Round Table India, Ladies Circle India Distribute Medical Equipment Worth 30 Lakhs To Agrasen Hospital And Jayadeva Hospital

As part of the Round Table India (RTI) and Ladies Circle India (LCI) ongoing initiatives during this pandemic, Donors Adamas Builders Pvt. Ltd. (A Mapletree Property) in association with Bangalore Round Table 07 & Bangalore Ladies Circle 19 have distributed medical equipment worth 30 lakhs to Agarsen Hospital & Jayadeva hospitals in Bangalore.  The equipment will be used to treat the underserved suffering with Covid-19. 

The President of Agrasen Hospital, Satish Jain, while thanking the donors shared, “We have received one ventilator and four monitors with the support of Adamas Builders, Roundtable India and Ladies Circle India which is worth approximately 15 lakhs. We also thank our trustees for their support in procuring the same.”

Dr. Manjunath, Director - Jayadeva Hospital appreciated the generosity, kindness and humanitarian attitude of Maple Tree, Round Table India and Ladies Circle India for their concerns towards society. He shared, “Jayadeva Institute of Cardio thanks Donors Mapletree who in association with Round Table and Ladies Circle India have generously contributed towards medical equipment which are life saving and useful to treat critical patients. I am very happy to extend my support to them for any further contributions in future.”

The representatives of Round Table India and Ladies Circle India present on the occasion included: Swapna(Ladies Circle National President), Tr.Sandesh(Area 6 Chairman), Cr.Simritha(Area 6 Vice Chairperson), Tr.Parashuram(Bangalore Round Table 7 Chairman), Cr.Tulsi(Ladies Circle 19 Chairperson), Tr.Vaibhav Arora(Area Projects Convener), Himanshu(Past Round Table India National President), Tr.Shravan(Immediate Past Chairman, Round Table 7) and Past Table 7’er Sachin.

Tr. Parashuram, Chairman of Bangalore Round Table 7 said, “We are grateful to Adamas Builders Pvt. Ltd for their support in donating medical equipment to Agrasen and Jayadeva hospitals. We will continue to work towards providing medical infrastructure to hospitals during such unprecedented times and contribute to the well-being of our society.”

About Round Table India:

Round Table India, is an organisation of non-political and non-sectarian young men between the age group of 18 and 40, promoting service, fellowship and goodwill in national and international affairs. Working towards the education of underprivileged children, till date, 7141 classrooms have been built across India in 3041 schools, impacting over 78 lakhs children.

About Ladies Circle India:

Ladies Circle India, is a non-political and non-sectarian Organisation with membership open to only the wives of members of Round Table India. It offers opportunities for serving the community, for fostering and strengthening friendships between like-minded young women and helps create a better understanding of the obligations one owes to the society. Ladies Circle India comprises over 1600 members with 114 active Circles spread across India, present in 19 States and 57 cities.

News18 Network Announces Second Edition Of Byju’s Young Genius – Umar Choti, Kaam Bade

* Inviting India’s child prodigies to participate in the inspiring show and narrate their extraordinary achievements

BYJU’S Young Genius, a News18 Network initiative, showcases and recognizes inspiring journeys and achievements of child prodigies with exceptional talent in academics, arts, science, sports, music and other creative fields. After receiving overwhelming audience and participant response for the successful first edition, which aired between January and March 2021, News18 Network today announces the second edition of the BYJU’S Young Genius with a promise to make it bigger and better. Children who are desirous of participating in the show can register on https://www.news18.com/younggenius/ or download the BYJU’S app and register on the BYJU’S Young Genius section.

The positive and encouraging narrative of the show hosted by Senior Network18 Editor and Anchor Anand Narasimhan, makes for a perfect family TV watching experience, especially during these unprecedented times. The show comprises 11 episodes, honoring around 20 young geniuses in the age group of 6 to 15 from different fields such as performing arts, academics, technology, and sports, to name a few. Each episode will make for an exciting viewing experience as the young geniuses will also be joined by some of India’s most celebrated personalities who will not only be seen cherishing the remarkable accomplishments of the child prodigies but also reminisce their own path to glory. The previous edition saw some of the most revered Indian personalities from different fields including Virender Sehwag, P V Sindhu, Mohanlal, Sonu Sood, Sonam Wangchuk, Rajkumar Rao, Shankar Mahadevan, Leander Paes, amongst others.

Karan Abhishek Singh, CEO, Hindi News, News18 Network said, “The success of BYJU’S Young Genius demonstrates the acceptability of inspiring and entertaining stories and refreshing show formats on Indian television. The first edition received massive viewership, 98.4% positive sentiment on social platforms and consistent demand for new episodes week-on-week from viewers across the country. The phenomenal response has led to us to announce the second season of BYJU’S Young Genius which promises an even more enthralling line-up of stories of child prodigies”

Atit Mehta, Marketing Head, BYJU'S said, "Season 1 of BYJU’S Young Genius facilitated and featured extraordinary talent across the country and we are back again with Season 2 to feature India’s young geniuses. Our country is filled with exceptional talent, and a platform like this aims to recognize and celebrate the hidden gems. With an objective to encourage child prodigies who have excelled in the field of academics, arts, science, sports, music, and other creative fields, we hope to give wings to their dream. We wish to inspire millions of children to pursue their passion and keep their aspirations high."  

The show will be aired in 18 network channels including News18 India, CNN-News18, History TV18, History TV18 HD, News18 Rajasthan, News18 Bihar/Jharkhand, News18 Madhya Pradesh/Chhattisgarh, News18 Uttar Pradesh/Uttarakhand, News18 Bangla, News18 Lokmat, News18 Urdu, News18 Kannada, News18 Gujarati, News18 Odia, News18/Punjab/Haryana/Himachal, News18 Kerala, News18 Tamil Nadu and News18 Assam/Northeast to cater to India’s widespread and diverse audience base, starting January 2022.

Process of entry – Those planning to submit their profile for consideration need to log onto https://www.news18.com/younggenius/ and fill out the registration form. After this initial submission there will be a detailed form that will need to be filled out which will capture the child’s background, details of achievement etc. These entries will go through a multi-stage evaluation process. Submissions may also be made by downloading the BYJU’S app and registering on the BYJU’S Young Genius section.

Follow BYJU’S Young Genius season 2 on social media with #BYJUSYoungGenius2.

Promo link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_sbB27GbXoQ

About News18 Network

News18 Network India’s largest news network*, a part of Network18 operates 17 general news channels in India as well as in other countries. The network’s flagship English general news channel is CNN-News18 and Hindi general news channel is News18 India. TV18 operates a bouquet of 13 regional news channels namely News18 Urdu, News18 Rajasthan, News18 Bihar/Jharkhand, News18 Madhya Pradesh/Chattisgarh, News18 Uttar Pradesh/Uttarakhand, News18 Bangla, News18 Kannada, News18 Gujarati, News18 Odia, News18/Punjab/Haryana/Himachal Pradesh, News18 Kerala, News18 Tamil Nadu and News18 Assam/Northeast. TV18 also operates a joint venture with the Lokmat Group which houses the Marathi news channel News18 Lokmat. To cover the global audience & sizable NRI population, TV18 operates News18, a twenty-four-hour television news channel designed to give global audiences a window into the world’s largest democracy. *BARC.

Aurabeat Offers Special Raksha Bandhan Discounts For Online Customers

Aurabeat a USFDA approved Anti-Covid Class 2 medical device for SARS-COV-2 disinfection is offering a 20% discount on all their devices. The offer is available on e-commerce websites Amazon and Flipkart on 21st & 22nd August for Raksha Bandhan, a festival celebrated in various parts of India. Aurabeat is a Hong Kong-based global leader in air filtration technology with a strong presence in more than 40 countries across the globe. 

Aurabeat has developed a patented five-stage disinfection technology after extensive research in the field of air filtration. Aurabeat’s AG+ Silver Ion Plasma Sterilization Air Purifier cleans the air up to 3.4 times in one hour while actively eliminating bacteria and viruses from air and surfaces. In addition to USFDA approvals, the products, and devices are certified by ATCC (American Type Culture Collection), SGS (General Society of Surveillance-Geneva), FC, CE, ISO, UKRI Medical Research Council. Aurabeat is used in over 200 hospitals, 200+ schools, protecting the air from COVID-19 in more than 40 countries.

Commenting on the announcement of a sale, Venkat Duddukuri, CEO, Aurabeat India said, “Now more than ever the decision to go ahead with a sale is important for us as the need for such products have been gaining significance now as the world is bouncing back to a normal life. Through high-class technology, our products are equipped to keep the environment safe and purified. It is an effective means to provide added protection. Globally the demand for such products has increased and we are focussing on targetting the Indian market via e-commerce platforms like Amazon and Flipkart. We are confident that our customers will benefit immensely.”

According to the actual experimental test results using COVID-19 viruses in a US virology laboratory, MRI Global, Aurabeat  AG+ Silver ion anti-viral air purifier proved to effectively eliminate 99.9% COVID19 in 15 minutes. Other experimental tests have also proven that Aurabeat AG+ silver ion air disinfection technology can kill 99.9% of influenza viruses, fungi Staphylococcus aureus, and E.coli. Aurabeat silver ion technology relies on a premium five-stage filtration mechanism which has previously been used in medical equipment making Aurabeat products extremely reliable and trustworthy. Pollutants like nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, formaldehyde, etc., can also be eliminated from the air using Aurabeat air purifiers. The technology is designed to provide highly efficient protection for indoor pollution in hospitals, homes, schools, movie theatres, restaurants, and offices.

