UP Police Bags the Prestigious FICCI Smart Policing Award 2019

The state of Uttar Pradesh has been conferred with the prestigious FICCI Smart Policing Award 2019, at the annual conference on homeland security that was held at FICCI in New Delhi. The annual conference that witnessed the participation from senior officials from the Government of India, Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs), and various State Police Forces (SPFs) acknowledged the ingenuity and far-sightedness of the smart policing solutions adopted by Uttar Pradesh. The AI-powered TRINETRA App won the award in the category of ‘Surveillance & Monitoring’ which received 196 entries overall.

The UP Police Department had launched TRINETRA, an AI mobile app that digitizes criminal & missing people records. The app was launched by director general of police, Om Prakash Singh. TRINETRA carries the largest non-repetitive and non-ambiguous criminal data and helps police forces retrieve the information in real-time, and contributes to smart policing through geo-fencing, hotspot, & GAIT analysis.

In a span of merely three months within its launch (from January to March 2019), the app helped police forces solve 56 cases and nab 76 criminals culpable in the crime. In one special case, there was no photograph of CCTV footage available for the criminal. TRINETRA, in that case, relied on the sketch provided by the victim, to identify the criminal and ensured that justice is served.

Mr. SK Bhagat, IPS, IG Lucknow Range, under whose guidance the TRINETRA app was developed, said, “It is a humbling experience to be receiving this recognition from a national body like FICCI. With TRINETRA, we had envisioned utilizing the latest advancements in the field of artificial intelligence for strengthening our ground level defense. We are glad to be recognized for the same and sincerely hope that more Indian states would now be motivated to adopt the latest technologies for enhancing the policing operations.”

Empowering the task forces at Ground Zero, TRINETRA helps cops identify criminals through images, facial scans, fingerprints, previous FIRs, voice samples, connection with a gang etc. With AI-powered phonetic search, TRINETRA helps police forces search for criminals with better accuracy, even if the name is wrongly spelt in the database. Furthermore, by utilising AI-based Gang Identification Technology, TRIENETRA not only identifies a criminal but also their associates active in different districts and part of the states. Owing to its widespread use-cases and superior AI-capabilities, TRINETRA app is used by over 5,500 police personnel in Uttar Pradesh, ranging from inspectors to ADGs.

TCL Celebrates 3 Years Journey in India with Market Share to 5.3% in Just 6 Months; Plans a volley of Special Offers to Entice Customers

TCL, the global top-2 TV Corporation has completed three glorious years in India. TCL will be celebrating the cheers and over 1 million happy customers with exciting offers between 23rd to 31st August, exclusive to Indian customers from trade partners, Amazon, and national retail chains.

Commenting on the anniversary special, TCL India Country Manager Mr. Mike Chen said, “We have had a successful run in India, growing from a mere 1.7% of market share to 5.3% in just 6 months. Like the industry leaders, TCL has been quick to offer the best products covering a diverse price range, covering both the low price segment and high-end offerings. Having earned a mindshare in the industry with our formidable range of Google-certified Smart TVs, we have now also ventured into other Smart Home Appliances like AC, Washing Machine, and Refrigerator. We owe this success to our loyal fan base who elevated our status from a low-priced Smart TV brand to a technology leader in India’s market for consumer durables.”

Commenting on the future plans of the organisation, he further added, “Riding at the back of inspiring success within 3 years, at TCL, we are aiming for a No. 2 slot for the TV brands in India by 2021. For ACs and Washing Machines, we are focused at claiming the fourth slot by the same time period. With our current factory located in Tirupati, we will not only manufacture TVs but also washing machines and refrigerators. In the long term, we also envision setting up an elaborate R&D centre in India. This has been made possible with the riveting love that we have received from our audience in the country. To the same end, we have come up with anniversary special discounts and offers for our users and are affirmative that they would gracefully accept it as a token of our gratitude.”

As part of the 3 year celebration offer, TCL has come up with very exciting offers on their wide range of 4K Android AI TV. This includes the P8 series coming with 3 variants, i.e. P8S, P8E, and P8. Bringing India’s first 4K AI Android Pie (9.0) TV, the P8 range is available at INR 25,990 (43 size P8), INR 29,990 (50 size P8), and INR 36,990 (55 size P8). In addition, the P8E Series is also available at exciting discounts- 43” P8E at INR 28,990, 50” P8E at INR 31,990, 55” P8E for INR 39,990, and 65” P8E at 59,990. The 43” P8B variant will be up for grabs at only INR 25,990.

TCL started its journey in India in August 2016, with an Amazon launch of TCL TV introducing curved/4K. Within only two months, TCL emerged as the Top 3 TV brand on Amazon. However, that wasn’t enough to tame its ambition and the company ventured into offline channel in 2017. Determined to claim a bigger share of the Indian market through innovation and affordability, TCL introduced the 1st Android UHD TV with Harman Kardon. By the end of 2017, TCL had successfully clocked in over 100% growth; the share of its UHD & Smart TVs was more than other players in the industry. The first half of 2018 witnessed TCL diversifying its offering with the launch of TCL smart Internet TV brand for India iFFALCON, exclusively on Flipkart. By the end of the same year, iFFALCON had not only emerged as one amongst the top 4 brands on Flipkart but also iFFALCON 75H2A grabbed the Best TV Award in 2019. And TCL had also clocked in over 375% growth year-on-year.

As of 2019, TCL has achieved the No. 5 Brand in India’s TV market, growing a well over 1400%. Staying at the helm of innovation, TCL has launched India’s first Android QLED and India’s 1st 2K Android under the iFFALCON banner. The company has also diversified its offering, bringing in a smart range of appliances powered by AI and IoT, including washing machine, refrigerator, air conditioner, and sound bars. Last year, TCL announced that it would be investing 2,000 Cr to set up a manufacturing unit in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh that will also generate employment opportunities for over 8,000 Indians. TCL has also remained in news this year as the sponsor for Delhi Capitals, during IPL 2019 and also KPL 2019. Recently, the brand also launched India’s first 4K AI Android Pie (9) Smart TV.

