iRelief Mobile App Now for Blood, Ambulance During Emergencies

Patients and their relatives in need of blood need not get panic henceforth. They could know the availability of blood just by tapping their mobile phone. iRelief, a city-based firm has developed an app, which gives you information about availability of safe blood during your time of emergency. The government has joined hands with iRelief for this socially relevant project.

Many patients do not get blood on time during emergencies. Their relatives virtually run from pillar to post to get the blood. Lack of a system which provides comprehensive information about the availability of a blood is the long-felt need of the healthcare system. iRelief has taken up the responsibility to fill this gap.

iRelief has entered into an understanding with blood banks in the city to get information on the availability of blood. iRelief provides you accurate information on the type (group) of blood you can get from a particular blood bank, through its app. All you have to do is to download iRelief app from Google play store and install it on your mobile phone. Apart from giving you information about the blood availability, the app also allows you to put a demand for a specific type/group of blood, which will be delivered to you at your place. The app also has a data bank of blood donors. The moment you place an order for a unit of blood, iRelief alerts the voluntary donors. The identity and privacy of the donors is guarded while providing you the service.

Ambulance on app

Apart from providing information on blood availability, iRelief app also allows you to book an ambulance quickly and easily. The app enables shifting the patient in the nick of the time to the hospital so as to ensure availability of emergency medical treatment and save the life. iRelief provides you with well-equipped ambulance in the shortest possible time and ensures the patient reaches the hospital as quickly as possible. The relatives of the patients can even monitor the movement of the ambulance on the app.

iRelief also works as a link between pharmacists and consumers. It contacts the pharmacy on the advice of the doctor or the consumer. If you are unable to purchase medicines, the app facilitates door delivery also.

Thus, with iRelief you can avail of medical services from your house, at the tap of your mobile phone.  You can also get access to laboratory tests, caregivers/nurse service, medical equipment on hire through this app. It facilitates medical advice over email or phone and reminds you of the time when the patient has to take medicines. You can leave instructions in your own voice to the patient on this app with pictures.

With a wide gamut of services that facilitates access to emergency medical service to patient care, iRelief app will verily be a boon for patients. It is a multiutility app which ensures timely medical assistance and comprehensive medical care.

Manipal Healthcare Eyes Expansion with Chain of Manipal Fertility Clinics Across India

Healthcare major Manipal Hospitals today announced the launch of Manipal Fertility, a chain of world-class fertility clinics across India. The announcement was made in the presence of Bollywood star and former Miss Universe Lara Dutta, along with Dr. Vasan S.S, Chairman, Manipal Fertility and Dr. (Capt) Sandeep Sharma, Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer, Manipal Fertility.

With an investment of approx. Rs. 100 crore, Manipal Fertility is eyeing an exponential growth in the next five years in India. Manipal Fertility currently has 9 state of the art centers across 5 states and looks towards expanding its footprint across multiple geographies in India and abroad. The expansion strategy will include both brownfield and greenfield modes of growth. The company aims to offer the highest quality assisted reproductive services while addressing fertility and conception-related issues in couples as also looking at Men’s Sexual health as a key focus area.

Speaking on the occasion of the launch, Lara Dutta said, “Erratic lifestyles and stress is increasing the rate of infertility in India. People are slowly coming forward and accepting the need for assisted reproductive services to conceive. Such a scenario calls for the expertise and sensitivity of a brand like Manipal Fertility that understands the needs of distressed couples looking for state-of-the art treatment under one roof. I sincerely congratulate Manipal Hospitals and Manipal Fertility for bringing expert medical professionals and quality treatment closer to those in dire need and hope.” 

Commenting on the launch of Manipal Fertility, Dr. Vasan S.S,Chairman of Manipal Fertility said, “India has four times as many infertility patients compared to the United States and male infertility is on the rise reaching almost 50%, largely impacted by lifestyle changes, high stress levels, lack of physical exercise, and environmental pollution to name a few. While our objective is to grow in numbers, our aim is to also reach out to as many people and offer the best-in-class treatment with a right mix of technology. We have come a long way when we first began with the concept of Manipal Ankur and with Manipal Fertility we wish to take our commitment towards our patients a notch higher.”

