Mytirth India – One Stop Spirituality and Darshan Shop for all Pilgrims' Across India

The pandemic has certainly altered life and this alteration extends not just to the work and social spaces but now its tentacles have spread to encompass spirituality too. As a result of the pandemic travel is restricted to bare essentials.

However when normalcy returns religious or visit to temple will be in first to take off and will be a must tick on most Indians and NRI’s wishlist..

My Tirth India.com is India’s one stop Spiritual Shop founded by Indraneel Dasgupta and Ankhon Ganguli. Any Temple, any Pilgrimage, any Yatra from travel to hotel to fooding to darshan to puja from group travel to customized travel to home to home service to special care for the elderly to online puja streamed direct to your home in your name and gotra from any temple to Astrology consultancy from eminent Astrologersof the country to Ayurvedic consultations from leading Ayurvedic practitioners to enjoying a leisurely evening listening to legends AnupJalota and Anuradha Paudwal screened live for your pleasure….My Tirth India , is here to serve.

In India the Religious and Spiritual travel industry accounts for more than 60% of the huge travel and tourism sector in India.Moreover the vastness of country leads to several linguistical and logistical problems specially for outstation pilgrims not to mention the fleecing by the middlemen and touts as also the lack of information of local rules and regulations.

The company received seed funding of Rs 2 cr in November 2020 and is now looking for second round of funding,

In religious tourism, people go on their own knowing the difficulties they may have to endure. With www.mytirthindia.com everything is made seamless to and prepaid so dependence on cash totally negated and everyone before initiating their trip knows exactly how much to spend. Before every trip all details are provided to clients be it the person who is incoming them at the airport or station to the details of the hotel to the Pujari who is to receive the pilgrims at the temple gate. www.mytirthindia.com is a friend that every pilgrim from any strata of society can rely on. My Tirth India also caters to people wanting to do special Pujas like Pitridosh, Pinddaan.

The tour packages are equally expansive, covering a large range of pilgrim spots across the country, from Vaishnodevi and Golden Temple in the North to Ramesharam and Tirupati in the South to Dwarka and Somnath in the West to JagannathPuri and Kamakhya in the East to Mahakaleshwar and Omkareshwar in the central part of India. From KailashManasarovar to Chardham to Amarnath to the twelve Jyotirlingas, to all the Shakti peeths to Ayodhya, Mathura, Gokarna, Thekkady, to Trimbakeshwar to Shirdi to Kalighat, BalajiSalasar to Nathduara to Dilwara and Ranakpur to Gaya, Haridwar to Rishkesh and everything in between.

Online Pujas and packages

The pandemic has certainly altered life and this alteration extends not just to the work and social spaces but now its tentacles have spread to encompass spirituality too. As a result of the pandemic travel restricted to bare essential however when normalcy returns religious or visit to temple will be in first to take off and will be a must tick on most Indians and NRI’s wishlist.

While pilgrimage and visits to pilgrim spots have become minimal or non-existent, the deep spiritual yearnings continue to simmer silently amongst devotees, prompting them to seek alternate ways to satiate this desire. My Tirth India.com addresses exactly this segment, offering multiple avenues to quench this thirst of devotees across the countrywhere pilgrims can avail of spiritual services offered online to meet the exigencies of the currently prevailing pandemic.

The company facilitates online pujas for devotees in Tirth Sthals across the country ranging from Badrinath, Haridwar, Ujjain, Kalighat, Dwaraka, Varanasi etc to a multiple other pilgrim locations, where devotees can book their required pujas in the designated locations and participate virtually in the same. The pujas offered are as varied as the pilgrim locations and historic temples that conventionally attract millions of devotees through the year.

The online pujas are not confined to merely festive offerings but extends to ceremonies too, where families can perform online ceremonies for their loved ones in some of the most holy spots by the River Ganges. Tour packages are also on offer to facilitate physical presence to perform some of the rituals, the guided packages ensuring this journey is hassle free for the bereaved families when they make the final offerings.

One stop Spiritual shop

Interestingly My Tirth India.com does not confine to pilgrimage packages and online pujas alone but extends its services to offer online Astrological consultations too, where a range of options are available, from Palmistry, Numerology,VaastuSastra, Horoscopes, Tantric Vedicology, Tarot card and even couple counselling and much more, the listing covering over thirty segments that clients can connect to relating to Financial, Marriage, Family, Career, Business, Health, Legal and all other solutions.

Health is an integral part of any life and My Tirth India.com recognises this as much as it does about the wealth of knowledge that our Vedas and Ayurveda holds. Not surprisingly, Ayurvedic consultations form an integral part of the facilities offered by the company, with specialist Ayurvedic doctors available for online consultations to treat multiple ailments in the most holistic manner.

Music is a self-healer and its impact on emotional health is widely known, especially the soulful Bhajans that soothe the mind and soul, not just for the seeker but any listener who chooses to tune in. Recognising the role and place of soulful music and Bhajans, My Tirth India.com plans to come up shortly with yet another segment in its online offerings, the Bhajan Sandhya.

My Tirth India.com prides in being able to offer any darshan, any puja, in any temple as the devotee may aspire, with the facility of booking the puja and the performing priest online, where personalised attention is guaranteed. Its strong USP is the ability to offer VIP darshan in the selected temples for the devotees, with special care given to the elderly and children, along with picking up and dropping facilities besides the end to end packages on offer that may be availed.

In short, My Tirth India.com promises the devotee not only a hassle free, memorable spiritual journey to satiate the deepest of desires that arise from the soul, it also purports to be a one stop shop for all things spiritual that is truly one of its kind in the country..

Skill Ministry and Tata Launch First Batch of Indian Institute of Skills, Mumbai

* The first batch will include two short-term courses in Factory Automation and Digital (Smart) Manufacturing

* TATA IIS, Mumbai offers 75% scholarship for first 100 students as early bird incentive

With the vision of propelling India to the forefront of skill development and job creation under Skill India Mission and to provide an impetus to Skill India programme through private sector participation, the first batch of trainings at the Tata-Indian Institute of Skills, Mumbai launched at a virtual event today by Dr. Mahendra Nath Pandey, Hon’ble Union Minister of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship. The institute is a joint initiative between Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE), Government of India and Tata Indian Institute of Skills. Formal agreement for setting up institute has been signed between MSDE and TATA IIS on 11th November, 2020.

The first batch at TATA-Indian Institute of Skills will commence training with two courses in Factory Automation, with duration ranging from 1 to 4 weeks, depending upon the prequalification profile of the trainee. The institute will also offer scholarships to the first 100 students along with attractive fee options during this initial launch phase.  An early bird scholarship scheme of 75% has also been announced for the first 100 students/trainees.

Speaking at the launch event, Dr. Mahendra Nath Pandey, Hon’ble Union Minister of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship said, “With an aim to provide high-quality technical and vocational learning across various sectors, the foundation for state-of-the-art infrastructure was laid last year and today with the launch of its first set of courses at IIS Mumbai, I can proudly say that we are inching closer to achieve the vision of our Honorable Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi of making India the ‘Skill Capital of the World’. Following the footsteps of other prominent centers of education in the country, IIS Mumbai will be instrumental in imparting world-class training to help build a future ready workforce. I extend my gratitude towards the Government of Maharashtra and Tata Group for extending support towards Skill India Mission and I am hopeful that this collaboration will transform the state’s youth from job seekers to job creators.”

The Minister for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Maharashtra, Shri. Nawab Malik also graced the occasion with his presence and ensured maximum support on behalf of the Maharashtra Government in making this initiative a grand success for the country.

The institute envisages partnerships with multiple private organizations who are leaders in their respective fields, two of which are currently in place, with FESTO, a global leader in industrial automation and SMC Corporation, Japan, world’s largest manufacturer of pneumatic components, for trainings. The two courses launched today will focus on Factory Automation, envisaged to be the foundation for future courses and Smart Manufacturing (Industry 4.0) technology and applications, to prepare youth for emerging job roles of the next five years and beyond. The courses will be offered at Tata-IIS interim campus at the National Skills Training Institute (NSTI), Chembur.  The institute’s permanent campus, currently under construction in the campus of National Skill Trainers’ Institute (NSTI), Mumbai and is likely to be operational by 2022; and will have a capacity of over 5,000 trainings per year.

Mr. Girish Krishnamurthy, Director, Tata IIS, said, “This is a key development in India’s journey to provide skilling and job-readiness to its youth. The institute aspires to become a beacon to other institutions of its kind in the years to come.”

The primary goal behind setting up the institute is to create industry-ready workforce as per the evolving demands of the national and global markets. It aspires to be one of the most premier training institutions in the country and will be equipped with world-class vocational training facilities. The institute plans to provide trainings in highly specialized areas such as defense, oil & gas, aerospace, and other emerging businesses to meet industry demands.

