Godrej Appliances Earns The Distinction Of Manufacturing Its Eco-Friendly Appliances In The Greenest Factories

* Both its Shirwal and Mohali manufacturing units are the first in India to receive the highest recognition of GreenCo Platinum Plus rating by CII for being ‘Lean & Green’

True to its core value of environment, Godrej Appliances, a business of Godrej & Boyce, the flagship company of the Godrej Group and one of India's leading players in home appliances, is the first brand in India to receive the prestigious “GreenCo Platinum Plus” certification by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). CII’s GreenCo Platinum Plus is designed to measure a company’s green performance and is the highest recognition for any company for its efforts towards efficient utilization of resources like energy, water and raw materials and in reducing the impact of its products on the environment through Life Cycle Assessment and Product Stewardship. This certification was awarded to both its manufacturing units - based in Shirwal (near Pune, Maharashtra) and Mohali (Punjab).

Both manufacturing units have taken the brand’s sustainability efforts to the next level, serving as a model for sustainability excellence. A logical extension for getting a GreenCo Platinum Plus rating after being the first to get the Platinum rating for the processes, these facilities are in true sense comprehensively ‘green’. 

Some of the salient features that contributed towards making both these units platinum plus certified are:

·         13% reduction in manufacturing units’ energy consumption over the last 4 years,

·         50% - Renewable energy share in the manufacturing units

·         Online monitoring of energy and water consumption to ensure efficient utilization of resources 

·         Both manufacturing units are Water Positive (recharging more than 100% water to the ground than drawn) through reuse of wastewater and rainwater harvesting systems

·         “0 Waste to Landfill” is achieved for all hazardous waste through reduction and recycling

·         Process Benchmarking is done across different industries, keeping in mind the best practices

·         Treating suppliers as an extension of plant and handholding them through ‘Supplier Cluster” for the greening of the entire supply chain. All suppliers were mentored on how they can improve their environment friendliness quotient. 52 suppliers are GreenCo certified already 

Commenting on the occasion, Mr. Kamal Nandi, Business Head & EVP, Godrej Appliances said, “We are delighted to have received this certification from a prestigious body like CII. This certification is a testimony of the efforts put in by Godrej Appliances to be eco-friendly in all our initiatives. For us, environment is a value that has been ingrained in our corporate DNA since our very inception. We believe that it is our duty as responsible manufacturers to pave the way for sustainable manufacturing in the industry. Both of our manufacturing facilities are a living example of this belief.” 

About Godrej Appliances

Godrej Appliances, a business unit of the highly diversified Godrej & Boyce Mfg. Co. Ltd. is one of the leading Home Appliances players in India. Godrej was the first Indian Company in 1958 to manufacture Refrigerators and has since then, expanded its portfolio across many other categories like Washing Machines, Air Conditioners, Microwave Ovens, futuristic Thermo-electric cooling solutions, Air Coolers, Deep Freezers, highly specialized Medical Refrigerators and more recently, UVC Technology-Based Disinfecting devices and Dishwashers, all powered by the driving philosophy of 'Things made thoughtfully’/ ‘Soch Ke Banaya Hai’. 

This thought extends from human-centric design to planet centric design. Environment is a core value at Godrej Appliances. Both manufacturing units of Godrej Appliances’ - in Maharashtra and Punjab, became the first in the country to win the coveted Platinum Plus Green Co certification for their pioneering green manufacturing practices. 

The brand takes pride in not just its carefully designed products and environment-friendly technologies, but also best in class after-sales service delivered through over 680 service centers and more than 4500 SmartBuddy service experts spread all over the country.

Toyota Kirloskar Motor Hosts Karnataka State Skills Competition 2021

Toyota Kirloskar Motor hosted the 2021 edition of the renowned Karnataka State Skills competition at the company’s premises in Bidadi. Organized under the aegis of Karnataka Skill Development Corporation (KSDC), the competition tests skills of the participants in five essential automotive functions such as - mechatronics, prototype modelling, car painting, automobile technology and auto body repair.

Winners of the competition will represent the state in the India Skills competition, organized by National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), New Delhi. Further, winners of the India Skills competition will represent India and put their skills to test in the World Skills Competition 2022.

After inaugurating the competition, Mr. Ashwin Gowda, IRS, MD of KSDC said, “Karnataka has a plethora of talented youth and has been espousing skill development initiatives among them. Our aim is to ensure that every participant from the state is well trained and equipped so that there is   good chance to win medals and make the state and country proud. In the automotive sector, we are glad to partner with Toyota, known for skill its development initiatives and transforming youth into world-class technicians.”

Mr. G. Shankara, Vice President, HR and Services, Toyota Kirloskar Motor said, “In line with the company’s commitment towards Skill India, TKM has been constantly engaged in initiatives to address the dynamic industry requirements, which can only be achieved with the right skills. Skill development is therefore close to our heart. We believe that investing in skills and training youth with the best knowledge is the key for developing individuals and the industry’s competency levels. We hire youth from the rural hinterlands of Karnataka and help them develop into world-class skill champions by providing them rigorously training on their body, mind, attitude and equip them to compete at international forums.

As a result of our training, contestants from TKM who represented the country have been able to win one bronze medal (2017) and four medals of excellence (2015, 2017, 2019) in the World Skills competition. By sharing our best practices with the stakeholders, we aim to develop youth as world-class technicians and contribute towards the Skill India Mission”, he added.

About World Skills Competition

Initiated in 1950, the World Skills Competition is the global hub for skills excellence and development through international cooperation and development. It is the global meeting place for government, education, industry, and association leaders to discuss relevant and important issues related to skills management.

In 2019, the competition saw participation from more than 1300 competitors from 75 countries challenging each other in 56 skill sets. India took part in 45 skills winning 1 Gold, 1 Silver, 2 Bronze and 15 Medallions of excellence in the respective categories. The team consisted of 46 talented young minds showcased their best performance since India began to take part in the competition in 2007. The participants were selected through a nationwide screening process under the guidance of the National Skill Development Council (NSDC).

Other Information

Toyota Kirloskar Motor continuously undertakes training initiatives in the field of skill development, some of the key initiatives are:

·         Toyota Technical Training Institute (TTTI) offers a three year rigorous full-time training in Automobile Assembly, Automobile Paint, Automobile Weld and Mechatronics (a combination of mechanical and industrial electronics) TTTI has also been selected as a part of this partnership between Japan and India for the “Manufacturing Skill Transfer Promotion Program’’.

·         Gurukul is a well-equipped learning center at TKM imparts diverse training to employees at all levels which helps them to improve their abilities and thoroughly fulfill their roles. There are three levels of training – Fundamental Skill, Element Work and Standardized Work training. Micro-level training helps the employees to develop skills to manufacture world-class cars. Additionally, all members are periodically trained on Toyota way practices and Toyota Business practices to ensure the learning principles adopted and adapted well for everyone is understanding.

·         Toyota Technical Education Program (T-TEP) provides technical know-how training to ITI students across India along with providing hands on real time experience within Toyota dealerships.

Manipal Institute Of Technology Bags Consecutive Positions At IIT Kanpur’s Annual Techfest

Manipal Institute of Technology, engineering college of Manipal Academy of Higher Education added yet another feather to its cap. Two teams comprising three of its students secured 2nd and 3rd position at IIT Kanpur’s Techkriti-AeroDes Annual Techfest which was organized from 12th to 14th March 2021 virtually.

The AeroDes competition organized by IIT Kanpur aims to bring young talent to design a dual-purpose regional and business aircraft that can take off and deliver a payload to a target area. The students from MIT who won the prize comprise of Pranav Gupta of Aerospace, Tanay Kumar of Electronics and Communications Engineering and Vedang Pradeep of Aerospace from Team Vyom secured 2nd place and from Team Dhara, Nehi Sinha of Aerospace, Sai Sankalp of Aerospace and Shraddha Sheshadri Aerospace stood 3rd overall.

'AeroDes' by IIT Kanpur is a national UAV design competition that is a part of their annual Techfest. The competition consisted of 2 rounds, a design report submission, and an oral presentation round done virtually. The objective of the competition was to address the problem statement stipulated the conceptual design of an aerial vehicle, obeying design constraints, created for commercial applications such as the delivery of goods to increase access to goods, reduce traffic in cities, and reduce CO2 emissions attributed to delivery services. 

Dr. D Srikanth Rao, Director, Manipal Institute of Technology says, “We are tremendously proud of our students who have won the prestigious competition on the current COVID – 19 situations. Our students participate in these real-time problem-solving competitions helps them to become industry-ready and we at MIT always encourage our students to go far and beyond to showcase their true talent and provide them the best exposure to participate in such prestigious platforms. We are always going to support our students to evolve, grow and fulfil their dreams and aspirations” 

Link to competition website: https://techkriti.org/competitions/take%20off/aerodes 

Toyota Kirloskar Motor Launches All-New Pre-Paid Service Package - Smiles Plus

In pursuance of its Customer First philosophy and sustained commitment of providing unique customer experience through value-added services, Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) has announced the launch of a comprehensive and customizable Service Package – Smiles Plus. As an offering, this package will be customised as per the requirements and needs of the customer and will consist of pre-paid packages available across India. The package is also designed keeping in mind TKM’s readiness towards future mobility requirements & will further assist valuable customers with enhanced, delightful, and hassle-free service experiences.