Data Protection Bill During the Winter Session of Parliament: Ajiay Sawhney at India IoT Congress 2019

The government is working towards tabling the data protection bill in the winter session of Parliament, Secretary in the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology Ajay Prakash Sawhney said on Thursday.

Speaking to the media at the IoT India Congress-2019 in Bangalore, he said, "Yes. Keep watching for that space. We are working towards that." he adds that the data protection bill could be tabled in the winter session.

He was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the two-day event IoT India Congress-2019 here.

Terming it a seminal legislation, Sawhney said the government wants to get the law right because it needs to balance the imperative of data privacy and data protection as laid down by the Supreme Court.

The emphasis is also on creating an ecosystem where innovation gets a boost, he added.

"So, how to, sort of, create a balance? How do we move forward with confidence? Which is why, I mentioned, apart from the legal framework, I alluded to the concept of public digital platform. Public digital platforms play a huge role in creating trust," Sawhney said.

Compared to some huge economies where the digital payment system is controlled by a handful of companies, India preferred the UPI route allowing every company to participate based on the rules of engagement, according to him.

"It's a public digital ecosystem, so anyone can join in. Anyone who thinks can do it better than these giants is free to join in. How do you create an ecosystem which remains open for newcomers, open for innovation? We need to replicate that," Sawhney said.

To a question, he said the government never termed data protection as localisation of data but it preferred the responsible handling of data by adopting best practices adopted everywhere.

In this context, he said the guidelines laid down by the Supreme Court were the guiding force for the government.

"We have a broad guideline coming all the way from Supreme Court, which has considered data privacy as emanating from the fundamental rights in the country. So that is the law. Data privacy is the fundamental right," Sawhney explained. 

Experience High-Quality Connection with PremiumAV VGA to VGA Converter Adapter Cable

PremiumAV, a leading provider of computer peripherals, announced the launch of PremiumAV VGA to VGA converter adapter cable. This cable will help users experience high quality connection with VGA interface to their Laptops, LED and LCD monitors for high quality videos or photos and this is ideal for at home or work places. The cable creates a reliable connection for anything from gaming to video editing or video projection.

 The latest additions of connectivity solutions VGA and HDMI cables, HDMI male to VGA female cables supports HD videos and photos that user can enjoy on the big screen with same image and audio to home speaker a second screen for convenient work and entertainment.

"The PremiumAV VGA to VGA converter adapter cable is good quality product that's very useful for our customers who likes to view videos, photos in bigger screen from their laptops to projector ," said Sanjay Garg, CEO at PremiumAV.

The VGA cable is a universal compatible designed to connect two devices with 15-pin (Input and output) VGA interfaces, cables supports 800x600 (SVGA), 1024x768 (XGA), 1600x1200 (UXGA), 1080p (Full HD), 1920x1200 (WUXGA) resolutions and fully compatible with all blue ray players, Xbox 360 and PS3 etc. This cable is pure cooper wire and length from 3 meters 40 meters, weight 200g, product dimensions 8x6x4 cm, adapter cable model is MST- 779-N and available white color.

Price, Availability and Warranty
PremiumAV VGA to VGA Converter Adapter Cable comes with a price of Rs. 156/ - carrying a warranty of a month and offer price is available immediately on Amazon.

Worldline India's India Digital Payments Report for Q2, 2019

Worldline has over 1 million merchant touch points PAN-India accounting for 30% of the merchant acquiring touch points. We have analyzed transactions processed by us in Q2 2019 (Apr-May-Jun) and derived some unique insights.

“May was the month with the highest number of transactions in Q2 2019. 2nd June 2019, ranked as the day with the highest number of transactions but this should come as no surprise given it was the weekend and Eid-ul-Fitr was just three days away. The days with second and third highest number of transactions were 1st June and 13th April which were near Eid-ul-Fitr (June 5) and Ram Navami-Baisakhi (April 13-14) respectively. The trend of highest number of transactions recorded during festivals continued like previous quarters.”

The merchant categories with the highest volume and value of transactions in Q2 2019 were Grocery, Restaurants, Petrol Stations, Apparel Stores and Speciality Retail which accounted for about 65% volume of transactions and about 40% value of transactions. It is interesting to note that while jewelry stores accounted for only 2% of total volume of transactions, they accounted for 9% of total value of transactions. The top categories remained the same for both credit and debit card transactions.

The states and cities with the highest number of transactions are:

Top 10 states in transactions
Maharashtra                 
Karnataka
Tamil Nadu
Delhi
Andhra Pradesh
Kerala
Gujarat
Uttar Pradesh
Haryana
West Bengal

Top 10 cities in transactions
Bangalore
Chennai
Mumbai
Pune
Hyderabad
New Delhi
Kolkata
Gurgaon
Coimbatore
Ernakulam

Key Highlights:

* The number of point of sale (POS) terminals increased to 3.99 million in June 2019 from 3.31 million in June 2018, an increase by a mere 20.5%. This could well be a key impediment in transformation to a cash-lite economy.
* In Q2 2019, the average ticket size on POS terminals for debit card transactions was INR 1,366 and INR 3,423 for credit card transactions.
* UPI has been taking some share away from more traditional modes of digital payments such as cards and net banking. The total volume of UPI transactions in Q2 2019 was 2.2 billion, a 263% increase from Q2 of the previous year. In terms of value, UPI clocked INR 4.4 trillion, up 336% from Q2 of the previous year.
* There are about 837 million debit cards and about 49 million credit cards in circulation. It is interesting to note that between June 2018 and June 2019, there was an addition of about 10 million credit cards and reduction of about 107 million debit cards. While the rise in credit cards may be attributed to growing digital payments and the expansion of retail borrowers in the market, the fall in debit cards could be due to the mass closure of zero balance accounts.
* The Reserve Bank of India has permitted 46 entities to launch their Prepaid Payment Instruments (PPI) for consumers and according to their latest data, the number of transactions done on mobile wallets in Q2 2019 was 1.08 billion, an increase of 18.4% over Q2 of previous year while the value of transactions in Q2 2019 was INR 474 billion, an increase of 17.5% over Q2 of the previous year.
* As of now, NETC amounts for 25% of the total toll collected. It is the perfect solution as it enhances efficiency in processing transactions, tackles the menace of toll evasions done on highways and reduces congestion around toll plazas, fuel consumption and air pollution. NETC transactions in Q2 2019 stood at 80.1 million, a jump of 53.9% over Q2 2018 and the value of transactions was INR 17.9 billion, an increase of 44.4% over Q2 2018. The tag issuance base in Q2 2018 jumped manifold, with an increase of 118%, to 5.22 million tags in Q2 2019. The increase in these numbers show sustained consumer acceptance.
* Aadhaar Enabled Payment System (AePS)- The total volume of AePS transactions (ONUS, OFFUS, DEMO AUTH & eKYC) in Q2 2019 was 584 million, a 31% increase from Q2 of the previous year, while the total value was INR 274 billion, up 107% from Q2 of the previous year.

