Hero MotoCorp Has Announced A New Investment Of Rs 420 Crore In Ather Energy

Aligned with its vision - ‘Be the Future of Mobility’, Hero MotoCorp, the world’s largest manufacturer of motorcycles and scooters, has announced a new investment of up to Rs. 420 Crore in Ather Energy.

The company’s board has approved the investment in one or more tranches. Prior to the proposed investment, Hero MotoCorp’s shareholding in Ather Energy was 34.8% (on a fully diluted basis). Post the investment, the shareholding will increase and the exact shareholding will be determined upon completion of capital raise round by Ather.

Commenting on the development, Swadesh Srivastava, Head – Emerging Mobility Business Unit, Hero MotoCorp said, “In keeping with our vision 'Be the Future of Mobility', we are working on a variety of emerging mobility solutions. We were one of the early investors in Ather Energy and have continued to expand our association over the years. We are excited to see the growth of Ather Energy in recent years. Our aim is to expand the Hero MotoCorp brand promise and make EV ownership a convenient, hassle-free, and rewarding experience for customers across the world.” 

Hero MotoCorp is an early investor in Ather Energy and has been a part of its growth story since 2016. The company is also exploring collaborations with Ather Energy in various spheres, such as charging infrastructure, technology and sourcing.

Hero MotoCorp is addressing the emerging mobility opportunity in a comprehensive manner through a range of organic and inorganic initiatives. 

It is gearing up to unveil its first Electric Vehicle (EV) in the month of March this year. The vehicle is being developed at the company’s world-class R&D set-up – the Center of Innovation and Technology (CIT) in Jaipur and the Tech Center Germany (TGG) near Munich – and will be produced at the company’s manufacturing facility at Chittoor in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh.

Through its investments and partnerships with external partners like Ather Energy and Gogoro Inc., Hero MotoCorp is also working towards building the entire EV ecosystem – from products to technology, to sales, service, customer care, operations, and innovation.

Sustainability and Emerging Mobility is a priority area for Hero MotoCorp and the company continues to enhance its efforts in this direction.

Kalyan Jewellers Offers Re-Imagined Shopping Experience To Customers At Dickenson Road

* Renovated showroom will provide a luxurious shopping experience

Kalyan Jewellers, one of India’s most trusted and leading jewellery brands, launched its newly designed showroom in Bengaluru at Dickenson Road near Sivanchetti Gardens. The all-new showroom promises to present a luxurious, re-imagined experience with the latest of distinctive as well as trendy jewellery designs on display.  This is part of the company’s larger strategy towards renovating and upgrading the look & feel of showrooms across the state, promising to re-imagine the experience for shoppers in the region. Kalyan Jewellers’ showroom at Dickenson Road is fully operational. 

Celebrating the launch, Kalyan Jewellers has also announced special offers that will enable customers to maximize the value of their purchases this season. Kalyan Jewellers is offering mega discounts and bumper giveaways for its customers. On gold jewellery purchases of Rs.30,000 and above, customers can avail the 0% wastage offer, on half the purchase value. Shoppers can maximise the value of their purchases with up to 20% off on diamond, uncut and precious stone jewellery. These offers are valid until 31st January, 2022.

Talking about the new showroom, Mr. T S Kalyanaraman, Chairman and Managing Director, Kalyan Jewellers said, “We are delighted to announce the launch of our newly-revamped showroom at Dickenson Road in Bengaluru. At Kalyan Jewellers, we have consistently working towards reinventing the shopping experience, from expanding the existing product portfolio to taking major strides towards creating a holistic ecosystem. The redesigned showroom will cater to customers with Kalyan Jewellers’ extensive range of collections, especially the wedding jewellery line – Muhurat, which includes contemporary designs as well as intricate works of temple jewellery. We would also like to thank our patrons in the region for their constant support and faith in Kalyan Jewellers. We promise to continue working towards offering the best to our customers and will stay true to the company’s core values of trust and transparency in times to come.”

Kalyan Jewellers will offer its patrons Muhurat, the bridal jewellery line curated from across India along with exclusive sections featuring Kalyan’s popular house brands such as Tejasvi (Polki jewellery), Mudhra (handcrafted antique jewellery), Nimah (Temple jewellery) and Glo (dancing diamonds). Other sections at the showroom include Ziah (Solitaire-like diamond jewellery), Anokhi (uncut diamonds), Apoorva (diamonds for special occasions), Antara (wedding diamonds), Hera (daily wear diamonds) and Rang (precious stones jewellery). Kalyan Jewellers will draw from its portfolio of over one lakh contemporary and traditional designs and will offer selections for everyday as well as bridal wear and festive occasions.

As part of Kalyan Jewellers’ ‘We Care’ COVID-19 guidelines, the company has instituted the highest level of safety and precautionary measures across all showrooms to safeguard the health and safety of both customers and staff alike. The company has also appointed a ‘Safety Measure Officer’ to ensure safety protocol guidelines are strictly followed.

*T&C Apply

About Kalyan Jewellers

Headquartered in Thrissur in the state of Kerala, Kalyan Jewellers is one the largest jewellery retailers in India with a presence in the Middle East. The company has enjoyed a long-standing presence in the Indian market for nearly three decades and has set industry benchmarks in quality, transparency, pricing and innovation. Kalyan offers an array of traditional and contemporary jewellery designs in gold, diamonds and precious stones catering to the distinct needs of the customers. Kalyan Jewellers has 151 showrooms across India and the Middle East.

Academy Of General Education, MAHE, MEMG And Manipal Media Network, Honoured Personalities At New Year Awards 2022

Academy of General Education (AGE), Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), MEMG and Manipal Media Network Ltd conducted “New Year Awards 2022” to honour eminent personalities of different fields for their distinguished services and immense contributions to the society. The awards were conferred on four individuals for their contributions in the fields of medical education, healthcare, business administration, arts and culture. The welcome address for the ceremony was made by Dr H S Ballal - Pro Chancellor & President, Academy of General Education, MAHE.  Lt Gen (Dr) M D Venkatesh, Vice Chancellor MAHE gave the felicitation address

The felicitation of four awardees was done by Dr Ranjan Pai, Chairman, MEMG Group and Registrar, Academy of General Education, along with Dr HS Ballal, Pro Chancellor, MAHE, Mrs Vasanti R Pai- Trustee, MAHE Trust, Shri T Satish U Pai, MD, Manipal Media Network Ltd and Vice President, Academy of General Education (AGE), and Dr Narayana Sabhahit- Registrar MAHE.

The winners of this year were Dr Suresh S Rao, Medical Director Sanjeevani Hospital, Mumbai, for contribution in healthcare, Shri Bhaskar Bhat, Director TATA Sons Pvt Ltd, Bengaluru for his contribution in the field of business administration; Dr Pragna Rao, Pro Vice Chancellor, MAHE, Bengaluru Campus for the role in the field of education and Shri Gopal Acharya Thirthahalli, Renowned Yakshagana Artist from Kergal, Kundapura for contributions to arts and culture.

Speaking about the awards and the achievements of the eminent personalities Dr H S Ballal - Pro Chancellor, MAHE said “We are extremely proud and honoured to be hosting this event to award these very well-deserving members of the society. Their contributions to the nation have been remarkable. I would like to extend my heartiest congratulations to them for their dedication and spirit that drives them to make the society we live in, a better place. Keeping in line with the tradition established by our founder the late Dr T.M.A Pai, we are extremely privileged to be honouring such service minded individuals through the New Year Awards 2022”

Speaking on the special occasion, Gen (Dr.) MD Venkatesh, Vice Chancellor, MAHE said “We feel elated to be conducting this award ceremony to honour these four individuals who have achieved exceptional stature in fields ranging from business administration, medical education, art and culture to healthcare and philanthropy. We are extremely honoured by their acceptance of this award. Their noteworthy contributions in their respective fields show the zeal and determination of the human spirit. They have set such a great example for all of us to learn, imbibe and make our own contributions to society. I congratulate them all”

Expressing his happiness Shri Bhaskar Bhat, Director TATA Sons Pvt. Ltd, Bengaluru said “As I accept this recognition from an Institution as renowned and respected as the Academy of General Education, I must admit that I am filled with a sense of both pride and disbelief. As the nation battles the pandemic, I am in awe of the unity that people have shown to support each other through these terrible times. With rigorous vaccination drives the situation has improved. Our economy has done quite well as witnessed by the performance of the stock market, the tax collections and new money that is flowing into start-ups. It is a great time to be in this country of ours with a large aspiring population, a talented workforce, democratic institutions, our wonderful diversity and a “can do” attitude amongst the younger lot in this country”

