Saturday, March 20, 2021

SKF Unveils 3 New Automotive Aftermarket Products In Indian Market


 ·         New products enable SKF to meet customers’ evolving needs of  performance and value

·         Boasts of high quality & performance parameters in line with SKF quality standards

To address customer needs for improved durability and performance, SKF India’s Automotive Aftermarket division today announced the launch of three new products. Created to address the changing demands of customers across sectors in India, the new products including Chain and Sprockets for 2-Wheeler, Timing Belts and Steering and suspension systems for 4-wheelers. This range of new innovative products are of high quality, superior strength and deliver long life.

Commenting on the new offerings, S Venkat Subramaniam, Director Automotive Business SKF India Ltd. said, “These new Automotive aftermarket products demonstrates our dedication to understanding and fulfilling the needs of our customers. Designed to support the enhanced performance needs, these new products come with world class quality, which SKF is known for and aims to deliver great reliability and durability to vehicle owners of both two and four wheeler category. We believe that customer satisfaction is paramount and have been working on introducing new product lines that deliver the correct balance of performance and value to customers.”

Features and benefits:

Chain and Sprockets for 2 Wheeler

·         Hight quality

·         Low noise level

·         Superior strength

Timing Belts for 4 Wheelers

·         High strength and tensile cord

·         Resistant to heat and oil

·         High load-carrying capacity

Steering and suspension for 4 wheelers

·         Superior load carrying capability

·         High durability

·         long life

Building on our strong product experience and technical expertise, SKF is committed to innovate, apply fresh thinking, create new business models and use our skills, experience and resources to help customers meet their needs, today and in the future.

About SKF

SKF’s mission is to be the undisputed leader in the bearing business. SKF offers solutions around the rotating shaft, including bearings, seals, lubrication, condition monitoring, and maintenance services. SKF is represented in more than 130 countries and has around 17,000 distributor locations worldwide. Annual sales in 2019 were SEK 86,013 million and the number of employees was 43,360. www.skf.com

Legacy Of Lies At NET5 In English And 4 Indian Languages From April 2


Prime Original's Pvt Ltd,  a Bangalore based company which also owns a OTT platform NET5, enters into film distribution by having their first movie “Legacy of Lies“ starring Scot Adkins on April 2nd across India in the languages of English, Hindi, Tamil & Telugu.

Prime Original's is one such company though they have their own OTT platform NET5, Company prefer to release some of their action, blockbuster movies first in theatres then they want to show it on their platform.

Prime Original's are releasing their Movie “ Legacy of Lies” on April 2nd 2021.across India in English, Hindi, Telugu & Tamil

ABOUT LEGACY OF LIES :

Short Synopsis

Martin Baxter,an ex-MI6 agent is thrown back into the world of espionage and high stakes when Sasha Stepanenko, a beautiful Ukrainian journalist, seeks his help uncovering the shocking truth about operations conducted by the Russian Secret Service.

SYNOPSIS:

Ten years ago, a fatal misjudgement made MARTIN BAXTER resign MI6. Now he’s on his last legs, bouncing cheap night clubs and moving around Europe with his 12-year-old daughter LISA.

One night, Martin is approached by SASHA STEPANENKO, a young Ukrainian journalist who is determined to find the secret files that were at the heart of Martin's failure as a secret agent.  Martin refuses to help her, afraid to be thrown back into the world of espionage and high stakes.

But then, as Martin exits his house, two men in familiar black suits are waiting for him. When he comes to, he sees TATYANA, an agent of the Russian Secret Service and his daughter Lisa. Tatyana gives Martin an ultimatum: or he will bring her the files and Sasha, or his daughter will disappear. The ex-MI6 agent has 24 hours to complete his mission…

Cast & Crew details :

·         Director: Adrian Bol

·         Writer: Adrian Bol

·         Stars: Scott Adkins, Anna Butkevich, Yuliia Sobol

Release date : APRIL 2ND 2021

Youtube trailer link

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPad7MVbtM8&feature=youtu.be&ab_channel=Net5

The Web App can be accessed at https://net5.in , the Android version can be downloaded from Google Playstore (Net5) and the iOS version can be downloaded from Apple Appstore (Net5). The social media channels can be followed searching for ‘net5India’ across Youtube, Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin & Twitter.

About Prime Original's

Prime Originals Pvt. Ltd. is a company owned and operated by Bengaluru based businessman with interest in various business verticals. The group is a diversified and a large group in Bengaluru.

About NET5

NET5 is an online video streaming platform owned, operated and managed by Prime Originals Private Limited. Content that stream on NET5 constitutes movies, web series, documentaries and other in demand world cinema across multiple languages..

Friday, March 19, 2021

Vi Customers Can Now Pay Bills And Do Recharges On Virtual Service BOT (VIC) Also On WhatsApp

 


Continuing with its focus on digital first experience, Vi has introduced another industry first service for its customers enabling them to conveniently do their recharges and pay bills anywhere, anytime. Vi customers can now enjoy on the spot seamless payments and recharges through its AI powered Virtual Agent VIC on its Digital Assets and also on WhatsApp.

Vi postpaid and prepaid customers can now avail this personalised digital payments service which works across all payment gateways / UPI. Vi prepaid customers can recharge with any prepaid pack instantly in just two clicks from the Virtual Agent VIC, including WhatsApp.

This initiative is in line with Vi’s intent to make its customer’s life simpler, faster and provide a personalized user experience on digital payments. In addition, this personalized user experience on Digital Payments aligns with the evolution of mobile-based consumer behavior and drives a healthy adoption.

Last year, Vi became the first operator to introduce Service ChatBot VIC on WhatsApp – a revolutionary AI-powered digital customer service and support virtual assistant. VIC enables Vi customers to get instant response on a host of service requirements including bill payments, recharges, VAS, plan activation, new connection, data balance, bill requests and much more. VIC is intuitive, simple-to-use, secure and allows customers to converse with Vi by leveraging the power of AI.

Vi users will receive a link via SMS to make their payments and recharges using VIC or can experience the same by sending Hi on our VIC number 96542 97000.

About Vi:

Vodafone Idea Limited is an Aditya Birla Group and Vodafone Group partnership. It is India’s leading telecom service provider. The Company provides pan India Voice and Data services across 2G, 3G and 4G platform. With the large spectrum portfolio to support the growing demand for data and voice, the company is committed to deliver delightful customer experiences and contribute towards creating a truly ‘Digital India’ by enabling millions of citizens to connect and build a better tomorrow. The Company is developing infrastructure to introduce newer and smarter technologies, making both retail and enterprise customers future ready with innovative offerings, conveniently accessible through an ecosystem of digital channels as well as extensive on-ground presence.

The Company is listed on National Stock Exchange (NSE) and Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) in India.

The company offers products and services to its customers in India under the TM Brand name “Vi”.

Ookla® - the global leader in broadband testing and web-based network diagnostic applications, has verified Vi, based on analysis of Speedtest Intelligence® data as the fastest 4G network pan-India in Oct to Dec ’20.

Lava Revolutionizes e-Education With A Range Of Tablets For students



Indian mobile handset brand, Lava International Limited, announced the launch of its latest student-centric tablets. The series has been developed specifically to support online education. Priced between Rs. 9000- 15000, this series has three different screen sizes to choose from.

Lava’s e-Education series has 3 Tablets- Magnum XL, Aura & Ivory. All these three devices come with a big screen size, powerful battery and superior audio quality which renders an uninterrupted learning experience for students. The tablets are exclusively available for purchase on Flipkart, starting today.

“The biggest challenge for children and their parents is effective integration of technology with the current education needs for a unified learning experience. With these new products we hope that we are able to help ease their development even in this COVID time. Learning can be done easily from home, and features like big battery support long study hours without the discomfort of charging your device after each class.” said Sunil Raina, President & Business Head, Lava International Limited..

Lava Magnum XL comes with a big screen size of 10.1 inches and a powerful 6100 mAh battery. The screen has a IPS LCD display with 390 nits of brightness so that tender eyes are protected while their study online. It has a 2MP front camera and 5 MP rear camera as well. The tablet has an internal storage of 32 GB which is further expandable up to 256 GB. Powered by MediaTek 2GHz quad core processor, Lava Magnum XL comes in dark grey shade and metallic finish that makes it look stunning and a class apart. The device is priced at Rs 15,499.

Lava Aura comes with a screen size of 8 inches and a long lasting 5100 mAh battery. The tablet comes with 32GB internal storage which is expandable upto 256GB, 8 MP rear camera and 5 MP front camera. Lava Aura also comes with a metallic finish and a MediaTek 2GHz quad core processor. The tablet is priced at Rs 12,999.