Treatments for both female and male infertility is a feature remarkable to Manipal Fertility. Manipal Fertility has pioneered new treatment options for men with very poor or zero sperm count and women with repeated pregnancy loss and multiple failures in assisted reproductive techniques. This is being achieved by introducing cutting edge technologies in the form of flow cytometric sperm and DNA analysis, advanced fertilization ability tests, embryo quality improvement tools like embryoscope and pre-implantation genetic screening(PGS) and implantation window assessment technologies. Manipal Fertility has also focused on Men’s health by pro-actively providing solutions for erectile dysfunction with shockwave and stem cell therapy. Backed by a team of renowned specialists with track record spanning several decades, the centre has several success stories to its credit. 

Manipal Fertility is at the forefront of preventive screening and is constantly focusing on developing technologies as a part of Men’s health to detect cardiac risk (heart attack) early, especially in diabetic and hypertensive patients. This is the absolute need in India considering we are the diabetic and hypertensive capital of the world and Indians being highly prone to sudden cardiac death syndrome.

Dr. (Capt) Sandeep Sharma, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Manipal Fertility said, “We are extremely delighted to bring to you the new avatar of Manipal Fertility that will offer comprehensive services to couples wanting to undergo assisted reproduction. With the availability of right treatment and latest technology, coupled with a little patience and compassion, conception is no longer a problem. Our a vision lies in offering the joy of parenthood to people struggling with infertility, with key strengths in quality control, patient centricity, quality assurance and the latest technology.”

Studies reveal that 10% of the general population suffers from some form of infertility.  Given that India has a population of over 1.2 billion, the number of Indians suffering from infertility is huge. 46% of the couples who landed up at infertility clinics belonged to the prime reproductive age group of 31 to 40. Of them, 49% had already undergone IVF or in vitro fertilization, a treatment for infertility. The new and enhanced Manipal Fertility comprising of Embryologists, Andrologists, Gynaecologists, Infertility Experts/Counsellors that offer innovative and cutting-edge technology and customized and evidence-based treatments for couples.

VLCC Partners PeopleStrong for IT for Best HR Management Systems

VLCC, the leading wellness and healthcare company had partnered with the leading HR solutions and technology provider, PeopleStrong, to equip the entire organization with a dynamic and holistic technology solution for its employees.

While VLCC’s employees’ will get access to India’s first comprehensive HR mobile APP (Alt Worklife by PeopleStrong) that promises to help people to simplify their work life, the decision to bring technological solutions was taken in cognizance of the overall convenience of its agile  employees who are geographically spread in a transparent and systematic manner.

Deployed within in a span of only four weeks using PeopleStrong Alt’s pre-configured app environment, VLCC is an early adopter in the wellness and beauty sector to have implemented SaaS HR solutions to harness 360 degree HR information system encompassing, employee leaves, attendance, business related expenses, performance management and on-boarding, among other functionalities.

People engagement is core to VLCC’s journey of transformation and as they become increasingly integrated with the global economy, adoption of digitization will not only accelerate this journey but will also help VLCC make their programs more impactful. Direct connect with employees from 39 nationalities, spread across 13 countries and strengthen the culture of empowerment through information access ‘on the go’ which will improve productivity while simultaneously keeping the employees happy and reducing attrition.

Commenting on the implementation, Paramjit Singh Nayyar, Global CHRO, VLCC said “The process of digitization within the organization will keep employee experience at the core of the company. This is truly a milestone for us as we are determined to empower our people and transform the way we experience work. We have chosen PeopleStrong as an HR technology partner to automate the entire employee life cycle in the first phase and we would be soon be automating the entire gamut of HR processes and take employee experience to the next level.”

