Wellthy Therapeutics Expands its Digital Therapeutic Capability by Going Vernacular

Asia’s leading Digital Therapeutics company Wellthy Therapeutics today announced the launch of its digital therapeutics in Diabetes and Cardiovascular conditions in Hindi and Kannada, furthering its effort towards effective disease management for more than 528 million Hindi speakers and more than 43 million native Kannada speakers in India.

Wellthy Therapeutics’ mission is to inspire and enable 10 million patients to reverse, prevent or control their chronic condition in the next decade. Requested by patients and physicians alike, and driven by the data seen through extensive patient interventions and research, the launch of native-Hindi and native-Kannada services is the next step to bring Wellthy Care’s outcome-focused digital therapeutic interventions to a much wider pool of chronic disease patients in India. 

VIBGYOR High – Marathahalli Student Monish Singhal Wins ‘The Fall 2019 Challenge on Genomics’ at New York Academy of Sciences

Monish Singhal, a Grade 10 student studying in VIBGYOR High - Marathahalli was invited to the ‘Global STEM Alliance Summit 2019’. He was a part of the team ‘Fighting 7000’ which won ‘The Fall 2019 challenge on Genomics’. The summit was organised recently at the headquarters of the New York Academy of Sciences, a prestigious organisation whose members range from celebrated biologist, Charles Darwin to the renowned astrophysicist Chandrasekhar Subrahmanyan and reputed physicist Nikola Tesla.

The winning team ‘Fighting 7000’ comprised of five other international high school students and a professional mentor, who together secured this prize. They provided an end-to-end four-part solution, covering several aspects including the identification and treatment of rare genetic disorders. The team defined primary problem as: “Creating rare disease testing program”, to encourage genome sequencing at birth, and developing a rare disease test kit that is affordable, reliable, and simple to use and ensuring the protection of patient’s personal data when they are shared with research institutions, and empowering local communities with access to rare disease expert consultations. As a part of the winning team, Monish and his teammates presented their solution to the officials at the challenge sponsors Medidata and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals during the summit.

“I had always dreamt of being a researcher in STEM [Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics], with the dream of changing the lives of millions of people. The project was an eye opener for me to the reality behind rare diseases. In India alone, there are about a million people who are known to be affected by rare genetic diseases. However, there is no government  policy on the same granting relief to such people who have to bear the brunt of luck, and shell out several thousands of rupees monthly just to stay alive.’’ Said Monish Singhal.

Emirates Flight Catering Announces Major Investment in Solar Energy

As part of continued efforts to improve resource efficiency, the upcoming solar rooftop power plant will comprise of 8,112 individual solar panels resulting in 15 percent reduction in traditional energy consumption.

Emirates Flight Catering (EKFC), one of the world’s largest catering operations, has successfully commissioned a state-of-the-art solar power system across its premises, which is expected to deliver an annual reduction of 3 million kg of greenhouse gas emissions. This is part of EKFC’s continued investment in infrastructure to improve resource efficiency.

EKFC’s latest initiative supports the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050, which was launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Ruler of Dubai, in 2015. Under the strategy, the Emirate aims to produce 75 per cent of its energy requirements from clean sources by 2050.

His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group, said: “Sustainability is an important pillar of the Emirates Group strategy. We are committed to responsible business and environmental stewardship, and we apply eco-efficient technologies across our operations to minimise our impact even as we continue to grow. Emirates Flight Catering’s latest initiatives open new opportunities to improve resource efficiency, underpinning Dubai’s strategy to become a global centre of clean energy and green economy.”

Saeed Mohammed, Chief Executive Officer of Emirates Flight Catering, said: “We are excited to announce another significant, long-term investment in our sustainable operations. Our state-of-the-art solar power plant helps us further optimise resources and enhance environmental efficiency, which will benefit all of our stakeholders, including our customers, employees and the communities around us. In line with our appetite for perfection, we stay committed to providing the best possible quality products and services to our customers using sustainable and innovative solutions.”

EKFC’s solar rooftop power plant comprises 8,112 individual solar panels. It is expected to generate 4,195 megawatt-hours of electricity annually, allowing the company to reduce traditional energy consumption by 15% across its laundry, food manufacturing and staff accommodation facilities. Consequently, EKFC’s carbon dioxide emission will decrease by 3 million kilogram annually - the equivalent of the annual electricity use of 518 family homes.

EKFC recognises that environmental responsibility is core to its long-term success and is committed to using resources in a sustainable manner and minimising the environmental impact of its operations across all activities.

EKFC will shortly start constructing the world’s largest vertical farming facility in a joint venture with US-based Crop One, an industry leader. The 130,000 square foot controlled environment facility will produce 2,700 kilogram of high quality, herbicide- and pesticide-free leafy greens daily, using 99 percent less water than outdoor fields. Its location will enable quick delivery of fresh products within hours of harvest, maintaining the food’s nutritional value and reducing carbon emissions associated with transportation. The first products are expected to be delivered to Emirates Flight Catering’s customers in 2020.

EKFC runs a comprehensive recycling program, ensuring recyclable items, including plastic bottles, aluminium cans, and foil, are separated from galley waste after they are removed from the aircraft. The company also has all cardboard packaging and office paper waste recycled into new paper products. Earlier this year, Emirates has announced the reduction of single-use plastic on board its aircraft. The airline plans to completely replace single use plastics by the end of the year.

Every month, EKFC diverts over 270,000 kilograms of material from landfill and ensures the recycling of 130,000 kilograms of cardboard, 4,000 kilograms of paper, 14,000 kilograms of aluminium cans and foil, 120,000 kilograms of glass bottles and 10,000 kilograms of plastic bottles.

Fast facts:

·         This solar power project reduces Emirates Flight Catering’s carbon dioxide emissions per annum by 2,968,568 kg. This is the equivalent of:

·         1,264,130 litres of petrol fuel consumption
·         The annual electricity consumption of 518 family homes
·         8,112 individual solar panels installed
·         Eight Emirates Flight Catering facilities included in this solar power project
·         Annual energy bill reduction of 1.86m AED
·         Annual production of 4,195 Megawatt Hours

McAfee Certifies Atos Cybersecurity Products for Security Innovation Alliance Program

Atos, a global leader in digital transformation, today announced that its cybersecurity products have been certified by McAfee, the device-to-cloud cybersecurity company. This allows Atos to become part of the prestigious Security Innovation Alliance (SIA) program, and to be referenced in the McAfee portfolio.

McAfee SIA helps accelerate the development of open and interoperable security products and provides an integrated, connected ecosystem to maximize the value of existing customer security investments.

McAfee and Atos have partnered to provide a Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB) Service combining best of breed technology from McAfee MVISION Cloud and Atos’ cybersecurity products: Trustway for data protection and Evidian for access management. The combined offer ensures greater control to customers for their data encryption and Identity and Access Management needs across their multi-cloud environment. Atos is now the first partner certified by McAfee SIA for MVISION Cloud products.

“McAfee is excited about the integration between Atos Evidian and Trustway products with McAfee MVISION Cloud. Our customers can now seamlessly experience the single sign-on, authentication, and data encryption capabilities provided by Atos products whilst securing their SaaS, PaaS, and IaaS cloud environments with McAfee MVISION Cloud. This integration reinforces McAfee’s device-to-cloud strategy, as well as our Together is Power commitment with strategic partners like Atos,” says DJ Long, VP, Strategic Business Development at McAfee.

The two products certified by McAfee are:

Trustway data encryption and protection guarantees the confidentiality of sensitive data.
Evidian Access Management provides secure access to critical resources while meeting compliance regulations, ensuring that the right user has access to the right data at the right time.

“I am very pleased to have our Trustway data encryption products and Evidian Access Management software certified by the McAfee SIA alliance. This recognition will certainly bring more benefits to our customers and ensure wider product interoperability with one of the key cybersecurity players,” says Alexis Caurette, VP, Head of Cybersecurity Products at Atos.