Expressing her happiness after receiving the award Dr Pragna Rao, Pro Vice Chancellor, MAHE, Bengaluru Campus said “Being recognized and nominated for the Academy of General Education’s New Year’s Award is a tremendous honour and I express my heartfelt thanks and gratitude to the Academy of General Education, MAHE, MaGE and the Manipal Media Network. This award assumes even greater significance to me as it was initiated by the Late, Dr TMA Pai who was keen on establishing facilities for higher education at rural areas through the Academy of General Education. My association with Manipal began in 1984 when I joined the Department of Biochemistry as a Post- Graduate student. Now as the Pro Vice Chancellor of the new MAHE Bengaluru campus, I would like to thank this prestigious institute for being an extremely inclusive workplace for women. This just shows Manipal holds equality as sacrosanct to its core values”

Expressing happiness after receiving the award Shri Gopal Acharya Thirthahalli, Renowned Yakshagana Artist from Kergal, Kundapura “I am extremely grateful to be receiving this award. Being recognised for the art of Yakshagana fills my heart with joy. The people from the Udupi and Dakshina Kannada district have also excelled in education, medical and cultural fields and it gives me great pride to hail from this place. Yakshagana is a symbol of Karnataka and I hope the future generation will also contribute to promoting and saving this art form”

Expressing his happiness after receiving the award Dr Suresh S Rao, Medical Director Sanjeevani Hospital, Mumbai said “I feel overwhelmed by a deep sense of gratitude on receiving The New Year Award. Having spent my childhood in Kateel, I have a deep affection for my village and my reverence to the Goddess of the temple knows no bounds. Once I graduated to become a doctor, I realized what my heart deeply wished and that was to serve my village and the society in some way. With determination and courage, I dared to dream of running a hospital. I have been associated with MAHE and KMC Mangalore since 2015 and it has been the most rewarding experience. For me, I had received my award the day Manipal group accepted my proposal to take over the hospital. The members of this institution have provided constant support for me and helped me realise my dream”.

World Peace Museum Inaugurated In Bangalore On Occasion Of Sadako Day

KidsChaupal and WPM in Association with BGS National Public School, Bengaluru, India inaugurated the World Peace Museum on the occasion of Sadako Day. January is observed as Sadako Day as it marks the birth anniversary of Sadako Sasaki who was a victim of the bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. This museum has been established in her honour and the movement for world peace.

The co-founders of KidsChaupal Mr. Devendra Jaiswal, Mr. Ashish Srivastava & Mr. Dhiraj Singh extend their gratitude to all the participants & BGSNPS management, Academic Director, Dr. S. Ayyappan Nair, Principal Smt. Sreekala G Kumar for being part of the inaugural event & making it a grand success.

Event was physically organized in the BGSNPS auditorium and also virtually hosted on KidsChaupal’s live platform and social media platforms. The occasion was graced by lively song, dance, music, poetry and engaging speeches. Tisya Singh, the face of KidsChaupal, was also invited as a speaker. She shared her thoughts on world peace and urged today's youth to contribute towards the movement.

Apart from India, there were participants from Japan, Germany, Hungary that contributed to a packed audience. The event was executed successfully with the efforts of BGSNPS teachers & students under the guidance of Vice Principal Smt. Savitha Suverna, World Peace Museum founder Mr. John Devraj & Smt. Srivalli Nagiger along with the Art creative coaches. KidsChaupal and WPM are grateful to all those who joined hands to make this event a success.

About KidsChaupal 

KidsChaupal is an ed-tech start-up, founded in 2019 by Mr. Devendra Jaiswal and Mr. Dhiraj Singh. KidsChaupal aims at honing the skills of children to be ready for their future.  

Their vision is to enable the exposure of kids to multiple learning choices, exposure to inter-disciplinary ways of thinking, and help them make career choices beyond popular opinion. KidsChaupal uses the best in technology with its live platform and mobile applications to cater to the needs of both teachers and kids at the same time. They are one of the pioneer Indian companies who developed a live learning platform. 

They offer over 100+ courses and classes in areas ranging from Personality Development, Vocational Training, Arts and Crafts, Health & Fitness, Performing Arts, Languages, Emerging Technologies, and Entrepreneurship. With over 5000 kids enrolled, and 100+ mentors on board with KidsChaupal, they conduct approximately 3000 hours of skill development classes every month.It also focuses on the professional and leadership development of teachers and offers regular workshops/webinars and training programs based on NEP 2020. KidsChaupal is not only backed by experienced industry experts of the country but also US-based investors and mentors. KidsChaupal has been tying up with several public and private schools for delivering experiential sessions to the students with the help of mentors and teachers.

KidsChaupal focuses on providing a next-gen platform for the youth of India to help them reach their full potential by honing their skills. Mainstream education focuses more on academia, but skill training, which focuses on identifying, training, and nurturing talent in any desired field, will help the students to be confident and job-ready. To accomplish this, we have come up with a model of various curriculums for developing the skills of kids at the schooling level. The model developed is a result of years of research conducted by experts in every field. It promotes a holistic view of skill development throughout the curriculum.

Over 50,000 Students Of Narayana Group To Benefit From Fee Financing At Zero Cost By Financepeer

The Covid19 is not only seen as a health crisis but it has severe economic implications as well. Calling it an economic pandemic won’t be an exaggeration. The past 18 months have brought a serious economic imbalance which has impacted a large percentage of the population. With layoffs, pay cuts and revenue loss becoming obvious, the implications of fund shortage are reflected in the education sector too. There are several parents who are experiencing difficulties in managing their finances and in turn the education fees payment is also delayed and sometimes defaulted too.

As the education fee payment becomes a stressful task for several parents, so to address the challenge of parents about fee payment, one of the leading education groups of the country Narayana Group of Institutions has brought a path breaking mechanism of fees payment under fee financing model which comes with Zero cost EMI. The Fee Financing Facility will directly benefit around 50,000 students of Narayana group who will be able to pay their education fee on zero cost easy EMI which will further reduce the burden of parents.

For this special arrangement Narayana Group has teamed up with Financepeer India's leading Fee Payment Solution provider. Under this agreement, Financepeer will provide a facility using which parents can pay their child’s education fee in multiple parts at zero additional cost. This facility will be made available to 50,000 students of Narayana Group of Institutions. Financepeer is also offering free insurance facility to the students that will ensure security to their education.

Speaking about the collaboration, Rohit Gajbhiye - Founder, Financepeer said: “Narayana Group of Institutions is among the most prestigious names in the industry and is known for its quality education. This partnership is a win-win situation as it opens the gates of a premier education institution for the parents while the institution will have access to the funds without any hassle. Also, the insurance facility that we provide will act as a safety guard for the students to pursue their education without interruption. This association will further motivate us to achieve our vision of ensuring quality education to the masses. This also gives us energy to continue working with great zeal to bring a revolution in the education system of the country."

Speaking about the initiative Mr. Puneet Kothapa- Executive Director, Narayana Group of Institutions said “We understand that there is a challenge faced by the entire industry and parents also have financial constraints but the continuity of education is essential for the children. We are committed to address and resolve the challenges faced by the students so that their education doesn't suffer. We have identified the fee payment challenge by a lot of parents and have partnered with Financepeer to facilitate them for ease of fee payments. This has helped a significant number of parents in managing their finances and we have also seen a spike in our admissions. The service quality and response mechanism of Financepeer are commendable and we are determined to bring back the lost balance in the education system.

This innovative approach taken by Narayana Group and Financepeer will set the benchmark for others to follow. The fee financing model will change the dynamics of the education industry and would facilitate access to quality education to more and more students.

About Narayana Group

Narayana Group is one of Asia's largest educational conglomerates that provides world class education to more than 4,00,000 students. The group is committed to bringing out the best in every student by imparting a strong educational foundation. Narayana group is widely recognized for its innovative and pathbreaking approach for creating exceptional and enriching student experiences.

About Financepeer

Financepeer is a leading fintech company which offers innovative and first of its kind Fee Payment solution where the parent can pay their education fees in multiple parts at zero additional cost thereby eliminating the parents' burden of making bulk payments. Financepeer platform envisages making education accessible to the masses and looks forward to spearheading a revolutionary impact for millions of people. 

Hero MotoCorp Strengthens And Expands Operations In El Salvador

In Strengthening its presence in El Salvador, Hero MotoCorp, the world’s largest manufacturer of motorcycles and scooters, has expanded its operations and commenced retail sales at a newly opened flagship store in the country’s capital city San Salvador.

Customers have been thronging to the company’s new state-of-the-art dealership located in El Pedregal to purchase Hero MotoCorp’s products.

