Honda 2Wheelers India Cements its Footprint in Shared Mobility

Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India Pvt. Ltd. (HMSI) - the most trusted & favoured brand in South India today announced its latest deal with yet another aggregator in the shared mobility space – VOGO, India’s fastest growing scooter sharing network.

VOGO’s fleet of over 1500 scooters will comprise of India’s largest selling iconic scooter Activa 5G. Already delivered 200 units in Hyderabad and delivering 300 units in Bangalore today, Honda scooters will serve as the newest option for metro commuters.

Announcing this latest business deal at the mega delivery event in Bangalore today were Yogesh Mathur, Regional Head, South region- Sales, Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India Pvt. Ltd & Mr. Padmanabhan B, Founder- VOGO and other dignitaries.

Rapid urbanization and inadequate mass transit options in India are leading to the spectre of deteriorating traffic congestion in cities. Shared mobility on two-wheels is evolving & increasingly weaving its way to fuel the increasing demand in the shared mobility space.

Elaborating on the trends in the shared mobility segment, Mr Yadvinder Singh Guleria, Senior Vice President- Sales and Marketing, Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India Pvt. Ltd. said, “Scooters are universally accepted due to their unisex appeal, comfort and convenience. Honda being the undisputed primary choice of customers, is being increasingly inducted by various shared mobility companies in their fleet. We thank VOGO for choosing Honda to be a partner for the latest fleet expansion and wish them success.”

Honda is fast becoming the first choice of 2Wheeler taxi aggregators. Very recently, Honda delivered 3000 units to one of the major aggregator in the southern region. From an initial business with 10 shared mobility players in 2014, Honda is now the first choice of over 30 shared mobility players operating in key towns like Bangalore, Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Jaipur, Kochi, Ahmedabad, Gurgaon, Goa etc.

It’s noteworthy that Honda’s products are preferred by shared mobility players across all 3 types of operations – be it aggregators, two-wheeler rentals or even the digitized self-ride rentals.

Making Honda even more desirable is the high trust that consumers of shared mobility providers repose in the brand. Further on, Honda 2Wheelers is aggressively supporting these mobility players with value additions and insights on increasing customer satisfaction while giving high quality two-wheelers which give low operating and maintenance cost benefit over long term.

Speaking on the occasion, Padmanabhan B, Founder, VOGO said, “We are excited to be working with a world class automobile manufacturer, like Honda, on our growth journey. We are building a strong network of scooters, being the preferred choice of shared mobility customers, that will solve traffic and congestion in large Indian cities and make daily commute easy and hassle-free.”

Second Edition of FTTH India Summit 2018 Celebrates the Vision of Building a High Speed Digital India

The second edition of FTTH India Summit 2018 was held today in Mumbai. The summit witnessed participation from over 400 participants comprising of industry leaders, policy makers, innovators, regulators, technology providers, manufacturers and partners across the Indian telecom sector across the telecom industry. Organised by FTTH Conference Committee and Bharat Exhibitions, the event was sponsored by marquee industry leaders led by BSNL, Reliance Jio, GAIL (India) and Sterlite Tech. The event being held a couple of days following the announcement of the new National Digital Communications Policy 2018 – that lays a strong foundation for government’s push towards high speed connectivity for all Indians by 2022.

Addressing the Summit, TV Ramachandran, President, Broadband India Forum & Chairman, FTTH India Conference Committee, said “In the past couple of years, India has perhaps witnessed one of the fastest rates of growth in the world when it comes to connectivity. The internet revolution in the recent years was led by mobile led broadband. However, for India to truly make its mark in digital arena globally, has to unleash the power of fibre connectivity. The Indian internet 2.0 revolution will be led by the fibre optics network – and it is the right time galvanise the focus and intellect of the industry as a whole to set sight on the future. I am extremely humbled and excited to witness the participation from all quarters at the FTTH India Summit 2018. I am confident that the views and thoughts exchanged at this Summit will go on to make tangible difference on the ground and propel India to the global rankings in high speed connectivity in the coming years.”

The Summit was addressed by eminent speakers including N. Sivasailam, Special Secretary, Department of Telecommunications, Sunil K Gupta, Secretary, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, Anuj Jain, President - Jio GigaFiber Business, Reliance Jio, K S Rao, CEO, Telecom Services Business, Sterlite Tech and A.K. Jana, Chief Executive Officer, GAIL Gas Limited.

N. Sivasailam, Special Secretary, Department of Telecommunications, speaking to the eminent participants, said, “Connectivity in India is set to witness an orbital shift. The Government’s vision to provide 50 mbps universal broadband connectivity to each Indian and 10 gbps connectivity to each gram panchayat by 2022 will be built on fibre optic cable networks given its ability to handle volume and speed with uncompromising security. While the Government will leave no stone unturned in achieving its vision, the same will not be possible without sustained support from all quarters of industry. This is a revolution that will put Indian fibre optic cable industry into the spotlight at a global stage.”

Sunil K. Gupta, Secretary, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, in his inaugural address, said, “Fibre optics led connectivity ushers a new era for Indian consumers across segments – having the potential to emerge as a great disruptor towards convenience and efficiency. With the announcement of new telecom policy, the Government of India has defined its vision to lead the country into a new era of connectivity. This vision will be built on fibre optic cables. It is an exciting opportunity for every stakeholder and will establish India among the developed nations in terms of connectivity.”

Speaking at the inaugural session, A.K. Jana, Chief Executive Officer, GAIL Gas Limited, said “India is on course to emerge as a smart nation, owing to its thrust to create smart infrastructure in terms of cities, connectivity and basic amenities. In fact, given the scale of the vision, it would be safe to say that fibre to the home technology resembles an idea whose time has indeed arrived. As the ecosystem of connectivity solutions broaden in terms of applications, usage and adoption – there is going to be a paradigm shift in the volume of data being consumed. This resembles a never before opportunity for the optical fibre cable industry and would also redefine the age of connectivity in India in years to come.”

Anuj Jain, President - Jio GigaFiber Business, Reliance Jio added, “The Government’s vision of a high speed digitally connected India will demand uniformity in speed, latency and experience across consumer class. It is only possible using a connected fixed line as the same is much more reliable and stable than a mobile connection. Being an industry leader in 4G, we at Reliance Jio are now focusing on offering a lightning fast and cost efficient connectivity solution though gigafibre technology. We believe that the consumer of new India will continuously adopt technology and habits which will necessitate high speed connectivity with no-latency – only made possible by fibre optic technology. It is a great opportunity for the industry to grow and contribute to the nation’s progress at the same time.”

Speaking at the Summit, KS Rao, CEO, Telecom Services Business, Sterlite Tech, said “It was my dream for the past 25 years to witness such participation in an event on fibre optic networks. The attendance in the Summit reinforces my belief in the power of the solution to lead high speed connectivity of a young, data hungry and ambitious nation. As the new age users demand flexible and agile solutions led by cloud and software, India is on-course to set a hyperscale network – this time based on fixed connectivity. The potential opportunity for the industry can be simply summed up in one fact – India in the last 20 years has deployed 2 mn kms of optic cable and in line with the National Digital Communications Policy 2018, it needs to deploy 2.2 mn kms of optic cable in the next 5 years! The potential is unprecedented for the industry”.