Star Plus Spotlights 26 Changemakers to Shape a New India

Star Plus announces the second season of “TED Talks India Nayi Baat,” a collaboration with TED, the globally celebrated nonprofit organization devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. The new season reflects the narrative of a vibrant, fast evolving new India – bolder, brighter, braver.

A legacy of passivity and acceptance is giving way to a society that is demanding and driving change. Armed with optimism, young millennial minds are leading the way, becoming change makers, because they believe their innovative ideas and spirits are bigger than the odds they face. “TED Talks India Nayi Baat” turns the spotlight on ordinary Indians doing extraordinary work. These visionaries and everyday heroes will spark new conversations, infuse movements with energy and inspire a billion imaginations to action.

The show will be aired over weekends in Hindi, English, Tamil, Bangla and Telugu across Star Plus, Nat Geo, Hotstar and Star World, starting November 2nd.

Sanjay Gupta, Country Manager, Star & Disney India, said, “With TED Talks India Nayi Baat, our goal is to showcase, celebrate and support the unsung visionaries who are working towards making a positive impact on society. I believe that a nation is built on the ideas and values of its people. We hope that the ideas and work of our featured speakers inspire our youth to don the role of a social change agent.”                   

Shah Rukh Khan said, “On the show, I witnessed so much passion – people with pathbreaking ideas are disrupting the shackles of the impossible and finding solutions. TED Talks India is a mirror of the new face of India. It is all about being future ready and future focused. I am in awe of the diverse spectrum of speakers this season. On one hand, we have a 13-year-old scientist creating amazing inventions; on the other is a woman from Bundelkhand empowering thousands of Indian girls. This kind of television content is time-defining. It is the need of the hour.”

Chris Anderson, Head of TED, added, “India has a spirit of optimism and continuous evolution that’s beautifully captured in this series. From speakers on the TED stage to hundreds of TEDx events organized across the country, TED has had a longstanding relationship with India. We’re thrilled to continue to collaborate with Star Network to showcase the brilliant ideas that can shape the India of tomorrow.”

Tuning into the intelligent audience in this new India, aware of its potential and possibilities, Star Plus is committed to developing landmark content that is both entertaining and socially progressive. Over the years, milestone shows like Satyamev Jayate, Rubaru Roshni and the recent live telecast of Chandrayaan 2 have been some of the celebrated initiatives from the network.

Stay Tuned for TED Talks India Nayi Baat, starting November 2rd, 2019 at 9.30 p.m. on Star Plus.

The Green School, Bangalore Bags EW Ranking Award Under Top Ten Eco Friendly Schools

TGSB the green school Bangalore which is a zero energy , zero carbon and a zero waste school was ranked as the top ten environmental school  in Gurgaon in the education conference organised by Education World. The school is based on global sustainable model and a unique concept in Bangalore . It’s commendable that in a short span of 4 months they have bagged their first award . All their stakeholders play a major role in the success of the school .

The strong advisory board members contribute in building leadership, this reflects their hard work and the benevolence of the providence . STEAM ,machine learning ,coding and robotics curriculum is taught in TGSB This is just the beginning of their journey .TGSB will not only make a mark in the field of education but will create a sea of difference in shaping the future of the kids said Ms. Usha Iyer, Director TGSB. 

Tata Motors Launches the Limited Edition Tiago WIZZ

Tata Motors has announced the launch of its limited edition Tiago WIZZ. This product will be the introduction of yet another premium edition under the Tiago portfolio. This edition will bring alive the joy of festivals with many new colors of fun. The Tiago WIZZ will be available at an attractive price of Rs. 5.40 Lakh, ex-showroom Delhi in a 1.2 litre Revotron multi-drive petrol engine.

The Limited edition with Titanium Grey body color will consist of 10 new special features to its interior and exterior.

Commenting on the introduction the Tiago WIZZ, Mr. Vivek Srivatsa, Head Marketing, Passenger Vehicle Business Unit, Tata Motors said, “The Tiago is one of the most popular car in its segment and has been on constant growth since its launch. Tiago with over 2.5 lakh happy customers is well received by customers as a Young, Premium and Fun hatchback. This youthful Limited edition will add to the premium and fun quotient of the brand”.

Launched in April 2016, the Tata Tiago has been integral to the Company’s Turnaround strategy. Since its launch, the brand’s success has led to the addition of multiple variants and brand extensions that have been much appreciated by the customers.

STL, Frogfoot Partner to Bring Affordable Broadband Connectivity to 20,000 Homes in Soweta, Johannesburg

STL, a global data network solutions company, announced that it has entered a technology partnership with South Africa’s Frogfoot to provide Fibre To The Home (FTTH) infrastructure in Soweto. With this partnership, Frogfoot, an open-access fibre network provider, will use STL’s innovative connectivity solutions to enable affordable, reliable broadband connectivity to up to 20,000 homes and lower income groups in the Protea Glen East and West areas of the South African township of Soweto.

The collaboration comes on the heels of President Cyril Ramaphosa appointing a Commission on the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR). Affordable high-speed broadband connectivity is a key to 4IR and can play an important role in propelling the country towards a connected society.

Frogfoot will utilise STL’s Air-blown FTTH solution, a cutting-edge solution ideal for space constrained fibre deployment, to bring FTTH to Johannesburg. It will see the benefits of lower costs and faster time to market, while providing affordable fibre connectivity to users. Traditional cabling solutions require up to 25% more space and cost more. STL’s solution aims at considerably reducing installation costs, thus passing on cost benefits to end users.

“Working with STL enables us to add advanced capabilities to our FTTH infrastructure rollout and strengthen our commitment to offer the most reliable broadband connectivity at affordable total cost of ownership,” said Abraham van der Merwe, Founder and CEO of Frogfoot. “As we deploy, STL will continue to be an invaluable strategic partner providing innovative solutions and deep knowledge of data network solutions.”

Customised for faster and efficient FTTH deployment, STL’s innovative Air-blown solution offers a unique combination of five key benefits:

·         NextGen cable design helps air-blown solution fit in smallest micro ducts, just 5 mm in diameter, making it future-ready for upcoming data demands and enabling easier right of way for operators
·         Re-engineered outer coating helps achieve nearly 2 times faster cable blowing compared to traditional cables, ensuring faster time-to-market
·         Best-in-class compact fibre packing and crush resistance provides utmost durability, making the solution suitable for metro FTTH premise deployment
·         Available in fibre counts ranging from 4 to 24, which is ideal for different FTTH network architectures
·         Compatible with existing tools and easy to handle due to lightweight cable design

“We, at STL, have always been committed to empower people through our innovative solutions,” said Richard Eichhorn, Director Global Sales, Connectivity solutions, STL. “Our FTTH solution is ideal for space constrained fibre deployment and makes broadband affordable through its cutting-edge features. We are sure our joint efforts will benefit thousands of people.”

STL’s Air-blown premise cabling solutions ensure affordable fibre connectivity in lower income groups, and ensures that more people have access to education, skills development and training materials online.

About Sterlite Technologies Ltd - STL

STL is a global leader in end-to-end data network solutions.

We design and deploy high-capacity converged fibre and wireless networks. With expertise ranging from optical fibre and cables, hyper-scale network design, and deployment and network software, we are the industry's leading integrated solutions provider for global data networks. We partner with global telecom companies, cloud companies, citizen networks and large enterprises to design, build and manage such cloud-native software-defined networks.

STL has innovation at its core. With intense focus on end-to-end network solutions development, we conduct fundamental research in next-generation network applications at our Centres of Excellence. STL has strong global presence with next-gen optical preform, fibre and cable manufacturing facilities in India, Italy, China and Brazil and two software-development centres.