The showroom that offers 3S (sales, service, spares) operations and is spread over 600 sq. mt, displays Hero MotoCorp’s world-class products such as the Xpulse 200, Hunk 160R and Hunk 150 motorcycles and Dash 125 scooter. The workshop with five service bays provides the best-in-class aftersales service and spare parts to customers. In keeping with its commitment to provide a world-class customer experience, the company offers a 4-year or 40,000 km warranty across its range of products.

Speaking on the occasion, Sanjay Bhan, Head – Global Business, Hero MotoCorp, said, “The strengthening and expansion of our network in El Salvador clearly underscore the market's importance for Hero MotoCorp. There has been a steadily growing demand among the customers here for our wide range of products and with this state-of-the-art flagship store in the capital city, our customers will now be able to experience Hero MotoCorp’s world-class products and services. We will continue to keep consolidating our presence in this market in both immediate and medium term.”

With a footprint in 43 countries across Asia, Africa, South and Central America and the Middle East, Hero MotoCorp has already sold over 100 million motorcycles and scooters globally since its inception. It’s range of products are designed and developed at the world class R&D facilities in the Center of Innovation and Technology in Jaipur, India and the Tech Centre Germany near Munich.

In El Salvador, Hero MotoCorp caters to its customers through a distribution network of over 200 touch points including five company-owned showrooms, 15 dealerships, 85 retail and 26 spare part outlets and service centers across 14 cities.

Hero MotoCorp’s comprehensive product range in El Salvador includes motorcycles from the premium to entry levels, including the XPulse 200, XPulse 200T, Hunk 160R, Hunk 190R, Hunk 150, Ignitor 125, Eco150, Eco 125 and the Dash 125 scooter. The Hunk 150 is the best-selling bike in the 150cc category in El Salvador.

Hero MotoCorp has been consistently engaged in ensuring customer delight in the country through its various initiatives such as free service camps, customer meets & greet sessions, training technicians across the region and providing strong aftersales support.

Experience Dimensions Of Religious Festivals: Religion And Spirituality At Paryaya, Udupi, India

*Article by researchers from Welcomgroup Graduate School of Hotel Administration, MAHE, published in The International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage, by Technology University Dublin, Ireland

* The article is titled "Experience Dimensions of Religious Festivals: Religion and Spirituality at Paryaya, Udupi, India”

Research article by two researchers from Welcomgroup Graduate School of Hotel Administration, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, has been published in in The International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage published by Technology University Dublin, Ireland.

The article titled "Experience Dimensions of Religious Festivals: Religion and Spirituality at Paryaya, Udupi, India” indicates that ‘Paryaya’ as a festival helps the pilgrims to develop their spirituality. Festivals and events are an important motivation for travel and act as a great tourism attraction for destinations. The five-hundred-year-old ‘Paryaya’ is a festival known for its rituals and religious traditions followed at Sri Krishna Mutt, Udupi, held biennially, attracting thousands of pilgrims from Karnataka, other states of the country and abroad.

The researchers have adopted the concept of experience economy to understand the spiritual nature of religious festivals. Their quantitative research findings on a study conducted during Paryaya in January 2020 indicate that pilgrims' festival experience is a predictor of their revisit intention to Paryaya. Moreover, the research concludes that visitors to Paryaya can be considered as spiritual tourists as their experience reflects the features of spiritual tourism.

Stride Ventures Invests INR 20 Cr In Digital Freight Forwarding Company, Wiz Freight

Wiz Freight, a full-stack digital freight forwarder offering door to door international freight solutions to importers and exporters, today received a funding of INR 20 Cr. With this, Stride Ventures has added another new-age startup to its already stellar portfolio and are the first venture debt lender to Wiz Freight.

Wiz Freight uses its proprietary technology platform to offer end-end shipment management solutions including price discovery, booking management, shipment tracking, documentation, shipment finance and customer support. The company offers solutions across ocean, air and road freight. In addition to traditional freight forwarding services, Wiz also provides value added services such as door pick-up and delivery, custom clearance, road logistics, warehousing, etc. The company caters to mid and large corporates with a focus on the energy, manufacturing, and consumer sectors.

Digital supply chain solutions are becoming increasingly more important in the modern day shipment industry. Commenting on the funding, Mr. Ishpreet Singh Gandhi, Founder – Stride Ventures, said “Wiz Freight has been successful in growing consistently and on boarding key corporates while sustaining margins in a highly volatile freight market. In spite of the pandemic affecting the wider freight and logistics industry, the large-scale digitization has led to newer solutions. With Wiz, we are very keen and excited to be a part of their journey towards expanding global reach and creating disruptions in the international supply chain.”

Sharing his thoughts on this development, Mr. Ramkumar Govindarajan, Co-founder – Wiz Freight, said “Cross-border shipping has been the backbone of global trade and the last 2 years have seen unprecedented disruptions in the international supply chain driving prices and inventory shortages. We have been able to help our customers minimize disruptions with better visibility, planning and real-time shipment control using our tech-platform. We have grown 25x in the last 12 months and have established a presence across 10 Indian cities. We are planning to invest in hiring, tech development and global expansion in 2022. We are happy to partner with Stride Ventures in this journey.”

Since its commencement, Stride Ventures has focused on investing in market leaders across sectors. Through its myriad of financial products Stride Ventures provides comprehensive tailor made credit solutions to new age startups and is quickly becoming a one-stop shop for all financial requirements. Having been one of the most active venture debt companies this year, the total commitments have crossed INR 1000 crores in portfolio companies across both its debt funds.

About Stride Ventures  

Stride Ventures is focused on providing debt solutions to growth stage start-ups. Stride provides tailor-made debt solutions to start-ups, enabling them to strategically allocate capital. Bringing more than six decades of collective underwriting experience, the fund helps its portfolio companies leverage the banking ecosystem through their domain expertise and extensive network. 

apna.co And Tourism & Hospitality Skill Council Partner To Provide More Opportunities To Professionals

* apna observing 34 percent month-on-month increase in jobs in hospitality & tourism sectors 

* Registered 1,00,000 job postings in these sectors in the last month 

With the mission to empower millions of professionals in travel, tourism and hospitality sectors, apna.co:  India’s largest professional networking and jobs platform has today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Tourism & Hospitality Skill Council (THSC).

Through this partnership, apna.co will support THSC by providing easier access to hyperlocal opportunities, training sessions, upskilling courses and re-skilling courses to the professionals in the travel & tourism sector. 

apna has been recording a 34 percent month-on-month increase in jobs in hospitality & tourism. Last month alone, the platform registered around 1,00,000 job postings in these sectors.

Talking about the partnership, Manas Singh, Chief Business Officer, apna.co said “According to the recent reports, in FY20, the tourism sector in India accounted for 39 million jobs, which was 8.0% of the total employment in the country. By 2029, it is expected to account for about 53 million jobs. apna.co is glad to be playing a part in this growth journey. We are certain that this partnership will be beneficial to millions of professionals in the industry and look forward to working with Tourism and Hospitality Skill Council in our mission towards #AccleratingIndia”

Chief Executive Officer THSC, Mr. Rajan Bahadur believes there are immense job opportunities for the youth in the tourism & hospitality sector. Through this partnership, the Industry will be digitally connected with aspiring youths. This partnership will connect the “right talent” present in rural & urban India with the “right employer”.

According to the recent data by World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), the tourism industry in India generated $194 bn, or 6.8% of India’s GDP in 2019, and supported 39.80 Mn jobs. The tourism sector in India is predicted to grow at an annual rate of 6.9% to $460 bn by 2028 which is 9.9% of GDP.

THSC operates to bridge the skilling gap in the Tourism & Hospitality Industry. THSC was incorporated in 2014, promoted by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) & National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), by & for the industry. The vision is to create a robust industry-aligned skilling ecosystem benefiting millions of beneficiaries & providing respectable employment opportunities.

At present, apna has 22 million users, a presence in 48 cities and counting, and 2 lakh plus employer partners. The platform has been enabling 18 million monthly interviews and over 35 million professional conversations every month. The apna-THSC will prove beneficial as the travel & tourism industry embraces digital practices.

About apna

Founded in 2019, apna.co is India’s largest jobs and professional networking platform dedicated to helping India’s rising workforce to unlock unique professional networking, and skilling opportunities. 

Having secured more than $190 million from marquee investors such as Tiger Global, Owl Ventures, Insight Partners, Lightspeed India, Sequoia Capital India, Maverick Ventures, GSV Ventures, Greenoaks Capital and Rocketship.vc apna is on a mission to enable livelihoods for billions in India. With over 22 million users, present in 48 cities and counting, and over 200,000 employers that trust the platform - India has a new destination to discover relevant opportunities.