Lava Ivory comes with a screen size of 7 inches. This compact device comes with a unique textured hairbrush finish on the back. With an internal store of 16GB and an expandable capacity of up to 256 GB, it gives an option to store diverse data files. Due to its handy size, this tab also acts a perfect outdoor companion. Device has a 5MP primary camera and a 2MP Selfie camera and is priced at Rs 9499.

Tejinder Singh, Head- Product, Lava International Limited said, “Education sector witnessed a huge disruption due to the pandemic. Students were suddenly dependent on their parent’s device for their classes. This new series of Lava devices have been specially designed to address requirements of students and are affordably priced for parents. With new age learning, online education will always be an integral part of global education system, and these devices are designed to become the perfect companion for your child’s big dreams.”

In an effort to support students further with online education, Lava has partnered with EduSaksham to offer free courses* along with the entire range of Tablets. This partnership with EduSaksham has made Lava Tablets education driven, enabling students to utilize the device to support learning in all forms and formats, ranging from online classes as well as other mediums of learning like education oriented YouTube channels and E-Books etc.

Accenture Q2 Result Sees Strong Growth; Raises FY21 Guidance


Q2FY21 revenue beats estimates on the back of double-digit growth in outsourcing business: Accenture's (ACN) revenues rose 8.5% YoY to USD12.1bn (5% in local currency), well ahead of its guided range of USD11.55bn to USD11.95bn. A decline in revenues from reimbursable travel costs affected revenue growth by ~2%. ACN's revenue growth returned to the pre-Covid level in Q2, a quarter ahead of its expectations. ACN has seen strong, broad-based demand across industries, services and geographic markets, resulting in an all-round beat in the overall operating performance and strong order booking. After falling for three quarters, consulting revenues grew 4.3% YoY to USD6.4bn (1% in local currency; including ~3% impact from a decline in revenues from reimbursable travel costs). Outsourcing revenues maintained strong momentum with 13.7% YoY growth at USD5.7bn (11% in local currency). New bookings stood at an all-time high of USD16bn (12.7% YoY, book-to-bill 1.3x), with consulting bookings of USD8bn (12.2% YoY, book-to-bill 1.2x) and outsourcing bookings of USD8bn (13.3% YoY, book-to-bill 1.4x). Operating margin expanded by 30bps to 13.7%. Utilization increased to 94% in Q2 (vs. 93% in Q1 and 91% in Q2FY20). Attrition inched up to 12% in Q2 vs. 9% in Q1. It added 22,365 net employees during the quarter.

■    Health & Public Services and Financial Services lead growth: Growth in Q2 was driven by Health & Public Services (14% in local currency) and Financial Services (10% in local currency). Communication, Media & Technology maintained its growth momentum and recorded 9% YoY growth in local currency (vs. 3% in Q1FY21). Products also returned to growth, up 2% YoY in local currency. Resources remained weak and fell 7% YoY in local currency. The company expects to sustain broad-based growth momentum and expects Resources' growth trajectory to improve.

■    FY21 guidance further raised to 6.5%-8.5%: ACN raised its revenue growth guidance for FY21 to 6.5%-8.5% in local currency from 4%-6% previously. The guidance continues to assume about 1% negative impact from a decline in revenues from reimbursable travel costs. The operating margin is expected to expand by 30-40bps to 15%-15.1% (earlier 14.8%-15%). ACN expects Q3FY21 revenues to be in the range of USD12.55-12.95bn, up 10%-13% YoY in local currency. The company expects OCF and FCF to be in the range of USD7.65-8.15bn and USD7-7.5bn, respectively.

■    Earnings call takeaways: Management noted that ACN has returned to the pre-pandemic growth trajectory, a quarter ahead of their expectations, while continuing to expand market share faster than the pre-Covid rate. Revised guidance factored in better than expected H1 and sustained growth momentum in H2. ~50% of ACN's revenues came from seven industries that were less impacted by the pandemic and in aggregate grew in low double digits in Q2. The severely affected industries, namely Travel, Retail, Energy, High-Tech (including Aerospace and Defense) and Industrial (collectively ~20% of revenues) reported improvement in revenue growth and posted a mid-single digit decline in Q2 (vs. double-digit decline in Q1). ACN signed deals worth over USD100mn with 18 clients in Q2. The company spent ~USD1.1bn on 19 acquisitions in H1 and increased its M&A budget to at least USD2bn for FY21 (from ~USD1.7bn). It expects M&A to contribute ~2.5% to revenue growth in FY21 (earlier ~2%). The company announced a one-time bonus, equal to one week of base pay, for all employees below managing director.

■    Read-through for Indian IT peers: ACN's strong Q2 performance and second-time upward revision in FY21 revenue growth guidance (from 2-5% in early FY21; 4-6% at Q1-end) reflect strength in demand, particularly in outsourcing. A broad-based demand recovery and sustained growth momentum in revenue/order booking of the outsourcing business augur well for Indian IT peers. The Nifty IT index rose ~9%/~28%/~116% in last 3M/6M/12M. Strong demand environment, sustained acceleration in revenue growth and robust order booking should support higher valuations, in our views. We prefer INFO, HCLT and TECHM among Tier 1 companies.

First Advantage Launches Vendor Screening Solution For Empanelment Of Vendors Across Indian Market


* Helps minimize company’s potential risk by screening current and prospective agencies, customers, vendors and suppliers

First Advantage, India’s leading Background Screening firm, announced the launch of Vendor Screening solution for pre- and post-screening services for empanelment of vendors.

Vendors have a pivotal role in the growth of an organization and in many cases represent the  face of a brand to its consumers and audience. Lack of vendor screening can lead to unwanted consequences like law suits due to wrong partnerships, potential fraud and abuse, financial failure leading to breach of contract which can result in serious ramifications on a company’s public image.

Vendor Screening solution from First Advantage delivers complete view of third party’s risk profile and helps minimize a company’s potential liability by screening its current agencies, prospective customers, vendors and suppliers. It also helps businesses take decisions to expand operations by verifying vendor’s credentials.

Vendor Screening solution from First Advantage includes:

* Company verification Online Research

* Company verification site visit

* TAN Validation

* Validation of Certificate of Incorporation

* Court Record Research

* Address Verification

* India Database checks

* Global Database checks

Speaking on the launch, Amit Singh, Head Commercial of First Advantage India says, “For any organization, checking a vendor’s credentials, as well as those of its owners is an essential practice before providing a vendor access to business assets, facilities and workforce. This may protect a company from downtime besides potential loss in revenue and future liability. Vendor Screening Solution launched by First Advantage serves to reduce  risk and enhances  employees, client & brand safety, reveal a company’s past performance trends, history & reputation and deliver quality verification with faster turnaround time.”

For more details log in towww.fadv.co.in.

About First Advantage

First Advantage is a winning combination of searches and service that provides insights to reduce risk while improving the quality of the talent and the reliability of the renters, standing out in the tech industry as a whole. First Advantage achieves success through innovation – whether that means innovative product development or enhancement to the candidate experience. Powering this through agile transformation, robotic process automation, artificial intelligence, block chain, products for the next generation employees – monitoring, fraud, facial recognition, and many others.

As a trusted partner to over 35,000 organizations, First Advantage has offices in 25 locations across 15 countries and conducts 75 million international background screens.

Rapido Releases New Campaign #GoOhhWithRapido, Highlighting Ways To Beat Traffic


* Looks to bring awareness to the customers on the benefits of using Rapido service

* Highlights different use cases to show Rapido’s edge to manoeuvre through any situation and make users reach their destinations

* The company has invested a whopping INR 40 Cr. for the campaign’s production and success

Rapido, India’s largest bike taxi platform, today announced the launch of its new 360-degree marketing campaign #GoOhhWithRapido, that highlights the benefits of using the Rapido service, especially if you are a peak hour traveller. The campaign goes live across the country with a special focus on top metros like Bangalore, Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Guwahati and Kolkata. The campaign aims to drive awareness of the advantages of using a bike taxi.

The ad campaign is a rap that takes the consumers through four use cases - aimed at establishing the key pillars of Rapido – Convenience, Affordability, Accessibility and Availability.

In the first case, a young man at the end of his patience waiting for the public transport to arrive, books a Rapido bike service, that arrives in two minutes, which does not only make him but everyone standing at the stop, #GoOhhWithRapido and at its accessibility. The second use case shows a woman getting out of the metro and availing an already available Rapido, making her #GoOhhWithRapido and its availability. The third use case is Rapido helping an employee, who is late for office, reach the office 10 minutes earlier, making the employee and the office security guard and colleagues #GoOhhWithRapido and the convenience it provides while travelling through traffic. The fourth use case show cases a husband reaching home from office on time and at an affordable rate that makes the couple #GoOhhWithRapido.