Mr. Deepak Chandnani, Managing Director, Worldline South Asia & Middle East expressed, “With a number of digital payment options available with consumers to make purchases, the acceptance infrastructure now needs to grow to meet the demand from consumers and merchants alike. Obviously for this to happen, similar to how incentives are being given to merchants and consumers, incentives need to be given to merchant acquiring companies to meet this goal. The merchant acceptance ecosystem is a diverse one with multiple modes such as POS, UPI, BQR among others.”.

NITI Aayog for Steps to Deal with Indian Economic Slowdown

Government think tank Niti Aayog on Thursday made a case for extraordinary steps to deal with the unprecedented stress in the financial sector which has resulted in an economic slowdown in the country.

The government needs to take steps which eliminate apprehension from the minds of private sector players and encourage them to step up investments, Niti Aayog vice-chairman Rajiv Kumar said.

He also said private investments will drive India out of the middle-income trap.

Terming the stress in the financial sector as unprecedented, he said nobody had faced this sort of situation in the last 70 years where the entire financial system was under threat.

“Nobody is trusting anybody else... within the private sector nobody is ready to lend, everyone is sitting on cash...you may have to take steps which are extraordinary,” he said at an event here.

Elaborating further, Kumar said some of the steps have already been announced in the Union Budget to address stress in the financial sector and give a push to economic growth which hit a 5-year low of 6.8 per cent in 2018-19.

Explaining how stress in the financial sector has led to a slowdown in the economy, the Niti Aayog vice-chairman said the entire episode started with indiscriminate lending during 2009-14 leading rise in non-performing assets (NPAs) post-2014.

Kannada Cine Actress Hari Priya Inaugurates Asia Wedding Fair 2019

Asia Jewels Fair ’2019, one of South India’s most Glamorous  & Niche Jewelry Exhibition is hosting its 16th edition in Bengaluru city from August 23-25, 2019. The Jewelry Fair will take place at The Ritz-Carlton, Bengaluru Hotel situated opposite Cash Pharmacy on Residency Road. - the most luxurious 5 star hotel in Bengaluru from 10.30 a.m. to 8 p.m. The Grand Inauguration of the exhibition was  done by famous Cine  Actress Ms Haripriya  at 12 noon on August 23, 19. This show is a very exclusive one as for the first time the expo will showcase never seen before best jewelry designs from top handpicked jewelers from across India, all under one roof.

Asia Jewels Fair ‘19 is a niche event exhibiting exclusive and high-end branded gold and diamond Jewellery among others. The event showcased some of the latest collection from, Fine gold Jewelry, Diamond Jewelry, Platinum Jewelry, Traditional Jewelry, Wedding Jewelry, Precious stone Jewelry, Kundan, Jadau & Polki Jewelry to name a few.

“Asia Jewels Fair “ is one of the finest jewelry exhibitions in the city. Shop for or Pre book your jewelry for the upcoming festivals & for all the prospective grooms and brides, a fair like this is a one stop-shop that brings some of the best jewelry, design and precious stones under one roof. It is the perfect destination to buy exquisite and world class jewelry in South India.”

On display is Luxury jewelry designs from top leading brands of Bangalore, New Delhi, Mumbai, Jaipur, Surat & Hyderabad creating the most glamorous & spectacular platform for all branded jewelry. Adding to the exquisite display was a dazzling array of International jewelry designs, from Best handpicked  Jewellery Designers & Brands from all over India like:

Shobha Asars  - Bangalore / Mumbai, Golden Jewells By Anand Shah – Surat, Aabushan – Bangalore,  P.C.Chandra Jewellers, Creations Jewellery – Bangalore, Sri Ganesh Diamonds & Jewellery –Bangalore,  Nikhaar Jewels – Bangalore Ananya Jewels –Bangalore

Kalasha Jewels, Diamond Mantra – Bangalore, Reyna Gems & Jewels – Mumbai, Gold Karat –Delhi, Seghal Jewellers – Delhi, Ziva Jewellery – Mumbai,   Neha Creations  - Mumbai, Vitrag Jewels – Bangalore,   Kimayas Collection – Delhi,  Diyaash Jewels (By Dolly Gurbani)- Hyderabad

Abira Jewellery –Bangalore / Kolkata, Renuka Fine Jewellery – Mumbai, ModiGold –Delhi,   SSR Jewellers – Bangalore,   Zurie Jewels -Mumbai

The Exhibition is brought to you by Introduction Trade Shows Pvt Ltd. This the 16th successful edition.

STPI Anounces Opening 28 Centres of Excellence in Emerging Tech at an Investment of Rs 400 Crore

Software Technology Parks of India (STPI), is in the process of opening 28 Centres of Excellence (CoE) in emerging technologies at an investment of more than Rs. 400 crore, said Dr. E.V.  Ramana Reddy, additional chief secretary, Department of IT, Bt and S&T, Government of Karnataka, delivering the keynote address at the CII India Innovation Summit 2019 being held the The Taj Westend in Bengaluru. "He said five centres of excellence are currently operational and in two years, all 28 CoEs will be operational. Emerging technologies such as AI, IoT, Medical Electronics, IoT in Agriculture, Automotive Electronics will be the focus of the CoEs.

STPI is a society established in 1991 by the Indian Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology with the objective of encouraging, promoting and boosting the export of software from India.