ICICIdirect To Offer Curated Portfolios Of International Stocks By Renowned Global Fund Managers

ICICI Securities (I-Sec), which operates ICICIdirect, a virtual financial supermarket offering investment, protection, and loan products, today said that it has tied up with Interactive Advisors to offer curated portfolios of international stocks built on models constructed by leading global fund managers, for the domestic retail investors.

ICICIdirect customers would now be able to invest in portfolios made up of US stocks and ETFs managed by Interactive Advisors, a US investment advisor, based on models constructed by renowned global fund managers like Global X- by Mirae Asset, State Street Global Advisors, Legg Mason (acquired by Franklin Templeton Investments), Wisdom Tree and other portfolio managers. Between them, over 70 theme-based portfolios are already available for investors to choose from at ICICIdirect.com. These actively managed portfolios offer a host of differentiated basket of US stocks and Exchange Traded Funds (ETF).

Commenting on the launch, Mr. Anupam Guha, Head – Private Wealth Management, ICICI Securities, said, “After the successful launch of our Global Investments offering which allowed our investors to invest in markets like the US, UK, Singapore, Japan, Germany, and Hong Kong in a completely digital manner, many customers have been asking us for a facility where they could have experts guiding them for better investment decisions. We have gone one step further by getting access to a curated list of theme-based portfolios, some based on models constructed by renowned fund managers, for our customers. These are actively managed portfolios and hence will come with features like rebalancing. We are confident that this facility will find resonance with even those investors with low risk appetite and those who were keen to diversify their investments in global markets but were holding back for lack of handholding.”

Investors can choose portfolios based on their risk tolerance. These portfolios are managed by a US investment manager based on extensive research and financial analysis and are across themes like smart beta, technology, healthcare, etc.

ICICIdirect launched Global Investment facility for its retail clients in association with US-based Interactive Brokers in August 2020. Interactive Advisors, a subsidiary of the Interactive Brokers Group, is an Investment Advisor registered with and regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission.

About ICICI Securities

ICICI Securities Limited (I-Sec) is a subsidiary of ICICI Bank Ltd. The company began its operation in May 1995 and continues to grow its operation through expanding its client base and providing different type of services.

I-Sec operates www.icicidirect.com, a virtual financial supermarket, meeting the three need sets of its clients- investments, protection, and borrowing. Through its four lines of businesses -- broking, distribution of financial products, wealth management, and investment banking-- I-Sec serves customers ranging from the retail and institutional investors to corporates to high net-worth individuals to government.

I-Sec is listed on National Stock Exchange (NSE) and the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE). 

Leading Breakfast Cereal Brand - Bagrry’s Launches Granola Range With Belgian Chocolate & Exotic Fruit Variants

To make mornings a delightful experience for us to pull through the entire day, Bagrry's, a pioneering brand in breakfast cereals and health foods, that brought Oats, Muesli and Bran to India has launched the Superfood Granola in two exciting flavors for breakfast. 

With their two variants, Bagrry's has both chocolate and fruit lovers covered. The delicious variants are Belgian Dark Chocolate & Almonds Granola and Exotic Fruits with Cranberries & Almonds Granola.

The Belgian Dark Chocolate & Almonds is an enhanced version of a classic double chocolate granola, popular across the globe. With appetizing richness and power-packed superfood goodness in every bite, one gets a wholesome dose of fibre-rich oats, Californian almonds and protein packed quinoa. The granola gets a delicious inclusion with Belgian dark chocolate, whole wheat, and crunchy rice flakes. This granola is made with 5 great grains along with 40% fibre oats and is 100% vegan & plant-based.

The Exotic Fruits with Cranberries & Almonds Granola, is loaded with the finest fruits from across the world and nuts in one amazing breakfast cereal. Generously indulgent with over 30% fruits and nuts, it has luscious mangoes, strawberries, bananas, antioxidant rich cranberries, Arabian dates, and Californian almonds. Having a bowl of Bagrry's superfood granola every morning gives a refreshing and nutrition packed start to the day. The other 40% is full of nourishing oats and protein-rich quinoa. In every single bite, you can feel the natural goodness and extra crunch of this superfood granola.

Aditya Bagri, Director at Bagrry’s says, “At Bagrry’s, we work with some of the finest natural ingredients from across the world to make wholesome, naturally and innovative breakfast cereals. For over 50 years we’ve pioneered in bringing the legendary goodness of grains to our consumers. With our new superfood granola range, we’ve raised the bar in nourishment and indulgence with generously loaded granola with the finest natural superfoods. We’ve slowly baked this multigrain cereal to give it the perfect crunch along with power packed nutrition. Our granola works well in warm or cold milk, with Greek yoghurt or simply as a snack!”

The Bagrry's breakfast cereal range is natural, fibre rich, innovative, and honestly healthy. At Bagrry's, quality is an obsession, and they strive for the best ingredients from across the world to make into the box of cereals. Bagrry's has been a pioneer in India for introducing categories such as Muesli, Oats, Bran and the range now includes many more healthy foods such as Corn Flakes Plus (with 2X Fibre), Choco+, Whey Protein Muesli, Makhanas, Nut Butters and Superfood range comprising Quinoa, Chia seeds.

Club Mahindra’s ‘Jaana Kahaan Hai’ Aims At Tapping Into India’s Pent Up Travel Demand

* Watch the video featuring celebrity couple Soha Ali Khan and Kunal Khemu planning their next vacation

Club Mahindra, the flagship brand of Mahindra Holidays & Resorts India Limited is reaching out to audiences who are eager to travel after a long spell of being locked in their homes, through a recently launched video ‘Jaana Kahaan Hai’. Due to the frequent lockdowns, there is a huge pent-up demand to travel, as can be seen with celebrities Soha Ali Khan and Kunal Khemu as well.

Through this new video, our favorite celebrity couple is seen planning their next vacation. By dropping hints to each other, they are suddenly caught guessing the destinations they have in mind. Both take equal turns and end up guessing the ones in which Club Mahindra have some of their most popular resorts, including Assonora in Goa, Binsar in Uttarakhand, Kanha in Madhya Pradesh, Naldehra in Himachal Pradesh, and Madikeri in Karnataka. Kunal & Soha finally mention how with so many destinations and 2000+ unique experiences, all that is needed to decide upon is ‘Jaana Kahaan hai’.

Sharing his thoughts on the campaign, Pratik Mazumder, Chief Marketing Officer, Mahindra Holidays & Resorts India Limited, says, “With travel reopening and restrictions easing, there is an increased desire amongst people to start vacationing again. The mass vaccination drive and highest safety and hygiene standards at our resorts is giving them the confidence to step out of their home with a trusted brand like Club Mahindra. With increased bookings and people opting for drivable destinations, the only thing left for our members and guests to decide is ‘Jaana Kahaan Hai” which is what is aptly represented in this video”.

Through their previous campaign ‘We Cover India, You Discover India’, the brand has been welcoming guests back to 70+ resorts across the country.

CSC, Vodafone Idea Foundation Join Hands For COVID-19 Vaccination Of Vulnerable Sections

* Target to register a million on CoWin Portal for driving vaccination for the elderly, people with disabilities, slum dwellers and daily wage workers

The Common Services Centers, under the Ministry of Electronics & IT, has partnered with Vodafone Idea Foundation, the CSR arm of Vi, for registration of citizens to receive vaccination against the deadly COVID-19 virus. The initiative will focus on vulnerable and disadvantaged communities.

The CSC Academy, the CSR & Education wing of CSC, will facilitate registration and scheduling of one million beneficiaries for vaccination across the country through the Village Level Entrepreneurs (VLEs). The VLEs will act as a focal point for identifying and reaching out to ageing population, slum dwellers, daily wage workers, etc.

Elaborating on the partnership, Dr. Dinesh Tyagi, Managing Director, CSC SPV, said: “CSC has always stepped in to support social initiatives undertaken for the benefit of citizens. Registration of citizens on CoWin App is one such activity that CSC has undertaken as part of our commitment to provide inclusive healthcare to all. Our partnership with Vodafone Idea Foundation will help us reach out to the most marginalized and disadvantaged communities across the country and get them registered for vaccination under CoWin App and strengthen the Government’s fight against COVID-19.”

Speaking on the initiative, P. Balaji, Chief Regulatory and Corporate Affairs Officer, Vodafone Idea Limited said, “At VIL, we believe in leveraging technology and innovation to find solutions to the pressing problems in the society. Our joint effort with CSC will provide scale to reach 10 Lakh rural population who are in the need to be vaccinated. Our aim is to create a one-stop service solution for the disadvantaged village citizens, vulnerable population and slum dwellers by providing them with services on Covid-19 vaccine registration on a unified digital backbone - CoWin App for an impactful vaccination drive in the country.” 

This initiative will give preference to citizens who are underprivileged, who do not have access to Internet/Smartphone or do not know how to operate digital devices. The VLEs will register the citizens directly on CoWin App, map them to local vaccination providers as per the existing process on the App, and schedule their vaccination.