Announcing the campaign, Amit Verma, Head of Marketing, Rapido, said, “With everyday commuters looking for a safe and affordable option to commute to work in every city, our objective is to increase the awareness about the many advantages that a bike taxi ride provides.  #GoOhhWithRapido is our initiative   to urge viewers to choose an efficient way for everyday commuting. We hope that commuters no more wait for long hours for their commute or feel the need to haggle with drivers to reach their destination and simply book a ride that make them reach their destination, in the most efficient and safe manner.”

The campaign was conceptualised and brought to life by Enormous Brands and was produced by Cinephilia. The rap was sung by the music director, Aman Pant. Rapido recently announced a $20Mn budget for this year’s bullish focus on its marketing efforts and has spent INR 40 crore for the campaign, including media and production costs. 

With the market slowly moving towards normalcy consumers stepping out to travel to work, Rapido aims to put its best efforts to ramp up brand awareness and acquire new users, along with a focus on enhancing in-app user experience. 

Tata Motors Introduces The Magic Express Ambulance; Forays Into Compact Ambulance Segment

 


Key Highlights:

* Compliant with AIS 125 government norms for ambulance category

* Compact dimensions with easy manoeuvrability in city driving conditions

* Can accommodate 5 attendants, apart from the patient and the driver

* After sales assurance through Sampoorna Seva 2.0 and driver benefits under the Tata Samarth program

* The only manufacturer in the country to offer a multitude of patient transport solutions

Tata Motors, India’s largest commercial vehicle manufacturer, introduces the Magic Express patient transport ambulance, designed specifically for healthcare mobility in the economy ambulance segment. The Magic Express Ambulance is designed to support medical and health related services, which assumes significance especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. The compact dimensions of the vehicle enables easy manoeuvrability on Indian roads, resulting in speedy movement of patients requiring emergency care, thereby saving lives. It is ergonomically designed to provide sufficient space, safety and comfort for the patient and the attendants, while being fully compliant to AIS 125 norms.

Commenting on the occasion, Mr. Vinay Pathak, Vice President, Product Line, SCV & PU, Tata Motors said, “With the introduction of the Magic Express Ambulance, Tata Motors fulfils its commitment to provide the best healthcare mobility solutions. Tata Motors has been working closely with the medical fraternity to understand the requirements, and we have tailor-made a vehicle that perfectly ticks all the boxes when it comes to patient transportation. With the introduction of the new segment, Tata Motors now offers a wide range of solutions in the ambulance segment, with affordable, reliable and regulation-compliant ambulances.”

Tata Motors is the only manufacturer in the country to offer a wide range of healthcare solutions; the affordable Magic Express Ambulance, the Tata Winger Ambulance; serving the healthcare segment for various customised medical needs: basic life support, advanced life support, and the multi-stretcher 410/29 Ambulance.

The Magic Express Ambulance comes with the essential equipment including an auto-loading stretcher, medical cabinet, provision for an oxygen cylinder, doctor’s seat and fire extinguisher along with internal lighting, flame resistant interiors and an announcement system. The ambulance is equipped with AIS 125 certified retro reflective decals and a beacon light with a siren. The driver and patient compartments are separated by a partition wall, which increases safety, especially while transporting COVID-19 patients. It’s powered by best-in-class 800cc TCIC engine, which delivers 44hp of power and 110Nm of torque. Moreover, with its robust build, it requires minimum upkeep, gives a superior performance and offers low cost of ownership, making it a hassle-free vehicle.

It leverages the highly successful Magic platform, which has been a benchmark of India’s last-mile public transport sector for the past 13 years. In addition, the Tata Magic ambulance is engineered keeping in mind Tata Motors’ ‘Power of 6’ philosophy, which promises superior profitability, vehicle performance, driving comfort, convenience and connectivity, along with safety – all with a lower total cost of ownership (TCO). The Magic Express Ambulance is an ideal vehicle for customer segments like hospitals, nursing homes, government health departments, health NGOs or start-ups who are a part of the Indian healthcare ecosystem. The Tata Motors SCV passenger range comes with a warranty of 2 years / 72000 kilometres.

Tata Motors also extends various vehicle care programs, fleet management solutions, annual maintenance packages and resale for commercial vehicles under the Sampoorna Seva 2.0 initiative. Some of the standout features of these bouquet of benefits are Tata Alert offering 24x7 roadside assistance for all vehicles under warranty, Tata Kavach ensures that all accidental vehicles insured under Tata Motors Insurance are repaired within 15 days, and a service turnaround time guarantee under Tata Zippy to ensure maximum uptime.

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.

Breathe Out Exam Stress In India With Headspace Minis On Snapchat


A stack of rough notes, sample test papers, and fresh stationery describe a student who is gearing up for exams. Stress and anxiety is inevitable and it’s important to keep calm and de-stress from time to time ahead of your exam day. It is also important to keep a close check on your friends as well to ensure they are relaxed and in a better frame of mind to give their best shot. For those seeking peace, meditation can help in many ways from relaxing your mind to help you focus better.

If pressed on time and unable to meet your friends in person, we recommend trying three Headspace mini-meditations on Snapchat that will help you and your friends feel relaxed instantly together.

●  Kick The Panic - this meditation set will allow you to recognize your fear and help you overcome feelings of panic and anxiety leaving you feeling refreshed

●  Just Breathe - when trying to keep up with practice sets and revising your lessons, it's important to take a moment and catch your breath. Just Breathe will help you make your study breaks more productivity by focusing on your breathing.

●  Me Time - as the name suggests, the meditation will help you disconnect from your routine for a couple of minutes and will allow you to bounce back feeling refreshed

The Headspace Mini on Snapchat was launched to provide a safe space for friends to practice meditation. In its first month of being live, over 5 million Snapchatters engaged with the Headspace Mini.

Johnson Controls-Hitachi Air Conditioning India Introduces Exclusive ‘Hitachi Home’ In Chandigarh And Panchkula Market


* State Of the Art ‘Hitachi Home’ aims to be a One Stop Shop for consumers seeking for company’s inspired designs and innovations in Air Conditioning & Refrigerators

* Hitachi bullish on market expansion, channel strengthening, new line up and new store openings to beat the heat this summers for the consumers in Punjab

Johnson Controls - Hitachi Air Conditioning India Limited, the joint venture company of Johnson Controls and Hitachi Appliances, Japan and manufacturer of India’s one of the premium air-conditioner brand ‘Hitachi’ is bullish and all set to seize the market leadership position in Punjab. The company has announced its aggressive expansion plans to scale up its channel partner network and strategic alliances in the promising air conditioner market of Punjab. In its endeavor to offer ultimate product experience, ease and comfort to its consumers, the company has also opened two exclusive Hitachi brand outlets called as ‘Hitachi Home’ in Chandigarh and Panchkula. ‘Hitachi Home’ is aimed to be a one-stop-shop for consumers of the region to experience the stunning designs, pathbreaking innovations and product solutions in residential air conditioning from Hitachi under one roof.

The company has also announced the launch of its super exciting range of new-age Room Air Conditioners for 2021. Hitachi Cooling and Heating India is offering a wide range of 30+ models and 90+ SKUs in Room AC category which caters to the ever-evolving need of Indian customers’ in both residential and light commercial spaces for their home, villas shops, boutiques , offices etc.

Inspired by nature and its Japanese roots, the new aesthetically appealing and premium looking product lineup includes Hitachi Cooling and Heating’s first ever ambience light introduced for Indian market. With the change in set temperature of AC, the Ambience light lets you know the ambience around you. Blue colour of ambience light means it’s a cool ambience and similarly Green colour & red colour of ambience light indicates comfort and warm ambience around you. Hitachi Cooling and Heating India’s new stunning ‘iconic wave design’ is inspired by naturally existing wave form and fusion line is inspired by the Japanese Kintsugi art. The company has also introduced new airCloud Home app for its Wi-Fi enabled ACs with smart geo fencing feature and voice command and a plethora of other futuristic air conditioning products and technologies.

Johnson Controls-Hitachi Air Conditioning India Ltd. has partnered with Electronic Centre, Chandigarh’s leading consumer electronics store to open exclusive ‘Hitachi Home’ retail outlet in Sector 35-B,Chandigarh. The new ‘Hitachi Home’ retail outlet in Sector-16, Panchkula is in partnership with New Bansal Electronics.

Inaugurating ‘Hitachi Home’ in Chandigarh, Mr. Gurmeet Singh, Chairman and Managing Director, Johnson Controls - Hitachi Air Conditioning India Limited said, “Our expansion and expropriation strategy focuses on investing in brand building, development of energy efficient products, strengthening our channel network and improving our post sale services. Hitachi is committed to set new consumer satisfaction milestones with its best in class products and solutions. Our innovations are developed keeping consumer needs in mind, because at Hitachi ‘New begins with you’.”