New Book “The Automation Advantage” Shows Organizations How To Achieve Full Value From Intelligent Automation

* Accenture experts provide structured approaches to weave automation and artificial intelligence across the enterprise

As organizations continue to execute compressed transformation strategies and increase their investments in automation technology, a new book authored by three top automation experts at Accenture (NYSE: ACN) provides an in-depth look at how intelligent automation has become one of the most powerful means of driving performance and value across organizations.

“The Automation Advantage: Embrace the Future of Productivity and Improve Speed, Quality, and Customer Experience Through AI” is a strategic, practical guide to using intelligent automation to reinvent business processes, jumpstart innovation, enhance customer experiences and free up capacity for employees to focus on more complex, value-added work. While automation has been used by organizations for centuries, intelligent automation brings in cognitive technology such as artificial intelligence to guide better business decisions and bring new opportunities to light. IDC Research found that up to 40% of companies worldwide increased their use of software bots and other forms of automation in response to the pandemic1, and spending on automation software is expected to reach $42.6 billion by 20252.

In the book, Accenture Chief Strategy Officer Dr. Bhaskar Ghosh and his co-authors, Rajendra Prasad and Gayathri Pallail, draw on their collective 75+ years of expertise to explain how intelligent automation works—and how it works best—providing business leaders with a proven roadmap for optimally deploying intelligent automation at scale to drive business excellence and growth. They cut through myths and misunderstandings to blaze a clear trail for any business leader looking to develop an intelligent automation strategy, create new value and realize growth—all with a human-centric approach.

“The Automation Advantage can help any business leader better understand how to scale automation across the enterprise and use artificial intelligence to empower people and transform business,” said Julie Sweet, Chair and CEO of Accenture.

In addition to providing real-world examples of how organizations across multiple industries and geographies are using intelligent automation to launch new services and spur business growth, the authors dispel many common myths regarding automation. The book lists clear steps to overcome barriers and build a customized framework and approach that identifies opportunities for automation across the organization, and how to design specific automation solutions that align technology transformation with business goals.

“We’re seeing a dramatic evolution from the era of industrialized automation to a new era of intelligent automation, with the focus shifting from costs savings to new goals around customer experience, business excellence, service improvements, innovations, and smarter strategic decisions,” said Dr. Ghosh. “Infusing automation with intelligent technologies has become one of the most powerful ways companies can boost their top-line performance by using new tools to operate more efficiently, upskill and enhance the performance and productivity of their people, and drive significant bottom-line savings.”

Recent research from Accenture underscores just how important automation has become to business success and sustained growth. While the COVID-19 pandemic may have impacted companies’ technology strategies and performance, many companies stepped up investments in intelligent automation and other technology in order to leap beyond their peers and grow their businesses 5X faster. These leading companies listed automation as the most important technology to enable digital transformation for the majority (77%) of key business processes.

Accenture Global Lead for Automation Rajendra Prasad adds: “We offer frameworks and approaches based on years of helping enterprises move from strategy to successful execution on their automation journeys. Our book walks readers through the ‘how’ to go from vision to creating value with intelligent automation, including  identifying the right technology, communicating benefits to and inspiring stakeholders, modernizing processes and managing organizational and cultural changes for better collaboration between automation technology and people.”

“The Automation Advantage: Embrace the Future of Productivity and Improve Speed, Quality, and Customer Experience Through AI,” is published by McGraw-Hill and available now from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Porchlight and BAM! Books-A-Million.

Praise for The Automation Advantage:

“A brilliant field manual for the coming Automation Age.”

Richard D’Aveni, author of The Pan-Industrial Revolution and Bakala Professor of Strategy, Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth

“The book is spot on in laying out a practical guide for how to make an impact and realize value from automation. There is a strong focus on the real-world execution of an automation strategy that makes it an accessible, must-read for both a business management and technology audience.”

Mike Crisafulli, senior vice president, Software Engineering, Comcast

“Successful intelligent automation requires you to get more than just the technology right. The Automation Advantage addresses this – clearly and effectively – by providing the guiding principles and steps for changing your organization’s technology, governance, culture, and even leadership style.”

Charlene Li, entrepreneur, speaker and New York Times bestselling author of The Disruption Mindset

"Consistently creating value with technology is hard. The Automation Advantage makes it simple. The authors lay out a comprehensive path to value using modern techniques that will be appreciated by both the thinker and the practitioner."

Mark Spykerman, Chief Information Officer, AmerisourceBergen

About the Authors

Accenture Chief Strategy Officer Dr. Bhaskar Ghosh, Accenture’s Global Lead for Automation Rajendra Prasad, and Managing Director for Automation Deployment Gayathri Pallail are all experts in automation. Together, they hold 30 automation-related patents, with more than 60 additional patents filed related to automation, and have more than 75 years of combined experience in planning, designing and implementing automation and enterprise technology solutions for hundreds of organizations worldwide.

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 674,000 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. Visit us at accenture.com.

Karnataka Digital Economy Mission Launches #FutureDigitalJobs Initiative, A Unique Platform To Nurture Young Tech Talent

* 1000 students of Polytechnic and Government Engineering Colleges to be placed in Fortune 500 Companies, IT Majors and Emerging Start-ups

* Over 100 Government Engineering and Polytechnical colleges expected to participate in KDEM’s Digital Programs

 Consistent with its commitment to upskill and nurture new talent to rewrite Karnataka’s digital growth story, the Karnataka Digital Economy Mission (KDEM) in partnership with the Department of Collegiate Technical Education (DCTE) and Talencia Global announced the launch of its ambitious program #FutureDigitalJobs to identify and nurture young tech talent from colleges. Aimed at students from over 100 Government Engineering and Polytechnic Colleges across Karnataka, this unique model focuses on bridging the gap between students, their skillsets, and their interests.

Inaugurating the #FutureDigitalJobs initiative, Dr. C.N. Ashwath Narayan, Minister for Higher Education; Electronics, IT & BT, Science & Technology; Skill Development, Entrepreneurship & Livelihood, Government of Karnataka said, “One of the bigger challenges we face today is creating an industry-ready workforce while mapping the right talent to the right job role.  What we need now is not more institutes but harnessing new talent and bringing them at par with global standards so that we as a state can rewrite the digital growth story and contribute to the country’s digital economy. I congratulate KDEM for this unique initiative as it promises to bridge the skills gap of freshers across colleges and give them a platform for learning, mentoring, and most importantly, placements.”

More than 100 Government engineering and polytechnic colleges are expected to participate in these programs run as part of KDEM’s Future Digital Jobs initiative. Of these, 1,000 promising trainees will get access to the Digital Platform that will assist with Learning, Assessments, Mentor Connect, Virtual Instructor Sessions, DevOps Engineering, Live Projects, and sessions from industry experts.

Speaking at the launch, Shri B V Naidu, Chairman, Karnataka Digital Economy Mission said, “Our Prime Minister is optimistic of India’s start-up and digital growth with a promise to support budding entrepreneurs pursue innovation. Taking this vision forward, we at KDEM believe that our youth has the potential to change the future and we aim to take Karnataka on the world’s start-up map and emerge as global giants in futuristic technologies. This is only possible if we are enablers of opportunities for graduates from emerging clusters of regions beyond Bengaluru. Our #FutureDigitalJobs program was launched in keeping with our Beyond Bengaluru strategy from the grassroots level and I am happy that it is already generating significant interest from the industry. KDEM-Talenciaglobal is tirelessly working together to create 150% demand for the 1,000 students.”

At this event, KDEM also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Department of Collegiate Technical Education (DCTE) for creating opportunities in upskilling initiatives that will be goal-oriented to create placement opportunities for students from Government colleges.

Speaking at the inaugural event, Mr. Sanjeev Gupta, MD, and CEO, Lahari said, “Our #FutureDigitalJobs initiative will be a unique outcome-based model where our primary objective will be providing adequate upskilling and thereby placements to the selected students with an average salary bracket of about 2.4 lacs for polytechnic students and an average of around 4.0 lacs for engineering students. We understand that there is a huge demand from the industry and through this initiative, our primary objective will be to bridge the skills gap and create the best possible talent for a stronger economy.”

#FutureDigitalJobs also witnessed several industry leaders from organisations such as EY, Eurofins, InfoVisons who reinforced the need for more such platforms like the ones provided by KDEM. The experts lauded KDEM and the Government of Karnataka’s formidable projects with a clear vision for creating a stronger workforce. 

About Karnataka Digital Economy Mission (KDEM)

With an objective to increase the share of the Digital economy in the state, the Government of Karnataka set up the Karnataka Digital Economy Mission (KDEM), a Section-8 organization, which acts as a knowledge bridge between the industry and the government. To meet the objectives, KDEM has been working towards the five focus areas, viz. IT Products & Services, BPM & GCC promotion; Innovations & Start-ups; ESDM; Beyond Bengaluru; and Talent Accelerator.

