Credberg Sets Up Office in Bangalore to Address Financial Solutions in Real Estate Sector

Within six months of successful launch, Credberg, a solution based investment bank focused on real estate and infrastructure, has expanded their footprint to South India. The firm established by former Brookfield Financial honchos Pawan Swamy and Adil Engineer has set up its Bangalore office to address the growing requirements for finding financial solutions in the real estate sector.

Credberg has been drawing on its expertise in real estate assets and global network to provide corporate finance solutions, asset brokerage and capital market services across all major real estate markets. Credberg has already made a mark in such a short time by addressing the huge potential in the market place for capital solutions as most players focus on just real estate.

Pawan Swamy, Chairman and Jt. Managing Partner, Credberg Advisors said, “Credberg is largely focused on identifying situations, providing executable advice, creating value as well as matching opportunities with the needs. We attribute our growth to our understanding of investment philosophies and to building partnerships with the spotlight on re- ducing conditionality thereby creating solutions.”

Commenting on the launch of Credberg’s Bangalore operations, Pawan Swamy, Chairman and Jt. Managing Partner, Credberg Advisors said, “Basically, Bangalore is the pivot for us to serve the south market. Clearly, we have seen good demand playing out in the last couple of years in Southern India. In terms of the office sector the annual absorption levels in Bangalore, Hyderabad and Chennai alone now contribute north of 55% of the total national absorption. In the residential space the sales velocity in the mid-market segment is stable inspite of the ongoing liquidity crisis. Also, we are seeing the emergence of alternate asset classes such as student housing, data centers and co-living with high concentration in the southern India belt. If you add to this backdrop, the capital and deal making needed in the market today this is an attractive proposition for us. Also from local and global investors perspective, the quality as well as diversification of real estate that is being built in the south is distinct.”

Additionally, Adil Engineer, Jt. Managing Partner, Credberg Advisors said, “The ease of doing business in Bangalore definitely, is much higher than in any other city in the country. The working environment in Bangalore is far more conducive owing to the professionalism of developers and the efficient way of working. It’s a relatively a stable market and not prone to so much fluctuation and price volatility which makes it more comfortable for lenders to evaluate various kinds of projects here. Hence Bangalore became our obvious choice. Moreover, we are very well connected in this market and will be able to leverage our network.”

Engineer further highlighted about Credberg team, “Our trustworthy and credible team matches its deep-rooted understanding of local real estate with expertise in capital markets, to provide innovative and strategic solutions to meet the precise needs of our clients. We have an unmatched track record of advising on complex situations. I am confident that we will create the right impact in South.”

About Credberg

CREDBERG is a solution focused boutique investment bank that draws on its expertise in Real Assets and its global network to provide corporate finance solutions, asset brokerage and capital market services across all major real estate markets.


CREDBERG’s team of dedicated professionals has the most complete overall experience with regards to understanding real estate transactions whether from the buy side, the sell side or the construction cycle and its management, and therefore, has the capability to think with a client mindset.

Technology Industry Outlook & Views from Indian Industry Leaders During 2020 and Beyond

Here are some of the leaders comments on the 2020 Technology Industry outlook.

Mr. Rakesh Kharwal, Managing Director - India/South Asia & ASEAN, Cyberbit: "A year after the Cambridge Analytica scandal, yet another data leak took place at Facebook this year. About 540 million records of Facebook users were publicly exposed to Amazon's cloud hosting service. To give you a picture, this is about 7% of the global population when a large chunk of it is yet to digitize. The losses due to such cyber crimes are expected to reach $6 trillion by 2021 according to a report by Cybersecurity Ventures. This is when almost 60% of organizations have unfilled cybersecurity positions owing to the skill gap and 77% of leaders believe that an infrastructure breach can take place with far-reaching consequences. The need of the hour is to quickly fill this void by adopting next-generation technologies such as cybersecurity simulation & training platform to equip our nation with the required skillsets and thereby generating over 1 million jobs for the country’s youth. In a nutshell, 2020 could turn out to be a year of unbridled opportunities for India if it is able to successfully align itself in this landscape."

Mr. Piyush Kumar Founder and CEO, Rooter: "2019 was a great year for the Sports industry in India with a busy cricket calendar including the ICC Cricket World Cup in England for ODIs. A massive number of sports fans chose to consume their favorite sports events online, especially on their smartphones. As a result, the Indian smartphone market added nearly 100mn new users taking overall internet user base to 600mn in 2019.  This presented a huge opportunity for all content platforms to engage and onboard new users. As consumption for sporting events online grew around 50% in 2019, OTT platform Hotstar engaged more than 300mn users, whereas Cricbuzz had more than 100mn users consuming its content. Sports Community Platform, Rooter also pivoted from being a gaming and content provider to a content-based community platform in 8 languages in 2019.

We identified our core audience and their needs thereby focusing on content as a core product feature to create the community. We also launched the first-ever Audio/Video user-generated tool in Sports, giving wings to millions of fans to express themselves. The user base of Rooter grew by 350% this year with more engagement and revenue base. 2020 is again lined up with a busy sports calendar starting with IPL, Euro 2020, Olympics and T20 World Cup. We want to grow bigger creating a strong value proposition for sports fans and create our own leadership space in sports content category in India."

Mr. Ashwin Rao, Director, Limelight Networks, India: The global wireless communications industry has begun preparing for the rollout 5G with the promise of offering consumers faster speeds that can potentially change how people and Internet of Things (IoT) enabled devices communicate. According to the State of Digital Lifestyle research report 2019 commissioned by Limelight Networks, expectations that 5G networking will bring faster download speeds are highest are highest in India, with 88.2 percent expecting to see improved performance.

Mr. Eric Zhou, EVP – UNISOC: “Given the recent developments, it is likely that the year ahead will see India making several quantum leaps. To begin with, a large-scale 5G rollout is likely to come to pass in 2020, with chipset manufacturers, smartphone brands, and telecom operators taking a page out of the playbooks of 5G nations such as the China and US. This 5G adoption will also increase the network bandwidth in new-age chipsets, powering a rapid increase in the number of everyday use-cases for these cutting-edge technologies such as AI, machine learning, and edge computing.”

Mr. Aakrit Vaish, CEO, Haptik:   “Conversational AI world is now driven by an entirely new concept of Intelligent Virtual Assistant solutions (IVAs), and 2020 is the year when they finally burst onto the scene. Intelligent Virtual Assistants (IVAs) are getting smarter and their increasing capability of voice assistants is accelerating their adoption in the global business landscape further. While Alexa is reported to have 50,000 skills and is used by 3500+ brands, Google’s voice support today supports more than 30 languages. Globally, IVAs have contributed to increased sales by about 67%, and have initiated 26% of all sales transactions. As per a recent report by Accenture 75%, executives believe they risk going out of business if they don’t scale.

We enter 2020, with an ever-quickening pace of life needs solutions that support diverse needs for people with short attention spans. IVA solutions have evolved to fill this need gap, and have finally reached a critical point in their acceptance and implementation.

From the pace of adoption of IVAs by organizations, It becomes obvious that enterprises are not ‘trying them out’ anymore, rather they are actively looking at them as necessary drivers of better ROI, improved customer engagement, operational efficiency, productivity boosters and an active facilitator towards achieving other organizational objectives. 2020 is the year when IVAs will become a common feature across the global entrepreneurial ecosphere, implemented as a norm rather than a novelty."

Hero Motocorp Unveils 100-CC BS-VI Motocycle – HF Deluxe BS-VI Powered by Programmed FI with ‘XSENS Tech’, Priced at Rs 55,925

Reiterating its commitment to quickly roll-out an exciting and comprehensive BS-VI product portfolio for its customers, Hero MotoCorp, the world’s largest two-wheeler manufacturer, has launched the first BS-VI motorcycle in the entry segment – the HF Deluxe BS-VI.

The commencement of despatches for the HF Deluxe BS-VI come close on the heels of the Company’s first-ever BS-VI product launch – the Splendor iSmart, thereby reaffirming the leadership role played by Hero MotoCorp in migrating to the new emission regime.

With these products coming in quick succession, Hero MotoCorp is rapidly ramping-up its portfolio of BS-VI products and plans to transform its entire range to BS-VI norms very soon.

The HF Deluxe, India's most successful and iconic motorcycle in the entry segment, will be available at Hero MotoCorp showrooms in the country at attractive prices of Rs. 55,925/- for Self-Start Alloy-wheel variant and Rs. 57,250/- for Self-Start Alloy-wheel i3S variant (both prices ex-showroom Delhi) from the beginning of January 2020.

