Saturday, April 9, 2022

1,723 Students From Aakash+BYJU’S Outshine In International Mathematics Olympiad


Marking yet another stupendous performance in competitive examinations, a whopping 1,723 students from Aakash+BYJU’s outshined in the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) held by the Science Olympiad Foundation (SOF). Thirteen students secured the International Rank 1 while nineteen students have successfully achieved Zonal Rank 1. 

Commenting on the impressive results, Mr Aakash Chaudhry, Managing Director, Aakash+BYJU’S, said, “We have successfully maintained our winning streak across competitive examinations. The result speaks volumes about the effort put in by our students, faculty and the high-quality test preparation we provide. I wish them all the best for the future.” 

The International Rank 1 students from Class VIII are Pradyot Senapati from Gurgaon, Aarav Srivastav from Noida, Anmol Kumar from Bhatinda, Bhavyaa Gunwal from Narnaul, Nandita Jha from Noida, Sidhdesh Shivaji Musale from Akola, Adrika Saha and Navonil Das from Kolkata; from Class X are Shanmathi from Chennai, Sanvi Jain from Bengaluru, Raghav Agarwal from Haridwar, Amit Singh Nitharwal from Karnal, and Priyanshu Sarkar from Kolkata. 

As many as 1,458 offline classroom students and 238 digital classroom students of Aakash+BYJU’S have outshined in the International Mathematics Olympiad this year. 

The International Mathematics Olympiad (IMO) is held for class 1 to class 12 students, conducted by the Science Olympiad Foundation to identify and nurture future scientists, technologists and IT talent at the school level.  

Aakash+BYJU’S aims to help students in their quest to achieve academic success. It has a centralized in-house process for curriculum and content development and faculty training and monitoring, led by the National Academic Team of Aakash+BYJU’S. Over the years, students from Aakash+BYJU’S have shown a proven selection track record in various Medical & Engineering entrance exams and competitive exams such as Olympiads, NTSE and KVPY. 

About Aakash+BYJU’S 

Aakash+BYJU’S provides comprehensive test preparatory services for students preparing for Medical (NEET) and Engineering Entrance Examinations (JEE), School/Board Exams and Competitive Exams such as NTSE, KVPY, and Olympiads. The “Aakash” brand is associated with quality coaching and a proven student selection track record in various Medical (NEET) and JEE/Engineering Entrance Examinations, Scholarship exams & Olympiads. 

With over 33 years of operational experience in the test preparatory industry, the company has a large number of selections in Medical & Engineering Entrance Exams and several Foundation level Scholarship exams/Olympiads, a pan India network of 250+ Aakash Centers (including franchisee), and an annual student count of more than 2,75,000. 

The Aakash group has investments from Think & Learn Pvt Ltd (BYJU’S) as well as by the world's largest Private Equity firm Blackstone.  

www.aakash.ac.in 

Vaishnavi Group Offers Residential Plotted Development With Its Latest Offering ‘Vaishnavi Life’


Vaishnavi Group, a renowned Bengaluru real estate developer with an enviable track record of over 23 years of ahead of schedule delivery, has announced the launch of  ‘Vaishnavi Life’,  a premium plotted development located at Yelahanka Extension,  just 25 minutes from Hebbal flyover.

Spread across 45+ acres, Vaishnavi Life features pre-engineered and smart plots ranging from 1150 – 3550 sq. ft. Vaishnavi Life boasts of a host of thoughtfully planned amenities such as a courtyard-themed 32,750 sq.ft clubhouse, 14 thematic parks and over two acres of central activity space amongst others.  

Commenting on the launch of the premium plotted development project, Mr. C N Govindaraju, Chairman & Managing Director, Vaishnavi Group said, “Vaishnavi Life is an outcome of a larger vision to deliver premium residential plots and thoughtful, yet luxurious amenities for discerning home buyers in Bengaluru. The company has garnered customer goodwill for delivering projects ahead of schedule.  Now, through Vaishnavi Life, we at Vaishnavi are redefining the concept of premium plotted developments.”

“Currently, we see that North Bengaluru is the most preferred among seasoned investors as well as first time home buyers as a viable option for long-term real estate investment. Connectivity to the arterial Outer Ring Road as well as proximity to the Kempegowda International Airport apart from access to Bangalore’s CBD are the key factors driving this demand,” he added.

Yelahanka, touted as a high growth location is also peaceful and safe owing to the multiple defence establishments. Located before the airport toll, Vaishnavi Life, is strategically located with access to all parts of Bangalore as well as the peaceful environs of Yelahanka extension.

The residential plots at Vaishnavi Life start from Rs. 49.10 lakh onwards.  

For more details, contact + Priya and contact no 91-9900962760 email id: priya@vaishnavigroup.com

About Vaishnavi Group

Vaishnavi Group, a Bangalore based real estate company was started with the explicit aim of making a mark in the real estate segment as the most admired brand for its integrity, commitment and for exceeding expectations consistently. Started in 1998 by its charismatic leader, C N Govindaraju, a civil engineer by profession, the Group has come a long way, carving a niche for creating boutique projects, leaving an indelible mark amidst its expanding customer base. Never inclined to be a volume player, Vaishnavi Group has always been focused on smart developments that ensures micro focus and stringent quality control.

For more information log on to:  www.vaishnavilife.com

Over 80% Newly Diagnosed Diabetic Patients In India Have At Least One Cholesterol Abnormality: India Diabetes Study Reveals


 * Lipid abnormalities were determined basis the mentioned cut-offs recommended by LAI (Lipid Association of India): HDL (High-density lipoprotein) < 40 mg/dL for males HDL<50 mg/dL for females, LDL (Low-density lipoprotein) ?130 mg/dL, total cholesterol ?200 mg/dL, TG (Triglycerides) ?150 m/dL

* The findings of this first-of-its-kind study support the fact that further extension of nationwide cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk identification programs and prevention strategies to reduce the occurrence of cardiovascular diseases are warranted

India Diabetes Study (I.D.S.) revealed that over 55% of newly diagnosed1 Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) patients in India have low HDL-C (High Density Lipid – Cholesterol) values, indicating that they are at higher risk of developing some form of cardiovascular disease in their lifetime. The study also suggested that 42% of all T2DM patients are at a high risk of hypertension. Mean BMI of the patients was recorded to be 27.2 – classified as overweight as per the Indian Consensus Group guidelines.

The one-of-its-kind nation-wide study supported by Eris Lifesciences and co-authored by 16 doctors between 2020- 2021, was conducted in partnership with over 1900 physicians and had a sample size of 5080 patients with mean age of 48 years, from across 27 states in India. It has been published in the Public Library of Science (PLOS) journal.

Following the recent recommendations from the LAI and QRISK3 score2, the study aimed at investigating the extent of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in newly diagnosed T2DM patients in India. It also highlighted some ways to manage dyslipidaemia – high cholesterol (fats) – in newly diagnosed Type 2 diabetes patients.

Other key findings from this study, with respect to newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus patients include:

92.5% and 83.5% of the total patients are not on any cholesterol lowering and anti-hypertension treatment

Low HDL-C value was the most frequent major risk (55.6%)

82.5% patients appeared to have at least one cholesterol abnormality

37.3% patients were hypertensive and younger than 65 years of age

According to the QRISK3 calculation the obese patients in the current population had 17.1% risk of CVD as compared to 14.8% for those with lower BMI

11.2% patients had Target Organ Damage – a chronic kidney disease in the 3b or higher stage

Dr A. G. Unnikrishnan, CEO and Chief of Endocrinology at Chellaram Diabetes Institute, Pune, and the Principal Investigator of IDS, said, “India Diabetes Study focused on highlighting the cardiovascular risk factors in newly diagnosed diabetes patients across India. While treatment should focus on dietary changes, physical activity and glucose control, additionally addressing cardiovascular risk by strategies like blood pressure control and lipid  management offer a more holistic way of management– as also suggested in the India Diabetes Study.”

Dr R. K. Sahay, Department of Endocrinology, Osmania Medical College, Osmania General Hospital, Hyderabad, President of Endocrinology Society of India and the co-author of the study said, “Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease is a significant risk factor in diabetic patients. Along with glucose control, it is important to follow a robust regimen that is inclusive of optimum lipid lowering treatment, in order to reduce CVD risk. Another important finding that emerged from the study is the increased average BMI (Body Mass Index) of Indians. Physical activity and diet control are crucial to managing diabetes effectively. ”

Mr Manish Kapoor, Vice President at Eris Lifesciences said, “Eris has been at the forefront of generating actionable medical evidence through India-centric studies on chronic ailments. On the back of the India Heart Study conducted in the year 2019, the India Diabetes Study marks another step in this direction. This study was designed to understand the CVD risk factors observed in a population of newly-diagnosed T2DM patients in India. We strongly believe that these insights will guide medical experts in the diagnosis and management of type 2 diabetes in India.”

IIIT Bangalore Begins Admissions For The Academic Year 2022-23


The International Institute of Information Technology Bangalore (IIIT-B), one of the premier institutes focused on Post-Graduate IT education and research has begun the admission process for M.Tech Computer Science and Engineering (CSE), M.Tech. in Electronics and Communication Engineering (ECE), Master of Science in Digital Society (MSc DT), Master of Science By Research (MS by Research) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) programmes. 

