GOQii Smart Healthcare Forays Into UK For Patient Care To Invest GBP 10 Million And create 100+ High Quality Jobs

* Patient care for all chronic medical conditions including  Diabetes 

* Lifestyle Modification to better health and life 

* Partnership with Modality, award-winning GP super partnership

GOQii Smart Healthcare is foraying into the UK for patient  care. The company is making an investment to the tune of GBP 10 million in  the UK over the next 3 to 5 years and aims to create 100+ high quality jobs  in the healthcare arena of the UK. 

GOQii strongly believes that preventive healthcare is the only viable, long  term, mass market solution. Chronic diseases represent one of the biggest  challenges faced by the healthcare systems across the world. GOQii App is  

technologically advanced to bring together all the key stakeholders,  including Pharma, Device, Diagnostics and personal coaches, to provide a  seamless experience for people with any chronic ailments such as diabetes,  stroke, gut or cardiac issues to manage their disease condition.  

GOQii’s advanced health ecosystem consists of a care team which includes  personal coaches, health experts, doctors and diagnostics. It brings all the  user health data on to a single platform from which it can be analysed by  the care team. This allows for the user to receive personalised health advice  as per their lifestyle and habits. 

GOQii is also forging a partnership with Modality Partnerships, UK’s largest  GP super that operates primary health care and community services  nationally. GOQii along with its partners is committed to NHS values and to  grow, innovate and sustain services in General Practice and across the  system. 

“We are very excited to foray into the UK. It will help thousands of patients  across the UK to improve their health outcomes. GOQii is a unified platform  to provide a holistic approach to disease care. We already have several  people with chronic medical conditions like diabetes and cardiac issues on  our platform who have reversed their disease condition purely with  lifestyle modification,” said Vishal Gondal, Founder & CEO, GOQii. 

About GOQii  

Founded in 2014 by serial entrepreneur and Gaming Guru, Vishal Gondal,  GOQii is empowering consumers globally to lead healthier and better lives.  GOQii is a pioneer in wearable based smart-tech-enabled fitness and  healthcare. GOQii’s smart-tech-enabled healthcare platform brings together  the entire preventive healthcare ecosystem. Its Smart Health Ecosystem  integrates tools for real-time personalised coaching, an explosive high growth Health e-commerce store, scheduling health check-ups, a health  locker, and a unique 'GOQii Cash' program where healthy behaviour is  rewarded with cash discounts and insurance discounts based on health  management data. Given the state of 'Sickcare' delivery infrastructure in  India, the company strongly believes that preventive healthcare is the only  viable, long-term, mass-market solution. As one of the official partners of the  ‘Fit India Movement’ GOQii is a strong supporter of Narendra Modi’s vision  of making 1.3 crore Indians fit and healthy. GOQii counts marquee investors  like Mitsui, NEA, Megadelta, DSG Consumer Partners, Galaxy Digital, Denlow  Investment Trust, Edelweiss, Cheetah Mobile, GWC, Mr Ratan Tata, and Mr  Vijay Shekhar Sharma.  

Bank of Baroda Reduces Home Loan Interest Rates To 6.50% For A Limited Period & Waives Off Processing Fee As Well

Bank of Baroda (Bank), one of India’s leading public sector banks announced that it has reduced its home loan interest rates from 6.75%* p.a. to 6.50%* p.a. for a limited period. This special rate is applicable till June 30, 2022. Further, the Bank has also announced a 100% waiver on processing fees during this period. With this, Bank of Baroda continues to offer one of the lowest and most competitive home loan rates in the industry.  

The new rate beginning at 6.50%* p.a. is available for customers applying for fresh home loans as well as for balance transfers. This special rate is available across all loans amounts and is linked to a borrower’s credit profile. 

H T Solanki, General Manager - Mortgages & Other Retail Assets, Bank of Baroda said, “We have seen a significant pick-up in home sales over the last many months and we are delighted to extend the good times for home buyers with the introduction of a special, limited period interest rate offer of 6.50% along with nil processing charges. We expect the momentum to continue, as customers seek to make the most of this very attractive offer to buy their dream home.” 

To apply for a Bank of Baroda Home Loan online and get an instant sanction letter, please visit https://www.bankofbaroda.in/. Customers can also apply through Bank of Baroda’s bank branches across India.  

Bank of Baroda Home Loans are linked to an external benchmark i.e. RBI’s policy repo rate.  

*Terms & Conditions apply 

About Bank of Baroda:  

Founded on 20th July, 1908 by Sir Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III, Bank of Baroda is one of the leading commercial banks in India. At 63.97% stake, it is majorly owned by the Government of India. The Bank serves its global customer base of over 150 million through over 46,000 touchpoints spread across 18 countries in five continents. Through Its state-of-the-art digital banking platforms, it provides all banking products and services in a seamless and hassle-free manner. The recently launched bob World mobile app provides customers with a saving, investing, borrowing, and shopping experience, all under one single app. The app also serves non-customers by enabling account opening through video KYC. The Bank’s vision matches its diverse clientele base and instills a sense of trust and security. It is moving well in that direction and bob World is a testimony of its roadmap towards Digital Transformation. 

Nutanix Opens New Office In Pune To Serve Its APAC Customers

Nutanix, a leader in hybrid multicloud computing, has expanded its operations in India by opening a new facility in Pune today that will provide service to customers and partners in India and across the Asia-Pacific region.  

The new facility is one of the largest Nutanix campuses outside of the U.S. It is part of Nutanix's global service and support function, providing Nutanix customers with 24-hour help as part of the company's "always-on" service and support program.  It will also host, in a hybrid work model, research & development, customer success, training, and product support professionals and teams, accounting for a large percentage of Nutanix’s team members based in India.

The expansion is part of Nutanix's ongoing commitment to and growth in India which has the largest base of Nutanix team members outside the U.S.  Since Nutanix began operations in the country in 2013, the company has also continued to add a wide range of customers in the country across the financial services, IT/ITes, public, health care and other sectors. Local customers in Pune include Amdocs, Persistent Systems Limited and KPIT.

Sankalp Saxena, SVP & MD, India Operations, Nutanix, said: “Pune is home to an enormous pool of talent, and our new office in the city’s IT hub will enable us to provide more opportunities to local tech professionals and the training that will help them further develop their cloud skills.   We also look forward to working with local institutions to create internship and incubator programs that will enable students to learn about cloud technologies as they prepare for and embark on their careers.  

”On behalf of everyone at Nutanix, we are excited and proud to be expanding in India as we work to help more customers in the country realize cloud on their terms with our hybrid multicloud platform that gives them the freedom of choice to put their applications and data in the environments that make the most sense.  This mission and our culture – we are Hungry, Humble and Honest with Heart – are the reasons why our Net Promoter Score continues to exceed 90 and customers trust Nutanix to help them with their future success.”

De Beers Group Invests US$2 Million In Kelp Blue, An Innovative Start-Up focused Focusing On Underwater Kelp Forests To Lock Away CO2

-           The investment supports a pioneering nature-based solution for sequestering carbon and increasing biodiversity, while supporting job creation and sustainable economic development in Namibia

-           De Beers will have access to potential carbon credits generated by Kelp Blue to complement the company’s core carbon reduction and removal strategies as it strives to be carbon-neutral across its operations by 2030

De Beers Group today announced it is investing US$2 million in Kelp Blue, an innovative start-up focused on growing and managing large-scale giant kelp forests, initially off the Namibian coast. These underwater forests have the potential to safely and permanently lock away vast amounts of CO2 in the ocean. Research has shown that kelp forests have carbon sequestration properties exceeding those of terrestrial forests and that they help sustain healthy marine ecosystems, providing food and shelter for countless species.

In line with De Beers Group’s Building Forever sustainability goals, the investment supports a pioneering nature-based solution for sequestering carbon and enhancing biodiversity, while also delivering skills development and job creation in Namibia, where De Beers has recovered diamonds in joint venture partnership with the Namibian Government for almost three decades.