In addition to keeping the core brand DNA of superior performance and fuel-efficiency intact, the new HF Deluxe BS-VI is now powered by Programmed Fuel-Injection with ‘XSens Technology’ (10 sensors) providing even higher fuel-efficiency (9% higher), effortless acceleration, smoother ride and easy starting anytime & anywhere (ease of cold starting).

Vikram Kasbekar, Executive Director – Operations (Plants) and Chief Technology Officer, Hero MotoCorp, said, “At Hero MotoCorp, we have been working towards ensuring a smooth transition to the BS-VI norms, not just for us but also for all our stakeholders, the industry and most importantly the customers. We are into the final leg of this transition phase and key products in our portfolio like the HF Deluxe are being transitioned now to ensure smooth ramp-up. Our BS-IV inventories are low and will not be replenished going forward. We will be introducing a slew of BS-VI products in the coming weeks.”

Commenting on the occasion, Malo Le Masson, Head - Global Product Planning, Hero MotoCorp, said, “HF Deluxe is the most popular entry segment motorcycle in India. The bike has already entered the 2-Million sales club and commands well over 2/3rd market share in the category. With the new HF Deluxe BS-VI, powered by Programmed FI technology, we have further enhanced the performance and efficiency of the motorcycle. We have now launched two new BS-VI motorcycles in quick succession and are committed to a rapid transition of our entire portfolio to the new norms."

The new HF Deluxe has been designed and developed completely in-house, at the company’s R&D hub, the Center of Innovation and Technology (CIT) in Jaipur, Rajasthan.

Hero MotoCorp is the dominant market leader in the motorcycle segment with well over 60% market share.

THE NEW HF DELUXE BS-VI

BS-VI Compliant FI Engine

The new HF Deluxe BS-VI comes with a 100cc BS-VI Compliant Programmed Fuel Injection engine with ‘XSens Technology’ (10 Sensors) - delivering an impressive power output of 7.94 BHP @ 8000 RPM and torque-on-demand of 8.05 NM @ 6000 RPM. The new and improved HF Deluxe BS-VI offers a 9% higher fuel efficiency, with better performance (+6% faster acceleration), consistent start-ability (even in cold conditions) and longer engine life. The new motorcycle also features Hero’s revolutionary i3S (idle start-stop system).

Superior Drive and Control

The Programmed FI system ensures a precise air-fuel mixture delivery under varying load conditions enabling smoother rideability. It also ensures continuous and real-time adjustment to the air and fuel mixture (through sensors and ECU) based on engine load & ambient conditions for sharper throttle response. The system allows more efficient combustion resulting in higher fuel efficiency and cleaner emissions. The system is typically maintenance-free and does not break down easily.  With 165mm ground clearance and 1235mm wheelbase, the bike delivers superior ride with more stability. In addition, the High Tensile Steel Frame offers strength, rigidity and responsive handling.

New and Improved Style

The HF Deluxe BS-VI comes with all-new graphics and colors. The motorcycle is available in trendy combinations of Black with Red, Black with Purple, Black with Grey and in two new colour schemes of Techno Blue and Heavy Grey with Green.

Joint State Tests of Mi-26T2V Helicopter Begins in Russia Until 2020

Russian Helicopters holding company (part of Rostec State Corporation) and representatives of the Russian Ministry of Defense started joint state tests of Mi-26T2V heavy-lift military transport helicopter which are to last until the end of 2020.

As part of Russian Helicopters' program on upgrading the heavy Mi-26 helicopter for the Russian Aerospace Forces, in 2018 Rostvertol produced a prototype of the modernized Mi-26T2V helicopter.

"Currently, Mi-26T2V prototype  has successfully completed preliminary tests at the manufacturing facility, allowing us to start the joint state tests program which is to last through the entire year 2020. We have taken into account all preferences of the customer and implemented them in Mi-26T2V helicopter design. The performance of the machine will be considerably improved due to the modernization. I am convinced that Mi-26T2V helicopter will have a rightful place in the Russian armed forces," said Director General of Russian Helicopters holding company Andrey Boginsky.

The tests will take place on four proving grounds. The crew of the helicopter will include representatives of the Russian Aerospace Forces and will check the main performance characteristics of the helicopter and operation of new equipment.

The modernized Mi-26T2V helicopter which can be used at any time of the day and has modern avionics is a heavy-lift military and transport helicopter which can carry up to 20 tonnes of cargo. The rotorcraft has the modern NPK90-2V integrated avionics which ensures piloting during the day and at night, enabling the helicopter to fly the route in an automatic mode, come to a preset point, perform approach and final approach maneuvers, and return to the main or alternate aerodrome. The onboard defense system of Mi-26T2V ensures protection of the helicopter from being hit by air defense missile systems.

Mi-26T2V will be able to make flights in the conditions of any region, including those with complex physical and geographical and adverse climatic conditions, at any time of the day, at equipped and unequipped routes, or even without routes, and on featureless terrain, in conditions of fire and information counteraction of the enemy. The number of crew members of the modernized helicopter (five persons) remained unchanged.

Currently, Russian Helicopters holding company produces the entire range of military helicopters for the Russian military agency in accordance with contracts. These machines are necessary for performing the tasks of the Russian armed forces: Ka-52 Alligator, Mi-28NM Night Hunter and military Mi-35M attack helicopters, Mi-38T paratrooper carriers and transport helicopters, Mi-8/17 military transport helicopters, heavy-lift military transport Mi-26 rotorcraft, training and specialized machines.

University Admissions Company LeverageEdu Raises $1.5Mn+ To Fuel Expansion & Growth

University Admissions & Career Guidance platform Leverage Ed-tech Private Limited, announced today that it raised over $1.5Mn from its existing investors. DSG Consumer Partners & Blume Ventures have co-led the latest funding round. Saama Capital founder Ash Lilani & PayU CEO Amrish Rau also participated in this round.

Founded by Akshay Chaturvedi in January 2017, Leverage Ed-tech operates education platforms LeverageEdu.com and Univalley.com. The Company aims to be the go-to brand for university admissions and career guidance for the millennials.

Leverage Edu provides students enrolled on its platform with a seamless college application journey which includes personalized mentor-led 1:1 workshops, portfolio build-up sessions, access to pre-program internships & online courses, and exclusive scholarship options. The company also helps students with post-admit services through their partners for education loans, accommodation options and much more. In September 2019, the company has also launched a new business vertical Univalley.com, which provides advisory, tech and recruitment solutions to partner universities across the globe.

About a million students visit the LeverageEdu.com platform every month to learn more about higher education options & careers they are interested in. The platform also has an AI tool that helps students predict what options are best suited for their profile, and the company continues to focus on making its free tools grow faster and have wider access.

This financing round takes the company’s total capital raised to over $3Mn.Presently in Delhi, Bangalore and Mumbai, the company will also expand their presence to more tier 2 and 3 cities in the next few quarters.

Founder & CEO of the three-year old company, Akshay Chaturvedi, said, “We have been massively obsessed with student experience on the LeverageEdu.com platform and clear well-defined student success outcomes - which has led to an exceptional revenue growth in the last 9 months, as well as early signs of building a trusted brand. Focusing on few core areas and executing them really well has helped. Fortunate to have phenomenal investors who understand what it takes to build a company in this space, and who’ve been extremely helpful while scaling up. I am absolutely thrilled that they have decided to back down on us. Excited to continue to execute and build a leading global full stack company in this space - one happy, relaxed, confident student journey at a time!”

Deepak Shahdadpuri, Managing Director of DSG Consumer Partners, said, “DSGCP first invested in LeverageEdu and partnered with Akshay a year ago. In that short period Akshay & his team have demonstrated very strong execution capabilities and have positioned LeverageEdu as a leading emergent higher education & career advisory brand. A large part of their success to date is the unrelenting focus on making the student the core of everything that company does. We are very excited about the next phase of growth as LeverageEdu expands into becoming a full stack service provider and expands operations to more Indian cities.”

Karthik Reddy, Managing Partner at Blume Ventures, said, “Akshay and team have put in place strong frameworks for building a large long-term company, in this first year of our partnership. The scale of the overseas education opportunity set is even more massive than we initially imagined and the pace at which the team has executed has meant that we are happy to see ourselves co-leading a second round with DSG into an early breakout from fund III.”