Training and learning at Tata-IIS Mumbai will be driven through strong industry connect in both public and private sectors. Equipped with modern training methodologies leveraging digital and augmented learning platforms, the institute will also focus on apprenticeship-embedded courses and offering higher order qualifications in conjunction with other universities.

About Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE)

MSDE was formed on November 9, 2014 by the Government of India to focus on enhancing employability of skills. Since its inception, MSDE has undertaken significant initiatives and reforms in terms of formalizing the policy, framework and standards; launching of new programs and schemes; creating new infrastructure and upgrading the existing institutions; partnering with States; engaging with industries and building societal acceptance and aspirations for skills. The Ministry aims to bridge the gap between demand and supply of skilled manpower to build new skills and innovation not only for existing jobs but also for jobs that are to be created. Till date, more than three crore people have been trained under Skill India. Under its flagship programme, Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) 2016-2020, the Ministry has trained nearly one crore candidates.

L&T First to the 3D Print a Ground Plus One Building in India

 

L&T Construction, the construction arm of the US $ 21 billion technology, engineering & construction conglomerate, Larsen & Toubro, announced having successfully 3D printed a G+1 (Ground plus one) Building with reinforcement for the first time in India. With the country aggressively pursuing the objective of creating 60 million houses under the Housing for All by 2022 programme, this achievement will certainly give a huge fillip for the mass housing segment.

“3D concrete printing is one of the technology disruptors with the potential to radically redefine construction methodologies and I am extremely happy that by demonstrating our growing expertise in 3D printing, we are well positioned to push the boundaries of automated robotic construction,” said Mr. M V Satish, Whole Time Director & Senior Executive Vice President (Buildings). “3D printing will not only accelerate the pace of construction but also significantly improve build quality,” he added.

L&T has 3D printed a Ground + 1 building of 700 sq. feet built up area at their Kanchipuram facility with a special, in-house developed concrete mix using indigenously available regular construction materials. The building was printed with both vertical reinforcement bar and horizontal distributors using welded mesh that satisfy provisions in the Indian Codes and optimize the cost of construction.  Except for the horizontal slab members, the entire building structure was 3D printed ‘Cast in Situ’ at the job site in an ‘open to sky’ environment within 106 printing hours, using a fully automated 3D printer.

3D printing is a process, in which the material is printed under computer control to build a 3-dimensional product, typically layer by layer. It is predominantly used in manufacturing industries to print rapid prototypes, complex shapes and small batch production using special polymers, metal alloys etc. 3D printing with concrete is still largely work in progress across the globe.

Earlier in November 2019, the team had 3D printed 240 sq. feet 1 BHK, in line with typical EWS building layout, to explore the feasibility of this innovative technology.

Background:

Larsen & Toubro is an Indian multinational engaged in engineering, procurement and construction projects, manufacturing, defence and services with over USD 21 billion in revenue. It operates in over 30 countries worldwide. A strong, customer–focused approach and the constant quest for top-class quality have enabled L&T to attain and sustain leadership in its major lines of business for eight decades.

Highlights:

* L&T Construction has announced successfully 3D printing a G+1 (Ground plus one) Building with reinforcement for the first time in India

* The building is of 700 sq. feet built up area, at their Kanchipuram facility with a special, in-house developed concrete mix using indigenously available regular construction materials

* The building was printed with both vertical reinforcement bar and horizontal distributors using welded mesh

* Except for the horizontal slab members, the entire building structure was 3D printed ‘Cast in Situ’ at the job site in an ‘open to sky’ environment within 106 printing hours, using a fully automated 3D printer

* This achievement will certainly give a huge fillip for the mass housing segment, with the objective of creating 60 million houses under the Housing for All by 2022 programme.

This Christmas Gift Your Loved Ones An Amazing Line Up Of Gadgets

Shots Groove

If you want to go wireless in style this Christmas and new year’s then check out Noise Shots Groove. Featuring a signature bass-heavy sound with a total playtime of 15 hours, an IPX5 water-resistant rating, industry-leading Bluetooth v5.0, voice assistant support, full touch control, and more packed in a light, sleek round case at just Rs. 2499.

ColorFit PRO 2

Noise ColorFit Pro 2 smartwatch makes for one of the best Christmas or new year’s gifts out there for any fitness or lifestyle enthusiast. It features a full touch colour display, 100+ cloud-based & customisable watch faces, 9 health tracking modes, 24/7 heart rate tracking, IP68 waterproof rating and 10 days of battery packed in a super-light watch case that’s available in 3 gorgeous colors.

Price- 2999/-

NoiseFit Fusion

NoiseFit Fusion hybrid smartwatch brings the best of two worlds in one. It’s a full-touch hybrid smartwatch with the features of an analog watch. It comes with a pre-set quick replies, features a 5ATM water-resistant, activity tracker and a 3-day smartwatch battery with 30-day analog battery life. If you are looking for something that adds to your party wardrobe this festive season, then NoiseFit Fusion is the right choice.

Price- 5599/-

Noise Airbuds

In case you’re looking for an half in-ear style TWS with good all-round performance gifting option for your secret santa or the best new year gift for your friend, the Airbuds might be the one for you. It offers excellent calling quality, along with prolonged battery life. The extremely lightweight handsfree earbuds are equipped with IPX4 sweat resistance quality to enjoy any activity without disruption. With a charging time of 1.2hours, the full-touch control earbuds have a 20-hour long playtime for an uninterrupted binge-watching/music. With crystal-clear calling quality, the Airbuds offer noise-free clarity to the users for extended virtual calls.

Price- 2499/-

ColorFit Nav

ColorFit Nav brings the whole package deal for your gifting problems - from a sleek square display with a higher resolution for a visual delight with an upgraded processor and a quick response option for messages. It comes with a built-in GPS and 6-axis sensors, smart notifications, dedicated sports modes, heart rate trackers, handwash and sedentary reminders and a sleep monitor. It also provides a battery backup of 4 days with an IP68 water-resistant rating. Nav is the perfect partner for people who like style and comfort.

Price- 4499/-

Elixir India Super Model Hunt 2020 Held at at the Goldfinch Retreat

A Grand event for Miss, Mr and Mrs Elixir India 2020 supermodel hunt was organised by Elixir World Productions House at Goldfinch Retreat, Devanahalli, Bengaluru on 22nd December which witnessed celebrities like Zoya Afroz, Sufi Khan, Raghu Mukherjee, Shashidhar Kote who crowned the winners of all these categories. Mrs. Pallavi Kaushik and Mr. SarthakChoudhary helped groom the participants for the Fashion Show and made sure they looked amazing and confident on stage. The Honourable Chief guests Mr Ritesh Reddy, Mr. Arun, Mr. Priyank, Ms. Kajal Agrawal and Ms. Khushboo Jain were honoured by the Elixir team.

Generally, Beauty Pageants are conventional in its kind, But Elixir Pageant gave opportunity to candidates irrespective of Height, Weight, Colour and their Profession. Elixir India 2020 also proudly provided a stage to participants who were Divorced, Separated, Single Mothers etc to showcase their talent. The participants were picked from remote corners of India like Roorkee, Amravati, Raichur and others.

Dr.Yashashree Chauhan from Nagpur was crowned as Miss Elixir India 2020, Mr. Sanjay Murthy Gowda from Hassan Magge as Mr Elixir India 2020 and Mrs. Aarti Pandey from Bidar was crowned as Mrs Elixir India 2020. The Winners were also awarded with a Holiday trip to Thailand, An Acting Scholarship, Gift Hampers and Acting and Modelling contracts. We are coming up with our next season very soon, details of which will be updated on our website www.elixirworldproductionshouse.in

About Elixir World Productions House:

Elixir World Productions House (EWPH) was started by six women, who are national pageant winners from different parts of India with a vision to fulfil dreams of people who have potential but don’t have any guidance or a platform to perform. Elixir India 2020 is a National Fashion Pageant from the Elixir World Production House.

Half bunch of women see a dream together and craft it into Elixir World Productions House, with a mission to hold hands of dreamers from small towns and cities who don’t get enough guidance & exposure and walk with them towards their first step to success.

We are one of the country’s most esteemed national pageants, Elixir. We are a team who believes that the joy of being creative is beyond words. We Elixir, are a Bangalore based prestigious production house with its local associates all over the country. We have worked with many of the India’s top agencies and marketers.

