Aakash Sethi, Shanti Raghavan and Dipesh Sutariya Selected as Finalist of SEOY 2019

The Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship, the sister organisation of the World Economic Forum and the Jubilant Bhartia Foundation, a not for profit organisation of Jubilant Bhartia Group  announced the finalists of the Social Entrepreneur of the Year (SEOY)- India 2019 award. The finalists were identified following an intensive search and selection process, including expert reviews, background research, reference checks and site visits.

The seven finalists of the award are:

1.           Shanti Raghavan and Dipesh Sutariya of EnAble India, Bengaluru
2.           Aakash Sethi of Quest Alliance, Bengaluru
3.           Mukteshwari Bosco of Healing Fields Foundation, Hyderabad
4.           Nand Kishore Chaudhary of Jaipur Rugs, Jaipur
5.           Bijal Brahmbhatt of Mahila Housing SEWA Trust, Ahmedabad
6.           Sanjeev Kumar of The Goat Trust, Lucknow
7.           Gaurav Mehta of Dharma Life, New Delhi

Of the seven finalists, the winner will be chosen by a distinguished jury. Shri Hardeep Singh Puri, Minister of State (Independent Charge), Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs & Ministry of Civil Aviation and Minister of State in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry Government of India will present the award at a special ceremony on Thursday, 3rd October, 2019 which is part of the India Economic Summit organised by World Economic Forum and Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).

The winner of SEOY India will join the world’s largest network of social enterprises affiliated with The Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship.

The finalists of the SEOY India award are the tech-enabled social entrepreneurs who are helping in bridging the gap between the marginalized and the mainstream, by working in fields of livelihood generation for rural women, livestock entrepreneurship, creating safe & sustainable habitats, improving rural health, empowering people with disabilities and art preservation through empowerment of artisans. These social entrepreneurs have brought disruption in their respective fields with their innovative ideas. They have demonstrated that through empowerment of marginalized rural women, people with disabilities, small livestock farmers and grassroots artisans, India can move closer to inclusive growth.

Over the years, SEOY India award has established itself as one of the most reputed and coveted award for social entrepreneurs in India. This year the award celebrates its 10th year. In 2010, the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship and Jubilant Bhartia Foundation came together to promote social innovation in India through the Social Entrepreneur of the Year (SEOY) India Award.

The annual award recognizes entrepreneurs who implement innovative, sustainable and scalable solutions to solve social problems. These entrepreneurs address pressing issues faced by under-served communities.

The SEOY India award 2019 opened in March this year and received over 120 applications from 19 cities. This year saw over 30 applications from women social entrepreneurs. The categories of intervention include enterprise development, disability, water & sanitation, labour conditions, micro finance, housing, fair trade, energy, sustainable farming, communication media, clean technology and nutrition. In this year’s applications, health sector (43%) lead the nomination tally followed by education (40%), environment (27%) and rural development (26%).

Brief Descriptions of the Finalists:

Shanti & Dipesh,  Shanti Raghavan and Dipesh Sutariya
EnAble India, Bengaluru (www.enableindia.org)

India’s First Integrated Platform - Wellcurve.in for Healthier Nutritional Choices and Info Goes Live

To meet the fast-growing need for high quality, healthier food and nutrition items, Wellcurve.in, India’s first integrated platform of leading brands, products and information have unveiled its online showroom, offering nutrition alternatives for a simplified healthier lifestyle.

Wellcurve’s tagline ‘Healthier Lifestyle Simplified’ encapsulates its two-fold mission. For the consumer, it brings together both relevant insights for your nutritional needs and selected products from a curated set of brands. For the brands, it offers an opportunity to connect with the right audience and reach out to the consumer looking for healthier choices.

Wellcurve.in is the brainchild of Nikhil Mehra, who has had an excellent journey across the Banking and Fashion Retail space, building hugely successful key account relationships.

Speaking about how Wellcurve.in will meet the expectations of the health-conscious, cognizant consumer, Nikhil Mehra, founder and CEO, Wellcurve said, “The old adage that health is wealth, is gaining momentum again. All of us want to make healthier lifestyle choices as nothing can be achieved with a body that does not perform to the best of its ability. There is no greater luxury than 'luxury within' hence investing in it is the most crucial choice one can make in life. Keeping this philosophy in mind, we started this online platform, which is a curation of the best brands in the nutrition space. A one-stop solution for our clients.”

The journey of Wellcurve.in has begun with 17 brands including Mom’s Love, Poshtick, Mojorbar, Yogabar amongst others, and will soon expand to over 60 brands in the next few weeks. Over 250 carefully curated products are spread across some of the popular categories, which include Breakfast, Snacks, and essential Staples.

Moreover, to make it simple and easy for consumers to search for products, Wellcurve products are categorized as per health goals such as Weight Loss, Improve Digestion, Increase Protein Intake, Boost Immunity/Energy and more. Another interesting category classification is as per trends with Vegan, Keto, Organic, and Gluten-free, which makes it very easy for the visitor to search for products as per diet preferences. The platform has a regularly updated, informative blog that provides useful nutrition-related information. Tips for healthier living are offered under “Did You Know” snippets, interspersing the product showcase that makes it very interesting for the user to browse Wellcurve.

The platform will continue to add to its list of curated offerings. Wellcurve.in has already received keen interest from some High Networth family offices. 

New Jaguar Design Studio Led by Design Director - Julian Thomson

Key Highlights

* New Jaguar Design Studio led by Design Director, Julian Thomson, opens at redeveloped Design and Engineering Centre in Gaydon, Warwickshire, UK
* The studio is built around a ‘Heart Space’, putting people at the centre of the design journey, supporting a seamless workflow between creative and engineering teams
* Six key design disciplines, operating across Interior and Exterior teams, develop innovative solutions and define future trends
* The most technologically advanced design studio in the world, featuring industry-leading modelling robotics, Virtual Reality and an 11-m 4K digital display wall
* New Design Studio allows 20 full-size clay models to be worked on simultaneously with a 33% increase in floorspace compared to prior site

Jaguar has unveiled its new dedicated design studio in Gaydon, bringing the entire design team into one purpose-built creative space for the first time in the marque’s 84-year history.

Led by Jaguar Design Director, Julian Thomson, the new studio is the most advanced automotive design centre in the world, developed to enhance the human creative design process with world-leading technologies.

The ‘Heart Space’, a collaborative hub at the centre of the new Jaguar Design Studio, will bring together the diverse and creative 280-strong team as it designs future generations of Jaguars.

Surrounding the Heart Space are bespoke working environments for the Interior, Exterior and Colour and Materials teams, plus Design Visualisation and Design Technical disciplines.

Jaguar Design is made up of designers from across the globe and from a range of industry backgrounds, including fashion, watch-making, sports and gaming. Being drawn from such different spheres of design helps the team deliver its ‘Jaguar’ interpretation of Britishness using contemporary materials and processes. Those processes utilise industry-leading technology, including custom-made clay modelling machines allowing 20 models to be worked on at once, virtual reality (VR) systems and an 11-m K digital display wall known as ‘The Electric’. The floor area of the new Jaguar Design Studio measures over 12 000m2 – an increase of around 33% of the total previous studio spaces based in Whitley.

Julian Thomson, Design Director, Jaguar, said: “Jaguar has a unique heritage as a design-led brand and this will always be a central pillar of our DNA. The design values and philosophy that were created by Jaguar’s founder, Sir William Lyons, remain the same and this building will allow us to design the very best cars for our customers, far into the future. In the design team, we understand the issues that are facing the automotive industry and can respond accordingly through innovation and creativity.

“The new facility brings the entire design team together in one hugely creative space. We truly believe that inspiration comes from interaction and collaboration. Our studio is fitted with the latest technologies but, just as important, is the diversity of human expertise and our passion for Jaguar which helps us design the extraordinary.”

The main studios are named Studio 3 and Studio 4, taking inspiration from the numbers of the Le Mans-winning Jaguar D-types of 1957 and 1956 respectively, as well as paying homage to studios 1 and 2 at Whitley, which was the home of Jaguar Design from 1985. The considered naming approach is continued in the meeting rooms, with half named after iconic Jaguar models and the other half taking their names from important people in Jaguar history, including founder Sir William Lyons, designer Geoff Lawson and the actor Steve McQueen.