Bengaluru has been widely cited as one of the fastest growing technology hubs and startup capitals in the world. Bengaluru is ranked 11th Best Global Startup Ecosystem, as per the Startup Blink Startup Eco-system Rankings Report 2019, moving up from rank 21 in the year 2017. Our Department is in the process of drafting a new policy on innovation and technology with the view to address the new age challenges in regulation for innovation. We are considering innovative concepts such as regulatory sandboxes to ensure adequate legal framework for innovation is available. Our aim is to make the state a leading promoter for all emerging technologies by strengthening existing technology Centres of Excellence in areas such as Cyber Security, Data Analytics, IoT, Artificial Intelligence.”

Kris Gopalakrishnan, Past President, CII & Chairman, India Innovation Summit, said that the march of technology is continuous and the world has made great strides in quantum technology and artificial Intelligence. New business models are continuously emerging, and it is imperative to stay up-to-date in order to be relevant. With industry boundaries blurring, policy makers need to ensure that regulations keep up with innovation. Sandbox models may be needed to test innovation, and business models to ensure the desired outcome is achieved. India Innovation Summit is a platform to deliberate, debate and learn. Citing the current distress in the auto industry, he said it is encouraging that the government is promoting greener technologies. However, in order to successfully implement new policies, we need to adopt a holistic approach that looks at the entire ecosystem right from raw materials to finished products.

Rekha M. Menon, chairman & senior managing director, Accenture said that in India, innovation will be the main pivot for India to be a USD 5 Trillion economy. Innovation will be the cornerstone and there is no other choice. We need to be mindful that in achieving our target of a $5 trillion economy, innovation for socio-economic growth is not overlooked. In order for India to move up the global innovation index, we need to ensure that innovation is a process, a collaborative approach that involves government, academia, research and startups.

Startups are the key in the innovation ecosystem. India now is the third largest hub for technology startups which is a positive sign. The other area to focus on is investment in R&D. India ranks 50th in R&D investment and this number must go up with participation of government, academia and private sector, she added.

Nicole Girard, Consul General, Consulate General of Canada, said that India is Canada’s fastest growing trade partner and people-to-people ties continue to grow in double digits. Canada has a strong innovation partnership with India and there is a strong opportunity to explore. Both countries have phenomenal tech talent and for deeper India-Canada relations, Canada has launched an Innovation Super Cluster Initiative to propel economic growth. She enumerated five super clusters i.e. digital technology, protein industries, advance manufacturing, ocean tech and AI that will be key focus areas for Canada.

Digital Start-Up Mavyn Onboards Atul Kawatra as Non-Exec Director

Digital trucking start-up, Mavyn, announced the appointment of Atul Kawatra as its Non-Executive Director. Atul will guide Mavyn on overall company strategy, with a special focus on financing decisions, investor relations and capital allocation.

Commenting on the appointment, Mr. Sachin Haritash, Founder, Mavyn, said, “The expertise and experience that Atul Kawatra brings to the firm will further strengthen our finance function. This appointment is another step towards consolidating the leadership of our organisation, while reinforcing our position at the forefront of revolutionising the digital trucking industry.”

With more than 16 years of experience in finance roles, the newly appointed Non-Executive Director’s key tasks will be to define overall business objectives, guide fund raising plans and create strategies to maximise ROI for Mavyn on long-term investment plans.

Discussing his new role at the company, Mr. Atul Kawatra said, “It is a great honour to be joining Mavyn at a stage where I have the chance to contribute to a rapidly growing business. Mavyn is exceptionally well positioned to take advantage of the expanding logistics sector, and I look forward to helping the team accelerate growth even further.”

Mr. Atul has worked with various reputed global organizations and is currently based out of Singapore. He heads the Corporate Loans business for the Asia Australia region at Siemens Bank. He was instrumental in setting up Siemens’ finance business in the region and has been part of the organization for over ten years. Prior to Siemens, Mr. Atul has worked with Deutsche Bank, American Express and ICICI Bank.

Latest CII-JLL Study Reveals Increasing Share of Institutional Investments in Indian Real Estate

Institutional investments increased in the last ten years and have improved investor confidence, risk appetite and transparency. Enhanced use of technology across asset classes have changed the outlook of investors towards Indian real estate. As a result, investments have more than tripled to INR 1,400 bn during 2014-18 as compared to INR 465 bn during 2009-13, says the latest CII-JLL report ‘Innovation Led Opportunities - Changing IndiaE 2�™s Real Estate Landscape’, released today at the 11th Edition of CII Realty & Infrastructure Conclave.

Traditional real estate segments such as residential and commercial have been using modern technology across construction, planning and development for over a decade now. Policy reforms in the sector, the concept of shared economy giving rise to new asset classes such as co-living and co-working spaces and technology driven businesses resulting in the increased interest in data centers have together made times exciting, both for occupiers and investors. Additionally, introduction of Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) have opened new doors for retail investments in commercial real estate.

“India has gradually transformed into an investment destination of international repute post the global financial crisis and real estate and infrastructure have played a vital role. Within the space, adoption of technology coupled with policy reforms is one of the key factors for investors to consider greater participation,” said Ramesh Nair, Chairman, CII Realty and Infrastructure Conclave and CEO & Country Head, JLL India.

“While metros like NCR-Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru accounted for 74% of the total institutional investments during 2009-18, we expect tier II and III cities to draw more funds in the coming years. Government’s focus on the growth of smaller cities is leading the change,” Nair added.

The report also highlighted that the commercial office segment witnessed the maximum share of institutional investments in the past ten years. Rise in the development of environmentally sustainable buildings and subsequent demand from occupiers have added strength to this trend.

From 2009 to 2013, opportunistic funds returned to Indian markets and picked up marquee assets in select offices (commercial and IT parks/SEZs). India’s improving reforms scenario added value to the overall scenario. Notification of REIT regulations in 2014 led to a deluge of investments in high yielding assets with attractive valuations. This was especially in the non-IT office space as most quality IT/ITeS assets were acquired by funds. Investors took note of the innovation introduced at all levels.

With a superior sustainability quotient, Grade-A offices with single ownership and limited supply have pushed global investors to close large deals. But lower availability of quality assets has led to large investors chasing entity level deals leading to extended investment cycles. As a result, the share of investments in the office segment declined during th e first six months of the year as compared to the corresponding period the last year.