Tata Tele Business Services Emerge Key Enabler for SMEs to Harness Digital Transformation Wave at Calicut

Tata Tele Business Services (TTBS), India’s leading enterprise connectivity solution provider showcased an array of technology solutions for the SMEs at ‘Do Big Forum’ – its flagship customer programme. The event under the aegis of the theme “Smart Solutions” witnessed participation from over ninety delegates from SME community.

Elaborating on the TTBS initiative, Mr. Kalidas Pai Ks, Vice President, SME Operations said, “With technological disruption happening at a humongous rate, it is necessary for SMEs to leverage technology in order to drive efficiency at an optimum level. As a progressive digital catalyst, we believe in providing the best in class bespoke technological solutions at reasonable costs while addressing the challenges faced SMEs.”

“For instance, our award-winning solution SmartOffice, a cost-effective single box solution, which allows business entities to have access to voice, data, network storage, and apps.  For evolving SMEs and start-ups SmartOffice can prove to be a boon as they don’t need to worry about procuring and deploying connectivity & unified communications equipment. We provide complete stack of hardware that go into creating IP-based integrated communication infrastructure that supports voice, data, and video assorted with enhanced sense-of-cloud; and for that, we don’t charge anything. We only charge for the services, which are routed through this box. Its Pay as you go model make it very affordable, reliable, easy-to-deploy solution that can greatly enable SMEs and start-ups alike”, added Mr Kalidas.

The SME segment is growing rapidly and is fast adopting technology, as businesses realize that technology not only cuts cost but also is an integral part of operations. Technology enables them to reach their customers faster, service them better and to manage the organization more efficiently by connecting offices, partners, and the larger ecosystem for closer collaboration and proactive servicing.

Commenting on the Smart VPN, Mr. Kalidas said – “Fast, secure and dependable connectivity is the top of the digital enterprise agenda to manage a data rich future business. Our Smart VPN solutions will enable SMEs to maximize their growth potential, optimise connectivity costs, enhance their customers’ experience and securely extend reach with instant access to cloud platforms. As SMEs are embracing digital, they are benefitting greatly by adopting cloud-based servers but are struggling to protect their data in transit as well as manage and monitor exactly who accessed these services. With Smart VPN, they can now have easy to use and highly secure interface and diverse selection of location specific servers, which allow for reduced latency, high bandwidth and unobstructed internet access.”

Technology adoption is one of the key challenges for SMEs given the huge CAPEX requirements for setting up Cloud services, voice, cloud storage and data security services.  Solutions offered by Tata Tele Business Services however provide a level playing field to SMEs to compete with big corporates by offering a host of state-of-the-art technology driven services at affordable prices, thereby bridging the digital divide.

India's Fitness Studio cult.fit Opens its First Center in Jammu

Integrated healthcare start-up, cure.fit officially announced the opening of its first cult.fit studio here at Jammu. cult.fit is the fitness vertical of cure.fit; India’s largest and most loved fitness studio with over 270 outlets across India and Dubai.

cult.fit offers different workout formats like yoga, boxing, strength & conditioning, sports conditioning, dance fitness, HIIT, HRX, PROWL; these sessions are train led, non-equipment based and crafted by our team with a proper warm up, balanced full body workout and cool down. We ensure our customers stay fit the right way and help them explore different group workout formats that impacts them the most and help achieve their fitness goal.

Speaking about the launch, Naresh Krishnaswamy, Growth and Business at cure.fit said, “As announced earlier this year, we have launched our first center in Jammu. We are delighted to be amongst the first private companies to be offering our services and creating employment in the newest formed union territory in India.

We have had a great response to our pre-opening offer . We will soon be launching a few more cult centers and offer our other services here.”

About cult.fit workout formats:

* Yoga – The cult instructors infuse every class with an array of breathing techniques, a variety of postures and meditation techniques that helps in improving self-confidence and balance while gaining a stronger body in the process.
* Boxing - This class is designed to help one hone self-defense skills and release stress by practicing powerful punches and knock-out kicks.
* Strength & Conditioning – A combination of compound movements and high-intensity interval training that provides lasting fitness and enhanced endurance.
* Sports Conditioning – Designed to train an individual like an athlete by putting oneself in situations that will help gain an edge through a series of resistance workouts.
* Dance Fitness - A full body aerobic workout, divided into different genres of music providing peaks and troughs of intensity. Help boost confidence, ease stress, burn a lot of calories, improve cardiovascular & muscular endurance, lose weight, have fun and leave the room sweaty, happy and healthy.
* HIIT - A training methodology which incorporates high intensity exercises followed by planned intervals, repeated over multiple rounds to achieve faster result.
* HRX - The workout is a combination of Primal movements, Zero momentum rep, compound movements & conditioning routines designed to challenge the human body and accelerate growth.
*PROWL - A unique mix of combat, dance and functional fitness done to foot tapping music. The session will consist of skill teaching for combat like boxing, muay thai, mma etc, skill for dance and functional fitness.

The cure.fit app also offers cult.fit’s popular Do-It-Yourself (DIY) workout videos, where customers can work out at their own place. Downloads of the cure.fit app have crossed two million.

At cure.fit, we make group workouts fun, daily food healthy & tasty, mental fitness easy with yoga & meditation, and medical & lifestyle care hassle-free. #BeBetterEveryDay.

Deepak Jain Appoints as its Chief Financial Officer at Ather Energy

Ather Energy’s senior leadership team is joined by Deepak Jain as Chief Financial Officer. Deepak, brings over 20 years of experience across global brands like First Advantage, Apple India, P&G and Gillette. He joins Ather after a five year stint at First Advantage as CFO for their India Business.

Deepak has been a finance leader with exposure to large multi-location and transnational revenues. He began his career at E&Y before moving on to Gillette and Procter & Gamble, where he took on key leadership roles in distribution modeling & sales finance. In 2010, he joined Apple India as the CFO and led the finance team during a period of exponential growth for five years. Specialising in conceptualizing, leading and executing business expansion strategies in manufacturing, trading and services business environments, Deepak will play a key role in Ather’s aggressive expansion plans.

Tarun Mehta, Co-founder & CEO at Ather Energy: says, "In his prior roles, Deepak has scaled up technology and product led companies making him an ideal addition to Ather’s team.  For a rapidly expanding company like Ather, an important focus area is laying the structure for effective processes. We are scaling up to meet the demand for the Ather 450 across the country and this requires robust systems and operations. Deepak’s experience in leading teams and integrating manufacturing and business processes will play a key role in the next part of our story."

Deepak Jain, Chief Financial Officer, Ather Energy remarks, "Working with Ather is a rare opportunity to work on cutting edge technology and building products that are setting the bar in the two wheeler category. Tarun and Swapnil’s vision for electric vehicles and automobiles will serve as a lighthouse for the industry. I look forward to working with the team as we enter new markets and increase our footprint across India."

Masai School Launches Online Coding Program for Women and Working Professionals

Masai School, India's first Military style coding school, announced the launch of its first online coding program, primarily targeted towards giving a head start for women beginning the second innings of their career. This part time evening course focuses on building a strong foundation in backend software development and computer science. The course is open to all working professionals and registration for the same can be done on the Masai School website.

Masai School launched in June this year with an on-campus program on full stack software development. Masai School introduced this online coding program with the aim to help working professionals upskill and strengthen their profile to enhance career growth. The course consists of 600 hours of coding, 30 hours of Soft Skills and 60 hours of building mathematical abilities in the time period of 30 weeks. Along with this, the course also brings 24 Guest Lectures, 2 Demo Days, 2 Hackathons, 10 Projects, 50 Challenges and 5 Mock interviews.

At the outset of the launch, Prateek Shukla, Co-founder and CEO, Masai School, said,  "Post our launch this year, we have received great feedback not just from our students but also from working professionals across the country. Many of them were keen on joining Masai School but could not think of quitting their jobs. It was this positive response that made us design this part - time course which would cater to this genre of learners." He further added, "Coding is soon going to be the world's second language. With the rapid evolution of technology, this will also create a demand for professionals with specific skills. These are clear indicators that professionals need to upskill to avoid getting redundant. Through Masai School's backend developer program, our aim is to help working professionals FastTrack their career graphs."

Masai School recently graduated its first batch with 90% placements for its students. One such student is Hassan. He hails from Salem, Tamil Nadu. He does not belong to a privileged family and did not have access to quality education. Though he graduated as a Mechanical Engineer, he lacked the right exposure to the world outside. This made him take up a job as a mechanic in a local workshop with a monthly income of Rs.18,000. Today, Hassan has cracked one of the toughest technical interviews and joined one of the fastest growing startups of our country. His new job includes 3 months of apprenticeship (Paying 4.5X his previous salary) followed by a full time role as Full stack developer, with a salary that is 8X times of his previous salary.