Studios 3 and 4 house a total of ten clay modelling plates, each measuring 20-m long and capable of accommodating two clays, with a load capacity of 4.5-tonnes. For the first time, designers can now place interior and exterior models next to one another to improve synergy and collaboration between the two disciplines.

Each plate is fitted with floor-integrated machine rails to allow double-sided processing of models by the 3+2-axis Kolb Concept Line CNC clay milling machines, each fitted with a 1 kw motorised spindle capable of 16 000rpm. The advanced system can switch between measuring and milling both quickly and easily.

The plates also feature floor-integrated lifts for the clay models. These provide continuous height adjustment, enabling the most ergonomic working positions for the Jaguar modellers.

The studios are fully temperature controlled to ensure clay remains in the ideal state to be worked by the 46-strong team of sculptors, while lighting is provided at exactly the right brightness and colour temperature for optimal vision.

Alister Whelan, Interior Design Director, Jaguar said: “The whole studio has been conceived to refine the design process and make it even more dynamic while maintaining the heart and soul of Jaguar. We consulted the entire design team to create our new home together as a family. That’s a key part of our ethos because we want to encourage even more collaboration and synergy between different design disciplines in the studio, with the community Heart Space at its core.”

Studio 4 faces north to ensure the purest light flowing in from the outdoor viewing area through huge glass doors. Models can easily be taken outside to be viewed in natural light and from a range of distances and angles. In total, the new Jaguar Design Studio has 906m2 of glazing, including three full-length skylights which flood the studio with natural light. The deliberately light and warm nature of the studio is completed by the extensive use of structural wooden beams.

Viewing models from various heights is as crucial as lighting, with the plan view of Jaguars historically incredibly important to designers, from the early sketching stages through to model-making. Now, for the first time, designers will be able to scrutinise the models from alternative heights from the Mezzanine, View Room and The Steps – an amphitheatre-style seating area.

In addition, VR plays an increasingly important role in Jaguar Design with digitalisation teams appearing at every stage of the process from sketching through to launch animations. A VR rig enables designers and studio engineers to test ideas in the virtual world much faster and more efficiently than ever before. From the early conceptual stage, the Computer-Aided Surfacing (CAS) team convert the design sketches into digital 3D models while the in-house Design Visualisation and Animation (DVA) team works closely with designers and data teams to render and animate the sketches and 3D models.

The new Jaguar Design Studio will place a greater importance on advanced material technologies, too. The Colour and Materials team have more space and technology to investigate and test new and sustainable resources that continue to demonstrate the heights of luxury and tactility for the next generation of vehicles, while meeting Jaguar’s demanding quality standards.

The Colour and Materials team work across both the exterior and interior, playing a vital role in creating each vehicle, from devising new paint colours, to conceptualising the smallest beautiful interior details – the Jaguar print in an E-PACE centre console, for example.

The Jaguar Design Studio, designed with Bennetts Associates, is part of the wider Gaydon Engineering and Design Centre redevelopment.

The Reality of Real Estate Financing in Indian Market

By Ramesh Nair, CEO & Country Head- India, JLL

Real estate for many years seemed like a Teflon sector – moving towards greater heights with every passing year, unaffected by everything which happened in other industries. Unlike other assets where investors evaluated entry price to the nearest fraction before making a decision, real estate seemed to be exempt from the golden rules of investment. The past two – three years have shown us that the relative de-coupling of the sector no longer exists. Since returns have become more to scale so has the mad rush to invest in the sector.

Over these few years, as affordability declined, home sales followed suit. Project delays and lack of regulation led to erosion of buyer confidence. In previous years, buyers thought of not one but more houses as a safe haven for capital appreciation – as should be clear now, this is no longer the case.

Other challenges

Regulations such as RERA, GST, and the Amendment in Benami Transactions Act which sought t o correct the anomalies in the sector, helped restore buyer confidence too. However, they also caused some disruptions for the operational and financial stability of some players. The changes essentially encouraged financial discipline and ushered in greater accountability and transparency. People who lacked the required discipline had to resort to high yield refinance to get things in order. As buyers exercised their right to opt out of projects which developers had delayed, recovery – especially with high coupon debt became more challenging. With the NBFC crisis, another reliable source of funds dried up.

All this combined has made funds for investment in real estate scarcer. Land was often considered the only raw material for real estate growth. But as things have progressed capital is proving why it is one of the only two basic factors of production (the other being labour).

The question on everyone’s mind: What’s the solution?

When dealing with a sector as large and important as real estate – no single player can move the needle. The entire ecosystem needs to take the onus of financing recovery on itself.

The government is doing its part and has already announced a host of measures to put the economy as well real estate sector back on track.

Recently it announced an INR 20,000 crore fund to help developers complete projects that are stalled due to last mile cash shortage. Since RERA has already helped restore buyer confidence – we have seen that home sales recove ring since 2018. A look at the top seven cities reveals housing sales are up from 96,358 in 2017, to 136, 518 in 2018, a growth of 41 percent. In H1 2019 residential real estate stood at 78,427, a Y-o-Y growth of 22 percent.

The government has also provided relief to NBFCs by infusing an additional INR 10,000 crore in NBFCs. If developers focus on incentivising sales by passing on the recent tax benefit, then sales could go up even further.

Projects and developers which have shown consistent improvement need to be given additional time to repay debt or restructure their loans. Further, funding from government fund could help. This will help revive construction of projects and faster delivery. Projects of developers who are not financially viable need to be taken over by NBFC and transferred to other devel opers.

Other players need to invest in the recovery as well.

Institutional funds can come in: There is enough interest from international PE fund for this distressed equity, if NBFCs and HFCs are willing to take a haircut on their loans. New sources of capital could come from distressed asset funds and private equity funds.

The industry may not mentally be ready for distressed investing. But if some such deals happen in the future – it could pave the way for recovery. PE firms and distressed funds are after all, mean to be premium sources of capital. When they make investments at the right numbers – it signals confidence in the system.

The way ahead

Money is still available to people who know how to manage it. No one is willing to throw good money after bad. There is a clear distinction between people who want to and can do business in the right way and who cannot. This is in a sense the new normal. Quality and consistency trumps all else.

Increased completion of projects, improvement in economic growth and lower interest cycles will increase the sales momentum and provide much needed long term finance for projects. This could also help to reduce debt thereby improving NBFC and overall market position.

UK Based Tech Firm - vyn - Opens AI Lab & R&D Centre in New Delhi

vyn, an AI tech company headquartered in London announced the launch of an International AI Lab and R&D centre in New Delhi, India.

Founded with the purpose of simplifying work-life for busy professionals in the field, vyn’s unique SmartVideoNotes technology is fast gaining international recognition with its new

AI-ready visual intelligence platform.

As part of its India operations, the company will work on areas such as Natural Language Processing, Computer Vision and Video Analytics & Enterprise grade secure cloud technologies. vyn’s India development team will work towards forging partnerships with local academia such as IITs to drive research initiatives and digital transformation services specialists.

vyn is accelerating the digital disruption & transformation objectives into Network Infrastructure, Utilities, Manufacturing and Homecare services sectors in the UK and EMEA markets for global clients. Since 2013, vyn has invested in research and development in the UK, to bring to market a simple-to-use short video technology, with smart data analytics critical to enable the trillion-dollar AI-powered transformation market.

Speaking at the launch, Kapil Singhal, CEO & Co-Founder, vyn, said, “India’s workforce is ready to move from services to a high-quality product mindset. Most importantly, government policies are now more conducive for businesses to 'make' in India and our strategy is to build intellectual property to help the country leapfrog ahead.”

He further added, “We strongly believe that combining human intelligence and AI to drive capability building solutions such as training and upskilling will be the next big revolution. Being a mobile-first solution targeting company, we are excited about the opportunities this will bring in for every worker in India.”

Arti Khanna, Co-founder & CTO, vyn, said, “It is a special moment for me to see  a dream I saw way back in 1990 being fulfilled - that of reshaping India from a services industry into a centre of innovation."