CSC has been identified by National Health Authority and Ministry of Health & Welfare to mobilise and help the citizens for CoWin platform registration. A dedicated team has been setup for regular monitoring of the project wherein all the tracking will be done through a central dashboard made on the CSC Digital Seva Portal. This will include the report generation, grievance handling and daily status tracking. Through the link, beneficiary can download and get the certificate of COVID-19 vaccination from CSC by providing Aadhaar number.

Vodafone Idea Foundation has a long-standing partnership with CSC Academy and has supported deployment of over 30 mobile vans that are taking financial and digital literacy to grassroots level. Since last year, these vans have been also used extensively for promoting COVID-19 appropriate behaviour, dry ration distribution, etc.

About Common Services Centers

The Common Services Centers (CSCs) is one of the flagship programs under the Digital India Programme. CSCs offer assisted access to essential government and public utility services, social welfare schemes, financial services, education and skill development courses, apart from a host of B2C services. There are 3.90 lakh CSCs functioning across the country as delivery points of government and public services for the rural population in rural, semi-urban and urban areas.

About CSC Academy

CSC Academy, set up in 2017, is a not-for-profit society that provides access to professional learning for learners of diverse backgrounds and educational needs. CSC SPV has planned to set up 7,000 CSC Academy centres (one in every block) across the country, out of which more than 5000 are in place. Education and skills are the foundation of these centres. These academies offer various courses on future skills as per the requirements of leading industries.

About Vodafone Idea Foundation:

Vodafone Idea Foundation believes that our mobile communications technologies can address some of the most pressing humanitarian challenges and our responsibility is to utilize our innovative mobile technology in mobilizing social change and improving people’s lives. The Foundation focusses on addressing challenges relating to agriculture, education, health, equality and access. We are committed to enable people and technology to drive innovation, disseminate knowledge, and create shared value to improve lives. We work in partnership with key charities, development agencies and the community to drive social change on a large scale in India.

Samsung Brings A Unique Loyalty Program 'Samsung Home’ On Flipkart To Reward Samsung Fans

* Consumers can avail benefits of ‘Samsung Home’ program on second purchase of Samsung consumer electronics such as TVs, Refrigerators, Microwaves, and Washing Machines and get 50% off on first EMI (up to INR 2,500) till September 30, 2021  

Samsung, India’s most trusted consumer electronics brand, today announced a unique consumer loyalty program in association with Flipkart called 'Samsung Home’. This one-of-a-kind consumer loyalty program has been designed to incentivize existing Samsung consumers by offering them affordability benefits, acknowledging their love and preference for Samsung’s consumer electronics products.

This program brings special benefits to consumers on second purchase of Samsung’s latest Televisions, Washing Machines, Refrigerators or Microwaves till September 30, 2021. Consumers who have bought Samsung consumer electronics products on Flipkart on or after July 28, 2021 can avail this offer.

Under this program, customers will be eligible for paying only 50% of their first EMI (up to INR 2,500) and this benefit is applicable if subsequent purchases are of a different product category. For instance, if a consumer has bought a Samsung Television on Flipkart on or after July 28, 2021, this offer can be availed on purchase of Washing Machine, Refrigerator or Microwave till September 30, 2021.

“At Samsung, we are excited to announce a unique program with Flipkart called ‘Samsung Home’. This program is aimed at Samsung loyalists and reward them for buying their second Samsung consumer electronics product to upgrade their living spaces with the latest technology. This program is valid on our wide range of consumer electronics and with this program we are sure to address the evolving needs of our consumers, especially as they are spending more time at home,” said Sandeep Singh Arora, Senior Director, Online Business, Consumer Electronics, Samsung India. 

Steps to avail the “Samsung Home’ loyalty program:

The first Samsung consumer electronics purchase should be made before September 15 on Flipkart

Post the first purchase, Samsung Home program gets activated automatically

Consumers can plan their second purchase of Samsung’s latest Televisions, Washing Machines, Refrigerators or Microwaves till September 30, 2021 on Flipkart

To avail this benefit, there should be a gap of 15 days between first purchase and second purchase

Customer will get 50% off on first EMI (Up to INR 2,500) of subsequent purchases

For more details, visit – https://www.flipkart.com/samsung-home-offer-2021-store

About Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. 

Samsung inspires the world and shapes the future with transformative ideas and technologies. The company is redefining the worlds of TVs, smartphones, wearable devices, tablets, digital appliances, network systems and memory, system LSI, foundry and LED solutions. For the latest news on Samsung India, please visit Samsung India Newsroom at http://news.samsung.com/in. For Hindi, log on to Samsung Newsroom Bharat at https://news.samsung.com/bharat. You can also follow us on Twitter @SamsungNewsIN

Luminous Power Technologies Launches Solar Guru, A Mobile App for Upskilling Electrician Community Across India

* Designed to upskill electricians who install solar solutions 

* Includes 3 levels of training, 21 downloadable videos & a challenging quiz 

* Aims to empower 2000 electricians per month 

On this renewable energy day also known as Akshay Urja Diwas, Luminous Power Technologies, a leader in power backup & home electricals in India launches an innovative, industry-first mobile application that aims to engage, train, and empower electricians & the dealers across India to become a Luminous Solar Guru. This training module is focused to educate electricians with the latest knowledge on solar solutions directly from a pioneer in the industry. Furthermore, it will also make the electricians equipped with tools to recommend the right solar products to the end-consumer. 

Aimed to train 2000 electricians per month, the Luminous Solar Guru App includes 3 levels of training, 21 downloadable videos followed by a challenging quiz. The training app is released with two language options, English, and Hindi, and will be releasing many more regional languages in the coming weeks to penetrate the vernacular-speaking audience. On successful completion of training, electricians shall be recognized and certified as “Luminous Solar Guru”. 

Speaking about the launch, Amit Shukla, Sr. Vice President & Head (Power Solutions Business), Luminous Power Technologies said, “An improper solar panel installation is one of the biggest issues that customers experience. Many households and business owners are often spending money for repairs as a result of such a panel installation problem, causing installation teams' reputation to suffer and the solar products community as a whole to appear unreliable. To solve this problem, we at Luminous aim to upskill the electrician community at a large scale with the Luminous Solar Guru App. This initiative will empower our partners and help them gain the knowledge which they need to excel in the industry. Since this initiative is designed on a mobile app, the electrician can complete the training at his own pace, convenience, and time. Not only does the app act as a training module, but it also serves the purpose as a glossary of information related to solar solutions.” 

Luminous is a pioneer in residential solar solutions in India and offers innovative products from grid connected to solar PCUs, as well as solar batteries, solar inverters, solar controllers, solar UPS, and solar panels for homes of all sizes. Aimed to cater to the growing sustainable alternative energy demand, Luminous also has a platform Solar by Luminous’ which is an end-to-end solution for consumers’ homes or businesses that analyses elevation, structure, and shadow factors to optimize each rooftop solar installation for maximum output.

Powered By Microsoft Azure, Respirer Living Sciences Is Simplifying Air Quality Monitoring In India

* Provides insights on critical air quality levels across 122 Indian cities

To help spread awareness about air quality, climate-tech startup Respirer Living Sciences has developed a dashboard that provides real-time access to air quality pollution data. Powered by Microsoft Azure, this dashboard data can be leveraged to devise solutions from citizens and policymakers to tackle air pollution.

With an objective to improve the quality of life for people, the team at Respirer evaluated several parameters and air quality stood out among them. The startup realized that people were keen to know about the air quality in their immediate surroundings. However, the cost of setting up air quality monitoring solutions was very high, which prompted Respirer to start developing affordable air quality monitoring platforms, using sensors and IoT. However, sensors sometimes malfunctioned and recorded unnecessary data and noise which sometimes led to inaccuracies.

To achieve complete accuracy in mentoring air quality data, Respirer collaborated with Microsoft Research (MSR) India’s Center for Societal Impact through Cloud and Artificial Intelligence (SCAI). The startup is one of the four organizations in the program’s first cohort. MSR enabled them to integrate fault detection technology in their platform. Respirer platforms also use a technique called dependable IoT, developed by researchers at MSR, that monitors the health of IoT-based devices using a fingerprint of their battery’s performance.

Using machine learning and data visualization, Respirer built a dashboard, enabled by Power BI, to study data from 240 government air quality monitors as part of the National Clean Air Program tracker. The Power BI dashboard is able to run the data through Azure’s SQL servers, making the process fast and seamless. More importantly, it enables the Respirer team to execute all of this with a shorter turnaround time and with a small development team. It also enables government officials to check if any of their monitoring stations go offline and repair them in real time.

Ronak Sutaria, Founder of Respirer Living Sciences said, “About 40 out of the 240 Continuous Air Quality Monitoring Stations set up by the government are in and around Delhi alone, which is why it’s no surprise that the city always leads in conversations around air pollution. Even in places where data exists, it’s stored in databases that not many track regularly or are not accessible to citizens. Scientific and accurate data in this space can provide meaningful insights and increase awareness about air quality across the country to enable greater involvement and action from citizens and policy makers.”

The Respirer solution costs one-twentieth the price for installation of a regulatory air quality monitoring system. It provides easy access to data around historical trends and levels of different pollutants across individual cities on a yearly basis or during different times of the day. It also enables anyone to select different filters to get insights that are meaningful to them, thus eliminating the need for any data science knowledge. 