Yezdi Motorcycles Return With Three All-New Models Across India

* To be sold through Classic Legends’ existing dealership network alongside Jawa Motorcycles

The ‘Legendary Yezdi’ is back, and how! The motorcycle brand name that signifies thrill, adventure and free-spiritedness like no other is back to the fore, promising even more for riders across generations, old and new alike. Classic Legends, today, is proud to announce the launch of three all-new Yezdi models.

The all-new Yezdi Adventure, Scrambler and Roadster sport very distinct personalities but come with a common soul. They are an ode to the brand’s true spirit and an embodiment of everything that Yezdi stood for, and more. The new range of Yezdi motorcycles will be available across Classic Legends’ dealership network, which already retails Jawa Motorcycles, in India for viewing, test rides, bookings and deliveries starting today. Customers will also have the option of booking their favourite Yezdi model online at www.yezdi.com with a booking amount of INR 5,000 only.

Packed with modern technology and retro styling cues, the new generation of Yezdi motorcycles come powered by a liquid-cooled, fuel injected, DOHC single cylinder engine displacing 334cc but tuned differently to suit the persona of the motorcycle it is mounted in (details mentioned later). The Adventure range starts at INR 2,09,900, Scrambler range starts at INR 2,04,900 and Roadster range starts at INR 1,98,142 - all prices ex-showroom, Delhi.

Speaking on the new Yezdi Motorcycles, Anupam Thareja, Co-Founder, Classic Legends said, ““It is not every day that you get to celebrate the comeback of an iconic motorcycle, let alone the likes of a legend like Yezdi. While its spirit lived on through its die-hard community and in the mind and hearts of every rider, the anticipation to see it take over the Indian roads again, has been unbelievable. We have the legacy but now we will create our own lineage. Being a motorcyclist myself, this is a moment of catharsis.  As custodians of the brand, we made sure that we preserve and celebrate Yezdi’s and the Yezdi rider’s essence in these new avatars. I am sure every Yezdi lover, will feel that - designed with passion and indulgent beliefs, then engineered to purpose, to make you fall in love with this motorcycle and motorcycling, again!”

Adding to this, Boman Irani, Co-Founder, Classic Legends said, “The Yezdi brand is all about stories and emotions. That’s what has kept it alive, and this is exactly what we want to build on for the future. The new Yezdi motorcycles are not just motorcycles, but a way of life. They’re a medium for riders to go out there, create more memories and have unparalleled fun while doing so. It is a never ending adventure that has just gone to the next level!”

Speaking on the new models, Ashish Joshi, CEO, Classic Legends, said, “The biggest challenge for us while developing the new Yezdi motorcycle(s) was to keep the spirit intact. We also knew that the motorcycle riders have evolved over the last few decades and followed a very focussed approach. What you see now are three motorcycles ‘purpose-built’ for rider requirements across the spectrum. We have always been about redefining the Modern Classic segment in the country and have gone ahead and did just that.”

To amp up the lifestyle quotient and complement the applications they’re built for, each Yezdi model will also come with its own range of accessories, carefully curated to enhance the visual appeal and functionality for the rider. The accessory range will also be available across dealerships.  

In Detail:

Why three Yezdi models?

Because why not! When bringing such an iconic brand back, we thought, why not go the whole hog and give the lovers of the brand everything Yezdi stood for - The spirit of adventure, the spirit of unapologetic fun & the spirit of thrill! The Yezdi Adventure, Yezdi Scrambler & Yezdi Roadster are manifestation of that quintessential Yezdi spirit.

Yezdi Adventure:

Starting with the Yezdi Adventure, it’s our quintessential touring machine. One look at it is enough to send you in a transformational journey. Authoritative in its personality and Assertive in its performance, the Yezdi Adventure is designed to fulfil every requirement of a long-distance rider. Be it the “serious off-roader” styling, comfortable ergonomics, surefooted handling across all terrain and host of rider aids, this motorcycle is built for you to tick every destination and riding trail on your bucket list!

The high placed mud-guard and the knuckle-guards keep the rider secured from any pebbles that might fly your way, while the chassis mounted front cage, made of heavy duty steel, offers added safety as well as flexibility to carry extra fuel utilizing the accessory fuel jerrycans.

Keeping in mind the long rides it is built for, the Yezdi Adventure comes with a host of mounting points and hooks for carrying luggage. Be it strapping a backpack on the rear seat or mounting the optional hard panniers with their own mounting stays, this motorcycle comes prepared to carry everything you might need on your long ride.

The Adventure is powered by a liquid-cooled, fuel injected, DOHC single cylinder engine displacing 334cc. Here, it produces max power of 30.2PS@8000rpm & max torque of 29.9Nm@6500rpm. Mated to a six-speed constant mesh transmission, the engine is tuned for torquey mid-range for trail riding while developing great top end power for high-speed highway cruising.

The adventure features an all-new chassis, suspended on a unique mono-shock swing arm set-up at the rear and long travel telescopic forks, which gives it an edge over off-road as well as on tarmac, the result is superb handling across various terrains. Despite being a tall motorcycle, the Adventure is surprisingly nimble around corners too.

Braking is taken care of by disc brakes on both ends and dual channel ABS by Continental, with three switchable modes – Road, Rain & Off-road for a more flexible performance.

While retaining its classic identity, the Adventure also is chock-full of interesting, usability features that make the riding experience optimal. The Adventure comes with USB charging capability and Bluetooth connectivity to ensure the user’s smartphone is utilized throughout the ride. With its own mobile app, the system is also capable of displaying turn-by-turn navigation on the integrated TFT/LCD display. The display is also adjustable for better viewing angles while also featuring a trip

navigator, a gear indicator, a side-stand indicator and a clock. The speedo also features a Distance to Empty and an Average Fuel Economy dial for better fuel management.

The Adventure also has its own range of specially curated accessories that can be added on to the machine, to enable the rider to customize it as per their liking. There are options to add knuckle guards, jerry cans with mounting brackets, panniers, top box, fog lamps, crash guards, a headlamp grille – all available as additional accessories.

Yezdi Scrambler:

The Yezdi Scrambler, embodying the spirit of unapologetic fun, is the perfect motorcycle for a modern-day thrill seeker with great performance for daily trips and adaptable enough to make off-roading a breeze. A motorcycle made to satiate your desires for bursts of serious trail riding on the weekends and snaking through traffic on weekdays, the Yezdi Scrambler makes everyday fun. The Scrambler’s styling is dripping of mischief with a typical scrambler flyline - simple seat with a classic round tank, tucked in Headlamp along with an offset speedo pod, Upright / commanding handlebar position, typical scrambler twin exhausts, on/off road tyres along with a front fender beak give a distinct character to the machine.

The scrambler produces 29.1PS@8000rpm of peak power & peak torque of 28.2Nm@6750rpm and a flat torque curve, so that you have a meaty torque spread across the rev range.

The scrambler is tuned for mischief. It comes with telescopic forks at the front & gas charged twin shocks at the rear. With a short wheelbase of 1403mm, the motorcycle is packaged for fun riding & sliding through those scrambling trails. The frame enables quick manoeuvres & confident handling across terrains. The precision handling of the scrambler ensures that it never misses the mark.

Braking too is top of the line with disc brakes on both ends and dual channel ABS by Continental, with three switchable modes – Road, Rain & Off-road for a more flexible performance. The headlamp, taillamps and blinkers are all equipped with LED while the digital speedometer has several features that make it a much more equipped and relevant riding experience.

Yezdi Roadster

The Yezdi Roadster completes this trio adding thrill to your everyday ride. Endowed with sheer road presence and muscular dimensions, the Roadster is a uniquely styled motorcycle with a perfect blend of classic style and modern touches. The motorcycle boasts an elegant silhouette with its visual weight spread across the design giving it a muscular and planted character.

Comfortable split seats embellished with a stark chrome arc highlights the seat line while a compact headlamp and tightly packaged engine area lend solidity to the overall design. Alloy wheels along with fat tyres, flanked by chopped fenders add to the beefy looks. There is a digital speedometer at the head of the motorcycle while the headlamps and the indicators are LED for better illumination of the road ahead.

Sporting a similar engine capacity and transmission, the Roadster delivers peak power of 29.7PS@7300rpm & peak torque of 29Nm@6500rpm. The result is a machine that delivers gushing performance in the city and dominates the highway. 

The roadster features a dual cradle chassis, which is tuned to offer great on road mannerisms & offers great stability on straight line as well as superior cornering abilities. The motorcycle also comes equipped with dual channel ABS by Continental – class leading technology that makes the braking experience an absolute joy with an optimum amount of bite in the disc brakes.