Programmes, Eligibility, Criteria & Last date for applications

1.M.Tech (CSE&ECE)

Eligibility Criteria: 65% in four-year bachelor's degree in engineering (i.e. B.E., B.Tech., or equivalent)

Last Date for Applications: May 9, 2022

2.MSc Digital Society

Eligibility Criteria : Undergraduate degree (of at least 3 years duration) in any discipline (including arts, science, commerce, design, management, law, engineering, etc.) with a first division/class from a recognized University.

Last Date for Applications - May 15, 2022

3. MS by Research

Eligibility Criteria :B.E, B. Tech or equivalent

Last Date for Applications: April 18, 2022

4.PhD

Eligibility Criteria- Master’s Degree( M. Sc maths or computer science,ME, M. Tech(computer science)

Last Date for Applications:April 18, 2022

Click here for more details about the programmes and admissions:https://www.iiitb.ac.in/admissions

For any urgent technical issues on the applicant portal, please reach out via Whatsapp at the number +91-9770502091.

About IIIT Bangalore

IIIT Bangalore is a premier institute focused on Post-Graduate IT education and research, located in the heart of Electronic City, Bangalore. IIIT Bangalore is graded A+ by National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) and remains top 70 in the National Institutional Ranking Framework since the last four years. The institute was ranked number 1 among India's Best Technical Universities (Private) by India Today. IIIT Bangalore contains state-of-the-art infrastructure, world-class faculty, a vibrant alumni community, cutting-edge research facilities and close industry collaborations. 

The institute’s specially designed courses make the students cognitive of the current technologies and practices, thereby equipping them with the tools and knowledge to solve contemporary real problems. Since the founding of the Institute in 1998, IIIT Bangalore has enjoyed 100% placement every year, on account of the strong support of the industry and the growing base of talented alumni.

https://www.iiitb.ac.in/

Friday, April 8, 2022

PrepLAdder To Provide Guidance To UPSC Aspirants With Free Access To Study Material


* Renders 7 Days Free Access Of The App To Students Preparing For The Upcoming UPSC Exams

PrepLadder, a leading online learning platform, eases the hardships of UPSC aspirants, with free access to all its premium UPSC study material for a period of 7 days. The intent is to ease the lives of these students and help budding UPSC civil service aspirants pursue their dream.

The brand understands the importance of guidance in decoding the preparation strategy. With its expert faculty like Hemant Jha, M Puri, Himanshu Sharma, Vivek Singh & Pavneet Singh among other leading professors in India, the platform is set to help the budding civil service aspirants pursue their career goals.

Deepanshu Goyal, Co-Founder, and CEO, PrepLadder said, “The aim is to make coaching and guidance available to all and the idea behind this is to help more students and be a small part of their journey to success. We believe this initiative will help students to connect with us and get access free to the top class faculties and study material.”

Almost a decade old, PrepLadder is a brainchild of young entrepreneur Deepanshu Goyal the Co-Founder and CEO of PrepLadder. His vision is to ensure the company’s long-term viability, and ensure that every student is facilitated to reach their full potential.

The aspirants can sign up on the PrepLadder app and unlock the entire application by using the code FREETRIAL.

About PrepLadder

PrepLadder has succeeded in making quality education accessible to Medical, Engineering, Civil Services, and Management students, on their preferred devices. They are now expanding into additional domains such as CAT, UPSC, and GATE. The company aspires to be a guiding pillar in a student's journey to crack their dream exam by providing top-notch content, engaging HD video lectures, study materials, high-yield question banks, test series, patterned prep tests, comprehensive notes, access to treasures, customs modules, and detailed performance analysis.

Over 2 million downloads, with over 1 million doubts cleared and over 3 million tests completed so far, PrepLadder’s mission is to create a world where no aspiring student regrets choosing to study on the platform, and to provide access to the best guidance with personalized attention for improved results.

Watch What The Cast of Runway 34 Has To Say About Their Director Ajay Devgn In This IMDb Exclusive Video


In an IMDb exclusive video, the cast of Runway 34 share their experience working on the film with Ajay Devgn as he juggles between being an actor and a director in the movie. The supporting roles played by Rakul Preet Singh and Amitabh Bachchan are in awe of his working style.

Amitabh Bachchan was amused by his skills and talks about how the entire experience of shooting with Ajay Devgn as a director was so unique. He also mentioned how during one of their shots, there were multiple cameras placed at different angles and Ajay Devgn would check every camera after the shot to ensure it was captured perfectly. 

The other co-star, Rakul Preet Singh who has worked with Ajay Devgn in the past was surprised looking at the other side of the actor. She was amazed at how he was able to multitask between acting and directing while keeping a steady flow of thought. She added, “So Ajay sir would set up the entire shot and then he is in his casual set up…then he would immediately get into his uniform, and then action, and he would shoot, and then say ‘dikhao’. So, I was like how do you compartmentalise? How do you cut in and out?”

Ajay Devgn shared some insights on how he started the preparations for the movie, laid the groundwork during the pandemic and was able to hit the ground as soon as the lockdown ended in December. All the actors on set shared the same enthusiasm and to quote Amitabh Bachchan, he said, “I applaud him and want to congratulate him on how he has performed perfectly in all his tasks and the audience will see the results of this work in Runway 34”. 

Here is what Ajay Devgn has to say about his journey as he steps in the shoes of a director for Runway 34 - https://m.imdb.com/videoplayer/vi1706672665

Lam Research Earns Intel’s 2022 EPIC Outstanding Supplier Award With Supplier Diversity Distinction


* Lam Research is one of only six Outstanding Award recipients in all of Intel’s global supply chain

Lam Research is proud to announce that it has earned the exclusive EPIC Program Outstanding Supplier Award for 2022. This award recognizes the absolute top performers in the Intel supply chain for their dedication to continuous quality improvement, performance, partnership, and inclusion over the past year.

“Congratulations to Lam Research on receiving Intel’s highest supplier recognition, the EPIC Outstanding Supplier Award. As one of only six companies recognized in 2022, they truly exemplify world-class performance,” said Keyvan Esfarjani, EVP and Global Chief Operations Officer at Intel. “In a truly unique and volatile supply chain environment, Lam Research has earned Intel’s top supplier award through its steadfast commitment to safety, quality, diversity & inclusion, continuous innovation, and its close partnership with Intel toward operational excellence results.”

The Intel EPIC Outstanding Supplier Award recognizes the highest level of achievement in the Intel global supply chain and is an ongoing realization of continuous improvement within the high-performing Intel supplier ecosystem. Of the thousands of Intel suppliers around the world, only a few hundred qualify to participate in the EPIC Supplier Program. In 2022, only six suppliers across the Intel supply chain earned an Intel Outstanding Supplier Award, making them truly the best of the best.

To qualify for an Intel EPIC Outstanding Supplier Award, suppliers must exceed the highest expectations, meet aggressive performance goals, and score 95 percent or higher on performance assessments throughout the year. Suppliers must also meet 90 percent or more of their improvement plan deliverables and demonstrate formidable quality and business systems.

‘Policy transformations Can Catalyze Public And Private Sector Participation To Support MedTech Companies In India


Deep diving into the role that small and medium enterprises(SMEs) can play in advancing the Indian MedTech industry, Wadhwani Foundation, Cyient, and Xynteo’s Vikaasa  partnership published its latest report titled “Accelerating Innovation and scale-up of SMEs in MedTech”. The report highlights two separate strands of analysis: firstly, understanding the challenges and opportunities; secondly, a proposal for recommendations and the way forward to accelerate the adoption of MedTech innovations in public health.

In September 2021, Wadhwani Foundation, Cyient, and Xynteo’s Vikaasa announced a partnership to support and accelerate the growth of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the healthcare sector. Marking a step in the right direction, the position paper aims to capture SMEs' need for collaborative platforms and policy transformations to enhance the domestic manufacturing of medical devices and reduce import dependence.

Commenting on the report, Samir Sathe, EVP, Wadhwani Advantage said “Wadhwani Foundation is excited to partner with Xynteo’s Vikaasa and Cyient to provide a pathway to create an evolved domestic medical devices industry. With the right support from Government, both at the Central and State level, Healthcare SMEs can leverage the Atmanirbhar campaign to become the leader in the MedTech space by leveraging technology and developing a collaborative mindset.”   

The paper brings to the fore impact of unclear regulations as one of the biggest impediments to the success of the Medtech industry in India as well as identifies critical gaps as articulated by varied stakeholders around regulations and standards, expanding scale, and adoption of innovations and talent development. Interestingly, the study revealed that only 37 types of medical equipment are regulated in India. At the same time, the market remains flooded with low-cost imports with very high trading margins and long credit periods. Impacting the Indian market, thus reducing the competitiveness of Indian medical devices companies and increasing instances of counterfeit.