A mobile-first solution, vyn is up-skilling every single worker in the field to use digital technology and share with pride, their job completion notes or videos of site surveys audio-guided by automated ‘vyn prompts’. vyn improves customer engagement leading to higher upsells, reduces costs with fewer truck rolls (site visits) and improved workforce productivity & upskilling.  vyn SmartVideoNotes technology has been granted US patents for Smart Data Capture, Ranking and Delivery of Insights. 

Airtel Payments Bank Partners with HDFC ERGO for Mosquito Disease Protection Policy

Highlights

·         At just INR 99 per annum the policy provides cover against seven common mosquito-borne diseases
·         Policy is currently available to remittance customers of Airtel Payments Bank

Airtel Payments Bank, India’s first Payments Bank, and HDFC ERGO General Insurance Company, India’s leading private sector general insurance company, under the corporate agency tie-up launched an innovative Mosquito Diseases Protection Policy (MDPP) as a part of their objective to drive insurance adoption in the country through affordable and easily accessible products.

The partnership aims to bring together the deep distribution network of Airtel Payments Bank and the strong innovation pipeline of HDFC ERGO to contribute to financial inclusion in the country. 

Mosquito Disease Protection Policy offers cover against seven common mosquito-borne diseases - Dengue, Malaria, Chikungunya, Japanese Encephalitis, Kala-azar, Lymphatic Filariasis (Elephantiasis) and Zika virus. The product, which is a part of the ‘Wallet Insurance Portfolio’ of HDFC ERGO, will be offered to the remittance customers of Airtel Payments Bank at a nominal cost of Rs 99 per annum.

Designed after extensive consumer research, the policy is currently available to the over 4 million remittance customers of Airtel Payments Bank. This segment of customers mostly comprises of migrant workers, who usually are the lone breadwinners of the family, and even a single day’s pay or wage loss impacts them in a big way.

The policy offers financial security for loss of pay or loss of savings in case of hospitalisation due to any of the above mentioned diseases. This pocket friendly product stands apart in the industry by being the only policy offering the sum assured benefit to the insured even if he/she is hospitalised for 24 hours for treatment.

Mr. Anubrata Biswas, MD and CEO, Airtel Payments Bank said, “We are delighted to offer an affordable innovative insurance product, customizing it to the end customer’s requirements. Through this product construct we aim to introduce easy and sachet size paperless insurance solutions to millions of customers spread across the nation. This association is an important step in our journey towards building a comprehensive product portfolio customized to each segment for a financially inclusive society.”

Commenting on the partnership with Airtel Payments Bank, Mr. Anuj Tyagi, Executive Director & Chief Business Officer, HDFC ERGO General Insurance said, “HDFCERGO is committed to bring innovative and relevant products to the insurance buyers. Our PING group (Providing Insurance for Next Generation) has been developing products under the umbrella of ‘Wallet Products Portfolio’. In our assessment, wallet products will change the way customer perceive or buying insurance products. These are low ticket, extremely relevant products which provide ease of buying, simplicity of coverages and simplest claim procedures, thereby providing maximum value to the insured. In our opinion, these products would also prove to be very efficient in creating awareness about the insurance products, since these are simple and insured can connect with these products, immediately.

Airtel Payments Bank provides us in-roads to offer innovative products through their enormous and spirited distribution platform. Since, the Mosquito Disease Protection cover is a wallet product, it will ride on the strength of a  digital sales channel for a seamless and smooth buying experience to the customer and in Airtel Payment Bank, we have a partner whose core distribution and service model is based on digital platform, thereby it makes it a special partnership of like-minded corporates. We are confident that the combined strength of our brands will draw great appreciation amongst their wide and rich contactable customer base. Through this partnership HDFC ERGO is yet again enforcing our commitment of reaching out to customers’ and making our products available to all possible sections of the society.”

Airtel Payments Bank’s distribution network comprises of 500,000 neighbourhood banking points that reach even the remotest rural pockets and improve access to formal banking and financial products.

IMT Ghaziabad Introduces Online Post Graduate Executive Certificate Program in Talent Analytics

IMT Ghaziabad, a top-ranked Premium Business School, has launched an Online Post Graduate Certificate Course in Talent Analytics for building future ready HR Managers. This short term six-month certificate program has been launched in association with IMT Centre for Distance Learning, a premium distance management institute under the IMT group.

This weekend program comprises of 60 hours of online sessions delivered by eminent experts from academia and industry, and will provide comprehensive knowledge and skillsets to HR & Talent Managers, and General Management executives working with medium to large-scale organizations.

Covered in four modules, the program covers the fundamentals of Workforce Analytics and Analytical Frameworks that help drive meaningful insights through techniques that help with Talent Metrics, Cost-Benefit Analysis and Strategic decision-making across HR functions. The participants will gain expertise in Visualization, Narration & Interpretation of HR Data as well as know-how on futuristic applications in Talent Analytics.

Commenting on the program launch, Prof. Asish K Bhattacharyya, Director, IMT Ghaziabad said “We are extremely delighted to launch yet another program in the field of analytical studies. We have realized that big organizations are facing many people issues that stay unresolved on account of lack of insights and tools with HR to understand and recommend strategic inputs to the management. This extensive course will help them resolve those challenges and make strategic HR decisions and recommendations to optimize people productivity and enhance overall organizational performance.

As most businesses are undergoing digital transformation, our endeavor is to equip organizations to prepare for such changes in the workplace. We are looking forward to deliver in a manner that allows participants to gain in-depth knowledge that they can implement in their HR roles” he further added.

Renowned industry expert Mr. Antaryami Patra - Associate VP and Head HR Digital Transformation and Talent Analytics at HCL; Prof. Vijay Lakshmi Singh - Faculty of HRM and OB at IMT Ghaziabad and Prof. Ram Mohan Dhara - Faculty on Consumer Insights & Analytics at IMT Ghaziabad -  - all with decades of experience and practice are among the faculty who shall deliver this program.

The course fee is Rs. 60,000 plus taxes and includes learning material, online sessions, access to Learning Management System, Campus visit and Certification. The registrations for the first batch have already started and will go on till end September. Post-Graduates/Graduates seeking a career in advanced HR Metrics, Talent Analytics, and other working professionals will be eligible for this course. Enrollments will be done on a first come first served basis through a brief screening process.

IMT offers various PGDM Programs under Regular, Executive, Part Time and Distance Learning Modes through its campuses in Ghaziabad, Nagpur & Hyderabad. Since its inception, the Institute has been consistently ranked among the top Management Institutes of the country.

Pulp Strategy Wins the Digital Mandate for Origo Commodities

Pulp Strategy, India’s largest independent agency in digital communications and technology, recently bagged the mandate to leading strategic Digital marketing communications across India for Origo Commodities, a complete post-harvest management service provider. The Business was awarded post a multi-agency pitch and as a part of this mandate, Pulp Strategy will manage the brand’s presence across all digital platforms through media planning, media buying, content marketing, and social media campaigns. The full-service digital agency will also be responsible for planning and executing new B2B initiatives that would improve the brands reach and enable customers to better understand the brands offerings.

Origo Commodities was founded in 2010 with a vision to transform fragmented commodity supply chains into an integrated and efficient ecosystem with reliable solutions that create value in an inclusive and sustainable manner for all participants, from the primary producer to the end consumer. Origo’s post-harvest management services include mitigating risks, minimizing wastage, and adding value at every stage in the Agri-commodity supply chain. Present in 15+ states pan India, Origo commodities offers procurement solutions across eight commodities (including wheat, maize, jowar, paddy, rice, cotton, channa, soybean, and mustard), as well as preventive storage and maintenance, and financing through structured trade and Warehouse receipt financing.

Mr. Sunoor Kaul, Director of Origo commented, “Origo is transforming the agriculture supply chain. Through its network in 12 states and a team of 1,800 employees, we make agricultural procurement both capital and price-efficient and at the same time enable direct procurement from farmers allowing them better price discovery. With 800 warehouses, through its scientific storage techniques, Origo is able to reduce wastage and allow traders, farmers, and others to have safe storage for their crops. Pulp Strategy understood the nuances of our business, the team had a refreshing approach and brought on board an understanding of our B2B business needs We are confident that this understanding combined with their professional and proactive approach will assist us in our aggressive marketing plans. We look forward to working with  them.”

