"Balfour Beatty's vision of 25% less on-site work on projects by 2025 can only be achieved through the successful implementation of digital twin workflows and key operational processes and the use of technology. Implementing full digital construction solutions into our business, such as those provided by DCW, will enable us to achieve our project outcomes and business goals, including 'Zero Waste' and ensure that Balfour Beatty projects can continually improve by learning from our successes", said Harry Parnell, head of digital project delivery for Balfour Beatty.

Owners don't need to do it on their own. DCW can do it for them. DCW will help them to automate and connect disparate tools, including fit-for-purpose software and cloud services from Bentley and Topcon or, if needed, by other third parties. DCW can provide next best practices and enable project teams to gain visibility and insights through data and analytics to improve construction planning, execution, reduce project costs, increase safety and reduce liability, and improve capital project delivery.

Through its Partnering and Community, DCW has a global network of service providers who engage in projects with our customers to deliver digital transformation outcomes. The network includes technology partners such as Bentley Systems and Topcon Positioning Group and other third-party technology providers. Educational resource providers, including schools, unions, and trades, will be partnered-with to help fill the construction skills gap.

The Labs at DCW drive increased transparency and efficiency in construction operations. The Labs turn big ideas into solutions and serves as the construction industries R&D engine, where we prove repeatable workflows and technology integrations affecting interoperability, reporting, analytics, and digital twin delivery. DCW' Labs use analytical solutions to extract meaning from enormous volumes of data to help organizations improve their data-driven decision making. Such solutions help support the integration of project data across disciplines and teams, at every step of the construction process, for better collaboration to identify conflicts and risks. It helps to transform the industry from its legacy document-centric paradigm to a complete digital space-time operating system. Project teams receive verification in near real-time for on-time, predictable, and on-budget project delivery.

Ted Lamboo, CEO of DCW, said: "The construction industry sees that digitizing their workflows will increase efficiency and avoid risk and overruns. Leveraging Digital Twins will accelerate this process, and DCW can support the marketplace to make this transition. Our broad spread of digital solutions and services will support our users in this process."

"We believe that open collaboration and a commitment to improving the industry are the primary requirements for step-function advancement in digital construction, said Jason Hallett, COO of DCW. No single tool company can, or should, own the entire construction process as that journey only leads to a lack of innovation. DCW is starting with the backing of two large product companies, and we will welcome technology partnerships and service providers that can contribute to delivering a complete portfolio of digital solutions that are capable of moving the industry toward a more efficient and automated future."

DCW brings together both a combination of Bentley and Topcon colleagues, including Domain Experts from the construction industry. 

Intel India Unveils New 300,000 Sqft Design & Engineering Center with Incubation Hardware Center for Startups in Hyderabad


Intel India has announced the expansion of its innovation footprint in India with the unveiling of a new design and engineering center in Hyderabad. The facility was inaugurated by K. T. Rama Rao, Minister for IT, Industries, MA & UD, Govt. of Telangana in the presence of Raja M Koduri, Senior VP, Chief Architect and GM of Architecture, Graphics & Software at Intel Corporation, Nivruti Rai, Country Head, Intel India & Vice President, Data Center Group, Intel Corporation, and eminent ecosystem leaders from the government, industry and academia.

“Hyderabad has emerged as a key destination for advanced technology and product innovation work. We see leading technology companies growing their operations in the city which reflects a vibrant ecosystem and investment climate that Telangana offers. Intel is a technology leader and its contributions towards growing the ecosystem in India and Telangana have been remarkable, I am extremely pleased to inaugurate Intel’s new facility in Hyderabad; which reinforces Intel’s commitment towards accelerating the tech journey of the state,” remarks K. T. Rama Rao, Minister for IT, Industries, MA & UD, Govt. of Telangana.

Why It’s Important: The world-class design and engineering center will make significant contributions to critical global products and technologies across next generation SoCs, graphics, hardware platforms and software to fuel Intel’s growth. Spread across 300,000 sq. ft of space, the state-of-the-art facility comprises six LEED Platinum certified** floors, modern amenities, 40,000 sq. ft of labs and an incubation center for hardware and systems startups in the IT corridor of the city.