Indian Terrain Launches ‘The Spirit of Man’ Campaign with Brand Ambassador- Mahendra Singh Dhoni

India’s leading menswear brand, Indian Terrain is all set to mark its 20th anniversary with Brand Ambassador Mahendra Singh Dhoni and the launch of its latest campaign, ‘The Spirit of Man’. The campaign balances style with substance to recognize the lives and aspirations of the brand’s audience. Further, to set the pace for a new decade in its journey, the campaign showcases the legend himself, Mahendra Singh Dhoni highlighting the brand’s latest Autumn-Winter ’19 collection.

Nations are built on the shoulders of mankind. They may not realise it, but every person in the country, just by living their daily lives and chasing their personal ambitions, unwittingly contributes to the growth of a nation. The campaign highlights this insight and celebrates every individual who contributes, in their own way, to build the Indian dream. Targeted towards the youth & millennials, the campaign encourages its young audience to pursue their dreams.

Speaking on the campaign, Mr. Venkatesh Rajagopal - Executive Chairman, Indian Terrain Fashions Limited commented, “The Spirit of Man is defined by relentless passion, strive for perfection & a pursuit of excellence. Our campaign is inspired from this thought and an insight, that a bigger picture is painted by a million smaller aspirations. Through the campaign, we celebrate the lives of every single man in the country, as they contribute in their own way towards building the Spirit of the Nation.”

Indian Terrain is targeted towards the young millennial consumer who straddles between work and play effortlessly in cool yet comfortable clothing.

Mr. Charath Narsimhan - Managing Director & CEO, Indian Terrain Fashions Limited said, “Our customers are people who embody the true Spirit of Man, growing their own lives and the world around them. We wanted to validate this optimism in a meaningful way through this campaign. MS Dhoni is the perfect fit for us as a brand that champions a strong value system and connect with young Indians.”

The cinematic & inspiring TVC for the campaign has been conceptualized by Indian Terrain’s advertising agency Brave New World, directed by Manoj Pillai along with the production House, Think Pot. It portrays the faces and lives of a cross section of men from the country acknowledging their contribution towards building the nation.

Mr. Joono Simon - Founder and CCO, Brave New World Agency said, “Brands often speak to their audiences from ivory towers, especially so in the fashion category. This was an opportunity for Indian Terrain to leverage the approachable emotional equity that MS Dhoni has among legions of fans. It was our goal to create a narrative of personal relevance and worth for viewers, with the people’s captain as the perfect example of what an individual can accomplish. Not through swagger, but belief, everyday action and sheer will. Every aspect of the film, from music, casting, choice of words and imagery, was a deliberate choice to connect the brand and those who will feel empowered by it.”

‘The Spirit of Man’ campaign is being rolled out across a 360 degree media campaign including Print, TV, Cinema & multiple Social & Digital platforms.

The TVC can be viewed on: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nUPg2Dj6bs

IRCTC IPO Issue Sees 112 Times Oversubscription, Big Hit Among Indian Investors

The initial public offering of Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) was a huge hit among investors as it got subscribed 111.91 times on the final day of bidding on Thursday.

The Rs 645-crore IPO received bids for 225 crore shares against the total issue size of 2 crore scrips, according to the data available with exchanges till 1845 hours.

The category meant for qualified institutional buyers (QIBs) was subscribed 108.79 times, non-institutional investors (NIIs) was subscribed 354.52 times and retail investors was subscribed 14.65 times, according to merchant banking sources.

Meanwhile, the Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM) in a tweet said, “IRCTC IPO has evoked a tremendous response from all the categories of investors, with the issue being subscribed more than 111 times. The issue, which divested 12.6% of GoI’s stake in the CPSE is expected to generate a revenue of Rs 645 cr. It is the 2nd CPSE to be listed this fiscal.”

The IPO was subscribed 3.25 times till the second day of bidding on Tuesday.

Equity markets were closed on Wednesday on account of ‘Mahatma Gandhi Jayanti’.

The initial public offering (IPO) is in a price range of Rs 315-320 per share.

The issue comprises an offer-for-sale of 2.01 crore shares of the face value of Rs 10 each. Out of the total issue size, 1,60,000 equity shares are reserved for eligible employees.

The offer is being managed by YES Securities (India), SBI Capital Markets and IDBI Capital Markets & Securities.

IRCTC is the only entity authorised by Indian Railways to provide catering services to railways, online railway tickets and packaged drinking water at railway stations and trains in India.

Overall, IRCTC has been the best PSU as well as the most successful IPO in the last two fiscals in terms of overall subscription where it leads in the QIB, NII and employee segments, marketmen said.

In the retail category, RITES leads the PSU IPO league table. 

Schneider Electric Announces New Web Address and Features

To simplify website access and improve user experience on the digital channels, Schneider Electric, the global leader in digital transformation of energy management and automation, has updated its web domain from www.schneider-electric.com to www.se.com/in. Easier to write and to remember, the new web address ensures quicker access to Schneider Electric online platforms.

This is not a change of the brand but only of the web address. The brand, name, logo and other company information remain the same: Schneider Electric.

Together with this web address change, the Schneider Electric website brings new features, improved functionality and enriched content to help customers find information easier, understand our products and solutions and make well-informed decisions according to their needs. The new features include:

·         Chat with a representative – Customer Care Representatives are available during business hours to help with answers about support, sales or detail information about our products.

·         Product details page – Now you can find all the information in one place and the most popular documentation is one click away:  product features, related software, 15 different formats of CAD files, high resolution images, “How to” videos, and frequently asked technical questions.

·         Product documentation – Over 150,000 technical documents in 40 languages along with our software accessible through a new powerful search engine.

·         Product selectors – If you are not sure which product is right for you answer a few questions and get full configurations with all the accessories required.

·         Accessories for products – Simple access to accessories and spare parts for our top offers. You can now find the related product offers for easy browsing to create a complete solution.

“We are excited to present our new web domain – se.com/in – and our latest web features to our customers, clients, partners, media and visitors who are looking to understand Schneider Electric’s products and solutions,” said Bidisha Nagaraj, CMO, Schneider Electric-India. “Our aim is to reduce complexity and improve usability and we are committed to creating the best experience for our customers and website visitors as possible”.

Come visit Schneider Electric on the Web at se.com/in!

Infrasoft Tech CEOs Views on NPCI's Data on Rise on UPI Payments

The rising popularity of UPI transactions is because of the simple, secure and seamless banking experience it offers to the end-consumer across channels. One of the key factors in the fast-paced growth of UPI is the participation of both banking and non-banking entities. Applications like G-pay, PhonePe, PayTM, Freecharge, etc., have helped take this technology to the masses. People need not worry about carrying cash and can initiate payments of utility bills or to individuals and merchants both with ease of merely scanning a QR code. All this while gaining reward points and cashback too. Also, with the introduction of merchant onboarding on UPI platform is giving rise to a person to merchant (P2M) payments.

The reason for the rise in UPI transactions is due to its wider adoption owing to the simplicity and security of transacting. The initiatives such as BBPS (for bill payments), onboarding of small merchants, API integration with large merchants by Banks in addition to the P2M (Person to Merchant) transactions done through PSP apps like Google Pay, PhonePe, Amazon Pay etc., has seen growth in transaction volumes.

UPI will see an upward trend with the launch of UPI 2.0, with mandates for one-time & recurring payments, IPO subscription etc. Integration with NETC for tolls and onboarding of small merchants in semi-rural and rural areas will see UPI volumes increase.

With the government's effort towards making India a less-cash economy, we are constantly innovating and developing solutions to enhance the customer banking experience and promote the government's efforts towards a cashless economy. Our AI-based Omnichannel solution Kiya.ai processed over 2.3bn transactions in the last 12 months. We recently enabled a bank's customers to withdraw cash from their ATMs by only scanning a QR code using the UPI app. Such initiatives will help transition plastic-based payments to fully digital payments. This is truly an Omnichannel experience for clients since we are able to extend UPI to a non-mobile platform. In the near future, we will enable use cases of UPI driving digital payments using IoT integration and voice commerce.