Krishna Bodanapu, Managing Director & CEO at Cyient, said, “With its skilled workforce, innovative mindset, and real-world experience, India is poised to become a global player in MedTech. SMEs are future growth engines and are large contributors to employment generation. Supporting the SMEs and enabling them with a go-to-market strategy will enhance the nation’s economic prospects. We are proud to be a partner and look forward to enhanced collaboration with multiple stakeholders enabling India to become a MedTech hub for the world.”

Today, Medtech SMEs account for 60-70 percent of the Indian medical device industry, with an estimated 750-800 MedTech SMEs actively operating in this field. To become a $5 Trillion economy by 2024-25, the study highlights the critical roles of the Central and State governments in building a collaborative mindset across the industry. The paper suggests some policy recommendations including a scheme for the creation of medical devices park, production-linked incentives plans for medical technology and diagnostics, a regulatory roadmap for bringing in all medical devices under the ambit of regulation as well as industry-agnostic support measures for small and medium enterprises to support the growth of the medical devices industry.

The paper highlights the need for Indian medical technology companies to generate enough clinical evidence about their products coupled with peer-reviewed journals, in absence of which, hospitals are unlikely to procure the same for use in their facilities. Indian companies need to invest more in the training of their employees – in sales, marketing, demonstrations, clinical support, hardware repairs, software troubleshooting, regulatory pathways, etc. Initiatives like the International Biomedical Skills Consortium help Indian companies enhance the skills of their employees coupled with Government support through the Health Sector Skills Development Council which can help Indian companies enhance the skills of their employees.

Additionally, there is a need to support market access and scale-up in the form of concessions/ preferential uptake for innovative products and solutions of Indian MedTech companies during procurement, promote mandate digitizing hospital infrastructure and systems so that data from public hospitals can be made available to stakeholders and strengthen infrastructure. 

Vipul Kumar, Director, Xynteo’s Vikaasa, said, “As MedTech companies look to the future, they must now fundamentally reimagine their systems, patient journeys, interfaces, and relationships with healthcare providers. This report is a step forward in establishing that with partnerships geared toward speed and efficiency, a systems change approach, and scaling innovations to deliver meaningful changes, the Medtech SMEs can accomplish India's vision of an Atma Nirbhar Bharat.”

To develop the most promising and impactful deployments for the last mile, the industry will have to build new growth models that focus on partnerships between companies, governments, and researchers and transform regulatory paths and policy support to boost the MedTech industry's growth in India.

Paper By Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences And University of Kentucky Explores New Options For Diagnosing Lung Cancer

 

* The Study Was Published In The Molecular Cancer Journal

* It was published and corresponded by Dr. Mahadev Rao Professor from Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences and his team

Dr. Mahadev Rao, Professor and Head of Department of Pharmacy Practice at Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), and his team, in collaboration with a team from University of Kentucky (UK) Markey Cancer Center, have published an invited review article titled, "Integration of liquid biopsy and pharmacogenomics for precision therapy of EGFR mutant and resistant lung cancers" in the Molecular Cancer Journal. The paper explores new options of diagnosing lung cancer.

Currently tumour biopsies are the most commonly used diagnostic tool for lung cancer. However, this paper talks about the enormous potential of liquid biopsies obtained from a blood sample to replace tumor biopsies that require patients to undergo a surgical procedure.

Along with Dr Mahadev Rao, the paper was jointly published with a team from University of Kentucky (UK) Markey Cancer Center, headed by Jill Kolesar, Pharm.D., Director of the Precision Medicine Center, co-chair of the Molecular Tumor Board for the UK Markey Cancer Center and a Professor in the UK College of Pharmacy and Dr. Vivek Rangnekar, Markey Cancer Center at UK associate director and Global Cancer Consortium founding chair. The paper included multidisciplinary team of oncologists, researchers, clinical pharmacists and basic scientists from MAHE. The study was also facilitated by the Global Cancer Consortium, which was formed in 2020. The consortium aims to promote partnerships in global cancer research, education, and outreach activities.

Speaking about this collaborative study facilitated by the Global Cancer Consortium Lt. Gen. (Dr.) M. D. Venkatesh, Vice-Chancellor of MAHE said "The Global Cancer Consortium has initiated collaborative transnational cutting edge research for developing next-generation scientists and promoting cancer health care and has produced several high-quality joint research publications. We are overjoyed by Dr. Rao and his team’s contribution to cancer research and wish them the best for their future endeavours”

Dr. Mahadev Rao, Professor and Head of Department of Pharmacy Practice at Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, MAHE and founding faculty of Global Cancer Consortium said “Liquid biopsies obtained from a blood test provides added advantages such as detection of genes responsible for cancer predisposition and drug metabolism, minimally invasive, reduced procedural complications, allows dynamic monitoring lung cancer treatment resistance and efficacy. Integrating liquid biopsy into cancer care and research provides enhanced personalized cancer care by selecting the right drug in precise doses, identifying the population-level genomic landscape, developing new drug molecules, and reducing the cost burden for cancer patients”

Thursday, April 7, 2022

ALTEN Expands Its Operations To Accelerate Growth In Indian Market


* ALTEN group is a world leader in Engineering & IT services and expanding its India operations with yet another new office in Bengaluru

ALTEN Group with the presence in 30 countries has 42000 employees globally. ALTEN India, a wholly-owned subsidiary of ALTEN group, is expanding its operations in India by creating more than 3,000 jobs. India being the growth engine, we are having a roadmap to triple in next 2.5 years from 6250 to 15000 employees including all the subsidiaries. The inauguration of additional facility in Bangalore is one more milestone towards achieving our growth objectives. We are committed to add more facilities in India to support the growth. 

With this huge investment in resources, ALTEN India is expected to significantly contribute to the group’s overall growth ambition. This is a harbinger of hope in the post-pandemic world to strengthen economy by creating more job opportunities to the talent in India. 

Gerald Attia, Deputy CEO and Co-founder of ALTEN Group said “this new facility will harness our innovation in the area of Aero, embedded, Digital and IT solution to support our customers.  We see a lot of talent availability in India and continue to invest further in India and develop technologies to support our growth globally. This will provide opportunities to young Indians to grow and add value to our global business significantly”.  

Pascal Amore, Executive Vice President of ALTEN Group and Head of APAC, reinforced that the “ALTEN Group is bullish on India, as the country has a talent pool which is very diverse in nature and this will help the group prepare ourselves for new technological areas. It is conducive to invest in India as it is a win-win situation for both employer & employees.”

Uttamkumar Sankpal, CEO of ALTEN India adds that “We are overwhelmed to inaugurate yet another facility in Bangalore.  This facility is one more step forward to support our road map of adding 3000 innovators this year to strengthen ALTEN’s growth in India. We are growing at stupendous phase; we have grown 70% in 2021 the year of pandemic. We believe our growth will continue to achieve our goal of reaching 15000 innovators by 2024 and become the most preferred employer in India. This will revive the economy and jobs creation post pandemic.” 

About: 

For more information visit www.alten.com/investors. Journalist’ details: alten@hopscotch.fr

As a European leader in Engineering and technology consultant (ETC) ALTEN carries out the design and research projects for technical and IT division of major clients and industry, Telecom and services. ALTEN’s stock is listed in Compartment A, Euronext Paris market (ISINFR000001946); it is part of the SBF120, the IT space CAC 50 index and MIDCAP100 and is eligible for the deferred settlement service (SRD).

Tata Motors Bags Order Of 1,300 Commercial Vehicles From VRL Logistics Limited


Tata Motors, India’s largest commercial vehicle manufacturer, bags an order of 1300 commercial vehicles from VRL Logistics Limited, a leader in surface logistics in India, to expand VRL Logistics’ commercial vehicle fleet portfolio in the country. The order comprises of vehicles from Tata Motors’ Medium & Heavy Commercial Vehicle and Intermediate & Light Commercial Vehicle range, suited for logistics operations of the company, across India. The vehicles were selected basis the superior drivability, high fuel efficiency and low total cost of ownership, which will enable VRL Logistics ltd. to increase its fleet efficiency.

Commenting on the occasion, Mr. Rajesh Kaul, Vice President, Sales & Marketing, Commercial Vehicle Business Unit, Tata Motors, said, “We are delighted to secure the prestigious order of 1300 vehicles from VRL Logistics ltd. I’m confident that our vehicles will bring great value to their operations. We, at Tata Motors, endeavour to engineer our vehicles to offer the lowest total cost of ownership and our widest service network will ensure best-in-the-industry service support in all corners of the country. We look forward to a fruitful partnership with VRL Logistics ltd. and will offer the best support for their seamless operations.”

Tata Motors commercial vehicles are designed and engineered on the ‘Power of 6’ philosophy, which delivers best-in-class driveability, total cost of operations, comfort and convenience, and connectivity. The range comes with the standard fitment of Fleet Edge – Tata Motors’ next-gen digital solution for optimal fleet management, to further increase the uptime and reduce the total cost of ownership. Tata Motors also offers its flagship initiative, Sampoorna Seva, a bouquet of service offerings including Repair Time Assurance, Breakdown Assistance, Insurance and Accidental Repair Time, Extended Warranty, and other add-on services for vehicle maintenance and upkeep.