For more details on pricing and avaialbility check out Website: www.yezdi.com 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yezdiforever

Twitter: https://twitter.com/yezdiforever

Instagram: https://instagram.com/yezdiforever

The West Midlands Makes Its Mark With Commonwealth Artwork Reveal In India

A unique artistic collaboration powered by people of the Commonwealth has today been unveiled for the first time in Delhi, India. Dubbed the ‘Relaytionship’, the artwork has been launched by the Business and Tourism Programme and is a fluid and dynamic piece of digital art, evolving and growing alongside the Birmingham 2022 Queen’s Baton Relay as it traverses 72 nations and territories of the Commonwealth in 294 days.

Having launched in October in the West Midlands – home to Coventry UK City of Culture 2021 and the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games – this is the first reveal of the Relaytionship which has gathered pace and been fuelled by contributions from people across the globe.

To coincide with the Queen’s Baton arriving in the country, the first evolution of the poem and artwork has been revealed at a virtual showcase event, hosted by the British High Commissioner to India, Alex Ellis.

The Relaytionship artwork was revealed by Apache Indian, who grew up in Handsworth in Birmingham, during the virtual showcase event. 

Originally designed by West Midlands-based audio-visual artist Tommy Xiao Ji in collaboration with spoken word artist Amerah Saleh, the Relaytionship was created by the Business and Tourism Programme to embody the artistic and diverse heritage of the West Midlands whilst reflecting the power of art to connect cultures, countries, and continents.

The artistic collaboration will absorb words and images from people in India, a country with a rich poetic legacy and influence, and continue its journey alongside the Queen’s Baton. Having connected voices from every corner of the Commonwealth, a final version of the hybrid piece of artwork will be revealed when the Queen’s Baton returns to the West Midlands.

Amerah Saleh said: “In October we asked communities around the Commonwealth ‘What does Home mean to you? What does Incredible mean to you?’ and it is inspiring to see the first wave of responses unveiled. As we hoped to demonstrate when we launched the Relaytionship, we are all more connected that you would think. I look forward to developing the artwork as the poem develops and encourage everyone to express what Home and Incredible means to them.”

Becky Frall, Head of Tourism at the West Midlands Growth Company, which aims to attract more visitors the region said: “The West Midlands’ destinations have a rich arts and culture offer, and it is exhilarating to see how well the concept of the Relaytionship is resonating in India. What the artwork has also revealed is the affinity between the West Midlands region and India, how connected we are despite the thousands of miles that separate us, and how our bond continues to evolve. We look forward to welcoming Indian visitors once again, as travel recommences and restrictions ease. We hope that this sentiment will continue to engage and build audiences as the artwork grows.”

Tata Motors Sets New Benchmarks For Automobile Safety In India

Predominating vehicle safety with next-generation products, including Altroz, Punch, Tiago, Tigor, and Tigor EV, accredited with GNCAP ratings of 4 and 5 stars

With increasing occurrences of accidents and road fatalities globally and in India, safety has become a significant consideration for automotive manufacturers and customers alike. Its importance can’t be overstated in a country like India, where road fatalities take around 1.5 lakh lives every year or 400 in a day. Therefore, with safety being an important pillar of mobility transformation through CESS (Connected, Electric, Safe, and Shared), the demand for it in India is only poised to grow. As a leading player in the Indian automotive industry, Tata Motors continues to emphasize its core commitment to delivering the safest vehicles in every segment.

Over the past year, Tata Motors has made significant strides in setting new benchmarks for safety:

Tata Motors was the first Indian manufacturer to invest in a crash test facility in 1997, a time when there were no crash-testing benchmarks in India

The Compact SUV Nexon was the first-ever GNCAP rated 5-star product, bringing safety at the forefront for consumers. It was followed by the premium Hatch Altroz, setting a new benchmark across the Indian industry by being Global NCAP 5 Star rated car at the launch itself.

Tata Tigor and Tata Tiago were accredited with 4-star GNCAP ratings in 2020 for adult occupant protection, thereby becoming the only offerings in the sub-segment with the highest safety ratings. In parallel, the Tigor EV, launched recently, is the only EV in the country with a 4-star GNCAP rating.

Most of their offerings for many years have come equipped with airbags, seat-belt reminders, alert systems for speed above 80 kmph, reverse parking sensors, and manual override over the central locking system for emergencies.

The company also proactively offers enhanced adult and child occupant protection through class-leading safety features like fortified cabins that absorb impact energy and protect the passenger, tyre pressure monitoring system, side and curtain airbags, ISOFIX anchorages for child safety, etc. This was further elevated in the 2020’s New Forever range, which featured best-in-class safety alongside a major upgrade in design, powertrain, and technology.

In the past few years, the company has launched a range of safety-related technologies like Electronic Stability Control, Automatic Traction Control, and Hill Start Aid across passenger vehicles (PVs), electric vehicles (EVs), and commercial vehicles (CVs).

The company continues to invest in R&D facilities and technologies like Advanced Driver Assistance Systems, driver-health monitoring systems, Connected Vehicle Platform features, etc.

The company is betting big on the electric mobility industry. Their EVs are not only at par with internal combustion engine counterparts but also meet the additional requirements mandated for EVs.

Commenting on the continued emphasis on enhanced safety standards, Mr. Rajendra Petkar, President & CTO, Tata Motors said, “Buyers today have started to look beyond traditional attributes like economy & performance, and they prioritise safety before making a purchase decision. Our growth in PV revenue reflects the traction and popularity that we are gaining amongst the Indian car buyers on this front. We have stayed ahead of the curve by building a long-term strategic road map for safety, and have realized it through expert engineering teams, making investments, incubating innovative concepts, choosing the right technology partners, and delivering solutions for mass markets through frugal engineering. Our GNCAP achievements are a testament to our firm commitment towards offering products that can deliver the highest global standards of safety. As we turn towards a new chapter of transformation in the automotive sector, we are confident that Tata Motors will maintain its lead on passenger car safety and remain the preferred choice of customers for years to come.”

QuEST Global Is Great Place To Work – Certified In Indian Market

QuEST Global, a global product engineering services company, announced that it has received the prestigious Great Place to Work® -Certification in India. This annual certification recognizes QuEST’s relentless efforts in creating and sustaining a High-Trust, High-Performance Culture™ within the organization.

The organization fared well on the 5 key dimensions of Trust Index© viz. credibility, respect, fairness, pride and camaraderie. QuEST has worked towards creating an organizational environment that gives its workforce the feeling of belonging, confidence and trust. The employees at QuEST take pride in donning the QuEST employee hat. The organization remains committed towards promoting a workplace that prioritizes the professional growth as well as health, safety and wellbeing of every employee and that truly reflects in the trust the workforce has placed in the management.

Speaking on the occasion, Niketh Sundar, Chief People Officer, QuEST Global, said, “Employee experience and a culture that creates a sense of belonging are top priorities for QuEST. Considering what the world has gone through in the past two years, it is truly a proud achievement to be Great Place to Work – Certified™, it speaks a lot for the culture that we have dedicatedly created and continue to foster. However, we cannot slow down. We will continue to push the limits, strive towards more, keep evolving and continue to strengthen our culture to achieve the goal of building a centenary organization.” 

Great Place to Work® is the global authority on workplace culture. Since 1992, they have surveyed more than 100 million employees worldwide and used those deep insights to define what makes a great workplace: trust. Their employee survey platform empowers leaders with the feedback, real-time reporting, and insights they need to make strategic people decisions. The Institute serves businesses, non-profits and government agencies in more than 60 countries and has conducted pioneering research on the characteristics of great workplaces for over three decades.

In India, the institute partners with more than 1100 organizations annually across over 22 industries to help them build High-Trust, High-Performance Cultures™ designed to deliver sustained business results. Hundreds of CEOs and CXOs from India Inc. are part of the great place community that is committed to the vision of making India a great place to work FOR ALLTM.

The Institute’s research shows that great workplaces are characterized by great leadership, consistent employee experience, and sustainable financial performance. These organizations are able to deliver a consistent experience to all their employees irrespective of their role, gender, tenure or level in the organization. Their leaders believe in the vision of creating and sustaining a Great Place to Work FOR ALL and role model being ‘FOR ALL’ Leaders. Learn more at https://www.greatplacetowork.in/ 

About QuEST Global

For nearly 25 years, QuEST Global has been a trusted global product engineering services partner to many of the world’s most recognized companies in the Aerospace & Defense, Automotive, Energy, Hi-Tech, Healthcare and Medical Devices, Rail and Semiconductor industries. With a presence in 13 countries, 54 global delivery centers and 11,500+ personnel, QuEST Global is at the forefront of the convergence of the mechanical, electronics, software, and digital engineering innovations to engineer solutions for a safer, cleaner, and sustainable world. QuEST Global’s deep domain knowledge and digital expertise help its clients accelerate product development and innovation cycles, create alternate revenue streams, enhance consumer experience, and make manufacturing processes and operations more efficient.