“Liaising with our channel partners is on the top of our priority list and we value their contribution and support in our mutual growth. Electronic Centre in Chandigarh and New Bansal Electronics in Panchkula are our proud category Channel Partners with a strong hold in their respective markets. It is our constant endeavour to respect and value such partners as they play a vital role in our journey”, Mr. Singh further added.

Talking about the partnership, Mr. Arun Goel, MD, Electronic Centre, Chandigarh said, “Since last 40 years, Electronic Centre in Chandigarh is seamlessly offering great products of high quality brands to its customers. We have a long and enriching association with Hitachi Cooling and Heating and we are very happy to start this new journey with the brand. The state-of-the-art experience zone at ‘Hitachi Home’ will have a unique product display area showcasing Hitachi’s diverse product line up of residential cooling solutions. These products will be at live display for a better understanding of the consumers.”

Hitachi currently has a strong nationwide distribution network. It currently consists of over 10,000 sales points and more than 290 exclusive sales and service partners. In a drive to become country’s most preferred air conditioning brand, the company with its good market share and high brand recall in the top 20 metro cities is now focusing on expanding its reach with deeper penetration in Tier 2 and 3 cities and towns.

Mr. Ravi Bansal, Owner, New Bansal Electronics, Panchkula said, “Our long association and experience with Hitachi has been very satisfying and enriching. It has provided the best platform for us to excel in the fast growing residential and commercial cooling segment. Customers at Panchkula are very progressive and demand best quality products. We are confident that our new and exclusive ‘Hitachi Home’ in Panchkula will empower our customers by giving them the opportunity to own a Hitachi with pride over other run of the mill air conditioning brands.”

Hitachi Cooling and Heating aims to reach every Indian household and become India’s leading air conditioning brand with its innovative product range, best in class indigenous manufacturing facilities, world-class R&D facility and a continuous endeavor to give its customers a better post sales service experience. The company has aggressive plans to promote and push ‘Made in India' ACs and aims to reduce its component imports to almost to half and increase exports three folds in the next three years.

About Johnson Controls-Hitachi Air Conditioning India Limited:

Johnson Controls-Hitachi Air Conditioning India Limited is a joint venture company of Johnson Controls, US and Hitachi Appliances, Japan. Through this joint venture, we have combined the rich heritage and innovative technology of Hitachi with the industry-leading expertise and a global network of Johnson Controls. The partnership is aimed at addressing the cooling needs faster, smarter and much more efficiently than ever before. Our customers will stand to benefit from our world-class R&D centres, where our researchers work tirelessly to provide innovative solutions and quality products that are designed to meet every expectation. Johnson Controls – Hitachi Air Conditioning Company has global presence, out of which India unit is called “Johnson Controls-Hitachi Air Conditioning India Limited”

Johnson Controls-Hitachi Air Conditioning India Limited manufactures a wide range of products under Hitachi brand, such as room air-conditioners (Split & Window ACs) to commercial air-conditioners including Chiller, Cassette Air conditioners, Ductable air-conditioners & VRF systems. Our company is not just limited to making air conditioners but also, into trading of Refrigerators.

Johnson Controls-Hitachi Air Conditioning India Limited’s headquarter is situated in Ahmedabad, Gujarat with manufacturing plant in Kadi, Gujarat. Johnson Controls-Hitachi Air Conditioning India Limited is amongst the top air-conditioning companies in India..

ekincare Drives COVID Vaccination For The Indian Corporates


ekincare, one of India’s leading employee healthcare management companies, announced the initiation of COVID vaccinations for employees and their dependents from March 8th, 2021. The vaccination drive is being streamlined to address technical issues with Co-Win and is carried out with 100% compliance with government directives.

ekincare, along with its various trusted healthcare partners including NU Hospitals, Kauvery Hospitals, Sahyadri Hospitals and 1 mg, to name a few, is rolling out the vaccine at all the major metro cities, with additional locations pan-India to be added in a phased manner. The vaccination schedule began from March 8th, 2021 to start inoculating employees’ at-risk family members, including senior citizens.

ekincare has proven experience with inoculation drives, having administered over 10,000 vaccines in the past 3 months for 25 client companies. Along with this, it is the single largest POC for pan-India coverage, with more than 25 currently operational centers with plans to expand to over a 100 more locations across the country. ekincare also provides 24/7 doctor support in case of emergencies or adverse effects from the vaccine, making it one of India’s most trusted healthcare management firms. Using the ekincare app, employers can track their employees’ health and address any health-related concerns that might arise amongst the workforce and with its 24/7 doctor support and self-health tracking, the app allows employees to manage their own health needs from one unified app.

Kiran Kalakuntla, CEO of ekincare said, “Early adoption of employee vaccination can improve employee morale, alleviate risks of COVID infection and provide peace of mind, leading to easier transition to carrying out business at the workplace again. We are working closely with the hospitals, corporates and following all Government of India protocols to ensure smooth running of this exercise.”

COVID-19 Vaccination Execution Plan – Current Phase:

While ekincare has listed a few major metro locations to begin with, the list is expected to grow up to 100 in the next phase once diagnostic centers are allowed to. The vaccination can be administered at home (including dependents) or at office premises or at a partner location where ekincare takes care of cold chain logistics and stock management across defined locations altogether.

Also, they ensure availability of family doctors for remote monitoring of health in case of any adverse effects wherein employees can initiate a doctor chat in case of any health issues 24/7.

Awareness Generation & Compliance Management: ekincare extensively takes care of navigating through the government compliance management (as per GOI protocols from time to time) and also helps drive awareness of the initiative for the employees including administration of the second dose, So, whenever the second dose would be due for a customer, the ekincare team will reach out and schedule inoculation for them.

Holding a profound experience in inoculation with over 10,000 vaccines administered in the last 3 months and being the single POC for pan-India coverage along with ensuring 100% compliance with any upcoming government regulations makes ekincare the best Industry leader in employee health benefits, trusted by 250+ clients.

Successful implementation of vaccines in the past

With experience of handling vaccinations like Typhoid, Flu, etc. across multiple clients, both on-site and at home, ekincare is ready to ensure your employees are safe and have the smoothest experience with the COVID vaccine as well.

For BFSI and Agri clients with 14,000+ and 5000+ employees respectively, ekincare has set up on-site camps during flu season at 13 locations and covered over 1700+ employees in total. Additional 2500+ and 700+ employees each were vaccinated in these drives using at-home inoculation in 15 cities.

About ekincare:

Founded by Kiran Kalakuntla and Srikanth Samudrala, ekincare is a health benefits platform that helps companies administer benefits efficiently, optimize their healthcare spends and show real health outcomes. ekincare’s patent-pending AI powered health assistant reads medical data from disparate data sets to create a health graph, predicts health risks, and provides timely personalised recommendations to beat those risks.

Shapoorji Pallonji Real Estate Launches New Phase Of Parkwest In Binnypet, Central Bengaluru


After the successful launch of Phase 3, Shapoorji Pallonji Real Estate, one of India’s most trusted real estate brands, has announced the launch of a “new phase at its luxury residential project Parkwest” in Binnypet, Central Bengaluru. The new phase will have around 440 efficiently designed luxury apartments with configurations of 1 BHK, 2 BHK, 2.5 BHK and 3 BHK, ranging from 462.10 sq.ft. to 1185.07 sq.ft. 

The residences are available between the price range of Rs 72 lakh to Rs 2.06 crore onwards.   

The estimated cost of constructing this new phase will be around Rs 300 crore. 

In three phases, the company had launched over 1900 apartments which are almost sold out. It has also delivered more than 700 apartments of Phase 1 as per the timeline.  

Commenting on the launch, Mr. Venkatesh Gopalakrishnan, Chief Executive Officer at Shapoorji Pallonji Real Estate, “We have witnessed a steady demand for spacious luxury homes in the last few months which indicates a shift in the post-pandemic consumer behaviour in Bengaluru market. Leveraging this shift and latent demand, we have planned to launch new phase, believing this is the right time to bring best products to the central Bengaluru micro-market.”  

“Given the current scenario, customers look forward to assurance from trusted brands to reimpose their faith in buying a home and we are confident that Parkwest will not only deliver but exceed customers’ expectations of luxury living,” Mr. Gopalkrishnan further added.  

Spread across 46 acres of development in lively Binnypet and nestled in a serene environment amidst lush greenery, Parkwest is one of the largest luxury residential developments in Central Bengaluru. The luxury residential project offers spacious homes with large deck, ample sunlight, fresh air and breath-taking views.  