About Tata Motors

Part of the USD 109 billion Tata group, Tata Motors Limited (NYSE: TTM; BSE: 500570 and 570001; NSE: TATAMOTORS and TATAMTRDVR), a USD 34 billion organization, is a leading global automobile manufacturer of cars, utility vehicles, pick-ups, trucks and buses, offering extensive range of integrated, smart and e-mobility solutions. With ‘Connecting Aspirations’ at the core of its brand promise, Tata Motors is India’s market leader in commercial vehicles and amongst the top three in the passenger vehicles market.

Tata Motors strives to bring new products that fire the imagination of GenNext customers, fueled by state of the art design and R&D centers located in India, UK, US, Italy and South Korea. With a focus on engineering and tech enabled automotive solutions catering to the future of mobility, the company’s innovation efforts are focused to develop pioneering technologies that are sustainable as well as suited to evolving aspirations of the market and the customers. The company is pioneering India's Electric Vehicle (EV) transition and driving the shift towards sustainable mobility solutions by preparing a tailor-made product strategy, leveraging the synergy between the Group companies and playing an active role liasoning with the Government in developing the policy framework

With operations in India, the UK, South Korea, Thailand, South Africa, and Indonesia, supported by a strong global network of 103 subsidiaries, 9 associate companies, 4 joint ventures and 2 joint operations as on March 31, 2021, Tata Motors’ commercial and passenger vehicles are marketed in countries, spread across Africa, Middle East, South & South East Asia, Australia, South America, Russia and other CIS countries.

Atlassian Launches New Products And Updates Across Its Portfolio At Flagship Team 22 Event


* New features designed to help customers navigate the future of modern teamwork 

Atlassian Corporation Plc (NASDAQ:TEAM), a leading provider of team collaboration and productivity software and the maker of Jira, Confluence and Bitbucket, today unveils new products, Atlas andCompass, and two new capabilities from the Atlassian Platform, Atlassian Data Lake and Atlassian Analytics, at its premier customer and partner event – Team 22.  

Recognizing the changing nature of how we work, Atlassian released these new products and features to help align autonomous teams and the tools they choose to use to power businesses' digital transformation efforts.  

Introducing Atlas and Compass 

Atlas is a teamwork directory that pairs engaging 280-character project updates with a smart team directory to show you: what’s being worked on and why, who’s doing it, and how it’s all going. Atlas helps teams to track and communicate the progress of their work across the enterprise and understand how it all connects, regardless of what tool they use to get their work done. 

Compass is a developer portal that helps teams tame the software sprawl every dev team experiences as they incorporate more tools, services, and open-source libraries into their tech stacks. With Compass, developers can get a real-time view of changes made to their software architecture, its impact, and the current health of components all in one place, without having to sacrifice the tools they want to use. Compass comes from Point A, an Atlassian program to create new products in collaboration with customers. 

Investing in the Atlassian platform 

To bring teams together, Atlassian is investing in the Atlassian Platform, a common technology foundation across its apps that connects teams - while allowing them to work with the tools of their choice. The company announces two new capabilities from the Atlassian Platform that help everyone in the organization from leaders to end users get flexible access to all their data with the Atlassian Data Lake and Atlassian Analytics. 

Atlassian Data Lake contains cross-product and cross-instance data for easy analysis with pre-modeled and enriched fields to speed up insight generation. It is built on the enterprise-grade trusted Atlassian platform to ensure privacy and security. 

Using technology from Chartio, a cloud-based visualization and analytics solution that the company acquired last year, the team built Atlassian Analytics, a simple, flexible hub that seamlessly connects to the Atlassian Data Lake and allows users to access data in a variety of ways. 

Dinesh Ajmera, Site Lead and Head of Engineering, India, Atlassian said, “Every team has its own unique ways of working, and Atlassian products provide tons of flexibility to foster that uniqueness. Imagine a future where every team gets tailored recommendations on how to improve velocity, and every leader gets insights into how to improve overall team health. So work gets done smarter and teams unleash their full potential. That is the future we envision and will use Atlassian Data Lake and Atlassian Analytics as building blocks to achieve this.” 

“Organizations and teams have had to move from in-office to remote to hybrid work fluidly, all while producing the right outcomes for their customers, employees and investors. With the launch of Compass, we continue to enable digital transformation and ease the toll placed on software development teams. I am equally excited about the future of Atlas and the impact this will have not only on our customers but our own teams as it connects the dots across teams, their tools, and their work – wherever it happens,” he further added. 

About Atlassian Team'22 

Team ‘22 is the ultimate teamwork experience and Atlassian’s flagship conference. Connect with leaders, innovators, and thinkers in ITSM, DevOps & Agile, Work Management and more from around the world. Discover the solutions, skills, and ideas to transform how teams collaborate, power digital transformation, and drive cultural change. 

This year, we’re bringing innovative digital and in-person experiences for you to connect with attendees and Atlassian customers from across the globe. Hear about our exciting product roadmap, level up your technical skills, and discover new ideas for better ways of working. 

About Atlassian 

Atlassian unleashes the potential of every team. Our team collaboration and productivity software helps teams organize, discuss, and complete shared work. Teams at more than 225,000 customers, across large and small organizations - including Bank of America, Redfin, NASA, Verizon, and Dropbox - use Atlassian’s project tracking, content creation and sharing, and service management products to work better together and deliver quality results on time. Learn more about our products, including Jira Software, Confluence, Jira Service Management, Trello, Bitbucket, and Jira Align at https://atlassian.com/. 

Indian Online Consumers More Protective About Personal Data: Survey


* India D2C Summit deliberates USD 100 billion opportunity with new-age stakeholders

Indian consumers are more protective of their personal data and are better evolved than their global counterparts in terms of awareness while shopping online, as per a survey.

“75% of Indian consumers (Global 59%) are evolved and are more aware and protective of their personal data,” said Somick Goswami, Partner, PwC on Day 2 of the India D2C (Direct to Consumer) Summit here today.

The survey data was part of the evolving consumer behaviour and trends, some excerpts of which were shared at the summit attended by the new age companies of India, Asia’s third largest economy.

The summit was held on the backdrop of the post pandemic era in India, which has increasingly seen a rise in digital consumption across segments including grocery, fashion, health & beauty, consumer electronics travel, sports & fitness, crafts and creative and alcoholic beverages.

With relaxation in post-pandemic restrictions, Indian consumers are likely to take a cross-channel view with intertwining between offline and digital transactions with 73% likely to visit shopping malls, Goswami said, attributing to the findings of the survey.

The rise in D2C in India has been facilitated by payment gateways with experts at the summit attributing 99% success ratio being key to selecting the payment gateway and managing the transaction expense ratio.

Earlier, on the Day 1 of the summit on Wednesday, it was deliberated as to how India’s conventional consumer goods companies were increasingly exploring direct-to-consumer (D2C) approach as it is seen as a 100 billion U.S. dollar opportunity.

Tata Consumer’s Nutrikorner, ITC’s Store.in and Hindustan Unilever’s The U Shop are some of the few amongst 600 Indian companies that have forayed into D2C after success of Nykaa on the bourses.

Experts opined that the new age companies are now attracting higher valuation compared to conventional FMCG companies with a 10 percent revenue shift seen towards D2C by 2025.

So far only 5 percent of the 600 companies in the D2C segment have achieved the Rs. 100 crore revenue milestone while 20 percent and 75 percent have revenue between 20-90 crore and below Rs. 20 crore, respectively, which may see consolidation going forward.

 Entrepreneurship Summit (MES) Concluded With Alumni Panel Discussion And Innovation Mela

* The two-week event had a footfall of 2000

* Never give up: Advice by MAHE alumni entrepreneurs

Manipal Academy of Higher Education recently concluded the Manipal Entrepreneurship Summit 2022 with a panel discussion on the topic ‘Essentials of Entrepreneurship”. The finale held on 1-2 April 2022 also featured narration of stories by entrepreneurs, pitch by students & startups and “Innovation Mela”. More than 60 innovators/startups participated in the “Innovation Mela”

MES is an annual flagship event of MAHE jointly organized by MIT, Entrepreneurship Cell (E-Cell) of MIT, Manipal Incubators, Alumni Relations, Innovation Center and Corporate Relations of MAHE.

Before the finale the summit featured online programs like webinar on Metaverse, case study analysis of startups/companies, debate on various topics related to economics, interactive sessions with entrepreneurs and workshop on entrepreneurs, between 17th to 30th March, 2022.

Seven alumni entrepreneurs from various institutes of MAHE participated in the finale panel discussion and deliberated on Govt support to startups & incubators, importance of innovation & entrepreneurship in Higher Education Institutions and the need to jump into entrepreneurial journey in view of matured Indian ecosystem. The entrepreneurs were from pharmaceutical, hospitality, agritech industries, consulting & investment firms and social enterprise. They participated as resource persons in the 2-day finale of MES.

The panel included Mr. Pramod Dsouza- Co-founder of Eagle10 Ventures, Mr. Abhay Nandan- a Jagriti Yatra organizer who runs a school in underdeveloped parts of Bihar. Ms. Garima Vishal -founder of the Dejawoo School of Innovation, Mr. Utkarsh Sinha- Director of Engineering and Management at Bucolic Kailash Agritech and FMCG Pvt Ltd, Mr. Rohit Hangal-Co-founder 'Sphere Travelmedia & Exhibitions', Dr. Vidya Priya Rao-the Founder of Innovatus Marketers Touchpoint and Mr. Ashok Chandak- Promoter and Chairman – M/s. Chandak Laboratories (P) Ltd.