In 2021, Kelp Blue was awarded a licence to cultivate Giant Kelp off the coast of Namibia and is now in the pilot phase. The business will contribute infrastructure development in and around the town of Lüderitz, benefitting the local community by creating employment and upskilling opportunities in kelp cultivation and processing. During the pilot phase, the business will generate a range of direct and indirect jobs in biotechnology, engineering, processing, support services and logistics in Namibia

The initiative will also support De Beers in its goal of being carbon neutral across its operations by 2030. While De Beers Group’s primary focus in achieving this goal will be on increasing efficiency and replacing fossil fuel and fossil-based energy from its operations with renewable alternatives, carbon credits resulting from the investment in Kelp Blue will support the company in removing any remaining emissions, alongside other nature-based initiatives.

Neil Ventura, Executive Vice-President, Strategy and Innovation at De Beers Group, said: “We are committed to being carbon neutral across our operations by 2030, and to achieve this ambitious target we will need to recover a share of our emissions after we have removed and replaced the majority of the fossil fuel energy in our business. Instead of simply purchasing carbon credits on the market, we are looking to identify potential long-term, sustainable and innovative nature-based solutions for this – particularly those that can deliver additional carbon capture benefit beyond our own business. While there is still work to be done to understand more about the scale of opportunity, Kelp Blue is an innovative start-up with significant potential, and we are proud to invest in its future.

“Alongside protecting the natural world, another priority of our Building Forever sustainability framework is to partner with communities in our host countries on sustainable development opportunities. The potential benefits in Lüderitz and elsewhere in Namibia – in terms of employment and supporting ‘green’ solutions to wider challenges – highlight just how well Kelp Blue’s objectives align with our own sustainability approach.”

Daniel Hooft, Founder and CEO of Kelp Blue said: “We are very pleased to have De Beers alongside us, thinking about the future, today. De Beers has communicated its commitment to protecting the natural world through its 2030 Building Forever sustainability goals, with its focus on carbon neutrality, minimising its water footprint and delivering a net positive impact on biodiversity. These are one hundred per cent aligned to Kelp Blue’s core passion and purpose. De Beers’ early investment in our offshore pilot – a world first in terms of scale and ambition – specifically helps us accelerate the quantification and verification of the carbon sequestration pathways, which is essential for the whole seaweed industry in terms of scientifically establishing the potential of this novel nature-based solution.”

Tata Motors Rolls Out Landmark 4,00,000th Tiago From Sanand Plant

* First car from Tata Motors to achieve this milestone in a short timeline

Tata Motors, India’s leading automotive brand, today commenced celebrations of its brand, Tiago achieving the 4,00,000 sales mark with a signature roll-out from its home ground, the Sanand facility in Gujarat. The Company has launched #Tiago4ever campaign to celebrate with its employees and customers across all Tata Motors offices, plants and customer touch points. 

Launched in 2016, under the Impact design philosophy, the Tiago has redefined the hatch segment with its sporty design, superior drivability, and best-in-class safety features and as a testament to its superior offering, in the first year of its launch, it bagged over 30 prestigious awards. Over the years, Tata Motors has constantly kept the Tiago family refreshed with various technological interventions. Today, the Tata Tiago, with its BS-6 compliant engine is an important part of the Company’s New Forever Range and is being offered in 2 Avatars – Tiago and Tiago NRG and offers 14 variants.

Commenting on this milestone, Mr. Rajan Amba, Vice President, Sales, Marketing and Customer Care, Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles Ltd. said, “This is indeed a historic milestone for Tata Motors as Tiago is the first car to complete this milestone in a short span.  Tiago has been a key product in our Turnaround 2.0 strategy and since its launch has been successful in grabbing a sizeable market share in the most crowded segment in the auto industry. The Tiago has become the preferred choice for youngsters who are looking for a stylish, feature-loaded, and safe car, with more than 60% of sales generated from first-time buyers. The recent interventions of Tiago NRG and Tiago CNG have gained quite the popularity among prospective buyers. We are confident that the Tata Tiago will continue to play an integral part in our New Forever range and will enhance our market performance in the Indian auto industry.”

The Tiago commands a market share of 19% in its segment. The car is available in two fuel options – 1.2-litre Revotron Petrol and recently launched iCNG. The Tata Tiago comes with a 4 Star Global NCAP Safety rating & boasts of best-in-class safety features like Dual Air Bags, Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) with Corner Stability Control (CSC) & Electronic Brakeforce Distribution, Rear Parking Assist and much more. The innovative and advanced iCNG technology in particular, with its segment-first features like Direct CNG Start, Single ECU, and many more such features, has been appreciated by the customers and has helped in making Tiago the preferred car in its segment. Furthermore, the Tiago NRG in its muscular and rugged form was launched in August 2021 and has managed to captivate the minds of prospective customers who prefer a car with sturdy and SUV looks. 

To know more about offers and car buying options, call your nearest dealership or visit https://cars.tatamotors.com/

#EmbracingVenice: Saype & Lavazza Group With “Beyond Walls

* Partner Of Venice Pavilion Public Programme At The 59th Art Biennale

* Another event in the programme of positive art and sustainability culture in Venice to mark Earth Day

On April 22, to mark Earth Day and the opening of the 59th Venice Art Biennale, Lavazza Group with #EmbracingVenice wel­comes the artist Saype with his new stage in his worldwide land art project, Beyond Walls. The public will be able to admire on April 22 Saype’s gigantic artwork from the Torre di Porta Nuova in the Arsenale Nord area, the venue for the French-Swiss artist’s second solo exhibition after Turin, with photographs, videos and installation details about the Beyond Walls project and some of its 12 stages around the world since 2019, symbolically creating the largest human chain ever and highlighting the importance of staying together to overcome all the challenges of our time.

On Earth Day, Lavazza Group wants to draw attention to a particularly topical issue: the fragility of life on earth and human responsibility towards our fellow human beings, other forms of life and the planet we have the privilege to live on. It will do this through a visually striking but ephemeral artwork, designed to disappear in a matter of days and set in Venice, the city that is the ultimate symbol of art and human creativity but also of the complex relationship between Man and Nature,

Two hands reach out and clasp each other in an expression of confidence and mutual help: this is the central image of a monumental work painted on grass using biodegradable pigments, invented by the artist himself, and installed on a classic Venetian “pontoon”, that daily crosses the canals, to allow the city to host Beyond Walls, “the largest human chain in history”, a project taken to various symbolic locations in countries around the world ( (instagram.com/saype_artiste).

“We have given this project our full backing to continue along the path we set out on many years ago, with the aim of giving voice to the issues raised by sustainability through art and photography.” – Lavazza Group Board Member Francesca Lavazza said. “The art of Saype perfectly embodies our values and is the ideal testimonial for the increasingly close relationship between the visual arts and sustainability. In the spirit of our Goal Zero, we have chosen Earth Day to reawaken our collective consciousness about the delicate balance between man and the natural environment, and about the need to take action to encourage change. With the Venice Art Biennial just around the corner, we want to offer the world a visual synthesis that integrates Saype’s work into this most iconic of cities, with which we have longstanding ties through partnerships and cultural projects”. 

Goal Zero, created by Lavazza, joins the 17 Sustainable Development Goals and aspires to spread the message of the 2030 Agenda to as broad an audience as possible, as well as guiding Group projects for some years now to raise awareness about sustainability issues.

Lavazza Group is a longstanding supporter of Saype, with whom it shares the values of inclusion, solidarity and the desire to protect an environment increasingly at risk. An artistic combination centred on a faith in responsible art that aims to encourage reflection on the role we all have to play in preserving the world we live in. This is accompanied by a real-world commitment that on the one hand the artist applies to his work, and on the other the Group realises by acting as a responsible business on an everyday basis and through its Foundation, guided by the corporate purpose of “Awakening a better world every morning”.

“After traveling for 3 years around the world with Beyond Walls project, I am happy that this emblematic city will be part of it. City of history and confluence of art, Venice reflects our challenges of climate change. In this sense, working hand in hand with respect for nature is the only way to overcome together the failures of the past and create a bright future”. – said Saype – “Being able to bring the hands of Beyond Walls through the canals for the Venice Biennale is an opportunity for me to send a beautiful message of optimism to the whole world. Earth Day is the perfect time to remind us that ecology must be at the heart of our concerns, and I am proud to be able to send this message with Lavazza which is a historical partner in my adventure as an artist and with whom, we are trying to move forward in a more sustainable world. “

The partnership between Lavazza Group, Saype and the Venice Pavilion takes concrete form with the Venice Pavilion Fuori Padiglione events, a series of five encounters based on deeply shared goals. This with the aim of making people think responsibly about the future and about pressing social and environmental issues, with a view to limiting the devastating impact of climate change that threatens unique locations like Venice and highly vulnerable crops like coffee.

