India’s Most Sought-After Automotive Awards Given to Hyundai And Royal Enfield Motors

* Hyundai i20 receives the coveted ‘Indian Car of the Year Award 2021’

* Royal Enfield Meteor 350 bags the ‘Indian Motorcycle of the Year Award 2021’

Indian tyre industry major & the market leader in Truck Bus Radial segment, JK Tyre & Industries Ltd, today, hosted the top honors in the Indian automotive industry- the 16th Indian Car of the Year (ICOTY), 14th Indian Motorcycle of the Year (IMOTY).

Winners of the prestigious awards, which recognize performance, innovation and excellence in the Indian auto sector, were felicitated amidst a limited, yet highly celebrated gathering of industry stalwarts, key officials and auto enthusiasts.

Dr. Raghupati Singhania, Chairman & Managing Director, JK Tyre & Industries Limited, presented the awards to the winners along with Mr. Yogendra Pratap, Chairman, ICOTY 2021, Mr. Aspi Bhathena, Chairman, IMOTY 2021, along with other jury members.

Building on the brand legacy, Hyundai i20 was honored with the title of ‘Indian Car of the Year 2021’, while Royal Enfield Meteor 350 edged out in the two-wheeler category and bagged the title of ‘Indian Motorcycle of the Year 2021’.

With the growing demand of premium cars in the country, in 2019, the ICOTY jury introduced the Premium Car Award which honors the finest automobiles from around the world. Land Rover Defender was honored with the ‘Premium Car Award 2021 by ICOTY’.

With the increasing focus of the Government of India and the automobile industry towards moving to electric mobility, this year the ICOTY jury introduced the ‘Green Car Award’ so as to reward manufacturers contributing towards the future of mobility. Tata Nexon EV received the ‘Green Car Award 2021 by ICOTY’ in the inaugural edition.

Commenting on the occasion, Dr. Raghupati Singhania, Chairman & Managing Director, JK Tyre & Industries Limited said, “It’s a matter of pride for us to be associated with the Indian Car of the Year & Indian Motorcycle of the Year awards since its inception. While every year has been special, this one is truly exceptional, where we are not just celebrating the technological-excellence and innovation brought in by the manufacturers, but the zeal and resilience of the entire automotive industry, as it emerged stronger from the unchartered waters.  Considering the growing relevance of sustainable mobility, this year we also introduced ‘Green Car Award’ to recognise the efforts of manufacturers who are helping bring a change towards the future of mobility. With this, I would like to congratulate not just the winners, but all the contenders for offering some of the best technologically advanced products in line with the global innovations. It was remarkable to witness our eminent jury conducting the evaluation under a safe and secure environment.”

Introduced in 2005 and 2007 respectively, the ICOTY and IMOTY are the most prestigious awards in the Indian Automobile Industry.  Adjudged by a panel of domain experts from the motoring fraternity in India, the ICOTY and IMOTY Awards are conducted basis an examination on numerous key parameters, such as price, fuel-efficiency, styling, comfort, safety, performance, practicality, technical innovation, value for money, and suitability. Grant Thornton is the Validation Partner.

Given the unprecedented times, the awards were organised in a highly secure environment to ensure safety of the guests and adherence to the social distancing norms.

Representing Hyundai i20, the winner of ICOTY 2021, Mr. S.S. Kim, MD & CEO, Hyundai Motor India Limited said, “It is a moment of great pride for all of us at Hyundai. We are honoured to win this most prestigious automotive award – ‘Indian Car of the Year 2021’ for the all-new i20. The all-new i20, has once again redefined standards in the premium hatchback segment and today depicts strong expression of progressive spirit of the new age Indian customers.” 

“Envisioning India at the heart of global manufacturing and commerce, Hyundai, began its journey with the country 25 years ago towards a mutual progress. Today, it gives us immense pride to have come this far together, developing a sustainable and thriving ecosystem leading to collective evolution of the Indian Automotive Industry. Winning the 7th ICOTY award symbolizes the trust and faith of customers in the Hyundai brand. We thank all our Customers, Partners, Government, Media and Jurors for choosing the all-new i20 as the Indian Car of the Year 2021.” He added.

Representing Meteor 350 which emerged as the winner of IMOTY 2021, Mr. Shubhranshu Singh, Global Head – Marketing at Royal Enfield said, “I am privileged and humbled to receive this award on behalf of the entire Royal Enfield team. This has been an exceptional year and it is testimony to the great teamwork that in extraordinary times we received this extraordinary recognition.”

The ICOTY & the IMOTY awards recognize and reward the rigorous efforts made by auto manufacturers in the areas of design excellence, innovation and R&D to ensure customer satisfaction.

Winner of ‘Premium Car Award 2021 by ICOTY’, for Land Rover Defender Mr. Rohit Suri, President & Managing Director, Jaguar Land Rover India said, “We are truly delighted to receive the most coveted recognition for the Land Rover Defender in India – the luxury car award by ICOTY. It’s another testimony to the fabulous work done by Land Rover designers and engineers. We are truly honored and I thank all jury members for bestowing this honor on the Land Rover Defender. The Land Rover Defender has received a fantastic response in India and I take this opportunity to thank our fans and customers in India for the same.”

On being honored with ‘Green Car Award 2021 by ICOTY’ for Tata Nexon EV, Mr. Shailesh Chandra, President, Passenger Vehicle Business Unit, Tata Motors said, “It is indeed a very proud moment for us all at Tata Motors. We are honored to win ICOTY’s first-ever ‘Green Car Award 2021’ for India’s most aspirational, practical and accessible electric car – the Tata Nexon EV. This award reflects the immense trust and strong confidence placed in the Tata Nexon EV, making it the most preferred electric car in the country. Since its launch a year ago, the Tata Nexon EV has consistently emerged as a leader in its segment, commanding a market share of 66% (YTD FY21). We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to all our 3000+ customers, partners, media and jurors for choosing the Tata Nexon EV as ICOTY’s ‘Green Car of the Year 2021’. We hope that this award will encourage more and more people to switch to green transportation.”

Congratulating the winners, Mr. Yogendra Pratap, Chairman, ICOTY 2021, said, “The key criteria for an ICOTY winner is its power to redefine the segment, and that’s exactly what Hyundai i20 brings to its category. No wonder we had a resounding decision from the jury by a margin of 13 points. I am also excited with the debut of Green Car Award this year and Tata Nexon EV ticks all the right boxes. With the kind of efforts that are being put towards bringing sustainable mobility solutions by manufacturers, we hope to make this an annual feature at the awards. Additionally, Range Rover Defender won the Premium Car Award, which has changed the dynamics of the segment. I congratulate all the winners and contenders for their remarkable efforts.”

Mr. Aspi Bhathena, Chairman, IMOTY 2021, said, “The year 2020 was a tough one for the Indian automotive industry. Yet, the two-wheeler segment has done well despite all the headwinds and this is reflective through the participation of 10 strong contenders in the Indian Motorcycle of the Year category. Like always, the jury has done a sterling job and the best performer, Royal Enfield Meteor has emerged as the most-deserving winner. All the past winners have done exceptionally well in the market, and we hope, this year too, the winner achieves roaring success in times to come.” 

AESL Partners With Airtel DTH; Organizes Largest Counselling Session For NEET In India On Aakash Paathshala

* Aakash Paathshala will be conducting live counselling Series on NEET for Airtel DTH subscribers in response to popular demand and phenomenal response to the first 2 episodes on career counselling & JEE counselling

Aakash Educational Services Limited (AESL), the national leader in test preparatory services in partnership with Airtel DTH has recently launched the Aakash Paathshala - A Counselling series exclusively for Airtel DTH subscribers. The upcoming episode on ‘How to Score 600+ in NEET’, to be aired this Sunday, 28th February is poised to address key issues regarding the preparation for NEET. 

After the phenomenal success of the first two episodes of Aakash Paathshala, aired on February 14 and 21, on popular demand of the students, the Aakash Paathshala ‘Gurus’ are all set to help students prepare and plan their strategy for the highly competitive NEET UG (National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test) for admission into MBBS/BDS and other undergraduate medical courses in approved/recognized Medical/ Dental Colleges/ Institutes in India.   

Highlights of the Episode on NEET to be Aired on 28th February 

Format of the Paper - marking scheme, important subjects/ topics 

Scoring 600+ Do I have it in me? 

Is preparing from NCERT textbooks sufficient? 

How should I choose a college? What rank should I aim for? 

How can I improve on my weak subject? 

Commenting on the value that these sessions bring to a student’s life, Mr Narasimha Jayakumar, CEO, Aakash Edutech Pvt Ltd (AEPL) said, “The response to ‘Aakash Paathshala’ has been very encouraging so far. The series has generated massive viewership & excitement among students and parents. We see a very healthy engagement of students via comments and chats and it clearly outlines the need for ‘Counsellors’ and experts who can guide these students as they work their way towards their dream careers”. 

Through Aakash Paathshala, the panel experts from Aakash Institute will guide students with the important subject matters, what career opportunities students should explore post completion of Class X depending on their strengths, ways to improve time management and identifying practices to secure higher scores in competitive exams. The series will also underline the pivotal role of parents in helping students identify the right career and how they can be a prime source of inspiration and encouragement for the students who are in a sensitive stage owing to the high level competition across the world. 

Subscribers of Airtel DTH can watch Aakash Pathshaala on Aakash EduTV - channel #467 for JEE and #478 for JEE.  

The Aakash Paathshala episodes will also be streamed live on the official YouTube channel of Aakash Digital - https://www.youtube.com/aakashdigital. 