Ramayana Retold Through Dolls, Rangoli at the Sri Vani School in City

The month of October is symbolic with Dasara and more so with the traditional dolls display and rangoli. For many households in the city these dolls are a matter of tradition that has been passed from generation to generation. But now, it’s not confined to people’s homes alone. The teachers at Sri Vani Education Centre have re-created scenes from the Ramayana, using miniature versions of mythological characters.

A total nine scenes from the Ramayana are currently on display at the school premises. Adding more colour to this recreation of the epic is a rangoli portraying Lord Rama, Sita and Lakshmana.

“Each of these nine scenes come with a hand-painted backgroud, with the dolls set up in the front.A visual delight for visitors, the teachers have put in a lot of effort to set up this installation, which took more than two weeks to complete," says Meenakshi Pillai, the art and crafts teacher at the school.

Gartner Identifies Top 10 Government Technology Trends for 2019-2020

Gartner, Inc. has identified the top 10 government technology trends for 2019-2020 that have the potential to optimize or transform public services. Government CIOs should include these trends in their strategic planning over the next 12 to 18 months.

Gartner’s top 10 strategic technology trends for government were selected in response to pressing public policy goals and business needs of government organizations in jurisdictions around the globe. They fit into a broader set of macrotrends that demand the attention of today’s government leaders, including social instability, perpetual austerity, an aging population, rising populism and the need to support sustainability goals.

“Now more than ever, technology priorities must be established in the context of business trends such as digital equity, ethics and privacy, widening generational chasms and the need for institutional agility,” said Rick Howard, research vice president at Gartner.

“Public sector leaders expect government CIOs to find ways technology can reduce costs, create efficiencies and improve outcomes for citizens and businesses. They also expect CIOs to consider the social, technological, economic, environmental and political trends that impact the constituents they serve.”

In a digital society, forward-looking government officials know that “policy is the technology and technology is the policy,” according to Mr. Howard. “Any government service delivered at scale is underpinned by a host of technologies. If the success of these business projects is compromised by poor implementation of technology, then the political objectives are compromised, too,” he said.

Gartner’s list of strategic technology trends is designed to help government CIOs establish the rationale, timing and priority of technology investments. They do not represent what government CIOs are spending most of their time or budget on today. The trends will vary in importance depending on the tier of government (national, regional or local), region and business context. It is for this reason that they are not ranked in numerical order.

CIOs can use these trends to engage stakeholders, demystify concepts and promote discussion about their value to citizens and society.

Adaptive Security

An adaptive security approach treats risk, trust and security as a continuous and adaptive process that anticipates and mitigates constantly evolving cyber threats. It acknowledges there is no perfect protection and security needs to be adaptive, everywhere, all the time.

Citizen Digital Identity

Digital identity is the ability to prove an individual’s identity via any government digital channel that is available to citizens. It is critical for inclusion and access to government services, yet many governments have been slow to adopt them. Government CIOs must provision digital identities that uphold both security imperatives and citizen expectations.

Multichannel Citizen Engagement

Governments that meet citizens on their own terms and via their preferred channels, such as in person, by phone, via mobile device through smart speakers, chatbots or via augmented reality, will meet citizen expectations and achieve program outcomes. According to a 2018 survey, more than 50% of government website traffic now comes from mobile devices.

Agile by Design

Digital government is not a “set and forget” investment. CIOs must create a nimble and responsive environment by adopting an agile-by-design approach, a set of principles and practices used to develop more agile systems and solutions that impact both the current and target states of the business, information and technical architecture.

Digital Product Management

In the 2019 Gartner CIO Survey, more than two-thirds of government CIOs said they already have, or are planning to implement, digital product management (DPM). Often replacing a “waterfall” project management approach, which has a poor track record of success, DPM involves developing, delivering, monitoring, refining and retiring “products” or offerings for business users or citizens. It causes organizations to think differently and delivers tangible results more quickly and sustainably.

Anything as a Service (XaaS)

XaaS covers the full range of IT services delivered in the cloud on a subscription basis. The 2019 Gartner CIO Survey found that 39% of government organizations plan to spend the greatest amount of new or additional funding in cloud services. The XaaS model offers an alternative to legacy infrastructure modernization, provides scalability and reduces time to deliver digital government services.

Shared Services 2.0

Many government organizations have tried to drive IT efficiencies through centralization or sharing of services, often with poor results. Shared services 2.0 shifts the focus from cost savings to delivering high-value business capabilities such as such as enterprisewide security, identity management, platforms or business analytics.

Digitally Empowered Workforce

A digitally enabled work environment is linked to employee satisfaction, retention and engagement — but the government currently lags other industries in this area. A workforce of self-managing teams needs the training, technology and autonomy to work on digital transformation initiatives.

Analytics Everywhere

Gartner refers to the pervasive use of analytics at all stages of business activity and service delivery as analytics everywhere. It shifts government agencies from the dashboard reporting of lagging indicators to autonomous processes that help people make better decisions in real time.

Augmented Intelligence

Gartner recommends that government CIOs reframe artificial intelligence as “augmented intelligence” a human-centered partnership model of people and artificial intelligence working together to enhance cognitive performance.

Gartner clients can learn more in the report “Technology Trends in Government, 2019-2020” and in the companion report “Business Trends in Government, 2019-2020.”

Mindtree Honored with Mother Teresa Award for its Practices in Driving Social Impact

Mindtree, a global technology services and digital transformation company, has been awarded the prestigious Mother Teresa Award for Corporate Citizen in recognition of its efforts towards elevating humanity through business. The Loyola Institute of Business Administration (LIBA) presented the award to Mindtree in Chennai, today.

Mindtree has been a leader in uplifting humanity through several philanthropic initiatives centered on giving back and inculcating the culture of #BeTheGiveR. In the 2018 edition of Mother Teresa Awards, Mindtree has been recognized for its innovative social campaigns in corporate social responsibility in the Indian business market.

The jury evaluated entries on the basis of several parameters, which include impact on people, environment and sustainability, innovation, ethical conduct, social consciousness, activities beyond the call of duty and corporate social responsibility. Organizations were evaluated based on how much the above categories are an integral part of their corporate mission.

“We are greatly honored and humbled to receive the Mother Teresa Award,” said Abraham Moses, General Manager, Mindtree Foundation. “At Mindtree, we hold ourselves accountable to the community that we live in and believe in making a difference through giving. This recognition inspires us to continue these efforts and help make the world a better place.”

Some of Mindtree’s flagship initiatives include:

·         Samruddhi Abhiyan:

Aligned with the visionary Swacch Bharat Abhiyan, in a spirit of fostering healthy competition. Samruddhi Abhiyan aimed to create a positive impact for the thousands of school-going children in the Kanakapura Taluk of Karnataka. Over six months, the program involved 161 schools, 14,700 children and 36 villages from the entire Kanakapura Taluk on cleanliness, sports, cultural activities and improving overall education standards. With 25 model schools announced as winners of this competition, this is now being replicated across the state by the government of Karnataka.

·         Assistive Technology Handover:

Mindtree has launched Digital Nethra for Eyes (DIGNIFY), an Android-based application that converts printed text into audio, enabling people with visual impairment to read without braille or an audiobook. Another Android application developed by Mindtree, Visual Intervention Kit with Analytics for children with Special Needs (VIKAS), uses 10 curated exercises across 34 screens to improve the visual-cerebral abilities of children with Cerebral Visual Impairment (CVI), conceptualized by Aravind Eye Hospotals and developed by Mindtree.

The Mother Teresa Award for Corporate Citizen, instituted in 1998 by LIBA, is presented every year to a company that shows exemplary commitment to the ideals of corporate citizenship. The award is intended is to showcase a corporation which has gone far beyond its call of duty to promote welfare activities for the benefit of the poor and marginalized sections of society and is environmentally conscious.

