Ashok Leyland's Demos Intelligent Exhaust Gas Recirculation iEGR Technology for BS4 Vehicles in India

Ashok Leyland, flagship of the Hinduja Group, and the 2nd largest commercial vehicle (CV) manufacturer in India, has showcased recently its full range of future ready products, based on Intelligent Exhaust Gas Recirculation (iEGR) technology, and industry-leading services at its annual Global Conference 2017 in Bangalore on May 11, 2017.

Pioneering the indigenous development and application of the iEGR technology, Ashok Leyland will be the only domestic OEM to implement this technology successfully for its products above 130HP. Thus, Ashok Leyland has, once again, brought its technology prowess and Indian innovation to the fore for the benefit of its customers.

Intelligent Exhaust Gas Recirculation (iEGR) technology is a simple yet innovative solution to achieving the desired results in order to meet the BS4 norms. This technology is not only better suited to Indian conditions compared to Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) technology (based on European technology) but will also prove to be hugely cost effective, easy to operate and hassle-free to maintain. All of which will benefit the Ashok Leyland customer, resulting in better margins compared to products by OEMs which are based on SCR technology.

With iEGR technology as the highlight, the Company displayed a mix of over thirty innovative products and services, featuring trucks, buses, light commercial vehicles (LCVs), simulators, quick service bikes and gensets.

Sharing his views at the Global Conference 2017, Vinod K. Dasari, Managing Director, Ashok Leyland, said, “Ashok Leyland has many innovative class leading firsts to its credit through the years. This showcase of the iEGR technology across our product range bears further testimony of our capability to roll-out technology-led future ready products. More so this indigenous technology will help us deliver on our brand promise of ‘Aapki Jeet, Hamari Jeet’ in multiple ways. For our customers it will mean ease of use and better cost efficiencies. For the environment it will mean more efficient fuel combustion and improved emissions. The indigenous development of iEGR technology will also mean faster time to market and minimal cost of implementation. We will emerge as the only OEM in India to have achieved this.”

Intelligent Exhaust Gas Recirculation

Intelligent Exhaust Gas Recirculation (iEGR) technology is a simple yet innovative solution to achieving the desired results in order to meet the BS4 norms. This technology is not only better suited to Indian conditions compared to Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) technology (based on European technology) but will also prove to be hugely cost effective, easy to operate and hassle-free to maintain. All of which will benefit the Ashok Leyland customer, resulting in better margins compared to products by OEMs which are based on SCR technology.

With iEGR technology as the highlight, the company displayed a mix of over thirty innovative products and services, featuring trucks, buses, light commercial vehicles (LCVs), simulators, quick service bikes and gensets.

Taking the brand promise of ‘Aapki Jeet, Hamari Jeet’ further, the company has, in recent years, expanded its network rapidly to cater to its wide set of customers. It has 1000 touch-points with an additional 5000 outlets for Leyparts, the genuine spare parts brand. A service centre at every 75kms on all major highways, Ashok Leyland delivers its “Tatkaal” promise of reaching customers within 4 hours and getting their vehicle back on-road within 48 hours.

National Level Research Reports on Road Safety By UL and NIMHANS

To mark the Fourth United Nations Global Road Safety Week (May 8 – 14),UL, a global safety science leader and National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS) has released an exhaustive analytical study titled “Advancing Road Safety in India: Implementation is the Key”. To serve as a ready reckoner, UL and NIMHANS also released a summary study, along with a ‘facts and figures’ report.Intended as a reference document to aid multiple stakeholders in developing comprehensive mechanisms to address the road safety crisis currently afflicting the country, the pan-Indian study delves into the accident data sourced from various government and independent, national and international reports and studies. It also offers a state wise perspective to indicate differential burden of road traffic incidents.