Wipro Ltd: In-Line Operating Performance During Q3 FY21-22

HOLD

CMP: Rs691  

Target Price: Rs700

* Wipro's IT services revenue grew 2.3% QoQ (3% CC) to USD2.64bn in Q3FY22, a tad below our estimates. IT services' EBITM declined 10bps QoQ to 17.6% as revenue momentum and operating efficiencies largely negated wage hikes and lower utilization.

* Wipro has guided for IT services revenue to be in the range of USD2,692-2,745mn in Q4, implying 2-4% CC QoQ growth. Management remains fairly confident of sustaining organic revenue growth momentum in coming quarters while sustaining EBITM at 17-17.5%.

* Wipro signed 11 large deals with a combined TCV of over USD600mn in Q3, while the total order intake was USD2.8bn. Management said the deal pipeline was robust and consisted of a good mix of small and large deals, providing good revenue visibility.

* We tweak our FY22E/FY23E/FY24E EPS by -0.6% to 0.2%, factoring in Q3 performance. We retain Hold with a TP of Rs700 at 25x Dec'23E EPS, considering rich valuations. 

Infosys Ltd: All-Round Beat; FY22 Revenue Growth Guidance Raised

 BUY

CMP: Rs1877 

Target Price: Rs2160

* Q3FY22 revenues beat our expectations, while the margin was in line. Revenues grew 6.3% QoQ (7% CC) to USD4.25bn. EBITM declined 10bps QoQ to 23.5% due to salary hikes and other employee interventions, negated by cost optimization.

* Infosys has raised its FY22 revenue growth guidance to 19.5-20% CC (earlier 16.5-17.5%), implying 0.5-2% QoQ growth in Q4. Infosys remains confident of sustaining growth momentum on the back of broad-based demand, solid deal intake and a healthy deal pipeline. The company has retained its EBITM guidance at 22-24%.

* The intake of large deals was healthy at USD2.5bn in Q3FY22 (43% new), with 25 large deals signed during the quarter. The deal pipeline remains healthy with a good mix of new and renewal deals, offering good revenue visibility.

* We increase earnings estimates by 1.3%/1.5%/2.5% for FY22/FY23/FY24, factoring in the Q3 beat. We maintain Buy with a revised TP of Rs2,160 (earlier Rs 2,100) at 30x Dec'23E EPS, considering strong earnings momentum and a robust demand environment.

Tata Consultancy Services Ltd: Revenue Beats Expectations, But Margins Miss

BUY

CMP: Rs3860  |

Target Price: Rs4150

* Q3FY22 revenue exceeded our expectation, while EBITM missed the estimate. Revenue grew 3.9%/15.4% QoQ/YoY in CC terms. EBITM declined by ~60bps QoQ to 25%, due to an increase in compensation costs, higher subcontracting expenses and discretionary non-manpower costs.

* Revenue growth was broad-based, and all verticals posted double-digit CC growth YoY. Growth was led by Retail & CPG (20.4% CC YoY), Manufacturing (18.3%), BFSI (17.9%), Technology & Services (17.7%) and Life Sciences & Healthcare (16.3%). All geographies, except for Asia Pacific and MEA, posted double-digit growth YoY.

*  A strong and sustained demand environment, broad-based growth, healthy deal intake (USD23.3bn in 9MFY22), and traction in cloud, IoT and Digital engineering give management confidence to sustain a robust revenue growth trajectory.

* We tweak our FY22/23/24 EPS estimates by -1.5%/0.5%/0.2% after factoring in the Q3 performance and buyback. We maintain Buy with a TP of Rs4,150 (Rs4,100 earlier) at 30x Dec'23E EPS, considering steady deal wins and consistent execution.

Skill-Lync Collaborates With Altair To Deliver New-Age Industry Relevant Courses For Engineers

* Skill-Lync & Altair Join Hands To Develop Courses, Provide Students Access To Altair Tools And Exposure To Industry Grade Projects

Delivering high-quality education to young engineers, Skill-Lync, an engineering Ed-tech start-up, announces its collaboration with Altair, a global technology company that provides software solutions in simulation, high-performance computing (HPC), and artificial intelligence (AI). With this collaboration, Skill-Lync will incorporate Altair tools and software in its curriculum to upskill aspiring engineers with the industry-sought demand of Altair tools and nurture them through specifically designed programs and projects, keeping them up to date with the industry software trends.

For Skill-Lync, this collaboration is a step forward toward an immersive learning experience for students and young engineers. Altair will offer academic licenses to all enrolled students of Skill Lync via Altair University for 12 months that can be used for academic / learning purposes, further giving students an edge.

Commenting on the collaboration, Sarangarajan V, Co-Founder of Skill-Lync, said “We are glad to work with Altair, enabling Skill-Lync students to leverage numerous tools from Altair such as HyperMesh, Inspire, AcuSolve and OptiStruct. Skill-Lync students will also be onboarded onto Altair’s Industry outreach portal to address the issue of talent mismatch in the industry. Skill-Lync and Altair are working closely to develop the course curriculum across various domains such as Concept Design, Fatigue Analysis & Manufacturing Simulation etc. We are confident that this initiative will help Skill-Lync in delivering industry-relevant courses to the students.”

Commenting on the collaboration, Vishwanath Rao, Managing Director of Altair India, said “Skill-Lync is bridging the gap between industry and academia and we are excited to be part of this journey. The technology sphere is rapidly evolving in traditional business like automotive and healthcare. Creating a talent pool to address the industry’s transforming demands is the need of the hour and together we will address this requirement in areas like generative design, AI, machine learning, digital twins, and more.”

Altair has been an industry leader in generative design for over two decades. It offers solutions that range from model-based systems design and early geometry ideation, to detailed multiphysics simulation and optimization. The software products represent a comprehensive, open-architecture solution for data analytics, simulation, and HPC.

Skill-Lync already has courses using Altair products such as HyperMesh for FEA plastic and sheet metal applications, crashworthiness analysis using HyperMesh and Radioss. With this collaboration, Skill Lync will expand its course library to include new age courses such as fatigue analysis, electric powertrain, and battery pack development.

Skill-Lync courses are designed to train students and equip them with the necessary skill sets to be industry ready. Skill-Lync envisions creating the engineer leaders of tomorrow and emphasizing project-based learning where students are trained in the various software packages and tools that are fundamental in the industry. Skill-Lync students will also be given the opportunity to access the Altair Industry Outreach portal which acts as the interface between the industry demand in connecting talent supply and demand.

Altair has been supporting various education initiatives under its Global Skill Development initiative to harness the technical education eco-system through its experience in the industrial products and services. These initiatives are intended to bridge the gap between industry requirements and technical education system by providing solutions which make technical institutes more aligned with industry needs and graduate student industry ready. 

Aditya Birla Fashion And Retail Collaborates With Germany’s GIZ To Boost Circular Economy In The Country

* The joint project will focus on material innovation, reduce inputs of harmful substances, increase textile-to-textile recycling, develop alternatives to plastic packaging, and foster traceability 

Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Limited (ABFRL), one of India’s leading fashion companies, announced that it has collaborated with Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH for implementing an India specific project to strengthen the textile and apparel industry for sustainable clothing. This unique initiative is part of the ‘develoPPP programme’ and is being implemented by ABFRL and GIZ on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).  

With this collaboration, ABFRL and GIZ aims to strengthen circular business practices for the Indian market. This will support the industry to match supply and demand which was witnessing pressure due to resource constraints.  

The joint project is designed to introduce material innovation, reduce inputs of harmful substances, increase textile-to-textile recycling, develop alternatives to plastic packaging, and foster traceability. The program will complement existing business practices such as downcycling, recycling, reusing and introducing new sustainable production processes. With the support of GIZ, ABFRL along with the Indian industry players will be able to leverage circular business practices and adopt complex processes that are technically superior and consumer friendly.  

Mr. Ashish Dikshit, Managing Director, ABFRL commented, “We are happy to partner with Germany’s GIZ to introduce globally benchmarked circular business practices in India. India’s textile and apparel industry is the 6th largest in the world and second largest employment sector. A large part of the textile waste generated is sent to the landfill and incinerated instead of being recycled or reprocessed. There is a need to ‘self-disrupt’ existing practices and transition to a more circular approach. Promoting a common understanding is therefore crucial from a sustainable development perspective for the entire textile sector in India. Along with GIZ, we aim to create awareness among key stakeholders to drive circular approaches, reduce waste, and create closed-loop systems.”  