About Aakash EduTv 

Aakash EduTV is India’s first dedicated TV channel for Medical and Engineering entrance exams preparation. Launched by Airtel Digital in collaboration with Aakash Educational Services Limited, Aakash EduTV is available exclusively on Airtel Digital TV and provides high quality coaching sessions to students across India who are preparing for entrance exams such as JEE/Advanced and NEET. Best-in-class faculty of Aakash will teach the students through LIVE interactive classes and help students learn key concepts and solve problems. 

Starting at just Rs 8.23/ day, Aakash EduTv - JEE and Foundation is available on Airtel DTH Channel No. 467 and Aakash EduTv - NEET is available on Airtel DTH Channel No. 478. 

About Aakash Edutech Pvt. Ltd. 

Aakash EduTech Private Limited(AEPL) is a leading online learning platform that caters to the K12 segment and also offers comprehensive online test preparation services for students preparing for Medical and Engineering Entrance Examinations. A subsidiary of the prestigious AESL group (Aakash Educational Services Limited), AEPL comprises two distinct divisions namely, Aakash Digital and Meritnation.  

Aakash Digital powerfully leverages the over 30 years of Aakash academic legacy and discipline to bring to the students an edu-tech platform that helps them prepare for JEE, NEET and other competitive exams online by bringing quality coaching, similar to that being offered in Aakash classroom, to their laptops, desktops, tablets and mobiles. Aakashdigital.com offers powerful online courses for JEE, NEET and Foundation (Class 8-10) to help students prepare for these competitive exams from the comfort of their homes..

Sunteck Realty Limited Rating Affirmed ‘AA-’ With The Outlook Upgraded To ‘Positive’

Sunteck Realty Limited, Mumbai’s premium real estate developer announced its long-term issuer rating affirmation of ‘AA-’ with the outlook upgraded to ‘Positive’ by India Ratings & Research (Fitch Group). The short term issuer rating has been affirmed “A1+”. 

The upgrade in Outlook reflects the credit rating agency’s expectation of an improvement in the business profile of Sunteck due to acceleration in the already consolidating residential real estate market, with the pandemic-related disruptions having constrained demand and supply from unorganised real estate developers. The outlook upgrade is also supported by the resilient operating performance of Sunteck despite the pandemic. The price point diversity across completed, ongoing and new project launches, prudent financial policies, strong credit metrics and cashflow visibility also provided conviction to the outlook upgrade.  

Commenting on the same, Mr. Kamal Khetan, Chairman and Managing Director, Sunteck Realty Ltd. said: “This affirmation of ‘AA-’ credit rating with upgrade in outlook to ‘Positive’ by India Ratings is a reflection of our continued focus on prudent cash flow management along with financial discipline. Strong operating cash flows has aided us in the further reduction of our already negligible debt. We intend to maintain this discipline going forward and focus on financial flexibility to grow our business. Our ongoing focus on execution driven by our strong in-house construction capabilities will continue to generate sustained cash flows for us. The availability of inventory across our brands and pricing spectrum creates flexibility to offer projects based on needs of various customer segments. With a strong uptick on sales front across our portfolio of projects, especially in the mid-income and aspirational segments, we remain confident of emerging as one of the biggest beneficiaries of the ongoing consolidation in the industry basis our balance sheet strength, established track record and operational cash flow visibility.” 

About Sunteck Realty 

Sunteck Realty Limited (SRL) is one of the fastest growing Mumbai-based luxury real estate development companies. SRL has an immaculate track record of having one of the lowest net Debt/Equity ratios, financial prudency and sustainable growth. The company focuses on a city centric development portfolio of about 38 million square feet spread across 27 projects. Sunteck Realty has differentiated its projects under five brands - ‘Signature’: Uber luxury residences, ‘Signia’: Ultra luxury residences, ‘Sunteck City’: Premium luxury residences, ‘Sunteck World’: Aspirational luxury residences, ‘Sunteck’: Commercial & Retail developments. The company has been a trendsetter in creating iconic destinations such as the flagship project, Signature Island at Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC), Sunteck City in Oshiwara District Centre (ODC), Goregaon and SunteckWorld at Naigaon - the largest township of MMR’s western Suburbs. 

Pine Labs Introduces AllTap App To Empower Small Merchants Across Indian Market

* Offers ‘tap on phone’ contactless payment acceptance for India certified by PCI SSC, RuPay, Visa, Mastercard and Amex

Pine Labs, a leading merchant commerce platform in Asia, today launched AllTap, a feature-rich app that can significantly accelerate digital payments adoption in India. Pine Labs AllTap is a revolutionary new app for small merchants to immediately start accepting digital payments on their NFC-enabled smartphone without the need of any additional hardware. The ‘tap and pay’ feature within the app is secure and is certified by PCI Security Standards Council (PCI SSC), RuPay, Visa, Mastercard and Amex.

While the ongoing pandemic propelled the adoption of digital payments in India, a large and critical segment of small entrepreneurs are still untouched by digitization. Pine Labs AllTap addresses this key segment especially small merchants, home entrepreneurs, street vendors, hawkers, cab drivers, and others who are not ready to invest in a traditional point-of-sale (PoS) terminal to accept digital payments.

Commenting on the launch, B. Amrish Rau, CEO, Pine Labs said, “We heard from small merchants, taxi drivers, self-employed individuals, tuition-givers, and several other solopreneurs, who wanted a simple digital payments acceptance solution. We are proud to unveil AllTap in response to their needs. AllTap comes with a cutting-edge contactless payments technology and requires no additional hardware for merchants to start accepting digital payments. Their NFC-enabled smartphone is now a payments acceptance device. Pine Labs AllTap has tremendous potential to bridge the digital divide not only in India but also in other markets. We are excited to introduce this pioneering app in the market today.”

Sanjeev Kumar, CTO, Pine Labs said, “With AllTap, we are offering merchants a robust PCI SSC-compliant Contactless Payments on COTS (CPoC) solution. This ensures all tap and pay transactions are fully secure. Our PCI SSC-CPoC listing underwent an extensive audit and certification from PCI SSC and leading networks Visa, RuPay, Mastercard, and Amex.”

Using the Pine Labs AllTap, merchants can convert their NFC-enabled smartphone into a payment acceptance device in minutes and avail a host of additional features such as converting a transaction into Pay Later EMIs to increase sales. AllTap is powered by Pine Labs’ robust payment infrastructure which is already trusted by over 150,000 merchants. 

Pine Labs AllTap addresses several pain points of small merchants. Merchant can now switch to contactless digital payment, accept digital payments acceptance during door-step delivery, reduce the checkout time delays through quick tap-and-go payments.

The app requires little documentation for the digital onboarding of merchants, making it a quick to download and use solution. Pine Labs AllTap app is available on Google Play Store and can be downloaded from here: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.pinelabs.epos

About Pine Labs

One of Asia’s leading merchant commerce platforms, Pine Labs serves prominent large, mid-sized and small merchants across Asia and the Middle East. The company’s unique cloud-based platform enables it to offer a wide range of payment acceptance and merchant commerce solutions including enterprise automation solutions such as inventory management and customer relationship management. Its stored value platform includes issuing, processing, and distributing digital gift cards for corporate customers around the world. Incorporated in Singapore, Pine Labs’ key investors include Actis Capital, Mastercard, PayPal, Sequoia India, and Temasek. 

SIDBI Joins Hands With Social Alpha To Set Up Swavalamban Divyangjan Assistive Tech Market Access Fund

First ever inclusion fund in the Assistive Technology sector to promote innovation and reduce out-of-pocket expenditure for persons with disabilities; Each Social Alpha incubated startup will get access to up to Rs 20 lakh grant Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI), the Principal financial institution engaged in the promotion, financing and development of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) has joined hands with Social Alpha to set up the Swavalamban Divyangjan Assistive Tech Market Access (ATMA) fund, a first of its kind inclusion fund offering financial grant to Social Alpha-incubated startups working in the Assistive Technology sector.

Under this, each incubatee will have access to implementation support of up to Rs 20 lakh. The fund will finance upto 50% of product price for the initial users improving the access and reducing the out of pocket expenditure for procuring new technologies. 

Speaking about this partnership, Shri V. Satya Venkata Rao, Deputy Managing Director of SIDBI said, “MSMEs and the development sector are the worst impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. Taking cognizance, Government, through AtmaNirbhar Bharat Abhiyan, has taken measures to boost the MSME sector to be instrumental in the economic revival of the country. With SIDBI’s vast experience in catering to MSMEs and operating various funds, developing a Social Impact fund i.e., Swavalamban Divyangjan ATMA Fund comes as an opportunity to be part of this mission.” 

Shri Manoj Kumar, CEO and co-founder, Social Alpha, said: “Creating new markets in Assistive Technologies has been a big challenge and requires significant investment in ecosystem development. ATMA fund heralds a new era for the Assistive Technology sector by enabling early adoption of innovative solutions. We believe that the reduction in out-of-pocket expenditure will catalyse demand, which is essential for the long-term sustainability and growth of entrepreneurial risk taking in this sector. We are happy to partner with SIDBI as its support can help scaling this fund to include pan-India incubators while offering a much-needed boost to this sector’s research and development efforts.” 

Assistive Technologies are an emerging market opportunity in India. Social Alpha has been playing a pioneering role in market creation through its technology incubation, venture acceleration and seed capital programmes. In addition to providing access to risk capital, Social Alpha has been building a network of clinical partners and NGOs to support the innovative startups in their lab to market journey.