Dr. Narasimha Bhat, CEO & Founder, Manipal Dot Net, Manipal delivered the key-note address. He stressed on the importance of belief in oneself and always working with good intent for achieving success. He encouraged the students to unleash innate talent and enjoy entrepreneurial journey through relishing, rejoicing and regaining.

In his inaugural address MAHE’s Vice Chancellor Lt. Gen. (Dr.) M D Venkatesh said “Entrepreneurship has always been encouraged at MAHE. Our students can see the example of our very own founder T. M. A Pai to understand the power of entrepreneurial capability. Human development around our campuses at Manipal, Sikkim and Jaipur shows the Manipal model of entrepreneurship. I urge our alumni and future entrepreneurs to come forward and make the best use of MAHE ecosystem towards their entrepreneurial journey”

Cdr. (Dr) Anil Rana, Director, Manipal Institute of Technology (MIT), Manipal said “We are extremely glad that MES 2022 received such enthusiastic participation from entrepreneurs and startups alike. We hope to continue building the spirit of entrepreneurship amongst our students and faculty with future editions of the summit”

In his closing remarks, Dr M. Vijaya Kini, Convener MES 2022 mentioned that the highlight of this two-week event was footfall of almost 2000 and active participation by the E-Cell of MIT and that going forward, this summit will be creating greater societal impact.

o9 Solutions Tripled Its Annual Recurring Revenue In Q1, 2022


o9 Solutions, a leading enterprise AI software platform provider for transforming planning and decision-making, today reported that its annual recurring revenue (ARR) in Q1’22 more than tripled compared to the same period a year ago. The first quarter’s growth was driven by new global customers in various industries including food and beverage, medical equipment, apparel, and telecom. This underscores the broad applicability of o9’s AI-powered planning and decision-making platform.

"Our performance this quarter shows the growing need for more intelligent and resilient supply chains that can withstand an increasingly complex and dynamic business landscape," said Chakri Gottemukkala, Co-founder and CEO, o9 Solutions. "The rapid adoption of o9's AI-enabled, cloud-native platform speaks to its ability to help the world's largest organizations not only navigate volatile conditions, but also unlock significant business value through superior visibility, predictive and prescriptive insights, and cross-functional collaboration.”

In Q1’22, o9 also announced its flagship annual digital transformation event, aim10x global 2022, held virtually on April 5-7. The event is the company’s largest conference to date— with more than 9,000 registrants—and featured a lineup of 70-plus thought leaders in the supply chain space, keynotes by C-suite executives, and interactive panel discussions between highly influential digital transformation leaders and innovators from all industries.

During the first quarter, o9 expanded into new geographies including Australia and Brazil to support continued its rapid client growth globally. o9 also continues to increase its global talent pool, which now includes more than 1,700 employees worldwide. 

“Such a strong start to 2022 underscores o9's unmatched ability to help companies turn traditionally siloed and slow planning processes into a smart, integrated digital operating model,” said Igor Rikalo, President and Chief Operating Officer, o9 Solutions. “The need for digital transformation has never been more crucial, which is evident in the incredible turnout at our aim10x global 2022 event. We look forward to building on this momentum in Q2'22 and beyond.”

Other notable highlights during Q1’22 include:

o9 received $295 million in funding at $2.7bn valuation from General Atlantic, its BeyondNetZero climate investing venture, Generation Investment Management and KKR

o9 Solutions’ Co-Founder and CEO Chakri Gottemukkala Named Enterprise Innovator of The Year 2022 by D CEO and Dallas Innovates

o9’s Anusha Sharma Named a 2022 Pros to Know Winner by Supply & Demand Chain Executive

o9 Solutions Ranks No. 67 on Inc. Magazine’s List of Southwest Region’s Fastest Growing Companies

o9 Solutions and AWS Collaborate to Help Businesses Accelerate the Digital Transformation of Their Supply Chain Planning and Execution Processes

o9 Solutions Helps Marelli Digitall Transform Its Business

o9 Solutions Drives Digital Supply Chain Transformation at Berger Paints 

V-Trans (India) Ltd Honoured With Prestigious Award “Best Integrated Logistics Service Provider” By India Cargo Awards


* Prestigious supply chain award to recognize those behind the success of the logistics and cargo industry and make them feel like achievers.  

V-Trans (India) Ltd, a preferred single window logistics solution provider won the “Best Integrated Logistics Service Provider” award by India Cargo Awards, India’s topmost Supply chain awards, which helps to create a platform to recognize those behind the success of the cargo and logistics industry on 30th March 2022. Mr. Aditya Shah, Executive Director, V-Trans (India) Ltd received the award from Mr. Amrit Lal Meena, IAS, Special Secretary (Logistics) – Dept. of Commerce, Gov. of India at Crowne Plaza, New Delhi.  

V-Trans (India) is a champion of Surface Transport Pan India & in SAARC, V-Xpress is the expert in Door to Door, multimodal express cargo movement and V-Logis provides comprehensive warehousing and end to end integrated logistics. As a combined entity, the group provides all logistics-related services under one umbrella. V-Trans is enabled with best-in-the-business infrastructure and has a presence across the nation having more than 850 branches. It has the complete automated infrastructure and provides the virtual mapping of a warehouse in WMS enabling optimum space utilization and inventory control. With a perfectly crafted Hub & spoke model, it handles a massive volume of over 22 LAKH tons every year from diverse industries and across geographies. 

V-Trans market leadership is further updated and validated by numerous awards and recognitions from customers. The company has won copious awards including ‘Best Integrated Logistics Service Provider 2022’ by India Cargo Awards, Most trusted brand 2020 by Team Marksman & CNBC, Iconic Brand of India 2020 by Economic Times, overall Supply chain excellence by CII – Scale Awards for 3 consecutive years, ‘Best Road Transport Company in India’ for a couple of times, at ICC - Supply Chain Logistics Summit & Excellence Award; and the prestigious CFBP Jamanalal Bajaj Uchit Vyavhar Puraskar (V-Trans is an exceptional 2 times winner) amongst others. 

Commenting on the recognition, Mr. Mahendra Shah, Group Managing Director of V-Trans (India) Ltd said “We are delighted to be awarded the prestigious ‘Best Integrated Logistics Service Provider’ by India Cargo Awards. As a part of our company culture, we at V-Trans reaffirm our commitment to delivering trusted Integrated Logistics solutions. This award symbolizes our values of safety, integrity, teamwork, excellence, and inclusion. We aim to resolve the business problems of our clients    and intend to become their logistics edge.” 

About V-Trans (India) Ltd: 

V Trans India Ltd is a preferred single window logistics solution provider. A 6-decade old company that has evolved from a traditional transport player to a national logistics solution provider company. 

V Trans group with its 3 business verticals, V Trans, V Xpress, and V Logis, provides all solutions of surface transport, multimodal express cargo movement, and warehousing & 3PL. Reach across the nation, the experience of diverse industry needs, and the solid ethical foundation provides V Trans group an unmatchable positioning. From small loads to ODC consignments, from single shipment to the requirement of full project handling or the complex 3 PL solution, our group has it all.  

Our intentions are to solve the business problems of our clients and to become their logistics edge. We consider our role more than a logistics service provider, and we act as a business partner to our clients. 

Wednesday, April 6, 2022

Rejoice Work And Leisure In Cool Fashion Summer With Raymond Linen

 


·         Exquisite Linen fabrics in over 200+ solids, prints, checks & stripes for shirts, kurtas & jackets

·         A one of its kind functional linen with a stretch and built-in nano-technology for spill resistance

Raymond, India’s leading fabric manufacturer and retailer, today launched its latest collection of high performance Linen fabrics for the summer season. In addition to being lightweight and breathable, this stunning range of fabrics is available in an array of 200+ vivid colours, prints, checks & stripes. Elegantly fashionable yet highly functional, Raymond Linen offers enhanced stretch while retaining natural softness for comfort and flexibility. In addition to stretch, the fabrics come with nano-technology aided finish that ensures spill resistance to prevent stains, making Raymond Linen a desirable option for summer across occasions.

Raymond Linen offers an extensive range of designs, presenting a one stop solution for a summer wardrobe overhaul. Consumers can choose from an array of delightful prints, playful checks, subtle stripes and bold solids, which can be immaculately tailored into shirts, kurtas, bundis and jackets.

For celebrations, Raymond Linen offers a variety of luxurious jacquards elaborated with elegant designs & cross tones thus enhancing the royal appeal of the fabric. Another remarkable offering within the collection are the ‘fearless whites’ that are engineered for endurance and prevents yellowing when exposed to the sun, thereby retaining their whiteness longer.  