Kiran Kumar, Chief Sales Officer, PeopleStrong said, “It is exciting to see HR and HR Tech focus amongst corporates, especially from non-traditional industries like Wellness and Beauty.  VLCC is going to create an amazing success story of employee experience in the sector and we are extremely happy to partner with them. HR and the adoption mobile based app is a growing trend in mature markets like US and Europe, but the India story is still shaping up. And we are extremely happy to partner with VLCC as we rarely see focus on HR and invocative HR from non-traditional industries like Wellness and Beauty.”

New State-of-the-Art ARRIS R&D Center Now Comes Up in Bengaluru

New global R&D and Operations Center is ARRIS’s largest single-site facility outside of the US, focused on innovating and delivering the industry’s leading portfolio of broadband and video technology

ARRIS International plc has opened its largest Research and Development (R&D) and operations center outside of the US – in Ulsoor, Bengaluru. The state-of-the-art facility hosts a combination of world-class engineers from two former ARRIS and Pace sites following ARRIS’s January 2016 acquisition of Pace. The center promotes collaboration and the efficient development of advanced broadband and video solutions for the next generation of services - including Gigabit broadband, 4K TV, and Wi-Fi.

The new, multi-million dollar Bengaluru center represents a strategic investment in high-value IP creation. With cutting-edge lab infrastructure, advanced test facilities, and 24*7 support for installation activities at customer premises globally, the center provides leading design, development, and quality assurance programs across the vast majority of ARRIS global solutions.

“Our world-class Bengaluru facility is at the center of ARRIS’s global initiative to innovate and scale the technology that will transform how people around the world watch video and connect to the Internet,” said Bob Stanzione, Executive Chairman and Chairman of the Board of Directors. “This center unites two premier groups of engineers and empowers them with the resources to deliver the next era of innovation for our customers worldwide.” 

Kiran Gadi, Country Head and VP, Engineering, ARRIS India, added: “The Bengaluru RandD center represents ARRIS’s commitment to the region, to collaboration across our talented engineering teams, and to our global customers. Together, we’re positioning ARRIS and its customers for the next stage of growth.”

Samsung Innovation Awards 2016 Helps Pursue Big Ideas for Young Innovators

Samsung India conducted the 6th annual edition of Samsung Innovation Awards 2016 at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Bombay. Samsung Innovation Awards aim to recognize and reward innovations that have the potential to revolutionize everyday living and enable students to take their ideas to the next level.

The first prize went to the team comprising Shalaka Kulkarni, Umang Chhaparia and Mustafa Lokhandwala. Their work was on road quality measurement, monitoring and mapping solution.

Javed Shaikh won the second prize for proposing new materials to cool electronic equipment. The duo Ritesh Saurabh and Kumar Pratik won the third prize for designing smart trash cans to expedite and optimize garbage collection. The top three winners were given away prizes worth Rs 3.5 lakhs.

The awards were presented by Aloknath De, Chief Technology Officer, Samsung RnD Institute, India - Bangalore.

Samsung Innovation Awards 2016 saw an overwhelming response, with five teams getting an opportunity to present their ideas to the jury comprising. Aloknath De; Debjani Paul and Prof. Swaroop Ganguly, from IIT-Bombay.  The other finalists received merit prizes of INR 40,000. Samsung R&D Institute - Bangalore will engage with the award winners to further develop their innovations.

Speaking on the occasion,  Aloknath De, Chief Technology Officer, Samsung R&D Institute, India - Bangalore, said, “This platform is to encourage students to conceptualize and build innovative solutions in emerging topics of artificial intelligence, convergence, computer vision and sensor-based solutions. It is heartening to see entrepreneurial and multi-disciplinary approach adopted by young innovators. This is very much in line with Samsung India's mission to foster meaningful innovations at every level of research-to-market journey.”