DGT - MSDE Inks Pact with Microsoft and Nasscom Foundastion for Digital Skilling to Augment the Employability of Young India

* Nearly 1,20,000 students in around 3000 ITIs pan-India can be benefited by this digitized e-learning module via the Bharatskills portal

* The usage of Bharatskills learning platform has increased multifold from around 90,000 users in March 2020 to more than 16.55 Lakh users having accessed the portal as on date

The Directorate General of Training (DGT) joined hands with Microsoft and NASSCOM Foundation to provide a digital content for ITI students and also future-ready employability skilling program for upskilling and reskilling.  Nearly 1,20,000 students in around 3000 ITIs across India can be benefited by this digitized e-learning module via the Bharatskills portal.

DGT in the last two years, collaborated with many digital industry front liners like IBM India Pvt. Ltd., SAP India, Cisco Systems India Pvt. Ltd., Accenture Solutions and Quest Alliance, Adobe, SSC-NASSCOM etc., to enable the students to become industry ready. The Directorate General of Training (DGT) under the aegis of Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE) is responsible for implementing long term institutional training to the nation’s youth through its extensive network of about 15,000 training institutes (ITIs) and 33 National Skill Training Institutes (NSTIs).  DGT plays a key role in the execution of vocational training schemes and in making ‘Skill India’ dream become a reality.

Commenting on the initiative, Dr. Mahendra Nath Pandey, Hon’ble Union Minister of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship said, “Through the DGT-Microsoft partnership, we are aiming to impact thousands of students by enabling digitization in education and hope it to reach more students and teachers soon.  As the pandemic is compelling fast-track digital transition, these new learning initiatives will empower young learners with technical and market-oriented skills.”

Shri Pravin Kumar, Secretary, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, shared his thoughts on elevating the skilling ecosystem in the country, stating that “Skill Development is constantly being upgraded and modernized in terms of infrastructure, pedagogy, curriculum and technological interventions. We are gradually working our way to upscale the skilling system as per industry expectations and demands. I feel extremely happy to acknowledge the DGT-Microsoft collaboration for the new interventions in felicitating online learning initiatives through digitization in support of students, trainers and self-learners.

DGT has launched an online learning platform called the Bharatskills (https://bharatskills.gov.in) in Oct 2019, a Central Repository for skills providing easy access for the trainees and trainers of the ITI ecosystem, to access updated curriculums and course content of all courses under the Craftsmen Training Scheme (CTS), Question Banks, mock/practice papers, learning videos, etc., hence enabling anytime, anywhere learning outside the classrooms. This platform also presents a unique access to a centralized, scalable and a thriving support ecosystem through its industrial partners for the students and teachers who can now learn the newer IR 4.0 skills to meet the demands of the industry.

It is worth mentioning here that during the current COVID-19 pandemic scenario, the usage of Bharatskills learning platform has increased multifold from around 90,000 users in March 2020 to more than 16.55 Lakh users having accessed the portal as on date.

Sharing her views in this regard, Juthika Patankar, Director General (Training) & Additional Secretary , said, “The Directorate General of Training as an organization, is committed to provide quality vocational training through its courses and consequently it is paving its way to provide individualized and standardized learning by adopting new models of learning and skilling. Blended learning is a flexible and adaptable way of engaging the learners, while allowing the trainers to cater to the needs of the students, in a much better way. DGT is absolutely thrilled to partner with Microsoft, the indisputable tech-giant, for its unconditional support in developing comprehensive skills and enhancing the employability of our students as well as the future trainers through its learning modules on futuristic skills.”

Speaking on the occasion, Anant Maheshwari, President, Microsoft India, said, “Empowering the next generation of learners with industry relevant digital skills is critical as we move towards building economic resilience. The last few months have accelerated the need for upskilling and has shown clearly that the future of learning will be supported by technology. Our partnership with DGT and NASSCOM Foundation is built on this foundation of equipping the learners of today with the skills required to thrive in the jobs of tomorrow.”

Ashok Pamidi, CEO, NASSCOM Foundation, said “Blended learning has been a game-changer for all our skill-based programs. With this e-content, we hope to bring this model to the 1.2 lakh ITI students engaged in COPA. Microsoft has been one of our most valuable partners in our journey towards building a digital skills landscape in the country. We thank them for their continuous and unwavering support. We are also extremely proud to collaborate with Directorate General of Training (DGT) to roll out the e-content in 3000 ITIs and NSTIs across India.”

Another testimony to DGT’s relentless efforts is the recent MoU between Directorate General of Training (DGT), Microsoft and NASSCOM Foundation wherein Microsoft has facilitated access to free content available on Microsoft Learn platform for more than 24 Lakh students in the ITI ecosystem, by linking the Global Skilling Initiative (GSI) through the Bharatskills platform. Further, it is supporting the digitization of the entire content of a popular course - ‘Computer Operating and Programming Assistant’ (COPA) through the NASSCOM Foundation and also in conducting faculty development programs to build capacities of the Trainers/Faculties in the NSTIs and ITIs on the newly developed Digitized Blended content and futuristic skills.

The blended content with self-learning digital tutorials and handholding from teachers, is expected to be accessed by more than 1 lakh 20 thousand students pursuing the course across 3000 industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) annually. Hence, this will reduce the number of class-room hours and student-teacher engagement leading to the possibility to train double the existing number of students in COPA course within the same infrastructure. This blended learning mode will help the trainee students to learn basic digital skills at the primary level in a uniform standardized manner and subsequently the advanced level Microsoft Office Technologies including Networking and Cyber Security.

About Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE)

MSDE was formed on November 9, 2014 by the Government of India to focus on enhancing employability of skills. Since its inception, MSDE has undertaken significant initiatives and reforms in terms of formalizing the policy, framework and standards; launching of new programs and schemes; creating new infrastructure and upgrading the existing institutions; partnering with States; engaging with industries and building societal acceptance and aspirations for skills. The Ministry aims to bridge the gap between demand and supply of skilled manpower to build new skills and innovation not only for existing jobs but also for jobs that are to be created. Till date, more than three crore people have been trained under Skill India. Under its flagship programme, Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) 2016-2020, the Ministry has trained more than 50 lakh candidates so far.

Madame Launches Wonder Woman Inspired Collection in Collaboration with Warner Bros

Madame, India’s leading womenswear brand has collaborated with Warner Bros to launch a Wonder Woman inspired collection with a clothing line curated to be as powerful and confident as the iconic DC Super-Hero. The new Autumn-Winter 2020 collection honors the wonder women of India and offers fans of all ages a way to manifest the Super-Hero’s signature qualities of strength, truth, courage and compassion. The Madame Wonder Woman collection is available in stores across India. The upcoming Warner Bros movie ‘Wonder Woman 1984’ with lead played by Gal Gadot is expected to release across India in the fourth week of December 2020 and promises to be a grand blockbuster to close the year.

Madame has carved a unique niche in the women’s apparel and accessories market and is a leading player in the womenswear segment. On the collaboration with Warner Bros, the legendary American media and entertainment corporation, Akhil Jain, Executive Director at Madame said, “Our signature collection of Wonder Woman inspired sweatshirts and sweaters are highly-styled and wonderfully-inventive and allow fans to tap into their own heroic Wonder Woman inner-spirit. Clothing is an expression of one’s personality, and through this partnership we are truly celebrating every Indian Wonder Woman and her energetic, competitive, and compassionate spirit.”

Mr.Vikram Sharma, Head of Consumer Products, Advertising & Partnerships for Warner Media in India, Southeast Asia & Korea, averred “Wonder Woman is the ultimate icon of female expression and empowerment. Timed with the launch of one of the year’s biggest Hollywood blockbusters, we think shoppers looking to make a statement are going to love this new range from Madame.” 

Explaining the Madame Wonder Woman collection’s inspiring designs, Akhil Jain added, “Madame’s Wonder Woman collection uses a bold color palette to express energy and positivity that is aimed at bringing out the best in women who are rearing to go and ready for anything life has to offer. The collection kindles the modern woman’s soul to embrace her feminine form and expression. This collection is so curated that it will blend it in beautifully with every woman’s personal flair and is affordable yet stylish at the same time”.

The Wonder Woman collection is the highlight of the Autumn/Winter 2020 for Madame. It is an ode to the qualities of the modern woman, her strength, courage, truth, compassion and her sense of sense of style and suave. The collection has a mix of garments, from t-shirts to cozy sweatshirts and warm sweaters for the winter days ahead.  The collection has an international appeal with stylish and inventive outlines and textiles to make the collection diverse and extraordinary.

The Wonder Woman collection is the perfect way to tap into the inner wonder woman that each woman is, a perfect showcase of inner resilience, chirpy spirit, and a must-have for all global Wonder Woman spirited fans. It is a gallant collection for the lively modern woman with a feminine sensibility for fashion, well suited for the maximalist empowered woman. “This collection is one of our most memorable collections. Our collaboration with Warner has been a very exciting one and we have maximized this opportunity using our best strengths to offer the best collection we have churned out in recent times. If there is a Wonder Woman in your life, then this is the ideal gift that will sing paeans to her”, said Akhil Jain. Affordable and but super stylish, this collection is a not-be-missed year end addition to the modern woman’s wardrobe.