Dr. Naresh Tyagi, Chief Sustainability Officer, ABFRL said “We look forward to collaborating with GIZ to transform the Indian Textile sector with new and robust sustainability initiatives. ABFRL is the co-chair of the Steering and Working Committee of the develoPPP project and will be responsible for setting the India agenda. It will implement select pilot projects together with global innovative solution providers.”   

Mr. Ashish Chaturvedi, Director Environment, Climate Change and Natural Resource Management GIZ India stated, “As a partner for international co-operation for sustainable development, we are committed to build a future worth living. The cooperation with ABFRL has great potential to help improving the sustainability of the Indian textile industry. In our opinion, combining the strength of  

both public and private partners is a win-win scenario, as it can create both developmental benefits for the local population and business benefits for the private companies.”  

Mr. Dieter Frick, Project Manager develoPPP, GIZ Germany said, “Solving global problems requires the commitment and cooperation of private sector, public sector and civil society partners worldwide. The BMZ's develoPPP programme is a practicable instrument to effectively achieve this. Based on common interests, ABFRL and GIZ have developed a concept and are going to pool their capacities for three years under this funding programme to find and implement circular business approaches to strengthen a sustainable Indian textile and apparel industry together with other partners in the sector.” 

With this project, ABFRL aims to build capacities in its own organization, its brands and among its suppliers, and to promote circular business practices in the Indian textile sector.  

About Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Limited (ABFRL) 

ABFRL is part of a leading Indian conglomerate, The Aditya Birla Group. With revenue of Rs. 5,249 cr. spanning retail space of 8.4 million sq. ft. (as on March 31, 2021), it is India’s first billion-dollar pure-play fashion powerhouse with an elegant bouquet of leading fashion brands and retail formats. 

The Company has a network of 3,212 stores across approximately 31,000 multi-brand outlets with 6,800+ point of sales in department stores across India (as on 31st March 2021). 

It has a repertoire of leading brands such as Louis Philippe, Van Heusen, Allen Solly and Peter England established for over 25 years. Pantaloons is one of India’s largest fast fashion store brand. 

The Company holds exclusive online and offline rights to the India network of California-based fast fashion brand Forever 21. The International Brands portfolio includes - The Collective, India's largest multi-brand retailer of international brands, Simon Carter and select mono-brands such as American Eagle, Ralph Lauren, Hackett London, Ted Baker and Fred Perry. 

Van Heusen Innerwear, Athleisure and Active wear is establishing itself as India's most innovative and fashionable brand. The Company’s foray into branded ethnic wear business includes Jaypore and strategic partnerships with Designers ‘Shantanu & Nikhil’, ‘Tarun Tahiliani’ and ‘Sabyasachi’. 

About GIZ  

The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH is a federal enterprise with worldwide operations. It supports the German Government in the field of international cooperation for sustainable development and international education. GIZ assists people and societies in shaping their own future and improving their living conditions. www.giz.de/en 

About develoPPP 

With develoPPP, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) promotes private-sector activities where entrepreneurial opportunities and development policy potential meet. To be eligible for funding, companies must have a long-term business interest in the country and a sustainable developmental benefit for the local people. 

With develoPPP Classic, the programme offers customised funding opportunities for already established medium-sized and large enterprises. develoPPP is implemented by two experienced partners in German development cooperation: DEG - Deutsche Investitions- und Entwicklungsgesellschaft mbH and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH. 

Sterlite Power Wins “IDC Industry Innovation Award 2021” For ‘Innovation In Data Intelligence

Sterlite Power, a leading private sector power transmission infrastructure developer and solutions provider, has been recognized at the “eighth edition of the IDC Industry Innovation Awards (IDCIIA) 2021”in the “Innovation in Data Intelligence” category.   

Sterlite Power has a track record of executing complex projects successfully, with the use of technology and innovative solutions.  The company won this award for its in-house developed Geographic Information System (GIS) based Intelligent Route Mapping and Survey with TransAnalyst and CanvasR. This technology solution improves survey reliability, route generation accuracy and reduces the time for route generation. The technology solution enables data- based decisions thereby helping in reducing the overall timelines of project execution. 

IDC Industry Innovation Awards 2021 (IDCIIA 2021) is organised by International Data Corporation (IDC) and the program recognizes pioneers in the technology industry. The evaluation of nominations and selection of finalists was independently undertaken by a multidisciplinary team comprising of global IDC executive leadership, senior industry research leaders, and domain experts. 

About Sterlite Power:  

Sterlite Power is a leading power transmission infrastructure developer and solutions provider with projects covering approximately 13,700 circuit kms of transmission lines across India and Brazil. The Company has a portfolio of high-performance power conductors, EHV cables and OPGW. The company provides bespoke solutions for the upgrade, uprate and fiberzation of existing transmission infrastructure projects. It is the sponsor of IndiGrid, India’s first power sector Infrastructure Investment Trust (“InvIT”), listed on the BSE and NSE. The company was also recognised at The Economic Times Innovation Awards 2020 and is a recipient of awards from International Project Management Association (IPMA).  

78% Of Indians Feel That Insurance Is An Extremely Important Part Of Overall Financial Planning: SBI Life’s Financial Immunity Survey 2.0

After March 2020, 44% & 46% of the Indians have bought Life & Health insurance respectively for the first time

Key findings: 

* 80% of the Indians strongly feel prepared towards physical immunity out of which 74% have taken double dose of vaccination

* Top 3 worries of Indians

* 59% Rising medical/ treatment cost

* 59% Instability of jobs

* 58% Concerns around Health of self/family members

* 57% of the Indians feel ‘Financial Immunity’ is equal to ‘Being financially secure and stable’

* 3 out of 4 Indians have increased their saving/ investing since January 2021 & 50% of them plan to invest in savings/investments/insurance

* Indians remains underinsured as the life cover to personal annual income ratio is only 3.8 times, which is way below the recommended 10x to 25x of annual income

* 70% of the Indians strongly feel that life cover should keep on increasing when prominent life milestones are achieved  

SBI Life Insurance, one of the most trusted private life insurers in the country, unveiled yet another comprehensive consumer study, The Financial Immunity Survey 2.0, providing deep insights into consumer’s evolving behavior towards financial preparedness in the post covid world. SBI Life commissioned the survey with NielsenIQ (India), reaching out to 5,000 respondents across 28 key cities covering the length and breadth of India.

On the backdrop of the ongoing pandemic, a vast majority of Indians are confident that the country would tide over the situation or a possible 3rd wave. The confidence of being able to navigate through the situation is not surprising when 80% of the Indians strongly feel prepared towards physical immunity on account of taking either single or double dose of vaccination. But 38% of the Indians feel that the situation could worsen over the next three months and their top three worries attributed to (1) Rising medical/ treatment cost (2) Instability of Jobs (3) concerns around Health of family/self.

The survey findings further attempts to decode the behavior towards the top worries citied by consumers on the account of impact of income because of the pandemic where 79% of the Indians faced income reduction and 1/3rd are still facing reduced income. 64% of the Indians feel that their key life milestones like accumulating savings, leisure traveling, providing for child education were impacted.

With COVID-19 and uncertainty around, the importance of financial immunity has increased and 57% of the Indians relate it to being able to maintain ‘Financial Security and Stability of self/ family’.  78% of the Indians, feel that life insurance is extremely important in overall financial planning process. Realizing this importance of insurance, 46% purchased Health insurance and 44% purchased Life insurance for the first time during COVID-19. But although Indians feel insurance is important, they still seem to be under insured with as their insurance cover is ~3.8 times of their annual income which is not even close to recommended 10X or 25X of their annual income.

Consumers can self-assess their Financial Immunity Score by clicking on the below link:

https://www.sbilife.co.in/financialimmunity

Speaking on the survey launch, Mr. AVS Siva Rama Krishna, President, Zone II, SBI Life Insurance said, “The pandemic has impacted various aspects of our lives in multiple ways. Factors like changing risk perception and risk attitudes have led to formation of new habits amongst the consumers. Their increasing affinity towards financial planning is the result of these changing habits and behavior in the post pandemic world. SBI Life’s Financial Immunity Survey 2.0, attempts to gain a better understanding of the driving factors behind this shift and what has changed in terms of consumer behaviour towards both physical and financial immunity, especially in a post-covid world.”

He further added, “In the coming years, we are expecting to see consumers opting for insurance while doing their financial planning. It has also been observed that Indians are motivated now more than ever to build a robust financial immunity for themselves and their loved ones. This evolving consumer attitude towards financial products is a good sign and will ease the process of tackling any unprecedented situations in the future.”