Path-breaking innovations were showcased at the competition. The innovative product ideas and solutions presented were across themes including advanced materials, applications of intelligent solutions in smart spaces/cities and assistive technologies for health.

Prof. Soumyo Mukherji, Dean of Student Affairs, IIT-Bombay, said, “This collaboration between Samsung and IIT-B to identify and encourage young innovators will go a long way towards developing the critically required talent pool in India, which will be invaluable in years to come.”

The 2016 edition of the Samsung Innovation Awards was initiated at IIT-Bombay campus three months ago, through an open entry, where students submitted their innovative ideas. The shortlisting process was led by professors from IIT-Bombay and the SRI-B team, which also selected the finalists. The final teams presented their ideas to the jury at the IIT-Bombay campus. The winning project was selected based on the degree of innovation, feasibility, usability, relevance and overall impact on masses.

Conceptualised in 2011, the Samsung Innovation Awards seek to support and encourage young talent who have an innovative approach and look to improvise different systems and processes. Further, it aims to develop indigenous products and services for fulfilling mass needs thereby transforming lives and creating sustainable solutions for the benefit of the society at large.

Over the years, Samsung Innovation Awards have become one of the most eagerly awaited ideation contests at IIT’s due to enthusiastic participation from the student community. Samsung continues to provide the next generation of Indian innovators and entrepreneurs an avenue to showcase and advance their engineering skill sets.

Best Tech Startup Award at TiE-ISB Connect 2016 for Sugar Maths

Sugar Maths, a Hyderabad based Startup, announced that it has been adjudged as the Best Technology Startup at the TiE-ISB Connect 2016 held in Hyderabad.  ‘Sugar Maths’ with its innovative approach of using gamification to make Maths appealing, is an Advanced Mental Maths Program for students of classes 1 to 10. It covers complete maths topics across CBSE, ICSE, State Boards and international curricula like IB/IGCSE. ‘Sugar Maths’ is a platform designed on proprietary Variable Keystone Active Space Technique (vKast). The "Sugar Maths" Mental Maths Program is based on the latest research in Neuroscience of learning and Psychology of motivation.

Commenting on receiving the award Neeraj Jewalkar, Founder of Sugar Maths said, “We are delighted to receive this coveted award for best use of technology for Sugar Maths. We have developed a proprietary methodology called Variable Keystone Active Space Technique (vKast) to improve learning. vKast is the synthesis of the latest developments in how various regions of the brain function to help learning and memorization. This technique not only leverages the concepts of Crystallized and Fluid Intelligence but also incorporates deep insights based on the psychology of motivation. Sugar Maths aims to make students take more interest in Maths, develop mastery and have an overall positive approach to this very important subject not only in academic life but also for personal growth.”

Multi-sensory learning techniques have been incorporated for strong and lasting memory engrams. This ensures that the learning is retained for years without loss. Mnemonic techniques for instant memorization have been used as part of Maths Tricks. This aids quick internalization and recall of important mathematical concepts that provide a strong foundation for advanced Maths skills. All these exceptional features have been woven together in an extremely fun, engaging and addictive game format that has students addicted to this enriching App. Students are expected to stick to this 10 minute daily routine for the very best results.

Neeraj Jewalkar is the creator of vKast Methodology that powers ‘Sugar Maths’. He holds a degree in Aerospace Engineering from IIT Kharagpur. He has spent 7 years studying and analyzing the latest research in Neuroscience of learning and Psychology of Motivation. vKast has been developed based on the applications of this research on learning outcomes especially for school going children of classes 1 to 10.  

New Ethihad Airways Android Mobile App For Smartphones

Etihad Airways, the national airline of the UAE, has extended its digital reach with the introduction of a new mobile application for Android smartphones, enabling guests to manage their journeys with even greater ease.