Qlik Unveils Qlik Sense Business, Offering 3rd Generation of Data and Analytics for Customers

Qlik announced Qlik Sense Business, the latest offering supporting its cloud-first, SaaS strategy. Qlik Sense Business is a new version of Qlik Sense that provides a simple and fast path for customers of any size to access the world-class analytics of Qlik’s patented Associative Indexing technology. The new product is the first and only pure SaaS offering that brings the power of the 3rd generation of data and analytics to small business and groups, accelerating their journey to modern analytics more quickly and with greater ROI than any other offering in the market.

“Qlik is driving the third generation of business intelligence software with our cloud-first, enterprise SaaS analytics platform,” said Mike Potter, Qlik CTO. “Qlik Sense Business extends the opportunity to lead with data to any organization that wants to get started quickly with enterprise-grade analytics. With the core benefits of Qlik Sense and our cloud-native architecture, Qlik Sense Business helps any organization rapidly improve data literacy and data-driven decision making with a built-in upgrade path that grows their analytics alongside their business.”

Qlik Sense Business leverages the latest technology to provide a richer analytical experience than the prior Qlik Sense Cloud Business offering, the solution this new offering replaces. For existing customers, migrating from Qlik Sense Cloud Business to Qlik Sense Business gives them the same outstanding speed, performance and availability as Qlik Sense, with a clear path to easily upgrade and continue their analytics journey with Qlik in the cloud. It will also be offered as a 30-day trial for all potential Qlik customers to evaluate the power of Qlik analytics. Some of the many benefits of Qlik Sense Business include:

* Qlik’s Associative Engine, self-service app creation, visual data preparation, interactive dashboards, and smart search,
* Automated AI-generated insight suggestions,
* Direct connectivity to over 40+ data sources,
* A personal space, where individual users can create and share their own content,
* Five shared spaces, where users can co-develop and control access to apps,
* The same redesigned hub as Qlik Sense Enterprise that enables easy content management and sharing for end users, and
* A new management console and MyQlik portal for self-service management and administration.

“Organizations of all sizes are increasingly considering vendor-managed, cloud-based services for BI and analytics, but many also want options for hybrid- and multi-cloud deployment,” said Doug Henschen, vice president and principal analyst at Constellation Research. “Constellation Research added Qlik to its Q3 2019 Shortlist™ for Cloud-Based Business Intelligence and Analytics Platforms on the strength of advances in both its SaaS offerings and underlying software support for the preferred cloud standards of Linux and Kubernetes.”

Qlik Sense September 2019: Natural Language and Deeper Data Connectors Further Democratize Data

The company also delivered updates to its core platform with the release of Qlik Sense September 2019, building on Qlik’s continuous delivery of innovation for the 3rd generation of data and analytics. Included in Qlik Sense September 2019 is a new NLP (natural language processing) capability in the Qlik Cognitive Engine that supports natural language search and interaction in Qlik Sense. As users engage with Insight Advisor, they are now able to enter search criteria using full natural language. The Qlik Cognitive Engine parses the search string to understand the user’s intent and provide the right data and insights based on search criteria. Qlik Sense September 2019 also delivered updated connectors for Salesforce and Snowflake to expand users’ access to key data sources. Both are now available on all Qlik Sense editions and deployment options, including Qlik Sense Business, Qlik Sense Enterprise on Cloud Services and Qlik Sense Enterprise on Kubernetes.

Qlik’s approach to democratizing data and providing flexible cloud-first and multi-cloud options for all customers is more important than ever, given the key trends that customers are looking to address through analytics: leveraging data in the cloud, managing all data (not just big data), benefiting from a single view into all their data, and leveraging augmented intelligence to the edges of the organization.

Hero Motocorp Sets Up CoE at Industrial Training Tnstitute, Nizamuddin to Build Skill Set Amongst the Youth

In keeping with its commitment to promote skilling amongst the youth, Hero MotoCorp Ltd, the world’s largest manufacturer of motorcycles and scooters, today opened a world-class training centre – The Centre of Excellence - at the Industrial Training Institute, Nizamuddin in New Delhi.

Launched in association with the Department of Training and Technical Education, Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi, the centre will build key skill-set amongst the youth, thereby enhancing career opportunities for them in the two-wheeler industry.

Mr. Vimal Dimri, Deputy Director, Training & Technical Education, Government of NCT of Delhi and Mr. Vijay Sethi, Chief Information Officer, Chief Human Resources Officer & Head Corporate Social Responsibility, Hero MotoCorp, inaugurated the learning facility.

With the stated objective of ‘HUNAR SE KAMYABI TAK’ (FROM SKILLING TO SUCCESS), Hero MotoCorp has so far imparted skills training to more than 20,000 youth by creating state-of-the-art skill development centres across the country.

Commenting on the occasion, Mr. Vijay Sethi, Head Corporate Social Responsibility, Chief Information Officer & Chief Human Resources Officer, Hero MotoCorp said, "Hero MotoCorp is a responsible corporate and is committed to empowering the youth with upgraded skill-set required in the dynamic two-wheeler industry. We are constantly engaging with the external ecosystem to induce effective and topical learning programs, both at national and regional levels. This new initiative with the Department of Training & Technical Education is yet another effort to create a robust talent pool, and we will continue to this drive with fervour.”

The Centre of Excellence is equipped with conventional learning facilities, including a fully automated workshop with pneumatic tools and precision equipment. In addition, live cut sections of Hero Engines and other two-wheeler parts have also been installed to help trainees gain hands-on expertise of the latest automobile technologies. The learning modules will be conducted by fully-trained faculty, helping trainees grasp theoretical and practical know-how of the two-wheeler repair and maintenance process.

34 Teams to Smoothen Merger of UBI, PNB, OBC Scheduled to Come into Force from April 1, 2020

A total of 34 functional teams have been formed to smoothen the process of merger of United Bank of India (UBI), Punjab National Bank (PNB) and Oriental Bank of Commerce (OBC), a senior official said.

The merger is scheduled to come into force from April 1 next year.

“Thirty-four functional teams have been created to come out with solutions for the process of integration,” a UBI official said.

A team comprises two members each from the three banks from different functional areas, he said.

“The functional teams will also try standardising the loan process, credit terms and benefits extended to the customers in the interim period till the merger comes into effect to avoid customer-related issues in the future,” the official said.

The UBI had conducted customer meets at Kolkata, Guwahati and Patna to allay their apprehensions about the future of banking, the official said.

UBI managing director and CEO A K Pradhan had earlier said that though the balance sheet merger is likely to happen by April 1 next year, it will take another three to six months after that for the HR and IT integration to be completed.

He had said the complete harmonisation among the three entities would take another 12 to 14 months after the merger. Senior officials of the three banks had held a meeting recently.

The merger will make the new entity the second-largest bank in the country after the State Bank of India (SBI) with a total business volume of Rs 18 lakh crore.

This comes after the Centre’s announcement to consolidate 10 public sector banks into four.

Allahabad Bank will be merged with Indian Bank while the Union Bank of India, Andhra Bank and Corporation Bank will be amalgamated.

Canara Bank and Syndicate Bank will also be merged.

Last year, the Centre had approved the merger of Vijaya Bank and Dena Bank with Bank of Baroda that came into effect from April 1 this year.

In 2017, the State Bank of India had absorbed five of its associate banks and the Bharatiya Mahila Bank.

cult Members Plog for a Plastic-Free Across 8 Indian Cities

cult.fit has organised a plogging initiative across 8 cities (Bengaluru, Mumbai, Delhi, Gurgaon, Chennai, Pune, Hyderabad and Jaipur), removing plastic from the streets. Members covered an aggregate of 160 kilometres in this unique run that combined cleanliness and fitness.