The startups will be able to apply for Social Alpha incubation throughout the year. Applying start-ups will go through a rigorous selection process. Social Alpha will identify the Assistive Technologies that need support and evaluate the business plan. The incubatees will also be eligible for Social Alpha follow-on investment, subject to further due diligence. 

In India, there are anywhere between 40 to 80 million persons-with-disabilities (PWDs)— i.e.., one in twelve households has a family member with a disability. However, due to low literacy levels, social stigma and lack of opportunities, people with disabilities remain the most excluded members of society. Many children with disabilities stay out of school, disabled adults are likely to be unemployed, families with a disabled member tend to be economically weaker, and the ageing population puts a lot financial stress at both the household and national levels.

Though need for Assistive Technologies is well established, India lacks a vibrant market for disruptive Assistive Technologies solutions that can uplift people with disabilities. This is because the Assistive Technologies industry’s value chain is broken; distribution, sales and service mechanisms are poorly established, and, in many cases, non-existent. The disabled population is highly fragmented across the nation, and access is restricted due to a lack of formalized market channels. Moreover, the gap between need and affordability is huge, thus making it extremely difficult for persons with disabilities to access the latest innovations.  

The ATMA fund will be an instrument to improve both the quality and accessibility of newer Assistive Technology products trying to enter the market. It can inspire a radical rethinking of the disability sector.. 

Doctors Successfully Performed “Awake Brain Surgery” On 36 Years Old Patient At Fortis Hospital

* Awake brain surgery is a neuro surgical technique that is performed while the patient is awake to avoid brain damage

A 36-year-old patient suffering from motor area tumor successfully underwent Awake brain surgery at Fortis Hospital, Bannerghatta Road. The team of doctors led by Dr Satish Satyanarayana – Additional Director- Neuro Surgery along with Dr Simha-Senior Anaesthetist at Fortis Hospital, Bannerghatta Road.

Awake Brain Surgery or Awake Craniotomy is a surgical technique that enables surgeons to avoid injury to critical regions of the brain during surgery and are helpful in cases where cortical mapping or continuous monitoring of neurological functions are expected to improve outcomes.

The patient was presented with a history of focal seizure of right upper and lower limbs a year ago followed by a second episode of seizure two months later. He started witnessing recurrent seizures coupled with loss of consciousness for about 5minutes. Post thorough diagnosis at Fortis Hospitals, it was found that the size of lesion has increased in the brain, hence he was advised surgical management.

Dr Satish Satyanarayana – Additional Director- Neuro Surgery at Fortis Hospital, Bannerghatta Road, explains, “The size of the tumor was found to have 2.14*2.51*1.79cm with perilesional edema, therefore we recommended him to undergo neuro navigation guided left posterior frontal navigation guided, awake craniotomy with neuro monitoring for micro neurosurgical excision of the intrinsic brain tumor in motor cortex by 3D Zeiss operative microscope and intraop  fluoresein imaging for safe surgery.

Normally, brain tumors are operated on patients under general anaesthesia which facilitates patients not be aware and cooperate for the procedure. However, for certain tumors in or near vicinity of vital brain regions like Motor or speech area, the safety of surgery lies in patient being able to be monitored in real time by the neuro anaesthesiologist Dr Simha-Senior Anaesthetist. We used cutting edge other supports like 3D neuronavigation mapping out and avoided major pathways vital for functioning as well as intraop tumor fluorescence which highlighted tumor and differentiated it from neural structures. With the help of this technique, the surgery became extremely safe and we had a perfect neurological outcome.

Initially, the patient was very apprehensive, however, after several rounds of counselling and briefing session with doctors, he agreed to undergo surgery and was very cooperative during the procedure. Thus we were able to perform all the required tasks perfectly and ended up with zero deficits despite tumor being located exactly in the motor strip.”, he added.

About Fortis Healthcare

Fortis Healthcare Limited – an IHH Healthcare Group Company – is a leading integrated healthcare services provider in India. It is one of the largest healthcare organisations in the country with 36 healthcare facilities (including projects under development), 4000 operational beds and over 400 diagnostics centres (including JVs). Fortis is present in India, United Arab Emirates (UAE) & Sri Lanka. The Company is listed on the BSE Ltd and National Stock Exchange (NSE) of India. It draws strength from its partnership with global major and parent company, IHH, to build upon its culture of world-class patient care and superlative clinical excellence. Fortis employs 23,000 people (including SRL) who share its vision of becoming the world’s most trusted healthcare network. Fortis offers a full spectrum of integrated healthcare services ranging from clinics to quaternary care facilities and a wide range of ancillary services.

TSIA And CSS Corp Co-Author Report On Outsourcing Trends In 2021

* The report highlights two major trends- increase in outsourcing contracts and service providers creating sophisticated digital capabilities to service customers 

CSS Corp, a new-age IT services and technology support company in association with The Technology Services Industry Association (TSIA), has released a co-authored report named ‘2021 Trends in Outsourcing’. The report uncovers two major 2021 trends in outsourcing- increase in outsourcing contracts and service providers creating sophisticated digital capabilities’ businesses to meet the needs of enterprise customers.

The first key trend predicts an increase in outsourcing contracts this year, as many companies were grappling with their business continuity plan due to several reasons like lack of infrastructure and inability to transition to 100% work-at-home model. The second key trend focuses on how service providers have begun creating separate business units to make digital capabilities easily available to meet the requirements of large enterprise customers. Leading service providers have made great advances in sophisticated digital capabilities, including artificial intelligence and robotic process automation. This has led them to identify opportunities to effectively scale operations and accelerate development of digital expertise in support functions across enterprise customers.

The report highlights the trends and patterns that are going to be mainstream in support outsourcing in 2021 and how enterprises can leverage the right digital support partner. It showcases how the outsourcing value proposition has evolved in areas such as near-shore outsourcing, outsourcing of non-traditional functions like sales that form a significant portion of costs in XaaS companies and the rise of outcome-based commercial models. It also talks about how outsourcing can enable organizations to expand into new geographies. The pandemic has ushered in an era of work-from-anywhere which has further dwindled location dependencies and provided a fillip to remote operations.

John Ragsdale, Distinguished Vice President, Technology Research, TSIA, said, “Technology companies are increasingly forming strategic relationships with outsourcers to not only help scale support operations cost-effectively and guarantee a high-quality customer experience, but also to accelerate digital transformation. 2021 will see this trend amplify further and service providers like CSS Corp are well placed to emerge as strong outsourcing partners for technology organizations.”

“The Covid-19 crisis has emphasized the need to adopt digital technologies to build agility and resilience in the organization’s operations. Technology service providers like CSS Corp, have deep industry expertise in enabling business transformation for its customers and driving impact by blending human ingenuity with cutting-edge intelligent technology tools. As organizations look to strategize in a post-Covid business environment, it will be critical for them to strengthen their core capabilities while partnering with apt service providers to help them in their digital journeys, driving innovation and creating better experiences for customers.” said Sunil Mittal, Executive Vice President, CSS Corp.

Prioritizing technology innovation in response to a rapidly changing world has never been more important. The ‘2021 Trends in Outsourcing’ report is a useful tool for companies wanting to rapidly accelerate their digital automation journey with insights on effectively partnering with technology service providers to leverage their full potential.

About CSS Corp

CSS Corp is a new-age IT services and technology support company that harnesses the power of AI, automation, analytics, cloud, and digital to address customer needs. The company partners with leading enterprises to help realize their strategic business outcomes. Its team of 8,000+ technology and business services professionals across 18 global locations is passionate about helping customers differentiate and succeed.

About TSIA

The Technology Services Industry Association (TSIA) is the world's leading research organization dedicated to helping technology companies achieve profitable growth and solve their top business challenges. Services, Sales, Product, and Channel organizations at technology companies large and small look to TSIA for world-class business frameworks, best practices based on real-world results, detailed performance benchmarking, and exceptional peer networking opportunities. TSIA's membership community consists of over 40,000 executives from 96 countries and represents 80% of the Fortune 100 technology companies.

Takeda Launches Mobile Application To Support Patient For Treatment Of Genetic Diseases

* The XPERT EASE App will support HCPs with dose calculation for the treatment of patients with Lysosomal Storage Disorders

Takeda India, part of the Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, a global values-based, R&D-driven biopharmaceutical leader, launched the 'XPERT EASE' application. The application is developed for the exclusive use of healthcare professionals to addressawareness-related challenges and enable an efficient digital ecosystem for disease updates and dose calculation for improved management of patients with rare lysosomal storage disorders.

Doctors' screening, diagnosis, and treatment of genetic diseases have often been identified as challenging, including advising the dosage of medicines specific to patients' individual needs. The XPERT EASE is designed to keep in mind such challenges while managing lysosomal storage disorders.

On the occasion of the launch, Dr. Sandeep Arora, Medical Affairs Head- Takeda India, said, "At Takeda, we are keen to enable faster diagnosis and access of patients to our medicines and innovative therapies. The XPERT EASE application enables healthcare professionals to raise suspicion index, leading to early diagnosis and better disease management. As we move forward in our commitment to patients and HCPs, we seek to drive collaborations across the country in ensuring that patients benefit from our pioneering efforts."

XPERT EASE safeguards dosage accuracy and reduces the incidence of error, thereby helping physicians develop personalized dosing regimens tailored to their patients' specific needs diagnosed with Lysosomal Storage Disorders. Healthcare professionals can access the applications through the Apple App Store and Google Play Store..