Another inspiring student is Mahesh. He hails from the town of Sangli in Maharashtra. He has done his Masters in MCA, post which he joined his father in running the family business. A year and a half later, he decided to look for a job relevant to his line of studies. Mahesh applied to more than 25 companies who were offering an average of 2.5 lac per annum, but got rejected everywhere. It was at this stage that Mahesh applied to Masai School. Today, almost at the end of his course, he has been placed as a full-stack developer with a salary of nearly 4 times of what companies were offering him prior to joining Masai School.

Masai School began operations in the month of June 2019, in the city of Bangalore. At present, it also has a branch in Patna and plans to graduate 2000 students in the next 10-12 months.

Celebrate this Holiday Season with TECNO Spark Power, Camon 12 Air & Spark Go

TECNO, the premium smartphone brand from TRANSSION India, has set the market ablaze with new range of affordable smartphones all priced between INR 5K to 10K. SPARK series followed by the launch of CAMON 12 Air are the latest offerings by the brand targeted at the first-time smartphone buyers, feature phone to smartphone upgraders and for consumers who are looking for premium specifications at pocket friendly price.

If you have a budget under INR 10K and are looking for smartphones with Bigger screen & vibrant display, contemporary design, advance AI camera and long lasting battery then your search ends with TECNO offering multiple choices at every price-point under INR 10K.

With data revolution and digital content platforms sprouting to provide online streaming and video on demand has led to personal screen time on the rise amongst the millennials. There is a dire need for multimedia device with best in class features in the budget segment. Understanding this consumer need, TECNO’s affordable range of smartphones sports best in class features including bigger screen, Dot-in display, exceptional camera with AI capabilities and bigger battery amongst other features at an attractive price point that is only available at flagship prices in other brands.

* BEST SMARTPHONES UNDER INR 9,000 WITH MASSIVE BATTERY

o   Tecno Spark Power:

Priced at INR 8,499, Spark Power is a game-changer in the sub-9k category owing to its segment-first 6000 mAh battery – a monster that can make the phone last up to five days giving users 29 hours of video playback, 35 hours of calling, 17 hours of gaming or 200 hours of music – all in a single charge! Additionally, it has a brilliant 6.35-inch HD+ dot notch display with AMOLED Screen. The ‘category defining’ 6000 mAh battery of TECNO Spark Power with AI power saving & safe charging addresses the most important need of the category consumers -- enjoy uninterrupted entertainment on the go.

* SMARTPHONES UNDER 10K WITH ‘DOT-IN DISPLAY’

o    TECNO CAMON 12 Air:

The newly launched phone has a 6.55-inch HD+ display, AI triple rear camera (16MP+ 2MP+ 5MP), 4GB RAM, 64GB of internal storage and 4000mAh battery available for purchase at just INR. 9,999. A power-packed performer, the phone is powered by the Helio P22 Octa-core system-on-chip, mated with 4GB RAM & 64GB ROM and 256GB expandable storage handles everyday operations and heavy-duty tasks with ease. Moreover, the phone is secured with advanced face unlock 2.0 and superfast anti-oil fingerprint sensor which unlocks the phone in just 0.27 seconds.

All new TECNO portfolio is available across 35,000+ offline retail stores.  Extending more power in the hands of consumers, all TECNO smartphones come with a unique promise of “111” under which the brand offers 1-time screen replacement in six months, 100 days’ free replacement, and 1-month extended warranty over 12 months on all the devices.

*  BEST BUDGET SMARTPHONES UNDER 6K

o    TECNO SPARK GO:

Priced at INR 5499, TECNO SPARK Go has been the best-selling device and is a game-changer as it comes with ‘segment-first’ 6.1” HD+ dot notch display. The device comes with a unique AI Read mode that automatically adjusts the screen brightness and colors while reading to provide extreme comfort to your eyes and an ease of reading like never-before. It sports front flash in 5 MP AI selfie and 8MP AI rear camera with dual flash light. The phone is available in the capacity of 2GB + 16 GB storage and 3000mAh battery with safe charging.

JLL Facilitates Sale of Prime 8 Acre Prime Land in Pune to Singapore Based Mapletree

The transaction marks the entry of Mapletree into Pune office market. With an estimated project cost of INR 1,000 crores, it plans to develop over a million sq ft of world class office space

JLL India, the country’s largest real estate consultancy and professional services firm, has facilitated the entry of Mapletree, a Singapore-based real estate developer, in Pune through a mega land deal in the city. Mapletree has acquired a prime 8 acre land parcel for INR 170 crore from Ajanta Enterprise, an SPV held 50% by Vascon Engineers Ltd, a real estate construction company.

The new owner, Mapletree plans to develop over a million sq ft of world class office space with an estimated project cost of INR 1,000 crores. As at 31 March 2019, globally, Mapletree owns and manages S$55.7 billion of office, retail, logistics, industrial, residential and lodging properties, this is Mapletree’s first land deal for development outside of Bengaluru.

JLL’s mandate to sell the land parcel included offering end-to-end consulting services as well as managing the entire transaction for both the parties. The capital markets team at JLL facilitated the transaction.

Commenting on the development, Sanjay Bajaj - Managing Director, Pune & Oversight – West India, Land & Industrial at JLL said, “Our work on the transaction is an evidence of our active role in shaping the city’s real estate landscape. The transaction also proves that we are the best in the business when it comes to managing multiple mandates from our clients across asset classes.”

“The deal in particular is important for Pune’s real estate market, as it offers the region to develop and grow its commercial footprint at the national level. In the past, we have facilitated developers like Kalpataru, Lodha Developers, K Raheja Corp, Prestige, Godrej Properties, Puravankara and many more for their land deals in Pune.”

Located close to Pune Airport, the sale of the land in Kharadi will prove to be a big boost to the micro market and to the city’s real estate. Kharadi is now the go-to location for IT/ITeS occupiers in East Pune in addition to other marquee occupiers from core industry segments. Over the last few years, it has become the hub for numerous BFSI occupiers who have acquired space and have up their presence here. Kharadi has a well-established support infrastructure, including numerous residential options across various price points, along with world-class healthcare, hospitality and retail infrastructure within close vicinity.

In addition to a planned grid-like road development connecting the micro-market seamlessly, there are other infrastructure initiatives which will extend the access and connectivity to this location.

Along with Hyderabad and Bengaluru, Pune has emerged as the favoured city among the IT/ITES companies. The city, according to JLL, has witnessed over 6 million sq ft of leasing activity in 2019.

Detel Unveils New Range of Trolley Speakers to Make you Party-Ready this New Year

Detel the world’s most economical feature phone, accessories, and TV brand announced two new additions to its Speakers range - Thump and Thunder Trolley Speakers. Priced at Rs 10,999/- & Rs 12,999/-respectively, the trolley speakers can be purchased through Detel’s website, Mobile app and e-commerce platforms- Flipkart & Paytm mall.

Thump and Thunder are equipped with 70 RMS and 100 RMS output power with an impedance of 6Ω and 6.2Ω respectively.  The two speakers are backed by 12V/4500mAh and 12V/7000 mAh battery each with a frequency of 40Hz~20KHz. Both the trolley speakers have FM Frequency  87.50 - 108.00 Mhz and input 100-240V 50/60Hz, besides signal noise of 80db and Isolation Sensitivity of 45db each.

The New Year season brings on parties and gatherings galore. This is the time when some people prefer taking a break from their hectic schedules and go out to explore new places while there are some people who like to stay in and spend quality time. The two trolley speakers are designed to suit these varied situations. The two speakers are perfect for large gatherings of people to give the party goers the freedom to take their party anywhere they go. These speakers are the perfect gift for your near & dear ones. As a New year offer, Detel is providing a 10% discount to its customers on the purchase of trolley speakers from 28th December till 5th January.

Speaking on the launch Mr. Yogesh Bhatia the founder and MD of Detel says “We are excited to our all-new range of Trolley Speakers which are radiantly designed and developed exclusively for Millennial customers. The trolley speakers are made portable with a handle and castor Wheels which makes them easy to carry around and make for a perfect music accessory for Backyard parties, Weddings or even while Traveling.”

Consumers can also use these portable speakers for their karaoke sessions as these speakers comes with a wireless microphone. Detel Thunder also supports TWS function that enables bluetooth to connect with two speakers simultaneously, which is an outstanding feature for outdoor entertainment.