Commenting on the mandate, Ms. Ambika Sharma, Managing Director of Pulp Strategy, said, “We are extremely delighted to partner with Origo Commodities. The brand is revolutionizing agriculture supply chain and it is a matter of pride for us to partner with them in this journey. We firmly believe that this brand has a huge potential for growth in the agriculture industry, the team at Origo is passionate and very deeply rooted in with a clear understanding of their path, products and their consumer. It is a category which will be challenging yet fulfilling to work with.”

Amrita University Conducts Seminar on Embracing Education 4.0 & Motivation at DPS(East) Bengaluru

The Indian industry is facing a shortage of skilled engineers. To address this issue, various aspects of essential skills required for future engineers and scientists were discussed at a recent seminar on Embracing Education 4.0 and Motivation by Amrita University at Delhi Public School (East), Bengaluru.

Prof. Anand Shenoi, Site Director, ICPC Global, Amrita University spoke on the most essential skills required for future engineers and scientists. The emphasis was on how the world is moving towards digital technology.

Detailed and elaborate sessions were conducted on the applications of Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, Data Science, Big Data, Internet of Things, etc. to the students to make them understand and think about the real time applications of these technologies.

Along with being well versed on the technical know how’s, in today’s scenario it is important for students to be competent enough to face the challenges and risks in life. To address the various challenges which students will face, Prof. Krishnankutty, Chairman, Career Competency Development, of Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham conducted various brain exercises to improve awareness, confidence, and critical thinking. Students were asked to come on to the stage and demonstrate certain exercises to overcome their fear and shyness.

“Students in this generation shall be aware of the technology, meanwhile they shall also be able to use apply technology with awareness and discrimination so that the society is getting benefit out of it”, said Prof. Krishnankutty.

Manipal Hospitals Bangalore Successfully Implants a Cardiac Occluder to Prevent Recurrent Stroke

Manipal Hospitals Bangalore stacks up yet another medical marvel to prevent recurrent stroke by using path breaking technology  for the first time in India and South Asia. Dr. Ranjan Shetty, HOD – Cardiology at Manipal Hospitals used this novel technique to prevent formation of clots as well as seal a part of the heart of a 90-year-old patient.

Stroke is one of the leading causes of death and disability in India. The primary reason for stroke is atrial fibrillation – a condition where the upper chambers of the heart (atrium) does not contract allowing stagnation of blood, which results in clot formation. This clot can travel to any part of the body and when it blocks the blood supply to the brain, leads to stroke.

Sharing details on this unique case study, Dr. Ranjan Shetty, Head of the Department, Cardiology, Manipal Hospitals said, “At Manipal Hospitals Bengaluru a 90-year-old gentleman from Central Karnataka presented with history of recurrent stroke and background of atrial fibrillation. Considering his condition, he was placed on blood thinners to reduce the risk of stroke, because of which he unfortunately developed serious complications. Patient was undergoing bouts of bleeding in the skin as well as urine. His condition was critical as trivial wounds could lead to bleeding and catastrophic if it occurs in the brain and hence blood thinners had to be stopped completely.”

He further added, “On one hand, blood thinners are required to prevent clot formation and on the other hand it can cause major bleeding episodes. Here there was a dilemma to treat with blood thinners to prevent stroke especially in a patient who has had more than one episode or to avoid the complications. Left atrial appendage is a part of the atrium, which is responsible for the clot formation. A potential method of preventing clot formation would be to seal this area to prevent any clots to spill further. This was successfully achieved by using a novel and effective device, where the left atrial appendage was closed by using a cardiac occluder. With the appendage sealed off, the blood thinners could be stopped thus reducing the risk of future stroke. The device implantation was a great success and will help in increasing longevity of the patient.”

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Anoop Amarnath, HOD Geriatrics, Chief of Clinical Services,  Manipal Hospitals said, “Stroke can be a cause for major concern for morbidity and mortality in atrial fibrillation (AF) patients. One sixth of the patients with stroke can be traced to have atrial fibrillation. In patients above 80 years, this can be as high as one-third. Ideally, patients with atrial fibrillation will require potent blood thinners to prevent clot formation. In this case, patient was experiencing leakage of blood, which required immediate attention. However, the age of the patient was a matter of concern but he responded well to the device. Infact this has improved his quality of life and he is now leading a healthy life without any complications. These devices can be used in the elderly to prevent strokes caused by irregular heartbeats.”

Fossil Unveils a Limited-Edition Timepiece with Varun Dhawan

FOSSIL is excited to announce an all-new limited-edition watch designed in partnership with Varun Dhawan. This limited edition watch aligns itself with Fossil’s curator series – a collaborative collection of watches fueled by a creative class of artists and innovation icons.

Blending Fossil’s timeless style with Varun’s personality into a dynamic design, this watch features Fossil’s bestselling Machine watch case with a sleek black dial with a polish of Varun’s signature red on the three hands that display the hour, minute and second. Varun’s initial and birthdate are inscribed on the dial, making this exclusive watch that much more personal.  The watch case  comes with two premium strap choices for additional versatility– a black steel bracelet and black silicone strap with croc pattern and red accents.

Each timepiece is individually numbered and comes encased in exclusive packaging featuring  Varun’s signature and a personalized message to all his fans.

Taking forward this personalized initiative for Varun Dhawan and reflecting his compassionate side, Fossil has collaborated with the NGO Magic Bus, whose efforts are centered on helping children develop the necessary life skills to lead a brighter future. The timepiece is the latest iteration of  Fossil’s commitment to community impact: Make Time for Good.

Make Time for Good is Fossil’s pledge to unleash the power of youth to take action toward transformative, cultural change. As a Make Time for Good partner in purpose, Magic Bus is currently  helping more than 375,000 children and 100,000 young people in India escape the cycle of poverty by providing access to essential life skills, education and employment. As an organization close to Varun’s heart, a portion of the exclusive Varun Dhawan x Fossil watch sales will be donated to Magic Bus to support their mission of ending the cycle of poverty through education.

The watch is available in Fossil and partner stores across India and on fossil.com at INR 13,995/-

Commenting on this development, Varun Dhawan, Celebrity Brand Ambassador said, “Fossil is an iconic brand that has always celebrated creativity, authenticity and optimism, everything that I swear by when it comes to my style. I am honored to be associated with a brand that is so close to me, to create a watch that truly personifies what I believe in – something new, exciting, and affordably classy. I hope everyone loves it as much as we do.”

Talking about the launch, Johnson Verghese, Managing Director, Fossil Group India, said, “We are proud to announce the launch of Varun’s watch – a one of its kind curation. This elegant timepiece embodies Fossil’s ethos, rightly blended with Varun’s personal style. With our brand spirit translating perfectly into a distinctive design that is in line with the current style trends, we are certain that this limited edition watch would be loved by Fossil’s and Varun’s fans.”

Hear Kailash Kher's Indian, Sufi and Pop Music Live at the Orion Mall on September 28

Music lovers across Bangalore are in for a treat this weekend at Orion Mall at Brigade Gateway. One of the most celebrated playback singers in India, Kailash Kher will be making an appearance to take them on a soul-stirring musical journey.

Known for a signature style that is inspired by Indian folk, Sufi music and pop rock, he has had a celebrated career that has garnered him millions of fans across the country and widespread acclaim from both peers as well as music critics. He will be performing at the mall as part of Mirchi Live, organised by Orion Malls in association with Radio Mirchi, on September 28, 2019 from  6 PM onwards.

“Kailash Kher is a unique artist in many respects. His innate talent and charisma commands respect, even in musical circles that are vastly different from his chosen genre. His music tacitly bridges the gap between an audience that prefers music with a noticeably traditional flavour and those who fancy a more modern affair. So it is both an honour and a pleasure to have a musician of his calibre perform for us. Orion Mall and all the comforts it offers will serve as the perfect setting for such a spectacular musical extravaganza” opines Shashie Kumar, COO –Retail.

The Asia Pacific Predator League 2020 Tournament with a USD 400,000 Total Prize Pool Kicks Off

It is time for Indian PUBG gamers to gear up and get ready as the much coveted Predator Gaming League preliminaries are about to kick-off here in India. The registrations for PGL 2020 India are set to commence from 14th October 2019, with the regional tournament starting from 1st November 2019.