The event with Saype is part of the Venice Pavilion FPV programme curated by Giovanna Zabotti, which this year will be entitled “Alloro” [Bay Laurel], testifying to the dialogue that is possible between Art and Nature and of which Saype’s work is a concrete example.

“Man and nature: this symbiotic relationship has gone hand in hand in recent decades with growing respect for the dynamics of environmental sustainability, animal care, and the protection of all living beings. It is a form of heightened ecological consciousness that has evolved and started to express itself creatively through art. In fact, it represents a new frontier for creativity, where the lines are blurred between art, science and communication. This is where the connection between “Alloro” and the works of Saype lies: nature becomes central to the artwork, a nature that transforms and mutates, changing colour and form and taking on a new life, as do we humans who live in it.” – said Giovanna Zabotti, curator of the Venice Pavilion. “In parallel, nature, experimentation, art and the future will be the themes running throught all the Fuori Padiglione events, in which young people and the hope they represent will play a fundamental role. The partnership with Lavazza Group is a fortunate example of the increasingly close relationship between nature and art, and I am particularly happy with the collaboration we have established “.

Unravelling Ayushmann Khurrana’s Journey From Reality Shows To Bollywood Stardom In An Exclusive Chat With IMDb

Ayushmann Khurrana has proven to be one of Bollywood's most versatile actors in recent years. With 32 wins and 29 nominations, Ayushmann's progression as an artist from theatre to television to the big screen has been the most organic one. The Vicky Donor star shares his journey from hosting TV shows to his first blockbuster in an IMDb exclusive video, The Essential Guide to Ayushmann Khurrana. Here is a throwback to the journey of the star who talks about how the success of this unconventional movie not only got him fame and recognition but also paved his path into a certain genre of movies.

Reminiscing his childhood days, Ayushmann Khurrana shares how at the age of 5 he confessed to his grandmother about his dreams of becoming an actor that landed him in a soup. He recollects, “6th standard, when I did my first play called Merchant of Venice, I played Shylock’s character…that time my father realized that probably this is something serious. In college when I told him I want to do acting and theatre, he had just taken one promise from me that you know I should be like a topper in college and have like at least 70% attendance and I followed that and simultaneously did theatre, so he was very supportive later.”

From there started the journey of auditions and tryouts. On having to give up a role in ‘Kitni mast hai Zindagi’ to being offered to participate in Roadies, Ayushmann ensured to take up the right opportunities that came his way to kickstart his career in the industry. With all the grit and determination, he won the Roadies season and 4 years later came to Bombay where he joined MTV as a VJ. Followed by his stint at MTV, he hosted India’s Got Talent, IPL and a variety of award shows and reality shows where he made a mark in the anchoring space.

“In 2011, Shoojit Sircar noticed me on television and he wanted somebody like me as Vicky Donor….I remember I had at least said no to 6 films first before saying yes to Vicky Donor because I realized one thing that I won’t get a second chance….my first film has to be on point. I thought Vicky Donor was a great script and a very credible director, it was like a dream come true for me in 2012”. He also added, “First Filmfare was very special because I think am the only one in the history of Filmfare who won debut actor along with best playback singer…. competition is crazy…I never expected I will get best singer award…I got it, so I was just shocked and surprised”.

Ayushmann strongly feels that Vicky Donor set a path for him. This one-of-its kind movie set a trend and he felt that following the trend should be the right thing. He added, “I always thought I was unconventional…so I always thought I should make unconventional choices which will probably surprise you….so that was my aspiration, to choose subjects which were novel and clutter breaking.” Ayushmann also fondly shares about Andhadhun and how the movie was the biggest hustle of his life which gave him everything – from a national award to the biggest hit in China. Following which he has always done unconventional roles that have set him apart as an actor. Ayushmann Khurrana has successfully created a sub-genre of his own and highlighted all types of societal issues through some of his greatest hits of all times like Badhaai Ho, Article 15, Andhadhun, Gulabo Sitabo, Shubh Mangal Zyada Sasvdhan all which were huge hits in India.

After starring in hit films and belting out chartbusters, hear more from the actor on his failures and success mantras during the IMDb Essential Guide to Ayushmann Khurrana https://www.imdb.com/video/vi1756021273/.

Singapore Airlines And Singapore Tourism Board Invite Families To Holiday In Singapore This Summer

* Children enjoy 50% off airfares and families get a 50% discount at 100+ local attractions 

With international travel having resumed from India and with summer holidays just round the corner, Singapore Airlines, in collaboration with Singapore Tourism Board, is offering a “special family promotion on summer travel” to Singapore.  

Families that book their Singapore Airlines tickets between now and 31 May 2022, for travel anytime till 30 June 2022, can enjoy a 50% discount on airfares for children aged 12 years and below.  

Further, families can also enjoy over 100 exciting attractions across Singapore at half the price when they book their tickets using Pelago, a travel experience platform by Singapore Airlines.  

Key attractions on offer include the Singapore Zoo, Night Safari, Gardens by the Bay, Universal Studios, S.E.A. Aquarium, iFly Singapore and many more.  

Mr. Sy Yen Chen, General Manager India for Singapore Airlines, said, “With international travel having resumed from India, it is once again possible for families to plan a summer vacation together, and what better destination than Singapore? The Garden City has always been among the preferred international family-friendly destinations for the India market, simply because it offers something for all age groups. We are seeing strong demand for travel to Singapore, and our special children’s discount on airfares is our way of welcoming our youngest customers back on board for a fun-filled holiday.”  

Singapore Airlines currently operates 66 flights weekly from 8 cities in India and will continue to progressively increase its frequency to pre-Covid levels in the coming months. Please refer to the current India flight schedule at the end of this release for more details.  

Speaking about the family-focussed promotion, Mr. GB Srithar, Regional Director, India, Middle East & South Asia, for Singapore Tourism Board said, “Singapore is a top-of-mind family destination among Indian travellers. We are happy to welcome them back to Singapore during the peak summer travel season to enjoy their family times. Together with our tourism partners, we have curated a variety of family experiences at half price for children under 12 years. After a hiatus of two years, we are excited to invite Indian travellers to a reimagined Singapore with new and familiar favourite experiences with top notch hygiene and safety standards.” 

Siddharth Shanker, CEO, Pelago commented, "With the resumption of travel, we’re excited to welcome families to Singapore. At Pelago, our vision is to enable travellers to experience different cultures in the 30+ global destinations we operate in. We’re excited to work with Singapore Tourism Board and Singapore Airlines to bring Singapore to the world. For families especially, with over a 100 child-friendly activities on Pelago, we hope travellers will have the chance to explore Singapore for its range of well-known icons and hidden gems.”  

HCL Technologies Ltd: Services Biz Momentum Intact; In-Line FY23 Guidance

BUY

CMP: Rs1099  

Target Price: Rs1400

* HCLT delivered broadly in line operating performance in Q4. Revenue grew 0.5% QoQ to USD2.99bn (1.1% CC) on the back of continued traction in Services (5% CC). Products & Platforms declined 24% CC due to seasonality. EBITM declined by 110bps to 17.9%.

* It signed 6 large services and 4 product deals across technology & services, life sciences & healthcare and public services verticals for a total new deal TCV of USD2.3bn (6% QoQ). Broad-based demand, robust deal intake and pipeline augur well for revenue acceleration.

* HCLT has guided for revenue growth of 12-14% CC in FY23 on the back of continued traction in the services business, healthy deal intake and deal pipeline (close to all time high). It has guided for 18-20% EBITM guidance for FY23, considering supply-side challenges and planned investments in Mode 2 capabilities and markets.

* We cut FY23/FY24 EPS estimates by 3%/2.7%, factoring in Q4 performance and FY23 guidance. Revenue growth momentum is encouraging; however, pressure on Services margin led to earnings cut. We maintain Buy with a TP of Rs1,400 at 22x Mar'24E EPS considering attractive valuations, steady cash generation and ~4% dividend yield.

On This Earth Day, Godrej Group Launches A Book To Create Awareness About Safeguarding The Environment

* The Last Cloud, Ray, Drop, Mangrove and Bee’

On World Earth Day, this year, the Godrej Group has released a book called ‘The Last Cloud, Ray, Drop, Mangrove and Bee’ for children to urge them, other individuals and business heads to invest their resources in safeguarding the environment and protecting valuable species from extinction. Using this digital book as a platform, the group, sends an urgent message about preserving the environment for tomorrow.