Commenting on the investors’ preference, Samantak Das, Chief Economist and Head of Research & REIS, JLL India said, “Investment strategies have shifted to long-term partnerships from being merely opportunistic. There has been a rise in investments in the past decade. Institutional investments in real estate in H1, 2019 stood at INR 195 bn, reflecting continued momentum of capital infusion. The investment climate, however, in the first half of 2019 was uncertain. Initially, this was due to the NBFC default crisis and later due to general elections.”

LIVA from the Aditya Birla Group Ventures into Saree Category

LIVA, the new age fabric from the Aditya Birla Group announced its foray into the Saree category this week at country’s largest ethnic wear event.

Mr. Dilip Gaur, Managing Director, Grasim Industries Ltd. said, “Saree is an iconic category but its growth is sluggish as compared to other women’s wear segment. There is strong need for innovation in saree as a category which LIVA will be able to fulfill with its fluidity.”

As per a report by Technopak in 2018, the saree market in India is worth Rs. 60,000 crores and constitutes 29% of the total women’s apparel market.  Aditya Birla Group recognized this need-state and potential in this category. They therefore bridged it with this announcement at the Kolkata Fashion Expo.

Sponsored and presented by LIVA, the event showcased a fashion show using fabrics from LIVA and a lounge where collections by the Value Chain Partners from prominent hubs were showcased for the first time. Indian celebrity and fashionista Mandira Bedi also crafted a collection with LIVA fabric and showcased during the show. One of the first Indian celebrities to make saree fashionable and trendy, Mandira was most fitting for launching the saree collection.

Premium labels including Parasmani, Surya Sarees, Parvati Fabrics and many others presented contemporary festive collection “Reimagined” with LIVA. Various Partners of LIVA from different textile hubs country including Varanasi, Chanderi, Bhagalpur, Salem, Kolkata, Delhi & Surat showcased their latest saree & lehengas collection at an exclusive LIVA Pavilion.

The event received an overwhelming response. It was attended by over 1500+ retailers, boutique owners & wholesalers all over India, including top players like Nalli’s, Chennai Silks, Manyavaar and many others

LIVA leveraged its attributes of drape, natural sheen and softness and wants consumers to re-imagine saree in a new way.  To better suit the needs of the value chain, LIVA also introduced new blends for both occasion wear and regular wear.

About 41% Karnataka People Unaware of Having High Blood Pressure:India Heart Study

Findings of India Heart Study (I.H.S) show that 41% of people from Karnataka who participated in the study were unaware of suffering from high blood pressure. The study also found that:

·         12.7% of the respondents were oblivious of their high blood pressure levels (masked hypertension) and
·         25% were found to have white-coat hypertension and were likely to be misdiagnosed

India Heart Study (I.H.S) findings highlight a high prevalence of masked hypertension and white-coat hypertension in Indians at 42% on first office visit. It was also found that Indians have a higher average resting heart rate of 80 beats per minute, higher than the desired rate of 72 beats per minute. Another striking finding of the study is that unlike other countries, Indians have higher blood pressure in the evenings than in mornings which should guide doctors to rethink the timing of advising anti-hypertensive drug dosage.

Dr. Upendra Kaul, Cardiologist, Chairman and Dean Academics and Research of BHMRC, who was the Principal Investigator of I.H.S, said “India Heart Study points to a need for better clinical management of hypertension in India. This is India-specific data and should help shape the best practices for the diagnosis of high blood pressure among Indians. The study presents exhaustive data on the various aspects of hypertension.”

Throwing light on the study, Dr. Willem Verberk, PhD., Cardiovascular Research Institute Maastricht (CARIM), and a key investigator, said, “For the ‘correct’ detection of hypertension, home blood pressure monitoring is advised. However, different patients may have different co-morbidities, like diabetes, which makes the use of validated devices for home blood pressure monitoring important. Home blood pressure monitors for pregnant women, adolescents and people with kidney disorders needs to be validated separately.” 

Eris Lifesciences commissioned the India Heart Study that was conducted under the aegis of Batra Hospital & Medical Research Centre.  Dr. Viraj Suvarna, President – Medical, Eris Lifesciences said, “Masked Hypertension, if undetected, is a dangerous phenomenon. It is important to monitor one’s blood pressure, beyond the clinic, even at home, according to prescribed guidelines. Accurate diagnosis of hypertension is an important element of our fight against this disease and improving health outcomes.”

Dr BV Baliga (Cardiologist)–Director, Baliga Diagnostics, Bangalore, and a co-ordinator for I.H.S, said, “The prevalence of high blood pressure or hypertension is increasing in the state. Unlike other diseases, hypertension has no symptoms, it is thus also known as the silent killer. Adults above 40 years of age should monitor their blood pressure at home regularly besides the check-up at the doctors’ clinic.”

According to Dr. Sanjeev Hiremath (Nephrologist) – Sagar Hospital, Bengaluru said, “There are several complications associated with high blood pressure. Besides increasing the chances of heart attacks and strokes, high blood (i.e hypertension) accelerates kidney diseases. Any person at the risk of kidney disorders or suffering from one should ensure that they monitor their blood pressure using validated devices for better disease management.”

White-coat hypertensives who are misdiagnosed and put on anti-hypertensives have to take unnecessary medication. It may also lead to a risk of hypotension (low blood pressure, less than 90/60) in such persons. On the other hand, a masked hypertensive may go undiagnosed running the risk of complications for heart, kidney, and brain, leading to premature mortality.

What sets this study apart is that it was conducted on ‘drug-naive’ set of participants using a comprehensive process of taking blood pressure readings. The investigators examined the blood pressure of 18,918 participants (male and female) through 1233 doctors across 15 states over a period of nine months. The participants’ blood pressure was monitored at home four times in a day for 7 consecutive days.

About Eris Lifescience

Eris Lifesciences is among the top 25 companies in the Indian Pharmaceutical Market (IPM). The company has focused on filling gaps – compliance, therapeutic, diagnostics– in India’s healthcare system. To improve patient outcomes the company supports patient care initiatives like ABPM on Call (24 hour BP measurement), Holter on Call etc. as a part of its corporate philosophy that is Patient care first.