India’s largest and most loved fitness brand cult.fit organised this plog in association with the Fit India Movement as a nation-wide ban on plastic is put in place – uniting two goals in the larger vision for a healthier India. Members from India’s largest fitness community started the run from their respective cult centres and covered a distance of 2km, collecting plastic and trash on the way. An eco-friendly activity, plogging also provides the runner an effective workout by adding variations to body movements in the act of picking up litter.

Commenting on this, Naresh Krishnaswamy, Head of cult & Head of Growth & Marketing cure.fit, said, “The ban on single-use plastic announced by the Prime Minister today is a move in the right direction and the industry needs to make appropriate changes for a better future. We as cure.fit are working towards eliminating single-use plastic across our businesses. The plogging initiative is the first step in this direction. To clean the streets while running is a fun way of ensuring our surroundings are clean while getting fit. We thank the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports for their support and for associating with us on this initiative. “

Speaking about the initiative taken by cult.fit, RS Julaniya, Secretary,Sports, Government of India said, “It is heartening to see such enthusiastic participation from cult.fit in the Fit India Plog Run. By engaging their members to join in this initiative towards a fit and clean India, the company has indeed brought out fitness from the niche confines of a gym to the larger masses. Government- private associations like these can turn Fit India into a people’s movement that our Honourable PM has envisioned.” 

GARMIN India Sparkles the Luxury Watch Market with its All New ‘MARQ’ Collection

Marking the 30th year of Garmin’s long-standing heritage in the aviation, automotive, marine, outdoor and sport segment, Garmin India- a unit of Garmin Ltd. (NASDAQ: GRMN), today launched its premium luxury watch collection - The MARQ. With this high performance collection, Garmin India has redefined the luxury watch space in India. The extraordinarily spread of smart devices comes equipped with savvy modern features.

The MARQ collection features variants such as MARQ Driver, MARQ Athlete, MARQ Aviator, MARQ Captain and MARQ Expedition, designed for people who aspire for a perfect amalgamation of timeless luxury and best-in-class technology.

The MARQ collection is crafted from premium materials, stunning design elements and comes equipped with unique features. Each watch is built of titanium, which is lightweight, yet incredibly durable for high performance usage. The lens of the watches are made with sapphire crystal tested under extreme heat and pressure, rendering them extremely durable. The material is twice as hard, compared to glass.

The watches are further developed with ceramic bezel inlay to protect the watch from wear and tear in the most challenging environments. Loaded with Garmin’s world class technology, the watches are always-on, has sunlight-readable display with GPS capabilities and boasts of unparalleled functionality. The watches in the collection, comes with built-in music storage, Garmin Pay™, smart notifications, daily activity tracking, wrist-based heart rate and a wrist-based Pulse Ox2 sensor.

The battery life of the MARQ series ranges from up to 12 days in smartwatch mode, 28 hours in GPS Mode and up to 48 hours in UltraTracTM mode.  All the watches are compatible with Garmin’s QuickFit solution which makes room for easy alterations of straps and bracelets.

Speaking on the landmark launch, Mr. Ali Rizvi, National Sales Manager - Garmin India said, “Engineering and innovation have always been the two biggest pillars for GARMIN. Ever since its inception, the company has always kept its customer’s ‘necessity and passion’ under immense priority. The MARQ collection is crafted with precise attention to details, both in terms of form factor and in terms of its functionality. We have the legacy of keeping our consumers at the centre-stage of innovation and all our products speak volumes about this commitment of ours.”

MARQ Driver

The ‘first and the only luxury’ modern watch with smart features and more than 250 preloaded global racetracks. The MARQ Driver is built for the racing enthusiast and comes equipped with auto lap splits, live delta time and a track timer. The Track Timer lets the user time cars at the race track and calculate their average speed. MARQ Driver also features a hybrid bracelet - a titanium shell on the outside for a sleek and refined look, with a soft inner material suitable for any activity. These individual titanium outer links with silicone inner, links to wrap the wrist in an exceptionally comfortable, lightweight and highly breathable metal bracelet. Treated with a highly durable carbon gray DLC (Diamond like Carbon) coating, it makes the watch virtually resistant to scratches. This watch provides not only protects itself against everyday wear and tear but can also withstand the high vibration environment, commonplace in racing.

MARQ Athlete

The MARQ Athlete is an ultralight titanium watch with high-performance silicone strap that permits for serious training and doubles up as a stylish companion for dress events – the perfect homage to Garmin’s tradition of creating thoughtfully-designed smartwatches for runners, by runners. Feature-packed for the seasoned athlete or aspiring athlete, MARQ Athlete includes advanced running dynamics including V02 max and recovery time scale - right on the bezel, so a snapshot of an athlete’s performance is always visible with a glance at the wrist. Additionally, MARQ Athlete includes advanced running dynamics to further track workout stats, measure progress and fine-tune form. With sensors for various biometrics, athletes can gain additional insights on their performance, and with Pulse Ox, they can see how well their body is absorbing oxygen.

MARQ Aviator

Created for the pilot or aviation enthusiast, the MARQ Aviator features an aviation-inspired luminous swept-wing design, and a multi-link titanium bracelet with security clasp. The MARQ Aviator fits with precision on the wrist for in-flight wear and effortlessly transitions into a stylish timepiece out of the cockpit. Designed with a classic monochromatic scheme, the MARQ Aviator includes aviation maps and advanced safety features such as the NEXRAD Weather Radar, airport information and Garmin cockpit integration. A mirror-polished 24-hour GMT bezel give pilots quick access to two other time zones in addition to the current time, as well as the airport code on the watch face.

MARQ Captain

For those drawn to water, MARQ Captain is a revolutionary regatta timer enhanced with GPS technology, advanced nautical and smart features including a regatta timer bezel, coastal charts, tack assist and a port conditions watch face to keep mariners up to speed on the conditions of their port of choice. The watch face display the current wind speed, temperature and tide information, allowing the mariner to decide if conditions are right for a day on the water. This watch is the best fit for a master tactician who believes in delivering exceptional performance in any condition.

MARQ Expedition

Created with the modern explorer in mind, MARQ Expedition features TOPO mapping, a built-in altimeter, barometer and compass, plus ClimbPro, which provides real-time information on current and upcoming climbs such as gradient, distance and elevation gain. MARQ Expedition is compatible with the inReach Mini satellite communicator. Besides, the wireless unit-to-unit connectivity allows the user to remotely control the in Reach Mini device to send and receive messages using the MARQ Expedition. The watch is crafted from vegetable-tanned Italian Vachetta leather – a premium untreated long-lasting cowhide leather with a buttery soft finish with a waxed stitching for sealed-in protection from moisture and fraying. It also comes with a subtle embossing on the back for outstanding comfort in all conditions. This classic vintage instrument inspired design has all the functionalities as outdoor enthusiast needs as a versatile everyday watch.

Pricing and Availability

The MARQ Athlete will be available at Rs. 1,41,990, the MARQ Driver at Rs.  2,36,990 , the MARQ Aviator  at Rs. 1,84,990, the MARQ Captain at Rs. 1,74,990 and the MARQ Expedition at Rs. 1,65,990. All the watches will be available online through www.thegarminstore.in.

Rakesh Makhija Joins Board of Directors of Castrol India Limited

Castrol India Limited, India's leading automotive and industrial lubricant manufacturing and marketing company, announced the appointment of Mr. Rakesh Makhija as an independent non-executive director to its Board of Directors with effect from 1 October 2019.

Mr. Makhija brings over four decades of significant top management experience with diversified industrial and technology companies. He has held senior sales and general management roles including international ones, having worked across geographies like China and Sweden, besides India.

While he has served as the non-executive Chairperson of SKF India between July 2015 to May 2019, Mr. Makhija has recently been appointed as non-executive Chairperson at Axis Bank, the third largest private sector bank in India in July 2019 for a three-year term.

Mr. Makhija has also held several senior management positions within Tata Honeywell and Honeywell International, the global industrial and aerospace company and Kinetics Technology International BV (now Technip), a process engineering and contracting company in the Netherlands.