The winning team will get to participate in one of the most anticipated competitions, the Asia Pacific Predator League 2020, to be held in Manila on February 22-23, 2020 at the SM Mall of Asia Arena, Pasay City. Prior to that, all 17 regions will start registrations for their local qualifier competitions in October, before going to Manila in February 2020 to fight the final battle.

Predator League is by far the largest brand-initiated tournament in the Asia Pacific Region, with 3,530 teams from 16 regions joining the 2019 edition held in Thailand. As for Predator League 2020, Acer recognizes the potential of the Philippines gaming market, and the number of people going professional in the field, showing that the Philippines is growing fast among the ASEAN region.

Predator, the brand with a comprehensive line of gaming devices, will gather the best gamers in 17 regions from Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Macau, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Australia, India, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Mongolia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Myanmar. Only the determined and strong-willed in the PUBG (PLAYERUNKNOWN’S BATTLEGROUNDS) and DOTA2 (Defense of the Ancients 2) games will capture the prize pool value at US$400,000.

“With the third edition of the Predator League coming up, Acer continues to provide an international stage for talented gamers to compete, show off their skills and fight for glory. Acer will provide a comprehensive ecosystem to support the industry, and most importantly, the gamers,” said Andrew Hou, President of Acer Pan Asia Pacific Regional Operations. 

Chandrahas Panigrahi, CMO and Consumer Business Head, Acer India said, “I am thrilled to announce Acer’s 3rd edition of Predator Gaming League in 2020. As the e-sports market is doubling every year, we thrive to be at the forefront of the eSports innovation to best serve our consumers. With the sort of players and teams we have and the hard work they put in, it won’t be long before India makes its mark in e-sports map globally. In fact, India has more youth who are interested in gaming as compared to other countries. In our last two India Finale, we had received tremendous response from the gaming community especially in the PUBG category, hence we will focus and invite PUBG players to compete and win a chance to represent India in the Grand Finale to be held in Manila, Philippines. Like every year, this year also the Predator Gaming League will provide a bigger and better platform for gamers to display their talent and skills. Acer has pushed the boundaries of e-sports for over three years, and we’re committed to taking Indian e-sports talent and provide them a platform to shine on global stage.”

Gamers of PUBG and DOTA2 will battle it out in the Asia Pacific Predator League 2020. PUBG is considered to be one of the toughest and fast-rising esports game from PUBG Corporation with 100 players trying to eliminate each other until the last person standing. Its popularity made it a global gaming phenomenon that became one of the highest-selling games of all time with over 50 million copies sold.

The inaugural Asia Pacific Predator League was held in Jakarta, Indonesia in 2018 to further reinforce the Predator brand's commitment to supporting the gaming industry in the region. The second edition was held in Bangkok, Thailand, which saw one of the fiercest battles with the tournament lasting three days at Nimibutr Stadium in February 2019. Over 10,000 fans watched the battles in real-time — and in real life. It garnered 4.3 million views online and the peak concurrent viewership reached 123,000.

Mukesh Ambani of RIL Tops IIFL Wealth Harun India Rich List 2019

Reliance Industries Ltd Chairman Mukesh Ambani has topped the IIFL Wealth Harun India Rich List 2019.

The Hurun Report India and IIFL Wealth Management Ltd on Wednesday released 8th edition of the list in which 953 individuals, who crossed the threshold of Rs 1,000 crore across 41 industries feature in The IIFL Wealth Hurun India Rich List 2019. 

Ambani continues to top the list for the eighth consecutive year, with a total net worth of Rs 380,700 crores.

London-based SP Hinduja & family, worth Rs 186,500 crores, retains the second rank in the list.

With a wealth of Rs 1,17,100 crore, Azim Premji, the founder of Wipro, rises to the third spot. LN Mittal, Chairman & CEO of ArcelorMittal, is the 4th richest with a wealth of Rs 1,07,300 crore. Gautam Adani stormed into the top 5 with a total wealth of Rs 94,500 crore.

Interestingly, while the number of Indians in the 2019 edition of IIFL Wealth Hurun India Rich List has grown from 831 in 2018 to 953, the number of $Billionaires have reduced from 141 to 138.

The combined wealth of the top 25 in the list equates to 10% of India’s GDP and that of 953 accounts for 27% of the same.

Interestingly, while the cumulative wealth for this year shows an increase of 2% compared to last year; the average wealth shows a decline of 11%.

344 individuals or more than a third of this year’s list witnessed wealth reduction and another 112 could not meet the threshold of Rs 1000 crore.

Speaking at the launch of the report, Anas Rahman Junaid, MD & Chief Researcher, Hurun Report India, said, “With all the conversation around economic slowdown and overheating of economy – the IIFL Wealth Hurun India Rich List of 2019 celebrates the growing tribe of Indian wealth creators – both in India and abroad.”

With 246 individuals or 26% of the list, Mumbai comes on top when it comes to the residence of India’s top entrepreneurs, followed by New Delhi (175) and Bengaluru (77).

There are 82 NRIs on the coveted list of which 76 are self-made. With 31 individuals, USA is the most preferred country for NRIs, followed by the UAE and the UK.

With a net worth of Rs 7,500 crore, Ritesh Agarwal (25) of Oyo Rooms is the youngest selfmade entrepreneur and the wealthiest under 40 years (age) is Divyank Turakhia (37) of Media.net.

The list includes 152 women. Roshni Nadar of HCL technologies is the richest woman followed by Smita V Crishna of Godrej Group with a net worth of Rs 31,400 crore. With a net worth of Rs 18,500 crore, Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw of Biocon retains the crown of the richest self-made woman in India.

“With the India story gaining momentum, supported by a young and aspirational demography – the potential of wealth management in the country has merely scratched the surface,” said Yatin Shah, Co-founder & Executive Director, IIFL Wealth Management Ltd.

PremiumAV's Services Help Quantum Increase its Online Sales by 600% in One Year

PremiumAV, Appario's partner helping vendor place products on Amazon, today announced the increased online sales growth of Quantum, PremiumAV's vendor partner, in last one year. Quantum has achieved 600% growth in its sales on Amazon in last one year. Quantum has been placing all its products on Amazon through PremiumAV, leveraging PremiumAV and Appario's tie-up. PremiumAV has placed products of Quantum on Amazon during its year long association with Quantum.

"It has been a successful partnership with Quantum for more than a year now. With our services and strong relationship with Appario, we have been able to place Quantum product line on Amazon and extending good profits to Quantum" said Sanjay Garg, CEO at PremiumAV. "We thank Quantum team for believing in us and using our services. Our services are open to all vendors who are looking to place their product son Amazon with better profit."

PremiumAV provides its services to all small and big brands in the IT and mobile accessories space who are looking to place their products on Amazon through Appario. PremiumAV acts as the strong bond between Appario and the vendor to assure smooth flow of services, placing the products on Amazon and billings.

Quantum is the front runner in consumer electronics, security solutions & high-quality IT hardware/peripherals, with its unfailing commitment to highest standards of quality at most affordable prices. It has a meticulously developed network of over 200 distributors, 20,000-plus resellers and 20-plus service touch points. Quantum Hi-Tech's foothold as a player is present pan-India in over 1,000 cities and towns.

Leading Travel Management Platform Deem to Invest USD 10M on India Expansion

Deem, a leading mobile and cloud technology provider for the corporate travel industry, today announced its plans to invest USD 10 Million in India. The capital will be utilized to bolster the company’s R&D capabilities in the country towards enhancing the corporate travel management experience for more than 50,000 corporate customers around the world. The investment will position Deem’s India centre as an R&D hub for Deem’s product development worldwide. Deem’s personalized and intuitive business travel management platform, uses advanced technologies to provide optimized solutions for travelers, corporate travel managers and travel management companies. The company currently has 100 employees in Bengaluru, India, focused primarily on Research & Development (R&D).

Experiencing hyper-growth, Asia’s travel market is expected to more than double by 2025 (as per Amadeus) with corporate travel spending expected to account for the world’s total. India will contribute significantly to this share of the pie and is projected to crack the top 5 by 2022, according to a recent report by GBTA. Despite the potential, business travelers, particularly millennial business travelers in India and the APAC region face many challenges, owing to the lack of smart, digital solutions in corporate travel management.