Yes Bank Raises Rs. 1,930 Crore through Qualified Institutions Placement (QIP) Route

Yes Bank, pursuant to the allotment of its equity shares on August 15, 2019, has raised Rs. 1930 crores through the Qualified Institution Placement (QIP) route. The QIP opened on August 08, 2019 and closed on August 14, 2019.

The Bank allotted 23.1 crores equity shares of face value of Rs. 2 each to eligible qualified institutional buyers (QIBs) at Rs 83.55 per Equity Share, in accordance with the pricing formula provided under Regulation 176(1) of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Issue of Capital and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2018.

The QIP increases the Bank’s Total Capital Adequacy Ratio to 16.2%*, Tier I Ratio to 11.3%* and Core Equity Tier I Ratio to 8.6%*, ensuring that the Bank remains capitalized well above the regulatory limits.

*Post QIP Issuance considering position as at June 30, 2019(including profits for the Q1FY20)

The issue saw strong response from foreign as well as from domestic QIBs. The overall allocation to foreign institutional investors is approximately 34% from USA/Europe, 40% from Asia, and balance from domestic insurance companies and mutual funds highlighting a well-diversified representation and demand from across the world. The QIP also enables a further diversification of the shareholder base of YES BANK.

CLSA India Private Limited, JM Financial Limited, Motilal Oswal Investment Advisors Private Limited, Prime Securities Limited and YES Securities (India) Limited were the Global coordinators and Book Running Lead Managers to the QIP issue. The Legal Advisors to the transaction were AZB & Partners, Linklaters Singapore Pte. Ltd. and L&L Partners (formerly known as Luthra & Luthra Law Offices). The Statutory Auditors were BSR & Co LLP.

On the successful completion of the equity allotment, Ravneet Gill, Managing Director and CEO of Yes Bank, said, “We are delighted with how our fund raise has been supported by marquee global and domestic investors. We maximised the size to the extent of the (up to) 10% dilution limit currently approved by our shareholders. The success of the QIP is extremely satisfying given the strong global and domestic headwinds and a credit environment beset with challenges. We see this as a strong endorsement by the investor community of the inherent strengths of the YES BANK franchise and its future growth prospects.” 

Western Digital’s India Innovation Bazaar 2019 Fosters a Culture of Data Transformation and Innovation

Western Digital hosted the third edition of India Innovation Bazaar, a unique forum for employees to present ideas in the areas of research and engineering excellence. The platform paves the way for employees to curate ideas that enable themselves and Western Digital to unbox innovation and accelerate digital transformation.

The two-day event saw patent worthy-ideas, tech talks from industry veterans and engaging discussions. This year’s edition received more than double the entries of last year, standing at 585 abstracts across 39 different categories. Over 100 internal reviewers assessed the abstracts to select 160 to present at the Innovation Bazaar 2019. The shortlisted abstract went through a rigorous test categorized under four crucial parameters - clarity, usability and functionality, novelty, and business impact.

Supria Dhanda, Vice President & Country Manager at Western Digital India said, “The industry is transforming at a relentless pace and we need to empower our employees to raise the bar with new ideas and innovation. India Innovation Bazaar is an exclusive platform for our highly talented and capable engineers to showcase breakthrough inventions. We feel the spirit of camaraderie and passion to make a difference is unmatched.” She added, “In India, data has the potential to solve a variety of challenges, and through this initiative, we are fueling the next wave of data innovation.”

This year’s edition also saw papers from non-engineering categories as well, including documentation and process and methodology. Innovative ideas were presented at the event across categories like Big Data, Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, Memory/ Flash Models and Storage File Systems.

Anand Venkitachalam, Vice President for Silicon Technology & Manufacturing (STM) at Western Digital India commented, “I am delighted to see this flagship event grow in leaps and bounds from the previous years. This is a great initiative to encourage our engineers to take out time from their regular corporate routine to showcase this level of innovation. In today’s day and age, it is very important to encourage the spirit of innovation and provide a platform for disruptive ideas to flourish.”

The event also saw keynotes from industry leaders who touched upon the startup ecosystem, India’s technology landscape and its innovation journey. Venkatesh Kumaran (Venki), President and Partner at AXLerateNOW, Co-Chair of IOTNEXT hosted by IESA - India Electronic & Semiconductor Association and TiE Bangalore Board Member, emphasized how the Indian startup ecosystem is a key innovation driver and plays a pivotal role in providing solutions to contemporary challenges.

Mohan Kumar R, Country Head of Wearable Technologies AG highlighted the fast-growing wearable segment and the role of Big Data, Fast Data and Edge Computing in its transformation. The sessions ended on a lively note with Matt Crowley, Vice President, Design Systems, Silicon Technology & Manufacturing at Western Digital, speaking on entrepreneurship and managing innovation in the context of deep technology.

NetRack Delivers Tech Seminar on Next Gen Data Center Solutions

NetRack, a leading solution provider for data centers and end-to-end IT server racks, presented its technical seminar on next generation data center solutions and discussed the industry evolution and the future requirements of data centers. The concept and solutions from NetRack was appreciated by the CXO's from ICT & DC and technical heads present at the event.

During the technical Seminar session, Mr Krishnaraj U, Solution Architect at NetRack, enlightened the crowd on the importance and future advantages of having silent, intelligent, modular, seismic and shockproof data centers. He also highlighted innovative techniques to address the challenges faced by organizations in upgrading/revamping their DC infrastructure.

Mr Krishnaraj U, Solution Architect at NetRack said, "Data center industry is evolving rapidly and clients have started demanding innovative DC solutions. Companies are looking for data center cabinets which help them to attain maximum efficiency at reduced cost. Understanding the industry requirements we at NetRack have developed solutions which are future-proof and compatible for modern DCs."

"We are glad to exhibit iRack - a complete intelligent rack equipped with intelligent PDU for power, surveillance & environmental management, KVM & console for server management, intelligent rack access for physical security. We have manufactured these racks not only to increase efficiency, but also ensure better airflow in the DC."