The package will provide an array of exciting benefits and services for enhanced ‘Peace of mind’, such as:

-          Flexibility of Service Location

-          Protection from Service price hikes

-          Savings on Service Cost

-          Usage of Toyota Genuine Parts & recommended Services

-          Trained Technicians working on your vehicle

-          Options to Customize & Choose from ESSENTIAL, SUPER HEALTH, SUPER TORQUE & ULTRA which includes Periodic Maintenance, General Repair etc. 

Commenting on this new initiative of Pre-Paid Service Package, Mr. Naveen Soni, Senior Vice President said, “We are delighted to announce the launch of the all new ‘Smiles Plus’ service package as this initiative is in-line with TKM’s endeavor to meet our customers’ enhanced requirements and mobility needs. With the introduction of this exclusive package, we intend to cater to our customers with services that match their evolving expectations.

At Toyota, we understand that the key to have customers for life is by providing heart touching experience, seamless communication & complete peace of mind. With the help of unique programs like Smiles Plus, we thrive to fortify our existing bond with our esteemed customers and enhance their experience by providing world-class services that Toyota is globally reputed for. We will continue to bring about solutions for a fast and seamless experience for our customers and provide more avenues to our customers in line with emerging market demands.”

The pre-paid service package is available at Toyota service centers/dealerships across India. Customers can contact their nearest authorized Toyota dealership for more details.

TECNO SPARK 7 Brings 6000mAh Battery And 16MP AI Dual Rear Camera At Only INR 6999

* TECNO SPARK 7 is launched in two variants – 2GB + 32GB @ INR 7,499 & 3GB + 64GB @ INR 8,499

* The all-rounder budget smartphone SPARK 7 is available for sale on Amazon (https://rb.gy/6onfos) starting 12 noon on 16th April, 2021 at a special introductory price of INR 6,999 for 2GB variant and INR 7,999 for 3GB model (Limited Period offer)

TECNO, the global premium smartphone brand, today announced the launch of SPARK 7 - yet another future-ready device flaunting segment-first features from its iconic SPARK stable.  With this new smartphone, TECNO continues to consolidate its position among the top 5 handset players in the 5K - 10k smartphone segment in India. The all new SPARK 7 smartphone is designed for the most discerning tech savvy millennials in India for whom their smartphone is the primary screen for their all daily needs and entertainment on the go. The SPARK 7 is available in two variants at a special launch offer price of INR 6999 for 2GB + 32GB & INR 7999 for 3GB + 64GB variant. The product will go on sale from 16th April at 12pm on Amazon in 3 cool summer colors of Spruce Green, Magnet Black and Morpheus Blue.

TECNO’s popular SPARK range of smartphones are known for their best-in-class design, display, camera for an overall smartphone experience in the affordable segment. In keeping with its brand ethos, SPARK 7 flaunts many category defining features such as BIG 6000 mAh battery with AI power charging & safe charging, BIG 6.52- inch Dot-notch display and a superlative 16MP AI Dual rear camera with unique features such as Time Lapse feature with various recording settings, Video bokeh and Slow-Mo video. Together, these features will enable the youth to experience a larger than life, non-stop entertainment experience on the go, without worrying about battery drainage.

Commenting on the launch, Mr. Arijeet Talapatra, CEO -TRANSSION India, said, “In line with our ‘India-First’ strategy TECNO will continue to focus on ‘Made for India’ smartphones to disrupt the budget and mid-budget markets with the best-in-segment specifications at unmatched price points.  From that standpoint, SPARK 7 will help us expand our customer base with a phone that is customized to meet the needs of our Aspirational Bharat. We are confident that with the new range of SPARK 7 smartphones, we will continue to garner the love and support of our customers. As per Counterpoint report, following the launch of “SPARK’ series of smartphones last year, TECNO has joined the elite ‘Top 5 smartphone brands’ club in the INR 5,000-10,000 category. In 2021, we will further consolidate our position to build a strong portfolio across 5-15K smartphones category providing customers with a wide range of options across price points.”

Key highlights of SPARK 7 (3GB+ 64GB):

Superlative 16MP AI Dual rear camera with Slo- mo & time lapse Video features

The SPARK 7 is equipped with a 16 MP AI Dual Rear Camera with Quad Flash. The primary camera has an f/1.8 Aperture, enabling one to capture better clarity photos. Complemented with premium features like time-lapse videos, slow motion videos, bokeh mode, AI Beauty Mode and AI Portrait Mode, the SPARK 7 provides for an enhanced smartphone photography experience. The 8MP selfie camera with a F2.0 aperture and a dual front flash with adjustable brightness is apt for selfie lovers.

Long lasting 6000mAh battery

The SPARK 7 houses a BIG 6000 mAh battery with safe charge that provides a whopping standby time of upto 41 days, 42 hours calling time, 17 hours’ web browsing, 45 hours’ music playback, 17 hours’ game playing and 27 hours’ video playback. The big battery comes with other AI features like AI power saving, full charge alert and automatically cuts the power when phone is fully charged to avoid overcharging.

Bigger Display, Bigger Entertainment

The 6.52” HD + Dot Notch Display complimented with a 720 x 1600 resolution enables one to have the perfect cinematic viewing experience. The 90.34% body screen ratio and 20:9 aspect ratio, with 480 nits brightness provides for a BIG immersive viewing experience.

Smooth multitasking with Ample Storage

The SPARK 7 hosts a 3GB RAM with 64 GB GB internal storage which is expandable upto 256GB, allowing you to keep track of all the details in your smartphone, with ease and without hassle.  The SPARK 7 runs on the latest HIOS 7.5 based on Android 11 and is backed by a powerful Octa-Core 1.8 GHz CPU Helio A25 processor for a seamless, un-interrupted smartphone experience.

Tightened security

The SPARK 7 is In-built with Face Unlock 2.0 and Smart Fingerprint Sensor to protect the data and privacy of the user. Face Unlock 2.0 enables closed eye protection and screen fill in light. The Smart Fingerprint Sensor unlocks the phone in just 0.2 seconds and enables one to receive calls, take photos and dismiss alarms.

About TECNO

TECNO Mobile is a premium global smartphone brand from TRANSSION Holdings. TECNO is committed to giving the masses access to latest technology, allowing the consumers to reach beyond their current limitations and uncover a world of possibilities. TECNO understands the needs of consumers from different markets and provides them with localized innovations across a product portfolio featuring smartphones, tablets, smart AIoT products covering smart audio, smart wearables, smart home gadgets. TECNO is a major global player with presence in more than 60 emerging markets across the world. It is also the global Official Handset Partner of Manchester City Football Club.

Manipal Hospitals To Divest Its Stake In Klang, Malaysia To Ramsay Sime Darby Healthcare (RSDH)

Manipal Health Enterprises Pvt Ltd (“Manipal Hospitals”), one of India’s largest multi-speciality healthcare providers, today announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement to divest their hospital business at Klang, Malaysia to healthcare provider Ramsay Sime Darby Health Care (RSDH). The transfer of ownership shall take place post completion of closure obligations.

Set up in 2016, Manipal Hospitals, Klang is a high end tertiary care hospital accredited by the Malaysian Society for Quality in Health (MSQH). The 220 bedded facility offers an extensive range of over 30 specialty services including Klang’s only state of the art trauma centre.

Commenting on the deal, Dilip Jose, MD & CEO, Manipal Hospitals said, “We are proud of having created and grown a strong healthcare franchise in Malaysia, modelled on providing high quality, affordable and comprehensive healthcare services. We wish our team at Klang and RSDH the very best as they together take the hospital through its next phase of growth."

The divestment comes at a time when Manipal Hospitals gears up for a smooth integration of Columbia Asia Hospitals India as that acquisition is nearing completion. The Hospital group is also scouting to expand its footprint in Eastern India which is presently underserved and further enhance its presence in the existing geographies.

About Manipal Hospitals

As a pioneer in healthcare, Manipal Hospitals is among the top five healthcare providers in India serving over three million patients annually. Its focus is to develop an affordable, high quality healthcare framework through its multispecialty and tertiary care delivery spectrum and further extend it to homecare. With 10 Tertiary/quaternary care facilities and four Secondary care hospitals spread across India, Manipal Hospitals today operates and manages about 6,000 beds across 14 hospitals. With the near completion of acquisition of 100% stake in Columbia Asia Hospitals in India, the integrated organization will have an enhanced pan-India footprint of 26 hospitals across 15 cities, 7,300+ beds, a talent pool of 4,000+ doctors and 10,000+ employees.