FTTH India Summit 2018 was sponsored by Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited, Reliance Jio, Gail India Ltd., Sterlite Telecom, Savitri Telecom Services, Viavi Solutions, R&M, Lepton Software, MTNL, Molex, PDR Videotronics and Keith Electronics. The event was supported by Department of Telecommunications, Ministry of Electronics & IT, Govt. of India, COAI and TAIPA and the Knowledge Partner was Broadband India Forum.

Bigbasket Partners with MIUI to Offer Customers Enhanced Shopping Experience

India’s largest online supermarket, bigbasket (https://www.bigbasket.com/), has announced its partnership with India’s largest smartphone manufacturer, Xiaomi’s operating software MIUI. This seamless integration will enable customers to complete their grocery purchases faster and with a better overall experience – a philosophy that is integral to both bigbasket and Xiaomi.

Speaking about this, Arun Jayaraman, Marketing Manager, bigbasket, said, “This partnership with Xiaomi’s MIUI is a step forward in working towards our vision of enriching user experience and fueling bigbasket’s growth. bigbasket has always believed in offering the three-fold benefit of convenience, affordability, and innovation to all its users. This partnership is another milestone in that direction and complements Xiaomi’s vision of making MIUI the most user-friendly operating system as well.”

Anuj Sharma, Chief Marketing Officer, Xiaomi India further added, "Xiaomi's journey started with MIUI when we wanted to launch the most immersive and innovative operating software for millions of users. Today, MIUI has over 190 million users and we continue to make it more relevant in every market we are present in. The partnership with bigbasket is a step in that direction and we hope it will enhance the user experience for all our customers"

Xiaomi users will now be able to access the bigbasket widget in the Utilities Card on the minus 1 screen and complete their shopping on the bigbasket mobile site. All Xiaomi users using MIUI 9 and above will be able to avail this service by updating their App Vault. The update will first be rolled out to beta users and will soon be accessible to all users.

Capillary Technologies Selects Trend Micro to Secure their Multi-Cloud Environment

Trend Micro incorporated, a global leader in cybersecurity solutions, through their advanced ‘Deep Security’ offering helped Capillary Technologies achieve seamless interoperability across their vast infrastructure. Trend Micro Deep Security, which provides a complete suite of cloud security solutions helped secure their workloads on Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft Azure public cloud environments.

As a leading provider of consumer analytics and e-commerce platforms to more than 300 brands in more than 30 countries, Capillary Technologies was looking for a security solution that could scale with the growing infrastructure and help achieve compliance for the multi-cloud environments. The solution also needed to protect cloud workloads against data breaches and business disruptions with around-the-clock alerting. They selected Trend Micro’s Deep Security, a state-of-the-art security solution with its multitenant architecture which includes anti-malware, web reputation, firewall, intrusion prevention, integrity monitoring, and log inspection to meet their requirements.

“For Capillary Technologies, we integrated modules of Trend Micro’s Deep Security, ensuring data security across cloud environments, including AWS and Microsoft Azure. Our anti-malware module optimizes security operations and protects against sophisticated cyberattacks, while our intrusion prevention module examines all incoming and outgoing traffic, protecting against known but unpatched vulnerabilities through ‘virtual patching’. Trend Micro Deep Security provided them the comprehensive and high-performance security solution that they were looking for,” said Nilesh Jain, Vice President – Southeast Asia and India, Trend Micro.

Capillary Technologies deployed Trend Micro’s Deep Security which includes a dashboard that fulfils the requirement for simplified and centralized management with a single view into security operations. Trend Micro Deep Security solution also helped them to fulfil the prerequisite of meeting compliance requirements with Payment Card Industry (PCI) security standards and ensured that there are no security gaps or performance impacts for workloads in public or private clouds. The bi-directional host-based firewall decreased the attack surface of cloud environments, prevented denial-of-service attacks and provided logging of firewall events to enable compliance and audit reporting. Also, the integrity monitoring module monitored critical operating system and application files to detect and report malicious and unexpected changes in real time.

“We met the majority of our security needs with Deep Security. The Trend Micro solution enables us to achieve comprehensive cloud security with interoperability between our AWS and Microsoft Azure cloud platforms,” said Nayan Kalita, Director, Systems Engineering, Capillary Technologies.

“Trend Micro Deep Security fulfilled our requirements, provided a single view of our security posture, and achieved a higher level of security with virtual patching,” said Pravanjan Choudhury, CTO, Capillary Technologies.

Looking to the future, Capillary Technologies plans to continue fine-tuning its IT security ecosystem and educating users to be prepared for the next generation of advanced cyberattacks. With Trend Micro Deep Security, the IT team has the tools it needs to keep its cloud environments protected.

Average Indian Smartphone User Spends 4x Time on Online Activities as Compared to Offline Activities: Nielsen India

Nielsen India today unveiled its featured insight titled “what smartphones say about customers” – exploring the relationship between the price band, consumer profile and usage differences among smartphone users in India. The insight is based on analysis of the On-Device Measurement (ODM) data by dividing smartphones (excluding super premium models), into three major price categories. The categories are Entry Level Handsets (priced

India has emerged among the most preferred smartphone markets in the world owing to affordable handset prices and low cost data penetration – triggering a huge replacement demand among the young and aspiring customers across segments. Despite the availability of economically priced smartphones, average smartphone prices are still increasing. The user habits of Indian smartphone users highlight that users across the segments (entry level, mid and premium) spend more than 90 minutes a day on online activities while the premium segment takes the usage up to 130 minutes per day. When it comes to app usage in terms of category, chat and VoIP apps dominate usage across customer segment followed by browser apps. Interestingly, uTorrent Beta app dominates across categories when it comes of consumption of data; followed by YouTube across customer segments.

Commenting on the report, Abhijit Matkar, Director -Technology IPG - Nielsen India, said, “The advent of high-speed 4G internet, less-expensive mobile handsets and a correction in call data charges have encouraged the speedy adoption of smartphones. To meet the demand of the mass market, new Chinese and Indian handset makers have launched affordable handsets, which are under INR 5,000. This sudden influx of affordable smartphones created a

whole segment of new consumers who either upgraded from feature phones or were new mobile users altogether.”

“The price of handsets and data is emerging as a remarkable surrogate for monitoring the ever- widening set of users and their smartphone usage, thereby facilitating business and marketing strategy for better return on investment (ROI)”, added Abhijit

The featured insight also attempts to define the way forward, with new categories of users, like school-going children, elders and housewives, are entering the segment. The report identifies, more purchasers are emerging from tier 3, 4 and 5 towns, as well as rural areas. So whole new markets are emerging with different sets of needs and expectations. The strategies to cater to this new demand also need to change.