“To maintain our position as a front runner in the dynamic space of corporate travel management, India will have a significant role to play, from an R&D as well sales perspective. We will optimize our presence in APAC using India as a strong foothold. Corporate Travel Management in India is at a ripe stage and this is an opportune time for us to develop a strong talent pool that can support our business growth in this geography,” said Neil Markey, SVP Product & Chief Information Officer, Deem Inc.

Deem’s travel management platform addresses the pain points of business travelers globally and the company plans to double its India headcount in the next two years to create a Centre of Excellence  (COE) on Quality Assurance (QA) Automation as well as the development of the next generation travel platform by working closely with the Ireland and San Francisco centres. Deem is also developing a COE on Data Analytics, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) that is focused on creating an enhanced user experience along with business intelligence to enable quicker and better decision making for their customers.

Outlining the strategy for India, Ramesh Kalanje, VP & GM, Deem Inc. said, “Deem has nurtured and invested in a highly driven team in India with the technological prowess to disrupt the corporate travel industry. Therefore, India has become a testing ground for Deem to offer solutions that are focused on consumer experience and improving the lives of business travelers, globally. In India, Bengaluru has some of the brightest tech talent and we look forward to driving innovation through our Centre of Excellence to disrupt the corporate travel industry.”

Deem is wholly owned by Enterprise Holdings, the world’s largest car rental provider, and an industry leader in mobility and technology. Deem’s global customer portfolio includes Pepsi, McKinsey and Company, eBay, Bank of America, NBA, Merck and Bose amongst others. It helps save over USD 33 million for its clients, each year, on airfare. Its Automatic ticket exchange feature automatically recalculates fares and reissues tickets without agent intervention. Deem’s platform is faster - time tests show travelers can book air, hotel and rental car almost two minutes faster per booking with 6 less clicks than the leading competitor.

Samsung Mobiles Ranked as India’s Most Consumer-Focused Brand: TRA Research

South Korean tech giant Samsung Mobile Phones achieves a commendable feat of featuring in TRA’s Most Consumer-Focused Brands Report 2019 (CFB 2019), the third edition in the series. Laptop-maker Dell, Apple iPhone and LG (Televisions) secure 2nd, 3rd and 4th rank respectively. Of the top 100 Most Consumer-Focused Brands, 56 are of Indian and LIC, Tata Motors and Amul (Milk) lead the India list.

Commenting on the launch of the report N. Chandramouli, CEO, TRA Research, said "Consumers are speaking, and Samsung is listening. Focused on consumer-centric innovations, Samsung in the Mobile Phone Category has pushed the technology limits and set impeccable standards thus creating deeper, stronger and resilient consumer bonds."

Pond’s and Honda, at 5th and 6th ranks respectively, are first time entrants in the top 20 list. LIC slips one rank to occupy 7th followed by Sony Televisions at 8th. Tata Motors enters at the 9th rank, followed by Amul which is 10th Most Consumer-Focused Brand in India and also leads in the Milk Category.

The report lists 500 brands that represent the elite 7% brands out of 10,000 that have excelled by increasing their Buying Propensity® or keenness-to-be-bought over two successive years, as measured between October 2017 to March 2019.

"In the new age of brand building, the brands have to shift from being just ‘invested’ to ‘committed’ the brands which make it among the Most Consumer-Focused have crafted meaningful engagements with consumers. Of the 10,000 brands analyzed, only 717 brands increased their propensity to be bought, while the rest saw a falling propensity," added Chandramouli.

Among India's 500 Most Consumer-Focused Brands, there are total 34 Super-Categories and 191 Categories. The categories with the maximum brands are F&B and FMCG contributing to 18% and 16% of the total brands in the listings respectively. Some of the category leaders in the report are Aviva Life Insurance (All India Rank 32) from Private Life Insurance, DTDC (All India Rank 313) from Indian Express Services, Fogg (All India Rank 31) from Deo/Perfume, Kangaroo Kids (All India Rank 31) from Pre-School, Otto (All India Rank 61) from Menswear, Oyo Hotels and Homes (All India Rank 197) from Hotels and Tanishq (All India Rank 29) from Jewellery.

TECNO SPARK 4 Makes it Global Debut in India, Strengthens Budget Segment of Smartphones

Highlights

* With SPARK 4, TECNO brings ‘segment-first’ 6.52” HD+ Dot Notch screen with 20:9 aspect ratio, triple rear camera & massive 4000 mAh battery at just INR 7999
* TECNO’s SPARK portfolio includes three smartphones with bigger screen & advance AI capabilities available in the price range of INR 5499-8999

TECNO, the fastest growing offline smartphone brand of India which has set a benchmark in the mid-range 7K—15K segment through its successful CAMON series has recently added ‘SPARK’ series to the brand portfolio. TECNO SPARK series aims to strengthen the entry level segment in smartphones and target consumers who are aspiring to buy their first smartphone or upgrading from feature phones.

Earlier this month, the brand had launched TECNO SPARK’s two new devices including TECNO SPARK Go and TECNO SPARK 4 Air. Within 15 days of launch, TECNO SPARK Go has become a best-selling most affordable dot notch display smartphone at INR 5499. Adding joy to the festivities, every SPARK Go buyer gets free Bluetooth earpiece worth INR 799.  On top of it, it’s unique ‘111’ promise including 1-time screen replacement, 100 days’ free replacement, and 1-month extended warranty on all the devices.

TECNO is upping the game with India’s first strategy with the launch of TECNO SPARK 4, the brand is offering the 6.52-inch HD+ dot notch display, biggest screen in the segment. The newly launched smartphone will go on sale starting September 20th and will be available across 35,000+ offline retail stores.

Commenting on TECNO SPARK 4 India’s-first launch, Mr. Arijeet Talapatra, CEO TRANSSION India said, “We are committed to our diverse consumer’s base with our expansive product portfolio and the   global debut of TECNO SPARK 4 in India is a testimony of our deep commitment to ‘India-first’ approach. Since the brand entry in India, TECNO’s mantra has been to strengthen the budget to mid-budget smartphone category by introducing the features which are not available at such price points. With SPARK series in our portfolio we are focusing on capturing the 5K to 10K smartphone category of India where the consumer is more willing to experiment with the product. The SPARK series is a perfect blend of style, superior display, camera capabilities with AI integration and performance at affordable price points. We are optimistic that the new range will be well-received by the audience & will add spark to their festivities.”

TECNO SPARK 4 is Available in Two Variants: 3GB + 32GB at INR 7999 and 4GB + 64GB at INR 8999.

Features that makes new TECNO SPARK 4 a must buy:

Adorned with beautiful design and biggest display in the segment: Notching up its game, the new SPARK 4 brings in 6.52-inch HD+ dot notch display with 20:9 aspect ratio and 450 nits screen brightness giving an immersive viewing experience making it a perfect smartphone to enjoy seamless content, reading and browsing.  Designed to impress, TECNO Spark 4 is built with 2.5D curved and fluidic edge design, which gives it a premium look. With the width of 75.9mm and 8.2mm thickness the smartphone is light weighted and is easy to hold.  Available in the beautiful colors: 3+ 32 GB variant is available in the colours of Vacation Blue & Royal Purple while 4GB + 64GB is available in Bay Blue and majestic purple. The smartphone looks exquisite and makes an ideal device for consumers who want their brand to reflect their personal style.

Advance triple rear camera in the budget segment: Coming to the optics, the TECNO SPARK 4 sports a triple rear camera setup aligned vertically – with a 13megapixel main camera with f/1.8 aperture, a 2-megapixel depth camera, and a third low-light camera sensor. TheRear camera features include PDAF, dual LED Flash support, eight scene modes, AR Stickers, Custom Bokeh, AI HDR, AI Beauty, Panorama, and more to enhance overall photography experience.