The new mobile app is simple and enjoyable to use, providing comprehensive trip management and giving guests the information they need in a way that suits them. Guests can now organise their journeys directly on the app, which includes booking flights, checking in for flights, securing a mobile boarding pass, checking flight status, or viewing their Etihad Guest miles balance. Additional key features include a simple flight search function, a credit card scanner for payments, a passport scan facility to check in, and improved flight seat maps.

Justin Warby, Vice President of Direct Sales for Etihad Airways, said: “This is a step forward in our innovation strategy to enable a convenient, more personalised digital travel experience.  Our guests are central to how we develop these services, and their feedback has been important in the creation of this latest app. Technological innovation will be vital in the development of our industry, and as a leading airline, we want to be able to provide services that make travel simple for everyone.”

The airline recently launched an iOS application for iPhones, and partnered with Abu Dhabi Airports to enable guests to navigate their way around Abu Dhabi International Airport using indoor maps. This was a first for the Middle East and there have been over 350,000 downloads from the App Store since it launched in April of this year. The app has also delivered over 25,000 bookings and 130,000 check ins.

Khawla Ali Albadi, Head of Technology and Innovation at Etihad Airways, said: “Following on from the success of the iOS app earlier in the year, we’ve been keen to ensure we’re offering a full range of services to smartphone users. As part of the ongoing investment in the fleet and the work being delivered throughout the travel group, we will continue to develop additional digital products for the benefit of our guests.”

The mobile app is one of many innovative solutions being developed across Etihad Airways as part of its Digital Guest Innovation strategy. The technology strategy is ensuring that Etihad Airways and its equity partner airlines embed world-class technologies to deliver a range of services and products that enhance the guest experience.

The new Etihad Airways app is available now to download via the Google Play Store. Etihad Airways guests will enjoy 10 per cent off flights by using promo code ‘ANDROID10’ and earn 250 miles, for every booking made through the mobile app before November 30, 2016. For full terms and conditions please visit etihad.com\mobileapp.

Call for Indo-Swiss Collaborative Research on Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation in the Himalayas

Under the Framework Agreement on Scientific and Technical Cooperation between the Government of India and the Government of Switzerland, the Department of Science and Technology (DST), in partnership with the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) is seeking joint proposals from universities and research institutions in India and Switzerland to conduct collaborative research in the field of glaciology and related areas in the Indian Himalayan Region.

The Indian Himalayan Region (IHR) suffers from a knowledge gap as a result of scarce data, limited research and monitoring networks and poor documentation. IHR can benefit and contribute to global knowledge and understanding for a comprehensive scientific consensus on climate change impacts, vulnerability and adaptation in the world’s mountain regions. The goal of this Indo-Swiss collaborative research is to enhance institutional and human capacities on climate science for adaptation to climate change in IHR and addressing major knowledge gaps in the region.

"The Himalayan ecosystem is extremely rich and diverse yet fragile. It is highly vulnerable and susceptible to the impacts and consequences of climate change on account of both natural causes and anthropogenic emissions at global and local scales. Developing scientific understanding of such changes and their impacts on Himalayan ecosystem is one of the major challenges for the Indian scientific community. The Indo-Swiss collaborative research is envisaged to focus on building human and institutional S&T capacities in the Indian Himalayan region through institutional collaboration and scientists to scientists linkages between the two countries." Akhilesh Gupta, Adviser/Scientist-G and Head SPLICE and Climate Change Programme, Department of Science and Technology.

DST is implementing the National Mission for Sustaining the Himalayan Ecosystem (NMSHE) as part of the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC). The Indian Himalayas Climate Adaptation Programme (IHCAP) is a project under the Global Programme Climate Change (GPCC) of SDC. IHCAP has been developed to support and facilitate implementation of NMSHE as a technical and knowledge partner.

“The overall goal of IHCAP is that the resilience of vulnerable mountain communities in the Himalayas is strengthened and knowledge and capacities of research institutions, communities and decision-makers are connected and enhanced. IHCAP in Phase 2 is proposed as an initiative to increase knowledge about climate change impacts and response in IHR through scientific research, capacity building and knowledge exchange and dissemination.” Janine Kuriger, Director of Cooperation, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation.