Real-Time Payment System Growth Surging Worldwide: FIS Report

Deployments of real-time payment systems are surging worldwide, according to new research from FIS, a global leader in financial services technology.

In its fifth annual Flavors of Fast report, FIS identified 40 active real-time payment programs around the world, up from 25 in 2017 and nearly three times as many as the company’s inaugural 2014 study. Further, the report identified five payments programs under development, plus another 16 expected to be live in the next 12-18 months – double the number of programs on the radar in 2017.

“We live in a now world. Consumers are demanding more transparency, certainty and immediacy when moving their money, and they won’t settle for incremental innovation,” said Raja Gopalakrishnan, head of Global Payments, FIS. “Financial institutions are responding in growing numbers – modernizing their payment infrastructures to provide real-time payment capabilities that demonstrate their value to customers.” 

Overlay Services
The FIS research found that overlay services – chat, retail apps, instant loans and more – and open APIs (application program interfaces) provide innovations that encourage consumers and businesses to use real-time payments. For example, a supermarket chain in France implemented instant payments through its shop app; this simplified payments for shoppers and reduced card acquisition, processing fees and check usage for the company.

Meanwhile, India’s Immediate Payment Service (IMPS), which runs through the country’s Unified Payment Interface (UPI), has allowed money transfer apps to feature chatting capabilities. This further encourages public use of real-time innovation.

“The growth of real-time payments programs around the world speaks to consumer demand and the rapid innovation that exists today,” said Gareth Lodge, senior analyst, Celent.  “Real time payments is a competitive differentiator for the bank that gets it right.”

Innovation Index
The 2018 Flavors of Fast report highlighted three particularly innovative real-time payments programs as part of its “Faster Payments Innovation Index.” The index, which rated programs on a scale of 1-5 (5 being highest), measured the comprehensiveness of real-time payments projects and how well they meet the needs of consumers and corporate customers.

·         India’s Immediate Payment Service (IMPS) took home the report’s only 5 rating for the second year in a row. The fastest growing immediate payment system in the world, IMPS daily transaction volume grew from about two million per day in 2017 to approximately 2.8 million per day this year. The project’s high rating was based on the system’s standard, published API and strong participation from third-party vendors.

·         Australia’s New Payments Platform (NPP), which went live in Feb. 2018, received a 4+ rating. NPP enables real-time clearing and settlement 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It provides Australian businesses and consumers with a fast and versatile payments system for making their everyday payments.

·         Singapore received a 4+ rating for its Fast and Secure Transfers (FAST) service. Covering credit transfers, direct debits, bill payment, P2P, merchant payments, mobile and more, FAST allows customers from 20 of Singapore’s participating banks to move funds almost instantly 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Twelve other programs received 4+ or 4 ratings in this year’s index. That includes China, which now makes 25.9 million faster payment transfers every day – up from 12 million in 2017; Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) Instant Credit Transfer Scheme, which expects to have 34 countries live with real-time payments by 2019; and the United States, which saw the launch of its first real-time payments system in late 2017.

The FIS report also calls out Germany and Hong Kong as two countries poised to make significant strides forward in implementation of real-time payments schemes.

To read the full 2018 Flavors of Fast report, including exclusive interviews with executives using real-time payments to benefit corporate treasury departments, and leaders of faster payment initiatives in the United States and Canada, visit fisglobal.com/flavors-of-fast.

State Bank of India Approves Sale of 4% Stake in SBI General Insurance

State Bank of India (SBI) at its Executive Committee meeting of the Board held today approved the sale of 86.2 lac shares of INR 10 each, equaling to 4% stake in its subsidiary SBI General Insurance Company Limited (SBI GI) for INR 482 crores (~US$ 66 mn).  Axis New Opportunities AIF – I represented through its investment manager Axis AMC Ltd. and PI Opportunities Fund – I, an AIF of Premji Invest, will purchase 1.65% and 2.35% stake respectively from SBI. The proposed transaction values SBI GI at over INR 12,000 crores. The transaction completion is subject to regulatory approvals.

Upon completion of the transaction, SBI will hold 70% stake in SBI GI while its joint venture partner, IAG International Pty Ltd., will continue to hold 26%.

Rajnish Kumar, Chairman, SBI said, “State Bank of India happily welcomes Axis New Opportunities AIF and Premji Invest as our incoming partners in SBI GI. Insurance segment is still young and nascent in India, it is a highly under penetrated market, we foresee a significant scope of growth for SBI GI to achieve size, scale and profitability. We shall continue to extend our support and are excited about SBI GI’s bright journey ahead”

Dinesh Khara, MD, Global Banking and Subsidiaries said, “We are delighted to welcome Axis New Opportunities AIF and Premji Invest as incoming investors of SBI GI. SBI GI has a high quality management team having an institutional framework with systems and processes in place. This is demonstrated through consistent high growth and positive underwriting results. This transaction values SBI GI at around INR 12,000 crores reflecting significant value creation within 7 years of business operations.”

Pushan Mahapatra, MD & CEO said, “SBI GI is the fastest growing general insurance company in the private sector. Company is just 7 years into operations and has already achieved sizeable scale, making it the 7th largest private general insurance player as at end of June 2018. Company follows a robust multi-channel distribution model encompassing Auto manufacturers, Brokers, Agency, Direct and has been the top bancassurance non-life insurers in the country. Company is present in every district of the country through its own branches, branches of SBI and RRBs with access to 29,500+ branches. Company has wide and comprehensive product bouquet meeting needs of customers in every segment. SBI GI has a very balanced product mix with robust and unique risk based pricing and risk management framework. We are glad to partner with Axis New Opportunities AIF and Premji Invest and look forward to an enriching association to support SBI GI’s continued growth and sustainable profitability”

Kaushal Shah, Executive Director, Kotak Mahindra Capital Company Limited said, “The transaction showcases the strength of the SBI franchise and their ability to create market leading businesses. SBI GI, due to its superior performance and robust standing, attracted immense interest from marquee investors and is evident from the record timeline within which the deal got consummated. It also highlights that investors are keen to participate in differentiated stories overlooking market volatility and valuing the fundamental strength and long term potential of the companies.”

Kotak Mahindra Capital Company Limited acted as the financial advisor for the transaction and J. Sagar Associates is the legal advisor for the transaction.

Leaders of Government, Media, Fashion Advertising and Entertainment Unite to Declare Bengaluru "MUSIC CITY"

Rishi Shah, Publisher & CEO Crossbones Media Pvt Ltd, along with Advisory Board Members Dr. J. Alexander, Dr. R.C. Sinha, Padmashree Vikku Vinayakram hosted an exclusive showcase at the ITC Windsor Manor, to launch RAVE 2.0. The launch happened over music, cocktails & dinner and was attended by music aficionados, advertising agencies and brand managers. Bengaluru witnessed the beginning of a new chapter in Hip Hop, Rap and classical music. Grammy Award winner & Carnatic music legend Padmashree Vikku Vinayakram, legend L. Subramaniam, percussionist Selva Ganesh, singers Kavita Krishnamoorthy & Kailash Kher, along with Rishi Shah, pledged their support to make Bengaluru the music capital of India.