Ronak added, “Typically, it would have taken us four to six months and a team of developers to pull out all the analytics and visualize that amount of data at these depths. But with Power BI, we were able to execute this project in just a little under four weeks with just one analytics engineer.”

Respirer’s long-term vision is to create a network of low-cost air quality monitoring sensors to provide a wider scientific view of the air that India breathes. A reasonable analysis of air quality index in India will require a simplified collection of data across 4,000 to 8,000 locations in the country. The startup’s plan is to fill this gap with affordable air quality monitoring devices.

Around 1,000 Respirer devices have been used by housing societies, schools, industrial companies, and even government organizations for monitoring air quality in their locations. Respirer is working towards building a platform to make the data publicly available, across a unified platform, allowing delivery of hyper-local air quality data so citizens know the quality of air they are breathing at not just city level but even at a neighborhood level.

Aviva India Appoints Sonali Athalye As The New Chief Financial Officer

Aviva Life Insurance, India’s most trusted private life insurance company, has announced the appointment of Sonali Athalye as its Chief Financial Officer. She will be responsible for strategic planning, treasury, and financial performance management. In this position, Sonali will focus on accelerating the company’s growth, financial strategy, managing investor relations, strategic business planning, and corporate governance.

Sonali is a seasoned professional with over two decades of rich experience in Finance, Compliance and Governance functions, primarily in the Life Insurance industry. She has been a founding member of two Life Insurance joint ventures from the start-up phase and comes with a deep domain expertise in Life Insurance as well as Fintech.

She has over two decades of rich experience in organizations like Pramerica Life Insurance, MetLife India Insurance Company and Tata AIA Life Insurance. She possesses experience in all finance functions including Controllership, FP&A, Taxation, M&A etc.  Prior to joining Aviva, Sonali served as Chief Financial Officer at RenewBuy.com.

Mr. Amit Malik, Managing Director & CEO, Aviva India said, “I am pleased to welcome Sonali to our team at this pivotal point in our growth trajectory. Her extensive background in Fintech will play an important role in Aviva’s transformation. She brings a strong track record of driving results and accelerating growth by leading finance and strategy transformations.”

Ms. Sonali Athalye, Chief Financial Officer, Aviva India “The life insurance industry currently is at a vital juncture with tremendous scope for growth and I am excited to step into the CFO role at Aviva India at this stage. I look forward to making a meaningful difference as we go forth and enable the company to realize its fullest potential.”

About Aviva Life Insurance:

Aviva Life Insurance Company India Limited is a joint venture between Dabur Invest Corp and Aviva International Holdings Limited, a UK based insurance group whose association with India goes back to 1834. By choosing Aviva Life Insurance, you benefit from the management experience of one of the world’s oldest insurance groups, with a history dating back to 1696. Today, Aviva Group has 33 million customers in 16 countries (as of 1st January 2019).

Fuelled By Olympics, Indians Are Searching For Sports Coaching Classes Online

 

·         Trending service categories in the Education vertical are Sports Coaching, Competitive Exam Coaching, Language Training and Driving Schools

·         Chennai leads in online searches for sports coaching followed by Bangalore and Delhi

A study undertaken by Sulekha, India’s leading tech-AI platform for expert services has unveiled interesting insights about the demand of services that were leading in Indian cities in July. This study is based on visits and searches by nearly 50,000+ consumers across top 8 Indian cities that landed on Sulekha in July 2021.

Key findings of the study:

Category insights

§  The Top 4 service categories in the education vertical that have seen a spike in online searches include Sports Coaching, Competitive Exam Coaching, Language Training, and Driving Schools. These categories are also a part of the top 15 trending categories among home, office and education related services.

§  In Sports Coaching category, the top five most searched sports are Athletics (385%), Cricket (365%), Badminton (274%), Kabaddi (247%) and Football (223%) in July.

§  In Competitive Exam Coaching category, the top three most searched are SSC (Staff Selection Commission) (66%), Teachers Exam Coaching (42%) and Defense/ Police Exam Coaching (32%) in July.

§  In Language Training category, most searched categories are Spoken English Training, Foreign Language Training and Indian Language Training. These categories overall grew by 34% in July.

§  In the Driving Schools category, most searched categories are Car driving classes (46%), two wheeler-driving classes (45%) and heavy vehicle driving classes (14%) in July.

City insights

§  Chennai is leading in its searches for Sports coaching and saw a growth of 63%; followed by Bangalore (61%) and Delhi (43%).

§  Hyderabad is leading in its searches for Language training and saw a growth of 37%; followed by Bangalore (36%) and Chennai (28%).

§  Bangalore is leading in its searches for Driving Schools and saw a growth of 48%; followed by Mumbai (45%) and Chennai (22%).

§  Hyderabad is leading in its searches for Competitive Exam Coaching and saw a growth of 33%; followed by Mumbai (29%) and Bangalore (27%).

Satya Prabhakar, Founder & CEO, Sulekha, said, “It’s interesting to see the surge of online searches in varied service categories like sports coaching and language training. The sudden increase in online searches in sports coaching could be attributed to the renewed interest in sports fueled by the Olympic Games that concluded recently. On the other hand, service categories such as Language training and Competitive exam coaching have seen a steady growth in the past couple of months. This is in line with the users’ efforts in upskilling and search for better job opportunities.”

*Sulekha’s trend trackers is an interesting monthly compilation of insights on Home, Office and Education related services.

Indira IVF Hits A First In India, Inaugurates Its 100th Infertility Treatment Centre

* A market leader, Indira IVF is the first single specialty IVF chain to attain the milestone

With the inauguration of two new centres at Uttar Pradesh’s Sultanpur and Bathinda in Punjab, Indira IVF, India’s largest infertility speciality clinics chain, has notched a major milestone of establishing 100 centres across India. The organisation came out with the watershed announcement as it completes over a decade of seminally aiding couples with realising their dreams of growing their families. It is the first single-speciality infertility treatment chain in India to have 100 fertility centres under its banner.

As a purpose-driven pioneering organisation, Indira IVF has always prided itself on accessibility by taking IVF treatment to even the remotest parts of the country. All of this empowers patients in tier 2 and tier 3 cities, in particular, to secure medically proven solutions and also provides for a much-needed respite financially to those needy lot as couples do not have to travel afar for their treatments. By way of this, Indira IVF has cradled more than 85,000 couples helping them conceive since 2011 and, in turn, cementing its position as a staunch market leader and the most trusted single- specialty fertility chain in India.

Reflecting on the journey, Dr Ajay Murdia – Founder & Chairman, Indira IVF Group said, “We started as a humble diagnostic clinic with sperm bank facilities in 1988 before foraying into IVF treatments a decade ago. Our growth and the number of couples we have been able to help over the years is an indication of the change in attitude towards IVF and infertility in the country. We are pleased to be a part of this journey as more people opt for medical solutions for their health conditions.”

Speaking on the milestone, Dr Kshitiz Murdia – CEO & Co-Founder of Indira IVF said, “We are delighted to open our 100th centre and lend a helping hand to more couples who dream of parenthood. With this milestone, we aspire to strive to continually impact thousands of lives. As a part of our continued venture, we plan to increase our reach in the Eastern and Southern regions of the country. We are also keen to expand into the international market in Southeast Asia to provide state-of-the-art IVF facilities at affordable prices.”

Talking about the progress in IVF technology Nitiz Murdia, Director and Co-Founder of Indira IVF said, “The landscape of IVF has changed manifold and we have a number of technologies today that minimise risk factors and ensure better outcomes. New advancements in assisted reproductive technology such as artificial intelligence (AI) are taking place regularly and at Indira IVF, we always keep our doors open to adoption of any such technology which would prove beneficial for couples in their journey of bearing children.”

Parallel with all the developments, Indira IVF also received a significant minority investment from TA associates, a leading Boston-based global growth private equity firm in 2019.  Following that Indira’s network of IVF centres has further expanded in number to 40.  As a technology-first organization and as boasting of having the country’s largest network of IVF centres, Indira is today a pillar of support for countless couples to navigate through the meandering and often tedious journey of starting a family, in the first place, altogether.

About Indira IVF

Indira IVF is India’s largest infertility speciality clinics chain with 100 centres across the country, supported by a passionate workforce of over 2,000 people. Indira IVF performs about 30,000+ IVF procedures a year – the highest number in the country.

As a responsible leader, Indira IVF constantly strives to dispel the stigma, taboo, myths and misinformation about infertility. Indira IVF is also committed to developing and grooming talent for fertility treatments. Through the Indira Fertility Academy it collaborates with like-minded organisations and institutions to further this cause. Having perceived the potential of Indira IVF in the sector, TA Associates, a leading global equity firm from the U.S., invested in the organisation in 2019.

Indira IVF was founded in the year 2011 in Udaipur, Rajasthan by Dr Ajay Murdia.

Toyota Kirloskar Motor Inaugurates Centre Of Excellence At Vemana Institute Of Technology For Skilling Students

In furtherance of its commitment to the Skill India mission, Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) today announced the establishment of a Centre of Excellence (CoE) at Vemana Institute of Technology (VIT), Bangalore. The Vemana-Toyota CoE has been developed under a Memorandum of Understanding between TKM and VIT. TKM has been developing CoEs at various colleges to help students become industry-ready, having established 12 centres thus far, it plans to create more such facilities in the future.

