India's Most Glamorous and Spectacular Jewellery Exhibition at Conrad, Bengaluru

The Times Asia Jewels Fair 2018 at Conrad - Bengaluru – An exquisite and most sought after event brought to you by The Times of India group & Introduction Trade Shows Pvt.Ltd has kicked off in the city. The expo is being held at the Conrad on MG Road from April 6-8, 2018 in Bangaluru.

This is a platform to deliver the real value by successfully targeting the right customers as well as discerning wealthy customers who have vast spending power and are frequent purchasers of high end quality jewellery. The organiser of the event says, "We have held the expo for the last 13 years and this time expect a crowd for 3000 over the week end. About 30 major jewellery firms including Jos Alukkas, Malabar Jewellery among others are displaying their dimanond snd other precious stones designed jewellery."

This Expo is a niche event exhibiting only exclusive and high-end branded gold and diamond jewelry products. The event will showcase the latest collection from the jewellery, watches & lifestyle products from several international names as well.

USPL’s ‘IMARA’ Becomes First Women’s Fashion Brand to Add Style to Team RCB

Universal Sportsbiz Pvt. Ltd (USPL) announced that WROGNTM - India’s leading celebrity breakaway youth fashion brand, and IMARATM - the women’s ethnic wear brand will be the “Official Lifestyle Partners” for team Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), the Bangalore based franchise of the Indian Premier League (IPL) for the 11th edition of the upcoming T20 bonanza.

WROGN fashion will add the right style to the RCB team with the squad sporting WROGN’s trendy and quirky designs off the field, and sporting the WROGN logo on their caps and helmets when in action on the field. On the home ground, WROGN’s funky in-stadia branding will add colour and enhance the vibrant and lively atmosphere during the matches.

IMARA, a contemporary interpretation of the conventional with a refreshing take on ethnic designs, will be the first women’s fashion brand to be an Official Lifestyle Partner for a team in the 11th edition of the T20 series.

Anjana Reddy, Founder, USPL said, “We are delighted that this season, two of our fashion brands, WROGN and IMARA are associating with team RCB, and we wish RCB all success as they #PLAYBOLD at T20 this season! This will give fans and our customers the opportunity to engage with the team and watch them in action!” Commenting on the growth in female viewership in the recent past, she added, “There has been a global increase in female viewership for sports events. In India too, women and children comprise a significant portion of the viewership pie, especially in T20, with a high entertainment quotient. The T20 matches have seen a significant growth in female viewership year on year with last year’s edition having 45% of its viewers as females. IMARA is the first women’s brand in the country to be an Official Lifestyle Partner for a team in the IPL, and Jacqueline Fernandez’s energy and youthfulness combined with her definitive fashion sense and incredible connect with fans will definitely add to the collaboration.”

Commenting on the association, Bollywood star and the face of IMARA, Jacqueline Fernandez said, “I am delighted with IMARA’s association with RCB as the Official Lifestyle Partner. It is a matter of pride that my brand IMARA will be the first women’s fashion brand to have this association.”

The two brands have comprehensive plans to engage and interact with RCB fans and customers at their outlets across the country. The association will be promoted across digital properties of RCB, WROGN and IMARA including the official websites and social media channels. Customer will also have the opportunity to get tickets to RCB matches on shopping either online or in stores.

Commenting on the association, Amrit Thomas, Chairman, RCB said, “We are glad to be associated this season with WROGN again and extend the association to IMARA which will be appreciated by the female fans of team RCB. The edgy WROGN and stylish IMARA fashion brands reflect the #PLAYBOLDTM attitude of the RCB team and are a perfect brand fit. We are sure RCB supporters will appreciate the opportunities to get tickets to RCB matches on shopping either online or in stores, and to engage and interact with team RCB.”

Vikramaditya Reddy, COO, USPL stated, “After our association with RCB last season with WROGN, we are thrilled to partner with RCB once again, this time with two of our fashion brands – WROGN and IMARA! Fans can look forward to seeing the RCB squad playing to their strength on the field complemented and inspired by the comfortable, stylish and unconventional WROGN merchandise. IMARA customers will get the opportunity to engage with the team and watch them in action! I am sure that our customers will support RCB and follow their journey in the 11th season of these T20 matches with great interest!”

Last season, the T20 matches had achieved a 24 percent jump in television and digital viewership as compared to 9th edition. The average impressions per match stood at 21.18 million as against 17.11 million in 2016. This year, the player auction itself received a record viewership of 46.5 million on television that was six times more than that last year, and digital viewership five times more. This season, the T20 matches are expected to see record viewership of about 30 million average viewership per match.