The newly launched phase, named Parkwest 2.0, will have a state-of-the-art Clubhouse, infinity-edge pool, pet park, adventure play area, BBQ deck, Zen garden, senior citizens pavilion, cricket pitch, themed gardens, sandpit, treehouse, spa, gymnasium, jogging track, tennis court, basketball court, squash court, table tennis, amphitheatre, restaurant, reading corner, multi-purpose sports arena etc.  

Parkwest’s appeal lies not just in the thoughtfully planned apartments but also in the abundant open spaces that come with the project in the city centre. It is one of the largest luxury residential gated communities in the centre of the city. It offers modern lifestyle amenities that includes Club Uno – a 5200 sq. mt. clubhouse with premium amenities like swimming pool, 2 squash courts, multipurpose court, table tennis, cards room, gym, restaurant, banquet hall, salon, spa and guest rooms. The company has already delivered the clubhouse with Phase 1.  

Located at Binnypet, in the heart of Bengaluru, the project is within easy reach from Metro Station, Majestic Bus Stand and City Railway Station. Parkwest ensures the best for residents, offering easy access to the Central Business District, shopping malls, schools, hospitals, commercial complexes, restaurants and entertainment options. 

Shapoorji Pallonji Real Estate has a development pipeline of over 80 million sq. ft and is looking to double its top line in the next 2 to 3 years. It is one of the top five real estate developers in India by sale. 

About SPRE  

Shapoorji Pallonji Real Estate is a well-regarded, reputed player in the Indian real estate sector owing to cutting-edge design innovation, construction quality and architectural excellence. It constitutes a significant segment of the Shapoorji Pallonji Group – an enormous multi-business conglomerate. The group has a 155-year legacy that bridges the earliest celebrated structures of India and the modern marvels. Shapoorji Pallonji Real Estate has made inroads into most Indian cities – Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore, Gurugram and Kolkata - with a variety of developments from luxury apartments, opulent residences to aspirational homes for mid-income homebuyers as well as one of the largest mass housing projects in India. 

Thursday, March 18, 2021

METRO Cash & Carry India To Cover COVID-19 Vaccination Cost For All Its Employees Across The Country


* Plans to inoculate over 14000 direct and indirect employees based out of all its 28 stores in India

* The COVID-19 vaccination drive will cover all on-roll, contractual staff, security personnel, drivers, promoters, porters and loaders

METRO Cash & Carry, India’s leading wholesaler and food specialist, will be covering the COVID- 19 vaccination cost for its entire workforce in India. Supporting Government of India’s COVID-19 vaccination drive, the company has decided to cover the COVID-19 inoculation cost of over 14000 direct and indirect employees, including contractual staff, security personnel, porters, loaders, working across its 28 stores in India.  

As part of the ongoing vaccination drive, METRO has facilitated voluntary vaccination of employees above the age of 45 with specified comorbidities as laid out by Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The company is partnering with industry bodies and other authorities to conduct the immunization program. The benefit will be extended to the rest of the employees as and when the government rolls out the next phase of the vaccination drive. The current initiative is in addition to the regular health insurance cover that is provided by the company to all its employees.

Speaking about the initiative, Mr. Arvind Mediratta, MD & CEO, METRO Cash& Carry India said, ‘At METRO, we prioritize the health, safety and well- being of our entire employee ecosystem. During the pandemic, our employees have braved odds and shown tremendous courage to report to work, and have been working diligently to ensure uninterrupted supplies to all our business customers, especially the kiranas. Covering their vaccination cost is a small way to express our gratitude to them for their resilience and selfless service throughout this phase. While the choice of opting for the vaccination is voluntary as per employees’ discretion, currently it is one of the effective means to fight the pandemic, and we are encouraging employees to opt for it.  

He further added, ‘The pandemic has also reiterated the true value of the presence of small shops and kiranas in our neighborhood. It is important that government of India acknowledges the contribution of the kirana community along with the retail employees during the pandemic; and recognize them as ‘frontline workers’, as they have been serving the nation tirelessly despite being vulnerable to the risk of infection. They should be prioritized in the ongoing vaccination drive.”

About METRO Cash & Carry

METRO is a leading international wholesale company with food and non-food assortments that specializes in serving the needs of hotels, restaurants and caterers (HoReCa) as well as independent traders. Around the world, METRO has some 16 million customers who can choose whether to shop in one of the large-format stores, order online and collect their purchases at the store or have them delivered. METRO in addition also supports the competitiveness of entrepreneurs and own businesses with digital solutions and thereby contributes to cultural diversity in retail and hospitality. Sustainability is a key pillar of METRO’s business. The company operates in 34 countries and employs more than 97,000 people worldwide. In financial year 2019/20, METRO generated sales of €25.6 billion.

METRO Cash & Carry entered the Indian market in 2003. The company currently operates twenty-eight wholesale distribution centres under the brand METRO Wholesale including six in Bangalore, four in Hyderabad, two each in Mumbai and Delhi, and one each in Kolkata, Jaipur, Jalandhar, Zirakpur, Amritsar, Vijayawada, Ahmedabad, Surat, Indore, Lucknow, Meerut, Nasik, Ghaziabad and Tumakuru.  For further information, log on to www.METRO.co.in  

The Circular Economy Can Help Reduce Vehicle Lifetime Emissions By Upto 75% by 2030: Accenture and the World Economic Forum


* The automotive industry must take swift action now to decarbonize and prepare for increased mobility demands

The adoption of circular economy practices combined with accelerated electrification in the automotive industry has the potential to reduce carbon emissions by up to 75% and non-circular resource consumption by up to 80% per mile by 2030, according to a report from Accenture (NYSE: ACN), the World Economic Forum, and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development.

The report, “Raising Ambitions: A new roadmap for the automotive circular economy,” is based on an Accenture analysis that finds mobility demand — in terms of both passenger miles and predicted vehicle stock — is expected to increase 70% globally by 2030. The automotive industry can prepare for this demand, while also decarbonizing to contribute to limiting global warming to less than 1.5°C, by achieving circularity through the lens of energy, water, waste, materials, vehicle lifetime and use.

“Circular economy can not only help to serve the growing mobility demands of our country but also help in reducing resource consumption to a level that is truly sustainable. As the fourth largest automotive market in the world, the recent sustainable guidelines announced by the Government of India such as voluntary vehicle scrapping policy for subsidizing scrappage of old vehicles, implementation of BS-VI emission norms and FAME II policy to incentivize and fund EV manufacturing, ushers in the next era of circular cars. To achieve circularity, automotive companies need to embrace a consistent and holistic approach leveraging best-in-class technology tools that requires collaboration with the broader ecosystem over the coming years,” said Raghu Gullapalli, Managing Director and Lead APAC and Middle East for Industrial & Mobility, Accenture.

“Circular cars will be a key building block to serve the growing mobility demand, while at the same time reducing resource consumption and carbon emissions to a level that is truly sustainable,” said Axel Schmidt, a senior managing director at Accenture who leads its Automotive industry group globally. “While many vehicle manufacturers have already set net-zero goals toward carbon neutrality, the roadmap for automotive circularity must be a core element of this transformation and ambition.”

According to the report, circularity in the automotive ecosystem can be accomplished through four key transformation pathways:

Achieve net-zero carbon emissions across the whole vehicle lifecycle (e.g., low-carbon materials and assembly, integration with energy grid.).

Enable resource recovery and close material loops (e.g., end-of-life disassembly and reverse logistics, electric vehicle battery recycling).

Increase the lifetime of the vehicle and its components (e.g., subscription-based ownership, re-use and remanufacturing at scale).

Ensure efficient vehicle use over time and occupancy (e.g., vehicle/mobility on demand).

“The circular car is now on its way to becoming a core component of the automotive future,” said Christoph Wolff, global head of mobility and member of the executive committee at the World Economic Forum. “Companies across the industry must consider how technology and business levers can maximize the resource value of the car, minimize life-cycle emissions and unlock new opportunities along the value chain.”

The primary barriers to circularity in the automotive industry are related to customers and use patterns, business models, production methods and technology, and regulatory hurdles. The report outlines key recommendations to overcome challenges along the automotive value chain:

Agree on a common framework for guiding and measuring progress.

Realign the profit motive for the automotive ecosystem away from selling products toward selling mobility and other services.

Create data standards, reporting frameworks and transparency measures that foster circularity in vehicle design development, life-cycle management and end-of-life processing.

Start piloting radical solutions now and target to leapfrog existing product development cycles.

Secure policy support for systemic transformation.

The report is the result of Accenture’s work with the World Economic Forum Circular Cars Initiative (CCI), which consists of 40-plus member companies and organizations from the automotive value chain, jointly laying out a systemic approach to automotive sustainability and circularity. The goal of the initiative is to foster collaboration and kick-start a system transformation toward a circular economy.