The CoE set up within the VIT campus in Bangalore under the mechanical engineering department features Toyota engine, transmission, and powertrain as cut section and do-it-yourself models to provide hands-on experience of automotive mechanisms to the students. VIT is one of the leading engineering colleges in Karnataka since its inception in 1999 by the Karnataka Reddy Jana Sangha (KRJS).

Commenting on the initiative, Mr. S. Jayaram Reddy, President, KRJS, who presided over the inauguration ceremony on Thursday, said, “We are delighted to collaborate with Toyota, which is at the forefront of pioneering automotive technologies across the world. The CoE will serve as a great learning resource and a practical tool for our students beyond the classrooms. Such initiatives are vital to make our students industry-ready and employable for the fast-growing automobile sector in the country. We are thankful to the Toyota management for their vital contribution to the skill development of our students and look forward to furthering our collaboration in the time to come.”

Sharing his thoughts, Mr. Sudeep S. Dalvi, Senior Vice President, Director & Chief Communication Officer, TKM, who was the chief guest for the occasion, said, “As a manufacturer, we understand the emerging skill landscape and the gaps that exist in the formal training avenues. It is our endeavour to help plug this skills gap and create industry-ready talent that will enable the auto industry on its path to greater localization and self-reliance. With the CoE, the aim is to foster experiential learning so that students can develop a good understanding of key automotive components and technologies. We are happy to join hands with the management of VIT for this initiative and hope together we can create more learning opportunities for the students.”

The inauguration ceremony was attended by senior officials of TKM, management committee members of KRJS and senior staff, faculty members and students of VIT.

Honda Sets A New Trend In 180-200cc Segment, Launches The All-New CB 200X In The Indian Market

 

Distinctive Design

·       Sharp, muscular & urban explorer design provides excellent riding ergonomics

·       Sporty Under cowl & Upswept exhaust for a striking appeal and rugged character

·       Upright Riding Position minimizes any kind of fatigue to the rider

·       Raised & swaged handlebars add ruggedness inspired from high-end machines

·       Tall Visor enhances aerodynamics & reduces wind resistance

·       Knuckle covers with integrated LED winkers for an imposing stance with boldness

·       Long & comfortable Sporty Split Step Seat ensures comfort during long rides

·       5Y shaped alloy wheels enhances the appeal

Superior Technology & Convenience

·       Golden Upside Down(USD) Front Forks add precision steering and excellent cushioning

·       Fully digital, liquid crystal meter with advanced features like gear position indicator, digital clock, service due indicator & battery voltmeter

·       All-LED lighting setup offers better visibility and reliability

·       Tough Tread Pattern Tyres provide superior grip and control

·       Front and Rear Petal Disc Brakes with ABS give greater confidence

·       Mono-shock rear suspension adds superior handling & comfort

·       Engine stop switch for convenience during brief stops

·       Hazard switch for emergency stops and low visibility conditions

·       Key on Tank adds convenience for the rider

Dynamic performance

·       Powerful & efficient 184cc BSVI PGM-FI engine for a torquey & agile riding experience

·       Diamond Type Steel Frame ensures outstanding stability and agile handling

Special value for customers

·       Special 6-year warranty package* on CB200X

·       Attractively priced at Rs. 1,44,500 (ex-showroom Gurugram)

Setting a new trend in the evolving 180-200cc motorcycle segment, Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India Pvt. Ltd. today launched the all-new CB200X in India. It is a carefully crafted machine for everyday usage as much as it is for exploring the roads less travelled; the all-new CB200X is ready for both a busy weekday city commute as well as short weekend relaxed rides beyond cityscapes.

Powered by 3 new patent applications, the all new CB200X is a testament of Honda’s innovations as it marks the future of mobility while going beyond customer expectations.

Talking on the launch Mr. Atsushi Ogata, Managing Director, President & CEO, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India Pvt. Ltd. said, “Today, it is my great pleasure to introduce a new motorcycle, inspired by Honda’s legendary CB legacy. Keeping in mind the evolving lifestyle of the Indian youth, the urban explorer - CB200X gives today’s youngsters a riding experience that pushes them to explore more. Built to excite riders, CB200X offers a perfect riding companion for their daily city rides and short weekend getaways beyond the cityscapes.”

Sharing more details, Mr. Yadvinder Singh Guleria, Director, Sales & Marketing, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India Pvt. Ltd. said, “Marking a steady evolution in 180-200cc segment, CB200X is a classic urban explorer at heart developed for next-gen millennials. Its design is inspired by Honda’s legendary higher displacement adventure bikes. The overall design provides riders an upright and relaxed posture for city commute as well as for their weekend rides. Built to deliver dynamic performance, its engine delivers a powerful torque character in a practical range and a sporty performance in high rpm range. Unique knuckle covers with integrated LED winkers, golden USD front forks along with other features not only lend CB200X an imposing road presence but a premium rugged character too. Be it the urban landscape or beyond, CB200X gives you the freedom to EXPLORE LIFE WITH EVERY RIDE!”

With a distinctive design philosophy & superior technology, CB200X is built to deliver top-notch performance and excellent riding ergonomics. Complemented by a range of stylish features, CB200X is a testament of both precision engineering and aggressive appeal.

Distinct Design

CB200X wears an upswept exhaust thus accentuating its rugged & sporty yet premium character further. The sharply designed under cowl adds a striking appeal.

Eliminating fatigue arising from riding posture are the perfectly positioned foot pegs, raised & swaged handlebar inspired from Honda’s high-end machines that add the right amount of ruggedness & strength to CB200X’s design philosophy.

Tall Visor allows the rider to move freely with minimum resistance, and compliments the overall appeal of the motorcycle.

Arriving in style with an imposing road presence, the all-new CB200X comes equipped with Knuckle Covers integrated LED winker thus lending the bike an extra layer of confidence when exploring nearby trails. They not only protect the rider from external surroundings but also add a dash of boldness to the overall package.

Long & comfortable Sporty Split Seat (613mm) ensures that both the rider and pillion are always at ease. An accessible seat height (810 mm) inspires riding confidence and comfort.

Nothing reflects strength with ample amount of style like the CB200X. The unique lightweight stylish 5Y Shaped Alloy Wheels enhance the overall ride quality and handling on uneven rough terrain.

Superior Technology & Convenience

A distinctive match of sophisticated engineering and premium aesthetics, the Golden Upside Down (USD) front forks deliver utmost precision while steering and enhance the high-end appeal.

Complementing both form as well as functionality is the Fully Digital Liquid Crystal Meter bringing better visibility in both bright & dark conditions. Key information like Gear Position Indicator, Service Due Indicator and Battery Voltmeter is also available on the screen with 5-level adjustable brightness.

Approaching blinding curves with a sharp gaze is CB200X’s all-LED lighting setup (LED headlamp with position lamp, LED winkers and iconic X-Shaped LED tail lamp), which also lend it an aggressive stance always ready to blaze through dimly lit environments.

Those weekend trails and fun detours are now just round the corner with special Tough Tread Pattern Tyres (Front 110mm & Rear 140mm) giving excellent street performance and ample grip.

To ensure efficient braking control over a wide variety of roads, CB200X is equipped with Petal Disc Brakes (Front & Rear) with ABS.

Bringing stability and control is the Mono-Shock Rear Suspension, which delivers an excellent riding experience & superior handling while cornering.

While the Engine Stop Switch makes it convenient to turn-off the ignition with a simple flick, Hazard Switch feature adds to the safety of riders in low visibility condition. Key on tank placement amplifies its street fighter character while adding more convenience to the rider.

Dynamic performance

The all-new CB200X offers cutting-edge technology and an awe-inspiring design that oozes pure performance. Bharat Stage-VI compliant advanced 184cc PGM-FI engine powers the CB200X. PGM-Fi system uses onboard sensors constantly to inject optimum fuel and air mixture to provide greater performance and superior efficiency.

It offers strong acceleration and quick response through optimization of intake and exhaust components. At 12.7 kW @ 8500 rpm & 16.1 Nm @ 6000 rpm, CB200X’s engine delivers sporty power in higher revs and balanced mid-range torque.

Ensuring smooth power delivery is Roller rocker arm, which helps in reduction of friction losses. The engine also comes equipped with a Piston cooling jet that acts as heat absorbent hence improving engine thermal efficiency. Diamond type steel frame ensures outstanding stability and agile handling.

Essential Reliability

Delighting customers further is Honda’s 6-year warranty package (3 years standard + 3 years optional extended warranty*) on CB200X.

Price & colors

The new CB200X will be available in three stunning colors - Pearl Nightstar Black, Matte Selene Silver Metallic and Sports Red. The CB200X is attractively priced at Rs. 1,44,500 ex-showroom (ex-showroom Gurugram). Starting today, Honda has opened the bookings for CB200X at its authorized dealership network across India.

The new motorcycle will start arriving at Honda 2Wheeler network from September 2021. To book online, visit https://www.honda2wheelersindia.com/BookNow/        

SonicWall, Fusion BPO Services Enter Into Strategic Partnership

SonicWall today announced that it has entered a strategic partnership with Fusion BPO services, a global BPO with headquarters in Kolkata, India and Draper(USA). SonicWall will offer its state-of-the-art next-generation firewalls (NGFW) for SMB, enterprise, and government organizations.