House of Paragon Launches Designed in London - Lifestyle Label EEKEN for Trendy Millennials

Paragon Footwear, the pioneer Indian footwear company launched its athleisure and lifestyle brand EEKEN, for the young, fun and active Gen Z audience. Brand EEKEN is created with the intention of injecting moments of unadulterated cool into the daily lives, routines and fashion of young and energetic consumer by offering a range of lifestyle sneakers that are accessible, durable and attuned to ‘weekend life’. The name ‘EEKEN’ comes, quite literally, from the middle of the ‘weekend’. EEKEN range will focus on shoes (Lifestyle, Canvas and Athleisure); Sandals & Flip-flop segments which are designed in London UK and made in India.

The EEKEN range will have over 80 unique shoe designs in the first phase. Over the next quarter, the consumers will have the option of picking from open footwear including flip-flops and sandals. The price range of the segment is from Rs. 999/- to Rs. 2999/-.

Out of the overall market for open and closed footwear, nearly 60% of the market is unorganised and 40% of the market is organised. Having said that the market is moving towards organised segment. In next 3 years the company plans to target INR 500 Crores from the brand.

The men’s footwear category makes up approximately 60% of the market and is growing at a CAGR of 10% while women’s footwear accounts for 30% and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 20% & Kids contribute to 10% of the market and growing at a CAGR of 12% to 15%.

The footwear category is seeing a lot of action with various global brands entering the market and Indian brands making a big play with new designs. The price point in the category has certainly moved up in a big way for casual shoes. While men’s footwear category always had brands, the women’s category has no major national footwear brand and hence there is a huge untapped market potential.

Commenting on the launch, Mr Sachin Joseph, EVP Marketing, EEKEN & Information Technology, Paragon Footwear, said, “India is the fastest growing market for athleisure and sportswear. We are thrilled to bring our top of the line offering to our loyal consumer who are young, ambitious and always on the move. The EEKEN range will please discerning audience across age groups. Paragon is renowned for quality, durability and value for money amongst its consumer. With EEKEN we will push the envelope for design and style in athleisure and lifestyle segment. EEKEN products will be designed in London and to suit the taste of fashion-conscious men and women.”

“Youngsters today are opting for sporty looks and this trend is driving the growth of athleisure market. EEKEN will operate in the mid-priced segment but in the affordable lifestyle segment. We are coming up with 80 designs to suit the aspirations and need of 18-25 years age group across middle class income household. Our offering is designed to please,” said Mr Joseph Zachariah- Director Sales & Marketing, Paragon Footwear at the conference.

During the first phase of EEKEN launch, the company will enter markets like Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, Nasik, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad & Bangalore and the second phase expansion will cover other metros and cosmopolitan cities throughout the country. Paragon Footwear’s key strength is its widely spread dealer and distributor network. The company boasts of brand presence through 2.5 Lakh retailers nationwide.  

Fullerton India Treated Over 68,000 Cattle in its 4th edition of Pashu Vikas Day

With a large percentage of the population dependant on livestock for their livelihood, one of India’s leading NBFCs - Fullerton India’s Pashu Vikas Day 2019 helped create on ground cattle awareness and medical support to the rural community. This edition of Pashu Vikas Day witnessed simultaneous cattle camps being held at over 350 locations, covering 500 villages and 14 states where 68,000 cattle were treated that benefitted more than 21,000 owners

Over the four years of Pashu Vikas Day, nearly 2,00,000 cattle and more than 50,000 cattle owners have benefitted from this project.

Highlighting the organisation’s unique initiative, Ms. Rajashree Nambiar, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Fullerton India, said, “As a business we serve the financial needs of the underserved and realise the concerns faced by them. Therefore, a large part of our development programmes focus on livelihood advancement among rural communities - to enhance their quality of life and boost their income streams. Livestock is important for the people living in the hinterland, and Pashu Vikas Day was launched with an aim to achieve sustainable development through better awareness and care.”

Commenting on Pashu Vikas Day, Ms. Shilpa Desai, General Manager, Head – Marketing & Cross Sell, Fullerton India, said, “We launched this programme in 2014, and it continues to receive a heart-warming participation. The Pashu Vikas Day is a single day cattle care camp organised across various pan – India locations, wherein our employees connect with the rural community to make this a success. All our efforts and the response we have been receiving from locals, makes it a one of its kind initiative that has helped us to further connect and support the community.”

Fullerton India’s Pashu Vikas Day, a pan-India programme saw participation from local veterinary doctors, who educated the cattle owners on productivity enhancement, better market linkages and other aspects of efficient cattle care, along with free check –up, medicines and vaccinations.

Pashu Vikas Day was launched on November 22, 2014, and subsequently held in 2015 and 2018. Fullerton India was featured in the 2015 Limca Book of Records as the largest single day cattle care camp organised across India, and in 2018 as the World’s Largest Single Day Cattle Care Camp by Best of India Records.

Orion Avenue in Bangalore Celebrates Christmas in style

Spreading cheer and joy to all visitors, the celebrations at Orion Avenue ticked all the boxes of the quintessential Christmas experience and then some. The festive aura represented a shared feeling of joy amongst those present at the mall. The spectacular Christmas tree, ornate decorations, a cheerful Santa, the rolling elf, candy clowns embellished the overall atmosphere. The festive flair was further complemented by an energetic live band, tall toy soldiers, mimes and dancing mascots. After starting off on December 14, the Christmas celebrations at Orion Avenue ended with a remarkable run on December 31.

“Owing to our emphasis on variety and flair, we think this Christmas season will hold a special meaning to our customers. It was indeed a great feeling to see families take part in the festivities and enjoy themselves. You could very much sense an infectious atmosphere of joy and vigour. Everyone, from little kids to seniors, was hooked on the Christmas spirit that we created for them. I think this whole affair has once again evidenced our expertise in providing distinctly memorable events to our patrons,” says Vijay Kumar Bhatia, Sr. GM – Orion Malls.

vivo Brings Forth a Fulfilling Smartphone Experience: Launches Y11 with Massive Battery

Key Pointers

* Available at INR 8,990 across all offline stores and online channels
* Powered with AI Dual Rear Camera to capture the perfect shot

vivo, the global innovative smartphone brand, today introduced another addition to its Y-series portfolio – the all new vivo Y11. The device features a high-capacity 5000mAh battery, AI Dual Rear Camera setup (13MP + 2 MP) for clicking flawless pictures and a 16.15cm (6.35) Halo FullView™ Display to offer an immersive and enjoyable viewing experience. Priced at INR 8,990, the vivo Y11 will be available in Mineral Blue and Agate Red color variants. The device is available across all offline channels and vivo India E-Store starting today. The device is also available for sale across leading e-commerce platforms – Amazon.in, Paytm Mall, Tata Cliq and Bajaj EMI E-Store starting tomorrow (December 25th 2019). For customers looking to buy the smartphone from Flipkart, the device will be available starting December 28th 2019.

Like all devices, the Y11 follows vivo’s commitment to ‘Make in India’ and is being manufactured at vivo’s Greater Noida facility.

Consumers will also get an array of attractive offers* on the purchase of the vivo Y11 on offline as well as online channels, such as–

Offline

*  5% Cashback with HDFC Bank Credit/Debit Card EMI transaction & HDFC CD loans till 31st Dec'19
* 5% Cashback with ICICI Bank Credit/Debit Card EMI transaction till 31st Dec'19
* 5% Cashback on Axis Bank with Credit/Debit Card EMI transaction till 31st Dec'19
* EMI schemes from finance partners IDFC First Bank, HDB, Home Credit

Note: On all available EMI schemes by finance/bank partner interest to be borne by customers as no cost EMI is not available on Y11

Online
*  No cost EMI up to 6 months

*terms and conditions apply

Power that lasts

The device is powered by an industry leading, high-capacity 5000mAh battery which is further complemented by vivo’s smart power management system providing long-lasting battery for uninterrupted performance. Now, work and play at your own will.

Trendsetting design that offers an enhanced experience

Y11 features a 16.15cm (6.35) HD+ Halo FullView™ Display with a 19.3:9 aspect ratio. The device provides super narrow bezels on all sides to help familiarize you with a flagship level immersive viewing experience. Moreover, with a screen-to-body ratio of 89%, users can embrace a perfect and boundless horizon.

Not only that, the chromatic magical color fusion inspired by the interaction of gemstones, and crafted to perfection provides two beautiful gradient color options for the Y11 – Mineral Blue and Agate Red.