The report examines the impact of rapid socio-economic development and motorization without accompanying prioritization to road safety. It analyzes conflicting data points and under reporting from varied sources, which occur on account of investigation by less trained personnel. The data laden study also scrutinizes the patterns of road related fatalities and injuries across a plethora of criteria – gender, type of road user, economic background of the victim and location (urban/rural). Inferring that the complexity of the road safety problem in India is an amalgamation of varied macro and micro factors, the report lays bare the challenges of addressing the country’s  alarming rate of road traffic incidents – inefficiency in implementation of relevant laws owing to divided responsibility between central and state governments across various ministries, the lack of a coherent data collection system that combines police and hospital records, inadequacy of public infrastructure like well-maintained roads and trauma centres and the absence of in-depth crash analysis that results in ineffective, ad hoc measures to curb accidents, among other reasons.  Key insights from the report are:

·  Based on a summary of available data from Indian studies, it can be concluded that pedestrians (30 – 40 %), two wheeler riders/ pillions (30 – 40 %) and cyclists (approximately10 %) account for nearly 80 % of road deaths and injuries, which is in contrast with official reports due to fallacies in reporting practices.

·  Few Indian studies indicate the number of deaths is likely to be higher by nearly 20 %, while serious injuries are underreported by more than 50 % as compared to official reports.  

·  The five southern Indian states of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra together accounted for 46.8% of accidents.

·  As per national reports, only 22.1% of accidents and 11.3% of road deaths occurred in the 50 million plus cities in India in 2015. (MoRTH, 2015). Thus, it is clear that large number of road crashes and deaths occur on rural roads (that also include most of the national and state highways) where road safety is yet to gain prominence.

·  Indian Highways (54, 72,144 kilometers) account for 4.84% of road length but contribute to half (52.4%) of road accidents and 63% of road deaths in India.

·  Very few injured and seriously affected persons receive adequate trauma care and situation is worse in rural India.

·  Irrespective of data source and nature, in more specific terms, 100% of the severely injured, 50% of the moderately injured, and 10–20% of the mildly injured will have lifelong disabilities.

The study was released by R. Ramalinga Reddy, Minister for Transport, Government of Karnataka at the national symposium ‘Advancing Road Safety in India’ jointly organized by UL and NIMHANS, where experts also deliberated on the study’s suggestions for positive safety outcomes. The comprehensive reports were developed by the WHO Collaborating Centre for Injury Prevention and Safety Promotion and Centre for Public Health at NIMHANS, Bangalore.

Commenting on the launch of the report, R.A. Venkitachalam, Vice President, Public Safety, UL, said, “It would not be an exaggeration to state that the lack of safety on Indian roads is tantamount to a public emergency. With the recent passage of the Motor Vehicles Bill in the Lok Sabha, there is a renewed vigor on part of the government to gear the country toward safer roads. However, the situation cannot be rectified by one agency alone – multiple stakeholders, from the government, corporates, auto manufacturers, law enforcement, health care professionals, educational institutions and road safety experts need to collaborate on a scientific level to evolve sustainable solution for the problem. At UL, we have always believed in the efficacy of applying science to solve any safety issue. Our association with NIMHANS is one of the most important engagements in India to further our public safety mission. Imbued with varied perspectives, this data rich report is without doubt, a crucial starting point to further advance the agenda of road safety in India”.

Dr G. Gururaj, Head of WHO CC and Centre for public Health at NIMHANS and the author of national road safety reports mentioned that “Road safety in India has been a neglected area amidst rapid developmental policies and programmes and faces multiple challenges in implementation. Essentially road safety is science and requires a scientific approach to address the problem that needs to move beyond simplistic answers. Advancing road safety   needs a framework based on good quality data that should bring multiple stake holders to implement solutions in a convergent manner with systematic monitoring and evaluation of programmes and interventions”.

Mining and Metals Cos to Increase on Digital Tech Spending to Boost Innovation

Four of five mining and metals companies expect to increase their spending on digital technologies over the next three years, with more than one-quarter (28 percent) planning significant investments and almost half (46 percent) citing digital as the biggest contributor to innovation, according to new research from Accenture.

Based on a survey of approximately 200 mining and metals executives and functional leaders worldwide,  the Digital Technology in Mining report shows that the convergence of information and operational technologies (IT/OT) and adoption of cloud computing are advancing the digital agenda, prompting the need for more-stringent cybersecurity measures.