On discussing the partnership with SonicWall, Mr. Rajan Singh, CTO Fusion stated “With our rapid growth in the recent years, we found that the company’s mix-and-match cybersecurity architecture consisting of SonicWall next-generation firewalls and a mix of other applications including UTM firewalls varied from office to office. It was becoming increasingly difficult to manage, as we aimed to implement the same cybersecurity measures across the entire company.

“SonicWall has been extremely proactive in attending to our business requirements and implementing the right solutions. Earlier we were managing two devices, one for UTM Firewall and other for SD-WAN. Sonicwall has enabled us to manage the firewalls better through one single platform,” further added Mr. Singh.

Fusion offers a diverse range of call center services, including garnering potential customers, managing data efficiently, or troubleshooting technical problems and administration issues from 18 centers in 9 countries. Its host of peripheral activities is aimed to propel business through a blend of manpower, technology, research, and analytics.

“We are very happy to have this newer and comprehensive relationship with Fusion now. After analyzing their requirements, the SonicWall team proposed to resolve the issue with its current generation of SonicWall NGFWs, which offers several performance advantages. This includes  enhanced functionalities such as SD-WAN that benefits businesses by reducing overhead costs and increasing network performance. Our solutions can now offer management efficiencies and simplicity, finally realized by switching to a single-platform architecture like SonicWall NGFWs,” said Mr. Debasish Mukherjee, Vice President, Regional Sales APAC at SonicWall Inc.

“After in-depth vendor evaluation, Fusion ultimately chose to deploy more than 15 pairs of NSa Series NGFW in high-availability (HA) configuration, augmented with a six-year subscription to SonicWall’s support services. are delighted and look forward to this new partnership, which will add great business value”, added Mr. Mukherjee.

“By replacing its mixed bag of cybersecurity solutions with a total SonicWall platform, Fusion was able to unify cybersecurity management from multiple sources into a single‑pane-of-glass management and reporting, making it easier to interpret and assess all cybersecurity measures,” said Mr. Singh.

“As a result of using this platform, we have seen a 15% increase in security effectiveness and 10% increase in system stability. This transition has also resulted in an overall boost of operational efficiency and increase in business continuity. Additionally, this solution gives us an overall saving of 25% from a 6 year period,” added Mr. Singh.

“Some of the benefits for Fusion will be a Secure SD-WAN, Lower TCO with HA licensing policy, alongside a dedicated and secure Cloud-based management. Last but not the least, a Single-pane-of-glass management and reporting for all firewalls, will be a huge  game changer for it business”, shared Mr. Mukherjee.

About SonicWall

SonicWall delivers Boundless Cybersecurity for the hyper-distributed era in a working reality where everyone is remote, mobile and unsecure. SonicWall safeguards organizations mobilizing for their new business normal with seamless protection that stops the most evasive cyberattacks across boundless exposure points and increasingly remote, mobile and cloud-enabled workforces. SonicWall closes the cybersecurity business gap for enterprises, governments, and SMBs worldwide by knowing the unknown, providing real-time visibility, and enabling breakthrough economics.  For more information, visit www.sonicwall.com or follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.

Technology In Facades Can Make A Building Strong And Sustainable: Dr Prashanth Reddy Of Fundermax India

By Manu Sharma

A building façade is more than just a cladding which enhances the exterior of the building. There is a lot of technology that goes behind designing and executing a façade, which can even contribute in making the structure of the building strong, besides being sustainable and creative.

Dr Prashanth Reddy, Managing Director, Fundermax India, a 130-year-old Austrian company dealing in architectural products for interiors and exterior applications, talks about this and much more in an exclusive interview with Manu Sharma of Silicon Village.

Here are the excerpts: 

Manu Sharma : Fundermax has been in the business of facades for several decades. When did the company start incorporating technology in facades? 

Dr Prashanth Reddy: Since the beginning, Fundermax has always emphasized on usage of technology in its façade systems. The signature rear ventilated façade system offered by Fundermax maintains a gap between the building envelope and cladding, and between cladding elements, thus ensuring sufficient flow of air behind the cladding. This enables the building in sustaining a comfortable temperature, thereby reducing power consumption and improving the thermal comfort of the occupants. It incorporates technologies like rear ventilation systems and stress-free sub-construction systems to achieve best performance of façade.

MS: What is the unique technology used by Fundermax as compared to your competitors?

PR: We design futuristic and environment friendly façade systems. The concept of rear ventilated façade system (rain screen façade system) can help in making the building more sustainable by providing heat resistance, sound insulation and extreme weather resistance. Tropical climate can sometimes be uncomfortable and therefore it is important to use the right façade system for optimizing temperature levels inside a building. The objective of a such a façade system is sustainability.

We also offer passive architectural elements such as louvers which can be optimally used to mitigate glare and heat. To ensure durability – the entire design of the exterior façade could be enhanced based on digitally researched environmental factors of wind and heat much before devising an installation system. All such factors tremendously help in giving character to buildings.

MS: Being a BE in mechanical engineering, what made you get into this venture?

PR : Fundermax products and systems work on the principles of sustainability, innovation and creativity which is my core as well. And, being a BE Mechanical, it helped to bring the technical excellence in solution selling.

MS: How many projects have been completed so far by Fundermax? Can you give details about some inspirational tech facades that you have done?

PR: Fundermax India has completed more than 15000 projects. All the exterior façade work done by Fundermax is based on the rear-ventilated principle.

MS: How do high- tech facades combine efficiency and creativity?

PR: In addition to safety, architects chiefly value the creativity and design possibilities provided by the use of rear-ventilated facades. The design can be individually harmonized with the characteristics of the building. Material combinations of various other cladding materials can also be easily integrated with Fundermax Rear Ventilated Façade systems. Other technological advantages of rear-ventilated façade systems include the structural division of insulation and weather protection materials. These systems are thus less susceptible to damage when compared to other façade systems. Furthermore, fire, noise and lightning protection requirements can be implemented easily. Such creative execution makes the façade an efficient one.

MS: Can you explain how façade technology is driven by solar control? 

PR: Sun shading systems can be designed after doing the sun path analysis. These systems could be static or dynamic. Dynamic louvers will change the position automatically with the change in position of sun to provide visual and thermal comfort to the occupants.

MS: Any major changes or innovations that you're planning in future?

PR: The drive is to help architects build sustainable buildings and participate in green building constructions. Max Exterior panels are made up of 65% natural material and façade can be designed on the principles of rear-ventilated façade. We are looking forward to delivering more projects in green building segment.

MS: Please tell us about expansion plans of Fundermax in India.

PR: We are market leaders in exterior segment and we are going to expand in interior segment by end of year 2021. Some of the products we are going to introduce are:

* Max Interior panels, which are suitable for durable partition system for restrooms, cubicles & internal wall claddings. 

* MFC (Melamine-faced chipboards) & MDF for interior furniture and kitchens. 

* Max Resistance2, which is a niche offering that is specifically used for laboratory tabletops. 

Honeywell Wins Industry Honours At Prestigious Zinnov Awards 2021

* Earns ‘Great Place to Innovate’ and the ‘Next Generation Women Leaders’ awards in recognition of organizations that are focused on value creation in India

Honeywell has announced that it won two awards at the 12th Zinnov Awards 2021, including ‘Great Place to Innovate’ and ‘Next Generation Women Leaders.’ The Zinnov Awards recognize champions of change, visionaries and trailblazers from the Indian technology community.

The ‘Great Place to Innovate’ award is a coveted recognition among Indian multinationals and technology companies as it honours organizations that are focused on value creation in India and make concerted efforts across five key areas: organization charter, culture, internal programs and processes, external linkages, and innovation metrics.

Honeywell won for relentlessly driving innovation and technologies developed in response to the pandemic. These solutions were engineered in India, with teams working collaboratively through the lockdown.

The ‘Next Generation Women Leaders’ category recognizes women leaders who have excelled at mentoring upcoming talent and serve as an inspiration for the industry. Honeywell’s senior director for Human Resources, Dr. Urmi Chatterjee, won for her exemplary work in nurturing I&D and developing the next generation of women leaders. She helps spearhead Honeywell inclusion and diversity (I&D) initiatives in India and globally. At Honeywell, I&D is the foundation of a performance culture that promotes respect, understanding and appreciation of different perspectives, backgrounds and experiences.

“Innovation is a part of our DNA, and the diversity of people and their experiences are our ultimate differentiator. Honeywell’s India commitment is evident in three state-of-the-art manufacturing and engineering operations and four global centers of excellence for technology development and innovation,” said Samuel Pratap, President, Honeywell Technology Solutions. “This recognition is an inspiration to continue pushing the boundaries of technology and develop state-of-the-art products and software that help solve our customers’ toughest challenges.”

The 12th edition of Zinnov Awards focused exclusively on global centers of excellence in India, especially those whose mettle was tested due to COVID-19.

Honeywell, a Fortune 100 software-industrial leader, has a strong engineering presence in India through Honeywell Technology Solutions (HTS). For more than 25 years, HTS engineers have developed cutting-edge products and solutions in aerospace, building technologies, safety and productivity solutions, and performance materials. HTS leverages the country’s diverse top engineering and technology talent to support Honeywell’s businesses globally.