Capture the perfect shot

Y11 is packed with a dual rear camera setup of a 13MP main camera and a 2MP depth camera. From magnificent landscapes to beautiful portraits, you can capture your most impressive shots effortlessly. A sharp, 8MP front-camera featuring vivo’s new AI Face Beauty is built to enhance your facial features with exclusively customized solutions.

Powerful performance

Y11 runs on a 12nm octa-core processor with clock speeds of up to 1.95GHz boasting a 3GB RAM and 32GB storage space. Running on Snapdragon 439 mobile platform, the device supports speedy downloads and uploads, stunning graphics and photos, and power-saving performance. vivo’s Funtouch OS 9, a customized operating system based on Android 9, is also set to guarantee speed. To top it all, the Y11 comes equipped with a fingerprint sensor that unlocks your phone swiftly guaranteeing a smooth and safe experience.

Quick Heal Technologies Appoints Reetu Raina as Chief Human Resources Officer

Quick Heal Technologies Limited, the pioneering cybersecurity products and solutions company, with presence in B2B, B2C and B2G segments, has appointed Ms. Reetu Raina as its Chief Human Resource Officer (CHRO). Ms. Raina will be responsible for driving Quick Heal’s HR function and steer the company’s people operations, culture and recruitment initiatives.

The appointment of Ms. Reetu Raina as the CHRO comes as a welcome thrust to Quick Heal’s ongoing push to connect its strategic HR initiatives with its business objectives by bringing on board a proven HR leader with an illustrious track record. With growing business footprint and product portfolio, the addition of Ms. Raina to its leadership team will enable Quick Heal Technologies to align its HR policies to sustain and amplify its growth trajectory.

Speaking on her appointment, Dr. Kailash Katkar, Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer – Quick Heal Technologies Limited, said, “At Quick Heal Technologies, we want our internal work processes and organisational policies to be aligned with the innovation that we are driving in the cybersecurity space. Bringing a transformational HR leader such as Ms. Reetu Raina on board is perfectly aligned with this vision. We are confident that, with her extensive expertise in driving people-centric digital transformation in organisations, she will assist Quick Heal Technologies to unlock the unparalleled potential that the man-machine synergy is enabling.”

Ms. Reetu Raina, Chief Human Resources Officer, Quick Heal Technologies Limited, said, “I am thrilled to be joining Quick Heal Technologies and its passionate, talented team of cybersecurity experts that is committed to protect the cyberspace from existing and emerging threats. I believe in the organisation’s mission of securing digital futures of citizens, enterprises, and governments around the globe and I am looking forward to contributing to it by leading its people strategy. Together, I believe we can further augment on the culture of excellence and innovation that Quick Heal is renowned for.”

Ms. Raina holds extensive industry experience and has worked across sectors such as Telecom, BFSI, and IT before joining Quick Heal Technologies. In her career to date, Ms. Raina has held leadership roles with domain-leading brands such as TATA, HDFC Bank, and Amdocs. She was the Head of HR for Network Software at Sterlite Technologies and had previously led the talent management function at Amdocs – and was recognised in both these roles for leading the HR transformation and creating future-ready structures.

About Quick Heal Technologies Limited:-

Quick Heal Technologies Limited is one of the leading providers of IT Security and Data Protection Solutions with a strong footprint in India and an evolving global presence. Incorporated in the year 1995, with a registered office in Pune, it is an all-round player in cybersecurity with presence in B2B, B2G and B2C segments across multiple product categories – endpoints, network, data and mobility.

With its state-of-the-art R&D centre and deep intelligence on the threat landscape, Quick Heal helps in simplifying security by delivering the best in class protection against advanced cyber-threats. Its portfolio includes solutions under the widely recognized brand names ‘Quick Heal’ and ‘Seqrite’ across various operating systems and devices.

Haseena Hediyal Fighting Her Disability - Enabling Dreams in Haveri

Haseena Hediyal, fighting through her disability, hailing from the marginalized community has been awarded with an appreciation Certificate for Social Services by District Administrative Authority. Having worked extensively on vulnerable children for years and the disabled community for ages, these recognitions would empower her to sensitise people on their plight.

Haseena after being conferred will work more intensively for people with disabilities and also for the rights of children. Haseena will continue to play an important leadership role for the holistic community development in several villages across Haveri.

Over the years, Haseena has referred and admitted around 200 children Severely Acute Malnourished (SAM) children to Nutrition Rehabilitation Centre (NRCs) across Haveri and Davangere. She also has carried out regular advocacy activities and ensured to activate a closed NRC at Haveri District PHC. She then continued to monitor Anganwadi Centers , with a special focus on identifying SAM  children along with working for the empowerment of disabled, school dropout children. She single handedly has impacted lives of thousands of children through her intervention.

In 2006, she joined The Association of People with Disability (APD) and started working for disabled children. Her profile included identifying and mobilizing disabled children, monitoring their education, enrolling them, raising awareness in the community, advocating with local governments to issue disabled certificates for those children and ensuring benefits such as free health check-ups and other socio-economic supports from the governments.

“I was born as a disabled child. I lost my mother at an early age of 4 and did not receive proper care and support from in my childhood. Life experiences shaped my journey and made me resolute to bring about a sustainable change in the lives of children. Every struggled made me strong and every denial shaped my will. Today, with the responsibility I have been entrusted upon makes me hopeful to bring about an impactful change in the lives of people,” said Haseena.

In 2012, Haseena was inspired by Mr. Mariswamy from Samajika Parivarthana Janandolana (SPJ) a program supported by CRY. The organisation’s stand on malnutrition resonated with her wish to work on the same issue. She identified over 700 SAM children, and in the process, she was very active in conducting mother’s meeting (pregnant and lactating) providing awareness on nutrition, care for 0 to 6 years children.

Her recognitions is not only empowering but also gives hope to people with disability that through proper determination and grit one can overcome the hardest challenges in life.

Key Trends of Fintech and Banking Sector Across India in 2019

Mr. Ravi B. Goyal, Chairman & MD, AGS Transact Technologies Ltd.’s views on trends in the Fintech and Banking sector in 2019.

“The last few years in Indian Fintech witnessed a digital revolution prompting transformational changes in the way businesses function today. This year saw continuous efforts by the Government of India to drive our economy towards a less-cash and more digital economy; the impact of revolutionary policies/guidelines introduced in late 2018 visibly catapulted the growth of digital transactions. Introduction of interoperability and increasing role of UPI QR code-based mobile wallet payments has contributed to simpler payments and cost-efficiency for merchants and provided consumers more power to choose from the available methods. As reports suggest, in the first four years UPI transactions witnessed an increase from 100,000 monthly transactions to 1.15 billion monthly transactions with the annual run rate of transactions flowing through UPI being about 10 per cent of India's GDP.

Overall, 2019 was the year of an expected collaboration between Banking & Fintech. India continues to be one of the top markets globally for mobile wallet adoption. Offers such as the cashback and discounts provided by mobile wallets gained increased attention of cost-conscious customers. RBI’s proposal to introduce new prepaid instrument for purchase of goods & services up to Rs 10,000 will provide further impetus to digital banking as the loading /reloading of such PPI will be only from a bank account and used for making only digital payments. Further, the introduction of first-ever UPI QR based feature on ATMs to withdraw/deposit cash re-affirms that Cash & digital modes of payments will continue to coexist and would act as a bridge for customers graduating from cash to digital payments.

The digital industry also observed advent of multiple innovative but niche apps that have contributed to customer convenience. For instance, being able to educate one’s child or leveraging RFID to refuel a vehicle with just a click; this new generation of apps open the possibility of a very different kind of collaborations between Tech & FinTech players in the near future.

The next few years will see an increased dependency on smart technologies with improved adoption of mobile payments becoming the norm. Customers will continue to benefit from UPI QR, interoperability will drive digital payments in 2020 and pave the way for financial inclusion in the country.”

Ever tried Makhani Chole with Achari Bhature or Chilly Garlic Chole with Paneer Bhature?

Beeji De Chole Bhature offers 5 Flavours of Chole and 3 Types of Bhature, in the hope that the various combinations will appease different taste buds! This is the first time that customers get to customize India’s favorite Street Food - Chole Bhature. Beeji De Chole Bhature was created with a vision to give this all-time favorite street food a new avatar and serve it to the nation through the QSR (Quick Service Restaurant) route.