Be in the Spotlight with AI selfie: While 8MP front camera comes with customizable flash helps make clear video in low light by adjusting brightness as per the environment for best captures and brighter selfies in any lighting condition.  The Beauty Mode enhances your skin tones and other blemishes to present the perfect selfies. Thefront camera features include AI Beauty Mode, Portrait Mode, in-build localized AR Stickers, Wide Selfie Mode for better selfie experience

Seamless performance: Hooked to gaming and hate lags? Well, fret not. TECNO Spark 4 comes with massive 4GB RAM and 64GB ROM which is further expandable upto 128GB variant that lets you reap the benefits of multi-tasking easily. Under the hood is Helio A22 Quad core processor combined with the latest Android 9 pie operating system that will further enhance your smartphone experience.  For gaming lover, based on machine learning technology, the smartphone boosts the gaming performance using ‘game acceleration mode’. It enables you to choose different options like quality, priority, equilibrium mode, smooth mode and so on. It also blocks unwanted notifications for uninterrupted gaming. Games like PUBG Mobile run on High settings easily. The smartphone comes with anti-disturb feature to give users a more immersive experience in the game.

Massive battery: TECNO Spark 4 is bestowed with beefy 4000mAh battery which gives upto 26 hours of calling Time, 6 Hours of Video Playback, 6.9 Hours of Gaming, 110 Hours of audio playback. The AI power management in the smartphone tracks the consumer usage pattern of the smartphone and optimizes the battery life according to the usage. Now experience, multi-tasking, gaming, video viewing, calling, clicking and more without the hassle of battery draining out.

Dual Security features: TECNO Spark 4 comes with category-defining face Unlock that doesn’t unlock when eyes are closed. Another highlight of the phone is its unique localized feature of an anti-oil fingerprint sensor that provides hassle free access to the phone under all Indian lifestyle and weather conditions.

Tata Motors Ranked 31 out of 2000 and 5th Amongst the Global Automobile Manufacturers

Tata Motors, India’s leading automotive brand ranked 31 of the 2000 on Forbes’ World’s Best Regarded Companies 2019 list. The company has also emerged amongst the top five ranked global automobile manufacturers, joining 16 other Indian Companies in this global list.

Tata Motors rank leaped from 70th rank last year to rank 31 this year. The Best Regarded Companies are selected on the evaluations of over 15,000 survey participants from more than 50 countries, who assess global enterprises on parameter such as trustworthiness, social conduct, company as an employer and performance of the product or service.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Guenter Butschek, CEO & MD, Tata Motors Limited said, “We are delighted to have been featured on the Forbes World’s Best Regarded Companies 2019 List. Being in the top 50, from a total of 2000 and raising the India flag high with 5th rank across the global automobile industry is indeed a great feeling. It is a testament to the aspirational work that Tata Motors has been consistently doing on the business front while holding up the Tata Group’s ethos. We are very happy to have our efforts validated and we are further encouraged to keep the momentum going and create new benchmarks.”

Other Tata companies, which were also featured on the prestigious list, include Tata Consulting Services and Tata Steel.

Global Indian International School, Whitefield Wins CBSE Karnataka U-19 Boys Football Tournament

Students of Global Indian International School, Whitefield (Bengaluru) emerged as winners at the recently concluded 3-day CBSE Cluster 8 (Karnataka U-19 Boys) Football Championship hosted at Delhi Public School, Mysore. A pulsating semi-final against Sindhi School, where GIIS were one goal down, was eventually converted into a comeback victory with 2 winning goals. The tournament final win with 2-0 against Brigade PSBB School showcased the results of their rigorous practice and on-ground team work.

Commenting on the achievement, Mr. Rajiv Bansal, Director Operations, GIIS India said, “Our emphasis has always been on creating well-rounded individuals and future leaders. We encourage students to pay equal attention to sports and other extra-curricular activities through our NINE Gems framework for holistic development of students. Platforms like the CBSE cluster tournaments are extremely important for shaping and honing sports spirit in students and providing them relevant opportunities to excel in the field of their choice. We are happy that our student’s hard work and the school’s commitment has paid off and we have won the Championship trophy.”

Filled with excitement, Dr. Shivananda C S, Principal GIIS Whitefield added, “I am extremely happy to see my student’s hard work and dedication getting recognised through this win. Our players never looked tired though they played series of matches in a row and yet raised to the top like a phoenix bird in its debut, which is commendable. A team of 16 players were enrolled in our unique Gold Squad Programme after passing a tough fitness and skill test. Rigorous training regime after school hours along with a curated diet plan helped these players become dedicated, disciplined and focused.”

The CBSE Cluster Championships are a way to identify talents at the State Level and mould them to be a part of the National Team.

Harshit Khandelwal Captain, Team GIIS Whitefield, Bengaluru said, “It is easy to win playing in the home ground without pressure. However, for us everything worked against us. We had to come out of our own self-imposed beliefs to play against our opponents. Our opponents had national players and we had to tackle them in every move. Finally, my teammates did it. I am proud of my school team.”

Neelakantan was announced best player of the tournament for his meticulous strategy and game plan during the tournament. A passionate and skilful footballer, Neel found a great platform to showcase his football skills.

During the first half of the final, GIIS’ opposition was heavy raiding but the goalkeeper Mandar Mude managed to save three critical goals. In the second half, GIIS player Vihat Bandlamudi scored the first goal followed by the second one from Neelakantan that took GIIS to a leading position with score 2-0. The tournament win was symbolic of the planned practice that had been implemented by the coach and the superb execution of skills and teamwork.

McAfee Report Demonstrates Cloud-Native Breaches Differ Greatly from Malware Attacks of the Past

Key Findings:

* Cloud-Native Breaches are not like the typical malware-based attacks of the past, instead capitalizing on misconfigured, native features of the cloud
* Only one percent of misconfiguration incidents in IaaS are known companies claim they average 37 per month, when in reality they experience 3,500
* Data loss prevention incidents in IaaS increased 248 percent YoY

McAfee, the device-to-cloud cybersecurity company, released Cloud-Native: The Infrastructure-as-a-Service Adoption and Risk Report, covering new research on Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) incidents in the cloud. According to industry analysts, IaaS is now the fastest growing area of the cloud due to the speed, cost and reliability with which organizations can create and deploy applications.  The results of the survey demonstrate that 99 percent of IaaS misconfigurations go unnoticed—indicating awareness around the most common entry point to new “Cloud-Native Breaches” (CNB) is extremely low.

“In the rush toward IaaS adoption, many organizations overlook the shared responsibility model for the cloud and assume that security is taken care of completely by the cloud provider,” said Rajiv Gupta, senior vice president of Cloud Security, McAfee. “However, the security of what customers put in the cloud, most importantly sensitive data, is their responsibility. To defend against the new era of Cloud-Native Breaches, organizations need to use security tools that are cloud-native, purpose-built for cloud security and address their portion of the shared responsibility model.”

IaaS breaches don’t look like your typical malware incident, instead leveraging native features of cloud infrastructure to land the attack, expand to adjacent cloud instances, and exfiltrate sensitive data. In most cases they “land” by exploiting configuration errors in how the cloud environment was set up. This research sheds light on the need for security tools to keep up with IaaS-native issues, especially the ability to continuously audit IaaS deployments for initial misconfiguration and configuration drift over time.

Cloud-Native: The Infrastructure-as-a-Service Adoption and Risk Report also reveals the following:

Practitioner-Leadership Disconnect: Results showed that 90 percent of companies have experienced some security issue in IaaS, misconfiguration or otherwise. Yet twice as many practitioners think they’ve never experienced an issue compared to their C-Level leadership. Only 26 percent are equipped to audit for misconfigurations in IaaS, which likely accounts for the lack of visibility. It is possible the speed of cloud adoption is putting some security practitioners behind, lacking the tools they need to stop CNBs, even while their leadership perceives greater risk.
Cloud Data Loss in IaaS is on the Rise: Incidents triggered by data loss prevention (DLP) rules in IaaS, such PCI data entering a storage object with public-read access, are up 248 percent year-over-year. Forty-two percent of the storage objects with DLP incidents were misconfigured.
IaaS is the New Shadow IT: Keeping track of security incidents in IaaS is increasingly difficult given the ease with which developers can spin up new infrastructure, and this is made worse when organizations operate in multiple cloud service provider environments. Seventy-six percent of respondents said they use multiple IaaS providers, yet data sourced from actual cloud usage shows 92 percent actually do. Incidents will go under the radar if companies aren’t aware of where their infrastructure lives.