Mahindra Lifespaces Adds A New Residential Project In Bengaluru

Mahindra Lifespace Developers Ltd., the real estate and infrastructure development arm of the Mahindra Group, today announced that it has acquired 7.89 acres of land to develop a residential project in Kanakpura Road, Bengaluru.  The project will offer approximately 5 lakh sq. ft. of carpet area.  The launch of the project is planned for FY 2022.

Kanakpura Road is a prominent residential hub in Bengaluru and one of the city’s relatively greener areas.  Mahindra Lifespaces’ project site is strategically located on Kanakpura Road, with well-developed social infrastructure, schools and colleges, recreation and entertainment options, and hospitals and clinics located in proximity.  The Vajarahalli Metro Station is only 1 KM from the project site, while the NICE road junction is 3 KM away.  Kanakpura Road is well connected to Bannerghatta, Silk Board and Electronic City, all key employment hubs in Bengaluru.

Arvind Subramanian, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Mahindra Lifespace Developers Ltd., said, “Bengaluru is one of the most stable residential real estate markets in India and a priority city for the growth of our residential business.  Our latest land acquisition in the city is in line with our strategy of deepening our presence in well-established, end-user driven markets with track record of quick absorption and consistent demand for high quality residences by trusted brands.”

Mahindra Lifespaces’ residential project ‘Windchimes’ on Bannerghatta Road is completed and nearly sold out, with 365 homes already handed over.   

About Mahindra Lifespace Developers Ltd.

Established in 1994, Mahindra Lifespace Developers Ltd. is the real estate and infrastructure development business of the USD 19.4 billion Mahindra Group, and a pioneer of sustainable urbanisation in India.  The Company is committed to transforming India’s urban landscape through its residential developments under the ‘Mahindra Lifespaces®’ and ‘Mahindra Happinest®’ brands; and through its integrated cities and industrial clusters under the ‘Mahindra World City’ and ‘Origins by Mahindra World City’ brands.

The Company’s development footprint spans 25.1 million sq. ft. (2.3 million sq. m.) of completed, ongoing and forthcoming residential projects across seven Indian cities; and over 5000 acres of ongoing and forthcoming projects under development/management at its integrated developments / industrial clusters across four locations.  

A pioneer of the green homes movement, Mahindra Lifespaces® is one of the first real estate companies in India to have committed to the global Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi).   The Company’s developments are characterised by thoughtful design and a welcoming environment that enhance overall quality of life for both individuals and industries. 

Mahindra Lifespaces® has been ranked 17th among India’s Great Mid-Size Workplaces 2019, by the Great Place To Work Institute..

Applications Now Open For 2 Year Full - Time, PGD Management Programs for 2021

S. P. Mandali's Prin. L. N. Welingkar Institute of Management Development & Research (WeSchool), invites applications from prospective applicants for the 2 year full-time, recognised by AICTE, Post Graduate Diploma Management (PGDM) Programs for year 2021 in Business Analytics and Research, Business Design, E-Biz, Retail, Healthcare, Rural Management, Media & Entertainment and PGDM Core. 

The B-School has a state-of-the-art campus in Matunga, Mumbai and at Electronic City, Bengaluru.

WeSchool’s Mumbai campus offers 2 year full-time Post Graduate Diploma Programs approved by AICTE, listed as follows:

·        PGDM (Specialisations - Marketing, Finance, Human Resources, and Operations)

·        PGDM eBiz (Specialisations - Marketing, Finance, Human Resources, and Operations)

·        PGDM Media and Entertainment

·        PGDM Rural Management (Emerging Economies)

·        PGDM Research and Business Analytics

·        PGDM Healthcare (Specializations: Hospital Administration/ Pharmaceutical & Life Sciences Management)

·        PGDM Retail (Specialisations - Marketing, Finance, Human Resources, and Operations)

·        PGDM Business Design

WeSchool’s Bengaluru Campus offers 2 years full time PGDM programs approved by AICTE, listed as follows:

·        PGDM  (Specialisations: Marketing / Finance / HR / Operations / Business Analytics)

·        PGDM Business Design

·        PGDM E Business  (Specialisations: Marketing / Finance / HR / Operations / Business Analytics)

·        PGDM Research and Business Analytics

All programs aim at nurturing students as competent talent with leadership abilities and developing experience through exposure to real-life business scenarios.

Know more: http://welingkar.org/pgdm/

WeSchool has ranked 68th in the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) conducted by Ministry of Education, Government of India. WeSchool ranked in top 50 educational institutes for its programs and initiatives on IPR, Innovation, Start-up and Entrepreneurship in the private/self-financed institutes category, Atal Ranking of Institutions on Innovation Achievements (ARIIA) 2020.

In view of the pandemic and abiding to state authority permissions, the B-School repurposed its’ infrastructure online making it accessible through internet from mobile smart phones, computers and laptops too. In 2020, WeSchool students have interned with organisations in India and overseas, i.e.: Singapore, South Africa, Netherlands, Germany & Spain.

Eligibility: Candidates with minimum 50% in Degree exam from a recognised University, completed by June 2021. Should have taken CAT (2020) conducted by the IIMs for the year specified in the advertisement (IIMS have no role in the Welingkar admission process) and /or/ XAT (2021) / and / or ATMA (Feb 2021) and / or CMAT (2021) and / or GMAT (2018 onwards).

For details on programs, admission, fee structure, other information visit: https://www.welingkar.org/pgdm/

Last date to apply Monday, 1st March 2021.

Bosch To Celebrate 100 Years In 2022 Of Powering Automobiles In Indian Market

Automotive components major, Bosch India said on Wednesday that it is investing around Rs 800 crore on its Adugodi facility in Bengaluru to turn it into an end-to-end smart campus, which will be inaugurated in 2022, when the German company completes 100 years in India.

It is now almost a hundred years since Bosch presented the first Spark plug combined with a high-tension magneto ignition system. On January 7, 1902, the company was awarded a patent for this ground-breaking development. The reliable Bosch ignition system solved what Carl Benz saw as the main problem of the early automotive technology. Together with improvements in production technology, it was the spark plug that laid the foundations for the rapid increase in automobile production over the decades that followed. As a result, the time came when everyone could afford a car.

Nowadays, the Bosch spark plug, which has been developed and improved continuously over the decades, is a major system component which plays a key role in fuel economy, clean and efficient combustion and the reliable operation of engines and catalytic converters. Despite the tremendous increase in spark plug performance, the useful life of a spark plug is now about 20,000 to 30,000 km, some 20 to 30 times higher than the figure 90 years ago. Some special spark plugs even have a service life of 100,000 km.

During their lifetime, such spark plugs produce excessively more than 20 million sparks, standard plugs, having a lifetime of 20,000 kilometers, approximately four million sparks. This takes place at a rotational engine speed of approximately 4,000 revolutions per minute. By every ignition the spark plug is exposed to extreme load, since under the extraordinary conditions in the engine's combustion chamber, the temperature rises in a split second from 100 to 1,000 °Celsius. Due to the explosive fuel combustion, the spark plug is repeatedly exposed to a flash-like pressure of up to 100 bars.

Moreover, it has to be capable of resisting the chemically highly aggressive mixture of gasoline vapors, combustion gas as well as residues of gasoline and oil. Despite the extreme load, the spark plug has to ignite properly at any time.

More than 1,250 variants of the spark generators in 26 different designs of the electrode are presently included in the Bosch product range, from those designed for lawn mowers and having the short length of a match up to those having the length of a pencil which are designed for stationary gas engines. Plenty of modern engines call for their own tailor-made spark-plugs. To find out which type of the Bosch spark plug to use for your car, your lawnmower, power saw or boat engine, all you need to do is go to the www.bosch.com web site.

Over a period of 100 years, Bosch has developed considerably more than 20 000 types. No wonder that in the United States there is even an association of spark plug collectors consisting of more than 1,000 members. However, this subject had been so comprehensive in the 1930ies already that Bosch published a spark plug dictionary comprising 160 pages.

In the first year of production Bosch produced some few spark plugs per day, nowadays, one million pieces are produced per day in the company's plant in Bamberg alone, consisting of 29 tons of steel, 1.8 tons of nickel, 0.7 tons of copper, 15 kilometers of nickel wire and 2.5 kilograms of platinum for the plug housing and the electrodes as well as 20 tons of aluminum oxide for the white insulation elements.

Apart from the Bamberg plant, production sites supplying to local markets and automotive manufacturers are located in India, Brazil, China and Russia where spark plugs are produced according to the internationally applied Bosch quality standards. On an international scale, Bosch produces more than 350 million units per year. In hundred years a total of excessively more than seven billion spark plugs have been produced. Laid end to end, they would stretch more than 350,000 kilometers - all the way to the moon.

MICO, in India, has been the Bosch Group company since 1951. The manufacture of Spark Plugs started in the MICO factory at Bangalore in 1954. MICO's Spark Plugs are also exported to many countries in the world and the quality of there here in India or in Germany has absolutely no difference.

100 YEARS OF BOSCH SPARK PLUGS - THE HIGHLIGHTS

* 1902: Bosch is granted a patent for a new type of spark plug combined with a high-tension magneto on January 7, 1902. The first systems are supplied to Daimler-Motorengesellschaft in Bad Cannstatt on September 24, 1902

* 1902 onwards: In the first few years, production totals a few hundred units per year

* 1914: The first spark plug factory is founded in Stuttgart.

* 1927: Bosch introduces the term "heat range", which has remained the standard measure of the thermal capacity of a spark plug (important for the ideal adaptation of a spark plug to a specific engine) to this day.

* 1939: The Bamberg spark plug factory is founded.

* 1953: Bosch spark plug with composite center electrode ensuring reliable cold starting and a longer service life is used on the Mercedes Benz 300 SL gull-wing

* 1968: The Bamberg plant produces the billionth spark plug.