ChrysCapital-Backed Infogain Acquires AI & Analytics Pioneer Absolutdata

Infogain, a Silicon Valley-based leader in human-centered digital platform and software engineering services, today announced its acquisition of Absolutdata, a San Francisco Bay Area based AI and Advanced Analytics company serving Global 500 clients. Absolutdata’s award-winning NAVIK AI platform and 300 world-class data scientists will significantly enhance Infogain’s ability to engineer superior business outcomes for its clients through the use of cutting-edge AI and Analytics.

Absolutdata has been a leader in utilizing AI and Advanced Analytics to create scalable business impact for enterprise clients across the globe. Using a combination of its proprietary NAVIK AI platform and AI & Advanced Analytics services, Absolutdata enables its clients to grow faster, increase profitable revenue and develop deeper relationships with their customers. Absolutdata has been widely recognized for its innovation and cutting-edge AI solutions.

Infogain’s CEO Sunil Bhatia said “Infogain’s acquisition of Absolutdata completes our three-pronged acquisitions strategy to help customers' increasing demand for adopting digital platforms by employing strategy and experience, cloud transformation, and advanced analytics and AI services”.  Absolutdata’s AI & advanced analytics solutions will transform how companies gain insights, make decisions, and drive business growth. I am confident in our teams’ abilities to collaborate, innovate and create significant value for our clients.  We welcome Absolutdata’s clients and employees to our growing Infogain family.  The acquisition will increase Infogain’s presence in additional market segments such as CPG, telecom, and pharma.”

Absolutdata’s CEO Anil Kaul, Ph.D, said, “Companies across the globe are increasingly looking towards a combination of Technology and AI/Analytics to drive scalable, sustained & profitable business growth. The COVID-19 pandemic has further accelerated digital transformation across organizations. We are thrilled to be joining the Infogain team as we share a like-minded commitment to driving business success through disruptive technologies. As a unified team and company, we are very well positioned to service our clients’ requirements comprehensively and innovatively, as well as providing tremendous growth opportunities for Absolutdata employees.”

This acquisition, Infogain’s third in 14 months, follows its acquisitions of Houston-based Silicus Technologies and Seattle-based Revel Consulting. Data, analytics and artificial intelligence are strategic focus areas for Infogain and will account for 15% of its revenue post-acquisition.

Infogain’s COO Ayan Mukerji, said, “NAVIK AI represents our first commercially available SaaS platform and is part of our broader strategy of helping our clients leverage digital platforms combined with our transformational service offerings. We aim to double our analytics customer base over the next two years and are confident that this acquisition will help us significantly toward achieving that goal.”  He added, “Infogain in turn will leverage its strategy & experience, data estate and cloud transformation services to expand our footprint across Absolutdata’s customers to help accelerate digital adoption.”

Wilson, Sonsini, Goodrich & Rosati is serving as legal counsel to Infogain in the United States, Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co. as legal counsel to Infogain in India, and KPMG as the financial and tax advisor to Infogain.  Ernst & Young is serving as the exclusive selling advisor.

About Infogain

Infogain is a human-centered digital platform and software engineering company based out of Silicon Valley. We engineer business outcomes for Fortune 500 companies and digital natives in the technology, healthcare, insurance, travel, and retail industries using technologies such as cloud, microservices, automation, IoT, and artificial intelligence. We accelerate experience-led transformation in the delivery of digital platforms. Infogain is also a Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) Gold Partner and Azure Expert Managed Services Provider (MSP).

Infogain, a ChrysCapital portfolio company, has offices in California, Washington, Texas, the UK, the UAE and Singapore, with delivery centers in Austin, Kraków, New Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, and Bengaluru. To learn more, visit www.infogain.com .

Store, Save & Share in India, Says Amitabh Kant, CEO, NITI Aayog at Launch of Digiboxx

Amitabh Kant, CEO, NITI Aayog, virtually launched India’s first Digital Asset Management platform DigiBoxx™ earlier today for the desktop, iOS, and Android systems. During the event, Mr. Amitabh Kant signed up for an account, making him the first user of DigiBoxx. The platform is an Indian digital file storage, sharing, and management SaaS product that provides storage options for business as well as individual users. It provides an easy and secure way to store all the files in one centralized location. It is India’s first indigenous tech startup to enter the Digital Asset Management business with value-added services encouraging entrepreneurs to ‘Make in India’ and ‘Store in India’. 

Commenting on the innovation behind the SaaS platform, Mr. Amitabh Kant said, “This is indigenous innovation at its best. I have always maintained that the Indian tech industry can be globally competitive in all aspects and Digiboxx is such an example. It ticks all the rights boxes for India Inc’s needs but also fills a gap for the MSME universe which is untapped. Now most of India can store, save and share in India without fear of security threats and data localization concerns. I am hopeful that this is the beginning of many more such innovations by Indian startups aligned towards the vision of a Aatmanirbhar Bharat. Our dependence on foreign SaaS products will soon be a thing of the past and Digital India will get a boost with such intuitive solutions”.

On the event of the launch, Mr. Vivek Suchanti, Chairman, DigiBoxx™ said, “We are honored to have Mr. Amitabh Kant launch Digiboxx and register (NITI Aayog) as our very first user. We are determined to make the Government’s #MakeInIndia (#VocalforLocal) and #Aatmanirbhar campaign a reality. With Digiboxx we are geared to provide data protection and contribute to the growth of the digital engagement landscape in India. Our efforts will ensure over 5000 engineers and 10 million users are impacted in the near term reiterating our commitment to India.” 

Arnab Mitra, CEO, DigiBoxx™ added, “Not only does Digiboxx help save data that is accessible from anywhere, but it also helps in the seamless sharing of data with partners, social media pages while retaining the admin rights of that document. So, It can save, control, and monitor who is accessing data in real-time. Digiboxx is all-encompassing Digital Storage Cloud which ensures data security for all Indians. It has been conceptualized and designed basis real feedback from the industry and will ease work processes for individuals and companies in a post COVID world of enhanced digital engagement. Considering the efficiency metric and the promised pricing, it is good news for the 600 MN+ internet users of the country.”

DigiBoxx™ consists of a file-sharing feature named 'InstaShare' that intends to make the user's life easier by allowing them to share, large-size documents, high-resolution images, videos, PDFs in real quick time by registering in the app. The feature is highly user friendly and will take just seconds to share any file. It has free 2GB storage space and the file shared stays for 45 days in the DigiBoxx. It is the first of its kind cutting edge solution introduced by India. The product and services are committed to the Make in India / Aatmanirbhar vision of the Government of India, and overall sentiment across the business circles to build India as a technological powerhouse with home-grown digital innovations. 

About DigiBoxx™

DigiBoxx™ is an intelligent Indian digital file storage and sharing platform that’s secure, fast, intuitive, and easy on the pocket. With a goal to make digital asset management go vocal for local, we have built a robust technology that’s world-class and yet keeps in mind the flavors of India. DigiBoxx™ÿ is the first of its kind cutting edge indigenous digital asset management SaaS platform introduced in India. It is a tech startup founded and promoted by Arnab Mitra, MD, LIQVD ASIA along with Ashish Jalan and Vivek Suchanti, Concept Group.

FGII Adopts an Innovative Approach to Drive Literacy Amongst Underprivileged Children

Future Generali India Insurance Company Limited (FGII) has teamed up with ‘Room to Read’ an NGO that helps underprivileged children to improve literacy and inculcate the habit of reading. Through this partnership, the company plans to set up libraries and donate books to underprivileged children from the society.  

As a part of its responsibility towards community development, FGII will use its uniquely designed annual report to raise funds for the NGO backed schools. One can contribute to this cause by ordering this book on Amazon.in and Flipkart.com. The amount contributed by an individual shall be directly contributed to the NGO partner. In addition, Future Generali India Insurance vows to match the amount ‘Rupee for a Rupee’ thus doubling the impact of the initiative. .  

Anup Rau, MD & CEO, Future Generali India Insurance said, “FGII is known for its innovative products and empathetic approach. We wanted to thank our people who have stepped up during these difficult times and delivered excellent results on various fronts. Their dedication and hard work deserve a superhero status, and this report is in a way, a gesture of our gratitude. It is also special and close to our hearts for the cause that it embraces. We are hopeful that in a small way, we would be able to add value to the lives of these children.” 

Amazon link: Future Generali Annual Report 19-20: A World of Captain FG 

About Future Generali India Insurance Company Limited 

Future Generali India Insurance Company Limited is a joint venture between Future Group – the game changers in Retail Trade in India and Generali – a 189yearsold global insurance group featuring among the world’s 60 largest companies*. The Company was incorporated in September 2007 with the objective of providing retail, commercial, personal and rural insurance solutions to individuals and corporates to help them manage and mitigate risks. 