Mining and metals executives said their companies have applied and will continue to apply digital technology over the next three to five years predominantly in mine operations, but also in exploration, mine development and other areas. Most of the investments in mining operations target robotics and automation, named by 54 percent as a top spending area, along with remote operating centers, drones and wearable technologies, each at 41 percent.

“Our research confirms that mining and metals companies are investing in digital led innovation to help them improve operational efficiency, and address issues such as rising capital as well as compliance costs,’ said Sandeep Dutta, Managing Director and Lead, Resources, Accenture in India. 

Organization-wide, the most often cited benefit from current digital technology investments was improved workforce productivity, driven most by mobile/tablet devices (32 percent), automation of mobile and/or fixed assets (30 percent) and simulating physical environments (30 percent). Cost savings across the organization ranked lower as a benefit than improved workforce productivity in general.

The relatively early stages of adoption for certain digital technologies might make it a challenge to identify all areas of bottom-line benefits of digital. However, digital transformation could actually unlock USD $190 billion in value industry wide over the next 10 years, according to an analysis by the World Economic Forum with Accenture Strategy: “Mining and Metals Digital Transformation and the industry’s ‘new normal.’”

Overall, almost all executives (97 percent) said they were satisfied with their digital investments over the past 12 months, with almost two-thirds (64 percent) ‘relatively satisfied’ and one-third (33 percent) ‘extremely satisfied.’

Growth in IT/OT Integration and Cloud Prompts Cybersecurity Measures

Asked to identify the top three barriers to gaining more business value from digital technologies, executives most often cited cybersecurity concerns (37 percent), followed by volatile commodity prices (29 percent), internal data management capability (27 percent) and lack of funding (27 percent).

However, executives cited cybersecurity as the most-widely adopted technology across the organization-wide (32 percent). In addition, 25 percent said they are testing pilot programs for cyber security, and 33 percent have developed or are defining strategies for it.

“Although still in the early stages, mining and metal companies in India are starting to adopt large scale platform solutions, which is driving the growth of cloud in this segment,” said Saurabh Bhatnagar, Managing Director, Mining and Metals, Resources, Accenture in India. He added, “Even as companies evaluate their cloud strategy, they are starting to consider potential cyber security risks, creating mitigation strategies in advance.”

Regarding IT/OT integration, more than half of the respondents (56 percent) reported that their organizations are considering merging their IT and OT departments in the next 12 months, which would advance this trend.

Mining and metals companies are also continuing to adopt cloud computing technologies broadly. Four in five respondents (81 percent) said their companies have implemented some form of public, private or hybrid cloud, and another 17 percent said their company is exploring the use of cloud technology.

Methodology
Accenture conducted an online survey of 201 C-level and top management executives and functional leaders in the mining and metals industry. The survey was fielded in mid-October through mid-November 2016 and included respondents from Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China/Hong Kong, Indonesia, India, Singapore, South Africa, the United States and United Kingdom. The companies represented have annual revenues ranging from USD $500 million to more than USD $20 billion.

Oracle to Open Data Center in India Over the Next 6-9 Months

Oracle has announced it will expand its cloud services in India over the next six to nine months with plans for an Oracle data center in India.  

Over the coming months Oracle will be reviewing proposals from government and business partners to provide customers with the capability to build and move workloads to an India-based cloud.  The services will offer uncompromised security and performance at a significant price advantage over both existing on-premises infrastructure and competitive cloud offerings. 

Oracle’s expanded infrastructure footprint is a result of tremendous customer demand.

“Our customers and partners in India have trusted their businesses and mission-critical workloads to the Oracle Cloud for years,” said Thomas Kurian, president of product development, Oracle. “With this expansion we will be able to further support customer choice adding to capabilities already available through deployments of Oracle Cloud at Customer, as well as other Oracle Cloud data center regions in Asia Pacific.”

A10 Networks Research Highlights Importance of Apps in Daily Life

How important are apps in everyday life? More important than eating and drinking? As important as sunlight or being with family? According to the results of A10 Networks’ Application Intelligence Report (AIR), work and personal apps are so integral in daily life that many in the global workforce believe it is impossible and physically uncomfortable to live without them, comparing them in importance to basic daily nourishment like eating, breathing and socializing.