FIEO & PayPal Sign MoU to Empower SMB to Sell Across the Globe in a Seamless and Safe Manner

Global technology platform and digital payments leader, PayPal and the Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO), India’s apex international trade promotion organisation, today announced a partnership to promote exports while leveraging the technology and experience of each other. PayPal will work with FIEO to educate SMEs on how to leverage global opportunities, help them receive money in a safe and timely manner with PayPal products like invoicing and bring to them global best practices from across 200 markets.

Dr.  Ajay Sahai, Director General & CEO, said ‘The MoU will help FIEO to reach the cottage industries, artisans, house-wives, youths, MSMEs and clusters, even in far-flung areas to develop their orientation towards exports. The Paypal products like invoicing solutions, safe and trusted payment options for buyers, easy integration with existing business systems will help encourage the entrepreneurs and the startups alike to take to exports without any difficulty, without much technical knowhow.  All these are in line with the Prime Minister’s vision of Make in India, Digital India and empowering the youth for start-up encouragement with export orientation.’

Speaking on the same Shri Anupam Pahuja, Managing Director and Country Manager, India, PayPal said, ‘With the shift towards an entrepreneurial mindset amongst Indians, the focus will now shift towards enablers that can fuel their success. This MoU will essentially focus on training Indian SMEs in various aspects of exports and familiarize them with global growth opportunities. Certain inherent challenges have deterred the Indian SME sector from performing to its true potential. Our programs and seminars will debunk myths and simplify the entire ecosystem for the SMEs. FIEO’s members contribute to more than 70% of India’s exports and we look forward to leveraging our partnership to strike the global chord’

Most small exporters from India tend to focus on the local market to steer away from the risks associated with operating in a global marketplace. Complicated shipping and exports procedures also serve as deterrents for this sector which has very high potential. The awareness programs will address some commonly faced challenges by SMBs and entail trainings to empower them with PayPal solutions tailored for this segment.

PayPal is the only payment system to have partnered with the FIEO to plan engagement activities from Indian SMEs and freelancers.

Microsoft will Invest $5 Billion in IoT Over the Next Four Years Globally

Microsoft has announced that the company will invest US$5 billion in the Internet of Things (IoT) globally over the next 4 years. This increased investment will support continued research and innovation in IoT and what is ultimately evolving to be the new intelligent edge. With Microsoft’s IoT platform spanning cloud, operating system and devices, Microsoft is simplifying the IoT journey so any customer—regardless of size, technical expertise, budget, industry or other factors—can create trusted, connected solutions that improve business and customer experiences, as well as the daily lives of people all over the world.

This will support Microsoft’s technology platform, as well as supporting programs thereby enabling continued research and development in key areas, including securing IoT, creating development tools and intelligent services for IoT and the edge, and investments to grow our partner ecosystem. Customers and partners can expect new products and services, offerings, resources and programs.  
IoT gathers momentum in India with Microsoft and its partners

Microsoft in India is committed to helping everyone bring their digital transformation vision to life across every industry. The investment will ensure that the company continues to meet all its customers’ and partners’ needs, both, now and in the future as they develop new and increasingly sophisticated IoT solutions. IoT is gathering momentum in India, and impacting daily lives: saving electricity, resources, predictive healthcare, automobile safety and more. Microsoft Azure is the preferred platform powering a variety of IoT devices.

IoT Monitoring of Water Quality: Authorities across States have turned to IoT to monitor drinking water quality for its citizens. TechSpan Engineering has implemented a monitoring system built on the Azure IoT platform, using sensors provided by the Austrian firm s::can and their India Partner Aaxis Nano. Using the power of the Microsoft cloud, IoT and data, the solution taps into the robust s::can sensors to provide measurements across 17 parameters – from Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) and Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD), Chloride and Fluoride levels to temperature and color. The solution is currently being used for
·         Monitoring drinking water quality online by the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (125 stations) and Karnataka Urban Water Supply and Drainage Board (KUWSDB) in Hubli, Dharwad and Bijapur (3 stations)
·         Online surface water quality monitoring by Central Pollution Control Board, New Delhi (44 stations) and Central Water Commission, New Delhi (3 stations)
·         Online industrial pollution monitoring (1500+ stations)
·         Online sewage treatment and flow monitoring by Delhi Jal Board (36 stations)

IoT based Smart Lighting: Microsoft Azure IoT is powering India’s first Smart Street Lighting Project for the pink city of Jaipur, underscoring Microsoft’s mission of transforming public spaces digitally. The Jaipur Municipal Corporation (JMC) operates and maintains over 100,000 public street lights within the city. However, one of three in these lamps did not work and many others functioned poorly, leading to several areas of the city being in the dark. Microsoft’s partner Samudra LED has now deployed a customized Microsoft IoT-platform-based solution created by ISV Precimetrix to monitor, control and manage smart LED public street lights. The project will benefit 1.65 million people through improved street lighting and a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 36,750 metric tons/year. It will also result in $1 million per year in fiscal savings accrued to the government due to reduced energy consumption.