The ongoing changes in the climate are directly impacting glaciers and snow cover in the Himalayas, and in turn, the hydrology of the region. Glaciers provide some of the clearest evidence of climate change and constitute key variables for early-detection strategies in global climate-related observations.

The Indo-Swiss collaborative research encourages assessments in areas of glaciology, hydrology and meteorology, their interlinkages, current and future impacts of climate change and adaptation strategies. Special emphasis is on design of approaches to enhance the resilience of ecosystem and communities’ livelihoods to changing climate through appropriate adaptation measures.

For greater uptake of results, the collaborative research is expected to involve a wide range of relevant stakeholders including government, civil society organizations and communities during the course of research.

Startups Make Impact on Retail Banking: Efma Finacle Report

Retail banking globally is undergoing a thorough shake-up with innovative technologies, from startup to digitisation, finds the eighth annual study 'Innovation in retail banking' released on Wednesday by Efma and Infosys Finacle.

According to the report, almost 73% of banks consider working with innovative startups as the best approach to access disruptive technologies. "Banks have largely embraced digitisation, and are aggressively adopting new technologies in order to innovate," states the report.

It also finds that the proportion of banks with an innovation strategy has increased from 37% in 2009 to 74% in 2016. "In addition, banks are now more likely to collaborate with startups in order to stay competitive, with nearly three quarters seeing them as the best way to leverage new technologies," the report states.

Infosys Finacle, part of Infosys product subsidiary EdgeVerve Systems and Efma, a global not-for-profit organisation, launched the annual study by collating data from 158 banks in 56 countries.

The study points out that the most disruptive new technology for banks is advanced analytics and big data, with 79% of them claiming that it is having a significant impact now, or will have within in the next two years.

After Four Years Rishi Jaitly Quits With a Tweet as Head of Twitter India

Twitter India head Rishi Jaitly has quit the company after spending four years at the popular microblogging website.

He made the announcement on Twitter itself by writing: “Today, after 4 years of user/business momentum in India and the region, I’m sharing my intention to move on to new opportunities, same mission.”

Jaitly, who played a key role in expanding the company’s operations in India, further said leading Twitter India and expanding @TwitterMedia across Asia Pacific and Middle East was “leadership experience of a lifetime”. 

While he did not disclose his next destination, he said “a personal/civic calling takes me to Chicago, I’ll spend significant time in India/Asia, drawing on my past to further tech’s promise”.

The former Google executive added that he intends to devote himself to “building bridges in service of my mission”.

Jaitly has also been associated with Knight Foundation and College Summit and was co-founder and CEO of Michigan Corps.

When contacted, a Twitter India spokesperson said, “We thank Rishi Jaitly for his contributions, entrepreneurship and leadership over the past four years at Twitter. He was our first person on the ground to bring Twitter into the high-growth Indian market”.

“There will be a smooth transition as his last day is in late November after which he will move back to the US,” the spokesperson added.

Vijaya Bank Records Impressive NPA of Rs 692 Crore in Q2 FY2016-17

Vijaya Bank on Thursday reported 34.05% rise in its net profit for the September quarter due to higher net interest income and other income. Net profit for the quarter stood at Rs154.55 crore as compared Rs115.29 crore a year ago.

Net interest income (NII), or the core income a bank earns by giving loans, rose 19.5% to Rs827.82 crore in the September quarter from Rs692.55 crore last year. Other income increased 100.23% to Rs388.31 crore from Rs193.93 crore in the same period last year.

Gross non-performing assets (NPAs) at Vijaya Bank fell 1.5% to Rs6,490.52 crore at the end of the September quarter from Rs6,589.23 crore in the June quarter. On a year-on-year basis, gross NPAs jumped 87.6% from Rs3,459.90 crore. As a percentage of total loans, gross NPAs were 7.07% at the end of the September quarter as compared to 7.31% in the previous quarter and 3.98% in the year-ago quarter.