AIR takes a unique, easy-to-understand approach to examining the human and cultural side of technology trends – specifically, the interaction with applications and the growing security implications that result personally and for businesses and their IT organizations. Based on research involving more than 2,000 business and IT professionals at companies from various industries around the world- including India, AIR addresses the rise in use and significance of apps in our “blended lives,” in which lines blur between how the global workforce manages work and personal business through use of apps at home, in the office and anywhere in between.

The research was conducted in 10 countries, representing some of the world’s largest economies and fastest growing populations of technology adopters: Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, the United Kingdom and the United States. Key findings include:

APPS -- DIGITAL OXYGEN SUSTAINING DAILY LIFE:

·  APPS AS A BASIC HUMAN NECESSITY: Half (50%) of all global respondents consider apps to be as or almost as important as breathing, eating and drinking.

·  EVOLUTION OF OUR “DIGITAL” DNA: More than four out of five globally consider apps integral to their personal lives. India ranked second-highest (behind China) as a country that found it most difficult to live without apps, with 97 percent of the Indians surveyed citing they could either not live without apps - or it would be difficult to do so.  In fact, access to apps was almost as important as access to water in India. This  raises questions about how applications have evolved to the point where “they are now part of our DNA.”

·  GIVE ME APPS OR GIVE ME DARKNESS: The survey also found that access to apps on a smartphone was equally as important as the ability to have access to sunlight or outdoor exposure. In fact, India at 68 percent, had the highest percentage of respondents who that claimed apps to be as significant – or nearly so – as air, food, water and shelter.

·  IN AN EMERGENCY: More respondents (45%) would grab their smartphone on the way out of their homes – if given the choice of only taking one item – over a safe with important documents (36%), their personal photo albums (12%), or a desktop or laptop (7%).

·  THE WEAKEST LINK – MOBILE PHONES OR IoT DEVICES? Laptops are perceived as more vulnerable than mobile phones, when compared to a list that also includes IoT devices like surveillance cameras, smart TVs and Internet-enabled cars – all of which are, to many respondents, are unknowingly vulnerable as well. On the mobile phone front Indians lose their mobile devices almost twice as much as the global average thereby increasing the vulnerability quotient.

. LEAVE YOUR HOUSE OR PHONE UNLOCKED? More participants would rather leave their house unlocked for a whole day than leave their unlocked phone on a park bench for an hour, with 52% choosing the former.

ATTITUDES TOWARD APP USE AND SECURITY:

·         SECURITY A CONSIDERATION – BUT ONLY AT FIRST: Although over four out of five (83%) either agree or strongly agree that they think about security risks when first downloading an app, after that, security becomes much less of a concern,ranking behind performance (32%) and ease of use (24%).

·  TAKING RISKS: Even though they think app developers may not have security as their top concern – or have the proficiency to build secure apps at all – people still download apps and take their chances, as nearly half (47%) still expect to be protected from cyber-attacks by either their company or third-party app developers.

·  APP APATHY: The survey found a growing acceptance of the inevitability of getting hacked, as nearly one in three (29%) feel cyber-attacks “are a fact of life,” and one in five (21%) “just try not to think about it.”

·  SECURITY AND WORK APPS: Roughly one in three (32%) surveyed think about security concerns when using personal apps. For business apps, security is even less of a thought, as fewer than one in five (17%) surveyed cite security as a top thought when using them. 

CYBERSECURITY BEHAVIOR AND THREATS:

·  IDENTITY THEFT – THE NEW RITE OF PASSAGE: More than one in 10 respondents (13%) say they have been a victim of identity theft. And by a wide margin, the younger the generation, the more likely the person is to be a victim of identity theft: Nearly one in five (19%) in their 20s reported having their identity stolen globally, while only 2% of those older than 50 cited the same. This finding raises questions about how many people do not know they have been victimized.