Keeping the healthy environment as a higher priority, NetRacks' R&D team has manufactured below products with below silent features for next generation data centers:
* Silent DCs - Isolating IT equipment noise
* Intelligent DCs - Adding intelligent devices and cooling technologies for better manage and monitor the DC
* Modular DCs - Completely scalable and easily expandable, yielding up to 95% efficiency
* Seismic & Shock Proof DCs - High quality and rigid racks with robust design for earthquake prone regions

Bharti Airtel Appoints Rajesh Tapadia as CEO of Data Centre and Cloud Business, Nxtra Data

Tapadia, who had worked with companies such as Trimax, Global Cloud Xchange, Genpact and Reliance Infocomm, was Chief Service Officer and Executive Director with Netmagic Solutions in his most recent role, the company said in a statement.

“Digital India is transforming the economy and opening up exciting new opportunities to serve customers. The data centre and cloud segment is an important pillar in our strategy to address enterprise customers’ evolving needs,” Gopal Vittal, MD & CEO (India and South Asia) at Bharti Airtel said.

“We have already undertaken some very ambitious projects in this area and our ambition is to leverage our strengths to gain disproportionate share in this space,” he added.

Airtel is the largest player in India’s B2B connectivity space with over 3,000 global and large enterprises and over 500,000 SMEs as customers.

Nxtra Data, a subsidiary of Airtel, is into data centre and cloud services segment.

The data centre and cloud services market in India, which is witnessing tremendous growth driven by the digitization, is slated to grow to more than $4 billion plus market by 2022.

Family Dispute of Late Ramnath Goenka Resurfaces Again

In an awkward situation, adopted son of Late Ramnath Goenka and Chairman & Managing Director of The Indian Express, Viveck Goenka sends a false legal notice to reputed Journalist,Editor & CMD (samachar parivartan hindi weekly newspaper)   Prashant Goenka (Family grandson of Late  Ramnath Goenka) and other family members demanding compensation worth thousands of crores for promoting the name of late Ramnath Goenka. With this the family dispute of late Ramnath Goenka resurfaces again. After this, Prashant Goenka and his family forced to take legal protection.

It is known that, family grandson of Late Ramnath Goenka, Mr. Prashant Goenka demanded India’s most prestigious award “Bharat Ratna” for Ramnath Goenka. For this, He had organised so many Press Conferences and meetings all over the country, including New Delhi and Bangalore. He believes that Ramnath Goenka was a true freedom fighter and contributed a lot for the society. “Ramnath Goenka had a very significant role during the Emergency in 1975, said Prashant Goenka.” Prashant Goenka also said that Late Ramnath Goenka has been fought for media and the people of Indian society all over his age.

For demanding ‘Bharat Ratna’ and spreading Ramnath Goenka’s work in the society Mr. Viveck Goenka has send a false legal notice to me, added Prashant Goenka. He says that, it’s all for a propaganda he, Mr. Viveck Goyenka making up to be in the limelight in media. “I also believe that Viveck Goenka is losing his identity because he is the adopted son of Late Ramnath Goenka, said Prashant Goenka. To remember Ramnath Goenka’s contributions towards the society and Indian media, family grandson Prashant Goenka is also demanding that in journalism books Ramnath Goenka’s Biography chapter should be added. Prashant Goenka also says that these demands for Late Ramnath Goenka, is supposed to do by his adopted son Viveck Goenka but he failed to keep his family contributions.

India’s First Standalone Facility Gears Up to Leverage Growing Global Drug Demand

India’s clinical contract research industry, with current market size of USD 500mn is poised to double over five years and achieve Billion dollar market club. As a leading Indian Contract Research Organisation (CRO) Accutest Biologics Private Limited (ABPL) is all set to leverage the growing global demand for Biologics and Biosimilar drugs. The leading CRO for Biochemical characterization and Bioanalytical services, in support of preclinical and clinical development of Biologics and Biosimilars, ABPL has recently received a global honour with the OECD-Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) certification for the next three years.

National Good Laboratory Practice Compliance Monitoring Authority (NGCMA) had conducted a detailed pre-inspection of the test facility located at Navi Mumbai and this year in May, India’s only standalone test laboratory of ABPL received the GLP certification.

The recent Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)-Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) certification for Bioanalytical services, Biochemical characterization and the In vitro bioassays conducted in its Navi Mumbai facility would act as a powerful catalyst for global pharma companies from the US, Europe, and other emerging markets to get ABPL services.

Dr. Satish Sawant Founder and CEO, ABPL said, “The Navi Mumbai facility is capable of conducting toxicity studies, mutagenicity studies, analytical and clinical testing. This significant milestone enables us to advance as the global service provider living up to the biopharmaceutical industry expectations and maintaining high-quality deliverables.”

Rising demand for low cost medicines, growth of R&D sourcing, a large number of biologics going off-patent, growing biologics & biosimilar market and removal of regulatory bottlenecks for clinical trials are main growth drivers for the sector. As per industry estimates, biologics worth $100 billion in sales will go off-patent by 2020 and entail huge pipeline for bio-similar drugs. Asia pacific is expected to capture one-third of bio-similar sales in next 5-6 years.
 
“The certification places ABPL in the select league of CROs that have been awarded such a global honour. It is a matter of pride and privilege for ABPL not only to serve the biopharma industry with established credibility and also to get recognized in all the OECD member countries for mutual acceptance of the data,” said Dr. Mallikarjun Dixit, Test Facility Management at ABPL.

Industry expects the India CRO market to reach around $1 billion by 2023 from $500 Million in 2017, with a CAGR of 12.00%. India is emerging as a top destination for CRO because of the Acceptance of International guidelines and intellectual property rights, Presence of diverse types of climatic conditions thus allowing stability studies to be performed with ease in one destination, Highly experienced, educated and accessible human resource, Presence of diverse ethnic pool thus enabling diverse sample for clinical trials and Low operational cost due to cheap human resource.

The CRO services market is valued at $36 Billion in 2017 and projected to reach to $56 Billion by 2023, at a CAGR of 7.6%.

Bank of Baroda Initiates Bottoms-up Consultative Process to Reinforce Alignment Across India

Bank of Baroda, India’s second largest public sector lender, had initiated a unique consultation where all branches in Bengaluru Zone (North Region, South Region, Rural Region and Mysore Region) reviewed their performances, deliberated on issues before the banking sector and ideated on future strategy.