Future Generali India has been aptly benefitting from the global Insurance expertise in diverse classes of products of Generali Group and the Indian retail game-changer Future Group. Having firmly established its credentials in this segment and effectively leveraging on the skill set of both its JV partners, Future Generali India has evolved to become a Total Insurance Solutions Company. 

*As per Fortune Global 500 Ranking (2017) 

*Future Generali India Insuranceiscertified ‘Great Place to Work’ (December2019-November 2020) 

About Generali Group 

Generali is an independent, Italian insurance Group, with a strong international presence. Established in 1831, it is one of the largest global insurance providers present in over 60 countries with total premium income exceeding €68 billion in 2017. With nearly 71,000 employees in the world and 57 million customers, the Group has a leading position in Western Europe and an increasingly significant presence in Central and Eastern Europe as well as in Asia.

Fincare Small Finance Bank Partners with Go Digit Insurance in India

Fincare Small Finance Bank, a new-age Rurban bank focused on providing smart banking solutions, announced its association with Go Digit Insurance. With this partnership, Fincare SFB will now be able to cater to the critical financial protection need of customers and make insurance services accessible to its target customer segments.

The byte-sized products, specially designed for digital banking customers, will offer high value insurance products with a hassle-free on-boarding process.

Commenting on the partnership, Mr. Rajeev Yadav, MD & CEO, Fincare Small Finance Bank said, “At Fincare, all our initiatives are driven by customer centricity. This partnership will help us strengthen relationship with our customers and meet their insurance needs at a time when it’s most necessary. Go Digit’s digital expertise combined with our innovative digital solutions, we aim to empower our customers to make smart choices.”

Jasleen Kohli, Chief Distribution Officer, Digit Insurance, said “Our mission at GoDigit is to simplify insurance & to create products that customers really need. Given, the current global situation, we are trying to cover people against any unforeseen crisis and help them in protecting their assets. With this partnership we hope to offer meaningful products to Fincare’s customers. We are glad that Fincare shares the same outlook towards using technology to transform people’s lives & simplify processes. The idea is to handle these unpredictable times in the best way possible, through simplified insurance as an instrument.”

Under this partnership, currently the products offered will be:

* Digit’s Motor Insurance policies, where the customers can opt for both two-wheeler and four-wheeler vehicles against accidents, fire, natural disasters etc.

* Insurance policies for Home and Shop, where the customers can cover both their structure and contents against fire, natural disasters etc.

* Digit also offers a Zero-touch Claims enabled by Audio Claims, Soft-copy Document submission & 24*7 customer care assistance.

About Fincare Small Finance Bank

Fincare Small Finance Bank commenced banking operations on July 21, 2017 under Section 22 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949, after receiving the final license from the RBI in May 2017. Fincare SFB has been included in the Second Schedule to the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934, published in the Gazette of India dated April 13, 2019.

Fincare Small Finance Bank aims to transform banking for its customers through simple products, automated processes and instant decisions and transactions. Powered by technology, Fincare SFB has set the vision to be the first of its kind ‘Rurban’ Bank which, on the one hand, caters to the banking needs of the base of pyramid, mass retail and micro & small enterprise segments, thus enabling their financial inclusion, and on the other hand, provides modern, innovative and digital solutions to the digitally-savvy, metro and urban customers.

As of 30th November 2020, Fincare SFB serves over 26.5+ Lakh customers in 19 States / Territory, has deposits worth Rs. 5,162 Crore, its loan book stood at Rs. 5,370 Crore and has a workforce of 7,910.

About Digit:

Go Digit General Insurance Limited is a new-age general insurance company founded by Mr Kamesh Goyal and backed by the Fairfax Group, one of the largest financial services groups in the world. It has raised three rounds of funding amounting to $140 million from Canadian billionaire Prem Watsa’s Fairfax Financial Holdings and $84 million from three growth equity investors— A91 Partners, Faering Capital and TVS Capital. This combined investment has brought its total funding to $224 million.

Headquartered in Bengaluru, Go Digit General Insurance Limited has partnered with some of the leading companies like Cleartrip, Sterling Holidays, SOTC and Policy Bazaar. It has been named as ‘Insurance Start-up of the Year – India’ at the Insurance Asia Awards 2020 and ‘General Insurance Company of the Year 2019 and 2020’ award at Asia Insurance Industry Awards, Singapore. During the ongoing pandemic, it has been able to service several commercial and industrial establishments and secure its employees and customers through relevant health insurance solutions. It has also featured in the Top 25 Indian Start-ups Lists by LinkedIn in 2018 and 2019 and was in CB Insights’ Top 250 fastest growing fintech companies globally list in 2018 and 2020.

CG Inaugurates New Motor Manufacturing Facility “Smart LV Motors” at Ahmednagar

Mr. Vellayan Subbiah, Chairman CG Power and Industrial Solutions Limited inaugurated theState-of-the-art facility at Ahmednagar in Maharashtra on 21st December, to manufacture next generation smart Motors.

This is the 7th manufacturing facility of the company in Ahmednagar which is spread over an area of 4200 sq.mtr. and is equipped with latest world class equipment and machineries.

The new facility will manufacture Smart Electric Motors from 75 kW to 1000 kW. It will cater to the increased demand of domestic and global market and will help CG to gain greater market share for higher range of LV Motors.

Speaking on the occasion Chairman- Mr. Vellayan Subbiah said, “The new plant is a testimony of the company’s commitment towards Make in India initiative and deliver to its customers world class products at affordable price. This plant will keep India ahead of the curve in Motor technology.

About CG Power and Industrial Solutions Limited

CG Power and Industrial Solutions Limited is a global pioneering leader in the management and application of electrical energy. CG provides end-to-end solutions that meet all electrical needs of its customers. CG’s offerings include electrical products, systems and services for utilities, power generation and industries. CG is a subsidiary of Tube Investments of India

Limited which forms part of the Murugappa Group.

Toyota Kirloskar Motor Introduces ‘Adarshmann’ - A Caricature Series Based on Urban Cruiser

Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) today unveiled ‘Adarshmann’, a novel cartoon strip whose protagonist is based on the leading Bollywood star, youth icon and Toyota Urban Cruiser brand ambassador, Mr. Ayushmann Khurrana. The cartoon series to be released on TKM’s social channels feature Ayushmann as a character who talks about the message of #Respect.

In the series, Mr. Ayushmann’s character together with #UrbanCruiser help people find the right way to earn #Respect. Based on the concept of 'contest and create your own' activities, the Adarshmann campaign comprises exciting contests and activities for fans of Mr. Ayushmann and Toyota Urban Cruiser.

Talking about this association with Adarshmann, Mr. Ayushmann Khurrana, said, “I have always believed in delivering fresh ideas through new and emerging formats. Therefore, I was excited with the concept of Adarshmann as a platform to connect with the fans to talk about respect as an extension to the successful brand campaign for Urban Cruiser. I’m glad to take forward this campaign and keen to engage with the audience in this new avatar.”

Giving more insights into the new initiative, Mr. Naveen Soni, Senior Vice President, Sales and Service, TKM, said, “The idea behind Adarshmann was to leverage new-age tools to convey the story of respect in a fun and engaging format while delivering key messages on safety and wellbeing among others. And who better than Mr. Ayushmann Khurrana, who embodies the brand promise of Urban Cruiser, to tell the story of respect. We are excited and hope our customers and fans of Mr. Ayushmann will thoroughly enjoy the series. Adarshmann provides an opportunity to delve into the ethos of the brand and its ambassador.”

The Urban Cruiser, Toyota’s Youngest Urban SUV, which was launched during the festive season in September 2020, has earned the trust and admiration of customers in a short period. Mr. Ayushmann Khurrana who is the brand ambassador for the compact SUV has been an integral part of various campaigns in electronic and print communications helping endear Brand Toyota to young achievers. The belief that respect cannot be demanded; it must be earned is at the core of Toyota Urban Cruiser’s communication campaign.

Local cloud Infrastructure, Seamless Digital Experience and Zero Trust Security Model Among Top Tech Predictions for 2021

 

Faced with perhaps the most disruptive circumstances of their existence, organisations worldwide realised that they had no greater ally than technology in their quest to ensure some sort of work continuity during the COVID-19 pandemic.

”The coronavirus vaccines now entering the market are expected to bring relief to businesses soon by paving the way to normalcy,” said Rajesh Ganesan, Vice President at ManageEngine, the enterprise IT management division of Zoho Corporation. “But the past year has shown that technology resilience is fundamental to business resilience and that it’s better to take steps in that direction now rather than later.”