Commenting on this latest collection, Sunil Kataria, CEO – Lifestyle Business, Raymond Limited said, “Over the years Raymond has been the category leader in shirting fabric driven by product innovation & latest designs that resonate well with our discerning consumers. The versatility of Linen that has an appeal across age groups makes it a fashion favourite especially during summers. Superior product quality with soft handle, enhanced functionality and wide colour palette would be a perfect choice for dressing up as we return back to work this summer.” Raymond’s latest campaign “Fashion your Summer” for its linen collection, showcases well-crafted inspirations for summer ensembles and emphasizes on the core proposition of linen as a fashion fabric. The targeted campaign is live across Raymond’s social media pages and other media.

Raymond Linen is available from Rs.1000 to Rs.9800 per meter for Shirting, Suiting & Jacketing fabric, across all Raymond Shops & Multi-brand partner outlets.

About Raymond Limited

Raymond is India’s largest integrated worsted suiting manufacturer that offers end-to-end solutions for fabrics and garmenting. Over the years, Raymond has been synonymous with quality, innovation and market leadership. It has some of the leading brands within its portfolio – ‘Raymond Ready to Wear’, ‘Park Avenue’, ‘ColorPlus’, ‘Parx’, ‘Raymond Made to Measure’ amongst others. Raymond has one of the largest exclusive retail networks in the country with around 1,500 stores in more than 600 towns. Raymond also has presence in FMCG sector through Raymond Consumer care that offers wide range of products in men’s personal grooming category and personal hygiene. The group also has presence in engineering and auto components across national and international markets. In 2019, Raymond has also forayed into the realty sector through the launch of its maiden project ‘aspirational district’ spread across 14 acres housing ~3,100 residential units. Having enjoyed the patronage of over a billion consumers, Raymond as a brand has been consistently delivering world class quality products to its consumers over the past nine decades. For more information visit www.raymond.in

KDEM Partners With The Hebrew University, Israel To Launch ‘The Innovation Management Course’


* To offer Distinctive Virtual Training Program on Innovations and Entrepreneurship for Incubators, Academia

* KDEM and The Hebrew University to collaborate to enable learning modules and strengthen innovation & start-up ecosystem in Karnataka

* Imbibe best practices from Israel’s mature start-up and innovation market to improve operational efficiency and build sustainable innovation model

The Karnataka Digital Economy Mission (KDEM) is continuing to act as a catalyst for innovation with its newest partnership with The Hebrew University, Israel to launch a distinctive Innovation Management Course, a virtual training program on innovations and entrepreneurship. As per the association, KDEM and The Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel is hosting its first program spanning over five days that includes 10 sessions across topics such as incubation, disruptive innovation, funding, best practices, acceleration models, sustainability and technology.

The announcement comes at a time when a twelve-member delegation consisting of officers from the Israel National Defence College is visiting Karnataka as part of their academic curriculum.

Speaking at the momentous launch of the training program, Dr. Aswathnarayan C.N. said, “Israel has a very mature ecosystem of innovation, technology and start-ups and it is already known for its prowess in cybersecurity and research & development. Karnataka as a whole and Bengaluru in particular being the innovation hub of India makes it relevant for Israel and Karnataka to forge a strong collaboration and build an ecosystem that inspires, motivates and facilitates growth. I am positive that KDEM will be a robust knowledge and networking bridge that will benefit both India and Israel. 

The program is expected to be conducted by experts in Fintech, Business Administration, venture capitalists and entrepreneurs, economy such as Prof. Yigal Newman, Prof. Dan Galai, Mr. Saul Orbach, Dr. Sharon Arieli, Dr. Pablo Kizelsztein among others.

Shri B V Naidu, Chairman, Karnataka Digital Economy Mission said, “The genesis of the KDEM falls back on the need to build a start-up ecosystem for the state that goes beyond Bengaluru and map emerging clusters to build a spoke shore strategy that contributes to the nation’s digital economy. Israel places innovation and technology very high on its agenda and given the relationship both the countries share, will be mutually beneficial in harnessing talent and making a mark on the global platform. We received a rousing response from Israel at the Bengaluru Tech Summit and the Innovation Management Course was a natural progression to build a robust and skilled workforce in order for Karnataka to become an innovation hub. We welcome our learned delegates to India and look forward to understanding the Israel Model and identify opportunities for growth through mutual collaboration.”

Welcoming the delegation on the eve of the launch of the Innovation Management Course, Shri Sanjeev Gupta, CEO, Karnataka Digital Economy Mission said, “It is important to acknowledge an innovation economy to create a global impact. Israel is known for its ability to transform start-ups to make them viable and competitive and is a hotbed of pioneering technologies. Together with The Hebrew University, we are looking at building a strong network and partnership to upskill our engineering and technology professionals from clusters for an ecosystem that is sustainable, innovative and one that builds the nation’s economy.”

Commenting on the unique proposition, David Keynan, Vice Chairman FIICC said “The new program will support a well-integrated collaborative development of the innovation and start-up ecosystem in the state of Karnataka. We strongly believe that the role of the Government is critical in fostering innovation, and this new association with the Hebrew University is uniquely positioned to deliver best practices of the matured Israeli start-up eco-system to the innovators and entrepreneurs here, thus ensuring upscaling, up-gradating and innovation at a more global scale.” Simultaneously KDEM had appointed David Keynan, as an adviser to assist KDEM with the Israeli relations.

Sponsored entirely by the Karnataka Digital Economy Mission, the Innovation Management Course will allow participants to build an in-depth understand of innovation practices in sectors such as Agro-tech, FinTech, Aerospace, Defence, EV, Semiconductors, among others. Participants will also be part of various mentorship session and interactions to understand the gaps in the existing ecosystem and the role of clusters in building sustainable innovation ecosystems. The participants will be certified at the end of the course.

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.      

GE Awarded Contract By ReNew Power To Help Develop Renewable Energy Zones In India


* The contract is part of a planned interstate-based evacuation infrastructure that will create a 66.5 GW of renewable energy zone in India

* GE will build two 400 kV substations for ReNew Power in Karnataka

* This is the third contract for GE’s Grid Solutions business with ReNew Power, demonstrating ReNew Power’s confidence in GE’s in-country advanced technology and service capabilities

GE's Grid Solutions business [NYSE:GE] announced today that it has been awarded a contract by ReNew Power Pvt. Ltd., India’s leading company in terms of total generation capacity, to build two 400 kV substations in the southwest state of Karnataka, India - a 400/220 kV air-insulated substation in Koppal, and a 400 kV gas-insulated substation in Narendra. The contract also includes the supply of two 125 MVAR 400 kV reactors for each substation.

GE’s multi-million dollar contract with ReNew Power is part of the Narendra-Koppal transmission scheme. The scheme in turn is part of the planned interstate-based evacuation infrastructure that will create 66.5 GW of renewable energy zones in India. The Narendra-Koppal project, involving the evacuation of 2.5 GW from wind energy zones in Karnataka, is part of the first of three phases of the overall project.

This is Grid Solutions business’s third substation project with ReNew Power. “We are delighted by ReNew Power’s continued confidence in our innovative technology, as well as engineering and service capabilities,” said Pitamber Shivnani, Regional Leader for Grid Solutions in South Asia. “We look forward to helping accelerate the energy transition in India by helping to evacuate more renewable energy from the southwestern part of the country with these substations.”

“ReNew Power is committed to leading India’s transition away from fossil fuels and meeting the rising demand for energy in a sustainable manner by delivering cleaner and smarter energy choices and thereby reducing India’s carbon footprint. We are delighted to partner with GE Grid Solutions for bringing power efficiently and reliably for our customers through their state-of-the art grid technology. ” said Ajay Bhardwaj, President- New Business of ReNew Power.

GE is expected to complete its work in three phases—two in December 2022 and one in August 2023. All products are being manufactured in India, for India.

With a persistent focus on decarbonization and round-the-clock power, the Indian energy landscape is undergoing significant positive transformation. The country has committed to install 175 GW of renewable energy by 2022 and more than double its non-fossil fuel target to 450 GW by 2030. The country has already achieved a milestone of 100 GW of installed renewable energy capacity, as of September 2021. Presently, India ranks 4th in the world in terms of installed renewable energy capacity. It ranks 5th in terms of solar capacity and 4th in terms of wind capacity.

About GE’s Grid Solutions

Grid Solutions, a GE Renewable Energy business, serves customers globally with over 12,000 employees. Grid Solutions provides power utilities and industries worldwide with equipment, systems and services to bring power reliably and efficiently from the point of generation to end power consumers. Grid Solutions is focused on addressing the challenges of the energy transition by enabling the safe and reliable connection of renewable and distributed energy resources to the grid. We electrify the world with advanced grid technologies and accelerate the energy transition. For more about GE’s Grid Solutions, visit https://www.gegridsolutions.com.

The Evolution of SUV Design Is Here: Tata Motors Showcases Its Electric SUV Concept - CURVV


Defining a new era of SUV design, Tata Motors today showcased its Electric SUV Concept - CURVV. Conceptualised to offer practicality and elegance, all whilst exuding dynamism and unmatched road presence, the Concept CURVV is Tata Motors’ rendition of the modern SUV typology. Expected to storm the market within the next two years, this Concept will introduce India to a unique, edgy and sporty coupe body style which in the past has only been prevalent in the high end luxury segment. The Concept CURVV in its production ready avatar will first enter the market as an extension of the company’s ever evolving Electric Vehicle (EV) portfolio which will subsequently be followed by its Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) counterpart.