Researchers at IISc Bangalore are also using a network of IoT sensors coupled with Microsoft Azure analytics to find how cloud technologies can help tackle water scarcity in cities.

IoT in Agriculture: Microsoft FarmBeats is a research project for agriculture that enables seamless data collection from various sensors, cameras and drones. It comprises two broad areas viz., a, data-acquisition system consisting of drones and sensors and a data-analysis system consisting of connectivity pieces, cloud storage, and predictive analysis.

IoT in the Automobile Sector: Earlier last year, Tata Motors announced it will leverage Microsoft’s connected vehicle technologies that bring together AI, advanced ML, and IoT capabilities on Microsoft’s Azure cloud, to create a highly personalized, smart and safer driving experience across the digital life of a vehicle owner.

Tyre Express, a startup pioneering lifecycle management for fleet operators, has developed an IoT based Tyre Performance Management Solution. Powered by the Azure IoT Hub, Tyre Express is helping build operational efficiency for commercial vehicle fleet operators by tracking tyre performance. In India, procurement of new tyres for a commercial vehicle approximately costs about Rs 1-1.5 lakhs. Fluctuations in pressure and temperature can have a dramatic effect on their life span. Tyres are one of the largest consumables for fleet operators after fuel. Operating a vehicle with tyre pressure 20% below rated pressure increases fuel consumption by 5-10% and reduces tyre life by 15% to 20%. The new IoT platform helps monitor tyre performance in real time to help customers take suitable action and improve operational efficiency, reduce costs, and improve profitability.

IoT in Manufacturing for Predictive Maintenance: Tetra Pak is employing new, digital tools that enable its cloud-connected machines to predict exactly when equipment needs maintenance, averting many breakdowns. Sensors on more than 5,000 Tetra Pak filling machines at customers’ sites globally, all connected to Microsoft Azure, feed real-time performance data to the company for monitoring and analysis – nearly 700 million data points each year. As a result, maintenance can be scheduled precisely and efficiently. During a recent, six-month period involving 11 packaging lines, the company predicted future breakdowns in five of those lines, spurring preventive maintenance and saving those customers more than $30,000.

Microsoft IoT Central
IoT will lead to a $1.9 trillion productivity increase and $177 billion in reduced costs by 2020 (A.T. Kearney). This effect will be pervasive, from connected homes and cars to manufacturers to smart cities and utilities—and everything in between. Pre-empting this, Microsoft announced Microsoft IoT Central, the first highly scalable IoT SaaS solution, that has built-in support for IoT best practices and world class security along with the reliability, regional availability, and global scale of the Azure cloud. Microsoft IoT Central allows companies to build production-grade IoT applications in hours and not worry about managing all the necessary backend infrastructure or hiring new skill sets to develop the solutions.

Microsoft’s IoT offerings today include operating systems for devices, cloud services to control and secure them, advanced analytics to gain insights, and business applications to enable intelligent action. With each implementation, customers and partners are overcoming challenges of building an IoT solution that harnesses massive amounts of data. Whether they’re building products that transform the home, office or factory floor, one thing remains clear: IoT is a collaborative, multi-disciplinary effort that spans cloud development, machine learning, artificial intelligence, security and privacy.

BeatO, Full Stack Platform for Diabetes, Raises $1.3 Million from Leo Capital, Blume Ventures

BeatO (short for beating the ring ‘O’ of Diabetes), a comprehensive platform dedicated to improving the lives of those living with diabetes has raised an institutional round of$1.3 million led by Leo Capital and co-led by Blume ventures.

“We are extremely excited to associate with partners like Leo and Blume. India is expected to have 100M diabetics by 2030. This puts tremendous pressure on all stakeholders in the healthcare eco-system both from a cost and well-being perspective to specially cater to this large demographic. This funding is a re-enforcement to the fact that we are solving a problem of massive scale", said Gautam Chopra, Co-Founder, and CEO, BeatO.