Through the character ‘Maahi’ the book carries the message of inculcating environment awareness and its need for protection to every individual, through children’s tales. The book showcases the imperative of involving younger generations in the effort while reaching out to more people to help save our environment.

The key intent of the book is to foster concern for the environment by depicting how critical it is to establish good habits such as reducing, re-using and recycling at a young age since children tend to respond better to environmental issues.

Commenting on the book, Tanya Dubash, Executive Director and Chief Brand Officer, Godrej Group, said, “The Godrej Group has historically been at the forefront of environmental conservation and each and every organization under our umbrella is determined to making every effort towards a cleaner, greener and better world. We have always considered a sustainable work ethos as our responsibility to our nation and our planet. To safeguard the environment for the generations yet to come, we aim to promote personal responsibility through this book ‘The Last Cloud, Ray, Drop, Mangrove and Bee’. We hope to instil  a sense of passion in every reader to invest themselves into preventing environmental degradation and nurture conservation”.

We will be launching the book in three parts, thereby, celebrating Earth Day for a whole week.

Anu Joseph, Chief Creative Officer, Creativeland Asia, said, “Every Earth Day, we’ve been asking adults the world over to think about the children of the future. This time though, we thought, ‘let’s redirect to the little ones.’ After all, the future of the planet is intertwined with theirs. And when the little ones know better about Earth’s history, they’ll grow up and change the global warming story. And our videobook, The Last Cloud, Drop, Mangrove, and Bee, gives that loving nudge through little Maahi and her friends as they spread planet positivity and change the world to be #EarthfullyYours.”

AICGIM Collaborates With Maker’s Asylum For Circular Economy Challenge Supported By EU REI

Atal Incubation Centre Goa Institute of Management (AIC-GIM) has partnered with Maker's Asylum, a space in Goa that allows collaborative ideation, has partnered on a unique Circular Economy Challenge.  

An initiative by European Union Resource Efficiency Initiative (EU REI) India, the challenge will focus on creating a platform wherein participants will be able to pitch ideas, current projects and concepts based on a circular economy whose goal is to tackle global challenges like climate change, biodiversity loss, waste, and pollution. 

In our current economy, we take materials from the Earth, make products from them and eventually throw them away as waste – the process is linear. In a circular economy, by contrast, we stop waste being produced in the first place. Open to participants aged 18 and above, the Make for Goa challenge will revolve around ideas that focus on any one of the 5 challenge statements - discarded fishing nets, alternatives to single use plastics, textile waste, circular design and sustainable construction. 

Speaking about the collaboration, Snehal Galvanker, Operations Manager, AICGIM, said, “We at AICGIM are building and enabling an ecosystem for startups in the climate and environment sector. With various initiatives like Hub-CE@ Goa which is a dedicated centre for collaboration and entrepreneurship for startups in the climate and environment sector, ESG Startup Week, Climathon Panaji, the SUP Challenge are among other initiatives. We are happy to collaborate with Maker’s Asylum Goa for this unique Make for Goa Challenge and provide support to participants by offering them access to markets, finance, experts, and mentors.” 

Ideas presented can be chosen for a potential pilot opportunity with EU REI and a full scholarship seat at the SDG School 2022 - a 2 weeks long experiential bootcamp to accelerate the idea with partners such EU, UNESCO, UNDP & UN Habitat. 

The final pitches will be held on 23rd April, 2022 at Makers Asylum, Moira Goa. 

Atal Pension Yojjana Total Enrollments Crossed 4 Crore In FY 2021-22

The total enrollments under APY Scheme have crossed 4.01 crore as on March 2022 out of which more than 99 lakh APY accounts were opened during FY 2021-22. The scheme had seen this tremendous success due to the active participation of all categories of Banks. Around 71% of the enrolments done by Public-sector banks, 19% by Regional Rural Banks, 6% by Private Sector Banks, 3% by Payment and Small Finance Banks. 

State Bank of India, Indian Bank, Bank of India, Bank of Baroda and Central Bank of India achieved annualtarget in the Public-sector Bank category. 

While Vidarbha Konkan Bank, Tripura Gramin Bank, Jharkhand Rajya Gramin Bank , Paschim Banga Gramin Bank, Baroda UP Bank, Uttarbanga Ksheriya Gramin Bank ,Aryavart Bank, Baroda Gujarat Gramin Bank, Uttar Bihar Gramin Bank, Maharashtra Gramin Bank, Odisha Gramya Bank, Madhya Pradesh Gramin Bank, Karnataka Vikas Grameena Bank, Chaitanya Godavari Grameena Bank, TelanganaGrameena Bank, Andhra Pradesh GrameenaVikas Bank, Baroda Rajasthan KshetriyaGramin Bank, RajasthanMarudhara Gramin Bank, Dakshin Bihar Gramin Bank, Prathama UP Gramin Bank, Punjab GraminBank, Puduvai BharthiarGrama Bank, AndhraPragathi Grameena Bank, Manipur Rural Bank and Uttarakhand GraminBank achieved annual targets in the  Regional Rural Bank category. 

Also, Tamilnad Mercantile Bank, AU Small Finance Bank,Shri Mahila Sewa Sahakari Bank, The Kalupur Commercial Co-Operative Bank, The Sabarkantha District Central Co-Operative Bank and Rajkot Nagarik Sahakari Bank achievedannual target in other bank categories. 

Apart from the Banks, 9 State Level Banker’s Committees Bihar, Jharkhand, Assam, Uttar Pradesh, West-Bengal, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Odishaand Tripura achieved annualtargets under APY. 

Out of the totalenrolments under APY as on 31st March2022, nearly 80% subscribers have opted for Rs 1000 pension plan and 13% for Rs 5000 pension plan. Out of the total APY subscribers 44 % are female subscribers while 56% are male subscribers. Further, out of thetotal APY subscribers, 45% are aged between 18 and 25 years. 

On Independence Day 2021 speech our Hon’blePrime-minister emphasized on the saturation of Government’s social security schemesincluding Atal PensionYojana to each and every entitled person.PFRDA, in line with the Government’s saturation mission has undertaken to conduct outreachprograms in co-ordination with all SLBCs and RRBs across the country. In the FY 2021-22, 13 such physicaloutreach programs were conducted and the remainingprograms will be conducted in the current Financial Year. 

PFRDA has strategized to target Jan-dhan accounts holders, promote digital mode of enrolment to target young population, involving other Central ministries, State Governments and agencies like NRLM/ SRLM for APY outreach programsthrough webinars and townhall meetings. 

Atal Pension Yojana is the guaranteed pension scheme of Government of India administered by PFRDA. The scheme allows any Citizen of India between the age group of 18-40 years to join through the bank or post office branches where one has the savingsbank account. Under the scheme,a subscriber would receive a minimum guaranteed pension of Rs.1000to Rs.5000 per month from the age of 60 years, depending upon his contribution.   The same pension would be paid to the spouse of the subscriber after the demise of subscriber and on demise of both the subscriber and spouse, the pension wealthas accumulated till age 60 of the subscriber wouldbe returned back to the nominee. 

PFRDA is committed to take total enrolments under APY to greater heightsand contribute towardsmaking India a pensioned society. 

Dharmendra Pradhan Launches Pradhan Mantri National Apprenticeship Mela Organized Across 700+ Locations In One Day

* Over the next one year, MSDE will endeavor to engage 10 lakh youngsters

* Apprenticeship mela to be held every month, says Shri Dharmendra Pradhan

* Stipend payment to apprentices to be done online

* Academic credit will be awarded to apprentices which can be used for future pathways

* Apprenticeship model should also be taken as an important feedback mechanism from the industry to make the ecosystem more demand driven and impactful , says Shri Rajeev Chandrasekhar

Giving a boost to Hon’ble Prime Minister’s Skill India Mission, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan Union Minister of Education, Skill Development, and Entrepreneurship, today digitally inaugurated the launch of the National Apprenticeship Mela across 700+ location in the country.