Speaking at the event, Mr. Shailesh Chandra - Managing Director, Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles Ltd., and Tata Passenger Electric Mobility Ltd. ecstatically said – “Our ongoing business turnaround is history in the making. From record sales to upping our market share game, the last fiscal has been nothing but magical for us. We not only emerged as the No. 1 SUV player with our array of products in our portfolio, we also continued to super charge our growth in the EV space with our highest ever annual EV sales going up by 353% vs FY21.”

“With a fantastic year gone by, it gives me immense pleasure to announce a flying start to the new year, with a brand new ‘promise’, a brand new ‘thought’ and a brand new ‘design’ – all put together in this magnificent Electric SUV Concept - CURVV. Our focus here has been to enable customers with a product option that is the perfect amalgamation of modern functionality and design.  With a robust SUV DNA at its core, and a plethora of new age materials, features and interfaces, we are confident that this Coupe Concept will redefine mainstream SUV design. Furthermore, with the concept CURVV, we now enter the Generation 2 EV architecture which will further enhance the adoption of EVs in India by overcoming the current barriers. With this new architecture, we will strengthen the key pillars of Range, Performance and Technology, while retaining Safety and Reliability as hygiene offerings.”

Tata Motors has been a pioneer in the Indian SUV market, always pushing boundaries of technology and innovation while developing products for India. The Concept CURVV is here to take this legacy forward. With the design philosophy of ‘Less is More’, this Concept is a progressive and modern SUV which represents simplicity in complexity. Its striking silhouette coupled with its dynamic proportions, design differentiation and spacious interiors make for an SUV that expresses a strong character while also being effortlessly elegant.

Additionally, the Generation 2 EV architecture will be advanced, flexible and capable of offering multi-powertrain options. Products on this architecture will be crafted to deliver a higher range while retaining the credibility and reliability standards set by the Generation 1 products powered by Ziptron.

The Concept CURVV in its production version will provide customers with unprecedented versatility of use while giving rise to a new breed of vehicles in India that provides its users with a true lifestyle mobility solution to enjoy - A vehicle that is combining functional attributes without compromising its premium aesthetic. It will be a suitable fit for the fast-paced life of urban dwellers who appreciate and expect shorter charge time, interactive and intuitive interfaces, quicker response, and feature comfort not only in their everyday lives but also from their cars.

IBSFINtech And Oracle to Enable Digital Transformation For Customers With Oracle Fusion Cloud ERP & IBSFINtech TMS Solution


IBSFINtech, India’s TreasuryTech leader has announced it is working with Oracle to accelerate the digital transformation journey of its customers around the world, with Oracle Fusion Cloud Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and IBSFINtech’s treasury management solution, TMS InTReaX™. IBSFINtech also announced they have migrated TMS InTReaX™ to Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, to offer its treasury management solutions, as a cloud service to businesses globally.

Transitioning to become a SaaS company, IBSFINtech is migrating their entire on-premise solution to the cloud. The recent launch of two new products: SaaS TMS InTReaX™ and SaaS Supply Chain Finance platform, VNDZY® are initial steps in this direction.

IBSFINtech selected Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) to host its robust SaaS TMS InTReaX™ because of OCI’s deep and broad platform of public cloud service capabilities. OCI enables IBSFINtech to build and run a wide range of applications in a scalable, secure, highly available and high-performance environment.  The pandemic has led to a surge in digital adoption among corporate functions. CXOs have realized the value of end-to-end digitization, and are turning to ERP & TRM solution providers to ensure critical process automation since it enables transparency, visibility and business continuity.

Sunil Toshniwal, DGM – Treasury & Family Office, Sonalika Group (International Tractors Limited) comments, “We have been using IBSFINtech's Investment Module for a few years and now we have selected IBSFINtech's SaaS TMS InTReaX™ for end-to-end automation of our cashflow and forex operations. In our selection process, we found the solution to be highly robust and functionally-rich for our requirements. Another important selection criteria was security and it is also suitably addressed as the solution is hosted on OCI (Oracle Cloud Infrastructure) which is one of the most secure and globally acknowledged cloud infrastructure platforms. Also, the solution comes bundled with Refinitiv's Eikon and DSS feed which provides a holistic platform for our risk management function."

IBSFINtech’s MD & CEO CM Grover, said, “It has been our constant endeavor to offer future ready solutions to our customers, and we do this with a thorough understanding of their changing needs. Treasury automation is a critical focus area for CXOs today. Having been mandated by boards, corporations globally are augmenting their corporate finance functions with robust treasury automation solutions. Our association with Oracle for Cloud ERP solutions is a step forward in offering customers cloud native solutions to support their business transformation journeys. ”

Vivek Gupta, Senior Director and Country Head, Oracle IaaS and PaaS Services, Oracle India said, “With the migration of IBSFINtech’s treasury management solution to OCI, IBSFINtech can modernize their existing apps for a cloud native world. They will now be able to reduce their IT costs, yet continue to serve a growing customer base. We are delighted to work with IBSFINtech. Together, we can drive business transformation for customers.”

IBSFINtech ED & CTO TM Manjunath said, “We thoroughly evaluated global cloud providers and found OCI to be highly scalable and agile.  Oracle Real Application Cluster (RAC) supports the rapid scaling of infrastructure and high availability, while Oracle Autonomous Transaction Processing (ATP) delivers rapid set up and self-driving capabilities that help cut down on managed services cost and effort.  These benefits from OCI makes it a highly preferred option for us.”

About IBSFINtech

Incepted in 2006, IBSFINtech is a Bengaluru based home-grown enterprise TreasuryTech company. It provides end-to-end digitisation and automation solutions for the cash and liquidity, treasury, risk and trade finance management (TRTFM), and supply chain finance requirements of medium and large corporates. Backed by AI, Data Analytics, and MIS technologies, the company's integrated risk management solution helps businesses drive visibility, improve control, mitigate operational risks and optimise organisational efficiency for various Indian and Global organisations. 

IBSFINtech's broad customer base is spread across Mumbai, Hyderabad, Delhi, Gurgaon and Noida in India and international markets such as Singapore and Europe. Some of its marquee clients are Vedanta Group, Mphasis, Wipro Enterprises, Maruti Suzuki, JSW Steel etc. Global clients include IMR Metallurgical Resources, JSW International and many more.

About Oracle

Oracle offers integrated suites of applications plus secure, autonomous infrastructure in the Oracle Cloud. For more information about Oracle (NYSE: ORCL),  visit us at www.oracle.com.

The Souled Store Has Landed In Bengaluru, With Its Flagship Retail & Experience Outlet – Spanning Across 5000 Sq.ft.


* This is The Souled Store’s sixth brick-and-mortar outlet of in India, and a one-of-a-kind store in Bengaluru that combines retail shopping with exciting experiences 

The Souled Store, India’s most-loved casual wear brand — started by four pop culture enthusiasts, Vedang Patel, Harsh Lal, Aditya Sharma and Rohin Samtaney, in 2013 — today, has opened doors to its biggest-ever store in Bengaluru!

The store spreads across 5000 sq. ft. in the city’s favourite shopping destination – Indiranagar.

It aims to not only bring to Bengaluru a host of their new and best casual wear options from not only their merchandise partners Marvel, Disney, Warner Bros., IPL, Viacom18 and more, but also bring forth new collections of stunning The Souled Store Originals and the World’s Best Supima T-shirts.

The outlet, spanning across two floors will have room for multiple experiences too. The area is being built in a way to enable like-minded people to interact with each other and share their love of comics, superheroes and just really great clothes! The space will also host open mics and special events on a timely basis.

Commenting on the launch of the new store, Co-Founder of The Souled Store, Harsh Lal said, “Over the years, The Souled Store has emerged as one of the most loved brands in the pop culture space and we aspire to recreate that same level of excitement and loyalty for our consumers in Bengaluru. We are confident that the launch will not only delight the people of Bengaluru but also strategically complement our portfolio and fortify The Souled Store's leadership in the apparel domain.”

This is The Souled Store’s sixth brick-and-mortar outlet in India. The brand operates four The Souled Store outlets in Mumbai and one in Pune. Notably, the brand has 3+ million customer base and 150+ licenses – garnered via its online and offline presence. Customers would be delighted to know the brand has plans to open 50+ stores over the next 3 years.

More Indian Start-Ups Believe The Pandemic Worked As An Enabler For Innovation, Compared To Their APAC Counterparts


* Per the Medtronic-Economist Impact study, over three quarters of Indian healthcare start-ups (76.7%) believe that the pandemic was an enabler for innovation, unlike only 54.7% in the APAC region.

India Medtronic Private Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Medtronic plc (NYSE:MDT) — a global leader in healthcare technology, today released findings from Medtronic-Economist Impact survey whitepaper titled ‘Asia Pacific’s Healthcare Technologies Ecosystem: Enhancing Start-up and SME success’, written by the Economist Impact and supported by Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB).