 “With this funding, we plan to continue adding greater value to our customers through even better technology and distribution. We will also supplement our existing range of product categories including diabetic snacks and specialty foods. Our goal is to be an indispensable ally to a person living with diabetes”, added Yash Sehgal & Abhishek Kumar, Co-founders, BeatO.

BeatO makes blood glucose monitoring easy with its smartphone-based glucometer combined with support from experts. This is augmented by their wide range of diabetes-specific food and retail products, thereby catering to all the needs of a person with diabetes. Started just over 2 years ago, BeatOcurrently serves 25,000 active customers in more than 1,500 cities, some even as far as Baramullah in Kashmir. This depicts the powerful impact that a virtual and holistic solution can have in providing healthcare to everyone. BeatO is currently fulfilling over 5,000 transactions a month.
Speaking about the funding, Rajul Garg, Founder of Leo Capital, said, “India is the diabetes capital of the world. We have looked deeply at chronic disease solutions and BeatO has been able to demonstrate an approach that diabetics find useful month over month. BeatO’s focus on a solution very unique to India is what attracted us”.

Arpit Agarwal, Principal, Blume Ventures, said, “BeatO is different from other players in the segment given their approach allows patients to manage diabetes effortlessly by having a wide array of healthy lifestyle choices available to them on a single platform.The founding team is perhaps one of the best in the industry and we feel confident that they will capture the opportunity in this space successfully.”
BeatO had previously raised an angel round from a few individual investors including Rajeev Chitrabhanu, an early investor in Nazara Technologies, Rentomojoetc and Vishal Sampat, who besides being an angel investor was also the Founder of Convonix, India’s largest digital agency acquired by Publicis.

BeatO has grown 10X in revenue within the last one year. It boasts of having facilitated more than 250,000 glucose readings and has over 80% repeat order rate of acquired customers. The company plans to continue adding products across categories which are useful for diabetics and leveraging technology to make them accessible in the near future.

InterraIT Hosts Innovative Technological Event to Analyze Discuss the Future of Digital Transformation

Digital technologies continue to transform the work, how we interact with colleagues, and the value we deliver to clients and customers.” Asoke K.  Laha, President and Chief Executive Officer, Interra Information Technologies, Inc. was speaking at an event, “The Future of Digital Transformation,” organized by InterraIT as its Noida office.

The conclave brought in experts on digital transformation and analytics, including Aniruddha Guha Sarkar of InterraIT, Sameep Taneja of Accenture, Depender Kumar of Grant Thornton, Anshul Kumar of Cvent, and Deepak Sahu of VARINDIA. A wide array of issues pertaining to digital transformation, including artificial intelligence and machine learning, were brought up in a lively discussion. According to Depender Kumar, “it is time to make digital decisions and prepare for an interface-less future.”

The panelists were unanimous in the view that it is important to adapt all organizational systems and processes to adapt to digital transformation that is sweeping industries and the corporate landscape.  Anshul Kumar pointed out that, “disruptions will do some collateral damage, so let’s be ready for that.”

Laha concluded the event by saying that “decision marking in regards to digital transformation is data driven, and leadership must focus on providing insights to marketing and customer engagements.”

Ashok Leyland Breaks Ground for New Bus Plant in Mallavalli Village of Andhra Pradesh

Ashok Leyland, flagship of the Hinduja Group, today announced the beginning of construction of its Bus Plant in Andhra Pradesh. The ground breaking ceremony marked the beginning of work on a Greenfield factory which will be the first Ashok Leyland plant in Andhra Pradesh. Situated in Model Industrial Park, Mallavalli Village in Krishna District, the auspicious ceremony was performed in the presence of the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh,  Nara Chandrababu Naidu and Managing Director & CEO of Ashok Leyland, Mr. Vinod K. Dasari.

Part of the fast upcoming manufacturing hub in Krishna District of Andhra Pradesh and located 40 kms from Vijayawada, this Ashok Leyland plant will be spread over 75 acres and will include latest technologies to deliver the high quality standards of the Ashok Leyland brand. The plant once fully completed would be able to produce 4800 buses per annum, and would also have a state-of-the-art learning center and an advanced service training center. The setting up of this plant will help increase the skill level of the employable workforce in the state of Andhra Pradesh and will have the potential to employ over 5,000 employees. While it will have the capability to make the entire range of buses of Ashok Leyland brand, the facility will also include an electric vehicle development centre comprising of a futuristic conveyor line, pilot assembly line and prototype development. It will be a complete green facility, with rooftop solar panels, LED lighting, battery operated vehicles for in-plant movement, positive water balance and zero discharge.