Renault India Announces Partnership With CERO Recycling To Support The New Scrappage Policy

* Launches R.E.LI.V.E Program to offer seamless scrapping process with guaranteed scrap benefits 

* Renault to provide a seamless channel for customers to scrap End of Life vehicles and leverage guaranteed benefits on newer, more efficient and safer vehicles through its new ‘R.E.L.I.V.E’ Program  

* Supports the new scrappage policy by offering fair scrap valuation quote and guaranteed major benefits to customers purchasing a new Renault vehicle by scrapping their existing cars of any brand 

Renault India has launched the ‘R.E.L.I.V.E’ Program in partnership with CERO Recycling (A joint venture between Mahindra Intertrade Ltd. and MSTC – a government of India enterprise), India’s first organised scrap vehicle recycling company. The initiative is aimed at providing the potential customers with a seamless hassle-free channel to scrap their old vehicles, buy new Renault vehicles and also avail attractive benefits on their new purchase. 

Renault India has rolled out the Program for its customers in six locations currently, including Delhi & NCR, Chennai, Mumbai, Pune and Bangalore. The interested customers who will bring their old/ end of life vehicles of any brand to Renault’s authorised dealerships will get a fair scrap valuation quote post appropriate evaluation of the vehicles, along with an additional guaranteed scrap benefit over the existing monthly offers on its products including Kwid, Triber and Duster. Renault India dealerships along with CERO Recycling will be handling the entire process from vehicle evaluation to official de-registration at the RTO and handing over the official certificate of deposit / destruction of old vehicle to provide a hassle-free experience to customers. Renault will be offering this exclusive channel also for prospects willing to have their old 2-wheelers scrapped whereby they can avail of special 7.99% rate of interest from Renault Finance on purchase of new Renault products. 

Speaking about the new scrappage policy and partnership, Venkatram Mamillapalle, Country CEO & Managing Director, Renault India Operations said, “The scrappage policy is a very important step towards the right direction in making India a hub of manufacturing and elevate the Indian auto industry a notch up in terms of better technology adoption, safer and cleaner vehicles. The scrappage policy will help in significantly reducing the pollution levels and streamlining the unorganised & fragmented recycle market in the country.” 

“We are extremely confident that this partnership will ensure hassle-free experience for the customers and adoption of better technology and promote safety on the Indian roads in a scientific and environment-friendly manner. With its eco-friendly practices, CERO will help reduce carbon footprint, making a zero-waste, zero pollution ecosystem, while Renault will offer attractive & exclusive guaranteed benefits on new vehicle purchase,” he added. 

On the initiative, Sumit Issar, Managing Director of Mahindra Intertrade Ltd., says, “CERO is India’s first government authorized recycler for motor vehicles built on the PPP model, focussed on achieving zero pollution while vehicle recycling. We have state-of-the-art dismantling centers at Greater Noida, Pune and Chennai and collection centers at major cities such as Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Jaipur and Chandigarh.  Further, CERO has plans to have presence in 25 cities within the next 8-10 months. The arrangement with Renault is going to strengthen the reach and benefit all Renault vehicle customers & prospects who are looking for solutions for scrapping their old vehicles”   Globally, Renault is a pioneer and leader in the realm of sustainable mobility for all. Groupe Renault has set three leadership goals: electric vehicles, the circular economy and new mobilities. Since 2005, Groupe Renault has been committed to reducing the environmental impact of its vehicles throughout their life-cycle (from the extraction of the raw materials needed for manufacturing until their end-of-life). 

ABOUT RENAULT  

Renault India Pvt. Ltd. is a fully owned subsidiary of Renault S.A.S. France. Renault India cars are manufactured in the manufacturing facility located in Oragadam, Chennai, with a capacity of 480,000 units per annum. Renault India also has a widespread presence of more than 500 sales and 475+ service touchpoints, which include 200+ Workshop On Wheels locations across the country, with benchmark sales and service quality. Renault India’s product line up and services have seen strong recognition among customers and industry experts alike, winning more than 60 titles, making Renault India one of the most awarded automotive brands in a single year in India. The Renault KWID has already bagged 32 awards, including 10 ‘Car of the Year’ Awards.  

About CERO            

Mahindra MSTC Recycling Private Limited (CERO), is a joint venture between Mahindra Intertrade Ltd. and MSTC Ltd., a Govt of India Enterprise. MMRPL is India’s 1st Government authorised Automotive & Steel Recycling company and has set up 3 environment friendly recycling plants at Greater Noida, Chennai & Pune, under the brand name CERO. It is India’s first organized, fully compliant, pollution free recycling facility. End of life vehicles are collected, depolluted and dismantled at the state-of-the-art facility. The facility embraces a Zero pollution objective and the automated plants have the capacity to recycle old Trucks, Buses, Cars and Two/Three Wheelers and Consumer durables. CERO also has presence in Mumbai, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Chandigarh & Hyderabad through its collection centres. The recovered raw materials from the vehicles will be supplied to companies that can make use of them, provided they meet the stringent quality and sustainability requirements. Automotive steel is one of the best steels available as it can be easily melted and remade thus helping the case of circular economy. 

Digital Futurists Angels Network (DFAN) Invests Around INR 100 Million In FY'21In Edtech Start-Up Goseeko

* DFAN has recently concluded funding for Goseeko, Dheeyantra and Gully Network

* The company is looking at investing around INR 100 million in FY2021

Digital Futurists Angels Network (DFAN), a global, community-backed Angel network has invested in Edtech startup Goseeko Technologies Pvt. Ltd., one of India’s emerging Edu-tech platforms providing curated, affordable and best-in-class higher education study material as per university syllabus. Goseeko aims to make higher education accessible and convenient across Tier 2-4 cities and towns thereby helping students transition from academics to career.

DFAN is focused on nurturing tech-enabled businesses and is looking at investing about INR 100 million plus in FY2122 across different sectors; AI Products, Health-tech, Retail-tech, Edtech, Media-tech, Agri-tech and Clean-tech. DFAN is backed by their parent Digital Futurists community of 1500+ Futuristic technology, business and consulting leaders and have recently concluded funding for chatbot startup Dheeyantra and grocery tech startup Gully Network besides Goseeko. The company is looking at concluding four more investments in this month thereby taking its total investments upto INR 50 million.

Mr. Vivek Gupta, Director & Co-founder, DFAN said, “While India has witnessed an increase in the number of private colleges over the years in Tier 2 and 3 cities, there is still a lack of access to quality education. We believe there exists a huge potential in the Edtech sector wherein through innovation, companies can help in bridging the knowledge and skills gap that exists in the hinterland and thus enhance the employability quotient of students. We see Goseeko to be solving this problem by providing access to quality content and study material to students in this segment and make education more accessible, affordable and convenient for them.  As a new age angel platform, we believe in investing in tech-enabled businesses that have a large social impact and are convinced that Goseeko will create a strong positive impression on the learning outcomes of students and shape up the career growth of millions of young minds.”  

Goseeko was founded in August 2018 by Mr. Chandrabhanu Pattajoshi and Ms. Sonam Choudhary, who come with an array of expertise and knowledge of the business and corporate world. The company operates on a subscription-based model and the study materials are available at the most affordable rates across courses.  This includes notes, presentations, lecture, and reference videos, MCQs, and question banks with answers for Graduate and Post Graduate courses.

Mr. Chandrabhanu Pattajoshi, Founder, Goseeko said, “Lack of a quality higher education infrastructure continues to remain a challenge in smaller towns and cities across India. Students, meritorious yet not-so-privileged are faced with a lot of obstacles including expensive books, poor library infrastructure, multiple and fragmented sources of study material among others. At Goseeko, our aim is to provide convenience and accessibility to students by offering a comprehensive solution, in alignment with the university syllabus all at one single place. The Covid-19 pandemic has caused the transition from offline to online learning at a much faster pace. We have witnessed a 10- 15 times increase in repeat visits by existing students and an over 100% jump on new visitors week on week. We currently have a footprint of 68 universities across 19 states on our platform and with this funding we want to provide curated, affordable, higher education study material to more students and bring them at par with university syllabus and guidelines. This year, we hope to reach 2.5 million students from over 150 universities in India.”

Founded in 2019, DFAN has on-boarded multiple strategic partners including leading institutions such as Meity, IITs, IIMs and VC funds. Their immediate future roadmap includes launching incubator-cum-accelerator(s) across selected tier-II cities by bringing in collaborative partnerships to foster the start-up ecosystem in these cities.