Over 4000 organisations from more than 30 industries, including power, retail, telecommunications, IT/ITeS, electronics, automotive, and others, participated in the event. Individuals having a 5th–12th grade pass certificate, a skill training certificate, an ITI Diploma, or a graduate degree were eligible to participate in the PM Apprenticeship Mela. The main objective of this programme was to encourage the hiring of approximately One lakh apprentices and to assist employers in identifying and developing their potential through training and practical skillsets.

In addition, the young and aspiring workforce was given a choice of 500+ trades, including welder, electrician, housekeeper, beautician, mechanic, and others. They were given on-the-spot apprenticeship offers with monthly stipends as per the government standards.

Following, they will get monthly stipend as per the Government standards for developing new skills, an opportunity to earn while they learn. The candidates will get certificates, recognized by National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET), increasing the chances of their employability after the training.

Speaking at the launch of the National Apprenticeship Mela, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Minister of Education and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, said, “I am happy that more than 4,000 organisations across 700 locations in the country are participating in this mela to provide gainful employment opportunities to our youth. It is satisfying to see job providers from manufacturing, electronics, services, power, IT/ITES, railways, retail and several other emerging areas line-up for the Apprenticeship Mela.

After 34 years we have a New Education Policy in Place which is a roadmap for India’s transformation in this AmritKaal. Academic credit will be awarded to apprentices which can be used for future pathways. We have to make apprenticeship a participatory movement to skill, re-skill and up-skill young India, boost per capita economic productivity and drive national missions.”

“Going forward the PM National Apprenticeship Mela will be a monthly affair. A digital dashboard will be set-up to further streamline the apprenticeship process and connect our youth with relevant opportunities in the 21st century. Our endeavor will be to ensure that more than 10 lakh trainees engage with corporates as apprentices and capitalize on this opportunity to earn while they learn and find their gateway into the industry,” he further added.

Speaking on the occasion, Shri Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology, said, "Post covid our focus is to increase our employable skills and thus the employability. As our Hon’ble Prime Minister has stated, skilling, re-skilling and up-skilling should be taken as a continuous ladder of opportunity. Apprenticeship is one of the most sustainable models and the concept is central to create an enabling partnership between govt, skill delivery ecosystem and employment ecosystem. Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship has brought in comprehensive reforms to the Apprenticeship Act and the Apprentices Rules in 2014 & 2015 and now it should be taken as a dynamic evolving platform to connect the skilling ecosystem to both who are getting skilled and those seeking skilled talent. The Apprenticeship model should also be taken as an important feedback mechanism from the industry to make the ecosystem more demand driven and impactful.  PM National Apprenticeship Melas will serve as a strong platform to connect industry with youth.”

Establishments participating in the PM National Apprenticeship Melas get an opportunity to meet the potential apprentices at a common platform and select the candidates on-the-spot. In addition, even small-scale industries with minimum four working members can also hire apprentices at the event. A credit bank concept is will also be soon introduced which will have depositary of various credits accumulated by learners that they can use for future academic pathways.

During the interaction, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan was particularly impressed by the entrepreneurial spirit of a young trainee from Bhubaneswar. Undergoing apprenticeship in the Baker & Confectioner trade at Govt. ITI Bhubaneswar, she plans to start her own bakery. He encouraged all stakeholders to broaden their imagination to further expand the scope and scale of apprenticeship. Industry-linkages based upon the opportunities present in local economies will go a long way in massively increasing apprenticeship opportunities for the youth.

The PM Apprenticeship Mela has been a great opportunity for the participating establishments, as they were able to meet potential apprentices on a single platform and choose applicants based on their requirements. In addition, small-scale industries with a minimum of four employees were also able to hire apprentices at the mela.

ASDC And Hero MotoCorp Expand Partnership With Project Jeevika

Sharing the vision of an ‘employment ready’ young India, the Automotive Skill Development Council (ASDC) and Hero MotoCorp, the world’s largest manufacturer of motorcycles and scooters, have joined hands for “Project Jeevika”, to train two-wheeler market technicians across the country on BS-VI Technology.

As a part of the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) platform “Hero WeCare”, Hero MotoCorp has trained more than 6000 technicians through TVET (Technical and Vocational Education and Training) ecosystem. The stakeholders are working towards promoting livelihood and upskilling of technicians to empower them from the financial backward situation with free training and development programs in the automobile service domain to make their jobs aspirational.

Utilising the content provided by Hero MotoCorp, ASDC will deliver a variety of learning modules and certifications in skilling. Through this project, ASDC will also enhance its capacity and capabilities for the education of these technicians to make them industry relevant.

Commenting on the initiative, Mr. Vinod Agarwal, President of ASDC said, “We are extremely happy to partner with Hero MotoCorp for this wonderful initiative “Jeevika”. The partnership is aimed at imparting quality skills training to market technicians and get them updated on new technologies that they will need to deal with while servicing customers. The project has the potential to make a transformational impact especially in the lives of these technicians. We look forward to continue this initiative to impact a growing number of market technicians.

Speaking on the initiative, Mr Bharatendu Kabi, Head – Corporate Communication and Corporate Social Responsibiity (CSR), Hero MotoCorp said, “In keeping with its unwavering commitment to the betterment of society, Hero MotoCorp aims to upskill the two-wheeler technicians of the country with the latest BS-VI technology. The Project Jeevika - in association with ASDC - will enable these technicians to develop relevant skills required for the latest technology and make them self-reliant, thereby empowering them to lead a brighter future.” 

Both ASDC and Hero MotoCorp will focus on bridging the supply gap of skilled workers in the automotive industry and help them in the fulfilment of manpower requirements across the country. The program will further enable all the roadside technicians to develop relevant skills on futuristic vehicles too and become self-reliant, thereby, empowering these technicians for a brighter future and at the same time fulfilling the broader vision of Skill India.

About ASDC:

ASDC, is the first sector Skill Council of India, promoted by the Automobile industry, through Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), Automotive Component Manufacturers Association (ACMA) and Federation of Automobile Dealers Association (FADA) along with the Government of India represented by Department of Heavy Industry, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Ministry of Road Transport & Highways and National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC). ASDC envisions making India self –sufficient in availability of skilled personnel for sustaining growth & increasing competitiveness of the automobile industry. ASDC has over 240 training partners, 800 certified assessors, 14 expert groups with 295 industry experts and over 2000 training centres.

Your Meetings Aren’t Working: New Verizon Study Says Focus On Meeting Less To Accomplish More

* Breaking the bad meetings habit: how Verizon Business is laser-focused on meeting less to accomplish more.

Companies rethinking their operations, their working models, and almost every aspect of their business due to the pandemic is not something new. What is noteworthy is seeing how businesses are leveraging lessons learned to innovate and improve their operations to meet customer and employee demands. In a new white paper published this week with Boston Consulting Group, Verizon Business CEO, Tami Erwin, and Verizon Business Chief Revenue Officer, Sampath Sowmyanarayan, break down how something as simple as altering the way meetings are conducted can greatly impact productivity, while providing insight, tips, and best practices from an extensive in-house experiment.

“Every leader today needs to reimagine the path forward for their business in a hybrid world. Verizon Business and BCG partnered to share concrete learnings that enable greater flexibility, connection, and collaboration,” said Tami Erwin, CEO of Verizon Business. “Because at the heart of it all, we know it takes the right technology infrastructure, security, and solutions, along with the right training and resources, to ensure businesses effectively navigate new ways of working.”

For organizations, the quick shift to a remote or distributed working model was an initial shock to the system, but now can be viewed as an opportunity to shape how employees adopt and adapt to new collaboration tools and processes. To make a meaningful impact, it’s not wholesale changes that win the day, it’s simple actions that make the biggest difference, such as:

* Adopt simple, impactful practices to improve meetings:

* Schedule 25- or 50-minute meetings with a 5–10-minute lagged start time

* Clearly state the meeting’s purpose and agenda on the meeting invitation

* Reassess the need for regular recurring meetings

* Identify and challenge the need for meetings that can be replaced by asynchronous modes of work, i.e., email, chat, shared documents, or offline review

For one month, Verizon Business analyzed the meeting habits of a team of roughly 150 employees, where they tracked the success of various changes to meetings. The experimental practices were devised in collaboration with the team, recognizing the importance of designing new ways from within and not simply imposing them from the outside. Throughout the month, daily and weekly surveys were sent to participants for continuous feedback, enabling the real-time evolution of processes and practices. The results were overwhelmingly positive, demonstrating the impact small changes can drive:

90 percent of participants said that the new ways of managing meetings helped improve overall meeting effectiveness

83 percent said they feel more comfortable working through asynchronous modes, such as email, collaboration tools, and shared documents

78 percent said they feel like they are wasting less time sitting in meetings where their live participation isn’t required

The 4-step process to identifying, implementing, and supporting simple actions to change how work gets done.