* 1976: Mass production of the Thermoelastic plug with composite center electrode starts.

* 1980s: Spark plugs are adapted to changes in fuels and engine design, making motors cleaner, more economical and more efficient (lead-free petrol, catalytic converters, four valves per cylinder, lean mix, etc.).

* 1983: Platinum center electrodes and composite materials with noble metal alloys boost the service life of spark plugs to well in excess of 60,000 km.

* 1991: The Bosch air cushion spark plug prevents carbon fouling, timing drift and misfiring even in operation with frequent short trips.

* 1995: Nickel yttrium electrode material prolongs the service life of spark plugs

* 2000: The seven billionth Bosch spark plug is produced.

Supply of tailor-made spark plugs for the first direct injection stratified charge gasoline engine (with ignition and injection system also supplied by Bosch).

* 7 January 2002: 100th anniversary of the first Bosch spark plug.

FACTS AND FIGURES ON THE BOSCH SPARK PLUG

* Annual Bosch spark plug production: More than 350 million (1902: about 300)

* Material required for daily production of more than a million spark plugs:

29 t of steel, 1.8 t of nickel, 0.7 t of copper, 15 km of nickel wire, 2.5 kg of platinum and 20 t of aluminum oxide for insulators

* Total production since 1902: More than 7.5 billion Bosch spark plugs

* Bosch spark plug types currently available: 1250 with 26 different electrode designs

* Bosch spark plug types produced since 1902: More than 20,000

* Smallest Bosch spark plug: 40 mm long (e.g. for lawnmowers)

* Largest Bosch spark plug : 150 mm long (e.g. for stationary gas engines)

* Performance of a standard Bosch spark plug: Up to 30 sparks per second or more than 20 million sparks over a useful life of 20,000 km

* Working conditions of Bosch spark plugs: Voltage up to 30,000 V, temperatures up to 1,000 ºC, pressures up to 100 bar (equivalent to the pressure underwater at a depth of 1,000 m); hot, extremely aggressive mixture of petrol vapor, combustion products and fuel and oil residues

* Service life of Bosch spark plugs: standard plugs 20,000 to 30,000 km, special plugs up to 100,000 km

* Bosch spark plug production plants: Bamberg (Germany), Aratú (Brazil), Engels (Russia), Naganathapura (India) and Nanjing (China)

* Vehicle producers with Bosch park plugs as original equipment: Audi, BMW, Citroën, Daewoo, DAF, Fiat, Lancia, Daimler-Chrysler, Holden, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Nedcar, Opel, Peugeot, Piaggio (scooters), Porsche, Renault, Rotax (small engines), Seat, Skoda, Ssang Yong, Suzuki, Toyota, Vauxhall, Volvo, VW

* Applications of Bosch spark plugs: Cars, Motorcycles and Scooters, Commercial Vehicles, Engines for Boats and Jet-Skis, Gardening and Forestry Equipment, Stationary Gas Engines, Emergency Generator Sets, Water Pumps and Small Engines.

Cognizant Commits $250 Million To Global Corporate Social Responsibility Initiatives

* New philanthropic funding and in-kind contributions globally will help build stronger, healthier, more inclusive communities worldwide

Cognizant (Nasdaq: CTSH) today announced a new five-year $250 million effort to advance economic mobility, educational opportunity, diversity and inclusion, and health and well-being in communities around the world. Building on its long-standing investment in corporate social responsibility, Cognizant, with its extensive global presence, will work to create stronger, healthier, and more inclusive communities as they emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic.

“As a global company, we care deeply about unlocking human potential,” said Brian Humphries, CEO, Cognizant. “We are determined to live our purpose of improving everyday life and apply our technology and business expertise to help tackle global problems. This $250 million initiative aims to create conditions for people to thrive by expanding access to education, healthcare, and technology, and by advancing diversity and inclusion in communities around the world.”

This $250 million initiative will leverage new philanthropic capital, volunteer programs, in-kind contributions, and business expertise to:

Provide equitable educational opportunities to equip students, learners, and workers with 21st-century skills needed to succeed in the digital economy;

Advance economic mobility, working toward a future where all communities have the resources, opportunities, and infrastructure needed to thrive;

Improve the health and well-being of individuals and families to ensure communities are healthy and can achieve their fullest potential; and

Champion initiatives that advance diversity, equity, and inclusion, particularly for underrepresented and underserved populations around the world.

Beginning in 2021, Cognizant and its foundations will expand grant-making in the U.S. and India to new global markets where the company continues to grow its operations, including Australia, Canada, Germany, and the UK. In addition, Cognizant will introduce new philanthropic programs to advance diversity and inclusion efforts in partnership with Cognizant’s Affinity Groups, supporting African American, Latinx, LGBTQ, Pan-Asian, women, and veteran communities.  New programs will also expand opportunities for employees to contribute their time and skills, and deploy additional COVID-19 relief funds that build on commitments made in 2020. These included launching the Pandemic Response Challenge with XPRIZE, supporting clients in bringing vaccines to market, and assisting more than 100 million people with healthcare enrollment.

To date, Cognizant and its foundations estimate they have impacted more than 4 million people, working with over 300 organizations to increase access to quality education and healthcare and improve economic mobility in communities where Cognizant operates. More than 166,000 employees have volunteered their time and expertise in support of these efforts over the last five years.

About Cognizant

Cognizant (Nasdaq-100: CTSH) is one of the world’s leading professional services companies, transforming clients’ business, operating and technology models for the digital era. Our unique industry-based, consultative approach helps clients envision, build and run more innovative and efficient businesses. Headquartered in the U.S., Cognizant is ranked 194 on the Fortune 500 and is consistently listed among the most admired companies in the world. Learn how Cognizant helps clients lead with digital at www.cognizant.com or follow us @Cognizant.

Anita Hassanandani Chooses The Goodness Of Mamaearth In India

* Mamaearth partners with Anita Hassanandani for the brands personal care and hair care

The Indian skincare and haircare brand, Mamaearth has recently signed up TV industry veteran, Anita Hassanandani for a long-term, strategic association with the brand for their haircare, skincare and baby care categories.

With the star just delivering a baby boy, as anticipated, the social media is abuzz with news about the same. Since Mamaearth’s products have ingredients that are derived from nature and are cruelty-free and PETA certified, bringing in a new mother who has a huge influence on social media is an alliance that is proving to be judicious.

Her first video with Mamaearth was taken live on her social media handle just the morning of her delivery, making it the last post before she welcomed a new member into her family. The video ended up receiving unprecedented engagement, love and good wishes because of the carefully planned timing and the nature of the video.

Anita Hassanadani says, “With Mamaearth, I feel like my thoughts are aligned to theirs because I too have always been conscious about the skincare and haircare products I use. They also have a really cool initiative where they link every order on the website to a tree they plant and being a new mother, it matters to me more now that we make our environment sustainable for the future generations. I am really looking forward to start more conversations around beauty that’s organic and backed by science.”

Commenting on the association, Mr. Sambit Dash, VP Marketing, Honasa Consumer Pvt. Ltd. Says, “Mamaearth constantly looks to connect and engage with millennial consumers. Anita is a trusted known name who resonates with our consumers and fits in strongly with our brand ideology of Goodness Inside. We are confident that this collaboration will help us further strengthen our position as a baby care and personal care brand for millennials.” 

ABOUT HONASA CONSUMER PVT LTD

Honasa Consumer Pvt Limited (HCPL), is a digital-first consumer brands company creating the FMCG conglomerate of the future.  A company built on the values of Honesty, Natural ingredients and Safe care, HCPL caters to the needs of millennial consumers through innovative products, evolved propositions, direct to consumer marketing, and e-commerce fulfillment. Currently catering to over 100 cities in India with brands like Mamaearth & The Derma Co., HCPL is building an ecosystem that helps benefit the consumers and community at large. Backed by Sequoia Capital India, Fireside Ventures, Stellaris Venture Partners, and Sharrp Ventures, HCPL is set to become a billion-dollar FMCG conglomerate in the next 5 years — spread across the globe but connected through a digital center of excellence. 

ABOUT MAMAEARTH 

Founded by husband-wife duo Ghazal Alagh and Varun Alagh, Mamaearth is Asia’s first brand with Madesafe certified products that offer 100% toxin-free & natural baby care, skincare, and hair care products. Driven by innovation and using the best of science and ayurveda, the brand caters to all personal care needs of young, aspirational and increasingly conscious Indian consumers.  

In a short span of 4 years, Mamaearth has created a product portfolio of 120+ products packed with goodness inside, has reached over 5 million customers in 100 Indian cities, and is the fastest-growing FMCG start-up to hit a 300 Cr run rate in India. Mamaearth products are available on www.mamaearth.in, major eCommerce platforms like Amazon, Nykaa, Flipkart and over 4000 stores across the country. 

Bosch Rexroth India Shapes The Future Of The Hydraulic industry For An Intelligent And Connected Tomorrow

 * Bosch Rexroth India provides Drive-and-Controls solutions for a variety of industries including metallurgy, plastic and press machines,  automotive, agriculture machinery, construction machinery, food packaging and printing, etc.

Bosch Rexroth offers a variety of products and solutions under Connected Hydraulics an integral being Predictive Analytics by ODiN

Following its goal to support the “Factory of the future”, Bosch Rexroth - unites the real world of machines with the virtual world of internet and information technology. For machine manufacturers and users, productivity is the measure of all things. Connected hydraulics makes an important contribution to productivity because it combines the physical advantages of fluid technology over the entire life cycle with the e possibilities of digitalization. It marries the capabilities of hydraulic and electrical systems with predictive analytics to drive digital technology transformation that maximizes efficiency, productivity, and ROI; and reduces maintenance. 