Digital Futurists Angels Private Limited

DFAN is a global technology community backed Angels Network founded in 2019 with a vision to help, nurture & grow tech enabled startups. Headquartered in Gurgaon, it is supported by a vibrant and rich Digital Futurists community of some of the smartest minds globally, pushing the envelope on bleeding-edge technologies like AI, Blockchain, IoT, Industry 4.0, Robotics, Computer Vision etc. and how they can help solve the business problems. The goal of the company is to foster collaboration for new business, mentorship, investments, learning across disciplines, and scaling. The parent Digital Futurists, a curated invite-only community, is spread across 20 cities including Delhi, NCR, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Singapore, Melbourne, Sydney, New York, London, Dubai among others.

PhonePe’s Corona Insurance Sees Wide Adoption & Rising Demand With Increasing COVID-19 Cases

With COVID-19 cases rising across the country, PhonePe, India’s leading digital payments platform shared trends on the adoption of its Coronavirus insurance product launched last year. The analysis of sales and claims data over the past year showed that Coronavirus insurance has seen widespread adoption with 75% of policies bought by customers in smaller towns outside the tier-1 cities. This reflects the trust in the PhonePe platform among users in smaller towns and rural areas of the country. The top states contributing to sales included Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Telangana and Gujarat. PhonePe has seen a fivefold jump in Corona insurance sales in March 2021 (when cases started rising nationally) vis-a-vis February.

In terms of claims paid to customers, the top states included Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Telangana, Delhi and Karnataka. The claims from customers of more than INR 3.5 crore have already been paid. 75% of the claims were made from customers residing in smaller towns and rural areas of the country.

PhonePe in association with Bajaj Allianz General Insurance offers the most affordable Coronavirus insurance policy in the market today. The annual premium starts as low as INR 396 for a cover of INR 50,000. Customers can also opt for a higher cover of INR 1,00,000 at an affordable premium of INR 541. The cover is applicable at any hospital offering COVID-19 treatment. It also covers 30 days of expenses related to pre-hospitalization costs and post-care medical treatment.

Sharing his views, Gunjan Ghai, VP & Head of Insurance, PhonePe said, “The last few weeks have seen a resurgence in COVID-19 cases across the country. While the central and state governments are taking several steps towards containing the outbreak, many Indians still don’t have health insurance covers as a result of which they may have to bear an additional financial burden in case someone in their family needs to be hospitalized for COVID-19. Keeping this in mind, we are one of the very few players in the market today who continue to offer the Coronavirus insurance product for our vast base of over 287 million registered users.” 

Customers can buy this product by going to the Health Insurance section on the PhonePe app. They don’t need to undertake any medical tests before buying. The entire policy buying process takes less than 2 minutes and customers will be instantly issued their policy documents inside the PhonePe app.

FADA Releases March 2021 Vehicle Registration Data Across India

* March Auto Registrations continue to fall by -28.64% YoY but grew 10.05% MoM.

* Tractors and Passenger Vehicles sustained its healthy momentum by growing 29.21% and 28.39% YoY on a low base, transition from BS-4 to BS-6 and India going under lockdown last year.

* On YoY basis, 2W, 3W and CV unrelentingly fell by -35.26%, -50.72% and -42.20% respectively.

* On MoM basis 2W, 3W, CV, PV and Trac grew by 9.54%, 14.15%, 14,15%, 10,11% and 12.60% respectively.

* Passenger vehicle waiting period continued to hold its ground and remained as high as 7 months as scarcity of semiconductors remained put. 47% PV dealers said that they lost more than 20% sales due to supply side constraints.

* There was no significant change in Dealer inventory days as PV & 2W inventory remained in the range of 10-15 and 30-35 days.

* The second wave of Covid is not only spreading faster but is also trying to destabilize the growth which India has been able to achieve in last few months. Any lockdown at this point will severely hamper the momentum which is getting built for Auto Industry to come out of the woods.

The Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA) today released Monthly Vehicle Registration Data for March’21.

Commenting on how March’21 performed, FADA President, Mr. Vinkesh Gulati said, “Auto Registrations for the month of March witnessed double digit fall to the tune of -28.64% YoY, in spite of 7 days of lockdown last year.

Tractors and Passenger Vehicles were the only 2 categories which saw healthy double digit growth. This growth can be associated with multiple factors like low base of last year, transition from BS-4 to BS-6 and India going under total lockdown. Global shortage of wafers which is an input for semiconductor, continued to linger around and kept PV waiting period as high as 7 months. According to FADA Survey, 47% PV dealers said that they lost more than 20% sales due to supply side constraints.

Tractors continued its dream run as rural incomes saw improvements after successive monsoons and good rabi produce. If experts are to be believed, India will witness a normal monsoon for the 3rd year in a row. This will further see tractors performing well in FY 21-22.

According to Pew Research, financial woes brought by Covid-19 have pushed about 32 million Indians out of the middle class, undoing years of economic gains. This had its impact on 2-wheelers as it saw one of its steepest de-growth in last few months. This coupled with high fuel prices and price increase acted as double whammy. It not only created a havoc in entry level customers mind but also kept them away from visiting showrooms.

The 3-wheeler marketing is witnessing a tactical shift from ICE to EV’s. While prices of vehicles are increasing due to BS-6 and metals prices, customers coming from lower income category are not able to re-pay EMI’s due to poor income. This coupled with social distancing norms and educational institutions still closed are keeping riders away.

Commercial vehicles continued to degrow on YoY basis. High BS-6 prices, low finance availability, repayment pressure due to moratorium period getting over, were the few reasons for non-performance. The category showed growth in some markets/sub categories where Government Infrastructure spending has begun. Bus segment continued to suffer due to ongoing Pandemic.”

Near Term Outlook

The month of April comes with festivities like Ugadi, Gudi Padwa, Baisakhi and Poila Boishakh. This coupled with marriage season is generally a high sales period. At this juncture, the second wave of Covid is not only spreading faster but is also trying to destabilize the growth which India has been able to achieve in last few months. Any lockdown at this point will severely hamper the momentum which is getting built for Auto Industry to come out of the woods.

Increase of Covid and fear amongst consumer’s with last year’s sight in mind has started keeping them away from making high ticket purchase. The effects of the same can be seen in 2-Wheeler category where inquiry levels are low. This coupled with semiconductor shortage will continue to hamper not only Passenger Vehicles but also Two Wheelers as ABS shortage is currently ringing alarm bells.

Since Maharashtra contributes 10-11% of the auto retail, the current Lockdown will have catastrophic effect on overall sales for the month of April.

Overall, FADA maintains extreme caution for the month of April as Covid rises to newer highs.

Key Findings from our Online Members Survey

Sentiments

43.9% dealers rated it as Good

35.7% dealers rated it as Neutral

20.4% dealers rated it as Bad

Liquidity

45.5% dealers rated it as Good

37% dealers rated it as Neutral

17.5% dealers rated it as Bad

Expectation in April

48.7% dealers rated it as Growth

31.7% dealers rated it as Flat

19.6% dealers rated it as De-growth

Inventory

Average inventory for Passenger Vehicles ranges from 10 – 15 days

Average inventory for Two-Wheeler ranges from 30 – 35 days

Disclaimer:

The above numbers do not have figures from AP, MP, LD & TS as they are not yet on Vahan 4.

Vehicle Registration Data has been collated as on 06.04.21 in collaboration with Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, Government of India and has been gathered from 1,277 out of 1,482 RTOs.

CV is subdivided in the following manner

LCV – Light Commercial Vehicle (incl. Passenger & Goods Vehicle)

MCV – Medium Commercial Vehicle (incl. Passenger & Goods Vehicle)

HCV – Heavy Commercial Vehicle (incl. Passenger & Goods Vehicle)

Others – Construction Equipment Vehicles and others

About FADA India

Founded in 1964, Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA), is the apex national body of Automobile Retail Industry in India engaged in the sale, service and spares of 2/3 Wheelers, Passenger Cars, UVs, Commercial Vehicles (including buses and trucks) and Tractors. FADA India represents over 15,000 automobile dealers having 26,500 dealerships including multiple Associations of Automobile Dealers at the Regional, State and City levels representing the entire Auto Retail Industry. Together we employ ~4 million people at dealerships and service centres.

FADA India, at the same time also actively networks with the Industries and the authorities, both at the Central & State levels to provide its inputs and suggestions on the Auto Policy, Taxation, Vehicle Registration Procedure, Road Safety and Clean Environment, etc. to sustain the growth of the Automobile Retail Trade in India.

upGrad Jeet Builds Road-To-Success; Help Aspirants Achieve Single-Digit Ranks In GATE 2021 Results

* The coaching institute (formerly known as The Gate Academy) has aided over 142 rankers in Top 100 List from the GATE 2021 result

Within just a month of launching a new business solution and rebranding its 100% subsidiary, The Gate Academy (TGA), now rechristened as the ‘upGrad Jeet’, has enabled over 142 government-job seekers to come in the Top 100 AIR (All India Rank) List and move strongly towards achieving their desired career goal. These learners are required to go through 900 hours of training over a period of 12 months, which includes online coaching/training, one-on-one career counselling sessions, projects completion, workshops with industry mentors & experts, along with other engagement programs to help them enhance their skill sets. Such an advanced teaching structure and detailed guidance helps learners crack GATE and attain meaningful professional growth. 