Padmashree Vikku Vinayakram opened the session by doing what he is best at: playing Ghatam along with his troupe. His son Selva Ganesh played his signature drum set wherein he plays it with his fingers as against conventional drumsticks. Selva’s son and Vinayakram’s grandson, Swami who is also a percussionist played his part and Selva’s brother Umashankar played the Ghatam too.  

Emerging music is the cornerstone of music industry and in India, its importance can be gauged from the sheer fact that we have multiple genres in 30 odd languages. Ironically, how India goes about discovering and developing new artists is by no means straightforward. Singer Kailash Kher is on record that way back in early 2003, it was Rishi Shah who spotted him and promoted him at a time when others had given up on him. Rishi Shah – who is part of the international music fraternity and member of the Multicultural Motion Pictures Association of America (MMPA) – has been spearheading the cause of emerging music and protection of artists’ rights. He was also inducted on the Executive Board of American Society of Young Musicians (ASYM) along with executive board members Quincy Jones, Paramount Pictures president of music and soundtracks Randy Spendlove and Dionne Warwick.

Says Rishi Shah: “CrossBones Media business model for music is simple yet powerful – discover, develop, produce, package, promote, distribute and collect. We discover talent, help them develop and rehearse their craft, get the best audio and visual representation of their music, which in today's digital age, is the most essential  editorial content needed to support, and then package the artist as well as his / her craft. Followed by this is the promotion of artist and distribution of music. RAVE (CrossBones Media) excels in something that most companies ignore – collection of monies for the artists. In the last two years, RAVE has been responsible for direct artist’s payment more than any music publishing company or artist’s society or any record company in India.”

Continues Rishi Shah: “If the Rs 850 crore Indian music industry has to breach the billion dollar mark, then it has to fall back on emerging music and make room for artists to grow alongside. To this effect, we have hired India’s first multi-floor integrated audio recording & video production studio. This will enable young & emerging talent to record and shoot their music and complete the post production work, all within the studio premises based out of Hebbal off International Airport Road. I strongly believe that there is tremendous potential in non-Bollywood music and particularly in Southern states of India.” 

CrossBones Media operates four business verticals:

* RAVE World: e-magazine with a tagline ‘The Voice of Independent Music’

* RAVE Events: Promote and discover emerging talent. Present the emerging talent in a newer and smarter way, and wherever possible, align them with our living legends in classical music.

* RAVE DIGITAL STUDIO: RAVE will provide a digital mastering of any song, compliant with Apple Music, Spotify, SAAVN, GAANA, etc. for Rs 999 within 24 hours. We will create HD music video for Rs 4,999, again within 24 hours. We have a library of over 38,000 loops and samples.

* RAVE RIGHTS: Musicians don't realize that if you just register your music, you will start earning royalties from your music. RAVE will help any artist register their music, publishing and sound recordings, for just Rs 9,999. Once they are registered, they will earn 100% of their royalties (as against the platform earning it). 
      
Concluded Rishi Shah: “There is amazing raw talent in India’s blocks which we refuse to categorize it the way government and planners have called it. Talent from places such as Dharavi (Mumbai), Nochikuppam (Chennai), Rajendra Nagar (Bengaluru), Indiramma Nagar Hyderabad etc are potential blocks for emerging talent. Besides, today we have launched ‘15 seconds to Fame’ wherein anybody can send us his / her 15 seconds of video recording of Rap or Hip-Hop and we will select five best rappers weekly basis and provide mastering of video for free.

Nine Things You Can't Miss at CLOUDSEC India 2018

It's the time of the year again for cybersecurity industry's most exciting annual event -- CLOUDSEC 2018. Organized by Trend Micro, a leading global cybersecurity technology provider, CLOUDSEC India 2018 will take place on October 25 at Grand Hyatt, Mumbai, India.

Cybersecurity matters continue to confuse and befuddle governments, businesses, and users at large today. Compounding the issue is the fact that the conversation is constantly evolving. In 2017, the keyword in the industry was ransomware. This year, IoT-related attacks and GDPR have taken over as the hottest topics. In an ecosystem where things change almost every day, it is essential that government officials and companies keep themselves informed of the latest discussions in cybersecurity.

This year's CLOUDSEC provides a platform for different parties in the ecosystem to mingle and learn from each other, be it the latest threats or the newest cybersecurity technologies. Only by exchanging experience and knowledge can we move forward as an industry. Here are 9 reasons why CLOUDSEC 2018 is the cybersecurity event of the year.

1. Are you afraid to connect? Fear not!

This year's theme is Freedom to Connect, in line with the rapid developments in IoT, artificial intelligence, and more.

Today, businesses know they have to be connected to the internet, but they are simultaneously concerned about exposing themselves to various cyberthreats and data breaches. During the conference, we will share tips and best practices of securing internet-connected operations.

2. Beware of false horizons

Digital transformation is creating a lot of anxiety and hype. Facing a growing collection of cybersecurity technologies, companies are often confused about which ones to adopt, and how to connect the dots between different technologies. 

Steve Quane, Executive Vice President, Network Defense and Hybrid Cloud Security, Trend Micro, will share tips and advice on how to utilize and integrate new technologies such as endpoint detection and response (EDR), AI, cloud workload protection, and more into one holistic and all-round strategy.

3. Advanced cybersecurity strategies and solutions

While enterprises in India are spending more on cybersecurity each year, organizations are still not confident of their ability to protect, detect, and respond to cyberthreats.

Nilesh Jain, Vice President, Southeast Asia and India, Trend Micro, will talk about the strategies and solutions that enterprises can implement to thrive in the fast-changing threat landscape.

4. Leap into the cloud conversation

We are honored to have our cloud and virtualization partners - AWS and VMware - joining us this year. Together with Trend Micro, they will hold a panel discussion and a series of breakout sessions sharing their insights on securing the various types of cloud and virtual environments. Is your organization transitioning to cloud? Are you looking at DevSecOps or container technology? This is the best opportunity to meet the experts and ask them your questions. 

5. Hear from the industry analyst

Andras Cser, Vice President and Principal Analyst, Forrester, will participate in this year's conference to talk about how to stay ahead of rapidly evolving cybersecurity landscape.

6. Listen to what the CIOs say

CIOs from GSTN, Reliance Jio, and Bajaj Allianz will participate in CLOUDSEC and share how they’re securing their systems. Come hear their cybersecurity strategies and best practices first-hand! 

7. Demystify EDR/MDR 

The hottest topics in cybersecurity today are endpoint detection and response (EDR) and managed detection and response (MDR). But do you know what they are? How are they different from endpoint protection most organizations are doing now? Our engineers will host dedicated tracks that aim to give you the A to Z of these two new industry terms. 