Established on 30th May, 2017, by a Chole-Bhature-crazed fan, Amandeep Singh, and his wife Anu Gulmohar, the first restaurant was opened at Omaxe Gurgaon Mall, Sohna Road, Gurgaon. The recipes were drawn from his mother Naina’s (a popular home chef in Gurgaon) repository. The second outlet opened in June, 2019, at Bestech Center Point, A-Block, Sushant Lok -1, Gurgaon.

Beeji De Chole Bhature offers Classic Chole, Makhni Chole (creamy, less spicy than Classic), Mitthe Chatkare (sweet and chatpate), Chinese and Chilly Garlic (spiciyyy) flavours. Customers can pair it with Classic Bhaturas or with Paneer stuffing or Achaari stuffing. The result is a familiar taste yet different and new.

Beeji, the brand’s mascot, means Grandma in Punjabi culture, and like every loving grandmother she makes sure that her kids are eating good food. Beeji De Chole Bhature makes its bhature with 50% Atta and 50% Maida and uses Soya Bean Oil to fry the Bhature. The brand is popular for its less oily bhature since the very beginning.

The team at Beeji is constantly listening to feedback of its reviewers and customers, and they have all helped the brand improve. Today, Beeji De Chole Bhature has gained its own little group of supporters who have been regulars at Beeji’s for over two years.

Syed Kirmani Plays Santa to Meet Patients on Christmas Eve at Manipal Hospitals

Syed Kirmani, Veteran Cricket Star was at Manipal Hospitals to meet patients and played Santa to them on Christmas Eve. He spent some quality time with a few patients to bring smiles on their faces.

A Memorable Christmas Eve Comes Alive at Orion Mall, B'lore

With an immensely exciting Christmas Eve celebration, Orion Mall at Brigade Gateway spreads the joy and warmth of the season in a memorable fashion. Held on December 24th, the spectacular Christmas Parade started off the celebrations on a high note. The evening was also embellished by Santa, marching musicians, elves, dancing mascots, icy roller skaters, a tall candy clown, Segway Santa, rolling elf, and tall toy soldiers. Owing to the creativity and novelty in its execution, this Christmas season has turned out to be a memorable one for the mall’s patrons. The Christmas Eve celebrations marked another exciting chapter in what is turning out to be Orion Mall’s most thrilling Christmas season yet.

“Right from the start of this Christmas season, we were committed to the idea of giving our patrons something that redefined their expectations of a Christmas celebration. By applying ourselves in figuring out new ways to reinterpret the traditional Christmas motifs, an element of surprise was maintained all the way through. Much like all the activities that preceded it, the Christmas Eve celebration was met with rapturous appreciation from our customers. I believe we’ve achieved what we set out to do – Give our customers a Christmas they can cherish for a long time“opines Vijay Kumar Bhatia, Sr. GM – Orion Malls.

Discovery Channel’s ‘India 2050’ Unravels the Potential Dangers of Uncontrolled Environmental Degradation

India is the fifth most vulnerable country to climate change as per a recent report*. This data is not surprising considering that India has 22 of the 30 most polluted cities in the world**.

What will happen if India were to continue walking down this path of environmental destruction? How will the thriving cities of India look then? Discovery channel presents a glimpse of the future if nothing is done about it right now with ‘India 2050’, a thought-provoking documentary, that premiers on December 29, 2019 at 9:00 pm.

The documentary begins with Jaipur, known as the Pink City of India, but imagined as in 2050, completely buried under piles of sand. It then moves into the future of currently flourishing metropolises of Delhi, Chennai, Mumbai and Kolkata, giving viewers a terrifying glimpse of what is to come, for each of these metro cities. 

Highlighting the importance of the show, Sai Abishek, Director–Content, Factual & Lifestyle Entertainment – South Asia, Discovery, said, “India 2050 shines light on what could lie-ahead if we don’t change. It is a wake-up call, urging each one of us to emerge from our collective slumber to act before it gets too late.”

Highlighting industrial damage to the ecosystem in the show, Amitav Ghosh, author of Great Derangement, says, “We cannot in any way absolve companies and corporations of playing a role in this because we know now that there’s been a huge systematic, well-funded climate denial machine! It was really the role of money, which has actually held up any kind of climate action for a very long time now.” While, Environmentalist and Climate Change Expert Chandra Bhushan, warns, “We are going to leave our children a planet which is going to be much harsher than what we have today.”

While presenting this alarmist view on the future, the film also highlights a larger crisis that humanity is likely to face - the crisis of environmental migration and climate refugees, the effects of which we are already facing in 2019 in certain patches in the Sundarbans and on India’s east coast. Going forward, experts predict this to be the single most urgent crisis to be faced by every country in the world as sea levels will continue to rise and glaciers will continue to melt bringing about unprecedented and irrevocable changes to human life as we know it.

“We don't have time anymore. In the month of August 2019, within 12 days, India received more than a thousand extreme and heavy rainfall events! You're getting to see the worst impacts of climate change and they're happening now!” says, Sunita Narain, Director General, Centre for Science and Environment, highlighting the need for immediate action. “People like us are protected. We believe… and it's our arrogance which has created the problem. Because we believe nothing can affect us! We will ramp up, we'll put on another air conditioner - the heat outside goes on. If there is no water, we’ll buy bottled water. But we're not worried about a dying river - because we still get clean water in our taps,” she further adds highlighting human apathy as one of the key reasons as to why we haven’t been able to come together as a species to counter climate change in any way.

Watch ‘India 2050’ as it premieres on December 29 at 9 PM only on Discovery Channel, Discovery Channel HD, Discovery Science and Discovery Turbo.

Toyota Kirloskar Motor Employees Spread Christmas Cheer to Underprivileged School Children

Highlights

* As a part of ICARE initiative, 200 TKM employees (ICARE Champions) came together at the Government Higher Primary School, in Banashankari, Bangalore to beautify Government School
* TKM Employees engage with children through various activities including: mural painting, making clay and science models and serve food as a part of the activity
* Marking Toyota’s 10th ICARE initiative, this activity benefitted over 200 children from grades 1st to 8th at the school
* Toyota’s ICARE intervention engages its employees to contribute to a bigger social cause in the fields of Health, Education and Environment

In-line with its consistent efforts to motivate and encourage employees to partake in social causes, Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM), today, conducted its 10th ICARE activity at the Government Higher Primary School, in Banashankari, Bangalore. More than 200 ICARE Champions (TKM employees) came together to engage with the students through various activities including: mural painting, making of clay and science models and serving food to the students, bringing a smile to their faces and elevating their spirits. With an aim to encourage creative thinking in children and enhance quality of education, this activity benefitted more than 200 students at the school.

‘ICARE’– an employee voluntary initiative, is an effort aligned with the company’s commitment to sustained community development. This drive actively involves the employees and strives to enhance their understanding on various societal issues, contributing to address vital needs within TKM’s CSR framework. Since its launch in 2017, ICARE has grown manifold and managed to create a large impact in the society. Under ICARE, Toyota employees have earlier restored a Government School, facilitated specialized health camps, conducted recreational day with orphan children, initiated eco-campaign amongst school children through eco-painting of school premises, built playground with recycled material, installed road safety structures for smooth traffic flow, took part in the restoration and maintenance of Bannerghatta National Park and extended support to families affected by cyclone in Odisha.

Mr. Sameer Sudhindra Desai, ICARE Champion, participating in the cause said, “I am very happy to participate in this activity as it gives me an opportunity to make a meaningful contribution to the lives of these bright young minds. I am thankful to TKM for constantly motivating us to serve the community and work towards the betterment of the society. Such activities not only benefit the society but also help us become better human beings.”

Mr D Pradeep Kumar, another volunteer under ICARE Program said, “We are thankful that the company has created platform for their employees to come together and make a difference to the community. Being an ICARE champion, has given me a different perspective about life. I have been participating in all the ICARE initiatives, since its launch. I personally feel elated by contributing to the society and as well as networking with my peers. We are happy to be part of ICARE success story”

Present at the activity, Mr. Naveen Soni, Vice President, Toyota Kirloskar Motor said, “We have always believed in putting our collaborative efforts to bring happiness in the lives of the community members and achieve long-term sustainability. Through ICARE, we intend to inspire our employees to be actively involved in noble causes and empower them to be the change creators in the society helping them grow as a responsible citizen. We believe that focusing on the development of children and providing adequate facilities will help them become change makers of tomorrow. We work with the local authorities to identify critical needs of the children and design initiatives to enhance their overall learning experience as we believe in providing quality education at the grass root-level. Through this activity, we intend to bring down the school drop-out rate by creating a wholesome learning experience for the children at the school. We will continue focusing our efforts to issues that need our intervention and strive to make a key contribution that will empower the community members.”