·         GETTING HACKED: One in five (20%) respondents have had their mobile device or computer hacked. Almost one in three under 30 (31%) has been hacked

·         DIGITAL THEFT IS THE NEW REALITY: Nearly three out of five (59%) think having their mobile device hacked and personal information stolen is more realistic thanhaving their car broken into or their home burglarized.

·         CARELESS DIGITAL BEHAVIOR: Younger generations are also more careless with their personal devices, as one in three (34%) under 30 years old has lost their mobile device or computer, and one in four (24%) has had their mobile device stolen at least once.

·  PASSWORDS: One in 10 (11%) said they never change their passwords for their mobile apps, while another three out of 10 (29%) use the same password for the majority of their apps.

Neil Wu Becker, VP Marketing, A10 Networks says, “Understanding the dependency on apps in our lives raises questions about the diligence we apply to protecting our personal information. This is important when considering use of personal and work apps with work-issued devices on corporate networks in the workplace. AIR’s insight into behavioral tendencies with apps and the impact on personal and business risk is a topic that is not addressed enough. As a security vendor, we see a need to increase the volume on factoring in human behavior with technology Investments. After all, the greatest security technology can be undermined by negligent behavior, and we want to help our customers protect their solution investments, businesses, and employees.”

Strong Margins Boost Vijaya Bank’s Q4 2017-18 Profit

Vijaya Bank reported nearly three-fold jump in net profit for the fourth quarter ended March 31, 2017. The company added Rs 385.35 crore to Rs 9,214.35 crore in market valuation.

Vijaya Bank has reported a nearly three-fold jump in net profit to Rs 204 crore for the fourth quarter ended March 31, 2017. The bank had posted a net profit of Rs 71.31 crore in the January-March quarter of 2015-16 fiscal, Vijaya Bank said in a regulatory filing. Total income of the bank rose to Rs 3,504.73 crore in the January-March quarter as against Rs 3,228.48 crore in the year-ago period.

The board of the directors of the company have recommended a dividend of Rs 1.50 per share or 15 per cent for 2016-17. As far as asset quality of the bank is concerned, the gross NPAs as a percentage of total advances declined marginally to 6.59 per cent from 6.64 per cent in the same quarter a year ago. Its net NPAs also eased to 4.35 per cent as against 4.81 per cent at the end of March 2016.

TKM Opens Admissions for Toyota Tech Training Institute for 2017-18

Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) has announced the opening of admissions for the academic year 2017-18 of Toyota Technical Training Institute (TTTI), a dedicated 3-year program that provides opportunities for intelligent students from economically weaker sections across Karnataka to become skilled technicians in auto manufacturing and plant administration.

Admission to the 10^th batch of TTTI is open to male candidates only (at present) from economically backward sections of the society, from across the state of Karnataka. Aspirants between the age of 15-17 years (as on 15^th July 2017) and have cleared SSLC in their first attempt with 50% overall and 50% in Mathematics and Science each are eligible to apply.

Further details on this year’s application are given below:

The selection procedure which starts soon after the SSLC result announcement (during May ’17) includes a written test, skill test, physical test, assessment test, interview, medical test and antecedent check.

The three year full-term apprentice residential training in Automobile Manufacturing has four courses namelyAutomobile Assembly, Automobile Weld, Automobile Paint and Mechatronics.

The training curriculum at TTTI is a unique blend which focuses on the holistic development of Knowledge (16%), Skill (34%), Body and Mind (50%) of the students.

Toyota Kirloskar Motor has been instrumental in promoting skill development in the automotive industry through various innovative programs. TTTI is one such step by the company towards helping talented youth from rural Karnataka in improving their quality of life and making them more employable thereby promoting a robust economy in the country. The institute has provided training to close to 500 students from across the state.

Training at TTTI is not restricted to classrooms and workshops alone. TTTI exclusively emphasizes on over all development of the trainees as per industry requirements & towards “Perfecting people” and there by contributing young multi skilled, energetic, ideal students to the nation.