For this report, McAfee surveyed 1,000 enterprise organizations worldwide about security issues in IaaS, with a focus on misconfigurations which in some cases have left millions of customer records and intellectual property open to theft. McAfee also analyzed its own customers’ use of IaaS through anonymized, aggregated event data across millions of cloud users and billions of events.

Trend Micro Named a Leader in Endpoint Security Suites

Trend Micro Incorporated, a global leader in cybersecurity solutions, announced that it was cited as a leader with the second-highest score in the current offering category in The Forrester Wave: Endpoint Security Suites, Q3 2019 report.

In reference to Trend Micro, Forrester remarked that: “[Their] endpoint security offerings span the full gamut of threat prevention and detection, with market-leading capabilities in both categories. Extensive services are also offered, including MDR services for network, endpoints, messaging, cloud workloads, and servers.”

Trend Micro received the highest possible score for Corporate Vision and Focus (a criterion under the Strategy category), which Trend Micro believes is a recognition of its stable leadership, innovative technology and high-quality product management and development.

“The bullseye for cyber threats is corporate endpoints, making security solutions in this area a crucial component of any enterprise risk management strategy,” said Wendy Moore, vice president of product marketing for Trend Micro. “That’s why we’re delighted to be recognized as a leader in endpoint security. We believe it’s proof that Trend Micro has the strategy, the resources and the range of market-leading capabilities to suit any organization.”

Modern technology can transform endpoint security. With the future of endpoint security in mind, Trend Micro has enhanced its proposition with the release of Apex One, the evolution of its advanced endpoint security offering. Apex One offers a comprehensive blend of cross-generational threat defense capabilities from a single, easy-to manage agent — available as SaaS or on-premises.

Although critically important, the endpoint is just one piece of the cybersecurity puzzle. That’s why Trend Micro offers these security capabilities as part of a Connected Threat Defense strategy, which ensures each IT layer shares intelligence to enhance visibility and real-time threat protection and response.

In the report, Forrester pointed out that, “Its Connected Threat Defense architecture provides integrated threat intelligence and control over an extensive portfolio of email, endpoint, network, cloud, and security products aimed at enterprise buyers.”

“Trend is well positioned for large or small organizations looking for a complete endpoint security suite, especially those with complex deployment requirements,” it concluded.

L&T Technology Services Recognized as ‘Best Company for Excellence in Services’

L&T Technology Services Limited (NSE: LTTS), a leading global pureplay engineering services company, was recognized as the ‘Best Company for Excellence in Services’ by the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce- West India Council (IACC-WIC). LTTS was conferred with the prestigious recognition during the 15th Indo-American Corporate Excellence Awards at a grand ceremony organized at The Trident Hotel in Mumbai on September 20.

The award was presented to LTTS by the Chief Guest, Shri Nitin Gadkari, Hon’ble Minister for Road Transport & Highways and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises.

The event was attended by more than 300 guests including representatives from the Indo-U.S. business community, IACC members and leaders, members of the American and other diplomatic communities, leading expatriates and celebrities. Mr David Ranz, U.S. Consul General, U.S. Consulate General Mumbai was the Guest of Honour.

The bilateral cooperation between India and the U.S. is broad-based spanning across multiple industry domains with engineering services leading the way. According to IDC, the business services market is likely to grow by over eight per cent to reach USD 13.1 billion by the year-end and expand further to USD 14.3 billion by 2020. LTTS was recognized for its industry-leading engineering services that are contributing to the strengthening of economic ties between the two countries. LTTS has been actively investing its resources into American cities to build best-in-class infrastructure and is also contributing to job creation by recruiting engineering graduates from U.S. colleges.

Mr. Amit Chadha, President, Sales & Business Development and Executive Director at L&T Technology Services said, “The bilateral trade legacy between India and USA serves as a role model for the world particularly on aspects pertaining to technology-based innovations and collaborative work models. Indian companies including LTTS have been at the forefront of delivering new-age engineering services capabilities. This recognition from IACC will further strengthen our endeavors to offer the best-in-class engineering services to our customers in the US and globally.”

Ms Poorvi Chothani, President, Indo-American Chamber of Commerce - West India Council said, “LTTS has become a global engineering bellwether in a short span of time. The company is facilitating new-age innovations across multiple industries for its global customers comprising of top ER&D spenders and U.S. Fortune 500 companies. The team at LTTS has been behind some of the most innovative new age projects for its clientele, including the smartest campus in the world, the world’s first hybrid aircraft engine, and a unique solar connectivity drone, making the company a preferred engineering services partner for major U.S. enterprises. LTTS is playing a crucial role in strengthening the Indo-U.S. engineering ecosystem and overall business relations.”

Rubrik and NetApp Bring Policy-Based Data Management to Cloud-Scale Architectures

Rubrik, the Multi-Cloud Data Control Company, today announced a new joint solution in collaboration with NetApp, the data authority for hybrid cloud. The solution, Rubrik Cloud Data Management for NetApp StorageGRID, combines Rubrik’s platform with enterprise-grade object storage to automate data lifecycle management through Rubrik’s simple control plane, while using StorageGRID as a cloud-scale object-based archive target. This enables enterprises to quickly find and restore virtual machines, databases, files, and more, regardless of location – in Rubrik, in StorageGRID, and across the public cloud.

As data continues to grow exponentially, managing infrastructure for backup, recovery, and compliance becomes increasingly complex. IT teams must juggle managing the infrastructure for mission-critical applications, while also delivering new services on-premises and in the cloud to achieve a competitive advantage. On top of this, enterprises face significant challenges in optimizing the cost, performance and compliance of new cloud services due to evolving regulations and business requirements. With Rubrik Cloud Data Management for NetApp StorageGRID, IT teams can power new business applications while quickly and easily optimizing cost and performance at scale.

“The combination of our industry-leading data management platform with NetApp’s enterprise-grade object storage offers a powerful solution for enterprises looking to accelerate and simplify data lifecycle management at cloud scale,” said Wendy Bahr, Chief Commercial Officer at Rubrik. “NetApp is a strategic partner for Rubrik and we believe this scalable solution will reduce data protection complexities as data continues to grow.”

Rubrik Cloud Data Management for NetApp StorageGRID delivers policy-based automation to simplify all aspects of data management and enable global file-level search, providing customers with instant access to massive amounts of unstructured data. Key features of the joint solution include:

Policy-Based Simplicity: Rubrik Cloud Data Management for NetApp StorageGRID deliver policy engines that automate lifecycle management while optimizing performance, latency, cost, and compliance.
Cost-Effective Scale: Customers can easily handle rapid data growth while avoiding forklift upgrades for secondary and archive data. Linear scalability allows teams to grow at their own pace.
Cloud Mobility: IT teams can easily migrate to their cloud provider of choice and migrate petabyte-scale NAS shares directly to NetApp StorageGRID.

“NetApp is committed to helping our customers maximize the value of their data whether on premises, or in a private, public or hybrid multicloud environment,” said Brad Anderson, executive vice president and general manager, Cloud Infrastructure business unit and Storage Systems and Software business unit at NetApp. “The combination of Rubrik’s Cloud Data Management platform with StorageGRID simplifies all aspects of data management from backup to recovery, providing customers with the ultimate peace of mind.”

Rubrik’s Cloud Data Management platform organizes and protects data on-premises, at the edge, and in the cloud. Users can eliminate manual backup job scheduling with simple policy-based backup and archival to public or private clouds, including NetApp StorageGRID. With Rubrik, enterprises can simplify backup and recovery, accelerate cloud adoption, deliver automation at scale, and defend against ransomware with an easy-to-use, consumer-grade interface.

“ePlus has had a longstanding partnership with both NetApp and Rubrik, and this new solution addresses a major need for customers looking to optimize and digitize their IT environments, ” said Ken Farber, President at ePlus. “This joint solution from NetApp and Rubrik should help businesses better leverage their data lifecycle management processes, allowing them to quickly and easily optimize cost and performance at scale across the public cloud

NetApp StorageGRID is a software-defined object storage solution that supports industry-standard object APIs such as Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3) API and OpenStack Swift API. Users can create multiple service levels with metadata-driven object lifecycle policies, optimizing durability, protection, performance, cost, and location across multiple geographies.