“The automotive industry along with the mobility sector will have to profoundly change if it is to provide for the forecasted 2.5x fold increase in road transport demand by 2050 at net-zero carbon emissions”, said Thomas Deloison, director of mobility, World Business Council for Sustainable Development. “We believe that the Circular Cars Initiative will help to find the collaborative pathways to accelerate this transformation.”

About the Research

The World Economic Forum and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development formed the Circular Cars Initiative (CCI), which takes a systemic approach to accelerate the transformation to automotive sustainability. It looks at how technology and business levers can maximize the resource value of the car, minimize life-cycle emissions and unlock new opportunities. Within the CCI, 40 companies from the automotive value chain, several research institutes, international organizations, governmental bodies and think tanks are charting the course toward a zero-emission future through new technology, materials innovation, efficient vehicle usage and full life-cycle management. The CCI represents the first organized industry effort to systematically address the opportunities and challenges of circularity, with an eye toward fundamentally remaking automotive value chains and business models.

About Accenture

Accenture is a global professional services company with leading capabilities in digital, cloud and security. Combining unmatched experience and specialized skills across more than 40 industries, we offer Strategy and Consulting, Interactive, Technology and Operations services — all powered by the world’s largest network of Advanced Technology and Intelligent Operations centers. Our 514,000 people deliver on the promise of technology and human ingenuity every day, serving clients in more than 120 countries. We embrace the power of change to create value and shared success for our clients, people, shareholders, partners and communities. About the World Economic Forum

The World Economic Forum, committed to improving the state of the world, is the International Organization for Public-Private Cooperation. The Forum engages the foremost political, business and other leaders of society to shape global, regional and industry agendas.

Paytm Payment Gateway Witnessed 61.54% Annual Merchant Growth In Karnataka, Aims To Double Growth In 2021


* Digital adoption growth backed by Paytm Payment Gateway for merchants in Karnataka is the key towards helping them build their brand online. 

* Merchants belonging to parking tolls, event services, and BFSI categories have grown significantly over the last one  

* Paytm aims to penetrate further into the payment gateway market in the state and surpass the current growth numbers.  

Rising from the continued impact of COVID-19 pandemic, local businesses in Karnataka have started witnessing the silver lining while undergoing digital shifts in their business models. Paytm All-in-One Payment Gateway, which has been the key payment enabler for merchants, has seen 61.54% growth in the total number of merchants in the state in the last twelve months. This clearly indicates the willingness of local merchants trying to take their businesses back to the pre-pandemic mode or even better by syncing them to the new normal. While they have been cautious during these troubled times, Paytm has helped them significantly with its All-In-One Payment Gateway to evolve their unviable business models.  

The digital evolution story of the country’s IT capital is not limited to its regional contribution. Bengaluru continues to record a significantly high number of digital transactions in the state, in which peer-to-merchant digital payments now play a major role. It is because of the high level of general awareness about digital payment services among the businesses. The merchants think of Paytm as a reliable payment partner, which made them use its payment gateway for adoption of digital payments. Another reason that made more merchants ‘go digital’ with Paytm payment technology is the rising trend of peer-to-merchant transactions. Most businesses feel that customers look forward to making purchases from the local brands online. They also report that a higher number of customers now ask for digital payment sources. Consequently, more merchants have built their websites and applied for Paytm Payment Gateway integration.  

Moreover, they are quite familiar with using Paytm mobile wallet, which has helped them tune into accepting payments online from their customers. This clearly indicates the need amongst businesses for selling products/services online and accepting payments seamlessly. The adoption of Paytm’s All-In-One Payment Gateway is also supported with the lowest transaction charges, which is 0% for startups and individuals in the first year.   

Within the total merchant growth in the last one year in Karnataka, several business categories have stood the test of time and shown unprecedented growth. Parking and tolls, event services, and BFSI have taken the top three spots on the growth list, with 207.14%, 138.89%, and 125.93% growth respectively. These numbers signify the upward trajectory of digital growth amongst businesses as they plan to bring all their offerings onto an online platform.   

Looking at the surge of businesses willing to partner with the largest payment service provider, a Paytm spokesperson said: “We are uniquely poised to cater to the needs of diverse businesses, big and small, with our payment solutions. The results that came up for our efforts dedicated to the state of Karnataka in terms of merchant growth shows that we are heading on the right path. Secondly, there is still enough headroom to scale up the efforts further like no other competitor. This is one reason that we are aiming to double the merchant growth in the next one year.” 

Signify Launches India’s First Tailor-Made 3D Printed Luminaires For A Circular Economy


* Company sets up 3D printing facility in Vadodara and a Design lab in Noida

* On-demand tailor-your-luminaire online service launched for consumers

* 47% lower carbon footprint than a traditionally built metal luminaire

* Innovative designs with infinite choice in colours, textures and shapes

Signify (Euronext: LIGHT), the world leader in lighting, today launched India’s first tailor-made 3D printed luminaires. This highly flexible and more sustainable form of manufacturing, using a 100% recyclable polycarbonate material, enables the company to produce luminaires that have bespoke designs or are tailored to customer’s exact needs and recycled at the end of their life, supporting a circular economy.

Currently, Signify is the only major lighting manufacturer to be producing 3D-printed lighting products on an industrial and commercial scale in India. In alignment with the Indian government’s agenda of ‘Make in India’ and ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’, the company has set up a 3D printing manufacturing facility at its existing lighting factory in Vadodara, in addition to a design lab at its R&D center in Noida where interior designers, architects and lighting designers can experience the technology first-hand and see their luminaire being printed in front of their eyes. They can also work together with Signify’s design experts to create a truly bespoke design that meets their specific requirements.

Signify’s investment in 3D printing further illustrates the company’s commitment to better serving its customers while reducing their, and its own, carbon footprint and to responsible consumption and production (SDG12) with products that can be reprinted, refurbished, reused or recycled. It is a key element of Signify’s commitment to doubling its circular revenues to 32% in 2025, as part of the Brighter Lives, Better World 2025 program launched in September 2020. 3D Printing is a Triple Bottom Line Technology – its good for the climate, consumers and companies.

Consumers can design and order their 3D printed luminaires online on the company’s website or visit their nearest Philips Smart Light Hub to place their order. The combinations of materials and textures offered by 3D printing is countless and only limited by one’s imagination. Customers can choose their colour, finish and texture for a truly unique and bespoke design. Professional customers can design their luminaire on https://www.tailored.lighting.philips.com/en/in/  and get in touch with the sales team to place their order.

A 3D printed luminaire is also good for our planet as it has a 47% lower carbon footprint than a traditionally manufactured metal luminaire, excluding electronics and optics. The final product is also two-thirds in weight compared to a conventional luminaire, which ultimately translates to a 35% carbon emission reduction during shipping. Nearly every component of these luminaires may be reused or recycled at end of life and repurposed into new designs, thereby supporting the concept of a circular economy. 

Switching to 3D printing of luminaires can also help companies meet their sustainability goals and allows them the flexibility to co-create their lighting products with endless options for customization. Moreover, customers can also refresh their lighting design by returning their luminaires to have them recycled and reprinted in newer designs, enabling them to stay current and topical. As these luminaires are printed on-demand and as per specific requirements of the customer, there are no additional costs incurred for any adjustments or ceiling modifications during installation.

Commenting on the launch, Sumit Joshi, Vice Chairman and Managing Director, Signify Innovations India Limited said, “We are proud to be the first lighting manufacturer to produce 3D printed luminaires in India on an industrial scale in alignment with the Indian government’s agenda of a self-reliant India. It also reinforces our position at the forefront of lighting and sustainable innovation. Printing luminaires provides a more flexible, fast and environmentally friendly way to manufacture as we can create new, or customize existing designs, that fulfill customer needs quickly without huge investments and long development cycles. Customers can have their ideas brought to life in a matter of days rather than months and printing requires less energy.”

Signify has also set up 3D printing facilities in other parts of the world including United States, Belgium, the Netherlands and Indonesia. The company has already secured several customers like Marks and Spencer (M&S), Albert Heijn, SAS, Total and Praxis for these products..

upGrad Strengthens Foothold In The North America With Appointment Of Karan Raturi As The General Manager


* With learners doubling in this geography, this move solidifies the edtech major’s commitment to enhance its reach in North America

upGrad, India's largest online higher education company, today announced the appointment of Karan Raturi as the General Manager for North America. Responding to the staggering growth in the international learners, all of which happened organically, upGrad saw the scope for a focused and targeted approach to bolster this growth. With the right leadership at the helm to steer the company’s growth in this region, the edtech is looking to scale their international operations and expand upGrad’s presence and penetration in the US market.