"Over the past 50 years, Intel has brought immense compute power to millions of people, transforming the way we live and work. We are now ushering in a new era of Exascale Computing driven by the rise of artificial intelligence. Exascale for Everyone is an exciting vision and it requires fundamental disruptions across the technology stack. Intel’s design and engineering centers will play a critical role in driving this mission and I look forward to the new center in Hyderabad delivering breakthrough technologies to propel the company’s growth," said Raja M Koduri, Senior VP, Chief Architect and GM of Architecture, Graphics & Software at Intel Corporation.

More Details: The design center will contribute to computing and communications technology innovations geared towards addressing critical challenges in today’s data-centric world, and advance Intel’s engagements with the city’s technology ecosystem by fostering entrepreneurship and a research mindset.

“Over the last 20 years, Intel India has invested significantly in R&D in the country and has been consistently leading in developing the tech ecosystem. We have made significant impact in areas such as Cloud, Client, Graphics, Artificial Intelligence (AI), 5G, and Autonomous Systems and our new design facility in Hyderabad will enable us to further boost innovation for India and the world. We thank the government of Telangana and the IT Minister for their constant support and collaboration towards enabling a conducive environment for technology development and adoption in the State,” says Nivruti Rai, Country Head of Intel India and VP of Data Center Group, Intel Corporation.

Key features of Intel’s new Design & Engineering Center in Hyderabad

*300,000 square feet; 6 floors
*1500 seats capacity
*40,000 square feet of labs
*Incubation center for hardware & systems startups: Intel India Maker Lab
*Workplace of the future with collaboration areas, clinic, fitness center, recreation zone

India's Most Promising IoT Startups Receive IoTNext 2019 Awards



The fifth edition of IoTNext conference was held in Bengaluru on December 2, 2019. The event was organised by the think-tank IoT Forum, a partnership between TiE Bangalore and IESA (India Electronics and Semiconductor Association). Overe 500 delegates, 25 exhibitors and over 50 startups participated in the event.

Awards were given to the most promising IoT startups by sector from agritech, healthcare, industrial IoT, emerging tech and scaled-up startup sectors.

IoTNext 2019 Award Winners include:

Most Promising Start-ups

* AGRITECH - Farmagain Agro Private Limited
* EMERGING TECH – Aerologiks
* HEALTHCARE - Dipitr Technologies Pvt Ltd
* INDUSTRIAL IOT - Occipital Labs Pvt Ltd
* SCALED-UP STARTUP BUSINESS - Smarter Homes Technologies Pvt Ltd


Speaking at the summit, Vice Chairman of IESA, Dr. Satya Gupta said, “We at IESA are happy to co-host the IoTNext Summit that pulls together multiple Intelligent Electronics technologies & organizations focused on impacting critical business verticals in a pervasive way. IESA is also elated to partner with STPI on the IoT OpenLab initiative, which will contribute significantly to India's $1 Trillion digital economy goal and make the country a global product innovation hub”

"We have consistently picked and recognized quality startups at IoTNext over the last four years. This provides the startups with a much-needed slingshot in their journey towards success. Award winners from previous years joined in a fireside chat to share about how they were helped on the journey by engaging the ecosystem with IoTForum," adds Gupta.

Speaking at the IoTNext summit, President of TiE Bangalore, Ravi Gururaj said, “IoT now permeates every aspect of society - home, travel, work, entertainment/play, retail and everywhere else. It covers a whole range of industries and professions.”

"IoTMatrix is a new word we are coining to cover the emerging connected, ambient, intelligent phygital (i.e.., physical+digital) world. IoT is making the Physical or the Real-World Digital. Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) are making the Digital world accessible to us in the real world, both creating a confluence, or an ‘Enchanted Reality’ " says Arvind Tiwary on IoT Matrix.

India now has around 1,500 IoT startups, according to the IoT Forum IoT Startup Directory 2019, released at the conference. The breakdown of startup locations across Indian cities is Bengaluru (720), NCR (180), Mumbai (94), Pune (91), Hyderabad (82), and Chennai (64), with dozens of other startups cropping up in Coimbatore, Kochi, Kolkata and other cities.

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