One such inspiring success story is of a young upGrad Jeet learner, Polarpu Akhil from Kalyandurgam, Andhra Pradesh, who comes from a very humble background and is a son of a bus conductor. He battled all his personal struggles to achieve great heights in the recently announced GATE 2021 results and secured AIR 4 in Electronics and Communication (EC), thus making his family proud. Akhil now stands as a role model to all those who face financial difficulties and thinks cracking the entrance exams is not possible. “My message to all those who are preparing for Government exams, is to remain positive, and be consistent in your daily preparation,” he adds.

Ritesh Raushan, CEO - upGrad Jeet commented, “Most of the Government job aspirants come from humble backgrounds with certain financial or personal limitations. They find it extremely difficult to travel to metro cities for quality education and coaching. Hence, our vision at upGrad Jeet is to get the best of teachers and offer their tutoring to learners from the remotest part of the country who are deprived of quality education.”

Mayank Kumar, Co-founder, and MD, upGrad added, “In line with our vision of driving meaningful career outcomes for our learners, we have differentiated and extended our line of solutions to reach the length and breadth of the country. We are happy to support and to play an important role in empowering the nation, particularly the youth.”

upGrad Jeet aligns with the brand’s ambition of Rural India penetration strategy in making Bharat employable. This also marks the higher edtech leader upGrad’s foray into the INR 400 Billion test preparation market for government exams pan India.

About upGrad Jeet

upGrad Jeet aims to ensure the win (“Jeet”) of every learner. Winners need to sweat it out every day to win and the course is exactly designed to make every aspirant become an active learner. With daily and weekly goal settings, notification-based study reminders, one-to-one mentorship, 24/7 doubt solving, revision modules, personalization all driven by technology, upGrad Jeet stands for participative learning. We have the best faculties to teach and make the students solve thousands of questions while you learn from basic concepts to mix, and complex ones to ultimately solve questions at the actual exam level and beyond. The learning methodology is like a guided tour where each and every learner is supported according to their level.

Cavendish Industries Ltd (A Subsidiary Of JK Tyre) Assigned “IND A- / Stable” Rating

India Ratings and Research (Ind-Ra) has assigned long-term issuer rating ‘IND A- / Stable’ to Cavendish Industries Limited (a subsidiary of JK Tyre & Industries Ltd).

The assigned rating and the stable outlook reflects, Cavendish Industries Ltd. (CIL) strong operating performance in FY21 on the strength of strong demand from replacement markets, higher operating efficiencies, leaner cost structure and higher capacity utilisation, which has resulted in improved profitability. The Company has also resorted to aggressive marketing through expansion of the dealer network in the current financial year to cater to high rural and suburb demand.

Ind-Ra further expects healthy double-digit growth in revenues on the back of robust replacement market demand on account of increased vehicle penetration in the country in FY22.

The acquisition of Cavendish Industries Ltd. (CIL) by JK Tyre in the year 2016 was strategic in nature and well considered decision to increase the manufacturing capacities at a much lower investment cost and also to enter 2/3 wheeler tyre segment. CIL's presence is primarily in the domestic replacement market and has diverse product portfolio in the truck and bus (T&B) bias and radial tyres, two/three-wheeler (2/3W) tyres and non-truck bias tyre segments.

Vi Unveils Integrated IoT Solutions: New IoT Solution Portfolio For Enterprises To Leapfrog Into The Future

 
·         Vi Business to offer end-to-end Integrated IoT Solutions for Smart Infrastructure, Smart Mobility and Smart Utilities plus many more offerings

·         Launches IoT Adoption best practices “IoT Self-Scan” report for the manufacturing sector

Vi Business, the enterprise arm of Vodafone Idea Ltd. (VIL), has further strengthened its IoT portfolio with the launch of Integrated IoT solutions for enterprises. With this industry first initiative, VIL has become the only telecom company in India to offer a secure end-to-end IoT solution offering that comprises connectivity, hardware, network, application, analytics, security and support. The offering is designed to simplify and accelerate the digital transformation journey for enterprises.

With the pandemic induced digital disruption, businesses are increasingly transforming to digital means, opting for Internet of Things (IoT) to bridge the need gap, adapt to market dynamics, and the evolving consumer needs.

Vi IoT is transforming the way businesses operate by reinventing processes, operations, customer experience and developing newer business models and revenue opportunities.

Recognising the challenges faced by enterprises in conceptualizing, designing and deploying IoT as a strategic driver, with Vi Integrated IoT solutions, the telco will adopt a consulting-led engagement to support businesses in identifying their needs, design and develop the right IoT solution and implementation. It will also provide them with a tailored solution to be integrated with best-in-class enterprise-grade IoT framework.

Vi is the largest IoT player in India and with this launch, it has further strengthened its portfolio by providing a comprehensive range of IoT solutions across Industries for - Smart Infrastructure, Smart Mobility and Smart Utilities, on its 5G-ready network. With Vi Integrated IoT Solutions, an enterprise can now focus on its core strength, thus simplifying and accelerating IoT Innovation.

Commenting on the launch, Ravinder Takkar, MD & CEO, Vodafone Idea Limited, said, “Vi is a market leader in IoT and well positioned to capitalize on future growth driven by the Government’s push towards ‘Digital India’ and ‘Smart Cities’. A trusted and valued IoT partner in the nascent industry, and with its strong foundation, Vi is helping enterprises succeed in IoT, thereby paving the way for a digitally enhanced market in India. The launch of Vi Integrated IoT Solutions is a strategic step towards making Vi Business - an IoT ecosystem integrator for Indian enterprises, and positioning Vi to have an Ecosystem Play driving our transformation from a ‘Telco’ to ‘TechCo’”.

Abhijit Kishore, Chief Enterprise Business Officer, Vodafone Idea Limited, said, “We are proud to be the first telecom company to offer end-to-end IoT offerings that address the marketplace needs of a reliable partner, scale, security and quick deployments. Vi Business will be the single point of contact for enterprises so that they can fully focus on accelerating their business with the assurance that the solutions are tailored as per their needs, managed professionally, and business outcomes are delivered. As a trusted partner, Vi Business is well placed to maximize the benefits of IoT enabled Industry 4.0 revolution in the country.”

More on Vi Integrated IoT

• Market Leader in IoT with large market share in Smart Mobility industry with a million plus vehicles, fleet and other dynamic assets 

• Over 90% customer market share in the automotive industry with 2.2 mn+ vehicles on IoT connectivity

• Enabled enterprises with Innovative IoT maturity framework - IoT Self-scan to measure their IoT readiness and maturity 

• Leading IoT player in the energy sector

Under the Vi Integrated IoT Solutions portfolio, the Smart Infrastructure IoT solutions will connect intelligently with assets like heterogeneous machines, energy systems and range of applications like ERP, factory applications for industries. The Smart Mobility IoT solutions will offer automotive OEMs, logistics and associated industries with connected vehicle and fleet management solutions which is based on real-time vehicle and environmental parameters. With the Smart Utility IoT solutions, Vi Business will empower utility companies and DISCOMs to remotely monitor the performance of the transformers and other energy consuming machines or provide an integrated system of smart meters (Advanced Meter Reading, Advanced Metering Infrastructure) for improved customer experiences.

Highlighting the potential of IoT adoption in manufacturing, Vi Business also launched an IoT Insights report “Vi IoT Self Scan: Framework for accessing IoT maturity” basis its key learnings of working closely with the manufacturing companies. According to the report, manufacturing companies recognize the business need to build a connected factory ecosystem. Most companies wish to automate their plant operations with IoT in the next few years. IoT Self Scan Report identifies other reasons like production monitoring, planning and scheduling, quality and compliance and process optimization as triggers for manufacturing companies to adopt IoT.

Note: **Complete report available here: Link to website section - https://myvi.in/business/TBD

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”.

Hero Motocorp Initiates COVID-19 Vaccination Drive For Permanent & Contractual Employees

In keeping with its commitment to ensure the safety and wellbeing of its people, Hero MotoCorp has initiated a Covid-19 vaccination drive across the organization, including its permanent and contractual employees.

Hero MotoCorp will bear the cost of the vaccination drive for its workforce.

The Company will also facilitate similar vaccination initiative across its group companies such as Hero FinCorp, Hero Future Energies, Rockman Industries, Hero Electronix and AG Industries.

In order to ensure the safety of people across its ecosystem, Hero MotoCorp is also working closely with its dealers and supply chain partners to facilitate similar vaccination for their employees.

More than 80,000 employees, including the entire workforce of Hero MotoCorp, Group Companies and Supply Chain Partners will be covered under this initiative. Additionally, a similar drive will be commenced for Hero MotoCorp’s Pan-India dealer network.