Internet of Things (IoT) and connected hydraulics are gaining prominence in the Indian market. Intelligent, connected hydraulics by Bosch Rexroth are ready for horizontal and vertical integration and fulfill all requirements for use in Industry 4.0 concepts.

Mr. B V Ramesh, Managing Director, Bosch Rexroth India stated, “As digital technologies continue to evolve, automated technology is starting to play an increasingly important role in factories. At Bosch Rexroth India, we embrace the Factory of the Future and augment it with robotics and automation solutions that are fast, reliable, safe, and productive.”

Bosch Rexroth provides powerful, proven hydraulic drive solutions for a variety of industry segments such as Metallurgy, Plastics, Press, Material Handling, Energy, Construction Machinery, Agriculture Machinery, Automotive, Machine Tool, etc. and helps customers to master force and torque.  The new line-up of Connected Hydraulics offerings include: Variable speed pump drives Sytronix; Power Unit CytroPac and CytroBox; Hydraulic Pump Control VT HPC; Control valves IAC Multi Ethernet; Control system SYDFEx and Predictive Maintenance ODiN, among others.

About Bosch in India

In India, Bosch is a leading supplier of technology and services in the areas of Mobility Solutions, Industrial Technology, Consumer Goods, and Energy and Building Technology. Additionally, Bosch has in India the largest development center outside Germany, for end to end engineering and technology solutions. The Bosch Group operates in India through twelve companies, viz, Bosch Limited, Bosch Chassis Systems India Private Limited, Bosch Rexroth (India) Private Limited, Robert Bosch Engineering and Business Solutions Private Limited, Bosch Automotive Electronics India Private Limited, Bosch Electrical Drives India Private Limited, BSH Home Appliances Private Limited, ETAS Automotive India Private Limited, Robert Bosch Automotive Steering Private Limited, Automobility Services and Solutions Private Limited, Newtech Filter India Private Limited and Mivin  Engg.Technologies Private Limited. In India, Bosch set-up its manufacturing operation in 1951, which has grown over the years to include 18 manufacturing sites, and seven development and application centers. Bosch Group in India employs over 31,000 associates and generated consolidated revenue of about ₨.21,450 crores* (2.66 billion euros) in 2018 of which ₨. 15,824 crores*(1.96 billion euros) from third party. The Group in India has close to 18,000 research and development associates.

In India, Bosch Limited is the flagship company of the Bosch Group. It earned revenue of

over ₨. 12,460 crores (1.54 billion euros) in 2018. Additional information can be accessed at www.bosch.in

About Bosch Group

The Bosch Group is a leading global supplier of technology and services. It employs roughly 403,000 associates worldwide (as of December 31, 2019). According to preliminary figures, the company generated sales of 77.9 billion euros in 2019. Its operations are divided into four business sectors: Mobility Solutions, Industrial Technology, Consumer Goods, and Energy and Building Technology. As a leading IoT company, Bosch offers innovative solutions for smart homes, smart cities, connected mobility, and connected manufacturing. It uses its expertise in sensor technology, software, and services, as well as its own IoT cloud, to offer its customers connected, cross-domain solutions from a single source. The Bosch Group’s strategic objective is to deliver innovations for a connected life. Bosch improves quality of life worldwide with products and services that are innovative and spark enthusiasm. In short, Bosch creates technology that is “Invented for life.” The Bosch Group comprises Robert Bosch GmbH and its roughly 440 subsidiary and regional companies in 60 countries. Including sales and service partners, Bosch’s global manufacturing, engineering, and sales network covers nearly every country in the world. The basis for the company’s future growth is its innovative strength. At 125 locations across the globe, Bosch employs some 72,000 associates in research and development.

The company was set up in Stuttgart in 1886 by Robert Bosch (1861–1942) as “Workshop for Precision Mechanics and Electrical Engineering.” The special ownership structure of Robert Bosch GmbH guarantees the entrepreneurial freedom of the Bosch Group, making it possible for the company to plan over the long term and to undertake significant upfront investments in the safeguarding of its future. Ninety-two percent of the share capital of Robert Bosch GmbH is held by Robert Bosch Stiftung GmbH, a charitable foundation. The majority of voting rights are held by Robert Bosch Industrietreuhand KG, an industrial trust. The entrepreneurial ownership functions are carried out by the trust. The remaining shares are held by the Bosch family and by Robert Bosch GmbH.

Doubtnut Raises Rs 224 Crores In Series B Funding Led By SIG And Lupa Systems

 * Existing investors Sequoia Capital India, Omidyar Network India and Waterbridge Ventures also participated in the funding round

Doubtnut, India’s leading K12 EdTech platform for “vernacular first” students, has raised an investment of INR 224 Crores from SIG and Lupa Systems. Existing investors Sequoia Capital India, Omidyar Network India and Waterbridge Ventures also participated in the round. Avendus Capital acted as the exclusive financial advisor to Doubtnut on this transaction.

Doubnut is a multi-lingual doubt-solving platform that uses artificial intelligence and machine learning for image recognition, natural language processing and proprietary algorithms to provide video-based solutions. The company has gotten good traction within its structured paid courses which include live tuition classes, video lectures, test series and other learning materials for classes 6-12th and test preparations for IIT-JEE and NEET. More than 2.5 million daily active users are spending 600 million minutes per month on Doubtnut platforms.

The Doubtnut app offers solutions to more than 65 million questions monthly in 9 languages for students of CBSE and 15 state boards. Doubtnut’s vast reach is reflected through 85% of its current user base coming from outside the top 15 Indian cities and 60% of the current user base from state boards where the typical medium of instruction is the local vernacular language. More than half of the users have come online for the first time in last 12 months.

“Doubtnut has been built with a vision to improve learning outcomes for all students, especially those outside the major Indian cities. We specialize in developing content in vernacular languages and use technology to create affordable solutions for people in this large target segment,” said Tanushree Nagori, Co-Founder and CEO, Doubtnut, adding, “We are pleased to welcome onboard SIG and Lupa; SIG brings in strong experience of investing in ed-tech companies globally and Lupa Systems brings unparalleled experience of building world-class businesses and harnessing high-impact technologies”

Doubtnut was founded by Tanushree Nagori and Aditya Shankar in 2017. Ravi Sekhar who joined Doubtnut as a Co-Founder in March 2020 and has successfully monetized several consumer-facing tech businesses, including in ed-tech.

The funds raised will be used to expand the product into more languages and curriculum subjects and to launch new paid courses.

Doubtnut had also raised capital from venture debt firm InnoVen Capital in October last year.

About Doubtnut:

Doubnut is a multi-lingual doubt-solving platform that uses artificial intelligence and machine learning for image recognition, natural language processing and proprietary algorithms to provide video-based solutions. The company has gotten good traction within its structured paid courses which include live tuition classes, video lectures, test series and other learning materials for classes 6-12th and test preparations for IIT-JEE and NEET. More than 2.5 million daily active users are spending 600 million minutes per month on Doubtnut platforms.

About Omidyar Network India:

Omidyar Network India invests in bold entrepreneurs who help create a meaningful life for every Indian, especially the hundreds of millions of Indians in low-income and lower-middle-income populations, ranging from the poorest among us to the existing middle class. To drive empowerment and social impact at scale, we work with entrepreneurs in the private, nonprofit and public sectors, who are tackling India’s hardest and most chronic problems. We make equity investments in early stage enterprises and provide grants to nonprofits in the areas of Digital Identity, Education, Emerging Tech, Financial Inclusion, Governance & Citizen Engagement, and Property Rights. Omidyar Network India is part of The Omidyar Group, a diverse collection of companies, organizations and initiatives, supported by philanthropists Pam and Pierre Omidyar, founder of eBay.

Clover Goes D2C With The Launch Of The New Brand ‘Deep Rooted.Co’

 

●     Building an ecosystem that benefits farmers with up to 3x increase in yield and income and gives consumers consistent access to high quality and contamination-free produce

●     Focuses on shortening the ‘harvest-to-home’ cycle to less than 24 hours in the highly perishable category by controlling the entire value-chain from consumer demand to produce supply; thereby also reducing supply chain wastage to less than 10%

●     Offers 80 plus SKUs across 6 categories of fruits and vegetables in Bengaluru and Hyderabad, including an Easy Cook Range.

●     In the next 12 – 18 months, aims at ‘cluster-based’ expansion strategy to enter Chennai, Pune and Mumbai

One of the fastest-growing agri-tech start-ups, Clover launched it’s direct to consumer brand "Deep Rooted.Co" with a consumer app available as “Deep Rooted" on the Android and iOS platform. Deep Rooted.Co is a demand-backed supply chain solution for fruits and vegetables focused on quality, consistency, traceability and a high degree of predictability.

Catering to a growing market opportunity, estimated close to $100Bn in the B2B and B2C segment for vegetables and fruits, starting with Bengaluru and Hyderabad, Clover will invest over $2mn in creating farmer-facing input-output technology, investing in supply chain and cold storage capacities and communication to grow the brand Deep Rooted.Co.

Deep Rooted.Co will focus on catering to an urban city’s need for fruits and vegetables via a “consumer demand-led cultivation” process. Deep Rooted.Co will follow an “omni-channel” strategy to cater to existing consumer shopping preferences in the category and presence across modern and general trade.