Walk the talk: Secure support from a respected leader from the start.

Design from within: Understand pain points and arrive at best practices from within the teams that you are targeting for change. Make it their idea.

Make it easy: Create and re-create supporting tools to drive implementation and measure success. Ensure you have the right technology and solution infrastructure in place to accomplish effective hybrid communications plans.

Iterate as you go: Create regular and frequent feedback cycles to support the continued adaptation of new meeting modes and supporting tools.

The next step is to scale. As noted in Step 3, making the process simple and easy to recreate sets the stage for broad expansion across the organization. The experiment conducted by Verizon can be implemented by any business. Additionally, Verizon Business has the solutions, expertise, and network technology to help businesses forge their own unique path toward transformation. From reworking their cybersecurity architecture or implementing the solutions to harness the power of 5G to simply adjusting their approach to meetings, Verizon has businesses covered.

The pandemic may have forced the hand of many business decision-makers to forever alter their operations, but in turn, it has opened the doors to take advantage of new ways of working. Making small adjustments such as changing bad meeting habits can help employees meet less and accomplish more.

In A First-Of-Its-Kind Partnership, Binance’s Blockchain Technology To Power IIT Delhi Fest, Rendezvous

Binance, the global blockchain ecosystem and cryptocurrency infrastructure provider with a financial product suite that includes the largest digital asset exchange, today announced the first-ever digitisation of attendee experience with the help of Blockchain Technology at IIT Delhi’s annual college fest, Rendezvous, scheduled from April 24 to 26, 2022.

Through this association, Binance aims to educate and spread awareness about the various use cases of blockchain, such as those being showcased during the fest ranging from NFT tickets, NFT certificates, fan tokens, POAP (Proof of Attendance Protocol), among others. Moreover, in another first, the fest will witness NFT Tickets for all attendees during the Concert Nights. NFT Ticketing is being done at this unprecedented scale for the first time in India. As the title sponsor of Rendezvous, Binance will also launch their ‘Crypto for all’ educational webinar which will happen on May 1st as part of the fest. Through this webinar Binance plans to spread investor awareness for crypto and blockchain and issue completion certificates over blockchain by Binance NFT to all successful participants.

Binance is supporting a few crypto and blockchain related competitions at the fest, such as Cryptocon (a crypto trading competition) and an NFTart competition, to offer the students an opportunity to gain exposure to the emerging technologies.

Leon Foong, Head of APAC at Binance, said: “We are excited to partner with IIT Delhi for Rendezvous, where the most talented tech students from all over the country are brought together. We are happy to leverage Binance’s infrastructure and platform to inspire and educate the attendees of Rendezvous in web3, blockchain and crypto. Binance has always been dedicated towards educating and empowering the student community and aims to prepare the students of IIT Delhi, the event participants and the rest of the country to be ready for a future of financial freedom that is powered by blockchain technology. In line with the “crypto for all” theme, we strive to make the blockchain space more inclusive and accessible to all and give back to the communities that help create events like Rendezvous. We are looking forward to the innovative ideas that will emerge during the festival and the new economic opportunities that will arise from events like this.”

Speaking on the occasion, Khushpreet Singh-BRCA IIT Delhi Overall Coordinator said, “Blockchain is an emerging technology with a large scope for innovation in India. We are delighted about the partnership with a global leader like Binance as this will allow our students to not only learn about the new revolutionary technology but also see some of its applications in action. The digitisation of the event will definitely infuse a new level of excitement to the attendee experience, while also imparting knowledge about this most interesting technology that enables us to be future-ready. The Rendezvous organising team is moving forward with a strong conviction and is determined to give every stakeholder a great experience."

"The entire campus is really excited with the concept of NFT tickets for the Pronites, which is the main attraction during the 3-day cultural fest. It is amazing how Binance is helping the long standing issue of registration using blockchain and NFTs, especially at this scale " said Aman Lohia -Rendezvous Overall Coordinator

Binance has constantly been active in engaging with students and college communities. It recently partnered with Inter Institutional Inclusive Innovation Centre (i4c) to initiate the ‘Blockchain for Good’ Ideathon for students across India colleges with a focus on solving problems through the use of blockchain technology. Binance Campus BUIDLers Program is another initiative by Binance which offers a platform to students across India, Philippines, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh to explore new opportunities, accelerate crypto literacy and develop the tools required to become a leader, innovator and BUIDLer for a decentralized future.

About Binance

Binance is the world’s leading blockchain ecosystem and cryptocurrency infrastructure provider with a financial and tech product suite that includes the largest digital asset exchange by volume. Trusted by millions worldwide, the Binance platform is dedicated to increasing the freedom of money for users, and features an unmatched portfolio of crypto products and offerings, including: trading and finance, education, data and research, social good, investment and incubation, decentralization and infrastructure solutions, and more. For more information, visit: https://www.binance.com/en-in

About IIT Delhi

Indian Institute of Technology Delhi is one of the 23 IITs created to be Centres of Excellence for training, research and development in science, engineering and technology in India. Since its inception, over 48000 have graduated from IIT Delhi in various disciplines including Engineering, Physical Sciences, Management and Humanities & Social Sciences. For more information, visit: https://home.iitd.ac.in/

Meesho Partners With Cashfree Payments To Provide Instant Refunds To Customers

Meesho, India’s fastest growing internet commerce company, today announced its partnership with Cashfree Payments, India’s leading payments and API banking solutions company, to enable instant refunds for all Cash on Delivery (COD) orders placed via Meesho’s platform. This integration of Cashfree Payments is set to enhance the shopping experience of all Meesho users while also minimizing the need for manual intervention in certain orders.

Traditionally, in India, COD has been the preferred mode of payment especially for users from tier-II+ markets. Reducing the overall turnaround time taken to process refund payouts will enhance customer experience and also increase their trust towards online transactions. Through this partnership, Meesho aims to successfully process each refund payout in under 2 hours and eliminate drops in the payout funnel caused by technical failures or bank downtime. This entire refund process is automated by Cashfree Payments’ bulk disbursal offering ‘Payouts’. Further, the integration with Cashfree Payments will automate supplier payouts and also enable payout via UPI.

Commenting on the partnership, Kirti Varun Avasarala, Chief Product Officer, Meesho said, “In India, Cash on Delivery (COD) continues to be a preferred payment mode. We’ve noticed that any unexpected delay or hassle caused in processing refunds can cause inconvenience and lead to trust deficit. Meesho’s aims to become the preferred shopping destination for the next billion Indian consumers and our partnership with Cashfree Payments will address a very important aspect in the users’ journey and help us move closer to this goal.”

Reeju Datta, Co-Founder, Cashfree Payments said, “We are glad to collaborate with Meesho in solving the problem of slow refunds, especially in case of COD orders. Our bulk disbursal product, ‘Payouts’ will help Meesho delight its customers with faster refunds by crediting the refund amount to the customer's bank account in under 2 hours by automating the process. Queries around delayed refunds are a major source of customer tickets for e-commerce businesses, and we look forward to help Meesho reduce such queries to nil.”

According to a recent report by data.ai (formerly App Annie), Meesho was the most downloaded e-commerce app in the world last year. Over the course of 2022, the company will continue to fuel the discoverability of hyperlocal businesses and products, make e-commerce accessible to value conscious customers and innovate to become the preferred e-commerce destination for the next billion users in the country. Meesho also aims to reach 100 million monthly transacting users by December 2022 and increase its roster to over 50 million products.

About Meesho

Meesho is India’s fastest growing internet commerce platform. With a vision to enable 100 million small businesses, including individual entrepreneurs, to succeed online, Meesho is democratizing internet commerce and bringing a range of products and new customers online. The Meesho marketplace provides small businesses, which includes SMBs, MSMEs and individual entrepreneurs, access to millions of customers, selection from over 700+ categories, pan-India logistics, payment services and customer support capabilities to efficiently run their businesses on the Meesho ecosystem.