Speaking at the ceremony, Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Nara Chandrababu Naidu, said, “Today is a landmark day for us. We are excited to have such an established company like Ashok Leyland setting up a factory in Andhra Pradesh. It is a key addition to our fast expanding manufacturing hub here. This factory will not only provide jobs to our youth but also help improve the skill level of our people in the state and overall economy of the region.”

Dheeraj G. Hinduja, Chairman, Ashok Leyland, said, “The Hinduja Group is proud that its flagship Ashok Leyland has chosen the vibrant state of Andhra Pradesh for its latest plant. Ashok Leyland has been at the forefront of mass mobility in the country. With this new plant, we are preparing ourselves for the future.”

Sharing his views on the upcoming plant, Vinod K. Dasari, MD & CEO, Ashok Leyland, said, “This facility will help us be ahead of the curve by ensuring our readiness towards implementation of the bus body code and to meet the rising demand for ready-to-use, fully-built Trucks as well. We will also produce Electric vehicles at this plant. The new plant is also strategically located to meet the demands of Center, East and Southern India markets.”

Hairline International Unveils Rigenera Activa for Skin Micrografting in Indian Market

Hairline International Hair and Skin Clinic on Tuesday, unveiled Rigenera Activa, a specialized technology imported from Italy to launch autologous skin micrografting in the treatment of male and female pattern hair loss for the first time in India.

This therapy makes use of tissue from a patient to create an ideal cocktail of growth enhancement cells that is introduced into the scalp or the skin to encourage hair growth. The process involves just one sitting and results can be seen as early as within a month. Rigenera Activa is approved by the US FDA, Japan’s PMPD and is CE certified.

Speaking at the unveiling of Rigenera Activa, Bani Anand, Founder and Director, Hairline International Hair and Skin Clinic says, “This is a standalone procedure and can be used for treating hair loss up to Grade 4. For skin, the process of injecting takes about 20 minutes and the recovery time is around half hour, making it an ideal procedure. The procedure itself is completed in one sitting of not more than 30 minutes and results can be seen as early as within a month. Follow-ups are required just once a year for a short while. This procedure works for anyone above 21 years of age”.

Explaining the procedure that is scientifically known as stromal vascular fraction, Dr. Dinesh G Gowda, Senior Dermato-surgeon, Hairline International Hair and Skin Clinic explains, “Whether for hair or for skin, the epidermal layer is removed and around 2mm of the patient’s own tissue from the dermis, including fat is taken out. This tissue contains many growth factors and progenitor cells among other components. This is pulverized in a specialized machine and then is subject to filtration using a biological filter. This separates the progenitor cells, growth factors such as endothelial growth factors, fibroblast hair follicles etc., which support hair follicles and skin cells – for growth as well as formation of new hair follicles and skin cells”.

Dr. Gowda adds that this cocktail of growth enhancers is injected via a thin needle into the scalp or the skin at areas needed. The process may be repeated in a year if needed for skin and if one would like a dense growth of hair.

Elaborating on the benefits of such a process, Dr. Gowda explains, “While hair transplant remains the best form of therapy, this therapy makes use of the patient’s own tissue to create an effective cocktail and works better than individual growth factors which are used. This therapy may be used alone or with hair transplant. It may be used with PRP as well. Some other beneficial applications of the therapy are in the treatment of scars, Vitiligo, wound healing and face rejuvenation as well and stretch marks”.

Kotak Mahindra Bank, NASSCOM Announce Winners of its Maiden Payment Co-creation Programme

Kotak Mahindra Bank (Kotak) and NASSCOM announced the winners of its maiden payment co-creation programme for start-ups and fintechs. Of the 133 entries received for the programme, 12 fintechs were shortlisted after a rigorous evaluation process. The jury has finalised 6 winners – Automaxis, Dairy Plus, Nukkad Shops Technology, MyCarIQ, Highway Delight and FTL Technology.

The twin objectives of the Kotak Payment Co-creation Programme are to provide an impetus to fintech-bank partnerships and build an ecosystem of collaboration and innovation for start-ups and fintechs in the digital payments space.