8. Old and new threats 

Martin Rosler, Senior Director for Forward-Looking Threat Research, Trend Micro, has deep knowledge and background in threat research. Having led multiple underground research projects and taken down cybercriminal activities together with law enforcement, Martin will share with the audience his latest threat research and what to look out for in the near future. 

9. Rub shoulders with luminaries in the cybersecurity field

The event will see attendance from CIOs and CISOs from various companies in India, as well as prominent figures from Forrester giving feature talks.

With more than 6,500 attendees globally in 2017, CLOUDSEC has become one of the biggest international cybersecurity events that attract professionals from various fields looking to improve their cybersecurity practices. Here you will find some of the most influential people in cybersecurity, and it's the perfect opportunity to ask them questions and have a meaningful conversation.

Hitachi Brings Together Leading Data-Driven Innovators at NEXT 2018

Hitachi Vantara, a wholly owned subsidiary of Hitachi, Ltd., recently at NEXT 2018, the company’s second annual user conference, unveiled new enhancements and partnerships to help enterprises maximize the value of their data. Hitachi first introduced Hitachi Vantara at NEXT 2017 as a new business entity that delivers business and societal outcomes to enterprises through the power of data.

Hitachi Vantara uniquely combines Hitachi’s deep expertise in operational technology (OT) with its trusted and proven history in information technology (IT) innovation. This powerful combination delivers superior infrastructure and analytics technologies that help customers along the entire data journey of storing, enriching, activating and monetizing data for maximum business benefit. Only Hitachi can provide this return on data no matter where it resides – from the data center to the cloud and out to the edge.

Importance of Deriving Value out of Data

According to McKinsey, 127 new devices connect to the internet every second and generate vast amounts of data. The organizations that can use technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) to gain actionable insights from data can expect revenue to grow by 10%. With extraordinary business momentum in its first year, Hitachi Vantara is today announcing unprecedented customer traction and new solutions to help customers capitalize on this opportunity through data. The new solutions announced today help enterprises modernize their data centers, simplify and accelerate their cloud initiatives, enhance data governance and use IoT and analytics to improve maintenance and repair operations across multiple industries.

News Highlights From Day One of NEXT 2018:

Hitachi Vantara Marks One Year Since Launch With Significant Company Momentum
Hitachi Vantara Advances IT Infrastructure Portfolio With Updated Converged and Hyperconverged Systems, Enhanced Applications Support
Hitachi Vantara Helps Customers Govern and Protect Data in a Multicloud World
Hitachi Vantara Enhances Cloud Services With Container Security and Innovative Multicloud Support for DevOps and Data Services
Hitachi Vantara Strengthens Lumada Portfolio With Applications for Intelligent Maintenance and Repair
Hitachi Vantara Expands Smart Data Center Intelligence and Automation for Self-Optimizing Data Centers

“In today’s data-driven economy, organizations that are slower to adopt digital strategies will find it challenging to compete and stay relevant,” said Brian Householder, CEO of Hitachi Vantara. “Hitachi Vantara is a data company that gives our customers the combination of trusted solutions and expertise to deliver a return on data at every step of their digital journey.”

Enhanced Infrastructure Portfolio and Expanded Intelligence and Automation To Drive Data Center Modernization

Hitachi Vantara announced technology enhancements across its leading IT infrastructure portfolio that help customers modernize their data centers as part of their digital transformation strategies. These enhancements include Hitachi’s first all-NVMe converged system delivering dramatically improved performance and efficiency for customers of Hitachi Unified Compute Platform HC (UCP HC) hyperconverged systems. Hitachi also introduced smart data center intelligence and automation for self-optimizing data centers. These advancements can lower data center costs with intelligent SAN optimization, automated provisioning and AI-based cooling optimization.

Improved Data Governance, Protection and Security for Multicloud Environments

To help customers control how their data is stored, protected, governed and accessed across workloads and in multicloud environments, Hitachi Vantara introduced updates to its Hitachi Content Platform (HCP) portfolio. HCP makes sensitive data tamper-resistant with the latest governance capabilities including compliance enforcement in the public cloud, data retention enhancements and protection against cybersecurity risks.

Expanded Lumada Portfolio Includes New Applications for Intelligent Maintenance and Repair

Based on highly accurate, prescriptive and predictive algorithms, the new Lumada Maintenance Insights solutions help customers anticipate breakdowns and guide them on necessary maintenance repairs, improving operations and avoiding equipment downtime. New applications, powered by Hitachi’s Lumada, incorporate cutting-edge machine learning models that can be rapidly customized for specific environments. Lumada provides modular platform technologies, applications and professional services expertise that enable organizations to adopt IoT with confidence.

Murata Exhibiting Smart Factory Automation Solutions at Electronica India 2018

Murata, a global leader in the design, manufacture and sale of ceramic-based passive electronic components & solutions, communication modules and power supply modules, announced today that it is participating in Electronica India 2018, South Asia's leading international trade fair for electronic components, systems and applications, beginning today.

During the three-day event, Murata is showcasing its cutting-edge sensor, communication and power technology products and solutions, which enable enterprises in the industrial and automotive sectors to migrate seamlessly to Industry 4.0 through adoption of IoT. The Murata booth is also presenting products and solutions for smart-factory automation, which is expanding the demand for smaller devices with improved reliability and data processing.

“Murata aims to develop new business together with its Indian partner-customers, including by supporting smart-factory automation, in response to government initiatives to increase manufacturing and efforts to increase process efficiency for factory automation,” stated Choi Yong Suk, Managing Director of Murata Electronics (India) Private Limited.

1.    Low Power Wide Area (LPWA)

Murata is displaying communication modules incorporating LPWA communication standards, which combine extended-range data transmission and decreased power consumption. From process management to logistics and warehouse management, LPWA technology offers diverse applications for smart-factory automation.

2.    Predictive Maintenance with Vibration Sensor Node and Gateway*
Murata offers a small IP65-rated device for monitoring vibrations and surface temperatures in critical rotating machines and other industrial machinery. An embedded processor in the sensor node sends data wirelessly via a gateway. The wireless vibration sensor node and gateway support signal measurement, data provision, etc. for diagnostic purposes and predictive maintenance, such as early detection of machine breakdown, reduced engineering labor and maintenance costs, minimized downtime, and improved operational reliability and worker safety.

3.    Work-In-Progress Monitoring with RFID Technology
RFID technology will play a major role in future smart factories, enabling devices to communicate in real time via radio waves with manufacturing systems hosted on the cloud. Murata offers solutions for smart factories, logistics and human management that connect things in factories (products, production equipment, etc.) to the Internet for higher industrial efficiency and new business creation. The exhibit is presenting cases of these solutions being used with passive RFID products (tags) in smart factories.