He is a chemical engineer from the Indian Institute of Technology, New Delhi and has been recognized with numerous industry awards including the prestigious 'CNBC India Business Leader Award' in 2007 for Talent Management.

Mr. R Gopalakrishnan, non-executive Chairperson, Board of Directors, Castrol India Ltd said: "We are very pleased to welcome industry veteran Rakesh Makhija to the Castrol India Board. With his deep domain knowledge, and experience of leading successful businesses in varied sectors, we look forward to his incisive strategic insights which will add enormous value to the Castrol India business as it aspires to reach new levels of success." 

Speaking on his appointment, Mr. Rakesh Makhija said, "I am excited to join the Board of Castrol India. Castrol is a strong brand and an industry leader in India. I look forward to working with the Board and management as it explores new innovative technology solutions to continuously delight its customers and consumers." 

Center Pledges 560 Crores to State Governments to Promote Demand-Driven, Industry Linked Skill Development

Highlights

* Collaboration with 22 organizations to provide apprenticeship training opportunities to 2.5 lac + youth;
* Government to ensure standardized assessment system
* Detailed discussions with States on Vision 2025
* Extensive focus on promoting Apprenticeship training; Launches pilot programme to give incentives to TPAs (Third Party Aggregators) to further expand program

On behalf of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), Union Minister Dr. Mahendra Nath Pandey today announced the Center’s commitment of INR 560 crores to the State Governments to promote demand-driven, industry linked skill development at the ground level.

The announcement was made by the Hon’ble Minister at the Annual National Conference of State Ministers held in New Delhi, today which also saw the commencement of the ‘Apprenticeship Pakhwada’, a 15-day event aimed at driving widespread awareness of the Apprenticeship. The event witnessed collaboration with 22 organizations to provide apprenticeship training opportunities to more than 2.5 lakh youth in the country.

This annual conference acts as a platform for the stakeholders of the various skilling schemes across the country, especially state government skill ministers to meet and discuss various issues affecting the skilling efforts in their states. The event saw more than 80 representatives across States participating in the conference namely -

Addressing the States on their collaboration on Skill Development, Dr. Mahendra Nath Pandey said, “Skill development is a demand-driven subject and thus it is important that we give more power to the States to ensure quality and market relevant outcome. It is important that we map and strike a balance between the traditional and new age skills, right at the district level and also target a shift from un-organized to the organized market through our Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) program.”

“The States should ensure integration of skills right at the school level so that the youth can decide which skills to hone. At the University level, we should promote apprenticeship training as part the regular degree courses, since on-the-job training is the pre-requisite for any job,” he further added.

The Minister said that the government, both at the Center and the State level, should work towards a common standardized assessment system. “We should promote those who are contributing with quality outcome and discourage every sort of corruption”, he said.

Giving a direction to States, Shri R.K Singh, Minster of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship said, “Our focus should be on secondary and tertiary sectors than primary sectors for jobs opportunities now; and on the local demands for goods and services than on global ones. States should consistently undertake environmental scan for market relevant skills. We should ensure our alignment to jobs of the future so that India has a competitive advantage. It is also important that our trainers are upgraded consistently to latest curriculum and our infrastructure should be of global standards focusing quality delivery.”

The event also listed the recent amendments in Apprenticeship Act with an objective to increase linkage with more companies and industries. As a crucial support from MSDE, incentives to Third Party Aggregators (TPAs) was also announced to strengthen the bond with several stakeholders and aspiring youth to achieve the set target of engaging 10 lac apprentices during current financial year. The event also witnessed felicitation of industries with more than 3000 apprentices each and award distribution to winners of All India Competition of Apprenticeships held by Directorate General of Training.

The inaugural session of the conference commenced with the Ministry talking about its achievements so far and also highlighting new initiatives that have been rolled out to further boost the government’s vision of skilled workforce. Close to 80 lakh youth have been skilled under Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) since its launch in 2015. More than 28 lakh youth have been oriented under Recognition of Prior Learning Program, an initiative under PMKVY bringing about a major shift from the unorganized to the organized economy. MSDE has more than 25000+ institutes and centers today delivering more than 3000+ courses across 37 sectors in the country. These include the state-of-the-art 629 Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendras (PMKK); targeting one center in each district of the country.

Comprehensive reforms in Apprenticeship rules 1962 have been approved in the 36th CAC meeting held on 10th July, 2019 and had been sent for Gazette notification to further streamline the process. Major reforms include:

* Upper limit for engaging apprentices increased from 10% to 15%

* Size limit of an establishment with mandatory obligation to engage apprentices lowered from 40 to 30

* Payment of stipend for 1st year has been fixed rather than linking it to minimum wages, 10% to 15% hike in stipend for 2nd and 3rd year to apprentice

* Duration of apprenticeship training for optional trade can be from 6 months to 36 months

The ministry’s new pilot project is focused on providing incentives to TPAs and Sector Skill Councils (SSCs) as the National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS) launched in 2016 does not provide incentives to complete ecosystem involved in the promotion of Apprenticeship Training. TPAs and SSCs act as a catalyst for promotion and advocacy of apprenticeship training by making special efforts to reach maximum number of establishments including the micro, small and medium enterprises. The SSCs and TPAs would facilitate industries and establishments to engage a large number of youth with special focus on women apprentices. The target is to engage 2.8 lakh apprentices in designated/optional trades for the period 1st October 2019 to 31st March 2020.

MSDE signed MoUs with states with mutual consent on achieving particular apprenticeship numbers to further reinforce MSDE’s association with state Industries and apprentices. The role of state governments is crucial because as per the Act, all apprenticeship in the private sector, State PSUs and state government departments are to be regulated and closely monitored by the respective state government. A significant potential area for promoting apprenticeships, particularly in MSMEs and informal sector are under the jurisdiction of state, which remain untouched. The Ministry’s MoU singing with the states shows its commitment for expansion of outreach of apprenticeship training to maximum number of industries as well as aspirants.

The platform was additionally utilized to felicitate industry partners and other stakeholders to recognize and appreciate their indispensable contribution in consolidation of the ecosystem. The ministry also presented its vision document for 2020-2025 and shared its insights on the importance of pushing for the Right to Skill (RTS) and the way forward. Reform of the Indian skills development system is proceeding swiftly with substantial change underway and more planned in many key areas, to make the supply of skills completely aligned with the growing demands of the Indian economy.

Apprenticeship has been recognized as an effective way to empower young people to smoothly shift from school & college to work whilst at the same time improving links between industry and training institutions. The National Apprenticeship Programme plays a large part in the task of up-skilling India’s workforce, offering the opportunity to share costs among different parties (employers, individuals and the government) and to involve governments, employers and workers in partnership. Apprenticeship is a win-win situation both for industry and youth in coming together to help make the vision of ‘Skilled India’ a reality in future.

During the Pakhwada period, the ministry will hold a number of workshops and seminars across major centres in the states with the aim of creating wider awareness about the Apprenticeship Training amongst establishments and employers across manufacturing and service sectors. These will include all stakeholders including SSCs, industry partners, state governments, industry associations, third party aggregators and line ministry in various parts of the country.

Rolls-Royce Announces the First Cohort of its ‘Start-Up Accelerator Programme’, Powered by R2 Data Labs

R2 Data Labs, the data innovation catalyst inside Rolls-Royce, has identified three start-ups for its first-ever Start-up Accelerator Programme in Bengaluru. The start-ups ClearQuote (Xenon Automotive), PiChain Innovations and Imaginate Technologies will be given an equity-free grant of £10,000 each and put through a six-month co-innovation programme that will include mentoring and technical support from Rolls-Royce.

The final start-ups were identified through a rigorous selection process, wherein they were evaluated on the basis of their ideas, capabilities and project fitment. A jury of Rolls-Royce and ecosystem mentors selected three winners from 15 shortlisted finalists.