In the spirit of resilience, here's a list of five top tech predictions for 2021 by ManageEngine, compiled after discussions with relevant stakeholders, including business and tech leaders.

#1. Local regulations and cloud infrastructure

With the accelerated cloud adoption, it is inevitable that governments across the world will bring in region-specific regulations to uphold aspects of sovereignty, user privacy, security, culture, policies, and other issues; and this will call for cloud infrastructure to be hosted in every such region to comply with those regulations. Also, specific states within big countries could have their own regulations, and hence businesses should be aware of this factor while choosing cloud providers. When it comes to their data as well as their customers' data, it is imperative for businesses to operate with clarity of regulations and how they apply.

#2. More focus on a seamless digital experience

A seamless digital experience will be an important differentiator for businesses, especially in the post-pandemic era. Hence, they will increasingly invest in digital experience monitoring to relieve bottlenecks, such as the inability to track employee devices, besides issues in their home network and other cloud-based productivity tools.

Organisations will also strive towards effectively engineering AIOps to contextually monitor and remediate their IT and business logic in order to provide an intuitive user experience. Furthermore, AI-powered and data-informed monitoring tools will be sought out to analyze security risks and increase operational efficiency.

#3. Zero Trust security model will be the new norm

Before COVID-19, Zero Trust was being driven by a need to modernize the information security stack. With the shift to remote work, the traditional perimeter-based security model was rendered obsolete. Digital identity is now a single control point across users, devices, and networks. Zero Trust security models, however, operate with the principle that all network users—internal or external—are considered hostile until proven otherwise. Trust is established through strong authentication to users upon verifying who is requesting access, the context of the request, and sensitivity of the access environment; and each user’s behavior is continuously assessed for risk.

It addresses the agile needs of modern organizations and eventually it will become the way any security framework is architected. From a business option to a business imperative, every one of us is on a Zero Trust journey— whether we know it, or not.

#4. Hyper converged infrastructure is ideal for the cloud-era

Having a strong IT framework is a critical factor for businesses to achieve infrastructure efficiency. Hyper converged infrastructure (HCI) consolidates traditional hardware-based infrastructure (compute servers, networking and storage) into virtualised, software-defined environments. This approach is not only a cost-efficient option but also helps simplify the management of these virtualised resources from a single, unified interface.

Considering the impact of the pandemic, many organisations are looking to adopt technologies that can support their digital workspace. Keeping in mind the cost and security related issues associated with public cloud, it may not be the immediate choice for most businesses, making 2021 the year for HCI. And due to its simplified and flexible framework, HCI is ideal for the cloud-era.

#5. Increasing utilization of analytics by non-IT departments

Now that organisations realize the effectiveness of analytics platforms, their usage is expected to penetrate not just IT but other departments that have traditionally not relied on analytics applications. For example, data from HR applications combined with employee performance metrics can be used to measure the influence of employee welfare initiatives on employee productivity.

This focus on analytics brings an interesting dynamic to the way organisations work and also introduces a set of challenges in data governance and maintenance. IT will play a pivotal role in facilitating fine-grained access levels before moving to a higher trust model where individual teams have complete access to all relevant data that is necessary for their efficient functioning.

Indian Direct Selling Industry to Touch Rs 64,500 Crore by 2025

• By 2021, the Direct Selling Industry is expected to reach INR 15,930 crore

• 18.1 million people to be employed by the direct selling industry by 2025

The year 2020 has truly been a year of uncertainties. For many, it has meant the loss of loved ones; for some others, their livelihood. However, the news of vaccines for Covid-19 coming in 2021 has certainly brought a great deal of hope. Some sectors are already witnessing the green shoots of recovery. Direct selling is one such sector that continues to promise a bright future despite the current obstacles and challenges. 

Gautam Bali, Managing Director, Vestige Marketing Pvt Ltd., said, “Direct Selling is one of the fastest-growing sectors in India today. Despite these challenging times, the sector has witnessed spectacular growth in the last three quarters. At Vestige, we have provided an alternative career opportunity to millions during the pandemic period. We are looking forward to 2021 and we hope to continue to be a key player in the Direct Selling Industry’s rapid growth by empowering people”.

As per industry estimates, the Direct Selling industry in India, which currently ranks No. 15, globally, is expected to grow at a Compounded Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of about 4.8 percent to reach Rs 15,930 crore by 2021. This proves that the Direct Selling Industry is flourishing and illustrates its potential with the continued rate of growth – increasing at an impressive rate of 12.1% Y-o-Y.

Another interesting trend that is noticeable is that the sector has been instrumental in employment generation for nearly 122 million Indians who lost their jobs this due to the pandemic.

Initiatives like ‘Vocal for Local’ and ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ encouraged Indians to explore the option of buying and selling locally made products via the direct selling route, which entails low investments and high returns. This not only boosted local manufacturing but also established a sense of ownership as well as determination amongst budding entrepreneurs to succeed. In India, the Direct Selling industry has provided additional income opportunities to its people and has significantly promoted micro-entrepreneurship. In FY 2018-19, there were 5.7 million direct sellers. These numbers are projected to grow exponentially to 18.1 million by 2025.

The sector has also empowered women in a significant way right since its inception. There are almost 2.1 million women today who are at the heart of this industry and have gone on to become successful entrepreneurs.

Emirates SkyCargo Transports First Batch of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccines for Dubai Health Authority

Emirates SkyCargo has notched yet another milestone by flying in COVID-19 vaccines manufactured by Pfizer-BioNTech to the UAE for the first time for the Dubai Health Authority (DHA). The vaccines were transported from Brussels on Emirates flight EK 182 on 22 December 2020, arriving at Dubai International Airport (DXB) at 22.15 local time.

HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Group said: “Emirates is proud to be transporting the first batch of Pfizer vaccines for COVID-19 into the UAE for the Dubai Health Authority. Our healthcare ecosystem has played an absolutely critical role in every step of the fight against COVID-19. I would like to thank everyone who has worked unceasingly over the last year to protect the lives of those most vulnerable against the disease. In recognition of their immense contribution for the wellbeing of everyone in the UAE, it has been our honour to transport these vaccines free of charge on our flight.”

Nabil Sultan, Emirates Divisional Senior Vice President, Cargo said: “At Emirates SkyCargo we are doing our part to join Dubai’s efforts to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. Thanks to the effective management of the pandemic by Dubai’s visionary leadership, the city has retained its position as a global logistical hub for connecting vital cargo including PPE, medical supplies, vaccines, food and other essential items. Emirates SkyCargo has set up the world’s largest airside hub dedicated to distributing COVID-19 vaccines and we stand ready to support not just Dubai, but countries around the world, including markets with limited cool chain infrastructure with our advanced capabilities. By transporting COVID-19 vaccines across our extensive network, we look forward to helping people around the world get back on their feet after the devastating impact of the pandemic.”

On arrival at DXB, the containers with the vaccines were unloaded on priority from the aircraft and then taken to Emirates SkyCargo’s dedicated pharma facility Emirates SkyPharma to await clearance for delivery.

Emirates SkyCargo is no stranger to transporting vaccines and other temperature sensitive pharmaceutical cargo. The carrier has more than two decades experience in transporting pharmaceuticals on its aircraft and has set up state of the art EU GDP certified facilities dedicated for storing and handling pharma cargo in Dubai. Emirates SkyCargo has also established a global Pharma Corridors programme working with ground handlers and local airports at major pharma origin and destination stations for enhanced cool chain protection. The current pharma network covers over 30 cities across the world including Brussels.

More recently, Emirates SkyCargo has set up the world’s largest dedicated airside storage and distribution hub for COVID-19 vaccines in Dubai with the capacity to store up to an estimated 10 million doses of vaccine at the 2-8C temperature range at any one point of time. With its advanced infrastructure, extensive network and modern all wide-body aircraft fleet, Emirates SkyCargo can transport COVID-19 vaccines rapidly and securely from manufacturing locations to destinations across six continents. Emirates SkyCargo has already commenced distribution of COVID-19 vaccines from a range of manufacturers and geographies.

Tata Motors Introduces the Ultra T.7; India’s First Truck Designed Specifically for Urban Transportation

 

Key highlights:

* All new sleek Ultra Cabin for easy manoeuvrability through narrow streets and tight corners

* Offers best-in-class driving experience, NVH levels and fuel efficiency

* Highest payload capacity in 7-tonne GVW category

* Available with a modular platform, with various deck lengths and 4-tyre & 6-tyre options

Tata Motors, India’s largest commercial vehicle manufacturer, introduces the Ultra T.7 – the most advanced Light Commercial Vehicle (LCV), designed specifically for urban transportation, with its all-new sleek Ultra cabin. The highly-appreciated Ultra cabin has been engineered for a sleeker version to offer the best-in-class comfort and agility with its optimum dimensions of 1900mm wide cabin to reduce the turnaround time. The reduced turnaround time ensures higher earning potential for the truck owners and brings more efficiencies in the logistics sector for profitability. The Ultra T.7 range comes with a modular platform with variants of various deck lengths and in 4-tyre and 6-tyre combinations to suit a wide range of applications.