4.    Assets Tracking with BLE Mesh Solution*
This Murata solution is an indoor positioning system that uses Bluetooth® Low Energy (BLE) radio waves for location identification and flow-line analysis in indoor environments such as factories and warehouses. The BLE tag transmits radio waves periodically to track both assets and workers. Murata’s unique receivers capture the transmissions and forward them to a gateway through the company’s BLE mesh multi-hopping solution. Murata’s SyCloud calculates each tag position based on information from the gateway. Murata’s uniquely simple wireless system is easy to install, another benefit for factory environments.

*Sold in Japan but currently unavailable in the Indian market

Murata is also exhibiting its team of demonstration robots, The Murata Cheerleaders. The popular robots incorporate the company’s latest sensor, communication and highly advanced group control technologies, which reflect the endless possibilities of electronics, including technologies for improved automotive safety and other smart-city applications.

Goa Institute of Management Organized Conclave on Ethical Data Leadership in Bengaluru

In the 25th year of its existence, Goa Institute of Management in keeping with its philosophy of espousing Principle-Centred Leadership, organized a conclave on Ethical Data Leadership in Bengaluru. The event was well attended by thought leaders and alumni from the field of analytics, big data and information technology.

The event featured a keynote speech by Bhaskar Pramanik, former Chairperson of Microsoft India, and a panel discussion with Dr. Avik Sarkar, an Officer on Special Duty at NITI Aayog, Prof Rahul De, Hewlett-Packard Chair Professor in ICT for Sustainable Economic Development at IIM Bangalore, Mr. Anoop Nambiar, Partner with Deloitte Touché Tohmatsu India LLP, Narasimha Murthy, Vice President of Cartesian Consulting, and Dr. Nitin Upadhyay, Chair and Head Centre of Innovation, Member Big Data Analytics Goa Institute of Management.  

Pramanik shared his deep insights about science fiction predicting the technology we are now witnessing around us today highlighting how writers right from Aldous Huxley in the sixties to Harari today have brought into focus the ethical dimensions that these revolutions will or are throwing up. Every advance in technology raises more questions on ethics. He emphasized that with these advancements there will be a greater need for technologists to understand humanities and for humanists to appreciate technologies that are evolving today.

The panelists also raised important points on the provenance of data, the need for human judgment overriding artificial intelligence, taking a 360-degree view of customers as well as the emerging imperatives on technology by way of better confidentiality, integrity and availability of the data that has proliferated.

Dr. Ajit Parulekar, Director Goa Institute of Management says that “This data conclave furthers GIM’s objective of being a management thought-promoter and providing a platform for cutting edge discussions in emerging business domains such as Big Data Analytics.”

Goa Institute of Management through such events as these intend to continue to place important debates on Ethics and Leadership in front of industry and academia, helping form opinion and direct thought to this ever-challenging issue.

Blue Dart Expands Reach in Order to Deliver to Every Indian Home by December 2018

Blue Dart, India’s leading logistics services provider, and part of Deutsche Post DHL Group (DPDHL), today announced major expansion plans to deliver to every Indian home by December 2018, amidst rising demand for deliveries in tier II, III & IV towns in India. The initiative is one of the biggest drives undertaken to expand Blue Dart’s reach to every corner of India and aims to reach 19,100+ pin codes by December 2018.  

Through the initiative, the goal is to reach every Indian home, further strengthening Blue Dart’s leadership position in the Express Logistics industry in India for B2B and B2C. It is the largest and most preferred third party logistics service provider for leading industry verticals and has truly differentiated itself with world-class products and services, high service quality, state-of-the art infrastructure and innovative technology to deliver superior services to the customer. 

The initiative was launched in January 2018 and since then Blue Dart has expanded its reach from 6,164 pin codes to 17,677+ pin codes across the country, currently. As of September 2018, Blue Dart has achieved 100% pin code coverage in 16 states and union territories which include Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi, Punjab, Goa, Telangana, Gujarat, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Pondicherry, Daman & Diu, Chandigarh and Dadra & Nagar Haveli. 

Anil Khanna, Managing Director, Blue Dart Express Limited said, “As India’s leading logistics company, we are committed to delivering only the best for our customers. We are aggressively expanding our network to reach every Indian home by December 2018 to enable fast, efficient and reliable deliveries for both B2B and B2C customers. We are well on our way to cover all pin codes in India, with already 17,677+ pin codes and 100% pin code coverage in 16 states and union territories. Blue Dart’s strategy is in alignment with the Government’s Make in India vision and various state initiatives, to further enable business and generate employment across the country”. 

As part of the expansion, Blue Dart has opened over 939+ new facilities (called NBDO - New Blue Dart Offices) to cater to the large consumer base in rural and remote locations.

Interesting facts about India’s pin codes:
·         Service to 422604 – Rajur - Covers Kalsubai, the highest point in Maharashtra, also called 'Everest of Maharashtra'
·         India’s Last Pincode (as of Feb 2018): 855117 Kishanganj district in Bihar.
·         Services pin code 443302 in Lonar which covers Lonar lake, the only known hyper velocity impact crater in basaltic rock anywhere on earth
·         India’s First Pincode: 110001 in Central Delhi
·         Blue Dart services pin code 444807- Chikhaldara, the only coffee growing area in Maharashtra, situated at an altitude of 1118 m. 
·         Pincode with Highest Temperature: Phalodi (Rajasthan) 342301 
·         Blue Dart also services pin code 414105 in Sonai, which covers Shani Shingnapur village, a village where none of the houses have doors. The village is famed for its temple dedicated to Shani, the planet Saturn.
·         Pincode at Highest Altitude: Hikkim (Himachal) 172114
·         In Coimbatore, Blue Dart also services the most interior towns such as Kalpeta (673121) Sulthanbathery (673592), Gudalur (625518) and Pyakara (643237)
·         Richest Village in India (with 60 millionaires):  Hiware Bazar, Maharashtra 414103
·         Most Modern Village (all houses equipped with CC TVs and WiFi & all street lights are solar powered: Punsari, Gujarat 383305 
·         Village of Twins (More than 400 twins): Kodinhi, Kerala 676309
·         Village with 100% SANSKRIT speaking population: Mattur, Karnataka 577203
·         Cleanest village of Asia: Mawlynnong, Meghalaya 793109

Dr. Agarwal’s Eye Hospital Launches its Seventh Facility in Bengaluru at Koramangala

Dr. Agarwal’s Eye Hospital, a renowned eyecare chain with dozens of eye hospitals spread across India and abroad, today launched its new super-specialty eye care center at Koramangala in Bengaluru, taking the number of its facilities in the city to seven.

Noted actor Jayaram Karthik inaugurated the new state-of-the-art facility in the presence of senior officials of Dr. Agarwal’s Group of Eye Hospitals, including Kiran Narayan, Vice President, Supply Chain, and Dr. Amod Nayak, Regional Head & Medical Services Director. The aim of the new center is to offer one-stop-solution for all kinds of eye ailments to the people of Bengaluru.