Best Cameras And Accessories Brands To Buy On This World Photography Day

* Enjoy up to 5% Instant Discount on HSBC Cashback Card Transactions

* Customers can avail No Cost EMI on select cards for orders above ₹3000

All photography enthusiasts gear up to get your hands on your favorite Camera.

Amazon.in brings a host of deals and offers on the best cameras, ring lights and tripods across various popular brands like Canon, Panasonic, Sony, Digitek, Fujifilm and many more. 

Customers can enjoy up to 5% Instant Discount on HSBC Cashback Card Transactions on top brands. They can also avail No Cost EMI on select cards for orders above ₹3000.

Here are some products for all photography enthusiasts to choose from this ‘World Photography Day’ bringing forth some great deals and offers from sellers:

·       Canon EOS R Mirrorless Digital Camera: The Canon EOS R is the company's first attempt at a full-frame mirrorless camera and features a 30.3-megapixel sensor and has an OLED electronic viewfinder (EVF) with a high resolution of 3.69 million dots. The camera is available for INR 1,36,990 with No Cost EMI on select cards for orders above ₹3000 and customers can also enjoy up to 5% Instant Discount on HSBC Cashback Card Transactions.

·       GoPro HERO9: A new, larger rear touch screen with touch zoom on HERO9 Black feels instantly familiar and a dazzling new front display makes it for easy framing and intuitive camera control. It comes with Video 5K30 + 4K60, Wide FOV and a a massive 1720mAh battery. of . Capture crisp, pro-quality photos with 20MP clarity. With SuperPhoto, HERO9 Black can automatically pick all the best image processing for you, so it’s super easy to nail the shot. This beast is available for INR 41,490.

·       Fujifilm X-T200: It’s a mirrorless camera with 15-45mm & 50-230mm Dual Lens Kit. It gets highly accurate face and eye Detection using AF Algorithm to capture your favourite moments as it is and achieve focus in low light environments up to -2.0EV, worth a buy. Get it for INR 76,000 and save up to 12% inclusive of taxes and customers can also enjoy up to 5% Instant Discount on HSBC Cashback Card Transactions.

·       Panasonic LUMIX G7: The Lumix G7 by Panasonic is the one to get hands on! Its power-packed with so many amazing features like 16-megapixel Micro Four Thirds sensor with no low pass filter to confidently capture sharp images with a high dynamic range and artifact free performance; WiFi enabled. The camera also hasa high resolution (2,360K dot) OLED Live View Finder and rear touch enabled 3-inch tilt/swivel LCD display (1,040 dot) that’s clear even in bright sunlight. Grab it now for INR 39,990.

·       Sony Alpha ILCE: This luxury camera comes with Full-Frame 24.2MP and is a Mirrorless Digital SLR Camera with 28-70mm Zoom Lens (4K Full Frame, Real-Time Eye Auto Focus, Tiltable LCD, Low Light Camera). Its Standard ISO ranges from 100 to 51200 and has 15-stop dynamic range at low-sensitivity settings. This stunner is loaded with many more features available for INR 1,58,922.

·       Sony Digital Vlog Camera ZV 1: Are you fond of vlogging? Well, then check this one out. The Digital Vlog Camera ZV 1 is compact in size, has a video Eye AF, flip screen, in-Built Microphone, Bluetooth Shooting Grip, 4K Vlogging camera and content creation. You can get this for INR 69,990 and save up to 10% inclusive of taxes and customers can also enjoy up to 5% Instant Discount on HSBC Cashback Card Transactions.

·       DIGITEK® (DRL 12C): It’s a professional 30.5 cm LED Ring Light with Tripod Stand for Mobile Phones & Camera, has 3 temperature modes with dimmable lighting feature perfect for YouTube videos, photo-Shoots, video Shoots, while live Streaming and makeup tutorials. Get this all-in-one camera accessory for INR 1,599 and save up to 47% and customers can also enjoy up to 5% Instant Discount on HSBC Cashback Card Transactions.

·       DIGITEK® (DTR 550LW) (170 CM) Tripod: This tripod for DSLR, Camera has an operating height of 5.57 feet and can load up to 4.5kg as the maximum capacity. It’s portable in design lightweight Aluminium Tripod with 360 Degree Ball Head. Get this beast for INR 1,274 and save up to 49% inclusive of taxes and customers can also enjoy up to 5% Instant Discount on HSBC Cashback Card Transactions.

Disclaimer: The product details, description and pricing are as provided by the sellers. Amazon is not involved in pricing or describing the products and is not responsible for accuracy of product information provided by the sellers.

Aakash Educational Services Selects Hughes Communications India To Connect Over 100 Education Centres Using Satellite Broadband

* State-of-the-art, Two-way High Throughput Satellite Technology to Enable Best-in-Class Hybrid Learning 

Hughes Communications India Private Ltd. (HCIPL), a leading provider of broadband satellite and managed network services and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hughes Network Systems, LLC (HUGHES), today announced its selection by Aakash Educational Services Limited (AESL), one of the leading test preparatory coaching institutes and now a part of Bengaluru-based EdTech company, Byju’s, for an interactive satellite broadband network. AESL chose Hughes and its industry-defining JUPITER™ System ground platform to connect more than 100 educational centers with High-Throughput Satellite connectivity as part of its nationwide network.  

Under the three-year initial contract, Hughes will provide a managed service including satellite bandwidth from the GSAT 18 satellite, Very Small Aperture Terminals (VSATs) at each learning centre, and 24 x 7 network operation – all to deliver reliable, uninterrupted connectivity across AESL’s growing institution. 

Commenting on the contract, Aakash Chaudhry, Managing Director, AESL, said: “We are expanding the scope and reach of hybrid classrooms with VSAT connectivity, wherein our students can make the best use of both offline and online learning, including remote access to live lectures. Having a reliable and seamless interactive learning environment enabled by Hughes can ensure that there is no disruption in education. We look forward to improving the learning outcomes of our students multifold with more standardized delivery of training and personalised coaching.”  

Commenting on the occasion, Shivaji Chatterjee, SVP and Head of Enterprise business, HCIPL, said: "We are delighted to have the opportunity to work with Aakash Educational Services, as they continue to innovate learning models to address students’ needs, during and post the pandemic. With our advanced connectivity solutions, Hughes will support a high-quality, two-way interactive learning experience with state-of-the-art satellite technology to recreate a virtual, yet live, classroom environment. Moreover, this will help Aakash provide the best hybrid learning experience for students and expand into newer territories.” 

Hughes provides connectivity services to thousands of classrooms across India, helping to bridge the Education Divide. Secondary schools, colleges and universities, corporate offices, training centers, and coaching institutions benefit from pathbreaking distance learning solutions from Hughes. 

About Hughes Network Systems

Hughes Network Systems, LLC (HUGHES), an innovator in satellite and multi-transport technologies and networks for 50 years, provides broadband equipment and services; managed services featuring smart, software-defined networking; and end-to-end network operation for millions of consumers, businesses, governments and communities worldwide. The Hughes flagship Internet service, HughesNet®, connects more than 1.5 million subscribers across the Americas, and the Hughes JUPITER™ System powers Internet access for tens of millions more worldwide. Hughes supplies more than half the global satellite terminal market to leading satellite operators, in-flight service providers, mobile network operators and military customers. A managed network services provider, Hughes supports nearly 500,000 enterprise sites with its HughesON™ portfolio of wired and wireless solutions. Headquartered in Germantown, Maryland, USA, Hughes is owned by EchoStar. 

Renault India Presents All New Sporty KIGER To Ace Weightlifter And #TokyoOlympics2020 Silver Medalist Saikhom Mirabai Chanu

Renault, which is in its 10th year of operations in India, presented Renault KIGER to the Ace weightlifter and #TokyoOlympics2020 Silver Medalist Saikhom Mirabai Chanu for her stunning performance on the world stage and making every Indian proud of her feat. Hailing from a village in East Imphal, Mirabai not only lifted the spirits of the entire nation but with her dedication and commitment, she also became an inspiration for other athletes. Her journey finds resonance with a billion Indians who aspire to break out of their humble backgrounds. Renault is proud to celebrate her journey with the Stunning, Smart and Sporty KIGER.  

Mr. Sudhir Malhotra, Vice President – Sales & Marketing, Renault India handed over the keys of the brand new Renault KIGER to the #TokyoOlympics2020 Silver Medalist, Saikhom Mirabai Chanu. 

Renault KIGER is a brand-new sub four metre compact SUV designed and developed for India. Loaded with several smart attributes and powered by a sporty, world-class turbocharged 1.0L petrol engine, Renault KIGER is a breakthrough product targeted at the core of Indian automotive market. The stunning design of Renault KIGER is exemplified by a host of sporty and muscular elements which make Renault KIGER stand out as a true SUV. On the inside, Renault KIGER’s smart cabin combines technology, functionality and roominess. This high performance, modern and efficient engine ensures a sporty drive and is complemented by multi sense drive modes which offer the flexibility to best suit the customers driving preferences. 