A Wharton School alumnus, Karan has held a number of leadership roles throughout his career. He joins upGrad from Wayfair (NYSE: W), where he was the Head of Business Planning. Before Wayfair, Karan has worked as a consultant and advisor in corporate strategy, operations, private equity, venture capital, corporate development, and corporate finance with companies like IBM, Kurt Salmon, Novartis Venture Funds, and GTS. Karan's appointment to grow upGrad's business in the North American market is driven by the company’s ambition to expand across geographies and put India on the global edtech map.  

On welcoming Karan to his new role, Arjun Mohan, CEO, upGrad India, said, “Excited to have Karan join us as the General Manager for North America. He will be leading the P&L and will be responsible for driving revenue, along with scaling the business operations in the region. With a doubling of learners in this area organically, we are confident about the region’s prospects and certain that Karan’s skills, intellect, and leadership will help us grow as a world–class team to achieve our vision.”

Karan Raturi, General Manager - North America, upGrad, further added, “I am thrilled to be part of such a robust and renowned team who have built a proven and trusted edtech brand in India. I look forward to deepening the brand’s presence in the region, and supporting learners across the US and Canada to build and accelerate their future careers.”

Over this fiscal year, the edtech major has noticed a remarkable spike in student enrolment from over 50 countries with the second largest chunk coming from the United States of America. The number of paid learners stood at 26% largely coming from the US and Canada markets. Additionally, the intent to know more about the various programs by international learners has grown 100% in the last one year. Collaboration with top-notch global universities like Liverpool John Moores University (UK), Deakin Business School (Australia), Duke Corporate Education (US), Michigan State University (US), Swiss School of Business Management, Geneva has been the catalyst for the international growth.

upGrad has been expanding its global presence by leaps and bounds. One can expect many other such exciting hires as company sources can confirm there is another leadership offer in the US market, this time reaffirming the edtech’s international university alliances.  It had recently announced the CEO for the APAC region followed by the country head for Indonesia and the four-member board comprising of distinguished leaders for its UK operations. 

Bisleri Pledges To Safeguard The Environment And Encourages To Use Recycled Products


* A model that appeals to the masses to use and dispose off plastic responsibly

On the occasion of Global Recycling Day, Bottles for Change, an initiative by Bisleri International Pvt. Ltd., takes an oath towards a clean and healthy environment by creating awareness about the importance of recycling plastic in our lives. This programme aims to bring about a habit change in the society by cleaning the plastic after its use, segregating and sending it for recycling. Treating plastic as a waste is not the solution; if used and disposed off responsibly, plastic is not harmful to the environment. The plastic collected by Bottles for Change is crushed into fine flakes, which are then used to create non-edible products such as furniture, cloth fabric, shoes, t-shirts, handbags, and many more. This initiative's motive is to ‘Be the Change You Want to See’ and become an example by disposing the plastic responsibly, which leads to a cleaner environment. Each individual should take a step forward and do its best to make India a better place to live in.

THE PROCESS TO RECYCLE PLASTIC

STEP 1: After consumption, clean the used plastic

STEP 2: Keep Plastic separate from the wet and dry waste

STEP 3: Handover the Plastic to plastic agents (Kabadiwala)

WHY RECYCLE?

Did you know? It is a myth that all plastic is lying in the dump yard because plastic is recycled in India. India is the only country in the world that recycles 60% of the plastic that it produces. India has a segment of society that is unorganized and unrecognized but is beautifully managing the current recycling system in India. There are 4.5 million ragpickers, 1.5 million kabadiwala’s/raddiwala’s and 8000 recycling units in our country. However, the remaining 40% that gets recycled is because it is disposed off dirty and uncleaned.

India has the opportunity to recycle 100% of its plastic only if, as consumers, we become responsible by not treating plastic as waste. Plastic is a valuable resource as it fetches approximately INR 10/Kg to a ragpicker who scavenges plastic from waste, and this value only increases if the plactic is disposed off clean.  The entire plastic handling chain from housekeeping/ragpickers to kabadiwala to a recycler is a sustainable chain.

If followed correctly, this model also helps green agents (ragpickers) collect large amounts of clean plastics at a time, which fetches them a good income. It would also provide them with a hygienic working condition, respectable life, and support for educating their children through our NGO partners.

Bottles for Change model of handling plastic has been receiving support from the government bodies such as NDMC (North Delhi Municipal Corporation), EDMC (East Delhi Municipal Corporation), SDMC (South Delhi Municipal Corporation), Panvel Municipal Corporation, Thane Municipal Corporation, Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation, Vasai Virar Municipal Corporation and from Chennai NSS (National Service Scheme). 

Since its inception, the 'Bottles for Change' program has conducted over 600 plastic recycling awareness events and workshops in corporate offices, housing societies, schools, and colleges. Over 6,500 Tonnes of Plastic has been recycled by Bisleri's 'Bottles For Change' Programme. Over 6,00,000 Citizens, 800 housing societies, 500 corporates, 500 Hotels and restaurants, 400 schools and colleges have been successfully engaged with the program. More than 3,00,000 students have actively supported and joined the initiative.

Additionally, Bottles for Change has introduced a Mobile App for Mumbai citizens, which aims to bring the citizens and the Plastic Collecting Agents (Kabadiwallahs/NGOs) under one roof. The app provides a hassle-free option to the citizens to search & approach a nearby plastic agent to handover the clean plastic..

Anahad Brings To You Authentic Folk Music From Heartlands Of India In Dolby Atmos


Anahad Foundation brings Dolby Atmos to the folk musicians of India. With this Anahad aims at empowering the underprivileged musicians through technology giving listeners a true experience of folk music from the comfort of their home. Anahad aims to produce over 1000 rural and tribal folk musicians this year for free at their doorsteps.

Folk music exists primarily in verbal format due to which it is heavily depended on live shows and tourism. Post lockdown, with the closure of the tourism industry, the majority of folk musicians became jobless and had no means of earning. BackPack Studio, the flagship program of Anahad Foundation aims to create livelihoods for musicians through the recording sector. Partnership with Dolby will further enhance the output of BackPack Studio as it will help to mix the recorded tracks in a format that will preserve the dynamic and surround nature of folk music!

Anahad’s mission is to bring music to the world for everyone to feel. Through this collaboration, Dolby Atmos Music will intimately connect listeners with the folk artist’s vision so they can experience the music without any limitations. Abhinav Agrawal (Director, Anahad Foundation) says, “Anahad mission to ‘empower folk musicians through production technology’ gets a boost with Dolby Atmos as it enables the listeners to experience music as it would have been performed live! This technology will bring musicians closer to listeners as they will be able to experience these art forms in the most authentic way possible.”

The first album to be released with this partnership is ‘Colours of Braj’ and is scheduled for launch on 26th March. Centered around the festival Holi, the album will consist of 10 tracks featuring 10 different folk art forms of Braj (the region around Mathura) like Rasiya, Holi Faag, Haveli Sangeet, Charkula Dance, etc. Along with the album, the organisation will release a 20 min documentary on its YouTube channel showing how these tracks were recorded.

About Anahad Foundation: Anahad Foundation is a New Delhi based not for profit organisation that works towards generating employment and creating sustainable livelihood for the folk musicians of the country. Anahad empowers artists by creating a digital presence for them that works like a portfolio and enables them to get more shows. Anahad provides doorstep production facilities to the underprivileged artists for free and creates two music videos and a web-page per folk group. Any royalties generated are put back in the project and are used to empower new artists or provide them with basic necessities in case of any calamity. Since its inception, Anahad has worked with over 6000 musicians and most of them have seen an income increase of up to seven times.

About Dolby Atmos: Dolby Atmos Music lets listeners connect with music at its fullest capacity and creative potential – not the way most people hear music today, but a version that pulls you into a song to reveal what was lost with traditional recordings. Listeners can discover hidden details and subtleties with unparalleled clarity. Whether it’s a complex harmony of instruments placed around a listener, the unleashing of a legendary guitar solo, a massive bass drop that washes over you, or the subtle breath a singer takes, Dolby Atmos gives music more space and the freedom to unleash every detail and emotion as the artist intended..

Edtech Lead Makes Senior-Level Appointments As It Eyes Growth


* Arpit Mundra appointed as Chief Financial Officer and Vipul Redey takes charge as Chief Excellence Officer

LEAD, a major EdTech player in India’s K-12 education segment, has strengthened its senior leadership team by appointing Arpit Mundra as Chief Financial Officer and Vipul Redey as Chief Excellence Officer. The announcement comes after the appointment of former Disney+ Hotstar SVP & Head Sales Anupam Gurani as Chief Marketing Officer.

With an aim to keep growing in this rapidly evolving Edtech ecosystem, Sumeet Mehta, Cofounder & CEO, LEAD said, “As LEAD embarks on a new chapter of growth and innovation, it will be crucial to have an experienced and dynamic leadership team in place which can deliver value to our customers, partners and employees. Both Arpit and Vipul bring impressive depth of knowledge and experience in their respective fields which will greatly support LEAD’s next phase of growth and expansion.”