Congratulating the hospital chain for the addition of a new facility to its already vast network of 77 hospitals spread across the Globe, Actor Jayaram Karthik said, “I am delighted to inaugurate this new center of Dr. Agarwal’s Eye Hospital. A facility like this is a welcome addition to the healthcare infrastructure of Bengaluru. Eyesight is perhaps the greatest gift one person can give to those who cannot see. On this occasion, I also pledge to donate my eyes so that I can make a difference to people’s lives. I would like to take this opportunity to request every individual to come forward to pledge to donate their eyes.”

Said Kiran Raju Narayan, Vice President, Supply Chain, Dr. Agarwal’s Group of Eye Hospitals: “We have always been committed to providing the best possible services for our eye patients. Keeping this in mind, we always ensure that we have the latest technologies available at all our eyecare centers. Opening of our Seventh center in Bengaluru is a big achievement for all of us. It will help us address the growing needs of eye patients in the city who are looking for state-of-the-art treatment at competitive costs. We are deeply committed to the people of Karnataka and will continue to extend our geographical footprint across the state.”

Added Dr. Amod Nayak, Regional Head & Medical Services Director, Dr. Agarwal’s Eye Hospitals, Bengaluru: “There is overwhelming demand from the people of Bengaluru for quality eyecare with personalized services. The new center spread across 6,000 sq.ft. in Koramangala will offer the best of eye specialists and treatment for eye ailments and diseases. Some of the significant offerings of this facility include state-of-the-art modular operation theatre, precision-enabled diagnostic center, a dedicated cataract operation theatre and well-planned doctor chambers to reduce patient wait-time.”

Samsung’s First Triple Camera Smartphone Galaxy A7 Debuts in India Available from September 27-28, 2018

Samsung, India’s most trusted brand, today launched Galaxy A7, with a stunning design, powerful Rear Triple Camera, striking new colours and superior performance. 

Galaxy A7 has been developed based on the consumer insight that nearly half of the Indian millennials use their smartphone cameras daily and their rear camera twice as much as the front camera. In the new triple camera set up, there is an additional 8MP 120° Ultra-Wide Lens, which has the same viewing angle as the human eye. This allows users to capture unrestricted wide-angle photos exactly like what one can see.

The 24MP primary and selfie cameras also feature a new technology – Pixel Binning that allows the device to intelligently detect low light conditions and combine four pixels into one ‘Super Pixel’ for crisp and clear shots in the dark. The 24MP primary camera coupled with 5MP depth lens powers Live Focus feature that controls the depth of field by allowing users to adjust the effect both during and after clicking photos.

Built on the insight that more than 40% of millennials edit their images prior to using them on social platforms, Galaxy A7 is also power packed with exciting intelligent features. Galaxy A7 camera gets a scene optimizer that automatically detects any of 19 different scenarios such as food, flower, or sunset, etc. and optimises each shot for the best picture composition. Consumers can enhance their instant messaging experience by creating customized avatars using the ‘AR Emoji’ feature by taking a picture of themselves with the selfie camera or a friend with the rear camera. They can choose from a set of GIF images for a more fun and emotive experience. The 24MP selfie camera also has a ‘Pro-Lighting’ feature where images can be edited with multiple lighting settings to deliver a distinct and professional look akin to a studio photo shoot.

Featuring a 6.0-inch FHD+ Super AMOLED display, Galaxy A7 along with Samsung’s signature Infinity Display allows users to make the most of uninterrupted, immersive viewing. The True FHD+ display is powered by a Trust Zone technology processor that enables Widevine L1 certification, thus ensuring all popular streaming apps allow HD content to stream seamlessly on Galaxy A7. In order to make this device a true audio-visual delight, it also supports Dolby Atmos® immersive sound technology that brings true HD content to life. Galaxy A7 is an absolute style statement with a 2.5D glass back design, 7.5mm slim body, and a side fingerprint sensor where the sensor has been integrated into the power button for a clutter-free design. 

“There is innovation and something new in every facet of the Galaxy A7 starting with the triple camera lens to power ultra-wide shots and intelligent features that ensure the best picture composition. The True FHD+ display with Super AMOLED Infinity Display and Widevine L1 certification delivers a superlative viewing experience.  The bold new colours and a side fingerprint sensor deliver a refreshed design. We are confident that with this device, we will capture the imagination of the Indian millennial and be able to add to the celebrations during the festive season,” said Aditya Babbar, General manager, mobile business, Samsung India

Galaxy A7 will further strengthen Samsung’s leadership in the mid-range segment, which has been bolstered by the recent launch of Galaxy J6+ and Galaxy J4+. The devices come in just ahead of the festive season, thus adding to the consumer delight.

Galaxy A7 also packs a punch when it comes to performance. Galaxy A7 is powered by a Samsung Exynos 7885 2.2GHz Octa Core processor. The device will be available in 6GB RAM/ 128GB ROM and 4GB RAM and 64GB ROM variants. This can be enhanced with a 512GB expandable memory and Samsung’s industry-first ‘Install Apps to Memory Card’ feature. The device is powered by a 3,300mAh battery and runs the Android Oreo operating system.

Offers, Price and Availability

Galaxy A7 range will be priced at INR 23,990 (4GB/64GB variant) and INR 28,990 (6GB/128 GB variant) and will be available in stylish colours– blue, black and gold.

Consumers can avail exciting cash backs worth INR 2,000 when they make a payment through HDFC bank credit and debit cards.

The highly anticipated Galaxy A7 is slated to launch by September end across over 180,000 outlets. In order to give consumers early access, the device will be available on September 27 and 28 for a special preview sale on Flipkart, Samsung e-shop, and at Samsung Opera House in Bengaluru.

SpiceJet Now Connects Amritsar with Bangkok & Goa from Nov 6, 2018

SpiceJet, the country’s favourite carrier, today announced the launch of two new flights from Amritsar connecting Bangkok and Goa. The airline is the first and only carrier to offer daily direct connectivity on the routes of both Amritsar-Bangkok-Amritsar and Amritsar-Goa-Amritsar. The new flights will be effective from November 6, 2018.

Bangkok is the second international destination after Dubai that SpiceJet will be connecting via a direct flight from Amritsar. Bangkok is one of the most preferred international destinations for Indian tourists with every year record number of tourists visiting the Thai capital. Goa is also one of India’s favourite travel destinations. Earlier passengers from Amritsar had to travel to Delhi to board flights for both the destinations. The new flights will enhance customer convenience manifold.

The announcement was made in the august presence of Capt. Amarinder Singh, Chief Minister of Punjab. On the occasion, Kamal Hingorani, Chief Customer Service Officer, SpiceJet handed over the first ticket to Capt. Amarinder Singh, thereby marking the formal announcement of the launch of the new flight service.