The consultations were held over a period of two days from August 17-18 2019 covering all the Branches in Bengaluru Zone.

The initiative was driven to seek ways and means available to increase credit to various sectors of the economy, enhance use of technology to bring about innovation and enable big data analytics and make banking citizen-centric as well as more responsive to the needs and aspirations of senior citizens, farmers, small industrialists, entrepreneurs, youth, students and women.

Thematic papers by domain experts on various challenges facing the banking sector were discussed during the meet with a view to suggest reforms in public sector banks (PSBs). The meet also reviewed the Bank’s performance and its alignment with national priorities in the areas such as credit support for economic growth, infrastructure / industry, farm sector and blue economy, Jal Shakti, MSME sector and Mudra loans, education loans, export credit, green economy, Swachh Bharat, financial inclusion and women empowerment, direct benefit transfers, less cash / digital economy, ease of living, alignment with local priorities and corporate social responsibility.

As a result of the initiative, a number of implementable and innovative suggestions have been arrived on how PSBs in general and our bank in particular, may improve their performance. The consultations for generation of ideas was conducted in a bottoms-up process, which will be further discussed at the SLBC / state level and final consultations will be held at the national level, to compare both, intra and inter-bank performances, for way ahead implementation across PSBs.

The consultative process has resulted in a renewed sense of involvement and purpose down to the branch level and the Bank is geared towards implementing the roadmap for the future, improve its performance and align itself to national priorities so that it may fulfil its mandate of partnering the Indian growth story.

Illgotten Money from Manipal Group Invested in Start-Up Norte Technologies

A prime accused in the Manipal swindling case -- Sandeep Gururaj and a co-founder of Norte Technologies -- Praveen Surendiran is now embroiled in yet another case. Praveen Surendiran is currently in the custody of the Cubbon Park Police and is being interrogated along with Sandeep. He has been accused of usurping the firm by forging the signature of the original founder Saurav Kumar Singh. Norte Technologies was founded in Bangalore in 2015 and Saurav Kumar Singh is based out of Delhi. Saurav Kumar Singh moved the Bangalore court praying for getting his complaint registered by the Police or investigation. It is learnt that Praveen Surendiran is very influential in the corridors of power.

An interior designer firm OPC Assets Solutions where Praveen worked, was a vendor to Manipal when Sandeep came in touch with Praveen.

Praveen joined hands with Saurav to launch a people logistics firm for the automobile industry that leveraged technology. As they did not have technical expertise, Sree Kumar Sundaramoorthy who is a tech coder was roped in. Saurav Singh and Sree Kumar started a people logistics firm Norte technologies as an equal partnership firm. Madhu Jindal, wife of Praveen, was later appointed as Director in 2015.

Praveen and his acquaintance Nitin Mehra joined the company in January, 2016 while Sandeep was appointed as an Additional Director in February 2016. Incidentally, Cardekho (Girnar Software Pvt. Ltd., Jaipur) had valued the firm at USD 3 million. Sandeep was initially allotted 2% shares against his initial investment of Rs 50 lakh. Sandeep committed INR 2 crore for a 10% stake, out of which he invested INR 1.37 crore in cheque and the rest in cash. But he was given only 1,000 of the 50,000 shares that were issued.

Sandeep, Praveen along with Sree Kumar conspired to ease Saurav Kumar out and did so by forging his signature on a fake resignation letter. On realizing something was amiss, Saurav applied to the Registrar of Companies (ROC) for details and then came to know that his signature had been forged and the company had changed hands. It was learnt that Saurabh’s shares were illegally distributed between Praveen, Madhu and Sandeep.

Sandeep continued to invest in multiple tranches. Later, on realising he cannot be a director when on Manipal's rolls, Sandeep resigned. Sandeep then asked for his money with interest, which was not returned.

The company ran for one and a half years when according to media reports, in Q1 of 2018, Praveen and other directors closed a deal with Europ Assistance, a French firm, for INR 50 crores, and sold the IP separately to ONB Technology. ONB Technologies Singapore is funded and controlled by Europ Assistance. Interestingly, all four former directors -- Praveen, Madhu, Sree Kumar and Nitin Kumar -- are currently the directors in ONB Technologies India & Singapore.

AWSO Perform at the Centenary Celebration of the Marshal of the IAF Arjan Singh, DFC at Orion Mall, Bengaluru

To commemorate the centenary celebration of the Marshal of the Indian Air Force (MIAF), Air Chief Marshal Arjan Singh, DFC and Independence Day Celebration, scintillating performances by the Air Warrior Symphony Orchestra (AWSO) of the IAF were conducted on August 15, 2019 at the Orion Mall, Brigade Gateway, Malleswaram. A flower exhibition was also organised inside the Orion mall on this occasion. The event was graced by Air Marshal TD Joseph, Senior Air Staff Officer, Headquarters Training Command Indian Air Force, Bengaluru.

The list of music tunes performed by Air Warrior Symphony Orchestra (AWSO) include Rejoice in Raisina, Star War, Inspirato, Micheal Jackson Mix, Har Kisi Ko, Mamma Mia, Sariyaage, Channa Mereya, Moh Moh Ke Dhaage, Leja Re, Mombe Helutaithe, Belegeddu, Hotel California, Summer of 69, In the Mood, Abba’s Medley, Imagination, Hindi Medley and Vande Mataram.

Arjan Singh was born on April 15, 1919 in Lyallpur (now Faisalabad in Pakistan). He was 19 years of age when he was selected for training at RAF College Cranwell in 1938 and was commissioned into RAF as a Pilot Officer in December 1939. He was awarded Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) for outstanding leadership, great skill and courage in Burma Campaign during World War II. He also led India as Chief of the Air Staff in the 1965 war against Pakistan, wherein IAF gained air superiority over PAF and helped Indian Army score strategic victories. He passed away on 16 September 2017 at the age of 98. His dynamic personality, professional competence, honesty of purpose in his service to the country and the IAF truly sets him apart as a leader and an icon of the Indian Air Force.