The findings from the Medtronic-Economist Impact whitepaper were centered around three main areas – access to healthcare, collaboration and talent. The study revealed that an overwhelming number of start-ups in India (76.7%) believed that the pandemic acted as an enabler of innovation in the space. Only 3.3% of respondents from India considered the pandemic a disrupter of innovation, unlike 34.7% of the respondents in the APAC region. Moreover, a majority of respondents (76.7%) believed that treatment was one of the greatest unmet needs within the patient/disease pathway in the country, while more than half (53.3%) thought that testing/screening was one of the biggest requirements. All participants agreed that the health market in India was very competitive, rather than seeing collaboration amongst the various players.

The whitepaper aims to establish the present state of the healthcare technology sector in Asia Pacific and explores the challenges that start-ups and small-medium enterprises face in establishing and scaling up their business. This first-ever study on the region’s MedTech sector involves inputs from 150 executives from startups and business enterprises in APAC, including India. The paper also includes in-depth interviews with several industry leaders from the healthcare technology sector as well as from company representatives in the technology sector such as SAP.iO Foundries and Microsoft Health. The whitepaper was released at the Medtronic APAC Innovation Conference held in Singapore on 16th March 2022. Themed ‘Accelerating Healthcare Technology Innovation’ the conference saw the attendance of over 200 delegates from start-ups, government institutions, and healthcare practitioners along with Medtronic’s partner organizations. Mr. Shakthi Nagappan, director Life Sciences and Pharma & CEO Hyderabad Pharma City Ltd & BioAsia, Government of Telangana was also one of the keynote speakers at the conference.

Madan Krishnan, vice president and managing director, Medtronic India, said, “Innovation is critical in ensuring effective and timely disease management, not just in India, but across the world. The aim of Medtronic’s Open Innovation programs across APAC is to drive innovation – through internal ideation and now external partnerships as well. In India, we’ve always recognized the importance of collaborative innovation, whether it is with Government, startups, hospitals and other like-minded partners to offer localized solutions to address unmet needs. Our recent collaborations have been with Govt. of Telangana to expand our R&D center in Hyderabad; with Stasis Health Private Ltd to improve access to connected care with their bedside multi parameter monitoring system and with Govt. of Kerala’s promoted Section 8 Company, Additional Skill Acquisition Programme Kerala (ASAP) to equip final year students with advanced skill sets and improve overall employability within the healthcare industry.”

The study also showed that almost 80% thought that the Government was very supportive towards innovations, and 33.3% agreed and 60% strongly agreed that talent recruitment was a significant challenge for early-stage start-ups.

Last year, the company launched the Medtronic Open Innovation Platform (Medtronic OIP) with the aim to bring together various innovators across the Asia-Pacific as well as several stakeholders from the healthcare ecosystem. This was followed in October 2021 with the launch of the Medtronic APAC Innovation Challenge to give recognition to innovations in the healthcare space. Both the challenge and the conference reiterate the company’s commitment to enabling innovation in the industry and come on the heels of Medtronic’s plan to invest up to US$50million under its Open Innovation Platform over the next five years. The Medtronic APAC Innovation Challenge saw 323 start-ups and business enterprises from 46 countries from the Asia Pacific region and beyond, vying for a potential collaboration with Medtronic valued up to US$200,000. India’s Niramai Health Analytix was recognised as one of the top 10 innovative start-ups in the challenge.

About Medtronic

Bold thinking. Bolder actions. We are Medtronic. Medtronic plc, headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, is the leading global healthcare technology company that boldly attacks the most challenging health problems facing humanity by searching out and finding solutions. Our Mission — to alleviate pain, restore health, and extend life — unites a global team of 90,000+ passionate people across 150 countries. Our technologies and therapies treat 70 health conditions and include cardiac devices, surgical robotics, insulin pumps, surgical tools, patient monitoring systems, and more. Powered by our diverse knowledge, insatiable curiosity, and desire to help all those who need it, we deliver innovative technologies that transform the lives of two people every second, every hour, every day. Expect more from us as we empower insight-driven care, experiences that put people first, and better outcomes for our world. In everything we do, we are engineering the extraordinary. For more information on Medtronic (NYSE:MDT), visit www.Medtronic.com and follow @Medtronic on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Microsoft Future Ready Industry Week, Manufacturing Edition Highlights The Need To Unlock Innovation For Future Ready Industries


* Digital innovation to drive significant advances in operational efficiency, customer experience for a more resilient and sustainable future

Microsoft’s Future Ready Industry week, Manufacturing edition witnessed a confluence of diverse perspectives as industry leaders from leading conglomerates like L&T, Ashok Leyland, Vedanta, Adani Group, Asian Paints and Aditya Birla Group and others shared insights on themes ranging from creation of resilient supply chains, operating safe and agile factories as well as unlocking innovation and new services. The event builds on the Future Ready flagship series through CXO keynotes and dialogues with Microsoft’s focus on empowering people and organizations to prepare for growth in the next decade.

In terms of business priorities for the manufacturing industry, identifying new revenue streams along with digital offerings is at the forefront and highlights the changing scheme of strategies which are increasingly customer centric, and data driven. Strategies also rely on a seamless ecosystem collaboration and partnership. Industry research also reveals that 40% of Asian manufacturers will adopt an API led integration strategy to link applications on a single platform to improve agility and visibility across organizations by 2023. The above estimates substantiate the importance of application and data sharing with their ecosystem, which results in increased operational productivity. (Source: IDC*)

Speaking on the occasion, Sashi Sreedharan Managing Director, Microsoft India said, “Microsoft aims to fulfill its mission of empowering every person and organization on the planet to achieve more, by helping customers and partners manufacture a more resilient and sustainable future. We are fueling the manufacturing industry’s digital transformation with technology and digital capabilities to unlock new efficiencies and future-proof business.” He further added, “Given the accelerated penetration of Industry 4.0 across the Indian manufacturing landscape, Microsoft is uniquely positioned to support our customers in their growth journey by connecting the intelligent, integrated cloud, and edge capabilities of the Microsoft platforms to deliver the highest value.”

S.N Subrahmanyam, Chief Executive officer & Managing Director Larsen &Toubro in a fireside chat session with Anant Maheswari, President Microsoft India spoke about how the industry giant has been at the forefront of digital innovation and transformation. He said, “One of the decisions that we took was to be a very high-end technology solutions provider where we could utilize technologies like IoT, Industry 4.0, AI, ML and various other tools and applications as well as platforms to envisage how we could get accurate data, to be objective about decision making. This data has helped us benchmark ourselves against the best in the world while analyzing the outcome of all this digital activity. He further added “Microsoft has played a very important role and much of IoT and Microsoft Azure is being used extensively at L&T project sites.”

Talking about a roadmap for a digitally ready Future enterprise, Sampath Kumar Venkataswamy, Senior Research Manager, Manufacturing insights, IDC Asia in the session, “The Future of Make in India” stressed the importance of process transformation in enhancing the digital readiness of Indian manufacturers. He stated, “Organizations need to assess their baselines, and if needed, re-engineer their business and operational processes. While investing in technologies that enable data visibility across their value chain. Training their workforce in terms of skilling and re-skilling is imperative for them to be agile.”

Sharing his views on the impact of technology in facilitating a more sustainable future, Vineet Jaiswal- Deputy CEO, Vedanta said, "It is always better to move to cloud because you are reducing the carbon footprint rather than having your own data center. Moreover, what we are ensuring is that whatever we do from a supply chain perspective, we have the entire end-to-end visibility. This shortens the turnaround time which in turn reduces emissions.”

Speaking about the disruptive potential of technology impacting the commercial vehicle industry in India, Dr N Saravanan, President, and Chief Technology officer of Ashok Leyland, in the session “Front Office Transformation” said, “We are moving away from selling a product to selling a service with data being a key component to enhance the customer experience We can use the data to enhance the customer experience as the data itself is much more critical in commercial vehicle segment since the category is driven by TCO. Collaboration with ecosystem partners is also important and Microsoft can be a key enabler for companies to operate in the ecosystem seamlessly by supporting their end-to-end requirements from cloud computing to data security.”

Reiterating the significance of data, Venkatesh Natarajan, President and CDO Ashok Leyland spoke about using data very extensively both for direct monetization and for indirect monetization, providing huge amount of value to customers. Looking ahead, as the industry transitions from a product centric to a solution centric kind of an organization, he spoke about how connective vehicle data, AI, analytics is going to play a very dominant role.

Sharing their insights into various approaches in building the factories of the future, Manish Gupta, Group CIO, Aditya Birla Group highlighted the evolution of technologies and stressed that the future will be personalization at scale through smart factories. Earlier, factories were very fixated in terms of what products they are going to supply, but with changing demand factories can now rely on additive manufacturing or 3D printing to rapidly respond.

Taking about smart factories, Aashish Kshetry, VP IT and HR at Asian Paints commented, “The interface of man and machine will never go away. Automation systems will have mechanisms to monitor safety protocols and reduce wastage by providing insights through sensors, measurement mechanisms and the ability to sift through large volumes of data. This could be something as simple as energy consumption. Safety and sustainability would be top priorities that any smart factory can really enhance from an overall perspective."