At the completion of the training,

v  Students are getting certification from Toyota Kirloskar Motor Pvt. Ltd.

v  Students are getting a privilege to appear for NAC (National Apprentice Certificate) exam and  certification from ASDC (Automotive Skill Development Council )

During the course, students will be given the opportunity to take part in various national and internationals competitions like National Skill Competition and World Skill Competition (Skill Olympics).

The Hive Brings 2000 Start Enablers To Bengaluru With ‘STARup 2017’

The Hive – Collaborative Workspaces at VR Bengaluru, yesterday concluded ‘STARup2017’, a gathering of over 2,000 entrepreneurs, investors, corporate representatives, government officials and influencers from across the world’s leading start-up ecosystems. The conference was presented by Ah! Ventures and was focussed on the theme of Emerging Technology Trends. It welcomed an array of distinguished personalities from the start-up ecosystem; Praveen Sinha (Jabong), Sauvik Banerjjee (TATA Cliq), Archana Priyadarshini (Unicorn India Ventures), Shalini Prakash (500 Startups), Dr. A. Velumani (Thyrocare) and Sandeep Agarwal (ShopClues) among others. 

The two-day conference witnessed a host of panel discussions and sessions with eminent speakers across FinTech, HealthTech, EduTech, EmeringTech, CleanTech, FoodTech & Logistics, Platforms & Aggregators, Robotics & AI and Co-working segments.

Ankit Samdariya, spokesperson for The Hive, said,” STARup is one of the largest networking and knowledge sharing events in the country. In-line with our vision of connecting communities, we partnered with STARup2017 to provide a platform for the start-up ecosystem to connect and engage in a colloquial environment at VR Bengaluru.”

The conference created an opportunity for like-minded people across start-up ecosystems to network and learn from each other. It also provided a platform where start-ups could pitch and procure funding for their ventures. In a drastic departure from the conventional conference venues STARup2017 was held across different venues including a pub, a fitness studio, a rooftop bar and pool side and co-working spaces.  

Harshad Lahoti, Founder, Ah! Ventures said, “For the first edition STARup in Bangalore, The Hive was an ideal choice as it offered 1 million sq.ft of unique co-working and networking spaces at VR Bengaluru. The Hive’s culture of collaboration resonates with the essence of STARup which is all about bringing communities together.”     

The event was not all work and no play; it had five breakout sessions such as, Money on the Table, Tu Bhi Beer Hai, Jam with T-Man, 18-of-a-Kind and Wallet Bureau to enliven the atmosphere.

L&T Infotech Rebranded LTI; To Hire 1,500-2,000 Freshers in FY17-18

L&T Infotech, a leading IT services company, is rebranding itself as LTI. Days after Wipro unveiled its new brand identity, L&T Infotech, too, has decided to drop the word ‘Infotech’ from its name to reflect the changed business environment. The tech firm also announced that they would be hiring about 1,500 to 2,000 freshers during this financial year.

The new LTI’s tagline says: ‘Let’s solve,’ which symbolizes its ability to come up with solutions in an ever-changing digital world. 

Sanjay Jalona, CEO of L&T Infotech says, "20 years ago used to work with IT companies, but now we work with consumer, marketing, manufacturing and technology companies. Infotech was old and referred to the IT section of the customer base, which has changed as have technologies. We want to position ourselves differently in the marketplace. So the CIOs are just stakeholders of ours today."

With the core value proposition shifting away from outsourcing of IT services to transformational activity, India’s technology companies are trying hard to covey to customers that they are more than just outsourcing companies.

Like many of its larger peers, L&T Infotech, too, has been chasing the transformational deals that require deployment of disruptive technologies like mobile, cloud, artificial intelligence and cloud. It may be recalled that Infosys dropped 'Technologies' from its name in 2011 as it got into different lines of business over the years. And, Wipro’s new brand identity seeks to convey pretty much the same thing to its customers.

The company has worked with Saffron, a global agency founded by Wally Olins, to develop a new corporate identity. The new identity and brand idea is based on amber sky and blue sea forming a mosaic of sorts. Jalona explains, "There are different pieces of rocks and they come together to form a mosaic, which is a work of art. We trademarked MOSAIC and it is our framework for digital transformation. All investments we are making are in these technologies and capabilities." MOSAIC is an acronym for a platform that will deliver disruptive technologies to customers like mobile, social, automation, artificial intelligence, IoT and cloud.