The Ultra T.7 is powered by the technologically-advanced 4SPCR engine, with superior 100hp of power and 300Nm of torque from 1,200 to 2,200rpm. It has underpinnings of a strong modular chassis design for better durability and radial tubeless tyres, offering increased fuel economy. In addition, the Tata Ultra T.7 is designed keeping in mind Tata Motors’ ‘Power of 6’ philosophy, which promises superior fleet profitability, vehicle performance, driving comfort, convenience and connectivity, along with safety – all with a lower total cost of operations (TCO). This has been validated with extensive real-world and pilot testing, across various challenging terrains and conditions. Tata Motors is the only Indian commercial vehicle manufacturer offering the power of choice of three unique and distinct cabin options to its I&LCV customers – Ultra, SFC and LPT range of trucks.

Commenting on the occasion, Mr. V Seethapathi, Vice President, ILCV Product Line, Tata Motors said, “With the introduction of the latest Ultra T.7, Tata Motors furthers its commitment to scale new heights of innovative automotive manufacturing to provide a variety of products for diverse applications at minimum operation costs. The Ultra T.7, with its pioneering and award winning design, possesses the ability to bring the best of both worlds – comfort and agility – while aiming to offer the highest profitability for its owners. With the industry best operating economics, superior fuel efficiency and power, longer tyre life, it makes the best product in the category.”

Equipped with a crash-tested cabin and powerful air-brakes for enhanced safety, adjustable seating positions, tilt-and-telescopic power steering and a dash-mounted gear shifter for comfort, the Ultra T.7 combines futuristic styling with comfort, providing significantly lower NVH levels and a fatigue-less driving experience. It comes with standard fitment of a music system, USB fast charging port, ample storage space and Tata Motors’ next-gen connected vehicle solution that enables fleet management, the Fleet Edge. It features clear-lens headlamps and LED tail-lamps that significantly improve visibility at night.

The Ultra T.7 is the ideal vehicle for applications such as transportation of e-commerce products, FMCG, industrial produce, consumer durables, electronics, essential goods and LPG cylinders. The reefer variants of T.7 are best suited for transportation of vaccine, pharmaceuticals, perishable goods, food items such as eggs and milk, along with farm produce. The Ultra T.7 comes with a comprehensive set of fully-built solutions, offering customers a one-stop solution with multiple advantages like better financing terms, nationwide service support and higher resale value, thus making a much better value proposition for customers. Adding to these lucrative offerings, the Tata Motors I&LCV range comes with a warranty of 3 years / 3 lakh kilometres and also offers Sampoorna Seva 2.0 and Tata Samarth – the company’s commitment to commercial vehicle driver welfare, uptime guarantee, on-site service and customised annual maintenance and fleet management solutions.

About Tata Motors

Tata Motors Limited (NYSE: TTM; BSE: 500570 and 570001; NSE: TATAMOTORS and TATAMTRDVR), a USD 35 billion organization, is a leading global automobile manufacturer of cars, utility vehicles, pick-ups, trucks and buses. Part of the USD 113 billion Tata group, Tata Motors is India’s largest and the only OEM offering extensive range of integrated, smart and e-mobility solutions. It has operations in India, the UK, South Korea, Thailand, South Africa, and Indonesia through a strong global network of 103 subsidiaries, 10 associate companies, 3 joint ventures and 2 joint operations as on March 31, 2020.

With a focus on engineering and tech enabled automotive solutions catering to the future of mobility, Tata Motors is India’s market leader in commercial vehicles and amongst the top four in the passenger vehicles market. With ‘Connecting Aspirations’ at the core of its brand promise, the company’s innovation efforts are focused to develop pioneering technologies that are sustainable as well as suited to evolving aspirations of the market and the customers. Tata Motors strives to bring new products that fire the imagination of GenNext customers, fueled by state of the art design and R&D centers located in India, UK, US, Italy and South Korea. Internationally, Tata commercial and passenger vehicles are marketed in countries, spread across Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, South East Asia, South America, Australia, CIS, and Russia.

Clinical Study Suggests, Regular Intake of Dabur Chyawanprash Reduces the Risk of COVID-19 Infection

 In a major breakthrough development, DABUR India Limited, one of India’s leading Ayurvedic companies, has completed a large scale, multi centric, clinical study on their premium Ayurvedic healthcare product– DABUR Chyawanprash. This clinical study evaluated the beneficial role of Dabur Chyawanprash as a prophylaxis remedy for COVID-19 infection. This study was conducted following applicable GCP guidelines,  was approved by multiple Institutional Ethics Committees and was registered with Clinical Trials Registry of India which is a portal of ICMR.Subjects were enrolled in the study after taking an informed consent from all the study participants.

The findings of the study reveal that regular use of Dabur Chyawanprash reduced the risk of COVID-19 infection by up to 12 times in comparison to control group which was  not consuming Chyawanprash. It was also noted that with regular usage of Dabur Chyawanprash, there was up to 6 times lesser severity of COVID 19 infections when compared to subjects in control group. The severity of COVID-19 was assessed as per ordinal scale published by the WHO (World Health Organization) for COVID-19.

Commenting on the revelations, Mr. Prashant Agarwal, Marketing Head - Health Supplements, Dabur India Ltd said: “In the era of COVID-19, strong immunity has become the primary need of every individual more than ever before. Dabur Chyawanprash, with the power of more than 40 Ayurvedic herbs like Amla, Ashwagandha, Giloy etc., has always stood for boosting immunity to fight illnesses. Now, with the findings of current clinical study which was conducted following GCP and ICMR ethical guidelines coming in, we are confident of helping the nation in this steep battle against COVID-19.”

“Dabur has been relentlessly pursuing the cause of providing Ayurveda based solutions backed by modern science. Dabur Chyawanprash has earlier been studied scientifically in various studies for its beneficial role on boosting immunity. The beneficial effects of this study probably are due to the proven effects of Chyawanprash on immunity. The investigational team for this current study included Doctors and Scientists from both Ayurveda as well as modern system of medicine. Dabur has submitted the results of the study to the concerned ethics committees as well as to the Ministry of AYUSH, Dabur India Ltd.’s Head - Scientific Affairs, Dr. Arun Gupta said.”

This open-label, randomized, controlled, multi centric clinical study was conducted on healthy volunteers across five different Ayurveda Institutions including Jaipur, Mumbai, Pune and two sites at Vadodara. In one group, the subject consumed one tea spoonful of Dabur Chyawanprash two times a day for a period of 3 months. A total of 696 subjects completed the study, out of which 351 subjects were in Chyawanprash group and 345 subjects were in control group that did not take Chyawanprash. This clinical study revealed Dabur Chyawanprash to be a good prophylaxis remedy for healthy individuals for its beneficial effects in the prevention of COVID-19 infection.

About Dabur India Ltd:

Dabur India Ltd is one of India’s leading FMCG Companies. Building on a legacy of quality and experience for 136 years, Dabur is today India’s most trusted name and the world’s largest Ayurvedic and Natural Health Care Company. Dabur India's FMCG portfolio nine Power Brands with distinct brand identities – Dabur Chyawanprash, Dabur Honey, Dabur Lal Tail, Dabur Honitus, Dabur Pudin Hara, Dabur Red Paste, Dabur Amla Hair Oil, Vatika and Réal fruit juice.

India Preferred GCC Hub and 80% of Top 100 Global Retail/CPG Firms will Set Up GCCs by 2022: NASSCOM-ANSR Report

With industries now accelerating their digital transformation initiatives, large Retail/CPG enterprises are increasingly relying on their GCCs to successfully navigate complex nuances of their transformation journey and are one of the fastest-growing GCC segments in India. In this regard, the National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM) in association with ANSR, a global market leader in designing, establishing and operating Global Capability Centres (GCCs), released a survey report today titled’ ‘Evolution of Retail/CPG GCCs in India’. The report forecasts that 80% of the top 100 global Retail/CPG companies will consider establishing a GCC in India over the next two years.

It is estimated in the report that over 25 new GCC in Retail/CPG industry are looking at establishing GCCs in 2021 tapping onto the matured ecosystem of talent and global operating models. The complete report is available here.

The insights published in this report are primarily based on the responses received from the ‘State of the Retail/CPG GCCs in India’ survey rolled out to executives across global organizations who have Global Capability Centers (GCCs).  The report shares insights on various sections in terms of Retail/CPG GCC’s evolution in India. These include their landscape overview, value proposition, operating model and what will be their strategies beyond 2020. 