The vaccination initiative will cover both shots of the Covid-19 vaccine in phases as defined by health authorities, and will be implemented as per the guidelines prescribed by the government, covering people over the age of 45 and those with comorbidities first, followed by a wider application in the general population.

We at Hero have always believed in a holistic development of our employees as well as the society at large. With the government opening up the vaccination process against the coronavirus for the corporate sector, we have decided to vaccinate our workforce and other stakeholders within the extended Hero family at no cost.

At the very onset of the Covid-19 in March 2020, the Hero Group was among the very first corporates to pledge Rs 100 Crore as aid for the relief-efforts in the country. Half of this sum, Rs 50 Crore, was contributed to the PM-Cares Fund and the remaining Rs 50 crore was spent in other relief efforts.

As part of its ongoing relief efforts, Hero MotoCorp has so far distributed more than 23 lakhs meals, over 37,805 ration kits, more than 37,700 litres of sanitizers, 45+ lakhs face masks and 57,000+ PPE kits to the government hospitals, Police departments and other agencies.

The Company has also donated 60 unique First Responder Vehicles (FRVs), custom-built as an upgrade on the powerful Xtreme 200R motorcycle, to various government authorities in Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Mizoram, Jammu and Kashmir, Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh and Odisha.

Luxury Recrafted. The New BMW 6 Series Launched In Indian Market

 

Best-in-class luxurious ambience and unrivalled rear seat experience.

Supreme ride comfort thanks to standard adaptive 2-axle air suspension.

Quickest car in its segment with exceptional sporting flair.

New exterior paint finishes including BMW Individual Tanzanite Blue.

Bespoke interiors and exclusive ‘Nappa’ leather upholstery option.

#TheNew6 #LuxuryRecrafted #SheerDrivingPleasure #BMW

The new BMW 6 Series has been launched in India today. Locally produced at BMW Group Plant Chennai, the car is available in one petrol (newly introduced BMW 630i M Sport) and two diesel variants (BMW 630d M Sport and BMW 620d Luxury Line). Bookings can be made at all BMW dealerships from today onwards.

After establishing the benchmark in the executive sedan segment, the new BMW 6 Series now takes this supreme character to new heights. A distinctive design, striking presence and outward BMW sportiness combined with best-in-class luxury and travel experience elevates its position by many notches. Driving pleasure and efficiency are enhanced by a further developed spread of engines and cutting-edge innovations.

Mr. Vikram Pawah, President, BMW Group India said, “The new BMW 6 Series recrafts luxury and adds a truly unique dimension to the executive class segment. It has the practicality of a crossover, the dynamics of a sports car, the silhouette of a fastback and the luxury of a sedan. The personality of the BMW 6 Series distinguishes it clearly from the crowd and is the reason for its long-lasting success. It is the vehicle of choice for modern leaders who expect the best luxury and comfort when they are at the rear. And nothing short of ‘Sheer Driving Pleasure’ when they take the wheel. It is an expression of style and beckons those who won’t settle for anything but the best.”

The car is available at attractive introductory prices (ex-showroom) as follows –

BMW 630i M Sport        :           INR 67,90,000

BMW 620d Luxury Line    :           INR 68,90,000

BMW 630d M Sport        :           INR 77,90,000

Price prevailing at the time of invoicing will be applicable. Ex-showroom prices inclusive of GST (incl. compensation cess) as applicable but exclude Road Tax, Tax Collected at Source (TCS), RTO statutory taxes/fees, other local tax cess levies and insurance. Price / options are subject to change without prior notice.  For further information, contact an authorised BMW dealer.

The new BMW 6 Series is available in new exciting colours - BMW Individual finish Tanzanite Blue metallic is offered for the first time. Phytonic Blue metallic, Piemont Red metallic and Bernina Grey Amber effect variants have been added to the color range.

Online bookings done till 30 April 2021 will enjoy an attractive offer on limited units. These cars will come with complimentary Original BMW Accessories and Lifestyle Collection products worth INR 1.5 Lakh. Presented from the Aftersales Lifestyle catalogue, the package includes products such as Mont-Blanc for BMW, BMW Display key, Headphones for Rear Seat Entertainment etc.

Thanks to BMW India Financial Services, customized and flexible financial solutions can be designed as per individual requirements. BMW 360˚ offers exclusive financial packages with great value and absolute peace of mind. Customers will enjoy a hassle-free ownership experience with low monthly payments, assured buy-back of up to 4 years and flexible end of term options. Service Inclusive and Service Inclusive Plus further reduce cost of ownership. Customers can choose from a variety of service plans according to duration and mileage. The packages cover Condition Based Service (CBS) and maintenance work with plans ranging from 3 yrs / 40,000 kms to 10 yrs / 2,00,000 kms. The service packages are lowest in the segment starting at approximately INR 52,000 for a 3-year period.

The new BMW 6 Series.

The exterior design flows smoothly over into the front headlights and now creates a sharper angular expression. New contours for the BMW kidney grille and headlights immediately bordering it on either side make a striking impression. Standard equipment includes new full-LED Adaptive headlights. Newly added BMW Laserlight, unique in this vehicle segment, distributes light perfectly up to 650 meters. The slope-like roofline overflows with coupe elegance. More modern and cleaned up – that is the first impression of the rear with broad, muscular lines, attractive LED rear-light design and two freeform tailpipes.

Interior of the new BMW 6 Series justifies that this is the perfect travel companion – generously spacious with luxurious comfort and bespoke material selection. Newly designed controls on the centre console in high-gloss black look elegant. Interior trim selections enhance the luxurious appeal – BMW 630i and BMW 620d offer Natural Leather Dakota trim with fine wood trims and BMW 630d offers a refined premium option with exclusive ‘Nappa’ leather upholstery with diamond stitching. Comfort Seats offer fully electric seat adjustment with memory function on the driver as well as passenger side. A rear seat bench with electrically adjustable backrest angle and comfort headrest cushions adds extra comfort for long journeys. The two-part panoramic glass sunroof adds bright natural sunlight and enhances the sense of spaciousness in the cabin. Ambient Lighting with six dimmable designs creates an atmosphere for every mood. The car has four-zone automatic climate control with extended features. Adding to the luxurious feel are features such as electroplated controls, electrically adjustable roller sunblinds and soft-close function for doors. Luggage compartment has a capacity of up to 600 litres, extending to 1,800 litres thanks to the 40/20/40 split.

Thanks to unrivalled BMW TwinPower Turbo technology, the petrol and diesel engines meld maximum power with exemplary efficiency and offer spontaneous responsiveness even at low engine speeds, offering best-in-class acceleration figures. The 2-litre 4-cylinder petrol engine of the BMW 630i generates maximum output of 258 hp and peak torque of 400 Nm with 0-100 kmph acceleration in just 6.5 seconds. The 2-litre 4-cylinder diesel engine of the BMW 620d develops maximum output of 190 hp and peak toque of 400 Nm with 0-100 kmph acceleration in 7.9 seconds. The 3-litre 6-cylinder in-line diesel engine of BMW 630d produces maximum output of 265hp and peak torque of 620 Nm with 0-100 kmph acceleration in 6.1 seconds, making it the quickest car in its segment.

The eight speed steptronic sport automatic transmission performs smooth, almost imperceptible gearshifts. For even greater driving pleasure, it comes with steering wheel paddle shifters and cruise control with braking function. The standard Adaptive 2-axle Air Suspension with its self-levelling feature maintains constant height irrespective of the load, providing great comfort. It offers maximum ride comfort and extreme sporting capability. Individual electronically controlled dampers offer exceptional precision and improve the drive and handling dynamics. The damper response settings vary according to the mode selected with the Driving Experience Control switch, that allows driver to choose between different modes to suit the driving conditions - Comfort, Comfort+, Sport, Sport+ and Adaptive.

Best-in-class entertainment features complement the comfortable long journeys. The latest version of the Rear-seat entertainment Professional comprises two 10.25” touchscreen monitors with full-HD technology, a Blu-ray player, screen mirroring function and two USB ports. Harman Kardon Surround Sound System conjures an engrossing treat for the ears. High-end 16 speaker system with woofers generates an impressive audio experience in all seats that is unique worldwide in the automotive sector.  

Modern cockpit concept BMW Live Cockpit Professional with BMW Operating System 7.0 includes 3D Navigation, a 12.3-inch fully-digital digital instrument display behind the steering wheel and now bigger 12.3 inch Control Display. The occupants can operate a number of functions simply by speaking to their BMW Virtual Assistant. Hands do the talking with BMW Gesture Control (in BMW 630d) that recognizes six pre-defined hand movements for control of a number of functions. The smartphone holder integrated into the centre console allows inductive, Wireless Charging for mobile phones. Wireless Apple CarPlay® / Android Auto ensures seamless smartphone connection with the car to access several functions.