LTI Will Continue to Hire 1,500 to 2,000 Freshers During FY17-18

LTI says that it would continue to hire freshers from campuses even though there will be a significant focus on improving the quality of hiring.

Jalona says, “We plan to hire the best in class fresh candidates from prominent institutions and also through number of hackathon events held in all the locations we are present. LTI will continue to grow at the leader quadrant during FY17-18.”

Company sources indicate that LTI employees of about 21,000 globally, 4,000 in the Bangalore centre and about 3,000 in the US alone.

The average salary of a US LTI employee stands around $70,000 to $80,000, which is one of the best in the industry, expect for couple of larger rivals who have a higher degree of consulting revenue mix.

Students of SREC, IIIT Jabalpur & UVCE Emerge Winners at L&T Tech Services TECHgium

L&T Technology Services Limited, a leading global pure-play Engineering R&D Services company has announced the winners of its pan-India engineering talent hunt TECHgium. Students of Sri Ramakrishna Engineering College, SREC, Engineering College in Coimbatore won the first prize; Indian Institute of Information Technology, Design and Manufacturing (IIITDM) Jabalpur won the second prize while University Visvesvaraya College of Engineering (UVCE), Bangalore were the winners of the third prize in the engineering talent contest.  

The initiative is a nationwide outreach and open innovation model that offers a ready platform to students to solve contemporary challenges in engineering faced by industries globally. Over 7,000 engineering talent with 193 faculty members from 164 reputed engineering institutes participated in the competition to solve the 22 challenges defined by LTTS’ clients like Intel, Calsonic Kansei, Wartsila, Danaher, Setra Systems, Continental, Zebra and Thomson International. 

The multi-stage competition required students to create concepts, submit abstracts, present technical papers and showcase Proof of Concepts (PoCs) to address the challenges.

Dr. Keshab Panda, CEO & Managing Director, L&T Technology Services Limited said, “We are proud to be the dream engineering company in college campuses across India. Through TECHgium our aim is to further extend this strong association with the engineering student community and create the digital engineering skills much needed by our nation. We also thank our clients for sharing the challenges that has made this contest so exciting.”

The elite panel of jury members for the final stage which showcased live demonstration of Proofs of Concepts from 40 teams and 105 students, included Pareekh Jain, Senior Vice President and Managing Director India, Hfs Research, Raman Ganapathiraman, Country Manager, India, ARC Advisory Group and Rashmi Urdhwareshe, Director, Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI).

The team from Sri Ramakrishna Engineering College, Coimbatore worked on a Single Seated Powered Winch Mechanism. Indian Institute of Information Technology, Design and Manufacturing College, Jabalpur who developed a PoC on Use of Phased Array Ultrasonic Technology for leakage detection. Student from the University Visvesvaraya College of Engineering, Bangalore who developed a solution for incorporating variable compression ratio in a turbocharged engine to increase low power efficiency.

The winning teams were also awarded cash prizes of Rs 3 lakhs, Rs 2 lakhs and Rs 1 lakh respectively. These successful students will be eligible for placements in L&T Technology Services after graduation based on the merit of their solutions.

Speaking on the award win, Charles Martin of Sri Ramakrishna Engineering College, Coimbatore said, “It is yet to sink in that our work will solve a challenging problem faced by a global technology leader. We are grateful to LTTS for providing this unique opportunity to experience the pace of problem solving expected by the industry.”

“We are pleased to be part of this unique TECHgium contest. It has been immensely helpful in building our confidence to face industry challenges after we graduate,” commented Avashesh Singh of IIIT Design and Manufacturing, Jabalpur.

Other PoCs showcased at TECHgium include a project on Vehicle assistance using Artificial Intelligence (AI)’ from Dayananda Sagar College of Engineering, Bangalore and a project related to the building industry - a mobile based control to adjust roof panels thereby maximizing day-light inside rooms.