Captured below are the few main highlights of the survey:

There has been an accelerated growth in the number of GCCs set-up over the last 5 years. India is the home for the big Retail/CPG GCC brands globally and a majority of the investments are in the digital and innovation space

Retail/CPG companies are increasingly driving innovation from their GCCs by establishing labs and leveraging the start-up ecosystem. Bengaluru is the preferred GCC location hosting over 70% of Retail/CPG GCCs

India is home to GCCs for about 25% of global Retail/CPG companies and employs over 50,000 in headcount in India. With the ability to hire top-talent, GCCs are supporting efforts of global Retail / CPG companies to build a robust pool of enterprise talent

Companies are leveraging GCC to build digital and technology capabilities among other functions including core business and corporate support functions.

Over 25 new GCCs in Retail/CPG industry are looking at establishing GCCs in 2021 tapping onto the matured ecosystem of talent and global operating models 

Mature GCCs are focusing on disruptive technologies and innovation, while, newer GCCs are in the foundational stages and are focused on excelling in the current scope and helping their parent companies successfully navigate through the current pandemic

Sharing his thoughts on the report launch Lalit Ahuja, Founder & CEO, ANSR said, “India accounts for a vast majority of Retail/CPG companies and their GCCs in India. The global Retail/CPG industry is in the throes of a profound transformation leading to increased adoption of disruptive platforms including digital, data/AI, automation, and cloud. Over the coming years, we expect an upward, multi-dimensional trend of increasing number of Retail/CPG GCCs ‘twinning’ the enterprise, building a pool of future global leaders, developing capabilities at scale to accelerate business transformation and driving innovation in India. The NASSCOM- ANSR survey report is a ready reckoner that GCCs in India will play a pivotal role in reimagining the future of global Retail/CPG industry.”

Debjani Ghosh, President, NASSCOM added, “It is phenomenal to see the Retail/CPG segment as one of the fastest-growing GCC segments in India. Several India-based Retail/CPG GCCs have now evolved to become the second headquarters for the host companies with functional responsibilities to own and drive critical business growth outcomes. In the next couple of years, we will witness a fundamental growth in this sector as top 100 global Retail/CPG companies will consider establishing a GCC in India to drive innovation and business transformation.”

The recent onset of the COVID-19 pandemic has taken this disruption to the next level and is forcing companies to re-think their businesses and business operating models. To summarize, the findings of this survey report, an overwhelming majority of CXOs acknowledge that benefits of GCCs are real and sustainable. As business leaders continue to push the frontiers of technology, organizations will be required to address these challenges and building stakeholder trust to rapidly scale their GCCs in the immediate future.

About ANSR

ANSR is a global leader in establishing & operating Global Capability Centers for global enterprises. Enterprises across industries and markets have relied on ANSR’s expertise in building world class technology and innovation capabilities in India and Eastern Europe. ANSR’s unique industry leading approach enables our clients to integrate digital platforms, capabilities and global teams within the enterprise Global Capability Centers. Since its inception, ANSR has established over 60 GCCs, aggregating to over 65,000 employees, with over $1.5B in investment and 7M sq. Ft of workspace.

About NASSCOM

The National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM®) is the premier trade body and chamber of commerce of the Tech industry in India and comprises over 2800-member companies including both Indian and multinational organisations that have a presence in India. Our membership spans across the entire spectrum of the industry from start-ups to multinationals and from products to services, Global Service Centers to Engineering firms. Guided by India’s vision to become a leading digital economy globally, NASSCOM focuses on accelerating the pace of transformation of the industry to emerge as the preferred enablers for global digital transformation. Our strategic imperatives are to reskill and upskill India’s IT workforce to ensure that talent is future-ready in terms of new-age skills, strengthen the innovation quotient across industry verticals, create new market opportunities - both international and domestic, drive policy advocacy to advance innovation and ease of doing business, and build the Industry narrative with focus on Talent, Trust and Innovation. And, in everything we do, we will continue to champion the need for diversity and equal opportunity.

NASSCOM has played a key role in not just the growth of the Industry to become a $180+Billion industry today, but we have helped establish the Tech industry in India as one of the most trusted partners, globally. NASSCOM continues to make significant efforts in contributing towards India’s GDP, exports, employment, infrastructure development and global visibility. Our membership base constitutes over 95% of the industry revenues in India and employs over 4 million professionals, and as technology blends into every aspect of the economy, we expect the industry to become key driver of growth, development and inclusion for the country. Our mission is to make India a global hub for Innovation and Talent so when the world thinks Digital, the world will think India.

Hyundai Motor India Foundation Donates 51 Sanitizing Equipment Under its ‘Grameen Sanitization’ Initiative

* Over 51 sanitizing equipment donated 

* Sanitization Training certificate by Hyundai Motor India Foundation and National Skill Development Corporation

* Impact Generation in over 300 villages and tehsils across India

After sanitizing 1,823 villages in 300 districts as a part of its unique Grameen Sanitization’ drive, Hyundai Motor India Foundation (HMIF), the CSR arm of Hyundai Motor India Ltd., donated the equipment to 51 Sanitization personnel to help them continue to sustain themselves for an uninterrupted livelihood, as a mark of gratitude for their efforts and dedication.  The spraying personnel, who have been trained by HMIF are being certified by the National Skill Development Corporation and Commonwealth of Learning, for easy access to other employment or entrepreneurship opportunities.

Commenting on Sanitizing Equipment donation, Mr. Tarun Garg, Director (Sales, Marketing & Service), said, "Our global vision ‘Progress for Humanity’ holds a stronger significance in today’s context and as we accustom to the New Normal. Hyundai has been making exemplary efforts to assist its stakeholders to return to relative normalcy. We aim to create newer opportunities for seamless national development and economic recovery. This humble endeavour will help make these youths from towns and villages, more functional and self-reliant with a better future.”

As the country unlocked in phases, the public was wary of using public spaces, especially in rural areas, where access to professional sanitizing was out of reach for most administrations. Hence, HMIF conceived this project to instill confidence amongst the general public as they returned to normalcy.  The programme garnered hundreds of letters of gratitude from rural banks, police stations, panchayat offices etc.

Here Are Some Essential Winter Care Tips for Dry Eyes Across India

By Dr.Shushma, MBBS, MS FLVPEI, Consultant, Lasik & Cataract, Maxi Vision Group of eye hospitals, Hyderabad

Winters are here

This is the season much-awaited by all. Our winter wears are unfurled, days are ending soon, the leaves are falling off the trees and the cold winter breeze is nipping the air. While we are thrilled to welcome this weather with probable holiday plans, we neglect the most common issue of dry and itchy eyes. Not many of us know that it important to maintain the moisture of the eyes during winter in order to protect it from dryness. It is essential to maintain healthy eyes and follow eye care routines during these months.

Common Issues faced

Many of us may have noticed our body skin getting drier with dropping temperatures similarly the moisture of our eyes also dwindle due to evaporation. Some prevailing problems faced by many are:

* Use of heaters at cold regions increase evaporation resulting in teary, itchy, burning sensation, redness, and excessive tearing in the eye

* Untreated eyes for a prolonged period can cause blurry vision and damage the cornea

* Conjunctivitis or eye infection

* Dry air and poor ventilation

Winter eye care and protection

Eat & Drink Right

* Staying hydrated by drinking lots of fluids

* Include foods rich in Vitamin A and omega 3 fatty acids like fish, flax seeds & chia seeds. (They boost the functioning of Meibomian glands which increases the lipid layer in the tears and balances the eye moisture)

Use of eye-protective gears

* Artificial tears or its substitutes like eye drops or lubrication helps in restoring the natural moisture of the eyes

* Keep eyes protected with UV protected sunglasses especially in harsh environments as the exposure to UV light is generally more due to its reflection on snow. This can lead to snow blindness.

* Exposure to digital devices increases, dryness and frequent blinking of eyes hence must be avoided as much as possible

* Avoid frequent rubbing of eyes

* Stay away from direct contact with fire or heat at all times

In house measures

* Use of humidifiers combat dry weather and add moisture in the house

* Humidifiers should be clean and filters should be constantly checked

Key Hygiene to be followed

* Regularly washing hands to prevent any kind of infection or flu to the eye through contact of the hand and eye

* Avoid sharing cosmetics as they are prone to infections

* Ensure routine eye checkups and examinations for a healthy eyesight

We are all familiar with eating healthy, regular exercising, and visiting doctors for health checkups. Along with this, it is also important to check on eye health as well. We can learn and do what is necessary to maintain eye health to be able to appreciate its benefits in the coming times.