Renault India is celebrating its ten glorious years of its operations in India. As part of the tenth anniversary celebration, Renault India launched the all new RXT (O) variant of the Renault KIGER. Together with its product portfolio expansion strategy to drive volumes in India, Renault is substantially increasing its network reach in India and introducing several unique and pioneering initiatives to ensure that customers have an unparalleled association with the Renault brand. Currently, Renault India has more than 500 sales and service touchpoints in India, which include 200+ Workshop On Wheels locations across the country 

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 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. 

MaxiVision To Celebrate World Senior Citizens Day On August 21, 2021

* To conduct Free Eye checkups to the poor senior citizens

Hyderabad Based MaxiVision Eye hospitals group to celebrate World Senior Citizens day on Saturday on 21st Aug as part of their CSR initiative to create awareness on issues affecting older age people. We can do more to make life easier for our aging population and enable them to live with dignity. Unfortunately, many elderly people are left to isolation and marginalization in a lot of communities with no one paying attention to their deteriorating health conditions. More support is needed for senior citizens to live the life with nobility.

World Senior citizen’s day is observed every year on 21st Aug to create awareness on issues relating to older people such as degenerating of health with age and abuse of elderly people etc.MaxiVision has always been in the forefront to extend support to those poor elderly people who have done a lot for the society but lack physical, moral support in their ripe age. In the past few years Maxi Vision has extended support to thousands of poor senior citizens by offering free eye checkups, free eyeglasses distribution, Diabetes, Hypertension checkups, etc. on the occasion, recognizing and remembering their contribution to the society and thanked them for their services.

As a gesture towards all older people in the society, MaxiVision intends to play its part in the cause this year as well, as part of its corporate social responsibility, Said Mr. Sudheer -CEO. Due to COVID19 effect on hospitals MaxiVision will limit the number of free eye checkups to 100 people only this year. Free eye check us are strictly for poor senior citizens only who hold a white ration card and crossed 60 years of age. Patients need to register/enroll their number in advance to avail of this facility before Friday i.e. 20th Aug. Free eye checkups are done in all Maxi Vision branch hospitals in Hyderabad (Somajiguda, Begumpet, Madhapur, AS Rao Nagar, Kukatpally, Santosh Nagar) Warangal, Karimnagar, Bhimavaram, Vizag and Vijayawada, on world Senior citizen’s day, to mark the occasion.

Eye problem is very common in the old age people and vision defects develop as the age grows. World Senior citizen’s Day is a day for all sons and daughters to recognize the role of their older parents who put in their best efforts to shape up the life of their children to become responsible members of society. It is the time we must recollect and respect their invaluable services toward the children and show up affection, love, appreciation on International Senior citizen’s day by honoring them.

Free Eye checkups timings 10 am – 2 pm on Saturday 21st Aug 2021.

Indian Businesses Continue Having Cybersecurity Concerns With Remote Working, One Year Into The Pandemic: Thales

 ·         40% of respondents from India reported an increase in the volume, severity, and/or scope of cyber-attacks in the last 12 months in comparison to the global figure of 47%

·         Nearly 2 in 5 (35%) of respondents, globally, find malicious insiders as the biggest threat to data security

·         48% of respondents in India (38% worldwide) consider third-party vendor networks to be the biggest target for cyber attackers

Despite being over a year into remote working and the possibility of a likely shift to hybrid remote/in-office working models, security remains a key concern for respondents both globally and in India. While 38% of respondents from India continue to be very concerned about the security risks while working remotely, globally, this figure stands at 39%.

This is just one of the key insights from the 2021 Thales Global Data Threat Report, a commissioned study conducted by 451 Research, part of S&P Global Market Intelligence, which reveals that managing security risks is undoubtedly getting more challenging, with almost 40% of respondents from India reporting an increase in the volume, severity, and/or scope of cyber-attacks in the last 12 months.

Attacks On The Rise

Talking about global stats, of those who have ever experienced a breach, two in five (41%) had it happen in the last year. This number has nearly doubled from 21% in 2019 globally, marking a significant shift in the threat posed.

For respondents from India, malware (56%) is the leading source of security attacks followed by ransomware (53%), and phishing and credential stuffing (both 43%). Yet, when it comes to how attacks occur, the message is clear: internal threats as well as external attackers are still of great concern to industry. Malicious insiders (40%), external attacks (25%) and human error (25%) have been spotted by respondents from India as the types of attacks seen with the greatest threat.

Despite the increased risk remote working has posed to enterprises throughout the pandemic, nearly half (48%) of respondents from India report that their security infrastructure was not prepared to handle the risks caused by Covid-19. In fact, only one in five (21%) of organisations believe it was very prepared.

Major targets for Cyber-Attacks

Forty-eight percent of respondents from India rank third-party vendor networks as the biggest target for cyber attacks, followed by on-premises legacy applications (44%), cloud based storage (40%) and web applications (38%).

Ashish Saraf, VP and Country Director – India, Thales, comments: “Many organizations experienced heightened security challenges over the last year and with the increasing number of ransomware attacks, organizations are now facing a double extortion threat. Not only could they be locked out of their critical IT & OT systems but also have their sensitive data released on the internet. The traditional aspect of just relying on a sound backup and restore strategy is no longer sufficient, organizations need to implement a comprehensive digital security including controlling access to data, encryption of sensitive data coupled with secure management and control of encryption keys. It is important for all the stakeholders in the data flow chain to embrace cutting-edge technology solutions to mitigate these risks.”

Multicloud Complexity Increases Risks Globally

As increases in attacks continue, businesses are turning to the cloud to store their data in this digital-first world. More than half (55%) of businesses, globally, report that more than 40% of their data is stored in external cloud environments. Despite this, only 17% of businesses have encrypted at least half of their sensitive data stored in the cloud. On top of this, complexity is an increasing issue, with many respondents now using at least two PaaS (Platform as a Service) providers (45%) and/or two IaaS providers (Infrastructure as a Service). A quarter (27%) of businesses are currently using more than 50 SaaS (Software as a Service) apps.

Future Challenges and the Road Ahead

Globally, companies are recognising the issues they are facing and are attempting to address them with Zero Trust strategies. More than three quarters (76%) of respondents’ cloud strategy reportedly rely to some degree on Zero Trust security. Almost half (44%) of respondents selected Zero Trust network access (ZTNA)/software-defined perimeter (SDP) as the leading technology to invest in during the pandemic. This was followed by cloud-based access management (42%) and conditional access (41%). In fact, a third (30%) of global respondents claim to have a formal Zero Trust strategy and, interestingly, those with a formal Zero Trust strategy are less likely to also report having been breached.

However, despite businesses making moves to stop current threats, worries are growing about future challenges on the horizon. Looking ahead, 82% respondents from India have shown concerns about the security threats of quantum computing, a threat arguably exacerbated by the increasing complexity of cloud environments.

Eric Hanselman, Chief Analyst at 451 Research, part of S&P Global Market Intelligence added: “The native controls and protections available in cloud environments address a set of necessary capabilities, but they’re often insufficient to deliver effective protections for sensitive data and workloads, especially when it comes to compliance with regulations such as GDPR and the implications of the Schrems II ruling. Organizations need to increase their use of encryption and ensure they take full advantage of encryption’s benefits by controlling the secrets that protect their data through BYOK (Bring Your Own Key), HYOK (Hold Your Own Key) or BYOE (Bring Your Own Encryption) approaches. Organisations also need to make internal changes to ensure that personnel at all levels understand the security challenges and to properly align investment priorities. Senior executives need to obtain a more complete understanding of the levels of risk and attack activity that their front-line staff are experiencing.”

About the 2021 Thales Global Data Threat Report

The 2021 Thales Global Data Threat Report was based on a global 451 Research survey commissioned by Thales of more than 2,600 executives with responsibility for or influence over IT and data security. Respondents were from 16 countries: Australia, Brazil, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, Sweden, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Organisations represented a range of industries, with a primary emphasis on healthcare, financial services, retail, technology, and federal government. Job titles ranged from C-level executives including CEO, CFO, Chief Data Officer, CISO, Chief Data Scientist, and Chief Risk Officer, to SVP/VP, IT Administrator, Security Analyst, Security Engineer, and Systems Administrator. Respondents represented a broad range of organizational sizes, with the majority ranging from 500 to 10,000 employees. The survey was conducted in January - February 2021.

About Thales

Thales (Euronext Paris: HO) is a global leader in advanced technologies, investing in digital and “deep tech” innovations – connectivity, big data, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and quantum computing – to build a confident future crucial for the development of our societies. The Group provides its customers – businesses, organisations and governments – in the defense, aeronautics, space, transport, and digital identity and security domains with solutions, services and products that help them fulfil their critical role, consideration for the individual being the driving force behind all decisions.

Thales has 81,000 employees in 68 countries. In 2020 the Group generated sales of €17 billion.

About Thales in India

Present in India since 1953, Thales is headquartered in Noida and has other operational offices and sites spread across Delhi, Gurugram, Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Mumbai, among others. Over 1,800 employees are working with Thales and its joint ventures in India. Since the beginning, Thales has been playing an essential role in India’s growth story by sharing its technologies and expertise in Defence, Transport, Aerospace and Digital Identity and Security markets. Thales has two engineering competence centres in India - one in Delhi NCR focused on digital identity and security business, while the one in Bengaluru focuses on hardware, software and systems engineering capabilities for both the civil and defence sectors, serving global needs.