About Cashfree Payments

Cashfree Payments is a leading payment and API banking solutions company. It provides full-stack payments solutions enabling businesses in India to collect payments and make payouts via all available methods with simple integration. Cashfree Payments’ offerings include an advanced and easy way to integrate payment gateways, a split payment solution for marketplaces, bank account verification API and Auto Collect -- a virtual account solution to match inbound payments to customers. Founded by IIIT Hyderabad alumnus Akash Sinha and IIT Kharagpur graduate Reeju Datta, www.cashfree.com is among the leading payment service providers in India processing transactions worth USD 20 Billion annually. It has leveraged technology to lead payment disbursals in India with more than 50% market share among payment processors. Cashfree Payments enables more than 1,00,000 businesses with payment collections, vendor payouts, wage payouts, bulk refunds, expense reimbursements, loyalty and rewards. Apart from India, Cashfree Payments products are used in eight other countries including the USA, Canada and UAE. Cashfree Payments is backed by Silicon Valley investor Y Combinator, Apis Partners, State Bank of India (SBI) and was incubated by PayPal.

EKKI Pumps Appoints Cambridge Educated Manufacturing Guru Professor, Sujit Banerji of Warwick University As Chief Advisor

Pumps and Water Technologies major EKKI today announced the appointment of Dr. Sujit Banerji, Emeritus Professor, WMG, University of Warwick, UK as chief advisor.

Dr. Sujit Banerji will hold responsibility for strategy at the group level. In addition, Dr. Banerji will lend his expertise in globalization and operations management, across the group. The Warwick professor, who has been commended as ‘a leading advisor and thought leader’ will help EKKI and the group management to design and execute an appropriate strategy.

Dr. Banerji a close friend and confidant of Late Professor Lord Kumar Bhattacharyya, Chairman of Warwick Manufacturing Group moved to the University of Warwick upon his request. Dr. Banerji studied at IIT, Kharagpur for the B.Tech degree in Mechanical Engineering and M.Tech degree in Industrial Engineering. He then did his PhD in Operations Research at the University of Manchester and Cambridge University. He has also taught at the Singapore Management University. He is a US citizen.

Prior to The University of Warwick, he spent more than 30 years with IBM. With the boom in the economy of the Asia-Pacific region he spent the latter years spearheading IBM’s Strategic Outsourcing business, first as CIO and Vice-President of IBM (India), and then at the company’s ASEAN headquarters in Singapore.

While with IBM, along with publishing 80 major internal papers, he won numerous lifetime achievement awards for his work. He switched to full-time academia in late 2004 when he retired from IBM. Dr Banerji has worked with many Fortune 500 companies in several different countries and has served on several boards of top companies.

Mr. Kanishka Arumugam, CEO of EKKI said, “Water is still one of the least technologically influenced industries on the planet. This provides big opportunities for EKKI. For more than 5 decades Professor Sujit Banerji has been at the heart of business and a powerful advocate of manufacturing. His wisdom, passion, and advocacy of the importance of globally competitive manufacturing, technology, research teaching, and training has helped guide national and international leaders, business figures and policy makers.

We are very fortunate to associate with Prof. Banerji, who will play an important role in guiding us in our future growth. EKKI is making a strategic transition to become a Sustainable Water Technology Company and we are currently focused on creating multiple platforms that will accelerate our growth and create significant societal value through digitalization, servitization and being a system solutions provider for the water industry”

About EKKI:

EKKI is one among India’s advanced Pump and Water Technologies provider. The privately held family-owned firm provides water in an efficient and sustainable way for agricultural, building services, industrial and public utilities markets through its innovative products and services. Established in 1981 this family business produces a wide range of pumps and water technologies from its 4 world-class production centres. Internationally EKKI is establishing its global presence. It has several manufacturing collaborations with Technology leaders and distribution partnerships with Global Distributors. Today EKKI’s products are sold in more than 20 Countries. The EKKI Group has an International Joint Venture Alliance with HOMA of Germany, a world leader in waste-water technology.

South India’s Sona Group 50:50 JV With Australia’s Mycelium Biotechnology

* To lead in Mushroom and Mycelium based extraction, research and drug delivery applications

South India’s diversified Sona Group has forged a 50:50 joint venture with Australia’s Mycelium Biotechnology Group to set up a state-of-the art Mycelium research and production facility in Salem.

Mycelium Biotechnology is an Australian group known for pioneering innovative solutions to optimise human and planetary health, using mycelium and other extracts from Mushrooms, an abundantly available and sustainable natural resource. As a global mushroom biotechnology group, Mycelium Biotechnology is engaged in mushroom growing, global distribution and offering biotechnology and nutraceuticals solutions through global partners.

According to Mr Chocko Valliappa, Vice Chairman of The Sona group, “We are happy to forge the Mycelium Sona Biotech joint venture with Australia’s Mycelium Biotechnology, a research focused world leader in Mycelium based products and solution provider. The partnership will leverage Sona Group’s research and innovation framework to add to the vast range of IP and patentable technologies.”

The JV named as Mycelium Sona Biotech (MSB) has set up a research facility at Salem to focus on Nanotech Research, IP development, Extract Manufacturing, Milling, Bottling and eCommerce. Billed as one of the largest mushrooms laboratories in India at Salem with best Global Manufacturing Practices, MSB laboratory will research and grow high end mushrooms, extract Mushroom and Mycelium compounds, produce nutraceuticals that conform to FSSAI and FDA certification.

“We see great opportunity in the Indian market moving forward. Sona’s background in health tech and research development is a perfect partnership for us to further advance our nano compound extraction IP. The launch of the first MSB facility in Salem comes at the most opportune time soon after signing of the Free Trade Agreement between Australia and India” says Mr William Scott, Chairman of Mycelium Biotechnology group.

With R&D, Business and Distribution centres located across Australia’s East Coast as well as manufacturing facilities in Wisconsin (USA), Mycelium Biotechnology owns scores of IP. The bulk of this IP relates to cultivation methods and associated medium formulations for nearly 20 mushroom species, extraction processes of mushroom and mycelium biomass and formulations of mushroom extracts.

The medicinal mushroom industry is expected to grow exponentially as more and more of the 5.1 million mushroom species are researched. The global fungi industry is forecast to exceed USD $86B by 2025, up from $53.7B in 2019. Growth will be powered in part by culinary demand, but an even larger driver will be rising adoption by the pharmaceutical industry. Varieties such as Chaga, not ever seen on a dinner plate, are now in the supplement spotlight.  www.thesonagroup.com

Some of the key portfolio companies expanding through the joint-venture include:

REMbiotics, one of the divisions of Mycelium Biotechnology, addresses the global issue of depression (MDD, TRD, PTSD) using specific mushroom mycelium bioactive compounds combined with Australian native bush foods for a beneficial and synergistic effect. www.rembiotics.com

Preotica is an evolutionary life sciences company that has been focusing on enhancing animal immunity and microbial health. Utilising mycelium biotechnology extraction processes, the Preotica product has been able to produce some remarkable results, specifically in the poultry industry, aquaculture industry and for beekeepers across Australia. www.preotica.com

Shroompac focuses on mushroom and mycelium-derived sustainable eco-packaging materials for industrial and consumer applications.

About the Sona Group

Founded by Kalaithanthai Karumuttu Thiagaraja Chettiar in 1920s, the Sona Group has pioneered India’s growth in the fields of agriculture, textiles, construction, IT, and education. Mr Thiagaraja Chettiar committed himself to setting up world-class institutions of higher learning in engineering.

The group’s IT services firm Vee Technologies provides to over 150 hospitals in the US, including six of the Top 20, handling their clinical coding and revenue cycle management in addition to providing e-learning and e-governance solutions. www.veetechnologies.com

The Sona Group of Education institutions include the NIRF ranked Sona College of Technology known for its cutting-edge research through its 35 R&D laboratories, the 64-year-old Thiagarajar Polytechnic College that enjoys the AICTE-CII status to mentor over 3,500 polytechnics in India and the Sona College of Arts and Science.

3i Infotech Bags Rs. 12 Cr Digital BPS Transformational Deal With A Leading Insurance Company In India

3i Infotech Limited (BSE: 532628, NSE: 3IINFOTECH), a global Information Technology company, committed to accelerating business transformation, has signed a premium high margin Digital Business Process Services (BPS) transformational deal worth Rs. 120 mn (Rs. 12 cr), with one of India's leading Insurance TPA companies. The contract is spread over three years and the process will be delivered from their new centre at Hyderabad. As part of the deal, the company will be driving customer experience transformation through its integrated omni channel contact centre platform with automated service quality automation and end-to-end business process management linked to the client’s business KPI. 