Provisions and contingencies rose 45.55% to Rs389.82 crore in the quarter from Rs267.82 crore a quarter ago. On a year-on-year basis, provisions jumped 42.5% from Rs273.47 crore. Net NPAs were at 5.1% in the September quarter compared to 5.42% in the previous quarter and 2.84% in the same quarter last year.

At 12.30pm, Vijaya Bank was trading at Rs 46.6 on the BSE, up 15% from its previous close, while India’s benchmark Sensex index fell 0.24% to 27,769.85 points.

Candor Mgt Services & Bangalore Metro Sign Agreement to Launch New Business Incubation Service

Candor Management Services, a leading provider of human capital transformation services with over 1200 employees on its rolls, today announced that it has signed a definitive agreement with Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation to setup a new business incubation centre at the “Namma Metro” Trinity Station, Bangalore augmenting the Karnataka government's efforts to position Bengaluru as one of the top startup ecosystems in the world.

Appropriately branded “candorHUB”, the state-of-the-art incubation ecosystem, will nurture startups in bringing their innovations to market efficiently; providing them with an array of startup advisory, business support, co-working space, structured training programs in addition to extending much needed linkages with industry sponsors, mentors, investors, and accelerators.

“We will extend full support to Candor in setting up their new business incubation centre at Trinity metro station, “said U A Vasanth Rao General Manager Finance (Taxation and Resources), and Chief Public Relation Officer Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited, “Beyond providing the physical space for this initiative they have an excellent opportunity to connect with other startup eco-system stakeholders within the government and its various startup initiatives, “he added.

As a vibrant new business incubation ecosystem, candorHUB will:

•        Invite startup entrepreneurs to apply for incubation program.

•        Shortlist promising startups and incubate them on a case to case basis

•        Identify, connect and engage a suitable mentor to nurture each startup

•        Offer a state-of-art work environment and other support services, at the candorHUB centre, for startups to bring their ideas to life

•        Conduct special events, during the program period, to update startup founders with a variety of skills necessary to run their outfits. During such events, startups will also get to meet a variety of successful startup founders, sponsor customers, investors, and benefit from their valuable advice

•        Host a pitch day event where each startup will present their offerings to an invite only seed-stage investors, sponsor customers and mentors.

“By spurring creativity and mitigating avoidable risks in early stage startups business lifecycle, the startup incubation ecosystem will increase rate of success and time taken to gain customer traction for new innovations, “said Thirumurugan Subramanian, Managing Director Candor Management Services and Principal, candorHUB.

“candorHUB’s single point agenda is to transform societal value to make a significant impact in our society, “said S. Srikrishna, Director-Finance Candor Management Services and Lead Principal, candorHUB,” We are industry agnostic and will not reject any startup application for reasons that it doesn’t fit a pre-conceived vertical. Having said this, initially candorHUB will foster technology centered digitization initiatives across key sectors like healthcare, education, financial verticals,” he added.

GST, Bankruptcy Code to be Included in Next Report: World Bank

The World Bank will take on board implementation of the goods and services tax and enactment of the bankruptcy code while preparing the ease of doing business report next year, said its country Director Junaid Ahmad.

He also suggested that India has managed to improve on various sub-rankings although the World Bank's latest report did not show any improvement in the country's ranking as other nations too have done their bit.

In the World Bank's latest 'Doing Business' 2017 report, India's place remained unchanged from last year's original ranking of 130 among the 190 economies that were assessed on various parameters.

But the last year's ranking has been revised to 131 from which the country has improved its place by one spot.

India has expressed its disappointment over its low rank and has also suggested a review of the ranking methodology.

"Our methodology had led to very interesting response by different countries... we have learnt that the complexity of understanding of doing business needs to change. So, our methodology will evolve as we are doing it right now," he told reporters.