Parking Assistant with Rear View Camera makes parking in tight spots easier. Reversing Assistant provides unmatched support in reversing out of a parking spot or through narrow driveways. It keeps a record of the last 50 metres driven and assists by taking over the steering. With the Remote Control Parking function, a driver can manoeuvre the vehicle into a narrow parking space from outside using the BMW Display Key.

BMW EfficientDynamics includes features such as 8-speed Steptronic Sport Automatic Transmission, Auto Start-Stop, Brake-Energy Regeneration, Electronic Power Steering, 50:50 Weight Distribution and ECO PRO mode in Driving Experience Control. BMW Safety technologies include six airbags, Attentiveness Assistance, Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) with Brake Assist, Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) including Dynamic Traction Control (DTC) and Electronic Differential Lock Control (EDLC), Cornering Brake Control (CBC), electric parking brake with auto hold, side-impact protection, electronic vehicle immobilizer and crash sensors, ISOFIX child seat mounting and emergency spare wheel.

HealthEdge And Global Software Consultancy, ThoughtWorks, Partner To Build A Global Development Center

* Leading next-generation solutions suite aims to build India Center of Excellence

HealthEdge® the health insurance industry’s first digital nervous system that provides automation and seamless connectivity between all parts of a payer’s administrative and clinical systems announced a partnership with ThoughtWorks to build a Center of Excellence across its development operations.

ThoughtWorks will work closely with HealthEdge to create a world class team, doubling its size by more than 100 hires by the end of 2021. The goal is to scale HealthEdge’s processes around sourcing, capacity building, and training to effectively onboard engineering leaders in India. HealthEdge is located in Koramangala, Bengaluru, the heart of the IT capital of India and Hinjewadi in Pune.

In April 2020, HealthEdge became a Blackstone portfolio company and prior to the close of 2020 it added two additional products, Burgess Source®, a leading payment integrity application and Altruista GuidingCare®, the market leader in care management, to complement its next-generation core administration system. The company earned a spot in the 2021 Top Workplaces USA. Additionally, HealthEdge received the National Elite Winner in Employee Achievement and Recognition designation for the 2020 Best and Brightest Companies to Work For, Top 101 in the Nation®, making it a premier employer of choice.

“We are building a great company that will be the epicenter of healthcare transactions,” said Steve Krupa, CEO of HealthEdge. “When people join HealthEdge, they are joining a progressive, flexible, first-class team who pride themselves on the core principles of customer value, first-principles thinking, cross-functional collaboration, continuous improvement, and engineering excellence. Our India-based operation is at a point of extreme acceleration and with the help ThoughtWorks, we aim to be the premier employer for India’s best talent.”

“HealthEdge recognizes the long-term benefits of building high-performance teams and we are excited they have chosen ThoughtWorks as a partner at a time when they are aggressively scaling their business,” said Sameer Soman, managing director of ThoughtWorks in India. “We look forward to elevating the engineering mindset and culture of excellence within HealthEdge.”

HealthEdge stands out as an innovative employer by offering a collaborative environment, where teamwork and delivery excellence are the baseline. Along with excellent benefits and flexible work arrangements, HealthEdge provides an environment for employees to grow, be challenged and have an opportunity to change the face of healthcare using technology.

The planned Center of Excellence will house multiple functions including development, product management, technical operations, and DevOps. The team will lead the way to achieve organizational goals with crucial programs like transformation, performance and scalability, and data lake development. To learn more about how you can join the HealthEdge elite team, visit healthedge.com or apply at Naukri.com.

About HealthEdge 

HealthEdge provides modern, disruptive healthcare IT solutions that health insurers use to leverage new business models, improve outcomes, drastically reduce administrative costs, and connect everyone in the healthcare delivery cycle. Its next-generation enterprise solution suite is built on modern, patented technology and is delivered to customers via the HealthEdge Cloud or onsite deployment. In 2020, HealthEdge was acquired by Blackstone. HealthEdge’s product portfolio includes HealthRules® Payor, Altruista Health’s GuidingCare®, and Burgess Source®. Follow HealthEdge, on Twitter @HealthEdge or on LinkedIn.

About ThoughtWorks

ThoughtWorks is a software consultancy and community of passionate purpose-led individuals, of more than 8,000 people across 48 offices in 17 countries. Over its 25+ year history, they have helped their clients solve complex business problems where technology is the differentiator. When the only constant is change, they prepare their clients for the unpredictable.

Telangana Industries Minister KT Rama Rao Inaugurates Meditronic Engineering & Innovation Center In Hyderabad

* The Centre Aims to Reach 1000 Employees in Next Five Years

* To Be the Largest Research and Development Center Outside the U.S. for Medtronic

Medtronic plc (NYSE:MDT), the global leader in medical technology, today announced the inauguration of its newly expanded state-of-the-art Medtronic Engineering and Innovation Center (MEIC) in Hyderabad. The research and development facility was inaugurated by Shri KT Rama Rao, honorable minister for Municipal Administration & Urban Development, Industries & Commerce, and Information Technology and his team of officials from the Government of Telangana. Joining the event virtually were Smt. S. Aparna, honorable secretary, Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, Govt. of India, Joel Reifman, U.S. consul general, Hyderabad, and Geoff Martha, Medtronic chairman and CEO. Key dignitaries present at the event were Shri Jayesh Ranjan, principal secretary, Industries & Commerce and IT, Government of Telangana, and Shri Shakthi Nagappan, director, Life Sciences & Pharma, Government of Telangana.

The 150,000 square feet center employs engineers currently in the areas of software development and testing, test automation, mechanical design, analysis and hardware. With this expansion, MEIC aims to leverage the sizeable pool of diverse and skilled talent in India to continue its pioneering work in the medical technology space and add further to Medtronic’s 150+ patents and 400+ IP disclosures globally that MEIC has been a part of.

“Innovation is one of the cornerstones for Medtronic. Over the years, Medtronic has expanded its footprint, while significantly contributing to the healthcare ecosystem. Given the market size and availability of high-class talent pool, India is transforming into a global R&D hub,” said Mr. Martha. “With MEIC we aim to tap the talent to continue to innovate for India and beyond. This partnership with Govt. of Telangana for the expansion of MEIC will help us serve our Mission – to alleviate pain, restore health and extend life for patients around the world.”

Globally, Medtronic has spent approximately $2.3 billion annually in research and development in recent years, and MEIC recently received an investment of INR 1200cr ($160 million) for expansion in Hyderabad. This investment planned over 5 years aims to foster global innovation and create several job opportunities.

During the inauguration, Shri KT Rama Rao reiterated the contribution of Medtronic in India's R&D and said, “Hyderabad today is emerging as a hotspot for Medtech innovation benefitting from the progressive Government policies, abundant talent pool, extraordinary infrastructure, etc. The Government of Telangana is fully committed to foster the culture of innovation in the state and has been undertaking several initiatives to mark India on a global map as an ideal destination for both manufacturing and research & development. Hyderabad is already home to marquee technology and life sciences companies and now, we are extremely delighted to host the largest R&D facility for Medtronic outside the United States. Medical devices sector has been identified as one key focus sector by the state. Inauguration of the new MEIC site will boost Telangana’s MedTech plans and cement Hyderabad’s position as the medical devices hub in India.”

Speaking at the inauguration function, Madan Krishnan, vice president and managing director, India Medtronic Pvt Ltd., said, “Hyderabad is positioned to become India’s hub for technology companies across the world. We see enormous potential in energizing the medical devices innovation ecosystem in the country. The R&D team in India is a key contributor to Medtronic’s global product development. The opening of the new site is an important milestone for us as it serves as a critical component in strengthening our global R&D organization and will also drive innovation and growth.”

MEIC serves as a global hub for development, testing and qualification for some of the most advanced and innovative technologies. The setting up of new R&D facility is a purposeful step to create synergy by supporting Medtronic’s businesses globally, in various therapy areas; including respiratory intervention, remote patient monitoring and digital health, surgical robotics, electrosurgical generators, cardiac rhythm and heart failure, and navigation, amongst others.

Commenting on the unveiling of the centre, Divya Prakash Joshi, senior director and site leader, MEIC, Hyderabad said, “The newly expanded center houses state-of-the-art labs that provide software and engineering support to Medtronic globally. The new facility has been designed with safety, comfort, and the well-being of employees as a top priority. With access to top-notch STEM professionals, the strategic goal of MEIC is to become a destination centre for medical device software and engineering solutions. Through this R&D centre, Medtronic continues to demonstrate its commitment to use medical technology to alleviate pain, restore health and extend life for patients around the world.”

The Medtronic team inaugurated the site in a responsible manner by taking all the necessary steps to follow COVID-19 precautionary measures for the event.