Toyota Kirloskar Motor, over the years, has initiated several sustainable projects to accelerate access to quality education in the country. The company has reconstructed 9 Government schools, in Ramnagara and Mysore District,

Under the Government’s national campaign to provide clean sanitation facilities for girl child in India, Toyota has pledged its support to ‘Swachh Bharat – Swachh Vidyalaya’ by constructing sanitation facilities at identified schools by the Government in three locations across India. Till date, TKM has constructed more than 890 units of sanitation facilities in 293 government schools across India, including: 124 units in Varanasi (UP), 592 units in Ramnagara district, 80 unit in Bangalore (Karnataka) and 94 units in Vaishali (Bihar).

Jaguar Land Rover’s Lifestyle Collection Now Available Online in India

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

Land Rover Product Portfolio in India

The Land Rover range in India includes the Discovery Sport (starting at ₹ 44.68 Lakh), Range Rover Evoque (starting at ₹ 52.06 Lakh), the Range Rover Velar (starting at ₹ 71.86 Lakh) Discovery (starting at ₹ 75.18 Lakh), , Range Rover Sport (starting at ₹ 86.71 Lakh) and Range Rover (starting at ₹ 181.86 Lakh). All prices mentioned are ex-showroom prices in India.

Jaguar Land Rover Retailer Network in India

Jaguar Land Rover vehicles are available in India through 26 authorised outlets in Ahmedabad, Aurangabad, Bengaluru, Bhubaneswar, Chandigarh, Chennai, Coimbatore, Delhi, Gurgaon, Hyderabad, Indore, Jaipur, Kolkata, Kochi, Karnal, Lucknow, Ludhiana, Mangalore, Mumbai, Noida, Pune, Raipur, Vijayawada and Surat. 

Airtel Unveils Voice Over Wi-Fi Service ‘Airtel Wi-Fi Calling’ in Karnataka

Bharti Airtel (“Airtel”), India’s largest integrated telecommunications company launched its voice over Wi-Fi service – ‘Airtel Wi-Fi Calling’ in Karnataka. This follows the launch of the service in Delhi-NCR.

‘Airtel Wi-Fi Calling’ is designed to enhance voice calling experience for Airtel smartphone customers, especially when they are indoors. With ‘Airtel Wi-Fi Calling’, customers with Wi-Fi at home or office will get excellent signal quality indoors.

There will be no extra charge for calls made over ‘Airtel Wi-Fi Calling’ and the application consumes minimal data. The service is currently available to Airtel customers in Karnataka and Delhi-NCR and will be gradually rolled out across India. 

C. Surendran CEO - Bharti Airtel, Karnataka & Odisha said, “VoWiFi Calling is a major expansion of our network, allowing Airtel customers to get coverage anywhere they have Wi-Fi connectivity. With VoWiFI, customers can access these Wi-Fi networks to talk and use data even when cellular service may be limited. The experience is easy to use and similar to adding thousands of new towers overnight to improve coverage for our customers.”

‘Airtel Wi-Fi Calling’ does not require any app and can be configured on the smartphone by following the steps mentioned below:

1. Check smartphone compatibility on airtel.in/wifi-calling
2. Upgrade device operating software to the latest version that supports Wi-Fi Calling*
3. Go to Settings on your mobile phone and Switch on Wi-Fi Calling
4. Keep VoLTE switched on as well for a seamless experience

Currently, the following smartphones support ‘Airtel Wi-Fi Calling’

Apple: All iPhone models starting 6s and above
Xiaomi: Redmi K20, Redmi K20 Pro & POCO F1
Samsung: J6, A10s, On6, S10, S10+, S10e, M20
OnePlus: All OnePlus 7 and 6 series devices

Airtel is working with all leading smartphone brands to roll out compatibility with ‘Airtel Wi-Fi Calling’. The service is currently compatible with Airtel Xstream Fiber home broadband and will soon be compatible with all broadband services and Wi-Fi hotspots. For more details, log on to airtel.in/wifi-calling

*This update is provided by handset manufacturer. Check with handset brand if you cannot find this upgrade.

A Mesmerizing Evening with Ronkini Gupta, Shivamani and Dr. L. Subramaniam on Dec 27 at Dr B R Ambedkar Bhawan

Venue:Dr B R AmbedkarBhawan, Millers Road, Vasanth Nagar, Bengaluru
Date: Friday, December 27, 2019
Time: 6:30 PM onwards
Note: Tickets available on Bookmyshow

Note to the Editor:

About HCL Concerts: The conservation and promotion of India’s art and cultural heritage is very close to HCL’s heart. To this end, HCL has been organizing HCL Concerts for 21 years, dedicated to nurturing and promoting talent rooted in the glorious heritage of Indian classical performing arts. Concerts under the umbrella of HCL Concerts are organized at Delhi NCR, Lucknow, Nagpur, Madurai, and Chennai in India and at New York and San Francisco in the US regularly throughout the year. Over 600 artists have graced this platform and have contributed towards reinvigorating the Indian classical performing arts.

Over the years, more platforms have been developed to contribute to the growth of the Indian performing arts ecosystem. Most notable of these are the HCL music App, allowing music lovers across the world a chance to enjoy the most comprehensive collection of classical music from the comforts of their home for free, and HCL Digital Concerts, a talent identification and nurturing program aimed at showcasing the talented and upcoming classical performing artists to a global audience through a digital medium.

About the artists:

RONKINI GUPTA:  A distinction holder, SangeetVisharad from GandharvaMahavidyalaya in Hindustani Classical, Ronkini Gupta spent her formative years vocal training with a renowned exponent of Gwalior Gharana, Shri ChandrakantApte. Many years of training later with UstadDilshad Khan, Pt. SamareshChowdhary, and Late Ustad Abdul Rashid Khan Sahab she came into her own style of singing with influences from both Gwalior and Kirana style of singing. At present, she is training under the guidance of Arshad Ali Khan of Kiranagharana.

Exploring various avenues, ranging from Hindi, to regional cinema, she has also forayed into Indian Classical and Jazz Fusion, and yet pure Indian Classical remains her first love. She has performed in different concerts within India and abroad, a notable one being her participation in “Indian Music Festival, 2017” organized by the tabla exponent Shri Mridang Raj Suchak.

L. SUBRAMANIAM:L. Subramaniam, India’s violin icon is the serenity of an Indian musician combined with the magnetism of a western star. Constantly propelled from Singapore to Paris, from Delhi to Los Angeles, he has conquered every audience with the elegance and virtuosity of his style.

His career as a childhood prodigy brought him into contact with the greatest musicians and he soon imposed himself as a master of the violin. At a very young age, he was honoured with the title “Violin Chakravarthy” (emperor of the violin). Till date, Dr. Subramaniam has produced, performed, collaborated, conducted and close to two hundred recordings.

Dr. L. Subramaniam is the only musician who has performed and recorded South Indian Classical Music, Western Classical Music, both Orchestral and non-Orchestral, and also composed for and conducted major orchestras, scored for films, collaborated with a wide range of some of the greatest musicians, from different genres of music including jazz, occidental, jugalbandis with North Indian musicians, world music and global fusion.

A. SHIVAMANI:  A. SHIVAMANI, son of a renowned drummer S.M. Anandan, is a percussionist. He plays many instruments including drums, Octoban, Darbuka, Udukai, and Kanjira. He started his musical career at the age of 12 and his first studio break was playing for one of South India’s leading music composers – K. V. Mahadevan. By the age of 13, he had started building his professional music career with S.P. Balasubramaniam, who he considers to be his godfather.

He started as a substitute in music maestro Ilayaraja’s group. He was keen in taking inspiration from Indian classical music. Impressed by his dedication, tabla stalwart UstadZakir Hussain invited A. SHIVAMANI to join him for a concert.

He has also played for A.R. Rahman’s most popular scores ‘Mustafa…Mustafa,’ of KadhalDesam, ‘Humma..Humma’ of Bombay and ‘Chaiya…Chaiya’ of Uyire. He was also a prominent team member of Bollywood-themed musical – Bombay Dreams. One of his cherished experiences is sharing the stage with Billy Cobham for a concert in Mumbai’s Rang Bhavan. From then on there was no looking back, as he collaborated with renowned musicians of the country and continued with his experimentations.