Speaking at the launch, Avinash B.R. one of the co-founders at Clover said “With Deep Rooted.Co, our goal is to be India’s largest virtual farmer, facilitated by our full-stack agronomy intervention on the supply side; and an omnichannel presence, along with a consumer-facing app on the demand side. Consumers will get consistent access to zero-contamination, high-quality fruits and vegetables while farmers can experience up to a 3x increase in yield and income improvements.”

Clover’s experience in B2B, where it was already a preferred supplier to over 90 customers in over 175 locations based in Bengaluru and Hyderabad allows it to get a head-start in launching a consumer-focussed B2C brand. The Covid-19 lockdown led the company to bring forward its B2C launch while gathering valuable first-hand experience in consumer tastes and preferences in the fruits and vegetable category.

Avinash shared, “Our research conducted over September-October last year found that consumer behaviour is not to plan the buying of fruits and vegetables but to shop for it when the shortage is noticed. We see that consumers are slowly reverting to the pre-Covid preference of having the option to shop at neighbourhood Kirana and modern trade stores. Deep Rooted.Co will invest in growing its distribution from the current 150 modern trade and neighbourhood stores across Bangalore and Hyderabad to 500 and brand build to aggregate demand over multiple channels, including online via our own consumer app and web e-commerce presence.”  

High-quality fruits and vegetables will be supplied primarily from its owned greenhouse and hydroponic farms and from a network of over 100 small-medium scale land hold farmers.

Deep Rooted.Co stands on the three important pillars of ‘Fresh’, ‘Clean’ and ‘Community’. It delivers most of its produce fresh and in under 24 hours from farms primarily less than 150 km away from urban cities.

All highly perishable vegetables are grown under the guidance of a team of 10 plus agronomists who guide the farmers from the “seed-to-harvest” stage. Mostly greenhouse and hydroponically grown produce is contamination-free.

Rooted in the local community, the brand is steadfast in its focus to strike an equitable balance between farmers and consumers. Farmers should benefit from technology inputs that increase farm productivity at scale and access to consumer demand that provides an opportunity to increase incomes and the consumer should benefit from consistent access to high quality produce.

Also launched at the event was the Deep Rooted.Co consumer app, available for both Android and Apple users. Gururaj Rao, co-founder at Clover, who also leads the product and technology function said, “The Deep Rooted.Co app is a natural progression for us. We are aiming for upwards of 90,000 app downloads by the end of the year. Aside from shopping and regular promotions, we will also over time integrate product nutrition and storage advice, information on key farming practices and also take requests for farm visit schedules to share more around traceability and transparency.”

About Deep Rooted.Co:

Launched in 2021, Deep Rooted.Co is the brand of Clover, a fast-growing greenhouse agri-tech start-up. Deep Rooted.Co aims to create an equitable balance between the farmers and the consumers by building transparency and trust among them. The company has an omnichannel presence and caters to a growing $100Bn F&V market by delivering fresh, clean and residue-free produce in less than 24 hours.

Clover was founded by Avinash BR, Arvind M, Gururaj S Rao, and Santhosh Narasipura in 2018. Based out of Bangalore, the company is funded by Accel, Omnivore, Mayfield and Alteria Capital. Deep Rooted.Co is building an organized supply chain for fresh produce. Their solutions is in a demand-backed supply chain for perishables that is focused on quality, consistency and traceability. The company manages a network of peri-urban farms that cultivate this fresh produce in high quality, high-yield manner. The company is currently managing over 100 acres of farms by working with small-medium landholding farmers. DeepRooted.co supplies its high-quality fresh produce to Bangalore and Hyderabad. 

Reebok Introduces Walking Products To Encourage People To Live A Fitter, Better Lifestyle

* The new range of products launched under the walking category has been designed to keep consumers’ basic fitness needs in mind

Reebok, India’s leading fitness brand, believes that people will get better through fitness and movement, and Reebok is committed to inspiring people to become the very best version of themselves. Now more than ever, staying fit and healthy will be the top priority, and Reebok aims to introduce more consumers into the fitness category.

Over the years, Reebok has seen that people have taken to walking as an activity to keep fit. To encourage people to take this up as a lifestyle change, the new walking range from Reebok will provide high-quality products accessible to all. The category will see a host of newly introduced products for both men and women, built to provide maximum comfort and support.

Reebok’s walking range is backed by superior quality, comfort, and technology. The new products, namely Reebok Ever Road DMX, Leap Slip On, Evazure DMX Lite, Reebok Lite Slip and Ardara 3.0, among others, are set to strengthen Reebok’s position in the walking category by making technologically advanced and superior quality shoes at an affordable price range.

The advanced and signature DMX technology of Reebok ‘s walking shoe ‘Ever Road DMX’ is built with small pods carved out of the midsole. The same shaped pods are pressed into the outsole with matching geometry to provide maximum support while walking. Channels to connect these pods are also carved out of the midsole and pushed into the outsole. These channels allow the trapped air to move between pods to create natural cushioning from heel to toe for a comfortable walking experience.

Commenting on the walking range, Malaika Arora, Reebok’s Brand Ambassador shared, “Reebok India has been my fitness partner for years now. I could not have been more delighted to join the brand yet again to launch this fantastic new range of walking products. Walking is an activity everyone can pick up on a daily basis, and to have Reebok provide comfort, quality and affordability through their range will surely act as an added impetus for more people across the country to lead a fitter, better life.”

Some of the products being introduced in the new walking category are:

·         ARDARA 3.0- INR 3,999

·         EVAZURE DMX LITE 3.0- INR 4,999

·         Inbound Slip on- INR 2,799

·         LEAP SLIP ON- INR 2,799

·         Reebok Ever Road DMX 3.0- INR 5,999

·         Reebok Ever Road DMX Slip On 3- INR 5,599

·         Reebok Ever Road DMX Slip On 4- IR 5,599

·         REEBOK LITE SLIP 2.0- INR 3,599

Physiology, M. Sc.  Exercise and Sports Physiology, Bachelors in Physical Education, Masters in Physical Education, and MA Hindu Studies, etc.

Prof. Ajay Kumar Singh, Vice-Chancellor, SSU delivered vote of thanks and mentioned that Sri Sri University is on the path of becoming the Institute of Global Eminence and the launching ceremony of today is a step towards that direction.

These products are available in men, women and unisex sizing starting from INR 2,799/- at Reebok stores and online at shop4reebok.com. Other fashion retailers such as Amazon, Flipkart, Ajio and Tatacliq will also see a wide range of the new walking products. 

About Reebok India -

Reebok International Ltd., headquartered in Boston, MA, USA, is a leading worldwide designer, marketer and distributor of fitness and lifestyle footwear, apparel and equipment. An American-inspired global brand, Reebok is a pioneer in the sporting goods industry with a rich and storied fitness heritage. Reebok develops products, technologies and programming that enable movement so people can fulfill their potential. Reebok connects with the fitness consumer wherever they are and however they choose to stay fit – whether it’s functional training, running, combat training, walking, dance, yoga or aerobics. Reebok Classics leverages the brand’s fitness heritage and represents the roots of the brand in the sports lifestyle market. 

ACT Fibernet Upgrades Internet Broadband Plans Across Tamil Nadu And Hyderabad

 * Increased speed and data limits across Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai, and Hyderabad at no additional cost

ACT Fibernet, one of India’s largest fiber broadband ISP (Internet Service Provider) recently upgraded speed and data limits for its existing fixed term broadband plans across Tamil Nadu and in Hyderabad.

Internet has become a necessity that is enabling smooth functioning of professional, educational, and personal interactions in the new normal. Considering the usage of internet has increased, ACT Fibernet has rolled out its revamped plans across different cities.

“We always aim to provide unrestricted and uninterrupted internet access to our customers at all times, especially now when everything is digitalised. With the increase and demand in the usage of internet, we have upgraded data and speed limits for existing broadband customers in these cities. We believe this will help to empower them to undertake work seamlessly and more effectively.”, said Sandeep Gupta, COO, ACT Fibernet, speaking on the announcement of the upgrade.

In Hyderabad, ACT Fibernet is providing unlimited data with A-Max 1325 and Incredible 1999 with 300 Mbps and 400 Mbps speed respectively. The A-Max 500 plan has been upgraded to 500 GB FUP from 300 GB FUP, and 40 Mbps from 30 Mbps. The A-Max 700 plan has been revised to 1000GB FUP from 500 GB FUP with 75 Mbps speed from 50 Mbps speed and A-Max 1075 plan has been upgraded to 150 Mbps speed from 125Mbps speed.

In Chennai, ACT Fibernet has launched a new plan ACT Starter which will offer 40 Mbps speed and unlimited FUP. Additionally, ACT Basic has been upgraded from 60Mbps to 75Mbps at no additional cost while the rest of the plans remain the same.

In Coimbatore, ACT Fibernet revamped all the existing plans to enable seamless internet access. The ACT Basic plan has been upgraded from 500 GB FUP to 1000 GB FUP, and 40 Mbps to 50 Mbps speed.  ACT Rush has been upgraded from 1000 GB FUP to 1500 GB FUP with 100 Mbps speed. ACT Sprint has been revised from 1500 GB FUP to 2000 GB FUP, and 150 Mbps to 200 Mbps speed and ACT Race has been upgraded from 2000 GB FUP to 2500 GB FUP, and 175Mbps to 250Mbps speed. Similarly, ACT Zoom has been increased from 2500 GB FUP to 3300 GB FUP, and 200 Mbps to 250 Mbps speed and ACT Bolt has been upgraded to 3300 GB FUP from 3000 GB FUP and 250 Mbps to 300 Mbps speed.