Accenture Acquires Core Compete, Expands Capabilities And Talent In AI-Powered Supply Chain, Cloud And Data Science

Accenture (NYSE: ACN) has acquired Core Compete, a cloud analytics services firm headquartered in Durham, North Carolina, with additional offices in the UK and India. Core Compete enables digital transformations with cloud-native solutions that deliver artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning-infused business outcomes, to serve a diverse client base across the US and UK, with particular focus on supply chain, retail and financial services. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Founded in 2012, Core Compete’s team of more than 260 professionals will join Accenture’s Applied Intelligence practice, strengthening how the company helps clients shape and execute their cloud-based data and AI strategies to drive more business value.

Powered by a deeply skilled group of data science, data engineering and cloud engineering consultants, the majority of whom have skills across all major cloud providers, Core Compete is well-positioned to meet a significant need in the market. Accenture research shows that two-thirds of CxOs are planning to increase spending on AI and over 60 percent will invest more in cloud-based technologies.

“Over the past year we’ve seen cloud adoption increase, enabling organizations to unlock the enterprise value from data and AI strategy at speed,” said Sanjeev Vohra, global lead for Accenture Applied Intelligence. “Core Compete’s approach to cloud analytics transformation helps us further accelerate time to value for our clients, giving them the right tools, strategy and talent to reap the full benefits of being data-driven.”

“We have always seen the power of cloud analytics and are proud of the client transformations we’ve led over the past nine years,” said Shiva Kommareddi, managing partner, Core Compete. “Accenture’s investment in cloud and focus on AI as an exponential source of value is exactly what we need to help broaden our impact across new markets and industries and deepen our impact with clients.”

This acquisition builds on Accenture’s growing analytics, data and AI business around the world, with the acquisitions of Analytics8 in Australia, Pragsis Bidoop in Spain, Mudano in the UK, Byte Prophecy in India, Sentelis in France, and Clarity Insights and End-to-End Analytics in the US.

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 537,000 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. Applied Intelligence is Accenture’s approach to scaling AI for clients by embedding AI-powered data, analytics and automation capabilities into business workflows, accelerating time to value with a powerful global alliance, innovation and delivery network that can deploy and scale AI within any market and industry. 

Housing Sales In 2021 Likely To Reach 2019 Figures In India – CREDAI

* If level of pandemic remains under control

Today’s conference themed : CREDAI Version 2: “Reboot and Restrategize” addressed by Mr. Harsh Vardhan Patodia, President; Mr. Satish Magar, Chaiman, Mr. Boman Irani, President Elect; Mr. Pankaj Goel, Secretary, discussed  key aspects  that are required to transform the Indian Real Estate Landscape in the coming year.

The real estate industry could witness surge in sales in 2021 which could reach the 2019 sales figure or exceed it. While the sector continues to face few challenges as we are witnessing the second major wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, overall the real estate industry has seen a good revival in terms of sales in both residential and commercial segment.

Mr. Harsh Vardhan Patodia mentioned that housing sales that fell 40-50 per cent across 7-8 major cities last year due to the pandemic could bounce back to 2019-level this year, if there is no complete lockdown to curb the second wave of COVID-19 and more so the importance of owning a home has also been propelled by the uncertainty COIVD has brought in people’s lives. He also added that amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the real estate industry needs to innovate and scout for new opportunities.

CREDAI as an apex body will continue to reiterate its pending demands with the government including stamp duty concessions in all states, infrastructure status for the realty sector, GST input tax credit for both housing and commercial segments, faster environment clearance and easier credit availability.

Mr. Harsh Vardhan Patodia, President CREDAI shared his vision and execution plan of the key initiatives:-

Free COVID-19 Vaccination Drive for Construction Workforce

·         CREDAI is writing to Minister of Health & Family Welfare and Minister of Labour & Employment urging them to issue advisories to State Governments on the CREDAI vaccination drive for construction workers

·         State Presidents will meet Health Ministers of their respective states

·         State / City chapters will collaborate with Government / Private hospitals administering COVID 19 Vaccination in their respective cities / states

·         CREDAI will identity construction workers who meet the eligibility criteria and create a database of such workers

·         In consultation with Government / Private hospitals and local administration (DM, Collector etc.), CREDAI will mark a day every week for vaccination of construction workers for the next 6 months

·         Database will be collected on monthly basis

CREDAI to set up its own Data Assimilation Centre

·         CREDAI Committee on statistics may develop formats including data points that must be recorded on a monthly basis by all city chapters

·         State Presidents will be encouraged to tie up with agencies like CRISIL or any other agency to undertake data collation on a quarterly basis

·         Data will be submitted to the Committee with 15 days of quarter end

·         Extracts from the data will be shared across

Launch of Incubation & Acceleration Center to support start-ups in real estate sector

·         CREDAI Start-up Angel Network and Incubation & Acceleration Centre will be set up  a fund  to support tech startups in the real estate space which will help the sectors growth

·         CREDAI will make membership network available to the start-ups for a strong industry collaboration and business development

About CREDAI

Established in 1999, The Confederation of Real Estate Developers’ Association of India, is the apex body for private real estate developers in India, representing over 13,000 developers through 21 states and 217 city chapters across the country. CREDAI has worked hard to make the industry more organized and progressive by networking closely with government representatives, policymakers, investors. CREDAI works towards the improvement of ethical standards & business practices in real estate. CREDAI is well-recognized by the Central and State Governments in all its endeavours.

Godrej Material Handling Eyes 30% Market Share In Counterbalance Electric Forklift Market By 2024

* Launches the productivity boosting and environment friendly new Uno Electric Forklifts to strengthen its presence in the Electric Forklift market 

* Advanced ergonomics, augmented safety features and higher operating speeds enable the new Uno Electric Forklift to deliver 30% increase in throughput  

Godrej & Boyce (G&B), the flagship company of the Godrej Group, announced today that its business, Godrej Material Handing aims to capture 30% market share of the counterbalance electric forklift market by 2024 beginning with the launch of the new Uno Electric Forklift Truck. With advanced ergonomics, augmented safety, improved visibility, and a longer runtime on every charge, the new Uno Electric Forklift is a workhorse in the 1.5 to 3-tonne forklift category. Its performance is near comparable to a diesel forklift in the same tonnage category with the added benefit of it being gentle on the environment and rugged on the job.  

Godrej Material Handling, the market leader for Forklifts in India, has been constantly innovating over the years to introduce green technologies and products. Godrej & Boyce, as part of their commitment towards the global EP100 initiative, has pledged to reduce its carbon intensity by 30% and to doubling its energy productivity by 2030. In line with this, the company has also been working on Li-ion batteries for its range of battery powered equipment. Li-ion batteries deliver more working hours while consuming less power for recharging. What’s more, unlike conventional lead acid batteries, Li-ion batteries can be charged even for short durations at every opportunity (like a lunch break) without affecting the life of the battery. The company foresees the demand for Li-ion batteries to increase significantly over the next 5 years as users need their forklift fleets to become more productive. 

The specially designed new Uno Electric forklift brings in a range of benefits to the electric forklift category: 

30% higher throughput (pallets moved per hour) with faster travel and lifting speeds.  

Designed for the operator’s comfort, making long hours effortless even during intense handling operations  

Superior reliability with its indigenously designed AC motor technology to suit Indian conditions. G&B is the only Indian company to build its own AC electric motors for forklifts 

Robust construction protects sensitive internal components from damage while powering through tough working conditions.  

Continuous operations even in tropical climate conditions enabled by a superior electronic control system 

Commenting on the launch, Anil Lingayat, Executive Vice President and Business Head, Godrej Material Handling said, “At Godrej, environmental sustainability has always been at the heart of the products we manufacture. In our constant efforts to give back to the environment, we are expanding our range of green forklifts by launching the new Uno Electric Forklifts that have zero emissions, are operator friendly and give our customers maximum throughput in their factories and warehouses. 

Since the onset of the pandemic last year, consumer buying behaviour has significantly changed resulting in large quantities of products being purchased online. This provided a fillip to the already booming ecommerce industry as well as industries providing essential goods. Producers and distributors also struggled to increase throughput of their supply chains amidst scarcity of labour. These trends are likely to continue spurring the growth of organized warehousing and logistics. Godrej Material Handling foresees rising demand for Fork Trucks across industry sectors. The new Uno Electric Forklifts would serve the Food & Beverages, Pharmaceuticals, Chemicals, Automotive, Paper & Packaging, 3PL, Appliances and Consumer Electronics industries most, even though they are versatile for most material handling operations.” 

About Godrej & Boyce 

Godrej & Boyce (‘G&B’), a Godrej Group company, was founded in 1897, and has contributed to India’s journey of self-reliance through manufacturing. G&B patented the world’s first springless lock and since then, has diversified into 14 businesses across various sectors from Security, Furniture, Aerospace to Infrastructure and Defence. Godrej is one of India’s most trusted brands serving over 1.1bn customers worldwide daily.