"I do not think we have given India a low ranking at all. If you look at the sub-rankings, India has managed to improve quite a bit. Where we are not able to show the aggregate lift-off is also because the other countries also increased their ranking relatively."

As for India, he said, it is continuing to do its improvement and "my bet, next year you watch out, it will be reflected in the rankings".


He added that GST is going to change the way Indian markets are working now.

Karnataka Slips to 13th Place; Andhra Tops in Ease of Doing Business

Ranked ninth in 2015, Karnataka has slipped to the 13th position in the 'ease of doing business' ratings this year.

Union Commerce and Industries Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced the ranks on Monday. The Centre's Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) and the World Bank jointly award the ratings.

Karnataka featured among the better-performing states in tax, environment, labour and inspection reforms.

Andhra Pradesh and Telangana shared the first position, leading on almost all parameters, including tax reforms. They got credit for smoother grant of land, labour and construction permits.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's home state of Gujarat slipped to the third position from last year's first. In the crucial area of construction permits, Karnataka lost, despite the authorities saying most approvals were streamlined and made available online.

Ranking

2016      2015      State                 Score

1              2         Andhra Pradesh 98.78%

1             13        Telangana          98.78%

3             1          Gujarat               98.21%

4             4          Chhattisgarh      97.32%

5             5          Madhya Pradesh97.01%

6            14         Haryana            96.95%

7            3          Jharkhand          96.57%

8            6          Rajasthan          96.43%

9            23        Uttarakhand       96.13%

10          8          Maharashtra      92.86%

11          7          Odisha               92.73%

12        16          Punjab               91.07%

13        9            Karnataka          88.39% 

14       10           Uttar Pradesh    84.52%

UM Motorcycles To Up Localization To 75-80%; Plans Second Manufacturing Plant in Karnataka or Maharashtra

By Manu Sharma
Indian two-wheeler market has been extremely bullish for the last few years especially in the motorcyles segment with a displacement of 300cc, 500cc and above. As this segment is expected to double up to 20,000 units by 2020, the American bike major UM Motorcycles is set to further expand its localization in India by another 15-20% and also plans to set up another manufacturing and Research and Development centre in the southern or western parts of Indian.

UM Motorcycles is a joint ventures between Miami-based UM International and Lohia Auto. The company plans to localize the engines in India. Presently, the company as part of the Make in India Initiative localizes about 60 percent of the components from its plant in India. By localizing the engine and other critical components it plans to up the initiative by another 15-20 percent to 75 or even 80 percent out of India.

The company plans to invest about Rs 50 crore in including the engine component in its manufacturing plant over the next 12-18 months, which are currently imported.

Rajeev Mishra, Managing Director of UM India and Asia, Middle East and Africa says, “The company will be ramping up production at its Kashipur facility in Uttarakhand. The current production is around 12,000 units a month, which will be increased to 50,000 units. Since we sell a large market for our products in southern and western parts of India, we are exploring the possibility of setting up another plant and research centre either in Karnataka or Maharashtra by next year.”

The company, which had planned to start selling its bikes earlier in August, started dispatching the models. Its models Renegade Commando and Renegade Sports, both in the 300-cc segment, are priced at about Rs 1.49 lakh and Rs 1.59 lakh, respectively.

About 4,300 bookings, and around 65% of sales volumes is expected from the south and west markets. "The biggest markets are Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu and south alone contributes 35-40% to our volumes," he said.

The company presently employees about 32 engineers at its research and development centre in New Delhi and another 40 employees at its plant in Kashipur.

Mishra said engine, fuel tanks, ABD are a very critical components of a motorcycle and if these component is localized than we will up our localization by another 15-20 percent. “Our team is working on development the engine and other critical parts in India itself.”

All the critical components for the UM bikes are imported from Thailand, China and Japan. “We also have plans to develop an ABS and ABD locally for the future bike roll outs,” he concludes.