The omni channel platform will be embedded with self-learning AI systems to assist customer support associates with real-time Cognitive assistance. It would also come bundled with Virtual Agent Assist, Email Automation and Flow Based Chatbots to cater to customer's claim queries. The process will involve delivering inbound voice customer services and slowly transforming the digital tools to deflect call volumes to digital channels which include app, chat and email using self-service bots.  

In the next phase, 3i Infotech will work on automating their claims management and also partnering in transforming their IT applications. 

Commenting on the new client win, Kiran Chittar, Business Head - Digital BPS, 3i Infotech Limited said, “We are seeing a huge uptake in our Digital BPS services offering, and this latest win of ours will add to our marquee set of clients who are on the path to digital transformation. Organisations are looking at higher return on investments and greater scale in this highly competitive market, and we will partner them in achieving this. With the human to humanoid convergence, our digital integrated programs for CLM, Sales, Collections, Tech HelpDesks, and Back Office Automation will deliver the above proposition. Our multiple innovative ‘Tech Implants’ will drive superior customer experience and increase revenue.” 

“Our digital-first strategy involves disrupting the traditional vanilla BPO business by adding an AI/ML led ‘Digital Command Centre’ layer over and above the people & contact centre operations, thereby empowering the agent as well as optimizing customer experience across all communication channels and processes,” he further added. 

This announcement comes at the back of 3i Infotech’s plan to hire 500 employees for its newly set up BPS division in HITEC City, Hyderabad, to serve its regional and market specific clientele. 

About 3i Infotech  

Headquartered in Mumbai, India, since inception in 1993, 3i Infotech has been committed to driving business value across multiple industry verticals. 3i Infotech, today, has emerged as a leading name in propelling the current wave of digital transformation initiatives, with deep domain expertise across BFSI, Healthcare, Manufacturing, Retail and Government sectors. The Company has over 5000 employees in 32 offices, 15 countries and across 4 continents. With a wide range of IT services, 3i Infotech has successfully transformed business operations of 1,200+ customers across 50 countries. The Company has a very strong foothold and client base in geographies like North America, India, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. 

V-Trans (India) Ltd Continues Its Accelerated Drive-Into Environment Sustainability

* Walks the talk in becoming a clean, green, environment-conscious logistics service provider in the country 

V-Trans (India) Ltd, a preferred single window logistics solution provider has always been a believer of sustainability. Since our inception, we have held onto our reputation of being an ethical and responsible organization. With other CSR work, we have undertaken environmental sustainability initiatives like green tree plantation, rural life upliftment and energy conservation. We are working towards harnessing the power of the sun and are determined towards less polluting vehicles in our fleet. In addition to this, we recently became the proud owners of the first CNG truck produced by Ashok Leyland. The CNG truck being highly efficient and eco-friendly is driving us in our environmentally sustainable responsible company mode. 

We are keenly monitoring the Electronic Vehicle segment and are planning to move towards sustainable automobile solutions. We consider sustainable automobile solutions are important in unlocking the potential of Sustainable Logistics which will shape the future of the commercial transportation industry. This will lessen oil dependability, improve financial efficiency, and will protect our environment. 

Commenting on this, Mr. Mahendra Shah, Group Managing Director of V-Trans (India) Ltd said “We are proud to be the first owners of the CNG vehicle produced by Ashok Leyland. We aim to make sustainable living convenient, sustainable business profitable and sustainable change fashionable. Our aim is to be committed to a greener future for mankind. We look forward to being a sustainable-oriented company. We seek to see what more is to come in the sustainable commercial automobile section from Ashok Leyland group in future, that will help us contribute more towards nature and society”. Further he added, “We have also procured CNG trucks from Swaraj Mazda, Tata Motors, and Eicher, and now we have a good number of less-polluting-vehicles in our fleet”.  

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. 

Association of Direct Selling Entities of India (ADSEI) Says Industry Safeguarded By Rules & Regulations

Association of Direct Selling Entities of India (ADSEI), an apex industry representing body has reaffirmed the industry members commitment to the rules and regulations laid down by the government with respect to the direct selling industry in the country.

As per industry estimates, the direct selling industry in India is providing enormous opportunities for women empowerment and growth of MSME sector. The sector has also been instrumental in providing employment to nearly 12.2 crore people, who lost their jobs during the pandemic-impacted period. It not only provides livelihood to many Indians, but also helps bridge the gender divide and provides skilling opportunities to millions of women and youth.

Shri Hem Pande, Secretary of ADSEI and former Secretary of the Union Ministry of Food Distribution and Consumer Affairs, said, “Direct selling companies continue to play a key role in enabling empowerment of millions and making them financially independent, which is crucial to the Government of India’s vision of an Atmanirbhar Bharat. Despite economic setbacks during the pandemic the direct selling has grown exponentially creating economic opportunities for the large Indian population in the tier 2 and 3 towns as well. There are strict guidelines and a regulatory framework within which all industry members operate to maintain transparency and compliance. The industry and its stakeholders continue to put their faith in the Indian law and abide by it. We believe in the industry’s resilience and its ability to show strength in the face of adversity.”

To enable transparency and safety, the direct selling industry has now switched to the use of technology to conduct digital transactions. This has aligned the industry with the government’s vision of creating a Digital India and bring in much-needed clarity in the way businesses are conducted in India. This has also enabled better quality check with the products and a centralized platform of engagement with customers and distributors.

Symphony Limited’s Latest Campaign Draws Synergies Between Favorite Indian Snacks And Cost Of Cooling For One Day

With the temperature soaring high, Symphony Ltd has launched a new campaign to promote its newest air cooler offerings with an innovative approach, “Ek Samose ke kharche mein poore din ki Cooling - Garmi Ko Karo Symphony”. Known for technology, modernization, and consumer-first approach, the brand’s recent survey revealed the cost of quintessential Indian snacks such as Chai in UP-Bihar, Kachori in Rajasthan, Khaman in Gujarat, a Samosa in Delhi, or a Vada Pav in Mumbai is the same as the cost of daily cooling of Symphony air coolers. We in India, truly resonate with these favorite tea-time snacks since our childhood days and reminisce savoring them with our family. The innovative concept resonates with the fact of the minimum pricing of these food offerings for a price-sensitive consumer in India. Coolers as a category are close to 27% penetration in urban India and yet there is a huge scope to enhance penetration. The concept delves deep into the daily cooling cost as affordable as a humble food offering.  

Commenting on the campaign, Mr. Anuj Arora, Global Chief Marketing Officer, Symphony Ltd says, ‘As we begin our journey in the new financial year, we are confident in achieving our goals and setting new records. We as market leaders are taking the lead in category creation and providing an upgrade for our consumers. This campaign is truly aligned with our aim to resonate with our target audience by drawing synergies between a favorite Indian snack and the cost incurred for one day of cooling. The campaign is a creative expression of consumerizing the product benefit and contextualizing the low running cost of air coolers. With the temperature soaring high, it is of utmost importance to keep our homes cool and breezy. We have ensured that our consumers find value for money and have an impeccable shopping experience.” 

The campaign will be visible on platforms such as print and outdoor media including other digital platforms for an extensive outreach. The PAN India outdoor campaign will put up billboards across central locations targeting residential areas, and public places in about 200 cities across the country. The billboards will connect with consumers in native languages and the region’s popular snacks such as Samosa, Idli, Kachori, Chai, Khaman, Vada Pav. 

About Symphony Limited:  

Symphony, an Indian Multi-National Company with presence in over 60 countries is the world’s largest manufacturer of air-coolers. From inventions to innovations, energy responsibility to environment stewardship, Symphony is a market leader which has been cooling customers for generations. The massive supremacy of Symphony coolers in the residential, industrial, and commercial segments has made the brand synonymous with ‘cooling’. Founded in 1988, in Gujarat, India, Symphony Limited established a new category of evaporative air-cooling in India, taking it to the globe. As a disruptor of a highly unorganized sector, the company has set high benchmarks comprising 201 trademarks, 64 registered designs, 15 copyrights and 48 patents, defining the gold standard of air cooling.