Speaking about the initiative, Kishore Jayaraman, President, Rolls-Royce India & South Asia, said: “With the stated mission of pioneering cutting-edge technologies that deliver clean, safe and competitive solutions to meet our planet’s vital power needs, Rolls-Royce believes in the disruptive power of digital technologies in shaping the future of our industry. Our India Start-up Accelerator Programme is a reinforcement of our faith in the potential of Indian start-up minds in creating innovative solutions fundamental to the digital future of the industrial technology sector.”

“We welcome the three start-ups who have been selected after a rigorous process of evaluation. We look forward to not only coaching and mentoring them but also collaborating with them to co-create and co-innovate for solving some of the most complex challenges in our business,” he added.

The programme, powered by R2 Data Labs and supported by NUMA Bengaluru, will help accelerate data innovation and drive opportunities for collaborative disruption with the brightest minds in the industry.

Under the programme, Rolls-Royce will provide mentoring to the selected start-ups and offer them an opportunity to connect, collaborate and commercialise their projects. The programme will be kick-started with the allotment of £10,000 of equity free grant to each of the start-ups, along with the prospect of strengthening their products as well as building a business strategy.

Caroline Gorski, Group Director of R2 Data Labs, said: “Successfully delivering value from data innovation is  key to Rolls-Royce's digital strategy. Working with start-ups helps us to engage with technology innovators who can bring us new technical insights and allow us to get broader perspective on the possibilities of data innovation. At the same time, we also get to help those innovators to succeed and share in their creativity and energy.”

The start-ups will work closely with the Rolls-Royce team and also get an opportunity to collaborate with industry experts as they work through the development of a  Proof of Concept.

The initiative is in line with Rolls-Royce’s commitment to collaborative innovation and building an ecosystem of partners that harnesses the latest thinking and technologies from a wide community of innovators.

For more information: www.rolls-royce.com/ecosystem

About Rolls-Royce Holdings plc

Rolls-Royce pioneers cutting-edge technologies that deliver clean, safe and competitive solutions to meet our planet’s vital power needs.

Rolls-Royce has customers in more than 150 countries, comprising more than 400 airlines and leasing customers, 160 armed forces, 70 navies, and more than 5,000 power and nuclear customers.

Annual underlying revenue was £15 billion in 2018, around half of which came from the provision of aftermarket services.

In 2018, Rolls-Royce invested £1.4 billion on research and development. We also support a global network of 29 University Technology Centres, which position Rolls-Royce engineers at the forefront of scientific research.

The Group has a strong commitment to apprentice and graduate recruitment and to further developing employee skills.

LogMeIn Unveils New Version of GoToMeeting with AI-Powered Transcription Capabilities

LogMeIn, Inc. has announced the next major launch for its GoTo portfolio of Unified Communications and Collaboration (UCC) products with a completely new experience for GoToMeeting. The new GoToMeeting focuses on delivering a simple, intuitive end-user experience, while giving IT even more control over deployment, management, and security. The product includes a video-first meeting experience, industry-leading audio quality, a new meeting hub, powerful meeting diagnostics, and additional AI-powered transcription capabilities. These updates help to streamline collaboration with a faster, more modern look and feel that’s consistent across web browsers as well as desktop and mobile applications.

LogMeIn took a customer-first approach with the new GoToMeeting, listening to feedback from thousands of collaboration users to develop the product. LogMeIn’s GoTo portfolio delivers an intuitive experience for end-users while supporting the needs of IT leaders. According to recent research from Ovum, seven out of ten IT leaders are looking to invest in new collaboration technologies in 2020. The new GoToMeeting was built with IT leaders in mind to support a modern workforce working how, where, and when they want.

“The very nature of work is changing, and we wanted to create a new GoToMeeting that is simple, fast and intuitive for users, while also giving IT a collaboration platform that sets them up for the future. Today we are releasing the video conferencing experience of tomorrow to revolutionize the way people collaborate with the most modern solution available,” said Mark Strassman Senior Vice President and General Manager of Unified Communications and Collaboration at LogMeIn. “Through thousands of conversations and feedback from our customers, we reimagined the new GoToMeeting to deliver a delightful end-user experience, while also providing the security and reliability IT expects from a trusted communications and collaboration provider. We are excited to launch this new experience today to further drive GoTo’s leadership in the video meetings space.”

In this new release, GoToMeeting has launched a series of updates to improve the ease of the collaboration platform for IT and users before, during and after the meeting:

* Pre-Meeting Experience:

* The Hub: Streamline your workday with a single workspace for your meetings, complete with meeting information, diagnostics, the ability to chat, start and schedule meetings.

* Scheduling: It’s easier than ever to choose between one-time or any-time meetings. Hosts can now create multiple personal meeting rooms with custom branding for teams to jump in and collaborate instantly at any time. GoToMeeting has also updated its popular calendar plugins and integrations with Office 365 and Outlook, GSuite Calendar, Salesforce, and more and continues to support integrations with tools like Slack and Zoho.

* Faster Join Time: Starting a session with the new GoToMeeting is 65 percent faster than before. Attendees also have the ability to choose between a download-free web meeting or joining via the new GoToMeeting desktop or mobile apps. All users will see a preview as to what they’ll look like before joining the meeting to turn video on from the start.

* In-Meeting Experience

* A New User Experience: A completely reimagined video-first design makes video meetings easier than ever. Important controls, such as leaving the meeting and the ability to see exactly what you are sharing, are now front and center. Meeting hosts have the ability to choose multiple camera views, along with new controls, including screenshot and zoom in or out to focus on a particular area of the screen being shared.

* Unparalleled Audio: Connectivity and processing enhancements to provide a crystal clear, life-like and reliable audio experience in the office, at home, or on the go even in extreme low-bandwidth situations.

* Real-Time Note Taking: Coming soon - Within the GoToMeeting session, organizers will be able to take real-time notes. Upon recording a session, organizers can launch the Note taking feature where notes will be time-stamped and available for review and editing. Using proprietary GoToMeeting technology, the system will auto-generate, AI-based action items recommendations alongside the notes an organizer creates. Notes will be saved and can be shared after the meeting or pushed via integration to the customer’s preferred systems.

* The Same Experience Across Devices: The GoToRoom, GoToMeeting mobile and GoToMeeting web browser experiences have also been updated to reflect the new look and feel for a consistent workflow and feature set regardless of how a user joins a meeting.

* Post Meeting Experience
* AI-Powered Transcription: Unlimited cloud recording means you never miss a moment. Meeting transcripts make content digestible in minutes – allowing hosts and attendees to spend less time note taking and more time participating in the meeting.
* Video to Slides: Automatically capture presentation slides during meetings and share in a downloadable PDF.
* Easy to Share Content: View, download and share transcripts, video, and notes with meeting attendees.
* IT Power and Control:
 Meeting Diagnostics Report:  IT administrators can view meeting diagnostics to monitor audio and video quality, and identify and troubleshoot root causes for meeting quality issues.
* GoToRoom: We’ve partnered with Poly and Dolby to deliver turnkey video room solutions that install in minutes.  Meetings start with just one-click, from both the in-room screen as well as from the mobile app with the same new GoToMeeting experience.
* InRoom Link: Join GoToMeeting sessions with your existing SIP and H.323 video room systems (such as Cisco and Poly).
* Security and Reliability: GoToMeeting continues to be the trusted collaboration platform, with standards-based cryptography, SOC 2 and SOC 3 compliance, high-availability cloud-hosted service infrastructure, and administration and user-based roles and controls to maximize confidentiality, integrity and availability.

“With this new release of its UCC offering, LogMeIn has focused on items that matter to end-users – ease of use, faster join times, consistency across devices and platforms, and more,” said Ira M. Weinstein, founder and managing partner at Recon Research.  “This is not a coat of paint on a legacy product.  This is a new solution architected from the ground up to add value before, during, and after the meeting experience. In short - this is a big deal.”