Deepak Sharma, Chief Digital Officer, Kotak Mahindra Bank said, “With the Kotak Payment Co-creation Programme, our aim is to create a robust platform for fintech-bank collaboration. We have concluded the first edition of the programme focused on digital payments and are delighted to have found some unique, best-in-class ideas. The winners will receive mentorship, and also an opportunity to work closely with our innovation lab and pilot launch their offering with us. We look forward to deepening our engagement with the start-up community and unlocking fresh, new ideas with similar programmes in the future.” 

KS Viswanathan, Vice President - Industry Initiatives, NASSCOM said, “It was a great learning experience to be a part of this selection process. We indeed believe that India has all it takes to emerge as the global fintech capital over the next decade. This initiative with Kotak will lead to redefining the payment ecosystem in the country.”

Details of Winners:

Automaxis: A micro-automation platform that reduces operational time and error, Automaxis provides solutions related to GST filing, from making the invoice to the last stage, connecting different ERP players.

Dairy Plus: This Hyderabad-based fintech provides solutions to enable the last mile visibility and payment digitalization for dairy distribution businesses.

Nukkad Shops Technology: This fintech offers retail business solutions to small kirana shops with cloud POS, billing system etc.

MyCarIQ: MyCarIQ is a Pune-based fintech that works on IoT for car tracking, booking services etc. through an integrated device in the car along with a companion mobile app.

Highway Delight: This Bangalore-based fintech provides data-driven integrated highway services platform for smart roads of the future.

FTL Technology: FTL Technology works in the area of driving retail loans for banks along with a price comparison engine in the e-commerce segment.

The next leg of the Kotak Co-creation Programme in partnership with NASSCOM will be announced soon.

*Jury members: Deepak Sharma, Chief Digital Officer, Kotak Mahindra Bank; Venkat Kumar, Vice President – Digital Banking, Kotak Mahindra Bank; Bertram Dsouza, Vice President – Digital Banking, Kotak Mahindra Bank and Priya Sankar, Associate Vice President – Digital Banking, Kotak Mahindra Bank         

N/Core and Cisco Partner to Support Tech-Based Nonprofits in India, Calls for Applications

N/Core, an incubator exclusively for nonprofit startups, today announced its partnership with Cisco, a global leader in IT and Networking, to launch N/Core tech - an exclusive track focused on incubating early-stage nonprofits that leverage digital technology to positively impact society and solve some of the world’s most pressing social and economic problems. 

The exclusive N/Core and Cisco tech track will primarily focus on incubating nonprofits that are trying to address critical human needs like water or food security, healthcare, financial inclusion, education, accessibility, and the environment.  The Track will support up to 20 organizations during the first year in cohorts of 10 organizations each. N/Core tech’s first cohort is open for applications. 

Each selected nonprofit will receive an innovation grant of Rs 10 Lakhs. In addition to the innovation grant, the non-profits will have access to a set of mentors and technology experts from Cisco along with renowned N/Core Partners namely, Sanjay Purohit, ex-Chairman of Infosys Consulting; Maneesh Dhir, former MD of Apple India and current Partner of Social Venture Partners; K R Lakshminarayan (LAN), Chief Endowment Officer of Azim Premji Foundation, and Ujwal Thakar, ex CEO of Pratham and GiveIndia. Each Partner will invest their time and expertise to provide in-depth support to the startups throughout the six months of incubation, and beyond.

N/Core, founded by Atul Satija in early 2017, recently graduated its first cohort with 9 early stage nonprofits selected from a pool of 1032 applicants from 19 countries across the world, showcasing an increasing inflow of highly talented and motivated entrepreneurs to solve for poverty in India. These entrepreneurs come from diverse sectors such as education, employability, healthcare, water and menstrual hygiene and collectively raised more than 5 times the innovation grant during a short period of 6 months.

“Cisco is committed to positively impacting 1 billion people by 2025. Through this partnership with N/core, we seek to inspire and empower a generation of global problem solvers who can combine tech know-how, ingenuity, and social consciousness to solve some of the most pressing social challenges. N/Core has attracted some of the best young innovators entering the social sector, and we are excited to discover such talent and support their aspirations,” said VC Gopalratnam, Senior Vice-President for IT and Executive Sponsor – Cisco India CSR.

Technology has a significant role to play in enabling meaningful impact in the development sector, given the massive scale of problems in this sector.  However, adoption of technology in this sector has lagged behind other sectors of the economy, due to various bottlenecks. Talking about the need to address this, N/Core CEO Sudha Srinivasan said, “This collaboration between N/Core and Cisco aspires to elevate the development sector in its adoption of technology to solve problems at large scale. We believe that our support for innovation leveraging technology will change the norm of the development sector in pace, scale, and efficiency.”