Shilpa Bhatia, Chief Sales and Revenue Officer, SpiceJet said, “Both Bangkok and Goa are among top picks for leisure travelers and we see immense potential in these routes. SpiceJet is proud to be the only Indian carrier to offer direct connectivity from Amritsar to Bangkok and Goa. We are constantly scaling up our network in both domestic and international markets and we will continue to eye new growth markets offering enhanced convenience for our customers.”

To celebrate the launch of the new routes, the airline has also announced an introductory promotional fare of INR 9399 (all inclusive) for Amritsar-Bangkok, INR 9999 (all inclusive) for Bangkok-Amritsar, INR 5599 (all inclusive) for Amritsar-Goa and INR 5699 (all inclusive) for Goa-Amritsar.

SpiceJet will be deploying its Boeing aircraft on both the routes. SG 89 operating on the Amritsar-Bangkok route will depart from Amritsar at 04.00 am, whereas SG 90 operating on the route of Bangkok-Amritsar route will depart at 11.10 am. Operating on the Amritsar – Goa route, SG 281 will depart at 6.20 pm, whereas SG 282 operating between the Goa-Amritsar sectors will depart at 9.40 pm.   

Hyderabad Metro Rail from Ameerpet to LB Nagar Flagged Off Today by Governor ESL Narasihman

L&T Metro Rail (Hyderabad) Limited is happy to announce the commencement of commercial operations between Ameerpet to LB Nagar stretch. The flag-off was done by ESL Narasihman, Governor of Telangana State & Andhra Pradesh, in the presence of KT Rama Rao, Minister, MA & UD, GoTS, Dr SK Joshi, IAS, Chief Secretary, GoTS, Arvind Kumar, IAS, Principal Secretary, MA & UD, GoTS, NVS Reddy, IRAS, MD, HMRL, KVB Reddy, MD & CEO, L&T Metro Rail (hyderabad) Limited and other dignitaries. All the dignitaries travelled from Ameerpet to LB Nagar covering a distance of 16 kms.

This stretch is a part of Corridor 1 – Miyapur to LB Nagar (Red Line). Ameerpet to LB Nagar stretch with 16 stations covering a distance of 16 kms that adds on to the existing 30 kms (Miyapur – Ameerpet – Nagole) of operational corridor launched in November 2017. This 16 kms stretch completes the 29 kms of Corridor I – Red Line, from Miyapur to LB Nagar covering 27 stations.

16 stations – Panjagutta, Irrumanzil, Khairtabad, Lakdi-Ka-Pool, Assembly, Nampally, Gandhi Bhavan, Osmania Medical College, MGBS, Malakpet, New Market, Moosarambagh, Dilshuknagar, Chaitanyapuri, Victoria Memorial and LB Nagar.

His Excellency Governor ESL Narasihman stated “I have travelled in many metros around the world and Hyderabad Metro is one of the best metros in the world. I hope that Hyderabadis will make full use of this world class facility and I am sure Hyderabad will scale greater heights in the years to come.”

Expressing his happiness K T Rama Rao, Minister, MA & UD, GoTS, thanked the His Excellency Governor ESL Narasihman for flagging off the Ameerpet – LB Nagar Metro train services and for spending his valuable time for this function.

On this jubilant occasion, Sri NVS Reddy stated, “Hyderabad Metro, which is India’s second longest metro network after Delhi, is the world’s largest metro rail project in PPP mode. It’s a robust mass transit system and which is also used as an opportunity to convert an Indian city into a people friendly green city. It’s a game changer which will catapult Hyderabad to the next level of development.”

Speaking on the occasion, Sri KVB Reddy, MD & CEO, L&T Metro Rail (Hyderabad) Limited said, “Hyderabadis have been eagerly waiting for the inauguration of this stretch and we are proud to start Ameerpet to LB Nagar  commercial operations today. Public have welcomed Hyderabad Metro Rail services overwhelmingly and we are thankful to each and every one for their patronage. L&T is synonymous with large scale infrastructure projects that are not only iconic but also serve towards nation building.”

“Today, with the inauguration of this additional 16 kms stretch of this prestigious project, we have reached another significant mile stone in our endeavour to create world-class infrastructure for Hyderabad. We are grateful to His Excellency Governor Sri ESL Narasihman to accord such importance to this project which has transformed Hyderabad into a modern and commuter-friendly-city. Hyderabad Metro Rail marks the beginning of seamless commuting in Hyderabad.” he added.

Flipkart Acquires Israel-Based Real-Time Pricing Upstream Commerce

Flipkart, India’s largest e-commerce marketplace, ​has strengthened its innovation capabilities with the acquisition of Israel-based Upstream Commerce, a world leader in real-time pricing and product assortment optimization solutions. One of Israel’s leading technology startups, ​Upstream Commerce builds cloud-based, automated competitive pricing and product analysis solutions. ​These solutions will strengthen Flipkart’s ability to deliver insights to its sellers, helping them optimize their product assortment and pricing strategies and find gaps in the market to serve customers better.

Post the acquisition, the Upstream Commerce team, while continuing to work out of Israel, will become a part of Flipkart and become Flipkart’s one of the many global centers for future data science work.

The acquisition is in line with Flipkart’s vision to solve e-commerce challenges through technology innovations- both through in house efforts as well as inorganic route, and will help provide wider selection and better pricing for Flipkart customers.

“In the past decade, Flipkart has not only pushed for e-commerce growth in India but has also solved quintessential Indian problems through technology innovations and we will continue to be aggressive in building and getting global tech to solve for some of the hardest e-commerce problems. With the Upstream acquisition, we will now have tech and talent presence across Asia, US and Israel, some of the key global hubs for innovation. The team at Upstream Commerce is highly talented and as we welcome them to Flipkart we are also looking forward to making Israel one of our excellence centres to do cutting edge data science work,” ​said Kalyan Krishnamurthy, CEO, Flipkart.


“At Flipkart, we have ​helped get lakhs of small and medium businesses online and it is important for these businesses to price their products correctly. While ​we have been actively developing machine learning algorithms to further improve the selection and pricing parameters for sellers, ​we believe that through added capabilities from Upstream, we will be able to provide them with automated pricing and help plan better selection ​in the most accurate, timely, and profitable way. ​These capabilities will be a big addition for us and together with our ​inhouse AI capabilities, we will be able to share actionable insights with our sellers to help them make informed decisions on products and their pricing,” said Anil Goteti, Head of Marketplace, Flipkart.

Commented Amos Peleg, CEO Upstream Commerce​, “​We are excited to become a part of India’s largest e-commerce player. During our discussion, as we got to know more about Flipkart, we realized that we share the same passion for technology, and the same vision for the contribution of data science to the future and success of online retail. The choice and vision of Flipkart to establish its presence in Israel through acquiring Upstream Commerce is a significant vote of confidence in the company’s team, technology and domain expertise, and are looking forward to help growing the presence of Flipkart in Israel.”

Upstream Commerce was backed by YL Ventures as a leading investor from its inception to acquisition. Avendus Capital was the financial advisor to Upstream Commerce.