For Madurai, ACT has doubled its two plans, ACT Silver and ACT Gold. ACT Silver has been upgraded from 500 GB to 1000 GB FUP, and 50 Mbps to 75 Mbps speed. ACT Gold has been boosted to 2000 GB FUP from 1000 GB FUP, and from 100MBps to 150 Mbps.

L&T Technology Services Selected By Airbus For Skywise Partner Programme

* LTTS to provide technology and digital engineering solutions for Airbus’ Skywise platform

L&T Technology Services (NSE: LTTS), a leading global pure-play engineering services company, announced that it has been selected by Airbus to provide technology and digital engineering solutions for Airbus’ Skywise platform as part of the ‘Skywise Partner Programme’.

With more than 130 airlines around the world already connected to Skywise, the platform is playing a very important part in enabling and accelerating digital transformation of the aviation sector as a whole. LTTS will support the airlines in the development of complex workflows, creation of new interfaces between their existing information systems and Skywise and also provide assistance in their digital transformation with Skywise.

LTTS has a set of highly experienced engineers and data scientists who will work exclusively on the Skywise platform and build solutions to address the digital transformation needs of airlines and the fast-expanding Skywise ecosystem. LTTS’ demonstrated experience in building digital engineering platforms based on strong domain knowledge help strengthen the interdependencies these digital technologies are enabling.

Abhishek Sinha, Chief Operating Officer and Member of the Board, L&T Technology Services commented, “Airbus is one of our valued customers in the aerospace domain, a sector which offers tremendous potential for disruptive business opportunities. We are delighted to be selected as a partner for Airbus Skywise programme, a true reflection of our long-standing partnership with an important market leader like Airbus and our deep understanding of Airbus’ product development and customer needs”.

LTTS has a track record of serving the aerospace landscape for over a decade, helping airlines and aerospace manufacturers maximize their Return on Investments (RoI) and increase quality and output. Having forged strategic alliances with several Fortune 500 companies, LTTS has the strong technical knowledge, aerospace engineering expertise and skilled resources to drive innovation for aerospace and defense customers across the globe.

About L&T Technology Services Ltd

L&T Technology Services Limited (LTTS) is a listed subsidiary of Larsen & Toubro Limited focused on Engineering and R&D (ER&D) services. We offer consultancy, design, development and testing services across the product and process development life cycle. Our customer base includes 69 Fortune 500 companies and 53 of the world’s top ER&D companies, across industrial products, medical devices, transportation, telecom & hi-tech, and the process industries. Headquartered in India, we have over 16,000 employees spread across 17 global design centers, 28 global sales offices and 62 innovation labs as of December 31, 2020.

Sri Sri School Of CyberPeace, CyberPeace Foundation Partner To Offer 20 Programs In 2021-22

Today is a historic day not only for Sri Sri University but also for the world to launch first of its kind in the globe, Sri Sri School of Cyber Peace and five other Centers and Faculty which will offer 20 programs in the upcoming academic year 2021-22. CyberPeace Foundation and Sri Sri University have joined hands for “Infusing CyberPeace in cyberspace”. The first step towards the goal is the launch of “Sri Sri School of CyberPeace”, a joint initiative of CyberPeace Foundation and Sri Sri University (SSU) in the presence of Poojya Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Ji. The School is committed to strengthen the global CyberPeace Ecosystem through the research and innovation focused educational framework in sync with the ace initiative from the CyberPeace Foundation. The curriculum for the degree Programmes in the field of cyber security has been conceptualized keeping in mind the Learning Outcome-based Curriculum Framework (LOCF) on the one hand and having 65% plus hands on experience for the students as per the spirit of National Education Policy 2020 on the the other hand. This will enhance their employability quotient as well as entrepreneurial skills so that they are competent enough to start up their own ventures which is a step towards ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’.

As per the Cybersecurity Ventures, there will be 3.5 million unfilled cybersecurity jobs globally by the end of 2021, up from one million positions in 2014. Moreover there is a growing number of cybercrimes and threats across the globe, therefore, the degree Programmes in the following areas are the need of the hour:

UG Programmes

B. Tech. / B.Sc. (Research) in CSE (specialization in CyberSecurity & Cyber Defense)

B. Tech. / B.Sc. (Research) in CSE (specialization in Digital Forensic & Incident Response)

M. Tech. (Regular) (specialization in CyberSecurity)

M. Tech. (Research) (specialization in CyberSecurity)

PG & Integrated Programmes

 MBA (Cyber Security Management)

 Executive MBA (Cyber Security Management)

 Integrated MBA (B. Tech. / B. Sc. (Research) + Cyber Security Management)

 Integrated M. Tech. (B. Tech. + CyberSecurity)

 Integrated M. Sc. (B. Sc. (Research) + CyberSecurity)

This joint initiative will involve a bouquet of activities of CyberPeace Foundation such as Global CyberPeace Challenge, eRaksha - Nationwide online safety competition, Hackathons, Seminars, Conferences, Colloquiums, Roundtables, Global CyberPeace Dialogues, Global CyberPeace Summit, CyberPeace Clubs, CyberPeace Corps, and Academia CyberPeace Ecosystem (ACE) Initiative - An initiative for Excellence.

Many dignitaries graced the occasion with their presence, including Shri G. Asok Kumar, Additional Secretary and Mission Director, National Water Mission, MoWR, RD and GR, Govt. of India, Mr. Erik Solheim, Former Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and Former Minister of International Development and Environment, Norway, Padma Bhushan Saroja Vaidyanathan, Padma Shri Dr. Puru Dadheech, Dr. Sandhya Purecha, Mrs. Rajita Kulkarni, President, SSU, Prof. Ajay Kumar Singh, Vice Chancellor, SSU, Captain Vineet Kumar, Founder and President, CyberPeace Foundation, a think tank and grassroots NGO of CyberPeace and cyber security experts to name a few.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar ji during his address said, “The world is incomplete without art, culture, architecture, and science. We need to nurture both the left and right brain activities and achieve synergies between the two in the contemporary world. Today’s Programme has witnessed so many experts nationally and internationally to make the world a better place to live for the present and future generation. We can give the dream of a better world to the future generations including the current generations through these initiatives. I congratulate CyberPeace Foundation and encourage all to continue this journey by creating waves of excellence for growth of the students across the world. This collaboration has created an ecosystem of happiness and harmony where happiness is realized as one's nature and spreading happiness is one's dharma. Together we can make this research unit one of the best in the whole world."

Talking about the importance of CyberPeace Education, Captain Vineet Kumar, Founder and President, CyberPeace Foundation, said, “The CyberPeace Foundation envisions creating a global CyberPeace ecosystem which is only possible with the active involvement of the young generation in understating, learning, working, and innovating in the field. I am glad and thankful to Poojya Gurudev and the Sri Sri University for their insight and understanding of the need of the hour to ensure a peaceful and resilient Cyberspace.”

Shri G. Asok Kumar, Additional Secretary and Mission Director, National Water Mission, MoWR, RD and GR, Govt. of India, has spoken about various methods and importance to conserve water.

Mr. Erik Solheim, Former Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and Former Minister of International Development and Environment, Norway said, Water management and environment are the most critical issues of our time. Mr. Solheim pointed out that water is precious for life and he applauded the initiative of Poojya Gurudev and The Art of Living to conserve water. He further stated that water is the most precious and important issue of the global community for climate change, be it melting of glacier in Himalayas and its effects on river systems of India, China, etc., the rise of sea level, cyclonic storm and extreme weather events. He applauded the commitment of Sri Sri Centre for Advanced Research in Water Resources and Environment Management to work in such an important domain to address the issues of water, agriculture and environment.

Mrs. Rajita Kulkarni, President, SSU delivered the welcome address and briefed about the various launches which were planned for the day, namely, Faculty of Emerging Technologies (First of its kind Faculty in India offering Industry integrated Programmes in line with National Education Policy 2020)

Department of Emerging Technologies

Sri Sri School of CyberPeace (World’s first School for cyberPeace in association with CyberPeace Foundation)

Sri Sri Centre for Advanced Research in Water Resources and Environment Management

Sri Sri Centre for Advanced Research in Kathak (SSCARK) (First and largest in the world)

Sri Sri Centre for Advanced Research in Bharatanatyam (Third in India)

Sri Sri Centre for Translation and Interpreting Studies (First in India)

Prof. Rabi Narayan Satpathy, Director, SSU shared the vision and mission of the Faculty of Emerging Technologies and the Sri Sri School of CyberPeace along with the list of 15 Programmes to be offered.

Speaking on the importance of classical dance form Kathak, the exponent Padma Shri Dr. Puru Dadheech credited Poojya Gurudev for his vision and co-operation in developing the Advanced research Centre for Kathak which can transform the youths through its rich heritage.

Dr. Sandhya Purecha, Director, Sri Sri Centre for Advanced Research in Bharatanatyam, which is third of its kind in the world, and Padma Vibhushan Saroja Vaidyanathan aspire for innovative research and exploring new talent in the field.

Prof. (Dr.) Sanghamitra Mohanty, Director, Sri Sri Centre for Advanced Research in Water Resources and Environment Management and Dr. Rindon Kundu, Director, Sri Sri Centre for Translation and Interpreting Studies spoke about the importance of the centers.

Ms. Gayatri Dhume, Head of Admissions and Promotions, SSU shared the list of new Programmes launched during the ceremony namely Master of Computer Applications (MCA), M. Sc. Computer Science-Artificial Intelligence, M. Sc.  Computer Science-Data Science, B. Sc. Exercise and Sports.