Arpit Mundra brings 18 years of extensive and rich experience in Accounting & Reporting, Financial Planning & Analysis, M&A, and Treasury and Taxation. He is a CA from Institute of Chartered Accountants of India and has previously worked with RIVIGO as a Chief Financial Officer.

In his role as CFO at LEAD, Arpit will be responsible for financial stewardship, managing governance and controls, analyzing the company's financials, besides working closely with the senior management on strategy and creating value for stakeholders.

Arpit Mundra, Chief Financial Officer, LEAD said, “I am very excited to be a part of LEAD, a company which has significantly grown in last few years. As we pivot to lead in a rapidly evolving edtech space, finance plays an even more strategic role and I look forward to working closely with Sumeet and the LEAD team in our journey to further strengthen relationships with our stakeholders.”

A respected educationist with over 25 years of industry experience, Vipul Redey most recently served Khan Academy as Head-School Enablement. One of 30 innovators worldwide, he is selected to join the TED community. He is an alumnus of the Edtech Master’s Program at the Stanford Graduate School of Education.

Vipul Redey, Chief Excellence Officer, LEAD said, “I am thrilled to join LEAD as I have seen the company grow rapidly in the last one year. I hope to make significant contribution to enhance LEAD’s high performance academic system and build innovative learning solutions to help students in these unprecedented times.”

As Chief Excellence Officer, Vipul will play a key role in strengthening LEAD’s pedagogical systems and processes and lead the excellence team towards excellent student performance, unmistakable teacher empowerment and active parent engagement to deliver quality education.

About LEAD:

LEAD (formerly known as LEAD School) is promoted by Leadership Boulevard, one of the fastest growing EdTech companies in India. It combines technology, curriculum and pedagogy into an integrated system of teaching and learning, thus improving student learning and teacher performance in schools across the country. LEAD School partners with 1700+ schools with an estimated 6 lakh+ students in more than 400 cities, including tier 2 to tier 4 cities, in 20 States.

The Hong Kong University Of Science And Technology invites “Applications For The Academic Session Of 2021”


The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), ranked No. 1 in Times Higher Education’s Young University Rankings 2020 and featured among the top 30 global universities in the QS World University Rankings 2021, is inviting applications for the 2021-2022 academic session. Applications invited cover some of the university’s most popular courses across Engineering, Science, Humanities and Business streams that are designed to help students with ingenuity, entrepreneurship and leadership skills required for 21st century job market. 

The student body at HKUST comes from around 90 countries - with Indian comprising the third largest international student community.  They study under the guidance of one of the world’s most qualified faculty staff – among whom 142 were recently rated by Stanford University as the world’s top 2% scientists.  Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis to allow Indian students with more flexibility amid the pandemic this year. Students are encouraged to submit applications at https://join.ust.hk/apply and visit https://join.ust.hk/updates for admissions related updates. 

HKUST has a proven track record in its graduates’ employment and promoting entrepreneurship culture among students. Many Indian students have been successfully placed in organisations like Deloitte, EY, Goldman Sachs, IBM, JP Morgan, Morgan Stanley, and PwC, despite a downturn in global economy and the job market. 

Eligibility Criteria for all courses:  

Students who wish to apply must fulfil the General Admission, School/Program-Specific and English Language requirements. The university reviews each application holistically, considering both academic performance and non-academic achievements. For students using Indian Boards exams, the requirements are “Pass Certificates obtained on completion of Standard XII (State and National boards)” and reference score of previous students admitted to HKUST is “Overall average of 85% or above”.            

Note: Applicants are also expected to submit the Standard X (State and National Boards) results. 

More details are listed at https://join.ust.hk/admissions/international-qualifications/  

Scholarship Criteria at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology 

The university awards academic scholarships to outstanding students on competitive merit basis. These awards may be one-off or renewable, full, or partial tuition waivers.  

All applicants will be considered, and no separate application is required. The highest amount of scholarship is equivalent to Full Tuition Fee plus an allowance of HK$55,000 (INR ₹ 5 lakh 13 thousand approx.) per academic year - renewable for the normal duration of study subject to satisfactory academic performance. For more details about HKUST’s Admissions Scholarship Scheme for IB Diploma Holders & GCEAL/ International AL Qualification Holders, please visit https://join.ust.hk/fees-and-scholarships . For other qualifications, the university awards scholarships on a case-by-case basis.  

Webinar next week  

HKUST is organizing a special free webinar on March 24, 2021 for interested students and parents. The university’s representatives will walk through its popular programs while Indian students and graduates will share their study and work experiences in Hong Kong. Registration for this free webinar can be done through the following link:  

https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_PVAazMIPRJOmGGe_pxyJdQ  

Study Shows Future Of Healthcare Is Shaped By Hybrid Cloud

 


* Healthcare Organizations Expect to Increase Hybrid Cloud Deployments by 32 Points Over the Next Five Years

Nutanix (NASDAQ: NTNX), a leader in private cloud, hybrid and multicloud computing, today announced the healthcare industry findings of its third annual Enterprise Cloud Index Report, measuring healthcare organizations’ plans for adopting private, hybrid and public clouds. The findings point to a growing trend within the sector: with more than two-thirds (70%) of respondents reporting that COVID-19 has caused IT to be viewed more strategically within their organizations and the pandemic has accelerated digital transformation that is likely to shape the future of healthcare.

As COVID-19 hit, healthcare organizations looked for ways to effectively support the skyrocketing technology demands of the COVID-19 pandemicミfrom enabling remote work, to implementing telehealth practices, to supporting an increasing patient load. As a result, they sought out IT solutions that could support their organizations’ growing needs and support their digital transformation. With digital transformation top of mind, the healthcare industry is more bullish than any other sector about adopting a hybrid IT model, with 95% of respondents agreeing that hybrid is their ideal choice.

Today, more than half of healthcare respondents have increased their public cloud (56%) and hybrid cloud (51%) use and nearly half (46%) have invested more in private cloud environments in an effort to quickly provide new work-from-home employees with access to IT resources. While 77% of healthcare respondents previously had some employees working remotely one year ago, that percentage has increased to 93% this year since the onset of the pandemic.

“Cloud has been a critical support for India’s healthcare organizations as they rapidly adapted to changing patient needs during the pandemic- healthcare providers were able to fast track their telehealth plans when Covid-19 struck, so vulnerable patients could stay at home and still receive treatment. The advancement of healthcare in India remains bright, supported by secure and agile technologies like hybrid cloud,”said Faiz Shakir, Director and Country Head of Enterprise & Commercial Business, India and SAARC, Nutanix.

Other key findings of this year’s report include:

The future of healthcare is dependent on decommissioning of legacy architecture: Currently, more healthcare companies run exclusively traditional, non-cloud-enabled datacenters (27%) than any other industry, compared to 18% globally. Over the next five years, however, healthcare organizations plan to shrink that gap with an expected 21-percentage-point drop in legacy datacenter installations and a corresponding 32-point increase in hybrid cloud deployments.

Healthcare organizations look to hyperconverged infrastructure to support IT modernization and pave the way to hybrid cloud: Hyperconverged infrastructure is often seen as the basis for a hybrid cloud infrastructure, the HCI of the next decade, as it helps accelerate cloud adoption by sharply reducing the time it takes to build the software-defined infrastructure necessary to support private cloud, while also providing the scalability of cloud technology. About 64% of healthcare respondents say they’ve either fully deployed HCI or are in the process of doing so, significantly outpacing the approximately 50% of global respondents who are using or deploying hyperconverged infrastructure.

Security, privacy and compliance pose a significant challenge to the industry's digital transformation: 58% of healthcare respondents described security as a significant challenge, compared to 51% of global respondents. Healthcare respondents also ranked cost control (45%) and business continuity (45%) more often as significant challenges than any other industry.

As the healthcare industry evolves, cost advantages will be the main gating factor for IT infrastructure deployments: All industries, including healthcare, indicated that security, privacy, and compliance solution strengths were highly important to infrastructure decision-making.

“Healthcare organizations are in a critical phase of expediting their digital transformations to better meet patient and healthcare worker needs, all this jump started by COVID-19,” said Cheryl Rodenfels, Healthcare Strategist at Nutanix. “While IT leaders agree that hybrid cloud is a key enabler of this transformation, healthcare organizations need to identify IT solutions to help them on this journey, from investing in HCI-powered private clouds, to finding ways to effectively bridge their private and public cloud environments while keeping security and cost top of mind.”

The respondent base spanned multiple industries, business sizes, and the following geographies: the Americas; Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA); and the Asia-Pacific (APJ) region..